Quentin Robinson and Cameron Murphy (Photo: UW Madison)
In Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, for reasons outside of his control, Gregor Samsa wakes up one day as a giant creepy-crawling critter — some say a cockroach — so Gregor has to navigate the world as a giant bug, which as you can imagine is quite an isolating experience. This isolation, in turn, leads to a bleak ending with neglect, hatred, and ultimately death. After going through a year of isolation ourselves, much like Gregor, it’s likely that some of us have a pretty bleak, Kafkaesque outlook on life. But for others, isolation brought new values and a refreshed will to create, learn, and collaborate. This latter case was true for the Grammy-winning percussion quartet Third Coast Percussion and Movement Art Is, founded by dancers and choreographers Jon Boogz and Memphis’ Lil Buck.
When in-person interactions could not take place with the two groups based in Chicago and Los Angeles respectively, they worked together over many Zoom meetings to create their own Metamorphosis, a much more hopeful performance that explores the experiential lens of young Black men growing up in America today. “It’s about the dancers as the main characters — them growing and discovering who they are through their experiences through their life,” says Jenny Davis, music department manager at Crosstown Arts, where the show will be performed on May 3rd.
In this performance, the street-style, popping and Memphis jookin’ choreography by Lil Buck and John Boogz is transferred onto different bodies — dancers Cameron Murphy and Quentin Robinson — so that the dancing itself represents how one artist’s energy becomes absorbed and translated by another. Meanwhile, the dance will be set to Third Coast’s interpretation and reimagination of music by contemporary composers, electronic artists Jlin and Tyondai Braxton as well as Philip Glass. Such modern classical music, Davis points out, “is really fascinating because it’s influenced by all these other genres, too.”
With this blending of different styles and interpretations of music and dance, Davis says, “I think that’s inspiring to see how things that kind of exist separately can work together.”
Metamorphosis, Crosstown Theater, Tuesday, May 3, 7:30-9:30 p.m., $25-$40.
It’s no easy thing to pin down something as mercurial as a memory, as fleeting as a feeling, with nothing more than mere words. But to singer/songwriter Alex da Ponte, such an act comes naturally. Da Ponte is a poet’s songwriter, as evidenced by her recently released single, “The Revolution,” recorded at Pete Matthews’ and Toby Vest’s High/Low studio.
Da Ponte was surrounded by music and storytelling from an early age. There was always a piano around the house, and her family members are no strangers to singing as a means of passing the time. In fact, her great-great-grandfather was Lorenzo da Ponte, librettist for Mozart, who wrote the words to Mozart’s operas. So her felicity with a turn of phrase comes as no surprise. “I’ve written songs in a lot of different ways but it always turns out best when the lyrics come first and I put guitar to it later. I’m a writer before I’m a musician,” da Ponte says. “Writing, by blood, is my strong suit, I think.”
The songwriter has done the work of self-discovery, both as an artist and an individual, and her lyrics resonate with the hard-won wisdom of a gentle soul. As an out member of the LGBT community in the South, da Ponte’s journey toward embracing herself is one that has not always been met with approval. “I’ve always hated the idea of perpetuating the ideology that these things are abnormal because they’re not,” da Ponte says. “We are here. We have always been. I hope that as a gay artist my openness is one account of many that allows a more human view of people and relationships. Something for people to connect with and come together over.”
Perhaps that’s why so much of da Ponte’s work feels anthemic. She knows something as natural as expressing love can be deemed a dangerous act. So her songs become a rallying cry for everyone brave enough to live in love, to show up for family when life gets messy, to be their truest selves.
Still, for da Ponte, openness has not always been easy. She found out earlier this year that she is autistic. “Finding that out was really incredibly helpful. Like finding out that I have a place in the world and in that place everything about me that was so bizarre or unusual suddenly makes sense,” da Ponte says. “There’s this new culture where people are embracing their otherness and ironically this is bringing people together and closing these gaps. I absolutely want to be a part of that movement.” She aspires to make music that people can relate to while also being a voice for lesser-heard groups.
