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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Blondie & Benatar, New Downtown Spot, Jazz

70's-80's favorites Blondie and Pat Benatar are coming to Mud Island on August 1st. Tickets go on sale Saturday.

There is a new restaurant and bar opening on Monroe next McEwan's in the space that used to be Lolo's Table. The concept seems to be unclear, but the name appears to be Off Beale. More info as we receive it.

Also hearing good things about Memphis Sounds, a Downtown jazz club located in a basement adjacent to A&R BBQ near Third and Court. A&R and jazz sound like a great combination.

Ladies and gentlemen, Blondie.

Probation For The Tigers?, Italian Fest

The Commercial Appeal is reporting that the University of Memphis men's basketball program is under investigation for major violations associated with the recruitment of a player. According to the NCAA, the unnamed player cheated on his SAT and his entourage was provided cash throughout the 2007-8 season. The player in question is believed to be Derrick Rose.

Does this really surprise anyone? After Calipari left for the NBA, UMASS was hit with NCAA sanctions. Why would Memphis be any different? If found to be true, the Final Four appearance will be wiped away and the record for most wins for a senior class (Anderson and Dozier) will be gone as well. Scholarship reductions and possible post season bans are well within the realm of penalties.

Lately, the NCAA has allowed sanctions to follow the coach as well has the institution. If this should be the case, Kentucky will be under the close watch of the NCAA during Calipari's tenure. And lets not forget that Kentucky has had problems with the NCAA in the past. For the record, at this time, Calipari is not named in the allegations.

On a brighter note, Memphis Italian Festival kicks off Thursday in East Memphis. Always a good time, this somewhat family oriented festival includes great Italian food, bocce and live music from several acts including Starship.

Ladies and gentlemen, Starship.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Wine Shipping Law Change, Two New East Memphis Restaurants, Pastner Finally Gets One, Golf News

Tennessee legislators have passed a bill that will allow limited amounts of wine to be shipped directly from wineries to homes of Tennessee residents. If approved by the governor, this new law will be in place on July 1.

Two new restaurants will be opening in East Memphis over the next few months. The Happy Mexican will open its second Memphis location on Primacy Parkway in the space formerly occupied by the Cock-eyed Camel and Grady's. A local investor has announced plans to open Sharky's Gulf Grill in the building that used to be the home of Steak & Ale.

Memphis Tigers basketball coach Josh Pastner has landed his first commitment. Latavious Williams committed today at his Houston, TX high school. There are already eligibility concerns associated with Williams, but he is a much needed commitment for Pastner. Williams isn't a Top 5 recruit, but Top 20 is a good start.

The St. Jude Classic received additional player commitments from well known names like Sergio Garcia and Memphis favorite John Daly. Hopefully Daly will be sporting some Loudmouth Golf gear.



Maybe Classic officials and Memphians will follow Daly's lead and wear pink (shirts, pants, Pink Day, whatever) during the tournament. Daly pulled out the pink pants to over the weekend to support Amy Mickelson and her fight with breast cancer. Mickelson is the wife of Phil Mickelson, who has put his golf game on hold (including dropping out of the St. Jude Classic) to be with Amy. Good job John!

Gold Strike Casino has announced that it will sponsor a Hooters Professional Golf Tour event. It will be played June 8-14 at Tunica National Golf Course. Will Hooter's girls be on the course? It seems like the only way they will be able to compete with the St. Jude Classic being held the same week.

Ladies and gentlemen, John Daly and friends.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

ESPN Radio Goes FM, Cheap Beer, Brewer's Feast

ESPN radio is now available at 92.9 on your FM dial. The all-sports radio format has replaced the 93x rock format. In addition to the standard sports programming, ESPN 92.9 will include Tennessee Volunteer broadcasts.

Another three day weekend means cheap suds at a Downtown eatery. Kooky Canuck will have $2 34oz ice cold Coors Lights all day Sunday.

