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JACKSONIAN CAITLIN PODAS

T he promise of never-ending paperwork didn’t scare off Caitlin Podas, the regis-trar for the Mississippi Museum of Art. The Orange, Calif., native has pursued

a career in museum registration for most of her adult life, though her attraction to the field isn’t about administration. Podas says that even though registration involves a lot of paperwork, she likes the hands-on aspect. “I get to be in the vault and behind the scenes, and I get to touch all the stuff that nobody else gets to,” she says. “… I like to be the one who gets to hold that in their hands and not just look at it on a wall.” While attending Colorado State Univer-sity, Podas began working at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery during semesters and at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum and the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum during her summers. But her career trajectory changed when she took a year off from school to intern at the Denver Art Museum after grad-uating from CSU with a bachelor’s degree in history in 2008. She decided that she wanted to continue working in art museums and be-gan including art in her studies. “When I went to grad school (at the University of South Carolina), I made a very conscious effort to incorporate art as much as I could into my curriculum and did all of my internships at art museums,” Podas says. “I had a work-study position when I was a grad student and requested that most

of what I did was art-related. I tried to do all those things to get where I wanted to be, which was a registrar at an art museum.” After graduating with a master’s degree in public history in May 2012, she moved to Jackson to work at the Mississippi Agricul-ture and Forestry Museum that November. Then, in 2013, Podas accepted her position at MMA, where she takes care of the mu-seum’s 5,600-item permanent collection. She also handles all loans and exhibitions that come through, which means arranging the shipments, acclimating pieces to the mu-seum’s environment and preparing detailed reports of every flaw that may have happened in transit or prior to the loan. “I think (people misunderstand) how much time and energy goes into arrang-ing all of that for an exhibition,” she says. “It takes a long time and a lot of planning from beginning to end, before the show can even open.” In the end, Podas says the work pays off because she’s able to deliver great experiences like she’s had in museums over the years. “Being a part of that growing up has really informed who I am, and I can pin-point a lot of my interests to museum vis-its,” she says. “I’d like to be a part of that in other peo-ple’s lives, making a difference in how they build their career or their interests.”

—Micah Smith

DECEMBER 9 - 15, 2015 | VOL. 14 NO. 14

4 ............................. EDITOR’S NOTE

6 ............................................ TALKS

12 ................................ EDITORIAL

13 .................................... OPINION

14 ............................ COVER STORY

17 .......................................... FOOD

20 ........ EVENT PREVIEW LISTINGS

27 ....................................... 8 DAYS

28 ....................................... MUSIC

28 ....................... MUSIC LISTINGS

30 ..................................... SPORTS

31 .................................... PUZZLES

33 ....................................... ASTRO

cover photo of Pinetop Perkins wax figureby Amber HelselC O N T E N T S

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9 Downtown bars are showing a united front in the face of a city plan they say creates an uneven playing field.

17 If you’re ever in need of a hot dog on the go, Capitol Coney Island has you covered.

28 “I’m trying to bring that raw honesty and reality back into hip-hop, especially because it’s an over-saturated market with a bunch of people fabricating or stretching the truth to the point that now it’s just kind of lie after lie. People say it because it sounds cool, but it’s not really true. We don’t recognize what it’s doing to us.” —Justin Johnson (LV Baby), “Once in a ‘Blu Moon’”

4

T he year 2015 was filled with major changes for me. So much change that I’m almost glad (no, I am glad) that it’s almost over. Next

year will hopefully be a little calmer, but that doesn’t mean I’m just going to sit idly by. I’ve got a bucket list to create, and fi-nances to figure out, and other things to do. For me, next year means figuring out my next move in life. As I sat at my desk a few nights ago, painting some papier mâché ornaments I had made the day before, I realized that next year, if I want to leave Mississippi, or at least the metro area, I’m free to do so. I’m not living in a student apartment with three other roommates, locked into a year’s lease. I’m not living with family members or friends who complain about my constant need for clutter. I’m not liv-ing in a terrible house that’s just not worth living in for an entire year. I’m not mar-ried like I thought I was going to be. So I don’t have much holding me back. Now, that doesn’t mean I’m leaving. I love my job and the fact that I get to help a city and state that so deserve it; I love the place where I live and plan to keep liv-ing there next year; I love my family and friends; and for the first time in my adult life, I actually have a social calendar (it’s tiny, but still). But if I really felt the need, I could live somewhere else. Unlike some young people here, I don’t feel the need to leave Mississippi or Jackson for reasons such as life here be-ing imperfect and the state not having as many opportunities as other places. I’d leave because I’ve lived here my entire life and have barely seen the world. Sure, I’ve been to Scotland, but I’ve barely even seen the United States. I think I’ve maybe been to about five or six states, and there’s so much I want to see. With all that said, let me tell you

why I stay: creativity. While it may seem like the state is backwards in many areas, I believe it excels in creative spirit. Places such as William Faulkner’s Rowan Oak in Oxford, Tennessee Williams’ birth home in Columbus, Eudora Welty’s house and garden in Jackson, the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, which was the first school for African American stu-dents in Jackson (author Richard Wright graduated from there in 1925), and the

Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University, which Margaret Walker Al-exander founded as the Institute for the Study of the History, Life and Culture of Black People in 1968, all stand as a testament to our literary history and our struggles as a state. Walter Anderson’s work shows life on the Gulf Coast before Hurricane Katrina ravaged its shores; modern artists such as Wyatt Waters and Tony Davenport high-light Jackson’s soul; and other artists such as Adrienne Domnick and Ginger Wil-liams-Cook add another layer of creativity that other cities may not have. And upstairs at The Iron Horse Grill, wax figures by Anne Robin Luckett show just how much Mississippi influenced modern music. The first couple of times I went into the “Mississippi Music Experience” mu-seum, I was too preoccupied with getting information for my story that I didn’t ac-

tually take the time to really look at my surroundings. But when I went back for a follow-up interview with Luckett and res-taurant owner Joseph Simpson, I realized the gravity of that museum—what it truly means for Mississippi. In an interview, Luckett and Simp-son lamented about how the rest of the world had gotten hold of our music and run with it, but the museum is an effort to bring the focus back on Mississippi’s con-

tributions and its storied music history. See, music is a huge part of my life. Though I can’t play an instrument, I enjoy listening to it and learning about it more than almost anything. I even did a pre-sentation on its history, from prehistoric times to top-10 hits in the 20th century, when I was in high school. I knew Missis-sippi had a huge impact on music as we know it, but I didn’t really understand un-til I stood in that exhibit for a third time, looking at Pinetop Perkins playing a verti-cal piano and Elvis Presley shaking hands with Darth Vader (it makes sense if you read the cover story. See pages 14-15). My favorite exhibit—the one that I probably annoy people with because I talk about it so much—is the one of Mick Jagger singing with Muddy Waters. I love The Rolling Stones, and I love blues, so those figures standing side by side is an incredible sight for me to behold. Every time I go there, I stand in awe at the mag-

nitude of what that exhibit and the night that inspired it—The Rolling Stones sang with Muddy Waters at The Checkerboard Lounge in Chicago—means for music. It shows just how big Mississippi’s influence truly is on rock ‘n’ roll and music in general. It shows how much we bring to the table—how much peo-ple don’t realize about us. I mean, yeah, we are high on a lot of bad lists, but the blues we’re known for played a role in the foundation of rock ‘n’ roll and country and pop and hip-hop. The genre emerged from the fusion of traditional African music and Euro-pean folk songs. It was African Ameri-cans’ response to their struggles to achieve equality and success in life and the social, economic and overcome the oppression present since the days of slavery. If it hadn’t been for blues greats such as Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson and B.B. King and, of course, all the other great Mississippi musicians singing about their struggles, we’d probably never have music as we know it. Think about it—blues inspired Elvis. It inspired The Beatles. It inspired The Rolling Stones. And to this day, it still in-spires many musicians and artists. If blues had never happened, music wouldn’t be the same. So at the end of the day, that’s why I stay. It’s not just my family or my job or friends that keeps me here. It’s that un-derlying creativity that no one ever gives us credit for. It’s our storied past and the culture such as the blues that makes this a such a powerful place. It’s why I wake up every day and do what I do. Jackson and Mississippi are worth fighting for. Assistant Editor Amber Helsel has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Mississippi. Email her story ideas to amber@jacksonfreepress.com.

CONTRIBUTORS

Why I Stay in Mississippi

Music Editor Micah Smith is married to a great lady, has two dog-children named Kirby and Zelda, and plays in the band Empty Atlas. He wrote many feature stories in the issue and helped compiled the event listings.

Events Editor Latasha Willis is a native Jacksonian, a freelance graphic designer and the moth-er of one cat. See her design portfolio at latashawillis.com. She compiled event listings.

Freelance writer Genevieve Legacy is an artist-writer-community development con-sultant. She works at Hope Enterprise Corp. and lives in Brandon with her husband and youngest son. She wrote about Soulabration 2015.

News Editor R.L. Nave is a native Missourian who roots for St. Louis (and the Mizzou Tigers)—and for Jackson. Send him news tips at rlnave@jacksonfreepress.com. He wrote a news story about Jackson’s resort status plan.

News reporter Arielle Dreher is working on finding some new hobbies and adopting an otter from the Jackson Zoo. Email her story ideas at arielle@ jacksonfreepress.com. She wrote news stories about Uber and campaign finance.

Freelance writer Kelly Stone is an author from Brandon, Miss., who writes romance novels. Her other passions include writing poetry and short sto-ries. She wrote a food story on Capitol Coney Island.

Web Editor Dustin Cardon is a graduate of the Univer-sity of Southern Mississippi. He enjoys reading fantasy novels and wants to write them him-self one day. He wrote food blurbs and helped factcheck for the issue.

Bookkeeper Melanie Col-lins is a mother of three and grandmother of one—so far! In what little spare time she has, she enjoys cooking and playing piano.

by Amber Helsel, Assistant EditorEDITOR’S note

Jackson and Mississippi are worth fighting for.

Micah Smith Genevieve Legacy

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Wednesday, December 2 Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, attack a Southern Cali-fornia social services center wearing com-bat armor and wielding assault rifles, killing at least 14 people and wounding more than a dozen. The two are killed hours later in a shootout with police. … Malcolm White, co-founder and owner of Hal & Mal’s, threatens to move his restaurant and concert venue if it remains excluded from a recently established downtown entertainment district and resort status area.

Thursday, December 3 Mississippi Sens. Roger Wicker and Thad Cochran join 48 fellow Repub-licans in voting against a bill requiring background checks for people purchas-ing firearms, including those on terrorist watch lists.

Friday, December 4 A U.S. law enforcement official reveals that Tashfeen Malik pledged alle-giance to the Islamic State group and its leader on Facebook before carrying out the recent attack.

Saturday, December 5 Colombia announces the discovery of the San Jose, a Spanish galleon that went down off the South American coast more than 300 years ago with what may be the world’s largest sunken treasure.

Sunday, December 6 U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announces that the Justice Depart-ment will conduct an investigation into the patterns and practices of the Chicago Police Department following the Laquan McDonald shooting.

Monday, December 7 Beijing issues its first-ever red alert for smog, urging schools to close and in-voking restrictions on factories and traf-fic that keep half of the city’s vehicles off the roads. … The U.S. Supreme Court rejects an appeal from gun owners chal-lenging San Bernardino’s ban on assault weapons after the recent mass shooting.

Tuesday, December 8 The U.S. Supreme Court hears a case on whether voting districts should be based on eligible voters rather than total population. Get breaking news at jfpdaily.com.

by JFP Staff

J ack McDaniel took his initial drive as an Uber partner on Valentine’s Day 2015. His first two clients were two couples who both said they wanted

to do the responsible thing and not risk their own lives or the lives of other motorists by drinking and driving. Those couples solidi-fied McDaniel’s conviction to keep driving for Uber, which he says combines his interest in meeting new people and serving others. McDaniel, 81, has tried to retire several times, but says he was a total failure at it. The former social worker turned stockbroker and insurance agent found out about Uber last year when the company announced its move into Jackson. McDaniel likes that he can work when he wants to—especially on Friday and Saturday nights when cabs are needed most. Uber has been operating in Jackson for a just under a year, but the company said the prospects of continuing to do business in the capital city are bleak if the Jackson City Council passes regulations on transportation network companies like Uber. On Nov. 30, the city council’s Rules Committee unanimously passed an or-dinance, which will now head to the full council, requiring transportation network services, such as Uber, to pay a $5,000 regis-tration fee as well as a $2,500 annual fee. The ordinance is scheduled for a full vote at the Dec. 15 council meeting. The ordinance also regulates transpor-tation network companies beyond fees. The ordinance requires companies to go through

an application process; report driver “require-ments” including age, physical examinations and background checks; and set insurance standards. The City would maintain the right to revoke a permit or suspend drivers. Taxicab companies are authorized under a similar ordinance with the City of Jackson.

Ward 7 Councilman Melvin Priester Jr. proposed the ordinance at the Nov. 30 Rules Committee meeting, and it will require transportation network companies and their drivers both to be approved by the city be-fore they operate. Uber, which uses a phone app that

works like a personal taxi service, has paid these fees in other markets. But Uber doesn’t like other parts of the ordinance, according to a spokesperson, although she declined to outline specific concerns. “The regulations proposed by (the Jackson) City Council do not reflect the

ride-sharing business model, and if passed, we may no longer be able to operate in Jackson,” an Uber spokesperson said in an emailed statement to the Jackson Free Press. If Uber leaves Jackson, its drivers, who work as independent contractors, not em-ployees, would be out of work.

by Arielle Dreher

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Jack McDaniel, an Uber driver in Jackson, averages 40 to 50 rides weekly and makes more than $500 a week.

