The day I’ve been waiting for is finally here! I’m done with training for work and have shifts of my own now. I’m not giving tours of Memphis yet – although I expect to be soon. For now, I will be selling them at a kiosk on the patio of Alfred’s from 11 AM to 2 PM Monday-Friday.
In addition to sales, I’ll be acting as a general ambassador for our city, answering questions and offering recommendations on what to see, where to eat. I should have a lot of fun with that, especially considering I’m starting the new job during Elvis Week.
I can wear whatever I want to work, but these first few days I’ve decided to dress it up a bit. Today I’m going for a rockabilly look, with a black Cuban guayabera shirt with red and gold trim. I’ll match it with a red fedora with a white feather a friend of mine wore in the Queen of the Vine competition.
Tomorrow I plan to let the Clothier to the King clothe me as well. I’m going to wear one of my rock star Robert Graham sport shirts I got at Lansky at the Peabody.
Then, on Wednesday, I’ll be an Elvis tourist. I have a pink sequined ELVIS cap, some obnoxious sunglasses, a Blue Hawaii T-shirt, and a blue-and-white lei that matches the shirt.
On to the news…
Very sad to hear that 8 people were injured in a mass shooting at Peabody Place and S. B.B. King Blvd. around 2:30 Sunday morning. It’s said that dozens of shots were fired into a crowd. BitChute video shows people running away and fresh tire tracks from someone doing donuts in the intersection.
I’ve learned a little more about this 507 Lux Lounge that is set to open next month. Longtime Downtowners will remember a breakfast/lunch spot called Bon Ton Cafe on the block of Monroe between Second and Third (now B.B. King). Those who were really in the know were aware that Bon Ton had a very cool nightclub venue, rarely used, in its spacious basement.
As I understand it, Caribbean restaurant Curry N Jerk will move from the next block down the street into the old Bon Ton space, and 507 Lux Lounge will occupy the downstairs. My friend Robert who used to manage Blind Bear will be managing and he is hiring an all-star waitstaff. I understand they plan to aim for the 30-and-up segment of the market.
Team USA, including Jaren Jackson Jr., got a win over Spain, including Santi Aldama, in world men’s basketball yesterday. Next up for the USA squad: vs. Greece on Friday.
Today is National Filet Mignon Day. My number-one recommendation to get a great filet, though, is not open on Sundays anymore. Of course, I am speaking of the Majestic Grille! Texas de Brazil also makes a fine filet and they’re open today.
Pattie O’Furniture has announced that beginning this week, she will start hosting a weekly drag bingo night at Pretty Taco on Wednesdays.
You might want to take Tuesday and Wednesday off and spend some time on a patio. Both days will start in the 60s and will only rise into the low 80s by the afternoon. Rain is not expected either day. Normal highs for those days would be 92/73.
Inkwell, the cocktail lounge on Madison Avenue out in The Edge, is looking to hire bartenders – and bartenders, they have an opportunity for you. This Monday, August 14 from 1 to 4 PM, you can participate in an open cocktail session. There is no need to DM Inkwell to register. Just show up and they’ll give you the next steps.
Sunset Jazz returns to Court Square Sunday from 6 to 8, this time featuring the sounds of Paul McKinney. Limited seating will be available, and you’re welcome to bring blankets and lawn chairs. Food trucks will be on site. The concert is free and family-friendly.
Been reading biographies of Memphis Music Hall of Fame inductees to prepare for the new job selling and leading tours of Memphis. That is a really well-done website, both visually and in terms of storytelling.
Speaking of which, if you love Elvis, my company is doing a special Hound Dog Tour this Sunday. It’s 3 hours long, departing on an air-conditioned bus from Alfred’s at the corner of Beale and B.B. King Blvd (Third Street). Here’s what you will see on the tour:
Sun Studio, where Elvis made his early recordings and was “discovered” by producer Sam Phillips
The apartment in Lauderdale Courts (now Uptown Square) where Elvis lived with his parents as a teenager
Humes High School, which Elvis attended (and where he got a C in music class!!!!!)
