Paul Ryburn's Journal

So, last night I watched the Olympics opening ceremonies. My opinion was, “You know, I’d probably really enjoy this if I were gay. But I’m not, and this is stupid.” First of all, you had those people dancing around in stovepipe hats in a performance that seemed to go on forever and ever. I thought about asking the Saucer to turn the sound on, but I thought to myself, this is bad enough with the sound off, why make it worse?

Then there was that James Bond sequence in which I guess we were supposed to believe that the Queenster was parachuting into the stadium from a helicopter. The only reason this was at all interesting was because I was hoping for an Owen Hart moment. Does that make me evil? Ugh. I realize they have to have the royal family on since the Olympics are in London, but what a waste. The only member of the royal family I really like is Prince Harry, who uses his royal status to get laid like a rock star.

What really made me think the ceremony was designed for gay men, though, was the introduction of the countries. I sat there and patiently waited for the country with the hottest women on the planet – Romania. They finally get to the R’s and what happens? The camera focuses on this dude in a yellow jacket, who is supposedly a tennis star, almost the entire time. We don’t want to see him!!! We want to see the female gymnasts. I’m going to find out this guy’s name and boo him viciously every time he appears on TV.

The only saving grace was Sir Paul McCartney singing “Hey Jude.” Can’t argue with that. Would have been nice to see another British music legend, Sir Mick, who turned 69 day before yesterday. If I had designed the ceremony, the Sex Pistols would’ve performed “God Save the Queen.”

Check out this interview with The Iron Sheik about the Olympics. It’s much more interesting than the opening ceremonies were.

Okay, on to the news. This first event isn’t Downtown, but it’s not far away, and a Downtowner asked me to mention it. There will be a blood drive Monday morning from 8:30-11:30 at Harcros Chemicals, at 1585 Harbor Avenue on Presidents Island. If you have questions call 901-674-3611. Insider scoop: Stop for lunch at The Port at 1039 Harbor Avenue after you donate your blood.

Double J Smokehouse and Saloon is starting a karaoke night on Sundays from 7 to 11 PM. First karaoke night will be tomorrow. Now, long-time readers will remember how much I made fun of the Blue Monkey’s Saturday karaoke nights last year. However, I support what Double J is doing for the following reasons:

1) Sunday is a much better day to do it than Saturday. Saturday night is the main event of the week. You want your best stuff there. Saturday night is a good night to have a live band, a DJ, TV sound on during football season, no entertainment at all and just let people talk, or really, ANYTHING but karaoke. Karaoke is like lima beans: There’s a place for it on the plate, but no one is going to get super excited about it unless they’re a weirdo.

2) The fact that Sunday night is followed by Monday morning. Alcohol and a live mic are a dangerous mix. I’m not going to name names, but there were a few people at the Monkey who tended to get drunk and turn into complete and total shitshows on karaoke night. Those people have 8-to-5 jobs, so they’ll have to curb their drinking a good bit for Sunday at the Double J.

3) There most likely won’t be a regular texting everyone in his contacts, saying, “What are you doing right now? We’re all down here at the Double J. You should join us. Pretty much everybody we know is going to the Double J tonight. Double J, Double J, Double J.” (Don’t be surprised if you get a text when Dusty opens the Silly Goose early today though)

4) The fact that it’s a saloon may mean that the music selection is better than the average karaoke night. Maybe patrons won’t have to have their ears bleed as they suffer through performances of “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” and pretty much everything in Neil Diamond’s song book. Then again, I could be wrong; it has the potential to be worse too.

At any rate, it’s one more thing to do on a Sunday night Downtown. Maybe I’ll pop in one of these weekends and find out if Robo is really as awful a singer as I’ve heard. At least I can always count on getting some good grub and a cold PBR at the Double J.

It’s fireworks night at AutoZone Park tonight. The Redbirds play the Round Rock Express at 6:05, with fireworks to follow afterward. Tonight’s game is also a salute to first responders. If you’re a first responder, call 901-722-0270 for discounted tickets.

