Category: We Saw You

Most players wore shorts and T-shirts to play kickball at Exposure, but Nikola Printz wore a below-the-knee spaghetti strap dress with red polka dots.

Guests learned what the large roster of chefs will prepare at the FedExFamilyHouse fundraiser, which will be held Oct. 14 at Memphis Botanic Garden.

For instance: acclaimed chef Guy Savoy, who has restaurants in Paris and Las Vegas, will prepare artichoke and black truffle soup; Tory McPhail of Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, will prepare kelp and sea salt grilled royal red shrimp with rum agricole grilled pineapple, jicama, hearts of palm, sliced lemon, toasted coconut, mango aspci and three-year aged “Rum Barrel” hot sauce; and Nick Vergos from the Rendezvous will serve Rendezvous ribs.

MIchael Donahue

Jennifer Hamblin, Mike Allen and Veronica Tansley at Hardin Hall.

Michael Donahue

Matt McCormack at Matt McCormack and Friends at Lafayette’s Music Room.

Michael Donahue

Andrew Vanelli

[slideshow-1]

Jerry Schilling loves Memphis.


Schilling, who was a close friend and business associate of Elvis, was in town to participate in Elvis Week events.

“I think Memphis is different,” he said. “And I think it’s in the water in the Mississippi River. It’s where it all came together with all the styles of music and with the geniuses like Sam Phillips and Dewey Phillips, who got it. And Elvis Presley, who put it all together and basically kicked the door in for rock and roll.

“I am very proud to be a part of this city with its great musical heritage both black and white. When I came back to be president of the Memphis & Shelby County Music Commission, I walked down Beale Street and looked at every note on Beale Street and I saw friends, people I idolized and I didn’t know. And for me to have the 66th note on Beale Street was the ultimate. I live in Hollywood, but my soul is in Memphis.”

Schilling participated in “SiriusXM Town Hall” with Priscilla Presley, Mac Davis and Peter Guralnick. The event, held Aug. 14 at the Guest House at Graceland, was aired live.

Among his current projects is the Cinemax series “Quarry.” “I’m a consultant on that,” he said. “It takes place in Memphis in the ‘70s. It’s not about Elvis at all. It’s about two Vietnam soldiers coming back to Memphis and having a hard time getting a job. And they become hit men. We use a lot of Memphis music. A lot of David Porter.”

Schilling is an executive producer along with Priscilla Presley on the upcoming HBO documentary, “Elvis Presley: The Searcher,” slated to air in 2018. “We have finished the program now. I did come come to Memphis over two years ago with Kari Antholis. He’s the head of series programs at HBO. We did a whole research thing for the show. We met with David Porter. David is one of the voiceovers in the documentary. And we used some of his music.”

Antholis “fell in love with Memphis,” Schilling said. “He fell so much in love with Memphis he had his son’s 

Meatball Eating Contest from Michael Donahue on Vimeo.

Jerry Schilling, Isaac Hayes, Monroe Ave. Festival, Fight Night, Loflin Yard and more!

seventh grade field trip to Memphis. From L. A. They went to Graceland and the Civil Rights Museum. They did everything.”

And, Schilling said, “I’m back managing the Beach Boys after 30 years.”


He was the Beach Boys’ manager for 10 years. “I love their more deeper music. I love it all, but I think there’s a lot more obscure Beach Boys music I wasn’t familiar with in the beginning. We all know ‘Good Vibrations,’ the car songs.”


He particularly likes “Warmth of the Sun” and “Feel Flows.”

“They’re great to work with. And they’re very, very diverse. It’s America’s band. They’re the Beatles of America.”

….

Michael Donahue

Jonathan Magallanes at Fight Night.

TV’s “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Chopped” and “Throwdown! With Bobby Flay” have nothing on the Aug. 19th boxing match between Restaurant Iris/Second Line chef/owner Kelly English and Los Tortugas chef Jonathan Magallanes at Phoenix Club’s “Fight Night” fundraiser. The Boys and Girls of Greater Memphis benefit was held Aug. 19 at the University Club of Memphis .

“John Collier, who put on the event, asked if I would be willing to fight Kelly,” Jonathan said. “We’re good enough friends we could put aside our love of each for a good cause and trade blows.”

In addition to punching each other, the two chefs added some verbal jabs. “I told him that I had better Cajun food at Popeye’s in Ecuador,” Magallanes said. “And that Applebee’s was better than the Second Line. And he said that cheese and sour cream do belong on tacos. We don’t do that.”

He described the comments as “little jabs on cuisine and food as a way to get each other riled.”

Magallanes didn’t train for the event, but English did. He worked with trainer Nick Davis for six months.

When Collier asked him to fight, English said, “You’ve got to get me a chef. I’ll fight a chef. I feel like that’s a fun draw.”

Collier came back and saId, ‘We got Jonathan.” To which English responded, “You got Adonis? LIke 6-4. Born in perfect fashion. Like chiseled.”

English won the event – best of three two-minute rounds – by a unanimous decision. “If Jonathan had trained, he would have been an insane opponent,” English said.

But, he said, “I love Jonathan and I do not enjoy fighting someone I love. I am not interested in fighting someone I love ever again. I was in his wedding for chrissakes. He’s probably my best friend in town.”

“It was all in good fun,” Magallanes said. “We’re real bro’s. We’re able to fight and put it aside.”

“I’d never boxed before,” English said. “It’s good to hang up the boxing gloves undefeated.”

Michael Donahue

Veronica Hayes and David Porter at Isaac Hayes Day in the Park.

…..

Isaac Hayes was honored in his home-town of Covington, Tenn. Aug. 19 at Frazier Park. Family and friends gathered at “Isaac Hayes Day in the Park” to remember Hayes and to listen to some of his music.

