Thanksgiving just hasn’t been the same since 2020. On that very day, November 26th of that year, the epic life of saxophonist and flutist Herman Green came to an end. Covering it at the time, the Memphis Flyer quoted Richard Cushing, who co-founded the band FreeWorld with Green, reporting that his friend and bandmate had passed away “at home, surrounded by family, listening to Coltrane.”
That one comment spoke volumes about the deep commitment to jazz Cushing shared with Green, capturing Cushing’s concern for what his bandmate was hearing in his final hours. And it was indicative of how a deep love of jazz marked FreeWorld’s earliest days. Of course, anything involving Green, who once played with the likes of B.B. King, Lionel Hampton, and John Coltrane, among many others, was bound to tap into a direct throughline to jazz at its deepest. And yet, FreeWorld has never been considered a jazz band, per se.
Not that the players themselves care much for labels. Over more than three decades, the band has perfected a cheerful amalgam of influences, noting the influence of artists from Steely Dan to the Meters to the Grateful Dead on their website. Or, as one writer put it, “the best of Memphis, New Orleans, and San Francisco.” That combination, with a strong common denominator of funk and soul, has been tested in the crucible of FreeWorld’s countless nights on Beale Street.
And you have to hand it to a band that can keep nine musicians working regularly: with its horn section and solid command of the funk vocabulary, it’s as close to the old Beale Street as we have these days, and, like Beale in its heyday, the crowd-pleasing big band also happens to host some great jazz players.
In that sense, the legacy of Herman Green shines on through FreeWorld, but it’s especially worth noting with the band’s new album, More Love, as it contains one of the purest musical tributes to Green I’ve heard, by way of one of his own compositions: “Red Moon.” Though not the obvious crowd-pleaser, to these ears it’s the crown jewel of the album.
Easing in quietly with saxophone evoking Green himself, it seems like noirish crime jazz, before kicking off into a Chicago-like groove that provides a superb bed for some virtuosic solos, including a Clint Wagner cameo on guitar and a dazzling jaunt on the Fender Rhodes piano courtesy erstwhile Memphian and FreeWorld alum Ross Rice. Finally, as the whole swanky arrangement comes to a close, we hear the voice of Herman Green himself, advising us on how to get to heaven.
Yet Green’s tune is not the only instrumental vehicle for these stellar soloists. “Rush Hour” and “Who Knew?” by sax player Peter Climie and “Color Trip” by keyboardist Cedric Taylor (both of whom shine, along with trumpeter Alex Schuetrumpf, throughout the album) are other standouts. And, speaking of noir, “11:11 on Beale” is a masterclass in atmospherics, featuring some very beat poetry by co-writer Benjamin Theolonius “IQ” Sanders. Ultimately, his monologue winds up with a promotional spiel of sorts: after introducing the band, he notes that they can be heard “every Sunday on Beale Street,” and, appropriately, that brings the instrumental odyssey back to the band’s bread and butter.
Those bread-and-butter tunes are here too, of course, with stomping grooves and singalong choruses aplenty. Indeed, the title song, sung by the inimitable Jerome Chism (who’s usually across Beale fronting the B.B. King’s Blues Club All-Star Band), takes “singalong” to a whole new level, as Chism’s soaring lead is backed by the Tennessee Mass Choir, directed by Jason Clark. That’s entirely appropriate if you consider “More Love” to be a kind of secular gospel, a non-denominational call for greater understanding from all our hearts.
Much of the other songs have the same positive message. There are no songs of lust, deception, or murder here — only testimonials to what one hopes are noncontroversial values of tolerance, empathy, and forbearance. Hippies can dream, can’t they? As Cushing sings on one track, “Why all this fussing and fighting? Stop all this killing and dying … The world we know is transforming, trees on fire, the water is warming … It’s time for justice to arise!”
Don’t be surprised if you hear the track during broadcast breaks for Democracy Now! in the near future. And, for such a song to come from Memphis, Tennessee, at this dark hour is a very welcome thing. The same could be said for FreeWorld’s single from 2021, titled “D-Up (Here’s to Diversity),” included here as a bonus track. As a band promoting both Herman Green’s memory and good ol’ wholesome, progressive values, I say more power to FreeWorld, and may they ever go viral.
FreeWorld will have a series of record release shows this Thanksgiving weekend, starting with Lafayette’s Music Room on Thursday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m.; followed by the Rum Boogie Cafe on Friday, Nov. 29, and Saturday, Nov. 30, 8 p.m.; and wrapping up with Blues City Cafe on Sunday, Dec. 1, 8 p.m. The band will also host a listening party at the Memphis Listening Lab on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 6 p.m.
Pole vaulting on Beale Street (Photos: Michael Donahue)
What was it like to pole vault on a 90-plus-degree afternoon on Beale Street?
World championship finalist Cole Walsh, 29, says, “Well, I’m from Arizona and we train in about 110 [degrees], so it was a cool night for me. I went through four waters and four Gatorades in the three hours we were there. Staying hydrated really kept me able to jump. It was hot. But I’m used to a little bit more.”
Austin MillerAva Williams, Kristin Walters, and Sina WilliamsSam Kendricks and Marissa Kalsey carrying Skye Moll
Walsh vaulted in the Third Annual Buck Ewing Beale Street Pole Vault at the Ed Murphy Classic, held July 13th.
“The game is who can get on the stiffest pole possible to spring them over the bar. So, we’re all trying to use the next pole in our bag ’cause it might give us a little bit more to clear the bar.”
Cole Walsh and Zach BradfordSandi Morris and Kerry Morris
Walsh ate at The Rendezvous. “We had some brisket and ribs the night before the meet. And we were able to train in one of the nearby parks right on the river. Memphis is a really beautiful city and we were able to enjoy it a little bit before we competed.”
Are you one of those Memphians who proudly says, “I’ve lived in Memphis my whole life and I’ve never been to Graceland”? Hmmm? Or, maybe, you’re more of the “been there, done that” type — the type who says, “MoSH? No, I haven’t been there since it was the Pink Palace.” But why? Why be so pessimistic when your city has so much to offer and there’s so much to do? No matter how long you’ve lived in Memphis, you haven’t seen everything; you haven’t been everywhere.
So, this summer, we encourage you to throw away your curmudgeonly attitudes, and discover or rediscover those spots that have put Memphis on the map. Sure, sometimes, they’re a bit touristy, but, hey, be a tourist. Lace up your brightest white sneakers and fasten your fanny pack around your hips. Affix your visor on your head and lather on that SPF. It’s time to staycation, baby.
Photo: Toby Sells
Go Back to Beale Street
Beale Street’s magic lies in mystery and discovery.
This mystique has drawn millions to its sidewalk shores for decades. Visitors know it’s a party place with music, probably. Curiosity magnetizes desire. Before they know it, they’re walking with their feet 10 feet off of Beale. (I said what I said.)
