Memphis Beat

I haven't had a chance to check out the new Memphis Beat TV show on TNT yet but i did find this way cool interactive map of Memphis on the show's website!

STAGE: The Man In Room 306

Now thru 2/14 at 59E59 Theaters:

The Man in Room 306 is a fictional account of the last night in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The story unfolds on the rainy, windswept evening of April 3, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

During these declining years of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King has returned to Memphis to lead a demonstration of striking, Black sanitation workers. This is the second march King will lead in the troubled "River City". The first ended in violence and the tragic shooting death of a sixteen year old black boy at the hands of white, Memphis police. For an anxious Dr. King the stakes couldn't be higher; if this next march ends in rioting, it may permanently damage the viability of nonviolence in the civil rights struggle and destroy his credibility as its symbolic leader. It is under these trying circumstances that Dr. King finds himself alone in Room 306, struggling with his past, anxious about his future, and coming to terms with his life.

Audiences are invited into the private world of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to catch a rare glimpse of the iconic figure as a man filled with life and hope, as well as the worries and burdens of his calling.

Written by and starring Craig Alan Edwards, The man in room 306 is an intimate, human portrait of Dr. King; a fictional glimpse into the private moments of history; into the passions and fears of an incredible man during an extraordinary time.

The Man in room 306 is proudly supported by the National Civil Rights Museum.

(Source)

RIP MLK

RIP Jay Reatard

From the Commercial Appeal:

In an interview with The New York Times last August, Memphis punk artist Jay Reatard uttered what, in retrospect, was a haunting phrase:

"Everything I do," Reatard said, "is motivated by the fear of running out of time."

That statement rang terribly true early Wednesday as the 29-year-old musician was found dead in his bed in the Cooper-Young home he'd bought just a few months ago.

Read more here.

RIP - Willie Mitchell

From the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper:

One of the great pillars of the Memphis sound, Willie Mitchell, has died. The musician, songwriter, producer and label head died this morning at about 7:30 a.m. at Methodist University Hospital. He was 81.

Born on March 1, 1928, Mitchell remained at the forefront of Memphis music for more than six decades, as a trumpeter, bandleader and record maker. He would eventually go on to create one of the most important musical kingdoms with his South Memphis-based Hi Records and Royal Studios.

At Hi he sired some of the most famous instrumental hits of the '60s and shepherded the careers of Al Green and Ann Peebles in the '70s. Even in later years Mitchell stayed busy at his studio, working with up-and-coming talents like John Mayer and Anthony Hamilton.

read more here

GIFT IDEA: 20x200 Limited Edition Art Prints

ART FOR EVERYONE! Launched in September 2007, 20x200 uses the power of the Internet to bring the value and joy of collecting art to a wider audience than has ever been possible. Named for its signature $20 prints, which are released in editions of 200, the site offers photographs and works on paper in a variety of sizes, ranging in price from $20 to $5000. Curated and personally introduced by founder Jen Bekman in twice weekly newsletters, 20x200's exhibition-quality prints are delivered with artist-signed certificates of authenticity. Collectors clamor for original works from our artists and our editions frequently sell out. They are passionate about art and the Internet at 20x200 and they are excited about creating a place where any art lover can be an art collector.

The prints below were created in the South. You can view the work of artists from the South here.

think-make-think (second edition) by Clifton Burt

Hank Williams' Bed, Georgiana, Alabama by Scott Eiden

Penguin, Memphis, TN by Geoffrey Ellis

Hint: That "Penguin" is my fave!

STAGE: Memphis The Musical

Previews begin today (9/23) at the Shubert Theatre for Memphis: TURN UP THAT DIAL! From the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee, by way of hit runs at the La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, comes a hot new Broadway musical - inspired by actual events - with heart, soul and energy to burn. He's a young, white radio DJ named Huey Calhoun (Chad Kimball), whose love of music transcends race lines and airwaves. She's a black singer named Felicia Farrell (Montego Glover), whose career is on the rise, but who can't break out of segregated clubs. When the two collaborate, her soulful music reaches radio audiences everywhere, and the Golden Era of early rock 'n' roll takes flight. But as things start to heat up, whether the world is really ready for their music - or their love - is put to the test. (source)

R.I.P. Jim Dickinson

Photo: Joe Presdeo

Legendary music producer Jim Dickinson passed away over the weekend.

