The Sidebar

Shamichael Hallman joins Eric Barnes to talk about the importance of libraries to the community and his new book, Meet Me at the Library. 

Soulsville Foundation CEO Pat Mitchell Worley joined Eric Barnes on The Sidebar to talk about the Stax Museum's first ever Power of Music Awards.

Eric Barnes is interviewed about music, work and how he doesn't listen to the lyrics. 

Marina Carracedo with the University of Memphis joins host Eric Barnes to talk about the upcoming Spanish Cultural Series Concerts, featuring Mr. Kilombo, Pedro Luis Ferrer & Lena Ferrer, and Pedro Pastor.

Jeff Kollath, executive director of the Sultana Disaster Museum, joins Eric Barnes to talk about the story of the deadliest maritime disaster in United States history and the effort for a new and expanded museum. 

Lora Chilton has learned all she can about her lineage and the Patawomecks, including taking lessons to learn the language. And she published a historical novel about the tribe titled “1666.”

Indoor Trailer Park creator and tire artist Tad Pierson's latest installation will span along Mississippi Boulevard from E.H. Crump Boulevard to South Parkway. 

Bronia Jenkins, Executive Director of American Contract Bridge League, joins Eric Barnes to talk about the North American Bridge Championships happening this week in Memphis and how her love for the game began. 

Jen Andrews, CEO of Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, joins Eric Barnes to talk about what it takes to operate one of the largest urban parks in the country and upcoming seasonal events.

MaryLynn Mack talked about her vision for new exhibits and initiatives at the garden. And she had pretty amazing things to say about her move to Memphis.

George Abbott moved to Memphis to join the Memphis River Parks Partnership as its head of communications before the pandemic. Now he's involved in the Reimagining the Civic Commons initiative that's been funded in Memphis and nine other cities since 2016.

His title is a long one: director of creative and cultural economy. But the goal for Demarcus Suggs, who carries that for the new office of creative and cultural economy for the City of Memphis, is simple: Support the arts.

Adeze Wilford joins Eric Barnes to talk about her career and her role at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

Andy Cates joins Eric Barnes to reflect on the nearly seven years since The Daily Memphian began and the importance of the fourth estate.

Paul Chandler joins Eric Barnes to discuss his role at GPAC, The Grove and the planning process for all of the events they present year-round.

DeMarcus Suggs joins Eric Barnes to discuss his new role with the City of Memphis.

Kevin Sharp, director of Dixon Gallery and Gardens, joins Eric Barnes to discuss current exhibitions and upcoming events. 

Todd Richardson, the CEO of Crosstown Concourse, joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of “The Sidebar” to talk not just the new venue but also all kinds of new happenings in and around Crosstown.

Anthony Young of Epicenter join Eric Barnes on this week's episode of The Sidebar.

It's been six and a half years since The Daily Memphian launched. Sarah Leach joins Eric Barnes to discuss why The Daily Memphian is a non-profit and the business model behind it.

Jeff Hulett joined Eric Barnes to talk about his new album, “Little Windows,” performed with his band The Hand Me Downs. 

MaryLynn Mack, who moved to Memphis in August to take the reins of the Memphis Botanic Garden after many years working for similar organizations in Phoenix, San Diego and elsewhere, joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode.

The "Reimagining the Civic Commons" initiative is embarking on a new round of work on what it means to improve public spaces. George Abbott joined Eric Barnes to discuss on this week's episode.

The Acoustic Sunday Live series will hold its sixth event to benefit Protect Our Aquifer, the nonprofit that advocates for protection and monitoring of the aquifer that provides Memphis its drinking water. 

The artist David Yancy joins Eric Barnes to talk about plans for his new lounge on Broad Ave., how graffiti became street art and the value of a Batman tattoo.

WYXR's Jared Boyd and Liv Cohen join Eric Barnes on The Sidebar to talk about the station's four years since launch and the upcoming Raised By Sound Fest in December. 

Chilton joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of The Sidebar to talk about the book, her family's history, her writing process and the difficult necessity of telling the full story of the incredible violence committed against the Patawomeck.

