Paul Ryburn's Journal

Went to Walgreens this morning for my morning caffeine (they were out of Mountain Dew… dammit) and I saw that the Halloween decorations are now up. Halloween is right around the corner and it’s time to start thinking about costumes. Here are some online shops that have a big selection:

This one really isn’t a costume shop per se, but it does offer a wide variety of stage and theater makeup which you may be able to use to add to your Halloween costume of choice:

And finally, once Halloween is done, Christmas will be right around the corner. I’ve heard about a “Stumbling Santa” party that happens downtown every year, and people planning to attend that one may find this link useful:

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been contemplating what to do for Halloween this year. As many of you know, I like to not only dress up in costume, but be “in character.” Still thinking about it, but a conversation I had with my friend Uncle Ray on Sunday has got me pretty well convinced what I want to do this year. More details to come. Hope you find the links above useful. (They’re affiliate marketing links, by the way – when you click through these links and then buy, I get a commission. Help support your local blogger!)

One of the bands I enjoyed listening to at the Memphis Music & Heritage Festival last weekend was Giant Bear, who describe themselves as “the world’s only five-piece orchestral funkabilly band.” They had a very unique sound, with a cello, a lap steel guitar, and a banjo among the instruments they played. Definitely worth checking out… and this weekend, you have a chance to do so.

After the show, a friend of Giant Bear e-mailed me to tell me about a gig they have at the Hi-Tone this Saturday, September 8. It will be one of their last gigs in the area for several months, and it will be recorded for an online music service called BreakthruRadio.com where their music will reach hundreds of thousands of listeners. They need the place to be packed for the night to be a success, so come on out and support one of Memphis’ most unique local bands. $5 cover, show starts at 10 PM.

More info on Giant Bear:
Website: http://www.giantbeartn.com/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/GiantBear
EPK: http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.asp?epk_id=56045
New album: http://www.redwaxmusic.net/

Got a few more items to post about last weekend’s festival… also got stuff to post about a benefit concert this Sunday, a new websites I’m rolling out (college students and job hunters will particularly find this one useful), and lots of other stuff. This won’t be like last week when I went two-three days between posts, so check back often.

This Thursday Sauces will be unveiling their newest signature drink, the drink of Brazil – see the title of this post, or the poster below, for the name. I’m too lazy to try and spell it correctly more than once in a post (and I dare not attempt to pronounce it).

Rooftop parties are over at the Peabody for the year, so you’re looking for something to do – why not come to Sauces and try a new drink? Of course, they also have mojitos and a full food menu, which you can find on their website.

Here’s a link to a Wikipedia page about this drink.

The interesting stuff you find online… I ran across this article which had pics and some info on the reborn Chevrolet Camaro, which will appear in showrooms in early 2009. From what I’ve heard in the past, it will replace the Monte Carlo, and will be based on the same platform as the Pontiac G8, Pontiac’s new full-sized car. The Chevrolet Impala will likely move to this platform too.

But not only did I find the article above about the new 2009 Camaro… I found links to articles on every model year of the Camaro thus far, from 1967 through 2002. That should keep every redneck in the state busy with plenty to read on this Labor Day.

Some panhandling pics I took yesterday at and around the Center for Southern Folklore’s Memphis Music & Heritage Festival. For non-panhandling festival pics, scroll down to the previous post, or find September 1 in the archives.

As always, you can click the pics to see full-sized images. If you’re sick of panhandling Downtown, you can join the Handling-Panhandling online forum and discuss the problem.

Why do you see some panhandlers carrying towels around? Well, the next two images will explain.

This was taken on the Premier Systems parking lot at Main and Beale. This guy saw a car about to pull into a space, and ran over and waved the car in with the white towel he was carrying. By the way, this is not the Premier lot attendant. There was a uniformed attendant at the Beale Street entrance to the lot, who was busy talking to people in another car. This guy doesn’t work for Premier; he just stalks the lot and runs onto it when he sees cars about to park.

So this guy went running up to the car he had waved in, as the occupants were getting out – a man and his wife. He admitted he wasn’t the parking lot attendant – “you pay that guy over there,” he said, gesturing at the attendant who was about 50 feet away and walking in that direction, “but can I get a couple of bucks?” It paid off – the man getting out of the car handed him $2 and he scurried off as the attendant approached.

Does anyone know the owners of the Premier Systems Parking lot? I would love to meet with them. I see this kind of thing happening EVERY DAY, MANY TIMES A DAY. And it’s even worse when the lot is unattended – then the panhandlers just take it over, charging whatever they want for people to park. We have pictures of most of the panhandlers who work the lot. All the Premier owners would have to do is find out their names and file Authorizations of Agency against them. Then any cop who saw one of these idiots on Premier’s lot could arrest them on criminal trespass charges.

