Wednesday update

The menu has been posted for the Chef Collaboration Dinner, hosted by City Tasting Tours Monday night at Rizzo’s, featuring a fusion of Asian and upscale Southern food by Chefs Jimmy Sinh (Sushi Jimmi) and Michael Patrick (Rizzo’s), with each course expertly paired by mixologist Q Shakur.

Amuse Bouche
Spicy Crawfish Seafood Cone

1st Course
Memphis BBQ Eel

2nd Course
Ichiban Soup

3rd Course
Fried Sweet Potato Seafood Salad

4th Course
Duck Confit with Red Curry Coconut Jasmine Rice

Dessert
Green Tea White Chocolate Bread Pudding and Mango Mochi

As of last night a few tickets were still available. Get tickets here.

Clayborn Reborn, the plan to renovate historic Clayborn Temple, will be getting a boost. Today the temple was named as one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s portfolio of National Treasures. There are 88 total sites in the portfolio. The temple has also been accepted into the National Fund for Sacred Places.

Bluff City Coffee will be cash only Friday through Sunday during RiverArtsFest. Their hours will be 6:30 AM to 4 PM.

Just in time for trick-or-treating, WREG has a story about the “candy mecca” right under your nose: Wayne’s Candy Company on Carolina Avenue Downtown. The store has 2500 types of candy.

Here’s something I didn’t know: You can sign up to take a tour of the Memphis airport. The Jon K. Thompson World Class Tour gives the public a close-up look at the airport and a better understanding of the role the airport plays in the local economy. Tours include a continental breakfast, presentations on several aspects of the airport, and bus tours of the FedEx World Hub and the Tennessee Air National Guard facility. Thursday, November 2 is the next tour.

Kids’ event Rock & Romp makes its return this weekend. It will be at Memphis Made Brewing Co. this Saturday from 2 to 5. There will be costumes and candy, and live performances by Cassette Set, Cloudland Canyon, and The Stereograms.

Ghost River has announced that this Friday’s Dock Party has been canceled due to technical difficulties. They will return to the party scene with Juju Bushman opening their One Year Party on November 4.

That’s it for this post. Back tomorrow with more.

Tue update #2: MCA to close and more

Very sad news was released this morning: Memphis College of Art will close. The college has stopped accepting new students and will shut down by 2020. Real estate debt and declining enrollment have led the board to believe that a fine arts and design college is no longer feasible here. As a former college instructor, my heart goes out to the professors who will have to find new places to work, and to the alumni who thought the school would be around as long as they lived.

There will be a More than Pink block party at Peabody Place and Main 5-8 Friday evening, kicking off the Susan G. Komen race weekend. Arnishia King and “The Lady Parts” Band will perform, the Amurica photo booth will be there offering free photos, and Bluefin and Silly Goose will offer extended happy hours. Race participants with bib will get discounts at Margie’s 901 Ice Cream and Lenny’s. Admission to the block party is free.

Blind Bear is planning a special Spookeasy Halloween Weekend this Friday the 27th through next Tuesday the 31st. The following food and drink specials will be in effect:

$5 Beef Tacos
$8 Bear Balls
$10 Hibernation Fries
$3 Moonshine Shots
$6 Moonshine Cocktails
$4 Silver & Grapefruit Tequila Shots
$6 Silver & Grapefruit Margaritas
$8 Bleeding Dark & Stormy
$6 Bloody Marys
$3 Bloody Beers
$2 PBR 16oz Cans !!!
$4 Angry Orchard 12oz Cans

The Michael Brothers will perform Friday night at 10, and The Memphis Blues Masters featuring Queen Ann Hines Saturday at 10.

Do Good with Food, a brunch at Bleu benefiting the Mid-South Food Bank, will happen Sunday, November 12 from 11 AM to 2 PM. This is a buffet-style brunch with live music by Pam & Terry. Free valet parking and a cash bar. Tickets are $30. Purchase them here.

Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker unloaded on President Trump in three news interviews this morning. Highlights: Corker said

  • Trump is not a role model for our children
  • Corker absolutely will not support Trump for re-election in 2020
  • Trump is “an utterly untruthful president” and accused Trump of “constant non-truth telling”
  • Trump is “not going to rise to the occasion of president” and not only is he not evolving as president, but he seems to be devolving
  • Trump will be remembered for “debasing our country”

Corker also started the #AlertTheDayCareStaff hashtag on Twitter, building on his quote a few weeks ago that the White House under Trump has turned into an adult day care.

