Category: Uncategorized

Pizza special this week at the Silly Goose: Chorizo by Black Sheep Meats, Ro-tel, refried beans, pepper jack and cheddar cheese, onions, fresh jalapeños, Valentina sour cream, and tortilla chip crumbles. Yummmm… I’m all about some refried beans on a pizza. This was delicious.

A. Schwab, the dry-goods store on Beale Street with the old-fashioned soda fountain, is hiring. Apply inside during regular business hours. Random tip I got yesterday: They have really good hot dogs there.

The Daily Memphian’s To-Do List has information on the equipment, vintage clothing, and furniture sale happening this weekend at Paula & Raiford’s Disco. Paula wants to clean out some of the storage spaces at the disco, and one-of-a-kind items will be for sale. The sale will happen 10 AM to 6 PM today through Sunday. The disco is at 14 S. Second, between Madison and Monroe.

Anheuser-Busch will give away free beer if the U.S. hits a goal of  70% of adults having had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination by July 4. The payoff will come as a virtual debit card that can be used to purchase one Anheuser-Busch product up to $5 in value.

The DM’s Drew Hill has an interesting column about the Grizzlies’ 2021 offseason. A question that has been on my mind has been on Drew’s mind too. An NBA player is eligible for a contract extension 3 seasons after being drafted. That means Ja will be eligible in 2022 and there’s no doubt he will get a max extension. But what about Jaren, who’s eligible this year? Maxing him due to unproven superstar potential/unproven ability to stay injury-free is a dangerous move; also, letting him walk is dangerous. (The Knicks are known to have interest; JJSr. works in their farm league.)

In other basketball news, Duke’s legendary Coach K is stepping down after this coming season.

Bar Hustle in the Arrive Hotel (S. Main at Butler) has extended its hours and happy hours.

• Open Sunday-Thursday 4-10 PM
• Open Friday 4 PM-midnight
• Open Saturday 2 PM-midnight
• Happy hour 4-6 PM Monday-Friday and 2-6 PM Saturday

Anyone else getting a lot of home and auto insurance spam in their Gmail this morning?

From the CA: “People are in Downtown”: Increased parking revenue points to economic recovery

Inspiration of the Day: Lakota Code of Ethics

To celebrate nationally observed days today, start off by either hugging your cat or hugging an atheist. Then dine on cheese and donuts and wash them down with a glass of cognac.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeg was in town yesterday. Action News 5 has a report.

Wyly Bigger performs at the Memphis Chess Club for their weekly Music Knight tonight at 6.

Get a free hot dog, chips, and soda with your ticket tonight as the Redbirds host Toledo. First pitch is 7:10.

Worth noting in world news: Israel’s opposition parties are close to uniting to unseat Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu. We’ll see what happens, but it’d be hard to find any leadership that’d be worse than Bibi.

That’s it for today. I’ll be out today and tomorrow, then I’m taking three days off from going out Sunday-Tuesday to refocus on my professional writing career. I’ll still be blogging during that time span though. Back tomorrow with more news.

River Time Market & Deli has a lot going on this week! Here’s their latest news update from Facebook:

This week you will see the changes we are making for our Summer Menu.   We are starting with our Deli Salads and Garden Salads!   Gearing up for the warm weather!   You will see the you make it Sandwiches and Salads!   and yes you have been asking so I am delivering – The Philly Cheese Steak and The Philly Chicken Sandwiches and yes Salads!   We have added to this your loved sandwiches The Buffalo Chicken and The Mesquite Chicken!   What else you ask?  Yep – this Saturday you will see our Breakfast Burrito pop on the menu – and our take on the choices you have been asking for – The River Raft – what is that you ask?  it is a triple wrapped tortilla pocket sandwich – you choose your meat, cheese, veggies, toppings and dressing or yes the Deli Salads will also be offered on these sandwiches starting Thursday.   I will have the Plain Flour and the Honey Wheat Tortillas.   to see the updated menu – www.rivertimedeli.com.

If you haven’t made it to River Time yet, they’re on the south side of Court Square, next door to Blue Plate Cafe.

