Friday Night Soul

THIS SHOW IS ACTUALLY 8 BUCKS, NOT 5!

I GUARANTEE IT WILL BE WORTH IT THOUGH!

Country Teasers Hit Memphis

Little edgy, bit quirky, there's more to Bluff City than Graceland and Beale, says CVB

By David Williams

May 21, 2006

A barbecue joint with "raw cinderblock and fluorescent lighting."

A "grandma's-living-room-inspired, punk/alt-rock hole in the wall."

Rappers "known for their dark, over-the-top style and (at times shocking) lyrics."

What, the underside of Memphis that the Convention & Visitors Bureau doesn't want the world to see?

Nah, just a few choice numbers from the CVB's new press kit, "Memphis on the Flipside," which revels in the likes of A & R Bar-B-Que, the Buccaneer Lounge and Three 6 Mafia.

"That grittiness is part of our sex appeal," said Regena Bearden, CVB vice president of marketing. "It's just a little bit edgy and just a little bit funky. It's not all polished and pretty."

The "Flipside" package, developed by archer>malmo, will be mailed to some 500 media outlets, namely newspapers and magazines that could publish travel pieces and drive tourists to a city with an estimated 9 million annual visitors.

"The challenge that Regena gave us," said Cynthia Ham, archer>malmo principal and chief public relations officer, "was to create a press kit that really was unlike anybody else's, and that really inspired writers to write about things in Memphis other than Elvis and Beale Street."

Memphis' world-renowned "hits" -- Elvis and Graceland, Beale Street, the Rendezvous -- aren't forgotten, of course. "If you got a press kit on Memphis and it didn't have Graceland in it," Bearden said, "they'd think we lost our minds."

This is about spinning some of those lesser-known Memphis B-sides. And so, in the form of paragraph-length story ideas primarily written by archer>malmo's Justin Dobbs, the press kit revels in Wild Bill's ("Grab a 40-ounce and a pickled pig foot and hit the dance floor..."), Goner Records ("vinyl empire in the heart of Cooper-Young") and the Gibson Guitar Factory ("The smell of freshly carved tonewoods").

This being Memphis, the biggest ruckus is made about music -- a tone set by the guitar player on the press kit cover and the "Memphis on the Flipside" catchphrase.

But its creators also think outside the jukebox.

There's the new Cotton Museum, the Orpheum's summer movie series, the Wolf River, Overton Park, the Southern Heritage Classic, Arts in the Park, Downtown carriage rides, the South Main Art Trolley Tour.

And there's a place that's a mouthful to say and a handful to locate, off I-55 just shy of the bridge to Arkansas. The National Ornamental Metal Museum, with its collection of decorative metalwork and a working blacksmith shop, is the only place of its kind in the Americas, said administrator Charles Ferryman.

It's a place where metal is shaped to meet artisans' needs and artists' whims. But for those who aren't such metal fans, it's also a stellar setting, as described by writer Matt Dellinger in the May issue of Smithsonian magazine: "From the gazebo at the National Ornamental Metal Museum, high on a bluff south of Downtown Memphis, the world resembles nothing so much as a mural by Thomas Hart Benton."

Ferryman, who moved to Memphis from Little Rock about six years ago, likes the idea of exploring the path not beaten.

"Whenever I go on vacation to other places I usually pick up a Frommer's guide or a Lonely Planet guide," he said, "in hopes that it would have something different in there ... to do what the locals do."

When out-of-town friends visit, Ferryman said, the stops include such CVB B-sides as Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken and the Bar-B-Q Shop.

Archer>malmo's Clint Briscoe, project manager for the press kit, can relate to both perspectives -- the local's and the tourist's -- having moved here about a year ago from Nashville.

"One of the great things about the completed kit for me now is, I find myself going through and checking off the places that I have been to," he said, "and the places I need to go."

Thoughts On A Holiday

I think I've hit a sort of wall in terms of writing about bands in Memphis. I've had several offers for freelance writing gigs, but I would have to sort of "branch out" in terms of what I wrote about, meaning I'd have to hit more of the mainstream audience, you know, the people with really bad taste in music. And to be totally honest, the majority of popular bands that play outside the parkways, pretty much suck. So it comes down to integrity or money. Which will I choose?

And everybody thinks they're awsome and it's hard to tell people that they are not. I have mad respect for anyone who can play an instrument and plays music that they love to play. Don't get me wrong. But it doesn't take a genius to be able to tell certain bands are never going to have an audience other than their drunk friends.

So, yeah, I think that there are quite a few talented musicians in Memphis, but in terms of breakout stars, the pool is small. And I don't want to start covering mediocre music just to have content. Cause if it's bad, we'll both know, and if I'm just going through the motions, we'll both know that too.

Party With Glass Candy

What Should I Get Mark For His Birthday?

Dance! Dance! Dance!

The GLITCHES are Memphis' finest cover band!!! Featuring Jared and Lori McStay (ex-Villians), Robby Grant (Vending Machine,Mouserocket), Adam Woodard (Tearjerkers)
The GLITCHES will perform 2 sets this evening! Before, inbetween, and afterwards DJ BUCK WILDERS will spin musical treats from his box of goodies!---Rock, Garage, Psych, R&B, and Soul!!!

