Wed morning update

As most of you probably know by now, Widespread Panic is playing the Mud Island Amphitheater Saturday night at 8. SweetWater Brewing is hosting an official WSP after-party at Alfred’s that night. The Backup Planet will perform and you will have a chance to win a kayak.

Crop Hop 5K benefiting the Memphis Farmers Market is coming up this Friday, and race packets are ready! You can pick them up at Bedrock Eats & Sweets at the corner of Main and Vance Thursday from 5 to 7. If you haven’t signed up for Crop Hop 5K yet, it’s not too late to register!

Seeing Red headlines Thursday’s Peabody rooftop party. $10 to get in or $150 VIP season pass, first 200 ladies free. Admission includes a buffet of catfish nuggets with tartar sauce and mini pretzels. If you’re in VIP you get a second buffet of carved Jack Daniel’s glazed tenderloin, garlic mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and watermelon wedges. Red passionfruit margaritas and Backwoods blackberry moonshine will be the drink specials.

I don’t know if anyone who attended the Streetdog Foundation fundraiser this past Sunday reads this blog, but if they do and they didn’t spend all their money on donations there, MakeUseOf has news of an electronic gadget for your dog. CleverPet (you’ll have to scroll down a bit on the page to get to it) is a device that is perfect for people whose dogs are home alone while they are at work all day. It lets you engage your dog remotely, offering puzzles dogs can solve for treats.

Free stuff alert: There’s a good giveaway at AutoZone Park Saturday night. The first 1500 fans in the gate get a Redbirds beach towel.

Did you know MIFA has a Senior Companion program for which you can volunteer? Visiting seniors keeps them active longer and in their own homes longer.

Bruce V from the Flyer had a great tweet about Trump supporters:

Yep.

MyHQ is hosting another free yoga class at Memphis Park (formerly Confederate Park) Wednesday, June 22 from 6:30 to 8 PM. There will be a wine tasting after the class. If you have your own mat, you are encouraged to bring it. Free parking for the first 40 to sign up.

Off to work. I hope the mouse that moved into my cubicle yesterday has moved on to greener pastures. Possibly another post at lunch or after work.

Words no one ever wants to hear + Tuesday news

“Paul, a mouse just ran under your cubicle and he’s still in there.” I hope your day is going better than mine.

We’re off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz! The Wizard of Oz plays the Orpheum through Saturday,

Following that series, the Orpheum will close for painting and cleaning of the gold leaf, and will re-open in early August. During this time the Summer Movie Series will move next door to the Halloran Centre. When Harry Met Sally will be the first movie shown there, on June 24.

Mojito lovers: Saturday is your day, and Bardog is your place. Bloom, the day bartender on Saturday, has informed me that it is my assignment to pick up mint at the Farmers Market every Saturday morning so she can make mojitos. I’ve done that a couple of times this season, but now she wants to make it a regular thing. One note: Since I am doing this on a volunteer basis, don’t expect mojitos if there is heavy rain or thunder between 9:30 and 11 AM.

Thursday the Brass Door will host the official American Outlaws watch party for the USA vs. Ecuador game in Copa Americana.

The University of Memphis is hiring a Director of Student Affairs Learning and Assessment.

You ever have a talk with a friend and think “this person understands me perfectly” when others don’t or don’t even bother to try? I had such a talk yesterday. Thank you for the talk, you know who you are.

I’ll be out someplace after work, location TBD. Maybe will do a second post too.

Things to add to crawfish boil + Monday news

Photo Jun 12, 3 29 34 PM

I will say it one more time… crawfish boils at Max’s Sports Bar are the BEST crawfish boils. Look at the size of this bad boy! You might as well call him Lobster Jr. They absolutely loaded me up with crawfish, taters, corn, and sausage. It was so good that I borrowed a move from the Nuh-Uh Girl and went back for a second box!

My new Foursquare/Swarm friend Katie (not Mac) said, “If you want to try something really good, throw some Brussels sprouts in the crawfish boil next time.” Yum! Yep, I’m that one weird guy who likes Brussels sprouts.

Then my friend Rachelle said, “Throw some green beans in there too.”

And all the way from New York City, Robo added, “Throw some artichoke hearts and fresh garlic in there too.” Fine, Robo, just don’t bring the karaoke machine to the party.

Then Seth from Best Memphis Burger said to put some pineapple chunks in as well. Pineapple and crawfish? I’ll take his word for it, but it’s something I would never have thought to do.

Thanks to Max and the crawfish crew for a wonderful Sunday afternoon. Not only were the crawfish great, but so was the crowd. Everyone was so mature and well-behaved.

On to the news. Spindini is having a beer dinner Thursday, June 30. I took a photo of the poster as I was walking home from the Farmers Market Saturday. Here are the details (click for a larger size).

