Author: paulryburn

Yesterday after work I decided to lead off at Max’s Sports Bar. I had good green trolley bus karma as I walked out my building’s front door; a bus was approaching. Good, because I really didn’t feel like walking the mile to Max’s in a heat index of nearly 100. That was a dollar well spent.

Thanks to the bus, I got to Max’s earlier than usual, about 5:45. They had the Gary Parrish Show, the drive-time sports talk show on FM 92.9, on the speakers. I’ve never heard a bar play a radio show before, but it makes a lot of sense, given that GP is a sports show, Max’s is a sports bar, and at 5:45 there aren’t likely to be any events on TV worth putting on sound. I liked it. Plus all the regulars were there discussing the show, adding another element.

I took a seat next to my friend Billy, who had just returned from AmeriVespa, the largest gathering of vintage and modern scooters in the country, in Indianapolis. He said about 550 attended. Next year the event comes to Memphis and he expects an even better turnout, in the 600-800 range.

Janet Jackson’s Unbreakable Tour comes to FedExForum Tuesday, September 29. The tour is in support of her upcoming album.

Quench, the new upscale liquor and wine store on Second across from the Peabody, has announced its grand opening: Saturday, June 27, at 2 PM. So excited that I will no longer have to leave the Downtown core to purchase quality spirits and wines.

Holly’s blog has news of a cool event coming to the High Cotton Brewery taproom tomorrow night from 4 to 7. The Memphis chapter of the Girl Scouts is launching a new young professionals’ group called Troop 901 whose goal will be to raise money for scholarships for young women. To kick things off, they are holding Cookies on Tap at the taproom tomorrow afternoon, pairing High Cotton beers with Girl Scout cookies.

Holly also has a preview of Agave Maria with many more photos of the food than the MBJ preview I posted yesterday.

The third floor of the Downtown YMCA building will be renovated to create additional amenities to appeal to Downtown residents. Possible things to be added include a hot yoga studio, kitchen classroom space to teach healthy cooking, and additional space for exercise and meetings.

eighty3 chef Max Hussey is among those interviewed in the Daily News’ Memphis restaurants love their patios. It is the first full year for eighty3’s patio on the Main Street Mall. Hussey has $8 food and drink pairings specifically for patio diners.

WWE Monday Night RAW was in Cleveland this week. World Champion Seth Rollins held up his title belt and told the audience that this is the only chance Cleveland would have to see what a world championship would look like. His words proved prophetic last night.

Congrats to the USA soccer team on winning Group D last night. They advance to the Round of 16 in the Knockout Stage. According to the Women’s World Cup Wikipedia page, the team will play on June 22 in Edmonton, and will face either Thailand, Spain, or France.

I have way more news, but I need to use the remainder of my lunch break to run errands, so there will be a second post after I get home from work. Watch for it between 5:30 and 6.

Got enough news for a second post before I get out today. Let’s get going:

Redbirds fans who order BBQ nachos at games at AutoZone Park: The chicken or pork shoulder atop your nachos will now be cooked on-site. Construction was recently completed on a BBQ shack in right field, which has a smoker that can handle all the park’s BBQ cooking needs.

That operation is going to require a lot of heavy lifting, so I would like to offer the team my services. “Mr. Load-in” would be happy to sit in a right field seat and drink a beer while other people do the lifting. Provided the Redbirds pay for my ticket and beer, of course. I’m so good at coming up with agreements that are a win-win for both parties.

The MBJ has a sneak peek of Agave Maria, the new Mexican restaurant that will open on Union within days.

Lansky Bros. Clothier to the King at 126 Beale Street is hiring Sales Associates for full and part time positions. Interested candidates can e-mail sales@lanskybros.com for more information.

A 28-year-old man from Illinois is charged with severely beating a guard at the Doubletree early this morning.

The Flying Saucer has announced that several Dogfish Head beers have arrived: Tweason Ale, Festina Peche, and Namaste. I need to get in there and resume work on my 9th plate.

MemphisWeather.net’s blog has a post on how the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill will affect the Mid-South. Friday morning looks like the most likely time.