“There were so many times when the merch table after a show was flooded with people who were touched by my lyrics and they wanted to connect with me as a person and I couldn’t give them that. That’s where my autism hurt me,” da Ponte says. “A big part of being successful in this industry is being able to cultivate a following and build relationships. So I felt I really held back, and at the time I didn’t know why. Now I know why. The diagnosis has allowed me grace with myself but it has also given me a better understanding of myself and the ways in which connection is possible.”
If da Ponte seems driven to accomplish much — self-examination, deeper connections, musical maturity and meaningfulness — she has her reasons. For a young artist, she has had more than her fair share of close brushes with death. Her younger brother died almost exactly a month before her son was born. “It was such an intense experience to watch my child be born and go home with a newborn all while in the thick of grief,” she remembers.
The singer’s late brother has inspired several songs. His voice and his laugh are even memorialized on “That Sibling Song” from da Ponte’s third album. She strove to capture her family’s passion for music in song, so she invited her family members to come sing on her album. “At the very end of this track you can hear my little brother say, ‘We’re related to Alex da Ponte. She’s aight,’ and then laugh. Had to incorporate him in some way. Any excuse to hear his voice. Part of grief, for me, has meant finding ways to keep him alive. Now he’ll forever be chuckling at the end of one of my songs and I love that.”
As da Ponte puts it, the songs keep coming still, but the songwriter confesses that she has held back some of herself in the past, stopped just shy of giving her all to her musical career. That’s why these days she’s throwing herself into her craft. Galvanized by the knowledge that life offers no guarantees of second chances, made self-assured by newfound knowledge of herself, da Ponte is devoting herself to her music, without excuses or inhibitions. Da Ponte has been hard at work on new songs — “Dead Horses” and “The Revolution” — and has resumed rehearsals with her bandmates Joe Austin and Kevin Carroll, after a pandemic-induced hiatus.
“I know real magic can happen if you stay open,” da Ponte says. “I can’t wake up 20 years from now wondering ‘What if?’ So this is it. I’m going all in.”
Alex da Ponte’s “The Revolution” is available on all the usual streaming services.
If ABBA can come back after a 40-year hiatus, so can the Metal Museum’s Whet Thursdays. Admittedly, Whet Thursdays return every summer, but that doesn’t make this comeback any less special. After all, like ABBA, the museum is ready to embrace your inner ’70s-dream-self with a themed night of Soul ’70s and dressing in your best garb from the disco era.
For this free event, attendees can enjoy an outdoor performance by the five-piece band Soul & Parliament, which blends Motown, funk, and modern R&B. Plus, Opera Memphis will perform during the band’s intermission. Food from Pok Cha’s Egg Rolls and MemPops as well as refreshments from Tipsy Tumbler, which will include a signature ’70s-themed cocktail, will be available to purchase. Guests can also expect lawn games, metalsmithing demonstrations, hands-on activities, and, of course, free admission to the museum and its grounds.
Current exhibitions include “RINGS! 1968-2021” and “Evaluating Essentials.” “RINGS!” features more than 160 rings made of a variety of materials from wood and metals to Keurig cups and found objects. In terms of jewelry, Brook Garcia, collections and exhibitions manager, says, “Rings especially have such deep meanings: engagement rings, wedding rings, graduation rings.” And Garcia points out how rings are also more intimately placed on the body than, say, an earring or a necklace, since we use our hands so frequently to feel and touch, to write and cook, to clap and shake hands.
Meanwhile, “Evaluating Essentials” features work by Becky McDonah, whose metal reliquaries enshrine the simplest of objects like hand sanitizer, shower curtains, and pill bottles. “I would like the viewers to take the time to stop and think about little things that have an impact on their lives or the lives of others around them,” the artist says.
Whet Thursdays will occur on the last Thursday of every month until September, with the last one being members-only. Each event will introduce a new theme.
Whet Thursday, Metal Museum, Thursday, April 28, 6-8 p.m., free.
Many of you have no doubt watched a video of Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow’s forthright response to a far-right colleague’s attempt to paint her as a “groomer” for the LGBTQ community and a supporter of pedophilia.
