Month: March 2012

Starting my annual list of places to party Downtown on St. Pat’s. Being on a Saturday with great weather, this should be a big year. If you want your place’s info added, email me at paul@paulryburn.com and maybe I’ll update this list later this week.

Bardog Tavern: 4th annual Erin-Go-Bragh-Less party. $3 Yuengling pints, Jameson drink specials. Panda Manda and Jeannie in short green shorts.

Beale Street: 37th annual Beale Street St. Patrick’s Day parade at 4. The Raising of the Goat at Silky’s afterward.

Blind Bear: St. Patrick’s Day Speakeasy Style, starting at 6 PM. $2 green PBR, $3 Guinness, $3 Harpoon Ale bottles, $5 car bombs, $5 Irish cocktails, $5 Jameson shots. Blind Bear girls in beer girl and leprechaun costumes. Jamie and Colin in kilts.

Brass Door: Party with outdoor music starting at 11 AM. Artists include Myla Smith, Candy Company, Good Luck Dark Star, Jeremy Stanfill, Susan Marshall, Planet Reel, Wampass Cats, Deering & Down, and Big Betsy. Food and drink specials. $10 cover. Given the weather on Saturday (sunny, high 77, low 61) this outdoor party could be THE party of the day.

Flying Saucer: Menu of Irish favorites, $3 Irish beers all day. Music by The Real McCoy, Innis Acla School of Irish Dance, Highland Bag Pipes and the No Hit Wonders.

Kooky Canuck: $3 34 oz. green beer, Irish menu, drink specials. They’re having an Irish pre-party Thursday the 15th as well.

Majestic Grille: Lunch specials Thur-Fri March 15-16: Beef and mushroom pie, fish and chips, corned beef on rye; dinner specials Thur-Sat March 15-17: Smithwick’s Ale steamed mussels, sausage & cheese platter featuring Irish cheeses, grilled salmon in bacon leek sauce with colcannon potatoes, filet mignon with Guinness & mushroom sauce

Silly Goose: $2 PBR, $3 Guinness, $4 Irish car bombs. DJ Cody. Doors open at 2 PM.

I’ll be back after work with a “Tuesday update” news post. I’m planning on playing poker at Blind Bear at 8, after illness kept me away from the table last week.

If you play the card game bridge with friends or family, but have never played in a club or tournament setting, you ought to come Downtown this weekend to the convention center. As many of you know, I work for the non-profit that sanctions bridge in North America. We hold three major North American championship tournaments a year, and for the first time ever, one of the tournaments will be held in Memphis, at the Cook Convention Center March 15-25.

The tournaments attract the big dogs of the game, who come from all over the world to compete for bridge’s top championships. However, there is plenty for players who are relative newcomers to the game to do as well. Here are some things you’ll be able to do at the tournament:

– Get free bridge lessons from three of the top bridge teachers in the world – Saturday, Sunday and Monday at 10 AM. After the lessons there are 14-deal games that are free for newcomers, and you receive a record of the hands you played for further analysis.

– There’s a reception for newcomers Saturday the 17th at 6:30

– There are games exclusively for newcomers every day

– There are free newcomer pairs games on Friday the 16th

– There’s a 75th anniversary celebration Friday night the 16th, with the Beale Street Flippers performing at 10:30 and Reba Russell at 11:15

– Almost every day, there are celebrity speakers at 9:15 and 6:45. This is a great chance to get tips on how to improve your game from some of bridge’s top players, and the talks are free to attend.

– Try your hand at duplicate if you’ve never played before. In duplicate, you and your partner are not really playing against the two other people at the table; rather, you’re playing against the other North-South or East-West pairs, who are playing the same hand you are.

– Watch top players play (this is known as kibitzing). Volunteers at the tournament can tell you who’s good to kibitz and what kind of etiquette should be observed if you do this.

A few common questions people ask:

I’d like to play, but I have a feeling I’ll be the worst player there. I don’t want others to make fun of me. Not a problem. We have a zero-tolerance policy against rudeness at our tournaments. Also, the newcomer games are much more laid-back and relaxed that the North American championship contests the pros play.

I’d like to play, but I don’t have a partner. That’s no problem. Just show up about an hour early, and our partnership desks can help you find someone to partner with.

Sounds like fun, but doesn’t it attract mainly old people? No. That’s a common myth about the game. The North American tournaments, and particularly the newcomer games, attract a wide range of ages.

The tournament lasts 10 days. What’s your recommendation for best day for a newcomer to go? I’d say Saturday the 17th. Take the free bridge lesson at 10, play in the 14-deal game at 12:30. Then ride the trolley south to Beale, catch the St. Patrick’s Day parade, then trolley back north for the newcomer reception at 6:30. The reception is a good opportunity to meet people to play with in the future.

You can view the newcomer schedule here (PDF) and find full tournament information here. I won’t be at the tournament much, because I need to be in the office to do my website stuff. However, I will be volunteering at the information desk the morning of the 21st. If you’re looking for something fun and different to do, come check it out.