That’ll do it. PBR and Women’s World Cup time.

Free Tuesday movies return to Beale Street Landing this evening. Raiders of the Lost Ark is tonight’s free movie, and Holly has the entire list for the season here.

Urban Bicycle Food Ministry is having its second annual silent auction Friday at the Downtown Central BBQ. Get more details on the event’s Facebook listing and buy tickets here.

Men’s Journal made a list of the 20 best pilsners in the world, and a locally produced pilsner made the list. Wiseacre Tiny Bomb scored a place in the top 20. Yep that is indeed a tasty beer.

The Memphis Flyer has a look at Oxn, the new men’s clothing store at 488 S, Second.

The Commercial Appeal has a review of Robert Plant’s concert last Friday. He showed up at Lafayette’s the next night to hear some live music.

From Thrillist: How to make a watermelon keg

Use LastPass to manage your passwords? Well, guess what. The service that was supposed to keep you from getting hacked, got hacked. Change your master password ASAP.

Don’t get sick: FiveThirtyEight’s Significant Digits reports that hospitals make, on average, 1 error per patient per day regarding medication.

Wow: St. Louis Cardinals front office employees accused of hacking Houston Astros, FBI investigating

I led off at happy hour at Blind Bear last night, with new bartender Mary. She’s been trained by Colin, she’s been trained by Jeannette, she’s been trained by B-RAD… now it was time for the regulars to train her, to tell her about the cast of characters she’s going to encounter at her bar. Fellow regular Nate and I took on that responsibility last night. “You’re going to have an Indian guy named Rahul come in here,” Nate told her. “He likes fruit in his drinks. You have to go to Memphis Farmers Market and buy fruit for Rahul on Saturday mornings, or he’ll get all pouty.”

Jeannette took over night bar at 7. “I knew your blog was powerful, but I didn’t realize it had THAT much power,” she told me. “In one weekend’s time you totally brought duck farts back.” Apparently the Bear sold a massive amount of duck farts over the weekend. I thought it would take an entire month, at least. Sounds like my work is already done.

The USA women’s team plays Nigeria tonight. Weather permitting for my walk down there and back, Max’s Sports Bar sounds like an ideal place to watch the match. I like being in there on Tuesdays because Max himself usually bartends and it is good to catch up with what has been going on in his world. I should be down there by 6 if anyone wants to meet up.

Possibly a second post after work, so check back.

I got to check something off my bucket list yesterday. I got to teach B-RAD at Blind Bear, who is about a consummate pro in the world of bartending as I have ever met, how to make a drink. He had never heard of a duck fart before, and I gave him the recipe. My promotion of duck farts on the blog worked apparently, and he was making them all afternoon.

It was Mary’s first Sunday shift at the Bear, and she got to learn how to make duck farts too.

The Bear has a new topping you can ask to be put on your burger or sliders. It’s Bourbon Bacon Jam. I tried a taste of it last week and it is really, really good.

I didn’t get to Bardog yesterday, but apparently Bloom’s new thing is stealing people’s phones and posting “I’m a little birdy” to their Facebook timeline. Watch out when she’s bartending.

Shout-out to my new friend that I introduced to duck farts yesterday afternoon: I had a blast talking with you. Let’s hang out soon. I will text you.

Shout-out to the person who said hello and asked how the blog was going Saturday at Max’s Sports Bar: Nice to meet you, and glad we got a chance to talk, if only briefly. In a slightly different parallel universe we would’ve become good friends.

Shout-out to the person I invited to come have D-RANKS with B-RAD at the Bear and who responded by blocking me on Facebook: Despite the way you have treated me the past few months, I have not a bad word to say about you. I wish you happiness, health, and inner peace. You deserve those things so much.

I’ll be out and about after work. Probably going to take a week off from Melissa Monday at Bardog (Melissa, I will explain why next time I see you, there’s a very good reason) and go somewhere else instead. Not sure where, will figure it out after sending a few “you gonna be out tonight?” texts.

