Hey, Memphis! So, we are finally getting around to building our Ways to GIVE BACK section, which will highlight everything from drinky social events where your money will go to great causes, to events where you'll actually get your hands dirty doing the work of giving back to people in need in this city.
For the moment, though, here are three really low impact things you can do both tomorrow night and Friday, all of which benefit great organizations and assets to our community. Show up at one of these!
Thursday, March 28
Pop-Up Happy Hour for Friends for Life at Local on the Square (2126 Madison Avenue). Stop by Local at 5:30 and have a cocktail or three, while supporting and learning more about the important work of Friends for Life!
Party For The Park! 6:00 at the Shelby Farms Park (500 North Pine Lake Drive). $15 cover gets you food, drink, dessert from YoLo and a DJ, all going to help support the great local resource that is the Shelby Farms Park! Friday, March 29
Lend a hand to start an anti-domestic violence fund at the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center by showing up at Spectrum (616 Marshall) at 7:30 PM. Performances and important messages from community leaders and the Memphis Police Department for a mere $5 donation! More info here.
Start checking the "giving back" tab above on a regular basis for fun new ways to be a part of the solution to the many problems facing Memphis. Sometimes all it takes is a little forethought. For instance, if you were planning to do Happy Hour tomorrow night anyway, now you know that if you do it at Local on the Square, it'll help people!
OMG ISN'T THAT EASY?
To get your event listed, e-mail us at effinmemphis at gmail dot com or shoot us a note on our Facebook page.
Nothing screams masculinity! more than having a plot of furry real estate on your face. From Zeus’ colossal beard to Mark Twain’s burly mustache, historically speaking, the facial hair absolutely makes the man. And you know what else beards make? They make the ladies go cuh-razy.
So if you’ve been looking to increase your manliness and decrease your loneliness, wallow in your woes no longer. I have found your solution. Allow me to introduce you to the Memphis Beard League.
The new and exciting brainchild of David Renfro and Brian Ellsworth, the Memphis Beard League is a start-up on a mission. Specifically, a mission to “unite the sheer awesomeness of beard-dom.”
David Renfro and Brian Ellsworth are the beaded brains behind the League.
To do this, they’re developing a line of merchandise and hosting a multitude of local events such as beard and ‘stache competitions. And because these bearded fellows are such nice guys, they’re even going to donate the proceeds to non-profits like Memphis Young Life, an organization devoted to getting kids going on the right path.
This mother and daughter are clearly not on the right path.
Join Memphis Beard League on Facebook to share and compare facial hair with other enthusiasts, and to stay up to date on all the fuzzy going-ons in the 901.
In summary: more fuzz, more friends, more ladies, more fun.
Toss your razor, invest in some plaid, and get yourself bearded.
Sami Harvey clearly drew that beard on her child's face with a magic marker or something. Sidenote: Your editor really likes his men bearded, so we all endorse this wholeheartedly.
Seriously, folks. It's time to stop taking hometown heroes Star & Micey for granted (NOT THAT YOU WERE) but your Effin' Memphis reads all the big music blogs and websites and reads the tea leaves, and Star & Micey is getting really big, like, on a national level. This is a good time for you to go cheer them on and soak up their success with them.
Besides, the music they're making right now really kicks ass.
TONIGHT. 8 PM. 1884 LOUNGE @ MINGLEWOOD HALL.
Go!
If you haven't heard what they're doing lately, well, listen:
Parents, now that Spring Break has come and gone, the inevitable is approaching: summer vacation. The weather is
getting nicer, the days are getting longer, and it’s nearing the time when you have to leave the comfortable cocoon
of home and venture into public with your kids again. Every year, it gets
harder and harder to find new places that your kids can enjoy and that don’t totally
suck for you.The zoo gets so
crowded, the museums never change, and Chuck E. Cheese has a one-beer max. Really, Chuck?! Come on. I need at least two beers before I’m any good at
skee ball!
Enter: Rock and Romp.
If you don’t know about Rock-N-Romp, your family’s lives
have seriously been lacking in good times. Since 2006, the fine folks at
Memphis’ Rock-N-Romp have been organizing fun-for-the-family events, featuring
live music at a kid-friendly volume, activities for the kiddos, snacks, and
most importantly of all…beer. AND you can have more than one. For a $5
donation per grown up, your herd of children can frolic and dance to their
hearts’ content while you spend the afternoon enjoying a couple of brews and
listening to some good music. It can’t get any better than that, am I right?
The 2013 RNR season kicks off April 13 on Mud Island from 2-5.
