Paul Ryburn's Journal

The second annual Memphis Zombie Massacre happens today.

The horde of zombies will gather on Beale Street outside the New Daisy at 6:30, and about 7:15 they will begin their march down Beale, turning north on Second, west on Peabody Place, then south on Main and walking through the South Main Trolley Art Tour.  The zombie walk will end at the back room of Earnestine & Hazel’s, where the Creeping Cruds will play their after-party.  Here’s the map of the route:

The zombies invite you to join them.  Three ways you can do it:

1) Show up at the parking lot next to the Plush Club at 5 PM, and professional make-up artists will hardcore zombify you.

2) Do your own makeup and clothes, and arrive at the New Daisy around 6:30.

3) Stand somewhere on the route wearing an “X” made out of duct tape, on clothes you don’t mind having ruined.  The zombies will see you and attack you, turning you into a second-generation zombie in the process.

Here’s a page with lots of zombie makeup tips.

I’ll be down there (but not zombified) and will take pictures.  Hmmm… since Bluff City Coffee is nearby, maybe I’ll stop in and get one of those Acai Plus Smoothies that AL talks about all the time.  Maybe I’ll remain down there after Trolley Tour and hang out at Nate’s bar at E&H later in the evening.

Good news for those of you who are fans of Commercial Appeal writer Skipford M. “Skippy” Blank.  Skippy, who uses the nom de plume “Christopher Blank” for his CA columns to protect his identity, now has a video feature on the CA’s Appeal TV.  Just go to the CA’s homepage and look for Appeal TV on the right side.  Then select “Memphis stage shows” from the menu underneath the video screen to watch a 3:42 video of Skippy summarizing the plays and musicals you can see in Memphis this weekend.  Skippy even has a tie on for this feature.

To tie this entire post together, I’ll end with a pic of Zombie Skippy from the 2007 Memphis Zombie Massacre:

Tonight I learned that Swig has closed its doors for good.  They tried to hang on for a while, but finally gave up.

Started the evening at Itta Bena.  For those (probably just AL) who care what I had to eat, I had a bowl of she crab soup.

From there I went to the Saucer to see the Dempseys.  I got a spot near the window where I could people-watch the crowd across the street at Atlas.  Except it really wasn’t a crowd.  It was pretty dead.  Last year I’d watch Atlas from the Saucer’s window and the place would look linke a f-ing mosh pit.  Tonight I actually saw floor space at Atlas from the Saucer.  Air Traffic Mike came in, and told me he talked to a 24-year-old friend about Atlas, and she asked, “Why’s everybody so full of themselves there?”  EXACTLY.  That’s why I don’t go.  That’s why I make so much fun of the place.  Congrats to his friend on the insight.  24 is way too mature to go to Atlas.

However, I did get some valuable news about an upcoming event Downtown, Pub Olympics at Hoop’s Bar.  Here are the details:

Get your team registered now!!!  Mendi has been bragging for years how bad-ass her Sunday drinking team is.  Will she back it up?  Guarantee you I’ll be there, either covering it for the blog or on a team.

Time for bed.  I’ll be at Trolley Tour/Zombie Walk by 6:30.

Our Memphis in May BBQ Fest team The Ques Brothers is looking to add a few more members. The deal is, you pay $200 to join, and that gets you wristband access as a team member during park hours (there are some 24-hour wristbands but those have already been spoken for). You get to eat BBQ (last year our cooks put out brisket, ribs, chicken, pork shoulder, etc.) and drink beer, wine and liquor Thursday, Friday and Saturday as a team member. You also get to invite a few of your friends to stop by our booth for some food and a drink on those days (note the way that sentence is worded: It does not say you get to invite 40 of your friends to come in and hang out and eat and drink all weekend without paying to be on the team). You also get a pass for “Friends & Family Night” Wednesday night. And, you get a Ques Brothers shirt. I’m not sure what the plan is for shirts this year, but last year we did polos which were nice enough to wear to work at most companies.

