Paul Ryburn's Journal

Just saw a pic posted on Facebook that Thai Bistro has $1 Bud Light drafts, $2 domestics and $3 imports all day today.

Thanks to Bicycle Bobby for the info.

A fantastic regional music fest is happening on the Main Street Mall today and tomorrow. I’ll be at the Center for Southern Folklore’s Memphis Music and Heritage Fest nearly all day today, with occasional stops at nearby bars to cool off and check football scores. If you’re unfamiliar with the bands playing the festival, here are a few of my top picks for today:

• Watoto Memphis, children’s dance, Tennessee Arts Gayoso Street stage, 11:00 AM
• River City Tanlines, rock, ArtsMemphis Peabody Place stage, 5:45 PM
• Jonathon Plumlee, cooking demo, chicken tips with bell pepper & pineapple chutney, 6:00 PM
• The Bo-Keys, soul, ArtsMemphis Peabody Place stage, 6:45 PM
• The Subteens, rock, Tennessee Arts Gayoso Street Stage, 7:15 PM
• Hope Clayburn and Soul Scrimmage, Comcast Folklore Hall stage, 9:15 PM
• Exodus, reggae, Tennessee Arts Gayoso Street stage, 10:00 PM

What to do between bands?

• Go to the Center for Southern Folklore’s Folklore Store and purchase regional music, arts and crafts
• Go to the Center’s kitchen (it’s to the left of the Folklore Hall stage) and get Ella Kizzie’s greens and hot water cornbread
• Enjoy a drink on the patio of the Majestic Grille, Bar None, Silly Goose, Wang’s, Local or Blue Fin
• Do a little shopping at Shelton Clothiers (men’s) and Christine’s (women’s)
• Check out the art at Art on a Hot Tin Roof
• Check out the 20+ arts and crafts vendors at the festival
• Get some Las Delicias guacamole – they’re one of the food vendors

You can view the complete music schedule and cooking demo schedule online. There are samples for the audience at the end of each cooking demo. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Festival is on the Main Street Mall between Peabody Place and Gayoso. For parking I’d recommend the Peabody Place parking garage between Main and Second, or Parking Can be Fun on Union.

Look for me in my red Arkansas Razorbacks T-shirt at the festival. It’s time to CALL THOSE HOGS!!!

The Flying Saucer is planning their next beer dinner. It will be Thursday, September 29 and will feature beers from Abita. Although only four of their beers are commonly sold in Memphis bars (Purple Haze, Amber, Turbo Dog and Light), Abita brews many more. There are seven flagship beers, five seasonals, three harvest brews and three “big beers.” The beers haven’t been selected yet but the chef for the event showed me the menu last night:

• Fried oyster sliders
• Seafood gumbo
• Fried gator tail
• Mini king cakes

These four courses will be paired with 5 beers. I’ve been to every beer dinner the Saucer has held since 2006, and without exception they have been outstanding. If you’re into beer, or if you’d like to learn more about pairing food with beer, I recommend that you go. They always have a beer expert, often from the featured brewery, on hand to discuss how to pair beer with food and to answer any questions.

Space is limited, so if you plan to attend, get down to the Saucer and buy your tickets now.

Madison Avenue, which has been closed between Main and Second since March 26 due to a collapsing building, has re-opened. Eastbound traffic and the trolley line are running. The avenue is still closed to westbound traffic.

I had an interesting and enjoyable Thursday night yesterday. A good friend of mine in the wealth management business asked me to meet with him, to brainstorm on how to use social media to connect with people. He has some really outstanding ways for young professionals, especially those getting married or about to start a family, to increase their future wealth without impacting their lifestyle at all. He’s also very concerned about the fact that most people in the service industry don’t have health insurance. He’s seen too many fundraisers for bartenders and servers who got sick and couldn’t work, and is trying to pull together ways to insure them inexpensively. It was fascinating to hear about, and I hope I gave him some good ideas. Should I do a full post about him? I can if anyone is interested, although it will probably be next week before I get around to it (there’s beer to drink, after all).

He told me that his smoke breaks are rather lonely; he’s the only one in his 16-person office who smokes! Time to give up that habit buddy!

Next Friday, September 9, the Madison Hotel will begin a new wine tasting and reception in its lobby. Wines will be paired with food stations designed by Grill 83 executive chef Chris Windsor. Ambient jazz band Front Street will provide live music. Event is from 6 to 8 PM, costs $35 including tax and gratuity, and will be held every Friday during September (except tonight). Call 901-333-1224 to make reservations.

