Paul Ryburn's Journal

Technology just amazes me. Tonight I was sitting in Aldo’s Pizza Pies and I pulled up the radar on MemphisWeather.net. It was obvious I needed to go home IMMEDIATELY. And I did, violating my religious beliefs about finishing one’s PBR before leaving the bar. As I hustled home, I thought back to the late 1980s when I subscribed to some computer magazine. They had this thing called WeFax that you could program your home computer to receive reports from, if you felt like typing in 500 lines of BASIC code and the fact that the radar was up to 12 hours out of date. Now we just pull that up on our iPhone and it’s within a minute or two of real-time.

It was my first stop in Aldo’s in a while. Nothing against Aldo’s – it’s just hard to be Foursquare “mayor” of three other bars nearby and have time to visit much. But tonight I wanted to get closer to home before the rain, and I remembered James works Wednesdays. I ordered a PBR and a slice of sausage pizza. It was so good that after 3 bites I ordered a second slice. At $3.50 it’s one of the cheaper ways Downtown to re-fuel.

Earlier in the evening I was at the Flying Saucer. They posted their lineup of events for Memphis Beer Week. Keep in mind these are just the Saucer’s events, not the 60+ events in total happening around town. Click the image below for a larger view.

That “Elite Beer Tasting” with brewers, bloggers, journalists, and publicans VIP tasting on the 26th looks interesting. Hey Saucer, not sure if you’re aware, but your mayor is a blogger. And he likes beer.

In tech news: Windows XP has received its death sentence. This is bad news for my netbook. I can’t see it being worth an upgrade to Windows 7, when the upgrade is practically what I paid for the netbook itself.

Thanks to the rain I get a full 8 hours’ sleep tonight. Time to go enjoy that.

Great news for those who appreciate craft beer. The “Fix the Beer Tax” bill has passed the Tennessee House, 87-2. This is a revenue-neutral beer that changes the way breweries in the state are taxed. Passage of this bill means that craft breweries are much more likely to open in Memphis and in Tennessee. Hopefully this is the starting point for a lot more locally-brewed beer. The bill is now on its way to the governor’s desk for a signature.

In other beer news, A.S. Barboro will celebrate Tax Day by giving away limited-edition Memphis Grizzlies 24-ounce cans of Coors Light at the FedExForum at 11 AM Monday, April 15. Show up as early as 10 to get your ID checked and to see Mayor Wharton present the key to the city to Barboro GM Steve Hegdale. 300 cans will be given away, limit 1 per person.

There’s a good Daily News article online with updated information about Jerry Lee Lewis’ Cafe and Honky Tonk, soon to open on Beale Street.

Bass Pro is putting the signage issue on hold for now and proceeding with construction for a fall opening. Due to seismic concerns the entrance will be on the south side of the Pyramid rather than the East facing the Pinch. A trolley stop will be added. More info from WMC-TV5 here.

Slow news day… if more stuff comes in I’ll do a second post after work.

380 Beale, the building that used to house Plush Club and Club Crave, has changed hands.

Remember singer Valerie June who used to perform around Memphis? She recently had a strong performance at the ACM Awards, a duet with Eric Church.

I’ve mentioned before that Cash Saver in Midtown (former Piggly Wiggly location) has great prices on craft beer. Last night a friend of mine recommended the Lazy Dozen, which is the Lazy Magnolia sampler.

Pro wrestling legend The Iron Sheik has posted his comments on WrestleMania. Sheikie Baby thinks the C.M Punk the real and the Fandango the jabroni.

The Flying Saucer is giving away another Fat Tire bike. These cruisers are super nice and I see that they’re selling for $500-800 or sometimes even more on eBay. Drink a Fat Tire to enter. The drawing is April 26 and you need to be present to win.

I heard that Paul McCartney concert tickets at FedExForum will sell for $159-999. OUCH! I’d pay that much to see Lennon. Maybe George too, but they’re both dead. Paul? Can’t see it. Maybe if he promises not to perform anything from Wings.