Here’s a link to last year’s photo album, where you can see how much fun we all had. Terex is not back as our sponsor this year (if your company wants to sponsor us, we can talk). Most of the team members pictured in the photos will be back.

We are in the shoulder category, which means we will be located in the south end of the park. Our booth was roughly parallel to the Huling entrance to the park last year, and I’ve been told we’ll have approximately the same location again. We have fantastic cooks and in our rookie year placed 12th out of about 80 shoulder teams. Our head cook knows exactly what he needs to do better this time around, and it’s possible and maybe even likely we’ll take home a top-10 trophy this year.

Since we have a cook team in place, you won’t have to worry about being involved in that. I believe we also have people to build the booth, so you’ll probably be able to get out of that duty as well. Basically you won’t have much responsibility beyond showing up and having a good time, although if you want to contribute (volunteering to go on liquor runs or whatever else there is to do during the festival) I’m sure it will be appreciated.

THIS OFFER IS ONLY OPEN TO PEOPLE WHO I KNOW PERSONALLY, AND KNOW SOMEWHAT WELL. We have a great team dynamic going on and I don’t want to mess it up by adding people I’ve never met. Sorry, but that’s the way it has to be. You need to be someone I’ve at least talked to several times and got along with well, not someone I met at the Saucer at 1:30 in the morning that one time a couple of months ago when I was on my 11th beer.

Great opportunity for someone who has always wanted to be on a BBQ team but has never figured out how to get connected with one. Also a great way to get better connected to our large informal network of early 20s-45ish Downtowners. There were quite a few people in the booth I didn’t know at all last May who are now good friends. We even have a team member who met his future wife in the booth last year.

If interested e-mail me at paul@paulryburn.com. This is not a first-come, first-served offer; I’m going to wait until about Sunday or Monday to see who all wants to do it, run the names by the team, and then invite the people who we think will be the best fit. I know there are a few people out there who are “the right people” who we just haven’t asked yet; for those people, we’d love to have you aboard.

I have a widget on my Google homepage called “Today’s Reason to Drink.”  It tells me that today is something called Newman’s Day, where you are supposed to drink 24 beers in 24 hours without changing your daily schedule, falling asleep, or vomiting.  Hmmm, better run up to Jack’s and get a couple of 12-packs of PBR cans.

Anyone need a new cell phone?  Amazon.com is running a TODAY-ONLY deal where you can get any new AT&T cell phone, except the Tilt, for a penny when you also purchase a service plan.  This is your chance to get a high-tech phone instead of el cheapo.

There’s a new organization called LaunchMemphis whose mission is to support entrepreneurs who have ideas they want to launch, and to help those entrepreneurs connect with investors, in order to bring focus to such activities in Memphis and deliver new tech startups to our economy.  Find out more about them here.  They’re holding a kick-off networking event on Thursday, May 8 from 5 to 7 PM at Fox & Hound Sanderlin.

So, it’s Thursday party night.  What’s going on:

• Garry Goin and G3 on the Peabody rooftop, 6-10 PM, $5 cover, ladies free til 8.
• Don McMinn and Nightrain on the Madison rooftop, 5:30-10:30 PM
• Who the hell knows who’s playing the patio party at EP Delta Kitchen, because the entertainment calendar on their website still has the March listings.
• The Dempseys at the Flying Saucer!!!!!! 9:30 PM, $3 cover.  Needless to say, this is where I’ll be.
• Super 5 at the Red Rooster.  It’s also “Rock Out With Your Cock Out” night with beer specials.
• Buy me a drink and validate me night, aka Girls’ Night Out, at Atlas nightclub inside Jillian’s.

If the Peabody party doesn’t get moved indoors due to rain, I may stop by for a little while prior to hitting the Saucer for the Dempseys.  Gotta stop by Itta Bena for a drink too.

