Category: Uncategorized

Tuesday update

If you’ve walked down the Main Street Mall the past year, you may have noticed a business called Talent Development Complex that has moved in to a storefront in Pembroke Square. If you’re like me, you wondered what it was, what goes on in there.

If you want to find out, come to the monthly South Main Association meeting there on Tuesday, March 12 (6:00 social/6:30 presentation). The business seeks to develop a viable Memphis music industry by by providing resources and education for aspiring musicians and industry professionals. The space includes recording booths, music studios, practice rooms, and stages with all the latest technology.

(But no stripper pole… ?)

Due to the size of the group, the meeting will happen in the adjoining lobby of the Belz Museum. One of the artists working with the complex will give a performance, and before and after the presentation there will be tours of the complex. Bites by Grecian Gourmet and adult beverages donated by Kirby Wines & Liquors. This event is free for SMA members, $10 for non-members.

The Fourth Bluff is looking for Memphians to Fuel the Fourth Bluff. You can propose fresh ideas to invigorate our shared assets, and receive a grant of $1000, $5000, $10,000, or $20,000 to execute your vision. There will be an informational session next Tuesday, March 12, at 409 S. Main from 6 to 9 PM.

I want to say a word to people who post information to social media and then say “Link in bio” to view the informational link. Don’t do that. Include the link directly in your post or tweet. Don’t make your readers jump through an additional hoop to view your information. Use bit.ly to generate a short URL if you need something that fits in a 280-character tweet.

Crawford & Power, a band with its roots in classic country, Americana, and Southern rock, plays the Tin Roof tonight in a free show.

@PAPA_FLOCKA of SBNation’s Grizzly Bear Blues thinks the team should bring back Joakim Noah next season. I would agree! The intangibles he brings, like firing the crowd up and being a locker room leader, make Noah worth it, if he can be re-signed to a veteran’s minimum contract.

The Grizzlies host the Portland Trail Blazers tonight at 7. Tonight will be the Hoops for St. Jude kickoff.

The 7th annual Good People Good Beer gala happens at Memphis Grand Carousel, 2525 Central, at 7 PM on Saturday, March 23. Hosted by Operation Broken Silence, this event raises money for children’s education in war-torn Sudan. The theme of the party, which changes every year, is Masquerade.

Love, Sex and Marriage comes to the Halloran Centre April 6. This is the story of a superstar, Darrin, who is popular with the ladies and admired by the men. However, Darrin is a closeted gay man who is signed to a homophobic record label.

Cordelia’s Market will host a Sweet Water beer dinner Thursday, March 21 at 6:30 PM. This will be a five-course meal with beer pairings from Sweet Water.

What happened to the pigeons? They used to be all over the Main Street Mall and Court Square. Now I almost ever see them. I saw a dove, practically the same thing, yesterday and that’s what made me think about the pigeons. I remember at one point the city bought a falcon to try and control the pigeon population. The falcon flew away though.

Downtown Yoga is presenting a Nutritional Hacks Workshop Sunday, March 17 from 2:15 to 3:45. The workshop will be led by Gene Williams, an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer/Yoga-Pilates Instructor/Nutritional Counselor. The workshop will start off with an hour of yoga, followed by Q&A about nutrition. If your fitness program has hit a plateau, Gene will give you some hacks to jump-start your metabolism. He’ll discuss simple vs. complex carbs and the role of each in a healthy diet. YOGA!

Skillet, the food portion of the Lifehacker website, recommends adding pickles to your breakfast sandwiches.

The Commercial Appeal posted the obituary for my BBQ teammate Danny. Whoever wrote this did an outstanding job capturing the essence of Danny’s spirit.

Sad to hear of the passing of King Kong Bundy. I enjoyed watching Bundy on Mid-South Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling as a kid. Bundy was 450 pounds and demanded a five-count rather than the traditional three-count to win a match. In this video Bundy turns on his manager Paul Ellering in World Championship Wrestling in 1984 (fast-forward to 1:16:30).

Sorry for no post yesterday. I just didn’t have enough to warrant doing one. Back tomorrow with more news.

Sunday update

Sweet Magnolia Gelato, a small-batch artisan gelato company based out of Clarksdale, Mississippi, is opening a brick-and-mortar location inside the 409 South Main food hall. They posted that they are looking for a Manager of Operations for the new location.

If you want to come cheer for the Grizzlies to CONVEY THAT PICK, they have a deal for you:

BBQ teammates: I sent out an email just now about an open house celebrating the life of our teammate Danny C. If you didn’t get the email (or if you’re not on the team but knew Danny) email me at paul@paulryburn.com and I will forward you the information.

There will be a big ceremony at Memphis Made Brewing Co. today from 3 to 5. The Camp Fire in California was one of the worst wildfires in modern history. To help with recovery, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. organized the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund. Breweries across the country brewed their own version of Resilience IPA and served it in their taprooms. Memphis Made did a 10 barrel batch which is just about gone. Today they will pour the last few pints of Resilience and present a check to Sierra Nevada rep Derek Petrella for more than $7000. Come raise a pint with them and toast this collaborative effort.

PBR news: There’s going to be a Pabst Blue Ribbon whiskey sometime this year.