On the other hand, local cab com-panies say Uber is hitting their employees in the pocketbook. These companies, which must pay fees to the City and the airport as well as vehicle and employee insurance, have called for oversight of Uber and other net-work transportation companies to level the playing field in the market. Tyra Dean, owner of Jackson-based Deluxe Cab Co., said the current market is “economically unfair” because of the fees companies such as hers pay that Uber does not, such as the $250 annual certificate of public necessity and convenience fee. Dean said the proposed ordinance is a good start, although she disagrees with the committee’s decision to strike out certain requirements. The Works Committee voted 3-1 to cut a part of the ordinance that would have required all transportation network compa-ny drivers to go to a designated inspection station annually. Instead, the ordinance re-quires drivers to have an annual mechanical inspection of their vehicles at a professional repair shop, and it requires the companies to re-certify and inspect their individual ve-hicles on an annual basis. Uber drivers don’t carry commercial coverage; when they apply to Uber, they’re required to present proof of personal vehicle insurance that meets the minimum standard for the state where they operate. Uber also has a blanket insurance policy that covers ev-ery Uber ride-sharing trip in the U.S. up to $1 million that kicks in before the personal auto coverage of the driver, according to a statement from an Uber spokesperson. The company’s rates are more or less standardized—except when “surge” pricing occurs. A ride costs a minimum of $2.50,

and the per-mile rate is around $1.85 de-pending on traffic and demand, McDaniel said. His riders tells McDaniel that Uber rides are more affordable than cab-company rates. Current cab-company rates are close to $3 per mile—but the city sets those rates. Cab companies and drivers must pay additional money to pick up at the airport, too—an area that could become even more competitive if the ordinance passes.

Encountering Speed Bumps The current policy at the Jackson-Evers International Airport allows all transporta-tion network companies, including Uber, to drop off passengers. However, network transportation companies must pay a $100 annual fee and drivers pay a $40 monthly fee to pick people up at the airport. Currently, Uber drivers are barred from picking up pas-sengers at the airport; however, if the ordi-nance passes, this would change. In a media advisory issued Dec. 4, the airport said it will update its policy if the ordinance passes to allow Uber and other ground-transport services to operate, but in order to keep fees “equitable with local taxi services,” the airport will charge an access fee

for entrance to its grounds with a so-called geo-fence, pending approval from the air-port’s board of commissioners. Perry Miller, chief operating officer at the airport, could not be reached for a phone interview by press time, but said in an emailed statement that the geo-fence plan, pending board of commissioners’ ap-proval, “enables JMAA (Jackson Municipal Airport Authority) to track TNC (transpor-tation network company) activity electrically once an operator enters the airport’s virtual boundary.” At the Nov. 30 meeting, taxi drivers ex-pressed their displeasure with not only Uber but also regulations. Shad Denson, a cab driver at Jackson Taxi, told the Rules Com-mittee he wants to see some deregulation of all cab companies because of the onerous fees and regulations put on drivers. “Uber is not one company. It’s a leas-ing agency that leases their employees and equipment to do their business and takes a percent,” Denson said. “And that’s all these (taxi) companies are doing with us.” Denson is not advocating for complete deregulation of the industry. He told the Jack-son Free Press that cab drivers need someone to hold them accountable, but he would like to be able to go to the city independently and pay a licensing fee to do business on his own. Denson has worked at four of the five cab companies in Jackson in his 15 years as a taxi driver, and he said that the only power drivers have is to switch cab companies if fees go up. Drivers pay companies week to week, and Denson says this only creates the illusion of freedom and ownership when, in reality, he must pay fees to companies to operate a cab in Jackson legally.

Other drivers feel differently. Rob-ert Brown, a cab driver with City-Cab, told the committee that he thinks the cab industry in Jackson is declining and sees no need for new companies like Uber to come into the market. Brown also pointed out the city’s need for taxicab services, not Uber, because of socioeconomic conditions that limit transportation for many people. Brown was referring to Uber’s cash-free payment system. App users must register a credit or debit card when they sign up for the app, so once they order a ride, the payment is processed by the end of the trip. Uber drivers are not allowed to take cash, which makes it difficult for riders who don’t have the app on a smartphone or do not have a credit card to use Uber. Uber riders can tip with their app at the end of their ride as well as review their driver’s performance. Jackson’s ordinance, even if it passes, could be moot if Uber successfully lobbies lawmakers in the upcoming session for state-wide legislation that is friendly to transpor-tation network companies. There are four registered lobbyists for the company listed on the Secretary of State’s Office. In the meantime, Uber drivers like Mc-Daniel see Uber as the wave of the future for cab companies and wants the market to be a free enterprise. “In five to 10 years, we’re not going to recognize the cab industry as it exists today,” McDaniel said. Dean, the cab-company owner, does not necessarily disagree. However, she adds a caveat: “Competition is competition. Just like any market there’s give and take—just level the playing field.” Comment at jfp.ms.

7

T he news of Malcolm White’s res-ignation as director of the state’s tourism division was almost as puzzling as the news three years

ago that Gov. Phil Bryant was hiring him. After all, Hal & Mal’s, the restaurant White started three decades ago with his brother, Hal, is a preferred hangout for Democratic whistle whetters. Nonethe-less, in December 2012, Brent Chris-tensen—the then-director of the Missis-sippi Development Authority, which has purview over developing tourism—with

the blessing of the Republican governor brought White on board. “The experience he brings to this po-sition and the vast amount of knowledge he has of the tourism industry will be ben-eficial not only to MDA but to the entire state of Mississippi and its tourism offer-ings, as well,” Bryant said in a news release at the time. Three years later, another release an-nounced White’s departure. “It was time to go,” White told the Jackson Free Press recently. “High-level, state government jobs turn over every four years or so. The guy who hired me (Chris-tensen) left. The new director and I agreed that our visions were different. He needed to have his own executive-level team. It was time for me to go and I’m gone. I’m back in the free-enterprise system.”

Christensen left in April for Greens-boro, N.C. His replacement, Glenn Mc-Cullough Jr., gave White high marks. In

addition to rebranding the division to Visit Mississippi, McCullough credits White with doubling advertising return on investment to $12.93 for every $1 spent and implemented the Year of the Creative Economy. White says he has no hard feelings and that he now has more time for oth-er things—namely, locking horns with the City of Jackson over a plan that al-lows one new business to stay open 24 hours per day but excludes the stalwart Hal & Mal’s. “I knew when I took the job what it was about, and it’s just one of those things, but I have no regrets,” White said. “I resigned and I’m at peace. I’ve moved on. Now, I can go back to rais-ing hell.”

— R.L. Nave

Malcolm White, Hellraiser

Now that he no longer works for the State of Mississippi as head of the

tourism division, Malcolm White says he’s ready to kick up some dust.

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“There’s give and take–just

level the playing field.”

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creative community. These collaborations feature one-night pop up exhibitions and dining experiences, live music, and more.

Dylan and Zach Lovett of Young Valley perform a

special Jingle Bell Rock set, and the Ugly Sweater head-to-head contest

commences, a tournament style judging of threads to

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Chef Nick Wallace hosts his monthly pop up

‘sipp Sourced restaurant; this time around,

he dons a white beard for the “South Pole

St. Nick” culinary mashup.

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9

TALK | city

A fter being open for six months, John Tierre says his Johnny T’s Bistro & Blues and the adjoining lounge called 540 are holding their

own in spite of, literally, being the new kids on the block—without the same rights. Just a few blocks to the south on Farish street, patrons of F. Jones Corner can dance until dawn thanks to the club’s presence in what is known as a qualified resort area. A stone’s throw away, on Mill Street, is Freelon’s Bar & Groove, which also enjoys resort status. When the city created the Farish Street Entertainment district in 2004, it meant that two blocks of the historic bou-levard as well as Freelon’s would have re-sort status, a legal designation that allows those establishments to remain open and continue pouring spirits after 2 a.m. Nonetheless, Tierre believes Johnny T’s has a competitive advantage because of the quality of its menu and the ambiance of the historic building where it sits. Still, when the city announced recently that it would create a new entertainment district that would provide resort designation to one business, Cathead Distillery on South Farish, Tierre thought it was “really weird” that existing businesses wouldn’t benefit from the incentive tool. “I don’t want to be at a disadvan-tage. They’re creating resort statuses all around me, and it’s giving other bars and other restaurants an advantage over me so I want to be on the same playing field,” Tierre told the Jackson Free Press. Tierre’s sentiment echo those of Mal-colm White, a co-founder and owner of Hal & Mal’s, and others in panning the City’s newly formed Pascagoula Enter-tainment District. After the city council unanimously voted in favor of the new district, White even took to social media blasting the plan as “piecemeal, helter-skelter, unorga-nized.” As a result, several businesses that normally compete against one another are coming together to advocate for resort sta-tus for all the watering holes downtown. “I think we have to take care of the businesses that have been loyal to the city of Jackson for years and years,” Ward 6 Councilman Tyrone Hendrix told the JFP in response. State law permits certain establish-ments with resort status to remain open 24 hours a day and allow establishments to sell alcohol without 25 percent of sales coming from food. After some city coun-

cil members opposed to an earlier version of the proposal because longtime restau-rants, including Hal & Mal’s, would not

benefit, a new plan emerged to keep the entertainment district but to grant resort status only to the new Cathead Distillery on South Farish Street. “We’re in conversations with Johnny T’s and Hal & Mal’s and the other po-tential people so that we can get them to get the necessary letters,” Mike Davis, the City’s economic-development manager, told council members, referring to a pro-vision of state law that requires applicants for qualified resort status to collect “en-dorsement letters” from area civic clubs.

Specifically, Davis said applicants would need letters of support from nearby churches; St. Alexis Episcopal is

a third of a mile south of Hal & Mal’s. With the letters, Davis said other estab-lishments would be eligible “on the next go around” of applications for resort-area applications but did not specify when that would take place. White said a story on the Jackson Free Press’ website was the first time he’d heard about needing letters from the church and that none of his employees had met with City officials. Shelia Byrd, a spokeswoman for Mayor Tony Yarber, said Davis spoke with a representative of Hal & Mal’s but

did not make contact with White; Byrd did not know the name of the representa-tive with whom Davis met. Tierre said he recalls once mention-ing to city officials around the time the bistro opened last summer that he would like resort status for Johnny T’s if possible, but that there has not been an ongoing conversation. “It just came out of nowhere, and we saw it was approved,” Tierre said, adding that he planned to contact the Rev. Hick-man Johnson at nearby Farish Street Bap-tist Church. The new entertainment area would roughly encompass an east-to-west span from Mill Street to Lamar Street and Pearl Street to South Street. The plan, Davis said, would also pull in One Jack-son Place, an office building on Capitol Street, as well as an area near East Silas Brown Street near The South, a popular event space downtown. White said although the restaurant has not advocated for resort status, he be-lieves all downtown bars and restaurants should be able to participate to keep the playing field level. “If the city is going to expand on re-sort status, they need to include everybody who wants to be in that business,” White said. “It’s not just about Hal & Mal’s and Cathead. It’s about (Underground) 119, and it’s about The South and all these other places.” Yarber has said that the City had a better chance of success with a more modest proposal. Ben Allen, president of the Downtown Jackson Partners Inc. business-improvement district and a for-mer Jackson City Council member, dis-agrees with the mayor, saying that a more comprehensive plan would have the best chances of success. Allen, who was the only lone “no” vote when the council extended resort status to Farish Street and Freelon’s in November 2004, told the JFP: “I strongly felt then, and I strongly feel now that both should be resort status after a long-range land-use plan is done for all of downtown Jackson that includes future land-use proposals.” At the Dec. 15 city council meeting, Hendrix said he plans to introduce an or-der of the city of the council establishing qualified resort-area status for restaurants along the Commerce Street corridor, which includes Hal & Mal’s. Comment at www.jfp.ms. Email R.L. Nave at rlnave@jacksonfreepress.com.

Controversial Resort Plan Unifies Competing Downtown Bars by R.L. Nave

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John Tierre, proprietor of Johnny T’s Bistro & Blues, says he already has to compete with surrounding bars whose so-called resort status allows them to remain open all night. A City plan to offer the status to the new Cathead Distillery but exclude existing venues could unite downtown competitors.

