Plug-In to the Very Cool Highland-Walker Spring Fest April 21
MEMPHIS, TENN. (April 2, 2007)…Get plugged-in to all things cool during the Highland-Walker Spring Fest Saturday, April 21 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Presented by The University District Business Alliance (UDBA), the third annual festival will bring on food, fun, fitness, live music, movies and educational exhibits. The event will spill over onto Highland and Walker Streets near the University of Memphis. Admission is free. For more information, call 323-4505 or check www.myspace.com/highlandwalkerfest.
The festival is meant to bring together visionaries, creative/artsy folks and movers and shakers including University District businesses, local artists, professors and students and the community-at-large. “The UDBA seeks to reintroduce this area -- in the heart of Memphis -- as a smart district, an educational corridor and Entertainment center where local businesses have already invested more than $111 million dollars in redevelopment efforts,” said Festival Co-Chair Cynthia Magallon Puljic of the Mason YMCA.
The festival will communicate fun, but also will include information on what is developing in this neighborhood. For example, a walking mall is in the works along with plans for a six-story, upscale apartment complex. The Highland Area Renewal Community (HARC) is the newly established connector for university area businesses that also includes the University of Memphis, 13 churches and neighborhood associations seeking positive change and value-added benefits for the city and surrounding areas. Proceeds from the festival will be used, in part, to award neighborhood redevelopment grants in support of community revitalization projects, according to Festival Co-Chair Rick Johns of RP Tracks and Billiards.
Event sponsors are A.S. Barbaro, Highland Area Renewal Community (HARC), the Peddler Bike Shop, Mo’s Music and Art Café, Newby’s Restaurant, RP Tracks and Billiards, Garibaldi’s, Tiger Book Store, Double Deuce, Memphis Sound™ and Mason YMCA. Films are courtesy of Live From Memphis. Official radio sponsor is Q107.5 WHBQ-FM.
Spring Fest Exhibitors include: Highland Area Renewal Community (HARC), St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, University District, Inc., University Neighborhood Development Corp., University of Memphis, St. Anne’s Church, Muslim Society of Memphis, Normal Station Neighborhood Association, Catholic Campus Ministry, Crazy Crawfish, St. Luke’s Methodist Church and Live From Memphis.
Event Schedule
Time Event Location
7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Peddler Bike Shop Open House Peddler Bike Shop
8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Morning Bike Ride 575 S. Highland
7:30 a.m. to close Mo’s coffee, donuts, Greek cuisine, Mo’s Music/Art Café
super dogs, gator and cheese nachos, 3521 Walker
big tea cup, Memphis music CDs.
Also Wii Nintendo games
(15 minutes free w/minimum $1 purchase)
Extra seating at Brother Juniper’s next door from 1 PM to 11 PM
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Media Sponsor Q107.5 playing hit radio tunes Along Walker
11 a.m. to close Blue Coast Burrito 3546 Walker
Domino’s Pizza 550 S. Highland
(Food and drink specials at both eateries)
11:45 a.m.-noon Festival Opening Ceremony Main Stage-Walker
Welcome and Recognition of Sponsors
Remarks by Hal Mabray, UDBA president
12 noon to 4 p.m. Newby’s and RP Tracks/Billiards present Along Walker
Beer Run with area restaurants participating for prizes.
12 noon to 4:30 p.m. Mason YMCA Videos for Kids Mason YMCA
Child Care available 3548 Walker
12 noon to 4:30 p.m. Tiger Bookstore Tattoos & Balloons Tiger Bookstore
Face Painting for Kids 3533 Walker
12 noon to 7 p.m. Double Deuce Parking Lot Corner Walker/Brister
Serving barbecue sandwiches, seafood gumbo
12 noon to 1:30 p.m. Garibaldi’s Pizza Eating Contest Garibaldi’s
11 a.m. to close Food and beer specials 3530 Walker
12 noon to close Movies at Newby’s sponsored by Newby’s
Live From Memphis. 539 S. Highland
12 noon to close Music videos and shorts sponsored The Vault
by Live From Memphis. 525 S. Highland
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4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Live Music on the Main Stage Along Walker
4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tennessee Bolt Smokers (Americana/Bluegrass)
Check www.myspace.com/tnboltsmokers.