Black Panther is the movie tonight in the DNA’s Spring Movie Series on Mud Island in Greenbelt Park. Free to attend. People will start to gather at 7:30 and movie time will be 8. Gandy’s Grub Hub food truck will be onsite if you get hungry, or you can pre-game at Mud Island’s restaurants.

Country singer/songwriter Alexis Taylor performs tonight at South Main Sounds, 550 S. Main, from 5:30 to 7:00. If you can’t make it out there, the show will stream online.

The Bluff City Mafia will host a watch party for Saturday’s Memphis 901 FC match vs. Indy Eleven Saturday at 5:30. The party will be in the Cavern (downstairs) of the recently-reopened Brass Door. Paid Bluff City Mafia members, be sure to pick up your bracelets for drink specials.

Jennifer Biggs has a look at By the Brewery in her New Eats column, but there’s more big news: The Daily Memphian will be moving into new digs soon. She says they’ll be on the south end of South Main, with a rooftop for parties and plenty of walkable dining options for those who choose to return to the office.

The Grizzlies’ season is over, but, what a year to be proud of. Nobody expected Memphis to be in the play-in tournament at the beginning of the year, much less win a game in the play-in, much less win two games in the play-in and make the NBA playoffs, much less to steal a playoff game on the road. The future is bright. Great year, Grizzlies.

Pam & Terry will play the Ghost River taproom Friday from 5:30 to 8:30. It’s their first time there, so come show your support.

Cooper-Young Beerfest will make its return October 9. If learning about beer and talking to the brewers is your priority at a beer festival, as opposed to getting your picture taken for the society page in the paper, CY Beerfest is the one for you.

Paula Raiford is trying something new: A text-only line. Text Disco to 901-519-2720 and share your favorite story about Raiford’s Disco.

Black-owned firm Allworld has been chosen to handle construction on The Walk on Union, the multi-use project going in on the south side of Union between Front and Danny Thomas Blvd. Allworld has worked with big names in Memphis including FedEx and the Shelby County Schools.

Amazon has announced it will stop testing workers for marijuana. I hope other companies will take notice and follow suit. Testing for weed is a stupid and outdated practice.

CNN has an article about the possibilities of mRNA vaccines now that they have proven their worth against COVID. mRNA could be thought of as a framework on top of which extremely safe vaccines for many diseases could be developed.

A man faces charges for drag racing in Whitehaven. I wonder if he was one of the idiots who’s been speeding around Downtown, causing a safety hazard.

Brent who cooks at Silly Goose (and who owns restaurant wholesaler Black Sheep Meats) says his experiment with a chorizo taco pizza in the Goose’s wood-fired oven is going to happen today. He’s also been experimenting with skillet brownies in the oven, although he has to cook those in the morning before the oven gets super hot – “so if we do them, when we run out, we’re out.”

Today is National Moonshine Day, and I will suggest Blind Bear as the best place to celebrate. They’re open today 3 PM to 3 AM.

A 5-story building at 386 S. Main, which will rise above its neighbors, was approved with modifications by the Design Review Board yesterday.

Love that passive income… my professional writing activities produced a $500 bonus while I slept last night. After work I will go out and celebrate with some of that chorizo taco pizza and of course, a PBR. Back tomorrow with more news.

Interesting visualization site I found yesterday: Drop a raindrop anywhere in the continental U.S. and watch to see where it ends up as it flows through creeks, streams, and rivers. I dropped a drop in southern Iowa yesterday and watched it flow past Memphis in the Mississippi River.

Work began transferring the remains of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, long a symbol of racial hatred, from Health Sciences Park to a private location. Digging up the tomb will take weeks. They can’t get him out of there soon enough as far as I am concerned. The Juneteenth celebration is planned for Health Sciences Park despite the fact that Gen. Forrest is unlikely to be gone by then.

The DM reports that another building in The Edge is up for renovation. It’s at 413 Monroe, right across from The Rise Apartments in the old Wonder Bread location. The building houses commercial space, a warehouse, and what will be an apartment upstairs.

