Tag: The Beauty Shop Restaurant

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News

My Last Visit With Shea Grauer

Shea Grauer tending bar February 17th, a week ago today, at Mollie Fontaine Lounge (Credit: Allison Cox)

I hadn’t seen Shea Grauer in a long time. So, I was happy to see him when we were both working a bridal luncheon Friday, February 17th, at Mollie Fontaine Lounge. He was bartending and I was playing the piano.

Around 1 p.m. I tried to get Grauer’s attention at the piano. I said something like, “Hey! Look here!” He turned around and we both laughed. I told him how sorry I was about his brother, Beau, who was killed last summer. I asked him how he was doing. He said he was doing okay. But he looked sad. I told him I lost my older brother years ago.

I think he told me I sounded good on the piano. He was smiling.

That was probably the last live piano music Grauer heard. He lost his life about 12 hours later. It was reported he was killed in Midtown. A robbery.

I didn’t find that out until I saw a Facebook post from his great friend, Leanna Tedford, that next afternoon. I was stunned. Like everybody who knew him.

I started thinking about how Grauer and I had known each other over the decades. I originally knew him from bartending. He made many a Beefeater gin martini “up with three olives” — as I requested them — back in the day.

Grauer was just one of those people you liked even if you weren’t a close friend. He was laid-back. He had a great sense of humor. And he had a great sense of style. He was wearing a bulky black-and-white and maybe gray sweater when we talked at the luncheon. I wondered if he was wearing that sweater that night.

I wanted to write a story and post a photo of Grauer, but the only one I almost definitely remember taking of him was at a party in October 2019 at The Beauty Shop Restaurant, where he was manager/bartender. I’m sure I took more photos of him over the decades we knew each other, but I couldn’t find any of them. This particular party was held by his boss/best buddy/biggest champion Karen Carrier, the restaurant’s owner, to open Back Dō at Mi Yard, her open-air restaurant behind The Beauty Shop Restaurant. 

The opening party turned into a party for the cast and crew of Bluff City Law, which was filmed in Memphis. Everybody, including me, wanted to have their photo taken with Jimmy Smits. 

The original party was supposed to end at 8 p.m., but Carrier kept it going until 10 p.m. because so many of her staff worked on the movie. Grauer was one of them. I still remember how proud he was of that. He went on to work in the film industry in New Orleans. 

Then on Thursday, February 23rd, I got a text from Allison Cox with a photo of me she had taken with the bridal party at the Mollie Fontaine luncheon. The luncheon was for Sophie Cox, now Sophie Terrell, who married Henry Terrell. I asked Allison if she, by any chance, had any photos with Grauer in them. She did.

 Of course, I instantly thought Grauer had something to do with finding a never-before-published photo of himself to go with my story.

Here’s information that Carrier posted on social media about the funeral arrangements and an event to celebrate Grauer’s life:

“The celebration and funeral for our love SHEA GRAUER will be on April 1st at 11 a.m. at Immaculate Conception on Central — a huge Wake at The Beauty Shop and DKDC to follow as it should be — we will send him off in style with tears, music, food, libations, and of course Dolly Parton and a second line —

“Yes this is on April Fools Day and I think it’s perfect. He will love it —

“Wrap your love around SHEA and his family — hold them tight in your thoughts and prayers — we all have Lost a Gem …”

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Music Music Features

The Return of Harlan T. Bobo

Harlan T. Bobo (Photo: Sarah LaReau)

Let no one accuse Karen Carrier of thinking small. When she opened The Beauty Shop Restaurant in 2002, she brought the legendary Wild Magnolias from New Orleans to celebrate. Five years ago, they were back for the 15th anniversary. For her brainchild’s 20th anniversary on Saturday, August 6th, she’s still thinking big and keeping that NOLA flavor with a second line and the Lucky 7 Brass Band, followed by Jack Oblivian. But Carrier really moved heaven and earth to get the night’s closing act, Harlan T. Bobo.

Some of us feared we’d never see the ragged-but-right troubadour play again. “When that last record came out [2018’s A History of Violence], we did a little tour, and that’s when I got sick,” Bobo recalls. Indeed, the singer and guitarist found he was losing the use of his left hand. Since then, he’s been riding it out in his adopted home of Perpignan, France.

“I had a lot of nerve damage in my hand from lupus,” says Bobo. “I pretty much thought I was done. I can’t do construction anymore, and I just assumed that I was done playing music. Even my physical therapist thought I was done.” And yet, it was through that very practice that Bobo kept the guitar in his life.

“A year ago, I was figuring out how to cut meat, how to use a knife and fork,” he recalls. “Then I started playing guitar as physical therapy. Just to see what I could do with my fingers. And it’s still a little weird, but I’ve got two fingers that work. By doing a lot of weird tunings I can get a pretty full sound.”