Speaking of PBR, those who drink the beer are seeing some unusual cans Downtown.

When I first saw this, I thought it was a throwback design. However, on further inspection it appears that the printer messed up.

From April through June, you will be able to enjoy live, local music, food by chef Karen Blockman Carrier, and classic burlesque as Velvetina’s Blue Moon Revue comes to Mollie Fontaine Lounge.

I love a good muffuletta and Bluff City Coffee has one this month.

The Daily Beast has a good article on the time Donald Trump tried to buy NFL team the Buffalo Bills.

The temperatures are going to suck the next three days, but still, this is March and festival season is fast approaching! I look forward to informing my readers of many fun things to do the next couple of months.

Going to stay close to home today due to the cold and the wind. Back tomorrow with more news.

Saturday update

There’s been some confusion about the date of Beale Street Wine Race, with a couple of different dates having been mentioned. The organizers of the race cleared it up yesterday on Facebook. The Sunday festival schedule in April goes like this:

For those new to Memphis, Wine Race is a competition among Memphis-area restaurants and bars. There are four events:

  • Opening parade
  • Queen of the Vine beauty pageant
  • Grape stomp
  • Four-person wine relay

Although some restaurant teams take the competition very seriously, in general this is considered the most debaucherous day on the spring calendar outside of BBQ Fest. It’s an event where servers can have fun one last time before the ultra-busy month of May begins. Normally Wine Race is the last Sunday in April, but the late occurrence of Easter this year messed up the festival calendar.

Cordelia’s Market on Mud Island posted a very valid reason to do your grocery shopping there: You can walk around with a beer in hand as you shop. Just stop by their taps and grab one.

Rizzo’s by Michael Patrick is celebrating the opening of the Power House movie theater this Friday, March 8, inviting patrons to stop in before or after the movie for 10% off appetizers and specialty cocktails. From 5-7 PM, show your ticket stub dated March 8, 2019, and they’ll bump the discount to 25%.

Tin Roof is having an all-day patio party the day of the Beale Street St. Patrick’s Day parade, March 16. Full band lineup inside, and four house DJs out on the patio. Tin Roof is a great place to watch a parade, as a group of people I know discovered back in December.

Max’s Sports Bar has announced they will have $5 Mardi Gras (half orange dreamsicle/half purple drank) slushies all day today.

Legendary restaurant Fino’s (the Midtown location) has been purchased by Chef Kelly English and will re-open next month. Other than adding some breakfast sandwiches, he does not plan on messing with an already successful and beloved concept. He is currently searching for former employees in hope that he can bring them back.

The Daily Memphian has a look at the agricultural startups making a splash at the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show this weekend.

Eight.0 plays the Center for Southern Folklore tonight at 7.

Attitude MMA Fights come to FedExForum this evening.

It’s not quite popsicle weather yet, but it soon will be. Here’s a recipe for Jack & Coke popsicles.

The House Ways & Means Committee is preparing a request for Donald Trump’s tax returns, and they are willing to go to litigation if necessary. They say they need the returns to investigate possible influence peddling, conflicts of interest, and Constitutional violations. 2019 is shaping up to be a bad year for Trump.

That’s the news for now. Back tomorrow with more.

 

 

 

Friday update: Come on down!

Come on down to the Orpheum tonight and you could be the next contestant on The Price Is Right. The Price Is Right Live brings audience members up on stage to play the classic games seen on TV, where they can win appliances, vacations, or even a new car. There will be a chance to spin The Big Wheel to win thousands of dollars, and two lucky contestants advance to the Showcase.

Exciting news: Memphis’ soccer team Memphis 901 FC is going to have one of their home games broadcast on national TV. The Thursday, April 10 match vs. ATL UTD FC will be broadcast on ESPNews as part of that channel’s USL Championship Game of the Week. In addition, a road game at Lousiville on April 30 will be carried on ESPN3.

More exciting AutoZone Park news: With a sponsorship from Budweiser, the park has upgraded its Redbirds Club – now known as Budweiser Club – for 2019. Members enjoy a private air-conditioned area, with TVs, pool tables, and couches and high-top seating. Members also get free Anheuser-Busch beer, house wines, Coca-Cola products, tea, and water, and there is an all-you-can-eat buffet for every game.

Memphis 901 FC fans will especially be in for a treat in the Budweiser Club. For one thing, the club is located exactly at midfield. There will be a full bar for Memphis 901 FC matches. Prior to the matches, head coach Tim Mulqueen will come to the club and deliver a 15-minute “chalk talk.”

Call 901-721-6000 for more information about the Budweiser Club. Single-game and group memberships will be available for both Memphis Redbirds and Memphis 901 FC games, and season memberships for Memphis 901 FC will be available as well.

Americana, soul and roots band Dustbowl Revival plays the Halloran Centre tomorrow night at 7:30.

Memphis Black Restaurant Week begins Sunday, with black-owned restaurants across the city offering two-course lunches for $15 and three-course dinners for $25. Participating Downtown restaurants include Sage, The Office at Uptown, Robusto by Havana Mix, and Downtown Nutrition.