The larger import of McMorrow’s courageous pushback should not be lost: Democrats need to respond, with controlled anger and potent language, to the deliberate lies and bullying the far right is using these days to win power.
Democrats seem to think facts speak for themselves. Any intelligent person can surely see through the baseless far-right charges. But polls suggest that most conservatives want to believe them, must believe them if their candidate is to succeed.
In this new era of social media-generated “alternative facts,” where the loudest voices are instantly magnified and often win out, we can make no assumptions about the intelligent voter.
Liberals and progressives need to go beyond polite dismissals of the big lies. The liberal media need to stop making it appear that there are two legitimate sides to every debate.
And the president of the United States needs to stop ignoring the far right’s hateful attacks.
It is time to take the gloves off — to call things for what they are. Donald Trump is a traitor; he is responsible for an attempted coup on January 6, 2021. (His financial chicanery also makes him a common white-collar criminal.)
The far-right House team of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Mike Lee, et al. are treasonous co-conspirators who should be barred from office. The Trump inner circle of Michael Flynn, John Eastman, Roger Stone, Mark Meadows, and the rest are cowards and seditionists. Kevin McCarthy is an ambitious liar. Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott are bullies and bigots. Sean Hannity and the rest of the Fox “news” team are repulsive serial liars.
Get the picture? We no longer treat these people as being sadly wrong or merely narrow-minded. They are, as a group, anti-American — determined to remake our country into an authoritarian state founded on white Christian nationalism. They should be either voted out of office or jailed for criminal behavior.
We cannot continue to be merely “shocked and saddened” by every deceit, every racist act, every homophobic comment the far right comes up with. As Mallory McMorrow said, “Hate wins when people like me stand by and let it happen.”
We, people like her, need to fight back, with a passionate defense of human rights, social equity, and environmental justice — “liberty and justice for all,” remember?
And we should mount a vigorous campaign to pressure the justice department to start bringing federal charges against all these outliers.
Mel Gurtov, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is professor emeritus of political science at Portland State University and blogs at In the Human Interest.
Nicolas Cage as Nic Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
What do we talk about when we talk about a “Nicolas Cage movie”? Are we thinking about his trilogy of classic teen films Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Valley Girl, and Rumble Fish, which was directed by his uncle Francis Ford Coppola? Is it Moonstruck, a perfect romantic comedy where Cage operatically romances Best Actress winner Cher? Is it Raising Arizona, one of the greatest comedies ever made where he delivers a Charlie Chaplin-level performance? Is it Cage channeling the spirit of Elvis in David Lynch’s gonzo road picture Wild At Heart? Is it Cage doing his own stunt driving as Memphis Raines, the car thief in Martin Scorsese’s Gone in 60 Seconds? Is it his heart-rending performance as a suicidal alcoholic in Leaving Lost Vegas which earned him a Best Actor Oscar?
No. When you say “Nic Cage movie”, you mean Con Air, the beloved, but brainless mid-90s action film. You mean National Treasure, the even more brainless 2004 action film. You mean Left Behind. You mean Running With The Devil,Kill Chain, Primal, and Grand Isle, all direct-to-video films Cage made in a single year.
You gotta hand it to Cage. There aren’t many artists who have an entire subgenre named after them, even if said genre is “half-assed action films where Nic Cage goes nuts.” It’s a tribute to the actor’s massive talent that he’s always the most interesting thing on screen.
But with massive talent comes the unbearable weight of legend. So what if Cage got in a little over his head when he was making $20 million a film, had four divorces (one of them involving Lisa Marie Presley), ran up some big debts, and spent a few years taking any part that came across his agent’s desk? As Nicolas Cage says as Nic Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, you don’t criticize any other professionals for “working too much.” The great Alec Guinness took roles in films he thought were stupid, like Star Wars.