I have an idea for a TV commercial for Aldo’s Pizza Pies. Aldo could get The Rock to appear in the commercial with him. It could go something like this:

The Rock: “How many draft beer taps do you have on the wall?”

Aldo: “We have thir…”

The Rock: “IT DOESN’T MATTER how many taps you have on the wall!!! You have PBR in 16-ounce cans!”

Three pro wrestling references in one post. I’m on a roll today.

My plan for today is hopefully to get to Aldo’s right at 5 when it opens, so I can get a seat at the bar. Of course, I plan on starting the day at Panda Manda’s bar at Bardog at noon. Probably the Saucer at some point. Maybe Blind Bear later. In other words, Saturday.

Forbes magazine has a good article about the Cochon Heritage BBQ festival that will happen Downtown August 31-September 2. The festival will celebrate the pairing of heritage pork with fine bourbon. There will be events the entire three days including a rooftop party, a tailgating party, a distiller’s reception/dinner tour, a BBQ eating contest, a bourbon sampling at Felicia Suzanne’s, and of course the main event which is a heritage BBQ cookoff featuring two dozen all-star chefs. Good to see this new festival receiving some national coverage.

Tonight’s movie in the Orpheum Summer Movie Series is Blazing Saddles. The classic 1974 Western spoof will be shown on the big screen at 7:15 PM. If you bring a can of beans to donate to the Mid-South Food Bank, you get $2 off admission.

Next Thursday, August 2 is National IPA Day. This will be a celebration of India Pale Ale, a hoppy style of beer invented when beer makers added hops to keep the beer from going bad over the long transport to India. Participants are encouraged to share photos, videos, blog posts, tasting notes, recipes and thoughts with the world using the social media platform of their choice. There will be a Twitter hashtag, #IPAday, to help people keep track of the celebration going on around the world.

Not surprisingly, the Flying Saucer will participate in IPA Day. Saucer locations will be doing IPA specials, rare tappings, special flights, and food specials for the day (will vary by location – I’ll try to get more details about what the Downtown Saucer will be doing). The Saucer is also partnering with social beer-drinking app Untappd on a special “IPA Day at the Saucer” badge for attendees.

The theme at the Memphis Farmers Market tomorrow is Peas Be with You. From 9 to 11 kids can create their own miniature greenhouse to grow their own peas. They can take the greenhouse home, put it on the windowsill, and watch the peas grow limbs and leaves. There will also be a tomato canning demo at 10:15. From 9 to 12 the Hooper Troopers will demo hula hooping as a way to stay fit.

Rob Fischer tweeted a really good Grizzlies schedule cheat sheet. He notes things like TV games, Sunday afternoon games, tough stretches, home vs. away over particular stretches, and more. You can follow him at @thefishnation on Twitter.

Plans for tonight: Not sure. Maybe Trolley Tour, maybe Saucer, maybe Aldo’s Pizza Pies, maybe Blind Bear later in the evening.

Well, I didn’t deliver on that evening news post before I went out. I typed most of it and then forgot to hit Publish. Sorry. Extra long post today as a result.

Today’s big news, of course, is that Aldo’s Pizza Pies opens to the public at 5 this afternoon. They will sell 12-inch and 18-inch pizzas, made New York style, perfect for folding over and eating. I was in there Tuesday for Friends & Family Night (and unlike one person who showed up, I was an invited guest) and tried their pepperoni and garlic shrimp pizzas – really good. The white pizza is high on my list to try next. They will sell pizzas by the pie and by the slice. 29 good beers and Bud Light on tap. They’ll have PBR in 16-ounce cans. Bar area that seats about 30, patio with mist fans is under construction. Aldo’s is part of the Bardog/Slider Inn family of restaurants and is located in the ground floor of Barboro Flats, on Main Street just north of Gayoso and across the street from Local Gastropub.