The same DM article says that Bluefin is seeking permission to build a covered patio on the Main Street Mall. Gotta keep up with the neighbors Majestic Grille and Blind Bear, which already have the covered patios.

It is fantastic to check COVID Act Now and see Memphis averaging only 7 new cases a day. Yesterday my apartment building took down the “must wear mask in elevators and common areas” signs.

Got any tweens or teens interested in learning coding? CodeCrew and Cossitt Library are offering a free camp this summer where participants will learn the programming language Python. Classes will be held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 AM to noon for 6 weeks. Python is a great first language to learn and one of my current favorites.

Today is National Leave the Office Early Day.

A Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency boat was attempted to be stolen from Mud Island on Sunday. The plan didn’t work, the thief took off, and the boat was recovered.

A 15-story mixed-use building could be on its way to The Pinch District, at 465 N. Front. Hotel rooms, condos, and a restaurant are part of the plans.

The MemphisWeather.net forecast has Memphis staying below 80 today with a 50% chance of rain today and 40% tonight.

Don’t forget the Grizzlies watch party in Fourth Bluff Park tonight. The fun starts at 7:30 with the game at 8:30. Go Grizzlies! Let’s bring a Game 6 back to Memphis! Back tomorrow with more news.

Yesterday one of my readers called my blog “The Reader’s Digest of Downtown Memphis.” For those not familiar, that’s what many people read as they sat on the crapper before smartphones.

On to the news… the Grizzlies will have another watch party at Fourth Bluff Park, 1 N. Front Street, Wednesday night for the Grizzlies’ Game 5 at Utah. Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged, and concessions will be available.

117 Prime will be closed today and tomorrow for maintenance and will reopen Thursday, June 3.

News from Insomnia Cookies:

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There was a shooting at about 1 AM Monday morning at Second and Peabody Place. One person went to the hospital in critical condition.

With the I-40 bridge closed, just what we didn’t need was a fire on I-55. A truck caught on fire near the McLemore exit one mile from the bridge, and with no way to put the fire out, MFD had to let it burn.

Air Traffic Mike sent me a good link on abandoned West Tennessee airfields including the Downtown airport which operated on Mud Island from the late 1950s through 1970.

Songwriter Nights are back at South Main Sounds, 550 S. Main. This Friday, June 4 at 7 PM they’ll have Brooke Fair, Emily Rooker, and Richard Wilson.

The Daily Memphian has a tour of the vacant 100 N. Main building (subscriber-only link)

From Action News 5: A professor created a simulation of the wear and tear on the I-40 bridge

Business was booming at local restaurants over Memorial Day weekend.

Rain is back in the forecast with a 60% chance today and an 80% chance tonight and tomorrow.

That’s it for now. Back to work this morning. Back tomorrow with more news.

Brrrr! It was downright chilly yesterday morning standing outside Bardog waiting for them to unlock the door. You know, on the last weekend in May, when I get dressed, I don’t even consider whether I should wear shorts. I just put them on. Yesterday I might shoulda had that mental discussion.

Quite a dreary day for the Memphis metro, with skies staying overcast and temps barely peaking into low 60’s. Today’s high has actually tied with may 29, 1992’s previous lowest high temp! Diminishing cloud cover could drop outlying areas as low as upper 40’s into evening. /AK pic.twitter.com/G3Lg41QQJh

— MemphisWeather.net (@memphisweather1) May 30, 2021

The high yesterday was a full 25 degrees below normal. In May it’s a lot more typical to see highs in the 90s than in the 60s.

Now. Those of you who are true weather nerds should have noticed something else very interesting in that MemphisWeather.net graphic. See it?

This month, the daily normal highs and lows were updated to reflect 1991-2020 rather than 1981-2010. Yesterday was May 29 and the normal high was 86. Previously we didn’t see a normal of 86 until June 1. The world is getting warmer… of course, it could be more of a Memphis thing, with the “concrete island” effect.

I’ve been asked to weigh in with an opinion on this blog. As things return to normal post-pandemic, more and more restaurants are posting notice that a gratuity, usually 20%, will be automatically added to each check.

