Wed update: Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Voodoo and Orleans news, restaurant discounts, and more

A few quick things before I head to work:

Big Sam’s Funky Nation from New Orleans will play the Center for Southern Folklore Friday, April 3 at 8 PM.  This is a band that really rocked it at the 2007 Memphis and Music Heritage Festival.  Big Sam plays trombone and combines the improv style of jazz with the horn-heavy style of funk.  Should be a great show.  Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door, with $5 off with a student ID.  Or, you can buy a $25 ticket which also gets you access to a meet-and-greet with Big Sam before the show, with beverages included.

News from the Voodoo Room, which has a new neon sign today… they’ll have a Jimi Hendrix concert on TV tonight at 10.  If this is as good as the Led Zep concert they showed last week, it’s more than worth a trip down there.  Thursday through Saturday they’ll have $1 PBR draft all night.

News from Orleans on Front as well… their $4 happy hour is still going strong.  They’ll have crawfish on Thursday in the restaurant, and they’ll also have another crawfish and shrimp boil outside in the parking lot on Sunday, at 2 PM.  If you don’t work Downtown and haven’t been able to try their lunch, they’ll be open for lunch this Saturday with the regular menu so you can.  Specials this week include a Stuffed Panko Catfish with jalapeno cream sauce with zucchini, and Crispy Pan Fried Duck Breast.

They’ll be showing the games on TV both upstairs and down.

The people at Calhoun’s asked me to mention that their back deck is open, expanding their capacity by 20, with their 10′ projection TV available for NCAA watching after sunset.

New Restaurant.com promo code: Click here to access the site and enter SAVE at checkout to save 70% through March 31. That means their $25 face-value gift certificates, normally $10, are $3 with the promo code. Many Memphis-area restaurants are part of the program; click through to the site to search for your favorite dining spots.

Congrats to the Rapscallions on our first-place victory at trivia last night.  After a few weeks of struggling performances, it’s good to be back on top.

Thanks to everyone who suggested good places to eat lunch near the airport.  Got several new ideas.

Several people have asked me to post a locals’ guide to Downtown for the benefit of those coming to Memphis for the NCAA South Regional tournament this weekend.  I’m working on it.  Should be up either at lunch or after work.