The Redbirds released their 2012 schedule this morning. They’ll play the first game of their 13th season on Friday, April 13; clearly the Redbirds are not superstitious. They’ll have home games on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day and July 4. If you’re one of the first 3000 fans to attend Sunday’s game, they’ll give you a free magnetic 2012 schedule.

The Memphis Business Journal published a list this week of the top revenue-generating teams in college football. I’m sure it will surprise no one that Texas as at the top of the list. My Arkansas Razorbacks come in at number 15. Tomorrow night it will be time to CALL THOSE HOGS! I have an invitation to watch the game on PPV, but will likely miss it because I will be at the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival.

Speaking of the festival, the schedule is now on the website. Wow. This looks like the best year ever. Cooking demo schedule is up too. This season’s Hell’s Kitchen contestant Jonathon Plumley is among the chefs who will be on stage.

The Flyer has broken the news about Chef Michael Patrick’s new restaurant. It’s going into the old Harry’s Detour space on G.E. Patterson. It will be called Rizzo’s Diner and the Chef is hoping for a mid-September opening.

Three day weekend coming up and I’m ready… just gotta get through the afternoon and then the fun begins. And by fun, I mean beer.

I just did the “where to watch college football Downtown” post. Scroll down to see it. Here are a few other news items…

Cooper-Young Beerfest tickets are now on sale. Get tickets here. They’re adding more brewers and capping it at 700 this year, in order to keep the lines fairly short and to give people time to talk to the brewers. The date is October 15 and the beerfest is expected to sell out, so get your ticket early. I bought mine this morning.

This Friday will be the Orpheum’s annual showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show. This is the finale in their summer movie series, and it always draws a big turnout. Movie starts at 8, but get there at 7 for a costume contest. Prop bags will be sold for $5, and movie-goers are encouraged to throw toilet paper and do all of the audience-participation moves. How often do you get to throw toilet paper in the Orpheum? $7 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under (movie is rated R). Bring your ticket to BB King’s afterward for free admission, or to Itta Bena for free appetizer with the purchase of an entree.

I’m always happy to post about cheap beer, and this Sunday you’ll find it at Kooky Canuck. They’ll have 12-ounce Super Cold Bud Lights for 99 cents all day in a pre-Labor Day celebration. If you’re around the corner at the Memphis Music & Heritage Fest, stop in Kooky for a couple of quick beers on Sunday (unfortunately you can’t get to-go cups for the festival).

While we’re on the subject of beer, the Flying Saucer’s fall menu just came out. Last night I looked it over and discovered a new beer flight, where you get to sample five 5 oz. servings of different beers. The new flight is called Hop Head and includes Yazoo Hop Project, Stone Pale Ale, Victory Hop Devil, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and Bridgeport IPA. Those are some yummy beers. Cost is $8.50.

That’s all for now… GO TIGERS!!!

Here are the results of my information-gathering this week about college football-watching venues…

Max’s Sports Bar, which opens at 4:30 PM most of the rest of the year, will open early during college football season. This is the only true sports bar Downtown, with 10 TVs plus a projection TV on the big deck out back. They get the all-access season packages, although as far as I know they’re not getting any of the pay-per-view games happening the first week. Very friendly locals and die-hard sports enthusiasts sitting at the bar, and Lauren behind the bar to take care of you all afternoon. Sound will be on for whichever is the biggest of the games currently playing (or whichever involves local/regional teams). $2.50 PBR. 9 more beers on draft, and more in bottles.

The only bar I’ve heard of that is running specials for college football is The Green Beetle. They’ll have buckets of domestic beers 5 for $10, Heineken 5 for $12.99, mix and match imports for $12.99, 4 PBR or Miller High Life for $8. They will have food specials as well, and these specials also run during NFL games. They will have the sound on. They have cable but not the all-access package.

This isn’t a Downtown venue, but I got an email saying the UT Alumni Association will be at the Racquet Club, showing Tennessee’s pay-per-view game Saturday with sound and a 73-inch TV.

For bars where fans of a particular team congregate, Local tends to be a UT bar (which is why I don’t go in there much during football and basketball season). Max’s Sports Bar welcomes fans of all team affiliations, but you’d be hard-pressed to ever go in there and not find an Arkansas fan or two.

Memphis vs. Mississippi State is tonight at 7. It’s on Fox Sports. That’s a regular cable channel, so you won’t have to find a bar will all-access. Most bars Downtown should have it on.

If I left out any bars that are having specials for college football, are showing PPVs, or are gathering places for a particular team, shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com and I’ll post.

My favorite beer festival of the year, Cooper-Young Beerfest, is giving away free tickets today. Submit your entry for the “caption the photo” contest on their Facebook page by 5 PM today for a chance to win. Festival date is October 15, tickets will be on sale soon, and this is most definitely worth a cab ride from Downtown.

