photograph courtesy music is my drug of choice
Betor Fest
Growlers, 1911 Poplar
Saturday-Sunday, July 2-3
So I don’t know if you’ve seen the new Elvis movie, but it’s looking like a big deal. I mean, they’ve been hyping this guy up since the ’50s or something like that, so no wonder everyone has gone berserk over it. Apparently, this guy has a house in Memphis, and by the grace of God, I can’t quite remember what piece of land he bought, but oh well, I believe he was more into music than property investments. And that’s something any Memphian can get behind, especially as the housing market has become all shook up and the only constant in your life is that you can count on Tom Cruise to push the limits of his life for the sake of an action movie.
Anyways, if you’re into that thing called music — you know, the stuff that takes your breath away — you’ll want to head on over to Betor Fest, where a range of genres will await you. The lineup is absolutely packed with local artists, far too many to list in this measly paragraph (25+), so go ahead and click this link for the schedule. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 day of show, or $20 for a two-day pass. Proceeds go to A Betor Way, a nonprofit that advocates for and assists those dealing with addiction.
Photograph by tom dahm | unsplash
The Overton Square Independence Day Celebration
Chimes Square, Overton Square
Saturday, July 2, 6 p.m.
Few know that Elvis was a federal agent. It’s true. Well, it’s true that Elvis thought he was a federal agent after Nixon gave him an honorary badge, but if you dream it, you can be it, right? This is where you nod yes and we both agree not to break the man’s heart and instead we agree to show him Elvis & Nixon, the 2016 movie about Elvis starring Colin Hanks as sketchy lawyer Egil Krogh — yep, Colin, the son of Tom Hanks who plays the sketchy Col. Tom Parker. I guess it runs in the family to be sketchy figures whose lives intersect with Elvis. Hollywood, man, but also tradition — something we can all relate to, especially this weekend as we round up Fourth of July celebrations.
One of these just might be the Overton Square Independence Day Celebration, where there will be entertainment from Andrew Best Music and Side Street Steppers and food and drink from Hot N Heavy Dogs, the Pear Martini, Artreanna’s Italian Ice. Guests can also enjoy balloon art and a visit from the Fire Museum of Memphis and the Memphis Fire Department.
photograph courtesy orpheum theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar
Orpheum Theatre, 203 S. Main St.
Performances through July 3
They say that Elvis is the king of rock-and-roll and that Jesus is the king of heaven. Some — namely Cinda Godfrey, who wrote The Elvis-Jesus Mystery: The Shocking Scriptural and Scientific Evidence That Elvis Presley Could Be The Messiah Anticipated Throughout History — say that the rock-and-roll superstar could be the Messiah. After all, there are rumors that he is still alive, and there is a whole book to prove it. On the other hand, some people say that the Messiah is a rock-and-roll superstar, and there is a whole musical to prove it. And while Cinda’s book is out of print, you can see Jesus Christ Superstar this weekend at the Orpheum.
The iconic musical, featuring award-winning music rooted in rock by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, is told through the perspective of Judas during the last week of Jesus’ life. Tickets ($29-$125) can be purchased online.
photograph by Bill Simmers
A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline
Playhouse on the Square, 66 S. Cooper
Performances through July 17
The Jordanaires were back-up singer extraordinaires, providing back-up vocals for Elvis Presley and Patsy Cline. Yeah, remember her? She was pretty important in the days of Elvis, but I don’t see a movie topping the box office charts for her. If you’re walking in Memphis and saw the ghost of Elvis on Union Avenue, you’d have followed him up to the gates of Graceland, but if you saw Patsy Cline, where would you walk with her? Perhaps to Playhouse on the Square, where the group’s latest production is all about the country and pop icon herself as seen through the eyes and heart of a local radio disc jockey in Patsy’s hometown of Winchester, Virginia.
Tickets for the performances can be purchased online. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances start at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees starting at 2 p.m.
photograph by Abigail Morici
The Art of Science
Crosstown Arts, 1350 Concourse
On view through September 4
You know what’s wild? Patsy Cline and Elvis actually met in 1962 at a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. They exchanged phone numbers, and she nicknamed him The Big Hoss. (At least according to this not-so-fact-checked website, but Wiki has yet to let me down.) Apparently, St. Jude isn’t the only children’s hospital connecting artists. Just take a look at Crosstown Arts’ latest exhibition, sponsored by Le Bonheur, where 30 artists have partnered up with area researchers and created sculptures, paintings, and drawings in response to the medical research that goes over most of our heads. But, hey, just like we can all enjoy a nice song, we can all appreciate pretty art that just might give us some insight to the things we can’t understand, like — could Elvis be alive?