My opinion on that practice? I think it is EXCELLENT, it ensures that our service industry workers are fairly compensated, and it doesn’t bother me one bit because I always tip that much or more anyway.

When I go out, I tend to be a keen observer of people, and so many times recently I have seen people write “$0.00” on the tip line of their credit card receipt. I’ve also seen plenty of people do something like round a $58 tab up to $60, which doesn’t even cover the taxes the server has to pay on that tab.

So yeah, I’m fine with auto-gratting. The people who object to the practice can vote with their feet and not frequent businesses that implement it.

Here’s a link to results from yesterday’s Great American River Run.

The Rusty Pieces play Blind Bear tonight at 7. I like that start time!

WorthDrivingFor.com has a review of Rizzo’s by Michael Patrick. That food looks incredible!

The Downtown Sheraton is hiring a Human Resources Director.

Fact I learned from today’s Morning Brew newsletter: Memorial Day did not become a federal holiday until 1971.

Mike Conley and the Utah Jazz beat Memphis last night at FedExForum, 121-111, to take a 2-1 edge in the series. The Grizzlies will try to even it up tomorrow night.

Tune into ESPN2 at 2 this afternoon for the finals of the SEC baseball tournament: Tennessee vs. Arkansas. Well crap, Max’s doesn’t open until 4:30. Where am I going to watch the game?

I’ve been continuing to nerd out on the Creme de Memph blog about the history of Memphis. This post about the history of Mud Island has some fantastic historical maps of Downtown. Here are some things I learned:

• Prior to the construction of St. Jude, the portion of Jackson in The Pinch District (running from Front to Third) really did connect to the portion of Jackson east of Thomas.
• Prior to the construction of Danny Thomas Blvd., Lauderdale was the major north-south thoroughfare in that area. Just north of Madison, Wellington split off from Lauderdale and the two streets made up U.S. 51, with Wellington one-way south and Lauderdale one-way north from the split to Beale Street.
• Wellington, Lauderdale, and Madison bordered a park called Edison Park, named for one of Memphis’ famous former residents (he was a telegraph operator here 1865-66). The park has been wiped out by Danny Thomas Blvd. and its exits onto Madison.
• Riverside Drive ended at Jefferson prior to the construction of I-40, although there was a street called Promenade Street running south from Poplar in approximately its location.
• Vollintine used to extend all the way west a block or two past Danny Thomas. I vaguely remember that section still being Vollintine when I was in college. It’s called T.M. Henderson now.
• There used to be a number of streets that ran WNW-ESE in the area east of The Pinch. On the 1870 map in my apartment lobby, one of those streets is named “Bull Run.” Most of those streets have been wiped off the map by St. Jude construction and expansion, but Alabama Ave. remains.

Grassfire Bluegrass Band plays Loflin Yard today at 12.

The Smokin’ Jays play Carolina Watershed at 2.

That’s the news for today. I plan to return to Bardog for brunch at 11, find somewhere showing the Arkansas baseball game, then catch the Rusty Pieces at 7. The MWN forecast is for 75 today, so wearing shorts will make a lot more sense.

MAYBE back tomorrow with more news, depending on the time I have to post and the urgency of whatever news comes in. Y’all know I like to spend my Monday holidays at Bardog, which will open at 8. So it may be Tuesday before I have time to post.

YOUR. MEMPHIS. GRRRRRRRRRRIZZLIES are back in town, hosting Utah for playoff games 3 and 4, and the promotional and entertainment lineup for those games is absolutely STACKED.

GAME 3: Saturday, 8:30 PM (TV: ESPN)

• Halftime performance by Young Dolph
• Growl towels on every seat
• Plaza Party featuring music by Garry Goin & The Memphis Grizzlies House Band
• Grizzline performances on Beale Street
• DJ Mic Tee performing a set in the lobby
• National anthem by Southern Avenue

If you can’t wait until tonight to get in the game-day spirit, hit the Memphis Farmers Market between 10 and noon today, where the Grizzlies and Mountain Dew will do a Street Corner Takeover.

