(Impractical) Jokers, stars of truTV, will perform their pranks live on stage at FedExForum tonight. Memphis is tonight’s stop on their “Cranjis McBasketball World Comedy Tour starring the Tenderloins.”
Fantastic job opening in the nonprofit sector: Volunteer Odyssey is hiring a Director of Volunteer Experience. This person will work with individual and corporate volunteers as well as community partners. Volunteer Odyssey is in a great location, on the Main Street Mall, and they believe in investing in training and development for their employees. Deadline to apply is April 14, with interviews conducted in late April and the position beginning in June.
Despite the Grizzlies’ loss to Golden State last night, they are still only half a game out of the ninth worst record in the NBA, ideal to CONVEY THAT PICK. Still, looking at the revised 2019 NBA draft lottery odds, a seventh-place finish wouldn’t be totally horrible. They’d have a 31.9% chance of a top-four pick (and there are considered about 4 top-level picks in this draft), and a 14.2% chance of dropping to the ninth pick or worse in the draft, in which case they would convey.
Tonight there will be a kick-off of the new Cossitt Pop-Up Library at 409 S. Main from 7 to 8:30 PM. Bob Levy, a former Washington Post columnist, will give a short presentation on his new novel, Larry Felder, Candidate. There will be books from Friends of the Library for purchase, as well as books from the Cossitt Collection to browse. Be among the first to hear details of upcoming Cossitt programs. The Daily Memphian has more on plans for the Cossitt Library and Fourth Bluff.
There will be a celebration in Health Sciences Park tomorrow, 11 AM to 1 PM, for the opening of Dry Rain, a new art exhibit created by Atelier YokYok, the artist who created Treedom Memphis in Uptown last year. DJ Siphne Anye will provide the music, and there will be food trucks for those who want to purchase lunch.
Memphis 901 FC has announced the Salvation Army Kroc Center as its permanent training facility and partner. With indoor and outdoor soccer pitches and a weight training facility, the Center is an ideal fit.
Terrace at the River Inn over on Mud Island is starting Whiskey Night Wednesdays with weekly specials on whiskey as well as small plates. Here’s a look at the menu.
Speaking of alcohol-related specials, Max’s Sports Bar has a new, everyday one: A Yazoo Daddy-O beer and a shot of Old Grand-dad for $10.
Your days of seeing Johnny Manziel in a Memphis Express uniform may be coming to an end. The AAF, the league in which the Express plays, may be in danger of folding. The issue is that the NFL Players’ Association won’t give AAF teams access to young, practice-squad players contracted by the NFL, citing risk of injury and numerous other concerns. I have no sympathy for the AAF here. Why would you stake your very existence on the assumption that an outside third party, who owes you nothing, would be willing to bend over backward to help you?
I think part of the problem, at least for Memphis, is that the start of the Memphis Express’ inaugural (and perhaps only) season coincided by a matter of weeks with the start of Memphis 901 FC’s inaugural season. People only have so many entertainment dollars to spend and so much time to go to sporting events. Soccer was a novelty to Memphis this year, while football was not. I suspect that hurt Express attendance as much as anything.
March Madness resumes today, and many Memphians will be rooting for the Purdue Boilermakers to run the Tennessee Vols out of the tournament. That game tips off at 6:29 PM on TBS. I saw a good meme on Facebook this morning: “Behind every screaming goat there is a Tennessee fan.” How true.
Beer Connoisseur ranked all 50 states for beer, and Tennessee didn’t do too bad, coming in at number 24. I suspect the state should have ranked higher, as the writers didn’t seem to understand that Nashville is not the only city that brews beer. Congratulations to Mississippi on finishing dead last on yet another “states ranked” list, followed closely by good ole West Virginny and Alabama. Top three: California, Oregon, and Michigan.
The final installment of the In This Place speaker series at Clayborn Temple will happen Friday, April 5. Rev. Dr. James M. Lawson Jr., a civil rights activist and university professor, will speak about building the future of Memphis. Following Rev. Lawson’s speech there will be small group conversations about the topic.
Insider tip for those of you who work or live in the northern part of Downtown: There are food trucks gathering every day across from the Cook Convention Center, near Main and Exchange, to serve the bridge players who are in town. I’ve read they are there for both lunch and dinner, and I’m sure you don’t have to be a bridge player to make a purchase. The tournament runs through Sunday.
Of course, it’s Food Truck Rodeo day in Court Square for lunch, and I’m headed over there now. Back tomorrow with more news.