Month: September 2023

Artist and musician Wayne Russell is having an art sale at Feelin’ Memphis, 509 S. Main, this weekend. The shop is open 9 to 6 today and 9 to 4 tomorrow. Wayne and his wife Reba Russell are Memphis music legends.

Did you know that the NBA team featuring Ja, Des, and JJJ is not the first pro sports team to be called the Memphis Grizzlies? See for yourself.

The CEO of the Dock Ellis Foundation, along with the family of Tamia Taylor, is calling for Memphis Riverboats to make changes.  Taylor disappeared around the time she took a “booze cruise” on one of the riverboats in early September, and her body was pulled from the river about 2 weeks later. The main addition being requested is security cameras to record crowds on the boats, which can accommodate as many as 300. The riverboat company has suspended all upcoming booze cruises.

Memphis Symphony Orchestra features Pictures at an Exhibition & Chris Brubeck Guitar Concerto at the Cannon Center tonight from 7:30 to 9:30. This will be the world premiere of Brubeck’s double guitar concerts, and he will play both classical and blues guitar.

Immerse Artists Experience comes to the Renasant Convention Center Sunday. These are said to be events in which dancers can train in an engaging and supportive environment.

The first three Thursdays in October, there will be Fall Dance in Tom Lee Park from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Each week instructor Edgar (of Rumba Room) will teach a class on a different style of dance.

There will be a Paint & Sip at Loflin Yard Wednesday beginning at 6 PM.

Shelley Brown and Lee Holliday play Central BBQ Downtown tonight from 6 to 9.

There’s a Blessing of the Animals at Calvary Episcopal, 102 N. Second, tonight at 6 PM. Leashed/restrained pets are welcome. Belly Rubs Bassett Rescue will be there handing out goodies.

Memphis 901 FC hosts Birmingham Legion FC tonight at 7. Preview

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow or Monday.

Feast & Graze, the cheese and charcuterie shop at 55 S. Main, posted the following announcement yesterday:

Feast & Graze will have a CLOSEOUT SALE as we will not be renewing our lease in the downtown location at the end of the year. Deets on new location coming soon.

Items will include, but not limited to: pantry shelving, bistro table and chairs, bar carts, catering items, deep freezers, prep tables and metro shelves….

Tonight is South Main Trolley Night, with many shops and galleries staying open until 9 or later, with some putting out appetizers and/or booze and others offering one-night-only discounts. It’s a great way to mingle with neighbors and get some early Christmas shopping done.

Ariel & Chris Thompson play Momma’s from 7 to 10 tonight.

Bishop, the French restaurant inside Central Station Hotel, will offer a $9 Torte Flambee tonight for South Main Trolley Night.

DJ Dave plays Pretty Taco tonight from 10 to 3.

An arrest has been made for the shooting inside FedExForum at the Lil’ Baby concert. The suspect is said to be a known gang member. Several Glocks and bags of weed were found at the location where he was arrested.

Slider Inn Downtown will be closed from 3:30 to 7:00 PM Sunday for a private event.

Today is Broadway Musicals Day. It’s the day to go ahead and pull the trigger on those Orpheum season tickets… you know you want to.

Today’s special at Local on Main | Short rib, cheddar, mozzarella, pickled onions

The DM has a look at Clayborn Temple’s stained-glass windows and their images of civil rights leaders and scenes.

Jerry Seinfeld has a show at the Orpheum tonight.

Chicago’s Kool Hersh plays Central Station Hotel tonight.

That’s it for now. I’ll probably take tomorrow off from posting unless there’s urgent news.

It’s National Drink Beer Day. May I recommend the PBR?

Okay, I’m gonna read the Best of Memphis 2023 results and list my Downtown-centric reactions. By the way, I forgot to vote this year.

