Category: We Recommend

We Saw You w/ Jared Boyd pt. 3: Adventures in Journalism

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date May 18, 2024

In Part 3 of his We Saw You interview, Jared “Jay B.” Boyd talks about his journalism career, which began with an internship at the Jackson (Mississippi) Free Press magazine and continued with The Commercial Appeal, the The (Mobile, Alabama) Press-Register, and The Daily Memphian newspapers.

Boyd’s goal when he returned to the Bluff City was to be chosen to be in the Memphis Flyer’s 20 < 30 list within five years. “I wanted to be on that cover,” he says. “By the time I’m 30, I’ve done enough to deserve that.”

Along the way, Boyd wore many hats, including “public safety reporter” and “sitting in courts,” as well as covering music and food for newspapers.

Tags Jared Boyd, Jay B Boyd, Michael Donahue

News News Feature We Saw You

We Saw You with Jared “Jay B” Boyd, pt. 2

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date May 17, 2024

Jared “Jay B.” Boyd tells me in Part 2 of his We Saw You interview that he wanted to rap and skateboard when he was growing up in Memphis. He has done both, while also becoming the program manager of WYXR, a DJ, a co-host of radio’s Beale Street Caravan, and a board member of BRIDGES. He was previously a reporter for The Daily Memphian.

You can catch up with the first part of our interview here.

Tags Beale Street Caravan, Bridges USA, Jared Boyd, JayB Boyd, Michael Donahue

News News Feature We Saw You

We Saw You with Jared “Jay B” Boyd, pt. 1

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date May 16, 2024

You’ve probably seen — or heard — Jared “Jay B” Boyd somewhere. He’s the program manager for WYXR radio, but he’s also a DJ, co-host of radio’s Beale Street Caravan, and a board member of BRIDGES.

Sitting down with Boyd for the latest We Saw You interview, I asked if there was more than one Jared Boyd because “Jared Boyd” seems to be everywhere.

He responds: “I’m the only one I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.”

In part one of the four-part series, Boyd talks about his childhood growing up in Parkway Village, going to Richland Elementary School, and White Station High School. His parents, he says, “allowed me to explore my interests.”

I also learned the late Andrew Love of the Memphis Horns was his cousin — and I learned Boyd can play the viola!

Stay tuned for more installments of We Saw You with Jared Boyd.

Tags Beale Street Caravan, Bridges USA, Jared Boyd, WYXR

On the Fly We Recommend We Recommend

On the Fly: Week of 5/17/24

Post author By Abigail Morici
Post date May 16, 2024

Yoga with goats at Marquette Park this Saturday. (Photo: Abigail Morici)

Barbecue Weekend
May means barbecue in Memphis, and this year we have two whole barbecue festivals on the same weekend: Memphis in May’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and the new SmokeSlam. Read about what to expect from the two festivals in our barbecue cover story here.

World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, Liberty Park, Wednesday-Saturday, May 15-May 18, $15.00-$549
SmokeSlam, Tom Lee Park, Thursday-Saturday, May 16-May 18, $15.13-$544.74

DreamFest Weekend 13
Minglewood Hall | Friday, May 17, 6 p.m.
Overton Park Shell | Saturday-Sunday, May 18-19, 6 p.m.
A dream is a wish your heart makes, and if your heart wished for a weekend dedicated to music, music, and more music, well, you’re in luck: This weekend is DreamFest Weekend, which means three days of free music for the whole family. Find out more here.

The ’Vous
Museum of Science & History
Friday, May 17, 7 p.m.
Catch a screening of The ’Vous documentary about the world-famous Memphis barbecue institution and celebrity attraction The Rendezvous as it faces unprecedented change as the legendary waiters retire and family business moves into a third generation. A Q&A and tasting will follow the screening. Tickets are $12/adults, $10/seniors (60+), and $10/youth (3-12). Purchase tickets here. (Read more about the film in Chris McCoy’s article here.)

Experience Memphis Gardens: Cooper-Young Garden Walk
Cooper-Young Historic District
Saturday-Sunday, May 18-19, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Embark on the first garden tours of the Experience Memphis Gardens citywide garden walk with the Cooper-Young Garden Walk. The two-day event will feature over 100 gardens, speakers, musicians, and garden vendors throughout the vibrant, historic neighborhood. Tickets for the CY Garden Walk will also get you into the other 250-plus amazing gardens throughout the Greater Memphis area that are a part of the monthlong Experience Memphis Gardens tour. And they cost only $26 for 26 days of fun. Learn more about the event here.

