Categories
Special Sections

Government

Note: All area codes are 901

GENERAL INFORMATION

ALL EMERGENCIES: 911

CORRECT TIME AND WEATHER: 526-5261.

GENERAL INFORMATION: 415-2700 (LINC, Memphis/Shelby County Public Library’s information and referral system).

WEATHER: 544-0399, National Weather Service.
srh.noaa.gov/meg.

HOTLINES

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: 454-1414, memphis-aa.org

BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU: 759-1300, midsouth.bbb.org

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT: 543-7120

COCAINE ANONYMOUS: 725-5010. 800-662-4357,
ca.org/phones.html

DEAF INTERPRETING: 577-3783

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: 458-1515,
mscema.org

EMERGENCY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE: 577-9400,
samhsa.gov (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration).

FAMILY LINK / RUNAWAY SHELTER: 725-6911 or
youthvillages.org, 276-SAFE

FRIENDS FOR LIFE / AIDS SWITCHBOARD: 278-2437,
friendsforlifecorp.org

POISON EMERGENCIES: 528-6048, 800-288-9999 (TN only), 800-222-1222. aapcc.org (American Association of Poison Control Centers)

RAPE CRISIS / MEMPHIS SEXUAL ASSAULT RESOURCE CENTER: 272-2020, rainn.org (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).

SUICIDE AND CRISIS INTERVENTION: 274-7477,
mhsanctuary.com/suicide/

TEEN DRUG HOTLINE: 527-3784.

VETERANS COUNSELING CENTER: 544-0173, va.gov/rcs/

YWCA ABUSED WOMEN’S HOTLINE: 725-4277,
memphisywca.org

CLEAN-UP/SANITATION

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: 576-6722. For new garbage service: 576-6851, cityofmemphis.org

COMMUNITY SERVICES

AGING COMMISSION OF THE MID-SOUTH (formerly Delta Area Agency on Aging): 324-6333, agingcommission.org

CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING: 726-6404, mcil.org/mcil

CENTER FOR NEIGHBORHOODS: 636-6592

METROPOLITAN INTER-FAITH ASSOCIATION (MIFA): 527-0208, mifa.org

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT SECURITY: 800-344-8337
tennessee.gov/labor-wfd/esdiv.html

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION: 544-0115, eeoc.gov

CITY GOVERNMENT

CITY GOVERNMENT INFORMATION: 576-6500,
cityofmemphis.org

PUBLIC SERVICES INFORMATION: 576-6564

CITY COUNCIL OFFICE: 576-6786

CITY MAYOR’S OFFICE: 576-6000

CITY TREASURER/TAXES: 576-6306

COMPLAINTS/MAYOR’S CITIZEN SERVICE CENTER: 576-6500

PARK SERVICES (FORMERLY PARK COMMISSION): 576-4200

PUBLIC WORKS: 576-6742

COUNTY GOVERNMENT

INFORMATION: 545-5000, shelbycountytn.gov

COMPLAINTS/COUNTY ASSISTANCE CENTER: 545-4584

COUNTY ASSESSOR OF PROPERTY: 379-7303,
assessor.shelby.tn.us/content.

COUNTY COMMISSION: 545-4301

COUNTY MAYOR’S OFFICE: 545-4500

COUNTY TRUSTEE/TAXES: 521-1829, shelbycountytrustee.com

JUVENILE COURT: 405-8400
PUBLIC SERVICE: 576-6564

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION: 333-3520. fda.gov

HEAD START: 922-0700, tnheadstart.org

HEALTH DEPARTMENT: 544-7600

HUMAN SERVICES: 576-6503, cityofmemphis.org

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: 800-772-1213, ssa.gov

TENNCARE: 800-342-3145, tennessee.gov/tenncare/

HOUSING/REGULATIONS

BUILDING PERMITS: 379-4200

HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: 576-7300

HOUSING AUTHORITY: 544-1100

LANDMARKS COMMISSION: 576-7191

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT: 576-6619

OTHER AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS

ARTSMEMPHIS: 578-2787,
artsmemphis.org

CENTER CITY COMMISSION: 575-0540,
downtownmemphis.com

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MEMPHIS REGIONAL: 543-3500, memphischamber.com

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU, MEMPHIS: 543-5300. memphistravel.com

COUNTY ARCHIVES, SHELBY COUNTY: 545-4356,
memphislibrary.org/history/archiv1.htm
CORPS OF ENGINEERS: 785-6055, mvm.usace.army.mil

ELECTION COMMISSION: 545-2600, shelbyvote.com

FBI: 747-4300, memphis.fbi.gov

HEALTH & PEST CONTROL: 324-5547, gmapca.com

IRS: 800-829-3676, irs.gov

JURY COMMISSION, SHELBY COUNTY: 545-4065

LIBRARIES, MEMPHIS & SHELBY COUNTY: 415-2700,
memphislibrary.lib.tn.us

PASSPORT OFFICE: 521-2559

POST OFFICE: 800-275-8777 (customer affairs)

VETERANS AFFAIRS: 523-8990,
www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility

VISITOR INFORMATION: 543-5333

VOTER REGISTRATION: 545-4136, shelbyvote.com/

PETS/ANIMALS

ANIMAL PROTECTION ASSOCIATION: 324-3202,
spaymemphis.com

FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE: 327-7631,
fws.gov/southeast/maps/tn.html

MEMPHIS ANIMAL SHELTER: 362-5310,
petfinder.org/shelters/TN111.html

MEMPHIS HUMANE SOCIETY: 272-1753, memphishumane.org/

TENNESSEE WILDLIFE RESOURCE AGENCY: 800-372-3928, state.tn.us/twra/

WILDLIFE REHABILITATION (Exotic Animal Rescue League): 756-5556.