Quench, the liquor store on Second across from the Peabody, will host a tasting of locally made liquors tonight from 5 to 7. Blue Note Bourbon and Riverset Rye will be sampled.

Half Pints for Half Pints, the annual fundraiser held at Memphis Made Brewing Co. in support of its neighbor Peabody Elementary’s PTA, is tomorrow evening. Your ticket ($30-85) gets you Memphis Made beers and food from Central BBQ, Sweetgrass Next Door, Aldo’s Pizza Pies, Mulan Bistro (including a vegetarian option), and Celtic Crossing. For those who are not beer drinkers, Joe’s Wines and Liquors has donated several magnums of wine. DJ Zac Ives of Goner Records will provide the music, and there will be a silent auction where you can bid on items donated by neighborhood businesses.

In other brewery news, Meddlesome Brewing Co. out in Cordova is toying with the idea of opening their tap room 7 days a week. They are going to test being open Mondays and Tuesdays the next few weeks and see how it goes. On Mondays they will tap a cask of one of their offerings (if you’ve never had cask beer, you must try it – totally different mouthfeel than draft beer). On Tuesdays all the beers on their tap wall will be $3. For this coming week they’ve got some special events lined up: an Aldo’s pizza party on Monday the 4th, and a Mardi Gras party on Tuesday the 5th. They appreciate any feedback and if it works out, the 7 day schedule will become permanent.

There’s a ’90s Bar Crawl on Beale tomorrow afternoon and evening. Participating stops include Jerry Lee’s (where you register), Wet Willie’s, Peoples, Lew’s Blue Note Bar and Grill, and Tin Roof.

The landlord of Raymond James Tower on North Front says a plan is in place to modernize the building’s elevators, and the landlord hopes the tower’s namesake tenant will reconsider a decision to move. Last week several Raymond James employees leaked an internal memo to The Daily Memphian informing them of a possible move to East Memphis.

Yesterday I skipped the Thursday food truck rodeo in Court Square in favor of a different Thursday lunch tradition.

Every Thursday, all five Lisa’s Lunchbox locations have taco salad as their lunch special. I went over there late in the day (1:25; they close at 2) and they were out of tortilla chips, but had everything else. I assured the man at the counter that I was fine with no chips. As you can see, lettuce is topped with cheese, black olives, onions, jalapenos (upon request only) and generous portions of salsa and sour cream. You can get it with traditional chili, which is what I did, or beef chorizo. I got a can of Coke and sat in the window and watched traffic on Front Street as I ate. A very hearty and satisfying lunch!

Later in the day, I was telling people about my lunch, and it amazed me how many people live or work Downtown yet have never heard of Lisa’s Lunchbox. There are two locations down here and three more out east. The one I went to was at 116 S. Front, cat-a-corner from AutoZone’s headquarters store support center. The other location is in the Raymond James building, 50 N. Front St. Suite 200. I recommend you take the stairs to get to the second floor. Lisa’s serves breakfast, lunch, and smoothies, and they can cater office breakfasts and lunches.

Primas Bakery and Boutique at 523 S. Main will host a mixer for International Women’s Day next Friday, March 8, from 5 to 7 PM. Wanderlvst901 will be on site selling merchandise.

The 2019 Blues Hall of Fame inductees have been announced: Aretha Franklin, Booker T and the MGs, Count Basie, Pee Wee Crayton, Moe Asch, and Ida Cox.

Former ESPN anchor Jemele Hill will come to the University of Memphis to give a lecture on the First Amendment on Tuesday, March 12. Hill was criticized (criticism I don’t agree with) for supporting Colin Kaepernick on Twitter and also for tweeting negatively about Donald Trump.

The New York Times has an opinion piece about the Eagles of Reelfoot Lake, located in West Tennessee about an hour and a half north of Memphis. My grandparents lived not far away, in Trimble, and took me there when I was a teenager. For those of you who have never been to the lake, it’s worth a trip. It’s peaceful place to get away from the hustle and bustle for a little while.

If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can get school lunch pizza at Max’s Sports Bar on G.E. Patterson.

If you’ve ever thought about driving for MIFA’s Meals on Wheels, the program that delivers nutritious meals to home-bound seniors, but you’re not quite convinced it’s something you want to do, there’s a new option. The ride-along program will pair you with one of the organization’s top volunteer drivers for a morning of deliveries. It’ll give you a first-hand look at how much the seniors appreciate the food and also the conversation.

Memphis in May and Memphis River Parks Partnership officials met on Tuesday to try to come to an accord on how the redesigned Tom Lee Park will accommodate Music Fest and BBQ Fest. Few details were released, but those from Memphis in May called the meeting “productive,” indicating that the two sides might be getting closer to that win-win we all want.

Scheduled Music Fest performer BlocBoy JB has turned himself in on charges of possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia and being a felon in possession of a handgun. A Memphis in May performer who will be out on bail when he gives his performance… it doesn’t get much more Memphis than that.