There was an article in the Commercial Appeal today about the Center City Development Corporation’s plan to revitalize retail in Downtown Memphis by opening the Main Street Mall back up to traffic.  I mentioned this about a week ago.  As someone who lives on Main Street, I’d be in favor of it if it would bring additional shopping and restaurants to the area, and because it would make the street better lit which would chase away bums.

Got an e-mail from Ben & Jerry’s about their ice cream giveaway – it’s Tuesday, April 29, not the 28th as I had reported.  They will open their doors at noon and give ice cream away until it runs out.  That being a trivia day, I guess that means the Nuh-Uh Sister will run down there and get an ice cream cone before trivia.  Hope she wears a tube top again.

For lunch today:  Greek chicken salad from McAlister’s Deli, with chicken breast, black olives, red peppers, croutons, feta cheese, salad peppers, and Greek dressing.  Third day in a row I’ve had a salad.  Had to run in the rain to get it.  On the way there, one of my blog readers said, “Hey, Paul!”  A bum standing nearby doing the “bum-brella” gimmick then said, “Hey, Paul!” like he knew me.  “You’re gonna get awful wet out there in the rain, ain’t ya?”  Damn bums.  Luckily it wasn’t raining real hard, but I’d allow myself to get soaked down to my socks and underwear before I’d give a bum a dolla for holding a flimsy umbrella over my head.

BBQ-related post later today.

Set a record for my stay at Itta Bena tonight… got there at 5:15 and left at 9:00. Usually I’m out of there by 7 to head to the Saucer, but tonight I didn’t want to leave. That place is really coming together – they have a new slate of specialty nights coming out (details to come – Itta Bena staff e-mail me, I was too lazy to take notes), and they’re hiring people (Sam) who can draw and hold a regular crowd. The place has the potential to become my new Sleep Out’s, which is scary considering Itta Bena’s food has a much higher price point than Sleep Out’s. Was thinking about it tonight, if I had to rank my top 10 current favorite bars they’d be

1. Flying Saucer
2. Red Rooster
3. Itta Bena
4. Calhoun’s
5. Big Foot Lodge
6. Hoop’s Bar/EP’s
7. McGuinness
8. Earnestine & Hazel’s
9. Circa by John Bragg
10. Downtown Huey’s

I never thought Itta Bena would get anywhere near #3 on my list, but they have. It’s a really fun, relaxed place to hang out.

I kind of like doing that, ranking bars. I may do that once every few months or so, to see how the order changes. One note: Raiford’s is ranked as an honorary #1. It’s such a different animal from the other bars on the list that I didn’t know how to compare it.

When the Downtown Monkey opens, I see it entering the rankings somewhere between #4 and #6, with the potential to go higher if they do it well and I like the crowd.

Speaking of Itta Bena… attention former employee Lizzie… keep in touch… you can reach me at my e-mail (paul@paulryburn.com) or through MySpace or Facebook. I know her cousin reads this daily, please forward to her if she doesn’t see it. Miss you when I head up there.

The Majestic Grille is doing a wine dinner the last day of this month. Details:

Link to the Eyewitness News 24/30 story on the new Downtown safety patrol (“bum patrol”) that was on the news tonight: click here. Handling-Panhandling co-founder Mike King is interviewed about the success of the patrol.

Ben & Jerry’s is doing free scoop day (Edit: Had the date wrong, correct day is Tuesday, April 29). Just show up and ask for your free scoop. The Downtown Ben & Jerry’s is at Third and Peabody Place, on Third just south of the Hampton Inn entrance. I remember Scoop Day 2007 well. The reason I remember it so well is that the Nuh-Uh Sister had a tube top on.

Thanks to the people who e-mailed with suggestions about my iPod, which I thought had died an early death. It has since come back to life.

Off to sleep.

For lunch today: Shrimp salad salad from Court House Deli. With a fruit cup. AL would be SO proud of me.