This morning I discovered a very useful new service: Tweet-a-Beer. You sign up through their provider, Chirpify, which connects your Twitter handle to your PayPal account. Once you’ve authorized both accounts, people can tweet $5 (the price of a beer) to your PayPal. Easy way to make someone happy with only a few clicks.

If anyone wants to tweet me a beer, I’m signed up @paulryburn.

The big thing going on Downtown today is that the Tigers play UCF at 5:30 at the FedExForum. It’s the C-USA semifinals, televised on CBS Sports Network. That’s going to make getting in and out of Downtown at rush hour rather tricky, so allow a little extra time.

If you’re looking for something to do after the game, my recommendation would be to walk over to the Brass Door, on Madison between Second and Third. My friend David “Diamond Dave” Loews is having his birthday party in the Cavern, the pub’s downstairs music venue. Dave has the run of the place and has said to be prepared for “entertainment, music, and hi-jinx Dave style.” Even if you don’t know Dave, come on down! Good reason to check out this great little Irish pub in the Downtown core if you haven’t been there yet.

The Orpheum has announced that John Mayer has canceled his tour, which included an April 30 stop at the theatre. Ticket refund details here. Mayer explains the reason behind the tour cancellation here.

Single-game tickets to the 2012 Redbirds games will go on sale Monday.

My plans for after work: The BBQ team has asked me to attend their board of directors meeting. I’m not on the board, but they said they wanted me there to take photos for the website and to offer marketing expertise. I looked over the meeting agenda, which includes “championship pork shoulder sampling.” Ya know, hardly anyone looks forward to a late Friday afternoon meeting, but sometimes you have to take one for the team. I’ll be there.

Will probably walk up to Dave’s birthday party at some point after the meeting. Of course, the Saucer’s on the way there.

So tonight I was hanging out on the rail at the Saucer, watching the one TV in there that carried the Tigers game (really guys?). One of my drinking buddies came in and asked, “Have you heard who’s headlining the Sunflower Blues Festival in Clarksdale this year?”

“What’s the Sunflower Blues Festival?” I replied. I had never heard of it.

He answered his own question instead of mine. “Robert Plant.”

No kidding. Here’s the info.

Downtown friends: A preliminary plan may be in the works to arrange transportation if you’re interested.

Everyone be sure to read the lead story in the Memphis Flyer this week, in which they put local bartenders to the test. MICHELE’S BASEBALL BAT GOT MENTIONED!!! The article states that Michele has a bat behind the bar at Max’s Sports Bar, but she keeps things under control and rarely has to use it. Heh. I remember her almost using it one day, when obnoxious customer Sweaty McDrippy decided he didn’t want to pay for a beer he ordered. Two other Downtown bartenders, Erin from the Monkey and Jeannette from the Blind Bear, were also put to the test.

Warning to those of you who take I-240: The cops are cracking down on speeders. There’s a debate whether this is being done to generate revenue or to actually control speeding. As someone who drives home on 240, from I-55 north to the midtown I-40 interchange, I can tell you the cops have a very good reason for cracking down. Lots of reckless drivers, lots of drivers who don’t care at all if they rear-end you if you don’t speed up and get out of their way. Lots of drivers who weave from the center lane into the left, then back across two lanes for a last-minute exit (usually the Lamar exit).

Felicia Suzanne’s is having a 4-course vegan and vegetarian dinner on Thursday, March 22. Courses are paired with sustainable wines. Details here.

The Redbirds will have an open practice Tuesday, April 3 at AutoZone Park from 11 AM to 2 PM. The public is invited to come watch. Free hot dogs, nachos, and soda. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

There’s another ticket giveaway going on for the River City Brewers Fest. See the Fuzzy Brew blog for details.

Teams to root against in conference tournaments this weekend: Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Gonzaga, New Mexico, Murray State, St. Mary’s, San Diego State, and Creighton. Why? Joe Lunardi of ESPN’s Bracketology has those teams projected as #6 and #7 seeds in the NCAA tournament. Memphis (projected 8 seed) stands to move up if those teams lose.

Plans for tonight: Drive home in the rain. Walk to a bar in the rain. Drink beer. Walk home from the bar in the rain.

At least I’m not sick anymore.

Back in the saddle today. Too much work to do to be sick any longer.

Are you a fan of bowties? The first-ever meeting of two local bowtie makers will happen today at Shelton Clothers from 4:30 to 5:30 PM. Moziah Bridges of Mo’s Bows will come and meet Randy Hanauer of Randy Hanauer’s Finishing Touches. Both will have swatches available so you can come and pick out your own custom bowtie.

Double J SmokeHouse and Saloon has announced their happy hour: 4-7 PM Monday-Friday, with all domestics $3, Ghost River $3, PBR $2. Lance Strode will take the stage Friday from 10 AM to 2 PM. You can check out a video of his here. They’re open for lunch too.