• I bet this is the last year BBQ Fest makes it into the top 3 of Best Festival.
• Slider Inn grabs third for Best Bar Food. Their plate of nachos is enormous.
• Central gets Best BBQ! Damn right!
• Huey’s burger is good but overrated at number 1. Dyer’s, Majestic, and Blind Bear have all got Huey’s beat. Saucer does too. And Kooky.
• Congrats to Chef Tam (of her Underground Cafe) on winning Best Chef!
• SUPERLO FOODS got 2nd in Best Fried Chicken, beating Uncle Lou’s. Did not expect to see that. Of course Gus’s took a well-deserved win.
• All 3 winners in Best Local Brewery (Wiseacre, Ghost River, Memphis Made) have a Downtown presence now.
• HUEY’S won Best Restaurant?????
• Central nabs the Best Ribs category as well.
• Calvin from Rendezvous wins Best Server. Congrats to him!
• Wave a gun around on social media, get voted Best Local Athlete. That is so Memphis.
• E&H, Paula & Raiford’s, and Alex’s take Best After-Hours. Yes, yes, and yes.
• Bardog got second in Best Bar! Yay! And HUEY’S got third?????
• Blind Bear got third in Best Karaoke. Compared to most karaoke nights, the Bear’s is not bad at all.
• Paula Raiford gets a well-deserved win in Best Nightclub. Thank goodness Huey’s didn’t finish top 3.
• But Huey’s did take second in Best Sports Bar. Oh. My. God.

All right. I’m getting bored. Congratulations to the BOM winners.

Creative Works, which is having a conference in town this week, will have a pop-up market 10 AM to 6 PM Saturday at the Ghost River taproom on Beale.

Mark Twain at Large comes to the Halloran Centre Friday night,

Cordelia’s hosts an Oktoberfest event Saturday afternoon.

I’m thoroughly bored so I guess I’ll hit Publish. Back tomorrow or something.

The results of the Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis 2923 poll are out. I haven’t had time to look at the results yet, but I’m sure I’ll be back with comments after I do.

FedExForum is instituting a ckear bag policy, effective immediately. The policy eill limit the size and type of bags that can bd brought into the arena. More info

Insomnia Cookies on Beale has a deal for you this week. Purchae 12 Classic cookies and get 12 more Classics for $2.

The South Main Association has announced its October social.  It will be Tuesday, October 10 from 6 to 8 at Ibis in the upstairs space. It will be Halloween-themed with a costume contest and treats. Members get two complimentary drinks. The grand prize for the costume contest is a $100 gift card.

Black Restaurant Week returns Friday, September 29 to Sunday, October 8. Most participating restaurants will offer a special. Dpwntown restaurants participating include

• Butterific Bakery & Cafe
• Cupcake Cutie
• Curry N Jerk
• Energy Famous Pasta
• Feast & Graze
• Tailors’ Union

You may not have heard of Energy Famous Pasta… it’s a new restaurant on Court Square. Here’s a link to the website.

Sim-golf bar Birdie’s will open at 8 AM Friday for those who wish to “work remotely” and watch the Ryder Cup. Birdie’s will open at 8 Saturday and Sunday as well.

The Orpheum has opened a “Balcony Project” exhibit. The balcony is a leftover from the days when the theater had a “colored entrance” and segregated seating, The National Civil Rights Museum and a Rhodes College professor were consulted to make sure the exhibit is done tastefully.

Today’s special at Local on Main is a hot honey chicken sandwich with house-made Tom Yum aioli.  It comes with fries and you can get it grilled or fried. Other specials at Local today:

• $6 grape Kook-Aid shots
• $6 Moscow Mules

Since the specials are time-sensitiva, I’m gonna ahead and hit Publish here. Back in a couple of hour with a Thursday update #2 post with more news and possibly my reactions to the Best of Memphis poll.

Last night I attended the September Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting at Blind Bear. There wasn’t a speaker or formal program – rather, it was an opportunity to come together with neighbors for food and drink. Nevertheless, I did come away with a few pieces of info I want to pass on to my readers.

National Night Out is a chance to break bread and socialize with the people who keep us safe, our police officers and firefighters. It’s a chance to learn how we can all work together to make our neighborhood safer. There’s always yummy food supplied by area restaurants and shops.

The DNA is organizing a National Night Out celebration on the grounds of the Cossitt Library, northwest corner of Front and Monroe, the evening of Tuesday, October 3. Previously, National Night Out was celebrated the first Tuesday of August, but (unless you live in Alaska) the early October weather is much more hospitable.

Got a question for SOUTH MAIN: You guys doing anything for NNO? In past years there have been gatherings under the Memphis Farmers Market pavilion and at the 409 South Main event space. If you have info, hit me up at paul.ryburn@gmail.com or contact me on Facebook Messenger.