“Paul, we’ve never met, but I just wanted to come talk to you for a minute. Eight years ago, I met a woman I really liked. I wanted to ask her out on a first date but didn’t know where. Thanks to a recommendation on your blog I found the perfect place to take her.”

“Three years later, I married her.”

THAT. That kind of thing is what I live for. This blog has really been through three phases in the 11 years it has been operating. There was the “Oh my God, people really read this thing?” phase in the early years. There was the “Oh my God, I’m winning the Memphis Flyer poll” phase in the middle years. For the past 5 years or so I’ve been in the “Oh my God, this blog really affects people’s lives for the better” phase. I would be happy to remain in the current phase for the rest of my life. Stories like the one above make my heart sing. I have to admit, I have been dancing around the apartment for most of the past hour thinking about it.

If something I have written on here has had a major effect on your life in some way, and you see me out and about, please come talk to me. I live for that stuff. I promise you, I am one of the least scary people in Memphis to approach and meet.

I didn’t get the name of the restaurant that guy took his future wife to, but I will give you my 2015 Downtown Memphis recommendation. You want to take a girl on a first date and really impress her? Rizzo’s Diner, corner of Main and Butler. It’s elegant and shows you think a lot of her, but it’s not going too far considering you just recently met her. If you get a chance, discreetly tell the host that you would like Chef Michael Patrick to come out and say hello if he’s in the building. I promise you, she will not be disappointed with the food. Also, the menu has a fun, playful side to it (e.g. lobster Pronto Pups) that is the kind of vibe you want to establish. Here’s Rizzo’s website where you can see the menu and learn about the restaurant.

Now that I think through this a little more, here’s my idea of an ideal first date (keep in mind I almost never go out on dates, so take this with a grain of salt): Dinner at Rizzo’s, then walk down the street to Earnestine & Hazel’s to hang out and play the jukebox. If she has a problem with either place, you should consider kicking her to the curb. If she dances with you at E&H she may be a long-term keeper.

Yesterday was a day of accomplishment.

Bardog has a couple of new toys, two water-filled globes with a golf ball and a tee in the middle. The challenge is to get the ball on the tee. Sounds simple, but it is incredibly hard to get that ball to balance on the tee, and Bardog is creating a Wall of Fame for people who do it. As of yesterday it had 25 members. Moody Ques head cook Frank (who will be cooking at Memphis Farmers Market’s Crop Hop 5K Friday night) became the 26th. A few minutes later, team vice-president Clay became number 27.

“This is making me look bad,” I thought after they left. “Everyone knows I am the hardest-working member of the Moody Ques. My teammates have figured out this golf ball thing and I haven’t. This is going to hurt my reputation.” I picked up the globe and wrestled with it, and a couple of minutes later team workhorse “Mr. Load-in” became number 28 on the wall of fame. Panda snapped my picture for the wall.

The Redbirds close their homestand vs. Round Rock tonight. First 2500 kids in the gate receive a free ice cream treat, and they can run the bases after the game.

The movie Letters from Iwo Jima will be played at the Belz Museum in Pembroke Square at noon.

Max’s Sports Bar will be opening at 4:30 on the weekends until football season starts. I found that out the hard way when I walked down there around 4 to watch the College World Series. “Oh well, I’ll go to Central BBQ and have nachos,” I decided. I think I’m pretty good at devising alternate plans on the spot. Afterward I went to now-open Max’s and stayed past 10 PM. Michele was having problems with a female panhandler who rolled a suitcase up and down the street and yelled at her through the window. I so wanted to see Shell get the baseball bat out, but it didn’t happen.

That reminds me of a story I’ve been meaning to tell on here: The new green benches on the Main Street Mall are perfect for avoiding panhandlers. You get a bench between you and them and it forces them to guess which direction you’re going to go. Will he go left? Will he go right? You watch their body language, and as soon as they commit to a direction, you take the opposite direction. It’s like the pick-and-roll, but bums instead of basketball.

B-RAD, we are going to teach Mary how to make duck farts today. I will be at your bar at 11 AM. Folks, if you get out to Sunday brunch, support the return of the duck fart. Order them, post pics to social media, use the #duckfart hashtag. DUCK FARTS!