Nic Cage and Pedro Pascal
Okay, bad example. But the point stands. Great actors work. Cage’s outsized personality spawned an even more outsized legend, and director Tom Gormican somehow convinced the actor to let him play with it by writing a film where Nic Cage plays himself. The full frontal Cage-on-Cage action holds the promise of explosive weirdness — think Being John Malkovich meets Ghost Rider.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent starts promisingly enough, with Nic Cage having a Hollywood power lunch trying to get a part that would revive his career. On the drive home, Cage is visited by Nicky Cage, a younger version of himself from the Wild At Heart days who urges older Cage to stay true to his “nouveau shamanic” acting style. (Yes, that’s a real thing.) Alas, Cage doesn’t get the part, with his agent (Neil Patrick Harris) delivering the dreaded reply “They decided to go in a different direction.” The despondent Cage gets whiskey drunk at his estranged daughter Addy’s (Anna McDonald) 16th birthday party and embarrasses himself and his most recent ex-wife (Sharon Hogan).
It’s the last straw for Cage. He decides to retire after taking one final job: $1 million for a personal appearance at a birthday party in Mallorca, Spain, for a reclusive billionaire named Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal).
When he arrives in the tropical paradise, Cage finds that Javi is a super-fan who really just wants the actor to read his screenplay, but the two get along pretty well. Then, Cage is kidnapped by two people claiming to be CIA agents (Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz) who tell him Javi is really an international arms smuggler who is holding a politician’s daughter hostage. Cage must go undercover to save the girl and betray his biggest fan — in other words, a Nic Cage movie breaks out.
Nic Cage in a face off with his Face/Off guns.
Maybe my expectations were too high, but if you’re going to come at me with a title like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and have Nic Cage playing himself in some kind of self-reflexive meta funhouse situation, you’d better be prepared to throw open the doors of perception and ride a zebra through them. Gormican repeatedly walks up to the edge of weirdness, but never commits to the bit. Case in point: When Nic and Javi try to overcome writer’s block by taking LSD, we see them acting weird and paranoid, but we do not see what they’re seeing. The whole thing just feels timid, especially in a year that brought us the psychedelic masterpiece of Everything Everywhere All At Once.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a light, feel-good victory lap for Cage and fans of Face/Off, but it’s not even the most meta film the star of Adaptation ever made. Instead, it is like most other Nic Cage films of the last decade: a half-assed production in which Nic Cage is the most interesting thing on screen.
Ja Morant rises for a slam dunk against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
As the heavyweight bout continued, the Minnesota Timberwolves countered a brutal uppercut by the Memphis Grizzlies with a left jab to even the best-of-seven series to 2-2 in Game 4.
Memphis had plenty of chances to put the Wolves on the ropes but fell short, 119-118. As the series shifts to the FedExForum in Memphis, the Grizzlies look to regain momentum.
What Memphis Needs to Do in Game 5
Jaren Jackson Jr. must give the Grizzlies something offensively.
Jaren Jackson Jr. has been plagued by foul trouble in each of the first four games. This is still an aspect of Jackson’s game that hinders his stock, despite some progress. Averaging less than 24 minutes per game through four games, Jackson is shooting 38 percent from the field and averaging just 10 points per game — well below his standards.
Jackson has been unable to make his usual contribution on both ends of the court. When it comes to offensive fouls and fouls away from the ball, he needs to be a little more aware of what he is doing. Jackson has struggled to get into a rhythm offensively in this series.
The Grizzlies play some of their best basketball when Jackson is available. His ability to block shots on defense and switch to guard any opposing player, 1-5, gives the Grizzlies chances to win games and it hurts his team tremendously when he is off the floor.
When Jaren Jackson Jr has been on the floor, Minnesota is shooting 38% overall and 35% from three.
When Jackson has been off the floor, Minnesota is shooting 49% overall and 41% from three.
When Jackson is on the floor as the primary defender, the Timberwolves are shooting 35.7 percent from the field.
A first-round exit is inevitable if the team’s 22-year-old forward is constantly in foul trouble and does not contribute offensively. He has to be available, period.
Meanwhile, his teammates are holding him accountable.