PUBLIC SAFETY

MEMPHIS FIRE DEPARTMENT FIRE PREVENTION PROGRAMS: 320-5650, uc.memphis.edu/fire_course_info.htm

MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT

INFORMATION: 545-2677, memphispolice.org

CRIME STOPPERS: 528-2274, crimestopmem.org/

JAIL: 545-5660, 201 Poplar

SHELBY COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

INFORMATION: 545-4537, shelby-sheriff.org/

JAIL: 377-4500, Shelby County Correction Center

TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL

DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS: 543-6526,
tennessee.gov/safety/thp/districtfour.htm

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MEMPHIS CITY SCHOOLS: 416-5300,
memphis-schools.k12.tn.us

SHELBY COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION: 321-2500,
scsk12.org/SCS/pages/brdtoc.html

TRANSPORTATION

AIRPORT AUTHORITY: 922-8000, Memphis International Airport. Call individual airlines for ticket and passenger information.
memphisairport.org

COAST GUARD — LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER: 544-3912,
uscg.mil/

DRIVER’S LICENSE: 543-7920 (various branches in Shelby County), tennessee.gov/safety/driverlicense/dllocation.htm

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: 291-3480, faa.gov/

MEMPHIS AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY (MATA): 722-7100,
matatransit.com/

MATA BUS SCHEDULES: 274-6282, matatransit.com/

MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION: 528-2904

MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION: 576-4244

TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS: 545-5400

UTILITIES

GARBAGE PICK-UP/SANITATION: 576-6508

MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS & WATER: 820-7878 or 544-6549,
mlgw.com

TELEPHONE SERVICE, BELLSOUTH, RESIDENTIAL:
888-757-6500.

TELEPHONE REPAIR, BELLSOUTH, RESIDENTIAL: 877-737-2478

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY: 785-8408, tva.gov/

Volunteer Coordinating Organizations

Metropolitan Inter-Faith Organization (MIFA)

MIFA is a community-service organization founded in 1968 that addresses needs in the Memphis community. Its 14 programs tackle homelessness, education, nutrition, and legal and financial concerns for more than 60,000 people each year. MIFA’s programs give individuals a chance to live independently with hope and dignity. MIFA depends on support from the community for volunteer time, leadership, and donations. (527-0208, mifa.org)

Volunteer Memphis

Volunteer Memphis’ goal is to connect people with opportunities to serve. Volunteer Memphis develops, promotes, and supports volunteerism in the Memphis area. Special programs include the corporate volunteer program, summer volunteer programs for teens, and group volunteering for single adults. The organization publishes a monthly calendar of volunteer activities, and its Web site has a searchable database of volunteer opportunities with more than 250 local agencies. (523-2425, volunteermemphis.org)

Animals

Memphis Shelby County Humane Society

Your landlord or spouse doesn’t approve of pets? Just an animal lover at heart? Assist the Humane Society, which rescues injured and abused animals, by helping groom, feed, and exercise dogs and cats. (937-3900, memphishumane.org)

Children

Court Appointed Special Advocates

A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained community volunteer appointed by a court to represent the best interests of abused or neglected children whose placement is being determined by the court. With the support of a program director and staff social workers, volunteers make an in-depth investigation into a child’s case, produce a written report, and make recommendations to the judge or referee on the child’s behalf. (405-8422, memphiscasa.org)

Exchange Club Family Center

The Exchange Club Family Center provides prevention, therapeutic intervention, and educational and support programs for children and families who are dealing with the traumatic effects of child abuse and domestic violence. Volunteers are needed for child care, administrative tasks, and special projects. (276-2200, exchangeclub.net)

Youth Villages

Youth Villages is the Mid-South’s largest provider of treatment and care for troubled children and their families. Volunteers serve as mentors, tutor in academics or job skills, assist with special projects or fund-raising efforts, provide administrative assistance, and teach a talent or skill. (251-4821,
youthvillages.org)

Disability Services

Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired

Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired works to foster independence and promote the highest quality of life among those who are blind or visually impaired.  Volunteers are needed to help transport clients, perform administrative duties, help with fund-raising events, and perform a wide array of meaningful tasks. (523-9590, clovernook.org)

Memphis Center for Independent Living

The Memphis Center for Independent Living is a disability rights and advocacy organization. Volunteers are needed to make phone calls, prepare a quarterly newsletter, and assist the staff, most of whom have disabilities. (726-6404, mcil.org)

Mid-South Association for Retarded Citizens (Mid-South Arc)

The purpose of Mid-South Association for Retarded Citizens is to empower people with developmental disabilities and mental retardation to achieve their full potential. The Arc has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, including advocacy, case management, job readiness instructors, mentors, and Family Support Service program staff. (327-2473, arcmidsouth.net)

Raymond Skinner Recreation Center

The Raymond Skinner Recreation Center is a community-based facility offering programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an opportunity to participate in public leisure services and recreation. Volunteers can get involved in a variety of special programs, such as the Reach-Out and after-school programs, and are also needed for the summer camp and weekly Friday-night dances. (272-2528)

WYPL Talking Library

WYPL FM 89.3 provides the visually impaired and physically handicapped in Shelby County timely access to the news and other printed information over the radio. Volunteers read magazine and newspaper stories on the air. (415-2752, memphislibrary.org/wypl)

Health Services

Church Health Center / Hope and Healing

The Church Health Center provides health care for
uninsured working people and their families. All types of
health professionals are needed to staff the clinic on a volunteer basis during evenings and Saturdays. (272-7170, churchhealthcenter.org)

Crisis Center of Memphis

Volunteers receive training on how to respond and provide support to runaways and abused persons, as well as how to handle overdoses, loneliness, and other crises. The Crisis Center is a 24-hour crisis hot line, supported by Memphis Family Services, Inc. (274-7477)

Friends for Life — Aloysius Home

Friends for Life provides information about AIDS and support services for those with AIDS and their families. Opportunities for volunteers include cooking, serving, cleaning up after the Feast for Friends, a bimonthly client dinner, and filling client orders from the food pantry. (272-0855, friendsforlifecorp.org)