The Glitches cover The Zombies, the Ideals, the Jam, Papas Fritas, Flaming Lips, the Ronettes, the Creation, Os Mutantes, the Kinks, Fiery Furnaces, Pat Benatar, the Go-Gos, the Gants, Ray Charles, 13th Floor Elevators, and of course the Beatles and the Stones... and many more!

Look Ma, I'm Famous!

On The Record

Well, for some reason the title didn't get used this week - weird.

But my new column is out and can be found in today's Playbook.

or you can read it online:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/live_music/article/0,1426,MCA_508_4726984,00.html

If you know any good gossip or something cool is going on, be sure to let me know - send me your email address if you want to be added to my mailing list.

See you out this weekend.

RATC

Holly Cole @ The Vault

KROC Community Center Survey

Through a generous gift from the estate of Joan and Ray
Kroc, the local Salvation Army is in the process of
developing a comprehensive plan for the Kroc Community
Center to be located across the street from CBU at the
Memphis Fairgrounds.

The mission of the Kroc Center is to serve the needs of
people from the surrounding communities--spanning all
stages of life and reaching families and individuals of all
economic means. It is hoped that the Kroc Center will be a
place where diverse members of our community can come
together, where everyone feels comfortable, and where
everyone can find activities to enrich their lives.

Some of the facilities and/or programs currently under
consideration are: indoor swimming & aquatics, a
health/wellness center, early childhood activities,
affordable daycare and/or child drop-off centers, a full
service clinic, outdoor & indoor athletic facilities, and
visual & fine arts opportunities.

Because you live, work, or go to school in this area, The
Salvation Army wants to hear your opinions about what would
make the Kroc Center valuable to the local community.
Please take this brief on-line survey to share your
thoughts. Deadline for completion of the survey is Friday,
June 9th.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=294842138990

Benefit Show For Dave "Cheesetoast" Pound

Dave "Cheesetoast" Pound, a bass player of local renown, suffered a stroke recently is being helped out by a rag-tag fugitive fleet of musicians. The next benefit is this Saturday the 27th from 2-10 p.m. at Murphy's on Madison. There will be bands indoors and an outside stage as well, and the sponsors are Budweiser, Hicks Event Rentals, and Murphy's. Here's the line-up:

2 p.m. -- Eric Lewis
2:45 -- Zippin Pippins
3:30 -- The PuppyDogs
4:15 -- Jim Duckworth & Greg Hisky
4:15 (outside) -- Oliveria
5 -- Kenny Brown w/ Terrance & Bubba
5 (inside) -- Plywood Doghouse
6:15 -- LeptaLogic
6:30 (inside) -- Tim Farr & Ross Johnson
7 -- Dan Montgomery
8:30 (outside) -- The Menstruals

Blogger Bash

We've been doing these now for about 2 years - Wow! How time flies!!!

If you have a blog, come on down and introduce yourself!

June 9th, at the P&H Cafe on Madison, starting at 7PM

See ya there.

We're Still Looking For Da Gold

I've been neglecting this site working on other projects. My new column in the Commercial Appeal debuts this Friday - It's called "On the Record" and will be full of gossip, show reccomendations, gossip, funny stories, and gossip. I also may have some other big news to annouce soon - I don't want to give it away, but it has to do with radio.

Hmmm, what else is going on. My friend Justin, who writes the excellent music blog Aquarium Drunkard, was in town with his wife over the past few days, I showed him around midtown, introduced him to a ton of people and made him feel bad that he is going to miss a bunch of great shows happening after he leaves.

So here are my reccomends for this week:

Wednesday: Pinback @ The Hitone
Thursday: Dish with your favorite DJ's Witnesse and Handsome Mark
Friday: Trolley Tour / Brad Postlethwaite, Blair Combest, JD Reager @ Folk Alliance (510 S. Main) DURING Trolley tour

If you're already down town check this out:

Then hit this up late night:

Saturday: This is Goodbye / The United @ The Hitone

See ya there.

Comments?

Due to issues with the script used in the commenting system of this blog, comments have been disabled until a solution can be found.

Sorry - I know this is a pain :P

Patrik da web guy

Correspondence can be maintained by sending email to rachel (at) rachelandthecity.com

10% Off At American Apparel

Get 10% off any purchase at this store until June 30, 2006.
Just print the coupon and bring it along to take advantage of this special offer.

10% Discount Coupon

South Main
528 S. Main St.
Memphis, TN 38103
Tel. (901) 528-1722

Store Hours:
Mon - Thu: 10am - 8pm
Fri - Sat: 10am - 9pm
Sun: 11am - 7pm

Anyone Going To Bonnaroo?

I might be headed that way and don't want to drive alone.

Not much going on over here except me posting rants and then deleting them, cause you know what, none of it is worth bitching about.

Lots of posting going on over at Scenestars.

word.

I did come across this on the King's of Convenience blog on Myspace - something to ponder. Has anyone seen this anywhere else in the US media?