Photo Jun 11, 10 44 43 AM

The Salty Dogs running group is doing one lap of the trolley tracks this evening. They depart from Bardog at 7 PM and it is free to participate. After the run there are specials in the Underdog Room. Good practice for the Breakaway-Bardog 5K coming up in August.

The Dirty Crow Inn is adding a patio and they hope to have it ready for this coming weekend.

My friend Sarah is hosting Abstract & Ales Painting Night Co-Motion Studio in Crosstown Friday evening. The class is about the freedom you can explore with different colors, brushes, strokes and tools. No previous painting experience is necessary. The event is BYOB, but if enough people are interested they may have a local craft beer bar.

At Redbirds games, you can now sit in the “Owner’s Seats” without being the owner. For $75 you get a padded seat right next to the dugout. You also get access to a full buffet in the Home Plate Club, plus you get in-seat food and beverage service through the 7th inning including beer, wine, soft drinks, water, popcorn, peanuts, Cracker Jack, cotton candy, and pretzels and cheese. If you want to get out of the heat you have access to Press Level Suite Number 20, and if you buy your ticket in advance you can get your photo made on the field. 901-721-6000 to order tickets.

I just have no words for what happened in Orlando yesterday morning. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. Just completely senseless.

I’m not feeling real well so I’m not sure I will be out anywhere after work. Back tomorrow with more news.

Bison kabobs at the tandoori truck @ Memphis Farmers Market

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Most Saturdays I go to the Memphis Farmers Market. I’m not a big purchaser of produce but I do love the food trucks. The tandoori truck is my favorite and this week they had something I have been dying to try: Bison kabobs. These were ground meat bison patties with your choice of rice or naan. I found a table under the pavilion in the shade and chowed down.

I was short on time but there’s a popsicle vendor if you need dessert.

If you want to be a true Downtowner and start early, Earnestine & Hazel’s opens at 10 AM. Clarence’s bar is the new place to be after the market.

Back tomorrow with more news.

Saturday update

Today AutoZone Park will host the Rally Against Fear in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Mississippi Meredith March Against Fear. 50 years ago today, James Meredith, the first African-American to enroll at Ole Miss, led a march from Memphis to Jackson, MS to show that African-Americans were still disenfranchised and treated as second-class citizens despite the passage of two civil rights bills. Meet at AutoZone Park between 11 and noon, with a noon march to the National Civil Rights Museum, followed by a rally program on the museum grounds with live music, a keynote speaker, and more.

Max’s Sports Bar is bringing back crawfish tomorrow, Sunday, June 12. Doors open at 1. I went to their last crawfish boil and can personally vouch that this is the real deal. Some crawfish boils can be hit or miss, but Max’s is a hit every time. Hmmm… B-RAD I may have to take a break from your bar for an hour Sunday.

The Gibson Guitar 5K is tonight on Lt. George W. Lee Avenue.

The Justice for All Ball benefiting Memphis Area Legal Services will be at the Halloran Centre October 15. MALS has provided legal advocacy to those who need it for almost 50 years. This will be a superhero-themed event with black tie (and cape) optional. Live music, silent auction, more. Interested in becoming a sponsor? Contact Lauren at 901-527-4673.

Felicia Suzanne’s has gone fast casual for outdoor lunch on Fridays, the CA’s Jennifer Biggs reports.

The Flyer now has its Hangover Helpers story online. The fried tacos at Maciel’s? Yes! They will change your life.

The Dirty Crow Inn has started a happy hour from 4 to 7 PM Mondays through Fridays. $1 off all beer, all wine, all wells, and a few select spirits.

Earlier this week, I posted that I realize it’s time to stop Feeling the Bern and get behind Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Still, though, I have to admit this is damn funny:

Dance music prodigy NGHTMRE spins at the New Daisy tonight at 10. Tickets $7.40-$25.

There will be fireworks after the Redbirds game tonight (first pitch 6:35) with the first 1500 fans getting a replica Redbirds jersey (gates 5 PM). There will be a block party and baby races before the game. There is a special ticket you can buy to get a Yadier Molina garden gnome.

I enjoyed my first trip to The Pub at the Brass Door last night. It was a very soft opening of the former Mad Earl space and it was wonderful to be greeted by Seamus and Diamond Dave. Our Moody Ques teammate Rick is behind the bar, so stop by and see him. “We don’t have PBR,” he told me, and then followed up with the word I wanted to hear, “…yet.”

Farmers Market, Bardog, Maciel’s, Blind Bear and Max’s Sports Bar are all on my agenda today. Last night I did the Dikembe Mutombo finger wag at Max’s. It’s gonna be a hot one but the heat isn’t going to stop me. WEEKEND!

A rare serious post from me. Please read.

I would like to ask every one of my readers to click the link below and read it all the way through, and also read this post all the way through even though it may be a bit uncomfortable.