Last night about 7:15 I walked into the Blind Bear and had a seat at the bar. “Those three people to your right just ordered duck farts,” Colin said. “They wanted to see what all the hype was about.”

The duck fart revolution has begun!

For those of you who missed yesterday’s blog, a duck fart is a drink made with Bailey’s, Kahlua, and Crown (or similar whiskey). It used to be a popular drink at Sunday brunches about 10 years ago, then died out. My new mission this summer is to bring the duck fart back. Why wait until Sunday brunch? You can have a duck fart today at your favorite bar.

So, middle of the afternoon yesterday, I was sitting at my desk, proud of the 43-minute-to-type super-long blog post I put up in my lunch break, when I realized, I completely FORGOT one of the biggest pieces of Friday news. Let me explain how my mind works when I write this blog… I take a tour of Downtown in my mind. Mud Island. The Pinch. Is there anything I need to talk about? Main Street Mall. Victorian Village. The Edge. Is there anything I need to talk about? Second Street. Beale Street. South Main. Is there anything I need to talk about?

Riverside Drive is not really on my radar, however, and therefore I forgot to mention that one of the most talented singers in Memphis, Charvey Mac, who rarely plays Downtown, was going to be at happy hour at Beale Street Landing. Having remembered it, I quickly rearranged by Friday evening schedule. That Shorty pasta bowl I had planned would have to wait until some other time. When I got home from work, I changed clothes and walked down to the Landing.

If you live in Midtown or East Memphis, you have an advantage over us Downtowners in getting some Charvey in your life. Places he’s played this week, other than the Landing, include Celtic Crossing, Elfo’s, Cafe Ole, and TJ Mulligan’s Quince. He’s at the Half Shell on Winchester tonight. Unbelievable vocal range and I wonder if there’s any song he can’t play. If you are into live music and you live in Memphis you need to catch Charvey at least once. You can “Like” his fan page here to keep up with where he will be playing.

Now, as for the venue itself, Riverfront Bar & Grill in Beale Street Landing. This is the first time I have been in there seeing it as a real restaurant – the only previous time I have been there was the Memphis Flyer Best Of party last October. Walking in, I didn’t know what to expect… and I really didn’t have very high expectations. My experience turned out to be a good one.

The first thing that surprised me was this: Attractive women at the bar. They were all tourists, but there were good-looking professional women in the 25-38 age range. Guys, if you’re single, you might want to put this place on your radar for happy hour now and then.

I had seen on Yelp that the service was hit or miss, but the service I experienced was a total “hit”. Bartender Robbie took excellent care of me, very friendly. He made me feel comfortable in a place where I wondered if I would be uncomfortable. Great job.

They have a pretty good beer selection, including craft beers. Since they didn’t have the Cadillac of beers, PBR, I went with a $3 happy hour Budweiser.

Better experience than I expected and I would not be opposed to going back. Here are a couple of photos I snapped.

The Main Street Cornhole Tournament is tonight at Life is Good starting at 6. $20 for teams to enter, which includes a $5 gift card, raffle entry for each team member, and a T-shirt. Prizes for top three teams. Benefits the Life is Good Kids Foundation.

Streetdog Foundation tweeted about an app you can use to raise money to support the foundation, which fosters and adopts out dogs that otherwise would be left to a life on the streets, or worse, being put down. The app is called WoofTrax and the idea is that you can take your walk for a dog. All you have to do is download the app on your iPhone or Android, select Streetdog from the list of shelters and charities, and start walking. You don’t even have to be walking a dog (select the “Walk with Cassie” option, or build your ideal dog). I think I will download this before I make the trek to Memphis Farmers Market later this morning.

Reminds me, I’m still batting a .000 in the “see the dog in pet-sitting, guess the owner” game at MFM, 2 1/2 months into the season. I realize I’ve taken over a month off, but still, I would have expected to recognize at least one dog by now.

Central BBQ retweeted a photo of what a customer thinks is the best item on the menu: The sampler plate with wings, BBQ nachos, and sausage and cheese. Damn, that looks good! I would definitely have to take a friend with me though. That’s a lot of food!