10

TALK | state

Post-election campaign filings are revealing that oppo-nents of Initiative 42, mostly from outside the state, spent much more money to defeat it than they were required to report before the polls closed. Initiative 42

would have changed the Mississippi Constitution to force the Legislature to follow state law and fully fund education or be subject to judiciary consequences. Campaign-finance reports for registered PACs and PICs were due on Nov. 10 for com-mittee spending in October. The Improve Mississippi Political Initiative Commit-

tee is the PIC that primarily ran the “No on 42” campaign with TV ads and a website, promoting fear that one (presum-ably black) judge in Hinds County would control education funding if 42 passed. Records filed Nov. 10 show the group spent $844,750 to defeat the citizen ballot. About 82 percent of that money came from one donor: the RSLC Mississippi PAC, which is the state PAC arm of the Republican State Leadership Committee, a Washington, D.C.-based 527 political organization dedicated to “elect down-ballot, state-level Republican leaders.” The RSLC Mississippi PAC gave $600,000 to the Improve Mississippi PIC in October, the PIC’s October campaign-finance report showed. Because RSLC Mississippi PAC did not donate to individual candidates in this election cycle, the PAC was not required to file reports, Secretary of State spokeswoman Pamela Weaver wrote in an email to the Jackson Free Press. However, the RSLC Mississippi PAC’s latest report shows that it also donated $30,000 to The Watchdog PAC and $100,000 to the Mississippi House Republican Caucus PAC in September. The Watchdog PAC’s October campaign finance report reveals $100,000 in year-to-date donations from the RSLC Mississippi PAC on Oct. 9. The Watchdog PAC then donated $90,000 to the Im-prove Mississippi PIC on Oct. 14, 19 and 27. If the Watch-dog PAC used RSLC’s donation to fund its Improve MS PIC donation, which is unclear, the Republican State Leadership Committee gave $690,000 of the $844,750 donations used

to defeat Initiative 42 through the PIC. The Republican State Leadership Committee did not respond to requests for phone interviews, but instead provid-ed emailed statements. RSLC is a national organization that focuses on state-level Republican leadership, largely through individual PAC arms for states. Funding for the 527 comes from several large, national corporations. According to 2014 Open Secrets data, RSLC’s top donors last year included the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Reynolds American, Las Ve-gas Sands and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, who together donated

more than $6 million. Walmart Stores and Koch Industries were also on the top-10 highest donor list. Americans for Prosperity, the Koch brothers’ national advocacy organization, donated $239,097 to the KidsFirst Mississippi PAC, the other prominent anti-42 PAC, which placed radio, Facebook, Google and other media ads against Initiative 42, campaign-finance records show. The KidsFirst PAC only reported spending $123,193 on its October cam-paign-finance report. November campaign-finance reports for PACs are not due until December 10. In a press statement to the Jackson Free Press, RSLC said: “Initiative 42 was bad liberal policy that was bad for Mississippi families disguised in a misleading campaign with millions of dollars behind it. We believe that the state leg-islature elected by all Mississippians is best to represent the needs of the state—not one judge in Hinds County. We were proud to help inform voters on the problems of Initiative 42 and are pleased that voters decided against the measure on Election Day.” Initiative 42 would not have shifted power to fund edu-cation to a single judge in Hinds County. The initiative made legal action possible if the Legislature did not follow the law, but no legal action would have been necessary to enforce Initiative 42 if the Legislature fully funded the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. If the Legislature had not fol-lowed the law, any lawsuit brought against them would have to be filed in Hinds County because that’s where the legal

process for the Legislature begins. Any case could be appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which would have the fi-nal say—not one of several judges in Hinds County. After the election, RSLC issued a news release titled “Mississippi Votes to Stop Liberal Judicial Takeover of School Spending.” The statement it provided to the Jackson Free Press said that Mississippi was an example and at the fore-front of a trend in RSLC’s eyes of “Democrats finding new ways to get around the elected legislative process and advance their liberal agenda through ballot initiatives.” The statement said that, this year, Mississippi was home to “many important races.” Mississippi was listed on one of RSLC’s maps as a “target state” to win the lieutenant governor’s race, and the state was listed in the “defend” category, indicating the group’s priority to re-elect Lt. Gov Tate Reeves. In the statement to the JFP, RSLC congratulated Lt. Gov. Reeves, Speaker Philip Gunn and all of Mississippi’s Re-publican leaders on their victory. Out-of-state funds also helped fund the pro-42 side. The D.C.-based New Venture Fund and the Atlanta-based Southern Education Foundation gave millions of dollars to the Better Schools, Better Jobs campaign. More than half of these funds came primarily from three main donors—two of whom are Mississippi businessmen—according to an Associ-ated Press report. The New Venture Fund and the Southern Education Foundation both gave $2.6 million to Better Schools, Better Jobs, but over half that donation came from the W.K. Kel-logg Foundation, former Secretary of State and businessman Dick Molpus and former Netscape and FedEx executive Jim Barksdale—all avowed supporters of public education in Mississippi who have invested large amounts of money in education efforts in the state over the years. The Associated Press reviewed records showing that at least $1.6 million in donations can be pinpointed to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Molpus. Barksdale’s contribu-tion amount is unknown. Kellogg announced its donations to both charities on its website: $500,000 to the Southern Education Foundation and $900,000 to the New Venture Fund. The Southern Education Foundation is an education and advocacy organization that works to promote early learn-ing, advance public education and improve college access in the South. The New Venture Fund claims to be a nonpartisan char-ity that supports public-interest projects, by directing donor funds to the projects. It was also involved with the launch of the Literacy Design Collaborative that helped school districts and states implement Common Core standards. Improve Mississippi PIC and the KidsFirst PAC spent about $968,000 to defeat Initiative 42. Washington, D.C.- and Virginia-based organizations directly paid at least $723,193 of that total, which means 75 percent of the fund-ing to defeat Initiative 42 came from outside Mississippi. Initiative 42 might be dead, but to say that Mississip-pians defeated the ballot initiative seems disingenuous—ac-cording to the dollar signs, that is.Associated Press contributed to this report. Comment at jfp.ms.

D.C.-based PAC, Outside Money Funded Initiative 42’s Demiseby Arielle Dreher

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The Republican State Leadership Committee, which donated heavily to defeat Initiative 42, congratulated GOP leaders like (from left) Gov. Phil Bryant, Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves for victories.

11

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Four Years.Guaranteed.

The Compass Curriculum at Millsaps College will help you choose your own path to graduation in four years with a bachelor’s degree, or we will waive additional tuition and mandatory fees for courses

required for graduation.

Get more details and requirements at millsaps.edu/guarantee.

12

Let’s Get Some Things Done

Thankful from Abroad

A s we roll into the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, there’s certainly a desire to rest, refl ect, and spend quality time with family and friends. For Mayor

Tony Yarber and the city council, however, we suggest having a pen and notebook handy to jot some things on their to-do lists and get impor-tant deadlines up on the calendar for 2016. First and foremost, it’s time to get a proj-ect manager for the 1-percent sales tax money and start turning some dirt. The fi rst round of money was allocated in the spring of 2015, and very little has been done to spend it. This city—via a number of administra-tions—has blown $90 million on a question-able “performance” contract with Siemens. As our credit rating tumbles, the 1-percent money may really be our last hope. Speaking of water, it’s time to get the wa-ter bills straight. We don’t blame the Siemens contract on Mayor Yarber, but clearly it’s a huge missed opportunity for everyone, aside from the sub-contractors who made a killing. Mr. Mayor and city council, it’s time to hold all primes and subs accountable to fi x their messes and get things rolling. And one more thing—let’s turn dirt on the Market to Museum trail. Again, water stands in our way, but if we can get that 48-inch main started ASAP, then we can get the trail built and

tie together some of our greatest assets—muse-ums and fairgrounds—with a beautiful biking and walking trail. Those are resolutions for government offi -cials. Citizens of Jackson have to play their parts, too. If you or someone you know needs a job, apply for one of the dozens of vacant positions with the City’s public-works department. If you get one, take pride and ownership in the work. Report infrastructure problems when you see them; don’t just assume that the City is in-ept and ignoring the problem. Chances are, they may not even know about the pothole on your street or the hydrant that’s gushed water all day. And raise hell about your water bill. Let’s all set some “big hairy” goals that we’ll start working toward as soon as we’re done with New Year’s football game: It’s time to do every-thing we can to encourage people to move to Jackson. That includes shopping with locally owned businesses that build the local economy. By the 2020 census, let’s have 10,000 more people living in the city limits. That’s taxpayers, homeowners and job creators. How are we go-ing to do that? Leadership, accountability and civil responsibility. If you’re a citizen of Jackson, let your elected leaders know that you’re ready for infrastructure improvements while holding contractors, public servants and each other accountable.

“W as möchten Sie?” the server asked. I stared at him rather stupidly; I knew that he was asking what kind of turkey I wanted, but he said it in German, and I was expecting English or French.

Thanksgiving 2015 had been two days before. For me, living in France, where the holiday is just another work day and seeing the Facebook posts of family and friends enjoying the celebration, it gave me just a touch of homesickness. But it was Saturday then: turkey day! We had crossed the now-heavily guard-ed Rhine River Bridge that crosses from Strasbourg, France, to Kehl, Germany. I noticed that at least the French and German police had gotten together and, instead of two roadblocks, one on each side, they only had one, on the French side, manned by French and German police. They were dressed all in black, and the only way to tell the difference between them was that the French had “POLICE” written on the back of their jackets whereas the Germans had “POLIZEI.” Walking past the roadblock elicited an interesting conversation with my 12-year-old daughter, as it was rather obvious that the offi cers were profi ling. Every car they had pulled over had a Middle Eastern-looking man as the driver. “That’s racist,” she said. I agreed, and tried to explain the rationale—that all of the Paris attackers had been males of Middle Eastern decent—but it sort of stuck in my mouth, and she wasn’t buying it anyway. We weren’t going far into Germany, just over the bridge really, to Villa Schmidt, a restaurant on the banks of the Rhine River where we were gathering

with other American ex-pats and a few Canadi-ans to celebrate Thanksgiving together. The Ca-nadians, although they fi ll an important niche here—i.e. speaking both French and English—seem to have an identity problem. They share a common language with the French but have more in common with Americans. Villa Schmidt is a lovely place and has a terrifi c view of the Rhine River. Obviously, considering the 5-foot-solid concrete walls and the narrow casement windows, it had been a

fortress guarding the banks of the river at one time, but it had been turned into a fi ne restaurant now. Realizing that the server was speaking German and that I was holding up the line, I pointed to some dark meat and moved on to the green beans. The turkey was good. The sweet potatoes were good but did not taste like home. I am not sure what the gravy was; it looked like applesauce, but it wasn’t. There were no mashed potatoes, just something like a white sauce with some corn in it, but it also was tasty. As I ate my turkey, I looked around the room, and the diversity amazed me. Next to me was an 18-year-old Finnish girl who is an au pair to someone in the American consulate. She is just completing her time as an au pair and will head to Australia to meet up with her boyfriend, whom she had met once, for one day, in Rome, but she assures me that they Skype and text every day. At the next table over was Veronica, a 6-foot dark-haired woman who speaks English and French with a heavy Spanish accent (she grew up in Los Angeles) and her incredibly funny and smaller French husband. There was Renee, my favorite French Canadian, and absolutely the nicest person you can imagine. Our neigh-bors Ursula and Pierre were here. He is French, and she is German, but they met in California, and all of their children were born and raised in America. In the far corner was a gaggle of beautiful, young women and babies sans men! They are the wives of American basketball players who are playing for local French teams and have been left alone because of an away game. I was content. None of these people were family or lifelong friends (other than my wife and daughter), but we had gathered to share a common heritage in a foreign land. Some are here just for a short time, others are here for the duration, but all of us are thankful in these hard times.

R.H. Coupe is a visiting scientist at the University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, France. He lives there with his wife of 31 years and their youngest daughter, studying the movement of water and agricultural chemicals off of a vineyard, as well as tasting its products.

Email letters and opinion to letters@jacksonfreepress.com, fax to 601-510-9019 or mail to 125 South Congress St., Suite 1324, Jackson, Mississippi 39201. Include daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, as well as factchecked.

All of us are thankful in these hard times.

L ast month while driving through the Florida Panhandle, I saw a sign that tempted me to do something that I normally never would have

dreamed of doing in a million years. So I took the next exit, pulled into the parking lot, paid my $7 entry fee and entered my first gun show. Held in an empty storefront in a strip mall, this gun show seemed small by indus-try standards, but was nonetheless lively and filled with people. There were about 30 vendors with thousands of guns spread out on racks and tables. They had handguns, hunting rifles, knives of all shapes and sizes, lots of ammo and camo, and a myriad of assault weapons. I was the only per-son of color in the room, and likely the only non-southerner. I kept a low profile, and no one made me feel unwelcome. Still, it took everything in my power to keep my mouth shut and my judgment meter turned down when I overheard a vendor refer to an AK47 as “the ulti-mate killing machine.” You might be asking, “Why would you ever go to a place like this one, Kevin?” To be clear, I have never owned, and cannot imagine owning a gun. I have never even held, let alone discharged one. While I am not for banning guns altogether—I have a number of friends who hunt, and they consume everything they shoot—I do support banning assault weapons and en-acting strict laws on gun control. So what compelled me to go to a gun show? My motivation is simple: “Grace made me do it.” Grace Lee Boggs, my mentor who passed away this month at the age of 100, taught me that the best way to defend any position I take is to understand the opposing point of view. In other words, how could I argue against something (in this case, the need for guns in our society) if I didn’t engage with and try to understand the other side? What I discovered is that the gun show was a pleasant, even festive event. While some people were focused on purchasing guns, most people were more interested in socializing. I came to understand that it was less about the guns and more about the culture. Journalist Paul Theroux writes: “A gun show (in the South) isn’t about guns. A gun show is about like-minded people who feel as if everything has been taken

away from them.” Theroux claims that, for many white southerners, the Civil Rights Movement was as much a war as the Civil War. Montgomery, Selma and Birming-ham were battles to be fought and won. And like the Civil War, the South lost. Add to that a depressed economy and wars like Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan where many young southerners sacrificed their lives. Now their black president wants to take away their gun rights—it represents yet another defeat. These folks see guns as a symbol of

self-determination, the right to live and express ourselves as we choose. Many issues and move-ments that I am pas-sionate about, such as civil rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights and indigenous peoples’ rights, are also about self-determination. As I was stand-ing in the middle of the gun show, I remembered where I was just a week before—with my family at the Castro Street Fair, in the heart of one of the

gayest neighborhoods in the world. Instead of guns, their symbols of self-determination were rainbow flags and marriage equality signs. Bearded men expressed themselves by parading around in drag (it was women’s clothes in the Castro and camo in the gun show, although studded leather vests were prominent in both venues). Despite the differences, there was an abundance of good food, a festive spirit and kind-hearted people. I came closer to understanding what Grace had always taught me: that by ex-ploring the diametrically opposing side, we discover that we have much more in com-mon than not. As conversations around gun control heat up in Washington, D.C., social media and perhaps around our kitchen tables, I hope that we can all have the courage to take a brief stop in each other’s worlds and explore things that we might not otherwise consider. We may discover that, in this middle ground, solutions beyond our wildest imaginations will manifest, and our diverse yet common need for self-determination will be respected and fulfilled. Kevin Fong, who lives in San Francis-co, is a nationally recognized and respected facilitator, trainer and speaker in leadership and executive development and organiza-tional systems, philosophy and design. Visit elementalpartners.net. 13

Of Guns and Rainbow Flags

KEVIN FONG

Editor-in-Chief Donna LaddPublisher Todd Stauffer

EDITORIAL

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Reporter Arielle DreherJFP Daily Editor Dustin Cardon

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Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Director Kristin BrenemenAdvertising Designer Zilpha YoungStaff Photographer Imani Khayyam

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Now their black president wants to take

away their gun rights—it represents yet another defeat.

