Southwest Coming To Memphis?, Three Angels Diner, Wild Abundance, Pig Party

Southwest Airlines has announced that it will buyout AirTran. This could be great news for travelers looking for lower airfares out of Memphis. AirTran currently has five flights per day out of Memphis and one out of Tunica. Southwest will most likely take over these routes and, hopefully, add flights to more destinations. Delta may be forced to compete with Southwest's lower fares, which will be a good thing for Memphis travelers who are getting hosed by Delta's high fares.

On a friend's recommendation, I made it over to Three Angels Diner last week for lunch.  The menu ranges from soups and sandwichs to plate lunch/dinners and fried chicken. I recommend the adult grilled cheese sandwich. The sandwich is loaded with cheddar, smoked gouda and goat cheese. Add bacon for a buck more and you are good to go. Three Angels is not currently serving alcoholic beverages, but should do so in the near future. The restaurant is a much needed and welcome addition on up and coming Broad Avenue. Definitely a good spot for a good, inexpensive meal.

Hunting season is upon us and ArtsMemphis has released a new book just in time for the season. Wild Abundance: Ritual, Revelry & Recipes of the South's Finest Hunting Clubs. The book is described as a "tribute to the cooks, spirit and culture that make Southern duck hunting clubs unique" and features stories and recipes from chefs including John Besh, John Currence, Kelly English, and more. This could be a perfect holiday gift for an outdoor enthusiast.

Don't forget to wear your Pink Pig clothing this Friday. Downtown's Shelton Clothiers is hosting its 3rd Annual Pink Pig Party on Friday from 5p to 9p. To get in the party, all you need to do is wear a Pink Pig item or buy special event items that night. Once you get in, you'll be able to enjoy bbq, wine and beer.

Speaking of pigs, Arkansas fans are still reeling after the Razorbacks' heartbreaking  loss to Alabama on Saturday. Ryan Mallet still has a lot to learn, after throwing two careless interceptions with the game on the line. Here's to hoping the Crimson Tide drops a game to Florida this week.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 9/27/10

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of September 27, 2010:

1. Alabama (SEC Champion)
2. Ohio State (Big 10 Champion)
3. Boise State (WAC Champion)
4. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
5. Oregon (PAC 10 Champion)
6. Nebraska (Big 12 Champion)
7. Auburn (At Large SEC)
8. Florida (At Large SEC)
9. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
10. Utah (At Large Mountain West)
11. Wisconsin (At Large Big 10)
12. Miami (ACC Champion)
13. West Virginia (Big East Champion)
14. Houston (C-USA Champion)
15. Temple (MAC Champion)
16. Troy (Sun Belt Champion)

Dropped out: Texas (#8, At Large Big 12), Arkansas (#10, At Large SEC)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
SEC (3), Big 10 (2), Big 12 (2), Mountain West (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), PAC 10 (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Alabama
(9) Oklahoma at (8) Florida
(12) Miami at (5) Oregon
(13) West Virginia at (4) TCU
(11) Wisconsin at (6) Nebraska
(14) Houston at (3) Boise State
(10) Utah at (7) Auburn
(15) Temple at (2) Ohio State

Round 2
(8) Florida vs (1) Alabama
(5) Oregon vs (4) TCU
(6) Nebraska vs (3) Boise State
(7) Auburn vs (2) Ohio State

Round 3
(4) TCU vs (1) Alabama
(3) Boise State vs (2) Ohio State

Championship Game
(2) Ohio State vs (1) Alabama

Goner Fest, Charles Krug Wine Dinner, Big Football Weekend

Fresh off its #8 ranking in Rolling Stone's top 25 record stores in America, Goner Records is hosting Goner Fest 7 this weekend. The music festival kicked off last night and continues through Sunday at the Hi Tone and other venues in Midtown.

Fans of Charles Krug wines should enjoy the Krug-themed wine dinner at The Grove Grill on Wednesday, September 27 at 7pm. The menu looks pretty good.

Charles Krug Wine Dinner Menu



Sampling of Tapas and Bruschettas

****
Tuna and Avocado Ceviche
With Mike Taylor's Scotch Bonnet Dressing

2008 Sauvignon Blanc

****
Sautéed Mahi Mahi Piccatta
With grilled polenta and honey-saffron preserved onions

2008 Chardonnay

****
Wood Grilled Carolina Quail
With lentil salsa and bell pepper glace de vallie

2006 Zinfandel

****

Roast Center Cut Rib Eye and Seared Rib Eye Cap Steak
With gorgonzola gnocchi and pickled cherry tomatoes

2005 Generations

****

Tennessee Peach Short Cake and Caramel Ice Cream

The wine dinner will cost you $55 plus tax and tip. Contact the Grove Grill for more information.

There is tons of great football on the tube this weekend. Arkansas vs Alabama, Auburn vs South Carolina, LSU vs West Virginia and Boise State vs Oregon State are just a few the notable games to watch on Saturday. If you want to get an early start on your football weekend, get out tonight at watch Miami take on Pitt or tomorrow night for the Battle for the Iron Skillet between SMU and #4 TCU.


Congratulations also need to go out to Larry Porter for getting his first win as a head coach against Middle Tennessee State last weekend. It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win. 


Here's the picks for this week.

Last Week: 3-3
Season: 14-4 (77%)

Alabama over Arkansas
UTEP over Memphis
Fresno State over Mississippi

Boise State over Oregon State
Tennessee Titans over New York Giants
New Orleans Saints over Atlanta Falcons

I'm hearing good things about the Three Angels Diner. I might have to check it out today for lunch.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 9/20/10

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of September 20, 2010:

1. Alabama (SEC Champion)
2. Ohio State (Big 10 Champion)
3. Boise State (WAC Champion)
4. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
5. Oregon (PAC 10 Champion)
6. Nebraska (Big 12 Champion)
7. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
8. Texas (At Large Big 12)
9. Florida (At Large SEC)
10. Arkansas (At Large SEC)
11. Wisconsin (At Large Big 10)
12. Miami (ACC Champion)
13. West Virginia (Big East Champion)
14. Temple (MAC Champion)
15. Houston (C-USA Champion)
16. Troy (Sun Belt Champion)

Dropped out: Iowa (#7, At Large Big 10)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 12 (3), SEC (3), Big 10 (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), Mountain West (1), PAC 10 (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Alabama
(9) Florida at (8) Texas
(12) Miami at (5) Oregon
(13) West Virginia at (4) TCU
(11) Wisconsin at (6) Nebraska
(14) Temple at (3) Boise State
(10) Arkansas at (7) Oklahoma
(15) Houston at (2) Ohio State

Round 2
(8) Texas vs (1) Alabama
(5) Oregon vs (4) TCU
(6) Nebraska vs (3) Boise State
(7) Oklahoma vs (2) Ohio State

Round 3
(4) TCU vs (1) Alabama
(3) Boise State vs (2) Ohio State

Championship Game
(2) Ohio State vs (1) Alabama

Restaurant News, Random Notes, Plus Football Picks

Here's a few quick notes on local eateries. Three Angels Diner has opened in the Broad Avenue Arts District. A new spot from the owner's of Bari, Three Angels will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 11am to 2am.

Downtown's Quetzal has closed its doors. The owners have not ruled out opening a new restaurant in the near future. Mental note for the owners, bad service equals slow-to-no business.

Dunkin Donuts is planning to open a location on Union Avenue in Midtown in the space formerly occupied by Wolf Camera at 1540 Union. Its a chain, but a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Decent donuts, much better coffee.

Don't forget that Cooper Young Festival is Saturday. It might get a little warm during the day, but it will still be a good time.