From Bob Mehr's Memphis Commercial Appeal obit:

The North Mississippi Allstars have lost their father, Bob Dylan has lost a “brother,” rock and roll has lost one of its great cult heroes and Memphis has lost a musical icon with the death of Jim Dickinson.

The 67-year-old Dickinson passed away early Saturday morning in his sleep. The Memphis native and longtime Mississippi resident had been in failing health for the past few months and was recuperating from heart surgery at Methodist Extended Care Hospital.

"He went peacefully,” said his wife, Mary Lindsay Dickinson, adding that her husband remained in good spirits until the end. “He had a great life. He loved his family and music. And he loved Memphis music, specifically.”

During the course of his colorful half-century career, Dickinson built a worldwide reputation as a session player for the likes of Dylan and The Rolling Stones, a producer for influential groups including Big Star and The Replacements, a sometime solo artist and the patriarch of a small musical dynasty through his sons, Cody and Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars.

Career highlights

1966: Cuts the song “Cadillac Man” for Sun Records, attracting the interest of his idol, Sam Phillips.

1969: Plays piano on “Wild Horses” for The Rolling Stones in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

1975: Produces Big Star’s dark masterpiece Third/Sister Lovers. It eventually is named one of Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”

1986: Rowdy Minneapolis rockers The Replacements come to Memphis to record the critically-acclaimed Pleased to Meet Me with Dickinson producing.

1997: Plays on Bob Dylan’s Grammy-winning “comeback” album Time Out of Mind.

2009: Releases his swan song, Dinosaurs Run in Circles, a collection of old pop standards.

SOUNDS: Cat Power plays Summerstage this Sunday (8/10)

Cat Power and Juliette Lewis join the Pretenders this Sunday, August 10 at Central Park Summerstage (Rumsey Field). The performance is pegged as the 2009 Summerstage Gala which raises funds for City Parks Foundation’s free year-round arts performances in parks citywide. Click here for more info.

SOUNDS: South Memphis String Band TONITE @ Joe's Pub

The South Memphis String Band performs tonight @ Joe's Pub in NYC:

The South Memphis String Band is a trio, bound by Memphis and North Mississippi roots, composed of Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Alvin “Youngblood” Hart (Grammy-winning bluesman) and Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers). Although they’ve known each other for years, the trio’s musical spirit gelled last year when they recorded a yet-unreleased album with Luther’s father, legendary producer Jim Dickinson, called New Moon Jellyroll Freedom Rockers. The South Memphis String Band was greatly influenced by the Mississippi Sheiks, Gus Cannon & the Memphis Jug Band and other string bands and jug bands of their ilk, as well as Mississippi Delta and Hill Country blues. They will travel with a passel of guitars, mandolins, banjos, lap steel guitars and harmonicas.

“I break down walls and stereotypes with my music. I confuse people. I use Mississippi music, which is renegade music at heart, as my inspiration and motivation," says Mathus. "I use it as a tool to reach people, to express my own feelings and continue to express those that came before me. I keep the old stories alive while they help keep me alive. Luther, Youngblood Hart and myself have been musical co- conspirators for over a decade. It is only fitting that we should come together with acoustic instruments and perform Mississippi music.”

SPORTS: Manhattan March Madness 2009 – Where to Watch the Sweet Sixteen in NYC

from glogster.com

Birmingham Arts Journal

March Madness - Southern Style, by Jeff and Ashley Fryer

Are you itching to watch your favorite Southern teams in the Sweet Sixteen this year with fellow ex-pats and Southern supporters? Here’s a list of official viewing parties, alumni club hangouts, and Southern college basketball enthusiast gatherings in Manhattan for the remaining Southern teams. Southern teams make up nearly a third of the teams left in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament this year, so there are plenty of opportunities to cheer for those South of the Mason-Dixon!For game times and opponent information, check .

Also below are some little tidbits about each school, to help stump that annoying know-it-all alumna/alumnus over a few beers, courtesy of U.S. News.

