First of all, the name: why "Effin' Memphis?" Because this place is weird, in good ways and in ways that we tolerate, grimace at, roll our eyes at, smirk in the general direction of and outright frown at. How many of us have had random conversations where something bizarre/unseemly about Memphis is mentioned, and the conversation has ended with one party simply saying, "it's fuckin' Memphis." Even those of us who love the place do this! So we want to make that a positive thing, if that is possible! Also, we wanted to call it simply "Fuckin' Memphis," but we would like for you to be able to read it at work. (Also, why is the McKayla Not Impressed picture right there? I don't know. I just stuck it there, because that face represents the way people think about this city.)
Part of making that a positive thing, though, is for us to truly embrace the weirdness of this city. The tagline above says, "because Memphis is weird, and so are you." It is, and you are. You know this to be true. And that's where "taking Memphis to the next level" comes in. The other day, the Smart City Memphis blog had a piece about the problem we all know too well on some level or another: the fact that Memphis loses more quality citizens every year than it gains. Every year, great people who were born here pack up and leave, and they're not being replaced with vibrant, interesting transplants in great enough numbers to even things out. We all know it, but it seems nobody is speaking with the collective voice OF those citizens who actually are here, trying to make this a better, cooler, weirder place. One of Effin' Memphis's primary goals is to bring all of us together in some way to make that voice the loudest one in the room. If we're all united toward this action, even if it's only during our daily 9:00-11:30 coffee breaks at work, then we can start building that. Yes, there are institutional challenges and a general failure by much of the local business community and government to actually get behind the things that will take us to the next level, but for god's sake, they're never going to heed the call unless there is a veritable horde of people forcing them into the late 20th century, kicking and screaming. (We'll work on the transition into the 21st later, when the Play-doh is a bit softer and more malleable.)
So what are we going to cover here? Things that are worthy of our/your time. We have amazing local news resources like The Memphis Flyer that have their fingers on the pulses of absolutely everything that is going on, and we'll leave it to them to compile comprehensive listings of absolutely everything that's going on. We are not they and they are not we, and we're not looking to step on their territory. Instead, we're going with the "less is more" approach. If something here is highlighted, whether it's a show (covering the music scene will be an integral part of this blog), an amazing restaurant, new or old, a non-profit that deserves your time and money, a community project, or a spotlight on a Memphian you need to know about, that means that it is something that we really, truly like and endorse and think you should too. Because, see, we in Memphis sure do like to bitch about how "there's nothing to do," but all too often fail to show up for quality "things to do." I know, I know, we all have lives and responsibilities and stuff. Of course. As does everyone in Austin, Portland, Seattle and Providence. Sure, Memphis in May is packed and Cooper-Young Festival is a parking nightmare, but it's that day to day stuff -- getting the message out. "Hey, this is happening. We should go!" We lament wonderful restaurants closing, all the while knowing that Memphis is super, duper great about getting behind amazing new restaurants for approximately six months before moving on to the next new place. We lament the fact that, when compared to other cities of similar size, our music scene sucks. (It does, in some ways, and does not, in others.) But yet, for those of you who do go to shows on a regular basis, how many shows have you experienced where you and perhaps twenty-five people have bonded over your common love of an artist? It makes for an intimate show, but it sure doesn't pay anybody's bills.
There are institutional issues: you have to drive everywhere here, and, in square-mileage, the city is approximately the size of Kansas. And yeah, the local government doesn't really do much to encourage people to engage in the actual goings-on of the city. That being said, we, the creative, talented people of Memphis who are actually here can do something about it, because it has to start somewhere. So, for people reading who really are engaged in the city, think about what you can do to engage outside your comfort zone. If you're one of those who just totally wants to pitch in and get involved, but you don't know where to start, hopefully we can be a conduit for helping you find a place to jump in. If you're completely negative on Memphis, this isn't the place for you. If you're snarky and make shitty comments about Memphis all the time, yet love it just the same, this IS the place for you. We want you reading, sharing, commenting, getting to know people you might not otherwise meet, and showing up. We also want you contributing! This is YOUR place, creative Memphis! If there's something we should know about, drop us an e-mail at effinmemphis at gmail dot com. If we agree that it's cool, we'll cover it! If you like to write and want to put together a blog post on something that's near and dear to YOUR heart in this city, then file a report! Write it up, tell us how you want it to be credited and send it on! If you're a good writer and I don't have to spend an hour correcting your "your/you're" mistakes, you might end up being a regular contributor!
As I said in the headline, this is our "soft open." As you can see, we're still under construction around here. There will be ads (I know, I know), but there will also be a donate button, because if we're really going to do this, we need to be able to pay the rent. There will be all sorts of sections with suggestions for getting involved, giving back, getting your finger on the pulse, etc. There already is a constantly updating Spotify playlist at the right, of all the best live music coming to Memphis over the next month. Flip it on while you're reading. You might discover your new favorite artist, and it's cool because, by definition, you can go see them live in or near Memphis over the course of the next month! As I am writing this, it is the afternoon of January 24, and tonight at the HiTone, Purity Ring, a band that has been on absolutely every important national best-of list this year, will be playing. They are, in short, incredible, but don't take my word for it. Press play over to the right! They are the very first act on the list. So, listen, and if you like it, GO TO THE SHOW.
Also, like us on The Facebooks and follow us on The Twitters, and let's see, what other housekeeping is there? Oh, who am I? I am your Editor, Evan. Many of you know me. I used to be a gay rights activist with Truth Wins Out (see our policy on The Gays here) and I also write for a national political humor blog called Wonkette, and wherever else my work happens to appear.
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