Paul Ryburn's Journal

If you’re off tomorrow and are looking to stay out late and have a true Downtown locals’ experience, I recommend FreeWorld at Blues City Cafe at Second and Beale.  Every Sunday they play at 10:30 PM, kinda late when you have work the next day, but totally do-able when Memorial Day is tomorrow.  Blues City is their home base, and Sunday night is the beginning of their weekend, so they really cut loose and jammonit.  Plus, being a holiday weekend, there will probably be more tube top hotties in the audience than normal.  They’re one of the best bands in the city, and Blues City is the best place to check them out.

Yesterday’s plans got messed up somewhat, but it still ended up a fine day.  I spent the afternoon at the Saucer chatting with my friends Dennis and Mary Pat from Huntsville, then stopped by Rio Loco for a quick bite to eat.  Next stop was to be Tom Lee Park, where I had tube tops waiting on me.  However, I pulled up WeatherBug and it showed that rain was about to come through.  I wasn’t real interested in another rainy day in the park, so I went home to wait it out.  I ended up not getting to the park until 8 PM.

However, even though I wasn’t there, people were still snapping pics on my behalf.  Here are a couple of pics someone e-mailed me of the Nuh-Uh Girl.

The Nuh-Uh Girl deciding what to eat next

… and, after the decision has been made.

So anyway, I got to the park at 8 and started texting people trying to find anyone I knew.  Trouble is, most of the friends I was trying to meet got there at 4 and were near the stage, and I had to wade through a sea of people to find them.  In Tom Lee Park there are these poles with numbers on them.  I think maybe the barges and riverboats use them to identify their position.  And during May, so do festival-goers.  “I’m at Pole 9, on the riverside,” texted Bicycle Bobby, who was an important person to find because he had PBR.  (You can bring your own beer and booze to Sunset Symphony, as long as it’s not in glass.)

I went to pole 9.  Bicycle Bobby was nowhere in sight, but I saw my group of friends.  I stopped long enough to mooch a beer and take this pic of Sarah and friend:

Normally I would have stayed and hung with them the rest of the evening, but my friend Suzy was texting me to come find her near the left end of the stage, and rumor had it that Suzy had on a pink tube top, commando.  So I bid my friends adieu after mooching a beer, and told them I’d come back shortly.  I made a stupid mistake here:  I failed to snap a pic of Lauren from Calhoun’s, who had on a purple tube top.

I waded through the crowd to get from the riverside to the sidewalk side.  It took me a good 10 minutes because I had to dodge blankets, lawn chairs, kids, food, coolers, you name it.  Tried to find the tube tops I was looking for, then realized that even if I found them, I was going to have to turn right around and walk to the porta-potties to trade in the last two beers I’d consumed.  By the time I got that done, I’d had enough of the crowd and was ready to say “screw it” and leave.

Fortunately I had a good Plan B.  My friends Lee and Lauren had called earlier in the day.  They were having people over at their condo at the Lofts on Tennessee Street.  So I walked over there to watch the fireworks.  Here are a few pics.

Lauren and Morgan dancing

The Nuh-Uh Girl wasn’t on the rooftop, so there was plenty of food for everyone.

Shawn, Morgan and Joe watching the fireworks

Toward the end of the show, I set the camera to video mode and started filming.  I got more than I bargained for.  About a minute after I rolled the camera, there was an explosion and two fireballs and the show was abruptly over.  I never found out what happened, but that did not seem to be the intended grand finale.  See video below, where you can see the first fireball and explosion at the end.  Everyone ran to the edge of the roof to see what happened, so I turned my camera off and missed the second fireball.

After it was over, we went downstairs and played Rock Band for a while.  No bars for me afterward… I decided to call it a night.

And now it’s an extra-long Sunday Fun Day, with no work tomorrow.  Time to recharge the camera battery, drink some caffeine and get out there.

Don’t forget that Kooky Canuck is celebrating Memorial Day Eve by offering 99 cent Super Cold Bud Light from open to close Sunday, May 30.  Good chance to drink a lot of beer for cheap.  If it’s the usual schedule, it should be Magan behind the bar for the day shift.  Magan sometimes wears tube tops when she bartends.

Unusual event tonight:  I cut myself off from beer about 9 PM, and it looks like I’m going to get my first night of sleep without any alcohol in my system since before BBQ Fest.  Finally, I’m going to catch up on that precious REM sleep.  I have a recap of Saturday’s events, with a few pics and even a video, but it’ll have to wait until morning.  Time for bed.

