Good morning, Memphis! ☀️
Pop quiz: which of these is NOT in today’s issue?
a British rock band that last played Memphis during the Nixon administration
a kid-free evening and supply swap for teachers
a two-night improv show backed by live bands
or a rescue dog pool party?
Trick question. They’re all here!
Let's get into it.
Music
🎸 Deep Purple (and Kansas) Land at the Garden Next Thursday
Deep Purple / Memphis Botanical Garden
Deep Purple hasn't played Memphis since 1972. The band comes back Thursday, Aug. 6 for Live at the Garden.
🕰️ A long time coming. Deep Purple has only played here twice — the Overton Park Shell in 1971 and the Mid-South Coliseum in 1972. Now they're back at the Radians Amphitheater at Memphis Botanic Garden. Kansas plays first, the gates open at 5:30 PM and the music starts at 7:30 PM.
💸 Bring your own cooler. Lawn tickets start at $65 plus fees. You can bring your own food and your own drinks — beer, wine, even liquor. Parking is free. There's also a free shuttle from 825 Crossover Lane. One rule: leave the trifold lawn chair at home. Those aren't allowed.
Grab tickets here.
Events
🍎 Teachers Get the Dixon to Themselves Friday Night
Dixon Gallery & Gardens
Teachers' Night Out! at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens is a free, educators-only event this Friday, July 31.
🎨 Class dismissed. The event runs from 5 to 7 PM at 4339 Park Ave. Teachers from all over the Mid-South can come. There will be drinks, snacks, art projects you can try yourself, and tours of the museum. The night is totally free (and so is getting into the Dixon any other day of the year).
✂️ Bring what you don't need. The big draw is an Art Educator Supply Swap. Bring extra classroom supplies you're not using and trade them for stuff you actually need.
See the details here.
Events
🤥 The 4th Annual Liars Ball Takes Overton Square This Weekend
Bluff City Liars
The Bluff City Liars are back for two nights of comedy and live music at TheatreWorks.
🎤 Made up on the spot. The shows are Friday, July 31 and Saturday, Aug. 1 at TheatreWorks at the Square. The comedians make everything up as they go, and a live band plays along with them. A different band comes each night — Javi & The Hyenas on Friday, Spoonful on Saturday.
🎟️ Cheap laughs, literally. Tickets are $12 if you buy early, $15 the day of the show. That's per night. Snacks and drinks are sold there.
The show is best for ages 18 and up, so leave the kids at home. And since the bands are different, going both nights isn't the same show twice.
Doors open at 7:30 PM and the show starts at 8 (both nights). Grab tickets here.
Daily Picks
🗞️ Other News Around the 901
🍗 Wing it. Today is National Chicken Wing Day, and Memphis takes this seriously. I Love Memphis put together the Memphis Hot Wing Trail — a free map of 20+ of the best wing spots in town, with 40 more on the backup list. Pick one and go!
🎬 Defying gravity, free of charge. Carriage Crossing’s Friday Flick series is showing Wicked: For Good this Friday, July 31 on the Center Green at the shopping center. Music and popcorn at 7:30 PM, showtime at 8 PM, admission free. Bring your own blankets and lawn chairs.
🦁 Hoppy hour at the zoo. Zoo Brew returns Friday, Aug. 14, 7–10 PM. Enjoy three hours of the Memphis Zoo after dark with 38 breweries, wineries and beverage brands pouring, plus live music and lawn games. Get tickets here.
💻 Code of honor. The $1 million Anthropic gift to CodeCrew is going toward a National Tech Education Headquarters at Northside Square in North Memphis, and the timeline is now public. Construction wraps in December, move-in is January 2027, and the space will roughly triple how many students CodeCrew can teach at once.
🧀 Slice, slice, baby. Olive Branch's most-delayed pizzeria is here: Italia Pizza Cafe is bringing its handmade pizzas, strombolis, calzones and cannoli from Southaven to Hacks Cross Road after a two-year wait. The headliner is the Big Mama — 28 inches, 10 pounds, and a 30-minute challenge that pays $100 to anyone who clears it. Check out the menu and order online.
🏈 Flag on the play. Lakeland Parks & Recreation is taking signups for fall adult flag football, played Saturday mornings at the Lakeland Athletic Complex. Heads up: it's a team registration, not individual, so round up some teammates before the Aug. 9 deadline. Register here.
🌭 Frankly, we're excited. A 27-foot hot dog on wheels rolls into town tomorrow. The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile parks at South Point Grocery downtown from noon to 3 PM on Thursday,then heads to the Southaven store at Silo Square from 4 to 6 PM. Go get the photo. Relish the moment.
🥁 Free dance and music lessons. Memphis Youth Arts Initiative runs free music and dance lessons for kids out of its center at 3845 Raleigh-Millington Rd., alongside paid tracks in majorette, color guard, drumline and instrumental music. Free tutoring and empowerment sessions are on the menu, too. Learn more here.
🤝 Hire power. Skip the online application black hole: the Memphis Career Fair puts you in front of live recruiters on Tuesday, Aug. 4, with roles spanning healthcare, engineering, financial services, retail and customer service. Dress like you mean it and bring more résumés than you think you need. More details here.
🎰 Dollar and a dream. The jackpot for tonight's Powerball drawing sits at $663 million after 37 consecutive draws with no winner. If you win big, just remember who reminded you.
Together With Streetdog Foundation
🐶 Adoptable Pet of the Week: Queso
Streetdog Foundation
This week's adoptable dog is Queso: a sweet seven-year-old from Streetdog Foundation. The rescue group is also throwing a party at Loflin Yard on Saturday.
🧀 Say cheese. Queso is a 7-year-old Jack Russell and Chihuahua mix. He was shy when he first came in. Now Streetdog calls him "a cuddle puddle with a side of silly." He gets along with dogs, gets along with cats, and he's house-trained.
💦 Splish splash. Come meet more dogs at the Streetdog Summer Splash on Saturday, Aug. 1 starting at noon at Loflin Yard in Downtown Memphis. It's a water party (for dogs), and the money goes to Streetdog, which has been rescuing dogs off Memphis streets since 2009.
Meet Queso and sign up for Saturday here.
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That's it for today!
Thanks for reading, and thanks for letting us fill your inbox with hot dogs on wheels and a very good dog named Queso.
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Have a great Wednesday, Memphis. We'll see you tomorrow.
— 901 Today