Local social media rockstar Jessica Grammer is transitioning from a vegetarian lifestyle back into one that includes meat. She has not yet had a burger since beginning the transition. Seth from the Best Memphis Burger blog has set up a poll where you can vote for where Jessica should eat her first burger. If Jessica’s name sounds familiar, it may be because she’s one of the organizers of the Salty Dogs runners group that meets every Monday at Bardog, as well as a key organizer of the Bardog 5K.

The people who own 400 N. Front are looking for a new tenant. Currently the building serves as office space for Ericson Group Inc. However, the owners realize that with Bass Pro going into the Pyramid across the street, office space is not the best use of their building. A restaurant or retail space would make more sense, given the high volume of tourists that are expected to flock to the area. Major chain restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory are being explored as options. See this Daily News story for more details.

Congratulations to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation on winning Beyond Sport’s Sport Team of the Year Award. This award is presented for outstanding community involvement. The Grizzlies may not have made a deep run in the playoffs, but they have made a profound difference in the community with their TEAM UP Youth Mentoring and other youth programs. Very well done! I could not be prouder to call the Grizzlies my team.

Who watches TV anymore? If you want to keep up with the Olympics, why not do it the modern way, following the event online. Mashable has 10 ways to do it.

The Green Beetle has posted updated standings in its 7-week trivia tournament. This is all-sports trivia hosted Thursday nights at 8 by Kevin Cerrito. The team with the most cumulative points at the end wins 6 tickets to the Colts vs. Titans game on October 28. Currently the team “I’m Not Gay, But 5 Bucks Is 5 Bucks” is in the lead. Tonight is only the third week, so there’s plenty of time to catch up if you want those tickets. Food and drink specials during trivia.

Downtown is a very bike-able neighborhood, but when you park your bike, don’t use a combination lock to secure it. Lifehacker has a video that shows how to crack a bike combination lock in under 30 seconds. The article also has a link to tips about more secure types of bike locks.

It’s Thursday night outdoor party night. Rockabilly band Hilbilly Casino will headline the Peabody rooftop party tonight from 6 to 11 PM. $10 cover, ladies free before 7.

John Paul Keith and the 1-4-5s bring a timeless mix of rock, country, blues, and R&B to the Madison Hotel rooftop tonight. 7-11 PM, $7 cover, cash bar and small plates available on the roof.

The Rebel on Beale Country Series continues this week. Frankie Ballard will play the stage at Handy Park, Third at Beale, tonight at 7:30. Free admission, and it’s an all-ages show.

Plans for tonight: I’ll make my usual walk down the Main Street Mall about 6. If I see people I know or an open bar seat at Aldo’s Pizza Pies, I’ll go in. If not, I’ll do the Saucer first and come back to Aldo’s later in the evening. If anyone who has my number plans on hanging out at the bar and wants some company, hit me up.

A very cool and unique concert will come to Central Station this fall. Willie Nelson will headline the Railroad Revival Tour, on which musicians travel by train to their concert venues. They will stop at the train station October 22. Most of the venues are outdoors, but Central Station is certainly appropriate, given that Willie is on the tour and the train they call the City of New Orleans stops here. Band of Horses, Jamey Johnson and John Reilly & Friends are also on the tour. For more info, check out this Rolling Stone article.

The Memphis Daily News reports that the lawsuit about Beale Street is still unresolved after 2 years. There were a couple of interesting tidbits at the end of the article:

1) John Elkington and city planners have talked about expanding the Beale Street entertainment district to the north, south, or both. Hmmm… if they expanded north to Peabody Place, then Hooters would be part of the district. That would be kind of odd. Purple Haze, a block to the south, is already considered part of the Beale district and can therefore stay open until 5 PM.

2) Not only is there going to be a new police substation on Beale starting next month, but the police museum is returning too. The museum used to be housed in the space that is now Superior Bar. Glad to see it return – one more fun and free thing to do Downtown.