5:30 p.m. Forever Roanoke (Rock/Alternative/Pop)
Check www.myspace.com/foreverroanoke.
6:30 p.m. Inner 61 (Alternative Rock with Soul)
Check www.myspace.com/inner61music.
8 p.m. HEADLINER: Bowling for Soup
International Touring Pop Punk Band
Grammy nominated for “Girl All the Bad Boys Want.”
Check www.myspace.com/bowlingforsoup
or www.bowlingforsoup.com.
[Band bio included below.]
After Party live music at Highland-Walker nightspots include international touring band Giant Bear bringing orchestral funk to Mo’s Music and Art Café, 3521 Walker, from 10 p.m. to 12 midnight.
Highland-Walker Spring Fest Headliner
* Bowling for Soup * 8 p.m. * Main Stage *
From Wikopedia online:
Bowling for Soup, the Grammy nominated pop punk band based in Denton, Texas is best known for singles “Girl All the Bad Guys Want,” which garnered a 2003 Grammy Award nomination, and “1985” written by SR-71. Originally formed 13 years ago in Wichita Falls, Texas, the band has sold more than a million copies of their studio albums including a cover album. Labels include Sony BMG, Jive, FFROE and Queso. Current members are Jaret Reddick (vocals/guitar), Erik Chandler (bass/vocals), Chris Burney (guitar/vocals) and Gary Wiseman (drums).
The band's name is derived from comedian Steve Martin’s 1978 takeoff routine on Bowling for Dollars from his comedy album, Wild and Crazy Guy. The group’s first studio album, Rock on Honorable Ones in 1998 (FFROE label) sold more than 10,000 copies prompting Jive Records to sign the band. Let’s Do It for Johnny!, Bowling for Soup’s major label debut, was released on Jive in 2000 with original material and a cover of Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69.”
In 2002, the band recorded their second major label album, Drunk Enough to Dance. The lead single from the album, “Girl All the Bad Guys Want” became a Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom and a Top 100 hit in the U.S. The next year, the single was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Group or Duo. That success pushed Drunk Enough to Dance to No. 2 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers album chart. The next song, “Emily,” wasn’t as successful followed by “Punk Rock 101” which fared better. It was the 2004 A Hangover You Don’t Deserve album that became the band’s only Top 40 album. Sales were driven primarily by the radio airplay given single cover song, “1985,” which became the group’s biggest hit in the U.S., reaching No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. Mitch Allan, lead singer for SR-71, contributed background vocals.
A second single, “Almost,” from A Hangover You Don’t Deserve came in at No. 100 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 46 on the US Top 100 and No. 23 on US Pop 100.
Bowling for Soup Goes to the Movies, a compilation album of cover songs and contributrions to movie soundtracks, was released in 2005. Later that year, Jaret Reddick and Chris Burney made apperances on VH1’s I Love the ‘90s: Part Deux.
Album The Great Burrito Extortion Case was released in November 2006 and its single, “High School Never Ends,” was released to iTunes in September 2006. The single debuted in the UK in December 2006. The band then embarked on a U.S. tour to promote the album followed by a UK “Get Happy Tour” in early February 2007. Another tour of the UK is planned in October 2007, billed as Get Happy Tour 2, as well as a performance during London’s Download Festival in June.
Discography
1994: Bowling for Soup
1996: Cell Mates
1998: Rock On Honorable Ones!!!
1999: Tell Me When to Whoa! (EP)
2000: Let's Do It for Johnny! – UK #186
2002: Drunk Enough to Dance – US #129, UK #14
2004: A Hangover You Don't Deserve – US #37, UK #64 – RIAA: Gold
2005: Bowling for Soup Goes to the Movies
2006: The Great Burrito Extortion Case – US #88 UK #43