An open letter by the victim of the Stanford sexual assault

In case you haven’t heard, former Stanford swim team member Brock Turner was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman he met at a party. He dragged her outside and assaulted her behind a dumpster for several minutes before being chased off by two Swedish men riding bikes. He could have received a maximum of 14 years for his crime. However, he came from money and his father hired a high-dollar attorney who made the victim re-live the horrible assault on the stand, questioning her credibility and promiscuity and generally making her feel worthless. The prosecutor recommended a lenient sentence of only one year, and the judge was even more lenient and sentenced Turner to six months. With good behavior he will be a free man before Labor Day.

I think that is disgusting.

My blog draws hundreds of readers a day, and although my stats tracker doesn’t break down demographics by gender, I think it’s safe to assume that about 50% of my readers are men. Given the number of people who read this blog, it’s probably safe to also assume there are men reading this who have the potential to commit a rape or sexual assault in the future. I beg you, please, please, please don’t. When you do that to a woman, you are emotionally scarring another living being for the rest of her life. She will never be able to get away from the sense of helplessness and powerlessness that you caused her to feel. Please read the letter I linked above and get a sense of what a woman goes through emotionally and physically as a result of this crime.

I have been debating whether to write about this issue every day this week. As early as Wednesday I had it in my daily news update posts and then deleted it. It just didn’t seem appropriate to include this in between who’s playing Loflin Yard and what bobblehead the Redbirds are giving away. However, as someone who is a shaper of public opinion, I feel a responsibility to write about what happened at Stanford. I feel like I’m part of the problem if I don’t write about it. Sorry for bringing up a subject that most of us would rather not discuss, but it is an issue that must be discussed or this kind of thing will continue to happen.

Massive respect to Vice-President Joe Biden for his open letter to the courageous young woman who survived the assault.

Massive respect to USA Swimming for banning Brock Turner for life. I sure as hell do not want this piece of garbage representing my country.

There’s a website where you can sign a petition to recall Judge Aaron Persky who handed down the extremely light six-month sentence.

If a woman ever discloses to you that she suffered a sexual assault or rape, the two most helpful things you can say to her are “I believe you” and “It wasn’t your fault.”

I did a news update this morning, so keep scrolling if you want to know what’s going on around town today. I may do another news post after work. Sorry to go off on a tangent but I just find this matter sickening and couldn’t keep quiet any more.

Friday morning update

Free giveaway alert! The first 1500 fans in the gate tonight at AutoZone Park for the Redbirds game receive a free cooler backpack, courtesy of Vatterott College. First pitch at 7:05, gates open at 6:00 and there will be a block party on the plaza prior to the game.

The CA has an article about the New Daisy bringing back club nights on Saturdays with national and international DJs.

Free movie nights return to Beale Street Landing this Tuesday. The movies will be shown outdoors on a big screen every Tuesday night at 8:30 and there is no cost to attend. First up is WALL-E on Tuesday, June 14.

Old Dominick Distillery in the Front Street Chicken District is preparing for a September launch.

Last night I was in the Silly Goose for happy hour, and the chalkboard indicated that next week will be when they start opening early for lunches and coffee.

I know I have some regular readers out in The Edge, and this morning I have news about your neighborhood: A theater showing independent and international films is coming soon. It will go into the old Hatiloo Theater space at 652 Marshall. Named after a tree in the African savanna, it will be called Baobab Filmhouse.

A man who threw bricks at City Hall at 125 N. Main several times back in March has been arrested.

Off to work. Possibly another post later.

Thur update: Sea of Blue, Beale Bucks, Memphis Farmers Market and more

There will be a Sea of Blue for fallen officer Verdell Smith tonight beginning at 8:15. It will originate out east, then come Downtown passing B.B. King and Beale where officer Smith was killed, and ending at B.B. King and Union. For those who have never seen one, a Sea of Blue is a night-time convoy of police vehicles with their lights on in memory of their fellow officer.

Safety plans for Beale Street were announced this morning. Patrons will pay a $10 cover charge and will receive a $7 voucher to spend on the street. The remaining $3 will cover administrative costs of the program. The cover will only be charged Saturdays after 10 PM. The cover will be cash-only. Fast Pass owners are exempt from the cover charge.

It’s never too early to start shopping for Easter 2017 and the Memphis Farmers Market can help. We think you are egg’in awesome is the theme for Saturday’s market. The Easter Bunny isn’t a vendor, but local farmers selling eggs are. Not only can you buy chicken eggs at the Farmers Market, but duck and quail eggs too. From 10 to noon there will be a kids’ craft activity where they can use egg cartons to create their own garden bugs. Live music by Zoo Girls 8:30-10 and Rice Drewry 11-12:30. The Farmers Market is at the corner of Front and G.E. Patterson every Saturday from 7 AM to 1 PM.

