Tag: Jesse Davis

Categories
Letter From The Editor Opinion

Until We Meet Again

Jesse Davis (Photo: Jon W. Sparks)

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time in journalism, it’s to always, always double-check the spelling of “public.” If I’m allowed to say I’ve learned two things, I’d have to admit it’s true, you shouldn’t bury the lede. So I’ll skip the preliminaries and announce my official resignation as editor-in-chief of the Memphis Flyer.

When I accepted the editor gig, former Flyer editor Bruce VanWyngarden told me, “It’ll eat your life.” Or, as another colleague put it, somewhat more delicately, “There’s an element of being ‘on call’ to this job.”

Yeah, that’s true, and for the most part, I’ve loved it. Every job comes with its own kind of stress, and the stress of meeting deadlines, reworking a story, or teasing out the best way to word a complex idea is, for me, nothing less than thrilling. “Thrilling” might be underselling it a bit — it’s a kind of high. I’ve never been much of an athlete, but if a runner’s high is anything like the zap an editor gets from slicing 1,000 words from a story and hearing its author say it reads better now, well, let’s just say I can begin to understand the folks who jog even in these brutal Memphis summers.

I’ve been the one to break news of a court ruling and of an escaped wallaby. I’ve worked with Flyer writers to decide how best to tackle big issues — gun violence, reproductive rights, and Memphis beer. There’s only one free print paper in town, and being at the wheel has been a responsibility I have cherished. But for most of my life, I’ve collected responsibilities like baseball cards, and it might be time to admit I’ve become something of a responsibility hoarder.

By necessity, I’ve lived as a “duties first” person. In the past few months, my family circumstances have changed unexpectedly, and I want to try my hand at being a “family first” kind of guy. It’s a new kind of challenge, a different sort of responsibility. For most of my childhood, my parents weren’t always around — also usually by necessity. For years, my dad worked at an airline in Memphis, putting in 40-plus hours in three days’ time before turning around to drive the 90 or so miles to our little white house on the county line. He’d sleep for a day, and then we would have a few days together before he had to drive back to Memphis for half a week. My sister and I knew we were loved, but it was still tough at times.

Within the next year, my dad will turn 70, my nephew will turn 5, and I’ll get married. I want to be there for these people, really be there, not just when work allows, or be there physically albeit distractedly as I delegate some editorial tasks. I’ve answered work emails and phone calls while I was supposed to be playing dragons with my nephew, and it left me with an all-too-familiar feeling, like seeing myself on the other side of a mirror, 30 years ago. I’ve had Zoom meetings while on a long-deferred vacation with my fiancée, all while a family reunion went on downstairs. It comes with the territory. I know some people could easily juggle the different demands of family and a fast-paced job in a notoriously exacting field, but I think I might just like that aforementioned high of hitting deadlines a little too much. Might as well face it, I’m addicted to responsibility.

It might seem clichéd, but in a world where even the people who agree on most things can’t ever seem to get on the same page because of a few minor differences, I like the idea of embracing the people who choose to love me even when we don’t agree on anything. Not only that, but my fiancée and I want to start our own family before too long.

So maybe it’s selfishness or naivete, but I think I’d like to focus my energies a little more on my own group of weirdos — not that I don’t love the snarky, creative, somewhat dysfunctional Flyer family I’ve adopted in the last eight years. I do. Deeply. But I also trust them to deliver the news in true Flyer style, even if I have to miss out on the newsroom brainstorming. So I’m choosing to accept a new opportunity I’ve been granted, cherish the time I’ve spent with this wild bunch, and leave knowing the Flyer will keep flying, charting a course unlike any other paper in town.

There’s no shortage of senior talent ready to help keep this paper on course while the search for a new editor gets underway. Managing editor Shara Clark, associate editor Toby Sells, and senior editors Jon W. Sparks and Bruce VanWyngarden (remember that guy?) will make sure the same exceptional paper hits stands on time each week. And they’ll have help from Inside Memphis Business editor Samuel X. Cicci. So I feel confident about the Flyer’s future. Oh, and if you or someone you know would like to apply for the editor-in-chief position, send a resume to hr@contemporary-media.com.

In the meantime, I’m excited about the prospect of being a Flyer reader, and of finding new ways to give back to the Memphis community.

What else can I say? That’s all, folks. Thanks for reading.

Categories
Film Features Film/TV

Never Seen It: Watching All the President’s Men with Memphis Flyer Editor Jesse Davis

Robert Redford as Bob Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Carl Bernstein in All the President's Men.

In my semi-regular Never Seen It column, I find an interesting person and sit down with them to watch a classic (or sometimes, not-so-classic) film they have missed. This pairing of subject and object may be the most perfect one ever. Jesse Davis recently took over the reins of the Memphis Flyer from his semi-retiring predecessor Bruce VanWyngarden. Davis had never seen the greatest film about journalism ever made, the 1976 political epic All The President’s Men. Our conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Chris McCoy: Jesse Davis, what do you know about All the President’s Men? 

Jesse Davis: Almost nothing. I know it’s based on a book of the same title by Woodward and Bernstein, and that it’s about their investigation into the break-in at the Watergate hotel. And that’s it.

138 minutes later…

CM: We’re on the record with Memphis Flyer editor, Jesse Davis. You are now a man who has seen All The President’s Men. What did you think?

JD: I really enjoyed it. It was absolutely excellent. It was a great story. I know Watergate and Nixon is one of those areas of U.S. history that attracts a lot of people, and for some of them, I’m sure, it’s because they have seen this movie. But it has struck me as something that was kind of like JFK’s assassination. There were a few events that are understandably interesting, but some of the people who are really, really, really into them do not … um … do not emit an aura of being really well put together.

CM: That’s diplomatic.

JD: I mean, like I said, I can understand the interest, but … 

CM: They’re obsessions of the dirtbag left, is what you’re trying to say.

JD: That might be one way of putting it.

CM: Guilty as charged.

JD: You know, there are some things where most of the people who are interested in it, you’re like, “Oh God, are you guys okay?” I think some of my first contact with people who were really obsessed with Watergate was like that. But not everyone. I mean, it’s notably interesting. The whole truth and power and accountability dynamic is just as important today as it was in ’72. So, I mean, it’s understandable why folks would be interested. But I say all that to say that I never dove really deep. I’ve not read the book. It’s absolutely interesting to see them follow the trail.

CM: It’s a journalism procedural story, which you don’t see a lot of now. I mean, procedurals are like three hours on CBS every night, but it’s always law enforcement. It’s never journalists anymore. One of the things that’s interesting to me about this film is that journalists are the protagonist. You know, Superman was a journalist. Then there’s My Girl Friday, and lots of others. Wasn’t Mary Tyler Moore a journalist for a news station? But you don’t really see that much anymore. There was Spotlight a few years ago, which was great. Maybe part of it is that it’s just people sitting around in rooms talking.

JD: Or talking on the phone!