This week, were flipping the script and sending you an episode of Sound Bites. In this flashback episode from August, Ben Smith, owner of Tsunami in Cooper-Young, said he is worried about the fate of small, independent restaurants. Smith said that one of the biggest issues has been inflation and ingredient costs fluctuating more rapidly than they ever have before.

Cartwright joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of The Sidebar to talk about his life as a musician and even his house, which was once owned by some of the musicians who played with Johnny Cash.

Campbell joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of “The Sidebar” to talk about the organization's events, its origin at Crosstown, some of their upcoming events, and how it moves from venue to venue around Memphis.

Daniel Kiel, who is co-chair of an upcoming Facing History event, joins Eric Barnes on this week's episode of “The Sidebar” to talk about how the organization approaches race and social justice.

Interview with filmmaker Craig Brewer on his career challenges and new series "Fight Night," on this week's episode of The Daily Memphian's "The Sidebar."

Creative Aging's executive director, Mia Henley, joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of The Sidebar to talk about the organization's work across Memphis. 

The festival's organizer, Howard Stovall, joined Eric Barnes to talk about the 4th Mighty Roots Music Festival, which takes place September 13-14 in Stovall, Mississippi, not far from Clarksdale. Bands include Flipturn, Happy Landing, Easy Honey and many more.

“It's Mississippi Delta pool hall existentialism,” Willy Bearden says of his new book, adding with a laugh, “I just made that up.”

Tim Barker and food and dining reporter Jennifer Chandler join Eric Barnes to talk about many complicated issues facing restaurants as they close and others open.

C. Rose Smith joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of The Sidebar to talk about the power of photography going back to the 1800s, the intersection of photography and music, and Smith's own successful career as a photographer, including a recent exhibit of her work in London.

Toby Sells joins Eric Barnes on this week's episode of The Sidebar to about his lifelong fascination with - and love of - the paranormal, which he writes about in his first book, Haint Blues: Strange tales from the American South.

Natalie Wilson, the executive director of The Overton Park Shell, talks about The Shell's upcoming season, their Backstage Experience and the upcoming 70th anniversary of Elvis appearing on state at The Shell.

Caroline Norris joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of The Sidebar to talk about Volunteer Odyssey's mission, how it works to feed volunteers into 70 nonprofits in Memphis, and much more.

Zak joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of The Sidebar along with Dr. Lynn Dobrunz, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology at the UTHSC, where the Ozmo Institute is based.

Kelly English, the owner and chef of Restaurant Iris and Second Line, and the musician/producer IMAKEMADBEATS joined Eric Barnes to talk about the new late night party at Le Bon Appetit – a party that will feature performances from IMAKEMADBEATS and other artists from the producer's company, Unapologetic.

The second of a two-part interview with Matt Ross-Spang. 

In this first of a two-part interview on The Sidebar, Matt joined Eric Barnes to talk about how he started working at Sun Studio as a teenager then became a producer of musicians ranging from Jason Isbell to the Mountain Goats to Margo Price and many, many more.

Andy Ashby, one of the co-founders of the oldest local breweries in Memphis, along with Maggie Emerson, co-founder of Maroon Brew Co., one the newest local breweries, joins Eric Barnes on this week's episode of The Sidebar.

Ned Canty and Dennis Whitehead Darling joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of The Sidebar to talk about the production, the cast and how Darling came to love opera.

Pedro Velasquez joined Eric Barnes to talk about LifeDoc's mission, his family's journey from Venezuela to Memphis, and the organization's evolution nearly 20 years after its founding.

Phillip Ashley, the founder of Phillip Ashely Chocolates, discusses the evolution of his business as he's shifted to more branded and business-to-business chocolate sales, including partnerships with Cadillac and other big named brands. 

At its core, Vintage901 is about good food, good wine and the connections people make through eating and drinking together.

For eight years - until she founded the art gallery Sheet Cake in the Edge District in December of 2023 - Lauren Kennedy was executive director of the UrbanArt Commission, an organization which was essential to the spread of so much public art throughout Memphis.

Nykesha Cole joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of The Sidebar to talk about her work as the arts and culture liaison for Shelby County Government.