AAPI Heritage Month Celebration
Bert Ferguson Community Center
Saturday, May 18, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
May is Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, so explore the rich and diverse cultures of Memphis’ local Asian ethnic communities. Enjoy live performances, cultural activities, and food. This event highlights the diversity of Memphis with representation from Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Pakistani communities.

Comic Con
Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library
Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Fans of comics, movies, anime, manga, video games and pop culture in general will want to check out Memphis Public Libraries’ second annual Comic Con, where you can meet Matt Wagner and Gene Ha as well as more than 50 local vendors selling art, comics, toys, prints, graphic novels, art supplies, knickknacks, and more. There will also be free graphic novels for the first 200 in attendance — we’re talking Grendel, Mae, Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, One Punch Man, Demon Slayer, Heartstopper, Hilo, Nimona and My Hero Academia, to name just a few. There will also be arts and crafts, face painting for the little ones, and food trucks. Trivia will take place at 11 a.m. as will a children’s story time, followed by a Super Smash Bros. Tournament at noon. Matt Wagner and Gene Ha will participate in a panel discussion at 1 p.m., and you can register for a cosplay contest at 2 p.m.

Uptown Arts Festival
Grind City Brewing Company
Saturday, May 18, noon-7 p.m.
Grind City’s yard will transform into Uptown’s very own art festival. Local artists and businesses from and near the neighborhood will be selling food, goods, and high-quality art. Experience the Uptown neighborhood, local artists, live music, local food and dry goods, games, freebies, and beer of course. It’s free to enter, $10 to park.

Goat Yoga in the Park
Marquette Park
Saturday, May 18, 1-3 p.m.
Enjoy a relaxing afternoon of yoga and cute goats from 901Goats from Walkapony Goat Ranch at this fun, free event hosted by Play Your Park. There are two time slots for Goat Yoga in the Park: 1 to 2 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m. No pre-registration is required. Slots are first come, first served to the first 80 people at the event. This event is for ages 10 and up.

City of Memphis’ 205th Birthday Celebration
Overton Square
Wednesday, May 22, 6 p.m.
Happy birthday to you, Memphis! That’s right: Overton Square is celebrating Memphis’ 205th birthday with a performance by jazz and blues artist Jeremy Shrader, an Elvis impersonator, plus a birthday balloon photo opp and Memphis themed treats for sale at 17 Berkshire.

Concerts in The Grove: Chinese Connection Dub Embassy
The Grove at Germantown Performing Arts Center
Thursday, May 23, 6:30 p.m.
GPAC will have music, food trucks, and corn hole, all in the beautiful, park-like setting of the TruGreen Lawn. Cocktails and drink specials are available on the First Horizon Foundation Plaza. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. Outside food and drinks are permitted at Concerts in The Grove. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.

There’s always something happening in Memphis. See a full calendar of events here. Submit events here or by emailing calendar@memphisflyer.com.

Tags events, Memphis

Music Music Blog We Recommend We Recommend

Blues Hall of Fame Museum Unveils Interactive Hologram of Taj Mahal

Post author By Abigail Morici
Post date May 15, 2024

Taj Mahal appears in holographic form. (Photo: Courtesy Blues Foundation)

The Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame Museum has unveiled a brand-new interactive hologram of blues musician Taj Mahal, making it the first museum in Tennessee and second in the United States to have a full-body hologram, says Blues Foundation CEO and president Kimberly Horton.

Horton says when she found out about Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame’s hologram of philanthropist Ernie Boch Jr., whose personal collection of guitars were on display at the museum at the time, she knew she “had to have one for Memphis.”

The Blues Foundation’s first hologram features Blues Hall of Famer Taj Mahal. “It’s him. Like he’s actually sitting in there, actually sitting in the [holographic] box,” Horton says. “You could actually have a full conversation.”

That means that guests can ask whatever question comes to mind, and the hologram, which has been trained with AI, will generate a response as Mahal himself would answer. “We had Taj Mahal sit still for 12 hours one day and just asked him all these questions, about 250 questions, and filmed him while he was doing that,” Horton explains. “So this is his voice. And these are his mannerisms. These are his hand movements.”

From the beginning, Horton says she knew Mahal would be a part of the debut of the permanent exhibition, which will spotlight other artists in the future. “He’s just great,” she says. “When it comes to music, he’s multi-Grammy-winning. He has touched every genre of the industry. He’s got his hand in everything. Taj will be 82 this month, so it was imperative that he was the first person that was in the hologram.”