CM: But also, part of it is, there was a shift where people don’t trust journalists absolutely anymore. Watching it this time, I think it’s interesting that a lot of what they were doing seemed to be responding to a narrative that the Washington Post and other papers were creating together at the same time. It struck me that a lot of what the disinformation plague does is to destroy the possibility of a central narrative. So you don’t have to prove that you didn’t lie. You just have to make it so the truth is not actually knowable. That’s a big question that’s hanging over this movie: Is the truth knowable? Or are these people, in fact, like you said, “not very well put together”? Bernstein is clearly not very well put together.

JD: This is true. He’s smoking cigarettes constantly — in a restaurant, in other people’s homes, in other people’s cars, in the elevator …

CM: The elevator smoking is funny. It’s the only time anyone comments on it.

JD: Whoever the cinematographer is, [ed note: Gordon Willis] is doing things to make shots of people talking on the phone visually interesting. Maybe that’s one of the main differences, but I’m sure a lot of law enforcement is actually pretty boring.

CM: Those procedurals on CBS every night, they’re just mostly people talking in rooms, too. But every now and then, they run around and wave guns at each other.

A split diopter shot from All The President’s Men. Notice the blurry region between Redford in the foreground and the group gathered around the TV in the background.

CM: I pointed out a couple of split diopter shots, which is a thing you put on the front of a lens that has two tinier lenses with different focal lengths. There was the one shot where Woodward’s on the phone in the foreground, and I guess they’re watching some kind of sports match in the background. There’s two different planes of focus in the same shot. This is not done in post-production. It was done in-camera, live. Right when Woodward gets the information he’s looking for, the people in the background cheer. It’s real subtle. You just don’t see that anymore. 

JD: It was set up under the sign for the national news desk, which I thought was nice. There’s whatever game was on the TV, and then there’s this national game going on, and Robert Redford just scored.

JD: Another thing I noticed is, when Redford’s going into the parking garage, and when they’re at work, you see all of this space around them. They’re lost in all this, whether it’s the architecture of the parking garage or the columns in the newsroom, and trying to find their way out. We know that they’re the figures we’re supposed to be paying attention to, but you see all of the Washington Post newsroom, or all of the parking garage, or a big part of the D.C. skyline. At one point, I think it was Robert Redford, maybe, walking with the Washington Monuments behind him. They’re these huge buildings, and he’s just this tiny little figure. I loved that repetition, and the difference in scales. 

CM: There’s very much a sense of millions of people going on with their lives who have no idea that what this guy is doing is going to change history. It’s going to bring down the president.

Woodward meeting “Deep Throat” in a parking garage.

JD: A line I love, early on, is when their editor says about the story, “It may just be crazy Cubans.” The idea of someone saying that about this story! As an editor, that’s a pratfall. You just don’t know. There may not be a story. 

CM: That was going to be my next question. You’ve been editor of the Memphis Flyer for what …

JD: Six weeks now.

CM: Ben Bradlee, who was Jason Robards, is just an absolute legend in the industry. What were you thinking about when you were watching him?

Jason Robards as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee

JD: In the beginning, everything is set up to make you feel like he is maybe one of the forces who wants to kill the story, for whatever reason. Then there’s a scene where they talked about how it could put them in legal trouble. And for all you know, it could. There’s a little while before he has this moment where he tells them about a time he screwed up, but he got the story right. But it’s a while before we get to that point, and all of his concerns are completely justified. He’s just like, look, you’ve got to have multiple sources, especially if these people aren’t letting us name them. You have to corroborate this. But we can’t know if that is really his justification, and it’s all in service of good reporting. If so, that’s great, but there’s a little bit of tension there — especially the more you start to think, “OK, there are some layers of conspiracy going on. How do I know that they didn’t get to him?” When [White House spokesman Ken W. Clawson] calls him panicking and says, “I got a wife and a family and a dog and a cat,” he’s on a first name basis with [Bradlee]. And you’re like, he’s editor of a big paper. Maybe pressure has been put on him. But then, once he gets to the point where he’s satisfied, he puts out his statement: “We stand by the story.” I’m going to keep these guys on it.

CM: And that was a crisis point in the story. That’s after they’ve been burned by their sources on purpose, to throw them off.

 JD: He sensed that was what was happening.

CM: What’d you think about the actual, nuts and bolts of reporting in 1972? How does it compare to what the experience is like today?

JD: Well, first of all, Memphis Flyer is not a daily, so it’s a completely different thing.

CM:  You do one layout a week. Those guys were doing layouts every day. You know, the editorial meeting scene is so fascinating to me.

JD: I love that scene. They go around, and everybody says what they’re working on, and then it’s okay, go around again. This time it’s just the really short pitch. And this is how much space you get. That was, that was great, and very different.

Hoffman, Redford, Robards, Jack Warden as Post local editor Harry M. Rosenfeld, and Martin Balsam as managing editor Howard Simons.

CM: Currently, our editorial meetings take place on Slack. But we still sit around and talk about what we’re going to put in the paper. There’s still magic in that moment, to me. There’s a romance to it, I guess.

JD: I think so, too. I mean, it’s different. They’re the Washington Post, and we’re an alt-weekly, we’re the Memphis Flyer. It’s the ’70s. It’s 2021.

CM: Not a computer in sight.

JD: When they’re going through the list of names, I thought, “Oh my God! Imagine doing this without the internet!” It’s a completely different thing. But there’s still a huge amount of talking on the phone. Now, it’s just Slack, but before the pandemic, when I was the copy editor, I walked back and forth between different parts of the office all day, every day. So there are still elements that are the same. But yeah, the editorial and layout meetings, I think are incredibly magical. They have a big enough staff that it’s like, “What things have y’all been working on that are now ready for us? What’s ripe?” There’s an element of that, but I expect you’re going to have a film review every week.

CM: There was the moment where they’ve been knocking on doors, and they haven’t produced any copy for two weeks. You know how much copy I’m expected to produce in two weeks?

JD: Oh yeah.

CM: They have an enormous amount of resources we don’t have, that barely anybody has outside of The New York Times or the Post or the Wall Street Journal has now.

JD: To just be able to send somebody on assignment, and tell them to keep going until you turn something up or don’t … If someone’s working on a cover story, sometimes there’s a really quick turnaround, but often, that’s something you are taking back and forth between the back burner and the hot burner until it’s scheduled to go. But it’s not like we don’t do research.

CM: Oh, I didn’t mean to imply that we don’t do research, because we absolutely do. That’s most of my time, really. But to be able to fly down to Miami, barge into the D.A.’s office, and demand they talk to me, I can’t imagine doing that and being treated with anything but contempt. It’s a great moment in the movie, because he plays this trick on the receptionist, but there’s no way I could get into the D.A.’s office, and then the D.A. does anything except have me arrested.

Hoffman, Penny Fuller as Sally Aiken, and Redford work the phones.

JD: Sometimes, you see, in a work of fiction, someone who’s a magazine writer or a newspaper writer, and they appear to have a huge budget and really flexible deadlines. And you’re just like, “Well, that’s fiction. That’s based on an old idea, a different time period.” It kind of makes me think of hard-boiled films and private detectives. How would Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade go over today? The industries are different, and the laws that have continued to grow up around policing and investigative journalism are different.

