It’s been a minute since I’ve written in this space, dear readers. Time both drags and zips by, and I hope you’ve all been well in the interim. For anyone who has followed my columns since April when I broke my foot, I’m excited to report that I’m walking again — without training wheels, so to speak. I ditched the orthopedic boot a month or so ago. I battled with and lost to the ankle brace — it was uncomfortable and none of my shoes fit over it, so it was sent to early retirement. The wheelchair and walkers have been locked in the vaults of my mind, a memory I hope to never revisit (except when I return those items to their rightful owners — thanks for the borrow, y’all!). I’ve finished week four of physical therapy, and I’m able to walk — in supportive shoes — with minimal pain.
I say minimal. It still hurts, but compared to what I’ve endured since spring, this stage is a walk in the park. There’s nerve damage — a constant dull burn and numbness. My foot still swells if I’m up and about, even around the house, for more than a few minutes. And there are ligaments that feel like tight rubber bands pulling toward a snap with each step. I can’t seem to walk down a set of stairs — my foot doesn’t want to work that way — but I can walk up them.
I was thinking about a form I filled out at my last physical therapy appointment. It asked to rate things like putting on socks and shoes or walking a mile on a 1 to 5 scale of difficulty. I answered “little difficulty” or “no difficulty” on a few items, which, in hindsight, I still have quite a bit of difficulty doing. But as I gave each task a score, I was mentally comparing them to how I felt two or three months ago. The fact that I can even do these things feels like a miracle now. (Still no hopping, jogging, or running, which all received a side-scribbled “N/A” on the scale.)
Another miracle is that I’ve gotten back to my almost-daily ritual neighborhood walks. Those sacred meditations in motion where I can see the seasons change in the leaves, admire the sunlight shimmering across puddles, feel the cooler breeze against my skin. It seems I missed all of summer stuck inside mostly immobile, and my body knows it. My muscles have had to put in extra work just to be upright — my back, shins, and calves aching from a measly mile walk. But I’m gradually adding more distance, more time with shoes to pavement, taking care not to overdo it.
On a recent stroll, crisp leaves scattered the sidewalk in little cyclones, and the wind bent branches on decades-old trees towering overhead. I stopped, as I always have, to photograph flowers and butterflies and sprouts peeking through cement cracks. I spoke to my favorite old neighborhood dog, who, although she acknowledged me with a side-eye from her lounging spot in the yard, was too cozy in a sunning session to be bothered to rise and greet me. My lungs were full of fresh air and my soul filled with gratitude. For a while I walked with one earbud in listening to quiet tunes, but then there was a louder sound. Not the whir of speeding cars on the nearby thoroughfare or the chatter of neighbors conversing on their front lawn. It was a pulsing in my ear — my heartbeat. I paused the music and listened to my body’s life force, felt the drumming in unison with my steps. Reminding me that the past — that held so much pain — is gone. That my body — this extraordinary machine — is mending as it should. That this aching — this firing of blood and muscles — is necessary to fully heal. That my internal drum — pounding as I march ahead — forges on. As the last long sighs of summer give breath to fall, this path — right now (right now, right now) — is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
This coming weekend brings some overdue recognition to one of the city’s true jazz giants, Donald Brown. The pianist was born in Mississippi but raised in Memphis before going on to study at Memphis State (now the University of Memphis), where he was one of the “Memphis Three,” the trio of genius-level ivory-ticklers who emerged in the 1970s that also included James Williams and Mulgrew Miller. Of the three, Brown was arguably the most eclectic, ranging from classic straight-ahead jazz piano to more funk-influenced recordings over the course of 18 studio albums, plus appearances on records by the likes of Donald Byrd and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Through most of that time, he was a much-loved educator at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville from 1988-2020.
This Friday, September 6th, at 7 p.m., he’ll receive a Beale Street Brass Note and a tribute to his life in music at the Museum of Science & History (MoSH), complete with a concert by the Memphis Jazz Workshop (led by Steve Lee, one of Brown’s former students). And Saturday, September 7th, at 6 p.m., the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center will host a reading by Valeria Z. Nollan from her upcoming biography of Brown. It’s a pair of events befitting a career as distinguished as Brown’s, and yet the cruel irony is that he won’t be playing at any of them.
That’s due in part to his aging. “I’ve been having problems with my hands, so I haven’t really performed for the last seven years, so it’s been kinda rough,” he says with some resignation. Yet, at 70, his mind is as sharp as ever, which bodes well for Nollan’s biography, slated for release in 2025.
Brown’s life since college has been single-mindedly focused on his mastery of the piano, but it wasn’t always thus. “I came to jazz kind of late,” he says. “Originally, I was a drummer, and then I played tuba in the marching band, baritone horn in the concert band, and trumpet in the ROTC band. Through high school [at South Side High School], even though I was playing trumpet and drums, I still knew enough about piano and harmony that I was arranging for my high school marching band. Playing trumpet probably influenced my writing more than my improvising, but playing drums definitely influenced me more as a pianist.”
