Entry
Live From the Road: Flaming Lips' 24-Hour Tour
By Jacob FullerAlright, I am about to leave the office and hop on I-55 to Memphis, where I'll join up with MTV, VH1 and the Flaming Lips as the band tries perform a world-record 8 concerts in 24 hours. All the while, they will be hosting the O Music Awards, which will be broadcast for the entire 24 hours on OMusicAwards.com. I'll be taking the entire trip, hopefully. I'm definitely going to be there from Memphis to Jackson, including shows in Clarksdale and Oxford. Whether I continue on to Hattiesburg, Biloxi, Baton Rouge and New Orleans is largely up to the glorious Donna Ladd. I will be updating the blog with words and photos whenever I get the chance from the road. So as you watch the live online stream, go to the shows or do whatever life has in store for you over the next 28 hours or so, check in here for all the Flaming Lips world-record tour info you can handle.
Also, if you attend any of the shows, see the caravan pass by or run the Flaming Lips at a gas station, tell us about your experience here!
Update 5:54 p.m.: I called my contact with MTV on my way to Memphis to ask where I need to meet the media caravan. He told me that the bus was full, and I was not on the list, as Gayle from Text100 told me I was June 19. He is still going to give me passes to all of the shows, but I don't have a ride.
Gayle was extremely apologetic, and said there was something lost between her and the folks at MTV. She thought I was on the list.
Since I would have been stuck in Memphis with no ride, I came to Oxford, where I have friends going to the show. I'll be going to the show here, starting at 9 p.m. and following the band to Jackson (if my ride doesn't fall through, again).
My plan is to follow them on to Hattiesburg, and probably call it quits after that, as I don't think I'll be awake enough to drive after that. I'm pretty bummed that I didn't get on the media bus, especially after I was told that I had a spot on it. Not going to let it ruin my night, though. I'll still give you all updates from the road. I think Virginia Schreiber will take the photos in Jackson. I'm sure she'll share those as well. Check back for more updates from road, from Oxford to Hattiesburg...
Update 7:49 p.m.: I'm sitting at Ajax in Oxford. Just got a call from MTV, they said there is room on the bus after all. I already have a ride from Oxford to Jackson, and we can get to Jackson faster than caravan. So I'll get on media bus after Jackson show and follow the rest of the tour. Great to know someone got on the list and didn't care …
Story
Civil Rights
Banking on Justice: Climbing Out of Poverty in the Mississippi Delta
In the Mississippi Delta, one of the poorest regions in the United States, buying a home is often out of reach. And lenders have a history of unfairness to African …
Story
Council Rejects Melton Budget; Stokes Drops Coup Effort
More details soon ...
Just got word that the City Council has rejected the Melton adminstration's new budget with its $3 increase in garbage fees. Also, Kenneth Stokes has withdrawn his coup attempt to …
Story
Candidate
The JFP Interview with Bill Luckett
In Clarksdale, Miss., Bill Luckett may as well already be governor. An attorney by training, he seems to have a hand in nearly every significant activity in town. Down the …
Story
Paradise Lost: Latinos Caught In Katrina Squeeze
Strangely, it wasn't the hurricane itself that tore down the life and family of Daniel Dotta. It was the clean-up crew that came along behind it.
Story
coronavirus
'We Have Forgotten Who We Are': Denial and Death in Mississippi Hospitals
Health-care professionals, including hospitalists and clinicians, have spoken to the Jackson Free Press about the persistent denialism coming from the public as well as political leadership.
Story
City & County
DOSSIER: Two Faces of Mississippi Powerhouses; Meek Strikes Back
Power brokers like former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott can always find a sympathetic, or least non-questioning, ear back in the Magnolia State.
Story
[Stiggers] The Pied Pipers of Crime Control
Jethro "Drum Stick" Johnson and Martin "Blue Note" Smith of the Ghetto Science Team Crime Prevention Association propose a new crime prevention program.
Story
Fashion Police in Politics
Lets just get to the bottom line. The "saggy pants" debate is perhaps the most ridiculous, over-talked issue of modern times. It's downright stupid. And might I add ... stupid.
Story
Two Pearl Police Officers Injured, One Killed
Three Pearl police officers were shot, leaving one dead and two injured, while they served a search warrant in building 25 of Colony Park Apartments Tuesday. Investigator Michael T. "Mike" …
Story
Jayce Powell
Jayce Powell believes in the power of the bicycle to change lives. He considers himself "a lifestyle consultant" in his job as the store manager of Indian Cycle in Ridgeland. …
Story
Time for Justice
"The wheels of justice grind very slowly, but sometimes they grind in the right direction." Hinds County Circuit Court Tomie Green spoke those words to Cedric Willis March 6, 2006, …
Story
State Wants NCLB Relief
The Mississippi Board of Education voted last month to apply for a waiver in hopes of getting relief from some of the requirements of No Child Left Behind.
Story
Nola Gibson
As the director of continuing education of Millsaps College, Gibson has not only made lifelong learning an important part of her life, but she is constantly working to provide quality …
Story
Get Outdoors With Dad
Many Dads like to celebrate Father's Day with a backyard barbecue and a beer. Before the big meal, work up an appetite with some outdoor fun. Get the gang involved …
Story
Must-Try Jackson Dishes
With as many restaurants in Jackson, there are tons of tasty bites here and there. Here are a few to whet your appetite.
Story
Where Will Manning Land?
Acquiring a quarterback in the NFL via free agency or trade brings the phrase "buyer beware" to mind.
Story
Cesar Vazquez
Growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, Cesar Vazquez never thought he'd be working in the United States. The 25-year-old traveled a lot as a child, living for short amounts of time …
Story
Todd Logan
Todd Logan was working on a play at his Evanston, Ill., home in 2009 when he heard Attorney General Eric Holder say in spite of Obama's election there continues to …
Story
[Capitol Report] Open Hands Abound
The House Ways and Means Committee continued the hearing on bond project proposals at a June 16 meeting at the State Capitol. The hearing, part of the preparation for the …