Corker is the first Republican leader (as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee) to have the balls to say these kinds of things about Trump publicly. Now if other Republicans change their tune, they know they will not be alone. Trump has lunch scheduled with Senate Republicans today and it will be a very awkward meeting with Corker there. Thanks Sen. Corker for speaking your mind.

That’s it for now. This is my second post today so keep reading if it’s your first visit.

Tuesday update: RiverArtsFest, Halloween on the Island, Kooky Halloween party and more

The biggest festival of the year for the South Main Arts District, RiverArtsFest, happens Friday-Sunday this weekend. Friday is a sneak preview and is free to the public. Saturday and Sunday there is a $5 cover each day, with South Main blocked off from Huling to Georgia.

The biggest draw to the festival is the hundreds of artist vendors who set up booths on Main to sell their wares. Bring money, because this is a chance to buy some very nice stuff to hang on your walls and decorate your home. Good chance to find Christmas presents too. The food vendors tend to be a higher quality than the average festival. I can speak from experience that the Mediterranean Cuisine and Hibachi 4 Hire vendors put out some great food. There will be food trucks as well including Fuel, MEMPopS, and Reverb Coffee. Live music on one stage Friday night and three Saturday and Sunday. This festival is one I recommend for sure, at least for one day of the three. Come take in that South Main vibe.

Bring the kids to Halloween on the Island on the 31st, 6:30-8:30, for a night of trick-or-treating and walking the Haunted River Walk. $5 admission includes a ride over on the monorail, Sparkman the Magician, and costume contests. Concessions will be available.

The annual Kooky Canuck Halloween party will be Sunday, October 29 beginning at 10 PM.

High Ground News reports that spoken word lives on at The Den, a venue out in The Edge at 656 Marshall. Weekly events include The Word, an open mic event with Tonya Dyson, The Early Show, a comedy open mic; and a local market called Bohemian Wednesdays and Soul Market. In some ways the venue is the successor to Precious Cargo, a popular Pinch Venue of the 1990s-2000s.

From the MBJ: The Downtown Memphis Commission has been crossing many buildings off its Top 10 Redevelopment Sites list that past 12 years. (with “Then and Now” slideshow)

The final 2017 installment of Hot Rods on Beale Street happens tonight 6-10.

An American in Paris will be at the Orpheum tonight through Sunday.

Meme on Facebook yesterday: “The Vols are so fucked that their games will now be broadcast on PornHub.”

That’s it for now, off to work. Back at lunchtime or tomorrow with more news.

Monday update

The Foo Fighters concert at FedExForum, which was to have happened tomorrow night, has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 3, 2018. An unspecified family emergency was specified as the reason for the moved date. The Nashville concert date has been rescheduled also.

Krista Shows plays South Main Sounds tonight at 7 PM. 550 S. Main.

The Memphis Hustle have announced their training camp roster and there are a couple of names familiar to Memphis Tigers fans. Trahson Burrell and Austin Nichols made it onto the roster. For my fellow Arkansas fans, Dusty Hannahs is on the roster as well.

Investigators say arson is to blame for the fire Sunday morning at dive bar and live music venue The Buccaneer.

Last month I predicted that our streak of warm Saturday Halloween party nights would come to an end this year. Looks like I was right. MemphisWeather.net is predicting a high in the mid 50s and a low in the upper 30s for the 28th.

Speaking of Halloween parties, Coyote Ugly has announced their Scream Queen Prom Edition party for Saturday night.

Wonder if Butch Jones has this inspirational message posted in the Vols’ locker room next to the trash can:

Good thing the Vols don’t dunk the ball in the trash can after an offensive touchdown. That would be one empty trash can!

Historian Jimmy Ogle will lead a walking lunchtime tour of B.B. King Blvd. tomorrow at 11:45 AM. Meet at the Sterick Building at Third and Madison. The tour will then proceed south to Beale Street.

I have to say I really enjoy the tweets of the University of Memphis president, Dr. David M. Rudd, on Twitter (@UofMemphisPres). He’s clever on that medium and is clearly there to interact with those in a stake in the university, not just talk AT them. He’s also a big supporter of the athletic programs. Give him a follow if you love the U of M.

National Geographic Traveller India has a nice article about Tad Pierson and American Dream Safari, the best way to tour Memphis and learn about its place in music history. Hopefully that article will bring some Indian tourists to our city!