After all, Horton says, “If you want to preserve something or preserve history, then what better way to do it?”

The Blues Hall of Fame Museum is located at 421 South Main Street. Admission is $10/adults, $8/students, and free for kids 12 and under. There is an additional charge of $10 to interact with the hologram. Museum hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tags Blues Foundation, Blues Hall of Fame Museum, hologram, Memphis, Memphis Music

We Recommend We Saw You

WE SAW YOU: RiverBeat Music Festival

Post author By Michael Donahue
Post date May 15, 2024

Jackson Hendrix, Gabrielle Duffie, Nakita Spencer, Lawrence Matthews

You could call them “RiverBeatniks.” They were the more than 30,000 people who attended the inaugural RiverBeat Music Festival May 3rd, 4th, and 5th in Tom Lee Park.

They braved periodic raindrops and often warm temps to see and hear performers, including Stax great Carla Thomas, Al Kapone, the Wilkins Sisters, Southern Avenue, Killer Mike, and Lawrence Matthews. All some music lovers needed was a blanket and a comfortable spot to kick off their shoes and experience 50 performers on five stages.

“We scanned in over 30,000 over three days,” says RiverBeat producer Jeff Bransford. “Ten-thousand a night.”

How did he think RiverBeat went? “Spectacular. We couldn’t be happier. The feedback we got from both patrons and artists has been overwhelming.”

And will RiverBeat return next year? “One-hundred percent,” Bransford says. No doubt about it. “We’re already planning.”

Tags Al Kapone, Carla Thomas, Riverbeat Music Festival, Southern Avenue, the Wilkins Sisters, We Saw You

We Recommend We Recommend

Experience Memphis Gardens

Post author By Abigail Morici
Post date May 15, 2024

America’s largest garden walk with over 300 gardens takes place every summer in Buffalo, New York, bringing in more than 60,000 visitors from all over the U.S., Canada, and beyond. Kim Halyak, co-chair of the Cooper-Young Garden Club, wants Memphis to be the Buffalo of the South. “I want people to say I’m tired to go to Buffalo,” she says. “I’m going to Memphis.”

And Halyak’s goal isn’t too ambitious, it seems. Already, this year’s Experience Memphis Gardens citywide garden walk, which Halyak helped organized, will be the largest garden walk in the South at some 270 green spaces in neighborhoods across the Mid-South. The walk, which kicks off on Saturday, May 18th, with the annual Cooper-Young Garden Walk, will span over six weeks through June 30th, on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

“Nine years ago, we started [the Cooper-Young Garden Walk] with only 23 gardens,” explains Halyak. “At the time that we were only a one-day event, but we have really grown. And then last year we decided to go citywide, so we reached out to the city and said, ‘Hey, show us your gardens.’ And there were people from neighborhoods all over Memphis [who volunteered] — Colonial Acres, Berclair, Central Gardens, Frayser, Raleigh, High Point Terrace, I mean all over.”

The tour will showcase a wide range of spaces — beginner gardens, highly manicured lawns, farms, community gardens, nurseries, vegetable gardens, and so on. “We have a tour of Ounce of Hope’s aquaponic farm,” Halyak says. “We have a Master Gardener garden tour. We have gardens in Raleigh that we’ve never had [on our tour]. We have Cancer Survivors Park, and, I have to tell you, I’ve lived here 40-some years and I had never been there before. So what we really want to do is say to people: ‘You live in Memphis, go explore Memphis, go see what Memphis has to offer.’ … I really do want people to fall back in love with Memphis.”

The walk, in a way, is an incentive to beautify the city, Halyak adds. “Everybody gets aware of, hey, we have company coming. They just go crazy with excitement, and you cannot believe the community [that comes with that]. People have gotten to know their neighbors. … I don’t want to reinvent the wheel and I want us to make Memphis better. So this year, we’re giving away $10,000 to the neighborhoods that were on the walk last year. And when this walk is over, then I hope to give $20,000 away to the neighborhoods that were on the walk for beautification projects.”

Tickets for the Experience Memphis Gardens walk can be purchased at the Cooper-Young Gazebo on the day of the Cooper-Young Garden Walk sponsored by Urban Earth (May 18th-May 19th), at Urban Earth, at Ounce of Hope, at the Women’s Exchange, and online at experiencememphisgardens.org, where you can find a full schedule and more information.