As I stated earlier this week, its time for Bruce Pearl and Mike Hamilton to get the boot. Unfortunately, it may not be that easy to get rid of Pearl. Hamilton on the other hand should start cleaning his desk.

Just in time for fall weather, Mirimichi golf course in Millington has reopened after being closed since January. Can't wait to get out there and see the improvements to the facility. Justin Timberlake is hoping that the renovations will lead to a LPGA or PGA Champions Tour event at the course. The Senior PGA is great, but the LPGA might be more fun to watch.

Ryan Williams finally gets the opportunity to start for the Memphis Tigers this weekend against Middle Tennessee State. MTSU will, most likely, still win the game, but it will be nice to see a competitive game. Plenty of tickets are still available. Might be a nice option after Cooper Young.


Here's the picks for this week.

Last Week: 5-1
Season: 11-1 (92%)

Florida over Tennessee-Knoxville
Middle Tennessee State over Memphis
Trinity over Rhodes
Auburn over Clemson
Tennessee Titans over Pittsburgh Steelers
New Orleans Saints over San Francisco 49ers

Redbirds Adance, PCL Championship Begins Tomorrow

The Memphis Redbirds have advanced to the Pacific Coast League Championship for the second consecutive year. The Redbirds will face the Tacoma Rainers, who won their series last night. Due to stadium renovations in Tacoma, the entire series will be played in Memphis at AutoZone Park. The PCL Championship Series begins tomorrow night at 7:05pm. Tickets are on sale now and the Redbirds are running a two for one special. Here's the schedule:

Tuesday, September 14 - 7:05pm
Wednesday, September 15 - 7:05pm
Friday, September 17 - 7:05pm
Saturday, September 18 - 3:05pm (if necessary)
Sunday, September 19 - 1:05pm (if necessary)

Cooper Young Fest, PyrateFest & Watermelon Fun

Cooper Young Festival  is Saturday, September 18. There will be lots of great music, vendors and people watching. The weather should be perfect for a day of fun. Here's the music line up.

Goner Records/Young Avenue Deli Stage

12:30 p.m. – John Paul Keith and 145s

1:30 p.m. – Overnight Lows

2:30 p.m. – Jack O and the Tennessee Tearjerkers

3:30 p.m. – Missing Monuments

4:30 p.m. – The Limes

Visible School Stage

12:15 p.m. – Darien Clea

12:35 p.m. – Battle Victorious

1:15 p.m. – Donte’ Everhart

2:15 p.m. – Arma Secreta

3:15 p.m. – Keia Johnson

4:15 p.m. – Speakerboxx

Main Stage

12:15 p.m. – U of M Jazz Quartet

1:15 p.m. – Sheriffs of Nottingham

2:15 p.m. – D Monet

3:15 p.m. – Tony Dickerson

4:15 p.m. – Reba Russell

5:15 p.m. – Marcela & Orquesta Caliente


Here's a new festival for you to check out. In celebration of National Talk Like a Pirate Day, PyrateFest will be held on Sunday, September 19 from noon until 5pm at the National Ornamental Metal Museum. Here is some of the fun and games you will be able to enjoy.

• Sea Chanties with Pepe the Pyrate
• Pyrate Parade (for all dressed like Pyrates!)
• Bob & Susie Salley
• Pyrate Mistress Samra and the Pyrate Roses
• Celtic Fiddle with John Albertson and Janelle
• 30-foot Pirate Playship
• Children's Costume Contest
• Adult Costume Contest
• Talk Like a Pirate Contest
• Pirate Elvis Contest

Excuse me, while I go put on my pirate suit.

And now for a little watermelon humor.

Wine Dinner, Sliders In Midtown

Sorry that I missed what sounded like a tremendous wine dinner tonight. The dinner was located at River Oaks and featured dishes from Memphis chefs Jose Guiterrez of River Oaks, Kelly English of Restaurant Iris and Reinaldo Alfonso of Chez Philippe. Luckily this was the first of three wine dinners that this trio will prepare. Can't wait learn more about the next one.

The owners of Bardog are opening a new spot in Midtown. The new restaurant will be called The Slider Inn and it will be located on Peabody near the corner of Cooper. The name pretty much tells you what the restaurant specialty will be. Here's the big question, which will open first Adlo's Pizza Pies or The Slider Inn? After walking by Aldo's a couple of weeks ago, it looks like it has a long way to go before it is ready to open.

Pearl Embarrasses Knoxville Again, Tigers Are Terrible

First Bruce Pearl made most of America throw up with his shirtless antics.

Then came his failed attempt at stand up comedy. And who could forget his rapping?




And now this...



Is this his attempt at acting? Do you really think he is sorry for his actions or more worried about the cash he has to give up for not telling the truth?

When will Tennessee-Knoxville athletic director Mike Hamilton draw the line and give Pearl the boot? Or better yet, when will UT-K administrators, alumni and boosters show Hamilton the door for hiring Pearl and everyone's favorite coach, Lane Kiffin?

Bringing the sports discussion back to the west side of the state, the Memphis football team is just plain terrible. Some fans are guessing at the best that Larry Porter's squad will get two wins. If they keep playing like the last two weeks, it will be more like zero. Porter needs to make the move now and bench Cannon Smith. He was overrated in high school and there was a reason he couldn't get on the field at Miami. Give freshman Ryan Williams the ball and let him do the job that Smith can't.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 9/13/10

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of September 13, 2010:

1. Alabama (SEC Champion)
2. Ohio State (Big 10 Champion)
3. Boise State (WAC Champion)
4. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
5. Oregon (PAC 10 Champion)
6. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
7. Iowa (At Large Big 10)
8. Texas (At Large Big 12)
9. Wisconsin (At Large Big 10)
10. Florida (At Large SEC)
11. Nebraska (At Large Big 12)
12. Miami (ACC Champion)
13. West Virginia (Big East Champion)
14. Houston (C-USA Champion)
15. Temple (MAC Champion)
16. Troy (Sun Belt Champion)

Dropped out: Florida State (#12, ACC Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 10 (3), Big 12 (3), SEC (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), Mountain West (1), PAC 10 (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Alabama
(9) Wisconsin at (8) Texas
(12) Miami at (5) Oregon
(13) West Virginia at (4) TCU
(11) Nebraska at (6) Oklahoma
(14) Houston at (3) Boise State
(10) Florida at (7) Iowa
(15) Temple at (2) Ohio State

Round 2
(8) Texas vs (1) Alabama
(5) Oregon vs (4) TCU
(6) Oklahoma vs (3) Boise State
(7) Iowa vs (2) Ohio State

Round 3
(4) TCU vs (1) Alabama
(3) Boise State vs (2) Ohio State

Championship Game
(2) Ohio State vs (1) Alabama

Best Bets: Positive Press, Alley Jams, Tiger Lane & Weekly Football Picks

With Murfreesboro, TN and Gainesville, FL receiving national attention for anti-Muslim actions, its good to see the Memphis area getting some positive press about the new Memphis Islamic Center in Cordova.

The Alley Jams series return on Friday night at Main Street and Peabody with special guests Memphis Jones and The Soul Shockers. If the weather holds up, this should be a great free event. See below for more Alley Jams info.



Tiger Lane, the Liberty Bowl's new tailgating area, will celebrate its grand opening this evening with a ribbon cutting ceremony. I've passed by Tiger Lane several times and it is very impressive, especially when compared to the previous fairgrounds set up. It won't be like going to the Grove in Oxford, but Tiger Lane will be a welcome addition for Memphis games, the Liberty Bowl and this weekend's Southern Heritage Classic.

Speaking of tailgating, today's Memphis Living Social offer is great deal for pre and post game snacks.