The Memphis International Auto Show comes to the Cook Convention Center Friday through Sunday, featuring over 250 of the best new cars, trucks, and SUVs.

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

Sunday update

Sometimes I give the troll a day off and take photos with beautiful women instead.

This may be one of the best weekends for Memphis sports ever. Two days after the Memphis Tigers beat Houston, enabling them to write their own ticket going forward, the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Golden State Warriors at FedExForum. The Grizzlies held a large lead for much of the game and Steph Curry threw his mouthpiece out of frustration. That led to him being ejected by a ref, and Kevin Durant argued the call and got ejected too.

Stock & Belle is having an indoor vendor marketplace this coming weekend to celebrate South Main Trolley Night and RiverArtsFest.

A Memphis live music institution is likely no more. The Buccaneer caught on fire last night. From photos on Facebook the damage appears to be quite extensive.

If you drive Downtown on Saturdays, might want to make a note of the map of the Susan G. Komen 5K happening next Saturday the 28th. Expect delays driving.

MATA will start testing the trolleys on the entire stretch of Main Street, 547 N. Main to Central Station, beginning November 6.

I got into a discussion about hot dogs, of all things, yesterday at Blind Bear. Joe told me the best hot dogs in the world are not Chicago hot dogs, but rather ones made in North Carolina – “all the way dogs” with chili, mustard, onions, and slaw. I know members of championship hot dog team Squeal Street read this blog. Perhaps they should make a road trip to NC for inspiration. Joe mentioned Little Richard’s in particular.

The October installment of The River Series at Harbor Town Amphitheatre is this afternoon. DJ Hot Tub Eric at 3, Little Bandit at 4, Coco Hames at 5. $5 donation at the door benefits Maria Montessori School.

Tennessee alum Paul Finebaum: “I would not have let (Butch Jones) get on the plane last night” following the loss to Alabama. Some reports say UT will keep Jones on through the Kentucky game. Finebaum commented that if a win over Kentucky is what the Vols need to legitimize themselves, they might as well shut the whole program down. Shutting down sounds like a mighty fine idea to me. Let’s open up a spot in the SEC for a team with recent victories over Navy and Houston, not to mention a head coach who isn’t the biggest joke in all of the FBS.

Off to do a fundraiser for the Pabst Brewing Co. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

Saturday update: Sinners for Saints, help 3 kids live a great story, Eric Hughes CD party and more

As a media contact for the Downtown Memphis Commission, I receive copies of permits granted for events in the area the DMC oversees. Yesterday I was very pleased to see a permit for the annual Sinners for Saints Halloween Ball in my email. If you want to “go big” on Halloween (or actually, the Saturday before, the 28th) there’s no better way to do it. At the corner of Madison and Danny Thomas, at Stop 345, Brinson’s, and Tad’s indoor trailer park with the street blocked off, there is something for everyone. Aquanet, Charvey Mac, karaoke, songwriter’s showcase, food from some of Memphis’ best restaurants, beer, wine, punch, 3000 craft Jello shots, a DJ, costume contest with big prizes.

Better still, when you “go big,” your $50 entry fee (in advance; $60 at the door) is not going into the pockets of some skeevy nightclub promoter. Sinners for Saints is a fundraiser for the Church Health Center.

A GoFundMe has been set up to fund the college education of Downtowner Eric Janssen who passed away Monday in Chicago. Donate to help ensure that his kids get to live a great story the way their dad did.

If you came to Memphis to hear the blues, I have a destination for you tonight: The Warehouse at Front and G.E. Patterson. There’s no signage but it’s in the back of the green building of the northeast corner of the intersection. The Eric Hughes Band will celebrate the release of their CD “Meet Me in Memphis” starting at 7 tonight. The CD brings together many different Memphis musical styles. Following the band performance there will be a musicians’ jam.

The Gibson Guitar Factory is looking to sell its building and move into a smaller space. The current building has way more space than they need, including a lounge that has not been used in years. That lounge is a sweet space and would be perfect for a nightclub similar to the old Isaac Hayes club in Peabody Place Mall.

Grind City Media has a recap of the Memphis Hustle open tryouts:

The Hustle have training camp this coming week and then their lone pre-season game October 30.

Arby’s has venison sandwiches nationwide as of today.

UT football coach Butch Jones made his annual visit to Memphis for a speech at the Touchdown Club. Having fallen on hard times in Knoxville, he came to Memphis looking for some love. However, Memphis did to Butch what Georgia did to his team: shut him out.

