(Flipside Memphis is a partnership between the CVB and Live From Memphis)
Every year, more than 300,000 people pack the Orpheum Theater on Main St. to see touring Broadway shows, opera, ballet, concerts and movies. The upcoming Broadway season includes touring productions of Wicked, Shrek the Musical, Spamalot, Dream Girls, Cats and Beauty and the Beast.
The Orpheum is the oldest theater in Memphis and is rumored to be haunted by a playful ghost named Mary who’s favorite seat is in one of the boxes closest to the stage. There are murals painted by the cast of each show that the Orpheum has hosted on the backstage walls.
Shalishah “Petey” Franklin knows great style. She’s a thrift store maven, local fashionista, and owner of the online boutique Strange Fruit.
Petey has amassed quite the collection of urban and vintage clothing during her travels to thrift stores all over the country. She hand-picks all of the items for sale, from the eclectic (like this sailor-inspired crop top) to the classic (Members Only jackets), to the I-wish-they-were-my-size cute (these amazing shoes). All of the clothes and accessories are affordable, which is a bonus for those heavy on style but low on funds.
Right now, Strange Fruit is online-only, but Petey’s planning on having a few pop-up shops and around Memphis in the near future. Until then, I’ll be staring at this dress, wondering if it would make a good addition to my wardrobe.
The Fire Tribe is a group of eight performers, belly dancers, drummers, and spotters that put on dazzling shows with dance, music, and fire. They spin poi (firey balls on chains), dance with flaming hoops, and eat fire.
Group member Nadia Sophia started dancing with poi in 2008 because it appealed to her martial arts background. “It was easy to fall in love with something like fire,” she said. The group practices on the rooftop of their downtown studio. During the summer, they perform 1-2 times per week at corporate parties, festivals, fundraisers, and private events.
In our final installment of Flipside, we give you a little taste of what it’s like to go behind the scenes with the Live From Memphis crew. We produce cool stuff and have fun doing it.
Located in Midtown, John and Beverly Lowe’s Xanadu Music and Books always has a hand-picked selection of rarities for sale. But Lowe’s other product is what sets the store apart from others in its niche. The Lowebow is a mutant, handmade musical instrument based on the classic cigar box guitar. Designed originally for one-man bands and named after the one-stringed “diddly bow” popular with the original Delta Blues players, the Lowebow allows musicians to play both bass and slide guitar parts at the same time. Since perfecting the design in 2000, Lowe has put the unique instruments into the hands of musicians such as the North Mississippi Allstars, as well as selling them at his own concerts.