It’s Wednesday, which means a new Memphis Flyer is out. Make sure to pick one up – it’s their 1000th issue. Here are a few selected highlights from the articles and ads:

There’s an article on page 9 about the new Downtown security force, or as I call them, the “Bum Patrol,” discussing their efforts to curtail panhandling.  That alone makes it worth a trip to the Flyer box.

Southaven is having its big festival, Springfest, the 24th-26th. They have several good bands (including Gabby Johnson and Aquanet Friday night), as well as the Mississippi State Championship BBQ contest, a carnival midway, and more. It’s at the Snowden Grove Ampitheater, wherever the hell that is. I think 2004 was the last time I was in Southaven. Friends from my BBQ team are going and tell me this festival is a pretty big deal.  I’d go but my weekend is already pretty much booked.

TNA Wrestling will hold their June pay-per-view, Slammiversary, at the Desoto Civic Center on June 8. TNA is the major competitor to the WWE, and features such stars as TNA champion Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, Sting, Christian Cage, Kevin Nash, Abyss, Booker T, “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner, AJ Styles, Shark Boy, and more. Tickets on sale this Friday through ticketmaster.com.

Their featured food dish in the “Gourmand” section this week is Pineapple Tofu from Phoa Hoa Binh on Madison across from Piggly Wiggly. YUKKKKK!!!!!! AL is probably jumping in her car to go pick up an order.

In the classifieds there’s an ad selling a condo in one of the nicest buildings Downtown. “Getting Hitched, must sell,” the ad reads. “1 bdrm, 1 bath, historic building, newly renovated, in the heart of Downtown.  Hardwood floors, original beams and exposed brick.  Granite counters with new stainless steel appliances.  Custom-designed walk-in closet.  Gated parking and remote-access building entry.  Large rooftop deck with grills.  Amazing river & city views.  Includes storage unit in basement.  $189,000.  4Twenty South Front Condos.  Call 901.619.7053 & leave message.  Serious offers only.”  This is a friend of mine and I’ve personally been in this unit – VERY nice, would be perfect for someone ready to make the move Downtown or someone who wants a weekend getaway spot down here.  420 South Front has one of the most beautiful and unique interiors in the area.  Plus you’d have Otto as a neighbor, which has to add 20 grand or so to the property value.

The Free Will Astrology column is missing from this week’s Flyer!  BOO!  That’s the only horoscope I bother to read.  Here’s a link to the horoscopes online.

Coming soon:  An expert chef goes to the Memphis Farmers Market and prepares an elegant dinner.

When I talked to the people who will be running it last night, they said they are going to carry about 3 times the inventory they did before.  They want it to be a full-service liquor store, so that Downtowners don’t have to drive out to Joe’s Liquors or Kimbrough Liquors in Midtown to find everything they need.  They also told me that they are moving the door to the side of the building, which I guess will make room for additional inventory space.

I got a text yesterday from Itta Bena, saying that they have decided to continue serving free appetizers for Downtown Night Wednesdays from 5 to 8 PM.  Cool!  That’s a reversal from last week, when they said it would be the last week.  Several people have told me they were sad they never got a chance to try Downtown Night while the free apps were being served.  Now you have a second chance.

The text also contained info on their new promotion, “Sundays with Sam.”  There will be specials on appetizers, $5 wells (again, their well liquors are better than the calls at most restaurants), $3 domestic beer, and free entertainment in the form of Sam the bartender.  Interesting time to start this, since only one of the first five Sundays will not be a festival day (Wine Race, Music Fest, May 11, day after BBQ Fest, Sunset Symphony). Now that I think about it, May 11 is Mother’s Day.  It may take them a while to develop a regular crowd.  Then again, maybe the festivals will bring extra people to the street.  Could be a big hit from the start.  I’ll try to drag people in there to support.

Rapscallions took second at trivia last night, starting our cash stash over at $25 and meaning that we have to have our next party by July 22.  I saw one of the Monkey’s owners last night and had to ask the question everyone has been asking.  They’re now saying it may be the week after Music Fest, mainly because they’re being held up by inspections.

