Tag: We Saw You

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WE SAW YOU: 901 Wrestling’s Wild Card Rumble

“The MANE Event” Kontar “The Great” (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Wrestling fans turned out for 901 Wrestling’s annual Wild Card Rumble, which was held July 20th at Black Lodge.

Anthony Sain, commentator with Kevin Cerrito, describes the event as a “13-man, over-the-top battle royal.”

And, he says, “It’s one of our premier events of the year.”

Tyler “The Lion” LeMasters and Roscoe “The Cajun Catapult” Monroe
“Live Wire” Bobby Ford

Describing the event, Sain says, “It starts off with two guys. A new guy comes in every two minutes. … You’ve got to throw guys over the top rope to be eliminated.”

Everybody is eventually eliminated except one. “The True One of One” Kevin Bless was this year’s winner. “It got down to him and one other person and he threw that person over the top rope.”

“The Star of the Show” Andy Mack
“The True One of One” Kevin Bless
Dorian Vain

As Rumble winner, Bless can participate in the 901 Wrestling Championship, the 1819 Championship, or the Tag Team Championship.

The event was in honor of the late 901 Wrestling wrestler Devin “Wild Card” Taylor, who died in a drowning accident.

Bless is “typically a guy that fans don’t get behind, but they were happy to see him win in honor of Devin Taylor. Bless was the last opponent Devin had before he passed away.”  

More We Saw You photos at memphisflyer.com.

Norman “The Soviet Saint” Meklakov at 901 Wrestling (Credit: Michael Donahue)
“The Merc” Chris Evans at 901 Wrestling (Credit: Michael Donahue)
“The All-American” Ken Dang at 901 Wrestling (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Nighttrain at 901 Wrestling (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Top Shottaz at 901 Wrestling (Credit: Michael Donahue)
“King of Memphis” Hunter Havoc
Morgan the Man at 901 Wrestling (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Shane Shoffner at 901 Wrestling (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Sebastian Moon, Joey Hall, Amos Fitzgerald at 901 Wrestling (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Kevin Cerrito and Anthony Sain at 901 Wrestling (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Connor the Dude at 901 Wrestling (Credit: Michael Donahue)
“Baddest Man Alive” Dustin Anthony at 901 Wrestling (Credit: Michael Donahue)
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WE SAW YOU: Hole-in-One Charity Festival

Anthony Dionne, James A. Edwards, and Father Joe Sax (Photos: Michael Donahue)

This year’s 66th Hole-in-One Charity Festival at St. Louis Catholic Church drew “well over 10,000, but maybe pushing 15,000,” says Wes Kraker, who’s been involved with Hole-in-One for more than 20 years.

June 21st and 22nd drew at least 2,500 people each night, Kraker says.

Taylor and Patrick Quinn, Chris Murray
Andrew Mosteller
Caden Robinson and Emma Roaten

This is the annual St. Louis fundraiser that begins on Father’s Day and ends six days later. 

As Kraker explained to me last year, “We transform the campus at St. Louis Church into a 37-tee-box range. And we give out cash and prizes for good golfers for getting holes-in-one or close to the hole. Certain qualifiers shoot out for a car from City Auto. And we accumulate points for performers all week. And those top 10 performers shoot out for a million dollars on Saturday.”

Evan Winburne and Julia DiGeronimo
Jon Shivers, Corderoa Smith, and Patrick Shivers
Joseph Tidwell, Cory Human, and Cole Tidwell

The St. Louis Men’s Club puts on the event. Proceeds go to St. Louis Church sports, scouting, and youth ministry programs.

The “St. Louis Men’s Club Culinary Institute” makes outstanding food, including barbecued bologna. 

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WE SAW YOU: Glam Rock Picnic

Mike McCarthy (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Mike McCarthy lent a hand as guests climbed a ladder in front of his
10-foot, papier-mache sculpture work-in-progress of David Bowie.

Guests at his “Glam Rock Picnic” were given little pieces of clay to tap onto the sculpture to help build the statue.

Colleen Couch and Stevan Lazich
Chris McCoy, Craig Brewer, and Natalie Ensminger
John Marvel McCarthy and Nya Goble

The statue, which portrays Bowie in the “Tokyo Pop” jumpsuit by Kansai Yamamoto, has four heads, which represent Bowie’s predilection for taking on different identities. 

The goal of McCarthy’s nonprofit, Sculpt Memphis, is to preserve Memphis music through sculpture. He believes placing the statue in Overton Park near the site of the old Memphis College of Art in Overton Park would be a good spot for the Bowie statue when it’s completed. In 1973 Bowie visited the school, then known as Memphis Academy of Arts, to accept a watercolor by Dolph Smith, an instructor at the time. 

Vincent and Misti Rae Holton
Hanna McCarthy

Smith and his son, Ben Smith, attended the picnic. 

“I thought it was a great kickoff to phase one,” McCarthy says.

The ultimate goal is to cast the sculpture in bronze. Which may mean another party or two in the future. 