JD: One thing I noticed in two of the TV clips was, you’ve got someone talking about their sources and he uses the word “unsubstantiated.” In another, they were talking about the political leanings of the editor of the Post. First of all, just to have someone holding national office say the word “unsubstantiated,” that felt very strange, um, particularly after the last four years or so.

CM: Trump would have said, “Fake News! Enemy of the state!”

JD: Exactly. It’s the same with, “I think we can make a safe assumption about his political leanings.” I’m paraphrasing there, but that’s very different from “They’re the crooked Democrats, and we all know they want to take us down!” But it’s all of a piece …

CM: It’s the evolution of that rhetoric, which began with Nixon.

JD: You could say it’s based on logic, and maybe it is. Now, we have mutated or evolved this line of defense so it is just the quickest and most direct route to an emotional reaction: I’m under attack by these people, and you should — to use the phrase they used in the movie — circle the wagons. I’m going to protect my president from these rats.

CM: You got the sense that the people who were in Nixon’s inner circle, the Republicans he was ordering to take these illegal actions had a lot more autonomy back then. The give and take in this part of the drama is, are they going to do their duty to the country and the Constitution, or are they going to put party first? You know what they’re going to do now.

JD: Oh, well, of course!

CM: They’re going to put party first. Donald Rumsfeld died today, the day we’re recording this. Back in the Rumsfeld era, the ’00s, after 9/11, I used to sometimes read this blogger — it was the blogger era, too — called The War Nerd. One of the things he liked to say was, the more organized side is the one who usually wins. He also used to say, “The end of the world is what you call it when your tribe loses.” I feel like what we’re seeing today is like the evolution of that thinking, which is, frankly, pure fascism. That’s the definition of fascism: I have loyalty to this narrow in-group, right or wrong, rather than loyalty to the Constitution, or to the greater good, or to the nation. My faction is what’s more important. And I felt like it was really obvious from this film how far we’ve sunk.

JD: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that’s without question.

CM: And yet, in the Trump years, or so far, anyway, the same systems held that held against Nixon, pretty much. It just felt like a much closer thing this time.

JD: Yeah, I think so, too.

CM: Did it make you reflect on what your duty is as an editor of a paper?

JD: Well, first of all, I gotta get a good “shut the hell up” look.

CM: You gotta get that.

JD: That’s important. I’ve got to stay cool under pressure, and then know when it’s time to start dropping F-bombs, and just say, “Well, it’s only the fate of democracy and free speech. Don’t fuck it up, or I’ll get mad.” His responsibility to the truth, and to getting the reporting right, seemed to be the highest ideal. Obviously, how that affects our paper and our image is incredibly important. Everything flows from telling the story accurately. That seems to be his primary action in the film. So that first day you’re not reporting it well enough, I gotta tell you to dig deeper, and then recognize that we’re now in hot water. I will stand up. I’m with you guys. You’re showing up at my door. It’s late at night. You’re saying it’s not safe to come inside.

CM: I’m telling you we’re being bugged by the CIA. Do you believe me?

JD: Okay, let’s have this conversation on the lawn. I like to think that if any of our writers show up at my house and tell me that, I’m glad it’s the CIA! I’ll say, “God, we’ve got an amazing story here.”

CM: I’d say, “You’re aware you work for the Memphis Flyer, right?”

JD: In some ways, they lucked into things because of having people just take calls, which doesn’t happen now. Someone got into the rhythm of answering questions and said something they shouldn’t have. I don’t know that we’re necessarily going to get that as frequently as they did just by cold-calling people. Then there’s their little routine of casually dropping a piece of information that we want confirmed.

CM: We’ll pretend we already know it.

JD: Yeah, exactly. Or, we’ll argue about the details of something that we think we know, but we’re not sure we know. And then, if there’s no issue from your interview subject about the thing in question, it’s like, okay, now we really are talking about it.

CM: I actually had an opportunity several years ago to pull the “I’m going to give you some initials, and I want you to say yes or no” gag. I felt like such a badass! But the only reason I knew to do it was because of this movie. So would you recommend All the President’s Men to people?

JD: Oh, wholeheartedly. I think if you walk away from it feeling like, “This was a David and Goliath story, and I believe that can happen because it did happen and they were successful,” then that’s great. If you walk away from it thinking, “Those were some cool shots,” that’s great, too. If you walk away from it with “The truth matters and I want to help tell it,” well, that’s even better.

 

Categories
News News Blog

The Memphis Flyer Announces Its New Editor

Bruce VanWyngarden and Jesse Davis

I am pleased to announce that the next editor of the Memphis Flyer will be Jesse Davis. 

Outgoing editor Bruce VanWyngarden first announced plans to step back on January 30, 2020. Then Covid-19 changed so many plans, including his: Better to maintain continuity in a time when not much felt familiar. His ongoing leadership over the past year-plus has been invaluable. Now, it’s time to let him step off what he has called “the editor’s weekly treadmill.”

VanWyngarden has served as editor of the Memphis Flyer since 2001. Over the past two decades, his guidance has kept the paper relevant, progressive, and fiercely independent. His weekly editor’s column is a mainstay in the local conversation. He will transition into a new editorial role with Contemporary Media. In this role, he plans to continue writing a regular column for the Flyer, while also using newfound time to tackle larger feature stories. 

Davis is uniquely fit to step onto the editor’s treadmill. A native Memphian and 2009 graduate of the University of Memphis, he has worked for over five years at the Flyer, serving as chief copyeditor, calendar editor, and staff writer (all at the same time). He also is our resident book critic, penning book reviews for the Flyer as well as Memphis magazine and Memphis Parent. Jesse possesses a rare blend of abilities that position him well to occupy to this important role: attention to detail; passion for big, bold ideas; and a sense of how to nurture and inspire a team. 

There is much more to say about Bruce VanWyngarden and everything he has done for the Flyer, and by extension for Memphis. In his words, “It’s been a wonderful 20-year run as Flyer editor, and I’ve been blessed to work with so many marvelous and talented folks, now, and over the past two decades. But it’s time for me to change gears. The editor’s job is a weekly carousel that doesn’t stop. It’s been a great ride but I’m stepping off. I know Jesse will do great things with the paper. He is blessed to be able to work with an amazing team of writers, editors, and designers, sales execs, and management staff — as I have been.”

Davis comments, “In the time I’ve been with the Flyer, the publication has seen its share of shake-ups. That’s natural in any industry, and print journalism is no ordinary industry. It seems the world changes a little more and a little more quickly each day, and we’ll do what it takes to keep up. Part of that means challenging ourselves to grow, to meet the needs of all Memphians. To be snarkier. To cover something even weirder than the crystal skull found in The Pyramid (for more on that particular piece of Memphis trivia, check out our recent “?s Issue”). 
As editor of the Flyer, I plan to expand and deepen our coverage, to meet our readers wherever they find themselves, and to bring you news, reviews, and opinions that are relevant to you, that serve you in some way. There’s more to say, of course, but plenty of time in which to say it. In the meantime? See you next week.”

Categories
Music Music Features

Lush Music from Two Way Radio, Snowglobe, Smartest Man in the World

A similar motif runs through new (and reissued) releases from Memphis-centric groups Snowglobe, Two Way Radio, and the Smartest Man in the World. As with most local releases, the albums share some players. Two Way Radio’s Succinct Extinction, for example, features Snowglobe’s Brad Postlethwaite playing the singing saw. But the common thread running through these releases is the lush arrangements, the focus on melody.