This week is a dream week for most football fans. The NFL kicks off tomorrow night when the Saint take on the Vikings (Calhoun's will be a great place to catch the game) and there are several huge college games (Miami vs Ohio State, Florida State vs Oklahoma and Penn State vs Alabama) on the slate.

Here's the picks for this week.

Last Week: 6-0
Season: 6-0 (100%)

New Orleans Saints over Minnesota Vikings
East Carolina over Memphis
Washington University over Rhodes
Jackson State over Tennessee State
Alabama over Penn State
Tennessee Titans over Oakland Raiders

Don't forget that the Rebirds start post-season play tonight at AutoZone Park.

Redbirds Win Division, More Trouble In Oxford

The Memphis Redbirds won the Pacific Coast League's American North Division, yesterday, with a ninth inning homerun in the final game of the regular season. Next up for the Redbirds will be the best of five American Conference Championship. The first two games of the series will be at Autozone Field tomorrow evening. Tickets are still available.

American Conference Championship Schedule

Wednesday: Oklahoma City at Redbirds, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday: Oklahoma City at Redbirds, 7:05 p.m.
Friday: Redbirds at Oklahoma City, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday: Redbirds at Oklahoma City, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Sunday: Redbirds at Oklahoma City, 1:05 p.m.* (if necessary)

Its still hard to believe that Ole Miss lost to FCS member Jacksonville State over the weekend. The Rebels will need a blow out win over Tulane this weekend to convince fans that things are getting better. Tulane struggled in their first game over Southeastern Louisiana, but the Green Wave did get the win over the FCS Lions. Here's to pulling for the Green Wave.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions Week Of 9/6/10

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at-large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

For the week of September 6, 2010:

1. Alabama (SEC Champion)
2. Ohio State (Big 10 Champion)
3. Boise State (WAC Champion)
4. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
5. Texas (Big 12 Champion)
6. Iowa (At Large Big 10)
7. Oregon (PAC 10 Champion)
8. Wisconsin (At Large Big 10)
9. Florida (At Large SEC)
10. Nebraska (At Large Big 12)
11. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
12. Florida State (ACC Champion)
13. West Virginia (Big East Champion)
14. Houston (C-USA Champion)
15. Temple (MAC Champion)
16. Troy (Sun Belt Champion)

Dropped out: Virginia Tech (#9, ACC Champion), Pittsburgh (#13, Big East Champion), Middle Tennessee State (#16, Sun Belt Champion)

Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 10 (3), Big 12 (3), SEC (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), Mountain West (1), PAC 10 (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Troy at (1) Alabama
(9) Florida at (8) Wisconsin
(12) Florida State at (5) Texas
(13) West Virginia at (4) TCU
(11) Oklahoma at (6) Iowa
(14) Houston at (3) Boise State
(10) Nebraska at (7) Oregon
(15) Temple at (2) Ohio State

Round 2
(8) Wisconsin vs (1) Alabama
(5) Texas vs (4) TCU
(6) Iowa vs (3) Boise State
(7) Oregon vs (2) Ohio State

Round 3
(4) TCU vs (1) Alabama
(3) Boise State vs (2) Ohio State

Championship Game
(2)Ohio State vs (1) Alabama

Art On Tap, Outdoor Ice Skating, Football Picks

I hear that tickets to Art on Tap are selling quickly. You might want to snag yours now. This year Art on Tap will be held on Friday, September 10th. Its a great way to have unlimited samples of beers from around the world and support a good cause. Bosco's has crafted a special beer for the event called Biere de Garden (might have the spelling wrong here). I've had a sample of it already and its pretty good.

The Memphis Zoo is bringing outdoor ice skating to Memphis this winter. From November 19 through January 31, skaters will be able to get on the ice in a tented ice skating rink located in the picnic area between Northwest Passage and Teton Trek. This should be fun.

Lots of great football games this weekend, starting tomorrow night. Here's some picks for the first week of the season.

South Carolina over Southern Miss
Westminster College over Rhodes
Mississippi State over Memphis
Tennessee-Knoxville over Tennessee-Martin
LSU over North Carolina
Boise State over Virginia Tech

Cafe Eclectic Temporarily Closed

Due to a car ramming its front doors just after lunch today, Cafe Eclectic on McLean will be temporarily closed. No one was injured from the incident, but apparently there was some structural damage to the restaurant. No word yet as to when the Midtown eatery will reopen.

Smith Named Tigers QB, QB Trouble In Oxford, Football Kicks Off This Weekend,

Is anyone really surprised that Canon Smith was named the Memphis starting quarterback? Many will say it was his father's influence, but  the truth is he is just a bit ahead of true freshman Ryan Williams. Smith, now a 23-year-old redshirt junior, is older and wiser, but not the best quarterback on the Tigers' staff. Williams has all of tools and ability, but he is obviously young and needs to gain a little experience. My guess is that Williams will eventually be the starter for Larry Porter's team this season, probably sooner than later.

In somewhat breaking news, the NCAA will not grant a waiver allowing Oregon transfer Jeremiah Masoli to play football at Mississippi this season. The ruling will prevent Masoli from playing football until the 2011 season.  This is obviously bad news for Houston Nutt and Rebel fans. Masoli was brought in to be the savior at quarterback this season with the Rebels being very thin at the position. Mississippi plans to appeal the decision. The NCAA could rule on the appeal as soon as Friday of this week, but no later than Tuesday of next week. The Rebels should win with or without Masoli this week against FCS member Jacksonville State and most likely the following two weeks at Tulane and home against Vanderbilt. By the fourth game of the season, whoever is taking the snaps should be comfortable running the offense against Fresno State. If not, it could be a long season for the Rebels.


College football's regular season kicks off Thursday night with a handful of games including Southern Miss at South Carolina. This game will be featured on ESPN. Other big games this weekend include Memphis at Mississippi State, LSU vs North Carolina and Boise State vs Virginia Tech.

Just like last year I'll have weekly football picks. Pretty proud of my 72% record last season.

Lots Of Music This Week

In addition to the Metal Museum Thursday night series, music lovers should have a great time this week at Live at the Garden and the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival.

The final Live at the Garden concert of the season brings Blondie and Cheap Trick to the Memphis Botanic Garden. Tickets are still available. Here's a quick sampling of a couple of the hits you might hear.





Wonder if Cheap Trick's lead guitarist is still packing that monster axe?

The Memphis Music and Heritage Festival returns on Saturday and Sunday on Main Street between Peabody and Gayoso. In the past, this has been a great event and its FREE. As you can list from the list of music, there is a ton of music to enjoy.

2010 Memphis Music and Heritage Festival Performers

Bobby Rush, Hill Country Revue, Kate Campbell, Sonny Burgess and the Pacers, Joyce Cobb, Sid Selvidge & Jimmie Crosthwaith, Smoochy Smith Trio, Hickory Withe Bluegrass, Eden Brent, Los Cantadores, Star & Micey, Bill Shipper, Bluff City Backsliders, Eddie Bond, FreeWorld, Homemade Jamz Blues Band, Tonya Dyson and Green Onions, The Bo Keys, Lisa Lambert & the Pine Ridge Boys, Darrell Petties and S.I.P., Elmo & the Shades, Blind Mississippi Morris, MouseRocket, Randal Morton, Cody Dickinson Project, Devil Train, Exodus, Mellow Tones, Moments of Joy, Orange Mound Jazz Messengers, Popa Tops Westcoast Turnaround, Sweet Angel, Symbiosis, The Daddy Mack Blues Band, The Golden Keys, The Jumpin' ChiChis, Valerie June, Voice of Golden Eagle, William Lee Ellis, The Sultana, John Paul Keith and the 145s, Valerie and Jason Show, The Memphis Klezmer All-Stars, The Jazz Collective, and Sidney, Cidney, Sidney.