More info on the burlesque show at Bardog Tavern on Halloween night: It will be called Spooky BOO-bees and will be hosted by Kitty Wompas. Show at 9, costume contest at 11, and drawing to win the hearse parked outside at midnight. $5 Jameson Irish Whiskey Caskmates Stout Edition all month long.

The Rusty Pieces play Loflin Yard’s Front Porch Series today at 3.

Steph, Klay, Draymond, and KD come to town tonight as the Grizzlies host the Golden State Warriors tonight at 7.

Leading off at Blind Bear at 11 then over to Bardog at 2 for the first stop of a pub crawl in celebration of Eric’s life. Come join if you knew him. It’ll end at Earnestine & Hazel’s around 5. Back tomorrow with more news.

Friday update

GO TIGERS!!!

What a win last night for the University of Memphis football team. Sky’s the limit now… Double-digit win season? Trip to the AAC championship game? Top 15 ranking? Peach Bowl? Chance for Memphis to blaze the trail that leads the AAC to equity with the Power Five? All within the realm of possibility, and most analysts didn’t see those things in the Tigers’ future before the season started.

My plan was to watch the game at the Blind Bear, but I was reminded that their big annual charity poker tournament was last night. It’s a great cause and I’m thrilled they have it, but it also meant the place would be super-crowded with people I don’t know. I decided I would have to come up with Plan B for the Tigers game.

Luckily for me, I have a very resourceful troll.

(there was supposed to be a photo of my troll here but WordPress keeps giving me “HTTP error”)

My troll found us a place with the Tigers on a huge TV over a bar, with sound. There were 9 more TVs and they had the NFL Network. Where were we? More details coming soon…

Headline in one of the news feeds I check: Peabody, ducks go pink for breast cancer survivors. “Surely they didn’t dye the ducks!” I thought. No, but the ducks march on a pink carpet instead of the usual red one.

Guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen plays the New Daisy tomorrow night for his World on Fire tour. Doors open at 7, show at 8.

The Memphis Flyer has details on the Memphis Bigfoot Festival happening tomorrow night at Memphis Made Brewing Co.

The third in the series of Ghost River Dock Parties happens tonight at 8 at Main and Crump. Tonight: Crockett Hall & the Infidelles. “What do they sound like? Think late ’60s Beatles,” writes the Ghost River staff. The Infidelles were one of the last bands to record with Willie Mitchell before he died. Family-friendly, pet-friendly patio, and the Gourmade food truck will be on site. $5 cover.

Ghost River, by the way, is once again hiring for their taproom. They’re looking for someone who loves people, music, food, trivia, and good vibes. Nice to see a taproom where “being awesome” is a requirement to work there.

Here’s a photo of that Kalua Pig hot plate Ghost River has every Friday at its One Poke Pop-up Lunch:

Keep on truckin’ is the theme at the Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday. It’s late in the season, but farmers are still truckin’ their fall produce to the Market for you to purchase. There will be farm fun at the kids’ craft table 8 AM to noon. If you won an auction item at Farm Fest, it will be at the Market for you to pick up. Go to the information table to claim your item. Live local music all day long. The Market runs Saturdays through the end of this month under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson, 7 AM to 1 PM. Although next week is the last regular market of the season, they will be back with a Holiday Market December 9.

Look for dynamic light shows on the Big River Crossing bridge at 7, 8, and 9 PM Saturday, the one year anniversary of the crossing’s opening. It was accessed 250,000 times in its first year.

In related news – Riverside Drive between Union and Beale will be closed 5 to 9 AM Saturday for the Big River Crossing race.

The Flyer has an article about the 1.2 mile paved section of the Wolf River Greenway that opens at the north end of Mud Island Saturday. By 2020 the Greenway will span 36 miles, connecting the Mississippi River to Fayette County.

For those of you who care about my whereabouts, I’m not going to lead off at Bardog tomorrow as I usually do on Saturday. I have to be at Bardog at 2 for a pub crawl, so I will lead off at D-RANKS with B-RAD at Blind Bear at 11 tomorrow instead. Later in the day I will be at Max’s Sports Bar where there will be plenty of people dressed as Bozo the Clown in Tennessee Vols attire.

