Mama Antonetta’s Gravy, found on store shelves around town, was named after George Kawell’s mama.
“My mother’s maiden name was Antonetta Marie Iuliano,” says Kawell, 66. “People used to call her Toni.”
“Being from an Italian background” meant his mother often served her made-from-scratch gravy. She used it for whatever dish that called for gravy, whether pasta or chicken.
“True Italians call it gravy. Most Memphians call it spaghetti sauce,” he says.
Born in Chicago, Kawell “didn’t go out to eat. Going out to eat was a real treat. We ate at home. All our meals. So my mom was a very resourceful cook. She could make anything taste great.”
Her gravy was one of the things Kawell learned to make. “I’m a visual learner.” He also asked questions. “When I was 18, I left the nest, and so I needed to watch my mom so I could be able to cook for myself.”
Kawell, who began playing polo when he was around 14 years old, moved to Memphis in the late ’70s. The late W. L. Taylor, who owned Wildwood Farms in Germantown, and his son, Lee Taylor, invited him to come to Memphis “and help ride and train polo ponies raised on the farm.”
So Kawell learned how to cook. “I didn’t get married until I was 35. If I didn’t know how to cook I was going to go hungry. Pretty much self-taught other than watching my mom. I do things by feel and taste. I’m not that great at following recipes. I like to create things just from scratch or an idea.”
Kawell made his mother’s gravy, but he tweaked the recipe. “It’s a nice savory blend. It has some sweetness to it, but it also has a little bit of a kick because of the pepper in it.”
He originally gave away his gravy. “At Christmastime, I would make a big batch of gravy and we started giving it to our close friends. I bottled it. No label.”
After his mother died in 2013, Kawell decided to sell the gravy commercially. “This was always a part-time thing. At that point I was in the sporting goods industry.”
In addition to selling, Kawell had experience marketing a product. He and his business partner at the time came up with a “custom do-it-yourself kit where you can make your own custom-molded ear plugs. They were in 2,600 Walmart stores,” he says.
Kawell was a natural-born salesman. “I think God blessed me to be able to create good relationships. In sales, you can have the best whatever, but if people don’t like you, they tend not to do business with you.”
He brought samples of his gravy to stores for owners to try. “Then you have to follow up. You can’t just sashay right in and say, ‘OK. I’ve got this.’ It’s a process. It’s a relationship-building process.”
It took about two months for Kawell to get into his first store. “I think we sold six cases the first go round.”
His gravy is available in 16- and 32-ounce jars. It’s now on shelves at Hog Wild East BBQ & Market, Charlie’s Meat Market, Thomas Meat & Seafood Market & Catering in Collierville, Millstone Market & Nursery in Germantown, and The Baker’s Corner in Hernando, Mississippi.
Now retired from the sporting goods business, Kawell is considering future products. These might include his stuffed pasta shells with ricotta cheese and Italian sausage. He also makes lasagna and chicken Parmesan.
In addition to taking care of the gravy business, Kawell is working at Thomas Meat Market. “I’m just trying to learn the business. I love it. We do prepared meals to go and desserts. We do an array of things.”
Kawell won’t reveal everything that goes into Mama Antonetta’s Gravy, but, he says, “On the label it says one of the ingredients is ‘a lot of love.’ That is the key ingredient. I put hours into cooking it. It’s slow cooking. And that’s what makes the flavor better and better.”
“What have we come to as a society when these innocent kids and teachers are gunned down? These school shootings bring me to my knees. What do we do to stop this?”
It was a sad and sobering Facebook post from a longtime friend, one with whom I don’t have a lot in common politically, but whose intelligence I respect.
I responded: “Every country on the planet has mental health issues, video games, violent movies, etc. but only one country has mass shootings every week. The difference is clear. We’ve made it way too easy to obtain high-powered guns. Do we have the political will to do anything about it? I doubt it. The NRA owns Congress and the Senate and the state legislatures. Until that changes, nothing changes.”
And thus, the pot was stirred.
From somebody named Darlla*: “Well, here we go again, trying to make something political out of tragedy. Sorry, Bruce, gun laws won’t stop evil people. There’s a mental illness in our young people and they will manage to get a gun no matter the law. Those people who are calling for more gun control are the same ones who think abortion is okay. There is a disrespect for life, it’s not a gun problem.”
I responded: “Oh, I guess since laws don’t work you’ll want to stop trying to ban abortions, right? And if the problem is a ‘mental illness in our young people,’ then how do you explain all the non-teenagers who commit the same heinous acts with the same weapons?”
“Hmmm,” she responded. “Interesting questions. I’ll have to think on it.”
Then, Doug, a guy who went to my high school 40 years ago, chimed in: “You’re thinking is the problem, Bruce. More people are killed with knives and cars every year than guns. Why don’t you gripe about them?”
Sigh: “Yes, Doug, because there are so darn many mass knifings and indiscriminate car slaughters. Brilliant analogy. Look, moron, the number of people killed in car accidents and mass murders in elementary schools are not comparable problems. I can’t with your bullshit. Carry on. Also it’s ‘your.’”
“Oh,” he responded. “My bad, sorry. You make some good points. And I’ll be more careful with my grammar.”