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T he intersection of U.S. Highways 49 and 61 in Clarksdale look similar to many highway cross-roads in Mississippi. A green road sign tells you to head straight on 61 to get to Memphis or head

down 49 to get to Greenwood. Businesses such as a car-wash and a gas station surround the sign. But a tall sign with three blue hollow-body guitars and placards that read “The Crossroads” tells a different story. Legend has it that it’s the intersection where blues legend Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil. As a young man living on a plantation in rural Mis-sissippi, Johnson had a desire to become a great blues musician. Late one night, he went to a crossroad near Dockery Plantation in Clarksdale. When he got there, a large African American man (presumed to be the devil) took his guitar and tuned it. He played a few songs and then gave the instrument back to Johnson, who then became a master at it. In exchange for his soul, he was able to create his legendary music. The actual location of where this could have hap-pened is unclear. Some say it was in Clarksdale, some say it was in Rosedale. While the blues great himself is

long gone, a likeness of him playing a harmonica with a guitar in his lap sits above The Iron Horse Grill in downtown Jackson. He’s one of the many music figures depicted in the restaurant’s “Mississippi Music Experi-ence” museum upstairs. It features life-size representations of Mississippi’s music legends, in every genre from blues to rock ‘n’ roll. The figures are so realistic that it if it weren’t for the glass, you’d think they could jump out and touch you. Jimmy Buffet stands smiling on a beach, an old single-lens reflex camera partially buried in the sand beside him. Blues musician Pinetop Perkins plays an old verti-cal piano. Music legend B.B. King sits playing his guitar. Johnson plays his harmonica, an authentic autographed Gibson guitar in his lap. Beside him is his tombstone. The museum, which the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame sponsors, is a large part of Iron Horse’s music-education focus. Owner Joseph Simpson says that it, along with making the business a concert venue as well as a restau-rant, has always been part of the plan since they rede-veloped Iron Horse two years ago. He says it’s a way to

educate Mississippians and the world on the state’s rich music history. “You look towards Memphis, Chicago, Detroit, Nashville, I mean they’ve taken our musical heritage that we started with, and they’ve run with it, and it’s become a huge economic generator,” he says. “… And we want it back,” continues Anne Robin Luckett, the artist behind the museum’s figures. Simp-son says that people from Europe have visited the mu-seum on their way to Memphis and a group from South Africa stayed two extra days just so they could see it. “I don’t know how they’re starting to hear about it, but they’re just blown away,” Simpson says. As you walk into the space, you see Luckett’s face and photos of the figures in process. To create them, she takes clay and rolls and sculpts the figures. She says it took about two months to make each one. Luckett, who has a bachelor’s degree in fine art and master’s degrees in art and guidance from Mississippi College, began sculpting figurines and dolls in 1994, and in the fol-lowing year, she was accepted in the Professional Doll Makers Guild. She says that originally, she was a painter. 14

Experience Mississippi Musicby Amber Helsel

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She taught art classes in Jackson Public Schools from 1965 to 1977, and with her job and raising her four daughters, she didn’t have time to do her own art. When Luckett got back into it, she started with a new medium. She found some wheat paste, and then grabbed some paper towels, a gourd and cut her horse’s tail off to make a man. She says that doll-making was fun for her, and as her daugh-ters grew up, she started doing it more and more. For many years, she showed her work around the world, as she says Mississippi artists weren’t working in that medium. She was asked to create “American Girl” dolls (though she ended up not doing it) and has done pieces such as the “Wizard of Oz” collection at Michael Jackson’s Neverland and many others. The museum itself took about two years to create. The memorabilia came

from some of the musicians themselves, such as the signed Lucille guitar that B.B. King holds and the clothes that Jaimoe, the lead drummer for The Allman Broth-ers Band, wears (Jaimoe also donated the drum set), and museums such as the Del-ta Blues Museum and the B.B. King Mu-seum, who are museum partners, donat-ed items. The hallway that wraps around the exhibits, which serves as a small Mis-sissippi Musicians Hall of Fame, tells the story of the state’s music, from its roots in the delta at Dockery Plantation to cur-rent day. You can view photos and read information on many other famous acts from the Magnolia State, including Elvis Presley, Britney Spears, and Paramore, whose lead singer, Hayley Williams, is from Meridian. Currently, Iron Horse is trying to set up tours with middle and high schools and junior colleges. The Mississippi Musicians

Hall of Fame that runs along the hallway has accredited videos so teachers can get credit for the field trip. “We’ve had teach-ers that have come that actually shared their curriculum with us, so we have those available, where they work with a music history class prior to coming, and then as they draw those high-school students in, they’re familiar with it,” Luckett says. The “Mississippi Music Experience” museum is on the second floor of The Iron Horse Grill (320 W. Pearl St., 601-389-0151) and is open when the restaurant is. Iron Horse’s hours are Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thurs-day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The mu-seum is free to the Iron Horse customers, and schools can tour it. For more information, visit theironhorsegrill.com. For more photos, see jfp.ms/musicexperiencemuseum.

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A round lunchtime in downtown Jackson, it’s not uncommon to find a hot-dog cart at certain in-tersections.

Shortly after the recent changes to the city’s food-truck ordinance, which made it easier for mobile food vendors to move around town, Capitol Coney Is-land owners Rob Lehman and Al Brown opened the business in June 2015. Lehman, who is a Michigan na-tive, along with Brown, says that work in broadcasting brought him here in 1998, and Brown had family here. “We moved down here, and it kind of just gelled together,” he says. Lehman has owned three restaurants in the Jackson area—Filibusters, Harbor Bay and Bourbon Street in the Quarter—and Brown has managed chain restaurants such as Cracker Barrel (410 Riverwind Drive, 601-936-9990), Applebee’s on County Line Road, which is now closed, and Logan’s Roadhouse in Ridgeland (600 E. County Line Road, Ridgeland, 601-957-2254) and Pearl (431 Riverwind Drive, Pearl, 601-939-5174) Lehman and Brown met Tyrone Hendrix, the Ward 6 councilman for Jack-son who helped pass the new mobile-food vendor legislation, this past May. Once Hendrix told them that the ordinance had changed, it made getting a food cart easi-er. The business owners say that once they got it, they ran with the idea and watched the business grow. In the beginning, the Mississippi Food Truck Association helped spread the

word about the cart, which aided in the business’ success. Because they are mobile, Lehman and Brown say that the hot-dog cart has the ability to attend events and reach more customers. “The hot-dog cart was an easier

choice,” Lehman says. “You can tow it be-hind any vehicle. And, you can get them in a lot of places the food trucks couldn’t get to previously.” Recently, however, they bought a food truck to go along with the cart and can be seen at events such as the Missis-

sippi Museum of Art’s Museum After Hours, which is the third Thursday of each month. With hot dogs steamed and ready to go, Lehman and Brown say

they served more than 500 hotdogs in two to three hours during the Mississippi Book Festival earlier this year. “Hot dogs are just easy,” Lehman says. In addition to the all-beef Nathan hot dogs from New York, the hot-dog cart

offers Philly and chicken cheesesteaks. The cheesesteaks are served with provo-lone cheese, tenderloin steak or chicken, peppers, onions and mushrooms on

Gambino buns from New Orleans. “The best seller is chili dogs, but the

Philly cheesesteak is catching on fast,” Lehman says. Recently, the menu expanded to include pulled-pork and chili-cheese nachos, Zapp’s potato chips and roast-beef po’boys. Leh-

man and Brown are in the process of modifying the truck for a commercial

venting system in order to offer fresh cut French fries. In an attempt to service more ar-eas, the location changes quite a bit. Capitol Coney Island has a location at the corner of President and Pascagoula streets that is considered a hot spot near the Hinds County Courthouse, but you can also find them at other ar-eas, such as Smith Park and other streets downtown, and the business also does private events. Currently, Lehman serves on the board of directors of the Missis-sippi Food Truck Association and has plans of operating the business in the cit-ies of Laurel and Ridgeland once the areas’ food-truck ordinances pass. Capitol Coney Island is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To find its location, find the business on Twit-ter or download the Follow That Food Truck app. For more information, find Capitol Coney Island on Instagram or email info@capitolconeyisland.com.

M ississippi grocery retailers large and small are hoping to change how the state handles wine sales through the Looking for Wine? coalition, which wants to promote a bill to allow grocery retailers in the state to sell wine with higher per-volume alcohol content. Currently, grocery retailers only sell what is known as light wine, which has 5 percent alcohol per volume.

Thirty-seven other states allow wine sales in grocery retailers, including many of Mississippi’s immediate neighbors. In a press statement, Looking for Wine?’s organizers said that if the 140 grocery stores across the state that are participating in the coalition get the clearance from the state Legislature to sell wine, it could bring about an estimated $26 million increase to state revenue. Camille Young, a vice president with Cornerstone Government Affairs, a Washington, D.C.-based govern-ment and public relations firm with offices in downtown Jackson, has been spearheading the Looking for Wine? coalition’s efforts in Mississippi for the last six months. Its goal is to build public support for the introduction and passage of a bill in the upcoming 2016 state legislative session. Looking for Wine? has been working to inform the public through social media and conducting giveaways so far, and hopes to meet with the Legislature this month after the committee for the upcoming session is formed. The proposed bill would only apply to grocery retailers in Mississippi’s wet counties. Dry counties would not be affected. For more information on the Looking for Wine? coalition, visit lookingforwine.ms or find them on Facebook or on Twitter @looking4wine. For more food & drink news, visit jfp.ms/food. Send restaurant news to dustin@jacksonfreepress.com.

Smoking Hot … Dogsby Kelly Stone

Wine About Townby Dustin Cardon, dustin@jacksonfreepress.com

LIFE&STYLE | food&drink

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Rob Lehman (left) and Al Brown (right) began Capitol Coney Island earlier this year. Capitol Coney Island has dishes such as chili dogs.

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LITERARY & SIGNINGSRobert Luckett Book Discussion Dec. 10, 11:30 a.m., at Jackson State University’s Margaret Walker Center (Ayer Hall, 1400 John R. Lynch St.). Margaret Walker Center Director Robert Luckett discusses his new book, “Joe T. Patterson and the White South’s Dilemma: Evolving Resistance to Black Advancement.” Free; call 601-979-3935; jsums.edu/margaretwalkercenter.

Events at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Inter-state 55 N., Suite 202)

Dec. 12, 11 a.m. Local artist Wyatt Waters signs copies of his calendar featuring watercolor paintings. $19.95 calendar; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.

Dec. 12, 1 p.m. Lyn Millner signs books. $24.95 book; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.

Dec. 14, 5 p.m. John M. Hilpert signs books. $40 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.

Dec. 17, 5 p.m. Maude Schuyler Clay signs books. $75 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.

Dec. 19, 11 a.m. Richard Grant signs books. $16 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.

Dec. 19, 1 p.m. Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour signs books. $25 book; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.

Dec. 21, 11 a.m. Taylor Kitchings signs books. $16.99 book; call 601-366-7619; email lemuriabooks.com.

Dec. 21, 1 p.m. Stuart Stevens signs books. $24.95 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.

Dec. 22, 1 p.m. Landscape designer Phillip Watson signs books. $50 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.

CREATIVE CLASSES Dec. 10, 7-10

p.m., at That’s a Wrap Acting Studio (163 Turtle Creek Drive, Suite 110, Hattiesburg). Actor Richard Hatch (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Streets of San Francis-co,” “Star Trek: Axanar”) teaches attendees how to act and audition with power and authority. Registration required. For ages 17 and up. Registration required. $65; call 855-219-8854; thatsawrapactingstudio.com.

Dec. 17, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Jan. 21, 10:30-11:30 a.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). Participants ages 55 and older tour the exhibitions and do a hands-on art project. Registration required. $12; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

Jan. 17, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at Center Stage (1625 E. County Line Road, Suite 410). Topics include creating a budget, vision boars, scheduling, menu planning and more. Refreshments included. $35-$50; call 624-8992; eventbrite.com.

EXHIBIT OPENINGS

(380 S. Lamar St.)

