Month: August 2020

Categories
Book Features Books

The Revenant: Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians

CREDIT: Courtesy Stephen Graham Jones

In two mesmerizing marathon sessions, I read Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians (Saga Press) over the July 4th weekend. There could have been no better atmosphere for Jones’ literary horror novel of revenge, cultural identity, and tradition on a Blackfoot reservation. Amid nationwide calls to address racial inequities, President Donald Trump gathered a crowd of mostly white Americans at a once-sacred site to the Lakota Sioux, one that was promised to them in perpetuity, to deliver a pro-nationalist, jingoistic tirade against cancel culture.

“Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children,” the president claimed, seemingly without realizing the irony of making that statement on that land. Erasure and indoctrination were exactly the fates of Native Americans. So perhaps I was primed to be rattled by Jones’ heartbreakingly powerful novel. Or maybe The Only Good Indians is just that damn good.

Courtesy Stephen Graham Jones

Stephen Graham Jones

The novel takes its name from what folklorist Wolfgang Mieder calls “particularly hateful invective” directed at the United States’ indigenous population, and that wry, dark humor informs the perspectives of the novel’s protagonists — four young members of the Blackfoot tribe. The men are irrefutably aware of the terrifying statistics that characterize the lives of so many like them. Their inner monologues are rife with remembered and imagined arrests, friends’ suicides, car crashes, and addiction. They know what society expects from them.

Still, for all the social commentary and supernatural fright deftly woven into The Only Good Indians, it’s in the honest portrayal of his characters that Jones truly shines. Ten years ago, Ricky Bibs, Lewis A. Clarke, Gabriel Cross Guns, and Cassidy Thinks Twice went on an illegal elk hunt in the elders’ lands, what the quartet called the “Thanksgiving Classic.” Now they find they must pay the price for their casually unleashed carnage.

The young men feel real enough to reach out from the page and shake the reader. Jones’ horror is rooted in humanity, in the author’s surfeit of heart. His characters are flawed and unerringly human, defined by or in denial of their guilt, which is why it hurts so much to read their stories.

“We’re from where we’re from,” Shaney, one of Lewis’ coworkers, tells him early in the novel. “Scars are part of the deal, aren’t they?” The line serves as a warning to the reader as well. Keep reading, if you dare, but be warned — in these pages, even the triumphs are tinged with tragedy.

Denorah Cross Guns, Gabe’s driven, basketball ace of a daughter, gives the reader someone to root for — and some serious stakes. For the monsters in The Only Good Indians play by the old rules, and punishments are heaped upon innocent children as much as on their parents, the transgressors.

Of late, Jones has been labeled the “Jordan Peele of horror literature,” and the moniker is earned as much for the overall strength of the work as for the social commentary within. If Peele’s Get Out was a masterwork — funny, frightening in ways both immediately visceral and creeping and intellectual, brilliantly composed — so is Jones’ most recent novel. His characters are natural. The book’s plot is a furious page-turner; its message, timely and potent. And The Only Good Indians works as well as a work of environmental horror, warning that to harm our home is to invite its revenge.

Jones’ The Only Good Indians is heartbreaking, exciting, and terrifying in equal measure. It’s the clear frontrunner for my favorite book of the year — for its masterful execution, for its humanity and honesty, and because it has haunted me since I turned the last page.

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We Recommend We Recommend

Celebrate 901 Day Virtually Via Exposure

CREDIT: Memphis River Parks/Facebook

Turn your love of Memphis into action on 901 Day, otherwise known as September 1st. New Memphis will host Exposure, a free celebration of all things Memphis.

The annual event offers opportunities to get involved and give back. This year, it’s virtual. Go online and meet 75+ local organizations and businesses. Commit to volunteering, joining a team, getting involved, and celebrating your city — from a proper social distance.

Memphis River Parks/Facebook

This year, 901 Day is going virtual, Tuesday, September 1, 4-7 p.m.

You’ll find Memphis magic around every virtual corner. Listen to live performances, watch live art demonstrations, and ask a panel of Memphis experts anything you want to know about the city. Post what you love about the 901 and tag your favorite organization to enter to win $500 for you and $500 to be donated to that organization.