This isn’t a Downtown item, but I hear Chiwawa in Overton Square has $2 PBR. $2 PBR is always worth a mention, regardless of neighborhood.

Sorry for the brevity, but as I said yesterday, I’m in training and short on time.

I’m in training once again this week, all week long, with a very short lunch break. This blog may be more brief than usual for the next 5 days. I’ll do the best I can with the time I have.

Paul McCartney is coming to the FedExForum. It’s part of his “Out There” tour and he’ll be here on Sunday, May 26. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, April 12. More details on Paul McCartney’s site.

A new wine and cupcake bar, The Corked Carrot, will open very soon across the street from Pearl’s Oyster House on South Main. They have a Craigslist ad up here where they are looking to hire some employees – cashier/servers, assistant managers or even a GM. They’re hoping for a soft opening Saturday and then a grand opening once they get their liquor license.

The Peabody has posted listings for each week’s food buffet and VIP Budweiser tastings on its rooftop parties page.

I received a tip this weekend that Ghost River Brewery takes extremely good care of kegerator owners. Check them out if you own one of those devices.

It’s Out of the Bleu Week at Bleu Restaurant.

Condolences to the family of Channel 24 meterologist Mark Walden, who passed away over the weekend.

Time to grab some quick lunch. Will be out after work at the usual places.

Charvey McLemore played the Green Beetle last night. I had never heard him before. My friend Katie Mac recommended I go check him out, and I saw on Facebook that my friends Karen and Dennis were going to see him too. Those are some pretty solid recommendations, so about 9:00 last night I walked south to the Beetle.

I was glad I did. Charvey is incredibly talented, and has an amazing vocal range. Bars who book acoustic music, if you weren’t aware of Charvey Mac already, you really need to check him out and think about booking him. He’s one of those musicians who seems to have a built-in following of people who will show up wherever he plays. I definitely plan to go see him again.

Karen and Dennis

Katie Mac, no relation to Charvey

The Redbirds suffered a rainout on opening day! If you had a ticket to yesterday’s game, it can be exchanged at the box office for a ticket to any other game except the July 4 one.

The Redbirds will make up the game today, playing a doubleheader. There will be two 7-inning games and the first one will begin at 5:00. Gates will open at 4:00 for today’s BP hat giveaway.

If you’re looking for something to do after the doubleheader, the Flying Saucer will have live music for Acoustic Friday tonight. Rodney Phillips take the stage at 9. Cover is only $2. If you’re a member of the bar’s UFO Club, show your UFO card to get in free.

If you’re looking for something kid-friendly Downtown, Sesame Street Live has four performances at the FedExForum this weekend starting tonight at 6. If you want recommendations for good places to take kids to eat pre- or post-show, my picks would be Kooky Canuck, Flying Fish, or Huey’s, all of which are on Second Street a few blocks north of the arena.

The Mad Earl posted that they will have build-your-own-salads today. Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up? She builds salads that are tall enough to ride the rides at Disneyland.

The Memphis Foodie blog has an excellent post about all the crawfish events happening in Memphis this spring. Worth bookmarking if you’re a fan of the mudbugs.

Don’t forget that the Mo’s Bows trunk show, featuring handmade bowties by 11-year-old entrepreneur Moziah Bridges, has been rescheduled for 1-4 PM tomorrow at Shelton Clothiers. He had to reschedule because of last week’s KKK rally. Come support him and add some spring bow ties to your wardrobe!

Like to run? The Memphis Flyer reports on an organization called Rockin’ Running Tours which organizes tours of Downtown and Midtown for runners.

Forbes has a slideshow of the NBA’s most overpaid players for 2013. Hi, Rudy!

Been an interesting week. Normally I’m not a fan of drama. However, when it comes to drama between two of my least favorite people in Memphis, it’s time to pop some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the show.