Maybe the mystique is gone for locals. Maybe that’s why they proudly shun Beale, on par with cocktail-party protestations about never going to Graceland.
But Beale Street deserves another look, locals. Here are a couple of assignments to help you get back to Beale.
1. Shop local — No, you don’t need another “Memphis” shot glass. But you need local beer (and music).
Assign yourself to go drink one beer at the Ghost River Brewing Co. taproom on Beale’s east end. The beer is fresh, local, and the taps are always changing. If nothing else, go for the beer garden. It’s beautiful, spacious, and one-of-a-kind. It’s a local’s oasis on Beale with a big stage for live music and a second-story patio built for great people-watching.
Stroll to Beale’s west end for a look inside Walking Pants Curiosities. Housed in the former Tater Red’s space, the shop offers elevated tourist fare, some of it appropriate for a Midtown cookout. (Consider the “South Mane” T-shirt.) Much of it is made by local makers like apparel from God Forbid & Co. and Cosgrove & Lewis Handmade Luxury Soaps.
2. Just go — Throw pride (and maybe prejudice?) to the wind. Consider all of Beale local. It is. Eat a bowl of gumbo at King’s Palace Cafe. Play pool at People’s. Catch a live band in one of those open-air bars. Take your kids for ice cream at A. Schwab. It’s all in the 38103. That means it’s Memphis. Just go. Let Beale’s mystery fuel your local discovery. — Toby Sells
Ching’s Hot Wings (Photo: Kailynn Johnson)
Indulge in Ching’s Hot Wings
A staycation is the perfect opportunity to knock something off of your food bucket list. As I scrolled through my cluttered saved posts on Instagram and TikTok of places that had been stowed away as the result of “camera eats first” posts and stories, I decided to knock something off my list that had sat there since my college days. As a Mississippi girl I thought the best wings that the South had to offer came from the Dixie Queen locations in DeSoto County. However, when I was a student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, I would always hear my Memphis friends longing for the taste of honey hot wings from Ching’s Hot Wings located at 1264 Getwell Road. My friend Jessica Davis let me know, after months of settling for franchises like Zaxby’s and Buffalo Wild Wings, that Ching’s was the spot to truly get a taste of what differentiates Memphis wing culture from others.
I decided to reward myself with a well-deserved cheat meal of honey hot chicken tenders, honey hot drizzled fries, ranch on the side, and an Orange Mound punch. As I went to pick up my order, it felt like walking into Memphis’ own Sardi’s as pictures of famous celebrities, both locally and nationally known, filled the walls, adding to the cozy vibe accompanied by the mouth-watering smell of wing sauce. As I took my first bite into my chicken tender, I realized Jessica was right: This wasn’t the same as the dipped tenders we’d eat during late-night outings in Knoxville. I can see why she’d be in such a hurry to get back home. — Kailynn Johnson
Bass Pro Pyramid (Photo: Bass Pro Pyramid | Facebook)
Journey to the Pyramid
The Great American Pyramid opened in Downtown Memphis in 1991. Originally envisioned as a 20,000-seat arena for sporting events and concerts, the Pyramid was home court for the University of Memphis basketball team for several years and hosted performances by the Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, R.E.M., Fleetwood Mac, and other major artists.
In 2001, the Pyramid became the home of the newly transplanted (from Vancouver) Memphis Grizzlies. In 2004, when the FedExForum was completed, the Pyramid was closed and sat empty until 2015, when it reopened as the Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. And if you haven’t experienced the current incarnation of the building, you need to head Downtown and take it in, at least once.
It’s an immersive experience. You walk into a life-size cypress swamp filled with fish of many varieties, live ducks, and even a couple of alligators. In the center of it all, there’s a 300-foot freestanding elevator that takes you to a restaurant at the top of the building with a breathtaking balcony view of the Mississippi River and Downtown.
There’s an archery range, a pistol range, a Wahlburgers restaurant, and even a river-themed bowling alley, where “alligator eyes” and other creature features decorate the bowling balls and shimmering lights make you feel like you’re under the river’s surface. There are boats and ATVs and all manner of fishing and hunting equipment for sale, plus clothes, boots, ammo, outdoor grills, a fudge shop, and so much more. And, here’s the best part: If you decide you can’t just leave until you see it all … you don’t have to! You can just book a room at the in-house wilderness-themed Big Cypress Lodge and spend the night enjoying the comforts of the “big pointy bait shop,” as Memphians lovingly call it. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience. — Bruce VanWyngarden
Return to Chucalissa
The bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River where Memphis now stands have been inhabited by humans on and off for thousands of years. When Hernando de Soto’s expedition reached the river in 1541, they found a group of abandoned mounds in the area. The Chickasaw called the place “Chucalissa,” which means “abandoned house.” In the 1930s, Civilian Conservation Corps workers who were building T.O. Fuller State park rediscovered the mound complex. Archeological excavations revealed that the site had been occupied for at least 500 years. It is now a National Historic Landmark, and the site of the C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa.
Most native Memphians know Chucalissa from elementary school field trips. But it’s definitely worth a visit with fresh eyes. The museum itself is built in the shape of a mound. It has an extensive collection of Native American artifacts recovered over 40 years of excavations. The “abandoned houses” belonged to a community associated with the Mississippian culture. From approximately 800 to 1600 C.E., the Mississippians spread from their capital in Cahokia, near what is now East St. Louis, Illinois, north to the Great Lakes, south to the Gulf Coast, and as far east as Charleston, South Carolina. Little is known about the Mississippians, who had no written language, except for what was written down by de Soto’s scribes and a handful of other sources from early European colonizers. But the pottery and other artifacts they left behind speak to a highly sophisticated culture.
Behind the museum is the mound where the village chief had his home, and the plaza where the Chucalissians gathered for communal events, including games of stickball. There’s even a replica Mississippian house, based on archeological studies of the community which once stood here. It all makes for a fascinating afternoon learning how the first Memphians lived. — Chris McCoy
Michael Donahue at the Peabody (Photo: Jon Sparks)
Stay at the Peabody
Part of a great trip for me is to stay at a grand old hotel. Something outstanding and beautiful that’s stood the test of time. A place with great restaurants. A hotel that reeks of elegance and stature.
You know. Like the Peabody Hotel.
People take staycations at the Peabody, says Kelly Brock, the hotel’s director of marketing and communications. “We promote ourselves locally, too,” she says.
In March, the hotel finished “a complete renovation of the lobby and the lobby bar.”
Brock suggests arriving at 4 p.m. Check in, and then hang out and have a cocktail at the lobby bar. Watch the live duck march at 5 p.m. Or take your drink upstairs and watch the sunset from the Peabody roof.
Have dinner at Chez Philippe, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant with a French presentation, or Capriccio Grill, the Italian steak house.
Start the next day with coffee or a Bloody Mary or mimosa when the bar opens at 10 a.m. Watch the duck march at 11 a.m. Then have brunch between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in Capriccio Grill. Pick out something like Elvis or Priscilla would wear at one of the Lansky shops and get a massage or facial at Feathers Spa.
