Welcome back to The To-Do List, where Daily Memphian staffers suggest their favorite events and activities for the coming week. 

This week, celebrate Southern soul food at Slave Haven, learn to skate at the River Garden and catch an Academy Award winner at Comeback Coffee.

Anniversary week at Inkwell, through Sunday:

Ben Colar opened Inkwell a year ago, and this week, the bar will host a week of live music. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Baby Grand creative agency founder Ben Colar opened an Edge District cocktail bar last year. To celebrate its first anniversary, Colar will present a week of music via DJs, live performances and special guests controlling the aux cord on the patio. The bar will also announce daily specials. On Thursday, singer Ariel Reign is scheduled, with DJ KhiDaGodd on aux cord duty. On Friday, Jared “Bizzle BlueBland” Boyd is set to DJ. On Saturday, producer Kid Maestro will take the stage, and for the Sunday finale, singer Talibah Safiya will perform with Inkwell partner/interior designer extraordinaire/HGTV star Carmeon Hamilton on the aux. 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Free admission. 631 Madison Ave. Click here for more information. — Elle Perry

Whet Thursday Garden Party at the Metal Museum, Thursday:

The Metal Museum will host Whet Thursday on May 25. (The Daily Memphian file)

The Metal Museum’s bluff location boasts some of the prettiest views of Mississippi River. During the museum’s Whet Thursday series, museum-goers will take that in, along with music, food and drinks. This one’s theme is “Garden Party.” Along with metalsmithing demonstrations and hands-on activities (it’s free to make a garden tag or $15 to make a copper rose), singer Marcella Simien will perform an acoustic set. Food and drink will be available to purchase from Millie’s Garden Salads and Tipsy Tumblr. Bonus: There will also be lawn games. 5 to 7 p.m. Free admission. 374 Metal Museum Drive. Click here for more information. — Perry

Concert in the Grove: Lucky 7 Brass Band at the Germantown Performing Arts Center, Thursday:

Lucky 7 Brass Band will play a free family day show at The Grove at Germantown Performing Arts Center on May 25. (Courtesy GPAC)

Just ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Memphis-based Lucky 7 Brass Band will headline a free family day in GPAC’s The Grove with upbeat party music, mini golf, art projects, face painting, chalk art, drink specials and food trucks Just Wraps and KB’s Dogs. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and the band starts at 6 p.m. Free. 1801 Exeter Rd., Germantown. Click here for more information. — Bianca Phillips

Sunset Skate Night at River Garden, Thursday:

On the last Thursday of the month from May through September, the Memphis River Parks Partnership hosts a Sunset Skate Night at the River Garden. It includes free skate rentals (while supplies last) and live music from DJ Brother John of Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ 88.5 FM. If you’re like me and never learned to skate as a kid, you’ll be pleased to find out there will be a free dance skate lesson from Step and Skate Movement from 6 to 7 p.m. Parking is available on the River Garden lot (P2732) or on Court Avenue. Protective gear (pads, wrist guards, helmets) is not provided. Note: Rain date is either the following Thursday or the first Thursday of the month. 6 to 9 p.m. Free (but click here to register). 51 Riverside Drive. — Perry

“Seven Samurai” at Crosstown Theater, Thursday:

Crosstown Arts will screen “Seven Samurai” at Crosstown Theater on May 25. (Courtesy Crosstown Arts)

Should you leave the house on a Thursday night to sit through a 3.5-hour, subtitled, black-and-white film? Yes! Director Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 epic “Seven Samurai” isn’t just one of the greatest action movies, it might be the greatest action movie. This tale of a septet of veteran samurai joining forces to protect a farming village from bandits was inspired by American westerns and returned the favor: You’ve seen or at least heard of “The Magnificent Seven”? It’s a remake of this. Kurosawa’s film features rousing action set pieces, bits of enjoyable comic business and legendary performances from grizzled leader Takashi Shimura and charismatic loner Toshiro Mifune. It was justly named one of the 20 greatest films in last year’s once-a-decade film poll from British magazine Sight & Sound, and here’s a rare chance to see it on a big screen, as part of the ongoing Crosstown Arts Film Series. 7 p.m., $5. See here for more info. — Chris Herrington

Recent paintings by Juan Rojo at Jay Etkin Gallery, opening Friday:

Work by Juan Rojo

Memphis artist (by way of Valladolid, Spain) Juan Rojo uses his artwork to question patriarchal society’s attempts to define femininity. He does that through painting, video, photography and printmaking that features “tumultuous wrestling matches between representation and abstraction, between contemporary fragmentation and historical representation, between accepted heights of taste and intoxicating trips of high pitch colors,” according to Rojo’s artist statement. The opening reception runs from 5 to 8 p.m., and his work will be on view through June 27. Free. 942 South Cooper St. Click here for more information. — Phillips

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” at Comeback Coffee, Friday:

Comeback Coffee hosts a screening of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” on May 26. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)