Confirmed musical guests include the Jeremy Shrader Hot Five, the Memphis
Grizzlies Drum Line, Jeff Hulett’s One Man Band, and the Wuvbirds. Bluff City
Brewers is in charge of beer, and Central BBQ and Tom’s Tiny Kitchen Pimento
Cheese have oh-so-generously donated catering while supplies last. Don’t be a
jerk––only go through the line once! People will
notice and they will talk bad about
you to their friends. You don’t be that guy. …I digress. For more information about Rock-N-Romp, click here.
You should also be sure to check out the Rock-N-Romp Camp.
Kids between 1st and 7th grade are invited to kick it
with RNR the week of June 3 from 8:30-5:30 and then perform in a showcase after
the camp finale. It’s only $200 a kid and it’ll give you a week long reprieve
from your little angels. And who knows, maybe you’ll discover that your child
is a musical prodigy who will make you millions!
2013 Rock-N-Romp
schedule:
(All shows are from 2-5pm, most fall on Saturdays)
April 13: Mud Island
May 19 (Sunday): Rhodes College
June 3-7: camp at Rozelle Elementary
June 9: Camp showcase at Young Ave. Deli
August 10: Bridges
September 21: Corn Maze
November 2: Overton Park
Sami Harvey likes being a mom, and also she likes beer. Quite frankly this post will probably save at least eight young parents from accidentally succumbing to complete insanity. YOU'RE WELCOME, MEMPHIS.
This is the first in a series of posts that seek to start a discussion about where Memphis is in the year 2013, what we can do to make this place an amazing place to live in people's minds, and how best to get involved, give back and generally be a part of the solution, as opposed to complaining. Memphians from all fields and walks of life, who both love this city and understand the concept of thinking outside the box, will contribute in this space, and if you feel like you have something to say in your area of expertise, please get in touch at effinmemphis at gmail dot com. - Ed. by Anna Ellis
Have you ever been in a restaurant, or maybe a house party, and you hear the phrase, “Memphis is just dead….or dying?" Haters. You can spot them so easily from this one small statement. In particular, I hear a lot of people talk about all the abandoned buildings around town; one of my friends on the Book of Faces has a virtual photo album dedicated to the sole purpose of documenting the economic devastation which has wreaked havoc on the commercial building industry in Memphis (i.e. mounds of abandoned buildings). These Negative Nancies love to point out what's wrong with the city, what is not going on, what we lack.
This is me taking a stand. This is me saying, “Get wise to the new game, ya haters, you!”
I suppose, to lay out the parameters of the new game one must give a brief summary of the old game. And by “game” we are talking commercial/public development, by the way. So, the old game: a chaotic collage of developers and investors throwing together piecemeal business plans, finding spaces and building without the end user turn-over in mind. In other words, no consideration of wise urban planning. Urban planning has been around for centuries, with Florence being the first well planned urban development. Many cities, such as Paris, Lisbon and Chandigarh have employed urban planning techniques which promote civic engagement.
Memphis always has been a bit behind the curve, but that’s part of the charm, isn’t it? There was no entity at the founding of our city which fostered collaboration between the developer, government, end user and public.
Until recently, the old game was stagnant and well ingrained into the practices of the building industry. But a few key elements have come into play within the past five to ten years which have made the old game out of date, and almost impossible to play. Around the late 1990’s, Memphians started that dreaded “first step": admitting there is a problem. Three key entities have been put into place since then, for the purpose of administratively steering the course of design in a new direction.
Below are descriptions of the new-ishly appointed commissions, taken from the memphistn.gov website (which seems to be down this morning, which is not our problem. - Ed.):
“The Center City Development Corporation was chartered by the City of Memphis, Shelby County, and the State of Tennessee to promote redevelopment and combat the deterioration in the Central Business Improvement District (CBID). Additionally, the CCDC acts to expand employment opportunities, increase personal income, establish and finance business ventures, coordinate governmental planning, promote housing development, and promote the common good and general welfare of the Center City.”
“The Design Review Board serves to make recommendations regarding regulations with respect to signs and other public and private improvements within the Central Business Improvement District (CBID). The DRB is also charged with developing and implementing the CBID sign ordinance.”
“On April 29, 1998, the Tennessee General Assembly enacted the Community Redevelopment Act of 1998. This enabling legislation gave Memphis and Shelby County the exclusive authority to establish a Community Redevelopment Agency with all of the powers necessary to plan, finance and implement major redevelopment projects. The Memphis and Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) was established by the Memphis City Council and Shelby County Board of Commissioners by in 2000. The CRA was established for the purpose of improving the quality of life through the prevention and elimination of slum and blight and providing affordable housing for low to moderate-income families within Memphis and Shelby County. The CRA is the only joint City and County entity authorized to finance and implement major redevelopment activities. The Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development serve as the Staff to the CRA Board of Directors, which is composed of seven members, appointed by the City and County Mayors.”