Each release oozes atmosphere, overflowing with horn or string arrangements and layer upon layer of backing vocals. What’s more, it’s all tastefully done, even when horn lines, guitars, pianos, and dueting vocalists share the spotlight, these songs never cross the line into cacophony. Rather, the smorgasbord of vocal and instrumental textures on display acts as an injection of whimsy at the tail-end of a year often characterised by monotony and dread.

Two Way Radio — Succinct Extinction (Back to the Light Records)

Succinct Extinction, the “long-lost” album by Two Way Radio, at last sees the light of day. “It kind of launched out of us getting chosen to participate in [Craig Brewer’s] $5 Cover project,” J.D. Reager explains on his Back to the Light podcast. As Reager and his guest and TWR bandmate Andrew McColgan remember, Scott Bomar, musical director on the $5 Cover show, approached the band to talk about recording an album at Ardent. The band, of course, jumped at the chance.

The end result was Succinct Extinction, a multi-layered example of confectionary pop perfection. Though Bomar shopped the album around to different labels, no one bit, and it was eventually shelved. “It was definitely disappointing when the plug was pulled,” McColgan says. He and Reager muse that the stall on the album may have led to the band’s breaking up. Now, though, Succinct Extinction has found new life thanks to Reager’s Back to the Light label.

“Dirty Dishes” kicks off the album with an arpeggiated piano melody played over restrained guitars and drums. Soon lyrics about Star Wars toys, taking out the trash, and doing the dishes find the sweet spot where the mundane and magical mingle. Kate Crowder’s voice, interwoven with the all-star cast of other vocalists, is the star of the show. “Can You Boss a Nova Around?” wins the award for cleverest song title, and “I Can Do Better,” “Waking Hours,” and “Succinct Extinction” are all standout tracks.

The Smartest Man in the World — “Adult Theater” (self-released)

“We have these ideas about who we are and what we’re going to be. They’re just ideas, but we believe them and they determine the course of our life,” says Dead Soldier frontman and self-styled Smartest Man in the World Michael Jasud. “We also have ideas about what kind of person we’re supposed to be with, and sometimes they’re quite bad ideas.”

The chorus’ vocal melody references Player’s “Baby Come Back,” even as Jasud’s lyrics make clear how foolish an idea a reunion would be for the song’s erstwhile lovers. Though Jasud’s introspection and self-deprecating sense of humor help the songwriter tease out smart, catchy lyrics, the real MVP is the absolutely on-fire musical arrangement.

The players are Shawn Zorn on drums, Landon Moore on bass, Rick Steff on keys, with Kait Lawson and (Snowglobe collaborator) Luke White on backing vocals. “Victor Sawyer wrote the horn parts, which really highlight his incredible and understated sense of melody, and put them down with Jawaun Crawford on trumpet. And Toby Vest of course, my partner in crime and orchestrator of this whole project,” Jasud says. “All of those guys were really instrumental in this song coming together the way it did.”

Snowglobe — Our Land Brains (Nine Mile Records)

Snowglobe’s debut album, Our Land Brains, was originally released via Bardot Records in 2002. The album received favorable reviews and launched a band that would feature prominently in the Memphis music scene for the next two decades. Now, Nine Mile Records has released a remastered limited-edition double vinyl of Our Land Brains with new artwork by Andrew Kosten.

For Memphians aware of Snowglobe but unsure where to begin, the Nine Mile rerelease makes for an ideal jumping-on point. The album bustles with clean, crisp acoustic guitars, Nahshon Benford’s stellar horn lines, and more than a dozen pitch-perfect pop songs — more or less what a listener should expect from the band.

The album opener, “Waves Rolling,” is a slow, seductive entrée into Snowglobe’s dreamy wonderland. “Adrenaline Mother” weaves luxurious pathways through the listener’s brain; warbling slide guitar and horns create a dreamlike atmosphere. “Stubber” starts slowly and sparsely, but when the drums begin in earnest, the song feels as though it’s tapped into something undeniable. That’s the effect this group always has on me: I find myself nodding along, certain of the implicit truth of the song — even when I didn’t quite catch the words. That’s just the power of Snowglobe, and why the band’s name, with its connotations of magic and illusion, is such a perfect fit.

Categories
Music Music Blog

The Two Faces of Jesse Davis

Two musicians named “Jesse Davis” live in Memphis. They both have their own bands. They’re also DJs on separate radio stations. Only one Jesse Davis, though, is releasing a new single November 20th.

Jesse James Davis points to a framed portrait of Robert Ford, who shot and killed the outlaw Jesse James.

They have their own personas, both on social media and in real life. “Jesse James Davis,” 32, is in Yesse Yavis, Model Zero, and 1,000 Lights. “Jesse James is an outlaw,” he says.


“The Other Jesse Davis,” 33, who plays in Terry Prince & the Principles and The Conspiracy Theory, is a Memphis Flyer and Memphis magazine staff member. His middle name is “Aaron,” which, he points out, is Elvis’ middle name.

The Other Jesse Davis, via the most confusing Zoom interview of all time


One Jesse Davis is bearded and the other isn’t. “He’s me with the evil goatee,” Jesse James says.


“I would say I look like Jesse, but with exceptional hair,” Jesse Aaron says.


“And poor eyesight,” Jesse James says. They both wear glasses, but his are “special computer screen glasses,” Jesse James says. “He’s only wearing those because he thinks they make him look cool,” Jesse Aaron says. “My glasses were prescribed by a doctor.”


“These are prescribed,” Jesse James says.

Jesse James Davis shows off his stylish shades.


Discovering there were two “Jesse Davises,” Jesse Aaron says, “was kind of a dawning realization. I kept on being tagged on things online I had not done. Sometimes I would go into Memphis Pizza Cafe and order a pizza and they would say, ‘Oh, you’re Jesse Davis,’” Jesse Aaron continues. “But then they would say, ‘Wait. No. You don’t look like who I think you look like.’”

Michael Donahue


They met at a restaurant, Jesse James says. “A mutual friend introduced us: ‘Jesse Davis, meet Jesse Davis.’ It was much like meeting your doppelgänger in the Black Lodge on Twin Peaks,” Jesse James continues.


Or “like an episode of Star Trek where Spock is doubled,” Jesse Aaron adds.


They “hit it off,” says Jesse Aaron, meaning it was “hand-to-hand mortal combat.”


“I’ve been saying this for years: ‘This town isn’t big enough for both of us,’” Jesse James says.


Recalling when the Principles and Yesse Yavis played at his birthday party, Jesse Aaron says, “I was so excited. I was like, ‘We’re playing a show and Jesse Davis is playing it.’ I think people just thought that I was speaking about myself in the third person.”


“I work at the Memphis Flyer,” Jesse James says/lies. “I’m now the editor. I write about music and books.”


He also says he is a DJ on WEVL, which is where Jesse Aaron works. Jesse James is actually on WYXR.