Hope House

Hope House is the only agency in Tennessee that provides much-needed day care and social services to the growing number of children and their families impacted by HIV/AIDS. Hope House assists with activities, recreation, companionship, and emotional support for affected children and their parents. Volunteers and interns are needed in a variety of tasks, including classroom assistance, mentoring, administrative work, and fund-raising. (272-2702 ext. 216 or ext. 206, hopehousedaycare.org)

National Foundation for Transplants

The National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) assists those needing a transplant to create a future of hope. NFT provides financial assistance, fund-raising expertise, and advocacy to organ and tissue transplant patients nationwide. Volunteer opportunities include general office work and help in planning and carrying out local fund-raising events. (684-1697, transplants.org)

Hunger and Homelessness

Calvary Street Ministry

This ministry works with the homeless to help them discover the tools they need to become positive contributors to society. The ministry provides an alcohol and drug program and a drop-in center for the mentally ill. Volunteers are needed to visit and interact with people at the drop-in center with programs like board games, activities, and arts and crafts. Volunteers are also needed on weekday mornings to interview the homeless.
(543-0372, calvaryjc.org)

The Food Bank

The Food Bank provides food and other grocery items to over 300 charitable feeding programs in 32 counties throughout the Mid-South. The Food Bank runs three Kids Cafe sites and the Prepared and Perishable Food Recovery Program and in addition sponsors the Feed the Need program in local grocery stores. Volunteers are needed to assist with special events, serve at Kids Cafe sites, sort and pack food items, and perform clerical duties. (527-0841, memphisfoodbank.org)

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis

Habitat builds homes for families who could not otherwise afford them. Interns and volunteers help with fund-raising, construction, and clerical work and participate in other activities. (761-4771 ext. 215, memphishabitat.com)

Literacy and Education

Memphis Literacy Council

Volunteers are needed to help with the Council’s adult-learning program. Volunteers can teach classes, work in the computer lab, and pair with students for private tutoring. Tutor-training workshops are held once a month. (327-6000, memphisliteracycouncil.org)

Neighborhood Christian Center

The center focuses on tutor and mentor programs for children K-12 in low-income neighborhoods. Volunteers are needed to assist with tasks such as sorting clothes, data entry, telephone calls, filing, and assistance with special events. (881-6013, ncclife.org)

Shelby County Prison — Division of Corrections

The Shelby County Division of Corrections encourages the rehabilitative process for incarcerated men and women. Through a variety of volunteer programs, inmates are provided with the essential tools to prevent them from being repeatedly incarcerated. (377-4573)

Streets Ministry

Streets Ministry provides services such as tutoring, Bible study, weekend and summer camps, computer training, and religious education to children and adolescents from low-income neighborhoods. (525-7380, streetsministries.org)

Senior Services

Alzheimer’s Adult Day Services, Inc.

This adult day services program for Alzheimer’s patients provides a safe and stimulating social environment for participants in an effort to help maintain a maximum level of functioning. Volunteers assist clients with daily group activities and provide one-on-one interaction as needed. (372-4585, alzheimersdayservices.org)

St. Peter Villa

St. Peter Villa is a nonprofit nursing home and rehabilitation center that is nonsectarian but supported by the Catholic Diocese of Memphis. Friendly faces are needed to visit with or “adopt” residents, many of whom have no family or friends nearby. Volunteers can also help by assisting with daily
activities, donating gifts, and preparing welcome baskets.
(276-2021, stpetervilla.org)

Related Stories…

The Magic 2008-Ball

Calendar 2008

Arts Listings

Education Listings

Entertainment Listings

Health Listings

Media Listings

Recreation Listings

Shopping Listings

Categories
Music Music Features

Harlan T. Bobo and Amy LaVere Highlight the Year in Memphis Music

A lot of the usual suspects in local music were quiet in 2007. Recent headliners Three 6 Mafia, North Mississippi Allstars, Lucero, Snowglobe, the ex-Oblivians (Jack Yarber and Greg Cartwright), and ex-Lost Sounds (Alicja Trout and, to an extent, Jay Reatard) all took the year off as far as releasing new albums. Meanwhile, the past loomed large again in the form of a relaunch of Stax records, which spurred a welcome avalanche of reissue and archival material.

But into this new-music breach, lots of good stuff emerged, including (obviously or arguably) improved sophomore releases from the likes of Tunnel Clones, Harlan T. Bobo, and breakout star Amy LaVere …

Read the rest of the Flyer’s picks for the best in Memphis music for 2007.

Categories
Opinion

Best, Worst Ideas of 2007

I don’t think it’s a good idea for anyone to serve five straight terms as mayor, but 42 percent of the people who voted in October thought otherwise. Underestimating Mayor Willie Herenton’s political base was not a good idea, and neither was relying on polls to tell you to run against him in a three-way.

It was a good idea for seven City Council incumbents to decide not to run again. (Rickey Peete and Edmund Ford had little choice.) Fresh horses and all that, plus the next four years won’t be any picnic if Memphis slides into a recession.

Going to trial against federal prosecutors in public corruption cases was not a good idea. They’re unbeaten. John Ford put up a good fight, but the tapes were devastating and a jury convicted him on one count to get him a 66-month prison sentence, slightly more than the 63 months given to Roscoe Dixon, who also went to trial.

Cooperating with federal prosecutors was a good idea. Second-offender Rickey Peete got 51 months, and Michael Hooks, who held three elected positions in his career, is serving 26 months. Darrell Catron, who kicked off Tennessee Waltz, got probation plus a new house and spending money without, so far, even having to testify in a trial. Ralph Lunati pleaded guilty and got 18 months for running what investigators called the wildest and most wide-open, drug-infested strip clubs in the country.

Building a team for the future was not a good idea. The Grizzlies will be eliminated from playoff contention about the time March Madness begins.