These three administrative bodies seek to promote community collaboration with the developer. I have personally have sat through meetings at the Design Review Board in which the developer, the end user and members from the community “hashed it out”. The new goal is to give everyone a fair say, and to work together to come up with the very best possible outcome. This transparency and collaboration are just as contagious as the negativity in the past has been and this is the foundational slab of the "new game" for urban planning in Memphis. The new game is collaborative, communal and comprehensive. All over Memphis I see building projects in which this style of development was applied successfully. Below is a list of projects which have all played by the rules of the new game: East Memphis
Not only were these projects designed, administered and built collaboratively, but the spaces themselves lend to more community collaboration. Many events at each of these spaces listed host free events for the community that in some way promote more community support and collaboration, which contribute to Memphians truly taking ownership of the city in which we all live, making life better for all of us.
To remember the new game, haters, stick with the three C’s. If it is Collaborative, if it’s Communal and if it is Comprehensive – it’s a product of the new game plan, and you should get involved. It sure beats posting pictures of abandoned buildings on Facebook.
Anna Ellis is a Memphis interior designer and finance guru of some sort. She makes really good roasted stuffed squash, or whatever that was a few weeks ago. I'm sure the recipe had a fancier name.
We have lost a musical legend, and one of Memphis's greatest treasures. Over the coming days, many, many people from all walks of life in Memphis will be telling their stories of how Di Anne Price affected their lives over the decades. This is mine.
Di Anne Price was a brilliant pianist, singer and, most of all, as she would step in and assert right now, storyteller. But more than that, she was a friend, to me and so many other people. Indeed, for a lot of people, especially a large group of people who she referred to as her "babies," who spent countless hours sitting at her piano, she was sort of a second mama figure. When you walked into her lounge at Mollie Fontaine, especially if it had been more than a week or two since she'd seen you last, she immediately would light up, invite you over next to her (without missing a beat in whatever she was playing, mind you), and utter those words that so many of us hear echoing through our heads right now: "Tell me everything!" And I did, and we did, and so many people did. She was a confidant in those times I would walk her to her car after she was done playing or when we'd talk on the phone on Sunday afternoons, but at least seventy-five percent of the time, we were just shooting the shit. She worked so hard, and by the end of her nights at Mollie's, after having played all day, all over the city, you knew she just needed to go home and relax, but Di Anne cared so damn much about every person she knew. She was a voice of loving support, but she also did not hesitate to call one out on one's bullshit. This is a trait I valued in her. She was a great person to giggle with, to celebrate with, and if you needed it, a great shoulder to cry on.
She held a space for so many people that went far beyond being out at a bar listening to music. She excelled in that department, of course, but for me and many people I know, going too long without visiting Di Anne's piano was something akin to needing to refuel your tank. "We need some Di Anne time." And whether it was one of those nights when it just wasn't Her Crowd (those morons...) or one of those nights when she played many hours past her normal time, those nights when "church" would happen -- if you know what I'm talking about, you know what I'm talking about -- it was always a blessing for those gathered around that piano.
If you know me personally, you know that my Real Passion In Life is as a pianist and singer and songwriter, and I learned a hell of a lot from watching Di Anne. In fact, she snapped at me one time because I was watching her hands while she played.
"Get your OWN style!"
"I HAVE my own style, but I love to watch the way you do it!"
I did pick up a few of her tricks, whether she likes it or not.
The piano was truly an extension of her body, and while a lot of players can carry on light conversation while playing, Di Anne could perform pianistic acrobatics [her technique was impeccable] while having an animated conversation with five people, turning to be introduced to a new person whose name she would never forget, and when she would start singing again, she'd land in the exact place where she left off before, as if nothing had happened. In short, she was a pro.
I learned other things from her, too. Di Anne wasn't kidding when she said she was a storyteller. The greatest singers, I believe, are storytellers, and she had stories to tell both behind and away from the piano. Di Anne was there at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. She told me the real stories of what was going on during those days, and what really brought Dr. King to Memphis. Apparently, as I found out, it's not taught very well in our suburban public and private schools. In sharing her stories, she helped to make me a better Memphian, and in sharing her wisdom, she pushed me to allow myself to work toward my own musical dreams. And when those conversations were happening, you didn't want to miss a word.