The Other Jesse Davis, having an identity crisis


“Would you be friends with somebody who’s trying to steal your identity on the Dark Web?” Jesse Aaron asks.


Jesse James is coming out with an hour-long variety show, The Yesse Yavis Extravaganza Spectacular Record Release Show, on November 20th, which will stream online. “It’s got skits and interviews and goofs and on-the-street coverage. And the music, of course.”


His 7” single on Misspent Records that coincides with the show includes “Never Let My Love Fall Down” and “Deep Blue Sea.” The latter is about “being your true self and not making things up and being true to who you are.”


“Oh, my God,” Jesse Aaron interjects. “And Hitler’s new single is about peace, love, and understanding. I’m just flabbergasted right now.”


Asked what he was working on, Jesse Aaron says, “I’m working on controlling my temper mostly.”


“You really need to calm down,” Jesse James says. “This whole interview you’ve seemed to be on edge.”

The Other Jesse Davis

“I want to be friends,” Jesse Aaron says. “I can’t be friends with me. When he’s trying to be me, it hurts.”


“I don’t know what he’s talking about,” Jesse James says, deadpan.


Musically, the Principles are working on “a sci-fi time-travel song,” Jesse Aaron says. “It’s about a post-apocalyptic band, how they have to play on skulls and stones with sticks instead of drums.”

Jesse James Davis knows who he is.


For the record, Jesse James and Jesse Aaron aren’t the only two people in Memphis sharing the same name. “There’s another person named ‘Jessie Davis’ who works at a Mapco around here,” Jesse James says.


While buying beer at Mapco, he noticed the name tag and told the cashier they shared the same name. “She wasn’t amused.”


Categories
News News Blog

The Flyer’s April 22nd Digital Issue

Here’s the story lineup for this week’s virtual issue. Enjoy! We’ll be back in print next week, April 29th. — BV

Letter From the Editor: Blue Skies From Now On — Bruce VanWyngarden

MEMernet: A Very Memphis Easter, a New Bar — Toby Sells

The Week That Was: Data, Abortion, and Domestic Violence — Maya Smith

The Fly-by: Displaced Actor Finds Work, Purpose Serving the Underserved — Toby Sells

Politics: Commission Gets $1.4 Billion Budget From Harris — Jackson Baker

Cover Story: Memphis Cultural Organizations Learning to Deal with the Pandemic — Jon Sparks & Chris McCoy

Steppin’ Out (Stayin’ In): Silky O’Sullivan’s Hosts Virtual Happy Hour — Julia Baker

Books: Corinne Manning’s We Had No Rules — Jesse Davis

Music: Chris Milam’s Meanwhile is a “Good Album for Quarantine” — Alex Greene

Food & Wine: The Rendezvous Adapts During Quarantine — Michael Donahue

Film: Oxford Film Fest Debuts Pioneering Online Format — Chris McCoy

Last Word: Coronavirus is a Dress Rehearsal for Global Warming — Alex Greene

Categories
Cover Feature News

Let’s Get Together! Your 2019 Guide to the Mid-South’s Fairs & Festivals

April

Overton Square Crawfish Festival

The crawfish, the crawdad, the humble mudbug has many names, but it’s something of a universal signifier of spring. Once the tents go up, the band strikes up, and the freshwater crustaceans get boiled, then spring has sprung in the South. This year, Midtown’s annual crawfish festival benefits A Betor Way foundation.

Overton Square, April 13th, noon-6 p.m. www.overtonsquare.com.

Overton Square Crawfish Festival

Southern Hotwing Festival

The 17th annual celebration of the chicken hot wing, the drummie, and everything in between. The festival is organized by nonprofit Wings Over Memphis and benefits Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis. Tickets include three “wing bucks,” which enable ticket holders to sample three wings at the festival.

Tiger Lane, April 13th, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. $10. www.southernhotwingfestival.com.

Southern Hotwing Festival

Southern Literary Festival
This festival dedicated to Southern literature was founded in 1937, and travels between different universities, which play host to it. This year’s edition, held at Christian Brothers University, boasts a packed lineup of guest speakers, readings, and Q&As. Author Chris Offutt is the keynote speaker. (For more information on the SLF, see my Books column on p. 36.)

Christian Brothers University, Thursday-Saturday, April 11th-13th.
www.southernliteraryfestival.org.

Kaleidoscope Food Festival

The Binghampton Development Corporation throws this third-annual festival to celebrate diversity in the Binghampton neighborhood, one of the most diverse in Memphis. The festival features multicultural chefs and entrepreneurs, as well as live performances and storytelling. Oh, and the whole thing happens at Wiseacre Brewing Co., so it’s a given that there will be plenty of great local beer on hand.

Wiseacre Brewing Company, April 13th, 1-5 p.m.

V & E Artwalk

The annual festival celebrating and raising funds for the quiet trail that runs through the Vollintine-Evergreen district is one of my favorite neighborhood festivals. There are food and beer vendors onsite, performances by local musicians, and rows and rows of artists’ and crafters’ booths, all in a tree-lined neighborhood park.

V&E Greenline, April 13th, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. www.vegreenline.com,

Lucero Family Block Party

Every spring, hometown heroes Lucero throw down in the heart of Midtown. As it does this year, the Block Party usually coincides with Record Store Day and a handful of other Memphis fairs and festivals, making it a great rock-and-roll start to the festival season. This year’s performance features special guests Blackberry Smoke, Will Hoge, Austin Lucas, Ben Abney and the Hurts, and the Mighty Souls Brass Band. May your beer stay cold, your Record Store Day bag stay full, and your ears be free of tinnitus.

Minglewood Hall, April 13th, $33-$151. www.minglewoodhall.com.

Nicole Kibert

Lucero Family Block Party

Mudbug Bash

Fifteenth annual crawfish festival, benefiting Palmer Home for Children. The bash features live music, all-you-can-eat crawfish, fare from DeSoto County’s best restaurants, a sponsor’s VIP section, and more.

Panola Street, Hernando, Mississippi, April 13th, 6-11 p.m.

Juke Joint Festival

Clarksdale comes alive for the Juke Joint Festival, an annual celebration of jukin’, jivin’, and raunchy blues and rock-and-roll. With 13 daytime venues and more than 20 participating venues after dark, it’s fair to say that the festival takes over the nearby Mississippi town for a raucous good time.

Various locations, Clarksdae, Mississippi, April 11th-14th. www.jukejointfestival.com.

Beale Street Wine Race

Irish novelist James Joyce was famously not much of one for exercise, but he said, “White wine is like electricity.” Hopefully wine can give the runners a jolt (and a buss) at this boozy foot race Downtown, in which local restaurants and bartenders compete for cash, prizes, and glory.

Downtown, April 14th, 1-4 p.m. Free.

Africa in April

This cultural awareness festival celebrates its 33rd anniversary this year. The festival highlights a different African country every year, and 2019’s festival salutes the Republic of Nigeria. It’s a family-friendly festival with live performances, food and merchandise vendors, and the annual International Diversity Parade.

Robert R. Church Park, April 19th-21st. www.africainapril.org.