Building a team for the present was a good idea. You can complain about college basketball stars leaving school early for the pros or you can accept the fact and go get them, as Coach John Calipari has done. No one has done a better job than Calipari of making the best of a bad situation — competition, Beale Street clubs, a weak Conference USA schedule, early departures, a resurgent University of Tennessee. Memphis against UT will be the hottest ticket of 2008.

Hanging around until the shit hits the fan was not a good idea. Joseph Lee, a nice guy who got terrible press, would be in a lot less trouble today if he had not stayed so long at MLGW or had never gone over there from City Hall in the first place.

Resigning before the shit hits the fan was a good idea. Andy Dolich, a nice guy who got great press, couldn’t sell out FedExForum for the Grizzlies. Two weeks later, he landed on his feet as chief operating officer for the San Francisco 49ers. And has anyone seen Jerry West or remember why he was the toast of the town? And why didn’t Carol Johnson tell us any of this stuff was going on at the Memphis City Schools before she left for Boston to be superintendent?

More fun downtown, in the form of roller coasters at The Pyramid, is not a good idea. Look at it this way: Nashville has state government and office buildings and corporate headquarters of insurance companies and telecoms, Knoxville has the University of Tennessee, Little Rock has the Capitol and the Clinton library, and the front door of Memphis might be an amusement park in an abandoned landmark?

Less fun and more work downtown is a good idea. If Mud Island is going to be closed more than half the year, then why not let a private developer have a go at it? Closing streets and turning St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and ALSAC into a true campus was another good idea. So was signing a deal to bring the University of Memphis law school downtown to the old Customs House and post office on Front Street.

Monetizing content by selling sponsorships for stories in The Commercial Appeal was not a good idea, unless you’re in the public relations business.

But monetizing content somehow in the Internet age is a good idea, unless you think reporters and editors should work for nothing. And so was the CA‘s decision to admit a mistake and back off before any more damage was done.

Building a new football stadium at the Fairgrounds was a bad idea. The problem is the teams on the field, Conference USA, and the stadium’s shabby surroundings.

Flat screens, high def, and the new no-smoking regs in bars were good ideas. The best seat in the house is at a sports bar or on your couch.

Categories
News

Timely Tips For Dealing With Bands For The Holidays

The following comes to us via the Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, who plays Beale Street on occasion.

BAND CLAIRVOYANCE: When requesting a song from the band, just say “play my
song!” We have chips implanted in our heads with an unlimited database of
the favorite tunes of every patron who ever walked into a bar and all* songs
ever recorded, so feel free to be vague, we love the challenge. If we say we
really don’t remember that tune you want, we’re only kidding. Bands do know
every* song ever recorded, so keep humming. Hum harder if need be… it
helps jog the memory, or just keep repeating your request over and over
again if a band tells you they do not know a song you want to hear, they
either forgot that they know the tune or they are just putting you on. Try
singing a few words for the band. Any words will do.

It also helps to scream your request from across the room several times per
set, followed by the phrases, “AW COME ON!” and, “YOU SUCK!” Exaggerated hand
gestures expressing disapproval from the dance floor are a big help as well,
such as the thumbs down or your middle finger. Put-downs are the best way to
jog a band’s memory. This instantly promotes you to the status of “Personal
Friend Of The Band.” You can bet your request will be the next song we play.

Entertainers are notorious fakers and jokesters and never really prepare for
their shows. They simply walk on stage with no prior thought to what they
will do once they arrive. We don’t actually make set lists or rehearse
songs. We mostly just wait for you to yell something out, then fake it. An
entertainer’s job is so easy, even a monkey could do it, so don’t let them
off the hook easily. Your request is all that matters.

Once you’ve figured out what genre of music the band plays, please make your
requests from a totally different genre. The more exaggerated the better. If
its a blues band playing, yell for some Metallica or Slayer or Pantera.
Likewise, if its a death-speed metal band, be sure to request Brown-eyed
Girl or some Grateful Dead. Musicians need to constantly broaden their
musical horizons, and its your job to see that it happens….immediately.

TALKING WITH THE BAND: The best time to discuss anything with the band in
any meaningful way is at the middle of a song when all band members are
singing at the same time. Our hearing is so advanced that we can pick out
your tiny voice from the megawatt wall of sound blasting all around us. And
we can converse with you in sign language while singing the song, so don’t worry that we’re in the middle of the chorus.

Musicians are expert lip readers too. If a musician does not reply to your
question or comment during a tune, it’s because they didn’t get a good look
at your mouth in order to read your lips. Simply continue to scream your
request and be sure to overemphasize the words with your lips. This helps immensely. Don’t be fooled. Singers have the innate ability to answer questions and sing at the same time. If the singer doesn’t answer your questions immediately, regardless of how stupid the question may seem, it’s
because they are purposely ignoring you. If this happens, immediately cop an
attitude. We love this.

IMPORTANT: When an entertainer leans over to hear you better, grab his or
her head in both hands and yell directly into their ear, while holding their
head securely so they cannot pull away. This will be taken as an invitation
to a friendly and playful game of tug of war between their head and your
hands. Don’t give up! Hang on until the singer or guitar player submits.
Drummers are often safe from this fun game since they usually sit in the
back, protected by the guitar players. Keyboard players are protected by
their instrument, and only play the game when tricked into coming out from
behind their keyboards. Though difficult to get them to play, it’s not
impossible, so keep trying. They’re especially vulnerable during the break
between songs.

HELPING THE BAND: If you inform the band that you are a singer, the band
will appreciate your help with the next few tunes, or however long you can
remain standing on stage. If you’re too drunk to stand unassisted, simply
lean on one of the band members or the most expensive piece of equipment you
see. Just pretend you’re in a Karaoke bar. Simply feel free to walk up on
stage and join in. By the way, the drunker you are, the better you sound,
and the louder you should sing.
If by chance you fall off the stage, be sure to crawl back up and attempt to
sing harmony. Keep in mind that nothing assists the band more than
outrageous dancing, fifth and sixth part harmonies, or a tambourine played
out of tempo. Try the cowbell; they love the challenge. The band always
needs the help and will take this as a compliment.