A guy I didn’t know chimed in: “If someone is breaking into your home, Bruce, do you call the police with a gun or the fire department with a hose? THAT’S your real test.”
“What?” I said. “Why would I call the fire department, you idiot? If someone was breaking into my house, I’d pull out my Beretta semi-automatic .12 gauge and use it if I had to. And I’d also call the cops.”
“Wait,” he said. “Why would someone like you have a gun?”
“Because,” I said, “you are assuming that owning a gun means being in favor of allowing unrestricted purchases of assault weapons.”
“Oh,” he said. “I get it. Thanks for clearing that up.”
I was starting to feel like Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury, just whaling on these fools coming at me from all directions. Who else wants some of this?
Turns out, Chitty did. “Maybe we should have SUV control, after the Waukesha mow-down,” she said. “And If you are outraged because you think we need more gun laws, you should be just as outraged at the drugs coming across our open borders. There are more than seven times as many drug overdoses a year in the United States than homicides. Maybe we should ban drugs.”
“Um, Chitty,” I said. “Many drugs are banned, and you need a prescription for thousands of other pharmaceuticals. But no one’s attacking elementary school kids and drugging them to death. No one’s driving SUVs into schools, stores, and churches and killing a dozen people at a time every week. Guns are the problem, and how you can ignore that reality astounds me. They say America is the stupidest f**king country in the world. You, my friend, are Exhibit A.”
Chitty didn’t respond. I assume she slipped off into the internet somewhere and changed her identity. Damn, that felt good.
Then I felt a warm wet tongue on my face and smelled Olive’s doggy morning breath. I opened my eyes to see daylight flooding the room. And suddenly I was awake, still in America, still in the stupidest f**king country on the planet.
*Names have been changed to protect the ignorant. And my life.
Last week was a watershed moment for The Flow, as we put our livestreamed music events calendar on ice until needed once more.
When we began The Flow on April 16, 2020, there was no telling how the coronavirus pandemic would develop. But we knew that many musicians were continuing to perform online, against all odds. Nowadays, it’s not as common, nor as necessary — for now.
When we began The Flow on April 16, 2020, there was no telling how the coronavirus pandemic would develop.
We salute Hernando’s Hide-A-Way and B-Side Memphis, the two venues that have continued to offer livestreamed shows locally for the past two years, and we hope that they and others keep doing it. Surely they will, just as surely as Goner TV will carry on sporadically.
As Covid continues to disrupt our lives, there’s no telling when we’ll look at livestream-enabled artists and venues as heroes once again. As ever, make prudent pandemic decisions, and keep tipping those performers, whether online or face-to-face.
As ever, make prudent pandemic decisions, and keep tipping those performers, whether online or face-to-face.
When PreauXX quips, “You a queen, got steez, got all o’ that/It’s been a hot girl summer, gotta check the stats,” on his latest album, God You’re Beautiful (Unapologetic), it’s one of those lines that captures a whole vibe, a whole story, a whole season. And in case you didn’t check our cover, that season is summer. If you’re searching for the joint to define your fun in the sun this year, look no further: God You’re Beautiful is it.
If steez is the perfect blend of style and ease, PreauXX himself has all of that, and yet this is more than a dazzling fashion statement or a “hot girl summer.” The rapper is working on many levels here, and, as with so many Unapologetic artists, they’re built on emotional risk. “This is my most vulnerable project,” he says. “I’m talking about the ups and downs of relationship woes. I wanted to cater to a different side. This isn’t even just PreauXX; this is more my Handsome Samson persona. This whole project is kind of tied up with that. That’s why, for these past six months, I haven’t been in my braids. I’ve had my afro out because that’s the persona, that’s Handsome Samson. I’m very luxurious, my skin glowing. I’m being who I am.”
This naturalism translates directly into his delivery, which is simultaneously unhurried, off the cuff, and carefully crafted. The Handsome Samson motif rings true partly because the melodies are like half-remembered choruses from Soul Train. Perhaps more than any other rapper, PreauXX has a sure sense of memorable musical lines, perfectly wedded to his lyrics.
“Choruses, man,” he says. “I really pride myself on writing these hooks that stick to you. And not only stick to you but are relatable to different things you may have gone through.” Assisting him on this melodic mission is a veritable squadron of musos from the Unapologetic collective. After PreauXX drops a chorus, then moves on to spit rhymes, the producers and collaborators keep the music’s haunting atmospherics flowing underneath him.
One such collaborator is Cameron Bethany, featured on two tracks, who weaves in such golden harmonies that you may wonder if his voice is a sampled radio hit. Uni’Q further lends both melodic beauty and considerable sass to the tracks, and, in the album closer, “So Relieved,” she shows that this saga of relationships is not just a bed of roses. Her dis to a former lover in turn draws out some very reflective lyrics from PreauXX himself.
“I wanted to speak on some stuff that I went through in my life,” he says of that track, “and also give another piece of vulnerability from me. Not just romantic love, but like the love my mom has for me, by still being there. And consider what these relationship woes may stem from. Because that’s how my relationship with my parents was. It’s a super vulnerable moment, in a different type of space, a different type of love.”