This is Mr. “Can you help me get a hamburger” Man. You’ll notice that he is panhandling at the corner of Main and Gayoso. The closest restaurant to that intersection is Wang’s China Bistro. Last I checked, Wang’s does not serve hamburgers. If he really wanted a hamburger, you’d think he’d be panhandling in front of Sam’s Hamburgers a few blocks up the street at Main and Madison, or in front of the Wendy’s on Danny Thomas, or in front of the Wendy’s at Third and Crump.

This guy was a man on a mission. He’d walk through the festival very fast and very erratically. He seemed to be taking inventory of what all the crafts vendors had in their booths, although he didn’t seem to want to be seen taking inventory, and he certainly didn’t want to talk to the crafts vendors about buying anything. Occasionally he’d make a beeline up to people – generally groups of two – and ask them for money. I got sick of this guy real fast. I found the volunteer coordinator and had her notify security and they kicked him out of the festival. Note that he has a mint green bracelet on. I wonder if this is a sign that he was recently released from some type of facility. I’ve seen those bracelets on a couple of other panhandlers over the years.

Heading back up there in a little while. The Sunday brunch crew is at the Majestic today, but I don’t know if I’ll make it – the puppet guy performs again today at noon, and I won’t get to see the puppet guy again for another 364 days.

I spent most of today at the Center for Southern Folklore’s Memphis Music & Heritage Festival, and it was without a doubt the best one ever. Here are some pics: (click them to see them full size)

Puppeteer Jimmy Crosthwait with a sabre-toothed tiger.

Crosthwait with fellow Sunday bruncher/regular blog reader John D. Wait, that isn’t John D, he doesn’t have a bottle of Bud Light in his hand.

No festival is complete without Chicken Fries.

The Flying Fish had a booth there, selling fish baskets and shrimp baskets.

Sauces had a booth selling mojitos. Stay tuned for an announcement about Sauces, and keep Thursday night free on your calendar if you like good drinks.

There was also a palm/tarot reading booth.

One of the bands. I didn’t do a very good job getting band names so some of the band shots will be uncaptioned.

The hardest working man at the festival, master of ceremonies IQ.

An American Indian dance troupe gets ready to perform.

EP Delta Kitchen chef Michael Patrick having fun at his cooking demo.

A classic Downtown Memphis photo.

I took about 40 more, and there will be a photo album once the weekend is over and I’ve rounded up all the pictures. Also, I took some bum pictures today, and those will go online as well, in a separate post. This blog seems to get more hits when I post pics of bums.

Also, I would be remiss in my duties as a blogger if I did not mention that regular blog reader Suzy had a tube top on. Looks like she went commando again too.

It’s a two-day festival, so you still have a day left to get down there and experience one of the best fests of the year.

A couple of times over the past week, I’ve received the question, where is there to go Downtown that’s kid-friendly? After thinking about it, I gotta admit: I can’t come up with a whole lot of places. Not that I’m an expert or anything, since I don’t have kids. These are the ones I can think of:

– Jillian’s – obviously. The arcade, the bowling alley, the pool room. Probably the most kid-friendly place Downtown.

– The Fire Museum – kids can climb on the trucks, experience what it’s like to be in a simulated fire. It’s on Adams between Second and Main.

– Big Foot Lodge – They have a lot of menu items that would appeal to kids. For example, the Yeti, an 18-scoop ice cream sundae, S’mores you cook at your table, deep dish skillet cookies a la mode.

– Flying Fish – Kids can have fun looking at the Billy Bass Adoption Center and all the other fish-related decorations.

– Spaghetti Warehouse – I haven’t been there in a couple of years myself, so it’s hard for me to list definite reasons why this place is kid-friendly, but last time I went I seem to remember a lot of families having fun there. Kids love spaghetti.

… And those are about the only places I can think of. If there are others I’ve missed, let me know.

Heading out to the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival in a few minutes. For those of you who don’t feel like driving all the way Downtown, there’s also East BumbleFest going on at the Agricenter through September 9. And hopefully the Tigers will lay the smack down on Ole Miss this afternoon – game starts at 2:30.

For the past 10 years, every day the Flying Saucer has picked one draft beer and put that beer on sale for $2.50. That particular beer is known as the day’s Fire Sale. Well, yesterday we got a shock – for the first time in 10 years, the price has gone up, to $2.75.