Duke Blue Devils (Durham, NC):

Confirmed viewing party for NYC alumni: Village Pourhouse (64 3^rd Ave. at E. 11^th St.).

The Duke University “Blue Devils” team nickname finds its origins in French soldiers in World War I.

Louisville Cardinals (Louisville, KY):

Their alumni club’s official NYC game watch site: The Hill (416 3^rd Ave. between E. 29^th and 30^th sts.)

19% of students at the Univ. of Louisville major in business, management, and marketing, making it the school’s most popular program.

Memphis Tigers (Memphis, TN):

Confirmed NYC alumni viewing party: Rogue Bar (757 6^th ave. between 25^th/26^th sts.).

The University of Memphis got a live tiger cub, dubbed TOM III, to take over its mascot crown in November 2008.

North Carolina Tar Heels (Raleigh, NC):

Confirmed viewing party for NYC alumni: Firefly (54 Spring St. near Mulberry St.)

The University of North Carolina was the country’s 1^st state university and the only public university to award degrees in the 18^th century.

Oklahoma Sooners (Norman, OK):

Their NYC viewing home is at The Pressbox (932 2^nd Ave. between E. 49^th & 50^th sts.)

So what exactly is a “sooner,” the team nickname of the University of Oklahoma? An “energetic individual who travels ahead of the human procession,” the school says.

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To see an interactive Google map we did of where the 21 original (pre-elimination) Southern schools are located, goHERE . To see where all of these parties are at in NYC, go to another Google map HERE .

RIP: Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968) was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin. His grandfather began the family's long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931; his father has served from then until the present, and from 1960 until his death Martin Luther acted as co-pastor. Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia, graduating from high school at the age of fifteen; he received the B. A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, a distinguished Negro institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had graduated. After three years of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania where he was elected president of a predominantly white senior class, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951. With a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his residence for the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955. In Boston he met and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of uncommon intellectual and artistic attainments. Two sons and two daughters were born into the family.

In 1954, Martin Luther King accepted the pastorale of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Always a strong worker for civil rights for members of his race, King was, by this time, a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the leading organization of its kind in the nation. He was ready, then, early in December, 1955, to accept the leadership of the first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States, the bus boycott described by Gunnar Jahn in his presentation speech in honor of the laureate. The boycott lasted 382 days. On December 21, 1956, after the Supreme Court of the United States had declared unconstitutional the laws requiring segregation on buses, Negroes and whites rode the buses as equals. During these days of boycott, King was arrested, his home was bombed, he was subjected to personal abuse, but at the same time he emerged as a Negro leader of the first rank.

In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; its operational techniques from Gandhi. In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience. and inspiring his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, "l Have a Dream", he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure.

At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated. (source)

ART: WILLIAM EGGLESTON: Democratic....Camera

William Eggleston: Democratic Camera

Photographs and Video, 1958-2008

The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

November 7, 2008-January 25, 2009

Curated by Elisabeth Sussman and Thomas Weski

One of the most influential photographers of the last half-century, William Eggleston has defined the history of color photography. This exhibition will be the artist's first retrospective in the United States and will include both his color and black-and-white photographs as well as Stranded in Canton, the artist's video work from the early 1970s. The exhibition will travel throughout the United States as well as to the Haus der Kunst in Munich following its New York presentation. Eggleston was born in Memphis, TN in 1939. (Source: Eggleston Trust)

ART: WILLIAM EGGLESTON: Stranded In Canton

Shot in 1974 with a Sony Porta-pak, the crazily careering ''Stranded in Canton'' documents a cast of hard-drinking Southerners with the intimacy, ease and instability of a seasoned participant.
In one sequence, a man with peroxide hair, makeup and a sequined T-shirt sings old love songs, swanning around with a toilet-paper boa. In others shots are fired; good old boys decapitate chickens; and a young bearded man with an angelic face raves about being stranded in Canton, a colloquialism for being out of one's mind on drugs or alcohol. Whiffs of Southern Gothic are not new to Mr. Eggleston's work, but here they rise to the surface -- fierce, tragic and proud.

(New York Times)

William Eggleston's "Stranded in Canton"

Directed by William Eggleston - Twin Palms, 2008

Book and DVD to be released Fall 2008 to coincide with Whitney exhibit