A number of producers worked on God You’re Beautiful, including IMAKEMADBEATS, but the most consistent beat-maker here is Unapologetic producer C Major, marking tracks with his audio tag, “Bitch, are you jealous?” His distinctive, stuttering-yet-flowing beats underpin many tracks, including the lead single “Eastend,” though PreauXX notes that the final track was a “spirit bomb” of work from many Unapologetic talents. Another mastermind was producer/musician Eillo, who, PreauXX says, “super texturized” the song “Regret,” in addition to adding a solo jazz piano outro to the track that is drop-dead gorgeous.
But the masterpiece here may be “Incarceration,” the synthetic pulse and drive of which is almost completely drumless, giving it a hushed urgency that matches its subject matter. “I made that beat on my phone,” says PreauXX. “Then IMAKEMADBEATS came in with the Moog and enhanced everything around it, creating an atmosphere around the taps. He was like, ‘We’re going to make this a whole other world.’ I wanted to compare being locked out of love to literally being incarcerated. It was the first song on this project, and it meant a lot.”
Ultimately, such metaphorical flights and lyrical reflections are wrapped in ear candy so compelling, so memorable, that God You’re Beautiful bears repeated listenings as we watch the season roll by. “Just put it on loud and experience it. It’s a whole world,” says PreauXX. “I dropped it right before summer because it’s just so top down, press play. This is definitely the summer project. That’s what it was meant for.”
Richard Murff
Try a Vesper or an Old Tom this summer.
Cocktail writers spend a lot of time making themselves useful by carrying on about “a new twist on a classic cocktail.” Not me, I’m about to suggest two very old twists to jump into this summer. On May 8th, in celebration of Ian Fleming’s birthday I raised a glass of — to quote James Bond in Casino Royale (1953) — “Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka and half a measure of Kina Lillet …” garnished with a great whacking lemon peel.
The Vesper holds its own today. Lillet blanc (you can’t get the original Kina Lillet anymore) is a blonde fortified dessert wine that replaces the dry vermouth. This works well in a world of sweeter cocktails and has more body than the classic martini. If you aren’t a closet bartender and want to outsource one, pop into Acre Restaurant, helmed by chefs Wally Joe and Andrew Adams. The food is great, but they’ve also got a hell of a bartender, Acre’s bar program director Morgan McKinney. If you are going to go around town ordering something like a Vesper, you need a bartender who knows her game. These things go down way too smooth, by the by.
The James Bond of the movies may have had a signature drink, but the literary Bond and his author were all over the place cocktail-wise. Which brings us to another old/new twist: Old Tom Gin. It was the first English style, sweeter than the London dry that replaced it, but drier than the Dutch Jenever style. It gets its name from the original gin craze that came a lemon twist away from wholesale wreckage of English society in the early 18th century. At the time, English law said you had to have an eyewitness to finger someone for a crime, so unlicensed gin dealers shut themselves up in small houses with no windows and attached a cast-iron cat head and paw coming out the front door. Need a dram? Put your copper in the tomcat’s mouth and a spout hidden in the paw would fill up your glass or jar — or pour straight into your mouth like a pre-industrial vending machine.
The base spirit used was distilled from malted barley sourced from Scottish whiskey producers. After a second distillation to get the proof up, they doctored it with sweet botanicals to mask a complete lack of quality control. With invention of the continuous still in 1831, producers were dealing with a more refined spirit and the cleaner, drier “London dry” style was born.
A few years ago, Hayman’s, which makes a fantastic London dry, came out with an Old Tom style. Several distillers have followed suit, including the very good Ransom gin. In a market flooded with new gins, take a crack at this OG — original gin. In full disclosure, I haven’t made an Old Tom martini — but it might be interesting. Not having a sweet-tooth, I wouldn’t make a Vesper out of it. It is, though, a novel twist on the classic gin and tonic (or soda).
The bourbon boom was fueled by reviving “authentic” styles for modern tastes — and now that it’s hot as Hades, why not do the same for gin? Besides, we’ve got a new megalomaniac coming out of Moscow who is out of central casting for the next Bond villain, so I’m not sure that the Vesper really is all that out of step with the times. If you make one, use Ukrainian vodka.
Everything old, it seems, is new again. As for Ian Fleming, he may not have been the greatest writer, but as someone who has written an espionage novel that did not become a multi-generational cultural icon, I’ve really got to admire the man’s long game.
Correction:An earlier version of this column inadvertently listed Morgan McKinney as Acre’s bartender without crediting her by name. McKinney is the bar program director at Acre. The Memphis Flyer does not condone sexism in any way, shape, or form, and we apologize for this error.
Jackson Baker
Pro-choice demonstrators in Memphis last month; Tennesseans are sharply divided on the issue of abortion.
However the battle for District Attorney General — by general consent the key one on this year’s county ballot — turns out, new polling data shows that both incumbent Republican DA Amy Weirich and Democratic challenger Steve Mulroy are dealing with a changed electorate — one more disposed than before to criminal justice reform.
The latest Vanderbilt University poll shows that 70 percent of Tennessee’s registered voters favor “a complete overhaul” or “major changes” of accepted procedures, with 82 percent of Democrats expressing themselves in favor of reform, and 63 percent of Republicans doing so.