His daughter, Veronica Hayes, who attended with her sister, Melanie Hayes, described the gathering as “the inaugural event to celebrate my dad.”

Her father was born Aug. 20, 1942, but they held the event on Aug. 19 because it was a Saturday, Veronica said.

The Class of 1977 Revue performed Isaac’s hits, including “Soul Man,” which he co-wrote with David Porter. Porter was among the guests.

Veronica brought three of her father’s BMI awards – two for “Shaft” and one for “Deja Vu” – to the Tipton County Museum to coincide with the event, which was organized by John Edwards.

Veronica plans to get more involved next year. “I think I’m going to throw my hat in there and help them out,” she said.

She’d like to raise money from the event to provide scholarships and give money to high school music departments.

Michael Donahue

Brett Healey at Monroe Ave. Festival.

……

Brett Healey won the “Meatball Eating Contest” at the Monroe Ave. Festival Aug. 20 in front of Bardog Tavern. He was the first contestant to finish 40 meatballs. He finished in 13 minutes and 14 seconds, which beat the previous record of about 15 minutes. The annual event follows the annual Breakaway
Bardog 5K to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Healey, who was born in Hamilton, New Jersey, moved to Memphis two months ago. He got hooked on competitive eating in New Jersey. “There was a burger challenge at a restaurant where I used to work in New Jersey. That was a two-pound burger plus one pound topping. So, a total of a three-pound burger. You had 30 minutes to eat it. And I finished it in 24 minutes.”


His secret is “working out a lot, eating a lot of fruit and vegetables and water to stretch my stomach out.”

Healey already is hungry for his next challenge. “I have been approved to do the Moonpie eating contest in October at The Pyramid.”

Michael Donahue

Novel bookstore soft opening.

……

Novel held soft openings two days before the new bookstore in Laurelwood officially opened Aug. 18.

A group got together to open the bookstore after The Booksellers at Laurelwood decided to close its doors.

“As a customer, I think it’s important for the city to have an independent bookstore,” said John Vergos, a managing partner along with Christy Yarbro and Matt Crowe. “I already knew there was a strong base of support. I went there almost every day. I thought I could help round up some people. By the time we were through, there were other people of like mind to put it together.”

Vergos described it as “a full-service bookstore. We’ll carry fiction, non-fiction, religious books, cookbooks. And it’s going to be totally locally owned, locally staffed. A strong emphasis on local artists, local writers.”

Asked how the bookstore’s name originated, John said, “Nicole Yasinsky said if she could open the perfect bookstore that would be the name she’d choose. It resonated with everybody and we kept it.”


Libra, the store’s restaurant, is slated to open in early September.

“It’s our goal to keep it full of books. And our goal is for it to be sustainable. We expect to see this place still there in 20 years.”

Michael Donahue

Rebekah and Scott Tashie at the I Love Juice Bar soft opening.

……….

Owners Scott and Rebekah Tashie were on hand for the I Love Juice Bar soft opening Aug. 16 at Crosstown Complex.

Food includes the nori bowl, AB (almond butter) sandwich and overnight oats.

Among the fresh-made juices are Orange you Glad, We’ve Got the Beet and Sweet Greens.

Michael Donahue

Aaron Gardner and Matthew Stachowski at Loflin Yard.

……….

Loflin Yard held a soft opening of its new menu items Aug. 16. The culinary items, which currently are available, will officially be featured on 901 Day – Sept. 1. People will celebrate all things Memphis on that day.

New Loflin Yard items include brisket poutine with scratch gravy, brisket tacos with avocado and pickled watermelon radish, house-smoked sausage and cheese, a vegetable focaccia sandwich, a grilled vegetable platter, Farrow Island smoked salmon and the Gayoso con Queso Mexican-style cheese dip.

These are dishes people can share “that we didn’t have before, geared to an Austin, Texas-style barbecue,” said Matthew Stachowski, Loflin Yard executive chef. “Our main focus is brisket. We’re trying to have the best brisket in Memphis.”

Michael Donahue

Operation BBQ Relief Mississippi State Challenge.

………….

The smell of grilled steaks wafted over Byhalia, Mississippi Sunday morning.

Tyler Clancy, owner of Clancy’s Cafe in Red Banks, Miss. was among the contestants in the Operation BBQ Relief Mississippi State Challenge.

Asked the secret to grilling a great steak, Clancy said, “Do not overcook it.”

Sixty-seven teams participated in the event, held Aug. 20, said Mark Lambert with Operation BBQ Relief.

Organization members are “first responders in times of need and natural disaster,” Lambert said. “People from all walks of life come together and pull resources, pull equipment and travel anywhere in the country where there is a centralized, large relief effort to feed victims.”

Asked how many contestants were from Memphis, Lambert said, “probably about 65 percent of our teams are local, Mid-South area.”

Everyone was required to turn in one ribeye steak, Lambert said. “We provide two un-trimmed ribeye steaks. Trim it as necessary before it’s cooked. They have to cook that steak and turn it in in a box with nothing else. A steak in a box. The have a 30-minute window to turn that in. So, they can take as long as they need to trim it, marinate it, do whatever they need.”

They also can – perhaps nervously – eat the other steak and share it with friends while waiting for the winner to be announced.

Jim Holland from Louisiana won the steak category

Mark, who is president of the National Barbecue and Grilling Association, also is with Sweet Swine O’ Mine Distributing. The Sweet Swine O’ Mine barbecue team is a two-time world champion in the Memphis in May 

World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.

Meatball Eating Contest from Michael Donahue on Vimeo.

Jerry Schilling, Isaac Hayes, Monroe Ave. Festival, Fight Night, Loflin Yard and more!