In case you missed the news yesterday, an Urban Land Institute panel recommended a $184 million plan for the fairgrounds that would save the Mid-South Coliseum.

Basketball players can be philosophers too. Former Memphis Tiger D.J. Stephens tweets some really good stuff that will make you think. Follow him at @DdotJAY30.

Following the Redbirds game vs. Round Rock (6:05 first pitch) this evening, there will be fireworks set to the music of STAX Records.

Time to head out and walk for a dog! Too bad I can’t drink PBR for a dog, because there will be plenty of that today!

I’ve finally found a purpose. When I cancelled Tube Top Month this year, I thought about alternate “theme months” for June. However, I couldn’t come up with anything that struck a chord with me. Last night, however, something did.

Justin Timberlake brought sexy back, and I am going to bring the duck fart back. In 2005-06, duck farts were the unofficial drink of Downtown Sunday brunch. When Sleep Out Louie’s closed, however, they kind of disappeared. I think they need to come back; they are a fabulous drink. They are made with Bailey’s, Kahlua, and Crown (I’ve seen other whiskeys used too) and have a chocolatey flavor. Really yummy. They don’t have to be layered like the one Colin made.

Support the cause. Go out to brunch at your favorite bar or restaurant this Sunday and order a duck fart. I can assure you, there will be duck farts ordered at Blind Bear, but I want to hear about duck farts ordered at Bardog. At South of Beale. At Local. At Rizzo’s. At Silly Goose. Post your duck farts to Facebook. Tag me in them if we’re friends on there. Let’s get the #duckfart hashtag going on Twitter. DUCK FARTS!

While we’re on the subject of Sunday brunch: If you are a regular for D-RANKS with B-RAD at the Blind Bear, make plans to attend this Sunday. It is going to be EPIC. New employee Mary is going to train with Brad for the first time, and she is so excited about being trained by him and becoming one of his “babies.” Mary was one of the best bartenders/servers at the Saucer for 2 years and she is going to do great at the Bear. I will be there at 11 AM and plan on staying a while.

This Saturday’s Memphis Farmers Market theme is “Oh, Eggstatic Eggheads!” The Market celebrates the incredible, edible egg, one of the most versatile foods on the planet, packing 7 grams of protein into just 75 calories. You can buy your eggs fresh from the farm at the Market. Also, in the Market’s Creative Corner, you can make musical instruments out of eggs from 10 to noon. Live music by Davy Ray Bennett 8:30 to 10, Karen Waldrup 10 to 11, Steve Schad 11 to 12:30. 7 AM to 1 PM, corner of Front and G.E. Patterson.

Also, I have major news about the Market’s Crop Hop 5K that will be held next Friday evening, June 19. Registration is at 5:30, race at 6:30… and then comes the after-party, with live music by the Rowdy Friends, beer by Memphis Made Brewing… and barbecue by THE MOODY QUES!!!!! That’s right, my team’s head cook/MFM President Frank is going to get out the smoker and cook for people who love the Farmers Market! How awesome is that?

And, even better news: There’s a registration option for people who don’t want to run, but just want to attend the after-party! You know what that means? It means “Mr. Load-in” will be attending Crop Hop 5K! Tomorrow I am going to end my five-week hiatus from the Saturday market, make my return, and sign up! Gonna have some food from the tandoori truck while I’m down there too!!!

I posted about the Moody Ques cooking at Crop Hop 5K yesterday on Facebook, and within hours several people signed up for the race who otherwise wouldn’t have considered it. We may not have a first-place cooking trophy, but everyone knows we are one of the best damn party teams in Tom Lee Park! When we’re involved with a party, people want to be there. Hey Frank, are you going to use the device I’m not allowed to mention on here anymore to light the smoker?

(I mentioned the BBQ device I’m not allowed to mention on here anymore )

The Grizzlies are looking to hire an intern. Here’s the job description.