Some 53 of all those polled preferred life imprisonment without the possibility of parole to the death penalty. Fifty-two percent of Republicans favor the death penalty, while 66 percent of Democrats prefer the life-imprisonment option.
Both Democrats and Republicans have moved perceptibly away from favoring the death penalty since the last poll in spring 2011, which was before Governor Bill Lee’s decision last month to pause executions in Tennessee through 2022. In 2011, 55 percent supported the death penalty over life in prison for convicted murderers.
Importantly, 72 percent of those surveyed say they support the use of taxpayer dollars for rehabilitation programs such as mental healthcare or addiction treatment for criminal offenders. Such support is advocated by 84 percent of Democrats, 77 percent of Independents, and 58 percent of Republicans.
This latest Vanderbilt poll was co-directed by John Geer, Ginny and Conner Searcy, Josh Clinton, and Abby and Jon Winkelried.
The poll also showed Tennesseans sharply divided on abortion, with 48 percent identifying as pro-choice and 50 percent as pro-life. Overall, 36 percent of respondents said abortion should be legal in all cases. Among Democrats, 70 percent favored legal abortions, while only 8 percent of Republicans favored pro-choice legislation.
Some 80 percent of respondents favor abortion in cases of rape and incest or when the health of the mother is at stake.
On the economy, only 27 percent of those polled see the American economy to be in good shape, a drop of 20 percent from the year before.
Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the most frequently mentioned likely contenders for the presidency in 2024, were held in diminished regard by those polled.
Among Democrats, 79 percent of those polled said they approve of Biden’s performance, as against 92 percent who did so last year. Only 31 percent of all those polled approved of Biden’s performance — down from 39 percent last year around this time — and only 25 percent said they hope Biden runs for re-election.
Similarly, just 38 percent of those polled said they want Trump to run for U.S. president in 2024, down from 44 percent in December 2021. Even Republicans showed declining interest in a new Trump campaign with only 68 percent expressing approval, down 11 points from December 2021.
GOP Governor Bill Lee earned a 56 percent approval from those polled, roughly equivalent to last year’s polling. By party, 80 percent of Republicans said they’d vote to re-elect Lee compared with only 7 percent of Democrats.
With the end of the Memphis in May celebrations and the beginning of June, summer is well and truly underway in Memphis.
Okay, the first day of summer isn’t technically for another couple of weeks, but let’s be honest — it feels like summer. It’s hot, humid, and summer thunderstorms have already begun rolling through town. So if it’s time to break out the sunscreen for the season, then we may as well party like it’s officially summer. But how to get your seasonal groove on? Worry not, dear reader, your faithful Flyer staff is here to help.
In this issue, we’ve got a list of happenings we hope will keep you cool — festivals, movie nights, Elvis Week, anniversaries, book launches, and more. Our advice? Circle everything that sounds fun, slap on some sunblock, swig a seltzer, and go out and enjoy the Memphis heat.
Summer Fest: Memphis Pride Fest Memphis Pride Fest is back, louder and prouder because it’s IRL this year after two years of online events.
The weekend of events is billed as the single largest gathering for the LGBTQ+ community and allies in Memphis and the Mid-South. Organizers expect more than 35,000 attendees “to celebrate the most colorful weekend of the year.”
Pride kicks off Thursday at the Malco Summer Drive-In. Gates open at 7 p.m. for a viewing of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!Julie Newmar at 8 p.m. A drag show featuring Brenda Newport, Kaiyla JonVier Dickerson, Zoey Adams, and more starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $35 per vehicle.
On Friday, the Big Gay Dance Party returns, this time at Crosstown Theater at 8 p.m. The event features DJ A.D. “and a safe, inclusive environment to be their true selves.” Tickets range from $15-$150. After-parties start after midnight at Dru’s Bar and The Pumping Station.
Saturday will find Robert R. Church Park awash in rainbows as the festival gets under way at 10 a.m. It features two stages, more than 150 vendors, food trucks, a car show, a kids area, an adult area, a VIP lounge, free and discreet HIV testing, and more. The festival ends at 5 p.m. Tickets are $1.
“What would Pride be without a big, bold colorful parade?” ask the organizers. We won’t have to find out this year. The Memphis Pride Parade steps off at 1 p.m. from 4th and Beale and makes its way through the Beale Street Entertainment District. It will feature 100 different floats, performers, and more with more than 3,000 people participating.
Head back to Beale Sunday at 11 a.m. for the Grand Marshal’s Drag Brunch at the Jerry Lee Lewis Cafe. — Toby Sells Memphis Pride Fest, various locations, June 2nd-5th. Event tickets range from $1-$150. Check midsouthpride.org for more information.
Mike Kerr Memphis Botanic Garden
Summer Sounds: Music in the Open Air Hearing live music outside as the day cools to dusk is one of the great joys of summer in Memphis. With Covid concerns having lapsed over the past year and outdoor gatherings being among the safest anyway, there is sure to be an outdoor music event happening nearly any weekend you care to find one.