John P. Carpenter, an Elvis tribute artist from Canada, finally took the step and bought a pair of blue suede shoes at Lansky Brothers.

Elvis’s own shoes wouldn’t be too big for Carpenter to fill. “I’m about sure Elvis wore size twelves, too,” said Carpenter, who was dressed in the King’s favorite colors – pink and black.

Carpenter was among the throng at the Candlelight Vigil, held Aug. 15 in front of Graceland. Fans of all ages turned out to honor the memory of the King on a hot summer evening.

“My hair’s melting,” said 11-year-old tribute artist Nathan Pittorf, whose slick coif accented his lavender shirt, black pants and black-and-white spectator shoes.

Nathan uses three different pomades on his hair: 360, Clubman and Aussie, said his dad, Mike Pittorf. On a “windy, rough day” Nathan uses American Crew pomade, he said.

Asked what the King meant to him, Australian Elvis tribute artist Stuey V said, “The impact he’s made on many lives.”

Stuey V described Elvis as “a humble human being and one of the greatest entertainers who ever lived.”

Keith Easom, who is from England, showed his love for the King with his tattoos. He had 17 Elvis tattoos on just his back.

Kyler Campbell has a special bond with the King. “I doubled for Elvis once,” he said. He portrayed Elvis – ‘50s shirt, slacks and all – as he sat in the backseat of a green car in the “Sun Records” TV series.

His dressing room door had a star on it and the name “Elvis,” he said.

Brian Troy, who participated in the Images of the King tribute artist contest, said this was his first Candlelight Vigil. “It’s wonderful to be able to finally come here and experience this fantastic thing,” he said.

He enjoyed his visit to Memphis, which included a booking at the Magnuson hotel. As for the Vigil, he said, “This here beats it all.”

“You are keeping Elvis alive – truly,” Priscilla Presley told the audience before fans began the walk to Meditation Garden to pay their respects.

Michael Donahue

Frankie Broyles, Doug Bleichner and Philip Frobos of Omni at Growlers.

….

“I love Elvis,” said Omni vocalist/bass player Philip Frobos. “I mean, there’s so many things to love about Elvis, but I really love his minimal ballads a lot.”

Frobos and his band, which includes guitarist Frankie Broyles and drummer Doug Bleichner, were in town Aug. 9 to perform at Growlers.

His girlfriend recently sent him the box set of Elvis recordings, “A Boy from Tupelo – The Complete 1953-55 Recordings,” Frobos said. “It’s some really great stripped-down versions of ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘I Love You Because.’ and stuff like that. But I also really like his Hank Williams cover of ‘Trying to Get to You.’ I even love that special where he’s wearing the black leather.”

Frobos began playing bass when he was 14. “I remember saying I would probably never learn a musical instrument or anything like that, which is weird. I was a soccer player. It was kind of my main thing.”

But he stopped playing soccer. “That kind of happened at the time I started dating girls, too. So, it’s like, ‘Music and girls are a lot more fun than waking up at 6 a.m. and running around.’”

Asked how Omni began, Frobos said he and Broyles “would write songs around the house” when they were in their own bands. Frobos was in Carnivores and Broyles was in Balkans and, later, Deerhunter. “But, really, Omni happened, I suppose, after we had written a song that sounded more like proto-punk. And we kind of liked where we went with that and followed that idea.”

The band originally was called “Land Line,” but, Frobos said, “We decided to change it to ‘Omni’ because there’s another ‘Land Line’ in Portland. We named it after the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta. It’s no longer there, but it’s where the Atlanta Hawks played basketball. And David Bowie and Led Zeppelin played there all the time.”

As for their music style when they began, Frobos said, “I don’t think we set out to do any kind of thing, but at the time we were listening to a lot of late ‘70s early rock music. So, rock and roll with a new wave influence. Rock and roll with a sense of urgency. Not necessarily punk, but rhythmic, too.”

They recorded their first album, “Deluxe,” with Trouble in Mind records in January, 2016. “The second one comes out this September. It’s called ‘Multi-task.’ I would say it seems a little more rock and roll than the first record. We definitely don’t want to repeat ourselves. But, also, I’ve never been a fan of people just abandoning their sounds. (It’s) just good rock songs. I think we tend to not be afraid to do things that some people might consider cheesy. Or bigger guitar and drums moments. A little more space in the songs and things like that.”

Frobos, who writes the lyrics to their songs, said, “I would say this new record is a lot of disenchantment and stemming from maybe just common everyday social experiences. I was in a pretty terrible relationship, so there was a lot of anger coming from that. But it doesn’t come out as anger. It comes out as clever.”

Michael Donahue

John Doyle, LInda Thompson, Pat Kerr Tigrett at Linda Thompson’s book signing at Memphis Rock N’ Soul Museum.

….

Fans packed Memphis Rock N’ Soul Museum Aug. 13 to meet Linda Thompson and have her sign copies of her book, “A Little Thing Called Life: On Loving Elvis Presley, Bruce Jenner, and Songs in Between.”

The book recounts the years Thompson spent with Elvis and her marriage to Bruce Jenner, now Caitlyn Jenner.

The King’s first words to Thompson after he noticed her at the old Memphian theater were, “Oh, hello, honey.”

Thompson presented an award to Jenner at a charity event in 1979. They began dating and were married in 1981. Thompson never suspected Jenner was transgender.

About 200 attended the signing, said the museum’s executive director John Doyle.

They don’t do a lot of book signings at the museum, but, Doyle said,, “She was such a big draw and, obviously, the Elvis fans that are in town know her, respect her and appreciate her involvement in Elvis’s life. Needless to say, there was almost a guaranteed audience for that.

“Elvis Week presents that unique opportunity because the tourists that are here are very focused on anything associated with Elvis and his career and his life. An opportunity to have her in town and participate in a book signing with her is a great opportunity to tie in with the cool things that Graceland is doing.”