And then there were the keyboardists who showed him the way, influences that came pouring out once Brown took to the piano as his main instrument when starting college. “All the great players that were in Memphis at the time just made me want to play the instrument. Booker T. [Jones] was a big influence. Marvell Thomas, Sidney Kirk, and other guys that were contemporaries of mine.” Like most Stax-affiliated players, these were virtuosos who were equally at home in jazz or pop settings. And that was true of Brown, too, as he progressed through college and began working more steadily.
“I played in a lot of top 40 bands and a lot of studio work,” Brown explains, “so I was influenced by the music of Motown and Philadelphia International, players like Bernie Worrell with Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, Prince. I was really into the group Yes and Rick Wakeman. So it was a very diverse amount of keyboard players and pianists that influenced me.”
A grounding in funk is reflected in some of Brown’s greatest jazz work, where strong left-handed bass figures can be key, as in two of his tributes to civil rights leaders, “A Poem for Martin” and “Theme for Malcolm.” Yet even those reveal Brown’s subtle mastery of classic jazz piano as well, which comes to the fore in his piece “Phineas,” a tribute to the greatest of all Memphis pianists, Phineas Newborn Jr.
Looking back on his storied life in jazz, Brown himself can hardly believe it. “I was blessed to have worked with so many other legends, like Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Donald Byrd, Toots Thielemans, and Johnny Griffin. But still, the highlight for me was playing with Art Blakey. I still have to pinch myself when I see recordings or videos and see that it actually happened. Even though I haven’t been there walking the streets with Bird and Bud Powell, I tell my students that that’s about as close as you can get to the source.”
One of the most difficult tasks filmmakers have is catching the complex dynamics of female friendships. From revenge-seeking first wives to teenagers sharing a magical pair of pants, writers have tried to discover how to frame such stories.
It’s not uncommon for these movies to convey the idea that these relationships are essential to tackling adversity, portraying femininity as a bond that can transcend both time and the nature of their unique situations. But these themes are not monolithic; they are dependent on setting, societal norms, and race.
These themes can be more challenging when directors try capturing the magic of Black female friendships — specifically those that have stood the test of time. Director Tina Mabry decides to take on this narrative with no inhibition in Hulu’s The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, based on a 2013 novel of the same name written by Edward Kelsey Moore.
The film follows a trio whose friendship has withstood 30 years of laughter, transformation, and tragedy. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor narrates the story as Odette, the gutsy, outspoken woman whose fearlessness would not only usher in the group’s bond but also prove to be an inspiring theme throughout the movie. Odette’s power is supplemented across the screen by Clarice (Uzo Aduba, of Orange Is the New Black fame), whose grace and desire to save face can sometimes be detrimental. The friendship is completed when Odette and Clarice decide to welcome introverted Barbara Jean (Sanaa Lathan) into their fold after intervening in her abusive home life.
Known lovingly as “The Supremes” at their local diner (Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat) due to their inherent glow and beauty, the ladies navigate their complex lives, often pulling strength from each other. With a friendship birthed in the 1960s, the film follows a “now-and-then” structure, told through both flashback and present-day perspectives.
As a Black woman, I was a bit trepidatious, thanks to my former experiences with Black-female focused films. The word “strong” is often used to describe a Black woman’s life experience both on and off the screen. While this term can be used to positively evaluate tenacity, it can also be scary when filmmakers express their characters’ strengths through trauma. I identify with many of the young women in my generation who are still traumatized by Lee Daniels’ Precious, which, it turned out, was not a hopeful story about a teenage girl. Many films and shows seem to compete to find out “How much can we put a Black woman through on screen?”
It’s not to say that we wish for a euphemistic model of storytelling. The beauty of life is enhanced by how we emerge from life’s troubles. Director Mabry, a native of Tupelo, Mississippi, doesn’t shy away from this challenge. Odette says, of Barbara Jean’s trials, that God “is always picking on her,” given everything she’s been through from losing her mother who suffered from alcohol abuse to losing her son to racist violence and hate. She’s faced with the decision either to become a victim of her circumstances, as her mother did, or to grapple with her destiny by intervening on her own behalf.
Part of the beauty in Mabry’s story is that we see the cards these characters are dealt. At times, their fates seem unavoidable. But Mabry’s storytelling is realistic and balanced with joy. These Black women are not solely characterized by hardship.
The director makes aging and growing look appealing, even rewarding. It’s refreshing to see these Black women growing older in a way where they can enjoy life. Odette is set to grapple with the likelihood of having a future, with her inclination to tackle destiny on her own terms, pausing occasionally to touch grass. Clarice learns that it’s never too late to break our own habits, no matter how much we’ve sacrificed. In the end, the movie is a remarkable take on perspective, as life doesn’t necessarily have to happen to us; it grants us the opportunity to take charge.