One of the few right-wingers I’d pay money to see, Ted Nugent, plays the New Daisy tonight at 7 PM. Tickets are $35.

Time’s running out for you to see a Redbirds game before the season ends. Tonight’s special is “Wet Your Whistle Wednesday.” For $10 you get an outfield seat, a 16-ounce PBR, and a PBR koozie. The ‘birds play the Albuquerque Isotopes at 7:05.

The Flying Saucer has announced their “new, improved trivia” beginning next Tuesday. There will be two games with separate sets of prizes, an early game and a late game. For details see the flyer below (click for a larger image, and I hope you have your glasses handy):

Apologies to my visually-impaired readers, but I would need a 9,140 character ALT tag to summarize everything said on that poster. The Saucer may have set the record for “most words on a bar flyer, ever” with that trivia announcement.

They’ve moved trivia to the Garden, which I guess is a good move because people passing by on the street will see it and come in. Prizes, according to the flyer, will go up to 50/35/15 next week. I guess they’re trying to offer a better deal than competition at the Silly Goose and Ferraro’s.

My team the Rapscallions never made it to the Goose last night. We pre-gamed with beers at the Saucer, and about 8:10, 10 minutes after Goose starting time, we kind of looked at each other and said, “Well, I guess we’re not going over then.”

Still looking for info about college football: Who will have specials this weekend? Who’s showing PPV games? Where are fans of particular schools congregating? Let me know at paul@paulryburn.com and I’ll do a post tomorrow.

Yeah no lunchtime post today sorry… I didn’t get much news to report until late afternoon, and I was fighting with a software patch for our Google Mini at work.

Memphis Redbirds playoff tickets are now on sale. They have not yet clinched a spot, but with 7 games left in the regular season, they are 4 games back, so it is possible they will see the post-season. Tickets will be the same prices as regular-season games, starting as low as $8. Visit their website to get your playoff tickets. If they make the first round, they will host Game 3 on September 9, and if needed games 4 and 5 on September 10 and 11.

The season finale of the Madison rooftop Thursday night “Sunset atop the Madison” series is this Thursday, September 1, and the band is a name I recognize. A couple of Saturday nights ago I was sitting in the window at the Saucer, and this band called The Vynals took the stage. They were playing mostly ’60s and ’70s with some ’80s mixed in, and as they got a few songs into their set I noticed that they were very good. Then they played Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit.” That’s a song where it’s very easy to make a fool of yourself if you’re not a good musician. They nailed it perfectly. I felt sorry for my friends who were at their weekly karaoke night down south, that they were spending the evening listening to horrible singing and drunk drama, while I was enjoying this excellent band. I ended up staying through all three sets and their musicianship was impressive. You can see them at the Madison Thursday night. Doors open at 5:30 and the Vynals take the stage at 6. $7 cover, cash bar, tapas menu.

By the way: I have a suggestion for Saucer management since they read this blog… Ban “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” from set lists. Nearly every band who plays there does it (fortunately the Vynals didn’t), it’s an average song at best unless Tom Petty is playing it, and it is as stale at the Saucer as “Mustang Sally” is on Beale Street.

Very cool opportunity for Downtowners… enrollment is now taking place for the 9-week Citizens’ Police Academy. Classes will be held September 6-November 10 at Uptown Square. The academy, held twice a week for two and a half hours, is led by officer/instructors from different bureaus within the Department. Topics covered include: Gang Awareness, Communications, Vehicle Theft, Crisis Intervention, Sex Crimes/Juvenile Abuse, Patrol Procedures, and Crime Prevention. Once you graduate you’ll be eligible to be an Ambassador for the South Main Substation, and assist the Colonel in charge with several events every year. Contact the South Main Substation if you’re interested in participating.

It’s trivia night at several places Downtown. Saucer at 7, Silly Goose at 8, Ferraro’s at 8. I’ll be at the Goose. I hope Charles has learned his lesson… that all-movie-quote theme last week was a disaster, and totally defeats the purpose of having teammates with different areas of expertise. I’ll give it another chance though… will probably pre-game at the Saucer beforehand.

I’ve received a couple of requests to do a “Who’s showing college football?” post, listing bars Downtown that will have the first well of college ball on. Need answers to a few questions:

• Who will have the sound on, and for what games?
• What bars will be showing this weekend’s pay-per-view games?
• Are there bars where fans of a particular school (e.g. Arkansas, Ole Miss, Miss. State, etc.) will congregate?
• Any bars doing food or drink specials for the opening weekend of college football?

If you have answers to any of these shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com. Hopefully I’ll do a post listing my findings Wednesday or Thursday.