Dec. 10, 10 a.m. Visitors are welcome to place glass bottles on the provided branches in the Art Garden. Illumination on Dec. 17 during Third Thursday. Exhibit on display through Dec. 31. Free; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

Dec. 17, 5:30-8 p.m. See works from Elizabeth Robinson and the artists of Spirit House Glass in addition to current exhibitions. Includes daniel johnson’s Pop-Up Art Trivia at 7 p.m., the illumination of the Fes-tivus Bottle Tree Art Orchard, a cash bar and food for sale. Free; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

Dec. 11, 5-10 p.m., Dec. 12, 2-10 p.m., at Russell C. Davis Plan-etarium (201 E. Pascagoula St.). Jackson’s annual art show includes local artists selling their work for under $100. Enjoy music from Physics for Poets Dec. 11. Dec. 12, Bark, Passing Parade, 5th Child and Vibe Doctors perform that night. Free; call 960-1550; email ian601@gmail.com.

BE THE CHANGE Dec. 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Wal-

mart, Pearl (5520 Highway 80 E., Pearl). Mississippi pediatric burn patients from low-income families shop from their own personal wish list for Christmas. $150 to sponsor one child, donations welcome; call 601-540-2995; email afontaine@msburn.org; givegab.com.

Dec. 12, 9:30-11:30 a.m., at First Presbyterian Church of Madison (7717 Old Can-ton Road, Madison). Please bring new, unwrapped toys. Call for a list of preferred toys. Winter coats also accepted. Free; call 601-856-6625; firstpresofmadison.com.

COMMUNITY Dec. 10, noon, at Old

Capitol Museum (100 S. State St.). Celebrate Missis-sippi’s 198th birthday with the annual statehood day address. Free; call 601-576-6920; mdah.state.ms.us.

Dec. 10, 6 p.m., at Ice House Alley Warehouses (251 W. South St.). Mississippi’s Fashion Trunk Show is the host of the monthly networking and fashion event. Includes a panel discussion, a truck show, appetizers and a cash bar. Proceeds benefit local shelters. VIP and vendor space available. $25, $15 with a toy or non-perishable food donation; call 601-352-3722 or 769-218-8862; email icehousealley warehouses@gmail.com.

Dec. 11, midnight-8 p.m., Dec. 12, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Dec. 13, midnight-8 p.m., at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center (2350 Beach Blvd., Biloxi). This year’s multi-genre convention has a diesel-punk theme. Includes guest appearances from actors, gamers and artists, work-shops, gaming tournaments, vendors, music from Aurelio Voltaire and more. $20-$125; call 228-594-3700; email geekonomicon.whynot@gmail.com; geekonomicon.com.

Dec. 12, 4:30-7 p.m., at Spann Elementary School (1615 Brecon Drive). The event is a drum competition between middle school and high school percussion sections. $8.75, $1 seniors, $3.75 elementary to high school students, free for ages 8 and under; call 601-316-4031; email spannweb@jpsms.org; extremedrumexperince.ticketleap.com.

more EVENTS, see page 2220

Jackson artist Ian Hanson wanted to reduce one of the biggest barriers be-tween artwork and ad-

mirers: money. Back in 2010, he planned to exhibit only pieces under $100 to bring in an audience that might not normally buy art at a local cof-fee shop. He invited his friend, Cody Cox, who was exploring photography, to join him. It didn’t stop there. “What eventually hap-pened was that so many of our friends had an interest in taking part and selling their art, and we’re so interested in this con-cept of affordable art that we ended up in the first year hav-ing about 10 other people be-

sides ourselves,” Hanson says. They soon realized that a

coffee house couldn’t hold the exhibit and contacted Andy Hilton about using his ware-house in midtown. The first-ever “Priced to Move” had its home. However, the event has since outgrown even that ven-ue. The sixth iteration of the now annual art show, which takes place Friday, Dec. 11, and Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Russell C. Davis Planetarium, will feature works from about 32 artists, including everything from locally made paintings and sculptures to what Han-son calls “outsider art.” As an example, he points to one past peculiarity—crocheted bacon strips. “There’s always going to be something in the show you

wouldn’t find in a traditional art setting,” Hanson says. This year’s “Priced to Move” combines with the third anniversary of local record la-bels Elegant Trainwreck and Homework Town. Acts includ-ing Passing Parade, 5th Child, The Vibe Doctors and Bark will perform Saturday night in-side the planetarium dome to a full array of light-show effects. “Priced to Move” is from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday, Dec. 11, and from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Russell C. Davis Planetarium (201 E. Pascagoula St.). Admission to all events is free. For more informa-tion, find the event on Facebook.

—Micah Smith

Pride in Priced to Move

Whit Ramsey is one of the artists who will be featured in this year’s Priced to Move.

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Magnolia Ballroom Dancers’ Association Monthly Dance Dec. 12, 7:30-10:30 p.m., at Madison Square Center for the Arts (2103 Main St., Madison). Dances held on second Saturdays unless otherwise indicated. Water, setups and snacks provided. $15, $10 members; call 601-942-7335; email janephil-lips45@yahoo.com.

Annual Thelma Sanders Scholarship Dance Dec. 26, 8 p.m., at M.W. Stringer Grand Lodge (1072 John R. Lynch St.). This year’s honorees are Drs. Richard and Edith Smith Rayford. Includes refreshments and music from Jessie Primer & Friends. Proceeds go toward scholarships from the Jackson-Tougaloo Alumni Chapter of the Tougaloo College National Alumni Association. $30, $325 table of 10, sponsorships available; call 601-925-4725 or 601-946-5291; email donnadavis0503@gmail.com or carolynjwhite@bellsouth.net; jtacweb.org.

2016 BankPlus Racing Vehicle Extravaganza Jan. 9-10, at Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi St.). More than 175 custom, race and performance cars compete for awards. Includes the Mississippi Builders’ Showcase and appearances by “mega truck” the General and drivers Kye Kelly and Al Suggs. Admission TBA; call 601-832-3020; email wsbissell@aol.com; mdac.ms.gov.

The Premier Bridal Show: Weddings and Celebra-tions Jan. 10, 1-5 p.m., at Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.). The event includes door prizes, samples and consultations with wedding professionals. No strollers allowed. $22 in advance, $25 at the door; call 601-957-1050; thepremierbridalshow.com.

Millsaps Arts & Lecture Series: A Solo Acoustic Evening with Paul Thorn Jan. 12, 7 p.m., at Mill-saps College, Ford Academic Complex (1701 N. State St.). The roots and rock singer-songwriter from Tupelo performs songs from his latest album, “Too Blessed to be Stressed,” and earlier works. $10; call 601-974-1130; millsaps.edu/conted.

Mississippi Main Street Association’s Back Stage Pass Conference Jan. 20, 9 a.m., Jan. 21, 7:30 a.m., at MSU Riley Center (2200 Fifth St., Meridian). The annual event with sessions and speakers is for festival and event planners, nonprofits, fundraisers and others interested in hosting local special events. $100-$175; call 601-944-0113; msmainstreet.com.

Monster X Tour Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 23, 1:30 p.m., Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m., at Mississippi Coliseum (1207 Mississippi St.). The event includes motorcycle races and monster truck shows. Pit Paties take place 90 minutes for each show (sold separately). $17-$28; call 800-745-3000; monsterxtour.com.

Metro Jackson Heart Ball Jan. 29, 6-11 p.m., at Country Club of Jackson (345 St. Andrews Drive). The annual gala is a fundraiser for the American Heart Association. $250, $500-$2,500 couples, sponsorships available; call 601-321-1215; heart.org/metrojacksonheartball.

Success Master Class Event Jan. 30, 10 a.m.-5:15 p.m., at The Church Triumphant Global (6531 Dogwood View Parkway). Speakers include motiva-tional speaker John Maxwell, author Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul”), Bishop Adrian Ware and Pastor Tonya Ware. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Registration required. $299, $199 group rate (10 or more), $599 VIP (includes 9 a.m. power breakfast); call 601-260-1848; email events@thesuccesshouse.co; thesuccesshouse.co.

KIDSActing from the Heart Workshop Dec. 10, 4-7 p.m., at That’s a Wrap Acting Studio (163 Turtle Creek Drive, # 110, Hattiesburg). Actor Richard Hatch (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Streets of San Francisco,” “Star Trek: Axanar”) teaches workshop for ages 12-16. Registration required. $65; call 855-219-8854; info@that sawrapactingstudio.com; thatsawrapactingstudio.com.

Events at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.)

Dec. 13, 2-4 p.m. Museum School teacher Lesley Collins guides families in conversations around works from the permanent collection and related studio projects in the classroom. $30 for one child and parents, $15 each additional child; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

Dec. 18, 10:30 a.m. This educational opportunity ages 5 and under and their parents features a hands-on art activity and story time. Please dress for mess. Free; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

8-10 Dec. 20, 2-4 p.m. Museum School teacher Lesley Collins guides families in conversations around works from the permanent collection and related studio projects in the classroom. $30 for one child and parents, $15 each additional child; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

Snowflake Science Dec. 18, 10 a.m.-noon, at Mis-sissippi Museum of Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive). Experiment with “hot snow,” make your own paper snowflakes and explore the properties of dry ice. Included with admission ($6, $5 seniors, $4 ages 3-18, children under 3 free); call 601-576-6000; mdwfp.com/museum.

Events at Jackson Zoo (2918 W. Capitol St.) Dec. 28, 9 a.m.-4

p.m. The camp is for ages 6-12. Runs through Dec. 31. Registration required. Does not include lunch. $165, $150 members; call 601-352-2580, ext. 240; jacksonzoo.org/camp.

Dec. 29, 10 a.m.-noon. The half-day camp is for ages 4-5. Runs through Dec. 31. Registration required. $65, $60 members; call 601-352-2580, ext. 240; jacksonzoo.org/camp.

Events at Mississippi Children’s Museum (2145 Highland Drive)

Jan. 3, 1:30-5:30

p.m., Jan. 17, 1:30-5:30 p.m. Local artist Tony Davenport introduces children to methods of artistic expression. Included with admission ($10, children under 12 months free); mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

Jan. 9, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Discover how many bones are in the human body and how to keep them healthy. Included with admission ($10, children under 12 months free); call 601-981-5469; missis-sippichildrensmuseum.com.

Jan. 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Mississippi Arts Commission hosts the annual event featuring several storytellers. Included with

admission ($10, children under 12 months free); call 601-981-5469; mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

FOOD & DRINKCathead Distillery Grand Opening Dec. 12, noon-8 p.m., at Cathead Distillery (422 S. Farish St.). The celebration includes food from Hal & Mal’s and music from the Music Maker Relief Foundation. $10; catheaddistillery.com.

Plant-based Potluck Dec. 12, 1-3 p.m., at High Noon Cafe (Rainbow Plaza, 2807 Old Canton Road). Hosts include Mississippi Vegetarians, Rain-bow Natural Grocery Cooperative and Dr. Leo Huddleston. Bring a plant-based dish to share. Free; call 366-1513; follow Rainbow Natural Grocery Cooperative on Facebook.

SPORTS & WELLNESSPhysician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) Cancer Project Class Series Jan. 3, 12:30-2:30 p.m., at St. Columb’s Episcopal Church (550 Sunnybrook Road, Ridgeland). Learn about the ben-efits of a plant-based diet in cancer prevention and weight loss. Includes cooking demonstrations and food samples. Registration required. Sessions held Sundays through Jan. 24. $60; call 601-853-0205; email magnoliahealthyliving@gmail.com; magnolia-healthyliving.

The Harlem Globetrotters Jan. 15, 7 p.m., at Missis-sippi Coliseum (1207 Mississippi St.). The basketball team celebrates 90 years of entertaining audiences with an exhibition game. $18-$80; call 800-745-3000; harlemglobetrotters.com.

STAGE & SCREEN

Dec. 9, 7 p.m., at Godfather Cigars (1149 Old Fan-nin Road, Suite 14, Brandon). The Detectives pres-ent the interactive comedy. Cocktails at 6 p.m.; show at 7 p.m. Includes a three-course meal. Reservations required. For ages 18 and up. Call for price; call 601-937-1752 or 601-291-7444; email godfathercigars@hotmail.com; thedetectives.biz.

Dec. 11, 8-11 p.m., at The Hideaway (Deville Plaza, 5100 Interstate 55 N. Frontage Road). Comedians include Jackson native Jeremiah Williamson Jr., Steve Brown, Lil J, Nardo Blackmon and Sheldon Skipper Sr. Doors open at 7 p.m. For ages 21 and up. Drink specials available. $15 in advance, $20 at the door; call 601-709-7894 or 601-317-1602.

Dec. 20, 2:30-4 p.m., at Madison Square Center for the Arts (2103 Main St., Madison). The Mississippi Opera presents the story of a crippled shepherd boy whose life is changed after seeing a star “as big as a window.” $5-$20; call 601-960-2300; email exdir@msopera.org; msopera.org.

Dec. 31, 7 p.m., at Kismet’s Restaurant and Catering (315 Crossgates Blvd., Brandon). The Detectives presents the interac-tive comedy. Seating at 6:30 p.m.; show at 7 p.m. Includes a three-course meal. Reservations required. For ages 18 and up. $39; call 601-937-1752 or 601-291-7444; thedetectives.biz.

Planetarium Schedule Mondays-Fridays, noon, Saturdays, 1 p.m. through Dec. 31, at Russell C. Davis Planetarium (201 E. Pascagoula St.). Options include “Lasers in Space,” “Let It Snow” and “Winter Holiday (Laser Adventure).” $6.50; $5.50 seniors; $4 children (cash or check); call 601-960-1550; theda-visplanetarium.com.

Jan. 5-7, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 8, 8 p.m., Jan. 9, 2 p.m., Jan. 9, 8 p.m., Jan. 10, 1 p.m., Jan. 10, 7 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The award-winning musical is based on the life of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. $22-$87; call 800-745-3000; jacksonbroadway.com.