Mabry has left me hopeful that a new era of more complex storytelling for Black women is upon us, where we are defined by more than just our strength.
The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat is streaming on Hulu.
Last year’s festival theme was the “7 Deadly Sins.” (Photo: Courtesy ETC)
A lot can happen in 10 minutes. That’s 600 seconds. For Emerald Theatre Company (ETC), 10 minutes is all it will take for one vignette to be performed in the 7th Annual 10 Minute Play Festival, which will have 10 vignettes total.
For this year’s festival, all the one-scene plays adhere to a theme, “Remember When,” with the playwrights having been asked to set their plays in a moment of historical significance. The resulting original plays, which were selected by a panel from ETC’s annual open-call playwriting competition, range from the 14th century to the present day. “The great thing for this particular play festival this year is that some people will not be familiar with some of these moments in history, and then several will be,” says Hal Harmon, ETC’s co-artistic director. “So those of us who are a little long in the tooth can remember things that happened in the ’70s and the ’60s.”
But more often than not, these plays are not about the historical events during which they’re set, but rather about people whose lives were affected by them. Take the bent-identity parody Chasing Rainbows by California-based Christopher Wiley, who placed first this year; it’s about two ’80s/’90s Hollywood movie icons who “morph into … two U.S. Navy investigators in search of an unidentified woman named Dorothy who organizes networks of gay servicemen.”
Like Wiley, all of the playwrights are from out-of-state, but the directors and actors are all local, which in turn encourages collaboration between Memphis and the rest of the country. It’s been this way since the festival’s inception. In fact, when it all began in 2016, Harmon says, ETC even received international entries from England and New Zealand.
This year’s festival opens the company’s 28th season. Looking back to ETC’s start, Harmon recalls, “Emerald was created to give a voice to the LGBT community. … We wanted to give more of a voice to gays and lesbians because the shows that we were seeing were basically about [stereotypes]. Like all the shows that dealt with gay men usually dealt with AIDS and people died. We’re so much more than that. So that’s why Emerald was created. … Over the years, we’ve grown and grown and grown, and we’re so happy and we’re so thankful that society and most of society’s views towards alternative lifestyles changed for the better. Sadly, so much legislation, though, has taken us steps backwards, but, as viewpoints have grown for the better, we have worked and changed our mission statement to be more encompassing of all people, regardless of sexual identity and so forth.”
Indeed, most, but not all, of the shows in this year’s 10 Minute Play Festival touch on LGBTQ issues.
“We’re happy that we have made it literally 28 years, super excited and proud of that. We don’t see ourselves stopping anytime soon. We have an incredible season ahead of us.”
If you’re making regular contributions to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), congratulations! You’re taking steps toward a more secure financial future. However, even those who participate in a 401(k) plan may worry they’re not contributing enough to achieve their retirement goals.
Unfortunately, as with so many financial planning challenges, there’s no single guideline to ensure you’re putting enough aside. Even if you have an idea of the dollar amount you’ll need to comfortably retire, the amount you need to save varies based on a wide range of factors, including when you start investing, your portfolio allocation, market events, lifestyle goals, spending habits, inflation, etc.
A general rule of thumb is to invest 15 percent of your income in a retirement account, but your exact savings requirements may differ widely from that number. Rather than focusing on a specific percentage, consider implementing the following tips to help maximize your employer-sponsored retirement plan benefits.
1. Start contributing early.
Thanks to the power of compound interest, it’s typically more advantageous to start contributing to a 401(k) as early as possible, even if you’re only able to commit to a small amount.
2. Maximize your employer match.
If someone offered to give you $3,000 each year with no strings attached, would you take it? Of course you would! Yet many people pass up retirement savings opportunities by not contributing enough to their 401(k) to receive the full value of their employer’s matching contribution. That’s essentially saying no to “free” money.
3. Increase your contributions by 1 to 2 percent each year.
Once you’re contributing enough to receive your full employer match, consider increasing your contributions each year or whenever you receive a raise. Even a 1 to 2 percent annual increase can have a big impact on your savings over time, and you’re unlikely to even notice the impact on your take-home pay.
4. Diversify your contribution types.
Many employer-sponsored retirement plans offer the option of contributing to a traditional (pre-tax) 401(k) or a Roth (after-tax) 401(k).
• Traditional 401(k) contributions provide the benefit of lowering your taxable income during the year in which they’re made. However, these assets and their earnings are taxed as ordinary income when you withdraw them in retirement.
Once you are retired and reach a certain age, the IRS requires you begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your pre-tax retirement accounts. These withdrawals are subject to ordinary income tax.
• Roth 401(k) contributions don’t provide an immediate tax benefit, but assets can be withdrawn without federal income tax as long as you’ve reached age 59.5 and held the account for at least five years.
In addition, Roth 401(k) contributions aren’t subject to RMDs, which means your assets can continue growing within the account throughout retirement.
