Paul Ryburn’s Journal

It’s been a sad end to this week. In the past 48 hours, two of my friends have lost loved ones. Also, many Downtowners are grieving the loss of a pillar of the community (RIP Lunchbox). My heart hurts for everyone who is missing someone today.

It’s the first full College Football Saturday of the year. The Memphis Tigers will host Nicholls at the Liberty Bowl tonight at 6. If you have ESPN+ you can watch the broadcast. Other games of note:

• 19 Penn State at 12 Wisconsin, 11 AM, FOX
• Rice at Arkansas, 1 PM, SEC Network
• 1 Alabama vs. 14 Miami in Atlanta, 2:30 PM, ABC
• 17 Indiana at 18 Iowa, 2:30 PM, BTN
• Miami (Ohio) at 8 Cincinnati, 2:30 PM, ESPN+
• 23 Louisiana at 21 Texas, 3:30 PM, FOX
• Texas Tech at Houston, 6 PM, ESPN
• 5 Georgia vs. 3 Clemson in Charlotte, 6:30 PM, ABC
• 16 LSU at UCLA, 7:30 PM, FOX
• BYU vs. Arizona in Las Vegas, 9:30 PM. ESPN

If you’re a Memphis fan, you will want to root for Miami (Ohio) Texas Tech, and Arizona in their games today. We want Cincinnati, Houston, BYU, and UCF (which played earlier in the week) to have bad seasons so those schools look less attractive for Big 12 expansion, opening a spot for the Tigers.

… Well crap. Bleacher Report says those schools have already applied and may have an answer by September 10. Come on, guys, take a year to think about it.

I’ll probably watch the Georgia-Clemson game at the Blind Bear, where I will be rooting heavily for the Dawgs. It will be weird watching the first week of college football without my buddy Mac behind the bar.

I’ve had several people ask, “How long do you think the Shelby County Health Department will keep the mask mandate (for everyone, that is, not just in schools) in place?” An article in the Daily Memphian provides a clue. “In late July, the CDC said even vaccinated people needed to mask in places where there were 50 daily cases per 100,000 people.” According to COVID Act Now, the rolling 7-day average of new cases in Shelby County went above 50 per 100K on August 5, and the mask mandate was issued two weeks later. So the health department was possibly following CDC guidance. We hit a high of 113.9 per 100K on August 23, and have since fallen to 79.1 per 100K. We have a ways to go to get below 50 and stay there.

Today is International Bacon Day.

There’s a free color magick workshop at the Broom Closet today. Understanding the frequencies at which colors vibrate is key to a magickal practice. Shop owner Rev. Omma will conduct this class.

Christina Chandler and Bailey Bigger will perform at South Main Sounds tonight at 6.

Mephit Furmeet is back. What’s that, you ask? People who dress in animal costumes gather for a convention at the Whispering Woods Hotel in Olive Branch. Despite the distance from Downtown, now and then a furry or two will pop up near Beale Street.

Speaking of Beale Street: I haven’t seen any announcement from MPD or from the managers of the street that there will be security checkpoints or a cover charge to get on the street during certain hours. I checked all the local TV stations, the CA, the DM, and the Flyer… nothing. That makes me think MPD’s top brass didn’t learn anything from the July 4 weekend. I put the probability that we see a “Weekend Shooting on Beale Street” headline by midday Monday at 75%.

Ida evacuees: I did a quick “where the Downtown locals go” guide for you earlier this week that’ll give you some alternatives to Beale.

The Super 5 Acoustic Trio plays Blind Bear tonight 10 to 1.

That’s it for today. Go Tigers (Memphis Tigers, that is), Go Hogs, and Go Dawgs.

Memphis is getting snubbed again. The Big 12 conference needs to add more teams if it is to remain a Power Five conference following the loss of Texas and Oklahoma. The Athletic reported yesterday that it’s looking at Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, and BYU as possible additions. If you’re a Daily Memphian subscriber, be sure to read this college administrators’ discussion of what Memphis needs to do to get respect. A victory in December’s AAC championship game would help, as would a Final Four appearance next spring.

The CA has a full list of who bid on the 100 N. Main redevelopment project. There are some well-known Downtown developers, including Chance Carlisle and Tom Intrator.

New Tigers assistant Rasheed Wallace believes young players rely too much on the 3. YES YES YES YES YES!!! I have wanted to SCREAM this at every Memphis Tigers player for at least 5 years. If the Tigers could learn to stop jacking up 3s from 25 feet out, and if they could learn to make their free throws, they could get to the Final Four.