Dillon Brooks on Jaren Jackson Jr. reveals some of what’s being said behind the scenes heading into Game 5 pic.twitter.com/kiKCh9nh6V
As I stated previously, “Taylor Jenkins needs to go with some of the scrappy guys who contributed all season off the bench. One such guy is John Konchar, also known as Jitty. Known for his hustle plays, he is somebody who gets all the 50/50 balls, deflections and is able to defend. Konchar would bring a spark off the Grizzlies bench that was lacking in Game 1. The undrafted guard out of Purdue Fort Wayne was a problem for the Wolves on Jan. 13, when he gave Memphis a huge lift off the bench with 15 points (6 of 7 from the field, 3 of 4 from three) and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds.”
Konchar should have earned Jenkins’ trust to get more playing time, especially when De’Anthony Melton hasn’t been giving the Grizzlies much on either end of the floor.
Play Up to Grizzlies Standards: Maintain Focus and Urgency.
Even in wins, Jenkins has mentioned the Grizzlies haven’t played up to their standards, and he’s clearly right.
There has been little consistency due to foul trouble. The Grizzlies have to have a sense of urgency for 48 minutes. Winning the first quarter is a key to victory. During the regular season, Memphis was one of the best in the league in first quarter scoring at 30 points per game while shooting 46.7 from the field and nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc.
Slow starts along with foul trouble have hindered that progress. This must change in Game 5.
The Grindhouse must be lit.
The energy of the crowd must give the Grizzlies a boost in order to win the game. Crowd energy has helped Memphis win plenty of games this season. It should be no different for one of the most important games of the postseason.
The Grizzlies have to keep the fans engaged for 48 minutes. There need to be thunderous dunks and WTF-inducing plays to keep the crowd interested in the game. The players need the crowd to be that 6th man like they have been throughout the regular season.
Ja Morant has to be Ja.
Morant hasn’t been himself and he said as much after the loss in Game 4. “I can be honest right now. I’m not Ja right now,” Morant said after Memphis’ Game 4 loss Saturday at Target Center. “I feel like I’ve seen y’all tweets — y’all know what I’m talking about. Yeah, I’m not playing above the rim. Most of the time when I go to the rack, I’m getting bumps, all this. I just gotta worry about finishing the bucket instead of worrying about the guys in stripes.”
Morant tallied 32 points and 10 assists in Game 1 and had 23 points and 10 assists in Game 2.
Game 3 and 4, it has been hard for Morant to get in the paint due to adjustments made by the Wolves and he has been getting double digit assists instead. During this series, Morant has been averaging 20.8 and 10.8 assists.
One of the reasons for the decline may be Steve Adams’ removal from the starting lineup. He led the league in screen assists (4.8), offensive rebounds (5.2), and box outs (11.3) per game. Adams cleared the way for Morant to get in the paint, and that is missing.
Morant was honest about his struggles after Game 4. “They just adjusted, changed their game plan,” he explained. “First two games, they pretty much stayed home to our shooters, allowing me to get downhill. Now every time I come off, I’m seeing three bodies.Only thing I can do after that is just make the right play. That’s why you see, I had 15 assists in this game. I know a lot of people don’t like that, that I don’t have 30 every night.”
It’s time for the Grizzlies to put their best foot forward on Tuesday night. They must get their mojo back in order to compete with the hungry Wolves. Whether or not the Timberwolves will call Memphis’ bluff is a question that needs to be answered. Is Memphis ready for “All the Smoke”?
Two internet fraudsters were convicted Tuesday in federal court for an international conspiracy that included hacking, romance fraud, and stealing a Memphis woman’s home payment.
Married couple Caesar Oruade, 38, and Ayana Saunders, 36, of Hawthorne, California, were convicted of wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to launder money in a Memphis federal court Tuesday.
The conviction stems from a 2017 computer hack of a real estate firm in which the couple stole $76,000 from a Memphis woman and diverted the funds to a California bank account.
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) followed the money and found it had been sent to a number of other U.S. bank accounts before being wired to to an account in Nigeria. Other victims across the U.S. and Canada said they were similarly victimized by the scheme in attempts to purchase real estate.
Bank accounts belonging to Saunders were generally the last domestic stop for the funds before landing in the Nigerian account of Oruade. The couple said the money came from investors, funding Nigerian films through their production company.