Why am I so concerned with what South Main is doing for NNO when DNA is organizing a great event a block from my front door? Elementary, my dear Watson. Two-piece boxes of Jack Pirtle’s chicken tend to show up at South Main NNO celebrations – boxes that include a biscuit and a cup of that yummy gravy. I’m totally willing to put on my walking shoes and travel for some Pirtle’s.

In other DNA news, they are planning an end-of-year celebration for the latter half of October. These parties celebrate all that is wonderful about Downtown and always overflow with food and beverages. I’ll have more details soon.

A number of DNA members got their 901 PEACE purple wristbands at the meeting.

If you see me out, I can give you one. Luanne (The Grizzlies Glamma/Sparkle Mentality) has a bag of them and can give you one, as can a few others. The wristbands are the brainchild of owners of a Beale Street hotspot. They are designed to promote unity among our Downtown stakeholders and 10,000 of them were printed.

Related to the wristbands is a Downtown Neighbors Clean, Green, and Beautiful Pledge you can print out, sign, and return to your neighborhood association or send to downtown@downtownmemphis.com. Take the pledge to create a more welcoming Downtown

I discovered a new menu item last night. Blind Bear put out chicken bacon ranch quesadillas on the DNA’s food buffet last night. For some reason, I had passed those over until yesterday. They were so good that I went back to the buffet for seconds!

The body pulled from the Mississippi River last weekend has been identified as Tamia Taylor. Taylor was a 21-year-old mother who disappeared from a “booze cruise” operated by Memphis Riverboat Cruises a couple of weeks ago.

Riverside Drive’s reopening date remains up in the air following the completion of Tom Lee Park.

MLGW will open its Downtown office Saturday morning to help customers with delayed billing issues.

St. Mary’s soup kitchen at 155 Market Ave. in The Pinch needs the following items: vegetables (onions, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, etc.), stew meat, chips/pretzels, cookies/brownies, coffee, sugar, and bottled water.  901-522-9420 for more info. The soup kitchen has operated since 1870 and serves the hungry six days a week.

Memphis in May is polling BBQ teams as it tries to find a new location for BBQ Fest.

The Moxy Memphis Hotel will host Haunt Couture: A Moxy Halloween Soiree on October 31. Drag queens, DJ Alpha Whiskey, Pok Cha Egg Rolls food truck on site. Costume contest with a night’s stay at the Moxy as the grand prize.

The CA has a list of haunted locations Downtown.

A chorizo and Mexican street corn flatbread is the special at Local on Main today:

There will be a sunset skate at River Garden Thursday from 5 to 8 PM.  Free lessons and free limited skate rentals.

Doug MacLeod plays Live at the Tracks at Central Station Hotel Thursday evening.

Brimstone Jones plays Loflin Yard Sunday at noon.

A New York judge has found the Trumpster and his adult male spawn Don Jr. and Eric liable for fraud. The judge also took away Trump Org’s business license. A receiver will be brought in to handle the dissolution of the corporate entities. The Trump family has announced it will appeal.

That’s it for today. Back tomorrow with more news.

From the DM: Taste of the (Medical) District returns with vendors new and old. The tasting event is next Tuesday (Oct. 3) afternoon at Health Sciences Park. The event is free, but you have to sign up to attend on Eventbrite. I just got on there and claimed my ticket!

Great blog post from Copeland Coaching this week: Work is not family. If management tries to paint a picture of “one big family,” it can be a red flag, a sign that employees’ boundaries won’t be respected.

A MUST-READ from the Washington Post: The new phone etiquette. Allow me to summarize this OUTSTANDING list:

• Don’t leave a voice mail – hang up at the prompt and send a text instead. No one listens to voice mail anymore.
• Text before calling – to check to see if the recipient is free, and to give them an idea what it is you want to talk about.
• Just because someone is calling you, doesn’t mean you have to pick it up
• Send facts via text; use voice when emotions need to be expressed
• If you call someone and they don’t answer, don’t immediately hang up and call them again (and again and again and again). If your matter is urgent, hang up and text them and explain why.
• DON’T USE YOUR SPEAKERPHONE IN PUBLIC!!!!!! I’d estimate that 30% of the time I sit at one of my favorite bars, I wind up next to someone having a speaker or FaceTime conversation. Incredibly annoying and RUDE to those seated nearby!