Mid-South Hempfest

Sponsored by Whatever smoke shop, this heady festival is officially the biggest cannabis-centric event in the state of Tennessee. It’s an all-ages educational event to raise awareness about the benefits of cannabis, with over 90 vendors, live music, informational speakers, comedians, and an after party hosted by local hip-hop sensation Marco Pavé. Festival favorites Chinese Connection Dub Embassy headline the event.

The Greensward at Overton Park.
April 20th, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Spirits & Soul Festival

This whiskey tour stops in Downtown Memphis for a weekend of tastings, meet-ups, and demonstrations dedicated to the most American of spirits.

Various locations, April 25th-27th.

Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival

Celebrating 27 years, this festival is all about crawfish. With crawfish eating, crawfish bobbing, and crawfish racing, the Rajun Cajun makes the most of the mud bug.

Downtown on Wagner Place and Riverside Drive, between Union and Beale, April 28th, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

May

Memphis Made May Day

Memphis Made hosts this event celebrating music, bikes, bees, and brews. As part of May Day, the Cooper-Young-area brewery is home this year to the arts and music festival Bristerfest and to the Tour de Coop bicycle tour, visiting beehives, community gardens, and chicken coops throughout the city.

Memphis Made Brewing Co., May 4th.

Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival

The Beale Street Music Festival, or simply “Music Fest,” as it’s usually called, is the reason for the season. Grab your poncho or grab your sunscreen. Rain or shine, the festival draws crowds of Memphians and Southerners to the banks of the Mississippi for three days of genre-spanning performances from up-and-comers, old favorites, and local legends. The Killers, Cardi B., Lord Huron, Gary Clark Jr., Bettye Lavette, and Levitt Shell alums St. Paul & the Broken Bones are just a handful of the performers this year. And the Gibson SG-wielding Liz Brasher, soul sensation William Bell, and ultimate groovers Southern Avenue are just a few examples of the impressive local talent on display. I’ll catch y’all at Tom Lee Park.

Tom Lee Park, May 3rd-5th.
www.memphisinmay.org.

Brandon Johnson

Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival

Memphis Greek Festival

The Greek Festival celebrates its 61st anniversary this year. Sixty-one years. And I thought the Flyer‘s 30 years were impressive (That’s right. Didn’t you see the tab on the cover?). That’s 61 years of dancing, cultural cuisine, the Kostas Kastanis Band, and more. If you haven’t checked out this little cultural festival tucked away off Highland near Summer, isn’t it about time you did? Donate three canned food items to the Mid-South Food Bank for free admission.

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, May 10th-11th, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
www.memphisgreekfestival.com.

Memphis Margarita Festival

Guests can sample from the city’s best margarita-makers, vote on their favorite, and the Memphis Flyer will crown a winner at the end of this fest. Each ticket to the festival is good for 15(!) margarita samples, so it’s as close as Memphis gets to Margaritaville. Food will be available for purchase, and there will also be a cash bar with full-sized drinks available. This festival, held Downtown in Fourth Bluff Park, is guaranteed to be awesome squared, rimmed with salt, and served up chill.

Fourth Bluff Park, May 11th, $34.
www.memphismargaritafestival.com.

Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

It’s all about the party at Barbecue Fest. Seriously. The cooking is serious business, but for the pulled-pork pros competing in Barbecue Fest, the cooking is second nature. That means it’s important to tool up for the sauce-wrestling, the karaoke contests, and the drinking. And oh, lord, is there ever drinking. Pro tip: wolf down some ‘cue to soak up the suds, and try not to lose your flip-flop in the mud.

Tom Lee Park, May 15th-18th.
www.memphisinmay.org.

Celebrate Memphis

The folks at MiM put the tradition of honoring a foreign country on hold for the year, and are celebrating the Bluff City in honor of the city’s bicentennial. As part of the bicentennial festivities, MiM introduces a new event: Celebrate Memphis, honoring Memphis’ rich heritage and colorful history as we ring in a new century of soul.

Tom Lee Park, May 25th.
www.memphisinmay.org.

Memphis Italian Fest

With cooking demonstrations, bocce games, the Luigi 5K, and music from Ben Abney and the Hurts, Hope Clayborn and Soul Scrimmage, and more, there’s plenty to entertain at this cultural festival in East Memphis.

Marquette Park, May 30th-June 1st.
www.memphisitalianfestival.com.

Memphis Brewfest

Tenth annual Brewfest, with beer from dozens of local, regional, and national craft breweries. Hungry festival-goers can forage for something to soak up the beer at the food trucks onsite, like Central BBQ, New Wing Order, and Cousins Maine Lobster. Drunk Uncle performs.

Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, May 11th, 4-7 p.m. $25-$100.

June

Juneteenth Urban Music Festival

The Juneteenth festival is an event that truly earns its slogan, “celebrating freedom.” Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., and every year, the Memphis edition of the festival is held Downtown in Robert R. Church Park, with musical performances, food, job fairs, kids talent contests, and the Ultimate Dance Showdown.
Robert R. Church Park, June 14th-16th. www.memphisjuneteenth.com.

July

WEVL Blues on the Bluff

Okay, full disclosure, I host My Morning Mixtape on WEVL, Memphis’ listener-supported radio station, so maybe I’m not the most impartial observer. But, that said, Blues on the Bluff is a party. And it’s not just the music. There’s a reason so many couples choose to get married at the Metal Museum. The grounds afford a sweeping view of the river and the bluffs, and old trees dot the lawn, offering shade. July, when Blues on the Bluff is usually held, is hot, but the wind off the river offers some relief. And last year, Memphis Made teamed up with WEVL to create a special edition version of Junt, the Midtown brewery’s cream ale, to celebrate the volunteer radio station’s biggest fund-raiser party. Oh, and then there’s the music. They don’t call it Blues on the Bluff for nothing.

The Metal Museum, date and time to be announced. www.wevl.org.

Memphis Flyer Burger Week

One of the best burgers I’ve ever had, I ate sitting on the tail of my uncle’s pickup truck, at a rodeo in White River, Arkansas. We were there to fish, not for the rodeo, but we’d gotten into town too late to eat anywhere but at the rodeo concession stand, the last place open at dusk in the sleepy town. I was theatrically starving, as only a 12-year-old on a fishing trip can be, and that burger, once I ate it, was 17 different kinds of satisfying. I’ve been chasing that same kind of burger high ever since, and Memphis Flyer Burger Week has offered my only way to come close to recapturing the beefy bliss of that rodeo burger. What really puts the carmelized onions on my bun, so to speak, are the $5.99 Burger Week prices. So, if you want to recapture your own slice of hamburger heaven, join me for some brand-new burgers and some old favorites all week long, at participating restaurants all over the Memphis area.

Various locations, July 10th-16th.
www.memphisflyerburgerweek.com.

Women’s Theatre Festival of Memphis

Considering the time women spent excluded from theater in the early days of the art form, it’s about time that they had their own theater festival. And, good news. The Women’s Theatre Festival of Memphis is now officially an annual occurrence. It’s four days of plays, readings, dance, and networking.

Various locations, July 11th-14th.
www.womenstfmemphis.org.