Contributing a portion of your retirement savings to both types of accounts offers a combination of tax benefits, including:
• An opportunity to lower your current taxable income when you’re in a high tax bracket by making pre-tax contributions
• Flexibility and tax-planning opportunities in retirement that allow you to draw from accounts with different tax treatments, based on your changing needs, market conditions, and tax exposure.
Gene Gard, CFA, CFP, CFT-I, is a Partner and Private Wealth Manager with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest Registered Investment Advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.
“All the months are crude experiments, out of which the perfect September is made.” — Virginia Woolf
We began September in Memphis with our annual holiday. No, not Labor Day. Sure, we celebrate that, but so does the rest of the country. I’m talking about the fact that here in the Bluff City we have in recent years begun celebrating “901 Day” on September 1st, a riff on our 901 area code. It’s grown to include a great many celebrations around town, from Beale Street to breweries to parks and music venues. One presumes a good time was had by all this year, even if there was a bit of intermittent rain to dodge.
September also marks the end of summer here in the 901. Even though we’re still a few weeks away from the true end of the heat, the signs of autumn are there if you look. On my morning walk in the Old Forest of Overton Park on Monday, leaves were beginning to fill the wooded trails, wet and soft underfoot — the gold palms of the tulip poplars, the brown-fingered oak fall — their presence no doubt triggered by the recent dry spell, but unmistakable harbingers of the change to come, nonetheless.
Summer’s end always brings mixed feelings. And the seasons change faster now, or so it seems as I blossom into codger-hood. But everything is faster for everybody these days. According to folks who study such things, we’re wiring ourselves that way. I listened to a podcast last week about the decline of the human attention span. The average person checks the internet more than 100 times a day — scanning emails, various websites, news sources, and social media feeds. I’ve never counted, but I suspect I’m in that neighborhood, at least.
I’m trying to be conscious about my internet addiction, but it’s so difficult, especially when the source of our distraction — our phone — is always close at hand. Looking around the optometrist’s office the other day, I noted there were 19 people, 18 of whom were looking at their phone. The other guy was probably blind.
The problem is that we’ve learned that there is always a reward of sorts waiting for us when we swipe open our dinging little pocket pals: “likes” on our social media posts, a fresh email from a friend, a nudge from our favorite news app, a game to finish, and, of course, the sweet, cocaine-like buzz of confirmation bias and righteous indignation.
We progressives savor the latest absurdities from MAGA-land like gooey chocolate-chip cookies, fresh from the oven: Did you read that Donald Trump changed his stance on abortion four times in 48 hours? Did you see that he reposted vile, misogynistic, sexual tweets about Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton?! Did you read that he had the nerve to announce that his administration will be the “greatest ever” for women?! OMG!
And then there’s Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance. What a piece of anti-feminine work this guy is. Seldom does a day pass when he is not saying something more Neanderthal-ish about women than he did the day before. The creepy would-be veep has made it clear, over and over again, that he thinks women are put here on Earth only to have children until they can’t anymore. And when they reach menopause, their role is to help raise their grandchildren. It’s their biological destiny, don’t you know? Childless career women are frustrated and angry because “they passed the biological period when it was possible to have children.” They are “miserable people who have no real value system,” and “struggle to find meaning in their lives.” Also, they have cats. Also, childless people shouldn’t be allowed to be teachers.
And on it goes, day after day. Thirty days hath September, and 31 hath October, and five hath November until the Day of Reckoning. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” wrote English playwright William Congreve in 1697. There’s a reason that saying has stayed in the English language lexicon for 327 years, and methinks Donald Trump and J.D. Vance and the rest of their clueless GOP enablers are about to find out why.
It is no accident that many savants in the legal/political universe regard the 1962 Baker v. Carr decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to be second to none among landmark judicial decisions.
This decision was brought on by a suit from Charles Baker, chairman of what was then the Shelby County Court, precursor of the present Shelby County Commission. On behalf of Shelby County, rapidly urbanizing at the time, as was the nation as a whole, Baker sought relief from un-democratic districting guidelines imposed by the state of Tennessee that unduly favored the state’s rural population.
The court held in essence that the Fourteenth Amendment required that the principle of one person-one vote be applied in the determination of legislative district lines.
While the decision had immediate and lasting repercussions on determining matters of voter eligibility, both in Tennessee and elsewhere in the nation, it has by no means eliminated gerrymandering based on partisan politics (e.g. witness the Republican legislative supermajority’s strip-mining away of Democratic Party rights in Nashville’s Fifth Congressional District), nor has it much diminished the edgy relationship between urban and rural interests in policy-making.
The latter issue has flared up again in the quarrel over whether Memphis voters should be allowed to vote their preference on several gun-control measures embedded in a referendum proposed by the city council but now endangered by the action of the county Election Commission in removing it from the November ballot.