The Peabody has announced the lineup for its remaining rooftop parties of this season:

• July 26: Hillbilly Casino
• August 2: Kid Ego (with special guest DJ Raiford!!!)
• August 9: Gary Escoe and the Atomic Dance Machine
• August 16: Ingram Hill with special guests Boys Like Girls and Graffiti 6

Cover charge for each party is $10, except for the one on the 16th which is $15.

Friday the 27th is the last Friday of the month, and that means it’s time for South Main Trolley Tour. Many of the galleries and shops of South Main will stay open from 6 to 9, and there will be sidewalk performances as well. Performers will include Adams Avenue Camerata, Lee Garret, Kris Acklen, Red Planet, Fire Tribe, The Dancing Fire, Nava Sanctum, and Danza Xochitquetzal.

Purple Haze, the nightclub in the former Red Rooster space on Second a block south of Beale, emailed me about a new special they are doing. Starting Friday they will open at 7 Friday-Saturday and 8 the other days of the week. Every day except Thursday, they will have a special until 10 PM where drinks are $2 and draft beer is $1. No cover charge, so it’s a great place to come in and start your evening.

On Thursday they do something different at Purple Haze – Devin Steele and K97 broadcast live for several hours, and when that’s happening they have $4 martinis and margaritas.

Purple Haze also offers a 15% across-the-board industry discount.

I heard I missed some drama last night at the Saucer. One of the people who was there overheard that I and another friend were at Aldo’s Pizza Pies for friends & family night. He proceeded to get his panties all in a wad, mad that he had not received a personal invitation. Not that it stopped him: About 8:00 he showed up anyway. Geeeez. I guess we all need to make sure we have his contact info in our phones, so anytime any of us have an event he won’t miss out on the chance to mooch free food and beer.

Words of wisdom: If you don’t get invited to parties, don’t work extra hard to find out about them and show up anyway. Work extra hard to become the type of person people want to invite to parties. From what I’ve heard about last night’s outburst at the Saucer, someone has a lot of work to do.

Speaking of the Saucer, they have people from corporate in town this week. I’d love to ask someone from corporate why the Memphis Saucer does not carry PBR like six of the other locations.

Plans for tonight: It’s Wednesday night, and the last night for the forseeable future that I won’t have Aldo’s as an option. Maybe I’ll hit Brass Door Bingo (7 PM). Maybe I’ll do trivia at the Blind Bear (8 PM). Or maybe I’ll just hang out at the Saucer and continue work on my 7th plate. We will see. I have more news than I could fit into this post, so check back tonight for an update.

Tonight I went to the preview opening of Aldo’s Pizza Pies for friends & family. They open to the public Thursday at 5 and will be in a “soft opening” situation until August 12.

So, tonight I was invited to the “friends & family” party at Aldo’s Pizza Pies. This is the precursor to the public opening night Thursday; after that they’ll be in soft opening mode until August 12.

Pizza was outstanding, but even better was the service. Kyla, Brooke, and particularly Josh held another beer up when I was about 3 sips from finishing the one I was working on. If that sounds familiar, it’s the way Bardog operates, which pretty much sets the standard for service. I was never wanting for anything.

I asked Aldo about the pizza parlor’s weekend hours and he told me it will open 11 AM Sunday. That could shake up Sunday Fun Day plans. I won’t cheat on the Majestic and come there at 11, but I might cheat on the Saucer and show up at noon. If not noon, shortly thereafter.

All right I’m tired and these pics have taken forever to download. I’ll be at Aldo’s Thursday night. See you there?

Last night I took a walk down the Main Street Mall, and was quite pleased to see people installing the railing for Aldo’s Pizza Pies patio. More patios on Main Street = a Very Good Thing, not only for the people who will be dining there, but for the street and Downtown as a whole. Patio dining increases the perception that Main Street is walkable and safe. I can’t wait for the day when patio dining on Main stretches all the way from Peabody Place to Adams.

Hmmm… I wonder what time Aldo’s will open on Sundays? That could have very interesting implications for Sunday Fun Day. If I don’t like the Fire Sale at the Saucer, I could walk down to Aldo’s, pop open a PBR, have a slice, and see a couple of my favorite ex-Saucer girls. This is the most excited I’ve been about a new place opening since Blind Bear opened last December.