…….

Michael Donahue

Tadd James, Dylan THompson, Mary Catherine and Muriel Gintz at Fam Jam.

Tigerlake and Mellowtonin performed Aug. 8 at Fam Jam at Railgarten.

Commenting on their musical style, Tiger Lake bass player Ian Rone said, “I think we’re trying to go the indie alternative route like every other band nowadays, but I’d say it’s something different. We’re always trying to keep things different and new.”

The band also includes Wallace Leopard and Lucas Davis on guitar, Gary Leopard on drums and Jacob Tims on synthesizer and guitar.

All the band members write the songs, including “Moon Man,” the group’s most popular song. “It’s about this guy and girl in a moon colony,” Rone said. “And she has to leave and he’s sad. She’s leaving to go back to Earth or somewhere else. I’m not exactly sure.”

Asked where “Tigerlake” came from, Rone said, “I was driving in Florida and I saw it. It’s like a county or something in Florida near Pensacola. I was like, ‘That’s a cool name. Guys, let’s do that.’”

Mellowtonin got its name sort of by accident. “We thought we were going to be a band for one show, so we kind of made it as a joke name,” said guitarist/vocalist Wesley Wolffe. “We played our first show and we liked it.”

Mellowtonin also includes guitarist/vocalist Emerson Manley, Turner Wolffe on bass, Ara Hanissian on synthesizer and Grady Leopard on drums.

As for their music style, Wolffe said, “We have three or four different songwriters in the band. I listen to a lot of ‘80s music. Emerson, the other guitar player and singer, likes pop punk and stuff. All the different styles meld into one. So, you can’t put your finger on it.”

They liked Railgarten. “We normally play at our friends’ houses and stuff like that. That was definitely the nicest venue we’ve ever played. We really liked the setup and how nice the stage looked.”

Rone also liked Railgarten. “I really enjoy the space. A lot of people there. It’s a great environment for people to go watch live music for free, which I think is just dandy. It’s a very, very family friendly place.”

Michael Donahue

Chelse Rice and Javarrius Reaves at Lisamorgan soft opening.

….

Lisa Morgan, former owner of The Cottage restaurant on Summer, held a soft opening for her new business, Lisamorgan, a boutique in Wolfchase Galleria.

The event included a fashion show hosted by Glen Allen and Jenni Graham of apparel by designers featured at the shop.

Asked why she wanted to open a boutique, Morgan said, “I wanted one for a couple of years and I couldn’t do it. Morgan (Prewett, her daughter) is into fashion and modeling, so I thought it would be good for her as well.”

On hand at the event was Lisa’s father, Billy Franks, who owned The Cottage from 2009 to 2012 before Lisa took it over. Since the store’s party coincided with Billy’s birthday, guests treated him to a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday to You.”

Diego Winegardner was front and center at Southern Avenue’s performance July 27 at the Peabody Rooftop Party sponsored by the Memphis Flyer. The Memphis band is one of the groups selected for the upcoming MEMPHO Music Festival Oct. 6 and 7 at Shelby Farms Park. Winegardner, a former Memphian, is the festival’s founder and the CEO of Big River Presents, which is putting on the event.

“I think it’s completely refreshing to know that soul and R&B music is alive and well and kicking in Memphis,” said Winegardner, 49. “Southern Avenue, to me, reaches back into the rich history of soul music that came out of Memphis, that came out of Stax, and was so important. And it’s so appropriate they’re on the Stax label. They bring it into a modern context.”

Winegardner, who lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, was in town meeting with potential sponsors and was conducting “ongoing production work on the festival.”

HIs idea to hold the MEMPHO festival in Memphis began with his “rediscovery of Shelby Farms Park. I came up on it on this bike ride on the Greenline that took me to Shelby Farms Park with some friends last summer.”

Winegardner hadn’t been to Memphis since 2009 after the death of his father, the late Roy Winegardner, who succeeded the late Kemmons Wilson as chairman and CEO of Holiday Inns Inc. “I, obviously, was blown away by what was going on in Shelby Farms Park, but I was really energized in what I saw going on in Memphis, in general. In particular, looking at all the recent economic developments. Whether you’re looking at Crosstown, restaurants popping up everywhere or just the energy on the street, it sure seemed like Memphis was in the midst of a renaissance.”

Winegardner, who has worked in finance in New York for more than 20 years, felt the time was right for the right kind of music festival. A “lifelong avid music lover,” Winegardner said he’s attended “every music festival of note – all the major ones,” including Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and the New Orleans Jazz Fest. “I’ve seen first hand the impact a festival done right can have on a community.”

He wanted to “create a festival that’s more than just music.” He wants people to come from all over the country to “enjoy all the sights of Memphis and do the walk through the history of Memphis music, but listen to live music in a sensational setting with the best culinary experience you can possibly garner in Memphis. We want to bring out all the flavors of Memphis.”

National acts already booked include the Grammy Award-winning Cage the Elephant and Jason Isbell and Grammy-nominated Anderson .Paak and Cold War Kids.

“We are in the midst of developing a local stage,” Winegardner said. “And that local stage will have a full complement of Memphis bands. Local bands. We’re looking to have participation from anyone from School of Rock to more recognized local bands.”

When he was in his 20s, Winegardner, a graduate of Memphis University School and Cornell University, held “super jams” that he dubbed “Bottom Feeder Ball.” “Putting together R. L. Burnside and Blues Traveler” in his garage on Wagner Place overlooking the bluff. “I’ve always been a big fan of music, like so many. I think Memphis deserves a world-class festival and experience. And something that can grow organically over time.”