La lettre de Mahmoud Ahmadinejad à George W. Bush
LEMONDE.FR | 09.05.06 | 19h27 Mis à jour le 09.05.06 | 19h30

To George Bush, President of the United States of America
For sometime now I have been thinking, how one can justify the undeniable contradictions that exist in the international arena -- which are being constantly debated, specially in political forums and amongst university students. Many questions remain unanswered. These have prompted me to discuss some of the contradictions and questions, in the hopes that it might bring about an opportunity to redress them.
Can one be a follower of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the great Messenger of God,
Feel obliged to respect human rights, Present liberalism as a civilization model, Announce one's opposition to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and WMDs, Make War and Terror his slogan, And finally, Work towards the establishment of a unified international community a community which Christ and the virtuous of the Earth will one day govern, But at the same time, Have countries attacked; The lives, reputations and possessions of people destroyed and on the slight chance of the of a criminals in a village city, or convoy for example the entire village, city or convey set ablaze. Or because of the possibility of the existence of WMDs in one country, it is occupied, around one hundred thousand people killed, its water sources, agriculture and industry destroyed, close to 180,000 foreign troops put on the ground, sanctity of private homes of citizens broken, and the country pushed back perhaps fifty years. At what price? Hundreds of billions of dollars spent from the treasury of one country and certain other countries and tens of thousands of young men and women as occupation troops put in harms way, taken away from family and love ones, their hands stained with the blood of others, subjected to so much psychological pressure that everyday some commit suicide ant those returning home suffer depression, become sickly and grapple with all sorts of aliments; while some are killed and their bodies handed of their families.

On the pretext of the existence of WMDs, this great tragedy came to engulf both the peoples of the occupied and the occupying country. Later it was revealed that no WMDs existed to begin with.

Of course Saddam was a murderous dictator. But the war was not waged to topple him, the announced goal of the war was to find and destroy weapons of mass destruction. He was toppled along the way towards another goal, nevertheless the people of the region are happy about it. I point out that throughout the many years of the war on Iran Saddam was supported by the West.

Mr President,
You might know that I am a teacher. My students ask me how can theses actions be reconciled with the values outlined at the beginning of this letter and duty to the tradition of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the Messenger of peace and forgiveness.

There are prisoners in Guantanamo Bay that have not been tried, have no legal representation, their families cannot see them and are obviously kept in a strange land outside their own country. There is no international monitoring of their conditions and fate. No one knows whether they are prisoners, POWs, accused or criminals.

European investigators have confirmed the existence of secret prisons in Europe too. I could not correlate the abduction of a person, and him or her being kept in secret prisons, with the provisions of any judicial system. For that matter, I fail to understand how such actions correspond to the values outlined in the beginning of this letter, i.e. the teachings of Jesus Christ (PBUH), human rights and liberal values.

Young people, university students and ordinary people have many questions about the phenomenon of Israel. I am sure you are familiar with some of them.
Throughout history many countries have been occupied, but I think the establishment of a new country with a new people, is a new phenomenon that is exclusive to our times.

Students are saying that sixty years ago such a country did no exist. The show old documents and globes and say try as we have, we have not been able to find a country named Israel.

I tell them to study the history of WWI and II. One of my students told me that during WWII, which more than tens of millions of people perished in, news about the war, was quickly disseminated by the warring parties. Each touted their victories and the most recent battlefront defeat of the other party. After the war, they claimed that six million Jews had been killed. Six million people that were surely related to at least two million families.

Again let us assume that these events are true. Does that logically translate into the establishment of the state of Israel in the Middle East or support for such a state? How can this phenomenon be rationalised or explained?
Mr President,
I am sure you know how and at what cost Israel was established : Many thousands were killed in the process.

Millions of indigenous people were made refugees.

Hundred of thousands of hectares of farmland, olive plantations, towns and villages were destroyed.
This tragedy is not exclusive to the time of establishment; unfortunately it has been ongoing for sixty years now.

A regime has been established which does not show mercy even to kids, destroys houses while the occupants are still in them, announces beforehand its list and plans to assassinate Palestinian figures and keeps thousands of Palestinians in prison. Such a phenomenon is unique or at the very least extremely rare in recent memory.

Another big question asked by people is why is this regime being supported? Is support for this regime in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ (PBUH) or Moses (PBUH) or liberal values? Or are we to understand that allowing the original inhabitants of these lands inside and outside Palestine whether they are Christian, Muslim or Jew, to determine their fate, runs contrary to principles of democracy, human rights and the teachings of prophets? If not, why is there so much opposition to a referendum?
The newly elected Palestinian administration recently took office. All independent observes have confirmed that this government represents the electorate. Unbelievingly, they have put the elected government under pressure and have advised it to recognise the Israeli regime, abandon the struggle and follow the programs of the previous government.
If the current Palestinian government had run on the above platform, would the Palestinian people have voted for it? Again, can such position taken in opposition to the Palestinian government be reconciled with the values outlined earlier? The people are also saying why are all UNSC resolutions in condemnation of Israel vetoed?
Mr President,
As you are well aware, I live amongst the people and am in constant contact with them --many people from around the Middle East manage to contact me as well. They dot not have faith in these dubious policies either. There is evidence that the people of the region are becoming increasingly angry with such policies.
It is not my intention to pose to many questions, but I need to refer to other points as well.