The Chippendales’ 2016 Break the Rules Tour Jan. 20, 8 p.m., at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.). The provocative all-male dance troupe has been perform-ing since 1975. Doors open at 7 p.m. For ages 21 and up. $40-$75; call 877-987-6487; email arden@ardenland.net; ardenland.net.

Jan. 26-29, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 30, 2 p.m., Jan. 31, 7:30 p.m., at New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.). The play is about the breakdown of a marriage that comes to light at a social gathering. $28, $22 seniors and students; call 601-948-3533, ext. 222; newstagetheatre.com.

CONCERTS & FESTIVALSEvents at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.)

Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m. The rock band from Memphis performs to promote their album, “All a Man Should Do.” Doors open at 6:30 p.m. $20 in advance, $25 at the door; call 601-292-7121; email arden@ardenland.net; ardenland.net.

Cathead Distillery’s grand opening event is Dec. 12.

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Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m. The country soul artist from Nashville performs to promote his album, “Small Town Dreams.” Angaleena Presley also performs. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. $15 in advance, $20 at the door, $3 surcharge for patrons under 21; call 601-292-7121; email arden@arden-land.net; ardenland.net.

Jan. 8, 9 p.m. The Austin-based south-ern soul band performs. Doors open at 8 p.m. $8 in advance, $10 at the door, $3 surcharge for patrons under 21; call 601-292-7121; email arden@arden-land.net; ardenland.net.

Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m. The Mississippi Opera hosts the concert featuring show tunes. Doors open at 6 p.m. $20; call 601-960-2300; email arden@ardenland.net; msopera.org.

(1207 Mississippi St.)

Dec. 12, 6 p.m. The contemporary Christian rock band from Australia performs. Hawk Nelson and Ryan Stevenson also perform. $24-$39; call 601-353-0603 or 800-745-3000.

Dec. 26, 7 p.m. Performers include Willie Clayton, T.K. Soul, Shirley Brown, Calvin Richardson, Big Pokey Bear and a special guest. Doors open at 6 p.m. $25, $45 reserved tables; ticketmaster.com.

Dec. 20, 2-4 p.m., Jan. 17, 2-4 p.m., at Mississippi Craft Center (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland). Enjoy traditional Mississippi fiddle tunes on third Sundays. Free; call 601-942-7335.

Dec. 16, 7 p.m., at Morrison Heights Baptist Church (3000 Hampstead Blvd., Clinton). The contemporary Christian artist from Nashville performs on his Behold the Lamb of God Tour. Doors open at 6 p.m. $20, $25 VIP (includes early entry); call 800-965-9324 or 601-924-5620; itickets.com.

Jan. 15, 8 p.m., at Hal & Mal’s (200 Commerce St.). The Texas-based country band is known for their hit song, “Crazy Girl.” Doors open at 7 p.m. For ages 18 and up. $25 in advance, $30 at the door, $3 surcharge for patrons under 21; call 601-292-7121; ardenland.net.

Jan. 19, 5:15 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). In Trustmark Grand Hall. Enjoy a cash bar at 5:15 p.m., and a musical performance at 5:45 p.m. Free, donations welcome; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

Jan. 20, 7:30 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The 11-piece band is known for their modern roots style. Shannon McNally also performs. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. $32.5-$62.5; call 601-292-7121; ardenland.net.

Jan. 24, 3 p.m., at Fondren Presbyterian Church (3220 Old Canton Road). The professional ensemble performs music from around the world including selections written for violin solo, accordion and strings. Free; call 601-362-3235 or 601-982-3232.

JFP-SPONSOREDDec. 10, 5:30 p.m., at

Municipal Art Gallery (839 N. State St.). The annual event includes refreshments, networking and music. Parking available in the rear. Free; call 960-1582; email todd@jacksonfreepress.com; jackson2000.org.

Jan. 15-17, 7:30 p.m., at Warehouse Theatre (1000 Monroe St.). Watch two experimental one-act plays including Tristan Tzara’s “The Gas Heart,” and Caryl Church-hill and David Lan’s “A Mouthful of Birds.” The event is part of New Stage Theatre’s Unframed Series. Pay at the door. Admission TBA (cash or check); call 601-948-3533, ext. 222; newstagetheatre.com.

HOLIDAYDec. 9-11, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 12,

2 p.m., Dec. 12-13, 2 p.m., at Actor’s Playhouse (121 Paul Truitt Lane, Pearl). The performance featuring young local actors is based on the popular film star-ring Will Ferrell. Admission TBA; call 601-664-0930; actorsplayhouse.net.

Dec. 10, 7 p.m., at Biaggi’s (970 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland). Mississippi Murder Mysteries presents the play about embezzling, infi-delity and naughtiness at a ugly Christmas sweater party. Includes a three-course meal and a ugly sweater contest. Seating at 6:30 p.m. RSVP. $45; call 601-354-6600; email 601-941-3816 or 601-850-2318; fringedinnertheatre.com.

Dec. 10-12, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 13, 2 p.m., Dec. 15-19, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 20, 2 p.m., at New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.). The play is based on Charles Dickens’ classic tale about a miser’s encounter with three Christmas spirits. Visit the website for SchoolFest Matinee showtimes. $28, $22 seniors and students, $18 per person for groups of 15 or more; call 601-948-3533, ext. 222; newstagetheatre.com.

Dec. 11, noon, at Old Capi-tol Museum (100 S. State St.). Enjoy Christmas carols from local choirs in the rotunda. Free; call 601-576-6920; mdah.state.ms.us.

(4500 Interstate 55 N.)Dec. 11,

2-4 p.m., Dec. 19, 10 a.m.-noon Kids take pictures with Santa in the newly remodeled courtyard. Free; call 601-982-5861.

Dec. 12, 7:30-10 a.m. Includes pancakes, ornament and cookie decorating, face painting, and a visit from Santa and “Frozen” characters. Proceeds benefit the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. $30; call 601-957-7878; msdiabetes.org.

Dec. 11, 4-8 p.m., at Historic Canton Square (Courthouse Square, Canton). Participating merchants offer their version of Christmas hot cider. Vote for your favorite. Free; call 601-859-5816; can-tontourism.com.

(2145 Highland Drive)

Dec. 11, 5-8 p.m. Design your own elf gear, launch a snowball catapult, knock down pins in the Eudora Welty Porch bowling alley, meet Santa and enjoy music from Jackson Prep’s Patriot Singers. Included with admission ($10, chil-dren under 12 months free); mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

Dec. 12, 5-8 p.m. Wear festive pajamas and snack on a breakfast treat before bedtime. Hot cakes will be available for pur-chase in the Red Rocket Café. Included with admis-

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sion ($10, children under 12 months free); mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

Dec. 18, 5-8 p.m. Includes a read-ing of “The Polar Express,” a train ride, ornament STEM stations and dancing to holiday tunes with Mr. Snowman. Holiday pajamas welcome. Included with admission ($10, children under 12 months free); call 601-981-5469.

Dec. 19, 5-8 p.m. Learn the science behind Santa Claus and his holiday helpers. Includes music from Jimmy Turner. Included with admission ($10, children under 12 months free); mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

Dec. 26, 5-8 p.m. The event marking the close of the exhibit “Hello from Japan” includes crafts, STEM stations, music and a visit from Mr. Snowman. Included with admission ($10, children under 12 months free); mississip-pichildrensmuseum.com.

Dec. 31, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Includes Japanese inspired storytelling and noise-makers, dancing with Mr. Snowman and a confetti rocket launch. Mississippi blues artist Vasti Jackson performs at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Included with admission ($10, children under 12 months free); call 601-981-5469; mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

Dec. 11-12, 5:30-8:30 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive). Includes an interactive storytelling of “Cajun Night Before Christmas,” meeting the Christmas Gator, crafts, letters to and photos with Santa, music and Santa’s annual aquarium dive. Included with admission ($6, $5 seniors, $4 ages 3-18, children under 3 free); call 601-576-6000; mdwfp.com/museum.

Dec. 11, 6:30 p.m., at ACLU of Mississippi (233 E. Capitol St.). Tour the office, enjoy refreshments and mingle with legislators, non-profit partners and community leaders. RSVP. Free; call 601-354-3408; email office@aclu-ms.org; aclu-ms.org.

Dec. 12, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at Richland Community Center (410 E. Harper St., Richland). Meet your Christmas shopping needs by patronizing local vendors. Vendors must register. Free for shoppers; call 601-420-3401; email twood@richlandms.com.

Dec. 12, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at Jack-son Zoo (2918 W. Capitol St.). Children meet Santa,

make a Christmas list, decorate their own sugar cook-ies and enjoy a holiday storytime. $8, $5 children, $3 members; call 601-352-2580; jacksonzoo.org.

Dec. 12, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at Oaks House Museum (823 N. Jefferson St.). Enjoy traditional Christmas carols from St. Brig-id’s and light refreshments. Free; call 601-353-9339.

Dec. 12, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Dec. 19, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., at Town of Livingston (Highway 463 and Highway 22, Madison). Includes pictures with Santa, cookie decorating, a s’mores sta-tion, a free wine tasting, a tree lighting and merchant discounts. Free; call 601-898-0212; thetownoflivingston.com.

Dec. 12, 1 p.m. The theme is “Most Incredible Christmas.” “Sunday Best” winner Dathan Thigpen is the grand marshal. Free; call 601-960-1084; email adrummer@jacksonms.gov; jacksonms.gov.

Dec. 19, noon-8 p.m., Dec. 20, 1-6 p.m. On West Street next to Thalia Mara Hall. Includes choirs, a living Nativity, a visit from Santa, crafts, a snow machine, food and craft vendors, and more. Free admission; call 601-366-0901; parents-kids.com.

Dec. 12, 2 p.m., Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 13, 2 p.m.,

at Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center (4908 Ridgewood Road). Guest artists include Mayara Pineiro and Arian Molina of the Pennsylvania Ballet, and Kendall Britt of Ballet Memphis. The “Nutcracker Sweet” Tea Parties are held at 4 p.m. each day (sold separately with reservations required). $20-$22 (dis-counts for seniors), $25 Tea Party; call 601-853-4508; msmetroballet.com.

Dec. 12, 3 p.m., at Callaway High School (601 Beasley Road). EyeShine Creative Arts Company presents the theatrical narrative about a young girl torn between social acceptance and the pursuit of her own personal destiny. $10 in advance, $15 at the door; call 601-207-4463; email swm@eyeshinecreative.com; eventbrite.com.

Dec. 12, 3-4 p.m., Dec. 19, 3-4 p.m., at King Edward Hotel (235 W. Capitol St.). Includes storytelling, photos with Santa and kid-friendly treats. $25, children under 12 months free; call 601-969-8544.

Dec. 12-13, 5 p.m., at Jackson Revival Center Church (519 W. Silas Brown St.). The Jackson Revival Center Worship Arts Ministry presents a collage of music, dance and monologue. Free; call 601-948-1874.

Dec. 12, 8 p.m.-1 a.m., at Evers Blues Lounge (1028 Pecan Park Circle). Enjoy old-school Christmas and dance music, giveaways and food. For ages 21 and up. BYOB. $20 in advance, $25 at the door; call 888-228-0944; eventbrite.com.

Dec. 13, 1-5 p.m., at Attic Gal-lery (1101 Washington St., Vicksburg). See artwork from metal and jewelry artists Pat and Suzanne Juneau, and glass artist Ginger Kelly. Includes gumbo. Free; call 601-638-9221; email atticgal@aol.com.

Dec. 13, 2-5 p.m., at Mississippi Craft Center (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland). Learn feather painting techniques, and how to preserve and display feathers in a glass ornament finished with a bow. Reg-istration required. Materials Included. $40; call 601-856-7546; email education@mscrafts.org; craftsmensguildofms.org.

Dec. 13, 3 p.m., at Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts (100 Univer-sity Ave., Oxford). The musical includes six musicians performing with Irish instruments, Irish dancing and narration in the Scottish dialect. $25-$44; call 662-915-7411; fordcenter.org.

Dec. 14, 7 p.m., at Georgia Blue, Flowood (223 Ridge Way, Flowood). Mississippi Murder Mys-teries presents the play about embezzling, infidelity and naughtiness at a ugly Christmas sweater party. Includes a three-course meal and an ugly sweater contest. Seating at 6:30 p.m. RSVP. $45; call 601-919-1900; fringedinnertheatre.com.

Dec. 17, 6:30 p.m., at downtown Canton. Includes a Reindeer Trot at 6 p.m. for ages 12 and under at 6 p.m. and a run/walk at 6:30 p.m. with caroling, guitar quartets and Christmas decora-tions. Prizes given. Registration required. $25 through Dec. 7, then $30; $20 Reindeer Trot or spirit runner (T-shirt only); racesonline.com.

(255 E. Pascagoula St.)Dec. 19-20, 2 p.m.

Ballet Magnificat! presents the Broadway-style contemporary ballet featuring Christmas carols. Free tickets, donations welcome; call 601-977-1001; balletmagnificat.com.

Dec. 22, 8 p.m. The modern adaptation of the popular classical ballet includes a guest appearance from actress/singer Jasmine Guy (“A Different World.”). Discounts for seniors and students. $29-$49; call 601-353-0603 or 800-745-3000; email universalpac1@gmail.com; clareandthechocolatenutcracker.net.

Mondays, noon-4:30 p.m., Tuesdays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturdays, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. through Dec. 23, at William F. Winter Archives and History Building (200 North St.). Enjoy the festively-decorated model train town of Possum Ridge. Free; call 601-576-6850; mdah.state.ms.us.

Dec. 26-Jan. 1, 6-9 p.m., at Medgar Evers Commu-nity Center (3759 Edwards Ave.). Enjoy seven nights of heritage, food and fellowship. Free; call 960-1741.

