– After an absence of a month or two, Sharp Dressed Bum is back on the streets of Downtown Memphis. Last night I was sitting in the window of the Flying Fish, eating grilled tilapia (“Make it snappy!”) and I saw SDB on the sidewalk in front of the Peabody, conducting “business.” I grabbed the camera and took the pic shown on the left (click it to see the image in a larger size).
As you can see, SDB dresses better than most panhandlers (hence the nickname) – lately he’s had on a khaki golf shirt with dark collar, white casual pants, and leather sandals. He’ll walk around Second, Union, Monroe, and Beale, trying to be all friendly, especially to tourists, offering to show them around. But, at least in my experience, when you turn down his requests for money, his demeanor changes – he’ll start cussing and threatening you, even physically acting like he’s going to come at you. Several of my readers have reported similar encounters with Sharp Dressed Bum.
Now you have a face to put to a name. If you see this guy coming, I recommend crossing the street, ducking into a store, or whatever you can do to avoid having to talk to him.
– You know, this gives me an idea, since I’ve got a digital camera… perhaps I need to make a photo album of all of Downtown’s street people. I wouldn’t necessarily post it publicly, but I’d let people know it’s available by request, if they have been the victim of harassment or a crime Downtown and are trying to find a pic to show to the police.
– The Memphis Business Journal reports that Memphis may soon have a local brewery. A Germantown resident has started a company called Naked Lion Brewing. A former Coors brewmaster, the CEO is currently brewing the company’s first offering, Copper Flask, out of a brewery in Wisconsin, and has distribution contracts all over the South and Northeast. Although he’s currently making the product out of state, he hopes to eventually have enough volume to build a brewery here in the Memphis area. So if you see Naked Lion Copper Flask in stores or bars, please buy it and support the home team.
– Lantana Projects will have an open studio visit with guest resident artist Eric Knoote Friday night, July 6 from 7-9 PM at Marshall Arts, corner of Marshall and Monroe. Knoote is the artist who recently put up an exhibit at the empty building space at Jefferson and Main.
– Thursday night party options:
Gabby Johnson on the Peabody rooftop, 6-10
Symbiosis on the Madison rooftop, 5:30-10
Garry Goin and G3 with Q107.5 at EP’s, 8-mid
Looks like KIX 106 is taking a week off from its Thursdays on Beale concert series to promote a Trace Adkins concert at Snowden Grove Ampitheatre.
Not sure where I’ll end up tonight, but I can pretty much assure you it WON’T be the Trace Adkins concert.
Time to get some work done, so I can afford to go out tonight. May be back with more entertainment options once I see this week’s Memphis Flyer.