The Overton Park Shell, where Elvis opened a concert in 1954 and came back to headline in 1955
Elvis’ first home in East Memphis
The original Lansky Bros. clothing store, where Bernard Lansky said, “Come on in, young man!” to the future King
Admission to the former Memphian Theater, which Elvis would rent out to watch movies with his friends; you can sit in Elvis’ favorite seat, and the tour includes a Memphian Theater T-shirt
Chisca Hotel (now apartments), where radio DJ Dewey Phillips played “That’s All Right, Mama” over and over in 1954, creating a teen sensation
The site of baseball field Russwood Park, where Elvis played on Independence Day 1956
Elvis’s girlfriends’ homes
I logged into our booking site this morning (Saturday, August 12) and there are still spots available on the tour. It will be led by a local folk/Americana musician.
Midsouth Coffee and Tea is coming to the Tennessee Brewery area. The shop will sell coffee drinks, refrigerated drinks, and baked goods.
New business alert: 507 Lux Lounge at 150 Monroe. I’m trying to figure out what this place is going to be. So far the only clues appear to be its Facebook page – “Come enjoy events with Caribbean Vibes at 507 Lounge, or reserve for your private event!” – and an Eventbrite listing for the lounge’s September 1 grand opening.
Memphis Tigers basketball legend Joey Dorsey stopped by the Jason & John Show on ESPN 92.9 FM and gave his thoughts on his former teammate Derrick Rose joining the Grizzlies and backing up Ja Morant.
Memphis Made Brewing Co. is hiring a Beer Sales Rep. They want someone who is passionate about beer, wants to further promote beer culture in Memphis, and who is customer service-oriented. Send your resume to andy@memphismadebrewing.com
Blind Bear has moved Thursday night poker to the back room and to two back booths by the picture wall. Doing so has allowed them to create more of a lounge-like feel to the main room. Here are a couple of pics I took:
Well, there’s ONE picture, anyway. Getting a “server cannot process the image” error when I try to upload the second. Never had that one before.
But anyway, I guess the saying, “Liquor in the front, poker in the rear” literally applies to Thursdays at the Bear now.
On Saturday, September 2, there will be a Day One Celebration for the grand opening of the reimagined Tom Lee Park. From the event’s listing on Facebook:
Come celebrate the best in us on Day One at Tom Lee Park. Look forward to great food and drinks, dancing, singing, culture and never-before-in-Memphis immersive experiences.
From 11.00 AM – Celebrate the opening of Tom Lee Park:
– 11.00 AM – Gather at the top of the Carlisle Cutbank Bluff (where Vance Ave meets the Bluffwalk) to join a celebratory parade down the bluff.
– 12.00 PM – Watch the formal ribbon cutting at AutoZone Plaza.
– 12.30 PM – Join an interfaith blessing of the park led by Church Health. Blessings will be for the peace and healing of our city as we seek to use this park to be the best of who we are in Memphis.
From 1.00PM – Enjoy a full day of park life with FREE programs, activities and experiences:
– Kids can enjoy free face-painting and temporary tattoos in the playground.
– Get to know your new park by joining a guided walking or nature tour.
– Take home a special memory from the exclusive Day One photo opportunity.
– Be the first to sink a 3-pointer under the Sunset Canopy with basketball skills games.
– Break a sweat with guided workouts at the Fitness Zone.
– Get zen and join a yoga class at Sunset Canopy. If you want some more beats with your downward dogs, hip-hop yoga will also be offered.
– Remember your schoolyard days with Double Dutch at Sunset Canopy.
– Learn about the stories, myths and creatures of the Mississippi at Riverfront Storytime.
– Learn to juggle and hula hoop like you never have before with guidance from professional circus performers.
– Celebrate your new park with special hourly toasts of a signature Day One drink.
– Bust a move with dancing led by the experts.
– Put your moves into practice to Memphis music from Garry Goin and friends.
Don’t miss these special moments:
– All Day – 4 on 4 Grass Volleyball Tournament by 901 Volleyball. Team registration is available with 901 Volleyball
– 5.00 PM – The MP3 Experiment: a massive participatory social experiment produced for the first time in Memphis.
– 6.00 PM – A special acapella performance led by Theaster Gates at his new sculpture A Monument to Listening.