GALLERIES(Jackson Square

Promenade, 2460 Terry Road). The gallery is also a venue for Afrocentric events. Call 601-979-1413 or 601-918-5075.

(201 E. Pascagoula St.). The Greater Jackson Arts Council features works from Mississippi artists. New exhibits: VSA Mississip-pi Exhibit and Keep Building Jackson LEGO Exhibit with Dr. Scott Crawford. Open weekdays from 10

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a.m.-5 p.m. with additional hours for special events. Call 601-960-1500.

B. Liles Studio (215 W. Jackson St., Ridgeland). Located inside of b. Fine Art Jewelry, which sells ladies’ apparel and accessories. Betsy Liles specializes in custom jewelry. Also visit the showroom of jewelry from members of the Craftsman’s Guild of Mississippi. Jewelry-making classes offered. Open weekdays from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 601-607-7741; bfineartjewelry.com.

Blaylock Fine Art Photography Studio and Gallery (3017 N. State St.) in Fondren. The studio features the photography of Millsaps College instructor Ron Blaylock. Private lessons and workshops available. Call 601-506-6624; email info@blaylockphoto.com; blaylockphoto.com.

Bottle Tree Studio (615 E. Court St.) The studio is the working space of five artists: Anne Campbell (mixed media), Rhonda Blasingame (fiber arts), Diane Wil-liams (mixed media and fiber arts), Tony Davenport (landscape and portrait paintings) and Ellen Langford (watercolors). Call Anne Campbell at 601-260-9423. Open house Dec. 10 from 6-9 p.m.

Brown’s Fine Art and Framing (630 Fondren Place). The gallery represents more than 30 Mississippi art-ists, including the late Walter Anderson. Upcoming exhibitors: Chavanne McDonald in December 2015; Marie Hull, William Hollingsworth, Jr., Walter An-derson, Theora Hamblett, Karl and Mildred Wolfe, Andrew Bucci and more in January 2016; and Dick Ford from December 2015-February 2016. Monthly art receptions during Fondren’s First Thursday. Open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 601-982-4844; browns-fineart.com.

The Cedars Historic Home (4145 Old Canton Road). Open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. fondren.org/cedars. Annual events include the Four Seasons Art Series and the Cedars Juried Art Show. Call 601-981-9606.

Daniel MacGregor Studios (4347 Lakeland Drive, Flowood). Located next to Parkway Movie Theater. Daniel MacGregor specializes in abstract paintings and fine art photography. Open by appointment only. Call 601-992-6405; danielmacgregorstudios.com.

Dollye M.E. Robinson Liberal Arts Gallery (Jackson State University, 1400 John R. Lynch St.). Faculty mem-ber Chung-Fan Chang is a key exhibitor. Open Tues-day, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Thurs-day from 1-8 p.m. and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. Call 601-979-2191; jsums.edu/liberalarts.

Fondren Art Gallery (601 Duling Ave.). See an eclec-tic mix of paintings, sculptures and local art, including Richard McKey’s artwork. Custom paintings, portraits and framing also offered. Current exhibitors: Darryl Anderson, Kelli Berry, Thomas Wilson, Jeffrey Yentz, Randy Everett and more. Hours are Tuesday-Satur-day from 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Call 601-981-9222; fondrenartgallery.com.

Fischer Galleries (Dickies Building, 736 S. President St., fourth floor). Owner Marcy Nessel’s gallery features works from more than 30 artists and photographers. Exhibitors include Jack Spencer, Betty Press, Charles Carraway, Ellen Langford and more. Monthly recep-tions usually held on first Thursdays from 5-8 p.m. fischergalleries.com.

Gallery1 (One University Place, 1100 John R. Lynch

St., Suite 4). Exhibitors include Ted Ellis, Samuel Mc-Cain, Yolanda Juzang, Gerard Howard, Friends of Uganda and the Mississippi Craftsmen’s Guild. Open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday from noon-4 p.m. Call 601-960-9250; jsums.edu/gallery1arts.

Gaddis Group Studio (2900 N. State St., Room 206). Features the work of 28 watercolorists, many of whom studied under John Gaddis, a renowned local artist and teacher. Commissioned work is welcome. Call 601-368-9522.

Heavenly Designs by Roz (3252 N. State St.). Artist Rosalind Roy is a folk painter, sculptor and Mississippi Craftsman’s Guild member. She also of-fers children’s art camps. Call 601-954-2147; email heavenlydesignbyroz@yahoo.com.

James Patterson Photography (3017 N. State St.). James Patterson specializes in editorial, portrait and commercial photography. Call 601-918-3232; 119gallery.com.

Lewis Art Gallery and The Emerging Space at Mill-saps College (1701 N. State St.), On the third floor of the Academic Complex, open weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 601-974-1762; millsaps.edu.

Light and Glass Studio (523 Commerce St.) Glass-works from Jerri Sherer and photography from Roy Adkins. Call 601-942-7285 or 601-942-7362; lightandglass.net.

Millet Studio and Gallery (167 Moore St., Suite F, Ridgeland). Featuring illustrations from Mark Mil-let. Photography services offered. Limited edition prints for sale. Learn about Millet’s watercolor paint-ing classes at markmillet.com. Call 601-856-5901; milletstudio.com.

Mississippi Craft Center (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland).

Featuring works from members of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi. The center offers craft demon-strations, classes, camps, a monthly knitting group meeting and other special events. Call 601-856-7546; craftsmensguildofms.org.

The Mosaic Shop (Pear Orchard Village, 1625 E. County Line Road, Suite 210, Jackson). Owner and artist Wanda Hendrix is a native of Waxahachie, Tex. Visitors create their own mosaic pieces to take home. Space available for art parties. 601-680-4294; mosaicmississippi.com.

Municipal Art Gallery (839 N. State St.). The art gallery displays permanent art collections that date back to the 1940s and features semimonthly exhibitions from Mis-sissippi artists. Open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 601-960-1582; jacksonms.gov.

The Mustard Seed Gift Shop (1085 Luckney Road, Brandon). Featuring ceramics from local artists and Mustard Seed residents. Holiday Saturday Shopping Event December 12 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Call 601-992-3556; mustardseedinc.org.

North Midtown Arts Center (121 Millsaps Ave.), Jackson’s only DIY contemporary and mod-ern-art gallery. Gallery hours vary with exhibits; madeinmidtownjxn.com.

NunoErin (533 Commerce St.). Erin Hayne, a Missis-sippi designer and TEDxJackson speaker, and Nuno Gonçalves Ferreira, a sculptor from Lisbon, Portugal, founded the art and design studio in 2011. The duo also designs interactive furniture. Permanent exhibits: Kinetic Vapor at the Jackson Convention Complex and Lightning Benches at the Mississippi Children’s Mu-seum. Call 601-944-0023; nunoerin.com.

Offbeat (151 Wesley Ave.). Philip “DJ Young Venom” Rollins owns the alternative art gallery, which also sells clothing and records. Open Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon-6 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from noon-7 p.m., and Sundays from noon-5 p.m. Also open for special events, including concerts and parties. Call 601-376-9404; offbeatjxn.com; find Offbeat on Facebook.

Pearl River Glass Studio (142 Millsaps Ave.). Featuring works from artists such as Andrew Young, Tom Crouch, Rob Cooper, Adrienne Domnick and Amelia Key. Call 601-353-2497; pearlriverglass.com.

Richard McKey Studio (3242 N. State St.). See paint-ings and sculptures from Richard McKey, including the large “Obama Head” in front of his studio; by appoint-ment only. Works for sale at Fondren Art Gallery. Art classes offered throughout the year; richardmckey.com.

Samuel Marshall Gore Galleries (199 Monroe St.,

Clinton), on the Mississippi College campus. Call 601-925-3880; art.mc.edu.

Sanders McNeal Studio and Gallery (Dickies Build-ing, 736 S. President St., Suite 201). Owner Sanders McNeal is an award-winning painter known for still-life paintings, portraits, figurative studies and land-scapes. She has been active in the art world since 1976. Tours given by appointment. Call 601-960-0484; sandersmcneal.com.

Studio AMN/Sanaa Fine Art and Framing (The Quadrangle, 5846 Ridgewood Road, Suite C-212). The galleries sell fine art. Artists include Lorenzo Gayden and Melanie John. Sanaa Gallery’s boutique features jewelry and body products from Kiwana Thomas Gayden, and offers custom framing. Studio AMN hosts wineglass-painting parties and teaches children’s art classes. Call Sanaa at 769-218-8289 or Studio AMN at 769-218-8165; sanaagalleries.com and studioamndesigns.com.

The South Warehouse (627 E. Silas Brown St.). Art and antiques for sale. Venue available for weddings, parties and other special events. Call 601-939-4518; find The South Warehouse on Facebook.

Southern Breeze Gallery (Trace Station, 500 High-way 51 N., Suite U, Ridgeland). Different artists are featured each week, including artist and gallery owner Jacqueline Ellens. Current exhibitors: Gretchen Arm-bruster, Dan Darling, Martha Hamburg, Bart Pass, Vicki Overstreet and several others. Open Tuesday-Fri-day from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 601-607-4147; southernbreeze.net.

TiP Expressive Arts Studio (400 Monroe St., Clin-ton). Owner Beverly Keaton’s intuitive painting studio is primarily for women ages 18 and up. visit tiparts.com to schedule a creativity coaching session. Email beverly@tiparts.com.

Tulip Floral + Goods (Town of Livingston, 1130 Old Cedars Lane, Flora). Lesley Frascogna provides floral artwork and event styling such as backdrops, linens and table settings for weddings and other special oc-casions. Hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; ilovetulip.com.

TurnUp Studios (155 Wesley Ave.). See works from Clay Hardwick, daniel johnson and Jamie Weems. The space is also used for video recordings, live mu-sic events and more. Call 769-257-0141; turnupstu-dios.com.

View Gallery (Canton Mart Square, 1491 Canton Mart Road, Suite 7). Whit Geary owns that gallery that holds works from more than 20 Mississippi art-ists. Open weekdays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and by ap-pointment. Call 601-487-6477 or 601-278-3991; viewgalleryart.com.

Wolfe Studio (4308 Old Canton Road). Karl and Mildred Wolfe opened the art studio in 1946, and their daughter Bebe continues to operate it in their memory. Features paintings, prints and colorful ceramics. The studio is known for a wide selection of ceramic birds. Open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Call 601-366-1844; thewolfestudio.com; find The Wolfe Stu-dio on Facebook.

Wyatt Waters Gallery (307 Jefferson St., Clinton). Features watercolor paintings, prints, posters, cal-endars, books and cards. The gift shop has T-shirts, mugs, tote bags and other novelty items. Open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Call 601-925-8115; email wyattleewaters@gmail.com;

Your Home Drapery Designs/Sarah McTaggART Studio and Gallery (110 Lexington Drive, Suite C, Gluckstadt). Pam Miley specializes in making cus-tom drapery, and Sarah McTaggart is a local artist. Call 601-953-8447. 25

O n the night after Christmas when all the kids are happy and playing with their new toys, adults can have a fun night out in the form

of Soulabration 2015, which Xperience Jxn Entertainment hosts. “We subtitle it ‘the most soulful night of the year’ because all of the artists we put in this show are really soulful singers,” event promoter Yolanda Singleton says. “We have southern soul, soul R&B—a mixture of artists for the young and the old so everybody will have an artist

they’re familiar with.” The line-up includes artists Shirley

Brown, Willie Clayton, TK Soul, Calvin Richardson and Big Pokey Bear. “It’s a clean, fun show,” Singleton says. They set it up cabaret-style with tables and chairs which Singleton says may give eventgoers the feeling of being in a club without actually being at a nightclub. Soulabration 2015 is Saturday, Dec. 26, at the Mississippi Coliseum (1207 Mis-sissippi St.). The doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $35, and reserved tables are $48. For more information, call 678-322-8098.

—Genevieve Legacy

The Most Soulful Night of the Year

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Soulabration 2015, which will feature guests such as Avail Hollywood, is Saturday, Dec. 26.

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WEDNESDAY 12/9 “Elf Jr. the Musical” is at 7:30 p.m. at Actor’s Playhouse (121 Paul Truitt Lane, Pearl). The performance featuring young local actors is based on the popular film starring Will Ferrell. Additional dates: Dec. 10-11, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 12, 2 p.m., Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m., and Dec. 13, 2 p.m. Admission TBA; call 601-664-0930; actorsplayhouse.net.

THURSDAY 12/10 Jackson 2000 Holiday Social is at 5:30 p.m. at the Mu-nicipal Art Gallery (839 N. State St.). The annual event in-cludes refreshments, networking and music. Parking available in the rear. Free; call 960-1582; email todd@jacksonfreepress.com; jackson2000.org. … Humble Balance, Part 2 is from 8 to 11:30 p.m. at Offbeat (151 Wesley Ave.). Performers include TDOTVDOT, Madelife Mann, Talia Sade, DOLO and Deelo Rap$. Purchase food from 2 for 7. $10; call 376-9404; follow Offbeat on Facebook.

FRIDAY 12/11 Priced to Move, Volume 6: In Space! is from 5 to 10 p.m. at Russell C. Davis Planetarium (201 E. Pascagoula St.). Jackson’s annual art show includes local artists selling their work for under $100. Enjoy music from Physics for

Poets Dec. 11. Dec. 12, Bark, Passing Parade, 5th Child and Vibe Doctors perform that night. Additional date: Dec. 12, 2 p.m.-10 p.m. Free; call 960-1550; email ian601@gmail.com. … Jackson’s LaughFest is from 8 to 11 p.m. at The Hideaway (Deville Plaza, 5100 Interstate 55 N. Frontage Road). Comedians include Jackson native Jeremiah William-son Jr., Steve Brown, Lil J, Nardo Blackmon and Sheldon Skipper Sr. Doors open at 7 p.m. For ages 21 and up. Drink specials available. $15 in advance, $20 at the door; call 601-709-7894 or 601-317-1602.