Why is it that any technological and scientific achievement reached in the Middle East regions is translated into and portrayed as a threat to the Zionist regime? Is not scientific R&D one of the basic rights of nations.

You are familiar with history. Aside from the Middle Ages, in what other point in history has scientific and technical progress been a crime? Can the possibility of scientific achievements being utilised for military purposes be reason enough to oppose science and technology altogether? If such a supposition is true, then all scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, engineering, etc. must be opposed.

Lies were told in the Iraqi matter. What was the result? I have no doubt that telling lies is reprehensible in any culture, and you do not like to be lied to.

Mr President,
Don't Latin Americans have the right to ask, why their elected governments are being opposed and coup leaders supported? Or, why must they constantly be threatened and live in fear?
The people of Africa are hardworking, creative and talented. They can play an important and valuable role in providing for the needs of humanity and contribute to its material and spiritual progress. Poverty and hardship in large parts of Africa are preventing this from happening. Don't they have the right to ask why their enormous wealth including minerals is being looted, despite the fact that they need it more than others?
Again, do such actions correspond to the teachings of Christ and the tenets of human rights?
The brave and faithful people of Iran too have many questions and grievances, including : the coup d'etat of 1953 and the subsequent toppling of the legal government of the day, opposition to the Islamic revolution, transformation of an Embassy into a headquarters supporting, the activities of those opposing the Islamic Republic (many thousands of pages of documents corroborates this claim), support for Saddam in the war waged against Iran, the shooting down of the Iranian passenger plane, freezing the assets of the Iranian nation, increasing threats, anger and displeasure vis-à-vis the scientific and nuclear progress of the Iranian nation (just when all Iranians are jubilant and collaborating their country's progress), and many other grievances that I will not refer to in this letter.

Mr President,
September Eleven was a horrendous incident. The killing of innocents is deplorable and appalling in any part of the world. Our government immediately declared its disgust with the perpetrators and offered its condolences to the bereaved and expressed its sympathies.

All governments have a duty to protect the lives, property and good standing of their citizens. Reportedly your government employs extensive security, protection and intelligence systems and even hunts its opponents abroad. September eleven was not a simple operation. Could it be planned and executed without coordination with intelligence and security services or their extensive infiltration? Of course this is just an educated guess. Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their responsibilities? And, why aren't those responsible and the guilty parties identified and put on trial?
All governments have a duty to provide security and peace of mind for their citizens. For some years now, the people of your country and neighbours of world trouble spots do not have peace of mind. After 9.11, instead of healing and tending to the emotional wounds of the survivors and the American people who had been immensely traumatised by the attacks some Western media only intensified the climates of fear and insecurity some constantly talked about the possibility of new terror attacks and kept the people in fear. Is that service to the American people? Is it possible to calculate the damages incurred from fear and panic?
American citizen lived in constant fear of fresh attacks that could come at any moment and in any place. They felt insecure in the streets, in their place of work and at home. Who would be happy with this situation? Why was the media, instead of conveying a feeling of security and providing peace of mind, giving rise to a feeling of insecurity?
Some believe that the hype paved the way and was the justification for an attack on Afghanistan. Again I need to refer to the role of media. In media charters, correct dissemination of information and honest reporting of a story are established tenets. I express my deep regret about the disregard shown by certain Western media for these principles. The main pretext for an attack on Iraq was the existence of WMDs. This was repeated incessantly for the public to, finally, believe and the ground set for an attack on Iraq.
Will the truth not be lost in a contrive and deceptive climate? Again, if the truth is allowed to be lost, how can that be reconciled with the earlier mentioned values? Is the truth known to the Almighty lost as well?
Mr President,
In countries around the world, citizens provide for the expenses of governments so that their governments in turn are able to serve them.
The question here is what has the hundreds of billions of dollars, spent every year to pay for the Iraqi campaign, produced for the citizens?
As your Excellency is aware, in some states of your country, people are living in poverty. Many thousands are homeless and unemployment is a huge problem. Of course these problems exist to a larger or lesser extent in other countries as well. With these conditions in mind, can the gargantuan expenses of the campaign paid from the public treasury be explained and be consistent with the aforementioned principles?
What has been said, are some of the grievances of the people around the world, in our region and in your country. But my main contention which I am hoping you will agree to some of it is : Those in power have specific time in office, and do not rule indefinitely, but their names will be recorded in history and will be constantly judged in the immediate and distant futures.
The people will scrutinize our presidencies.