Want to live across the street from Gus’s Fried Chicken? You’ll soon have the chance. Investors are converting 347 S. Front, at Front and Talbot, into 20 loft-style units, and they plan to build 9 new townhomes. There will also be 750 SF of retail space. The MBJ has more details here.

If you missed my ticket giveaway to River City Brewers Festival last week, Jarman at 98.1 the Max is giving away tickets at 2:10 PM today. Listen to the station to find out how to win.

B.B. King’s is holding a fundraiser for server Gerald Jones. He’s fighting stage 4 T-cell lymphoma, and the club is raising money for chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. There are donation buckets on the stage, the three bars, and at the front door, and diners can also add a donation to their check. More info on the Flyer’s site. They’re accepting donations through Saturday, March 10.

Still not much better than yesterday. NyQuil seemed to help last night, but then I deteriorated through the day. Let’s get a quick post done then I’m going back to bed.

The Memphis Redbirds are demolishing their old video screen to make room for a new one. They’re posting photos of the demolition on Twitter @memphisredbirds.

I’ve received two confirmations for Downtown bars that will open early Saturday for the C-USA final, assuming Memphis is in: Max’s Sports Bar and Brass Door. Tiger game times, assuming they go through, are 6:30 Thursday (CBS Sports Network), 5:30 Friday (CBS Sports Network), 10:30 AM Saturday (CBS).

There’s a public meeting about the Harahan Bridge Project Monday the 12th, 5:30, Memphis College of Art, 477 S. Main. The meeting is to discuss an awesome plan to transform the Harahan Bridge, built in 1917 and taken out of commission in 1949 after the I-55 bridge was completed. The Harahan was a railroad bridge, but since the popularity of automobiles was on the rise, lanes were added on either side for cars. The Project wants to turn those side lanes, unused in 60 years, into pedestrian and bike pathways connecting Memphis and West Memphis.

Apologies that this post isn’t up to my usual writing style. Going to shoot some NyQuil, go to bed, and do my best to feel like going to work in the morning. Good luck to all my friends playing poker at the Blind Bear tonight.

I like it when blog material comes in that I can just copy and paste. I’m not feeling any better. Things I normally do that I haven’t done today: Shower, shave, eat, drink a Mountain Dew, go to work, go to a bar, check Twitter (until just now when I saw a get-well wish). Oh, and add sleep to that list, although I sure have been trying. Pretty sure this is the flu and I’d estimate my chances of making it to work in the morning at about 20%.

Anyway, here’s an email Diamond Dave send me about the Brass Door’s new schedule.

Hey Paul

Sorry I didn’t have all the details of this, this morning but as there
is no trivia this week it’s probably better being posted tomorrow to
avoid confusion. Feel free to add/take away from any of it or stagger
it.

Just saw you were ill to so I hope you feel better soon. Take care mate.

So here is the new schedule for the Brass Door.

Wednesdays is Wine Down Wednesday and Pint Night with $3 House Wine,
$3 Pints and $3 Wells.

Along with this Dave and Seamus are starting open mic nights down in
the Cavern at 8pm on Wednesdays. Any questions you can call Dave on
901-336-2738 but this is a great opportunity for musicians to get a
chance to play and test out songs, play covers or whatever they like.
The PA is set up along with a piano and a couple of instruments down
there so people can turn up and play.

Thursday is Jersey night so if you wear your Jersey you get happy hour
prices all night.

Starting Monday 12th of March at 7pm is Trivia Night hosted by Seamus
himself. Details of prizes and format to follow.

Sunday is Service Industry Night with $2 domestic pints and $2 wells (with ID)

The special event for this week is Diamond Dave’s birthday
extravaganza on Friday 9th March. This should be a fun night open to
everyone.

Kicking off at 7pm the night is going to include Dave blasting out
some of his favourite tunes, live music, a burlesque dancer and a fire
dancer from the Sock It To Me Burlesque troop. There also be cake from
Mid South Fair prize winner Michael Knox.

The event page is here so feel free to spread the word and check for updates

http://www.facebook.com/events/307618519301428/

I woke up this morning about 2:30 AM unable to stop coughing. I felt hot, and took my temperature – 100.8. I called in to work and have been in bed all day. Sorry for no lunchtime blog post and for not answering emails. I haven’t been in front of the computer since 8 this morning. My fever has since risen to the 102 range. This is either a bad cold, or a medium case of the flu, not sure which.

This was a terrible time to call in to work, because my backup on the company website is in India getting married. So the company has no webmaster. If the way I feel right now is the way I wake up feeling tomorrow morning, I’ll have no choice to but call in sick again.

It goes without saying that I won’t be at Pint Nite at the Saucer or poker at the Goose tonight. Even if I get to feeling better and go to work, I’m skipping poker tomorrow at Blind Bear. Out of respect for my opponents, I don’t want to be passing around cards with them in case I have anything contagious.

Going back to bed. I may try to do a Monday news post this evening, but don’t count on it.