Oh hell yeah… Donald Trump’s business associate Felix Sater will be PUBLICLY questioned by the House Intelligence Committee on March 14. Trump is believed to have participated in shady deals with Sater, including involvement in the Trump Moscow project that never happened. Committee chair Adam Schiff announced the plan to question Sater after a day of private testimony by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen to the committee yesterday. I better pop some popcorn that morning and make sure the TV is in good working condition. Sater will likely be faced with the choice of committing perjury before Congress (and getting hit with a criminal charge by Special Counsel Mueller) or telling the truth and implicating Don Jr. and Ivanka in crimes. Donald Trump will lose it if his precious princess faces prison time.

A source I follow on Twitter, John Schindler (@20committee) tweeted that the March 14 date was “such interesting timing… #HINT.” Hmmmm…..

All right, that’s all the news I can find for today. Back tomorrow with more.

Thursday update

Reports are starting to come out about what’s being discussed in the BuildDowntown Design Studio planning sessions, tasked with creating a master plan for Downtown through 2030. There was a session on parking.

There’s plenty of parking Downtown, the survey found, but it’s not necessarily concentrated in the right places. There are 70,000 spaces in the Central Business District, which includes the core, the Pinch and Uptown, South Main and South End, The Edge and the Medical District. However, it was noted that people aren’t going to park at Jefferson and Manassas to come see a Redbirds game. They’re not going to park on a surface lot at N. Second and Overton and walk to a Grizzlies game. While parking is not scarce in the core, when big events are happening it’s scarce enough to produce significant upcharges and long lines getting out of parking garages. A good point was made that people often sneak out of Grizzlies games and other FedExForum events early to beat the long line getting out of the garage and out of Downtown. If they didn’t have to deal with that hassle they might stay Downtown longer and spend money on a post-game drink or a late dinner.

The loss of the garage at 66 S. Front, to make room for the Brooks Museum relocation, was also discussed. While a museum is certainly a higher use for that real estate than a parking garage, the loss of those spaces is going to hurt. A local business I frequent regularly, Bardog Tavern, is steps away from that garage, and I know for a fact that some of its patrons park there. I hope the loss of the garage doesn’t cost them business.

Another interesting fact that came out of the planning session is what Downtowners see as top priorities for their neighborhood to grow and evolve. By a 2-to-1 margin attracting a grocery store was the top desire, but that will require a lot of people living in a concentrated area. Downtown is on the way to getting there but not quite at a tipping point yet. Number 6 on their top 10 list, build more workforce and affordable housing, would be number 1 on my list. I am excited about the Brooks moving down here, improvements to the riverfront, and the new soccer team, but I also worry that increasing amenities Downtown will lead to apartment rents that approach those of Downtown Nashville. I want people from all walks of life – teachers, artists, musicians – to be able to afford to live here.

The Daily Memphian has a report on the restaurant and bar that is planned to go into the corner space at Central Station at South Main and G.E Patterson. The project will also contain 200 apartments, 124 hotel rooms, and a renovated Amtrak train station. As of yet the new restaurant and bar does not have a name. The main entrance will be from the Main Street sidewalk.

Yet another microbrewery is on the way to Memphis. Belz has filed a permit to convert a building it owns at 845 N. Main, in Uptown, to a microbrewery called Soul & Spirits Brewery, according to submitted renderings. According to Google Maps, that would be almost all the way to the end of North Main Street at Henry Avenue. Chelsea ends at Second but if it extended to Main, the new brewery would be north of Chelsea. This could be promising – I’ve seen in my hometown of Little Rock how breweries can thrive and be catalysts for change in neighborhoods a mile or so away from a city’s downtown. The new brewery would be a half mile away from one being constructed even farther north, Grind City Brewery at 83 Waterworks near Second Street.

Rizzo’s by Michael Patrick is back in its original location and will be open to the public Monday, March 4.

Tonight at 6 PM is the presentation of the VanWyngarden Cup to the brewery that won the 2019 Memphis Flyer Beer Bracket. Actually, we already know the brewery – Meddlesome. It’s just a matter of finding out whether 201 Hoplar became a repeat champion, or whether Broad Hammer claimed the trophy this year. They’ll be live on Memphis Flyer Facebook to announce the winner.

Tonight is DNA Night at the Earnest Withers Collection & Gallery at 333 Beale at 5:45 PM. Tour the museum and learn about history through the photos of Dr. Withers. Free for DNA members, $10 for guests. Food and libations will be provided.

Tonight at 7:30 at River Inn of Harbor Town, there will be a Music Is in the Air concert featuring soprano Marie-Stephane Bernard and pianist Angelo Rapan.

Don’t forget that the South Main Mardi Gras Bar Crawl happens this Saturday from 2 to 11 PM. Memphis Orleans Street Symphony 2-4, live DJ at Carolina Watershed all day, South Main Bar Olympics at Carolina Watershed as well. Mighty Souls Brass Band at Loflin Yard at 8 PM with a second line parade to Carolina Watershed. Dirty Crow Inn will have food & drink specials all day.

That’s all for now. Debating whether Court Square’s Thursday food truck rodeo or Bardog should be my plan for lunch. Back tomorrow with more news.