Also while walking down Main Street, I saw a (possibly homeless) guy on the other side of the street, saying, “Hey buddy, how you doing today, what’s been going on, good to see you.” He didn’t seem to be talking to anyone in particular, and I wondered if maybe he had one of those Bluetooth headsets on and I just couldn’t see it. Then I realized he was talking to A SQUIRREL. No kidding, he was carrying on a conversation with that squirrel, although the conversation seemed to be quite one-sided. We have some weird people Downtown.

Last night the band in Handy Park on Beale honored the memory of America’s first female astronaut by singing, “All you wanna do is ride around, Sally. Ride, Sally Ride.” I thought that was a nice touch.

There will be a food truck rodeo in Court Square this Friday, July 27. Good news for those who work Downtown who want something new and different for lunch!

On Saturday the Flying Saucer held its drawing in the Pints for Prostates raffle. Customers at the 14 Flying Saucers could enter the raffle by buying a Belgian beer in a special glass on Wednesday nights. They could also purchase raffle tickets in the amount of 1 for $10, 3 for $25, or 7 for $50. All proceeds went to Pints for Prostates, a nonprofit that raises awareness of men’s health issues. The holder of the winning raffle ticket would receive a week-long beer trip for two to Belgium, with stops in 3 cities and plenty of brewery tours, a $6500 value.

…And the winner selected from all 14 Saucers was a Memphian. Not just any Memphian, either; a Memphian who has 18 plates on the wall, meaning he’s been through the Ring of Honor (drank 200 different beers) 18 times. Memphis’ own Gary Smith is going to Belgium. He leads the Downtown Saucer in number of plates, and I cannot think of a more deserving person to win. Congratulations Gary, and I hope you have a great time overseas.

You have five days left to vote in the Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis poll. Vote here.

If you like Max’s Sports Bar and are a fan of Michele, you’re going to be seeing a lot of her. Last night was her first of either 12 or 16 days straight (I’ve heard conflicting reports on this), covering while Max and Cayley are out of town. Don’t forget that Max’s has a full bar now. They’ve really been working the happy hour specials lately.

Tuesday night stuff going on: Pint night at Bardog, 7-3; trivia with Kevin Cerrito at Ferraro’s, 8:00, trivia at Flying Saucer, 7:30 and 10:00; poker at Blind Bear, 8:00; $5 spaghetti and meatball dinner at Green Beetle, 4 to close.

If you’re Downtown after work and are looking for something to do, I have a suggestion: Go look at the Mississippi River. It’s at one of its lowest levels ever, 55 feet lower than in May 2011 when it flooded Tom Lee Park and Riverside Drive and forced BBQ Fest to move. Three more feet and the river will hit an all-time record low. Shout-out to my buddy Duck Finkley who works on a boat on the river. I hope the low water isn’t making it hard for him to do his job. Check Joe Spake’s blog for a contrast between May ’11 and July ’12.

The NCAA cracked down on Penn State’s football program this morning and delivered some severe penalties. Here are three articles that will give you an idea what happened:

• Analysis of the sanctions by a Central PA columnist
• Column by CBS writer Gregg Doyel
• Column by The Daily columnist and former CA columnist Dan Wolken

I’ve seen several videos of Jerry Sandusky being walked from the courthouse to a vehicle outside. Has anyone else observed his facial expression and body language and come to the conclusion that he doesn’t understand that he’s done anything wrong? I get the feeling he believes he had a “special” relationship with those children that the rest of the world can’t understand, and that he’s being persecuted for it. He probably fully believes the case will be overturned on appeal.

Soccer fans, you may want to put an upcoming Brass Door event on your calendar. Former Memphis Rogues and Newcastle United star Paul Cannell will make an appearance at the Downtown Irish pub Saturday, July 28 at 6 PM, to sign copies of his new book.