Bardog Fundraiser, Local, New Concert Series At Metal Museum Begins This Thursday,

Had a great time yesterday at Bardog at their fundraiser for St. Jude. Lots of people, beverages, great food, meatball eating contests and music from the Bluff City Backsliders. The Commercial Appeal has a nice article about the event.

We stopped by Local Gastropub after Bardog. This was my first visit to Local for food. The meatball sliders were fantastic.

Thursday Night Live at the Metal Museum begins this Thursday with Family Fun Night featuring the The Soulsville Charter School Philharmonic Orchestra on the grounds of the National Ornamental Museum. This will be the first of four events geared to music lovers at the museum. For those that haven't been, the Metal Museum has a great view of the river and the grounds will be a perfect place for a concert series. Tickets are $5 for non-members and food and beverage will be available for purchase. All shows begin at 6:30pm

Thursday Night Live at the Metal Museum Line Up

9/2 - Family Fun Night with a performance by The Soulsville Charter School Philharmonic Orchestra
9/9 – Musical Guest: Star and Micey
9/16 - Marcela Pinilla
9/23 – Rebirth of Soul featuring Tim Terry

Here's a little sample of the Bluff City Backsliders for your enjoyment.

Hank Jr Coming To Mid-South

Tickets going on sale today for the Hank Williams Jr concert at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven. The concert will be Friday, October 15. Jamey Johnson and Colt Ford will be the opening acts. Should be a great night for country music fans.

Here's a quick sampling of each artist.

Restaurant Updates: Circa Moving, Cajun-Creole Wine Dinner

Chef John Bragg has announced that his restaurant, Circa by John Bragg, is moving to East Memphis this fall. Circa will move into the space formerly occupied by Mikasa in the Regalia Shopping Center near Poplar and Ridgeway. After the move, Bragg will open a new casual dining restaurant in space currently used by Circa. Its unfortunate to see Circa head to East Memphis. Casual dining spots are nice to have, but Downtown Memphis needs more upscale restaurants.

The Grove Grill is hosting a Cajun-Creole wine dinner on August 25th. The menu looks fantastic.

Sweet Corn Johnny Cakes with smoked Tennessee duck

Mas Amiel, "Spheres" Brut

****
Creole Tomato Crab Bisque with crawfish and tasso Croque Monsieur

Brandborg Pinot Gris, 2008, Oregon

****
Andouille and Okra Stuffed Lemon Sole over summer corn maque choux

Merryvale Starmont, Chardonnay, 2008, California

****
Wood Grilled Newman Farms Pork Loin local shiitake and asparagus crepes
Whole grain mustard veloute

Rosenblum Zinfandel, 2006, Paso Robles

****

Golden Raisin and Croissant Bread Pudding Prichard's rum anglaise and
sweet potato ice cream

Merryvale Antigua

****
$55.00 plus tax and gratuity
For reservations call 901-818-9951, or go to www.thegrovegrill.com

Levitt Shell Fall Schedule Announced

Officials with the Levitt Shell have announced the fall concert series line up. Shows will continue Thursday through Sunday beginning on September 16. The late Saturday afternoon kids-themed series will also continue. All shows will begin at 7:30pm, except for Saturday kids (5:30pm).

Levitt Shell Fall Series

Thursday, September 16 - Tear Down The Walls
Friday, September 17 - Ruthie Foster
Saturday, September 18 (Kids) - Hatiloo Theater Presents Music "The Wiz"
Saturday, September 18 - Tracy Nelson
Sunday, September 19 - Incendio

Thursday, September 23 - Bob Schneider

Friday, September 24 - Eden Brent
Saturday, September 25 (Kids) - Ekpe & Company Presents "I Am A Genius!"
Saturday, September 25 - Guy Forsyth
Sunday, September 26 - Colour Revolt


Thursday, September 30 - Latin Music Fest!
Friday, October 1 - Ryan Peel
Saturday, October 2 (Kids) - Snowden Elementary's Centennial Celebration
Saturday, October 2 - Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Sunday, October 3 - Keith Sykes

Thursday, October 7 - Jim Lauderdale
Friday, October 8 - Alvin Youngblood Hart

Saturday, October 9 (Kids) - Voices of the South Presents "Kallahoney Kids"
Saturday, October 9 - Rangoli: Colors of India
Sunday, October 10 - Kevin Gordon

Thursday, October 14 - Jackopierce
Friday, October 15 - The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
Saturday, October 16 (Kids) - Project:Motion Presents "Riverdreams"
Saturday, October 16 - Danielia Cotton
Sunday, October 17 - Vaneese Thomas

2010 Memphis Area College Football Schedules

With college football season just a few short weeks away, here are the home football schedules for fans of Memphis college football playing schools.

Memphis will struggle this season under first year coach Larry Porter, but the Tigers have a great home schedule with visits from Sun Belt pre-season champion Middle Tennessee State, Conference USA's pre-season divisional champion picks Houston and Central Florida and in-state rival Tennessee-Knoxville.


Memphis Tigers 2010 Home Schedule

September 18 - Middle Tennessee State
October 2 - Tulsa
October 16 - Southern Miss
October 30 - Houston
November 6 - Tennessee-Knoxville
November 27 - Central Florida

Memphis Full Schedule


Rhodes Lynx 2010 Home Schedule

September 11 - Washington University
October 2 - Lagrange
October 16 - Millsaps
October 30 - Centre (Homecoming)
November 6 - Birmingham Southern


Rhodes Full Schedule

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Pre-Season Playoff Predictions

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions will return for another college football season. Now its fifth published season, click here to see last season's final mock playoff field.

Memphis Lagniappe's Fabled College Football Playoff Predictions are published weekly on Monday afternoons to show a possible college football playoff format. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, 11 conference champions receive automatic bids. 5 additional spots are available for at large bids.

Round 1 games would be hosted by the higher ranked seeds. Rounds 2 - 4 would incorporate the bowl system with host cities/bowls bidding to host the games. The "Big 4" BCS bowls would be permanent playoff hosts on a round-rotating basis (Championship, semi-finals and 1 round 2 game).

The pre-season playoff field for the 2010 season is:

1. Alabama (SEC Champion)
2. Ohio State (Big 10 Champion)
3. Boise State (WAC Champion)
4. Florida (At Large SEC)
5. TCU (Mountain West Champion)
6. Texas (Big 12 Champion)
7. Oklahoma (At Large Big 12)
8. Nebraska (At Large Big 12)
9. Virginia Tech (ACC Champion)
10. Oregon (PAC 10 Champion)
11. Iowa (At Large Big 10)
12. Wisconsin (At Large Big 10)
13. Pittsburgh (Big East Champion)
14. Houston (C-USA Champion)
15. Temple (MAC Champion)
16. Middle Tennessee State (Sun Belt Champion)


Number Of Teams by Conference:
Big 10 (3), Big 12 (3), SEC (2), ACC (1), Big East (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), Mountain West (1), PAC 10 (1), Sun Belt (1), WAC (1), Independent (0)

Match ups round by round assuming higher seeds win.

Round 1
(16) Middle Tennessee State at (1) Alabama
(9) Virginia Tech at (8) Nebraska
(12) Wisconsin at (5) TCU
(13) Pittsburgh at (4) Florida
(11) Iowa at (6) Texas
(14) Houston at (3) Boise State
(10) Oregon at (7) Oklahoma
(15) Temple at (2) Ohio State

Round 2
(8) Nebraska vs (1) Alabama
(5) TCU vs (4) Florida
(6) Texas vs (3) Boise State
(7) Oklahoma vs (2) Ohio State

Round 3
(4) Florida vs (1) Alabama
(3) Boise State vs (2) Ohio State

Championship Game
(2)Ohio State vs (1) Alabama

Football Season Is Here, Grizzlies Schedule Announced, Death Week

Is anyone else excited that football season is here? College and NFL teams are all on the practice field and NFL pre-season games have already started.