Afterward I went to Calhoun’s for a few hours.  Ran into the people who will be running the new Corkscrew, who told me they’ve been reading my blog since they moved away from Memphis and then moved back.  It too is almost done and is being delayed by inspections.  As soon as they get clearance they’ll place their first liquor order.  ETA on the place opening is a week and a half, maybe sooner.

I wonder what time Smoothie King opens… it’s in that little food court on Main, between Jefferson and Adams, with a hamburger stand and a Mexican place.  That’s where it relocated after the Main/Union location closed.  Maybe I’ll walk up there, see if it’s open, and see if they have acai berry smoothies.  AL would be thrilled if I got one of those for my morning jump-start instead of a Mountain Dew.  (Edit:  Oops, I meant Smooth Moves, not Smoothie King.  And they’re not open yet.  So I bought a Mountain Dew.  Sorry, AL, I tried.)

AL, who I hung out with last night and who thinks I need to eat healthier, would be so proud of me today. I realized I have a full free-lunch card at the Saucer, and grabbed my laptop and headed down there. I’m having the smoked turkey salad with jalapeno vinaigrette. Not only did I order a salad, but I got a healthy dressing instead of the usual blue cheese!

Ryan who blogs about Midtown (mymidtownmemphis.blogspot.com) sent me the information below about a very cool event coming to STAX Museum next month – your chance to talk with the family of late music legend Otis Redding. This is a long press release so I’m just going to copy and paste it.

On Saturday and Sunday, May 17 & 18, 2008 the Soulsville Foundation will once again make history when Otis Redding’s family will be our special guests and events participants on two very exciting evenings. The family includes Otis Redding’s widow, Mrs. Zelma Redding, along with his three children, Otis III and Dexter Redding and Karla Redding-Andrews.

All will be special guests on Saturday, May 17th at the Stax Music Academy SNAP! After School Spring Concert at the University of Memphis’ Michael D. Rose Theater. Otis III and Dexter will perform with the students. All ensembles will be featured during the concert – Stax Music Academy Rhythm Section, StreetCorner Harmonies, Premier Percussionists, and the Soulsville Swing Band, as well as The Soulsville Charter School’s Soulsville Symphony Orchestra. Also starring as a speical guest is the academy’s Artist in Residence, internationally acclaimed saxophonist Kirk Whalum.

The concert is at 7 p.m. and admission is just $5!

On Sunday, May 18th, the entire Redding family will be our guests for our “Conversations With The Reddings” panel discussion/Q&A, along with others who knew Otis Redding well, including Ben Cauley, the only Bar-Kay band member on board the plane to survive the tragic crash on December 10, 1967 near Madison, Wisconsin, which took the life of Redding at the age of 26. This event will take place in the Stax Museum’s intimate Studio A. The discussion will not only focus on Otis Redding the phenomenal entertainer, but also Otis Redding the loving father and husband.

“Conversations With the Reddings” will take place from 5 – 7 p.m. $10 general admission and free to Stax Museum members.

This will be Zelma Redding’s and Karla Redding-Andrews’ first visit to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.

THE STAX MUSEUM’S SPECIAL EXHIBIT IN STUDIO A, “OTIS REDDING: FROM MACON TO MEMPHIS – AN EXHIBIT FROM THE PRIVATE COLLECTION OF ZELMA REDDING,” HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL MAY 31ST.

All right, press release is over, I’m back. Plans for tonight: Trivia night at the Saucer. After the legendary Rapscallions take first place and get their first $50 to build toward Rapscallion Party VIII, I’ll head to Calhoun’s for the usual Tuesday night crunkness there.

That’s all I’ve got… time to hit Publish and eat my salad.

Just got an e-mail from Sauces saying that mothers eat free all day on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11.  They are preparing a special menu which they will send me in a few days, and which I will then post.  However, the place will fill up quickly, so if you like Sauces and would like to take your mother there, better go ahead and make reservations.  Phone number is 901-473-9573.