We’ve recently covered some of the ongoing series offering such delights, venerable local traditions such as the Memphis Botanic Garden’s Live at the Garden series (kicking off on June 11th with Steely Dan) and the Overton Park Shell’s Orion Free Concert Series (which launched Sunday with the Sunset Symphony concert, followed by Jackie Venson on Thursday, June 2nd). Farther east, yet with a more local flair, there’s always the Germantown Performing Arts Center’s Bluebird Concerts at The Grove. All of them offer green spaces for lounging under the trees as the summer breeze rises — not to mention food and drink vendors.
Some summer series actually began in the spring. The River Series at Harbor Town offers the prime acoustics of an amphitheater on the eastern banks of Mud Island, in full view of the Memphis skyline, and their final spring concert, featuring MouseRocket and Ibex Clone, goes down this Saturday, June 4th. Trolley Night has been livening up the last Friday of every month since March, and will carry on through October, bringing plenty of casual live music to the South Main area. And the Sunset Jazz series has already begun gracing the second Sunday of each month down in Court Square. If Thursday is more your thing, consider the Rooftop Parties atop the Peabody Hotel, which have been featuring a mix of live bands and DJs since April.
Finally, don’t forget the many private venues that specialize in outdoor shows, like Railgarten, Loflin Yard, Carolina Watershed, and Slider Inn Downtown. Thanks to them, you can find live music in the open air nearly every night of the week. — Alex Greene
Summer in the Garden: Twilight Thursdays Every week between now and October 27th, the Memphis Botanic Garden is featuring a “Twilight Thursday” from 5 till 8 p.m. What is a Twilight Thursday? Glad you asked, because there’s a lot happening at these events, not to mention the fabulous Alice in Wonderland topiary exhibit going on right now.
Hungry? Twilight Thursdays offer a rotating array of food trucks each week with a variety of culinary options so you can create your own picnic dinner. There are picnic tables in a nearby grove of trees. If you like getting your drink on, there’s also a “Curious Cocktails” cash bar, which could potentially help you better appreciate the Cheshire Cat’s looming grin. More of a beer person? MBG has got you covered with a special selection of “Alice’s Ales” from Memphis Made Brewing Company.
Memphis Botanic Garden promises there will be additional surprises each week, including vendors, performers, and other special guests, plus presentations from various community partners and groups.
And here’s another bonus: You can bring your favorite pupper to Twilight Thursdays. You know they’d like nothing more than a hike around the grounds on a summer’s eve. Just don’t forget to keep them on leash at all times.
For advance information on food and drink options and performers and other special activities, check with the garden’s Instagram and Facebook accounts. Nonmembers are required to purchase time-entry advance tickets for Twilight Thursdays. — Bruce VanWyngarden
Michael Donahue Team Mama Biondini at Italian Fest
Summer Spaghetti Gravy: Italian Fest On cross-country European railways, there’s always that one train car that sticks out. Rather than a collective of quiet, mild-mannered passengers elsewhere, this car opens its door to release a noisy deluge of yelling, partying, dancing, card-playing, drinking, general hoopla, and hand gestures, dio mio, the hand gestures. Yes, that’s right: It’s the one and only Italian car.
But fear not: The exhilarating merriment of such an encounter doesn’t have to require a transcontinental trip — Memphis’ very own Italian Fest is back in full force this summer, shedding the private, Covid-enforced subdued environments of recent years to embrace its former glory. We’re talking large cooking pots from which the red sauce endlessly floweth, throngs of jubilant festival-goers dancing the tarantella in large fields at Marquette Park, and thrilling clashes of perhaps one of the world’s most intense sports: bocce.
It’s a list of festivities that would make Chef Hector Boyardee himself proud, bringing together many fine staples of Italian-American culture into one place. The festival, running from Thursday, June 2nd, to Saturday, June 4th, is a wild three-day party; it’s a Mediterranean-style version of barbecue fest, where instead of pork there are enough noodles to make a bridge across the Mississippi. It’s fine enough to hang out, listen to some music, and peruse the festivities. But the real fun is in the cook-off, where various teams pack into their tents as they attempt to create the best spaghetti gravy on site or other Italian entrees and desserts. (Pro tip: try to link up with someone who has an invite to one of the cooking tents. The experience is far superior that way.)
If you need an extra glass of wine, toss the kids over to the carnival rides at Luigi Land before popping open another bottle. There’s fun aplenty, and while we may not be in Rome, well, … do as the Romans do anyway. — Samuel X. Cicci Learn more about Italian Fest dates and tickets at memphisitalianfestival.org.
Jesse Davis 901 Comics
Summer Reading This issue is jam-packed with ways to get out and experience hot fun in the Memphis summertime. But this one’s for the fans of air-conditioning.
There are no end of book events in the Bluff City this summer. First on our list is the 36th anniversary celebration at Comics & Collectibles Saturday, June 4th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General manager Donny Juengling says the store opened in 1986 and, “We’re really just thankful that we’ve been in business that long.” There is a 20 percent off sale, and illustrator Scott Kolins will be on site for the event.
Next up, 901 Comics is celebrating the store’s sixth anniversary on Saturday, June 4th. Writer and illustrator Al Milgrom will be there signing books. “You can walk back in the back room and pick up a book from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and he probably worked on it,” says Shannon Merritt, who co-founded the store with Jaime Wright. “When we opened this thing, we weren’t sure if it was going to last a year,” Merritt says.