In so acting, the Election Commission — dominated 3-2 by GOP members according to state mandate — has clearly responded to overt threats from the state’s Republican leadership to withhold from the city some $78 million in state revenues, if the referendum should go through as scheduled.
This was some of the “stiff resistance” promised by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, who articulated things this way: “Local governments who want to be progressive and evade state laws will lose shared sales tax funding.” The speaker likened the city’s referendum plans to “subversive attempts to adopt sanctuary cities [and] allow boys in girls’ sports.”
Some Memphians were expressing concern that the state’s retribution could also be visited on various large local projects dependent on previously pledged state subsidies, like those involving the zoo, FedExForum, and Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
It is worth recalling the actual import of the endangered referendum, authorized earlier by the council’s unanimous vote. In the words of its chief sponsor Councilman Jeff Warren, “Memphis voters will be asked whether they approve amending the city’s charter to require a handgun permit, restrict the storage of guns in vehicles in many cases, ban assault weapons sales after January 1, 2025, and enact extreme risk protection orders, sometimes called Red Flag Laws.”
All the referendum would do is solicit voter opinion, it would seem. Sexton chooses to see it otherwise, as a direct challenge to state authority.
Whichever interpretation is correct, the ongoing confrontation between city and state over a host of policy matters, of which gun safety is only one, is rising to fever pitch, as evidenced the rhetoric employed last week by Council Chair JB Smiley and various supportive council members, who announced their intent to sue the Election Commission to reinstate the ballot measure.
“Memphis has been shot and is bleeding out,” said Councilwoman Jerri Green. “We won’t back down, and we damn sure won’t be bullied,” proclaimed Smiley.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young meanwhile seemed to be trying to position himself at the nonexistent calm center, saying he understood the council’s “frustration” but expressing the view that the referendum ultimately would be “futile.”
Memphis Yoga Festival (Photo: Courtesy Memphis Yoga Festival)
Along with the change in temperatures (or, really just the changes in the calendar) comes the return of fairs and festivals. Yes, that means your favorites are back, but so are some new ones, and maybe some that just haven’t been on your radar. Don’t worry, babe, we’ve got you covered here in this guide.
SEPTEMBER
Orion Free Concert Series
I don’t know why you say “Goodbye,” I say “Shello, shello, shello,” to the Orion Free Concert Series’ lineup of free concerts.
Overton Park Shell, various dates in September and October
Delta Fair & Music Festival
This festival is a fair shot at a great time, with games, rides, and all your fair classics.
Agricenter International, through September 8
30 Days of Opera
Thirty days of free opera? That’s music to my ears. And surely it’s music to your ears, too.
Various locations, through September 30
Germantown Festival
Weenies are all the rage at the Germantown Festival, where the annual dachshund race takes place along with arts and crafts, rides and games, live stage entertainment, car exhibits, and more.
Germantown Civic Club Complex, September 7-8
Goat Days Festival
If loving goats is baaaaad, I don’t want to be good. After all, the Goat Days Festival is all for the love of the goat, with a goat beauty pageant and a goat show, plus some non-goat activities.
Millington Sports Complex, September 7
Medical District Wellness Festival
Well, well, well, what do we have here? A wellness festival with heath-focused activities, community outreach, and live entertainment.
Sure, there’s the rivalry football game between Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Tennessee State, but there’s also a ton of non-football events to check out, from the parade to an exhibit at the National Civil Rights Museum to a concert starring Tamia & Joe.
Various Locations, September 12-14
Mighty Roots Music Festival
Might I interest you in a mighty good time? Full lineup at mightyrootsmusicfestival.com.
Stovall, MS, September 13-14
Cooper-Young Festival
At the corner of Happy and Healthy — wait this isn’t Walgreens — at the corner of Cooper and Young is the festival where happiness and a healthy amount of art, music, and crafts flourishes.
Cooper-Young Historic District, September 14
Memphis Fitness Fest
You’re gonna want to fit this festival into your schedule. It’ll have workouts, nutrition insights, inspiring speakers, a marketplace, and more.
Ambishun Fitness, September 14
Mid-Autumn Festival
Celebrate the beauty of Asian culture with live music, traditional lion dance performances, a fashion show, and more.
Crosstown Concourse, September 14
Memphis Yoga Festival
It’s not a stretch to say that this festival will have all the yoga you could ever dream of.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, September 15
Mid-South Fair
Life isn’t fair, but life is better when there’s a fair around. The Mid-South Fair is a prime example, with rides, entertainment, and the best fair fare.
Landers Center, September 19-29
Memphis Greek Festival
Celebrate this fest’s 65th anniversary with Greek food, free Greek dancing lessons, vendors, and more.
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, September 20-21
Oktoberfest(s)
Listen, I’m going to be real with you: There are several Oktoberfests happening around town, and for me to write each one out and give them their own little blurb is just soooo much work. So here’s a short list because not to include any Oktoberfest would be a disservice to you, my reader.