Plans for tonight: The BBQ thing got rescheduled for tonight. My presence isn’t strictly necessary, but I like hanging out with my teammates so I guess I’ll start off at the Blind Bear after work. I’ll figure out the rest of the evening from there.

Edit 5:15 PM: My meeting at Blind Bear got canceled. I’ll be around the corner at Flying Saucer about 5:45 if any potential team members want to talk.

Well, I was wrong about team membership on my BBQ team The Moody Ques being closed for 2013. The team leaders met last night, and we discovered that we ordered more Memphis in May wristbands than we thought. So, we need a few more people to wear those wristbands! If you’re interested in a spot, email me at paul@paulryburn.com or talk to me or any other team member when you see us out. I’m going to be at our sponsor Blind Bear about 6 this evening along with our team treasurer and our inspirational leader/father figure if you want to come by and talk then. We’re selective about membership – we don’t want people who will stir up a lot of drama in the team’s booth, retards, or people who will think it’s OK to invite 100 guests. However, if you’re a cool person, let us get to know you a little and you’re likely in!

Good eatin’ Downtown tomorrow at lunch! The @MemphisDawgs hot dog cart, featuring Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, will be at the corner of Main and Union from 11:30 AM tomorrow until at least 3 PM. Come try an Original Memphis Dawg, a Memphis/Manhattan dawg, or whatever you like! The hot dog cart is also available for event catering. Hit them up on Twitter if interested.

I wonder if my “DAWG” John D will get a Memphis Dawg for lunch tomorrow? He works right down the street.

There’s a Groupon for upcoming performances of Wizard of Oz by Ballet Memphis at the Orpheum. You get your choice of three shows on Saturday-Sunday, April 20 and 21. Choose between a $23 ticket (face value up to $45) or a $37 ticket (face value up to $74).

The former Big East conference, which the University of Memphis will become a full member of as of July 1, has been renamed the American Athletic Conference. Probably a good thing that the name includes neither a region or a number.

Gary Parrish reports that Tarik Black has until Tuesday to decide if he wants to transfer to another school for his senior season. Black graduates early this semester, and by NCAA rules that means he can play immediately if he transfers without having to sit out a year. I for one hope the big guy comes back.

Also, the CA’s Jason Smith just broke news that sophomore Adonis Thomas has decided to turn pro, hire an agent, and enter the draft. No disrespect to Thomas but I think that’s a huge mistake. Remember how CDR thought he was a mid-to-late first rounder a few years ago and instead fell into the 40s? That’s what I see happening here. Except it will be more like, position in the 40s expected but instead he fails entirely to get drafted.

The Memphis Design Review Board has asked for some changes to the Bass Pro/riverfront plan. The proposed changes would make Bass Pro Lane, running south of the Pyramid, more bike and pedestrian friendly. Another proposal is for the city to sell some parcels of land, opening up development between Bass Pro Lane and the river.

That’s the news for now. As I said earlier, I’ll be at Blind Bear after work.

BREAKING NEWS: Rob Fischer (@thefishnation on Twitter) reported that the St. Louis Cardinals are close to an agreement to purchase the Memphis Redbirds and AutoZone Park. Talks are said to be moving quickly.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese will join the Memphis Redbirds beginning April 4. He will be here on a rehab assignment. On March 4 in spring training Freese went tumbling into the stands trying to catch a fly ball, and he’s been sidelined with a lower back strain since then.

If you’re interested in the redevelopment of the Chisca Hotel into apartments and retail space, there are two upcoming events you should know about. First of all, there will be an update on progress at the hotel at the South Main Association meeting on Tuesday, April 9. Terry Lynch, the president of Southland Capital Corporation, will speak. The meeting is at the Arcade Restaurant at Main and G.E. Patterson Avenue. 6 PM social, 6:30 meeting. Cash bar, hors d’oeuvres provided by the Arcade. Free for SMA members; non-members welcome for a cover charge of $10.