’70s disco band KC and the Sunshine Band plays Sunset Symphony tonight.  They had many famous dance hits including “Shake Your Booty,” “I’m Your Boogie Man,” “That’s the Way (I Like it),” “Get Down Tonight,” and “Give it Up.”

Ladies, are you trying to figure out what to wear to Sunset Symphony?  Why not boogie down in ’70s style with a tube top?  Throw yourself back to the days when KC first performed these songs on stage.

Still working on the new theme for the blog, so it will be kind of messy for the next few hours, if not longer.

I’m playing around with new WordPress themes today, in order to enhance your tube top viewing pleasure.  This blog may appear somewhat discombobulated this weekend as I experiment with theme options.  Hopefully, I’ll have the blog back and looking better than ever before you know it.  Stay tuned.

I kicked off Tube Top Month at Trolley Night in South Main.  Here are some pics.

Hummus shooters at South of Beale.  I didn’t see my health guru but I imagine she was wolfing these down like the Nuh-Uh Girl at some point in the evening.

DJ on South Main

Barbershop quartet

Brandon grilling burgers and dogs at the SMA party next to Bluff City Coffee

Edison waiting on food to come off the grill

Suzy in a black tube top, unfortunately not commando.  I have a feeling this may turn into “the Suzy blog” over the next 33 days.  But that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Susie and Amanda at the Mpact Memphis open house.  Susie, by the way, is one of several friends of mine who is an attorney.  Sometimes it can be good to have friends.

Suzy and Mikey at Calhoun’s.

Okay, I have to take a break to tell a quick story.  I was sitting at the bar drinking PBR, and Rebecca (not THAT Rebecca, different Rebecca) was playing Buzztime Trivia next to me.  She told me that she had logged into her Buzztime account online and designed her own avatar.  “For female avatars, you can pick the cup size – A. B, or C,” she said.  “But the sizes actually look like B, C, or DD.”  That’s hot.  I asked if there was a tube top clothing option for the avatar.  She said no.  I’m sending Buzztime a complaint.

When demand exceeds supply.  See the second tap from the left.  Calhoun’s didn’t anticipate it would get so busy after trolley tour and they ran out of PBR.  I was trying to figure out when I’d head north, and this made my decision easy.

Later, at Bardog.  Suzy and Traci both wore tube tops just for me.

Another side story.  I had a guy who moved here from Philadelphia compliment me on the blog.  “The thing about Memphis is, there’s a lot of fun to be had, but you have to go find it.  A lot of people complain about Memphis, because they think it’s not a fun city, but you have to go out and find your fun.  You help people find their fun.”  This guy gets it.  That’s why I write this blog.

Looks like I’m going to Sunset Symphony tomorrow… probably more tube top pics coming soon.

It’s that time of year again! TUBE TOP MONTH HAS ARRIVED!

Every year for the entire month of June, I use this blog to increase awareness of the greatest women’s fashion statement ever, the tube top. Posts will cover a variety of topics as usual, but every post will contain a pic of a tube top, or a link to a pic of a tube top, or a mention of tube tops in some fashion, regardless of how irrelevant tube tops are to the subject matter. There will also be educational tube top posts throughout the month.

I’ve been doing this every June since 2005, and it seems to be working. When I go out in Downtown Memphis, I see many more tube tops than I did in 2005. In 2008, popular support for Tube Top Month got so large that we ended the month with a massive party, TubeTopalooza, on my building’s rooftop.

“But wait,” you may be asking, “it’s not June yet.” True. However, a 3-day Memorial Day party weekend right before June seemed like a perfect reason to start early! I moved the start back to today at 5 PM, so Tube Top Month will last 33 days and 7 hours this year. If you’re going out to South Main Trolley Night, Zoo Brew, Sunset Symphony, or any of the many fun events this weekend, ladies, let’s see those tube tops!

Want to be on the blog? Just come find me. I have my camera with me all the time, and I’ll be happy to snap a pic of you in a tube top for inclusion in a future post. You can be a tube top star!

Happy Tube Top Month everybody!

Two events this week kinda made me reflect on how I’ve changed in the years I’ve lived Downtown.

In 2004 I was heavily involved in MPACT Memphis. I attended most of the meetings of the Promote Memphis and Community Involvement committees, and sometimes the social committee as well. I was on the board. I coordinated several events. I couldn’t imagine a time when MPACT would not be a huge part of my life.