• Oktoberfest | Soul & Spirits, September 21
• Wiseacre Oktoberfest | Wiseacre Brewing Company, September 28
• Zootoberfest | Memphis Zoo, every Saturday and Sunday in October
• Oktoberfest | Grind City Brewing Company, October 5
• Crosstober Fest | Crosstown Brewing Company, October 12
• Overton Square Oktoberfest | Overton Square, October 12
Fantasy Faire
Once upon a time, in a faraway land called Cordova, a library hosted a fantasy-themed fair, with a story time, local artists and vendors, demonstrations by the Memphis Armored Fight Club, a costume contest, crafts, games, and more.
Cordova Library, September 21
51st Annual Pink Palace Crafts Fair
In the words of the great Chappell Roan, I’m gonna keep on dancing at the Pink Palace Crafts Fair. (I’m pretty sure those are the lyrics.) With a petting zoo, choo choo train ride for the kids, artist demos, live music, food trucks, and more than 125 master craftspeople and artists, everyone will find something to dance to.
Audubon Park, September 27-29
8th Annual Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series: The Comedy of Errors
You make me want to shout! Shout Shakespeare, that is. This year’s Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series features The Comedy of Errors.
Outdoor stages throughout West Tennessee and indoors at TSC, September 27-October 20
I’ll get straight to the point: artists, artisans, crafts people, and food.
The Point, September 21
Inaugural Memphis Pizza Festival
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby, but don’t you dare take another little piece of my pizza, especially at the inaugural Memphis Pizza Festival, where local makers will make all types of pizzas.
Agricenter International, September 21
Latin Fest
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with live Latin music, Latin food and drinks, activities for kids, and vendors.
Overton Square, September 21
Gonerfest 21
Oh yeah, you’re gonna wanna go to this fest with a unique and wide-ranging bill from Memphis and around the world.
Railgarten, September 26-29
Third Annual Memphis Black Child Book Fair
Promote literacy with authors from across the country and 100 Black Women of Memphis.
Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, September 28
OCTOBER
Bartlett Festival
Expect music, arts and crafts, a car show, children’s activities, a barbecue contest, a 5K, and more.
W.J. Freeman Park, October 4-5
Black Arts & Wine Festival
Experience visual art by Black creatives and sample wines and liquors from Black brands.
Museum of Science & History, October 5
Mempho Music Festival
Headliners Jack White, Trey Anastasio & Classic Tab, and Cody Jinks will take the stage for this festival.
Radians Amphitheater, Memphis Botanic Garden, October 4-6
V&E Greenline Artwalk
You can talk the talk, but can you walk the Artwalk? Yeah, you can! The event is full of artist booths, entertainment, children’s activities, artist demonstrations, and more.
V&E Greenline, October 5
Wine on the River Memphis
Jesus didn’t turn water into wine for nothing, so drink up at the Wine on the River where you can sample wine from national and international vineyards.
Tom Lee Park, October 5
King Biscuit Blues Festival
Hear ye, hear ye, King Biscuit Blues Festival is back for its annual three-day event, complete with lots of blues music — on six stages.
Helena, AR, October 9-12
Tambourine Bash
Music Export Memphis presents a night of Memphis music collaborations you won’t soon forget.
Overton Park Shell, October 10
Soul of the City
Romance isn’t dead, but the residents at Elmwood Cemetery are. Yet this year’s Soul of the City won’t let their love stories die, as crowd-favorite characters regale you with tales of passion, devotion, longing, and a dash of heartbreak and scandal.
Elmwood Cemetery, October 11-12
Edge Motorfest (Photo: Courtesy Edge Motor Museum)
Edge Motorfest
Vrooom, vrooom, MFers (read: Memphis Flyer readers). You’ll be on the edge of your seat as more than 150 cars compete for 25 different awards.
Edge Motor Museum, October 12
Paint Memphis 2024
Sometimes making plans can be a paint in the butt, but when Paint Memphis is happening, you’re painted in a corner ’cause you gotta go. A hundred or so artists will be painting murals all day long and it’s a spectacle to behold.
Willet and Lamar, October 12
Ska-Tober Fest 2024
What even is ska? Find out at this fest.
Meddlesome Brewing Company, October 12
Memphis Pickle Fest
This fest will tickle your pickle with pickle-themed drinks and pickle-themed food.
Growlers, October 13
Deep Blues Festival
Hopelessly devoted to the blues? This festival is for you. It goes deep.
Clarksdale, MS, October 17-20
Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival
This one is for the players and the play lovers. Enjoy screenings, lectures, and performances.
Clarksdale, MS, October 17-19
Fall Fest
Benefiting Room in the Inn, this festival will have live music including a performance by 38 Special, a barbecue contest, a cash raffle giveaway, a car show, vendor fair, food truck fair, carnival, and more.
St. Brigid Catholic Church, October 18-19
Wolf River Conservancy Fall Fest
Take part in an arboretum scavenger hunt, meet some creepy crawly critters, participate in a costume parade, and more.