“I love the 901,” says Cynthia Daniels, chief event strategist of Cynthia Daniel & Co. “My absolute favorite thing to do is to go and try the newest local restaurants in the city. We have the most amazing food here and the friendliest people.”

Visit the Exposure 901 website to learn more, register, and attend. And don’t forget to post some of your own amazing experiences in Memphis.

Tuesday, September 1, 4-7 p.m., exposurememphis.com, Visit the website to participate and learn more about the organizations and businesses that make up the 901.

Categories
Sports Sports Feature

901 FC Battles the Legion to a Stalemate

CREDIT: Courtesy Birmingham Legion FC

There was a slight sense of trepidation as the fourth official held up the electronic board after 90 minutes in Alabama. Nine minutes of stoppage time meant that Memphis still had it all to do against a Birmingham Legion side desperate for a late equalizer. A stout defensive performance had seen Memphis control the match for long stretches, but it ultimately had to settle for a point after a 2-2 draw in a game that clocked in at over 100 minutes.

Last weekend, 901 FC blew a two-goal lead to Charlotte in the space of 16 minutes, having suffered a 0-1 loss at home to North Carolina FC the week prior. Something had to change, so Coach Tim Mulqueen reached into his bag of tricks and sent out a new-look lineup. Out came captain Marc Burch (injury), Duane Muckette, and Brandon Allen. Liam Doyle, who had been riding the bench after a few shaky performances to start the season, came in at centerback alongside Triston Hodge, while Raul Gonzalez finally made a full start in midfield. Meanwhile, the industrious Cal Jennings replaced top scorer Brandon Allen up top.

Courtesy Birmingham Legion FC

with Birmingham’s Jonathan Dean.

Beyond personnel changes, Mulqueen deviated from his usual 4-3-3 formation to shift to 4-4-2. It proved to be the right call; this season, we’ve seen 901 FC try to control the game through possession, but on the road against a strong Birmingham side that had swept Memphis away 3-0 earlier this season, the situation called for more grit. Mulqueen had his men relinquish possession this time around, with two banks of four staying compact to limit any Birmingham chances. Unfortunately, the Legion struck first in the 12th minute, Bruno Lapa collecting the ball with plenty of time to settle and fire past Memphis goalkeeper Jimmy Hague and into the roof of the net for 1-0.

But this changed Memphis side wasn’t fazed, and it was the Bluff City’s turn to flip the script. Just a few minutes later in the 18th, Legion keeper Matt Van Oekel spilled the ball after a corner, and Rafa Mentzingen pounced on the rebound to make it 1-1. In the 27th, Jennings embarked on a solo run from inside his own half and drew a penalty. Keanu Marsh-Brown, his body language exuding self-confidence, kept Van Oekel frozen on his line as he dispatched the penalty low into the bottom corner to make it 1-2 in Memphis’ favor.

It was comeback complete, but there was still plenty of time left on the clock. Memphis continued to control the game through defensive organization, but continued to create some chances. Gonzalez showed off his crossing ability with a few sweet deliveries into the box, while Mentzingen continued to showcase his game-by-game improvement. One such display came in the 52nd minute when the Brazilian started a run from his own half and slipped in Jennings for a 1v1, but the Central Florida graduate saw his shot smothered by Van Oekel.

Defensively, Memphis was much improved from last week’s second half against Charlotte. Liam Doyle, especially, performed with renewed vigor. Whenever Birmingham did work its way into dangerous positions, I continuously found myself remarking that it was Doyle who was in the right spot to cut out the danger. He was unfortunate to concede the 98th minute penalty, but overall, it looked like a step toward his form from last season’s home stretch.

Was the final result disappointing? Yes, but only because, away from home, Memphis was in charge of the game for most of regulation against a top-class opponent (remember, you don’t have to have large possession numbers to be in control of a match). Mulqueen made some bold changes and was vindicated by some excellent individual performances. However, if these good performances don’t start bringing results, that elusive playoff berth will keep edging farther out of reach. For now, focus shifts to next Saturday’s match against North Carolina.

