My favorite Memphis band ever is getting its note on the Beale Street Brass Note Walk of Fame. For many years I caught high-energy rockabilly band The Dempseys at venues like Blues City Cafe, Huey’s, and the Flying Saucer. The musicianship and onstage antics of Bradley D. Birkedahl, “Slick” Joe Fick, and Ron Perrone Jr. simply could not be matched. They separated in 2010 to work on independent projects. On Tuesday, The Dempseys will join greats such as Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis on the Walk of Fame, in a ceremony outside the Blues City Band Box where they played many times. Congratulations to Brad, Joe, and Ron. You deserve it and thanks for all of the good times.
Seriously… if you haven’t seen The Dempseys you need to look them up on YouTube now.
The Memphis Business Journal has a couple of pieces of hotel news. There’s a story on challenges the Exchange Building owners will face converting the building to a mixed-use hotel and apartment building. The upper floors are vacant and could be converted immediately, with vacant units on lower floors being possibilities for extended-stay hotel rooms. Residents would be given the opportunity to renew their leases, so it doesn’t sound like anyone will be kicked out. A previous article said the building is currently about 70% occupied. The MBJ reports that the hotel will not carry a national brand and will be called The Exchange.
A contractor has pulled a permit to begin work on the hotel that will be inside of the Pyramid as part of the new Bass Pro Shops location. Retail is scheduled to open December 1, and the hotel next year.
Tonight’s Peabody rooftop party is a casting call for the Memphis Flyer fall fashion issue and Memphis Soul Revue will headline. $10 cover, ladies and hotel guests free until 7. Admission includes a buffet of a wheel of cheddar cheese, assorted baguettes, an olive assortment, pickles, and cherry peppers. If you’re in VIP you have a second buffet of imported and domestic cheese, fresh fruit, and sliced meats. This is the second to last Peabody rooftop party of the summer season.
Also tonight, don’t forget about South of Beale’s 5th birthday party. Live music, hors d’oeuvres, special beer tappings, and birthday cake shots. Starts at 7 PM.
Six years ago I attended a South Main Association meeting at which the speaker was then-Memphis Police Chief Larry Godwin. He stressed the need for the police department to be centralized in one headquarters, rather than scattered in multiple rented locations around town. He emphasized both the cost savings and the improvement in morale that would be a result. Six years later, that may happen. MPD may relocate to the building on the Civic Center Plaza recently vacated by the state.
If you’re deciding whether to attend the Stumbling Elvis pub crawl this Saturday, here’s one more reason to go. I was told that one of the pub crawl attendees bought her outfit on a recent trip to St. Louis – a tube top so small that “we don’t know how she’s going to fit everything in there.” One of her friends commented, “We’re going to have to check Paul’s pulse to make sure he’s still alive.” Crawl begins at Flying Saucer at 7 PM. Bring non-perishable food donation and dress as Elvis or Priscilla.
That’ll do it for now. I’ll be out at the usual places after work.