HOTWORX in The Edge at 750 Madison will have a 1-year anniversary celebration this Wednesday from 4 to 8. Come enjoy goodies from local vendors.

Enjoy free, family-friendly concert Sunset@BRIDGES this Thursday from 5 to 8 PM at 477 N. Fifth.

Celtic Woman has been announced for the Orpheum the night of Thursday, April 25.

A way-too-early bowl projection has the Memphis Tigers facing Wake Forest in the Military Bowl on December 27.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Blog post will be late one day this week, very possibly tomorrow, so I can walk up to the Election Commission office and early vote.

Back when there’s more news to post and I have time to post it.

From Tiger Blueprint: Is Penny Hardaway the Deion Sanders of college basketball?

The SEC, whose officials called Saturday’s Memphis vs. Missouri game, apologized for an incorrect ruling on the field that Memphis, down by 7 late in the 4th quarter, must use a tee for its onside kick. Memphis failed to recover its own kick and Mizzou ran the remaining time off the clock to win.

Memphis magazine’s Vance Lauderdale discusses Hemphill Diesel School, which had runs in what is now The Edge District as well as South Main in the 1930s and 1940s.

Here’s a list of The Features weekly specials at Blind Bear for this week:

• Gumbo greens –  collard greens, onion, peppers, celery, turkey sausage, chicken, smoked turkey, shrimp (optional) – served with honey jalapeno cornbread $8 cup, $12 bowl
• Rasta pasta – jerk chicken with a cream sauce, mixed bell peppers and green onions over penne pasta $16
• Mixed berries cheesecake $8
• Chocolate cake $8

Downtown Neighborhood Association members, don’t forget, the monthly meeting is tonight at the Blind Bear. Tony tells me wings and possibly their Hibernation Dip will be among the hors d’oeuvres. I am a DNA member in good standing, so I will see you there!

If Queen Elizabeth II had visited Downtown Memphis’ Cossitt Library while she was alive, this is the book she would have checked out:

Memphis Songwriters Series featuring John Nemeth, Sarah Spain, and Deion Corley (wow, two Deions in one post) happens Thursday night at the Halloran Centre. Tickets are $10.

Jerry Seinfeld will be at the Orpheum Friday night. Tickets are $67.50 to $195.

Today is National Better Breakfast Day. My recommendation would be to show up at Bardog at 8 AM and order a Big Bardog Breakfast with eggs, breakfast potatoes, toast, bacon, and sausage – then make breakfast even better by ordering an ice cold PBR too.

Not Downtown but possibly worth a quick Lyft or Uber: Beer can chicken cooking contest at Crosstown Brewing Co. Saturday afternoon

Memphis Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield wants Vandy, in Nashville, at the Titans’ stadium.

All right. It’s about 7 PM Monday, and since I have a time-sensitive item in this post (National Better Breakfast Day) I’m gonna go ahead and schedule it to go up a little after midnight. Back later in the day if there’s more news to report.

The Beale Street Wine Race back in April never crowned a winner because of a shooting on the street (which is sooooo very Memphis). But a winner will be determined this Sunday, October 1.  All 10 teams will run  Cheek-in will be at 2 PM at Alfred’s with the relays starting at 3 PM.

The other events will not be replayed. Villa Castrioti won the opening parade back in April, and Jessica from Blind Bear won Queen of the Vine. A winner was determined in the grape stomp but had not yet been announced at the time of the shooting and will be announced Sunday.

Blind Bear can help you celebrate National Quesadilla Day today, as can Bardog, Maciel’s on Main, and Local on Main (which has a duck quesadilla!) Now that I think about it, Taco Bell at Crump and B.B. King is a place to celebrate too.

Here’s a pic of the collard green gumbo that will be one of The Features the weekly specials at Blind Bear this week:

Tony tells me that there will be an option of adding shrimp and he will send me a photo of that. The gumbo is good and spicy, as I prefer it!

I have a friend looking to pay a fair price for a one-day ticket to Mempho Music Fest this Saturday. paul.ryburn@gmail.com or hit me up on Facebook Messenger if you’ve got one.