Pretend you’re in London with “Afternoon Tea,” which begins at 3:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays in Chez Philippe. Indulge yourself with tea sandwiches, warm scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam, petit fours, and cakes.
Guests who check in Thursday get free admission until 7 p.m. to the Peabody Rooftop Party, which features live music on Thursdays through August 15th.
Note: No duck is served on any menu. But toy ducks are for sale at the South’s Grand Hotel. — Michael Donahue
Deanie Parker’s Grammy (Photo: Courtesy Stax Museum of American Soul Music)
Choose Your Own Adventure at Stax
The beauty of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music is that the relatively modest building on McLemore, built to the specs of the original theater’s blueprints, is a bit of a labyrinth. Not only can you wind through the pleasingly meandering exhibit space, music echoing around you, but you can imagine the demo studios and offices in the back, a hive of activity in its heyday. That’s where a lot of the action documented in last year’s CD set, Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos, went down. Now you can see Deanie Parker’s Grammy for it on display.
Similarly, you can imagine the sparkling, thumping sound of the label’s classic records as you look over the reconstructed control room, with its one huge, mono playback speaker, or pace the gently sloping floor of the space where the instruments of Booker T. and the M.G.’s sit out, ready to resume their labors. It’s a vintage recording studio geek’s dream.
There are many paths to choose, all ripe for rediscovery. Another favorite is the Isaac Hayes express, hopscotching between all exhibits pertinent to Black Moses, including his eye-popping desk and office décor, his growing activism with The Invaders empowerment group, and, of course, that Cadillac, still gleaming like a starship.
On some days, I can barely get past the opening exhibit, so powerful and rich are its details. Welcoming visitors is a small country church from Duncan, Mississippi (home of Deanie Parker’s people), exuding history’s vibes like some lost Rosetta Stone. You can imagine hands passing over its wooden pews in the soft light of a thousand Sundays. As outgoing executive director Jeff Kollath said of the museum, “This is a people-driven endeavor, and this is a Memphis-people-driven endeavor.” — Alex Greene
Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum (Photo: Abigail Morici)
Meet the Woodruffs and Fontaines
I had only ever stood outside the Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum on a ghost tour with Historical Haunts (a bonus staycation suggestion for you). So on a Wednesday, and on assignment for this staycation issue, I took myself there. Did I go in the hopes of seeing the spirit of Mollie Woodruff myself? Maybe. Did I succeed in that endeavor? No. Did I enjoy myself? Very much.
Built in 1871, the house was home to two prominent families in Memphis history: first the Woodruffs and later the Fontaines. The building withstood yellow fever, had a stint as an art school, and outlasted other Victorian houses in the area which were knocked down in favor of urban renewal. Only a handful remain in the city.
The Woodruff-Fontaine opened as a museum in the 1960s, thanks to the work of the Memphis Chapter of the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities, and today it is furnished with period-appropriate artifacts and heirlooms that have been donated by Memphis and Mid-South families. (Don’t touch any of the antiques, though, because, as the signs will warn you, anyone who has ever touched them is now dead. Yikes.)
Photo: Abigail Morici
Notably, the organization has also amassed an impressive collection of textiles, which they display on rotation. Currently, there’s the “Southern Summers” exhibition, where you can learn how early Memphians kept their cool during those hot, hot days of summer, including how they dressed. (Ooh la la!)
Tours are self-guided, but the ever-knowledgeable staff are always around to answer any questions you may have. Seriously, the Woodruff-Fontaine has some delightful people (and an outdoor cat)! (Don’t know about the ghosts, though. They’re a little standoffish.) You’ll be able to see all three floors, and if you aren’t afraid of heights, head up to the tower and get a view of the Memphis skyline. It’s worth it.
Tours are available Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., with the last admission at 3:30 p.m. Oh, and the museum is often putting on events like Twilight Tours and magic shows, so check out their website at woodruff-fontaine.org for more information. — Abigail Morici
Sketches for costume designs by Jennifer Gillettecapture Beale Street, circa 1915. (Illustration: Courtesy Opera Memphis)
If you’re an opera lover, you may think you know La Bohème, Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece about life in 19th-century Paris. After all, it’s not only one of the most-performed operas in the world, but the most popular work in the 68-year history of Opera Memphis.
Think again.
When Opera Memphis presents its latest version of La Bohème at the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center this Friday and Saturday, you’d best discard any preconceptions before the curtains rise. For, while the music will be performed as the classic score dictates, complete with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the mise-en-scène will be both unfamiliar and, for Memphians, eerily familiar. Rather than being set in bohemian Paris in the 1830s, this version unfolds on Beale Street, circa 1915.
Dennis Whitehead Darling (Photo: Andrea Zucker )
“I wish I could take credit for this inception of it,” says stage director Dennis Whitehead Darling, “but it’s actually the brainchild of [Opera Memphis general director] Ned Canty. It’s been a pet project of his for many years, and the original idea came from a book that Ned read called Beale Street Dynasty.”
Nearly anyone with an interest in our city’s history knows that book well, subtitled Sex, Song, and the Struggle for the Soul of Memphis, wherein Preston Lauterbach vividly evokes the bustling urban milieu, both creative and destructive, that made Beale Street ground zero for Black America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “Because Paris in the 1830s was a place where artists and musicians and philosophers and writers came together, it was a cultural center for its time. And the same thing was happening here in Memphis. I think that’s what sparked the idea for setting La Bohème on Beale Street,” says Darling.
Indeed, the similarities between the two cities of different eras were so profound that the original opera slotted neatly into the new setting. “Originally, we were going to write something new, or Ned was, but we moved away from that and have kept most of the original text the same,” says Darling.
Jeri Lynne Johnson (Photo: Vanessa Briceno)
As conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson points out, that maintains the integrity of Puccini’s original vision. “Audience members who are fluent in Italian may realize that a couple of things have changed,” she says, “but for the most part, we’ve done this without actually changing the text, which the singers have grown up learning for years and years in the Italian language. Of course, Puccini’s music is so tied to the language, so in order to avoid changing too many actual words, and making sure they stand with the music, there are just a couple of word changes, and some of those are simply within the subtitles.”
Meanwhile, the stage set is similarly subtle. “We’re doing something a little bit more abstract,” says Darling, “using projection screens. It’s minimal but effective. With projections, we’ve layered photos of different buildings and businesses that were part of Beale. Reimagining this in a very minimal way is always challenging, but things that are challenging also allow you to be more creative — oftentimes the things you find challenging are actually opportunities.”
And yet in one regard, there will be plenty of striking visuals, as Darling points out. “We have beautiful costume designs by Jennifer Gillette. That’s been the icing on the cake as we enter tech week because we initially created this show without seeing all of our visual elements. We didn’t have the projections, lighting, or costumes until much later. And it’s always amazing when I see these actors wear their costumes. Another level of character development happens almost immediately, where they just embody these characters, wearing these costumes that Jennifer has designed. They really transform our modern day actors and singers into these period characters.”