Locals will be seeing a lot of Winegardner, who is married and has three children. “My plan is to spend a considerable amount of time in Memphis,” he said. “And acquire property and build our office as we evolve into an annual event.”

Michael Donahue

Charles Hodges, Howard Grimes, Leroy ‘Flick’ Hodges and Lawrence ‘Boo’ Mitchell at Rhythm on the River.

….

Pat Kerr Tigrett wore a yellow raincoat at Rhythm on the River (Poppa Willie’s Big Night) July 27 at Royal Studios.

“I wore this in honor of Ann Peebles: ‘I Can’t Stand the Rain,’” she said.

Don Bryant, who was standing nearby, seconded Pat’s response. Bryant is one of the composers of “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” which was recorded by his wife, Ann Peebles. The record was produced by the late Willie “Poppa Willie” Mitchell, Royal Studios owner.

Don “was the first vocalist that Pop ever worked with,” said Grammy-winning producer Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, who owns Royal Studios. “Don used to sing on Willie Mitchell records. Don also was with Don Bryant and the Four Kings in the early ‘60s.”

Don and the Bo-Keys performed some of his old Willie Mitchell tunes during the event.

Entertainment also included singer Ashton London.

And starring at the event was a buffet featuring cuisine prepared by Boo’s aunt, Yvonne Mitchell. Fare included salmon croquettes, mushroom, chicken and rice; greens, black-eyed peas, homemade peach cobbler and lemon pound cake. And – the piece de resistance – “Von’s Famous Chow Chow.”

“Rhythm on the River” was one of the special events surrounding the 60th anniversary of Royal Studios. The next event will be a concert featuring local, regional and national acts Oct. 14 at the Levitt Shell, Boo said.

Michael Donahue

U901 at Our Scene United

…..

About 50 bands performed at Our Scene United, a three-day music fest held July 27-29 at the Hi-Tone.

“Basically, it’s all about Memphis,” said Taylor Agee, owner of Refreshing Shows, which presented the festival. “It was something that’s all about community and it’s full of diversity. All the bands were different. So many genres represented and yet everyone is in town. It’s all about bringing different kinds of music together for one great experience.”

The first Our Scene United was held in 2011, Agee said. “But that was another company – Won’t Look Back Booking. I started Refreshing Shows this year by myself and brought back Our Scene United.

Agee was pleased with the success of this year’s event. “I went to it just hoping we’d have three good nights. We did. And I think next year it could be even bigger.”

The next Refreshing Shows event will be “Bringing Sexy Back,” a tribute to Justin Timberlake featuring Airside and Mobius Pieces, which will be held Aug. 25 at Growlers. The bands will perform Timberlake’s solo pieces as well as “some of the NSYNC classics,” Agee said.

“He’s kind of the pride of Memphis. So, that’s another local success story we’re trying to pay tribute to.”

Michael Donahue

Diane Hight, Jack Taylor and Sandra Shinault at Dreamgivers Gala.

….

Dr. Arie Szatkowski and his daughter, Mila, 11, visited the Beaches of Normandy, the sight of the Normandy invasion, two weeks ago.

“She was so moved by it at the end of the day she said, ‘Dad, I really want to talk to some World War II veterans,’” said Arie, a cardiologist with Stern Cardiovascular.

He called Diane Hight, founder and president of Forever Young Senior Veterans. “(I) told her that we just visited Normandy and it was incredibly moving: ‘Is there any chance you could introduce my daughter to World War II veterans?’”

Hight said, “Well, it just so happens we’re going to have a gala within a couple of weeks. I’m going to send you an invitation. And I’m going to sit you at a table with World War II veterans.”

Arie and Mila, who attends St. Mary’s Episcopal School, were among the guests at the sixth annual Dreamgivers Gala July 29 at the Hilton Memphis.

“She sat us next to a gentleman named Vince Rowell, who landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day June 6, 1944 and made it all the way to the Battle of the Bulge,” Arie said. “And he won three Medals of Honor.”

Mila spent time talking to Rowell and Hugh Bell, who was an Army Air Corps tail gunner on a B-29 in the Pacific during World War II.

“They were amazing,” Arie said. “At the end of the night she said it was the greatest night of her life.”

A total of 356 attended this year’s gala, said Hight. The Memphis Knights performed.

Forever Young Senior Veterans grants wishes for senior veterans 65 and older. Recipients include World War II, Korea and Vietnam veterans, said Hight, whose father and uncle were World War II veterans.

Proceeds from this year’s event will go toward sending World War II veterans to England, Hight said. “The trip to England is to honor our WWII Army Air Corps flyboys who flew missions out of England into Western Europe. We also have Army soldiers and Navy sailors who trained in England before the invasion of Normandy in 1944.”

They raised $138,000, Hight said. “We will be using the money for England. Then if we have any left over from that we will be sending our Vietnam veterans to Washington in October.”

For more information, go to foreveryoungvets.org.

Ann Sanchez attended her first Blues on the Bluff event July 22nd on the grounds of the National Ornamental Museum. The annual event is a fundraiser for WEVL FM 89.9, a member-supported radio station.

“I came to Memphis for the blues,“ Sanchez said. “I moved from San Franciso, bought a house and I’ll stay forever.”

And, she said, “I’m a down home blues girl. I was raised with the blues.”

Asked what she thought about the event, Sanchez said, “It was wonderful. I had a great time. I’m going every year. And I became a (WEVL) member that evening. And I received a wonderful poster.

“I just love the music and history in Memphis. I just love Memphis.”

Terry Soffel, who was with her, is a Memphis drummer who performed for about 20 years with Joyce Cobb.

Blues on the Bluff celebrated its 29th anniversary this year, said station manager Judy Dorsey.

A silent auction ranged from Kroger gift cards to paintings by folk artist Lamar Sorrento.