Wednesday update

Yesterday I reported that Peter Frampton would be performing at the Orpheum on June 26. However, news has since come up who will be drumming for Frampton that night: Jason Bonham. He is the son of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John “Bonzo” Bonham. On Zeppelin’s 1980 concert tour, at times 12-year-old Jason took over the drumming, giving Bonzo a break. No one even realized the drummer was not Bonzo. Jason also drummed on several of Led Zeppelin reunions after Bonzo passed away.

I also linked to the saveMIM.org site yesterday. As I said, I am neutral in this debate, and to be fair to the other side I want to link to their point of view: Tom Lee Park redesign defended as successful festival grounds

This is not a Downtown event, but it’s one a friend of mine holds dear so I want to tell my readers about it.

Jubilee’s Mardi Gras in Memphis features a crawfish boil, a gumbo cook-off, and a 5K. It will be 11 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, March 23, at Memphis Catholic High School, currently a Jubilee school at 61 N. McLean in Midtown. Admission is $5 with kids 5 and under free. Crawfish will be $10 a box and there will be other food and beverages available as well. The gumbo cook-off is free to enter; just register on the website. They have 10×15 spaces available for $150, including 10 boxes of crawfish, if you want your krewe to have your own place to hang out. They’ll have March Madness on in the VIP tent. Register for the 5K here. If you are interested in volunteering, becoming a craft vendor or sponsoring the event call Angela Fox at 901-373-1211 or angela.fox@jso.cdom.org.

Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid has several jobs available. These include part-time food service jobs including cook, busser, steward, host, food runner, and server. There are also full-time service jobs in Big Cypress Lodge, the hotel inside the Pyramid. These include house person and house keeper positions.

This is very cool:

Local Gastropub is having a Fat Tuesday celebration Tuesday, March 5 starting at 5 PM. There will be crawfish po-boys, crawfish pies, muffuletta pizza, king cake, live music, and drink specials.

The Orpheum has revealed its 2019-2020 Broadway season. Shows include Dear Evan Hansen, The Book of Mormon, Hello, Dolly!, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Play that Goes Wrong, Disney’s Aladdin, A Bronx Tale, and Come from Away.

Today there is plenty of conversation about reimagining the riverfront, Downtown, and all of Memphis. However, it was not the first time such conversations have been made. Memphis Magazine has a look at attempts to reimagine Memphis in the 1920s and the 1950s.

High Ground News has an interesting history of the train line running through the Normal Station neighborhood near the University of Memphis.

That book I’ve been talking about, The Gaslighting Effect by Reva Steenbergen, is available for a limited time directly through the author for only $3.

People have asked me to say a little more about the book, so I will. Chapter 1 explains who a narcissist is – they’re a lot more than just someone who takes selfies and makes things all about them. Other personality traits have to be present. Also, what makes a narcissist happy differs from what makes a normal person happy.

Chapter 2 describes the personality type of the victim the narcissist picks out to be the target of their abuse. The chapter describes what draws the narcissist to the victim, and what emotions and motivations are present in the narcissist.

Much of the rest of the book describes the tactics the narcissist uses to systematically abuse their victim. These include

  • Observing the victim from afar for a period of months or even years before revealing themselves; getting to know the victim’s habits, routines, likes, dislikes, who their friends are, where their favorite places to go are
  • Extremely excessive lying
  • Projection
  • Playing the victim themselves
  • Gaslighting – attempting to upend the victim’s world to the point that the victim doesn’t even know what reality is anymore
  • Denial of things the narcissist previously said or did, even in the face of hard evidence
  • In cases where the victim has children, turning their own children against them
  • Engineering situations in which the victim is likely to be caught off-guard and respond emotionally; then using those responses to show others that the victim is “crazy”
  • Flying monkeys – turning the victim’s friends against them and having them participate in the abuse
  • A few other tactics intended to rip the victim apart from the people., places, and things that make them happy, leaving the victim with nothing

If you want to understand what a victim of narcissistic abuse has been through, or if you want to understand narcissistic abuse so you can protect yourself and those you love from it, get this book. Three bucks, you can’t beat that price. Drink one less Miller Lite while you’re watching the Tigers play Cincinnati at the bar Saturday evening and you’ve saved enough money to pay for it.

Two items are dominating the news today: Trump’s meeting with Kim Jong-un in Vietnam, and Michael Cohen’s public testimony to the House Oversight Committee. However, these stories are causing a third story to fly under the radar, one which is a big deal. India and Pakistan have launched airstrikes against each other. That situation could get ugly real fast. Both of those countries have nuclear weapons, and are traditional enemies. Together they comprised British India, and when they declared independence in the late 1940s they broke apart into the Muslim portion (Pakistan) and the Hindu portion (India).

Watching the Michael Cohen public testimony to the House Oversight Committee on the New York Times website. They have some great commentary going on in a side panel as it happens.

That’s it for now. I may be late getting out this afternoon because I want to see all of the Cohen hearing. Back tomorrow with more news.

Tuesday update

What a win by the Memphis Grizzlies over the L.A. Lakers last night! LeBron tried to rally his team but it wasn’t enough. Joakim Noah did great coming off the bench (14 points, 12 rebounds) and he looked like he was having the time of his life. He takes a lighthearted approach to the game, as opposed to his former teammate Marc Gasol who was overly serious. He’s a locker room leader who inspires the young players. I’ve read that Noah probably won’t be back next season. Can we please find a way to keep him?