The impact of that visual element is deep, as Johnson points out, addressing a whole culture that’s so often rendered invisible. “I’ve done world premieres for the Santa Fe Opera and for the Chicago Opera Theater that had a predominantly African-American casts, having canonical works reimagined with African Americans in the roles. But what makes this particular production so interesting is, it isn’t just the casting, it is really transplanting that bohemian lifestyle into a uniquely Memphian historical period on Beale Street. The setting and the cast together really give you a sense of African-American life at that time. It adds an element of questioning what art is, and who makes art, where moral judgments are embedded into the aesthetic ones.”
Johnny and Elvis hanging on the wall (Photo: Ken Billett)
Vicki steadied herself on the window sill, raised up, and reconnected a blind cord that had popped off a few moments earlier. She then stepped onto a wobbly bar stool and lowered herself to the hardwood floor. Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley looked on, seemingly in amusement, their black-and-white smiles forever captured on a framed print hung from the exposed brick wall. The print included a quote, “Don’t criticize what you don’t understand, son. You never walked in that man’s shoes.” I sneered at Elvis, hanging there with a big grin on his face. I’ll worry about walking in another man’s shoes when I can feel my feet again.
Mid-morning on Thursday, January 18th, and temperatures hovered near 30 degrees with windchills that made it much, much colder. Sleet, or freezing rain, lightly pelted the cars, the sidewalk, and the parking lot outside our first-floor rental. My feet, already wrapped in two layers of wool socks, felt numb. I wiggled my toes to make certain they still worked.
As I often jokingly say to Vicki, my better half, “Whose bright idea was this?” Unfortunately, this one was all mine.
On Wednesday afternoon we pulled into the rear parking lot of our Airbnb, located inside the former Ambassador Hotel on Vance Avenue. The dry snow that accumulated earlier in the week hadn’t refrozen yet, so navigating from our far away East Memphis home to South Main wasn’t difficult. While unloading Vicki’s Subaru, a small CAT bulldozer scraped snow from the lot and dumped it onto a gray slush-pile right behind us. The dozer’s noise and noxious gas fumes, combined with a biting cold wind, reminded me that this week might be unforgettable, but for all the wrong reasons. Yeah, maybe not a bright idea to be Downtown during a Snowpocalypse.
Icy Beale Street on Wednesday, January 17th (Photo: Ken Billett)
The 39th edition of the International Blues Challenge (IBC) kicked off that Wednesday night, so, as avid blues fans, we braved the ice and snow to support up-and-coming blues musicians who traveled to Memphis to perform in the bars and clubs along Beale Street. Typically held in January, IBC is a weeklong blues convention and, this year, featured almost 140 musical acts from the U.S., Canada, and 11 other countries.
After surviving Wednesday night’s frigid temperatures and Thursday morning’s frozen precipitation, Vicki and I ventured back to Beale, navigating icy sidewalks, slushy crosswalks, and ever-expanding piles of dirty snow. Baby steps, Vicki repeated like a mantra as we crunched and cursed our way along South Main. Once the skies cleared, Thursday’s weather turned out to be tolerable. Beale’s clubs were busy with various IBC activities: master classes conducted by veteran musicians, a “Women in Blues” showcase at Alfred’s and, inside A. Schwab’s, a Hohner harmonica demonstration. Following a dinner of slathered ribs at Blues City Café, we hopped next door to the Band Box, where we caught several performances and stayed for a late-night jam session. Well past our bedtime, Vicki and I called it a night and baby-stepped back to the Ambassador for some much-needed sleep. And warmth. We’d survived the first two days of IBC but had two more to go, and, unfortunately, the Mid-South’s Snowmaggedon would soon get worse. Early Friday morning, January 19th, and the outside temperature was barely 27. The extended forecast said temps would drop into the low 20s and stay there all day through Saturday. To add to the fun, burst water mains forced MLGW to issue a boil water advisory for portions of Shelby County.
Snow “sludge” on South Main Street (Photo: Ken Billett)
Johnny smiled. I frowned. That “Don’t criticize …” quote swirled inside my head. “Don’t start,” I warned the Man in Black. “You and ‘E’ get to stay here, where it’s warm.” From the bedroom, Vicki asked me who I was talking to.
Our Friday adventures on Beale were a frozen blur. The entire county was under a boil water advisory, and Saturday’s arctic-cold temperatures would be in the teens, not the 20s. Yeah, not a real bright idea …
Shivering from the cold, Vicki and I stood inside the historic Orpheum Theatre for Saturday’s IBC Finals. The grand lobby felt like an ice box. We soon learned that due to water-pressure problems, the facilities were now outside. So, when “nature called,” we opened an exit door and hurried through the bitter cold to a porta-potty. Unforgettable.
We’d left the comfort of our warm urban oasis for porta-potties and sub-freezing winds while sharing a lukewarm bottle of water. Nonetheless, we stayed all afternoon and enjoyed the talented finalists performing on the stage. After the finals, we baby-stepped our way to the Downtown Slider Inn. Finally, warm and cozy, Vicki ordered the falafel sliders and declared them her new favorite.
Sometimes, I have a good idea, I was tempted to say.
Instead, I just smiled.
Ken Billett is a freelance writer and short-story fiction author. He and his wife, Vicki, have called Memphis home for nearly 35 years. When not listening to blues music, Ken reads spy novels and tends to his flowers.
There’s plenty of summer and animal fun to be had at the Memphis Zoo. (Photo: Courtesy Memphis Zoo)
It sure feels like summer! The hot, humid days have moved in with full force, but that doesn’t scare us. Yet as we all sit inside next to our struggling AC units, it’s easy to forget all the cool things going on in Memphis. The city attracted more than 11 million visitors last year, and for good reason: Memphis is a place people want to see. So get outside and re-familiarize yourself with all the great places and people that make Bluff City unique. Whether it’s restaurants, museums, or a night out on the town, there are plenty of reasons why here at home remains a great option for remaining summer plans.
Free Art and Museums
A staycation saves money, right? Save even more with these free attractions.
• The Dixon Gallery & Gardens is free through the end of 2024 with 2,000 objects in its collection and a glorious spread of botanic brilliance.
• The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is free Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon, and also for family-oriented Community Day events.
• The National Civil Rights Museum is free for Tennessee residents with state-issued ID Mondays from 3 p.m. until closing.
• The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is free for kids 6 and under. Shelby County residents with ID get in free on Tuesdays from 1 to 5 p.m. And it’s free for everyone from 1 to 5 p.m. on Family Day, the second Saturday of each month.
The Memphis Zoo (Photo: Courtesy Memphis Zoo)
• The Memphis Zoo is free for wee ones under 2 years old. Tennessee residents get in free on Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to close.