I'm going to miss her so much. Over the last several years, she has been there for me when times were wonderful and when times were heartwrenchingly bad.
About eight months ago, I was about to walk out the front door of Mollie's and she looked at me from the piano, stopped singing and said into the microphone, with a strangely knowing look on her face, "Even though it will be sad when we have to go away, we know we will always remember the good times, won't we?" Yes, Di Anne. Yes, we will.
Hello, Memphis. On April 26, you are going to a huge party for an amazing cause. First you will go to Trolley Night in South Main, and then you will stick around for LUVGLO:
Who or what is a LUVGLO? If you've heard of LUVMUD, it's part of the same organization, except that this time, you won't be doing an obstacle course and getting all muddy like the little kid you are, but instead will be running a 5K at night in Downtown Memphis covered head to toe in glow paint. Maybe you are sitting here saying "sign me up!" If so, click the clicky above and follow some links and you'll be there. Registration prices go up on March 15, so act now!
But maybe you are sitting there saying, "Meh, I do not use my feet for running, I am not interested in these goings-on." Hi, Memphis, at what point did you ever pass up an opportunity to drink for a good cause? The weather will be nice and you can still paint yourself and have fun and enjoy the entertainment and cheer on the runners and whatnot.
But maybe you are sitting there saying, "Meh, I paint my body by myself at home, and then I have snax and cry for a little while." Well, it's for a really good cause. You need to read this whole article [I'll wait], but just to give you the gist:
“I had a family with a sick daughter,” said Mark Horrocks, who founded Habitat for Hope in 2005, after relocating to Memphis from Florida in 2003, while his daughter underwent treatment for stage IIIA Malignant Melanoma. “Here, we came in contact with families in similar situations, families from other places that were in Memphis for the hospitals.”
Horrocks and his wife Mylissa chose to stay in Memphis after their daughter’s cancer was defeated, devoting themselves to helping families in similar situations.
Today, Habitat for Hope operates a fifty acre ranch in Millington, where they provide housing, food, gathering space and activities to families who need it. They also have two apartments downtown, kept for the same purpose. Outside of the Mid-South, they work with sixteen hospitals across the U.S., connecting people in need with the resources required to see their children through the long stretches of treatment required for many serious illnesses.
Um, yes, that is a really, really important cause, and all you have to do is act a fool and paint yourself and SPREAD THE WORD. Look for an interview with Mark in these pages in the coming weeks, tell your friends and show up for LUVGLO!
Need more convincing? Here, take it from Adam Hurst, pictured above, who happens to be your Effin' Memphis's brother [we take kindly to nepotism around here]:
I'm doing it because there's no other race like it anywhere near Memphis, it's big time fun, and it benefits families who are struggling with one of the hardest things they could ever have to face.
SOLD. He also points out that, since it's in South Main and everything, it's automatically cooler than races that don't happen in fun places. He would also like everyone to know that he is very strong, and also "hey, ladies." No, just kidding. His amazing girlfriend might have a problem with that.
Anyway, leaving you with this video of the last LUVGLO event. April 26! Be there! Effin' Memphis will be there with bells on, by which we probably mean two-fisting shots of Fireball.
We are really enjoying this Memphis Flyer profile of Chiwawa, the new hot dog/taco/adult popsicle joint opening up at 2059 Madison near Overton Square:
Enter: Chiwawa, the buzzy new spot on Madison in the former, long shuttered Chicago Pizza Factory. Oh yes, they will have "adult" sno-cones with tequila and whiskey. They'll also have boozy popsicles and cheap and tasty street foods and small plates (all between $3 and $8) by Chef Crash Hethcox, formerly of Revival Southern food truck, and Travis Tungseth. They'll be plating a variety of hotdogs and brats (including some veggie dogs!), french fries and sweet-and-spicy ketchup, elote (grilled corn covered with spicy mayonnaise and sprinkled with cotija cheese), quesadillas, tacos, homemade chips and salsa, and their signature "Juantons," a chicken and cheese mix stuffed into wonton wrappers and fried.
Adult sno-cones. For the alcoholic who's still just a child at heart.
SOLD.
According to the Flyer, we'll all be able to enjoy this new place sometime mid-week. So...um, Thursday for Happy Hour, y'all? Let's go with that.
[Chiwawa logo above stolen from their Facebook page, which you should go like right now so you can get a headstart on patronizing this great new business.]
Hello, Memphis music lovers. If you'd like to get out and patronize "the scene," well, this is a good weekend for it.
