The To-Do List: Cooper-Young Fest, ZZ Top and more
The Cooper-Young Festival returns, the show goes on for Memphis Music Hall of Famers ZZ Top and the Brooks Museum hosts a major new exhibit. That and more are among our picks for this week.
Chris Herrington
Columnist
Chris Herrington has covered the Memphis Grizzlies, in one way or another, since the franchise’s second season in Memphis, while also writing about music, movies, food and civic life.
There are 2025 articles by Chris Herrington :
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September 2021
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The To-Do List -
Memphis Grizzlies The Heavy and the Hype Man: Zach Randolph and Tony Allen return
Grit-and-Grind-era Grizzlies legends Tony Allen and Zach Randolph greeted season-ticket holders and took in a game at FedExForum. As new franchise "ambassadors," it won't be the last time.
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Music Herrington: Memphis and me on new Rolling Stone ‘500 Songs’ list
Rolling Stone just published its latest list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” and Chris Herrington was among the voters. A look at the Memphis music that did and didn’t make the list, plus Chris’ own ballot.
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Visual Arts Transgender photo exhibit breaks ground for Brooks Museum
“On Christopher Street: Transgender Portraits by Mark Seliger” first became a book in 2016, with a companion film in which Seliger’s subjects tell their own stories. This weekend, in Memphis and for the first time, it becomes a museum exhibit at the Brooks Museum of Art.
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Visual Arts ‘Spencer,’ ‘Drive My Car’ highlight 2021 Indie Memphis
Some of the world’s most acclaimed filmmakers and some of the year’s most anticipated films will be in the mix at this fall’s 24th edition of the Indie Memphis Film Festival.
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Food News Street Food: Filmmakers bring gelato to FedExForum
With Zio Matto, the filmmaker/producer relationship — where art blends into commerce — has been replicated in a delicious frozen form.
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Food Street Food: Bain BBQ does breakfast, and a Texas nod to Memphis nachos
Bain BBQ, the Texas-style food truck on Broad Avenue, has decided to embrace barbecue nachos, but with its own spin: using its housemade smoked queso with brisket.
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The To-Do List The To-Do List: Southern Heritage Classic, then head to the drive-in or Levitt Shell
It’s Southern Heritage Classic weekend, bringing football fans to town, and the Levitt Shell concert series heats up. Elsewhere: Flicks both foodie and futuristic, some left-of-center country and two high-wattage authors.
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The To-Do List The To-Do List: Crosstown shopping, Midtown music and Cordova chuckles
Live, outdoor music hits Midtown in a big way this weekend. Meanwhile, smoke ’em if ya got ’em at Handy Park, find some laughs in Cordova, go record-shopping in Crosstown or hit the midway.
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Arts & Culture ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ and ‘Heavy’ authors to share Memphis stage
Elizabeth Gilbert (“Eat, Pray, Love”) and Kiese Laymon (“Heavy”) became literary stars via soul-baring memoirs. They’ll be in conversation for the first time for MIFA’s “Our City, Our Story.”
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$15 Deals $10 Deal: Barksdale’s country ham & red-eye gravy a country song of a breakfast
At Midtown’s Barksdale Restaurant, 10 bucks can get you a country ham & red-eye gravy platter, the kind of breakfast worth singing about.
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Music Downtown sounds: River City Records showcases Memphis music, for tourists and locals alike
With an emphasis on Memphis and regional music, River City Records will be the only Downtown record shop north of the Beale, and the biggest since Pop Tunes closed more than a decade ago.
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Memphis Grizzlies Grizzlies complete three-player, pick-swap trade with Celtics
The Grizzlies will receive Kris Dunn, Carsen Edwards and the rights to swap a future second-round pick.
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Arts & Culture Memphis in the meantime: Afghan cellist starts new life on U of M campus amid upheaval back home
As cellist Nazira Wali was moving onto campus at the University of Memphis, family and friends back home in Afghanistan were trying to get out. Wali’s cello has taken her around the world and has brought her to Memphis, but at home music and musicians are again under threat from the Taliban regime.
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August 2021
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Grizzlies Podcast Did Grizzlies’ busy summer amount to much?
On this episode of The Daily Memphian’s Memphis Grizzlies podcast, columnist Chris Herrington answers reader/listener questions there wasn’t space for in this week’s Grizzlies Mailbag column.
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South Memphis Popular West African restaurant looks to new Whitehaven location
Tounkara opened his eponymous restaurant in 2019, in a small strip on Raines Road, very near the Memphis International Airport, serving such staples as goat curry, chicken peanut stew and jollof rice.
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Memphis Grizzlies Herrington: Grizzlies Mailbag returns
Among some topics addressed: What about Ben Simmons? Where does Ziaire Williams stand? And we don’t want to discuss the “Top Shot” thing.
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Memphis Grizzlies Herrington: From game-worn sneakers to Growl Towels, a ‘Grizzlies Garage Sale’ sneak preview
You can get a Jaren Jackson Jr. bobblehead for $10 and update your Growl Towel collection — “GRZ NXT GEN,” Ya Hear Me!,” etc. — on the cheap, at a buck a pop. All proceeds from this one-day sale go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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The To-Do List The To-Do List: Fashion Week, 901 Day and William Bell
This week, “After Hours” is both a movie and a bike ride. Fashion gets a week and the whole city gets a day with a week’s worth of events packed into it.
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Grizzlies Podcast Will a Jaren Jackson Jr. extension get done?
Jaren Jackson Jr. could play this season without an extension in place to prove he is worth a max deal.
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Memphis Grizzlies Grizzlies have 7 national TV games on full NBA schedule release
The Grizzlies will host the Chicago Bulls on MLK Day, one of seven nationally televised games for the franchise as the 2021-2022 NBA schedule was released.
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Memphis Grizzlies Herrington: Which newcomers are most likely to stick around?
The Grizzlies have added five new players in their past three trades. Which, if any, are likely to wear Beale Street blue this season?
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The To-Do List The To-Do List: A Cheap Trick and Loose Opinions
It’s no longer Elvis Week, but they’re still rocking at Graceland. Meanwhile, there’s barbecue in the park and dining deals all over.
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Reviews Street Food: Mem Dim Sum, BBQ tacos, Court Square
With the Mem Dim Sum food truck, Denny Law serves Chinese small plates, made fresh and cooked to order.
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Premium
Memphis GrizzliesHerrington: After a rough year downriver, Steven Adams is poised for a Memphis comeback
Centers Steven Adams and Jonas Valanciunas are different players. The former has long been known as a dirty-work guy. The latter is a buckets-and-boards machine. But I’m struck by the similarities.
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