• Access to the Metal Museum grounds, including its sculpture garden and gift shop, is always free.
• Walking and driving tours of Elmwood Cemetery are free, and it’s pretty quiet as well.
As always, you should check with the venues first before you go. And as you visit these places, you might be tempted to buy a membership. Go ahead. Find the level that works for you and enjoy it year-round. — Jon W. Sparks
Hit the Town
A night at home curled up under a blanket to watch a movie or read a book is probably my ideal night. In fact, I’d say it’s so ideal that I do that practically every night, but, apparently, it’s good to shake things up a little every now and then. So this homebody did just that and dragged herself out of bed for a night out on the town. Sure, it was for a writing assignment, but I got out of the bed and that’s a start.
With a friend in tow, the night started at Bardog Tavern for dinner and drinks. I ordered something with rum that our server recommended — couldn’t really tell you what else was in it because I heard the word “rum” and that was enough for me. Turns out the name of the drink is James’ Cock, and I sucked it down like a Coca-Cola, so do with that what you will.
After that we headed to Blind Bear, a speakeasy I’d never heard about before, mostly because I rarely leave the house after 7 p.m. Then it was time for the Flying Saucer and, like, Beale and stuff. (I had a bit to drink at this point.) I think we headed to Paula & Raiford’s Disco after, waited in line for about 10 minutes, and then gave up and ordered a Lyft. But, yeah, it was nice to shake things up a bit for a bit of a “staycation,” but the best part was being able to fall asleep in my own bed. — Abigail Morici
Be a Tourist For a Day
More than 11 million people came to Memphis on vacation — on vacation! — last year. That’s roughly the population of Belgium. Why?! The crime! The heat! The potholes!
Daily Memphians might miss the mystique of the city’s cultural treasure trove that draws all those tourists each year. The Pyramid’s funny. Barbecue is routine. Beale is for tourists. Don’t get us started on Graceland.
But if you’re staycating this year, try (at least) vacating your house or your neighborhood. Go find out what makes Memphis a destination. Go reconnect with that everyday magic. Do it all while staying within your staycation budget, too.
Here’s a brief list of classic (and free!) tourist spots to hit for your Memphis staycation:
• Graceland — Brag that you’ve never been? Go. See what you think. Free walk-up admission to the Meditation Garden daily.
• Beale Street — Go for the people-watching. Stay for the music and a Big Ass Beer. Are your feet 10 feet off?
• Big River Crossing — A one-of-a-kind walk with Insta-worthy views of the river and the city. Free daily.
• Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid — Fish pond, gator pit, and massive aquarium? Check. The place is a tourist magnet for a reason. Free daily. — Toby Sells
Be a Homebody
Staycate means staycate. No need to go figuring out car trips to some semi-distant place or to rush out to some favorite or fetchingly rumored juke joint in the evenings just because you’ve got some spare time.
Stay home. Sleep late. Alternatively, get up early in the morning when it’s still cool enough and take long walks on your property or in your neighborhood.
Give yourself at least one good substantial grocery visit. Then put it to use. Cook something new, for yourself or guests. And back in that fridge somewhere is an item you bought backaways with some purpose in mind you haven’t got to yet. Do it now before the food goes bad.
Fix up that spare room you’ve been using as a warehouse space. Change those worn-out bulbs. Take care of those overlooked potted plants. They’re thirstier than you are!
Homebody starter kit (Photo: Jackson Baker)
You bought those books. Now read them. Ditto with those magazines that are lying around. Forget about social media for a while. If you’ve got to turn on the computer, then use it to catch up on news you missed.
Look at yourself in the mirror and take inventory. I don’t need to tell you that you’ll see something that needs changing. Change it. Or at least start the process.
For a little while, everything is in your hands. Enjoy the fact. — Jackson Baker
The Memphis International Restaurant Tour
Eating out at a great restaurant is my favorite thing to do on a vacation.
Eating out at a great restaurant is also my favorite thing to do on a staycation.
You can experience other countries by staying home and visiting Memphis restaurants that specialize in various types of food from across the globe. Sort of “Around the World in 901 Days.” Maybe choose cuisine from a particular country each day of your staycation. Some places serve lunch, which usually is cheaper. And if you don’t know what to order at these places, ask your servers what they’d recommend. Here are some restaurant ideas:
Taking a trip around town to try exotic food is less expensive than airfare to exotic places. Not to mention lodging. You can go home to your own bed. And you don’t have to worry about passports. — Michael Donahue
A Night at the Shell
There are a lot of places to see live music in Memphis: the Beale Street club packed with tourists, the Orpheum Theatre’s Gilded Age grandeur, the Green Room’s intimate sounds. But the best place in Memphis for a night of music is the Overton Park Shell.
Built in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration project designed to help workers during the Great Depression, it is one of a handful of band shells from that era still standing.
PreauXX at the Shell (Photo: Chris McCoy)
I was recently reminded of how lucky we are to have a place like the Shell when I saw PreauXX play there on July 1st. It was one of the super hot days we’ve been having this year, so I was expecting to be uncomfortable, at least until well after the sun had set. But the towering trees of Overton Park provided enough shade that a steady breeze made it quite pleasant, especially after a couple of days spent indoors hiding from the heat. We found a spot near the front of the stage and set up our camp chairs next to a young mom corralling her toddler.
My wife LJ stayed with the chairs as I checked out the food trucks, which were parked next to the new, greatly improved bar facilities.
We were chowing down on some barbecue tacos when PreauXX hit the stage, backed by his friends from the Unapologetic crew. The young mother was joined by her partner, and, after ignoring the music in favor of rolling on the lawn, the toddler threw his energy into dancing. (Really, it was more of a body-wide twitch, but he was trying his best.) When AWFM joined in for “Slide,” folks were streaming down the hill to do the title dance. This stage has hosted everyone from Elvis to Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, but for this night, PreauXX was the king. — Chris McCoy
Drag Shows at the Atomic Rose
Thanks to the phenomenon known as RuPaul’s Drag Race, we’re able to appreciate the art of drag without leaving our homes. And while watching hours of Snatch Game makes for the perfect staycation activity, so does supporting your local drag performers and artists.
Voted as the number-one best drag bar in the South by Time Out, Atomic Rose is the top destination for your staycation entertainment fix. The club recently went viral, at the height of Tennessee’s anti-drag controversy, when local drag queen and activist Bella DuBalle informed the audience of the severity of the bill and what it meant for the drag community. But the clip that circulated around TikTok only gave viewers a tidbit of the magic the nightclub possesses.
Drag at the Atomic Rose (Photo: Drew Parker)
DuBalle is known as Slade Kyle outside of drag and says one of the things that makes the club so special is that it is a true melting pot, inclusive in multiple ways encompassing all genders, races, and sexuality. This diversity is showcased in one of their most iconic events known as the “War Of The Roses,” which Kyle describes as an eight-week drag competition, featuring a large and diverse pool of performers.
