A few suggestions for post-BBQ Fest music for out-of-towners. Plus: In the news

For those of you in Memphis for BBQ Fest, and who don’t know what to get into after the festival closes for the night, here are some suggestions.  These will show you the REAL Memphis:

• The Dempseys at Blues City Cafe.  Most high-energy rockabilly band you’ll ever see.  By far my choice for Memphis’ best band. 10 PM – 2 AM.
• Dr. “Feel Good” Potts at Mr. Handy’s Blues Hall on Beale, 8:30 PM – 12:30 AM.  Real Memphis blues.
• Bill “Howl-N-Madd” Perry Blues Band at Ground Zero.  More authentic blues.
• If you feel like clubbing, check out the best club in the world, Hollywood Disco (but everyone calls the place “Raiford’s”).  Vance at Mulberry, just east of Main.  Dance to tunes spun by Raiford, the best DJ in the world.  You will never experience anything else like this.  10 PM – 4 AM.
• The best jukebox Downtown is at Earnestine & Hazel’s at Main and GE Patterson.  You can also get a really good burger, the “Soul Burger,” there, and you can wander upstairs and see what the place was like when it used to be a brothel.  Check out Nate’s Bar while you’re upstairs too.

In the news:  44 remaining condos at the River Tower (formerly the Rivermark Apts.) at 655 Riverside will go on auction June 21. At least 10 will be sold to the highest bidder, regardless of price.  This could be a good chance to take advantage of the saturated Downtown condo market and get a unit at a steal.  They’ll surely go for below market and the owners will get immediate equity.

Also in the news:  Only 2 teams competed in the BBQ Fest Ms. Piggie contest this year. The third-place $500 prize went unclaimed.  Blast!  Someone from our team could’ve gone up there in a pig nose and sang whatever and taken $500 for the team just for showing up.  I hate missing out on free money.

Also in the news:  It looks like the City Council will reject King Willie’s plan to close several branch libraries, but they aren’t interested in saving the deteriorating Cossitt branch Downtown at Front and Monroe.

Also in the news:  Benihana in East Memphis has filed for permits to rebuild.  The old Benihana burned down in February, and there was speculation that it wouldn’t be back.

Also in the news:  Eyewitness News reports that convenience stores are robbery hotspots in Memphis. I want to thank Eyewitness News for examining crime reports indepth and uncovering this important fact.  I don’t think any of us were aware that robberies occurred frequently at convenience stores.  Glad Eyewitness News did the dirty work.  I hear they’re planning a followup report saying that convenience stores are also among the places in town most likely to carry Slurpees, Icees, and similar frozen drinks.

And that’s the news.  Time to get my drink on at BBQ Fest.