Monster Market, “a pop-up for weirdos like you,” comes to The Medicine Factory (on W. Virginia Ave., a block north of Crump)  October 13-18. They wrote, “Our 2023 collection is absolutely stacked with freaky art, weird apparel, strange trinkets, and unique gifts from 80+ makers.”

Fooling around on Google Maps a few minutes ago, I discovered a new restaurant called Memphis Jamaican Kitchen. It’s at 237 Vance, which I believe would put it just east of B.B. King. Menu

Let’s go ahead and take a look at college football games of note to Memphians coming up this weekend.

Friday, September 29

• 10 Utah at 19 Oregon State, 8:00 PM, FS1

Saturday, September 30

• 8 USC at Colorado, 11:00 AM, FOX
• 22 Florida at Kentucky, 11:00 AM, ESPN
• Texas A&M at Arkansas, 11:00 AM, SEC Netwirk
• 1 Georgia at Auburn, 2:30 PM, CBS
• 24 Kansas at 3 Texas, 2:30 PM, ABC
• Arkansas State at UMass, 2:30 PM, ESPN+
• 23 Missouri at Vanderbilt, 3:00 PM, SEC Network
• Boise State at Memphis, 3:00 PM, ESPN2
• 13 LSU at 20 Ole Miss, 5:00 PM, ESPN
• 11 Notre Dame at 17 Duke, 6:30 PM, ABC
• South Carolina at 21 Tennesse, 6:30 PM, SEC Network
• 12 Alabama at Mississippi State, 8:00 PM, ESPN

For now I’m going to continue to put Colorado’s games in the “of interest to Memphians” list, even though it isn’t a regional school. Coach Prime is a figure of national interest.

The Denver Broncos got pounded by Miami yesterday 70-20… dang that sounds more like a high school basketball score than the NFL.

Pickleball is coming to Beale Street with 6 temporary courts the day of the first preseason Grizzlies game Sunday, October 8. Then on November 18 (my birthday!), there will be a pickleball event at FedExForum.

From the CA: Small hotels don’t help attract conventions to Memphis, says an industry expert. When there is a concentration of smaller hotels, convention planners are forced to use 8-10 of them for room blocks, which can be quite a headache.

That’ll do it for today’s news. Back tomorrow.

Birdie’s, the virtual golf bar on South Main, is considering hosting a Ryder Cup-like event this coming Saturday and Sunday and is polling its audience to see if there is interest.

The way it would work is, there would be teams of 8 from Downtown and Midtown. Saturday afternoon would be alternate shot and Fourball, while singles play would take place on Sunday. Both days coincide with the actual Ryder Cup tournament, which of course they’ll have on TV.

They’re thinking $60 for the entire event. DM @birdies901 if interested.

In other news, Birdie’s now has Sweetens Golf available – both the sim-golf course and the whiskey of the same name.

Cousins Maine Lobster and their food trucks are departing the Memphis market as of this weekend. They invite you to come find them when in Nashville, Knoxville, or Chattanooga.

Three pieces of Blind Bear news to pass along to you today:

• They now have a Bloody Mary made with Ole Smoky dill pickle moonshine
• Brunch drink specials are now available Friday happy hour (3-7) in addition to Saturday and Sunday 11-7
• New moonshine flavor mango habanero is a popular item. It’s tasty but it’ll make your throat burn.

Mango habanero moonshine

Henry Turley Co. is organizing a Downtown clean=up day Saturday, October 14 from 9 AM to noon. Meet at the new Downtown Mobility Center. They’ll provide all the cleaning supplies, so all you have to do is show up. The weather should be perfect and it’s a great way to meet your neighbors.

A couple of days ago I was cleaning up around the apartment and came across a pack of baseball cards I was given in 1998. Most of the cards were players who never made it big, but there was a Paul Molitor card in there.

1998 was Molitor’s final year, am I right? I wonder it the card is worth anything?

From ABC 24: 100 murals to be displayed at Paint Memphis’ festival in The Edge Districtl. It’ll be from noon to 6 PM at 484 Union on Saturday, October 7.

A huge podcasting festival is coming to Downtown Memphis this coming weekend. From the event’s flyer:

At the inaugural PodBox Memphis Festival, you’ll have the opportunity to attend engaging breakout sessions, witness a captivating fireside chat on building podcast networks, participate in a podcast pitch competition, and hear a remarkable keynote on the future of podcasting.