And if you happen to swing by after War season, the club also offers Friday and Saturday shows, as well as a drag brunch on Sunday. Friday and Saturday shows start at 10:30 p.m., and Sunday brunch service starts at 11 a.m., with the show starting at 12:30 p.m. — Kailynn Johnson
SPORTS!
We can never get enough Grizz action at the FedExForum. But they’re out of season (unless you’ve made the pilgrimage to the Las Vegas Summer League to watch Kenny Lofton Jr. hoop). Luckily, there’s another pleasant Downtown destination to get your fix of ’ball. AutoZone Park is home to the Redbirds and 901 FC, but it’s sometimes apparent that Memphians take the stadium for granted, evidenced by the quite noticeable number of empty seats during baseball and soccer games. It’s still hot outside, but an afternoon or night out at the ballpark is an excellent way to shake up a routine and try out a new experience in town.
Even if you’re not into sports all that much, there are plenty of additional perks that come tacked on to a game. A personal favorite of mine is an all-you-can-eat series at Redbirds games, which, for just a few extra bucks, gets you a pass into a roped-off section that provides drinks, snacks, hot dogs, and an endless supply of the featured entrée (anything from brisket, to nachos, to my personal favorite: hot wings).
901 FC’s Bluff City Mafia (Photo: Memphis 901 FC)
Other enticements include specialty nights for $1 hot dogs or $2 beers. And when those nights line up, oh man. Kicking back with a few brews in what can either be a pleasant or a raucous atmosphere, depending on the matchup, is a reliable recipe for a fun night out. And if there’s a fireworks show afterward, well, all the better. Don’t sleep on it, Memphians! — Samuel X. Cicci
Tend Your Garden
If you time your work hours right and stay hydrated, summer gardening can be a breeze — and yield delicious rewards. Why else would the University of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture host its Summer Celebration of ag workshops and activities in Jackson only last week? The summer means heat to some, but for others it’s known as peak growing season. While that might sound dangerously like work, once your garden is up and running, tending it can be the perfect break from both screen time and chair time.
Early mornings can be sublime even in July, especially with an eyeful of blooms and fruits of the vine. It’s also a good time to water those roots before the blazing sun can bake the water droplets off the leaves. And yet, assuming you’ve done your homework and have a little mulched, irrigated, squirrel-protected paradise outside your door, there’s still more awaiting the horticultural staycationer: a world of garden clubs and nonprofits to liven up the typically solitary pursuit of the perfect bloom.
Take a break from the screen and tend your garden. (Photo: Alex Greene)
You don’t have to be a master of the pursuit to join the Memphis Area Master Gardeners, and it can be a great way to learn from expert volunteers who offer classes, working closely with the local UT extension service. There are also long-established neighborhood garden clubs, like the Cooper-Young Garden Club with their annual garden walk, and even community gardens if you prefer your plant-tending to be more sociable. Check out memphiscitybeautiful.org for a registry of every community garden in the city. — Alex Greene
The Silky Sullivan St. Patrick's Day Parade, ca. 2019 (Photo courtesy Beale Street Merchants Association)
Silky O’Sullivan’s has been a mainstay of Beale Street for decades, so it’s only natural that St. Patrick’s Day should cause the street to erupt into celebrations. This year, the March 17 holiday is merely the culmination of a week’s worth of revelry that includes Silky Sullivan’s St. Patrick’s Parade on Saturday, March 11. Given that this is the parade’s 50th Anniversary, why not start drinking early?
The parade is presented by the Beale Street Merchants Association and sponsored by the Irish Eyes of Memphis, and is the public highlight of a full week of commemorations, including a motor caravan to pick up visiting dignitaries on March 9, the Africa in April Salutes Ireland luncheon and Beale Street Merchants dinner on March 10, and a Beale Street pub crawl and “raising of the goat” at Silky O’Sullivan’s on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.
Throwin’ o’ the beads at a Silky Sullivan St. Patrick’s Parade (Credit: Vicki Gill)
The roots of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the oldest continuously running parade in Memphis, lie with the Irish Eyes of Memphis, a group led by the late politician Mark Flanagan and bar owners Thomas Boggs and Thomas “Silky” Sullivan. The group started in 1969 when Flanagan began hosting St. Patrick’s Day barbecues at his home. By 1973, the year from which the current event marks its beginning, the barbecue had grown so big it was a multi-venue event.
Of course, being centered on Beale Street, music will be front and center this year. That’s partly reflected in this year’s Grand Marshal, Pat Mitchell Worley, president and CEO of the Soulsville Foundation and longtime host of the syndicated radio program Beale Street Caravan (and whose wedding was held on Beale during the parade years ago). Ron Childers, chief meteorologist for WMC Action News 5, will serve as King, complete with a crown forged by smiths at the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis.
Also in the court will be Moira Flanagan, niece of the parade’s co-founder Mark Flanagan. She will be crowned Queen of All Western Appalachia. Meanwhile, Benny Carter, the proprietor of Murphy’s, is the Irish American of the Year.
Music will figure more directly into the proceedings via the Christian Brothers High School marching band, the oldest high school band in America. It’s enjoyed a continuous existence since its founding in the fall of 1872 by Br. Maurelian, who served as the first band director. The first recorded performance of the group was in the Memphis St. Patrick’s Day Parade of 1873, and the band has performed every year since.
1888 Christian Brothers Band under the direction of Paul Schneider with Br. Maurelian (Credit: Patrick Bolton – Own work Christian Brothers Band Archives)
“One thing that makes the St. Patrick’s parade so special, and all of the celebrations we have for St. Patrick’s, is that it’s for everyone,” says Joellyn Sullivan, the former owner of Silky O’Sullivan’s and a St. Patrick’s Parade organizer. “This is a blanket invitation to gather our citizens together shoulder to shoulder sharing smiles, sharing cheers, wishes for good luck, wishes for friendships new and old, and peace to all.”
Named by the Beale Street Merchants Association in honor of Sullivan’s husband Thomas, who was considered Memphis’ “King of the Irish,” the parade started in Midtown Memphis, but has been held on Beale Street for the past 30 years.
It has been division for amateur barbecue teams for years, offering smaller sites and lower costs for teams during the Memphis In May (MIM) World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.
Patio Porkers was cut in 2021 when the contest temporarily moved to Liberty Park. The division came back, though, during last year’s contest.
MIM made no announcement that the Patio Porkers division had been cut. But a Friday statement from the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) characterized the division as “formerly part” of the MIM barbecue contest.
This year’s inaugural Patio Porkers on Beale event will be organized by the DMC and Beale Street Management. The event will bring 30 teams to Handy Park on Saturday, May 20th for a single-day, ribs-only competition.
“We can’t wait to welcome 30 of the best backyard barbecue teams to world-famous Beale for the ultimate amateur title,” said DMC president Paul Young. “Bringing the Patio Porkers competition to Beale just feels right.”