Experience Memphis Gardens, Various Locations, May 18-June 30, $26.

Tags Cancer Survivors Park, Cooper-Young Garden Walk, Experience Memphis Gardens, Ounce of Hope, Urban Earth

On the Fly We Recommend We Recommend

On the Fly: Week of 5/10/24

Post author By Abigail Morici
Post date May 9, 2024

Gabriel Iglesias brings his comedy tour to Memphis this Friday. (Photo: Jose Guerrero)

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month’s Hungry Tiger Tour
Various locations
Select dates in the month of May
This May take a delicious food journey highlighting Memphis’s Asian ethnic communities. Joining the tour is simple! No pre-registration required: Just grab some friends for lunch/dinner — or make some new ones along the way — and get ready to taste the best of Memphis eats. The schedule is as follows: Friday, May 10, 12:30 p.m., at Casarap; Monday, May 13, 7 p.m., at Petals of a Peony; Friday, May 17, 12:30 p.m., Mochi & Mi (inside Rio Grande Market); Monday, May 20, 6:30 p.m., at Sen Trang; Friday, May 24, 12:30 p.m., at Ryu Sushi & Pho; and Friday, May 31, 12:30 p.m., at Mosa Asian Bistro. Find out more about AAPI Heritage Month in Memphis at aapiheritagemonthmemphis.com/2024.

A Picture of Home: Chalk Drawing Competition
Crosstown Concourse
Friday, May 10, 4-6 p.m.
Join Hospitality Hub for a short conversation about the complexities of chronic homelessness and the Hub’s work with encampments, then flex your creativity by creating a chalk drawing of what “home” means to you. Winners will be announced the following week. The Hub will be at the Crosstown Plaza in May raising awareness about Hub Village, which will serve as an innovative solution for emergency shelter and transitional housing for those experiencing homelessness. See the full calendar for programming here.

Gabriel Iglesias
FedExForum
Friday, May 10, 8 p.m.
He’s so fluffy I’m gonna die. And that’s a compliment. And I’m talking about Fluffy, aka Gabriel Iglesias, who’s bringing his Don’t Worry Be Fluffy Tour to the FedExForum. Tickets start at $47 and can be purchased here.

Pickleball Street Party
Edge District, 400 Monroe
Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Don’t put yourself in a pickle this weekend. Play pickleball. Following the Orion 5k, which benefits MIFA Meals on Wheels (sign up here), Pickleball 901 will host the Pickleball Street Party for pickleball newbies and oldies. There will be FOUR pickleball courts along the street, along with great music, food, and local beer all day! All you have to do is show up, sign up, and choose an available court time. First come, first served.

Art For All Festival
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
Saturday, May 11, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
You might have an art-attack at the Art For All Festival, a free celebration of all things art. You can expect free admission to the Brooks; musical and theatrical performances from Stax Music Academy, Opera Memphis, New Ballet Ensemble, and more; pop-up galleries and art-making stations from Arrow Creative, Opera Memphis, Metal Museum, UrbanArt Commission, RiverArtsFest, and more; traveling exhibit “I AM” presented by Historic Clayborn Temple; art and culture activations from Orpheum Theatre and Stax Museum; and so much more (seriously, like so much more). Again, this is a free event, but make sure you register here.

Sunset Jazz: Ted Ludwig
Court Square
Sunday, May 12, 6 p.m.
Jazz up your weekend with, well, some jazz. And free jazz at that, thanks to the Sunset Jazz at Court Square concert series. This weekend’s performance will be by Ted Ludwig. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcomed. Oh, and did you see Alex Greene’s article all about the series this week? Go on and get to reading if you haven’t!

Spring Fling: Afrobeats and Island Rhythms
The Ravine
Saturday, May 11, 5-7:30 p.m.
You may have been to Zumba in the Park with David Quarles, but this time he’s brought serious back up — Catherine Marte and Michelle Primiano! Enjoy an extra long dance session with a group of pro instructors plus healthy vendors and music by DJ Sledro to keep you moving all evening in the Medical District’s newest event space, The Ravine!

Mother’s Day
Yo mama’s so great, they dedicated a whole day to her. And I bet you forgot. Shame on you. So, lucky for you, here are some things you can do this Mother’s Day, so you can act like you remembered all along. No need to thank me or anything. Just thank your mother. Or don’t if she’s, like, evil or something. I don’t know your life.