Events:

• Networking mixer at Beale Street Landing – Friday, September 29 from 6 to 9 PM
• International Podcast Day at Cossitt Library – Saturday, September 30 from from 10 AM to 5 PM

The Memphis Tigers fell to 3-1 with a 34-27 loss to Missouri in St. Louis last night. Next up: The Tigers return to the Liberty Bowl for a 3 PM Saturday game vs. Boise State.

Memphis 901 FC is on its way to the playoffs thanks to a victory over Tampa last night. Three matches remain in the regular season, including next up: home vs. Birmingham Legion FC this Saturday.

A female body was recovered from the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River across from Presidents Island. It’s unknown if this is Tamia Taylor, who disappeared from a Memphis riverboat weeks ago.

YOGA! Join A Journey to You, Yoga with Amah Wellness every Saturday under the Sunset Canopy in Tom Lee Park from 9 to 10 AM. All experience levels are welcome. Bring a mat or towel.

Tuesdays are Pint Nites this fall at BarWare, 276 S. Front, with half off beer and flatbreads from 5-11 PM.

Eight & Sand Lounge inside Central Station Hotel will have gluten-free IPA, Amber, and pizza for Tuesday Brewsday from 6-8 PM.

That’ll do it for today. I’m gonna sit here at the Blind Bear all afternoon and be bored by NFL football. Back tomorrow. with more news.

 

Memphis Made Brewing Co. is holding a 10 Years of Beers party at its Midtown location, 768 S. Cooper, on Saturday, September 30. The brewery will be renewing its vows that day with

• something old: the return of Lucid Kolsch
• something new: Tin Cup, a 10th-anniversary beer; also Ain’t No Mountains in Memphis, a hard soda
• something borrowed: Burn the Witch Black Lager by fellow Memphis brewery Meddlesome
• something blue: Blue Raspberry Dockside

Live music by the Church Brothers at 5 and Jeff Hulett and the Hand Me Downs at 6. The taproom will be open 1-10 PM. The Smoke and Rolls food truck will be on site, and the brewery will show a slideshow of images from the past 10 years.

The CA has a photo gallery of the dropping Mississippi River levels. This would be a good time to own a metal detector.

Gift shop Walking Pantts Curiosities will celebrate the grand opening of its Beale Street location Friday, September 29. It’s in the old Tater Red’s space. … But wait, there’s more! Next door to Walking Pants, the one and only BLACK DIAMOND will reopen. $5 cover for entertainment there includes

• Comedy from Skunky and Friends from Bumpin’ 96.3 at 7:30
• Deanna Dixon and Broke Tall Folk at 8:30
• DJs, spoken word, street artists, and more throughout the evening
• Dreamers’ Revival film crew will be there to capture all the action

Shelby County Chancellor Melanie Taylor Jefferson will be the one to decide whether construction of the Brooks Museum of Art can proceed Downtown before a lawsuit by the land’s heirs and Friends for Our Riverfront is resolved.

The Blind Bear is putting some of its lesser-known moonshine flavors on fire sale for $3. Get them before they run out. ( * = highly recommended by me )

• Strawberry cream *
• Banana pudding *
• Shine Nog (eggnog flavor)
• Java
• Peppermint
• Cookie dough
• Tennessee mud

Java moonshine, a beverage named after a programming language? Pretty savvy move to get people who work in AutoZone’s IT department to stop by after work.

Here’s a look at the Bear’s weekly food specials, available through Saturday:

Know what I like most about this specials menu? They stopped calling it “The Features.” I always thought that name was a bit pretentious and off-brand for the Bear.

Today is National Ice Cream Cone Day. Margie’s 901 ice cream shop has got ya, as does Insomnia Cookies on Beale.

Moneybagg Yo denies that he was the one who canceled his upcoming FedExForum show.

Enchanting Strings: A Classical Guitar Showcase by Peter Fletcher happens at the Cossitt Library 5-7 PM today.

Tonight is Songwriter Night with Kathy Zhou, Foster Falls, and Liv Zemer at South Main Sounds, 550 S. Main, 7 to 9 PM.

That’ll do it for now. I may take Saturday off from posting.