The competition is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society competition. The winning team will take home $1,000 in prize money, a trophy, and bragging rights.
The contest will be free and open to the public. But — as any MIM barbecue vet will tell you — that doesn’t mean it’s free to eat. Teams usually cook for themselves, their friends, and judges and are not obligated to share any food with the public.
However, the DMC noted that Beale Street has 10 restaurants that all serve barbecue. They include:
Alfred’s on Beale
BB King’s Blues Club
Blues City Cafe
Jerry Lee Lewis Cafe & Honky Tonk
Jerry Lawler’s Hall of Fame Bar & Grill
King’s Palace Cafe
The Pig on Beale
Rum Boogie Cafe
Silky O’Sullivan’s
Tin Roof
Applications for teams are now available with a deadline of April 3rd. Click here for more details.
Jesus Christ Superstar rocks the Orpheum as the last show of the “pandemic” season.
October 5, 2021 is a day Brett Batterson will never forget. That’s when Come From Away opened at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Memphis, marking the return to live performance after 18 months of pandemic shutdown.
“That opening night is one of the greatest nights I’ve ever experienced in my career,” says Batterson, the Orpheum’s president and CEO. “Everybody was so excited to be there, and the audience was just so grateful for Broadway to be back in the Orpheum. The cast was excited to perform for people. It was like a magic stew of emotions that was just wonderful.”
When Jesus Christ Superstar opened on June 28th, it marked the belated end of the star-crossed season that began in March 2020. “It feels really good to have what we call the pandemic season behind us, and we start our new season in just a few weeks with My Fair Lady, followed by To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Located at the western edge of Beale Street, the century-old theater has witnessed a lot of changes Downtown, but nothing like the last few years. It has been a time of both growth and tragedy. “I think Downtown Memphis is starting to see the resurgence, the coming out of the plague. If you come down here on a Friday or Saturday night, there are people everywhere. I don’t think we’ve seen the return of all the office workers that we need for the restaurants to have a lunch crowd, but on a weekend night, there’s a lot of people down here.”
Batterson sees the crowds as a continuation of positive trends the pandemic interrupted. “When I first arrived in Memphis six and a half years ago, I think Memphis was just at the tail end of the low self-esteem problem that Memphis has suffered from since the assassination of Dr. King. Shortly after I arrived, people started making plans and talking about how great of a city it is. Nashville is a tourist trap while Memphis retains its soul and authenticity. That’s the big change I’ve seen — Memphis is proud of itself again, as it should be.”
The Orpheum is about to dance into its next season in late July with My Fair Lady, followed by To Kill a Mockingbird.
Downtown Delights
The Orpheum was once a movie palace owned by Memphis-based Malco Theatres. Just a short hop down Front Street, Malco’s newest movie palace is the Powerhouse, a seven-screen multiplex built around a historic structure which once provided steam power for next door’s Central Station. On Saturdays, the Powerhouse’s parking lot plays host to the Downtown Memphis Farmers Market. Sergio Brown is one of the dozens of vendors who gather under the T-shaped shelter every week to hawk their locally produced wares. His company, Earthworm Plants, is based across the river in West Memphis. “We just started, so this is our first year here in Memphis,” he says. “The support we’ve gotten from Downtown has been amazing. When people from other states come here, they’re just amazed at what we do.”
Earthworm Plants is part of a wave of new businesses that have opened in the pandemic era. A few blocks to the east is South Point Grocery, the latest venture by Castle Retail’s Rick James, which filled a need created by Downtown’s growing population. But South Point’s biggest draw is the sandwich counter, run by Josh McLane.
Like many people in Memphis, McLane is a man of many hustles. He’s a well-known comedian and drummer in the punk-folk duo Heels. (Their new album, Pop Songs for a Dying Planet, will be released in October.) His sandwich skills first got attention when he manned the kitchen at the Hi Tone music venue. “Unlike other people, when I’m hammered and make a sandwich at 3 in the morning, I write it down,” he says.
At lunch time, there’s a steady stream of foot traffic coming through the door for McLane’s creations. “I genuinely get a kick out of being able to say, ‘Come see us for lunch, and I will get you outta here in five minutes, unless we have a giant line — and even then, it’s gonna take 10, tops.’”
McLane says the wave of new businesses was born of necessity. “That first year of Covid, everybody started opening something, either because you had nothing to do or you had no money coming in. And after that first year, everybody who wasn’t good at it or didn’t have a good enough sustaining idea got weeded out and everybody else just kept going.”
Good Fortune Co. is a new eatery that has been earning raves Downtown. Co-owner Sarah Cai lived in Collierville until she was 13, when her father was sent to China to open a new FedEx hub. “I’m from here, and I always wanted to come back,” she says. “We had been paying attention to restaurants in the area and what was popular. There was really nothing like this kind of cuisine, and from what I could tell, there was nobody who could bring the kind of experience that we have had, traveling and working abroad in different places.”
All of the food at Good Fortune Co. is made by hand. “The kimchi is important to me,” Cai says. “It’s something I’ve always made on my own because when you buy it, it just doesn’t taste the same. The whole [restaurant] concept stemmed from scratch-made noodles that have always been a huge part of my food. Dumplings are my food love, my passion. I’ve been making them since I was a kid with my family. They had to be on the menu. I knew I wanted it to be Asian, but influenced by a lot of different regions, not necessarily Chinese or Japanese. My background is really mixed. My mom’s Malaysian and my dad’s Chinese. I’ve traveled all around Southeast Asia, so I’ve been inspired by a lot of different flavors. What I wanted to showcase here is the fusion of those authentic flavors. The food itself is kind of Asian-American — like myself.
“I’ve been able to come back and rediscover the city as an adult. It’s a totally different experience. Memphis is really cool! I’ve lived in China, Austria, Europe. I’ve traveled all around the world, and Memphis is one of the most authentic cities I’ve ever been in. It’s gritty, but it’s all part of the charm — it’s just a genuine place. I’m really happy to be able to be a part of this world now.”
A larger-than-life Red Queen plays her twisted game of croquet at the Memphis Botanic Garden.
New Growth
She’s 19 feet tall, weighs 15,110 pounds, and her dress is made from 6,507 plants. The Red Queen is the most spectacular creation of “Alice’s Adventures at the Garden,” the larger-than-life new exhibit at the Memphis Botanic Garden. The living statuary of the timeless characters from Alice In Wonderland, like the Cheshire Cat, the Queen’s chessboard full of soldiers, and Alice herself, originated at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
Alice and her companions have made a big splash, says Olivia Wall, MBG’s director of marketing. But the exhibit is just one of the new features at the 96-acre garden. “We have gone through a lot of transformation,” she says. “We are just finishing up a capital campaign that was focused on campus modernizations, so part of that, like the visitor center, was completely redone in 2022. It’s been a lot of change and a lot of transformation for the better. We are always focused on our mission, which is connecting people with plants. How can we best do that?”
