My MLGW bill has been diggin’ this weather lately. I’ve had my HVAC unit turned off for nearly two weeks now. It hasn’t been cold enough long enough to turn the heat on, and it hasn’t been warm enough long enough to require air conditioning. Looking at the forecast, it looks like the HVAC unit will get one more week of vacation, at least.
The Daily Memphian reports that Grizzlies game-night employees will be compensated for games canceled due to the coronavirus. They will pay employees for March games, then see what happens in April but will pay for those games as well if they are not played. Cheers to majority owner Robert Pera for doing the right thing.
The Daily Memphian also reports that Shelby County Schools will distribute meals to students while school is closed March 23-27. The closest location to Downtown is the Crenshaw Branch Library at 531 Vance.
In addition, the DM reports that Old Dominick Distillery is suspending tours.
The DM also reports that the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s March 21 Masterworks performance at the Cannon Center has been canceled.
The four items above were in the Daily Memphian’s coronavirus blog. The DM has made its coronavirus coverage free to non-subscribers, in the interest of public health.
The Orpheum has canceled the following shows:
- Farewell Angelina, March 14, Halloran Centre (postponed)
- America, March 15, Orpheum
- Ballet 5:8 Presents The Space in Between, March 21, Halloran Centre
- Black Violin, March 21, Orpheum (postponed)
- 2020-2021 Broadway Season Reveal, March 23, Orpheum
- Dinner on Stage, March 23, Orpheum
- Memphis Songwriters Series hosted by Mark Edgar Stuart, March 26-April 23, Halloran Centre (postponed)
- The Golden Girls Show! A Puppet Parody, March 28, Halloran Centre (postponed)
- PSS PSS, April 11, Halloran Centre
- Memphis Songwriter Association Songwriter Showdown, April 23, Halloran Centre (postponed)
- Baby Shark Live, April 24, Orpheum (postponed)
- Momma An Em Comedy Show, May 29, Orpheum (postponed)
In FedExForum news, Cher’s Here We Go Again tour has been rescheduled for September 16. Tickets Current ticket holders need take no action if they plan to keep their seats for the September show.
Sports writer and radio host Gary Parrish has a column: Although canceling the NCAA tournament sucks, it was absolutely the right thing to do.
WWE Smackdown, scheduled to broadcast from Detroit last night, had to be moved to the WWE Performance Center in Florida due to coronavirus threat. The video clip below shows Smackdown’s highlights, as well as an intro from WWE Executive Vice President Triple H showing viewers the state-of-the-art center where people train to become sports entertainers.
Really weird to watch Sasha Banks and Bayley cut a promo with absolutely no one in the stands to hear it. It’s reported that Monday Night RAW will be broadcast from the Performance Center as well.
Okay, folks, we are really in bizarro world here. I just walked to Walgreens (approximately 8:10 AM) and there were no people standing outside CeCe’s Liquors waiting for it to open. That may be the first time I’ve seen that in my 17 years living down the street from the liquor store and Walgreens.
By the way, I checked – Walgreens has some small 4-packs of toilet paper but the larger packs are gone. Best advice is, don’t wait until you get down to the last roll to go get more. The bleach shelves are mostly empty but I did see a few bottles of Clorox on the bottom shelf.
The World Health Organization recommends that people over 50 take extra precautions to avoid catching COVID-19, because that group has a greater risk of dying from the virus or subsequent bacterial infections. I wonder if that will lead to the cancellation of DTO? I mean, the emcee is practically knocking on the door of sixty and several of the other organizers fall on the wrong side of the WHO’s age line. DTO has several events where multiple people handle the same object, and it would not be easy to sanitize between exchanges. Also, it’s moving to a smaller space this year which will make social distancing among spectators challenging. Perhaps the civic-minded organizers will want to do their part to flatten the curve.
I saw a fabulous suggestion yesterday. If you plan on eating at home for the next few weeks in order to distance yourself from others, why not go to your favorite restaurant and buy gift cards to be used when you do get back out? That will bring revenue into the restaurant during these uncertain times, helping to ensure that the restaurant will still be around when the virus threat passes.
From The Takeout: COVID-19 could decimate the restaurant industry. What can be done about it?
Don’t forget our low-income and vulnerable Memphians who will be among those spending more time at home until the threat passes. The Mid-South Food Bank is putting together boxes, each containing about 30 pounds of prepackaged foods, to help the needy get through 14 days or more sheltering at home. They are in need of food donations (canned and non-perishable foods) as well as volunteers to pack the boxes.
From WMC Action News 5: Organizers say it is unlikely Memphis in May will be canceled. Only a mandate from government would shut it down, organizers say. But if it is canceled, ticket fees, BBQ team fees, and race fees will be refunded, Fox 13 reports.
Reminds me: A few days ago I told you I was monitoring an unnamed out-of-town event that attracts an older crowd, because I saw that event as a good measuring stick of whether events should or should not be canceled. It was the national bridge tournament in Columbus, Ohio, scheduled for March 19-29. Thursday evening the bridge league announced that they had no choice but to cancel the tournament, due to the governor of Ohio temporarily banning gatherings of 100 or more people. This will be the first year since the creation of the Vanderbilt Cup in 1928 that it will not be awarded.
Folk All Y’all: An Evening with Sarah Potenza at the Green Room at Crosstown Concourse has been canceled.
You can drink like a leprechaun all day today at the Flying Saucer. Dress up like a leprechaun and your first beer is on them. There will be special stouts, car bombs, beer specials, and live bagpipers. My neighbor texted me and asked, “Do they really have live bagpipers?” Yes. A local bagpipers’ club has been performing at the Saucer for St. Pat’s (or the Saturday before) for years.
Max’s Sports Bar will have $7 chocolate mint slushes all day today. From 4:30-6:30 PM they will have Car Bomb Madness. Doors open at 11 AM. I wonder what they’ll show on their TVs, considering there are no sports right now? Damn… I just realized, March Madness would normally be three of Max’s busiest weeks of the year. I need to get down there this weekend and support. I mean, my three PBRs at $2.75 apiece probably won’t pay the mortgage there, but at least it will be moral support. If for no other reason, I need to support Max just because he keeps his PBR drafts at a reasonable price point while other bars choose to charge more.
Continuing to watch the video clip of WWE Smackdown as I write this post… and I’m realizing, the wrestling on FOX is a lot more real than the news is.
Not sure this is still happening, but Tin Roof is having St. Practice Day all day today with outdoor DJs and bands on the live side.
Comma, Comma, Comma, Comma, Comma Comedians return to Memphis Made Brewing Co. tonight.
I subscribed to a really excellent e-newsletter this week: POLITICO Playbook. It tells you all about current events and their effect on what the government is doing. If you don’t have time to watch the national news on TV, this is a great way to stay informed. It’s written in a very digestible, conversational style.
Chris Johnson plays The Vault at 4 today.
Catch DJ Ben Murray on the 1s and 2s at Slider Inn Downtown tonight 9 PM-1 AM.
If you’re a fan of B-RAD who is the Sunday brunch bartender at the Silly Goose, he is interviewed on this week’s episode of the Rahul and Tony podcast.
Whoa, the WWE signed Rob Gronkowski! He’ll be on Smackdown next Friday.
We’re still a couple of weeks out but I am going to say this far in advance: It is NOT COOL to post April Fool’s jokes about the coronavirus on social media. People are panicking. Please make that topic off-limits on April 1.
Well crap. I use Evernote to save links I want to talk about in the next blog post, and the service has been down about 30 minutes now. I had about 7 more things in my “Saturday links” note and now I can’t access it. So I guess this post is done. Back tomorrow with more news.