I mentioned that Hal and Julie Lansky would have book signings Saturday and Tuesday from 1 to 3 at Lansky at the Peabody. Here are a couple of other events this weekend celebrating the late Bernard Lansky’s most famous customer, Elvis Presley:
Today (Friday, August 11) 1-3 PM: UNLOCKED book signing with Kristi Emmons
Sunday, August 13: Lansky vintage truck parked at the Peabody valet entrance for photos
Hulk Hogan turns 70 today.
Bounty Bags will be back at Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM for $20. These bags will contain vendor-donated goodies and gift certificates.
Also at the Market, there will be a wine pull featuring bottles of wine for $25 (must be 21+ with valid ID). Both special promotions will be available at the Market’s information table. Proceeds for this fall fundraiser go directly to the Market.
Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers men’s basketball nonconference schedule has been released, and oh boy, does it ever look good!
The Tigers will play in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Nassau, Bahamas over the Thanksgiving holiday. The first game will be against Big Ten powerhouse Michigan on November 22. Subsequent opponents could include Arkansas, Stanford, North Carolina, Texas Tech, Villanova, or Northern Iowa.
Before that, Memphis will play Missouri on November 10. Quality opponents in December will include Ole Miss, VCU, Texas A&M, Clemson, Virginia, and Vanderbilt. The Tigers are loaded with opportunities to build a resume to impress the NCAA tournament seeding committee.
Max’s Sports Bar posted a pic of its new dessert, which will be ready soon:
On the left, a bottle of Malort.
On the right, a big jar of Trendy Treats’ Freeze-Dried Treats (they appear to be freeze-dried Starbursts)
In the middle, what looks like sangria… but it’s not fruit soaked in wine. It’s what appears to be the freeze-dried Bursts soaked in Malort.
Well, don’t that make your mouth just water!
Dos Hermanos Kitchen in the Cossitt Library will have a Grand Re-opening celebration Tuesday, August 15 with new, extended hours.
The Cossitt Library will also have a photography series next week:
Tuesday, August 15, 5-7 PM: Photography 101 with Bobby Donaby
Wednesday, August 16, 5-7 PM: Portrait workshop with Brandon Dill
Thursday, August 17, 5-7 PM: Printing photography workshop with Buck Billings
Friday, August 18, 5-7 PM: Photography panel hosted by Ena Esco
Saturday, August 19, 10-4 PM: National World Photography Day
The Memphis Flyer has a story on the Skol-astic Book Fair coming up at the Soul & Spirits taproom this Saturday.
The Downtown Neighborhood Association has announced its August meeting. It’ll be from 6 to 8 PM Tuesday, August 15 at Century House, “a new kind of social club,” at 151 Vance.
Party Planet headlines the Peabody’s Thursday rooftop party series finale tonight. DJ Epic will perform too and there will be a special guest appearance by American Authors. $25 general admission, $50 to go VIP. VIPs get their own private lounge area with a buffet-style prime rib carving station, a crab cake station, a pulled pork sandwich station, and the hotel’s famous bread pudding.
MLGW at Main and MLK has an Accountant II position open.
National Master Graham Horobetz teaches a class at Memphis Chess Club tonight from 5:30 to 6:30. Free for club members, $15 non-members. A rating of 700 or above is advised to take this class.
Keenya and Yella P. play South Main Sounds Friday night at 7. Two solo sets plus a joint set.
I more or less completed my training for work yesterday. Next week I will work the tour company’s ticket booth on the patio of Alfred’s from 11 AM to 2 PM Monday-Friday. That’ll give me some experience talking to tourists and selling Memphis tours before I start leading those tours myself.
I got up early, so you get a post after all. The most important Memphis news today is the weather.
* Remain weather aware *
Multiple rounds of storms today, some capable of high wind, hail, and a tornado.