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WE SAW YOU: Craft Food & Wine Festival

Brandon Claybon and Cristina McCarter (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Brandon Claybon, a native Memphian now living in Los Angeles, was one of 636 guests at the fifth annual Craft Food & Wine Festival, which was held June 23rd at The Columns.

The fundraiser for Church Health featured more than 30 food-related businesses.

Jervette Ward and Jason Hendrickson
Chastity Pointer-Gibson and Courdria Pointer
Marcus Hamilton, Kula, Debra Westbrook, Verlisa Westbrook, 
and Verles Westbrook

“It was my first time at the event,” Claybon says. “I thought it was amazing. Absolutely extraordinary for Memphis to have something like this. And bringing people from all walks of life to come together, break bread, and drink wine. It was amazing.”

Asked how many stations he frequented, Brandon says, “I probably stopped at about 20. And then I ate a hamburger after. I waited the entire day for the festival, so I didn’t eat before.”

Justin Gallagher and Veronica Gomez
Betty Joyce (BJ) Chester-Tamayo
Caleb Knight, Vino Wright, and Josh Mutchnick

Claybon and event organizer Cristina McCarter were best friends at Bolton High School. “This year, it was just in the cards. So, basically, I had wrapped up a shooting with Tyler Perry in Atlanta.”

This year’s Craft Food & Wine Festival raised about $7,000, McCarter estimates. That brings the total raised over five years to “close to $60,000” for Church Health, she says. 

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WE SAW YOU: Loving Local

Bianca Phillips and Joe Yester (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Loving Local returned this spring in a new location : Grind City Brewing Company.

And, to make things even more festive, tap room manager Ashley Creecy created a special drink, “Peach, Please,” for the Project Green Fork event. It’s made with black tea, peach juice, lemon juice, and a Grind City seltzer base, all garnished with a lemon wheel and fresh mint sprig.

Jon Van Hoozer, Will Coleman, Donna Van Hoozer
Ali Manning and Beth Wilson
Daniel Taylor and Daishu McGriff

“The staff was fantastic to work with,” says Leann Edwards, Clean Memphis/Project Green Fork program director. “And the location is a great backdrop, with a lot of places for people to roam.”

Guests also dined in the tap room where they could “get a respite from the heat.”

Kevin Sullivan
Selah and Darius Nelson
Kofi Asare, Khendra Lucas, Ashley Peterson, Meredith Woloshin, Nathan Woloshin

About 300 people attended the event, which featured fare from Biscuits & Jams, Good Fortune Co., Kitchen Laurel, Lulu’s Cafe & Bakery, and Shroomlicious Meals.

“Our chefs really love to be part of this event,” says Edwards. As a press release states, “This community event celebrates the creativity of Project Green Fork certified chefs, breweries, and bartenders who create custom, small-plate appetizers, desserts, and cocktails for the evening.”

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WE SAW YOU: Strangewaze Wednesdaze

Daniel Parker, Jonathan White, Justin White, and Victoria Johnson (Photos: Michael Donhue)

Strangewaze Wednesdaze was held each Wednesday in May. But the final one was held June 5th because it was the rain date for the May 8th event. “There was a chance for tornadoes,” says event co-founder Emily Todd. “And, of course, that didn’t happen.”

Alex Turley and Jamie Harmon
harnae Lee and Hasani Madlock
Zach El-Oglah and Magda Sakaan

Attendance reached 725. Guests dined on free food, listened to music from Yesse Yavis and Tennessee Screamers, and sipped Memphis Made Brewing Company’s Srangewaze pale ale.

Emily and her dad, Mike Todd, began the event, originally known as “Hump Day Happy Hour,” in 2021 as a way to revitalize The Edge and Medical District. “The Edge had a lot of development momentum and interest in the neighborhood prior to Covid. When Covid hit, it slowed down a lot of that momentum.”

Emily Todd
Morgan Erdman and Chris Liberto

May events are geared toward people with money, Emily says. “Nothing is really accessible that is free and fun for the majority of residents of Memphis to do. We wanted an equitable, fun, community-activated experience. And we wanted to continue to grow in The Edge and the Medical District because of all the important growth that is happening there.”

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WE SAW YOU: Memphis Italian Festival

Neil Rome (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Neil Rome of the “901 Mafia” team entered his mouth-watering “Italian Muffuletta Meatloaf” in “Anything Italian,” one of the categories at the Memphis Italian Festival, held May 30th through June 1st at Marquette Park.

Lucca Dyer, D. J. Naylor, and Teagan Naylor
Brooke Davis and James Little 
Jacob Andew Bratcher, Abigail Miner, and Briley Faulkner

Rome begins making the dish, based on his grandmother’s take on an old Justin Wilson Cajun recipe, by creating a paste out of breadcrumbs, tomato sauce, eggs, seasoning, and parsley. He then adds ground beef and smoked ham, which he forms into a big ball before laying it out flat. He spreads a mixture of onions, black and green olives, Parmesan cheese, and pepperoncini peppers over it and slowly rolls everything up “like you would a jelly roll,” Rome says. Finally, he pours his gravy, which he makes out of tomato sauce, red wine, olive oil, and seasonings, over everything and slides it into the oven.