Random fact I learned yesterday: DGX sells pinatas.

Full Moon Kayak returns to the Wolf River Harbor tonight. There will be free 30-minute kayak rentals and a DJ.

A new 2-day festival promoting small businesses, Main Street Festival, comes to Court Square Saturday 1-6 and Sunday 1-5.

Women of Soul featuring Keia Johnson, Tonya Dyson, and Rolynne comes to the Orpheum tonight. Tickets are $35.

Y’all, PLEASE go get vaccinated. Yes, it’s possible to catch COVID after you’ve been fully vaccinated, but these are the facts, plain and simple:

• If you’re vaccinated, you’re much less likely to catch COVID than if you’re not
• If you’re vaccinated and you do catch COVID, it’s much less likely to be a case that leads to hospitalization or death

I’m going to make one more statement: I really cannot understand why restaurant employees, who were hurt more than anyone by the ridiculously stupid restrictions in place for a year, are hesitant to get the shot. Do you want to return to the days of closing at 10 PM, requiring food to be purchased with alcohol, and no seating at the bar? Health Department director Dr. Taylor has said no option is off the table.

Back tomorrow with more news.

It’s 901 Day, a celebration of the Memphis metro named after the 3-digit area code. Several restaurants are offering specials. Let’s have a look:

• 2-piece fish & chips at the Brass Door for $9.01 11 AM to 3 PM today
• Cacio e Pepe for $9.01 + 20% off bottles of wine at Catherine & Mary’s
• Hog & Hominy’s poutine (neck bone gravy, cheese curd, chili oil for $9.01 at the Gray Canary
• Sushi rolls and sushi burritos for $9.01 at Stix
• Southland Derby | Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Aperol, Lillet Blanc, Crosstown Traffic IPA Syrup, Lime Juice $9.01 at 117 Prime

Plus, $9.01 tickets to tonight’s Memphis 901 FC home match + a complimentary beer to those 21 and up.

River City Records has selected Be The Love You Want by local band Southern Avenue as their spotlighted album of the month. They’ll be playing it in the store all throughout September, and the band will be in-store Thursday, September 30 for an intimate listening party.

As if the city hasn’t spent enough money on Beale Street Landing already, they’re about to spend $800,000 more on a renovation. A new facade is necessary after cracks developed in the old one.

The Brass Door has added a portobello mushroom burger to its menu for their vegetarian and veggie-loving customers.

Choose901 has published a local’s guide to The Edge. Of course, there was supposed to be a 901 Day party in that neighborhood today, but it has been canceled due to COVID concerns.

Jason Munz of the CA has the inside scoop on how Penny was able to land Jalen Duren and Emoni Bates for Memphis. Many people (myself included) assumed it was the opportunity to make money under the new NIL rules. Actually, both recruits know where they want to go NBA-wise and see Penny and his staff as people who can teach them how to get there.

Once again, news reports need to look at Google Maps before they report a shooting as having happened Downtown. Joubert Avenue is about half a mile north of Mallory.

New Memphis has its annual Exposure event to celebrate 901 Day at FedExForum 5 to 6:30 PM.

That’s it for today. Happy 901 Day and I’ll see you tomorrow.

I had a conversation with the GM of the restaurant group that runs Ben-Yay’s Gumbo Shop, the New Orleans-style restaurant at 51 S. Main, yesterday. He told me they’re going to start doing late nights. They’re calling it a service industry night but it will be open to all, basically a late-night happy hour. It will be 10 PM to 3 AM Thursday through Sunday, and if it does well they may consider extending it to 7 nights a week.

The Westin Hotel near Beale Street has updated its look in all its rooms and common spaces. Cool fact I didn’t know: Guests can rent a Gibson guitar, an amp, and headphones and rock out.

From the CA: Chef Tam of Chef Tam’s Underground Cafe out in the Edge District has opened a soul food superstore. She wants the experience of her restaurant to extend beyond simply dining in, and offers all the equipment she thinks you need to have in your kitchen. If you want to fry a turkey at home, for example, she has everything you need to do that. If you can’t make it to the store’s physical location at 668 Union, you can shop online.

Fans of the New Wing Order food truck take note: It’ll be at Cordelia’s Market Wednesday evening from 5 to 8.