Some of the regulars weren’t happy… a few were talking about boycotting the place and accusing the Saucer of “gouging” us. Hmmm… I’m not happy about having to spend more money either, but it’s hard for me to call a $2.75 beer “gouging” when there’s a hotel right around the corner that has the nerve to charge $5 for a 16-ounce bottle of Bud Light at its rooftop parties.

I went in and talked to one of the bartenders today, and she told me management has plans to give people more value for their extra quarter per beer by varying the Fire Sales a little more. Lately they’ve been running Killian’s Red, Lienenkugel Red, and Abita Amber, which are more or less all the same beer, a couple of times a week each. “They’re going to make more of an effort to run through all the draft beers, except the high-priced ones,” she told me. And they were off to a start – the Fire Sale today was Sierra Nevada Porter, and I can’t remember the last time that one was the featured beer. I’m not a big fan of dark beers but I tried one and it was surprisingly good.

The main problem I see with the increase is that this won’t necessarily hurt the customers’ pocketbooks, but the waitresses’. There are plenty of people who come in, order a Fire Sale, and leave three bucks, meaning the waitress got a 50-cent tip in the past, which is at least a 20% tip. Now they’ll still leave three bucks but the waitresses will only get a quarter, less than 10%.

It also makes it harder to figure out how many Fire Sales you can buy with the money in your wallet. Multiples of $2.50 were easy to figure out, but, quick – you have $8, how many Fire Sales can you buy at $2.75 each? People who hate math are at a disadvantage at the new price.

After a day to think it over, though, I just can’t bring myself around to the “how DARE they do this to us” stance that some of the other regulars have taken. Yeah, they buy those kegs at a discount price and their cost per pint of beer is far less than the $2.75 they charge, but they also have other costs than paying for the beer – rent, beer and liquor taxes, costs associated with training new staff, etc. They’ve treated me very well over the 2-year period since I’ve been an every-day regular there. I’m inclined to cut ’em a break.

There’s also some good news – the Monday Pint Nite price has NOT gone up. Almost all the drafts are still $2.50 on Mondays.

Taking a night off from going out, so I can catch up on the websites I’m working on. Made a lot of progress tonight, so I’ll be able to enjoy the Memphis Music & Heritage Festival tomorrow and Sunday with a clear conscience.

The Center for Southern Folklore’s Memphis Music and Heritage Festival is this weekend, on the Main Street Mall between Peabody Place and Gayoso. Below are some acts I personally recommend. Complete schedule here.

Saturday

• 12 noon – Jimmy Crosthwait, puppeteer, Peabody Place Trolley Stop stage. This one’s for the kids but he cracks me up too. I look forward to hearing the saber-tooth cat puppet sing its song every year.
• 1:45 PM – Michael Patrick, food demo, Peabody Place Trolley Stop stage. Michael is the executive chef at EP’s. Don’t pass up a chance to try his food and pick up a few cooking tips!
• 2:00 PM – Greg Hisky and his Dixie Whisky Flyers, country, Verizon Wireless stage. I remember these guys from last year and they were really good.
• 3:00 PM – Ella Kizzie, food demo, Peabody Place Trolley Stop stage. She’ll teach you how to make greens and hot water cornbread, which are usually available for purchase at the Center for Southern Folklore store.
• 3:25 PM – Desert Rose, belly dancing, Peabody Place Trolley Stop stage.
• 5:15 PM – Charlie Wood, blues and jazz, Folklore Store. If you miss Charlie at the festival, you’ll be able to catch him at “Bands, Beer and Bums in Court Square” on September 5, and on the Madison rooftop September 13.
• 5:30 PM – Alicja Trout and Mouserocket, rock, Gayoso Stage. Really looking forward to this one. I went to college with Alicja and always thought she was an awesome person, but have never heard her band. Have heard great things about Mouserocket from friends in Midtown.
• 8:30 PM – Papa Top’s West Coast Turnaround, classic country, Gayoso Stage.
• 10:00 PM – Nathaniel Kent and Exodus, reggae, Verizon Wireless Stage.

