Reminder: Joe Austin & The Tallahatchies play the Blind Bear tonight at 8. Joe used to play the Bear as a member of Mud Flap King. It’s great to see live music back on Thursday nights, so come on out!
While there, why not do a little shopping? They currently have
- Blind Bear hoodies for $35
- Blind Bear Santa hat T-shirts for $25
- Blind Bear 10th anniversary shirts for $10, shirts say, “Guess you couldn’t keep a secret!” on the back
There will be another community meeting about ALSAC’s proposed 7-story parking garage at Third/Fourth and A.W. Willis today from 5:00 to 6:30 PM at the Neighborhood Christian Center, 785 Jackson. Last month the Board of Adjustment sent the proposal back, telling ALSAC/St. Jude to work with the community to come up with a plan that serves the needs of both the hospital and the community. This is your chance to help craft that plan. Follow community organizers on Instagram at @parksnotparking901.
I know Thursday is not the ideal day to report this, but put it on your calendar for future weeks: The Green Beetle has started doing Wing Wednesdays. They smoke and then fry them, and you get 4 whole wings plus celery, carrots, and fries for $15.99. If you haven’t been keeping up with pandemic-fueled inflation, let me tell you, that is a very reasonable price these days.
Ghost River has announced its music lineup for its Beale Street taproom this weekend. No cover for any of these shows:
- Tonight: Kaleidoscope 6-9 PM
- Friday: Max Kaplan and the Magics 4-7; Fuzzy Jeffries and the Kings of Memphis 7:30-11
- Saturday: Pam & Terry 1-5; Fuzzy Jeffries and the Kings of Memphis 6-10
- Sunday: Pam & Terry 1-4; The Bugaloos (with special guest) 4:30-7:30
Given the time of year, I wonder if the special guest could be Santa?
At Ghost River’s taproom on Beale, you can enjoy delicious food from Flying Sobies, which has a kitchen located inside. Over at Ghost River’s Main Street location, this will be the food truck lineup:
- Today: No truck but you’re welcome to bring your own food (is that Captain D’s a couple of blocks down Crump still open? That’s where I’d stop)
- Friday: The Vegan Table 5-9
- Saturday: DimSum Mem 3-8
- Sunday: Bring your own food
Hmmm… I bet the old coot with the #asianfood Instagram account shows up at the Main Street location Saturday.
Congratulations to Memphis Tigers center Jalen Duren, who signed an NIL deal with Bose this week. Not only will Duren get paid, but he will be able to give gifts of Bose headphones or earbuds to his teammates.
If you’re an Iowa Hawkeyes fan, Tin Roof requests the honor of your company on New Year’s Day. They’re having an Iowa vs. Kentucky Citrus Bowl watch party. Kickoff is at noon and they’ll have the doors open at 11. They’ll have a High Porch Picnic cocktail named after legendary Iowa coach Hayden Fry. The sound will be on, they’ll play the Hawkeyes fight song, and they’ll have Busch Light. (Is that an Iowa thing? Damn, y’all have some horrible taste in beer.)
Carolina Watershed does a ladies’ night every Friday. From 7-9 PM ladies get 20% off all food and beverages. Music by DJ Space Age. Both the Carolina Watershed and Red Bones stuffed turkey leg menus will be available (because nothing says “ladylike” like gnawing on a turkey leg).
Big news with implications for Memphis in 2022: Travis Hunter, generally considered next year’s #1 or #2 high school football recruit, decommitted from Florida State and signed with Jackson State, coached by “Prime Time” Deion Sanders. It’s the first time a top-5 recruit has signed with a historically Black college or university. Memphians will get to see Hunter in the 2022 Southern Heritage Classic on September 10.
The Grizzlies got a road win over the Portland Trail Blazers last night, 113-103. Here’s what that means for the standings:
- Sole possession of 4th place in the West at 18-11
- 3 games back of the Utah Jazz (20-7) for 3rd place
- 2 games ahead of the 5th-place L.A. Clippers (16-13)
- Avoiding play-in scenarios by 3½ games, ahead of 7th-place Dallas (14-14)
Five Memphis guys are unsatisfied that the Guinness world record for longest barbecue is held by Italians, and they plan to bring that record home to Memphis, where it belongs, this weekend. The public is invited and they’re going to put a “Free BBQ” sign at the corner of Poplar and Patterson. Airline reps, stand by – the Nuh-Uh Girl will be booking a ticket to Memphis moments after I publish this post.
The Memphis Flyer recently talked to Emily Gunther, co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical store, about the recent Yule Blót that happened at her store. The Blót is a pagan celebration of the winter solstice.
Dr. Fauci says variant-specific boosters aren’t needed at this time. Research shows the Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J boosters are effective against the new Omicron variant.
Here’s the lineup for today’s Food Truck Thursday in Court Square (11 AM-2 PM), the last one for 2021.
From WREG: Concerns grow over Tom Lee Park changes. Outgoing DNA president Jerred Price has expressed concern that the mounds of dirt that have been shipped into the park will be formed into hills that will obstruct Mississippi River views from Riverside Drive.
I’ll add a concern not expressed in WREG’s article. Valero is donating a million dollars to plant 1000 trees in the park. Those 1000 trees add to my suspicion that there will be less room for future BBQ Fests… which means fewer teams will be able to get booths… which means prices for those booths will go up… which means it will become less possible for a team to compete at BBQ Fest without a presenting corporate sponsor.
Not that BBQ Fest should be the driving force for park decisions, since it only occupies Tom Lee for 1 week a year. My enthusiasm for BBQ Fest is at a 15-year low anyway.
The public celebration of Young Dolph’s life is today at FedExForum noon to 2.
Another ladies’ night: Ladies can throw at the South Main Civil Axe Throwing for only $15/hour tonight from 5-11 PM. Book a lane using code ladiesnight or just stop on in.
That’s it for the news. Going to get a full day of writing in, then I’ll hit the Blind Bear this evening for Joe Austin & The Tallahatchies. Back tomorrow with more.