Categories
Film Features Film/TV

Desert One: The Story of the Iranian Hostage Crisis Rescue Mission

Barbara Kopple is one of America’s greatest and most important documentary directors. She was the Maysles brothers’ assistant on Salesman and ran camera on their seminal Rolling Stones documentary Gimme Shelter. Her first film as sole director, Harlan County U.S.A., is a searing document of a Kentucky coal miners’ strike. Kopple kept her cameras rolling for a full year, as the strike spiraled into violence. The crew were beaten and shot at, and the self-described hippie took to carrying a gun. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1976, and was voted No. 24 in Sight & Sound magazine’s 2014 poll of best documentaries — ahead of both Gimme Shelter and Salesman.

Kopple didn’t win an Oscar for 2015’s Miss Sharon Jones!, but it is a powerhouse of a film about the singer fighting for her art and life. I get chills just thinking about the scene when Jones, fresh from cancer surgery, returns to the church where she grew up to belt out a song from the bottom of her soul.

Director Barbara Kopple scored an interview with President Jimmy Carter for her new documentary, Desert One.

Kopple’s latest film, Desert One, lacks a moment as emotionally affecting as Jones channeling the raw life force, but it is still a masterclass in documentary filmmaking. Kopple’s most beloved films are cinema verité — fly-on-the-wall camera with minimal or no narration — but Desert One is a traditional archival doc with talking head interviews, proving the director can do anything she wants.

There are inflection points in history that loom larger as time goes on, and the 1979 Iran hostage crisis is one of them. In 1953, the United States and Great Britain, seeking to shore up a Cold War flank and ensure the steady flow of oil, orchestrated a coup in Iran that installed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as absolute ruler. The CIA became the Shah’s most active supporter, and in return the Shah kept the Soviet communists away from the crude.

But the situation came to a head in 1979, when a revolution, led by the firebrand imam, Ayatollah Khomeini, deposed the Shah, beginning the modern political era of Islam. The theocracy scored its first big win when a group of Iranian students broke into the American embassy in Tehran and took 52 of the Marine guards and U.S. State Department diplomats prisoner. One of Kopple’s first big reveals, delivered in an interview with a female Iranian hostage-taker, was that Khomeini didn’t order the storming of the embassy — or as she calls it, the “spy’s nest.” The student activists did it on their own and were willing to release the hostages and withdraw if the Ayatollah ordered it.

But Khomeini knew a winning hand when he saw one. President Jimmy Carter had no good options. As a former nuclear submarine officer, Carter was acutely aware of the cost of war. He was not about to risk a conflict that could kill hundreds of thousands over 52 hostages, at least not until diplomacy had been exhausted.

The hostage crisis dragged on through the election year of 1980, and Carter’s charismatic challenger, Ronald Reagan, made hay of it at every opportunity. Finally, on April 24, 1980, Carter launched Operation Eagle Claw, a daring special forces mission to rescue the hostages. In Kopple’s interviews with the survivors of the operation, it becomes clear that the plan was more of a harebrained scheme.

Using then-new night vision goggles, eight helicopters and six heavy transport planes would fly more than 1,000 miles into Iran and establish a secret base in the desert. There, they would refuel the helicopters and fly Delta Force commandos to a second, secret mountain location. From there, they would be smuggled into Tehran, a city of 9 million people, in CIA-acquired trucks and simultaneously attack two different locations to liberate the hostages. Then, they would capture a soccer stadium, turn it into a heliport, and fly to an abandoned Air Force base, which yet another team of soldiers had presumably secured, and then fly to freedom in another set of transport planes. One soldier who was on the flight says he never thought they had a chance.

The plan never got past step one. The landing at Desert One was a fiasco for the ages. Kopple recreates the stories of the men who were there using Iranian animators, and the effect is gripping. She uncovered secret recordings of transmissions and phone calls, but the biggest coup of all was getting an interview with Jimmy Carter, who had not spoken publicly about the operation since leaving office. The president comes across as a decent, intelligent man caught in an unwinnable situation. The cost of his loss in the desert, and the subsequent loss to Reagan, is still being measured.
Desert One is streaming on the Indie Memphis Movie Club.