This past Tuesday, I attended their 9th birthday party. I had a good time. Chatted with Gwyn and the board members I knew. Talked to a guy who moved here three weeks ago and was looking for get plugged into the Memphis community, the kind of thing MPACT is perfect for. But it was the second MPACT event I’ve attended this year. Not because of any unhappiness with the organization – I still think it’s great and I recommend it highly. I guess it served its purpose for me. I got plugged in. I found my place in the Memphis community, and the relationships I made in the early days of MPACT have served me well. But I don’t feel the need to be involved on a daily or weekly basis, because it’s got some really strong leaders who are taking MPACT in a good direction. I kind of feel like an alumnus when I’m there. I’ll probably maintain my membership for several more years, though, simply because I want to be able to come to the events and blog about them.

Then, last night I attended the rooftop party at the Peabody. Back in 2004 I anxiously awaited the start of rooftop season, and I’d only miss a party under extremely extenuating circumstances. The parties were a BIG DEAL to me then.

I certainly didn’t have a bad time last night. The parties are much, much better than they were six years ago. Better food, shorter drink lines, more diverse entertainment lineup, many more people. I’m not knocking the rooftop parties at all. I highly recommend them if you’re looking to go out on Thursday night, and I’m extremely grateful to the Peabody for comping me a season VIP pass.

And yet, after about an hour there last night, I felt like I wanted to be back in my comfort zone. Which isn’t the rooftop, where the crowd tends to have a very high-maintenance vibe. I wanted to be somewhere where I felt more at home. Maybe sipping a 34 oz. Bud Light across the street at Kooky Canuck. Or leaning against the stairway rail and sipping a PBR at Bardog. Or watching the Thursday night poker game at Calhoun’s. Or what I ended up doing, going back to the Saucer to join Bicycle Bobby for a beer.

Kinda makes me think… even though I’ve lived at the same address and had basically the same lifestyle for quite a number of years, I have changed. Grown, I guess.

I wonder if, in six years’ time, I’ll have outgrown my desire to hang out at the Saucer almost every day. I wonder if I’ll have outgrown my desire to write a blog. Heck, given my diet and daily alcohol intake, who knows if I’ll even be alive in six years.

Some things don’t change in six years’ time, though – in a few hours, Tube Top Month kicks off for its sixth consecutive year. All tube tops, all month long until June 30. Check back.

I stopped by the Peabody rooftop party tonight, and at the risk of this becoming the “Nuh-Uh Blog,” I want to share pics of the awesome food spread they put on for their guests.

This was the spread in VIP.  Pita chips, two kinds of olives, hummus, feta cheese, baba ghanoush, Mediterranean rice, chicken wings.  With hummus and baba ghanoush on the menu, I’m surprised I didn’t see my health guru AL.

Andy Childs band onstage

Buffet inside.  Mediterranean fruits, pitas, hummus, make-your-own gyros with beef, lamb, tzatziki sauce (sp?), onions

My make-your-own plate. Pita chip with hummus, lamb gyro with onions and sauce

Finally getting tired.  Time for a healthy 5 hours sleep before work tomorrow.

If you’re on Twitter, every time you use the #tweet4habitat in a tweet, 7 cents will be donated to Memphis Habitat for Humanity. They’re seeking more sponsors, so that per-tweet amount may increase. More info here.

Great article in the CA this morning about the Hospitality Hub. The Hub, located on Jefferson between Second and Third, helps the homeless get the resources they need to get out of their current condition. Open MWF 1-4 PM, it offers coffee, tea, magazines, and a place to relax. They have a clergyman and counselers there. They can help people get documents they need that are vital to getting a job, such as photo ID and birth certificates. They also can get alcohol and drug counseling for those who need it. Furthermore, this year they started a jobs program, where great companies like the Memphis Cook Convention Center and ServiceMaster hire people recommended by the Hub. So far the program has better than a 90% success rate. If you want to get your company involved, please contact them. More info here.

The article notes, by the way, that most of the panhandlers seen on Downtown streets are NOT “customers” of the Hub. Most of the regular panhandlers have places to stay, and panhandle to feed addictions.

If you want to get your foot in the door in marketing, the Memphis Grizzlies are looking to add a few members to their Street Team. You’d be representing the Grizzlies at local events, collecting sales data, supporting the team at appearances, and assisting the promotions and events departments. If you like to get out and meet people, this would surely be a FUN job. Details here.

If you’re Downtown for Trolley Night or the Memphis Zombie Massacre tomorrow, you can catch some great music down the street. Grace Askew will have her album release party at the Warehouse on G.E. Patterson. $10 admission, or free admission with purchase of the new album ($15 value).

Get a free “Boycott BP” bumper sticker here when you pledge to buy your gas from anyone but BP until they clean up the mess they made in the Gulf.

About 70% on whether I’ll do the Peabody rooftop party tonight… the Middle Eastern menu does sound good. If I go I’ll bring the camera.