Did we manage to bring peace, security and prosperity for the people or insecurity and unemployment? Did we intend to establish justice, or just supported especial interest groups, and by forcing many people to live in poverty and hardship, made a few people rich and powerful thus trading the approval of the people and the Almighty with theirs'? Did we defend the rights of the underprivileged or ignore them? Did we defend the rights of all people around the world or imposed wars on them, interfered illegally in their affairs, established hellish prisons and incarcerated some of them? Did we bring the world peace and security or raised the specter of intimidation and threats? Did we tell the truth to our nation and others around the world or presented an inverted version of it? Were we on the side of people or the occupiers and oppressors? Did our administration set out to promote rational behaviour, logic, ethics, peace, fulfilling obligations, justice, service to the people, prosperity, progress and respect for human dignity or the force of guns. Intimidation, insecurity, disregard for the people, delaying the progress and excellence of other nations, and trample on people's rights? And finally, they will judge us on whether we remained true to our oath of office to serve the people, which is our main task, and the traditions of the prophets or not?
Mr President,
How much longer can the world tolerate this situation? Where will this trend lead the world to? How long must the people of the world pay for the incorrect decisions of some rulers? How much longer will the specter of insecurity raised from the stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction hunt the people of the world? How much longer will the blood of the innocent men, women and children be spilled on the streets, and people's houses destroyed over their heads? Are you pleased with the current condition of the world? Do you think present policies can continue?
If billions of dollars spent on security, military campaigns and troop movement were instead spent on investment and assistance for poor countries, promotion of health, combating different diseases, education and improvement of mental and physical fitness, assistance to the victims of natural disasters, creation of employment opportunities and production, development projects and poverty alleviation, establishment of peace, mediation between disputing states and distinguishing the flames of racial, ethnic and other conflicts were would the world be today? Would not your government, and people be justifiably proud? Would not your administration's political and economic standing have been stronger? And I am most sorry to say, would there have been an ever increasing global hatred of the American governments?
Mr President, it is not my intention to distress anyone.
If prophet Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Joseph or Jesus Christ (PBUH) were with us today, how would they have judged such behaviour? Will we be given a role to play in the promised world, where justice will become universal and Jesus Christ (PBUH) will be present? Will they even accept us?
My basic question is this : Is there no better way to interact with the rest of the world? Today there are hundreds of millions of Christians, hundreds of millions of Moslems and millions of people who follow the teachings of Moses (PBUH). All divine religions share and respect on word and that is monotheism or belief in a single God and no other in the world.

The holy Koran stresses this common word and calls on an followers of divine religions and says : [3.64] Say : O followers of the Book! Come to an equitable proposition between us and you that we shall not serve any but Allah and (that) we shall not associate aught. With Him and (that) some of us shall not take others for lords besides Allah, but if they turn back, then say : Bear witness that we are Muslims. (The Family of Imran).

Mr President,
According to divine verses, we have all been called upon to worship one God and follow the teachings of divine prophets. To worship a God which is above all powers in the world and can do all He pleases. The Lord which knows that which is hidden and visible, the past and the future, knows what goes on in the Hearts of His servants and records their deeds. The Lord who is the possessor of the heavens and the earth and all universe is His court planning for the universe is done by His hands, and gives His servants the glad tidings of mercy and forgiveness of sins . He is the companion of the oppressed and the enemy of oppressors . He is the Compassionate, the Merciful . He is the recourse of the faithful and guides them towards the light from darkness . He is witness to the actions of His servants , He calls on servants to be faithful and do good deeds, and asks them to stay on the path of righteousness and remain steadfast . Calls on servants to heed His prophets and He is a witness to their deeds. A bad ending belongs only to those who have chosen the life of this world and disobey Him and oppress His servants . And A good and eternal paradise belong to those servants who fear His majesty and do not follow their lascivious selves.
We believe a return to the teachings of the divine prophets is the only road leading to salvations. I have been told that Your Excellency follows the teachings of Jesus (PBUH), and believes in the divine promise of the rule of the righteous on Earth.
We also believe that Jesus Christ (PBUH) was one of the great prophets of the Almighty. He has been repeatedly praised in the Koran. Jesus (PBUH) has been quoted in Koran as well; [19,36] And surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serves Him; this is the right path, Marium.

Service to and obedience of the Almighty is the credo of all divine messengers.

The God of all people in Europe, Asia, Africa, America, the Pacific and the rest of the world is one. He is the Almighty who wants to guide and give dignity to all His servants. He has given greatness to Humans.
We again read in the Holy Book : The Almighty God sent His prophets with miracles and clear signs to guide the people and show them divine signs and purity them from sins and pollutions. And He sent the Book and the balance so that the people display justice and avoid the rebellious.
All of the above verses can be seen, one way or the other, in the Good Book as well.

Divine prophets have promised : The day will come when all humans will congregate before the court of the Almighty, so that their deeds are examined. The good will be directed towards Haven and evildoers will meet divine retribution. I trust both of us believe in such a day, but it will not be easy to calculate the actions of rulers, because we must be answerable to our nations and all others whose lives have been directly or indirectly effected by our actions.
All prophets, speak of peace and tranquillity for man based on monotheism, justice and respect for human dignity.

Do you not think that if all of us come to believe in and abide by these principles, that is, monotheism, worship of God, justice, respect for the dignity of man, belief in the Last Day, we can overcome the present problems of the world that are the result of disobedience to the Almighty and the teachings of prophets and improve our performance?
Do you not think that belief in these principles promotes and guarantees peace, friendship and justice?
Do you not think that the aforementioned written or unwritten principles are universally respected?
Will you not accept this invitation? That is, a genuine return to the teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to preserve human dignity and obedience to the Almighty and His prophets?
Mr President, History tells us that repressive and cruel governments do not survive. God has entrusted The fate of man to them. The Almighty has not left the universe and humanity to their own devices. Many things have happened contrary to the wishes and plans of governments. These tell us that there is a higher power at work and all events are determined by Him.