Ghost Town Blues Band and Marcella and Her Lovers were two new bands at the event. Also performing were The MD’s (formerly Maitre D’s.”

The sunset, again, was a star. “One man told us, ‘It was worth coming just for that,’” Dorsey said.

……

Michael Donahue

Memphis magazine managing editor Frank Murtaugh and Memphis Flyer editor Bruce VanWyngarden at Murtaugh’s book signing for his novel, ‘Trey’s Company.’

Frank Murtaugh held a book signing to celebrate the release of his coming-of-age novel, “Trey’s Company,” July 19, at Burke’s Book Store in Cooper Young.

“The novel traces one life-altering summer for 13-year-old Trey Milligan, a boy spending three months away from home with his widowed grandmother in East Tennessee,” said Murtaugh, Memphis magazine managing editor. “Three special friends come to embody love, death and the criminal element as Trey finds himself growing up faster than he’d like. The story calls to mind coming-of-age films like ‘Stand by me’ or ‘The Sandlot,’ one set in the 1980s and with a love story.“

“Why did you choose this genre,” a guest asked Murtaugh.

“Maybe it chose me,” he said.

Murtaugh has “fond memories” from his own childhood summers. “Like Trey, in Cleveland, Tenn.,” he said. “And there are some special people from that time in my life who are no longer with us. The book became a way I could bring these characters to life, even if dramatized, and share their wisdom and virtues with readers.”

“Trey’s Company,” published by Sartoris Literary Group (Jackson, Miss.), sells for $19.95 paperback and $8.95 eBook and is available at Amazon.com and Burke’s Book Store.

Michael Donahue

Luna soft opening.

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Guests experienced Luna Restaurant’s “new look, new image” at a dinner July 17 at the Hotel Napoleon, a boutique hotel at Third and Madison.

“We’re trying to make Luna a beacon Downtown, said Eric “Sache” Evans, a consultant on the project. “A restaurant that has a Southern fusion-inspired menu. And try to appeal to the Downtown community, the major businesses around there, including ServiceMaster, First Tennessee, AutoZone and the Redbirds ”

The menu includes chicken thigh marsala and beef tartar, tuna tartar. The “tapas”-inspired appetizer menu is called “Comets” and is described as “small plate, big bang.”

Eric Hagerman is Luna’s executive chef. “Our goal is to come in and make this place amazing,” Evans said.

Street Dog’s mission is to get dogs off the street – rescue, rehabilitate and re-home them.

The Vault executive chef Aaron Winters prepared – appropriately – hot dogs. Guests selected from the “Kimchi Dog” (cabbage kimchi, black sesame seeds and green onions and mayonnaise), the “Tijuana Dog” (a bacon-wrapped hot dog with green tomatillo salsa, pico de gallo, mayonnaise and cilantro) and the “Big Griller Dog” (ketchup, mustard, onion and sweet pickle relish). All the hot dogs were quarter pounders.

Club 152 provided barbecue and Old Dominick Distillery, the libations. Rizzo’s, Silly Goose and Blind Bear gave gift certificates.

Sache Sundays will be held monthly through September, Evans said. “As a member of this community, I wanted to throw back and say, ‘Thank you.’ Each month we do it to support a different charity.”

Streetdog Foundation was chosen because “animals are near and dear to our hearts.”

For June’s Sache Sunday, a total of 223 pounds of canned goods as well as cash donations were given to the Mid-South Food Bank, Evans said.

Michael Donahue

Brennan Whalen and Josh McLane at HEELS EP release party.

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Josh McLane and Brennan Whalen, who comprise HEELS, celebrated the release of the band’s new EP, “The Long Con,” July 16 at the Hi-Tone.

“‘It’s all about the big picture,” McLane said. “This new record is four songs that we already released in a different way on the other two records. They’re electric now – better, re-written and full. The idea of a long con? It’s a con. We’re getting you to buy a record we’ve already made. It’s a remix album to be perfectly honest. But it’s almost like a reboot of what you’ve already heard. For lack of a better term.

“That being said, it’s the best thing we’ve put out. Hands down.”

The record was produced by Alyssa Moore at her Move the Air studio in Midtown. “We were the first people she let back in the door to record a record at Move the Air.”

The EP, he said, is “the closest to us sounding live we’ve heard without it being a live record.”

Michael Donahue

Kevin and Kristi Bush and Kevin Sharp at Park + Cherry.

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What do you call a barbecue sandwich served at Dixon Gallery and Gardens at Park and Cherry?

The Pork & Cherry.

That’s not a joke. That’s the name of one of the sandwiches served at Park + Cherry, the restaurant in Dixon’s gift shop.

Kevin Bush (director of operations) and his wife, Kristi (executive chef), held a tasting from the restaurant’s summer menu at a July 13 luncheon. The Pork & Cherry – pork loin, cherry gastrique, chicharrones and lemon aioli – was one of the items they created. Guests also sampled the smoked turkey strip, veggie sandwich, prosciutto and peach sandwich, ancient grain salad and pickled avocado toast.

Kevin, owner of CFY catering and The Atrium at Overton Square, took over the Dixon restaurant. “They started it, I guess, a year ago with Wally Joe and then we basically reopened it,” Kevin said. “We kept the same name, but it’s essentially a new restaurant in an old space.”


Asked what direction they wanted to go in with the food, Kevin said, “The biggest inspiration for the food we’ll be doing there is ‘fresh.’ We’re going to utilize the gardens for ingredients. So, they’re going to start growing fresh herbs and other edibles we can utilize throughout the menu. They’ve got some herbs for us to utilize, but they’re going to start growing especially for us. We’ll be working alongside the gardeners in growing what we want to grow.”