Start tonight at The Blind Bear for MOTEL MIRRORS. "I don't know Motel Mirrors," you say. Well, you know Amy LaVere and John Paul Keith, probably, and it's a collaboration between Amy, John Paul and Shawn Zorn. 10 PM.
Then tomorrow night at the Poplar Lounge, it's GLOSSARY. Opener is KAIT LAWSON. If you don't know Glossary, they're from Murfreesboro, they share a member with Lucero and they're awesome. Check it out:
Next up, and this is the one I'm most stoked about, is Saturday night at the Young Avenue Deli with THE BLACK LILLIES. They're from Knoxville, and they're making some of the best indie Americana/country I've heard in quite a while. Seriously, if you like REALLY good country/bluegrass/Americana, you need to park your ass at the Deli on Saturday night and just stay there.
And if you're not done with the whole country/Americana/bluegrass thing on Saturday night, go do it again on Sunday night at Newby's with SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION. Here they are doing one of NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts, which, if you're not familiar, are about the coolest thing ever. If between Saturday and Sunday nights you're not stomping feet, well, you have no soul.
And as always, if you want to check out all the coolest stuff you've never heard that's coming to Memphis in the next month, subscribe to the Spotify playlist up there on the right. It's constantly updating with all the Effin' Memphis picks for the best live shows in a 100 mile radius of Memphis over the next month or so.
ENJOY! There some Real Music going on this weekend and you'd be silly to miss it.
Bianca has a report on the Mid-South Regional Greenprint Consortium, a group working to create "a long-term vision for the area's greenspaces, including parks, greenways, community gardens, stormwater management, and waterways." We need that. The plans include not just Shelby County, but also Crittenden, Desoto and Fayette.
In case you hadn't heard, the South Main neighborhood is getting really cool. Your Effin' Memphis used to live in the neighborhood, and can testify to the fact that there's something very good happening down that-a-way. If you decide to traipse over that way soon, you are required to eat at Rizzo's Diner (best new-ish restaurant in Memphis, hands down) and go shopping at SACHË, simply because they are cool and they are my friends.
Speaking of South Main and Downtown development in general, Henry Turley says, "you can be somebody in Memphis."
The family of murdered Clarksdale, MS, mayoral candidate Marco McMillian has released a statement about his death, and it is gruesome and heartbreaking. An excerpt:
We know that Marco was brutally murdered. His body was found on Wednesday, February 26, 2013, beaten, dragged and burned (set afire). This was reported in our meeting with the local coroner on two occasions. We were informed that the official autopsy report could take two to four weeks to complete. We feel that this was not a random act of violence based on the condition of the body when it was found. Marco, nor anyone, should have their lives end in this manner.
My god.
In much happier regional news, the University of Mississippi Medical Center and its Dr. Hannah Fay seem to have cured HIV in an infant for the first time. This story is making serious international headlines. Congratulations to Dr. Fay and her team!
Anyway, enjoy your Monday! Here's something we're listening to this morning, because it came up in our iTunes shuffle and it is awesome:
My dog would like you to go see some live music this month.
Want to go see Mary J. Blige in Southaven on Sunday night? Sorry, you can't. It's sold out. Also, would you like to see Shawn Colvin and Mary Chapin Carpenter at GPAC tonight? You are again out of luck. You should be quicker on the uptake! But, of course, if you're good at That Sort Of Thing, you might be able to find your way in.
That said, you should check out the Effin' Memphis picks for the best live music in Memphis for the month of March. There is, of course Leonard Cohen (!!!!!), and also Elton John, which might make some of you (!!!!!). Personally, we are stoked about the alternative country/Americana/whatever of The Black Lillies (Saturday, March 9 at Young Avenue Deli). Other names making an appearance this month include Pinback, Spirit Family Reunion, Minus The Bear, Quiet Company and Memphis's own Star & Micey.
Are some of these names unfamiliar to you? Would you be more likely to patronize the music scene in Memphis if you had an easy way to check out some of these artists with only a minimal effort on your part? Well, we have a solution for that! Here is your "Live In Memphis" Spotify playlist, which includes a few songs from each artist playing within a one-hundred mile radius of Memphis that we think is worth your time. It's super-easy! You click on the playlist and let it play while you're doing whatever it is you're doing. I mean, it's the end of the day on Friday. You can probably get away with throwing on some headphones.
You should also subscribe to the playlist, because it's constantly updating, about a month out. Indeed, I'm not done updating it for March, so if you listen today, and then you listen again tomorrow or Monday, you will have a completely different experience! It's embedded below, but as always, it's also over there on the right side of the page.