Categories
Music Music Blog

For Saturday’s First COVID-Era Record Store Day, Local Shops Get Creative

CREDIT: J.D. Reager

MIchael Donahue

Eric Friedl and Zac Ives of Goner Records

Over the years, Record Store Day (RSD) has become one of those rare commercial “holidays” that have a real sense of community to them. Even as vinyl sales have grown in recent years, there is a camaraderie among the artists, fans, and retailers of LPs that is almost contagious.

Now, with contagion at the front of everyone’s mind, that is an enthusiasm that needs to be handled carefully. Memphis’ two primary record shops, Shangri-La Records and Goner Records, have each come up with their own solutions to the conundrum of how to celebrate vinyl en masse without violating social distancing guidelines.

Shangri-La, for example, will make use of its ample parking space. As their website explains, “you will be able to line up outside in the parking lot areas that will be marked six feet apart. It is IMPERATIVE that you stay on the demarcated space as we let one customer (plus anyone with whom that customer co-habitates) in the store to shop at a time.

“Each shopper will have an individual time of ten minutes to shop the RSD bins, make selections, and check out. After that, the next customer enters and it will continue in that fashion until 1 pm. After 1 pm, we will begin allowing customers to make individual appointments as we have been. Instead of 45 minute appointments, however, we will be limiting them to 20 minutes each to allow for additional Record Store Day shopping.”
J.D. Reager

Jared McStay, co-owner of Shangri-La Records

Of course, masks will be required throughout the process, and anyone who’s been in contact with someone who has symptoms should stay home. Given the idyllic weather of late, it promises to be an enjoyable outing for all.

Goner Records, meanwhile, has a more elaborate plan: a lottery for the first customers served on RSD. And today is your last chance to sign up for it. As co-owner Zac Ives explains:

We thought, maybe we can just dovetail this with things we’re trying to do with Goner TV. And do the best we can in a weird situation. So we came up with this goofy idea to have everybody sign up. We’ll do a random lottery for the order, and then we’ll have four phones set up and we’ll just start calling everybody, going down this list, pulling records for them, wrapping them up in a bag, and they can come pick it up later in the day.

We will have an emcee, cutting in live from the shop in our broadcast. So people can see where we are on the roll of numbers. We’re gonna make it as fun as we can. We’ll have a box of doughnuts and some coffee. Trying to keep everybody going from 9:00 until noon. And then at twelve, we’ll turn everything over to the website. Everything that’s left at that point will go up on our online store and people can order from there. But to be in that first three hours, you’ve gotta be signed up by Tuesday.

Instead of all the RSD releases coming out at once, they spread it out over three months, I guess with the idea that that would lessen any kind of mob. We don’t want to have a ton of people in one place, and maybe this is a way to spread that out on the shop side. So the releases will be split into thirds, the last Saturday of August, September, and October.

Goner is not releasing any RSD albums. We do have pre-orders up for the Archaeas record and the Optic Sink record. The Rev. John Wilkins CD is coming out in September, but the LP is delayed until November, and we’ll have a pre-order of that available as well.
Explaining the process, Ives can barely suppress his air of amusement. “It seemed funny to us, the whole telethon nature of it.”  There’s no telling what shenanigans could occur, so tune in and find out, even if you miss today’s deadline. See the Goner Records website for details. 

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Memphis Whistle Delivers Cocktails and Food to Your Door



Wet your whistle with Memphis Whistle — a new Memphis drinks-and-food-to-go service.

“‘Memphis Whistle’ is a slang term for moonshine,” says David Parks, who, along with Jef Hicks, operate seven days a week at The Liquor Store restaurant on Broad Avenue.

They were approached by The Liquor Store owners Luis and Lisa Toro. “They were curious when we were going to get back up and running,” Parks says.

The Liquor Store had not been operating at night several months before the quarantine, Parks says. “We’ll take over their bar and turn it into a cool little bar and nightspot. Until we feel safe enough to do this, we’re going to do this cocktails to-go and make us all some money.”