Keeping with the sports theme, the NBA announced their 2010-11 regular season today. The Grizzlies will open their season at home against the Atlanta Hawks on October 27. The game that will have the hottest ticket will be on November 20 when the Miami Heat come to the FedEx Forum. Get the full schedule here.

It appears that Elvis "Death Week" has arrived. There should be tons of Elvis themed activities going on this week/weekend. The best may be the 2nd Annual Stumbling Elvis pub crawl on Saturday night. Dress up like Elvis, enjoy adult beverages and bring canned goods or a cash donation for the Midsouth Food Bank. The festivities begin at 7pm at the Downtown Flying Saucer, then go to Blue Fin, the Peabody Lobby, Alfred's, Silky's and then finish up at the Saucer.

Its not too late to get Elvis gear for the pub crawl.

Best Restaurants For Wine, Green Beetle

The latest issue of Wine Spectator listed the best restaurants across the world for wine lovers. The Memphis area had a few representatives on the list. Chez Phillipe, Currents, Fleming's, Flight, Folk's Folly, Napa Cafe, Ruth's Chris, Chicago Steakhouse (Tunica), and '37 (Tunica)all received the Award of Excellence.

The Green Beetle has been closed for much needed renovations. The owner anticipates the bar opening for business again in the near future.

Back In Action

After taking a few weeks off, posting will resume again soon. Hope everyone is having a safe summer.

Newk's, Coleman and Hopper

Had the opportunity to try Newk's restaurant in Cordova over the weekend. The atmosphere was nice and the menu was reasonably price. You feel the early McAlister's influence as you walk in and it is quickly confirmed when you see the menu. The grilled chicken sandwich with applewood bacon and honey mustard leaves much to be desired, but I'll give Newk's one more try to win me over.

Hollywood lost two legends over the weekend. Gary Coleman died after suffering a head injury and Dennis Hopper passed away after a battle with cancer. Many remember Coleman as Arnold from TV's Different Strokes. Here is one of Coleman performances from Dirty Work.



And Hopper's classic scene from True Romance.

Memorial Day Weekend Fun In Memphis

There is a ton of good things happening this weekend in Memphis. Here are just a few of the events you should check out.

Tonight's hot spot will be the South Main Trolley Tour. As usual, galleries and shops will be open with complimentary snacks and beverages. Also on the list will be 2010 Memphis Zombie Attack. Here's a quick look at last year's Attack.



The "must do" event for Saturday is the Sunset Symphony Featuring K.C. and the Sunshine Band at Tom Lee Park. Gates open at 2pm and the music begins at 3pm. Here's a little K.C. for your enjoyment.



A three-day weekend usually sets up a perfect Sunday Funday. You can't go wrong with brunch at Majestic, day drinking at Bardog and live jazz later in the day at Inn at Hunt Phelan.

All weekend long you can enjoy free concerts at the Levitt Shell in Overton Park. Here's the lineup.

Friday, 7pm - Will Hoge



Saturday, 5pm Kids Show - Gustaver Yellowgold



Saturday, 7:30pm - Meta & the Cornerstones



Sunday, 7pm - African Explosion

BBQ Fest Revisited, Basement Fun, G Shots, Dio

BBQ fest is over and detoxing can begin for most who attend the event. Smoked bologna seemed to be a popular choice this year in addition to the usual ribs, wings and shoulder that are usually sampled by team visitors. Many would say the most disappointing part of the festival was the heavy rains on Friday afternoon, but the real answer was the weak performance of David Allan Coe. Karaoke singers could have carried his tunes better.

If you ever get the opportunity to have dinner or drinks in the basement of Midtown's Bhan Thai, take advantage of the rare occurrence. It is an intimate room, stocked with a full bar and the full menu is available. Used mostly for special events, the basement occasionally opens up for bad weather days and there is talk of it opening more in the winter when it is too cold to use the Bhan Thai patio.

Check out this news feature about new procedure for women. The procedure itself is interesting, but the best part of the video is the commentary near the end.

 

Heavy metal fans are mourning the loss Ronnie James Dio, the former lead singer of Black Sabbath. Here is one of the hits from Dio's long solo career.

Big Star Tribute, Wedding DJ

Big Star's last live performance will be Saturday night at the Levitt Shell. Special guests for the finale include R.E.M's Mike Mills, Superdrag's John Davis and more. Should be a great show. Let's hope the weather holds off. Tickets are still available.

Pretty safe this classic will be on the set list.



The free spring concert series at the Levitt Shell starts next Thursday with the Soul Rebels Brass Band.

In honor of wedding season, check out this DJ master.



He definitely gives Adam Sandler's character in The Wedding Singer a run for his money.

Memphis Beat, BBQ Fest

TBS and TNT have been promoting the new series Memphis Beat starring Jason Lee. Many Memphians may be excited to see a police-themed television series based in Memphis, but they will be quickly disappointed when they notice most, if not all, of the filming was done in New Orleans. Either way, it should be fun to watch the series and see how Memphis is portrayed. The pilot episode is set to run on TNT on June 22. Check your local listing for channel and time information.

Two more days until the fun start at BBQ fest. The weather forecast has improved slightly. Looks like a smaller chance of rain for David Allen Coe on Friday night. Here's a little DAC for your listening and viewing enjoyment.

BBQ Fest, World Cocktail Week

After a weekend of beautiful weather, it appears that rain is in the forecast for most of BBQ fest weekend. The lone exception is Thursday. A 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms is currently projected for Friday and Saturday. Rain won't slow most of the festival hard core fans, so there will still be plenty of fun to be had.

This week is also World Cocktail Week. Bars and restaurants around the country are celebrating by promoting better understanding and appreciation of the art of the cocktail and its history, and responsible drinking. As usual, Memphis is lagging behind. Come on Memphis bar and restaurant owners, get on the ball. If any bars are celebrating, please let us know.

Cinco De Mayo

Lots of Cinco de Mayo parties today. The obvious hot spots will be Mexican restaurants, especially at Cafe Ole and Happy Mexican. Don't look past your favorite watering holes. Its safe to say all bars will have some type of Cinco de Mayo special. There should be great crowds at the new Swanky's Taco Shop (Walrus playing) and at Kooky Canuck (great drink specials). One recommendation, stay away from national chains like On The Border. Support your local restaurants.

Lots Of Food, Zac Brown

The Commercial Appeal had an great article late last week about the best hamburgers in Memphis. The writers were pretty much dead on with Alex's and did a good job bringing some lesser known burger hot spots to the mainstream. The article also has inspired a weekly Memphis burger tour. There goes the diet.

A couple of new places have finally opened after weeks of anticipation. Swanky's Taco Shop's newest location on Poplar near Colonial (old Atlanta Bread Company) and El Toro Loco on the corner of Poplar and Collins (old Los Compadres space) opened last week. The new Swanky's location will be perfect for a good burrito followed up by an ice cold beer at The Bobcat.

On a somewhat sad note, Overton Square's Le Chardonnay is closing after a 17 year run. Plans are to close the restaurant in a few weeks and quickly reopen as an Italian restaurant.

Tickets for the Zac Brown Band's show on Mud Island went on sale over the weekend. Not sure if they are still available, but get one if you can.

No Playoffs For Grizzlies, Tea Party Rappers?

