The Church Health Center in Memphis provides health care for the working poor who fall between the cracks in our health care system. One of Memphis’ great success stories, their model of care has been emulated throughout the country. Many struggling Memphis musicians have sought care at the center, and three years ago, a group of them, led by Marvin Stockwell, the center’s public relations specialist who also happens to be in the punk band Pezz, and the bands of the Makeshift music label, decided to give back to the institution by putting on a benefit concert.
Rock for Love brings together some of the best bands in Memphis for a two-day, multi-venue concert to promote and raise funds for the Church Health Center. The first two were smashing successes, and this year’s edition, which comes at a time when the nation’s attention is focused on the problems the poor have in obtaining quality health care, will take place on August 21 and 22 at the Hi Tone and Shangri-La records.
One of Memphis’ biggest problems continues to be its bicycle unfriendliness. Between the lack of bike lanes and greenways, the oblivious or downright hostile motorists, and the fragmented suburban sprawl, Memphis has not lived up to its bicycling potential. But, as usual in this city, where the powers-that-be have failed, the grassroots take the lead.
Revolutions Community Bicycle Shop was founded in June of 2002 with the mission to promote the most energy efficient form of transportation known to science. From the weekend pedaler to the worker looking for a cheap commute, the shop has helped more than 1,500 people build or rehab a bike to fit their needs. The community that has grown up around the shop was given a huge boost this year when Memphis was chosen to be one of the hosts for the 2009 Bicycle Film Festival. Today, Revolutions stays true to its original mission: teach a man to ride, and he’ll go where he wants.
It began more than a century ago with a single bear in Overton Park. Today, it covers 55 acres and is consistently cited as one of the best zoos in the country. The Memphis Zoo is a Midtown institution, and one of the city’s most valuable assets.
The Memphis Zoo has spent most of the 21st Century pursuing a program of upgrade and expansion. From the Northwest Passage, which brought polar bears and otters to the south; to the elaborate China, the $16 million zoogeographical extravaganza that puts giant pandas Ya Ya and Ling Ling in context with other Asian denizens, the zoo’s exhibits bring the animal’s worlds down home to the Bluff City. And while we Memphians may sometimes take the zoo for granted, the rest of the world knows how awesome it really is.
Art is about freedom—the freedom to think, create, and do what you want. When Michael Andrews and Alice Laskey-Castle started Vini Five In One, they wanted to create a space where they felt free to create experiential art, design objects and space, hold events, create and sell products, and host a weekly gathering of artistic types that has become known as the Social Club.
The spirit of Five in One is best represented by the huge, circular mural painted over the course of twelve hours by some of Memphis’ hottest artists. Since the piece was not associated with any one artist’s name, the painters and sketchers felt free to take chances, do something they had been reticent to try on their own, or just doodle. The time-lapse video of the mural’s creation, shot by Tommy Kha, is a one-of-a-kind document in Memphis arts history—a permanent record of what real artistic freedom looks like.
Social Club is every Monday at 8 PM, free of charge, but donations are welcome!
Folk is the music of the hills, front porches, and fields. It’s the hymns, work songs, and ballads that form the basis of the American music tradition. Founded in 1989, the Folk Alliance is a national organization committed to preserving and promoting the music of the people. Their annual conference, one of the biggest musical convocations in the world, brings thousands of performers together in Memphis every year for a long weekend of hoe-downs, picking parties, and sing-a-longs. It’s a unique opportunity for the myrid musicians to come together, share stories and tunes, rub shoulders with the industry, and lift up their voices in song. But the biggest beneficiaries are the audience, who are treated to an embarrassment of riches over the hundred-plus hours of performances.
22nd Annual Folk Alliance International Conference is February 17-21, 2010 in Memphis, TN.
The event promises four days/evenings of industry workshops, panels, exhibits, showcases, outreach concerts, etc. for members of the international music community. The event provides a networking opportunity for those in the industry to work hard and enjoy themselves while doing so
The FAI Conference offers official showcase space to 200+ artists in our Performance Alley Showcases. To apply for a showcase: entry forms are available at www.folk.org or enter digitally through www.sonicbids.com. Official Showcase Deadline: November 19, 2009.