Carolina Watershed will hold a “Bikini Tops and Flip Flops” party this Saturday, September 4, all day starting at 11 AM. DJ Decepticon and DJMO will provide the tunes.

A 7000-square-foot event space known as the TriStar Space will open in the Emerge Building at Tennessee and G.E. Patterson next month, the Memphis Flyer reports. The space includes the 3rd floor and also the rooftop and can seat 125 or hold a standing-room-only crowd of 200.

That’s it for today. Kind of a slow news day which is normal for a Tuesday. Back tomorrow with more.

Welcome, evacuees – it occurred to me that some of you might search for “downtown memphis” or similar and find this blog. As someone who lives in the neighborhood and goes out a lot, I thought I’d put together a quick “where the locals go” bar guide for Downtown Memphis – or really, a “where do I go” guide. This is by no means comprehensive.

• If you want a true neighborhood bar – Bardog Tavern
• If you want a neighborhood bar that’s also a sports bar – Max’s Sports Bar
• If you want craft cocktails in a bright lounge setting – Silly Goose
• If you want craft cocktails in a dark speakeasy setting – Blind Bear
• If you want great local craft beer – Ghost River Brewery’s Beale Street location, Wiseacre at B.B. King and Butler
• If you want BBQ – Central BBQ (or Cozy Corner, but don’t walk there and be out of that neighborhood by dark)
• Is the chicken at Gus’s really as good as everyone says and worth the wait in line? – Yes
• If you have kids or are a kid at heart – old-fashioned soda fountain at A. Schwab on Beale
• If you want to hear live music – Gonna be hard to find any Downtown off Beale on a Monday or Tuesday. Try BB King’s, Blues Hall, Tin Roof
• Where to buy to-go liquor – Downtown Wines and Liquors, Quench
• Where to buy to-go beer – DGX, Walgreens, City Market

Hope this helps. If you have questions, email paul@paulryburn.com and I’ll try to answer as quickly as I can.

Hurricane Ida came ashore yesterday, knocking out power to New Orleans, catastrophically flooding Louisiana and Mississippi, and knocking barges loose on the river. Complete Weather Channel coverage

Ida is now a tropical storm centered south-southwest of Jackson, MS and it is headed this way. The MemphisWeather.net super-regional radar is the best way to monitor the storm until it gets closer to the Memphis metro. The MemphisWeather.net forecast has the strongest winds tonight, when we will see 20 MPH with gusts to 35.

I want to start off with a band recommendation: Saturday night I caught the Mario Monter0sso Band at the Blind Bear, and they were phenomenal. This is a Sicilian band that described the music they play as “speakeasy music,” and they were on point down to the very last note. They play Hernando’s Hideaway a lot and also do a good bit of touring with Jason D. Williams.  If you get a chance to catch them live, you will not be disappointed.

The bartenders at Bardog told me they may close the week of September 6-12 for maintenance. I don’t have that officially confirmed but you might want to have a Plan B in mind if Bardog is your Plan A for that week.

Memphis Tigers in Forbes: Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren could each earn 7 figures this season due to NIL (name, image, likeness) opportunities at Memphis. The courts have ruled that the NCAA can’t prevent its athletes from profiting off their name, image, and likeness. FedEx and other large Memphis companies provide some enticing NIL opportunities for players. If not for the new NIL rules, it’s unlikely Memphis would have landed either Bates or Duren – they would have gone to the G-League, overseas, or to a college with a system in place for paying players under the table (“I’ll take states that begin with K for 1000, Alex.”)

The Grizzlies have waived Rajon Rondo. Rondo was acquired in an earlier trade and was in no way a good fit for Memphis. Bleacher Report indicates that the L.A. Lakers are the favorite to sign Rondo to a new deal.

Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis will speak at the September Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting. The location is TBD.

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

The Lenny’s at Main and Peabody Place is closed, according to multiple regular customers of the sandwich shop. The one in the Falls Building (Front at Court) remains open. There is a grassroots movement among Downtowners to request that Wing Guru take over the Main/Peabody Place location.

Good Fortune Co., featuring handmade dumplings and ramen, opened in the old South of Beale location at 361 S. Main this week. Holly has a look at the new restaurant in the I Love Memphis Blog.

Chris Herrington of the DM has a preview of the items you will find at today’s Grizzlies Garage Sale at FedExForum.