“Another Evening with Friends of the Fort” happens in the French Fort neighborhood at the historic Marine Hospital, 360 Metal Museum Drive, tomorrow. Gates open at 5, with guided tours 5:15-7:45 for the first 100 who sign up. Craft beer, BBQ, live music by the Soul Connection Band, historian Jimmy Ogle will be there, and they’re digging up General Ulysses S. Grant out of his grave to make an appearance too. $25 at the door.

The Flying Saucer is having a Lazy Magnolia beer dinner on Thursday, June 25. Here are the details:

The Saucer tends to hit home runs with their beer dinners, so if you love craft beer you should consider going to this.

If you’re a pro wrestling fan who grew up watching The Rock during the Attitude Era, you saw one of the most amazing talkers of all time. You saw him cut many of the greatest promos of all time.

But you didn’t see the BEST promo of all time.

That one happened in October 1985. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Dusty Rhodes’ “Hard Times”:

A few Dusty quotes:

“You got to deeeeaaaal with the dealer”

“Get funky like a monkey”

“Maggie Mae (Magnum T.A.) is not only an outstanding athlete, but very good looking. As a matter of fact, he is almost as good looking as yooooours truuuulllly”

Two Summer Movie Series movies at the Orpheum today: Space Jam at 1:30 and Casablanca at 7:00.

This evening in Handy Park on Beale, Visible Music College presents The Passport. 6 PM start time.

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters play Mud Island tonight. Last night I was in Blind Bear, and I told my favorite pair of librarian glasses that Robert Plant had been seen walking around Main Street checking places out. “REALLY?” she exclaimed. “Maybe I should go put a sexier outfit on. Maybe I should go put on lipstick.” She did, and she changed the Pandora station to Led Zeppelin too. “The Stones, Zeppelin, and the Beatles are my Holy Trinity,” she explained (she has that exactly right by the way). “I saw the Stones in Atlanta on Tuesday and they were amazing. If I could see two of the three in the same week, I think I would die.” Robert didn’t come in though. I hope I’m lucky enough to have women put on sexier outfits for me when I’m 66.

Hmm. Normally I get these “daily update” posts done in a matter of minutes, but due to the length of this post and all the images and embeds, this one has consumed 43 minutes of my time. And my lunch break is 45 minutes. So I guess eating is not on the agenda. That’s OK; I’ll set my sights on Shorty’s pasta bar at the Silly Goose after work. I’m not hating that idea much at all. Gotta figure out where I’m going to watch the women’s soccer match this evening. Bear looks like an option but I will make it a game-time decision. Outta here, and the weekend can’t get here fast enough.

If you’re a pro wrestling fan, this is a very sad day. “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes passed away today at the age of 69. The Dream was a top star of the 1970s and 1980s, held the NWA World Championship three times, and was quite possibly the best talker in the business. He also had a way of connecting with the masses like no other, that quality those in the business refer to as the “it factor” that can’t be taught. Recently he worked in WWE’s developmental promotion, NXT, teaching up-and-comers how to cut promos on the mic. His sons Dustin and Cody are on the WWE main roster. Rest in peace Dusty, and thank you for the many exciting Saturday afternoons I spent watching you on the SuperStation growing up.

“I’ve wined and dined with kings and queens… and I’ve slept in alleys and ate pork and beans”

The RDC plans to open an ice rink in Tom Lee Park. Very cool for those who want to skate without having to drive all the way to Midtown to use the zoo’s ice rink.

Leadership Memphis has a part-time development coordinator position open.

The developers of One Beale have cleared their first of many hurdles. The Land Use Control Board approved the plan today.

MAJOR announcement about the Memphis Farmers Market Crop Hop 5K on Friday evening, June 19 coming tomorrow in the blog. Be sure to check back a little after 1 PM!

For some reason, Facebook has me listed as having worked at Sleep Out Louie’s, the locals’ bar on Union which closed in 2007 and is now Mesquite Chop House. I’m pretty sure sitting at the bar playing NTN Trivia and drinking duck farts and $1 Sunday brunch PBRs does not qualify as “work.” It does remind me, though, that I need to teach bartenders at my modern-era bars how to make duck farts.