The Peabody has lots of jobs open. Click here to view them. You’ll have to scroll a little, because Little Rock and Orlando jobs are mixed in too. Cooks, servers and server assistants, rooms controllers, banquet personnel, stewards, security, valet parkers, athletic club attendants, bartenders, all kinds of jobs.

One other job listing I saw on Twitter: Overton Park is looking for a Communications Coordinator. Not a Downtown job but it would be a very fulfilling and rewarding position.

Looking for a place to grab a late-night snack or breakfast now that Cockadoos is closed? Miss Polly’s Soul City Cafe’s kitchen stays open all night on Friday and Saturday. The cafe is on Beale Street, next to Club 152.

Plans for tonight are to drink my 28th, 29th, and 30th beers for my 7th plate at the Flying Saucer. It’s Pint Nite all day and night and nearly all drafts on the wall are $3. Undecided on whether I’ll play the 7:30 or 10:00 poker game next door at the Silly Goose.

Okay. Whatever your plans are today, cancel them. The event of the year – perhaps even the decade – takes place this afternoon in Downtown Memphis. I am so fortunate to have read the weekly newsletter downtownmemphis.com sends out, because I almost missed this. Today at 3:30 at the Orpheum is “Super WHY Live.” Here’s the description: “Super Why, Alpha Pig, Wonder Red, Princess Presto and their puppy pal Woofster each take children on larger-than-life, imagination-stimulating adventures.”

WOW. I mean, just, wow. Memphis may not have a MLB or NFL team, but we’ve got this. Tickets are $29.50 and $39.50, but why would you not pay $39.50 for a better view of Woofster?

South of Beale has released their new weekend brunch menu. You can view it on SOB’s website. That blackened salmon omelet sounds interesting. So does the SOB Burger. I’ve never heard of a burger topped with salami before. One cool thing about SOB’s menu is that they mark which items are gluten free, making it easy for those on a diet to know what they can order.

SOB also adopts an “organization of the month.” On receipts, below the tip line is a line where you can write in a donation for the month’s organization. This month it’s the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County.

The Best Memphis Burger Fest has listed its categories in which burger cooks can compete: Best Burger, Best Veggie Burger, Best Anything But Burger, and Best Extreme Burger. Anyone can enter, whether you’re a guy with a grill or a full-service restaurant. However, space is filling up, so if you’re thinking about entering, do it soon. Festival will be in Minglewood Hall’s parking lot on September 30.

The Redbirds play Oklahoma City again tonight at 6:05. If you’re bringing kids, get there early – the first 2000 kids get replica Redbirds jerseys. After the game, kids can run the bases.

In other stuff going on today, local favorites Pam & Terry play Spindini’s patio from 5 to 8. Bleu has a “Sax on Sundays” jazz series from 6 to 10. There’s a jazz jam with U of M students at Earnestine & Hazel’s, 8 to 11. Memphis Soul Revue plays Huey’s tonight, 8:30.

If you’re in the mood to brunch it up today, in addition to the aforementioned South of Beale brunch, I recommend Rizzo’s Diner (opens 10 AM), Majestic Grille (opens 11 AM), Bardog (opens noon), and Blind Bear (opens 3 PM). The Flying Saucer and Silly Goose both have build-your-own Bloody Mary bars. Both open at noon.

It’s a beautiful Sunday in Downtown Memphis. Time to get out and enjoy!

If you’re a fan of the TV show Big Brother, tune in to MemphiSport Live on AM 560 this morning. Show starts at 11. At 11:30, Sid Vicious (also known as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid) will be on to further discuss what’s happening with his son Frank on the show. From what Sid told us last week, Frank is a tremendously smart guy, and obviously in good physical shape since he’s been training with his dad his entire life. For that reason, Sid suspects Frank may be one of the first to be eliminated, because he’s too much of a threat to the others in the house. Sid will discuss Frank’s progress on this week’s show.

If you don’t live in Memphis, you can use TuneIn Radio to listen.