Remember that there will be traffic checkpoints Downtown this weekend, but all you need to do is pull up next to the officer and tell him/her you’re going to the Grizzlies game. Allow extra time to deal with the checkpoints. Also remember you’re still required to wear a mask while in FedExForum.

The Grizzlies Den will be open Sunday 12-4. They’ve restocked classic player jerseys from the past 20 years. They also have stocked up on NXT UP playoff gear.

GAME 4: Monday, 8:30 PM (TV: TNT)

• Performance by 8Ball & MJG
• Performance by Eric Gales & Friends
• Performance by Garry Goin & The Memphis Grizzlies House Band
• National anthem by Eric Gales

If you go to the Farmers Market this morning to score some of that Grizzlies swag at their Street Corner Takeover, you’re going to want to take a light jacket. Weatherbug’s hourly Memphis forecast does not have our fair city cracking the 60 degree mark until 11 AM, with a north wind of 9-12 MPH.

Professional eater Randy Santel and three of his fellow professional eaters will take the Humonga Kookamonga Challenge at Kooky Canuck this afternoon at 3. They’ll receive their spot on the Wall of Honor if they devour the 25-pound burger in under one hour. Only two teams of four have completed the challenge.

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Free cookies? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will apply.

It’s National Biscuit Day. It’d be a good day to try the Biscuit Board at Sugar Grits, which has honey butter, blueberry, and cinnamon biscuits with house-made whipped butter, preserves, sausage, and bacon.

SEC baseball tournament action today: 2 Tennessee vs. 6 Florida at noon, 5 Ole Miss vs. 1 Arkansas at 3:30. Both games are on the SEC Network. If you’re looking for a place to watch the games Downtown, Max’s Sports Bar on G.E. Patterson is the place to go. A dozen TVs, affordable PBR, and occasionally a muscle car crashing into a building across the street.

A refrigerator malfunction was responsible for the fire at ReNew Riverview Thursday evening, WMC reports. One apartment was damaged by fire and about a dozen others had smoke and water damage. Four people, including one firefighter, had to go to the hospital.

The Downtown Memphis Commission published a map showing the best ways to get into and out of Downtown with the Great American River Run, the Grizzlies game, and traffic checkpoints. Use Riverside Drive and Danny Thomas Blvd. as your major north-south routes. The map suggests Adams, Vance, and Crump as your best entry points from Danny Thomas and Beale and Crump as your best entry points from Riverside.

Kaleidoscope plays Blind Bear’s patio this afternoon at 1. For those thinking, “name sounds familiar but I can’t place them,” the band is a subset of the members of FreeWorld.

Ja Morant doesn’t know if his family will return to Utah for Game 5 of the playoff series. For those who missed it, a Utah fan got ejected for shouting “Suck my dick” at Ja’s mother. It’s a shame that getting back out post-COVID restrictions has brought out the worst in some people.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeg will visit Memphis next week to get a handle on the I-40 bridge situation. Thursday is expected to be the day with more details to follow.

A woman is in the hospital after being injured on Beale last weekend. About 2 in the morning, gunshots were heard on the street. The woman tripped and fell and was trampled by the running crowd. She can’t even feel one of her legs, and her mother is having to take care of her 3-year-old son. I betcha that’s why Beale Street Bucks are back this weekend.

There’s an event called Vegan & Vino on Harbor Town Square tonight.

The River Rat Rounders poker league has a fundraiser for Alive! Rescue today at 3 at Green Beetle.

That’s the news for today. Going to take a hard pass on walking down to the Farmers Market in sub-60 degree weather on Memorial Day weekend. I’ll lead off at Bardog then figure out the rest. Back tomorrow with more news.

Jerred Price, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, reported the results of a Zoom call concerning Downtown safety this Memorial Day weekend. MPD needed to step up big in response to the recent drag racing and shootings on the weekends, and it looks like they’re doing it. Here’s the plan:

• The biggest thing: 20+ local checkpoints manned by MPD. These roads will be CLOSED except for residents, business employees, and business customers only. Simply pull up, tell the officer where you are going, and you’ll be given access.
• The return of Beale Street Bucks: $5 cover to get on Beale Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.
• Extra staffing from MPD will be brought in.
• Following the Grizzlies games, some streets may become one way to allow for easy exit from the area.