Finally, the microphone
and PA system are merely props, they don’t really amplify your voice, so
when you grab the mic out of the singers hand be sure to scream into it at
the top of your lungs, otherwise no one will hear what a great singer you
are. Hearing is over-rated anyhow, and the crowd and the sound guy will love
you for it.

BONUS TIP: As a last resort, wait until the band takes a break and then get on stage and start playing their instruments. They love this. Even if you
are ejected from the club, you can rest assured in the fact that you have
successfully completed your audition. The band will call you immediately the
following day to offer you a position.

See you at the next gig!

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Gifts Galore

Do Good

Buy a membership to the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. Located in New Orleans, the museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the discovery, understanding, and celebration of the food, drink, and related culture of the South. Memberships start at $35.

southernfood.org

Make someone a friend of the Memphis Farmers Market. The mostly volunteer-operated downtown market needs the community’s support to grow and thrive. Friendship levels start at $35.

memphisfarmersmarket.com

Chew on This

If you want to give a gift certificate for a local restaurant but can’t decide which one, you can purchase a gift certificate from the Memphis Restaurant Association. The list of participating restaurants is long and includes such favorites as Automatic Slim’s, Ronnie Grisanti & Sons, Memphis Pizza Café, Jarrett’s, Jim’s Place East, and Café Society. Gift certificates are available in $10, $25, and $50 increments.

mra.memphis-dining.com

A membership to Mantia’s cheese-of-the-month club will please any cheese lover. Mantia’s in East Memphis carries the largest selection of imported and domestic cheeses in town. Club memberships can be purchased for three, six, or 12 months and cost $15 per month plus tax. The deli also sells fine Italian meats and hard-to-find gourmet food products.

Mantia’s, 4856 Poplar (762-8560)

No Ordinary Joes

For coffee connoisseurs, the options at Ugly Mug Coffee are endless. You can even please the Elvis fan with the roaster’s Elvis coffee Christmas collection, containing four bags of Love Me Tender, Santa Baby, Blue Christmas, and Silent Night for $27.95. Ugly Mug also offers gift boxes and samplers from $17.50 to $36. uglymugcoffee.com

High Point Coffee also offers gift and sample boxes, including a two-coffee set in three varieties for $19.95 and a travel mug and coffee set for $21.95. ($1 refills for travel mugs in the stores.) Discounts are available for orders of 10 or more. Call 662-234-9942 for more information.

High Point Coffee, 6610 Poplar (761-6800); 1680 Union (726-6322)

highpointcoffee.biz

Café Las Flores offers premium, full-bodied roast coffee, along with other items from owner Lucia Heros’ home country of Nicaragua. Heros can custom-design a gift basket with coffees, candles, candies, and rustic hand-made Nicaraguan coffee and espresso cups, creamers, and sugar bowls. To place your order or for more information, call 647-4321.

cafelasflores.com

Kitchen Aide

If your home chef needs a new knife, more cookie cutters, or specialized kitchen gadgets, Forty Carrots is the place to go. Among the items to make the home chef drool: Zyliss soft skin peeler ($9) for delicate produce such as kiwis and tomatoes; the Totally Bamboo double salt box ($30); and the Camerons stove-top smoker ($65).

Forty Carrots, 5101 Sanderlin (683-5187)

Ben Smith, owner/chef of Tsunami, offers private cooking classes for groups of 12 or more. Cost is $50 per person plus tax. For more information, call 274-2556.

Tsunami, 928 S. Cooper

tsunamimemphis.com

Read All About It

Give a subscription to Edible Memphis, the magazine for locally grown and produced food, featuring profiles, essays, and more. Edible Memphis is published quarterly; an annual subscription costs $28.

ediblememphis.com

Another valuable resource for local food lovers is Memphis magazine, the Flyer‘s sister publication. Each issue features dining reviews by Nicky Robertshaw, recipes from area chefs, and extensive restaurant listings. In addition, Memphis publishes its “Dining Guide” every January. And, to sweeten the deal, gift subscriptions come with a Dinstuhl’s “Taste of Memphis” candy bar. Annual subscriptions are $12. memphismagazine.com

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

The Here and Now

When most people first hear the word “locavore,” their response is apt to be, “What?” But it will most certainly be used more frequently now that Oxford University Press, publisher of the New Oxford American Dictionary, announced that “locavore” is the word of the year.

The term was coined in 2005 by a group of women in San Francisco who challenged residents to eat locally for the month of August. They defined “local” as foods grown and harvested within a 100-mile radius of the city. They also encouraged people to can and preserve food bought by local growers for the winter months.

It’s estimated that most produce in grocery stores travels an average of 1,500 miles before reaching the table. Locavores are trying to increase awareness of the damage this transportation costs, not only in terms of higher prices but also in increased air pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions. Additionally, instead of supporting local farmers in the community, money is sent to food conglomerates across the country and even around the globe.

While the word “locavore” is new for many, the movement to eat locally is not.

“It’s nothing new,” says Steve Lubin, owner of Good Life and Honeysuckle, a local health-food and supplement store. “This has been preached for years: Eat fresh, eat local, eat as organically as you can, which means eating seasonally.”

In today’s global marketplace, consumers can purchase fruits and vegetables year-round regardless of season. For instance, it’s not hard to find melons in most major grocery stores this time of year, but while the fruit is there, what’s missing is quality and flavor.

John Charles Wilson is president of Agricenter International, which houses a farmers’ market that recently closed for the winter season and will reopen next spring. He says many, though not all, of the vendors are local growers. He believes eating local means eating healthier.

“When you know it comes straight from the farm, it hasn’t been handled by 40 different hands, so it’s a safer product,” he says. “It’s picked at the peak of flavor.”

The effects of supporting local farmers and buying locally grown products are much more far-reaching in Memphis than people may realize, says Jeanice Blancett, owner of Square Foods.