Why not make Saturday a book-stravaganza? Hit two comic shop anniversary parties, then stop by Novel at 6 p.m. for the launch of Finding Jupiter, the new novel by former Memphian Kelis Rowe. “Kelis grew up in Memphis, where she had her first big love as a teenager,” the event announcement says. “She did not see herself or her big love reflected in the pages of a YA novel at the time and now writes contemporary YA to give Black young people more reflections of themselves and their love to enjoy.”
For less time-sensitive book needs, consider going to Burke’s Book Store or DeMoir Books & Things, perhaps to scope out a new novel, short story collection, or poetry book from a local author. Jeremee DeMoir just restocked copies of Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow — for the fourth time — and Burke’s has signed copies, as does Novel. Memphis made the list of The Bitter Southerner’s “2022 Summer Reading Roundup,” so it’s not just me begging you to read the beautiful debut.
However you get your fiction fix, there’s no better time than summer to kick back with a good book. — Jesse Davis
Courtesy Elvis Presley Enterprises Elvis Week
Summer Kisses, Winter Tears: Elvis Week Some of you out there have never been to Graceland — you know who you are. But this is as good a year as any to immerse yourself in our very own pop culture phenomenon, and get it on with Elvis. It’s now or never, baby.
The 2022 Elvis Week 45th anniversary celebration happens from August 9th through the 17th, rain or shine, with or without hound dogs. Just bring your burning love. And you’d better snap to it since some of the Elvis 45 packages and events are already sold out.
But there’s still plenty in store. There will be special guests, notably Priscilla Presley and Jerry Schilling (among the few living Memphis Mafia members). They’ll be at several events and will even lead tours of the mansion.
There will be plenty of music, much of it provided by Elvis Tribute Artists past and present. The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest runs through the week with hopeful Elvii turning on the tunes and the charm. And winners of past contests will be livening things up as well. For one, the 2011 winner Cody Ray Slaughter (who portrayed Elvis in the traveling production of the Tony Award-winning musical Million Dollar Quartet) will headline a concert at the Graceland Soundstage. And for another, Dean Z (he won in 2013) will be hosting several events during the week.
Meanwhile, musicians Terry Mike Jeffrey and Andy Childs will host a tuneful reminiscence that includes TCB band members. And there’s a concert experience at Graceland Soundstage with Elvis’ image backed by live musicians. Pretty much everywhere you turn, you’ll see and hear the King of Rock-and-Roll.
For fans who need more than music and celebrity, there will be live tour guides throughout Graceland Mansion celebrating the 40th year of it being opened to the public. (And even a “Hidden Graceland Tour” to see what most mortals cannot.) Go farther afield if you want and take an excursion to Tupelo to see Elvis’ birthplace and other landmarks.
There are themed dance parties throughout, plenty of Elvis art, an Elvis karaoke for the brave, and even a bingo contest. That’s alright mama, any way you do. Not enough of a mix for ya? Keep in mind that there will be plenty of gospel music as well as Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. Not kidding.
The big draw, of course, is the Candlelight Vigil on August 15th. Get your candle and walk on the grounds of Graceland to the gravesite along with thousands of fans.
Elvis really is everywhere, so follow that dream. — Jon W. Sparks Best to get tickets sooner rather than later at graceland.com/elvis-week-tickets. For ticket questions, call Graceland Reservations at 800-238-2000 or 332-3322, or email reservations@graceland.com.
Thor: Love and Thunder with Natalie Portman
Summer at the Movies Memorial Day weekend began the summer blockbuster season with the strong pairing of Top Gun: Maverick and The Bob’s Burgers Movie.
This week, David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future marks the legendary Canadian auteur’s return to the body horror genre he pioneered. On June 10th, the dinosaurs are back, they’re mad, and they’re going to the mall in Jurassic World Dominion. Chris Evans provides the voice for the Toy Story astronaut in Pixar’s Lightyear, due June 17th. The next week, Memphis’ favorite son gets a blown-up biopic from Baz Luhrmann. Elvis stars Austin Butler as the man who would be king, and Tom Hanks as his Machiavellian manager Col. Tom Parker.
On July 8th, Marvel comes roaring back with Thor: Love and Thunder, with Chris Hemsworth coming out of semi-retirement to thwart the God Butcher (Christian Bale, in his Marvel debut), only to find that his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is now wielding the magic hammer. July 15th offers something completely different in Where the Crawdads Sing, a Southern Gothic whodunit produced by Reese Witherspoon. One of the most hotly anticipated releases of the summer is Nope, director Jordan Peele’s third sci-fi/horror outing. The trailer for this one, coming July 22nd, looks spectacular. Then on July 29th, the DC Legion of Super-Pets boasts an all-star voice cast including Dwayne Johnson as Krypto the Superdog.
August 5th weekend is crowded with new titles, including the slasher comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, a new entry in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, and the Brad Pitt action comedy Bullet Train. Finally, the summer season closes magically with Mad Max director George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing starring Tilda Swinton as a shy professor who is offered three wishes by a djinn, played by Idris Elba. — Chris McCoy
Kim Bearden Cemetery Cinema at Elmwood
Summer Classics: Cemetery Cinema
That’s not exactly what Rick, aka Humphrey Bogart, says to Ilsa, aka Ingrid Bergman, in the 1942 classic, Casablanca, but if the plot involved Elmwood Cemetery’s “Cemetery Cinema,” everyone’s favorite nightclub owner (Rick’s Cafe, remember?) might say something like that.