The Memphis Hustle, the G-League affiliate of the Grizzlies, will hold open tryouts in Southaven September 18 and 25. There’s a registration fee ($200 in advance, $250 at the door). Players are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

A GoFundMe has been set up to save the Peanut Shoppe. The legendary candy and nut shop, serving Memphis since 1949, will have to relocate at the end of the year due to pending renovations of the building.

Keep an eye on the weather early next week. Hurricane Ida is expected to strengthen to a Category 4 hurricane as it churns through the Gulf of Mexico. The eastern side of the storm, with the heaviest wind and most rain, is expected to hit New Orleans, a possible repeat of Katrina. Residents are being advised to evacuate and the Saints will move to Dallas to practice next week. The storm is expected to make landfall overnight Sunday-Monday. MemphisWeather.net predicts Ida’s remnants will dump 4 to 6 inches of rain on Memphis, mostly Tuesday. Weather Channel info about the storm

If you commute southbound from Downtown, you might want to take I-240 or city streets Tuesday morning. There’s a section of I-55 where water is known to pool several feet deep underneath the bridge at McLemore when rain is heavy.

Max’s Sports Bar has a Drink Like a Local special going on: Get a shot of Old Dominick Huling Station straight bourbon and a Grind City Tiger Tail malt liquor for $11.

Kelcey Johnson, executive director of the Hospitality HUB, appeared on Behind the Headlines last night. She said that the tent city that was outside City Hall for months has disappeared. The encampment was found to be inhumane and city government decided to take a different approach to homelessness. Watch Behind the Headlines

Health Directive No. 25 has been issued and will be in effect August 31 to September 30. It renews the mask mandate for indoor public spaces. It also strongly urges workplaces to require proof of COVID vaccination or regular negative COVID tests.

The MBJ has a look at Envision Memphis’ new space at 1 N. Main. The gym will have twice the room and a street-front presence it didn’t have inside the Cadre Building.

Today is Red Wine Day.

The annual COGIC Holy Convocation, scheduled to return to Memphis in November following a multi-year absence, will move to a virtual format this year in response to high COVID numbers.

Local poets take the stage at the Orpheum tonight for the History Around Memphis Poetry Slam. “Contestants will perform original poetry developed in Orpheum workshops focusing on how today’s actions impact the future and the legacy that will be left behind.” Admission to the poetry slam is free.

Today is the Rumba Room’s 13th-anniversary celebration. There will be giveaways including gift cards for dinner and VIP passes for an entire year.

Worth a Lyft or Uber to Midtown: Today is Midtown Slider Inn’s 10th-anniversary party. Free tacos, dunk tank, live music, brewery samples, swag giveaways. Half-price Jameson slushies. This party is pet-friendly.

That’s it for now. Bardog is back to opening at 11 AM on the weekends today and I plan to be there. Back tomorrow with more news.

South Main Trolley Night returns tonight. Many of the shops and galleries in the South Main Arts District will stay open until 9 or later so you can shop with your neighbors. There will be live music throughout the area and many of the shops will put out complimentary wine and appetizers.

Hmmm… people are supposed to have masks on when in indoor public spaces… but they can’t consume complimentary wine and appetizers with them on… wonder how that’s going to work? Considering the record high COVID hospitalization numbers right now, you might want to sit this Trolley Night out if you’re not fully vaccinated or spend a lot of time around children under 12 or immunocompromised people.

Slider Inn Downtown will host House in the MidSouth with the GOODLife DJs tonight at 6.

Andrew Cabigao and Friends play South Main Sounds tonight 6 to 9.

Grape plays The Vault tonight at 8.

Broke Tall Folk will play Earnestine & Hazel’s tonight at 8.

More than 70 teams will compete in the World Championship Hot Wing Festival tomorrow at Tiger Lane. The event benefits Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis. You can come down and sample the competition wings; all they ask is you drop a dollar or two in the box for Ronald McDonald House each time you sample. There’s also a Kids’ Corner, live music all day, and a hot wing eating contest. Admission is $15; free for kids under 12 (who probably shouldn’t come due to the COVID surge) and veterans.

When you hear “Born Under a Bad Sign,” you probably think of Eric Clapton and Cream, but the song was written by William Bell and Booker T. Jones. William Bell will perform at the Halloran Centre tonight. He’s touring in support of his album, “This Is Where I Live,” his first album on a major label in 30 years. Tickets are $47.50.