“The impact of not having to use trucks going from California to Memphis — the gasoline, the pollution, the cost — is tremendous,” she says.

Jill and Keith Forrester own Whitton Flowers & Produce in Tyronza, Arkansas, about 35 miles north of Memphis. They are committed to raising and selling only the freshest products.

“People don’t realize what resources they have right here. It’s really important to buy from and support your local farmers,” she says.

Both of the Forresters were educators and gave up teaching when they started their farming operation, something they’ve never regretted. Jill tries to make people aware of the importance of supporting local growers.

“When produce isn’t being shipped from California or from out of the country, it keeps your money local. And just think about what all that shipping does to the environment,” she says.

Benefits to consumers are obvious when the freshest fruits and vegetables go directly from the field to the table. “If you know your farmer, you know your food,” says Jill, who is currently selling Whitton’s flowers, vegetables, and herbs outside Square Foods on Saturdays.

One of her fellow vendors, Tim Smith (known to many in the community as “the arugula guy”), and his partner run a small farm in Holly Springs, Mississippi, called Gracious Gardens. Smith picks his produce the day before it’s sold.

“People are waking up to the idea that there are ways to get something fresh,” Smith says. “They are tired of going to the grocery store and seeing shriveled vegetables. Think about when you get something from California. It’s been picked, boxed, and trucked. Think about how many days it spends in transit. If it’s from California, it’s not fresh.”

The fact is, Blancett says, the minute something is picked from the vine, it starts to die.

She concedes that eating locally is more challenging during the fall and winter months, when fewer vegetables are in season. But supporting local farmers has other advantages, Blancett says: “There’s a sense of community — everyone taking care of one another.”

Blancett remembers one time when Smith was getting ready to leave after a day of selling his vegetables in front of Square Foods.

“At the end of the day, when he was packing up, he [stopped to] show me how to change the alternator in my truck,” Blancett recalls. “Somebody on the West Coast isn’t around to do that, but my local farmer will give me some turnip greens and then turn around and help me fix my alternator.”

Whitton Flowers & Produce and Gracious Gardens sell produce at Square Foods (937 S. Cooper, 274-4222) on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Ask the produce manager of your neighborhood grocery store about the availability of locally grown produce. Fayette Packing Co. (16620 Hwy. 196, 867-3826) sells locally raised pork and can get locally raised beef by request.

Categories
News News Feature

Think Locally

One Supreme Court justice, 1,500 lawyers, and a disgraced former prime minister out of a population of nearly 150 million people hardly constitute great opposition to President Pervez Musharraf, who has declared a state of emergency in Pakistan.

For Americans to prattle about a “return” to democracy is both silly and hypocritical. Musharraf was a dictator when we asked for his help after 9/11, has been a dictator ever since, and very likely will remain a dictator unless some assassin gets lucky.

Furthermore, democracy in Pakistan has a sorry history of corruption, coups, and assassinations. The best and smartest thing we can do is simply keep our mouths shut and let the Pakistanis work it out for themselves. In a country where Osama bin Laden is more popular than George W. Bush, our influence is virtually nil anyway. As long as President Bush wants to keep troops in Afghanistan, he needs Musharraf more than Musharraf needs him.

Unfortunately, too many of the baby-boomer generation are blathermouths. They have this insane notion that they have to “make a statement” on everything in the world, not realizing that words won’t even ruffle the wing of a gnat. To make matters worse, we’ve developed an industry of chatterers on radio and television, hardly one of whom is the least bit knowledgeable of the topics he beats his gums about.

No American who hasn’t spent years in Pakistan is qualified to talk about the situation there. It takes that long to learn who the players are and where the power structure lies. Looking at fleeting images of crowds on television doesn’t tell you anything except that there are crowds in a very crowded country. Ignorance is best served by silence, lest it spread.

Besides, we have only a limited and narrow legitimate interest in Pakistan. It’s not our country. It’s not on our borders. Our only interest is, will Pakistan assist us in the war against terrorism (to use the bad metaphor of the Bush administration)? If the answer is yes, it doesn’t matter to us who is in charge of the country. As the ancient saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Right now would be a good time to turn off the television sets in America. The writers are on strike, and soon there will be nothing but reruns of reruns. Apparently, none of the late-night comedians is able to write his own material. The news shows are a joke. If you get lonesome for a talking image, play a DVD or a tape.

In the meantime, your local newspaper will keep you informed, though keep in mind much of what we journalists classify as news is really irrelevant to our readers. If you live on the East Coast, you might have some idle curiosity about wildfires in California, but you can easily do without the information. Random crimes and accidents outside of your local community are likewise irrelevant and useless. It is not a good idea to clutter up one’s mind with useless and irrelevant information.

For years, Americans have been propagandized to “think globally” when we should be thinking locally, which is the only place where we have any influence. I know there are busybodies who desire to save the world and actually think they are doing it if they buy a sack of organic coffee or send a check to some self-proclaimed charity.

But the world is a pitiless place, where power rules. If you have no power, you have no influence. Sometimes even if you have power you have no influence, because most people in the world are not cowards. Palestinians, for example, have been defying Israeli power for more than 60 years.

Think and act locally. It’s our only chance at making a difference. And forget about Pakistan’s internal politics.

Charley Reese has been a journalist for 50 years.

Categories
Music Music Features

Wanna Have Fun?

Last Thursday afternoon, before Andrew “Kaz” Westmoreland could get ready to take the stage at Newby’s as an opener for Lord T & Eloise, he had to finish his work as a line cook at Interim.

By the time I caught up with the 26-year-old rapper, he was zooming down the interstate, headed home for a break before the high-profile gig.

“I worked all day, but I’m happy with it, you know,” Kaz says. “My dad told me that if you can find a job you love, you’ll never really work a day in your life.”

His words remind me of the hook that anchors his new song “Shovel and a Shotgun,” on which vocalist Katherine Fowler advises listeners to “party all night/work all day,” although, in his next breath, Kaz reveals that the lyrics are a thinly veiled reference to friends who sling medicinal marijuana in northern California.