It can be argued that with Jaren Jackson Jr. out for a while, there’s no way the Grizzlies are going to catch up with teams ahead of them to finish ninth worst and CONVEY THAT PICK, and therefore it would have been better if Memphis had lost. But, come on. Beating LeBron always feels good.

Yesterday I posted that the Majestic Grille’s Patrick Reilly was named Restaurateur of the Year by the Memphis Restaurant Association at their awards ceremony on Sunday. However, I neglected to mention that Reilly was not the only one in the restaurant business Downtown to receive an honor. Andreas Kisler, the executive chef of Chez Philippe at the Peabody and overseer of the menus at all the Peabody restaurants, was named 2019 Chef of the Year by the MRA. Congratulations!

Crosstown Brewing Co. is holding a beer and cheese pairing class on Thursday, March 14. Learn how to pair cheeses with a flight of five styles of beer.

Wiseacre has announced its annual Kaleidoscope Food Festival for Saturday, April 13 from 1 to 5 PM. This will be a celebration of cultures of the world, with food from a diverse array of Binghampton vendors. World culture will be celebrated with performances and storytelling as well. Kids and dogs are welcome.

This tweet by Joyce Peterson is really interesting. I never knew there was a physical gauge.

From The Daily Memphian: Memphis 901 FC is serious about playing hard for the city. Minority owner Tim Howard and coach Tim Mulqueen have embraced the city’s work ethic. Memphis 901 FC hosts the University of Memphis in a pre-season match closed to the public at AutoZone Park Friday. If you know anyone who has an apartment balcony overlooking the park, Friday would be a good day to buddy up to them.

The Daily Memphian has an article about the BuildDowntown Design Studio, for which public input is sought, happening this week. From these sessions will emerge a master plan for Downtown to grow and evolve through 2030.

There’s a Save Memphis in May website where people can voice their concerns about the effect the proposed changes to Tom Lee Park will have on Memphis in May events like Music Fest and BBQ Fest, and how those changes would affect the local economy and tourism. Note: I am not endorsing this movement by publishing the link. I am neutral in this whole debate and want to find a win for both sides. Long-term, I believe the park needs to be made into something for all Memphians to enjoy, not just those with a Music Fest ticket or a BBQ Fest team. I am simply putting the information out there.

The Queen of Beale Street, Ruby Wilson, would have turned 71 this Thursday, and to celebrate, B.B. King’s Blues Club will unveil a portrait of Ms. Wilson at 6:30 PM that day. There will be a toast and cake, and donations will be taken for the Ruby Wilson Scholarship at the Stax Music Academy.

Peter Frampton released Frampton Comes Alive! in 1976, but let’s face it, this is 2019 and Frampton probably won’t be alive too many more years. Memphians will have one more chance to hear him perform June 26 when he comes to the Orpheum.

Edible Memphis reports that the chef-in-residency space at the 409 South Main food hall is expected to be ready next month. It will be occupied by Chef Nick Scott, who will open his Salt+Soy sushi restaurant there and remain until the brick and mortar location on South Cooper Street is ready.

Over the years I’ve failed to appreciate what great values Family Dollar on Main Street (between Monroe and Union) has to offer. Last week I ran out of toothpaste. I went to Family Dollar and got a full-sized tube of Crest for $1. Yesterday I was in Walgreens, and saw that a travel-sized tube of Crest, less than half the size of the one I bought down the street, was $1.49.

No longer the only incubator in town for startup businesses, Emerge Memphis has sold its building at 516 Tennessee Street for $3.55 million and will use the money to fund startups. Over the years, Emerge incubated 242 companies, creating 3200 jobs.

The Belz Museum in Pembroke Square has a special exhibit this spring: Tomb Pottery Mysteries of China

The CA has a fascinating story: A Sun Studio record, lost for 62 years, uncovers a Memphis love story. Four days after Elvis, Jerry Lee, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash recorded in the legendary studio, five East High teens called The Heathens were in there recording two takes of a love song.

Max’s Sports Bar is now selling Mardi Gras slushies.

The slushies are a combination of Orange Dreamsicle and Purple Drank. (Photo credit Bjarni)

Reva Steenbergen, author of the book The Gaslighting Effect, tweeted the following yesterday:

Yes. Precisely. This is what happened to me several years ago. I’ll say it again, if you want to understand what I’ve been through, read this book. It is an easy read and just over 100 pages long. Until I found out about this book, I thought I was the only one in the world to go through this. Now I realize I am not alone.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, February 27 at 8 AM CST, Donald Trump’s former lawyer/fixer Michael Cohen is scheduled to testify publicly before the House Oversight Committee. The Democrat-controlled committee will be free to ask Cohen any question they want, and it is believed he will testify that Trump committed crimes regarding Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and that Trump committed campaign election finance crimes related to paying hush money to former mistresses. Cohen may also testify about racist remarks he has heard Trump make, and lies Trump has told about his wealth. Tomorrow will be the second of three days of Cohen’s Congressional testimony; he has a closed-door interview with the Senate Intelligence Committee today and another one with the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday. Leaks are starting to come out about what will happen in these hearings. Oh boy I better pop some popcorn for tomorrow.