Wolf River Greenway, Shady Grove Trailhead, October 18
Spirit Fest
Don’t get too spirited away at this metaphysical and holistic expo.
Agricenter International, October 19-20
Cooper-Young Beerfest
Beer me, this festival brings all your favorite regional breweries to town.
Midtown Autowerks, October 19
RiverArtsFest (Photo: Courtesy Hemline)
RiverArtsFest
Ain’t no river wide enough, to keep me from getting to RiverArtsFest, the largest juried artist market and urban festival in the Mid-South.
Downtown Memphis, October 19-20
Memphis Tequila Festival
If tequila makes your clothes fall off, you’re gonna have a real problem at this festival where 50-plus types of tequila and mezcal will be available for tasting.
The Kent, October 25
Chêne Film Festival
This festival kicks off with a concert featuring Jordan Davis followed by the premiere of five short films showcasing the waterfowl community.
Live at the Garden, October 26
Memphis Comic Expo
This expo shines a spotlight on artists and writers in the world of comics, bringing the best local and regional talent.
Renasant Convention Center, October 26-27
Arts & Crafts Festival
Expect art, music, food, and, of course, fun at this second annual festival put on by Lakeland’s Arts Council.
Lakeland Town Square, October 26, 12-6 p.m.
NOVEMBER
Broad Ave. Art Walk
Any old broad will tell you that the Broad Ave. Art Walk is the place for artists and makers, live music, a craft area, and fun activities. Listen to that broad.
Broad Ave. Arts District, November 2
Día de Los Muertos Parade and Festival
Honor your ancestors and celebrate the cycle of life and death at this festival of art-making, face-painting, music, performances, and more.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, November 2
Memphis Japan Festival
Celebrate Japan at this family-friendly, interactive, and hands-on experience of Japanese culture featuring food, entertainment, games, crafts, and more.
Memphis Botanic Garden, November 3
Memphis Monster Con
This graveyard smash will catch on in a flash. There will be food trucks, the cast of Return of the Living Dead, merchandise, cosplay, an artists alley, panels, and much more.
Pipkin Building at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, November 9-10
Memphis Crafts & Drafts Festival: Holiday Market
This festival crafted the perfect experience; no, this isn’t a rough draft. Crafts & Drafts showcases local artists and makers for you to shop from for all your holiday gifting needs.
Crosstown Concourse, November 9
India Fest
Enjoy vibrant displays, Bollywood dancing shows, henna painting, Indian cuisines, shopping, and more.
Agricenter International, November 9
Indie Memphis Film Festival
You look like a movie, and I could watch you all day long. That pickup line probably won’t get far at this fest, but you will be watching movies all day long.
Various locations, November 14-19
Holiday Spirits: A Christmas Cocktail Festival
Have yourself a merry little cocktail, so says the tagline of this festival since that’s what you’ll be doing.
The Kent, November 22
DECEMBER
Raised by Sound Fest
Sound the alarm! Raised by Sound Fest is back. That means free live music all the day long, culminating in a fundraising performance.
Crosstown Concourse, December 7
Raised by Sound Fest (Photo: Courtesy WYXR)
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
This is THE Liberty Bowl, where football, parties, and more happen.
Good Groceries Market & Cafe is good news for foodies.
The business, owned by Leah and Chad Getchel, is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. It’s at 585 South Cooper, where Mo’Bay Beignet Co. previously was located and, before that, a Muddy’s Bake Shop.
“Our grand opening was on July 7th,” Leah says “We had two bands. We had Real Good Dog Rescue. We had the Compost Fairy there. … We adopted out three dogs that day, which was awesome.”
It probably goes without saying, “We love the community,” Leah says.
They began their Good Groceries Mobile Diner food truck during the pandemic. Chad had been chef de cuisine at River Oaks Restaurant. Leah was a personal chef and also did catering. “The food truck is still running. We never stopped. We started that in 2020.”
But, she says, “The food truck is too small to do all the food that we do.”
It was time for a brick-and-mortar. “We needed a commercial kitchen.”
So, Good Groceries now offers breakfast between 7 and 10 a.m. “And that includes a continental breakfast bar, so people can come in and do the breakfast bar or have to-order items.”
The continental breakfast bar includes sage-roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, gravy, and choice of beef or duck sausage. “And we have all our bread items — biscuits, muffins, sometimes croissants.”
Their brick-and-mortar fare is “the same as the food truck menu.” They offer items, including the duck confit sandwiches, the smoked brisket BLT sandwiches, a crispy tofu sandwich, and salmon burger.
Their grab-and-go items are offered all day. “We have premade sandwiches, salads, soups, and take-home make-and-bake-and-eat meals — grab-and-go meals, family-style.”
She describes their menu as “to some degree seasonal, but fairly standard.”
They include gluten-free items because of her health issues, Leah says. “Just about everything is gluten-free.”