One of the most prolific up-and-comers on the local music scene, Kaz has a solo album, Tha Bushwhacka, available in local stores and via My Space.com/KazMemphis this week and a hill-country-blues-meets-hip-hop album, recorded with his band Willie & the Herentons and engineer Kevin Houston, that’s due in October.

“My solo album is on the independent label I have with Matt Mages, Bushwhacka Productions. The beats are by me, this guy Mindspin, Matt, Elliott Ives, and Primo from Free Sol. Kevin Cubbins engineered it. Cameron [Mann, the studio manager at Young Avenue Sound, who performs as Lord T] has been really supportive of me,” he says.

Featuring Kaz’s own rapid-fire rhymes, Tha Bushwhacka is an ethereal rap album. It’s already earned heavy praise from the likes of insiders Al Kapone, Nick Scarfo, and Gangsta Boo, who lent her vocals to a track called “The Perp.”

“I’ve been very surprised,” Kaz says of the positive response. “I happened to be friends with a lot of rappers before I started, and when I played ’em some songs, they were like, Damn, Kaz, I didn’t even know you rapped.”

An avowed jam-band fan, Kaz learned his fast-spitting style during a six-months jail stint, after getting busted for Ecstasy at a Widespread Panic concert.

“I was spoiled in my ways, and that experience opened my eyes up to appreciate tomorrow,” Kaz says. “The good thing that came out of it is I realized I don’t have to get crazy to have fun. I figured out that I could be happy in a lot of different ways. If I hadn’t been bored in jail for so long, I wouldn’t have started rapping.

“I kick it with so many types of people — like kids who like Panic and Phish,” he adds. “One of the first songs I ever recorded was with Cody Burnside, R.L.’s grandson, and I’ve spit with Garry Burnside and The Burnside Exploration at Newby’s. Then I see how Al Kapone gets crazy buck jumping. I guess that’s why my style is the way it is, but I don’t know how I ended up in the middle of all of it.

“I’m trying my best to establish myself in Memphis right now. I love doing shows with Lord T & Eloise, and maybe one day, I’ll do something on the road with them or Free Sol,” says Kaz, who will perform with Willie & the Herentons and Afroman at Young Avenue Deli on Thursday, September 20th.

“I just wanna have fun with it,” he says. “If it gets to the point where I can’t enjoy it, I’m done.”

Meanwhile, expect Three 6 Mafia‘s former first lady, Gangsta Boo, to drop a long-awaited album, Forever Gangsta, at any moment. According to the Web site MemphisRap.com, the diva MC is also working on a memoir, which is sure to be filled with dishy details on her life with DJ Paul and Juicy J.

Hip-hop fans will be thrilled to learn that DJ Redeye Jedi and MCs Bosco and Rachi — aka Tunnel Clones — are right on schedule with their sophomore release.

The phenomenally fun World Wide Open, recorded at Scott Bomar‘s Electraphonic Recording and mixed at Redeye’s own Hemphix Audio Labs, is due to hit the streets on September 25th, although locals can purchase it at the group’s CD-release party, scheduled for Saturday, September 20th, at the Hi-Tone Café.

The 15-track disc took about a year to produce and features veteran soul vocalist Phyllis Duncan, multi-instrumentalist Hope Clayburn, and rappers Fathom 9, Jason Da Hater from Kontrast, and Fyte Club‘s Mighty Quinn.

“We used all local talent to get an urban underground roots sound,” Bosco explains. “Hope was amazing. She murdered every track she was on.”

To preview songs from the album, such as “Last One Standing,” the funky, finger-snapping “Way Back When,” and the electric, eclectic “Honey and Sunshine,” visit My Space.com/TunnelClones.

Categories
Music Music Features

Local Record Roundup

From Frayser-born rapper Kia Shine to world-renowned opera star Kallen Esperian, there are plenty of new Memphis-centric albums in the bins this summer.

Shine’s major-label debut, Due Season, cut with the assistance of Shine’s Rap Hustlaz partner, Jack Frost, was released last week on Universal Records. You’ll hear a reprise of “Stunna Frames” and “Respect My Fresh,” but newer songs such as “Krispy” and “Bluff City Classic” should keep Due Season spinning on your CD player for months to come.

Lover Come Back, Esperian’s most recent pop foray, features a dozen torch songs, ranging from a cover of Edith Piaf‘s “La Vie en Rose” to a riveting take on “Stormy Weather,” backed by cellist Jonathan Kirkscey, pianist Tony Thomas, and bassist Jonathan Wires. The masterful Lover Come Back, cut with a 24-piece orchestra conducted by local arranger Sam Shoup, was actually released on the Goose Hollow label in 2005; last month, Esperian relaunched the critically acclaimed album via online retailers CD Baby, iTunes, and Amazon.

Organist Charlie Wood, one of the many underrated performers around town, released Charlie Wood and the New Memphis Underground, an album that taps into this city’s dual legacy of blues and soul, on local label Daddy-O Records in mid-June. Accompanied by guitarist Joe Restivo, saxman Kirk Smothers, trumpeter Marc Franklin, harp player Billy Gibson, and vocalist Tamara Jones, Wood serves up 10 scorching originals and four well-chosen covers, including a propulsive take on Booker T. & the MGs‘ “Boot-Leg.” Covering a tune made famous by the Memphis-born king of the Hammond B-3, Booker T. Jones, is a ballsy move, but Wood pulls it off with panache.

He’s not technically a local boy, but country-music mainstay Billy Burnette — son of Memphis guitarist Dorsey Burnette, one-third of the legendary Rock ‘n’ Roll Trio — returns to his roots with his latest project, The Bluegrass Elvises Vol. 1, which is slated for release on the American Roots label on August 16th, the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. On the CD, a laid-back, yet brilliantly played collaboration with Shawn Camp, Burnette romps through a baker’s dozen of Elvis hits, reinterpreting them in traditional bluegrass style. As a concept album, it works, and since Dorsey Burnette and his brother Johnny schooled Presley in his licks when they were all living in the Lauderdale Courts housing project, Billy Burnette’s family history comes full circle.