Can one deny the signs of change in the world today? Is this situation of the world today comparable to that of ten years ago? Changes happen fast and come at a furious pace.
The people of the world are not happy with the status quo and pay little heed to the promises and comments made by a number of influential world leaders. Many people around the wolrd feel insecure and oppose the spreading of insecurity and war and do not approve of and accept dubious policies.
The people are protesting the increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots and the rich and poor countries.

The people are disgusted with increasing corruption.
The people of many countries are angry about the attacks on their cultural foundations and the disintegration of families. They are equally dismayed with the fading of care and compassion. The people of the world have no faith in international organisations, because their rights are not advocated by these organisations.
Liberalism and Western style democracy have not been able to help realize the ideals of humanity. Today these two concepts have failed. Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the liberal democratic systems.
We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point that is the Almighty God. Undoubtedly through faith in God and the teachings of the prophets, the people will conquer their problems. My question for you is : Do you not want to join them?
Mr President,
Whether we like it or not, the world is gravitating towards faith in the Almighty and justice and the will of God will prevail over all things.

Vasalam Ala Man Ataba'al hoda
Mahmood Ahmadi-Najad President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Funky Memphis keeps hottest music to itself By Chris Morris

(I kept running into this guy all weekend!)

- Column

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Interesting town, Memphis. I was reacquainted with that fact when I spent 10 days there early this month on what I laughably called "vacation."

I went down to the Bluff City to attend the annual Beale Street Music Festival and the fifth Ponderosa Stomp, temporarily relocated from New Orleans to Memphis this year. I also poked around the city's small, noisy, smoky bars and schmoozed with the locals.

I was reminded again that there are two Memphises. The one most people know is the city of Graceland, the redeveloped and Disney-fied Beale Street and such sites as the Stax Museum and Sun Studios. (Hi Records, home of Al Green, does not yet have its own shrine, but give it time.) Elvis, rockabilly, Southern soul -- that heritage continues to draw the tourists.

But the rock music made in today's Memphis remains largely invisible to out-of-towners. It doesn't make it downtown, but you can hear it almost any night in the city's midtown joints.

I managed to catch some astonishing stuff. Local indie goddess Alicja Trout, who fronts three bands, played a thrilling set Friday at Murphy's with the quintet Mouserocket. A Recording Academy event Saturday at a downtown warehouse showcased Secret Service, a punchy, Southern-fried hard rock band featuring guitarist and second-generation Memphis musician Steve Selvidge, and Brad Postlethwaite & Friends, a new project by a member of the chamber-rock collective Snowglobe.

You probably have not heard of any of these fine performers, for contemporary Memphis rock seldom makes its way outside the city limits. It's only the rare act like the North Mississippi All Stars and Lucero who get on the national map.

Memphis almost is a Bizarro World version of neighboring company town Nashville. Infrastructure? Forget about it. The only thing Memphis has a lot of is studios. Well-capitalized indie labels are few; many performers issue music on their own hip-pocket imprints. Managers, attorneys and booking agents also appear in short supply. And who's the top "rock" seller this week at local indie distributor Select-O-Hits? Jimmy Buffett.

Add to this mix a generalized suspicion of the musical establishment by the town's indie-rockers, and an equally pronounced apathy on the part of local audiences and city fathers, and you have a musically robust community that remains steadfastly balkanized commercially.

It might be left to the city's rap community to lead the rock brethren out of the wilderness. Three 6 Mafia's surprise best original song Oscar win for their "Hustle & Flow" track "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" made a nationwide impression, and homeboy Al Kapone, whose "Whoop That Trick" also is heard in Craig Brewer's film, continues on the rise.

During the Beale Street fest, Kapone performed a rambunctious set backed in part by the Bo-Keys, an indie-rock/funk crossbreed that includes Stax vets Skip Pitts, Ronnie Williams and Willie Hall. The band is led by bassist Scott Bomar, who scored "Hustle & Flow" and is composing for Brewer's upcoming "Black Snake Moan."

Watching the rappers and instrumentalists interacting so vibrantly onstage in Tom Lee Park, one began to dream that a new day of cooperative black and white music-making could birth another glory era in Memphis. Here's hoping, y'all.

(Chris Morris hosts "Watusi Rodeo" on Indie 103.1 in Los Angeles from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. every Sunday. http://www.indie1031.fm/shows/watusi.php)

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Chris Morris spoke at The Indie Memphis Conference last Saturday also.

Ask And Ye Shall Recieve

The Lights photographed by Sean Bloemer

I Will Never Be Hip!