Drawing both from various Asian cinema influences and the multiversal storytelling of more American comic books (and comic book movies), “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was a surprise juggernaut of Asian American culture, an ostensibly little movie that became a big hit and then nearly swept the Academy Awards earlier this year. A big part of its appeal: a deeply relatable family drama played by a deeply likable trio of actors at the core of all the storytelling chaos. “EEAAO,” as it’s sometimes shortened, will screen at Comeback Coffee as part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Doors at 6:30 p.m., screening at 7:30 p.m. Free. 358 North Main Street. See here for more info. — Herrington

Joe Rainey at The Green Room at Crosstown Arts, Friday:

Joe Rainey will perform powwow music at The Green Room at Crosstown Arts on May 26. (David Guttenfelder/Courtesy Crosstown Arts)

Joe Rainey sings in the traditional powwow style of his Indigenous American heritage, and according to his artist bio, the overarching message in his songs is, “We’re still here. We were here before you were, and we never left.” Rainey grew up at Red Lake Ojibwe in Minneapolis and started recording powwow singing groups with a tape recorder when he was just five years old. He began training in powwow soon after and spent his youth hanging out with older artists in traditional drumming groups. His album, “Niineta” (Ojibwe for “just me”), draws on his background and recontextualizes the ancient powwow sound in new ways. 7:30 p.m. $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the show. 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280. Click here for more information. — Phillips

Our Own Voice Theatre Troupe’s “Mora Play” at TheatreWorks @ The Square, opening Friday:

In Spring 2020, Our Own Voice Theatre Troupe, a local company that aims to empower people marginalized by mental illness, held rehearsals for “Mora Play.” On Friday, the company returns from a pandemic-induced hiatus to produce “Mora Play.” Playwright Sarah Rushakoff and founding director Bill Baker are co-directing the modern take on a morality play. Baker has described the play as coming from a secular view, examining what good humanity can do without the promise of a reward and the threat of punishment. Main character Mora explores questions like, “How do we know what the rules are when they are unspoken? What if they seem unfair? What happens when we break them? Does everyone face the same consequences?” The show runs this weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) and next. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays. $15 general admission; $12 for students and seniors. 2085 Monroe Ave. Click here for more information. — Perry

Great American River Run in Downtown Memphis, Saturday:

Memphis in May International Festival hosts the Great American River Run on May 27. (Blair Ball/The Daily Memphian file)

Memphis in May International Festival closes out this weekend with its annual race, featuring half-marathon, 10K and 5K options. Runners start on Beale Street, zip around Downtown and end with a post-race party at Handy Park. Cash prizes totaling $8,700 are on the line for the fastest runners, but if you’re a back-of-the-packer like me, you’ll still get a cool medal and free beer at the finish. I’ve run this one every year since its inception, and I’ve put together a list of tips for running your best River Run for our Memphis in May festival guide series. Not a runner? Make a funny and encouraging sign, and come out to show your support on the course. 7:30 a.m. for the half-marathon and 10K and 7:45 a.m. for the 5K. $45 for the 5K, $50 for the 10K or $85 for the half-marathon. 200 Beale St. Click here to register. — Phillips

“Potliquor” at Slave Haven, Sunday:

Hot take here, but I would argue that potliquor, the liquid left behind after boiling greens, is better than the greens themselves. I could pour a mug of potliquor and sip it like a fine tea. At this celebration of Southern soul food, you can sample complimentary potliqour and candied yam cornbread made from the harvest of Black Seeds Urban Farms. There will also be culinary offerings from Charlotte & Pickens (an organization that reconnects Black and Indigenous communities back to the land for overall health and wealth), cultural exhibits and music led by Ekpe Abioto and friends. Attendees are encouraged to wear family reunion shirts and to bring photos of ancestors and stories to share. 2 to 6 p.m. Free. 826 N. Second St. Click here for more information. — Phillips

Sunset Symphony at Overton Park Shell, Sunday:

Memphis Symphony Orchestra will perform classic and new arrangements at Overton Park Shell on Sunday, May 28. (The Daily Memphian file)

One of Memphis’ favorite nights of the year is back. The Memphis Symphony Orchestra will play a range of musical pieces — from dance band to samba — as the sun sets over the Overton Shell. Principal trumpeter Scott Moore will lead the MSO Big Band in this free community concert. You can pack your picnic basket with drinks and snacks or grab something from the Mexico in Memphis, Pok Cha, Soi #9 or Deli Midtown food trucks. Click here to learn more and reserve your seat. And don’t forget your blanket and lawn chairs! 7:30 p.m. Free. 1928 Poplar Ave. — Kelsey Bowen

“Love for the Streets” at Agricenter International, Sunday:

Late Memphis rapper Young Dolph’s entire car collection will be on display at the “Love to the Streets” carshow at Agricenter International on Sunday, May 28. (Courtesy MSCS)

Memphis is the first stop for this traveling car show that honors rapper Young Dolph, who was killed inside Makeda’s Cookies on Airways Boulevard in November 2021. Hosted by DJ Envy and Paper Route Empire, Young Dolph’s estate, the show will feature all of the late Memphis rappers’ cars, with some from DJ Envy, 50 Cent and Key Glock. Visitors will also be able to check out the pop-up Young Dolph museum, plus there will be carnival rides, face painting and more. Children five years old or younger are free. For more information and to buy a ticket, click here. Noon to 5 p.m. $19.99. 7777 Walnut Grove Road — Bowen

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