August

Elvis Week

Some readers may know about Elvis Aaron Presley’s identical twin brother, Jessie Garon Presley, who was delivered stillborn. Now, I don’t mean to suggest that my dad was too into Elvis, but my name is Jesse Aaron Davis. All that to say, I’m not entirely sure when I went to my first Elvis Week event, but I have vivid memories of watching concert and movie footage in big venues and tiny restaurants, and I’ve been to at least one Elvis laser light show at the Pink Palace planetarium. And all that was before the planetarium got a state-of-the-art overhaul, and the folks at Graceland built their entertainment complex. (It’s nice. They hosted the Flyer‘s Best of Memphis party two years ago.) And though I’m more of a Stax guy these days, I still love the way Memphis becomes Elvis-centric for a week. And I love the way Elvis fanatics from the world over converge on the Bluff City for special performances, Elvis film screenings, and the Candlelight Vigil.

Various locations, August 9th-17th.
www.graceland.com.

Memphis Bacon & Bourbon Festival

The Flyer‘s responsible for a lot of great things, but this pairing of bacon and bourbon has to be one of the best. Bourbon is strong and smoky; bacon is savory and smoky. They go together like peas in a pod, like crafts and drafts (but more on that later). The fourth-annual edition of the Flyer‘s Bacon & Bourbon Fest will contribute a portion of all proceeds to the Memphis Farmers Market. So, besides being a celebration of one of the tastiest pairings since peanut butter met chocolate, it’s a party for a good cause.

Beale Street Landing, August 24th, 6-9 p.m., $34. www.memphisbaconandbourbon.com.

Ostrander Awards

If a party keeps getting thrown year after year for 36 years, then it has to be doing something right, right? In that case, the Ostrander Awards, an annual celebration honoring the best in the local theater, are on a winning streak. Held at the Orpheum, usually on the last Sunday in August, the Ostranders are a Memphis theater tradition. Named after beloved Memphis theater icon Jim Ostrander, a long-standing member of the local theater community, these awards honor excellence in a variety of categories, in both the community theater division and the college theater division. All aspects of stage production will be recognized.

The Orpheum, August 25th, $15.
www.memphisostranders.com.

Delta Fair

The Sherman Brothers must have been thinking about the Delta Fair when they wrote that “a fair is a veritable smorgasbord.” With live music from rock to bluegrass, the Royal Hanneford Circus, fair food galore(!), livestock shows, competitions, and the Delta Dash 5K and 10K, the fair has something for everyone.

Agricenter International, August 30th-September 8th. www.deltafest.com.

September

30 Days of Opera

Month-long opera celebration with free events, including performances at the Levitt Shell, during the Central Gardens Home Tour, and during Cooper-Young Festival.
Various locations, September 1st-30th, www.operamemphis.org.
Germantown Festival

So you thought all the fun fairs were Downtown or in Midtown? Not so, Flyer-Friend. With the 48th(!) annual edition of this festival, Germantown gets in on the festival action. The G-town fest jump-starts the September season, as the festival season shakes off the mid-summer doldrums and kicks it into high gear for the home stretch. The Germantown festival boasts arts and crafts, a kids corner, an auto show, and probably the only weenie dog race in Memphis.

Germantown Civic Center Complex, September 7th-8th.
www.germantownfest.com.

Southern Heritage Classic

This weekend-long celebration is ostensibly about the football rivalry between Jackson State University and the Tennessee State, but there’s so much more going on. The Southern Heritage Classic is a cultural celebration, a tailgating extravaganza, and it’s jam-packed with food, live music, and more. Oh, and did we mention this year is the 30th anniversary of the festival? Oh, yeah.

Liberty Bowl, September 11th-14th.
www.southernheritageclassic.com.

Cooper-Young Festival

I live in the nearby Rozelle neighborhood, so Cooper-Young Fest is pretty much my home turf. And I love C-Y Fest for the food, the friends I unexpectedly bump into, and the live music. And to me, this neighborhood festival always marks the change from summer to autumn. It’s usually a sunny affair, the summer’s last hurrah. And though I court heat stroke every year, there’s something kind of nice about that.

Cooper-Young District, September 14th, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. www.cooperyoungfestival.com.

Mid-South Fair

Okay, so it’s not exactly cool in Memphis in late September, but the cool weather is on the way and there’s just something right about the lights and smells and sounds of a fair on an early autumn night. With live music, fair food, and rides and lights to spare, the Mid-South Fair is just the kind of fair I’m dreaming of.

Landers Center, September 19th-29th, www.midsouthfair.com.

Mid-South Pride Festival

One of the most fun gigs I ever played was at the Mid-South Pride Festival, about five years ago. The weather was mild, the lawn of the FedExForum was a riot of color, and the crowd seemed happy to dance. Best of all, there was an undeniable feeling of goodwill in the air. And though I haven’t been back to Pride Fest in some years, I imagine that feeling of goodwill is pretty much standard for the festival. As if that’s not enough, there’s a parade, vendors, and live music.

Downtown, September 28th.
www.midsouthpride.org.

Gonerfest 16

I discovered one of my new favorite bands at Gonerfest 15, last year’s edition of Goner Records’ annual festival celebrating alternative music. The band in question, French garage-rockers En Attendant Ana, played the penultimate show of their first U.S. tour at the Hi-Tone, and their harmonies, tasteful trumpet licks, and alternatingly crunchy and jangly guitar riffs hooked me. After their set, I interviewed members of the band in the alley behind the Hi-Tone, around the corner from a homemade barbecue cooker hitched to the back of a pickup truck. Smells of cooked meat wafted into the alley; bass throbbed through the walls of the venue. That year, I also saw people crowdsurf to the ecstatic yet haunting sounds of L.A. synth rockers Cobra Man. I heard Harlan T. Bobo play an intimate acoustic set and a barn-burning full-band set. I saw Bênní make talk boxes look cool. And if that doesn’t make you excited for Gonerfest 16, I’m not even sure it’s worth mentioning Lydia Lunch, Aquarian Blood, or Memphis Made’s special edition, Gonerfest commemorative beer.

Various locations, September 26th-29th. www.goner-records.com.

Gonerfest 16

Mid-South International Festival

This festival celebrates the multitude of cultures that mix and mingle in Memphis. With great food, music, and performances representing various cultures, there’s something on offer at this festival for just about everyone.
Railgarten, September 29th.

Memphis Japan Festival

The cherry trees lining the streets make the Botanic Garden an ideal spot for the Memphis Japan Festival, a celebration of Japanese culture. The festival presents Memphians with a family-friendly, hands-on way to experience Japanese culture, with food, music, entertainment, martial arts, and more.

Memphis Botanic Garden, September 29th.

Outflix Film Festival

This film festival is a celebration of film and LGBTQ culture and art. Founded by Brian Pera in 1992, Outflix has come a long way since it was housed in the University of Memphis psychology department and called Twinkie Museum: First Annual Queer Experimental Film Festival.
Various locations, dates to be announced. www.outflixfestival.org.

October

Pink Palace Crafts Fair

With great food, handcrafted goods, craft demonstrations, and a petting zoo and train for the kids, the annual Pink Palace Crafts Fair makes for an ideal daytime date, just in time for autumn weather.
Audubon Park, October 11th-13th.
www.memphismuseums.org.
Agricenter Harvest Festival

The 16th annual Harvest Festival is the quintessential fall festival, with pumpkin-painting, hayrides, arts and crafts, and a bluegrass band.