The Memphis Grizzlies end their 2009-10 season Wednesday night with a road loss to Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. After a much hyped off season, that included the acquisition of the highly overrated Allen Iverson, Grizzlies fans were hoping for a return to the playoffs. Iverson quickly skipped town and the team started to show improvement. The Grizzlies finished two games below .500 with a 40-42 record, a 26 game improvement over the prior season.

53% more wins have may have some fans excited, but others are concerned about which players will be returning next season. Rudy Gay and recently acquired Ronnie Brewer are both restricted free agents. Brewer may stay, but several reports are indicating the Gay will jump ship if the opportunity is offered. If Gay leaves, management needs to find a comparable player to replace his production. Lebron James? Not going to happen, but there will be other quality free agents available if the Grizzlies are willing to spend the cash.

Head coach Lionel Hollins received a three-year contract extension today. The front office now needs to build on the momentum of this season and sign key free agents that can get the Grizzlies back in the playoffs.

After Steve Cohen's blasting of the Tea Party movement, who would have thought that they would be open to rap music? Check out this video by Polatik.

New Hours At Cozy, Foursquare Day

Great news for Cozy Corner fans. Cozy is now open from 11 til 9pm. Four more hours a day to grab some of the best bbq in town.

April 16th is Foursquare Day, because it is the 4th month, and the 4-squared day. Get it? There are 150+ cities participating in the event which includes parties, business specials, etc. One city that is offering no participation is Memphis. Downtown would be a perfect spot to unlock the coveted Super Swarm Badge. Oh well, maybe next year.

Coco To TBS, Beautiful Weather = Good Times, Spring Football, Tiger Athlete Arrested

Not really Memphis related, but Conan O'Brien has inked a deal with TBS. His new show will start in the fall airing Monday through Thursday at 10pm central time. Great news for Conan fans.

Overton Square's Crawfish Fest had to have one of its largest crowds ever last weekend. The weather was near perfect. Weather experts are saying that this streak of nice weather should continue for the next few days. This is great news for outdoor events including the first Peabody Rooftop Party of the year on Thursday night, the Redbirds home opener on Friday, Hot Wing Fest on Saturday and the Rajun Cajun Crawfish fest on Sunday.

The 2010 Blue-Gray Game is set for Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. New head coach Larry Porter is generating some excitement for the Memphis football program. The scrimmage is slated to begin at 1 p.m. Admission is free.

Local media hasn't picked up on this just yet, but University of Memphis pitcher Dane Sharp was arrested late Sunday/early Monday on DUI charges. No word just yet if Sharp has been disciplined by Tigers officials. If this was a basketball or football player this would be the lead story for most media outlets.

Here's a quick look at Lord T & Eloise, who will be playing at the Peabody Thursday night along with Ryan Peel and other artists.

Crawfish, Redbirds, Tigers Ranked, Tiger

The 15th Annual Overton Square Crawfish Festival is Saturday afternoon. Crawfish, live music and near perfect weather seem like the right ingredients for a great time. All the fun starts at noon.

With Major League Baseball opening their season this week, fans are getting ready for days and nights at Autozone Park. Memphis Redbirds fans will have to wait a few days to get their baseball fix. The Redbirds start their season in Omaha. The home opener will be April 16.

It may be a bit early, but the so-called college basketball experts have released a Preseason Top 25 for the 2010-11 season.  The Memphis Tigers come in at number nine.


Here is Nike's latest tv spot featuring Tiger Woods. Didn't really think Nike would try to capitalize on the Tiger's escapades, but the issue apparently has to be faced before the usual Tiger spots return to the airwaves. Mr. Woods tees off today at 12:30 in the Master's.

Liberty Bowl Changes, Big Daddy Kane, Brooks Uncorked

Local college football fans will soon start  seeing changes to the caliber of teams appearing in the Liberty Bowl. The recently renewed four year contracts still call for the top team in Conference USA to play in the game. The C-USA opponent will still be a SEC representative, but now it will be the 9th or 10th place team from the conference. Liberty Bowl officials are also looking for ways to incorporate the Big East back into the mix. There have been talks of using a Big East school if the SEC doesn't have a enough qualified teams or as an occasional replacement for C-USA. 

Looking to kick it old school this weekend? Big Daddy Kane is playing at Minglewood Hall tomorrow night. Didn't realize this guy was still around. If only Slick Rick was joining him on stage. The closest thing to Slick Rick will be his former partner in crime Dana Dane, who will be joining BDK on stage along with Chubb Rock.

A little BDK for your listening pleasure...





Brooks Uncorked is coming up on Friday, April 16 at the Brooks Museum. For $100 you get to sample over 50 wines and food from some of Memphis' best restaurants. This year's added twist? Music provided by Raiford. Will there be 40s of wine? Thunderbird anyone?

Botanic Garden Announces Summer Concert Series

Memphis Botanic Garden has officially announced the lineup for the 10th Annual Live at the Garden concert series. The list of artists seems fit for the casino circuit or a late night infomercial, but there is still fun to be had with Al Green, REO Speedwagon and Cheap Trick.

June 5 - Diana Ross



July 9 - Pat Benatar and REO Speedwagon






July 23 - Al Green



August 21 - Donna Summer





September 3 - Blondie and Cheap Trick





Tickets go on sale today.

Bad Times At The Zoo, Robert Plant

According to local news outlets, "Good Times With Weapons" was apparently the theme of the day at Memphis Zoo. A record crowd on the Zoo's Free Tuesday promotion resulted in local youngsters brawling and pulling guns on each other in Overton Park and the surrounding neighborhoods. The high attendance numbers are due to local schools being off for Easter/Spring break. Way to be classy Memphis and Shelby County students.

Side note for the Memphis Zoo staff. Added security for today may have been a little bit helpful. Past attendance records would probably show near record attendance on the Tuesday prior to Easter. This is traditionally a day when schools are off and kids and thugs are looking for something to do. Chalk it up as a learning lesson, but eliminating Free Tuesdays for everyone else because of thuggish behavior is the not the right thing to do. Instead, mandate that anyone under 18 entering the zoo (unless on a school trip) needs to accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Wonder if the fight looked anything like this.




Former Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant is coming to Memphis on Tuesday, July 13 for a one night show at the Orpheum Theatre. Not sure if he is promoting a new album, but he definitely has strong group of material to work with. Here's a little Robert Plant for your listening pleasure.

Tigers Fall In WBI, Al Green, Levitt Shell Spring Series

The University of Memphis women's basketball team lost the championship game of the WBI tournament to Appalachian State on Sunday in Boone, North Carolina. Great season for the Lady Tigers on the roundball court.

Al Green has been confirmed for this year's Live At The Garden concert series. Green will play on Friday, July 23. He usually puts on a great show and would expect nothing less from him this summer.

The Levitt Shell has announced their free concert series. Big names include Todd Snider, The Iguanas and Cowboy Junkies. The free series kicks off on Thursday, May 20 wit the Soul Rebels Brass Band.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Soul Rebels Brass Band.

Women's NCAA Update, Trolley Night, Pot Hole Of The Day

With their win last night, San Diego State will be the fourth team in the Memphis Regional Final of the women's NCAA tournament this week. Games are scheduled for Saturday and Monday.Tennessee will face Baylor at 11am and the Duke vs San Diego State contested is scheduled for 1:30pm. The championship game will be Monday at 6:30pm. Tickets for all three games are $53.

South Main's Trolley Night for the month of March is Friday evening. This will be the first sort of nice weather trolley night of the year. In addition to the usual fun, six artists will be showing at 409 S.Main (old Jay Etkin space). Stop by for some good wine and new works by Ashley Leem, Emma Self, Chris Reed, Regis Lawson, Joel Halpern and Stephen Almond.

