The Daily Memphian has a report of a recent meeting between the Memphis Police Department and board members of the Downtown Memphis Commission. Downtown safety was the topic and these were a few of the highlights:
- There have been a lot of impromptu parking lot parties that have popped up Downtown this year, and officers have had to be stationed to keep them under control
- When the kids found out on July 4 that there was no cover charge or ID checking on Beale Street, they called all their friends and said “come on down” and things quickly got out of hand
- MPD recommended that better, controllable lighting be installed on Beale
- MPD created a traffic enforcement detail Downtown to deal with the increase in reckless driving and drag racing
Cheers to Penny Hardaway and Memphis men’s basketball on yesterday’s commitment from small forward Emoni Bates. Bates was a top-two prospect of the class of 2022. He was recently reclassified to the class of 2021, where he was still considered a top-five, five-star acquisition. Alongside fellow recruit Jalen Duren, Bates helps position the Tigers for a deep run into the NCAA tournament.
The Red Clay Strays play a free show tonight at Carolina Watershed at 7.
There’s been a lot of discussion on social media this week about whether the annual Cooper-Young Festival should go on as planned. It’s a huge street party that stretches about 10 blocks down South Cooper Street and 2 blocks down Young Avenue. It’s a diverse, liberal crowd, a celebration of all that is wild, weird, and wonderful in Memphis. Over the course of 10 hours, it draws 100,000+ people to the neighborhood… which in normal times would be awesome, but we live in COVID times.
I’m not gonna offer an opinion on whether it is responsible to hold an event this large during a pandemic surge, but I will make this note: The festival is Saturday, September 18. If you have your heart set on going, and you’re unvaccinated, you could go get the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot this week and your body would have 3 weeks to build immunity to the virus.
Speaking of vaccines… the Memphis Fire Department mobile vaccination unit will be at the Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday from 8 to 1. They didn’t specifically say which vaccines they’d have Saturday, but in the past, the mobile unit has tended to offer both the Pfizer and the J&J.
The Majestic Grille is now open for lunch Wednesdays through Fridays 11-2. Previously they had only been opening for lunch on Fridays. New to the menu is the Kale & Brussels Salad. It has shaved Brussels sprouts, kale, apples, cranberries, carrots, almonds, and crispy chickpeas in an apple vinaigrette. Man… just typing that makes me hungry…
… makes me hungry for a Majestic Burger with extra cheese and add bacon, that is.
River City Records has created a Facebook event listing for its Grand Opening Party. It’s Saturday, September 11 from 2 to 8 at 101 South Main, in the location that used to be Bluff City Soap. I’m not a vinyl collector – I gave away my turntable years ago – but I get the feeling this is going to be a very cool store that will add to the soul of Memphis.
By the way, that reminds me… I was writing for a “local news” platform this summer before they changed the payout structure and made it not worth my time. One of the articles I was planning would have been “The Soul of Downtown Memphis” and it would have covered the following places:
- Earnestine & Hazel’s
- A. Schwab on Beale
- Dyer’s
- National Civil Rights Museum
- Paula & Raiford’s Disco
- Center for Southern Folklore
- Gus’s
- Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum
- South Main Book Juggler
- South Main Sounds
- Alcenia’s
- Cozy Corner
- and probably a brewery… if I had to pick, I’d throw Downtown Wiseacre in there
117 Prime now carries wines from Ashes & Diamonds, a Napa Valley winery recently named one of the top 100 wineries in the world by Wines & Spirits. To celebrate, the restaurant will have a wine dinner featuring Ashes & Diamonds products Monday, August 30 at 6 PM. $120 per person. Seats are limited. Call 901-433-9851 to make your reservation.
Today is National Dog Day.
Enjoy the sounds of House in the MidSouth tonight at the Moxy Hotel tonight 6-9. There is no cover charge. The event is presented by Old Dominick Distillery.
Today would have been the monthly Whet Thursday social event at the Metal Museum, but the website indicates that the event has been canceled.
Wyly Bigger performs Live at the Tracks at Central Station tonight from 7:00 to 9:30.
Bass Pro at the Pyramid will have an inflatable archery range for the kids Saturday 11 to 3. “Inflatable” and “archery” really don’t sound like two concepts that would work together, but apparently Bass Pro has found a way. Each kid who gives it a try gets a free archery clip.
That’ll do it for today’s post. If I get out this evening it’ll probably be Bardog or Max’s. Back tomorrow with more news.