That in turn led him back to the craft of songwriting. “And through that two-fingered approach, I wrote new songs, with which I just finished a bunch of demos, and I’ll probably come back in the spring to record,” he says, sounding amazed that he can play again at all. “And then when Karen offered me that show, I said okay. But when I sat down to play the old songs, I realized, ‘Fuck, I’m only using two fingers!,’ so I had to completely change things and [learn] how to manage those songs.”

Reinventing his approach to his own music, Bobo did a trial run in France. “I just did a show in Perpignan as preparation for The Beauty Shop’s anniversary. God, it felt good to do that! I hadn’t done it in so long, but surprisingly enough, it worked. I think I played a kooky Halloween show three years ago, and I almost died doing that.”

He emphasizes that he’ll be playing his older material at Bar DKDC, complete with some familiar faces in his band. “I’ve got Bunny on guitar, Tim Prudhomme on drums, and possibly Jonathan Kirkscey on cello. I can’t resist getting together with all of my buddies. I’m just trying to do songs people will know. The new stuff is weirdly moody and super quiet and acoustic, and I don’t think it’ll be good for that night. It’s gonna be a party there. And we’ll still be super mellow for a party, but the new stuff would just be painful.”

Yet we can still hear his weirdly moody, super quiet side, thanks to a new album, Porch Songs, arriving on August 5th via Goner Records. Bobo will be celebrating that release at an in-store show that evening at 6 p.m. Though recorded before Bobo’s battle with lupus, the songs offer a stripped-down version of his songcraft. “Around 2016, I went to see this guy in Perpignan who’s got an old 8-track set up,” he says. “It sounds very Sun Studio-y. I just sat down for a day and recorded, like, 20 songs I had around, but never knew what to do with. I think there’s 13 on the new record. It’s mostly just guitar and voice, and drums on a couple of takes.”

Now, on the verge of a homecoming, Bobo reflects on his recent show in Perpignan. “Before that, I hadn’t played any Harlan music in ages. It just felt good to know that I could stand up and entertain a crowd. It was something I had kind of forgotten. It was like, ‘Oh, I can do that!’ And I can still handle drunks from the stage.”

The Beauty Shop 20th anniversary show featuring the Lucky 7 Brass Band, the Jack Oblivian band, and Harlan T. Bobo will be at Bar DKDC August 6th, beginning at 8 p.m.

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We Recommend We Saw You

Bluff City Law Characters Party with Bluff City Characters

CREDIT: Guido David-Aaron Zimmerman

Guido David-Aaron Zimmerman

Jimmy Smits, the guy on the left, was one of the ‘Bluff City Law’ cast members who attended recent parties in Memphis.

Bluff City Law cast members mingled with Bluff City party-goers at recent events.

Guests chatted and took photos with Jimmy Smits at the October 18th grand opening of Back Dó at Mi Yard, Karen Carrier’s new open air restaurant behind The Beauty Shop Restaurant.

Smits, who plays “Elijah Strait” on the show filmed in Memphis, entered through the back gate around 8:30ish. Wearing a cap, he still was recognizable. And he was friendly and accessible to guests who wanted their photos taken with him. It was great to see Smits just standing around at a party with people strolling up to him and carrying on a conversation.

Josh Kelly, who plays “Robbie,” was easy to spot in a white turtleneck and a colorful jacket.

The party turned into something of a cast-and-crew party for the show. Camera people and others involved with the TV series seemed to enjoy themselves at Carrier’s new restaurant, which has all the signs of being a new hot spot. Movies also are shown on a wall at Back Dó at Mi Yard. Mystery Train played during the party.

Carrier was pleased with the event. “It was so fun, man,” she says. “It was like the perfect storm. Everything came together. I couldn’t believe it.”

Guests dined on samples of the rotisserie meats she will be serving at Back Dó at Mi Yard. They were served in little bamboo containers with the nut dusts and salsas that will go with the meat and fish.


The event was supposed to end at 8 p.m., but Carrier kept it going until 10 p.m. “Some of my staff are working on the movie. They thought they were going to be off work at 6:30, but they pushed it to 8. They said, ‘Can you please leave it open?’ They ended up coming about 8:30. And it was great.”

Carrier made food for a scene in the pilot for Bluff City Law. “I did a big spread a scene before they picked it up on NBC.”

She made “probably 25 dishes. So much food on that show. It was a funeral scene. A wake.”

They made tenderloin, deviled eggs, and shrimp, she says.

During the party, Smits told Carrier he remembered her making all that food for the show.  “It was pretty cute,” she says.

Back Dó at Mi Yard will open to the public at 5 p.m. October 23rd.

More Bluff City Law cast members showed up at Art on Fire, which was held Oct. 19th at Dixon Gallery and Gardens. The annual outdoor event featured fire dancers, food from area restaurants, a bonfire, and live entertainment.