A partial list of the traffic checkpoints:

• Union & Second
• Union & Front
• Front & Peabody Place
• Front & Beale
• Front & MLK
• MLK & Main
• Beale & Main
• Second & Peabody
• Second & George W. Lee
• Second & MLK
• BB King & MLK
• Fourth & MLK
• MLK & Danny Thomas
• Danny Thomas & Beale
• Beale & Fourth
• Gayoso & Danny Thomas
• Union & Fourth

Thank you Jerred & DMC for taking the initiative on this to keep Downtown safe. It’s going to be a boring weekend for thugs in Chargers and Challengers.

… That is, if the cops actually DO anything. A neighbor of mine, who works at a business on one of the streets in the bullet points above, said he saw a car burning tires for several minutes at Beale and Main last weekend. At least 5 cops were parked nearby and none of them intervened.

More news from DMC… Caption by Hyatt, the hotel to be built at One Beale down the street from Hyatt Centric, will feature a lounge called Talk Shop in the ground floor. It will be only the second of Hyatt’s Caption brand, the first being in Shanghai.

Talk Shop sounds like a fine name, but if they really wanted a bar that fits in with neighborhood happenings, they’d make Flaming Dr. Peppers their signature drink and name the bar Shots Fired.

We may see Dillon Brooks in the Olympics™ this summer, but he won’t be playing for the U.S.:

Today @CanBball announced its 21-man roster for 12 spots on the Nick Nurse-coached squad aiming to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins is in, but injury has ruled out two of Canada’s best: Denver’s Jamal Murray and OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: pic.twitter.com/WUawCvYKLr

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 27, 2021

There was a fire in the ReNew Riverview Apartments (99 N. Main) last night. A woman was taken to the hospital.

It’s International Hamburger Day! My recommendations would be a Double Double from Dyer’s, a Yonge St. Burger from Kooky Canuck, a Majestic Burger with parmesan fries from the Majestic, or a Soul Burger from Earnestine & Hazel’s.

Loveland Duren Trio will play the Ghost River taproom tonight 6-9. Free show.

Maciel’s announced they will close for the Memorial Day weekend, today through Monday.

Single-game tickets to all Memphis 901 FC matches will go on sale Tuesday, June 1. Soccer fans can also look forward to these upcoming sales:

• June 1-2: $10 tickets for June 16 home opener
• June 3-4: $75 Bowtie Bar tickets for June 16 home opener
• June 7-8: All scarves $15
• June 9-10: 3-match packs for $30
• June 14-15: 50% off 2020 and 2019 jerseys

Apparel shop Odds Atelier will have a grand opening party tonight at 7:30. 304 S. Main. Free cocktails. Free food. DJ.

Yesterday I was talking to one of the pizza chefs at Silly Goose and he told me a chorizo taco pizza with refried beans, made in the wood-fired oven, is in his plans for next week.

River Time Market & Deli will be closed this weekend.

Re-reading the list of traffic checkpoints, and I gotta say, my sympathy to the people who live on Front south of MLK and also on G.E. Patterson. These checkpoints aren’t gonna do a damn thing to make your weekend safe and peaceful.

Back tomorrow with more news. Hopefully not news that I heard gunshots.

The Utah Jazz evened the series with Memphis at one game apiece last night in Salt Lake City, but there was one notable number for the Grizzlies – 47. That’s the number of points Ja Morant put up in the game, and it is both a personal record and a team record.

Got next: Utah at Memphis, Game 3, 8:30 PM Saturday at FedExForum, televised on ESPN.

The MBJ reports that the Pinch District will soon have a new fire station. The station at 225 Chelsea is expected to open next year.

The Downtown Memphis Commission conducted a survey of those who live and work in the area and found that 42% have not been given a date to return to work at the office.

WREG had a look at which restaurants benefited most from the Paycheck Protection Program loans. Not surprisingly, The Rendezvous was at the top of the list. Minority-owned businesses, in many cases, got much smaller amounts.