The couple’s schemes also included romance fraud. In these, a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust only to, ultimately, use it to steal their money. Victims from across the U.S. and Canada testified they’d fallen victim to the con, directed to send money to an online love interest of friend as insurance on a pending loan or to help their “friend” in an emergency.
For all of their schemes, more than $500,000 flowed through Saunders’ bank account. She would take a cut and forward the rest to Nigeria, according to officials.
The pair were convicted of wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to launder money. Each conviction carries a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing is set for July 21st.
“Targeting domestic and foreign fraudsters who scam innocent people out of their hard-earned money is a priority for the FBI,” said Douglas Korneski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Memphis Field Office. “These convictions demonstrate the effectiveness of state and federal law enforcement working together to protect the public from real estate and romance scammers and bring those responsible to justice.”
Investigation assistance on the case was given by the United States Secret Service and the Los Angeles Division of the FBI, and the Los Angeles Police Department.
Ja Morant had a record-breaking season. The third-year player was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player on Monday, beating out fellow finalists Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dejounte Murray of the San Antonio Spurs for the award.
He is the first Grizzlies player to receive the honor – and the first player in NBA history to have won both Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player.
Last season, the 22-year-old averaged 19.1 points per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from three-point range. This season, he averaged 27.5 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three-point range. His improved play also led to Morant being named as an NBA All-Star.
A year ago, Memphis finished 38-34 and qualified for the playoffs after defeating the Spurs and the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Play In Tournament. Morant led the Grizzlies to franchise tying 56-26 record this year, with the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Currently Memphis is locked in a 2-2 playoff battle with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“It’s definitely big-time,” Morant said about his honor. “This award goes to me, but I feel like it’s a team effort.”
“That pretty much just shows our work ethic, as a whole, as a team,” Morant added. “We all push each other. We all want to be better. I thought we all have that ‘never satisfied’ mindset and that’s why you see three guys from the same team receiving votes for this award.”
The All-Star guard said he spent the off-season working to become more consistent from the 3-point line and trying to get better from the midrange.
“Those were pretty much the two main areas I worked on this past summer,” Morant said on TNT.. “It allowed me to take a big leap in my game, as you can see from my scoring.”
I believe in everyday life you want to be better at your profession & as a person all the time. It becomes a constant grind, so to receive this award is a true testament for the work I put into my craft on a daily basis and for that I’m truly grateful. 🙏🏽 MIP
Morant campaigned heavily for his teammate Desmond Bane to receive the honor. Bane finished fifth in the MIP voting.
In his rookie year Bane, the No. 30 overall 2020 draft pick, averaged 9.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. This season, he put up 18.2 points per game, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
In the end, Morant surprised his teammate with the award.
It was great to be back at the Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festial and run into old friends, including Lacey Hudman. Her husband, Richard, snapped the photo.
I’ve covered the Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival benefiting Porter-Leath many times over the years. I even bought funny bright red caps adorned with (fake) crawfish pincers and crawfish deely boppers, which I wore in photos that I hope were funny at the time.
But it’s hard for me to believe the last Rajun (one of the hardest words to write on a computer) Cajun Crawfish Festival I covered was three years ago. That was the last one before the most recent festival, which was April 24, 2022.
“We had a drive-through last year,” says Porter-Leath communications director Mary Braddock. “And the year before that was canceled.”
This year’s 29th Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival was at the same location — between Wagner Place and Union Avenue. And it featured the same crawfish vendor. “They drive in thousands of pounds of fresh crawfish straight to us from Louisiana. Fresh Gulf crawfish,” Braddock says, “and they steam and season it on sight.”
Prentice, Phyllis, and Shanicka Merritt at Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival (Credit: Michael Donahue)Neisha Lashay and James Hampton and some crawfish. (Credit: Michael Donahue)Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival (Credit: Michael Donahue)Miles Robinson at Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival (Credit: Michael Donahue)
They brought 16,000 pounds this year, Braddock says. “We sold out about 6:30. Thirty minutes before we closed, we were out of crawfish. People were really excited to be down there.”