Parks and Hicks started a Facebook group, which they called “Memphis Whistle.” “We do a lot of interaction with people on the page. A lot of back and forth. We take suggestions. We do polls about, ‘We’re thinking about doing a new cocktail. Here are two we’re thinking about. You guys write which one you want and that’s the one we do.’

“Memphis Whistle,” which also is slang for a sex position, is “just a way to promote The Liquor Store and the to-go and delivery that is just fun and is just silly. And nobody gets bent out of shape when I make an off-color joke or say something obnoxious. They know I’m a sick and twisted individual.”

They moved into The Liquor Store about a month ago, Parks says. “Luis literally carved out space for us to store all our gear and supplies we need.”

Jef Hicks and David Parks of Memphis Whistle

The Liquor Store is open for breakfast and lunch in-house dining. “At 3 or 4 [p.m.], their people go on about their business except two kitchen staff. They stick around and cook and we come in and we get everything staged up for delivery and pickup. They’ve got a pickup window. We’ll bring it to your car. We deliver.”

They have a “fairly limited menu” at night, Parks says. “Because some things don’t travel well. You go to the website [thebroadliquorstore.com] and that’s how you do your ordering.”

And, Parks says, “I put on enough drivers that we can do ‘on demand.’ If you order something at 3, unless we’re super busy, we can have it to you by 4 or 4:30.”

Customers no longer have to give 48 hours notice if they’re ordering.

Parks describes the food as having “a real Cuban influence to it.”

They now offer seven cocktails, which are served in Mason jars, on the menu. “But of those seven, three of them you can have your choice of the spirit you want. Vodka, gin, and bourbon.”

 Raspberry Sage Sipper, Blackberry Bramble, and Blueberry Lemonade are among their most popular cocktails.

“A lot of people ask for most of the recipes. The Tequila Mockingbird is usually popular. And the Purple Drank.”

Cocktails to go are available all day for pickup. But customers must order food if they order drinks to-go, Parks says.

Joining Parks and Hicks at Memphis Whistle are Justin Wells and Jordan Hester. “They kind of keep the books, and they respond to emails and keep up with orders.”

Memphis Whistle has been in operation for two weeks. “People are starting to discover us. I had 68 new people trying to join the group yesterday.”

“The community” is what makes Memphis Whistle special, Hicks says. “In the sense that we all banded together to make sure we all took care of each other in this pandemic time,” he says. “And the fact that we’re trying to look out for others.”

“As soon as we feel safe enough, we’ll start opening at night,” Parks says. “Let people come in. At first, we’ll let people come sit on the patio. And then we’ll open up the inside. But I don’t feel it’s prudent to do that right now.”

And if you’re thinking about ordering Memphis Whistle drinks out of Tennessee, Parks says, “Even though I am the sheriff of The Twilight Zone, I cannot deliver across Tennessee state lines. I don’t care if you want my cocktails in Michigan or in Arkansas or in Virginia, I cannot deliver across Tennessee state lines.”

The Liquor Store is at 2655 Broad Avenue; (901) 405-5477. Email is memphiswhistle@gmail.com for special orders.

Categories
News News Blog

New Virus Cases Rise by 122

COVID-19 Memphis
Infogram

New Virus Cases Rise by 122

Shelby County added 122 new cases of COVID-19 on test results reported since Monday morning.

The number is not the number of new cases on tests given yesterday. Tests results are not always returned within 24 hours. The new case count comes from numerous tests over numerous days from numerous laboratories.

The latest weekly data available shows 11.5 percent of all tests were positive for the week of August 9th. The figure is down from the 13.2 percent  percent rate recorded for the week of August 2nd. It marked the fourth straight decline in the weekly positivity rate since mid-July.

The county’s overall average positive rate for COVID-19 was 10.8 percent on Monday, according to the latest data. The number is the average of all positive tests from all test results reported since the virus arrived here in March.

The total number of COVID-19 cases here stands at 26,528. No new deaths were reported since Monday morning. The death toll in Shelby County now stands at 366.