Check out this new pot hole (really a sink hole) on I-240 near Walnut Grove. This two feet wide and six feet deep gem will definitely cause rush hour delays. Be careful if you are headed in that direction.

Women's NCAA Update

Three women's basketball teams have punched their tickets to the Memphis Regional Final at FedEx Forum this weekend. Tennessee will face Baylor and Duke will face the winner of tomorrow night's San Diego State-West Virginia game. It should be safe to say that the there will be plenty of orange in the stands.  

A player of interest will be Baylor's Brittney Griner. She can dunk...



and she likes to throw down.

Tiger Basketball, Little Feat At MIF

The NCAA denied the University of Memphis appeal to reverse penalties stemming from violations that occurred during the 2007-8 basketball season. Now the Tigers must vacate all 38 wins from that season, return NCAA tournament revenues, return its Final Four trophy and take down the banners from that season. Now that this process is over, how much longer will R.C. Johnson be in the athletic department?

There is some good Tigers basketball news. The women's basketball team has made it to the semi-finals of the Women's Basketball Invitational. Memphis will host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the Roane Fieldhouse on Thursday night.

The Memphis Italian Fest has confirmed that Little Feat will headline the East Memphis festival in early June. Little Feat may have a new lead singer, but the music still sounds great.

Star Wars, Women's NCAA Update, Tigers Done, Grizzlies

There are billboards around town promoting Star Wars: In Concert at FedEx Forum on May 18. The event has tremendous potential for people watching. Claim a patio seat early at Alfred's or Sole to catch a glimpse of true Star Wars fans like these.

And let's not forget the pets.

 

After the opening round of the Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament, we are getting a clearer picture of the teams that will be in Memphis next weekend for the Sweet 16/South region final.  The winners of tomorrow night's Tennesse vs Dayton, Georgetown vs Baylor and LSU vs Duke games will play on Saturday in the round of 16. The other team that will be at FedEx Forum will be Texas, San Diego State, West Virginia or Lamar.

Josh Pastner's first season as head coach at Memphis ended on Friday with the Tigers losing at Ole Miss in the second round of the N.I.T. The Tigers are only losing a couple of seniors and have one of the top recruiting classes in the nation arriving on campus in the fall. Memphis should be the team to beat in Conference USA next season.

The Grizzlies are still in a fight to claim the last playoff spot in the NBA's Western Conference. Through yesterday's games, the Grizzlies are five games behind eighth place Portland and are in a dogfight with Houston to catch the Trailblazers. With only 12 games left, time isn't on the Grizzlies side.

Ike's Closing, Women's Basketball

Memphis-area Ike's and Super D drug stores will be closing effective March 23. Never stopped there for prescriptions, but was always impressed with Ike's beer selection at the Park and Union locations. The Park and Union locations may stay open longer if they are sold to Walgreen's.

No one is really talking about it, but Memphis will host the South region finals of the women's NCAA tournament next weekend at FedEx Forum. Teams that could potentially be in Bluff City include Duke, LSU, Texas and Tennessee. Women's basketball may not have the same appeal as the men's game, but locals need to fill the seats to show that Memphis can support larger sporting events of all kinds.

Today is a perfect day for patio fun. Enjoy the weather, watch the Tigers play Ole Miss or simply drink your sorrows away after your bracket has been busted by upsets. Get out if you have the opportunity.

Big Star Update, Tigers/Rebels, Brackets

Big Star lead singer Alex Chilton died of an apparent heart attack yesterday in New Orleans. In addition to Big Star, Chilton was also an integral part of The Box Tops. No announcement has been made regarding Big Star's May 15 show at the Levitt Shell.

With the Tigers last second win over St. John's, Memphis will now travel to Oxford to play Ole Miss in the second round of the N.I.T tomorrow at 5:30pm. The game will be televised by ESPN2. Its hard to believe the last time the schools played each other in basketball was December of 2006. It seems like a natural rivalry in all sports that should be played every year. Maybe now that Cal is gone, the rivalry will be renewed. 

With upsets like Murray State over Vanderbilt (Poor Vandy) and Ohio over Georgetown, everyone's brackets must be hurting right now. And it's only the first day of the NCAA tournament! Tennessee is up next against San Diego State. Go Aztecs!!!


Ladies and gentlemen, Big Star and the Box Tops

Basketball, St. Pat's, Random Protest Pic, Diana Ross

As expected the Memphis Tigers will be playing in the NIT after losing in the Conference USA Tournament. The Tigers will host St. John's on Wednesday night at FedEx Forum at 8pm. If they Tigers win, the second round game could be against Ole Miss (assuming the Rebels can get by Troy).

The Memphis women's basketball team will also be in post season play in the Women's Basketball Invitational. The Tigers will host Missouri-Kansas City on Thursday night at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse at 7pm.

With the NCAA tournament kicking off tonight, employers can look forward to less than productive work weeks from entry to executive level staffers Long lunches will be in order for Thursday and Friday mid-day games.

It's safe to say that most bars will have some kind of St. Patrick's Day activities tomorrow night. Your best bets for good crowds will be Celtic Crossing and Dan McGuiness. Kooky Canuck will have great specials, including $2 34oz green Bud Light.


Random protest picture of the day courtesy of friends on Facebook. This young lady was on Main and Union today.

Diana Ross is the latest artist to be confirmed for the Live at the Garden series. Ross will perform at the Memphis Botanic Garden on Saturday, June 5. The other confirmed artists for the series are Pat Benetar and REO Speedwagon. Both will perform on Friday, July 9.

Ladies and gentlemen, REO Speedwagon...

Tigers Choke

It looks the Tigers lost to Houston 66-65 in the quarterfinals of the C-USA tournament. The loss pretty much knocks the Tigers out of the Big Dance. Look for Memphis to get a NIT bid on Sunday.

Posted with altBlogger.

Post Season Basketball, Mega Happy Hour

March Madness is upon us and office workers around the country are ready to start filling out their brackets. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has both UTEP and Memphis in the big dance in his latest bracket predictions. Lundardi thinks the Tigers will be a 12 seed playing their first and second round games in Spokane, Washington.It would be nice for the Tigers to get sent to a closer site like New Orleans, but just getting into the tournament is a big win for Memphis this season.

The Grizzlies kept their playoff hopes alive after edging out a win over the worst team in the NBA last night. Now 33-31, they are currently on the outside looking in with the 9th best record in the NBA's Western Conference and are 4.5 games behind 8th seeded Portland. The Grizzlies have a tough game tomorrow night at Boston before returning home for Friday night's game against the New York Knicks. You can get special ticket prices for Friday night at Ticketmaster by using the promo code SMSTEAL.

Facebook group Memphis Happy Hours will be hosting their first monthly Mega Happy Hour on Thursday at Senses at 7pm. Future locations will be determined by recommendations of the group and the participating bar's willingness to provide specials for the Happy Hour. Senses wouldn't be on the top of many lists, but it is hard to pass up $2 imports and $5 martinis. One quick recommendation...how about having a more traditional happy hour start time (5:30pm) for future events.





 

Lots of Music

The official Beale Street Music Festival lineup was announced today. There are several great acts that will be playing at the fest including Jeff Beck, Band of Horses, Widespread Panic and Allison Krauss. Should be a fun weekend. Early odds is that there will a ton of rain leading into the event.

Live at the Garden hasn't officially announced their summer lineup, but we can confirm that Pat Benatar and REO Speedwagon will be part of the series on July 9. More info coming soon.

The Levitt Shell free concert series is just around the corner as well. Confirmed, but not announced, acts include the Soul Rebels Brass Band, The Iguanas and Big Star.