People who have to eat gluten-free won’t have to “feel like they’re singled out: ‘Oh, I have to eat from the sides menu.’ Because that’s what I have to do.”
Regular and gluten-free desserts are also featured. Depending on the day, these may include brownies, chess and other pies, and cakes, including Leah’s butter crumble cake and three-layer chocolate cake. “And Chad’s making ice cream. He started that just after we opened. He makes the mix himself and he uses the commercial ice cream maker.”
The Getchels began their first wine pairing dinner August 29th at Good Groceries, and Good Groceries still caters. “We’re doing intimate birthday parties to big parties.” They can do off-site or in-house events.
The name “Good Groceries” came from her former fiancé, Leah says. After he tasted dinners she made for him, he said, “These are some good groceries.”
When she told that to Chad 20 years later, he said, “Oh, that’s good. That’s got potential.”
Now, the name is used for their food truck, cafe, and sauces, which they make. “Mango, pesto, the green tomato relish. And we sell them in the shop.”
They also make their own teas and lemonades, including lavender lemonade made with fresh lavender.
The location between Peabody Avenue and Central Avenue is the perfect spot for what the Getchels want to do. “We’ve got a good mix of neighbors that are like us: parents with kids and folks who just want to come and hang out and play. There’s a big yard out there.”
They also offer “kid-friendly” menu items.
The couple’s 6-year-old twins — Albert and Oscar — also take advantage of the yard. Leah wants to instigate some outdoor events, including movies, this fall. “And just have kids come out and sit and watch and play and do whatever.”
Good Groceries has already become a neighborhood spot. “There are several offices and things around there. We have someone who comes in almost every day from the dialysis center. It’s a nice break for folks who just want to come in. We have some people who come in and study until we close.”
Leah describes the cafe/market as a “homestyle kind of business. And it’s not so mainstream.”
These retirees meet to spill the tea. (Photo: Marlinda Shorter | Unspeakable Joy Photography)
Ten years ago, my ex-husband and I lived with his grandfather, a 92-year-old patriarch of the family. He was routine-oriented, and for many years he made a habit of meeting up with friends once a week for coffee and breakfast at a local fast food joint, usually Hardee’s or McDonald’s. The setting of Hattiloo Theatre’s production of Coconut Cake couldn’t be more relatable, as it portrays a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of four retirees who meet every Monday at McDonald’s. Here’s the thing, though, these characters aren’t just meeting up to drink coffee — they’re here to spill the tea.
Coconut Cake is a (mostly) quiet, intimate look at the lives of three Black friends, plus the somewhat out-of-place white brother-in-law named Hank but nick-named “Republican,” played by Bart Mallard. The characters — all men — slowly reveal they are each going through hardships that end up driving them apart, despite the fact that their individual struggles could bring them closer. The event that throws their lives into disarray is the arrival in town of a mysterious woman, who, because of her beauty and sophistication, becomes the subject of fascination for the quartet. The other wild card in Coconut Cake is the unhoused man dubbed “Gotdamnit” because of his penchant for repeating the word. Played by Jesse L. Dunlap, Gotdamnit is the type of character who whirls in and steals the show. He is a source of comic relief, though there are moments of emotion and a struggle with mental health that are poignantly delivered.
While the characters may at first seem like stock characters, a theme becomes apparent as the show progresses: All people contain hidden depths. Mallard has been acting since high school and speaks to the process of the characterization of Hank: “My character is hiding some truths about himself from even those closest to him. So I am asking myself deeply and honestly, what do I keep hidden away … is there a truth that I have not allowed to be seen … is there a truth in my heart, soul, and gut that I need to or could benefit from shining a bright light onto?”
One notable aspect of the play is that, though it is comprised of an entirely male cast, the playwright Melda Beaty is a woman. Watching a play that is about the male experience, but depicted by a woman, was a fascinating experience. I’ve grown up inundated by female characters who are poorly and unrealistically dreamed up by men. The internet is full with memes criticizing how women are rendered by male writers, so I found it refreshing to see a play that flipped the script — pun intended. Beaty’s frank and honest portrayal of these men is what makes the play so gripping. Here is a place where they are allowed to be vulnerable, and it’s obvious how meaningful that refuge is. Symbolism is rife in Coconut Cake, from the sanctuary represented by the innocuous setting of McDonald’s, to the game of life portrayed in a chess board.
Though on the surface Coconut Cake is a simple dialogue-driven play, it is a piece of theater that should not be looked over. Accurately cutting out a slice of life that remains deeply entertaining without ever compromising its realism is no mean feat, but Beaty has managed to do so with success. This play comes with a message that audiences will be hard-pressed to miss, as Mallard puts it, “The deepest intention is to shine some light on the truth that the act of openly, truthfully, and patiently walking your path will allow for you to find your own truth and light and then to honestly stand in it … to take the stage.”
Coconut Cake runs at Hattiloo Theatre through September 8th.