…. Also in that same article: The owner of Curry N Jerk at Monroe and Second, who was interviewed, had a heart attack. The family is trying to keep the restaurant open. Please go by and support the business if you can.

Tennessee state legislators are calling for a third vehicular bridge to cross the Mississippi River at Shelby County.

Fox 13 reports that police plan a heavy presence on Beale Street this holiday weekend. The normally large crowds Downtown for Memorial Day weekend will be inflated even more by Grizzlies home games Saturday and Monday nights.

Also, don’t forget that the Great American River Run is Saturday morning. If you need to get in or out of Downtown between 6 and 11 AM, allow extra time and plan on stopping for runners.

And, Huling between Front and Main will be blocked off Saturday afternoon and evening for a neighborhood block party.

And, Sunday between 2 and 3 PM there will be a Pride Parade on Wheels coming down Union (from Midtown), Danny Thomas Blvd., and Beale.

The Goonies is the featured movie in Downtown Neighborhood Association’s Spring Movie Series tonight at Greenbelt Park on Mud Island. Gandy’s Grub Hub food truck will be on site. People will begin gathering at 7:30 (allowing you time to pre-game at Mud Island restaurants if you wish) and the movie will start at 8. There is no cost to attend.

As of this morning there are still a few tickets left on sale for Robert Moody Presents the Orchestra Unplugged: Memphis, Music, and Martin Luther King. The Memphis Symphony will explore the importance of music to the work to which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his life. 7:30 PM performances tonight and tomorrow.

Graber Gryass will provide the live music at Central Station Live at the Tracks tonight 6:30-9:30.

Someone asked my plans for Memorial Day… afternoon and evening TBD, but that morning will be my first Monday holiday in 16 months sitting at the bar at Bardog, not socially distanced. So excited about that! Bardog opens at 8 AM on the weekdays and I plan on getting there as close as possible to 8.

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

Downtown’s Irish pub The Brass Door has reopened. They’ll be serving pints and lunch today 11 AM to 3 PM. Go get you a fish & chips and a Guinness on your lunch break!

The Redbirds have announced that all fans will get a free hot dog, chips, and soda as part of their ticket purchase for all Fridays in June – which means June 4 and 11, because June will be a weird month in which they’ll be at home for two weeks, and then on the road for two after that.

Jerred Price of the Downtown Neighborhood Association says additional steps will be put in place to fight violent crime Downtown following another shooting near the Hyatt Centric last weekend. Increased patrols will be the first step, along with other measures to be announced later this week. Can’t wait to hear what those are.

A friend of mine recommended a product he says is the best hangover remedy he’s found yet. It’s called Liquid IV and they have it at Walgreens. He says the tangerine flavor is the one you want to get.

With pandemic restrictions mostly behind us, the Memphis Flyer took a long look at the new normal the pandemic left behind for local businesses.

There’s a $20,000 reward out leading to information on a murder from 6 years ago, back in the days when murders were a rarity in Downtonw Memphis.

If you see a low-flying chopper over Memphis in the near future, it’s mapping aquifers.

The Memphis Medical District Collaborative has a new president: Rory Thomas. Thomas spent 8 years leading the Tennessee Small Business Development Center. He’ll be the second MMDC president, succeeding Tommy Pacello, who died of cancer late last year.

Cheers to my BBQ team treasurer Misty as we celebrate World Redhead Day!

Selling Gravity will perform classic rock & country 9-1 Saturday night at Earnestine & Hazel’s.

In the news: Manhattan DA Cy Vance has convened a grand jury to determine if the Trumpster or the Trump Organization committed any indictable criminal offenses. The grand jury will meet 3 times a week for six months. Sounds like there’s a lot to talk about.

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Utah Jazz, 9 PM, TNT. Back tomorrow with more news. Tomorrow’s update may be a short one as I will be operating on less sleep than normal.

I heard more about that shooting near Beale and Wagner Saturday night as I was out and about yesterday.