Baby Day at the Zoo: Meet the newest members of the zoo family this Mother’s Day weekend, with baby keeper chats. Memphis Zoo, Saturday, May 11, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Blooms & Brunch: A Mother’s Day Weekend Pop Up: Treat the human moms, dog moms, and mother figures in your life to a day they won’t forget with a delightful build-your-own bouquet cart from Hosanna’s Floral Co., delicious brunch from Hustle & Dough, and mimosa and Bloody Mary specials from Bar Hustle. Bar Hustle at ARRIVE Memphis, Saturday, May 11, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Mother’s Day at Memphis Botanic Garden: Treat mom to a libation from the cash bar. Enjoy the Picnic Grove or bring a blanket to pick your perfect setting. Children can plant a flower for mom. Memphis Botanic Garden, Sunday, May 12, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., free with admission.
Mother’s Day on the River: Surprise your mom, mother, meemaw, or granny with a memorable trip down the Wolf River. Wolf River Conservancy, Sunday, May 12, 12:30-5 p.m.
Mother’s Day Brunch at The Guest House at Graceland: Elvis Presley famously cherished his mother, calling her “the most wonderful person in the world.” Show the mother in your life the same love and affection by treating her to a special Mother’s Day experience with great food and live music at The Guest House at Graceland. Guest House at Graceland, Sunday, May 12, $55
Symphony in the Gardens: Celebrate Mother’s Day with Big Band music performed by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra on the Dixon South Lawn. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Sunday, May 12, 5-7 p.m.

Mississippi Moon Festival Presents: Artist Showcase Preview
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Thursday, May 16, 7 p.m.
Hear a sampling of 11 musicians performing acoustic Americana music before the bigger Mississippi Moon Festival happens in June in Olive Branch, Mississippi, where 29 local, regional, and national musicians and songwriters make the two-day camping and arts festival a truly unique experience on June 7th and 8th. Thursday’s performance includes Alice Hasen, Josh Thelkeld, Jake Keegan, Lily Brown, Rachel Maxann, Kelly Hunt, Wyly Bigger, Alexis Jade, Sarah Spain, Amber Rae Dunn, and Anna Sharpe. Tickets ($18.54) for the showcase can be purchased here.

There’s always something happening in Memphis. See a full calendar of events here.

Submit events here or by emailing calendar@memphisflyer.com.

Tags events, Memphis

Theater We Recommend We Recommend

Quark Theatre Concludes Season With Constellations

Post author By Abigail Morici
Post date May 8, 2024

Nathan McHenry and Carly Crawford (Photo: Tony Isbell)

Quark Theatre is gearing up to finish off its season in the coming weeks with the regional premiere of Constellations by Nick Payne, opening Friday, May 10th.

“I have been calling this a multiversal love story,” says director Tony Isbell. “Because it’s about two characters — Roland and Marianne — and the story is they meet, they go on a date, they hit it off, they fall in love, they break up, they get back together, and they deal with some very serious issues along the way and some very funny issues. But it’s not that straightforward: We follow their relationship through the lens of the multiverse. … It jumps to different universes and it occasionally jumps back and forwards in time as well. So there’s a lot going on.”

At just about 80 minutes, the play, Isbell says, feels like a montage sequence. “Like short scenes cut together,” he says. “But these two actors [Carly Crawford and Nathan McHenry] are phenomenal because when they switch universes there’s no technical aspect — there’s not necessarily a scene change or sound change. It’s all conveyed by the actors and just something as simple as a change of tone of voice or a change of their posture or the way they’re relating to each other. And the amazing thing is you can almost always tell when there’s a change, when they jump through the universe, not only because they end up repeating some of the same lines but just because of the nuance they bring to the characters as they move from universe to universe.

“I call it a love story because that’s really what it is. The most important thing here is the relationship between these two people and how much chemistry they have and how much the audience roots for them. Because they’re both really likable people most of the time, and in a couple of universes, they’re not so nice, but most of the time they’re really likable and the audience is really rooting for them. I think people will just really be fascinated by the show.”

Isbell hopes this production follows the success this season has offered so far with The Wasp and The Sound Inside. “In terms of audience we’ve just done really well,” he says. “This has been our most successful season, and we’d like to continue that with this show.”

Tickets for Constellations can be purchased at quarktheatre.com. Performances run Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m., May 10th through May 26th.

Constellations, Theatre South at First Congo, 1000 Cooper St., Friday, May 10-May 26, $20.

Tags Carly Crawford, Constellations, Memphis, Nathan McHenry, quark theatre, theater, Tony Isbell