Visible Music College at 200 Madison will hold its 2021 Visible Music Fest tonight from 6 to 10. Live music by Visible students, a makers’ market, and a food truck. Masking and social distancing will be required except when eating or drinking.

BBQ news: The Memphis Flyer reports that multi-time world champion Melissa Cookston is starting a BBQ league for kids. 9th through 12th graders are eligible to compete, and the first competition will be held on Sunday, November 6 at AutoZone Park. $20,000 in prize money!

The Memphis Medical District Collaborative has announced that the 901 Day party they had planned in The Edge District, in conjunction with Choose 901, has been canceled. They felt it was the right thing to do at this point in time, due to the rising COVID numbers. A party at a future date is in the works.

Memphis Modern Market is back at Loflin Yard Sunday from 11 AM-5 PM. Come shop the works of local makers and enjoy some good food and drinks.

There was a fatal motorcycle accident Wednesday night at about 10 on Crump at the I-55/Riverside Drive interchange.

A new cookie cutter makes it possible to make cookies that look like your cat’s butt.

Memphis 901 FC has announced that to celebrate 901 Day, for its next home match on Wednesday, September 1, tickets will be on sale for $9.01. Every ticket will include a complimentary 12-ounce can of Ghost River beer for ticket holders 21 and up with valid ID. Before every match, celebrities including Ja Morant, Paula Raiford, and… possibly… YOU smash a guitar. Enter for your chance to do the guitar smash and win 2 free tickets.

The Redbirds have posted their 2022 schedule.

Catherine & Mary’s will be closed tonight for a private event.

Save the date: The Downtown Neighborhood Association is planning a big year-end event at the Renasant Convention Center on Thursday, November 18 (which is also my birthday). Live music, dignitaries, the annual State of Downtown address, food and drink, and more.

That’s the news for today. I think I may take this month off from Trolley Night and wait for cooler weather in September. Back tomorrow with more news.

The Daily Memphian has a report of a recent meeting between the Memphis Police Department and board members of the Downtown Memphis Commission. Downtown safety was the topic and these were a few of the highlights:

• There have been a lot of impromptu parking lot parties that have popped up Downtown this year, and officers have had to be stationed to keep them under control
• When the kids found out on July 4 that there was no cover charge or ID checking on Beale Street, they called all their friends and said “come on down” and things quickly got out of hand
• MPD recommended that better, controllable lighting be installed on Beale
• MPD created a traffic enforcement detail Downtown to deal with the increase in reckless driving and drag racing

Cheers to Penny Hardaway and Memphis men’s basketball on yesterday’s commitment from small forward Emoni Bates. Bates was a top-two prospect of the class of 2022. He was recently reclassified to the class of 2021, where he was still considered a top-five, five-star acquisition. Alongside fellow recruit Jalen Duren, Bates helps position the Tigers for a deep run into the NCAA tournament.

The Red Clay Strays play a free show tonight at Carolina Watershed at 7.

There’s been a lot of discussion on social media this week about whether the annual Cooper-Young Festival should go on as planned. It’s a huge street party that stretches about 10 blocks down South Cooper Street and 2 blocks down Young Avenue. It’s a diverse, liberal crowd, a celebration of all that is wild, weird, and wonderful in Memphis. Over the course of 10 hours, it draws 100,000+ people to the neighborhood… which in normal times would be awesome, but we live in COVID times.

I’m not gonna offer an opinion on whether it is responsible to hold an event this large during a pandemic surge, but I will make this note: The festival is Saturday, September 18. If you have your heart set on going, and you’re unvaccinated, you could go get the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot this week and your body would have 3 weeks to build immunity to the virus.

Speaking of vaccines… the Memphis Fire Department mobile vaccination unit will be at the Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday from 8 to 1. They didn’t specifically say which vaccines they’d have Saturday, but in the past, the mobile unit has tended to offer both the Pfizer and the J&J.

The Majestic Grille is now open for lunch Wednesdays through Fridays 11-2. Previously they had only been opening for lunch on Fridays. New to the menu is the Kale & Brussels Salad. It has shaved Brussels sprouts, kale, apples, cranberries, carrots, almonds, and crispy chickpeas in an apple vinaigrette. Man… just typing that makes me hungry…

… makes me hungry for a Majestic Burger with extra cheese and add bacon, that is.

River City Records has created a Facebook event listing for its Grand Opening Party. It’s Saturday, September 11 from 2 to 8 at 101 South Main, in the location that used to be Bluff City Soap. I’m not a vinyl collector – I gave away my turntable years ago – but I get the feeling this is going to be a very cool store that will add to the soul of Memphis.

