Errrrbody prints koozies and Sunday news

Yesterday around noon I was sitting on a bar stool at Earnestine & Hazel’s, listening to the jukebox, taking in the smell of Soul Burgers, watching the Music Fest goers walk past the door. “You got your BBQ team situation figured out? You get some more members to join?” Clarence asked me.

“Oh yeah, as recently as two days ago we had someone sign up,” I said.

Now, Clarence knows I’m on the Moody Ques. Heck, Saturday before last we more or less turned Earnestine & Hazel’s into a Moody Ques bar, with my teammates Eric, Jeremy, and Jeana there. However, the people sitting next to me yesterday would have had no idea I was on the Moody Ques, given that my PBR bottle was in another team’s koozie.

Stepping into my Director of Public Relations role, I saw an opportunity.

My BBQ team gets rubber wristbands printed in the colors of the honored country every year. Members wear these during BBQ Fest to let the off-duty MPD officer at the door know they are team members, and to let the bartender know they have priority in line. Once BBQ Fest is over, most of those rubber wristbands get thrown in a drawer. However, I wear mine year-round. It’s a conversation piece, a way to get people to ask about the Moody Ques. It works too. I recently gave away my ’17 wristband to an out-of-town visitor. Which reminds me, I need to text our team president and have him bring me another wristband.

I’m not a stay-at-home guy. I go out most days of the week. Five of the places I frequent – Blind Bear, Silly Goose, Belle Tavern, Majestic Grille, and Earnestine & Hazel’s – have PBR in bottles or cans. When those bottles or cans sit on the bar in front of me, I realized, they need to be wrapped in a Moody Ques koozie.

To make it clear, this is something I am going to pay for out of my own pocket. I’m not going to get the team to fund it – our treasurer Misty has enough on her mind already. I am also not looking at this as a 2017 team benefit – it’s too late, BBQ Fest is too close, and I would have to pay rush pricing. That said, when I do get them, if the order is big enough I will try to make sure every team member gets one.

Instead, I plan on using the koozies as a 2018 marketing tactic. Every year there are people who think, “All right. This is the year I’m finally going to join a BBQ team.” As I learned in college psychology class (RIP Dr. Cloar), familiarity breeds likability. If they make that decision in March, and they’ve been seeing the BBQ team’s logo on my beer for nine months, and they’ve inquired about it and heard my stories, they’re very likely to ask, “Hey Paul, are there spots open on your team?” Even better would be if I could get people to ask, “Hey Paul, does your team need a sponsor?”

So, I put the word out on Facebook that I might be interested in getting some koozies printed. I did not expect the response I got. People were texting me. People were private-messaging me. People were tagging their friends in the post. By the end of the day Saturday I had fourteen different leads on getting koozies printed. Actually fifteen, because I need to see if our T-shirt printer does koozies also. Apparently I’m the only one in town without a koozie-printing machine.

On to the news… Trolley Stop Market is hiring once again. They are looking for two line cooks and two pizza preppers. Apply in person between 10 AM and 5 PM Wednesday-Friday, and bring your resume and three references.

Volunteer opportunity at a Victorian mansion: As summer approaches, the Woodruff-Fontaine House gets more tourists and more visitors. If you are interested in giving tours, working with their extensive textile collection, and helping out with special events, email contact@woodruff-fontaine.org.

If you’re looking for live music today but in a less busy environment than Music Fest, check out Songwriter Sessions at the Ghost River taproom today from 5 to 7. This week they have Alex Greene, who has played with Reigning Sound, The Subtractions, and Rolling Head Orchestra. He is rarely seen solo. He plays keys and some guitar.

Not far away, Electric Church plays Loflin Yard 3-6 PM.

Still got an hour and a half until D-RANKS with B-RAD at Blind Bear. I think I’ll go walk around and watch the freak show that Downtown becomes during Music Fest weekend. Back tomorrow with more news.