On Friday, April 26, the official project launch will take place at the Chisca at 3 PM. Attendees will be able to view proposed renderings of the hotel, and meet the people who saved the site of Dewey Phillips’ “Red Hot and Blue” radio show where Elvis was broadcast for the first time. There will be music and entertainment.

Memphis Magazine has some very good photos of the 1960 Russwood Park fire aftermath. Russwood Park was located near Downtown and is where the AA Memphis Chicks played.

WMC-TV has an image gallery of conceptual plans for unused spaces on South Main. These were unveiled last Friday during South Main Trolley Tour.

Tonight the Flying Saucer will be doing a charity glass night for cystic fibrosis. In conjunction with Yazoo Brewery, they will have a special glass on sale beginning at 7 PM, and 100% of the proceeds from these glass sales will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The Cordova, Little Rock, and Nashville Flying Saucers will also participate in this fundraiser.

Yesterday I listed some of the many items for sale at Memphis Farmers Market. One thing to add to that list is breads and baked goods from Bluff City Bakery. You can find the bakery’s goods at Bluff City Coffee on South Main as well as at the market. Follow Chef Jason Doty on Twitter at @CraveMemphis to keep up with news from the bakery.

Bon Ton Cafe’s bar is now open. They’re licensed to serve beer, wine, and liquor.

My BBQ team The Moody Ques has now hit its membership cap and is done accepting new members for 2013. Last night at the Blind Bear we chatted with a new team member who used to live in Stockholm. It will be good to have his input, since we’re kind of in a creative funk for ideas to honor Memphis in May’s host country this year, Sweden. We will have several new people on the team who volunteer for Memphis Farmers Market. We also will have a new team member who wears a lot of tube tops. That’s the kind of person I like to have on the Moody Ques.

Looks like I have to do BBQ stuff after work, although I’m sure I’ll find time for a quick beer at the Flying Saucer first.

Got enough news to warrant a second Tuesday post today. First of all, I have more information about the crawfish festival the Green Beetle will hold on Sunday. It will run from 3 to 7, and the Po’Boys will provide the live music. They will cook corn and potatoes in with their spicy crawfish boil, and they’ll have plenty of drink specials during the festival too.

Charvey McLemore will perform at the Beetle Saturday night 9 to 1. Be careful if you order food… he’s one of the Nuh-Uh Girl’s favorite artists, and she may be there, listening to Charvey and asking “can I have a bite??? ” off your plate. Chris Johnson rounds out the weekend entertainment at the Beetle, playing Friday 8 to 12.

One of my readers sent me this Craigslist link selling $28,000 worth of nightclub furniture and equipment. If you look at the photos, it’s very clear that the furniture came from the original Raiford’s at Mulberry and Vance.

Great article on the DowntownMemphis.com website about Thigh High Jeans, a clothing manufacturing company in Uptown. They are an eco-friendly company that makes clothing from reclaimed materials, and they donate 50% of their profits to charity. They’ve expanded past jeans into other clothing items and purses. Wonder if they make any tube tops? Their apparel can be bought at Sache, Life is Good, and A. Schwab.

In my lunchtime post, I wrote about the opening of Memphis Farmers Market for the season on Saturday. If you want to support the market, you can go to South of Beale this month. During April there will be a line on your check where you can add a donation to MFM.

Check out this review of the FedExForum by an Oklahoma City resident who recently made the trek to Memphis. He had praise for both the arena and the surrounding area. Good to hear!

The Mad Earl had its shuffleboard table delivered today. Open for business 4 PM to 3 AM during the soft opening.

F-U ABC. Bar Louie in Midtown is waiting on its state liquor license. I know we have at least one person quitting my favorite Downtown bar and going to work there. You’re costing her money ABC!

And finally, here’s my buddy Josh modeling some of the clothes for sale at Winfield’s at 2 S. Main:

Looking sharp Josh.

That will do it for tonight. Eating a Yonge Street Burger from Kooky Canuck. Home and off to bed. Looking forward to seeing a friend tomorrow.