The total of known COVID-19 cases diagnosed in Shelby County was 3,384. The figure has not been updated since Sunday. The number is 12.8 percent of all virus cases recorded in Shelby county since March. There were 10,357 contacts in quarantine as of Monday.

Categories
We Recommend We Saw You

Marc Marut’s Video With Memphis Filmmakers Will Debut September 3rd on MTV

Ivon and Eyan Wuchina



Twin filmmakers, Eyan and Ivon Wuchina, are in front of the camera in a new music video, “Fuck You COVID-19,” which was made by Canadian actor/musician Marc Marut.

The video will make its debut between 4 and 5 p.m., September 3rd on MTV. It also will be shown six more times in September on MTV.

The Wuchinas, who appear toward the end of the video, came up with the idea for their segment, which they filmed themselves. “And we got to bring our own unique brand of Wuchina weirdness to it,” Eyan says. 

The twins, who don’t talk in the video, admit they talk a lot — and rapidly — in real life. When they conduct interviews, they “interrupt each other and finish each other’s sentences,” Ivon says.,

They’re proud of their work on the video. “It’s a really fun reveal of us kind of quarantining,” Eyan says. “A staged little story, so to speak. It goes along with the lyrics. Like a brother-against-brother situation resulting from quarantining. Hoarding toilet paper and hand sanitizer.”

The video “talks about this COVID-19 feeling just like a bad dream,” Ivon says. They used a Flashback filter, which they put over the footage they shot with a Panasonic HC-X1000 camera, to achieve a dreamlike effect.

The twins describe the action:

“We’re sitting in the living room counting hand sanitizers,” Eyan says.

“We fall asleep to where our heads knock together,” Ivon says. They then “drift off to this kind of atmospheric place.”

“Where I’m making it rain with all these hand sanitizers,” Eyan says. “I’m stacking up my toilet paper like I’m Scarface.”

“I come in with a toy gun,” Ivon says

“He puts it in my face,” Eyan says.  “I put my hands up.”

“I steal his toilet paper and his hand sanitizer,” Ivon says.

“I get up in the camera and throw up my middle finger and say, ‘Fuck you, COVID-19,’ while singing along with the lyrics,” Eyan says.

“We’re mouthing along to the song,” Ivon says.

The Wuchina twins in a scene from the ‘Fuck You COVID-19’ music video.

The Wuchinas already knew Marut. “We’ve been friends with Marc on social media for years,” Eyan says. “We’ve kept a dialog with him. And one day he messaged us.”

“He interacts with his fans,” Ivon says. “He likes to get them involved with his stuff.”

“He reached out one day and said, ‘Hey, guys. I’m putting together this music video, ‘Fuck You COVID-19.” I want to piece together people rocking out to my song while they’re quarantining. Living their COVID-19 quarantine life,’” Eyan says. “We said we’d love to be a part of it.” 

The twins became fans of the actor when they were eight years old and saw Marut in the 1994 cult movie, The Paperboy. “This horror movie about this paperboy that goes around the neighborhood killing people,” Ivon says.

Marut played the lead, Johnny McFarley. “When we think about that movie we think about how much that movie freaked us out,” Ivon says.

“This 12-year-old murderous paperboy, that was the film’s namesake,” Eyan says. “And it was such a deep, complex performance for a kid like him to pull off.”

The movie gave Marut “cult status as a horror icon,” Ivon says.

Marut, who releases all his music under the name Cool Ass, came up with the idea for the video while mastering the song. “I wanted to show that despite the social distancing measures we were facing, we could all still come together and have fun,” he says. 

Marc Marut

He reached out to fans on Facebook and his email list asking if they’d like to submit footage to be in the music video. A total of 17 people, including himself, from “all around the world” appear in the video, Marut says.

Asked what he thought about the Wuchinas, Marut says, “Their scene in the video is really creative and absolutely hilarious.”

And, he says, “They did an amazing job. My son and I burst out laughing when we saw it.”

The Wuchinas are keeping busy with their own projects during quarantine. They’re working on their Web series, Wuchina Twin Time. “Like Howdy Doody Time, but Wuchina Twin Time,” Ivon says.