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

Thursday update: Brewery road trip recommendation and more

Being a native of Little Rock, I follow the @WooPigBrewey Twitter account to keep up with beer news in central Arkansas, and was recently reminded of a brewery I visited back in January: Lost Forty Brewing in east Little Rock. I would definitely recommend that place as a day trip for my beer-loving readers. What separates Lost Forty from most breweries is that they don’t bring in food trucks. Rather, they have their own kitchen. Their menu is the best beer-bar menu I have ever seen – better than any iteration of the Saucer, better than McGuinness’ menu when they were Downtown, better than Gordon Biersch’s menu when they were Downtown. Highlights include

  • House-smoked turkey salad sandwich
  • House-made bratwurst
  • Petit Jean bacon and cheese dip
  • Open-faced fried Italian bologna sandwich with an egg on top
  • Smoked jalapeno Pimiento cheese
  • House-smoked turkey Reuben with Swiss, sauerkraut, and homemade Thousand Island
  • Hoppin’ john hummus

Check out their entire menu on Facebook if you like what you read above. The brewery is about a 10-minute walk or 2-minute drive from Downtown Little Rock. By the way, their beer was outstanding too, and their brewers couldn’t be nicer. As I was leaving Lost Forty, one of the brewers was outside getting some fresh air, and he was so excited when he learned I was from Memphis and asked all about the craft beer scene here.

The Memphis Flyer reports that tater tots are now available at all Huey’s restaurants. Hmmm really? I just might have to get a Huey Burger and some tots to take home tonight.

A month or two ago it became widely known that agents of the TV show Bar Rescue were cold-calling bars in the Memphis area. For those not familiar with the show, industry expert Jon Taffer and his team will come into a bar, renovate, train staff and make staff changes if needed, redesign the menu, and (in most cases) re-brand, hoping to turn the bar’s fortunes around. As I said, they were cold-calling, reaching out to bars that clearly do not need Taf’s help. They called the Silly Goose, for example.

Well, it looks like Taffer may have found his Memphis episode. Tuesday afternoon he posted

Come join me tonight at 6:30pm CT
GameTime Sports Grill
11695 US 70
Arlington, TN 3802
“It might be stressful .”

All-levels yoga class to benefit Grizzlies Prep tonight at Ghost River:

YOGA!

The Downtown Memphis Commission has acquired an option to purchase the building that was the former home of Murray’s clothing store at 18 S. Main on the pedestrian mall. They have put out a Request For Proposals to occupy the building. They want a full renovation with commercial/retail on the ground floor and residential or office space above. They want a tenant who will start work on the building within 120 days of agreement, and who will add foot traffic and vibrancy to that block of Main.

Great trivia night by Charles at the Blind Bear, who asked a question about the movie Trolls last night. “Who said, ‘No troll left behind?'” Although not a big movie watcher myself, I knew the answer to that one – Poppy.

Jerry Lawler’s Bar and Grill on Beale will have a Halloween party Saturday, October 28. Live music by Chris Hill at 9, $3 Fireball all night, and a costume contest with $500 cash to the winner. Speaking of Lawler, don’t forget that there’s a free wrestling show tonight at Handy Park at 7. He’s main-eventing vs. Buff Bagwell.

Also, speaking of Halloween, the Downtown Memphis Commission has a great Halloween guide.

Something to keep in mind if you have floor seats for Grizzlies games:

Great post by a former Memphian: Hey Chandler, this is how you win over Memphis basketball fans. It’s all stuff that can be done off the court, and most definitely Z-bo-inspired. I was disappointed when Parsons bricked free throws early on, but from what I hear, he is working as hard as he can. When Marc Gasol says, “Booing Chandler is booing Mike and me,” that’s all I need to hear to cheer for Chandler Parsons.

Great speech by George W. Bush today. More and more I am coming to understand what a patriot the former president is. We need to return to being a nation of decency and inclusion.

That’s it for now. I’ll be out at happy hour at Silly Goose after work. Back tomorrow with more news.

Wed update: Go Grizzlies, aquarium proposal, Maciel’s open and more

Second post in a row with BIG NEWS: An aquarium has been proposed for Mud Island. Local firm Archimania put together the proposal and it is said to be “world-class,” offering the chance to study groundwater, fish and fowl along the Mississippi. If we get the aquarium on Mud Island and the Brooks Museum relocates to Front and Union, we will have come a long way toward the re-thinking of the Memphis Riverfront that has been discussed the past year.

Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos is back in business, finally! They will be open 11 AM to 8 PM today.