I would imagine the public hearing tomorrow will be broadcast by the major networks, but if it’s not, here’s a link where you can live stream the hearing. Parents, if your kids have ever expressed any interest in how the United States government works, you might want to keep them home from school tomorrow and let them watch the hearing. This could be the biggest Congressional hearing since the summer of ’74. If so, this will be better education than kids will ever get in a ninth-grade Civics or U.S. Government class.

Whew. Long post. Back tomorrow with more news probably, although I may be distracted by the hearings.

Monday update

For those of you who fondly remember the fish races at the original Sleep Out Louie’s, it appears something similar is now happening at Loflin Yard on Sunday nights. They had turtle races with a live video on Facebook. The turtles were placed in the middle of a large circle, and at start time were released from a bucket. First to make it outside the circle was the winner. The turtles were in an enclosed space so they couldn’t escape, and they weren’t harmed in any way. I couldn’t tell how people knew which turtle was “their” turtle. Loflin Yard is doing a lot of fun stuff lately and I need to spend more time there once the weather warms up a bit.

The Memphis Restaurant Association had their annual awards banquet last night, and the Restaurateur of the Year was a name many will recognize: Patrick Reilly, co-owner of the Majestic Grille with his wife Deni. In addition to operating that tremendously successful restaurant for the past 13 years, Patrick and Deni have consulted with other restaurants, helping them develop the systems for sustained long-term success. Congratulations! A very well-deserved honor.

The CA has a review of KISS’ performance at FedExForum Saturday night, with all the theatrics the band is known for and a nod to their first Memphis performance, in 1974 at Lafayette’s Music Room.

LeBron James comes to town tonight as the Grizzlies host the Los Angeles Lakers at FedExForum tonight at 7.

Cerrito Bingo is hosting BingoMania at Memphis Made Brewing Co. this Friday at 7 PM. This will be a wrestling-themed bingo night, and anyone who dresses in wrestling gear or who wears a wrestling T-shirt will get an extra card. There will be a prize for best ring attire. If you bingo on a WrestleMania number (that’d be 1 through 35 counting the 2019 show) you score free tickets to 901 Wrestling. There will be Royal Rumble pinball for you to play. If you get hungry, the New Wing Order food truck will be parked outside.

Jennifer Biggs of the Daily Memphian has info on the new Cousins Maine Lobster truck that is operating in Memphis. The truck is a franchise of a business that got funding from one of the investors on Shark Tank in 2011. The goal of the business is to bring New England-style lobster boils to cities across the country. There are Maine and Connecticut rolls and items such as a lobster grilled cheese, lobster quesadilla, and lobster bisque.

Amid the wave of businesses relocating Downtown from other parts of the city, Raymond James is doing the opposite and packing up their headquarters on N. Front Street for a move to East Memphis. They have had problems with the building in recent years including employees being trapped in elevators.

Southern Living has an article on classic Mississippi roast and how it differs from other varieties of pot roast. Pontotoc Lounge serves this dish, and it is so popular that it is on both the dinner and brunch menus.

Don’t forget that the kickoff party for BuildDowntown Design Studio is tonight from 5 to 7:30 at the Center for Southern Folkore Hall. It’s open house format. Come join them for drinks, food, live music, and conversation about the future direction of Downtown.

El Mero Taco will be selling their Mexican fare at Cordelia’s Market tonight from 5 to 8.

I continue to have computer problems. Yesterday I got a portable version of Ubuntu 18.10 running on my ailing laptop and it worked beautifully. I was so happy. Then this morning, while I was on a trip to Walgreens, it froze up, and wouldn’t unfreeze. Rebooting didn’t help. So I’m going to try again, using a different flavor of Linux on a different USB drive. After I get that fixed I’ll do happy hour at the Silly Goose then probably stop by the BuildDowntown party. Back tomorrow with more news.

Sunday update

Warning for those of you who park on Monroe Avenue: The first two spaces, after you turn eastbound onto Monroe from Front, have been marked “Loading zone – will tow away” and the meters next to them have been covered up with bags. Previously those were legal street parking places, used by those coming to the neighborhood to visit businesses like The Little Tea Shop, Bardog, the dry cleaner, and Bogey’s.

Terrace at the River Inn of Harbor Town will host a Fat Tuesday celebration 4-9 PM on Tuesday, March 5. There will be food specials including mojo shrimp & grit cakes, chicken & sausage gumbo, and king cake. Cocktail specials will include a New Orleans hurricane, Pimm’s iced tea, and Blackberry on Bourbon Street.

West Memphis in May? The mayor of West Memphis says that Memphis in May officials reached out to him and said that they were not happy with the list of proposed alternate sites for Music Fest in 2020 while Tom Lee Park will be under construction. The mayor quickly threw his hat in the ring, and is making a presentation to Memphis in May officials to try and bring the festival across the bridge. He has identified three spots that could be suitable. The mayor says West Memphis is willing to do “whatever we can that’s reasonable.” West Memphis wouldn’t be my first choice, but it’d be better than relocating to, say, Shelby Farms. If they got Southland to throw in a major sponsorship package, it could be an offer that’s too good to refuse.