Young At Art is throwing a Brewer’s Feast gathering on June 5 at the Hughes Pavillion. Tickets are $50 for members and $60 for non-members. Enjoy five different beer styles handcrafted by local brewers in tiny 10-gallon batches using the freshest and highest quality grains, yeast, and hops available. Beers will be paired with foods that accentuate and compliment the beer flavors. Might be a good option if you aren't going to Live at Garden on the same night.

Ladies and gentlemen, Ambrosia.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Mickelson Out At St. Jude?, Downtown Block Party,

Golfer Phil Mickelson announced today that he is leaving the PGA tour indefinitely to support his wife, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Mickelson announced earlier this year that he committed to play in June's St. Jude Classic. What does this mean for the tournament? It's probably to early to tell. At this point, its safe to say that he will not make it to Memphis. If his wife shows a positive response to the initial treatments, things could change.

Peabody Place merchants will host their second block party on Main Street tomorrow. There will be live music, food and drink specials from Circa, Blue Fin and Majestic to name a few. The fun starts at 5:30. This was a fun event in April and hopefully something that will continue on a monthly basis.

In honor of the birthday of blue jeans, ladies and gentlemen, Neil Diamond.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Belgian Drug Testing, Grizzlies Win The 2nd Overall Pick

Beautiful weather in Memphis so far this week. Perfect for lawn work, boat drinks by a pool or celebrating Frog Jumping Jubilee Day.

Has anyone heard about the drug testing story out of Belgium? At a recent body building championship, contestants (all of them) literally ran away when drug testers arrived at the event. There must have been a misunderstanding. How funny is that? It sounds like something you would see on Family Guy.

The Grizzlies moved into the Top 3 picks in this evenings NBA draft. Odds had the Memphis taking the 6th overall pick, but the draft gods were on the Grizzlies side awarding them the 2nd overall pick in tonight's NBA Draft Lottery. Draft experts are thinking the Grizzlies will take the best player available at the time, so look for them to select from Ricky Rubio (PG/Spain), Hasheem Thabeet (C/UCONN) or James Hardin (G/Arizona State). This is assuming that Blake Griffin goes to the Clippers as the #1 overall pick. The draft will be held in June. Let's not screw this one up Grizz management.


Ladies and gentlemen, Clarence "Frogman" Henry.

Monday, May 18, 2009

More Panera In Memphis, Memphis Most Voting

The second Memphis area Panera Bread Co. will open on Tuesday, May 19 in Laurelwood Shopping Center. Long lines will be awaiting the 9 am opening. There are plans to open ten new Memphis area locations over the next five years.

The Commercial Appeal has kicked of Memphis Most voting for 2009. Let your voice be heard here.

Ladies and gentlemen, Al Green.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

NBA Lottery, Beer + Zoo=Big Fun, Sunset Symphony

BBQ Fest 2009 is over. Congrats to the winners. Its time to give up bbq pork products for a little while along with cheap beer.

The lottery for the NBA Draft is Tuesday night. Based on the number entries in the "hopper," the Grizzlies are currently projected to receive the 6th pick. Maybe the Grizz will get lucky and get a higher pull.

A fun way to kick off your Memorial Day weekend and pass time at the Memphis Zoo? Drinking beer. Zoo Brew will be held on Friday, May 22. There will be live music and 100 beers to sample. For beer haters or someone with the gout, wine and hors d'oeuvers will be available for purchase. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Get your tickets here or by calling 901-333-6572. Festivities begin at 7pm.

After sampling all 100 beers and running with the animals at the zoo, relaxing at Sunset Symphony on Saturday afternoon/evening on the banks of the Mississippi River might be a good plan. Bring blankets, lawn furniture and coolers filled with your favorite snacks and adult beverages (don't forget stuff for the kids). There will be live music throughout the day, an air show at 6pm, more music from the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Three Dog Night and fireworks. That's a lot of entertainment for $8.

