PODCAST · news
The Sidebar with Eric Barnes
by The Daily Memphian
The Sidebar, hosted by Eric Barnes from The Daily Memphian, focuses on arts, culture and everything in between in Memphis, including interviews with people shaping the city and sometimes an exploration of topics stranger, funnier and more surprising than you might expect to hear.
Episodes
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S7E28: How the Hotel Pontotoc went from bordello to boutique hotel
For more than 20 years, Joey Lewis loved the Hotel Pontotoc, the former Downtown Memphis bordello that is now a hotel - and much more. Lewis bought the Hotel Pontotoc in 2022, then embarked on a three and a half year process of renovating the building. Lewis talks about the first year of the...
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S7E27: Pulitzer Prize winner to speak about homelessness at MIFA event
Brian Goldstone wrote a book about the millions of homeless people in the U.S., "There is No Place For us: Working and Homeless in America," which won the Pulitzer Price for nonfiction.
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S7E26: WYXR on the bands who'll perform at this year's Raised by Sound Fest
With a lineup that includes the band Soccer Mommy and a show at the new Satellite Music Hall, WYXR's Raised by Sound Fest announced the bands that will be playing at the radio station's annual festival.
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S7E25: New owner talks about the bright future for Memphis Flyer and Memphis Magazine
Brady Walkinshaw joins Eric Barnes to talk about the importance of local media, the network of local alt weeklies he's creating, and how print publications can be an antidote to the problems of AI.
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S7E24: Tim Disney on his new book, the global elite and Oliver & Company
Tim Disney, who'll be at Novel on August 29, joins Eric Barnes on The Sidebar to talk about his dark satire of a culture of lying, misinformation and the global elite -- plus his life as the grandnephew of Walt Disney.
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S7E23: Pat Mitchell Worley on the legacy of Stax in Memphis
Pat Mitchell Worley, the president and CEO of the Soulsville Foundation, joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of "The Sidebar."
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S7E22: How art, place and Memphis come together for the Hyde Foundation
Rachel Knox, senior program officer for arts & culture for the Hyde Family Foundation, talks not just about the arts organizations that the foundation has supported, but the entire landscape of the arts in Memphis.
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S7E21: How the Sterick Building hopes to transform a neighborhood Downtown
The principal of Constellation Properties, Stuart Harris, and the executive director of HiFi Memphis, Mersadies Burch, join Eric Barnes to talk about the scope and scale of the Downtown project.
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S7E20: What makes a great music city?
Elizabeth Cawein, who founded Memphis Export Memphis ten years ago to promote Memphis musicians and help them in their careers, talks about the organization's birthday celebration concerts on July 25, the realities of making money as a musician, and what Memphis does right - and could do better -...
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S7E19: Paris comes to Memphis in "Cafe Society"
International exhibition "Café Society" at Dixon Gallery and Gardens centers on Belle Époque Paris and explores how Parisian cafés shaped the city's culture from 1855-1914. Julie Pierotti, the Martha R. Robinson Curator of the Dixon, was the primary organizer of the exhibition. She joins us today...
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S7E18: Robby Grant from WYXR
Robby, who is the executive director of WYXR, joined this week's episode of The Sidebar to talk about how the station has evolved in its six years, the range of program and events WYXR supports, and the station's growth into a full-blown arts and community organization.
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S7E17: John Zeanah wants city planning to be smarter - so he wrote a book
John Zeanah has written a book: Today's Comprehensive Plan: An Adaptive Approach, which he describes as the book he wished he'd had when he started a project as big as Memphis 3.0. Zeanah joined Eric Barnes on "The Sidebar" to talk about the book, his history of planning in Memphis, and more.…
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S7E16: Songwriters, music and beer flood South Main
Two music festivals are coming to South Main this weekend, as the Ghost River Brewing Co.'s Made to Wander Music Festival and the South Main Songwriter Festival kick off. Organizers from both festivals - Tori Keskey with Ghost River Brewing and Mike Mielenhausen with the South Main Songwriter...
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S7E15: A look at the 2026 Live at the Garden line up
Olivia Wall, director of marketing and communications for Memphis Botanic Garden, joined this week's episode to talk about Live at the Garden's 2026 line up, including the first show featuring the band Alabama on June 13. The full line up and ticket information is here on Live at the Garden's site.
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S7E14: Books from Birth send books to 30,000 children a year - reaching the other 30,000 is the challenge
For the 30,000 children in Shelby County who get a book every month from Books from Birth, the benefits are innumberable. But getting those same books to the 30,000 kids in Shelby County who aren't in the Books from Birth program is the work of Wynett Jones and Porter-Leath. Jones, program…
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S7E13: New Memphis Institute on recruiting and retaining talented people in Memphis
New Memphis' president and CEO, Anna Mullins, joined this week's episode of "The Sidebar" to talk about the organization's mission in Memphis, how their role has evolved over time, and that the impact of COVID has changed how and why people choose where to work and live.