Makes me nostalgic, though… 2006 was a magical year. I had my Sleep Out’s Sunday brunch crew. I had the neighbors I hung out with at Number 10 Main. I had my trivia team at Flying Saucer. By the end of the year all of those groups, plus one of the other Saucer trivia teams, had merged into one massive friend group. The merge gave birth to a new BBQ Fest team, the Ques Brothers, which was the predecessor team of both The Moody Ques and Squeal Street BBQ.

The company that runs concessions for FedExForum has a tremendous opportunity for nonprofits. They are looking for nonprofits to send people to volunteer to work concessions at Grizzlies and Tigers games, and in return they get to keep 10% of the revenue. Good chance to have fun while raising money for your organization. Email nweindruch@levyrestaurants.com if interested.

Seeing Red plays the Peabody rooftop party tonight and the food/drink theme is “By the Seashore.” Your $10 admission includes a buffet (7-8 PM) of popcorn shrimp and cocktail sauces, and bacon-wrapped scallops. If you’re in VIP you have a second buffet (7-9:30) of coconut shrimp with sweet chili sauce, mahi mahi bites, seafood drip, and crudite. Red passion fruit margaritas will be on special, and there will be a raffle for a $50 gift certificate to Sammy Hagar’s Red Rocker Bar & Grill at Southland.

Tonight is Memphis Made Brewing’s Pint Night at the Downtown Central BBQ. Pints of Memphis Made beers are only $3 and you get to keep the glass. The Tinglers will be performing. Starts at 5.

Grease is the Summer Movie Series movie playing tonight at the Orpheum. Starts at 7.

I led off at the Silly Goose last night, but how I wish I had led off at Cafe Keough instead. If I had I would have met the lead singer of the greatest rock band of all time. Robert Plant stopped in for some tea. I know he likes Winfield’s down the street and I bet he did some clothes shopping there as well. He performs with his new band the Sensational Space Shifters tomorrow night at 8 on Mud Island.

Plans for tonight: Well, Thursday is usually Silly Goose happy hour for me, but maybe I should change things up and do a little Robert Plant stalking instead. I can’t see the Goose being his scene. Really, I can’t see any of my main five hangouts being his scene, although if Colin is working he will hear himself singing as he passes Blind Bear. Cafe Pontotoc maybe. South of Beale seems like a place he might like. I’ll figure it out when I get out a little after 5:30.

The Redbirds and Bass Pro Shops want to help people learn to fish. Therefore, at tomorrow’s homestand opener, Bass Pro will have a catch-and-release pond. Gates open at 6, first pitch 7:05, and Round Rock is the Redbirds’ opponent. It’s part of a Bass Pro program called Gone Fishing, which encourages kids to put down their digital devices and get outdoors. Click the link for info on in-store Gone Fishing events.

I’ve only fished one time in my life. When I was 10, my grandparents took me to their friends’ lake house in Hot Springs Village, a retirement community about 35 miles southwest of Little Rock where I grew up. I stood on the dock and caught many bream and then threw them back. There were bass in the lake too, but I didn’t catch any of those. Not every kid has access to a lake, though, so this is a great program Bass Pro has put together. They’ve been Downtown not even two months and are already making the community better.

Over the years I have seen a few split-ups between couples who I thought would last forever, but no breakup has shocked me as much as this one: Homer and Marge. This will be one of the unexpected turns the show takes on the upcoming season of The Simpsons, its 27th on TV. The writers are taking a risk here; the show is widely known as one of the few that never jumped the shark. Homer will fall in love with a 29-year-old this season.

This week in the Memphis Flyer: Starting July 1, third-party meal services that deliver food to people’s homes will also be able to deliver booze.

FIFA has announced that the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup has been suspended while an investigation takes place into whether the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were won by Russia and Qatar with bribes.

Memphis’ tallest building, 100 N. Main, will have its water and electricity cut off June 24 if its outstanding MLGW bill of about $86,000 is not paid in full by that date. This could affect popular lunch spot Sam’s Hamburgers & More.

Small pit mix found outside MATA station on North Main.

PBR time! Leading off at Silly Goose then will figure the rest out.