Caitlyn McGee, wearing a long skirt, black jacket, and white high-top Chuck Taylors, posed for photos and talked with guests. McGee plays “Sydney Strait.”

Jayne Atkinson, who plays “Della Bedford,” also was affable. She attended with her husband, Michel Gill.

MaameYaa Boafo, who plays “Briana Johnson,”and Michael Luwoye, who plays “Anthony Little,” were among the guests.

Art on Fire celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. The fire dancing was provided by the Memphis Fire Tribe. Grace Askew and the Mighty Souls Brass Band took care of the musical entertainment. Also included were a silent auction and a Hot Off the Wall art sale.

Proceeds from the event directly support Dixon’s education outreach programs.

Michael Donahue

Caitlin McGee posed for a photo with Parker and Perry Patterson at Art on Fire at Dixon Gallery and Gardens.

Michael Donahue

Jenna Williams and Dee Yoakum chatted with Jayne Atkinson and Michael Gill at Art on Fire.

Michael Luwoye and MaameYaa Boafo were at Art on Fire.

Michael Donahue

Josh Kelly was at the Back Dó at Mi Yard event.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Karen Carrier to open new Cooper-Young dining space, Back Dó at Mi Yard

CREDIT: Michael Donahue

Michael Donahue

Karen Carrier’s new ‘Back Dó at Mi Yard’

Karen Carrier is ready to open her back door to an oasis where movie lovers and lovers of her signature cuisine can enjoy themselves in an outdoor Jamaican-style paradise filled with palms and bamboo in the heart of Cooper-Young.

She’s opening a new space, Back Dó at Mi Yard, sometime in October.

And it’s literally in her backyard. It’s behind her restaurant, The Beauty Shop Restaurant, at 966 Cooper.

“It’s a hidden Oasis in Midtown behind The Beauty Shop,” says Carrier, a veteran restaurateur who also owns Mollie Fontaine Lounge, Bar DKDC, and Another Roadside Attraction caterers.

And, like her other restaurants, it’s something completely different.

“I get bored every six or seven years,” Carrier says. “I want to create something. I was painting for so long. I like creating little places.”

She came up with the idea 10 years ago. “I wanted to open a place called ‘Back Do’ and it would be a place outside. We’d show movies and have food and have a bar.”

“Mi yard” means “my home” in “patois,” which is Jamaican slang. Carrier is saying, “Meet me at my back door at my home.”

She discussed her idea with her long-time friend, the late Ron Shapiro, who owned the legendary Hoka theater in Oxford. “I told him I wanted to show movies every night. But Ron was going to be a big part of it. He was the movie guy. We talked about all these movies we were going to show. Then he got sick and passed away. It’s an homage to him as well.”

Musician Harlan T. Bobo built most of the deck before he moved back to France, Carrier says. A neighbor named “Cowboy” then offered to help her finish it. “Man, he has helped me build all this stuff. It’s unbelievable.”

Artist Wayne Edge put wood from a mill Carrier found in Eads, Tenn. over the cinder block building, where Carrier keeps her walk-in cooler.

Allison Furr-Lawyer helped paint the black-and-white checkered deck as well as the planters and some of the chairs.

They transformed the area. “This place was just a hole. It was where we hung out. It used to fill up with water. And it was a problem. We put in all this gravel and sand.”

They put up a fence and a gate so people can enter “Back Dó” from Young.

“I just kept coming up with ideas. I wanted it to be like a Moroccan jungle. My son, Austin, went to Morocco and kept sending me photos. I was like, ‘Oh, my god. This is what I want.’ I went to Millstone Nursery. They had all these amazing tropical plants. Everything. We planted tons of bamboo, palm trees. All kinds. It’s like a jungle.”

They also have a thatched roof bar.

As for the food, Carrier says, “it’s all done on a rotisserie. That’s what’s really fun.”
The menu will consist of grilled meats, which will be served sliced on platters with different nut dusts, salsas, and “a different bread every week. You can slather up those hot meats coming off the rotisserie. A couple of fresh crudos. Really simple and really good.”

Austin got her an outdoor projector. Carrier also got waterproof speakers. She hasn’t decided on the first movie to show.

Customers will be able to enter from Young or from inside the Beauty Shop.

Carrier isn’t sure what she’ll do if it rains. As for winter weather, she says, “I’m going to get a fire pit. I’m doing all this shooting from the hip.”

Back Dó at Mi Yard probably will be open Wednesdays through Saturdays. When it does open, Carrier plans a big blowout. “I don’t do soft openings,” she says.

Michael Donahue

Karen Carrier’s new ‘Back Dó at Mi Yard’

Michael Donahue

Karen Carrier’s new ‘Back Dó at Mi Yard’