“We show classics or very popular films in the cemetery on specific nights,” says Elmwood executive director Kim Bearden.
“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into my cemetery to watch a movie.”
Casablanca will be the featured movie at 8:15ish (depends on when the sun goes down) Friday, June 3rd. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.
The movie showings are fundraisers for the cemetery, Bearden says. “Event goers bring lawn chairs and they set up on the driveway in front of the cottage.”
Elmwood provides a food truck, but moviegoers are invited to bring their own food. As for adult beverages, Bearden says, “We say coolers are allowed.”
Movies are shown on the roof of the 1866 cottage used for offices at Elmwood, she says. The circa 1886 cottage, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is the only example of “Victorian Gothic carpenter cottage architecture” in Shelby County. “So, the roof on the cottage is in the Gothic style and has a very high pitch. Because of the high pitch we were able to project films on the roof and people can see them from the drive.”
Cemetery Cinema isn’t a scary movie series; Elmwood, which began the movie showings in 2016, recently aired the 1961 Walt Disney film, The Parent Trap, starring Hayley Mills as twin sisters. They will show the 1964 film, My Fair Lady, on June 17th.
Elmwood has shown “some of the old classic black-and-white” horror movies, including the 1931 movie, Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff.
But there are some types of horror movies they would not show. “Probably slasher flicks,” Bearden says.
Tickets to Casablanca, which are $15, must be purchased in advance at elmwoodcemetery.org. — Michael Donahue
Summer History: A Pugilistic Milestone On Saturday, June 8, 2002, a full generation ago, the Pyramid on the Memphis riverfront was the site for the kind of spectacle it might have been created for: the heavyweight championship fight between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis.
The Pyramid was already on the way out as a showcase arena after the NBA’s recently arrived Grizzlies had turned it down as outmoded for their purposes and forced the city and county to go on the hook for a new facility, the soon-to-be FedExForum.
The Big Fight was a sort of Last Hurrah for the place, arranged by then Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton in an inspired act of personal diplomacy that may rank, historically, as his greatest single achievement. The fight was intended to resolve lingering doubts about the rightful ownership of boxing’s most prestigious title. And landing it in Memphis bailed out the promoters who had seen all the big traditional venues shun the opportunity to host the event after Tyson, already a pariah for biting off a chunk of a previous opponent’s ear, brawled with Lewis at the fighters’ signing.
Orphan event though it was, the fight was a genuine extravaganza. Co-produced for television by long-standing rivals HBO and Showtime, it was then, as Wikipedia notes, “the highest-grossing event in pay-per-view history, generating U.S. $106.9 million from 1.95 million buys in the U.S.”
On hand to help fill the Pyramid were such celebrities as Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, Britney Spears, Clint Eastwood, Ben Affleck, Hugh Hefner, Halle Berry, Richard Gere, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Vince McMahon, The Undertaker, LL Cool J, Tyra Banks, Wesley Snipes, Kevin Bacon, Chris Webber, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Morgan Freeman, Alec Baldwin, and heavyweight fighter Evander Holyfield — the latter having been the victim of the aforementioned ear-biting.
And I was there, at ringside, covering the fight in what was my all-time plum assignment from Time magazine, for whom I worked as a part-time associate or “stringer.” (Curious readers may consult the magazine’s files for “Who Gets the Black Eye?” — published online on the day of the fight.)
Given the ferocity of Tyson’s style, the fight had more than its share of excitement, but the rangy Lewis was the superior boxer and outlasted Iron Mike, knocking him out in the 8th round, ending all doubt as to who was champ and closing out the Tyson era of big-time boxing. — Jackson Baker
Most of us can agree that giving is better than receiving, but at least one group defies the norm, stereotypically speaking. And it’s zombies of course, seeing that they’re always out there looking to steal your brains. But in Memphis, a collective of the undead is looking to give back to the community with a walk to raise donations for the Mid-South Food Bank.
The Memphis Zombie Walk started 14 years ago, says Zachary Pepper, producer and host of the walk. “The people that started it art were makeup artists who do special effects makeup and wanted a chance to express themselves and do something great for Memphis.” Though Pepper, a self-proclaimed “horror nut,” didn’t participate in that first walk, he became involved the following year and now leads the zombie horde.
“We walk from Handy Park on Beale Street all the way to GE Patterson and we come right back,” he says. “It’s about a quarter-mile.” The best part, Pepper adds, is the element of surprise. “People are like, ‘Why aren’t you doing it in October?’ ’Cause everyone expects it in October. You have no idea how fun it is for zombies to randomly pop up Downtown.” So, beware this weekend: The zombies tend to meander at whatever pace they choose, spooking any non-zombified, confused passersby — but not indulging in any brains, Pepper assures.