Local Baseball, Music Fest, More Beer

Major League Baseball season kicked off yesterday in Florida with Grapefruit League spring training games. If you are looking for a quick, low-cost baseball fix and can't wait for the Redbirds, you should check out the local college baseball programs. Christian Brothers and Rhodes usually have competitive teams and Memphis has a new stadium. Admission to many of the games is just a few bucks. With bright skies and warmer temperatures, this weekend might be the perfect opportunity to check them out. For those who want to wait for the Redbirds, their home opener in Friday, April 16.

Local college baseball schedules
Christian Brothers
Memphis
Rhodes

The 2010 Beale Street Music Festival lineup will be announced tomorrow. Some of the early confirmed artists include Blues Traveler, Jeff Beck, Alice In Chains, Drive-By Truckers, Jerry Lee Lewis, North Mississippi Allstars and Booker T & the MG's.

The inaugural Memphis Brewfest will be held Saturday, April 24, 2010 at AutoZone Park. Beers from around the world will be available to taste. Tickets are $32 and all net proceeds will benefit Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy and the Memphis Redbirds Foundation.

Iris Featured on Food Network, Beer, St. Pat's, Calipari Whiskey?

Restaurant Iris will be featured on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" this Friday night at 9pm. Lots of great choices at Iris, but the best bet is that the show will feature the restaurant's Surf and Turf.

Just a quick reminder that the Memphis River City Brewers Festival will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2010 with two available tasting sessions at 12pm and 6 pm in downtown Memphis to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. There will be over 70 beers available and  live music during each tasting at Handy Park on Beale Street. Tickets are $30 and admission includes beer samples and a souvenir mug.

A good way to follow up the first session or pre-game for the second session will be Downtown's St. Patrick's Day parade. The parade rolls at 4pm on March 13.

Memphians who are Tigers and Maker's Mark fans may have a short lived conflict soon. Maker's Mark is producing 24,000 bottles bearing John Calipari’s face on a blue dipped bottle. Maker’s Mark will donate proceeds from the sales (estimated to be around $300,000) will be donated to the University of Kentucky School of Music and Symphony Orchestra programs.

 

Wharton's Response To Forbes

As many of you know, Memphis was included in the Most Miserable Cities list by Forbes Magazine. Memphis was ranked number three this year, an improvement from number two last year. Unlike the previous administration, new Memphis Mayor A C Wharton didn't take this lightly. Today, he sent an open letter to Forbes editor-in-chief Steve Forbes. Great job by Wharton to stand up and defend the Bluff City.

If Mr. Forbes takes up Wharton's offer to visit Memphis, where should he go? Give Mr. Forbes a few Memphis recommendations by sending Forbes Magazine a letter about why you love this city to Forbes Magazine, 60 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10011 or email sforbes@forbes.com.

Here is the letter to Forbes Magazine courtesy of Mayor Wharton's blog.
----

Dear Mr. Forbes,

Last Tuesday, I had the privilege of welcoming home a team of physicians, surgeons, and specialists from Memphis' Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center who traveled to Haiti to attend to the youngest victims of the devastating earthquake. These are exceptionally brilliant and compassionate lifesavers and caregivers, some of the finest in the world. They selflessly gave up weeks of their own lives, careers, and time with their families to minister to the needs of impoverished strangers on the other side of the planet.

When I stepped out of Le Bonheur, I looked up at their new hospital, currently under construction and slated to open this summer. This $340-million, 610,000-square-foot facility will double their current space for care, research, and teaching. Across the street, FedEx is sponsoring the constructing of a home to provide housing for families of long-term patients.

FedEx House will sit at the corner of a larger mixed-income, mixed-housing development called Legends Park. It's one of several Hope VI developments that have flourished in Memphis over the past couple of decades. This past summer, HUD Deputy Secretary Ronald Sims called Memphis "one of the bright shining examples in the United States today," of inner-city revitalization and blight removal.

Down the street from Le Bonheur and Legends Park I could see St. Jude's Children Research Hospital, which provides lifesaving care to children from around the world, regardless of their ability to pay. Around the corner, the new UT Baptist Research Park is under construction, which will make Memphis a global leader in bioscience. Methodist University Hospital, where Apple CEO Steve Jobs came to get a new liver last summer, is a short distance away.

The following night, the Memphis Grizzlies defeated Toronto in a thrilling overtime battle. The Grizz are doing better now than they have in years, and might even secure a post-season berth. Two nights later at FedEx Forum, near historic Beale Street, our beloved University of Memphis Tigers utterly dominated the visiting Southern Methodist University Mustangs. The coach of the Tigers is a young man named Josh Pastner, who may be the least miserable person alive.

This past Saturday, I saw a ballet at the Jeniam Center, our new, $15 million performing arts complex in the heart of our midtown arts district. This facility, modeled after Chicago's famed Steppenwolf Theatre, was financed completely by private gifts and contributions.

In a few weeks, we're going to break ground on the Salvation Army Kroc Center, a 100,000 square foot worship, arts, education, and recreation center a few blocks away. We're one of only 25 cities in the United States that will build a Kroc Center, which required our community to raise $25 million in private funds. Memphis is routinely cited as one of the most charitable cities in the United States.

My point is not about a hospital or a housing complex. It's not about a basketball team or a ballet. It's about our people. As their mayor, I simply cannot allow to pass without comment some of the things you have published about our city.

Your magazine mentioned "unemployment, taxes (both sales and income), commute times, violent crime and how its pro sports teams have fared... weather and Superfund pollution sites... [and] corruption based on convictions of public officials," as the factors for inclusion on your recent list of America's most miserable cities.

By your own criteria, there are far more cities on your list that have far higher unemployment and far longer commute times than Memphis. Most of them lack professional sports altogether. Violent crime in Memphis is declining steadily. There is a new era of transparency and ethical behavior in City Hall, due to a couple of executive orders that I drafted and signed when I took office last October. The sun shines here 230 days a year.

Memphis is not a miserable city, not by any definition, not by any metric.

Memphis is a city of joy. You can hear it coming up from our high school gymnasiums and football fields every Friday evening. You can hear it rocking on Beale Street late every Saturday night. You can hear it in our churches every Sunday morning.

Memphis is a city of innovation. The accomplishments of our past are outshone only by the brilliance of what's happening right now in our arts and business sectors. I'm sure at some point in your life you've enjoyed the music of Otis Redding or Al Green or B.B. King or Johnny Cash. Those artists and countless other achieved lasting, worldwide fame after getting started in Memphis. Brands like FedEx and AutoZone were born here and keep their world headquarters here; companies like International Paper and ServiceMaster have both relocated here in the past five years.

Memphis is a city of resilience. Floods, fire, pestilence, and poverty may have tested us, but they have never broken us. We are a city built on a bluff, positioned to withstand storms that other cities cannot. If the rates of unemployment, high school drop outs, and crime are to be our new battlegrounds, then we will join those fights, and we will prevail. For all of the problems you might show me, I can point to a legion of government agencies, non-profit organizations, churches, volunteer groups, and grassroots activists working together as one Memphis to find the solutions.

Maybe it's something in our water. Maybe it's something in our soil. I think it's something in our souls that makes us Memphians. We know who we are - and miserable is not part of the definition.

We know too that our city's song is not complete. It is being written every day, and it is sung by a chorus of hopeful, energetic voices that will resonate for generations.

Memphis is actually not my hometown. I was born and raised in a small town, about 240 miles east of Memphis. My wife and I made a deliberate choice to put our roots down here, make our careers here, and raise our children here about 40 years ago. I don't know if you've ever been to Memphis, but please accept this letter as my formal invitation to come visit us at your earliest convenience.

You'll have the time of your life, I promise you.

Best wishes,

A C Wharton, Jr.
Mayor, City of Memphis