1st Annual DADA Ball

A Masquerade Party fundraising event to support all Delta Axis programs: Indie Memphis, Power House, Delta Axis @ Marshall Arts
Saturday, May 20, 2006
8 pm midnight

Power House, 45 GE Patterson (between Main & Front Streets)
Tickets: $20 for Delta Axis members, $25 for non-members; cash bar

What is DADA?
Dada began as an anti-art movement, in the sense that it rejected the way art was appreciated and defined in contemporary art scenes. Founded in Zurich, Switzerland, the movement was a response to the destruction and devastation of World War I. Dada was also a reaction the bourgeois Victorian values of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The word Dada literally means both "hobby horse" and "father", but was chosen at random more for the naive sound. After finding its origins in Zurich, the Dada movement spread to Berlin, Cologne, Hanover, Paris, some parts of Russia, and New York City.
Other elements integral to the Dada movement were the non-attempt to underlie work with any reference to intellectual analysis. The work was absurd and playful but at times intuitive and even cryptic. Methods of production were unconventional, employing the chance technique, and found objects.

Why a DADA Ball?
Several arts organizations hold an annual dada ball to raise funds and honor creativity in the style of the cabarets of the 1920s. Dada was a movement that crossed all mediums art, literature, theater and film making this event a fitting tribute to creativity by Memphis only organization dedicated to contemporary art and film. Delta Axis 1st Annual Dada Ball will be a whimsical event with music, dancing, performance, film and other presentations throughout the evening. Costumes are encouraged, though not required.

This is sure to be a spectacular evening come show your creative side at DADA Ball 2006!

American Apparel Opens Wednesday

Be the first on your block to own a fancy new 20 dollar t-shirt.

Clearing The Air

I know I haven't written anything in a while, which usually means the exact opposite of what people think it means. When there is a lot going on I spend all of my down time sleeping and not writing on the stupid internets. So here is a partial recap of what's been going on over the past week or so. Some of it, like my experience at BSMF, has already been documented over on the CA's blog, so you can read about that over there. I have a few more pics that did not get posted that I will probably make a gallery for later this week, so you can check back for that.

As for my showdown with security, nothing else was ever really mentioned about it until this past Saturday when I saw Michelle (the lady in charge of photo passes) at the Indie Impact Memphis Conference and she came up to me and said, "You blogged me!"

At first I was a little speechless because I didn't recognize her and so I went through the blog rolodex in my head trying to figure out what the hell she was talking about. It ended up that The Cellular South Stage wasn't her stage on Sunday when the security incident occurred. The main problem, in my opinion, is that the BSMF people should have given the media people more detailed info on what was and what wasn't allowed instead of leaving it up to us to figure it out. Several photogs made small talk about having to become buddies with certain security people so that they could be allowed in the pit to take pics. Personally, my intentions were never to try and manipulate the system, just know what I was allowed to do and what I wasn't.

At other festivals that I have covered, as soon as I have checked in for my media credentials, I've been given a peice of paper that laid out the rules for media including taking photos. Usually, you are allowed to take photos only during the first couple of songs during a performer's set. But there are sometimes exceptions, as in Little Richard's case. If you were there, you might recall him stopping in the middle of his second song to ask the photogs to stop taking pictures. I spoke with some audience members that were further in the back who thought that he was talking to the fans that were up front. He was actually talking to the media people taking pictures, because part of his deal was that photos were only allowed during one particular song - but if I had even attempted to take pictures during his set, I wouldn't have known that because we were not given any handouts with everyone's deal info.

So that's my take on that. If I hadn't spent so much time arguing with security, then i would have had more time to write about Huey Lewis' great performance. (Hey! it could have happened!)

Much, much, much more to come.

Walkie Talkie CD Release

The Glass May 12th @ The Young Avenue Deli

Why aren't these guys playing BSMF? Come on!

Tonight!

Benefit Show Saturday Night

Dear Antique Curtains,

Why, oh why, must you constantly schedule shows on the same night as other shows I want to attend. See, the thing is, I love you guys and would really like to be able to see one of your shows at some point this year. So, cAn we like get together and compare schedules soon? Cool!

Love,

Rachel

Orpheum Summer Movie Series

PERFORMANCES DATES:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show - June 9 - 8p.m.

Mary Poppins - June 11 - 2p.m.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - June 16 - 7p.m.

This Is Spinal Tap - June 17 - 8p.m.

The Birds - June 23 - 7p.m.

Ticket Information:

Tickets are $6.00, cash only. $5 for Seniors 65+ and Children 12 and under.

Movie Fun Pack – Purchase 10 tickets for $45 and use for any movie. For more information on tickets, contact the Orpheum Box Office at (901) 525-3000.

Memphis in Mayhem

I'll have more thoughts and pics from BSMF in the next couple of days, when I decide how I want to spin the whole thing.

Until then:

Three Six Vs. Harlan T. Bobo

Quick - somebody make a mash-up!

I, Harlan T Bobo (runner up in the Memphis flyers music poll), challenge Three 6 Mafia (winners of the Memphis flyers music poll) to a tag team wrestling match with my partner King Louie"baby" Baxton.

Please pass this message along to homever you see fit!

Show of the Week!

Look for my profile on The Lights in Friday's Playbook.

So Much Good Stuff, It's Redonkulous

Beale Street Music Fest Contest!