The Squirrel Nut Zippers played Levitt Shell for the first time on July 8, but lead singer/co-founder Jimbo Mathus played at the venue many times.

He played with his own group, Jimbo Mathus, and tribute shows for the late Jim Dickinson.

“It’s a beautiful venue,” said Mathus. “So much history. I love the whole band shell style. It’s one place Memphis really comes together.”

Mathus, a Fat Possum recording artist/producer living in Oxford, also loves the lighting and sound and the “all ages aspect and the free aspect” of Levitt Shell.

“It’s one of the best places to play if not THE best in Memphis. The staff is fantastic. Just a good family environment.”

The Squirrel Nut Zippers has been revived and currently is on tour, Mathus said. The group also has a new album, “Beasts of Burgundy,” coming out in January. The music is “cabaret, vaudeville, swing, burlesque and jazz,” he said. “Same energy, but a higher level of performance.”

Also debuting at the Levitt Shell were “Booze Pops,” which sounds like a music group, but they’re actually an alcohol-added version of Mempops.

“They’re pretty much frozen drinks on a stick with alcohol in them,” said Mempops founder Chris Taylor. “We use a lot of the same ingredients we use for Mempops, but we add alcohol – rum, vodka, tequila and bourbon depending on what we’re making.”

On hand during the Squirrel Nut Zippers show were “Blueberry Mojito” with rum, “Roasted Peach and Bourbon,” “Strawberry Margarita” with tequila and the “Moscow Mule” with vodka. More flavors will be available, Taylor said.

Each pop is “give or take five percent alcohol,” Taylor said. “As much alcohol as in a beer. So, only a four-ounce serving. If you’re going to get drunk off those, you’re going to have to be dedicated.”

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Michael Donahue

Eagle Claw at Gone to the Dogs Fest 3.

Gone to the Dogs Fest 3 was their most successful festival, said event founder Shawn Mullins. The music festival, held July 6 to 9 at Growlers, raised between $3,000 and $4,000 for Streetdog Foundation, Mullins estimated. “We raised more than the last two combined.”

The festival, which featured 13 bands, was based on the old Memphis Hates You Fest, said Mullins, who “didn’t really have anything to do” with that festival. “It was basically a local showcase for bands people didn’t feel like got a lot of attention.”

That festival “fell through,” but people wanted to bring it back. Mullins didn’t want to bring it back the way it was. “Something like that wouldn’t work unless it was for a good cause, so we re-tooled it.”

Dogs sounded perfect. “My wife and I have been rescuing dogs for a while and we love dogs. It seemed like the next logical step was to attach the two things we cared about.”

This year’s festival featured “mostly metal bands, but Saturday afternoon got a little more family friendly with indie rock. But I think it’s safe to say all the bands are on the heavy side. Mostly metal bands.”

Growlers manager Jonathan Kiersky will be more involved with the upcoming Gone to the Dogs festival, Mullins said. “One of the first things he spoke to me about after he got his foot in the door was, ‘Let’s do Gone to the Dogs again and do it every year. Let’s make it a consistent thing.’”

Said Kiersky: “Anything we can do to support the community, we as a company feel strongly about. The other thing is that I love dogs.”

Kiersky’s dog, Fezzik, attended Saturday night’s show.

Melanie Pafford, who, along with her husband, Kent, are founders of Streetdog Foundation, was pleased with the response. “I went all four nights,” she said. “The people who attended were all dog lovers and have an affinity for dogs. We had a donation bucket. They already paid to come in and they were very generous about wanting to donate.”


They also would “come up and talk to us about dogs,” she said.

Describing Streetdog Foundation (streetdogfoundation.com), Melanie said, “We take the worst of the worst dogs off the street. Our mission is to get dogs off the street – rescue, rehabilitate and re-home.”

Streetdog Foundation’s biggest fundraiser, “Howl at the Moon,” will be Nov. 11 at The Warehouse off South Main.

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Michael Donahue

Kelcie and Jeffrey Zepatos at Arcade

The fourth generation of the Arcade Restaurant owners and his wife celebrated their recent marriage with a party July 7 at the restaurant, which is billed as “Memphis’s oldest cafe.”

Jeffrey Zepatos and the former Kelcie Beharelle were married June 17 on the beach in Santa Rosa, Florida. The bride wore a blush pink gown and a white veil with a rose gold crown and the groom wore a white button up and gray vest and gray suit pants. “We were barefoot,” Jeffrey said. “Very casual.”

Relatives and friends threw the Memphis party, Jeffrey said. “We just wanted to have a celebration on South Main, really,” he said. “Have all our friends from South Main, Downtown and Memphis celebrate with us. A destination wedding made it tricky. Basically, we wanted to come back here and do something fun with everybody else.”

Jeffrey’s great-grandfather, Speros Zepatos, opened the Arcade in 1919, Jeffrey said.

Alexis Grace and her husband, Thomas Bergstig, were the guests of honor at a party July 1 at Railgarten.

The couple are moving to Los Angeles.

The invitation for the event – “A Trash Party for Alexis” and an “Avskedfest for Thomas” – asked guests to “Come say goodbye to the two trashiest worst humans on the planet ….Let’s celebrate their awfulness together.”

A native Memphian, Alexis was a finalist who came in 11th place on season eight of TV’s “American Idol.” For the past eight years, she was a deejay on Q-107 FM.

Thomas, who is from Sweden, is the former music director at Playhouse on the Square. He and Isaac Middleton are the tap-dancing-musical-instrument-playing performers in Swedish Gun Factory.

It was Alexis’s idea to move to LA. “I decided LA over New York,” she said. “At first it was New York, but I just know so many people (in LA) and I know a lot of people in the same industry as me. I made a lot of friends and connections from my ‘Idol’ days and a lot of them live out there. That was a big reason. I want to do more TV and film, which, obviously, is heavier out there than in New York. I’ve always wanted to live in either city and I reached a point in my life where I’m able to do that now.”