Ladies and gentlemen, Three Dog Night.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

BBQ, Symphony, Redbirds, Bad Grizzlies Owner

Its BBQ Fest time. Friends and family night is tonight and the festival opens to the general public on Thursday. Thursday night tends to be one of the biggest nights at BBQ with many smart locals taking Friday off.

Other fun stuff this weekend.

The Symphony at the Garden will go on rain or shine on Saturday night at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens. There will be an armed forces tribute, so be sure to show of your patriotism in your picnic gear.

Catching a Redbirds game might be a good change of pace from BBQ Fest. Best bet - Pre-game cocktails and Preakness viewing at a Downtown watering hole followed by ice cold beverages and baseball with the first pitch at 6:05pm.

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley has been named the third worst NBA owner. No kidding. Memphians have realized this since the team moved here several years ago. In an effort to drive down attendance and move the team to a hungry city like Seattle, look for the Grizzlies to make the usual less than spectacular moves in the off season.

Ladies and gentlemen, George Jones.

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Grocery Store Commit At Overton Square & ManRam

It appears that Overton Square finally has a grocery store commitment. AWG has signed a agreement to acquire the southern portion of the square. It will be interesting to see which concept AWG brings to the Square. Most of AWG-owned concepts are low-cost retailers. Let's hope they bring in Sun Fresh, a premium brand focused on fresh items similar to Fresh Market.

Not Memphis related, but what the hell was Manny Ramirez thinking? A growth hormone for women? Nice. Seeing that he will be a distraction for the remainder of the season, the Dodgers should void his contract and focus on a kid from Slidell, LA - Xavier Paul.

Ladies and Gentlemen, King Curtis & The Kingpins.

Lots Of Stuff This Weekend & Farewell Captain Chaos

Looks like the rain has finally stopped for a day. Looks like another wet weekend is on the way.

Lots of good music options this weekend.

The 30th Blues Music Awards are tonight. For ticket info, visit the Blues Foundation. This should be a good time.

The best bet of the weekend will be Walrus at Automatic Slim's on Friday night. 80's indy rock will be plentiful and they usually bring a nice crowd.

Let's not forget the Memphis Greek Festival at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. $15 admission allows you to see all of the Greek festivities and includes a full Greek meal.

The Memphis Flyer has a great article this week about some of the secrets of the city. Looks like a fun day of sites and activities that would basically be free.

On a shaky note, it looks like New Kids on the Block is coming to Mud Island this summer. Umm...why? Shouldn't these guys be sent to the casino circuit?

On a sad note, Dom DeLuise passed away earlier this week. Here are some funny outtakes from Cannonball Run.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Cinco de Mayo, Fiddler on the Roof

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!! Cafe Ole, Los Compadres and the rest of the usual Mexican hot spots will have drink specials and good people watching. Another option that you may not have thought about is the Kooky Canuck. You can't go wrong with $2 34oz Margaritas.

Fiddler on the roof is opening tonight at the Orpheum. Fiddler fans will enjoy Topol's return as Tevye. Sci-fi and comic book fans may remember Topol best as Dr. Zarkov in Flash Gordon.



Ladies and gentlemen, a random mariachi band.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Orange Peels, Another Bangkok Alley, Drought Problems? Call Music Fest

Happy National Candied Orange Peel Day!!! Not sure how to celebrate this day? You are not alone.

It has to be better than celebrating Star Wars Day. May the 4th be with you...are you serious? That's almost as bad as playing golf with Vader.




Bangkok Alley is adding another Memphis-area location, taking over the former Sawaddii Thai Cuisine space in Downtown Memphis. Bangkok management has indicated the new location will take on more of a lounge area. One manager said, “We want more of a bar atmosphere, but not to take away from our food.” Bangkok Alley also has locations in Collierville, Cordova and Southaven.

Should the Beale Street Music Festival change its name to the Memphis Rain Festival? Is there anyone who can recall the last time this festival wasn't blessed by rain? Memphis Lagniappe is claiming dibs on official music fest rain gear. Future investors will be guaranteed a huge ROI.

Ladies and Gentleman, Mr. Charlie Pride