Shockingly, not all of these zombies are real zombies; in fact, most, if not all, are in costume with elaborate special effects makeup. They show up as undead flappers, superheroes, tennis players, and everything in between. And for those who lack the zombie touch, starting at 4 p.m., makeup artists will be on-site to turn you into your worst nightmare, at no cost. “All that we ask is that you donate to the food bank,” Pepper says.
In addition to bringing either a monetary or canned food donation, Pepper urges walkers to bring water to stay hydrated. The walk, which begins at 7 p.m., is family- and pet-friendly. Visit the group’s Facebook page @MemphisZombies for more information.
Memphis Zombie Walk, Handy Park, June 3rd, 4 p.m.-8 p.m.
Courtesy Virginia Price
Ring of Bloom, Per Suntum, 1994, artwork courtesy of the Helen Williams Drutt Family Collection
A piece of advice that I’m positive is applicable to every single person on this planet, perhaps the entire universe: Stop hemming and hawing already. Give her a ring. Not a phone call — please don’t do that. She’d much prefer a ring of the sorts that the Metal Museum has on display in its “Rings! 1968-2021” exhibition. And listen, I’m not saying that she needs glitz and glamor; I’m sure she’d settle for the ring that looks like a piece of thin cardboard stapled together in a circle.
Okay, fine, you caught me. That ring is made of gold, not cardboard despite its uncanny resemblance to your favorite recyclable. But who can resist such a unique piece of jewelry? Well, Helen Drutt, the curator of the collection, can’t. That’s for sure.
At a young 91, Drutt is known for a “certain look,” says Brooke Garcia, director of collections and exhibitions at the Metal Museum. “She wears all black so her jewelry really pops.” A Philadelphia gallery owner and patron of the arts, Drutt has quite the collection, some of which you can check out at the Metal Museum — a mere 169 rings, made of all sorts of materials, from the expected gemstones and metals to the unexpected toilet paper rolls and legumes. Some of the rings have movable parts, and one can even double as a Bluetooth speaker. These aren’t your grandmother’s rings.
“She likes to explore these kinds of themes where it’s one type of object so you can see the breadth,” Garcia says. “They’re all wearable. It’s surprising for some of them. But that’s kind of an interesting thing about art jewelry — that it blends the functional and the adornment aspects together. … Rings especially in jewelry have such deep meanings: engagement rings, wedding rings, graduation rings.”
Complementing Drutt’s rings are a selection of rings from the museum’s permanent collection as well as an activity station for families.
“Rings! 1968-2021,” Metal Museum, on display through June 12th.
Cytonn Photography | Unsplash
Financial advice must be unbiased.
One of the most common questions I get is: “I’ve got a windfall/life change/more income. How do I pick a financial advisor to help me figure this out?”
My first impulse of course is to ask if they’re aware that I myself work at a financial planning firm. Joking aside, I never actually ask. I assume they must know, and either think they need to find someone in their local area or are just desperate for unbiased advice. I try to be objective but it’s true I’m biased — I tend to think Telarray is pretty great. So if someone asks and doesn’t express interest in me specifically, I don’t give them a hard sell — I give them my honest opinion.
You want to find a true financial planner. Almost every firm says they’re a financial planning firm but very few really have the tools, expertise, and desire to make a real, useful plan for you. One way to determine if they’re planning or not is how they allocate you to an investment portfolio. Is it just based on age? Is it based on just your feelings about risk tolerance? Is it based on anything at all? In my opinion, true financial planners consider your need, ability, and desire to take risk based on all your expected lifetime expenses. They model scenarios using hard math to actually recommend the portfolio you need rather than accommodating you by agreeing to the portfolio you think you want.
A good investment approach is necessary but not sufficient. I always say investments aren’t the head coach or quarterback — they’re the strength and conditioning coach. I would look for a valid concept with stability over time in an investment approach. Some firms hire a bunch of active managers and periodically kick out the underperforming ones, which seems sensible but is a recipe for overall long-term underperformance (and tax inefficiency!). The more an advisor focuses on their ability to pick winners or respond to short-term market trends, the more skeptical I would be. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Figure out how they get paid. If the advisor is paid in any way other than the typical definition of “fee only” then there may be an element of objectivity that is missing. Are they required to be a fiduciary 100 percent of the time? I strongly recommend you research what these two terms mean if you’re not sure. One of the things I value about our firm is that we could put our investors in any investment we deem appropriate with no changes to our income as a firm. We can recommend things like insurance, but since we don’t sell it ourselves, you would know that we only recommend it if you really need it. If you work with someone that is captive to a larger organization that creates their own products, you’ll probably end up with some of those products, and I would always wonder if they just happened to be in your best interest or not.
There are countless other criteria I would consider, but this is just a start. As I mentioned above, everyone is desperate for high-quality, unbiased advice. Nobody can tell the future with certainty, but someone who is highly qualified at real financial planning, has no external agenda, and is incentivized to have your best interests in mind at all times is likely to best lead you down the path to your secure financial future. Gene Gard is Chief Investment Officer at Telarray, a Memphis-based wealth management firm that helps families navigate investment, tax, estate, and retirement decisions. Ask him your questions or schedule an objective, no-pressure portfolio review at letstalk@telarrayadvisors.com. Sign up for the next free online seminar on the Events tab at telarrayadvisors.com.
