Tonight’s the night – the grand opening of Paula & Raiford’s Disco at 14 S. Second. Raiford will DJ on a regular basis for the first time in almost a year, and one thing’s for sure, he’s going to make y’all feel more than welcome. Club opens at 10 PM. Normally it’s fashionable to arrive late (meaning, like 2 AM) at this type of club, but it’s opening night, so I bet the place fills up early. Maybe not though – I hear it’s 4 times the size of the old club.
I’ve heard that the opening night cover will be $50, and thereafter will be $15. (I heard this from a third party, though, not Paula, so I’m not 100% certain.) You know, if Senses or Alfred’s or any other club charged a $50 cover, I would go to great lengths in this blog to bash the place. But when I heard Paula & Raiford’s opening night would be $50, I thought, “Hmmmmm yeah that sounds about right.”
You’ll probably need to bring cash… at his old club, I don’t believe Raiford had a credit card machine or ATM.
Parking: Hmmmm I’m really not sure where to tell you where to park. I don’t recommend the garage across the street (9 S. Second) because it isn’t a 24-hour garage. Parking Can Be Fun on Union is the closest 24-hour garage that I know of. There are plenty of metered spaces on Second, Third, Monroe, and Court nearby – these are free after 6 PM and on weekends. If the bums try to charge you to park in metered spaces, tell them to get lost.
I’ll be there at 10 for the opening. I may go get a warm-up beer about 9, if I can find someplace that’s also on Second that serves beer… maybe someplace with hot waitresses in miniskirts.
In other news: Downtown merchants are looking for someone whose fashion sense is stuck in a rut. Muse, Delphinium, Runway, Lansky 126, Strut, Rachel’s Day Spa, and Energy Fitness are teaming up to offer one lucky person a free head-to-toe makeover with clothes, accessories, hair, makeup, and health tips. The winner’s new look will be featured on the May 29 edition of the “Definitely Downtown” TV show with “That Other Downtown Guy” Lee Warren. Complete details can be found here.
Hmmm I know a Brit (and I’m not referring to a subject of the Queen) who is desperately in need of a head-to-toe makeover. I’ll have to tell her about it… will probably see her tonight when I go out to get a beer.
Sad news to report this morning… James Hyter, who closed Sunset Symphony for 21 years with his rendition of “Ol’Man River,” passed away last night at age 87. He sang the closing song from 1978 to 1998 and was truly a Memphis icon. Thank you for all the great memories, Mr. Hyter.
The Memphis Farmers Market opens Saturday, April 18. That’s going to be a very busy weekend… same day as the Hot Wing Festival and the same weekend as Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest. They’re looking for volunteers. Go here if you’re interested in volunteering or want more info about MFM.
If the fog machine isn’t blowing too heavily, I’ll try to get some pics of the new club. I’ll be there both tonight and tomorrow, and for that matter pretty much every weekend night for the foreseeable future. A 1-block walk from my front door to Raiford’s new club… JACKPOT!