Their first episode featured Oscar-nominee Greg Kinnear, who they got to know when working on the Tom Shadyac film Brian Banks, which was filmed in Memphis. “We were the set location assistants,” Ivon says.

Their second episode featured Marut. And, Ivon says, “We have a few big surprises and exciting guests in store soon.”

The Wuchinas, who began making movies when they were children, released their documentary, Ernest Day,  on the late actor Jim Varney in 2019.

“We’ve been spending a lot of time with family — mom, dad, brother, sister — back in Middle Tennessee,” Ivon says. 

“Everybody’s doing well,” Eyan says.”It’s definitely a new normal, but we’re taking this time we see as precious.”

“We’re really close to our family,” Ivon says. “It’s teaching us to appreciate the time we do have and spend time with people you love.”

And, Eyan says, “We’re devoting a bunch of our time into more online content for our YouTube page and finishing up two feature scripts. “

“And we’ve been filming a lot more short films and some short documentaries,” Ivon says. “We’ve been devoting ourselves to our own work because we have more time to do that.”

Being “in close proximity” to each other has helped their work process, Eyan says. Since they’re only a few rooms away, they don’t have to write down their ideas and phone each other. “Instead of calling him up, I just yell at him.”

They’re excited about the “Fuck You COVID-19” video. “When we were eight years old watching The Paper Boy on TV, we never imagined that boy in the movies would one day get us on MTV,” Ivon says.

“We’re such big fan boys of movies,” Eyan says. “And it’s been our life. Getting to be in this video has been such a unique opportunity. And it’s a dream come true.”

“You hold onto things you love and they will take you places,” Ivon says.

To watch “Fuck You COVID-19,” click here

Categories
Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Music Video Monday: Chantae Cann at Crosstown Arts

Music Video Monday is taking you back to the Before Time.

Remember the long-ago days in March when we could see actual musicians perform music live in front of an audience? Good times, good times.

But seriously, Memphis’ live music venues, the lifeblood of the city’s most significant and enduring cultural influence on the world, are in grave trouble because of the coronavirus pandemic. With no shows since March, and no end in sight, we stand to lose the thing that makes our city distinctive and valuable.

One of the best places to see live music in Memphis is the Green Room at Crosstown Arts. This unique venue books all kinds of acts from all over the world, and features state-of-the-art sound. On July 5th, 2019, the Green Room hosted Chantae Cann. The Atlanta R&B singer has appeared with India.Arie, and sang hooks for everyone from Snarky Puppy to Lil’ John.

The Crosstown Arts staff recorded the show, and the entire, hour-long show is here on this well-produced video. So take an hour of your time, or play this in the background as you work, and pretend you’re back at a show in Memphis.

CHANTAE CANN LIVE FROM THE GREEN ROOM from Crosstown Arts on Vimeo.

Music Video Monday: Chantae Cann at Crosstown Arts

If you would like to see your music video appear on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com. 

Categories
News News Blog

More Than 10,000 Contacts in Quarantine

COVID-19 Memphis
Infogram

More Than 10,000 Contacts in Quarantine

Shelby County added 289 new cases of COVID-19 on test results reported since Sunday morning.

The number is not the number of new cases on tests given yesterday. Tests results are not always returned within 24 hours. The new case count comes from numerous tests over numerous days from numerous laboratories.

The latest weekly data available shows 11.4 percent of all tests were positive for the week of August 9th. The figure is down from the 13.2 percent  percent rate recorded for the week of August 2nd. It marked the fourth straight decline in the weekly positivity rate since mid-July.

The county’s overall average positive rate for COVID-19 was 10.8 percent on Sunday, according to the latest data. The number is the average of all positive tests from all test results reported since the virus arrived here in March.

The total number of COVID-19 cases here stands at 26,406. The death toll in Shelby County now stands at 366.

The total of known COVID-19 cases now diagnosed in Shelby County is 3,384. The figure is 12.8 percent of all virus cases recorded in Shelby county since March. There are now 10,357 contacts now in quarantine.