Details here:

http://blogs.commercialappeal.com/bsmf/archives/2006/05/contest_contest.html

Saturday Night

American Idol Contestants Go To Graceland

American Idol had to bypass Memphis for a planned audition date late last summer because of regional havoc wrought by Katrina, but the hit Fox TV show has made amends by arranging for a brief tour of Memphis by the four surviving contestants. The young hopefuls were flown to Graceland after Wednesday night's Idol broadcast for instruction from the series’ latest guest guru, record exec (and former Mariah Carey flame) Tommy Mottola.

Tommy Mottola? Graceland? Don’t ask. Or, rather, ask Mr. Sillerman, Prsicilla, Scientology International, Kevin Kane, or all of the above. Somebody’ll know the connection. Anyhow, the four finalists – Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee, Chris Daughtry, and Elliot Yamin – were in town ostensibly to tune up with Mottola for next week’s performance round, after which one more of them will be Returned to Sender.

Indie Impact Memphis Is Almost Here!!!

Well, That Was Fun!

Damn Russian Servers!!!

You think I'm kidding!!!

Anyway, I think Patrik is finally fed up and plans to move all of his sites, including mine, to another server located in the Northern Hemisphere.

Cross your fingers.

In the meantime - you have been reading this, right?

http://blogs.commercialappeal.com/bsmf/

May 13th Is So Hot!

For all the hip hop fans in da house!! Check at The Tunnel Clones at The Vault opening for these cats - this is going to be a great show!

The BSMF Afterparty

I Hate To Miss This

All of these musicians should be attending the Indie Impact Memphis Seminar on the 13th, but I am still going to post their flyer.

Cort's Birthday

I don't actually remember taking pictures on Cort's birthday back in March, but according to my camera, I apparently did. So here are a couple and a link to the rest:

More Here.

This Is A True Story

In the lifestyle that I lead, I am often put in awkward, stupid, funny, and, at times, illegal situations. I actually try to stay out of as much trouble as possible, and when I see it coming from afar, you can usually hear my common farewell for the evening, which goes somthing like, "I'm going home."

Exit stage right.

Anyway, I often want to write about some of these situations, but usually they involve people that I am either friendly with or well acquainted, and I understand that discretion is required. Which sucks, cause it's ace material. However, last week I found myself in a situation with almost complete strangers and so I've decided it probably won't ruin anyone's career if I share it with you. No names shall be used.

Last week I was in a local drinking establishment when I saw an aquaintance who is friendly with a close friend of mine. He works at one of the larger banks in town. We chatted for a moment when he told me that he wanted me to meet one of his clients in town from San Diego. Said client and I were introduced and the guy offered to buy me a drink. I accepted and we sat down and started to chat. About 20 minutes later, a young chatty woman who was with my acquiantance's party came up and added herself to the mix. Which was fine, we all talked and the client guy continued to buy drinks.

About an hour after I originally ran into this aquaintance friend of mine, he came back up to our little group and announced that he needed to go. However, client guy and chatty girl weren't too keen on leaving just yet, so it was decided that I would transport them at the end of the night, her to her car and him back to The Peabody. A couple of beers later, it was time to leave and there was a mention of getting some food. Something was mentioned about room sevice and at the time, that sounded like a really great idea. So, client guy, chatty girl and I all returned to client guy's room at The Peabody, where he had a double. (Double meaning two beds, a fact that is important later in the story.)

When we arrived I laid down on one of the beds and chatty girl and client guy sat on the opposite bed and immediately got into some conversation of which I can't remember the details. I was fading fast, wanting to ask if we were going to order room service or talk all night, but since I was out for a free meal, I though it best to be polite.

The next thing I knew I was half asleep and they were asking me to go across the street to Denny's. I declined their offer and asked if I could just rest for a few minutes before I left to go home. Client guy said sure and they left to go get food.

The next thing I remember was waking up to the sound of intercourse. Sexual intercourse. Not the moans and groans of sex, but the sound of actual intercourse, the ole in-and-out so to speak. It took me a couple of minutes to get my wits about me and my mouth to drop open. Were these two people really having sex in the bed next to me while they thought I was sleeping? Was I in a college dorm?

The way that I was laying, I was snuggled into a pillow that blocked them from my view, which I was actually thankful for, but there was no mistaking what was going on. Once the realization hit me, I began going through scenarios in my mind of what I should do. Sit up and scold them? Pretend to continue to sleep? Make a noise so that they know I am awake? Get up and go into the bathroom?

The last idea was sounding pretty good because, of course, I had to pee really bad. I just had to find the courage to stand up and go to the bathroom. While I was looking for it, their whispers became more and more audible, well, at least to me. Client guy would whisper something to chatty girl, which I could clearly hear and in her highest sorority girl voice she kept saying, "What?"

Which made me really want to si up and yell, "He said blah, blah, blah, you stupid bith!." (that was not a typo!)

Instead, what happened next was that client guy said something so lame to chatty girl, that I accidentally cracked up. I immediately recovered and turned it into a cough, but I think the sentiment was understood, because the performance was over. And so, at that point, I did what most people do after sex, I got up and went to the bathroom.

And then I bid the couple adieu.