1. Mid-morning/early aftn – low threat
2. Late afternoon – few severe storms likely
3. After midnight – possibly severe also
High: 89, wind: S/10-15 mph pic.twitter.com/hBPy23g22T
Authors Hal and Julie Lansky will have a book signing at their clothing store Lansky at the Peabody Saturday, August 12 and Tuesday, August 15, both 1-3 PM. Hal and Julie are the son and granddaughter of Bernard Lansky, the man who clothed Elvis. They will sign
Come on In, Young Man!, a children’s book detailing the relationship between Bernard and the future King of Rock & Roll
The Flying Saucer will sell an Elvis-themed Duvel snifter glass as their annual tribute to the King. It goes on sale Wednesday, August 16 at 7 PM. PRO TIP: Get there at 6:40 and tell your bartender or server you want to order the glass as soon as the clock strikes 7.
I HATE USPS SO MUCH!!! One of my blog readers in the Northeast sent me a care package about a week ago. She emailed me the tracking number, and the website said it would be here Friday, August 4. Well, today is Wednesday, August 9, and the website says the package has finally left the Jackson, MS distribution center (where it spent all weekend) and is on to its next stop – which I would like to believe is Memphis. Although, the U.S. Postal Service being what it is, the next stop is as likely to be Oklahoma City. Or Thailand. Or Jupiter’s moon Ganymede.
The DM has a list of Memphis’ deadliest streets and most accident-prone intersections. No Downtown intersection made the list; the closest is East Parkway and Poplar. Third and Union are the two streets with the most fatalities, but I doubt those occurred on the Downtown portion of those streets.
If you run into Kamala Harris today, buy her a drink, for today is National Veep Day. 49 years ago today, Gerald Ford became the first U.S. vice-president to accede to the presidency without ever having been voted into executive office.
“The Grindfather” Tony Allen avoided prison yesterday when he was sentenced for healthcare fraud. The former Grizzlies guard/small forward got time served, community service, and supervision.
The Memphis Flyer has details on what participating restaurants are doing for its Burger Week, which begins today. Through Tuesday, get some of the city’s best burgers for only $6.99.
Tuesday Tussle at Blind Bear was a BLAST last night! The game of the week was Spelling Bee and they managed to have a lot of fun with a subject many of us dreaded in school. It developed a sense of camaraderie throughout the room. Kudos to GM Erin for thinking way outside the box, both in terms of activity and start time. Also kudos to Billy on being an engaging host.
That’s all I have time to type right now. Gotta get to an off-site work training at Tamp & Tap. After that, I may avoid getting soaked on the walk home by stopping to visit Jess at Local. I’m gonna have to drink slow, though; I’ve only got enough for one PBR and I’ll have to use quarters to tip. Anyway, I’ll be back tomorrow with more news.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks last night as the U.S. Men’s Basketball National Team defeated Puerto Rico 117-74 in an exhibition. This is the first of 5 exhibitions for the USA team before it heads to the FIBA World Cup. Next up: vs. Slovenia 2:30 PM CDT Saturday (TV: FS1).
I’ll try to get FS1 put on at Bardog Saturday afternoon if the other regulars aren’t watching that stupid horse racing channel.
2009 Elvis Tribute Artist Champion Bill Cherry performs at the Halloran Centre this Saturday. He’ll do his take on 1977’s Elvis in Concert – The Final Tour. Tickets are $65-$100.
NYC rapper & record producer Large Professor performs at Eight & Sand Lounge Friday night.
As is always the case with their specials, they have them until they run out. So if you come tonight, your chances of getting baklava cheesecake are better than if you wait until Saturday.
Next thing – you know how they’d been doing Throwdown Thursday, where guests play games for the chance to win a $25 gift card? They’d been doing it 3-7 during happy hour. Cards Against Humanity was a commonly-played game for that event. Last week was supposed to be a spelling bee, but they never had enough guests show up to begin.
Well, the event has been resurrected as Tuesday Tussle. Play games to win gift cards 9 PM-12 AM Tuesday. That’s an unusual time and favors people in the service industry. Slurring Spelling Bee will be this week’s game and the host will be Billy (if you hang out at the bar down the street, you know him).
There will be drink specials, including $7 Casamigos shots, during the Tussle.
It’s very possible I will take tomorrow off from posting. I could be out as late as midnight trying to win gift cards, and tomorrow I have a work training at 9 AM. You do the math. I gotta sleep sometime.