With assistance from the Makeshift Music collective, Shabbadoo (the brainchild of Joey Pegram of Two Way Radio and Joint Chiefs fame) released a sixth album, Pajama, earlier this summer. A mix of psychedelic jams, electronica tidal waves, and soul-searching riffs, Pajama — released on Pegram’s Minivan label — is available at Midtown indie stores Shangri-la and Goner, or via Shabbadoo’s MySpace page, MySpace.com/ShabbadooBand.

Former Memphian Greg Cartwright regrouped with The Detroit Cobras for Tied & True, released on Bloodshot Records this spring. While garage fans have developed a love ’em or hate ’em attitude (bred, most likely, by the apathy of lead vocalist Rachel Nagy), the Detroit Cobras rock on Tied & True, their fourth collection of obscure R&B covers. Versions of Irma Thomas’ “The Hurt’s All Gone” and Garnet Mimm’s “As Long As I Have You” will tide you over until the next Reigning Sound album drops, hopefully before the end of the year.

With Party Dudes, released on the Arizona-based New Art School label last month, Jackson, Mississippi, garage rockers Tuff Luvs serve up a helluva fun album. Now the quartet — co-vocalists and guitarists Mike Rushing and Carey Miller, bassist Brad Walker, and drummer Murph Caicedo — is in the midst of its first West Coast tour, which will bring the group back to Memphis in mid-September. And Oxford’s irrepressible Tyler Keith & the Preacher’s Kids finally have a new one out: The Devil’s Hitlist, recorded at Easley-McCain Recording Studio and at Tweed Recording Studio in Oxford. The best unsigned band in this neck of the woods, the Preacher’s Kids opted to release The Devil’s Hitlist, which features crowd pleasers such as the Who-inspired “Ghost Rider,” the punk anthem “I Wanna Be a Lost Cause,” and the fiery “Blow You a Kiss,” on their own. Be sure to pick up a copy when the Preacher’s Kids play Gonerfest next month.

Categories
Music Music Features

Outlaw Spirit

For Joey Killingsworth, “Quittin’ Time” was just the beginning. The Memphian wrote the song and got radio airplay before forming his namesake band, Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre.

“I was doing some stuff with John Pickle for his movie The Importance of Being Russell, and I came up with a wacky song called ‘Quittin’ Time,’ which got played on Rock 103, so I thought I ought to put a band together,” Killingsworth explains of the X-rated update of Johnny Paycheck‘s “Take This Job and Shove It.”

(Country music runs in the family. Joey’s father, Bobby Killingsworth, has played guitar with Eddie Bond for more than four decades.)

“Originally, I had two separate groups in mind,” admits Killingsworth, who launched the stripped-down Joecephus and the White Lightnin’ Band around the same time. “Then Hank III became my inspiration: He combines country music and heavier stuff, so I decided I could combine country and hardcore. I love Black Flag and Waylon [Jennings]-era country, so I tried to blend it. We did some acoustic shows, then our first electric show was with Shooter Jennings, Waylon’s son.”

In a recent snapshot, Killingsworth poses shirtless in the middle of Sun Studio, showing off the tattoos that further testify to his affinity for both country and punk rock. A heavily inked symbol for the experimental noise group Einsturzende Neubauten sits high on one shoulder blade, dwarfed by a brilliant caricature of Jim Marshall‘s iconic Johnny Cash portrait.

The song “Jerk U Off My Mind” has garnered more than 7,000 plays on Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre’s MySpace page (MySpace.com/JoeyKillingsworth). That song and tunes such as the speed-metal-inspired cow-punk anthem “Going Back to Memphis” and the country boogie “Honky Tonk Night Time” have brought Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre national exposure. In April, the group contributed a cover of “Death Comes Ripping” to a Misfits tribute CD. And next month, they’ll hit the road to open shows for Reckless Kelly and Unknown Hinson.

“[As of] this month, we’ll have been at it two years,” Killingsworth, a veteran of ’90s-era indie band Grendel Crane, notes of Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre. “When we started, we’d have gigs every weekend or every other weekend, and we’d make $20 apiece. Somehow we started networking, and we’ve been opening for everybody from Southern Culture on the Skids in New Orleans to David Allan Coe in Knoxville.

“I had to turn down a gig playing with The Bottle Rockets last weekend, because the band couldn’t do it,” Killingsworth says, explaining that he’s resorted to running a classified ad with the hopes of finding a permanent rhythm section.

“Right now, it’s me on guitar, Richard Wagor on bass, and either Don Mayall or Brett Broadway on drums, but I’m trying to find a core group, a permanent lineup that can get on the road and tour,” he says.

Last month, Killingsworth was tapped to perform with the late Waylon Jennings’ band at the prestigious Spirit of the Outlaws monthly concert series, held at Douglas Corner in Nashville. He also found time to put the finishing touches on his band’s second full-length CD, Smothered and Covered.

Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre will celebrate the release of Smothered and Covered with local reggae group Soul Enforcers at The Buccaneer this Saturday night.

“We’d go into the studio whenever we had a song ready,” Killingsworth says of the album’s marathon-long recording sessions. “We’d have some drinks, knock it out, and really have fun with it.”

It sounds like ol’ Hank might’ve done it that way too, but even so, Killingsworth is cautious about the group’s potential with stereotypical country-music fans.

“With whatever [the mainstream country-music industry] hypes as the new outlaw thing, they might wear big hats, but they’re not really doing anything different,” he says. “Luckily, there’s an undercurrent with these Spirit of the Outlaws shows and with people like Hank III and Dale Watson, who are just too rowdy for the establishment.”

Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre play the Buccaneer on Saturday, July 21st. Showtime is 10 p.m. $5 cover.