Bergstig plans to focus on his tap dancing and composing in LA. On July 11, he and Middleton will officially release their Swedish Gun Factory EP, “Chris Raines,” which includes six songs and one piano composition.

“I’m going to bring Swedish Gun Factory to Los Angeles,” Bergstig said. “I have meetings set up with producers, managers and agents and I’m definitely going to try to make that happen.”

Asked who wrote their party invitation, Bergstig said, “It was Courtney Oliver (Playhouse on the Square special events director) who wrote it. We were supposed to have it at her house. We were sitting on her porch and said, ‘Write something.’ And she wrote that.”

Maybe it’s what she was really thinking and she finally got to write it, Bergstig said.

And the meaning of “avskedfest”? “It just means ‘goodbye party’ in Swedish.”

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Michael Donahue

From left, Robert Coletta, Jim Lord, Seth Cook and Juju Bushman at Canvas wedding.

Guests celebrated the nuptials of Canvas of Memphis and RAWK ‘n Grub July 1 at the Midtown club.

The “bride” – Robert Coletta, who, along with Brandon Knight, co-own Canvas – wore a gown and the groom – RAWK ‘n Grub owner/chef Steph Cook wore a tuxedo T-shirt and chef’s pants.

RAWK ‘n Grub is a “food truck specializing in gourmet sandwiches and burgers and unique dishes,” said Cook.

The marriage was “a union of two businesses,” Cook said. His food truck will provide the fare for Canvas seven days a week from 5 p.m. until 3 a.m. He’ll use Canvas’s kitchen as the prep area and he’ll cook the food in the truck.

“We’ve added a lot of our favorites,” Cook said. “In the past we couldn’t stay on top as a truck because we didn’t have the proper facility to hold product, which we do now.”

The menu includes “Kung Fu Al Green” (collards and kimchi) and “Fried Fleetwood Mac” (four cheese breaded and fried macaroni and cheese).

Asked why he wanted to join together Canvas and RAWK ‘n Grub, Coletta said, “Food is not my best forte.” He wanted to showcase creative food as well as paintings and other works by artists at Canvas. “Food should be art.”

Juju Bushman performed at the “reception.”

Michael Donahue

Snowglobe performed at Peabody rooftop.

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Snowglobe, which celebrates its 16th anniversary this year, performed June 28 at the Peabody rooftop party.

“I think the overarching thing that’s held us together is just our friendships,” said drummer/songwriter Jeff Hulett. “Some of us have known each other since we were kids. Brandon (Robertson) and Brad (Postlethwaite) have known each other – literally – since kindergarten.”

The band performed some of its well-known songs, including “Waves Rolling,” “Playground” and “Ms. June.”

“The other thing that’s kept us together so long are the friendships we’ve made with our fans. And the people singing along and coming up to us and telling us how much those songs mean to them and how they feel like they’re a part of the band.”

Memphis Flyer sponsored the June 28 rooftop party, which included a special cocktail appropriately titled the “Fireflyer.”

Michael Donahue

Boston at Live at the Garden

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Boston met Memphis July 1. Or at least a good portion of the city.

About 6,400 attended Boston’s performance at Live at the Garden, said Memphis Botanic Garden executive director Mike Allen. “That’s a good number,” he said.

About 2,800 of those people were in the VIP area, which held 300 tables, Mike said.

“I thought the huge video screen, the technology in the background, which is so current, juxtaposed against the music, which is 40 years old or something, made for a current and fun show. But still a throwback to the day, if you will.”

And, he said, “They’re from my era when I was in college. When they sang, a lot of memories came flying back.”

Michael Donahue

Gabrielle Pappas and Stephen Duckett at Trolley Night.

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Music was on track June 29 at Trolley Night.

“I had more music on the street between Green Beetle and Central Station down to St. Paul,” said South Main Sounds owner Mark Parsell.

He also held his South Main Sounds Songwriter Night, which featured Low Society Band, blues player Danny Green and singers Claire Radel and Levi Smith.

Earnestine and Hazel’s house band performed a tribute show to the late E&H manager Keenan Harding.

This wasn’t your typical trolley night. Joan Robinson with the Downtown Neighborhood Association “organized a committee to ramp it up a little bit,” Parsell said. “She had the Grizzline and the Second Line band.”

Adding to the energy of the evening were SuperLo on the Go’s steaks, which were grilled outdoors, and the Amurica photo booth.

The Trolley Tour committee included South Main Association president Don Williams and Penelope Huston with the Downtown Memphis Commission.

Michael Donahue

Bridges Phillips, Michaelyn Bradford, Stan Gibson, Cynthia Thompson, Angel Fisther, Charles Thompson were at Farm to Table Wine Dinner at the Crescent Club.

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How difficult is it to pair wines with a dinner?

Bridges Phillips, on premise sales representative for Southern Glazers Wine and spirits of Tennessee, took on that job at the four course Farm to Table Wine Dinner June 29 at the Crescent Club.

“Since it was warm outside, being on the patio, I wanted to do more white ’cause I knew it was going to be a little warm,” Phillips said.

He doesn’t do a taste testing. “I get the men from Stan (Gibson, Crescent Club executive chef). I pair the wines based on the menu. I don’t eat everything. I’ve tasted all the wines before. He gave me the menu one day. I had them paired the same day.”

Gibson’s dinner began with an amuse of roasted beets and gorgonzola with white balsamic vinegar and continued with free range chicken tortilla soup, farm-raised catfish-stuffed portabella mushroom, a local Tennessee beef tenderloin in cabernet sauce and smashed potatoes and a peach and preserve crepe.