Yesterday I went on the Memphis Mojo Tour by Backbeat Tours. It was the final of Backbeat’s regular tours I had been asked to take in order to understand how to sell and promote the tours.
The Memphis Mojo Tour is unique among the company’s offerings in that the 90-minute tour is led by a local musician who serenades guests with Memphis music.
Musician/tour guide Kathryn Brawley Suda gets the crowd fired up with a song at the beginning of yesterday’s Mojo Tour
Some of the places we saw yesterday included
Early homes of Elvis and B.B. King (only a few blocks from each other)
Sun Studio, where Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis first recorded
Stax Museum and the Soulsville neighborhood
Overton Park Shell, where 19-year-old Elvis opened for Slim Whitman in July 1954
National Civil Rights Museum
Chisca Hotel (now apartments), where DJ Dewey Phillips became the first DJ to play Elvis (and tricked him into an interview)
Some of the songs we heard included
“Li’l Red Riding Hood” by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs (did you know Sam the Sham is still alive?)
“Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding
“Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins
“In the Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett
“Respect” by Aretha Franklin (did you know another artist recorded it first?)
… and, of course, “That’s All Right, Mama” by Elvis
I couldn’t believe how much information and entertainment they packed into that 90-minute tour (well, 95 – it went a few minutes over). What an incredible value for the price they ask!
The tour wrapped up at 3:05 and I stopped by the Blind Bear for a visit. While there, I checked my Gmail and was delighted to see an email giving me my work schedule for August 8-21! I’m gonna get some hours!
This week, I’m free except for training with the company VP on our computer systems on Wednesday. Of course, if she wants me to pick up any other shifts this week, I’ll happily agree. Saturday is the only day I have firm plans.
Monday-Thursday of next week, I’ll be at our company’s kiosk on Alfred’s patio from 11 AM to 2 PM. The idea there is, if we have someone out there who can talk to passersby and answer questions, we’ll make a lot more sales on the spot. So I’m gonna get PAID to talk to tourists during ELVIS WEEK! Love it!!!
… And yeah, it’s outside. The heat index will probably be around 109 most of the time I’m at the kiosk. I’ll probably get soaked by a torrential rainstorm walking to or from work one of these days. But you know what?
I’ll log zero hours a week sitting in a cubicle;
There are no stupid corporate “Agile” or “Six Sigma” practices for selling tours. You just have fun selling them; and
I have 0% chance of a lengthy commute home because some dumbass drove 80 MPH through ponding water and slammed into a retaining wall
Another perk of the new job: I have the most interesting co-workers imaginable! So far I’ve met
a semi-retired stand-up comedian
a retired Navy vet who just may be the best storyteller I’ve ever heard
the co-worker I already knew, who spent years in a business promoting regional music and culture
a musician who sits on historic preservation boards
… And I’m the blogger of Downtown Memphis for the past 19 years. Really, I fit right in. I’ve found my people.
I’m not yet scheduled to lead tours, but I’ve been told I will be soon. At least a dozen friends have said they can’t wait to take a tour from me. I will probably steer them toward the Discovery Tour because of the air-conditioned bus and the Central BBQ snack, although the Beale Street Tour and the Historic Downtown Memphis Tour are options too.
Yesterday I found out a couple of pieces of information I wanted to pass on to my readers…
I got to Beale Street about 25 minutes before the Mojo Tour was scheduled to begin, so I decided to stop in A. Schwab and look around a bit. You may recall that the new owners installed an old-fashioned soda fountain after they bought the place from the Schwabs in 2011. There you can get sundaes, shakes, malts…
And you can also get the cheapest beer on the street. I saw people carrying around plastic cups of 16 oz. domestic beer (didn’t catch what variety) for only $3. Not only does that price beat touristy Beale Street bars, but it also beats some of the Downtown bars locals frequent, including Bardog and Max’s Sports Bar.
While I was riding the bus on the Mojo Tour, I solved a recent mystery that was on this blog. I had been told there was a restaurant – “something bistro” – at Jefferson and Manassas, known for really good craft burgers and street tacos. Yet I couldn’t find it on Google Maps or StreetView, and people who worked in the area told me no such restaurant existed on that corner.
