All results / Stories / Micah Smith
Beat Down, Not Out
Stepping inside midtown-based record, comic-book and collectibles store Offbeat, you'll notice plenty of products that come from all over the United States and from different corners of the world, including Japanese manga and toy kits, and paperback comic collections from Marvel Comics in New York and DC Comics in California.
Queer-Punk Act Faces Protesters in Downtown Jackson
Ben Hopkins was eating spicy shrimp pasta in a van when a handful of protesters began organizing in front of Big Sleepy’s, an all-ages music venue in downtown Jackson. The venue in the middle of prepping for a much-anticipated show featuring headliner PWR BTTM, the Hudson, N.Y.-based queer-punk act that the guitarist and vocalist fronts with drummer-vocalist Liv Bruce.
Blues in Black and White
Mississippi bluesman Robert Johnson may have only lived to be 27 years old, but his legacy has grown exponentially since his death in 1938, inspiring many generations of artists. Of course, not all those he inspired are musicians, and certainly not all of them hail from the American South.
Vinyl for Life
When Jay Ferchaud returned my call on a Friday in October, he was equal parts apologetic and ecstatic. Just before our scheduled interview, he learned that a store in Arkansas had purchased a record collection that one man amassed over 30 years, and there was a lost gem that Ferchaud just couldn't pass up.
Books Beyond Bars
Under most circumstances, one would be correct in assuming that life-changing movements don't begin with a puppet show.
Eddie Izzard: Tour de Force
Eddie Izzard considers himself a "British European." Like many of his countrymen, the internationally known comedian, actor and writer is embroiled in a deep sense of history—not all of it good.
Supporting Local Artists at Chimneyville
Since 1976, the Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi has kept many Jacksonians out of the outlet stores and away from the clearance racks while also supporting local arts with the Chimneyville Crafts Festival.
Caitlin Podas
The promise of never-ending paperwork didn't scare off Caitlin Podas, the registrar 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.
Once in a ‘Blu Moon’
Mississippi hip-hop fans may be familiar with the wistful flow of rapper Justin Johnson, a Jackson native who performs under the moniker LV Baby, but his latest release, "Blu Moon," begins a new phase of his career—one that he says is all about imparting truth in the present.
Pride in Priced to Move
"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.
Darth Vader
Even after the prequels somewhat defanged the infamous Sith lord, Darth Vader is still a driving force for the "Star Wars" franchise's newest addition, "The Force Awakens," which premiers Friday, Dec. 18.
The Future of ‘Feel Music’
When the Recording Academy announced the Grammy nominees on Dec. 7, 2015, Cedric Burnside's seventh album, "Descendants of Hill Country," made the short list.
Tapping into Indie Music Week
For almost a month, when Garrad Lee, a local deejay, show promoter and co-owner of record labels Elegant Trainwreck and Homework Town, spoke with Brad Franklin, the City of Jackson marketing specialist would hint at big plans for a city-wide music event.
David Bowie
David Bowie died Sunday, Jan. 10, about 18 months after learning he had liver cancer. The world best knew the British pop-culture icon as a genre-spanning singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was 69 years old.
Unlocking ‘In a Different Key’
When Caren Zucker learned that her son, Mickey, had autism in 1996, she was ushered into a dark, misunderstood corner of the medical world.
Good at Dates or Not, Meet Your Match
And yes, at its core, dating is a "bad situation." In one way or another, everyone on a first date feels like a perfect stranger.
Carnal Echo’s Second Chance
After about 25 years in education, Nashville-based singer-songwriter and pianist Rachel McCann decided to follow her first passion and proved that even the music industry occasionally deals in second chances.
Royce Boyer
When Royce Boyer, the co-director of the Metro Male Chorus, and Chuck Reynolds, the band director for Madison Central High School, formed the Mississippi Chambre Music Guild in October 2014, the idea behind it was simple.
Austin Wilkes
Madison-based hip-hop artist Austin Wilkes, known to fans as Mildred Noor, entered the music world with a bit of an awkward conversation.
Sarah Ross, Reintroduced
Sarah Restuccio was only 17 years old when she appeared on Season 12 of Fox's soon-to-end singing show, "American Idol," but she made an impression.