The Alice figures are made from steel armatures and given color and shape by plants and flowers. In the summer heat, it can take 90 minutes just to water the Red Queen. Other artists were invited to participate. “We have these renditions of the White Rabbit around the grounds that local artists created,” Wall says.
There are also interactive elements. “It’s classic literature, so we have quotes from the book around to help put it into context. Kids can have their own imaginary tea party. They can pretend to be the March Hare or the Mad Hatter.”
Wall came to Memphis in 2014 to get her master’s degree from Memphis College of Art. The Cooper-Young resident says she’s a “Midtowner through and through.”
Midtown has been the focus of intense development in the pandemic era, with new apartment complexes springing up everywhere. “They’re called ‘five-over-ones,’” says F. Grant Whittle. “They’re the apartment buildings like they’ve got on McLean and Madison. They are built with concrete on the first floor and then stick on the upper floors. They’re easily put up. They’re not hideous, and they’re not beautiful, but just getting apartments in place for people to live is important right now.”
Whittle and his husband Jimmy Hoxie recently opened The Ginger’s Bread & Co. on Union Avenue. “Jimmy was working at City & State making pastries, and they didn’t need him anymore because they didn’t have many customers. At the same time, a man moved out of a duplex we owned and I said, ‘Jimmy, why don’t you go over there and start baking? We can sell your stuff online.’ And so, that’s what we’ve been doing since the beginning of the pandemic. Then, I was let go from my job. I needed something to do. So we sold the duplex, and we used the money to open this place.”
Since they opened earlier this summer, bread, cookies, and cheesecake have been flying off the shelves. “I think that this little part of Union is ripe for renewal and regrowth,” Whittle says. “I really like Cameo, which is a bar that just opened at Union and McLean. I can walk there in five minutes. They’re still getting their sea legs. They’re trying to do a good product there, and the food is not too bad.”
Midtown remains a cultural center. The history of Memphis music is enshrined on Beale, but the present and future lives in places like The Lamplighter, B-Side, and Hi Tone. The reopened Minglewood Hall is once again hosting national touring acts. In the Crosstown Concourse, the Green Room offers intimate live music experiences, and the 400-seat Crosstown Theater recently put on a blockbuster show by electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk. Not far from the towering Concourse is Black Lodge.
The movie mecca began life more than two decades ago as a tiny Cooper-Young video store. Now, it not only boasts one of the largest DVD and Blu-ray collections in America, but also a state-of-the-art sound system and multiple projection screens. “We’re proud to be serving a full menu of food as well as a full bar,” says Lodge founder Matt Martin. “Come in and check out some of our signature cocktails and dishes designed by our chef and co-owner James Blair. We are pleased to finally offer a full nightclub experience to Midtown Memphis. We’ve got great EDM shows, great bands, movie screenings, burlesque and drag shows, comedy, and video game tournaments — and our AC is amazing!”
Jessica Hunt tends bar at the artsy and new Inkwell.
Another Midtown dream realized is Inkwell. The popular Edge District bar was founded by Memphis artist Ben Colar. “The concept was to create a super dope cocktail bar where people could just kind of be themselves,” says bartender Jessica Hunt. “It’s Black-owned, so Ben wanted to show the city that there are Black bartenders that can do really good craft cocktails.”
The relaxed vibe is maintained via cocktails like the Sir Isaac Washington, a complex, rum-based, summery drink. “It’s always a breath of fresh air to come in here and work around people I love,” says Hunt. “Plus, I get to meet so many cool, artsy people!”
Yola, Oliva DeJonge, Baz Luhrmann, Tom Hanks, Alton Mason, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Jerry Schilling, Pricilla Presley, Riley Keough, and Lisa Marie Presley at the Graceland premiere of Elvis.
Music for the Masses
“Memphis’ identity is its musical history,” says the Orpheum’s Batterson. “Our tourism is music tourism. There may be some Broadway fans, or the timing may be right so that we’ve got Bonnie Raitt or Bob Dylan at the Orpheum, but most of the tourists are music people who want to hang out on Beale Street, go to Graceland, go to the Stax Museum, go to Sun Studio.
“I think we have some real gems in our museum system, from the National Civil Rights Museum to the Brooks and the Dixon and MoSH. An hour at Sun Studio is probably one of the most important hours you can spend in Memphis — that and going to Stax and seeing Isaac Hayes’ gold-plated car!
“I am shocked at how many Memphians have told me they’ve never been to Graceland. To me, you’ve got to go once. If you never go back, that’s up to you. But you’ve got to go once. How could you have this huge, international tourist attraction in your city and not ever go? I don’t get that.”
With Elvis, the spectacular new biopic from Australian director Baz Luhrmann, the King of Rock-and-Roll is once again topping the box office. After earning a 12-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, Luhrmann and his stars, including Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, made their American debut at the Guest House at Graceland. “It’s something that younger people don’t understand,” said Luhrmann to a packed house. “They know they’re very interested in this film because they’re very interested in instant fame. You can get on TikTok and have 20 million followers the next day, and you’re famous. But when Elvis came along, the teenager had just been invented. The idea of young people with money was a new idea. There was no precedent for someone driving a truck one minute and being a millionaire and the most famous man on the planet the next.”
As he stood on stage with Elvis’ wife Priscilla Presley, daughter Lisa Marie, and granddaughter, actor/director Riley Keough, Hanks, who plays Elvis’ infamous manager Col. Tom Parker, recounted the welcome they had received. “We visited the home of the King last night. It is a place that is, I think, as hallowed as any president’s home, as any museum dedicated to a particular type of art. What’s unique about it is, it is so firmly stamped with the name Presley, and it would not have existed were it not for the city of Memphis and the genius of a one-of-a-kind artist who, more than anybody else in music or any sort of presentational art, deserves the moniker of the singular word ‘King.’”
Go ahead and add “restaurateur” to Penny Hardaway’s CV. The former NBA star and current Memphis Tigers basketball coach is set to open a new restaurant just a quick jaunt from the FedEx Forum.
In partnership with Wellengood Partners and Gourmet Services, Inc., Hardaway will introduce Penny’s Nitty Gritty, a “unique, upscale restaurant with a touch of added Southern flair” at The Westin Memphis Beale Street. Gourmet Services corporate executive chef Elizabeth A. Rodgers is curating the menu; diners can expect specialty items like collard green fondue, a Penny Loaf, and some other of Hardaway’s favorite dishes.
“I wanted a concept that would serve the best food to my family, friends, and visitors to Memphis. I wanted people who come to the restaurant to have a first-class experience,” said Hardaway. “When I tasted food from the menu, I was blown away, and I know others will be too.”
“Penny Hardaway is a Memphis basketball icon,” said Glenn Malone, CEO of Wellengood Partners. “With the University of Memphis Tigers’ home court at the FedEx Forum across the street from The Westin, Penny’s Nitty Gritty is the best place to get something to eat before or after a game, or other events taking place Downtown.”