By the way, that reminds me… I was writing for a “local news” platform this summer before they changed the payout structure and made it not worth my time. One of the articles I was planning would have been “The Soul of Downtown Memphis” and it would have covered the following places:

• Earnestine & Hazel’s
• A. Schwab on Beale
• Dyer’s
• National Civil Rights Museum
• Paula & Raiford’s Disco
• Center for Southern Folklore
• Gus’s
• Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum
• South Main Book Juggler
• South Main Sounds
• Alcenia’s
• Cozy Corner
• and probably a brewery… if I had to pick, I’d throw Downtown Wiseacre in there

117 Prime now carries wines from Ashes & Diamonds, a Napa Valley winery recently named one of the top 100 wineries in the world by Wines & Spirits. To celebrate, the restaurant will have a wine dinner featuring Ashes & Diamonds products Monday, August 30 at 6 PM. $120 per person. Seats are limited. Call 901-433-9851 to make your reservation.

Today is National Dog Day.

Enjoy the sounds of House in the MidSouth tonight at the Moxy Hotel tonight 6-9. There is no cover charge. The event is presented by Old Dominick Distillery.

Today would have been the monthly Whet Thursday social event at the Metal Museum, but the website indicates that the event has been canceled.

Wyly Bigger performs Live at the Tracks at Central Station tonight from 7:00 to 9:30.

Bass Pro at the Pyramid will have an inflatable archery range for the kids Saturday 11 to 3. “Inflatable” and “archery” really don’t sound like two concepts that would work together, but apparently Bass Pro has found a way. Each kid who gives it a try gets a free archery clip.

That’ll do it for today’s post. If I get out this evening it’ll probably be Bardog or Max’s. Back tomorrow with more news.

It was a sad day yesterday as we learned of the death of Charlie Watts, drummer for the Rolling Stones since 1963. Here are 10 facts you probably didn’t know about Charlie Watts.

This Saturday afternoon, Carolina Watershed will host round 2 of The Battle of the Beers. Memphis Made will face off against Crosstown Brewing, with 6 beers from each. There will also be 6 bands performing a free show.

Saturday Down South has a look at the rule changes for college football this season. The big one concerns overtimes.

• First OT: Teams start from the 25-yard line, and after a touchdown they can kick an extra point or go for a 2-point conversion
• Second OT: Teams start from the 25-yard line, and after a touchdown they must go for a 2-point conversion
• Third and successive OTs: No more starting from the 25-yard line, just back-to-back 2-point conversions

Sounds kinda like the football version of soccer’s penalty kick shootouts. I’m not sure I like it.

Week 1 of college football runs all the way from this Saturday to next Saturday. There are 5 games this Saturday but none of them sound that exciting. The only game featuring two Power Five schools is Nebraska vs. Illinois at noon on FOX.

I’m sure some of you are wondering what cream puff football team the Tennessee Vols will pay a million dollars to come to Knoxville and beat the Vols at Neyland Stadium for opening week? This year that honor goes to Mid-American Conference powerhouse the Bowling Green Falcons. That game will be at 7 PM Thursday, September 2 on the SEC Network.

Mayor Lee Harris’ office will present Summer Ag Day on the Civic Center Plaza Friday 11 AM-1 PM. It’ll be a celebration of agriculture with a fresh produce market, live farm animals, farm-themed games, and live music. There will be plenty for children to see and do.

The Brass Door will host a watch party for Memphis 901 FC’s away game at FC Tulsa tonight at 6:30.

Southwest Tennessee Community College’s hospitality program offers the chance to put in hours at some of Downtown Memphis’ elite businesses. These include the Renasant Convention Center, the Peabody Hotel, and local restaurants. Students studying Hotel or Restaurant Management also get to go on informative tours with Welcome to Memphis or Backbeat Tours. Sounds like a great way to not only learn, but to build contacts within the industry.

Outstanding advice from Lifehacker: Always order too much fried chicken

The Flying Fish announced that they have grouper back on the menu. It’s available on a grilled platter or a grilled or fried po’boy.

News from the NCAA: 5 men’s basketball teams poised for historically great seasons in 2021-2022. Memphis is predicted to be its best since the 2008-2009 season.

Interesting read from POLITICO: The five-day scramble as Afghanistan fell quickly to the Taliban

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