Agricenter International, October 19th, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. www.agricenter.org.

Cooper-Young Beerfest

The participating breweries for the 10th annual C-Y Beerfest haven’t been announced yet, but judging by the long list of brewers from 2018, there look to be plenty of options for the discerning beer nerd. And since the proceeds benefit the Cooper-Young Community Association, it’s a drink for a good cause.

Midtown Autowerks, Saturday, October 19th, 1-5 p.m. $45-$50. www.cybeerfest.org.

MEMPHOFest

I spoke with Mike Smith, who’s overseeing MEMPHOFest, Memphis’ new(ish) music festival. Smith couldn’t say much about the lineup yet, but he’s excited about MEMPHO’s role in the Bluff City. “We feel like we have a cool little niche we’re trying to fill,” Smith says. “We try to be on the cutting edge of booking artists, in all demographics — rock, hip-hop, Americana.” When I complimented Smith on the festival’s inclusion of local talent — I’m thinking Chinese Connection Dub Embassy, Cory Branan, and Boo Mitchell, for starters — he said his childhood in Memphis influences the booking decisions. “Growing up in Memphis, there’s so much great talent around us,” Smith says. “It would be horrible not to take advantage of that.” But Smith plays his cards close to the chest. When pressed about this year’s performers, all he says is, “We’re finalizing the lineup.”

Shelby Farms Park, October 19th-20th. www.memphofest.com.

Eric Allen

MEMPHOFest

Memphis Tequila Festival

There are a handful of songs about tequila, but most of them either have no lyrics or are super depressing (I’m looking at you, Eagles). So let me just say that with DJs, spooky face painting, a costume photo booth, and samples from more than 30(!) different types of tequila, the Memphis Flyer‘s Tequila Fest is a party to get anyone in the spirit of the season. Each ticket purchaser will be able to choose 15 tequilas to sample from. Proceeds benefit Volunteer Memphis, so every sip counts.

Overton Square, October 25th, $34.
www.memphistequilafestival.com.

RiverArtsFest

RiverArtsFest is an art walk, a street festival, and an educational opportunity all rolled up in one. The festival’s website claims it’s the largest outdoor juried artist market and urban street fair in the Mid-South, and with more than 180 contributing artists, live music, and demonstrations and hands-on activities, that’s a fair claim to make. And being a stone’s throw from the Mississippi in the usually gorgeous last week of October certainly contributes to the romance and scenery factors.

Riverside Drive, between Jefferson and Beale, October 26th-27th.
www.riverartsmemphis.org.

Indie Memphis Film Fest

In an email exchange with Indie Memphis Executive Director Ryan Watt, I gushed about some of my favorite moments from previous festivals (Boots Riley hosting screenings of Brazil and Sorry to Bother You, and a showing of Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me come to mind). Watt, however, was professional, and did his best to respond to my excitement with some actual information about this year’s edition of the ever-growing film festival. “We recently closed submissions to our Black Filmmaker Residency in Screenwriting. Barry Jenkins [who directed 2017 Best Picture winning Moonlight] is selecting two winners to develop screenplays of feature films to shoot in Memphis; they will participate in the festival events,” Watt told me via email.

Watt added that Indie Memphis is reprising last year’s successful Black Creators Forum, “to continue building support for black artists interested in working in film. This is an interdisciplinary event for black musicians, writers, and designers alongside the filmmakers to encourage collaborations.”
Watt stressed that, though there are always some showings from the film world’s underground, the festival is for everyone: “The main thing we want the community to know is the festival is accessible and a lot of fun. Some people may have a perception that it is only for the film industry, and that is not the case.”

Various locations. October 30th-November 4th. www.indiememphis.com.

Indie Memphis Film Fest

November

Memphis Parent School Expo

Parents, save the date for this inclusive School Expo presented by Memphis Parent magazine.

Meet face-to-face with school staff, see informational videos, and pick up take-home materials for planning your child’s education.

Memphis Botanic Garden, November 2nd. Free. www.memphisparentschoolexpo.com.

Crafts & Drafts

At Crafts & Drafts last year, I caught up with a friend who works at Crosstown Arts, drank a tasty craft beer, got my photo taken by Michael Donahue (and shared on his Instagram page, @flyerdonahue), and not only all that, I bought a lovely handmade coffee cup. Mark that down as a big, ol’ score in my book. Oh, and before exploring the arts fair, I ate a burger from Farm Burger in Crosstown. Now, I can’t guarantee that you’ll have exactly the same excellent experience that I did, but isn’t it worth a shot? You’re not going to get your photo taken by Michael Donahue by staying home and sitting on the couch.

Crosstown Concourse Patio, November 9th. Free. www.memphiscraftsanddrafts.com.

Seasonal

Levitt Shell Live Music Series

The Levitt Shell’s website says, on white text set against a dancing flower, that the lineup for this year’s free concert series will be announced April 26th. To say that I’m excited is to indulge a gross understatement. The Shell’s free concert series is a seasonal staple. Overton Park sits in the center of the city, biking distance from many folks. The Shell’s amphitheater shape, serious sound upgrades in recent years, and all those soundwave-absorbing park trees make for a concert series that can achieve acoustic bliss. Each season’s programming spans genres, bringing a diverse array of artists to the Bluff City, total music nerd nirvana. And did I mention it’s free? Or at least pay what you can, and for the level of community entertainment the folks at the Shell are offering, I’m always happy to toss a few dollars into the donation buckets when they make their rounds. So, yeah, I’m excited.

Overton Park, dates and times to be announced. Free. www.levittshell.org.

The Peabody Rooftop Series

The Peabody has been steadily racking up wins for Best People-Watching in the Flyer‘s yearly Best of Memphis competition, which makes their spring and summer Rooftop Series a go-to stop for live music, views of the Mississippi, and party vibes.

The Peabody, Sundays through August 15th.

River Series at Harbor Town Amphitheatre

This Goner Records-sponsored music series has already kicked off, but there are still a couple of events. On April 28th, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, of Wilco and the Memphis-based Mellotron Variations fame, will perform. Memphis garage-rock legend Alicja Trout opens. And on May 19th, Obruni Dance Band and Yazan will perform. Proceeds benefit the Maria Montessori School. (For more information on the River Series, see Flyer music editor Alex Greene’s post in the Music Blog on www.memphisflyer.com.)

Harbor Town Amphitheatre, seasonal. www.riverseries.org.

Time Warp Drive-In

It’s no secret that I love the Time Warp. No, not the song from Rocky Horror Picture Show (Well, yes, the song from Rocky Horror, too), but the monthly cult cinema celebration at Malco’s Summer Drive-In. The series started this year with the annual “Soul Cinema” night in February, and March saw the “Back to the Back to the Future” night, a screening of the entire Future trilogy, but the series runs for the rest of the year. The next screening is April 20th, with “Don’t You Forget About Me: The Teen Films of John Hughes.”

Malco Summer Drive-In, monthly, $10. www.malco.com.