SATURDAY 12/12 City of Jackson Christmas Parade is at 1 p.m. in down-town Jackson. The theme is “Most Incredible Christmas.” “Sunday Best” winner Dathan Thigpen is the grand marshal. Free; call 601-960-1084; email adrummer@jacksonms.gov; jacksonms.gov. … Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet’s “The Nut-cracker” is at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center (4908 Ridgewood Road). Guest artists include Mayara Pineiro and Arian Molina of the Pennsylvania Ballet, and Kendall Britt of Ballet Memphis. The “Nutcracker Sweet” Tea Parties are held at 4 p.m. each day (sold separately with reservations required). Additional date: Dec. 13, 2 p.m. $20-$22 (discounts for seniors), $25 Tea Party; call 601-853-4508; msmetroballet.com.

SUNDAY 12/13 Will Hoge performs at 7:30 p.m. at Duling Hall (622

Duling Ave.). The country soul artist from Nashville per-forms to promote his album, “Small Town Dreams.” An-galeena Presley also performs. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. $15 in advance, $20 at the door, $3 surcharge for patrons under 21; call 601-292-7121; email arden@ardenland.net; ardenland.net.

MONDAY 12/14 Author John M. Hilpert signs copies of his book, “Amer-ican Cyclone: Theodore Roosevelt and His 1900 Whistle-Stop Campaign,” at 5 p.m. at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N.). John M. Hilpert signs books. $40 book; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.

TUESDAY 12/15 “A Christmas Carol” is at 7:30 p.m. at New Stage The-atre (1100 Carlisle St.). The play is based on Charles Dickens’ classic tale about a miser’s encounter with three Christmas spirits. Visit the website for SchoolFest Matinee show times. Additional dates: Dec. 11-12, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 13, 2 p.m., Dec. 15-19, 7:30 p.m., and Dec. 20, 2 p.m. $28, $22 seniors and students, $18 per person for groups of 15 or more; call 601-948-3533, ext. 222; newstagetheatre.com.

WEDNESDAY 12/16 Andrew Peterson performs at 7 p.m. at Morrison Heights Baptist Church (3000 Hampstead Blvd., Clinton). The contemporary Christian artist from Nashville performs on his Behold the Lamb of God Tour. Doors open at 6 p.m. $20, $25 VIP (includes early entry); call 800-965-9324 or 601-924-5620; itickets.com.

SATURDAY 12/12Cathead Distillery Grand Opening is on Farish Street.

THURSDAY 12/10The Festivus Bottle Tree Art Orchard opening is at the Mississippi Museum of Art.

SUNDAY 12/13Painted Feather Christmas Ornaments with Elaine Maisel is at Mississippi Craft Center.

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BY MICAH SMITH

EVENTS@JACKSONFREEPRESS.COM

FAX: 601-510-9019DAILY UPDATES AT

JFPEVENTS.COM

Gospel artist Dathan Thigpen, winner of BET’s “Sunday’s Best,” serves as the grand marshal for the City of Jackson’s Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 12, in downtown Jackson.

28

M ississippi hip-hop fans may be familiar with the wistful flow of rapper Justin Johnson, a Jack-son native who performs under

the moniker LV Baby, but his latest release, “Blu Moon,” begins a new phase of his ca-reer—one that he says is all about imparting truth in the present. “With ‘Blu Moon,’ what I wanted to focus on was this period in our culture and our society,” Johnson says. “ … I reflect back on conversations I’ve had with co-workers, who were a little uneasy with things turning more violent. I have to remind them that, you know, we’ve had a lot of peace-ful movements, but the most re-nowned peaceful leader we’ve had, Martin Luther King Jr., was shot. That’s the reality of the situation. It’s a very hard thing to talk about, but I wanted to make something that’s difficult to talk about easy to listen to.” While several tracks take on current issues, he also wanted the music to be timeless, which he says is about “noticing what’s happen-ing now and tying it in with where we should be or will be in the future.” For Johnson, 23, that also meant re-flecting on modern rap music. “I’m trying to bring that raw honesty and reality back into hip-hop, especially because it’s an oversaturated market with a bunch of people fabricating or stretching the truth to the point that now it’s just kind of lie after lie,” he says. “People say it because it sounds cool, but it’s not really true. We don’t recognize what it’s doing to us. We’re all about the appearance of wealth rather than establishing it, sewing the seeds and produc-ing more wealth in our community.” Despite all the heavy material on the album, Johnson’s laid-back delivery, smooth beats and refined musicality keep it from feeling too dour. “Blu Moon” is about pro-viding light in a dark time, which means let-ting listeners enjoy the ride. “I tried to make something that’s deep but simplistic in sound that sounds really good,” he says. “At the very least, if you don’t get everything from the first listen, it’s ‘rid-ing’ enough, as I like to put it, where you can listen to it again, and over time, you’ll have those ‘aha’ moments.” Johnson’s work as LV Baby is a far cry from his earliest songwriting. After transfer-ring from Jackson Public Schools to St. Jo-seph Catholic School in Madison as a fresh-man, he met Jared Pellerin and Jonathan Faulkner and formed rap group Homesick Astronauts. The trio continued throughout

high school, even after Johnson transferred to Murrah High School for his junior and senior years, graduating in 2010. “The beats we first made and the songs we first made were just wild,” John-son says. “We Googled the craziest things

to rap about. Like, ‘Monkeys in Space’ was a song from that. We just exercised that creative portion, and that’s what developed our ability to write verses, bars and whole songs that are specific to one topic but might be about anything.” Although Johnson and Pellerin con-tinued making music while attending Mis-sissippi State University, they chose to do so as solo artists—Johnson as LV Baby and Pellerin as Pell. However, the two remain close and recently worked together on Pel-lerin’s track, “The Never,” which appeared on Comedy Central TV show “Broad City” in January 2015. Before graduating from MSU with a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2014, Johnson also connected with Sir Flywalker and Staccs, his main producers on “Blu Moon.” Even with a new album on the horizon, Johnson, who is now based in Atlanta, is al-ready preparing for his next studio project, which he says you can find hints of on his self-produced, guitar-laden “Blu Moon” bo-nus track, “American Pie.” “My sound tends to be really chill, re-laxed and easy to listen to, which typically in hip-hop is done over sampled beats,” Johnson says. “… That’s kind of like pig-gybacking on someone else’s creation. In-corporating my own guitar and making my own beats, it’s all made from scratch. LV Baby’s “Blu Moon” is available Fri-day, Dec. 25, at lvbaby.life.

DIVERSIONS | music

Once in a ‘Blu Moon’by Micah Smith

Rapper LV Baby, a Jackson native, releases his latest album, “Blu Moon,” Friday, Dec. 25.

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F ifteen years ago was the last time Mississippi State Uni-versity, the University of Mississippi and the Univer-sity of Southern Mississippi went to a bowl game in the same season. Way back in 2000, the Bulldogs beat

Texas A&M University 43-41 in the Independence Bowl, UM lost 38-49 to West Virginia University in the Music City

Bowl, and Southern Miss won 28-21 over Texas Christian University in the Mobile Alabama Bowl. Now, all three Mississippi schools are back in bowls this season, and Alcorn State University is in the mix this year, which means four state teams will play. This postseason Mississippi bowlnaza begins with SWAC champion Alcorn State taking on Mid-Eastern Ath-letic Conference champion the North Carolina A&T State University Aggies in the first ever Celebration Bowl on Dec.

19 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta at 11 a.m. ABC will tele-vise the game. North Carolina A&T earned the bid out of the MEAC over co-champions Bethune-Cookman University and North Carolina Central University by having the high-est Sagarin rating between the three teams. North Carolina A&T enters the game with a 9-2 record, and Alcorn State

enters the game with a 9-3 record. The last time the Braves and Aggies met was in 2004 when Alcorn State won 15-13. Mississippi State gets another shot at beating an Atlantic Coast Conference team after last year’s humiliating blowout loss to Georgia Tech University in the Orange Bowl. This time, the Bulldogs get the Wolfpack of North Carolina State University in the 2015 Belk Bowl, which is on Dec. 30 at Bank of America Stadium at 2:30 p.m. ESPN will tele-vise the game. The Wolfpack finished in fourth place with a 3-5 record in the Atlantic division. Mississippi State finished in fifth place with a 4-4 record in the SEC West. This will be Dak Prescott’s final game as a Bulldog. NC State enters this game with a 7-5 record overall, and MSU enters this game with an 8-4 record. The last time these two teams met was in the 1995 Peach Bowl, which the Wolfpack won 28-24. UM, much like Mississippi State, will try to get the bad taste out of its mouth of a wood-shed game against a Big 12 team after TCU spanked the team last season in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The Rebels will try to win against the Oklahoma State University Cowboys in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Rebels and Cowboys will meet on New Year’s Day, which is the final game of the day, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome at 7:30 p.m., and ESPN will televise it. Oklahoma State enters the bowl on a two-game losing streak. This could be the fi-nal game for many players in the highly touted UM recruiting class of 2013. The Rebels fin-ished second in the SEC West at 6-2, and the Cowboys finished 7-2 for second overall in the Big 12. UM enters the game with a 9-3 record,

and Oklahoma State enters the game with a 10-2 record. The last time these two teams meet was the 2010 Cotton Bowl Classic in a 21-7 Rebels win. After a turnaround season and championship loss, Southern Miss goes to the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Dec. 26 and will play against the University of Washington, which has a Pac-12 conference record of 4-5. Southern Miss, which recently lost the C-USA championship, has a 7-1 conference record. The game is at 1:20 p.m., and ESPN will televise it.

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DIVERSIONS | jfp sports

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by Amber Helsel

Two days out of the year feature no professional sports games, such as MLB, NBA, NHL or NFL—the day before and after the MLB All-Star Break.

THURSDAY, DEC 10 NFL (7:25-11 p.m., NFLN): Former Uni-versity of Mississippi star Mike Wallace will try to jumpstart his 2015 season for the Minnesota Vi-kings on the road against the Arizona Cardinals.

FRIDAY, DEC 11 College basketball (5-7 p.m., ESPN2): Two top 15 women’s basketball teams collide as No. 13 ranked Florida State will try to defeat top-ranked Connecticut.

SATURDAY, DEC 12 College football (2-6 p.m., CBS): One of the oldest college football rivalries takes place as the Army battles the Navy. … College basketball (3-5 p.m., ESPN3): Mississippi Valley State looks for this season’s first win in a game against Evansville.

SUNDAY, DEC 13 NFL (12-3 p.m., Fox): The New Orleans Saints get their second shot at beating No. 1 overall draft pick of the 2015 NFL Draft with Jameis Winston as the team plays against Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

MONDAY, DEC 14 NFL (7:30-11 p.m., ESPN): Former UM star Eli Manning will try to keep the New York Giants in the NFC East race against the Miami Dolphins.

TUESDAY, DEC 15 College basketball (6-8 p.m., SECN): UM men’s basketball keeps going on the nonconference grind at home against Louisiana Tech.

WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 College basketball (6-8 p.m., SECN, ESPN3): The Lady Rebels face the Lady Green Wave of Tulane. … College basketball (7-9 p.m., SECN): No. 9 team the Lady Bulldogs face the Lady Golden Eagles of USM. … College basketball (8-10 p.m., ESPN 2): MSU hits the road to face a tough Florida State squad. New Orleans Saints linebacker Stephone Anthony made NFL history as the first player to return a blocked extra point attempt for a defen-sive two-point score. The Saints lost 41-38 to the Carolina Panthers.

Alcorn State blew out Grambling State 49-21 to win back-to-back SWAC football championships. The Braves set championship game records in total offense (613), rushing yards (411) and points (49).

by Bryan FlynnSLATE

the best in sports over the next seven days

Follow Bryan Flynn at jfpsports.com, @jfpsports and at facebook.com/jfpsports.

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Holiday Events

Thursday, December 10

Christmas Tree Lighting

6:30 pm City Hall

Saturday, December 12

Christmas Parade

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Movies in Smith Park

5pm-6pm

Saturday, December 19

Caroling in Smith Park

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Tuesday, December 22

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Mississippi Home Corporation Sets 2nd Public Meeting and Extends Comment Period on the Substantial Amendments to the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA)

Jackson, Mississippi - Mississippi Home Corporation (MHC) will hold a 2nd Public Meeting to obtain input on Amendments to the Five Year Consolidated Plan and 2015 One Year Action Plan relative to the HOME, ESG and HOPWA Programs only. The amendments can be found here: https://www.mshomecorp.com/amendments.

The Public Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at Mississippi Home Corporation, 735 Riverside Drive, Jackson, Mississippi 39202.

organizations, developers, and community groups are invited to attend. The location for this hearing is an accessible facility.

If a translator is needed for non-English speaking persons or hearing impaired, please contact Dana Jones at 601-718-4642 by December 22, 2015 in an effort to accommodate the request.

The comment period has been extended to January 29, 2016. All comments are welcome and must be submitted in writing to: Mississippi Home Corporation, Attn: Dana Jones, 735 Riverside Drive, Jackson, MS 39202 or by email to: amendments@mshc.com.

Mississippi Home Corporation does not discriminate on the

basis of disability in the admissions or access to or treatment or

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