Due to the heat predicted for this Saturday, I am 50-50 on whether I will walk down there. I will probably lose my Foursquare mayorship if I don’t go.

Want to be a volunteer at the Market? They need people to fill a number of roles. More info here. (Hey, there’s Erik!)

Here’s a bonus tip from Lifehacker for Market patrons: The container your berries come in can tell you about their health

The Eric Hughes Trio will play the Blind Bear Saturday, June 11 from 10 AM to 1 PM. They always rock the place, so come here some good music.

Comedy fans: Drafts and Laughs 2 comes to the Memphis Made taproom Wednesday, June 22 at 7:30.

The Sound of Music plays on the big screen at the Orpheum tonight. Movie time is 7, but come early (doors open at 6) for trivia, a selfie station, and drink specials.

If you need a job and want to do some good for the community, there’s a Residential Monitor position open at Porter-Leath. This is a third-shift job – midnight to 8 AM.

Loflin Yard has announced its weekend music lineup. Bluff City Backsliders will play Friday from 6 to 9, Real McCoy Saturday from 4 to 7, and Tennessee Ripple Sunday from 4 to 7.

I know I have a few readers from Chicago… a food truck representing Memphis is handing out free Memphis BBQ ribs up there as I type this. Corner of Adams and Wacker.

Bartlett readers: Your Havana’s Pilon location is now open. We Downtowners love the Cuban food they serve at our spot down here on Madison, and we bet you’ll love it out there too.

Paxton Lynch has reportedly signed a 4-year, $9.5 million contract with the Denver Broncos. Congrats to the former Memphis Tigers QB on makin dat money.

That’ll do it for now. As usual, Silly Goose will be my lead-off spot for happy hour. I may walk over to the Brass Door afterward and see if I can get any inside scoop about the pub’s opening tomorrow. If I do, it’ll be in a future post.

Wed update 3: Pub at the Brass Door to open Friday, crawfish buffet @ Redbirds Thursday

Normally I wouldn’t bother with a post containing only two news items, but these are GOOD items.

First of all, The Pub at the Brass Door is scheduled to open Friday. The Brass Door as it has existed for four years is re-branding itself a bit more upscale, with a nice dinner menu. The room next door, formerly The Mad Earl, will be the Brass Door’s pub, with an elevated stage and 14 TVs. They want it to be a venue for people who love sports. They also plan on opening in the mornings so people staying in nearby hotels can get coffee and breakfast. Friday is the day that both the Brass Door proper and the pub will be open.

The Brass Door has kind of fallen out of my rotation of bars the past month (through no fault of its own) but I will have to check it out at least by the end of the weekend, if not Friday. The pub sounds like it could be a good place to watch the Olympics this summer.

The second news item is that there will be a crawfish buffet at AutoZone Park tomorrow night, Thursday, June 9, with 350 special Field Box tickets that include this buffet available. The tickets are $21. The buffet will be in the left-field picnic area. First pitch against the Colorado Sky Sox will be at 7:05. College students with valid ID can get a left-field bluff seat for $5 and also $2 beer. There will be a block party in the plaza prior to the game.

There’s more news but I’ll save it for tomorrow. Heading out to happy hour now.

Wed update #2

Hey, got a favor to ask my readers… I’m not going to be able to make it to the Streetdog Foundation fundraiser Sunday afternoon, but would like to give someone who is going $20 to drop in the donation bucket. If you are in the same place as me between now and Sunday and you know you are going to the fundraiser, tell me and I will hand you the donation.

High Cotton Brewing Co., hosting the Streetdog fundraiser on Sunday, will start selling cans out of its taproom beginning today.

Swingin Leroy headlines this Thursday’s Peabody rooftop party. $10 to get in or $150 VIP card for the season, with first 200 ladies free. Admission includes a buffet of popcorn shrimp & cocktail sauce and bacon-wrapped scallions. If you’re in VIP you get a second buffet of coconut shrimp with sweet chili sauce, mahi mahi bites with house Tartar sauce, and crab dip with pita bread. Mango margaritas and Firefly cherry colas are the drink specials; if you’re in VIP, you have an additional drink special of pina coladas. Doors open at 6, with entertainment starting at 7.

We now have a date for the opening of the bike and pedestrian span over the Mississippi River: October 22. The span will have controlled lighting.

There are still a few spots left for BreakFEST cooking teams for the festival out at the water tower on Broad on Saturday, September 24. Categories include Omelet, Bacon Lovers, Breakfast Sandwich, Breakfast Sweets, and Anything Goes. Money raised at the festival benefits the Urban Bicycle Food Ministry, a group that brings nutritious and delicious meals to those who are hungry.

Be sure to pick up a copy of the Memphis Flyer today. The main story is “Hangover Helpers” and they look at 18 of them. The issue is not placed online until Thursday so no linky link, sorry.

That’s it for now. Be sure to check this morning’s news post if you haven’t already.