The Sidebar with Eric Barnes

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.

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. They touched on some of the controversies around Memphis 3.0 and focused on the differences between the smart and dumb ways cities have planned for their growth.

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 Festival - joined this week's episode to talk about events, the music, and - of course - the beer at Ghost River.

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.

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 director for Books from Birth, joined this week's episode of "The Sidebar." The program, which is statewide, is run by Porter-Leath in Shelby County and sends 30,000 children of all backgrounds one book a month from birth till five years old.

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.

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, how she began her career and her food artistry.

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, joined this week's episode of "The Sidebar" to talk about the event, its origins just three years ago, and how fashion has evolved since she got into the industry.

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 career in dance.

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 sustainable agriculture. And they discuss the upcoming Luncheon Celebration 2026, the annual fundraising event for Girls Inc. of Memphis.