Someone who was on the rooftop (the Beck & Call bar) of the new Hyatt Centric hotel told me that around midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning, they heard POP – POP – POP – POP – POP. On the street near Wagner Place was a man who had clearly been hit by gunfire, in a pool of his own blood, but who at the time was still alive. Police arrived and marked off a crime scene. Guests at the Hyatt Centric’s restaurants and bars who wanted to leave were held up by the police for more than an hour so as not to taint the crime scene.

Yesterday afternoon I heard from someone who’d been at the hotel Saturday night that the victim in the shooting died.

I can’t find any reports about this shooting on any of the local media. I’m not sure if that’s because there were other stories that took precedence over this one, or because someone requested the media to embargo the story. But anyway, that’s what I have been told. I’m not a professional journalist. If I have any detail here incorrect, email me (paul@paulryburn.com) and I will change it.

Yesterday about 8 PM, a black Dodge Challenger slammed into The Vault at 124 G.E. Patterson. According to witnesses who posted to social media, the car turned left onto G.E. Patterson from South Main St., accelerated, lost control of the vehicle, tires were heard squealing, and then, BAM – right into the front corner of the business. Vault 1, Challenger 0. The hood of the car was all smashed in and the airbag was deployed. It’s believed the driver of the Challenger may have been a female.

What’s a Challenger cost these days? 40 thousand? Tens of thousands of dollars in value destroyed in seconds. And how are people able to be successful enough to afford these cars without ever developing enough common sense not to do stupid, reckless things with them?

I wonder if the Challenger had collision insurance on it – the type that pays for damage to your own vehicle, as opposed to liability insurance that pays for damage to the other party. I wonder what that driver’s insurance premiums are going to be following this accident.

Then again, I wonder if the driver had insurance at all. In Memphis there’s a good chance the answer is “no.”

The last time the news in Downtown Memphis was this negative was 2006, when panhandling was out of control and people were getting knocked out and robbed in parking garages. At that time I got nastygrams from real estate agents, who wanted me to tone down what I wrote about crime because I was making it hard for them to sell properties Downtown. I wonder if the next generation of real estate agents will come @ me in 2021. Of course, the difference is, Nextdoor is popular now. Shutting me up (which they won’t do) won’t put a lid on the bad news.

Also reading reports of people who live on South Front who can’t sleep because of the revving engines. They wish Front could be closed until the cruising/drag racing goes away. That’s not a practical solution, but I understand what they’re saying. I live on an upper floor of a high-rise building, half a block from city streets open to vehicle traffic, and the engines woke me up a couple of times Saturday night. I can’t imagine living on the first floor, only feet away from the street.

All right. You ready for something positive and happy and uplifting?

The experts said, the Utah Jazz will sweep the Grizzlies. They said, the Grizzlies are growing into a title contender – but this year, they would pay their dues, drop 4 in a row to the Jazz, and make an early exit from the playoffs.

The Grizz, particularly Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks, weren’t havin’ it. They controlled most of the game, the opponent constantly playing catch-up, just as they forced the Warriors to do in the second play-in game. The Jazz staged a comeback, and once again, the fear was that the Grizzlies would fall behind in the closing moments.

But the new Grizzlies have a lot more grit & grind than they’re given credit for. They regained the lead and closed the game out strong on both ends of the floor.

As soon as Rudy Gobert picked up his 5th foul, I knew the writing was on the wall. 112-109, Grizzlies, giving Memphis a 1-0 lead in the series.

Those of you who turned in early because you didn’t think the game would justify staying up until 11:15 PM, don’t make that mistake Wednesday. Every moment from tip-off to final buzzer was stellar basketball. So happy I took a nap Sunday afternoon so I could be up to watch the game.

Got next: Grizzlies @ Utah, game 2. Wednesday, May 26, 9 PM on TNT.

Attendance at the home games Friday and Sunday for Memphis will be bumped to 55%, FedExForum officials announced. The Grizzlies consulted with the Shelby County Health Department and the NBA office before making that move.

There’s a server position open at Beck & Call that has a $500 signing bonus.

Hotel Indigo seeks a Chief Engineer – Maintenance.

It’s National Escargot Day if you’re looking for a reason to go to Bishop French Brasserie in the Central Station Hotel.

That’s it for now. Time to get this week started.