Once again, I didn’t eat any crawfish at the festival because I didn’t want to smell like crawfish all day. The only place I eat crawfish is at my dining room table, where I can be as messy as I want to be and I can reek of crawfish the rest of the day. Okay, I will eat chef Erling Jensen’s crawfish bisque in public at his restaurant, Erling Jensen: The Restaurant. That is an iconic item on Jensen’s menu. And as an added bonus, someone else did the work of pulling the meat out of the crawfish.
These days, if I attend a crawfish boil, I’ll just eat the potatoes and maybe the corn instead of the crawfish, which, hopefully, the host or hostess will bag up for me to take home.
Now don’t get me wrong — I love the taste of crawfish no matter how much work is involved to get that tiny bite. And the Rajun Cajun festival is one of my favorite events of the year. It’s held in the spring, and people are ready to get outside and party.
Addison Millican and Lila Eudaly at Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival (Credit: Michael Donahue)Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival (Credit: Michael Donahue)Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival (Credit: Michael Donahue)Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival (Credit: Michael Donahue)
About 35,000 people attended this year’s event, Braddock says. According to its news release, the festival included “crawfish bobbing, eating, and racing contests.”
More than 24 gumbo teams competed in the Cash Saver Gumbo Cook-off.
The event included a Kids Area on Riverside Drive, and they also had live music on two stages.
And there were food trucks, including at least one I saw that sold — you guessed it — crawfish.
“Rajun Cajun,” the press release states, “is the largest one-day crawfish festival in the Mid-South.”
And each year “the festival supports free programs and services that Porter-Leath provides for over 40,000 local children and their families to achieve healthy, optimal, and independent lifestyles.”
Preston Brickey, Greg Floyd, Amanda Deering, and Michael Donahue at Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival (Credit: Michael Donahue)Brock Cates and Cyrus Rector at Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival (Credit: Michael Donahue)Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival (Credit: Michael Donahue)Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Where Was Bianca?
A guest experiences “Andy Warhol: Silver Clouds” at the “Return to Studio 54” party at Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (Credit: Michael Donahue)
The “Return to Studio 54” party could have been called “Return to a Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Party.” It was the first “true members opening [party] since the pandemic,” says Jeff Rhodin, director of marketing and communications at Brooks.
It was great to be back at a Brooks party. The event featured performances by High Expectations Aerial Arts and food from Paradox Catering & Consulting.
Everything centered around the Brooks exhibits “Andy Warhol: Silver Clouds” and “Andy Warhol’s Little Red Book.” The party also featured an introduction to Warhol by Brooks chief curator Rosamund Garrett, associate curator of modern and contemporary art Dr. Patricia Daigle, and curatorial fellow Heather Nickels. Daigle was curator of “Little Red Book” and Nickels was curator of “Silver Clouds.”
Bianca Jagger wasn’t there. Nor was Liza Minelli. But some guests dressed in their wildest best to commemorate Studio 54, which was a trendy New York disco back in the ’70s.
Saj Crone and Michael Donahue at “Return to Studio 54” A High Expectations Aerial Arts member floats through the air with the greatest of ease at “Return to Studio 54” (Credit: Michael Donahue)Patrick Hendricks and Kerri Campbell at “Return to Studio 54” (Credit: Michael Donahue)Jeremy Reese, Brooks executive director Mark Resnick,and Jeff Rhodin at “Return to Studio 54” (Credit: Michael Donahue)
We Saw You Cards Are Back
We Saw You cards were all the “rage” at an Elvis 7s tournament on August 9, 2019. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
I passed out my first “We Saw You” cards, which tell you where to find my photos on Instagram, on April 24th at the Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival. It was the first time since before the pandemic that I gave people my calling card at an event.
So, get ready to be inundated at future events with these (non)collectible cards that feature half of my face and other Memphis Flyer info.
The East End Skating Center is a Memphis cultural landmark, host to countless kids birthday parties and teenage flirtation. “I’ll be there on the weekend,” sings PreauXX over Aaron James’ ethereal guitar in “Eastend.”
The video was co-directed by Unapologetic Visual’s Cat Patton, Gabrielle Duffie, and 35 Miles, who handled the camera and editing. Glide on with the Luxurious One on a dream date in roller boogie heaven.
If you’d like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