Authentic reproductions of Christopher Columbus’ ships, the Nina and the Pinta, will be docked at Beale Street Landing today through Monday. Come take a tour of the ships and grab some food at The Front Porch.

The CA has a beautiful article celebrating the life of Eric Janssen, a former employee and a man who lived and breathed Memphis. Eric died from an accidental fall in Chicago Monday. Eric was a newspaper employee who was an early adopter of digital media. Long-time readers may remember that in 2006, I did a blog for the CA called Deal of the Week picking the best deals from the Sunday advertising inserts in the newspaper. Eric offered me that gig.

If you’re going to the Grizzlies home opener tonight, get there early, because Playa Fly and Gangsta Blac will be performing pre-game. 7 PM tip. In other Grizzlies news, this thank-you letter to Memphis from former Grizzly/current New Orleans Pelican Tony Allen is well worth a read.

Save the date: Ghost River celebrates its taproom’s first birthday Saturday, November 4. They will have a giant Small Shop Saturday with many vendors (click the link for a full list) 1-6 PM. Live music by Cameron Bethany and MAKEMADBEATS from Unapologetic starting at 8. Sushicide Squad food truck noon to 5, El Mero Taco 6 to close. Hourly giveaways (click the link for a full list; must be present to win).

Five-time Grammy winner Marty Stuart plays the Halloran Centre tonight at 7:30. Get there early, though, because at 6:30 Empire Distributors will host a tasting for a cocktail called the ’55 Makers Punch, made with Maker’s Mark, in honor of Stuart’s song “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’.” Live music by Nancy Apple in the lobby prior to the show.

Two Girls and a Whip have added a Pina Colada cupcake to their selection. It’s in the case today.

Living Colour will perform at the New Daisy next Wednesday, October 25.

That’s it for now. Tonight I will be at the Silly Goose for happy hour, but it may take an extra minute to get a beer as the place will be swarmed with Grizzlies fans pre-gaming. That is a first-class kind of problem that I am happy to have! Back tomorrow with more news.

Brooks considering move Downtown + more Tuesday news

BIG NEWS today: The board of the Brooks Museum of Art, facing space issues and other issues in their Overton Park location, is considering moving the museum Downtown. One of the suggestions in a recent study on what to do with the riverfront was the inclusion of “an iconic cultural asset.” There’s interest in the Brooks being that asset. This would be the biggest news for Downtown since we got the Grizzlies.

I Love Juice Bar will be the first retail tenant in the Tennessee Brewery project. It will open next spring. The juice bar already has locations on South Cooper and in Crosstown Concourse.

Beale Street beacons: The new Beale Street smartphone app interacts with 100 beacons placed at various locations on and around Beale, Once notifications are turned on, when you get near a beacon you get information including historical context, news on upcoming events, special offers, and coupons.

Emmy Award-winning writer and comedian John Mulaney will be on stage at the Orpheum tonight at 7.

Coach Fiz is giving away 500 tickets to the Grizzlies home season opener tomorrow night. The giveaway happens at FedExForum’s Grand Lobby today at 1:30. Limit two tickets per person. Every fan attending the home opener gets a Grit Grind Forever growl towel.

Pink Floyd fans, put Saturday, October 21 on your calendar for Oh, by the Way, Which One’s Pink? at Wiseacre Brewing Co. It will be an evening of Pink Floyd songs by Mister Adams. Admission is free and of course there will be great craft beer to drink.

Memphis Blues Society’s 2017 Battle of the Blues Challenge happens this evening and tomorrow evening at Club 152. It will feature youth, solo/duo acts, and bands competing under International Blues Challenge rules. The winning youth act, solo/duo act, and band will qualify for the 2018 IBC in January.

South Side Supper Club plays Belle Tavern tonight from 7 to 10 PM.

Many people don’t realize that Swarm by Foursquare, the app in which you check in to venues and become “mayor,” is still around. For the past two years I have been involved in an intense (but friendly) battle for the mayorships of two Downtown bars, Bardog Tavern and Earnestine & Hazel’s. I will get those mayorships back for good, but for the worst possible reason. Goodbye, my friend. It was a pleasure talking with you over beer and Soul Burgers on Saturdays. Your love for our city was apparent in everything you did. Glad we got to be BBQ teammates this year.

On a happier note, happy birthday to Coonass NEAL! His birthday party is Downtown tonight and I wouldn’t miss it, so that’s the plan. Back tomorrow with more news.