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S7E12: Karen Carrier and 'Legacy at the Table'
Restaurateur Karen Carrier joins Eric Barnes to talk about Legacy at the Table, a three-part dinner series where Carrier translates the history of Memphis College of Art into unique menus that take guests on a journey through different eras of the school. Karen also talks about her time at MCA…
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S7E11: For local Fashion Week, 'Memphis is the host'
Ramona Sonin is creative director of Memphis Art & Fashion Week, which starts May 4 at the Brooks Museum of Art, including a Met Gala watch party, a high tea, aperitifs and, of course, a runway show at the museum. Sonin, who also created and runs the fashion program at the University of Memphis,...
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S7E10: Tennessee Ballet Theater
Holly Whitfield sits in for Eric Barnes with Tennessee Ballet Theater interim director Ashley Hannah Davis. They discuss Tennessee Ballet Theater's upcoming show, 901 Stories: Down on Beale. They also discuss the local memphis dance scene, Holly's secret past as a dancer and Ashley Hannah's…
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S7E9: Girls Inc. of Memphis
Sylvia Martinez, President and CEO of Girls Inc. of Memphis, joins Eric Barnes to talk about the organizations evolution from its beginning as Girls Club of America. She also talks about the importance of the Girls Inc. Youth Farm in Frayser as a thriving hub for community engagement and...
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S7E8: Ballet Memphis
Executive director of Ballet Memphis Andrew Goldberg joins host Eric Barnes to talk about upcoming performances (including Romeo & Juliet and Peter Pan), how ballet and Memphis intersect and summer camps/programming.
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S7E7: The YMCA's impact on thousands of children in Memphis and the Midsouth
For many people, the Y is a gym. For others, it's a place to swim. But one of the biggest impacts the YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South has is on the 14,000 kids they work with across the Mid-South. Brian McLaughlin, group's CEO, joined Eric Barnes to talk about that impact kids and families on...
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S7E6: Museum to showcase legacy, history of Memphis College of Art
Marina Pacini — the former chief curator for the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art —talks about plans for the museum's plans for an exhibition marking the Memphis College of Art's history and impact.
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S7E5: Bill Townsend on Annesdale Mansion, ghosts and Always Memphis
When the historic Annesdale Mansion suffered through a fire in January, more than a few people worried whether the house would be restored. But Bill Townsend, who bought the house in 2023 and did a nearly $2 million renovation, has assured everyone that Annesdale will be restored. Host Eric…
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S7E4: Memphis Youth Symphony Program approaches its 60th year
In a world where technology sometimes seems to have overwhelmed music, the world of Memphis Youth Symphony Program is refreshing. The organization's executive director, Jenny Davis, joined Eric Barnes on this week's episode of "The Sidebar" to talk about the group's programs and its history.…
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S7E3: New leadership at Indie Memphis talks about the festival's future
Alicia George really enjoys talking to people. Which is good, given her new role as co-executive director of Indie Memphis, which has big plans for a rebooted film festival in the fall. As Indie Memphis bounces back from a year without its signature film festival, Alicia joined Eric Barnes on…
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S7E2: Brantley Ellzey on intensity and relief he finds in his new art exhibit
Artist Brantley Ellzey joins Eric Barnes on this week's episode of "The Sidebar" to talk about work, his life and his Crosstown Arts exhibit, titled "Reflection + Ritual + Refuge."
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S7E1: What to expect as Baron Von Opperbean gets closer to opening on Mud Island
Jee Vahn Knight, the CEO of BVO, talks about the attraction's opening on March 7, the next phases of expansion and how their business model works.
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S6E41: Why giving is essential to The Daily Memphian
Sarah Leach, The Daily Memphian's director of fundraising and development, joins Eric Barnes on this week's episode.
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S6E40: How Merit Academy pursues excellence in literacy
For Lakenna Booker, Memphis Merit Academy is about so many things — helping young kids with literacy, creating a thriving school for parents and their children, investing in her neighborhood, and more. Booker, who is the executive director of Memphis Merit Academy, joined Eric Barnes to talk…
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S6E39: Lauren Ready uses the skills of journalism in new ways
Lauren Ready has spent decades as a documentarian and TV journalist. Now she's become an author, using her foundation in journalism to help business leaders and others to, as she says it, reveal deeper truths. Ready joined Eric Barnes to talk about her first book, "Ask Like a Leader: A Method for...
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S6E38: Everystory, formerly Playback Memphis
Virginia Reed Murphy, founder of Everystory, joins Eric Barnes to talk about the organization's name change and how the mission stays the same.
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S6E37: The plan to create an arts middle and high school in Memphis
Katie Smythe of New Ballet Ensemble joins Eric Barnes to talk about turning the old Humes Middle School into a school focused on the arts for middle and high school students. - a project with a scale that is incredibly ambitious. The funding needs are massive and the timeline is not short.