Marjo, Andrew, Joseph, and Billy Labonte
Zoey High, Sarah Jordan Houseal, and Olivia Tashie

Rome’s team’s entry didn’t win Anything Italian, but his team won the Father Milton Guthrie “You Are Great” award.

Forty-three teams participated in this year’s Memphis Italian Festival, which drew more than 15,000 people, says Richard Ranson, who along with his wife Vickie, is the cooking teams and judges co-chair.

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WE SAW YOU: Sunset Symphony

Kortland Whalum with Robert Moody behind him conducting the Memphis Symphony Orchestra (Photos: Michael Donahue)

About 8,000 celebrated the last Sunday evening of May listening to Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, and Sousa. They sat on blankets or chairs with their shoes off or on, and a full-scale picnic or just a flat box with a pizza in front of them.

Theo Thomas
Carl and Amasa Ealing
Alexis Burnett and Abrian Clay
Cassandra Hopper. Matthew Houston, Arlo Hopper at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Jill and Chris Williams at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Magnus Terry, Katherine Terry, Russ Thompson at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)

This was Sunset Symphony, which was held May 26th at Overton Park Shell. The Memphis Symphony Orchestra performed under the direction of Robert Moody and Kyle Dickson. Kortland Whalum and Marie-Stéphane Bernard sang. 

“It’s just a beautiful display of Memphis,” says the Shell’s executive director Natalie Wilson. People were “spilling out” onto other nearby areas, including the Greensward at Overton Park and the grounds of Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, to hear the symphony because the event was so crowded.

Daniel Amram and Danielle Schaeffer
Josh Russell, Maddox Russell, Nathalie Russell, Mason Russell, and Jessica Rivera
Ace and JJ Leonard (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Sara and Cody Oscarson at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Elands Kelly and Robin Noel at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)

“This is what Memphis is about. We come together. We’re joyous. Children run and play. We enjoy the arts. We’re so blessed with these spaces that bring us together.”

This was the fourth year that Sunset Symphony, which many people associate with its Memphis in May predecessor at Tom Lee Park, took place at the Shell. “A joyous re-creation of a historic event at a historic place.” 

Lilly, Venus, and Louis Hamric at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Lucy Nardo, Owen Isinger, Joseph Nardo, Lydia Nardo, Stella Isinger at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Paris Carter at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Matthew Hernandez at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Laurie Stark, Kathy Mitchener at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Jeremy Plyler and Stephanie Beliles at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Pearson, Andrew, Rachel, and Emerson Black at Sunset Symphony (Credit: Michael Donahue)
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WE SAW YOU: SmokeSlam and the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

Ben Colar, Denzel Alexander, and Michael Butler Jr. at SmokeSlam

Two barbecue contests held at the same time in the same city.

Only in Memphis. Right?

Ryan Marsh and Elizabeth Sullivan at World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
Nick Black at World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
John Montgomery and Carol Coletta at SmokeSlam

Fifty-seven teams participated in the inaugural SmokeSlam in Tom Lee Park, May 16th through 18th. And 16,697 people (not counting teams) attended, says Lindsay Stevens, public relations for SmokeSlam.“We were just overwhelmed with the positivity we had from so many people,” she says. “I don’t think we could have been happier with the outcome.”

Mia Townsend and Abby Neal at SmokeSlam
Colin Ross, John McArthur, Cannon Smith, and Clark Schifani at World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
Dudley Knowlton, Trenten McCarty, and Drew Ybos at SmokeSlam

The 46th edition of the Memphis in May (MIM) World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, held May 15th through May 18th in Liberty Park, also was a success, says Randy Blevins with MIM. He had no estimate yet about attendance, but a total of 129 competition cooking teams from 22 states and four foreign countries took part. “Yet again during the third weekend in May, the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest became the biggest backyard in Memphis right in the heart of the city at Liberty Park,” Blevins says.

Both competitions are slated to return to their same locations in 2025.

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WE SAW YOU: Symphony in the Gardens

Laura Alexander and Gloria Dodds Harlan

Symphony in the Gardens was once again a sell-out at Dixon Gallery & Gardens. The outdoor event, which was held May 12th, featured the Memphis Symphony Big Band conducted by Scott Moore. Singer Kortland Whalum performed.

Kenneth and Jennifer Pierce
Erin Lech, Vivian Langston, and Evan Langston
Jude Tumminello, Mack Meyers, and Eva Meyers

A crowd of 1,300 people attended, says Jessie Wiley, Dixon’s director of development and communications.

“This is an annual tradition every year on Mother’s Day for over 20 years,” Wiley says. “It’s a special partnership between two valuable cultural organizations — the Dixon and Memphis Symphony Orchestra.”

Memphis Symphony Orchestra music director Robert Moody
Christopher Atkinson, Phil Sistrunk, and Olivia Grace Atkinson
Rev. Kenneth and Sheila Whalum

The event, which “brings diverse Memphians together,” is “so much fun,” Wiley says. A “joyous day. Time to spend with family and friends. A very relaxed atmosphere. Bring your own picnic or enjoy food trucks. You can kind of make it your own.”