The Redbirds will be back in town tomorrow for the first game of a 5-day homestand, and you know they’re pulling out all the stops for a July 4 celebration. Before the game, there will be a T-1 flyover from Columbus Air Force Base. Frank Anderson, a 104-year-old World War II veteran, will throw out the first pitch. There will be $2 beers in the Plaza before the game. The Redbirds will be wearing special Fourth of July-themed jerseys which will be auctioned off during the game. High bidder for each jersey gets to go on the field and meet the player or coach who wore the jersey and get an autograph. After the game there will be fireworks, all up close and personal from center field.
For tomorrow night’s game, there will be a special ticket that you can purchase that gets you access to a two-and-a-half hour, all-you can-eat buffet of all-American food: hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, cookies, bottled water, and Coca-Cola products.
Memphis is getting a new newspaper called Storyboard. This newspaper will be free and monthly, and the intention is not to compete with the Memphis Flyer, Memphis Business Journal, or Memphis Daily News. It will feature great local coverage by community advocates, the kind of coverage that has been missing since the Commercial Appeal was reduced to practically nothing.
Free concert at Wiseacre tonight. At 8:30, the Dixie Dicks will pull up their pickup into the outdoor pavilion and perform a live concert. This show is intended for mature audiences only (21+). This sounds like the kind of performance my friends Rahul and Tony would enjoy.
I watched the Grizzlies vs. Atlanta Hawks Summer League game last night at the Silly Goose, and #4 pick Jaren Jackson Jr. looked fantastic, scoring 29 points in 23 minutes and draining threes left and right. His totals for rebounding and shots attempted in the paint were a bit low, but I have a feeling the coaching staff told Jackson to make the three ball his main contribution for the opening game. Perhaps in future Summer League games JJJ will be told to focus on other aspects.
Guy sitting next to me at the Goose bet $100 on the game. That’s ballsy, betting on Summer League.
Memphis Escape Rooms are holding a city escape game, departing from their location at South Main and G.E. Patterson, on Saturday, July 21 from 2 to 5. The yellow fever panic of the late 1870s forced 62% of Memphians out of their homes, leaving behind their homes, belongings, and livelihoods. In hopes of restoring the city, one family left behind clues hid all over the city, clues which have gone undiscovered for 140 years. See if you can find them and solve the mystery on the 21st.
The Memphis Flyer and the Tennessee Beef Council are having a Rescue My Grill contest. Send in photos of your oldest, ugliest, dirtiest, most hopeless grill, captioned with what you would like to cook on your grill if you had it rescued. The winner will get a prize pack that includes a 22″ Weber grill, spatula/tongs, spice pack, Guide to Summer grilling recipe brochure, charcoal, and a $50 Beef Gift Card. Enter your photo before 8 PM on July 4, and voting will begin on July 6.
The Dirty Crow Inn is altering their Wednesday music schedule tomorrow, moving Bobbie & Keith to 4-7 PM so those who want to watch fireworks will have time.
Local BBQ team Squeal Street BBQ got their logo (which was printed on a hat) on the Today Show this morning.
I stopped by Bardog Tavern for a Deluxe Grilled Cheese last night, and they have their chalkboard sign up for the Breakaway-Bardog 5K and Monroe Avenue Fest to be held on Sunday, August 19.
That link is runpartyeat.com. This is one of Downtown’s greatest street parties of the late summer, with a beer garden, food, a dunk tank, a raffle for fabulous prizes by great Memphis businesses, a meatball eating contest, and a head shaving. All of these things are to raise money for the kids of St. Jude, and in the years Bardog has been throwing these parties a total of over $200,000 has been raised. This should be an especially big party because Bardog will be celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Looking for a place to watch the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest tomorrow at 11 AM? I would suggest Kooky Canuck, where many of the competitive eaters have stopped by to take on the giant Kookamonga burger.
Carolina Watershed tweeted that they will be closed on the Fourth.
That’s the news for now. Effective weekend night for me with work closed tomorrow! I haven’t yet decided if the core or South Main will be in my plans tonight. Back tomorrow with more news.