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S6E36: How Grind City Amp plans to expand live music in Memphis
Nick Barbian joins Eric Barnes on The Sidebar to talk about the goals for the outdoor venue located at Grind City Brewing in North Memphis.
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S6E35: The federal task force's impact on Latino businesses in Memphis
Alex Matlock, the founder and current president of the Mid-South Latino Chamber of Commerce, and Sylvia Leon, the group's executive director, join Eric Barnes to talk about the impact of the federal influx of law enforcement.
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S6E34: Cequita Monique on how she was 'born into jazz'
Cequita Monique is a jazz singer as well as the founder of the First Sunday Jazz Jam Pop Up Series.
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S6E33: The host of 'Nurses Unboxed' on the critical role of nurses
Dr. Lisa Beasley, associate professor at the UTHSC College of Nursing, joins Eric Barnes to talk about how the job of nursing has changed, the proactive work nurses do in underserved neighborhoods, and more.
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S6E32: The hard, block-by-block work to improve Klondike and Smokey City
Klondike Smokey City CDC is working to mow and maintain yards, build a pocket park and turn 150 vacant lots and empty homes into assets in the community.
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S6E31: Barth House Episcopal Center
Maggie Schaumleffel, director of ministries for Barth House Episcopal Center, joins host Eric Barnes. They discuss the center's outreach to the colleges and universites in the area, as well as how it supports students of all backgrounds and religions with problems they face today.
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S6E30: Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis
Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis President and CEO Shante Avant joins host Eric Barnes. They discuss the resources that the Women's Foundation provides to community-based services, the focus on lifting women and children out of poverty in the Memphis area and the upcoming fundraising…
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S6E29: Buckman Performing & Fine Arts Center
Host Eric Barnes is joined by Cindi Younker, Buckman Arts Center director, to talk about this season's upcoming events and what attendees can expect from the performances.
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S6E28: The new executive director of GPAC
Parke Kennedy joins Eric Barnes to talk about her new role with the Germantown Performing Arts Center and the fundraising and effort that goes into their series and performances.
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S6E27: David Lusk Gallery
David Lusk joins Eric Barnes to talk about the history of David Lusk Gallery, the artists he represents and the biggest changes he has noticed in the industry.
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S6E26: The new president and CEO of Bridges
Sam O'Bryant joins Eric Barnes to talk about the organization's history, its summer programming and his former role at Literacy Mid-South.
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S6E25: Overton Park Conservancy
Overton Park Conservancy's Executive Director Kaci Murley joins Eric Barnes to talk about the status of the Greensward, how the park and the organizations within it work together and the future of Overton Park.
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S6E24: ArtsMemphis reaches a meaningful milestone
ArtsMemphis recently reached a milestone of awarding more than $100 million across Memphis and Shelby County since its founding in 1963. President and CEO at ArtsMemphis Elizabeth Rouse joins Eric Barnes to talk about how they support artists and arts organizations and raise funding.
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S6E23: CodeCrew's Hackathon
Jean Francois Mahoro and Ashley Weaver with CodeCrew join Eric Barnes to talk about the organization's outreach and their upcoming Hustle & Code Hackathon.
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S6E22: Young Avenue Sound
Host Eric Barnes is joined by the Young Avenue Sound co-owner Taylor Berger and co-director of operations Christopher Franklin to talk about the evolution of the studio.
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S6E21: The Metal Museum's expansion to Overton Park
Executive Director of the Metal Museum Carissa Hussong joins Eric Barnes to talk about what the expansion to the former Rust Hall means for the museum's programming and discuss the renovation process.
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S6E20: The Overton Park Shell
Natalie Wilson and Yolanda Kelly with the Overton Park Shell join Eric Barnes to talk about the summer schedule, Shell on Wheels and how all of the organizations in Overton Park work together.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Sidebar, hosted by Eric Barnes from The Daily Memphian, focuses on arts, culture and everything in between in Memphis, including interviews with people shaping the city and sometimes an exploration of topics stranger, funnier and more surprising than you might expect to hear.
HOSTED BY
The Daily Memphian
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Sidebar with Eric Barnes have?
The Sidebar with Eric Barnes currently has 200 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Sidebar with Eric Barnes about?
The Sidebar, hosted by Eric Barnes from The Daily Memphian, focuses on arts, culture and everything in between in Memphis, including interviews with people shaping the city and sometimes an exploration of topics stranger, funnier and more surprising than you might expect to hear.
How often does The Sidebar with Eric Barnes release new episodes?
The Sidebar with Eric Barnes publishes regularly with 200 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Sidebar with Eric Barnes?
You can listen to The Sidebar with Eric Barnes on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Sidebar with Eric Barnes?
The Sidebar with Eric Barnes is created and hosted by The Daily Memphian.
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