Sunday

• 12:00 PM – Jimmy Crosthwait, puppeteer, Peabody Place Trolley Stop stage. Just in case you missed him Saturday.
• 12:45 PM – Beauty from Western China, GMUCA dancers, Peabody Place Trolley Stop stage. Chinese girls are hot. How come the great country of Romania is not represented in this year’s acts? Come on, we need some diversity here!
• 3:25 PM – Pyramid Dance Company, belly dancing, Peabody Place Trolley Stop stage.
• 4:25 PM – Ella Kizzie, food demo, Peabody Place Trolley Stop stage. This time her peach cobbler will be featured.
• 4:30 PM – FreeWorld, jam band funk, Gayoso Stage. If you miss them here, they’ll be playing Blues City at 10:30.
• 7:00 PM – Sonny Burgess and the Pacers, rockabilly, Verizon Wireless Stage.
• 8:30 PM – Barbara Blue, blues, Gayoso Stage. You can catch Barbara several days a week at Silky’s in the late afternoon. Glad they’ve got her on an outdoor stage this year, rather than inside the Folklore Store which only seats a handful of people.
• 10:00 PM – Jason D. Williams, rockabilly/boogie, Verizon Wireless Stage. This is one you don’t want to miss – the insane genius of the rockabilly world. Last year his crew of backup musicians included Bradley D. Birkendahl of the Dempseys.
• 10:15 PM – Blind Mississippi Morris and Brad Webb, blues, Center for Southern Folklore Store stage. Morris is one of the true legends of Memphis blues.

Latest weather forecast for the festival, according to the Weather Channel: Saturday, sunny, 92/68. Sunday, 30% chance of rain, 88/68. If that forecast turns out to be correct, it will be the first day since July 22 that we’ve had a high below 90.

I love September. The Memphis Music and Heritage Fest this weekend, Art on Tap next weekend, and Cooper-Young the weekend after that. Three of the best events of the year.

But, right now it’s time to build some websites so I’ll have money to spend at those events! Outta here for now!

Two friends of mine went to Circa Saturday night and were absolutely blown away by the experience they had there. They couldn’t stop complimenting everything about the place – the impeccable service was mentioned again and again. The wine list received big compliments as well. They said it was both classy and a friendly, fun place at the same time.

With that in mind, here are two upcoming events, opportunities for you to give Circa a try.

What Wines with Chocolate? – On Wednesday, August 29, at 7:00 PM Circa will hold its second wine event, led by General Manager, Randy Caparoso. Chef/Owner John Bragg has collaborated with Blues City Pastry Shop’s GM/Chocolatier Carol Whitmore (who also will be on hand to chat about chocolate making) to prepare five variations of truffles and European-style hand rolls to match five chocolate-friendly wines. The fare will be $30 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Call 522-1988 for reservations.

That’s TONIGHT, folks!

Sundays in September at Circa – Beginning September 2, and continuing through every Sunday in September, Circa will offer a five-course/five-wine tasting menu to highlight Chef John Bragg’s specialty dishes matched with the restaurant’s latest globally sourced wines. Complete for just $45/person (plus tax and gratuity). Visit www.circamemphis.com to see the complete menu.

I’ve been told that John Bragg designed Sundays in September particularly with Downtowners in mind.

Work has been busy this week – simultaneously developing three websites. One is a site for real estate investors, and another is a piece of a site I’m doing for a pool sales company, both projects through the firm that gives me most of my consulting work. Also doing a third site on the side, a site for an attorney who is a friend and neighbor of mine. Normally I don’t work this late at night (it’s a little after midnight as I type this), but I felt a burst of creative inspiration and took the laptop to the Flying Saucer. I figure if I work 3 hours tonight, then I’m entitled to get up at 11 rather than 8 in the morning. Closing time must be approaching, because the waitresses are leaning over the tables and collecting the food menus. I love it when they do that.

The girl at whom I always stick my tongue out is my waitress this evening. She has a trainee tonight, so I stuck my tongue out at the trainee and asked her to pass the message on. They should feel honored… I used to stick my tongue out at Ioana, the brunette Romanian who worked at the Saucer in ’05. To be in the same category as a Romanian is impressive indeed.

The “sketch artist” bum is at the window, charging some tourist $10 for a caricature. Of course he doesn’t have a city vendor’s license to be able to do that legally.

Cool. The manager saw him and chased him off. Dude didn’t get paid for his sketch either. Heh.

My online stores are doing better. The Tube Top Boutique is getting like 100 hits a day now from Google searches, and The Romania Store is averaging about in the teens. Between those and the Amazon box on my blog I’ve had 19 orders through the Amazon affiliate program this month. I’ll make 6% commission on each order, not bad.

The Rapscallions finished third at trivia. We seemed poised to win it after the first two rounds, but then Pete asked some of the most bizarre questions I’ve ever heard in the third round and we scored a miserable 24 out of 65 points. We’ve had some lousy performances in recent weeks, but this one can’t be attributed to the Yoko factor, as she wasn’t there last night.

Route South plays “Bands, Beer and Bums: The Court Square Concert Series” 5:30-8:30. Not sure if I’ll make it. Already looking ahead to next Wednesday, when Charlie Wood will be playing.

It’s been a very productive evening. Debating whether to go home, or continue on to McGuinness.