Yesterday I saw the restaurant from the bus window, and it’s called BT Bistro and it is at Jefferson and Pauline, not Manassas. I found the menu and they do indeed have craft burgers and street tacos at very reasonable prices.
Let’s see what other news we’ve got…
Cocozza, the red sauce Italian restaurant on Mud Island, now has online reservations through their website. However, if your party is 5 or more, they ask that you call 901-609-1111 to make reservations. You can also call the number to get put on the wait list. The bar and patio areas are first-come, first-served.
Today is the first day of school for Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
Action News 5 has a look at the Jehovah’s Witness convention at Renasant Convention Center this week. The theme of this year’s convention is exercising patience.
Here’s a list of golfers who will be playing in the FedEx-St. Jude Championship in Memphis later this week. Want to watch the tournament without the Memphis heat and stupid golf course dress codes? The place to be is Birdie’s on South Main.
And finally, let’s wrap this post up with wisdom from a barmat.
Elvis Week, marking the 46th anniversary of the death of The King, kicks off Wednesday. The Memphis Travel website has everything you need to know.
There’s Sunset Jazz at Court Square tonight from 6 to 8 featuring Paul McKinney.
Memphis Flyer Burger Week happens August 9-15 and showcases some of the city’s best burgers at the price of only $6.99. Downtown restaurants participating include
Belle Tavern
Earnestine & Hazel’s
Huey’s
Loflin Yard
Sunrise
Full details will be in the Flyer issue that hits the stands Wednesday.
Taylor Swift fans: Grind City Brewing Co. will host an End of the Eras Tour party this Friday from 6 to 10 PM. Swifties are invited to dress up and join in for an evening that will include
Historian Willy Bearden will give a presentation on Memphis music this afternoon at 2 at Elmwood Cemetery. The event will be held inside the cemetery’s chapel and the cost is $20.
Leather Duchess, a rock & roll quartet from L.A., plays the King’s Palace Tap Room on Beale Street Friday night at 10.
British country star Sasha McVeigh plays Tin Roof on Beale Friday night.
Worth a Lyft or an Uber: Wax & Wine: Soul Records + Global Wine + Southern Chefs at Stax Museum of American Soul Music this Friday night. Co-presented by The Edge District’s Rootstock Wines. Kelly English, Phillip Ashley, and Craig Richards will provide the cuisine. DJs will play rare vinyl from a private collection.
That’s it for now. Going on my 5th and final tour for work training this afternoon from 1:30 to 3:00. On the way home I’ll probably stop at Blind Bear for a couple of PBRs. Back tomorrow if there’s any news to report.
This is going to be a somewhat short and disjointed post, I am afraid. The reason why is that I am a bit exhausted after the two Downtown Memphis tours I trained on yesterday. They were fun and informative, but a lot of walking and the mosquitoes were out for blood. Literally.
The guide to the Beale Street walking tour I took yesterday afternoon was someone I’ve known for years and is someone who knows regional culture and music well. I learned from her how to tie the different eras of the street together – the pre-Civil War years, the “Black Main Street of America” years, the Saloon Row years, the W.C. Handy years, the Elvis years, the 1980s rebirth.
The ghost tour I took last night led us through the South Main district, including past a private Victorian mansion, the Green Beetle, Earnestine & Hazel’s, a lost 1850s graveyard, and the Orpheum. They prefer their tour guides to have paranormal experience, so I probably won’t be conducting this one. However, I need to be familiar with it to describe it on the phone and via email.
There’s a new chef at Bishop, the French restaurant inside Central Station. He has revamped the menu while keeping favorites including the Bishop burger.
Today is International Blues Music Day. My recommendations would be B.B. King’s at Second and Beale (The Blues Trio at noon, Flic’s Pics at 4, the All-Star house band at 8) and Mr. Handy’s Blues Hall Juke Joint further down the other side of the street.
Good morning! The weekend starts dry & muggy with sunshine, so temps will rise quickly. We’ll see highs in the mid 90s; heat indices 105°+. Stay hydrated! A chance of storms arrives after 5pm with a level 1 severe risk for gusty wind in a few storms. Not all see rain though. pic.twitter.com/wqll6KEjI4