The Orpheum will reveal its 2019-20 Broadway season tomorrow at 6 PM, and you can watch on Facebook Live as it happens. Learn about the shows coming to Memphis next season, and how you can have first pick of tickets by becoming a season ticket holder.

Country singer Jerry Patton plays Tin Roof this afternoon at 3.

That’ll do it. Slow news day. Or it could just be that I missed some news. I’ve been playing around with trying to get a version of Portable Linux, booted off a USB stick, to revive a computer that’s been dead since November. I’m 0 for 3 on installations so far, but I’ve decided to take the mindset of Thomas Edison and just keep failing and failing until I succeed. Back tomorrow with more news.

Saturday update: Music Fest 2020 alternative sites and more

The list of alternative sites for 2020 Memphis in May Beale Street Music Fest has been released, and Memphis in May has some concerns. I don’t blame them. Let’s go through the list.

  • Beale Street and Church Park – Music Fest when sold out gets about 55,000 attendees a day. How in the world are you going to fit 55,000 people into this space? This worked in 1977 but Music Fest has grown since then.
  • Greenbelt Park on Mud Island – Right across the street from people’s homes? Oh boy, I bet the residents would love that! Drunks tromping through their neighborhood at 1:30 in the morning going “WOOOOOOOO!” Their lovely park would be torn to pieces by the end of the weekend. Also, this park floods a lot more quickly than Tom Lee. What do you do if half the park is under water in May 2020?
  • Mud Island, the portion south of the new dog park, and Mud Island River Park. Might work and you’ve got one stage built in. But again, you don’t know how much green space you’re going to have, because you can’t predict how much of the island will be under water 13 months from now.
  • Martin Luther King Riverside Park – This is the park west of I-55 between South Parkway and Mallory. It’s big enough but would be inconvenient to get to and in no way can be called “keeping the festival Downtown.” Also, where would people park? I sure as hell wouldn’t want to park on the streets east of I-55 and walk over. That area is one of the biggest gang-infested ‘hoods in the city.
  • The area south of I-40 on Riverside Drive – Would this be the area where RiverArtsFest was held in 2018, and where Southern Hot Wing Fest used to be held? Might work. Seems like kind of a tight fit though. In my opinion the best site of the ones on the list, not that that’s saying much.
  • 9.05 acres on the river south of I-40 – This is called Crump Park I believe. Pull it up on Google Maps and compare its size to that of Tom Lee Park. I can’t see how this would handle the typical Music Fest capacity.
  • Georgia Avenue Elementary – This is a school that has been closed for several years, at 690 Mississippi between the intersections of Lauderdale and Crump. I applaud the idea of re-purposing closed schools for community benefit; however, this area is NOT SAFE. Even if I’m wrong, the perception of “not safe” is so strong that it would hurt festival attendance.

This is really a case of the unstoppable force vs. the immovable object. Memphis River Parks Partnership’s long-term plan for Tom Lee Park needs to happen. On the other hand, it’s unfair to expect Memphis in May to lose tens in thousands of revenue for one year, and for the hotel, restaurant, and related industries in the city to sacrifice millions in revenue for one year. I really don’t know what the solution is here. I want so badly to see a win-win come out of this, but as of yet it doesn’t seem possible.

I’d be curious why Tiger Lane was not among the alternative sites. BBQ Fest was moved there in 2011 due to river flooding, and while I certainly prefer Tom Lee Park, Tiger Lane was not bad. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work equally well for Music Fest, and parking out there is ample. True, it’s not Downtown, but come on, MLK Riverside Park isn’t either and that’s being considered.

In other riverfront news, the historic cobblestones are going to get a $6.3 million renovation. That is great news. No other city in America has a cobblestone embankment like the one here in Memphis. We should take pride in that. The river’s got a story to tell, and the cobblestones are a part of that story.

Grandpas in makeup come to FedExForum tonight for the KISS End of the Road tour. Just looked it up on Wikipedia… Gene will be 70 on August 25 of this year.

Don’t forget that there are crawfish boils at both Max’s Sports Bar and Loflin Yard this afternoon. Both boils are rain or shine.

I don’t do Fireball anymore but this recipe for grilled Fireball pineapple is pretty amazing. BBQ Fest?

Several of us gathered at the Silly Goose yesterday afternoon and reminisced about our BBQ teammate Danny C. who passed away this week. Danny was the kind of person who was always there with a helpful comment. However, understanding that unsolicited advice can sometimes not be welcomed, he’d often temper his remarks with the sweetest intro: “Look, you fucking asshole, this is how you do it.”

A party is being planned to celebrate Danny’s life, and we’d like to encourage those who were active on the Ques Brothers to be a part of it. The Ques Brothers (2007-2011) were the predecessor team to both Squeal Street BBQ and 2018 top 10 shoulder team the Moody Ques. I will spread the word around once I get more details. I’ve already heard we’ll have people coming down from Chicago.

That’s it for now. Back to my project I’m working on, installing Portable Linux on a laptop. Got it up and running, now I’ve got to get the wireless adapter running so it can get an Internet connection. Fun fun. Back tomorrow with more news.