Paul Ryburn's Journal

The space that was formerly Qahwa coffee shop, in the first floor of the Claridge House at N. Main and Adams, is now Donut Mane. “Coffee | Pastries | Melts” reads the sign in the window.

Friends of mine went on a tasting tour of Old Dominick distillery… for free. Normally $20, the tours are free through September 7.  Extended 901 Day promotion, I’m guessing. Tours begin every hour and tipping is appropriate.

RIP Dolly Parton. Slider Inn Downtown will do a tribute night for her Thursday, showing 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias. Free, kid-friendly, drink specials.

Memphis Art Museum, opening on Front Street in December, seeks to hire

• a business coordinator
• a food & beverage manager
• a production coordinator

Momma’s, “the diner & dive off 55” (at Crump and Kentucky), celebrates its 3rd birthday Saturday. Bobbie Stacks, Frankie Hollie & The Noise, DJ Tree, SUNWEIGHT, drink specials, raffle prizes.

Did you know there’s a piano you can play for free at Memphis Chess Club, even if you’re not a club member? Just ask the barista up front to turn the music down.

Random fact I learned from ask a question/answer a question website Quora: If you meet a veteran and want to say something more personal than merely thanking them for their service, ask what their MOS was. That’s the primary task they performed. Some examples of MOS would be flight instructor, cook, and auto mechanic.

Today is National Dog Day.

Hustle & Dough in the ARRIVE Hotel is hiring a full-time line cook.

The public is invited to experience an Encore Hour (happy hour) in the Orpheum’s elegant Broadway Club next Monday at 5:30.

Alley Dayz, featuring live music and shopping, happens today in Barboro Alley 5:30-7:30. Music by Preauxx and DJ Zetta.

Learn about beer at Flyway Brewing’s Brew School tonight 6:00-7:15. “Tuition” is $25 and gets you

• Beer 101 course
• Beer flight
• Brewery tour
• Brew School pint glass

Chris Mitchell: Begging for Sax Tour comes to the New Daisy Saturday.

Back soon with more news.

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Craving a bag of Golden Flake BBQ potato chips or a 20 oz. Mountain Dew at 2:37 in the morning? You can get them… if it’s Friday or Saturday. The convenience store at Second and Madison stays open until 3 on weekends. (12 on weekdays)

Yup that exists… National Parks coloring book

The most popular sandwich in every state

• AR: Turkey avocado
• MS: Club
• TN: Bologna

Bologna rather than BBQ… now that’s some baloney. Delaware wins the map with an ice cream sandwich.

Let’s look at college football games of interest – well, one – this Saturday:

• Memphis at UNLV, 9:00 PM, FOX

“Week 1” of college football continues through Labor Day weekend.

The Memphis Farmers Market will have a Farm Fest fundraiser 1:00-3:00 PM Sunday, September 27. Memphis chefs will prepare dishes using ingredients by MFM vendor. Sips by Old Dominick and Wiseacre. Early bird ticket pricing available through August.

Disco Detective, a 1970s soulful murder mystery, comes to the Halloran Centre Saturday.

Vince Gill comes to the Orpheum Saturday and Sunday.

Recess Reloaded happens at Mud Island Park Saturday 11-6.

Mechanical Bull Contest
Obstacle course
Rock Climbing
‍♂️ Slip and Slide Relay
Bubble Ball – Click to watch video
Sack Races
Giant Water Slides
️ Gladiator Jousting ⚔️ – Click to watch video

Live music, DJs, food trucks, drinks. 21 and up event.

CUSA, LLC seeks a front office manager. Downtown location.

Alcohol consumption among Americans is on a sustained decline, a new poll indicates. Not surprised to read that result. I’ve been told that business is down at the neighborhood bars – the ones that are still open.

For those who still drink, today is National Whiskey Sour Day.

You can now have your electronic messages delivered by digital carrier pigeon.

Back soon with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
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Last week there was a Facebook thread started by a business owner in the Madison/Main area. He complained about a nearby bar blasting its outdoor speakers, in a residential/retail area, louder than what is normally done by bars in the Beale entertainment district. He said they were playing lyrics like “YOU A FINE MOTHERFUCKER, WHY DON’T YOU COME OVER HERE AND BACK THAT ASS UP” at 8:30 PM, a time of day at which families were still on the street.

He suggested that, given the post-COVID drop in the number of people frequenting Downtown retail, behavior like this that drives even more people away should not be tolerated.

Now, I’m not here to deem the Main Street bar’s (I’ll abbreviate it MSB from here on out) behavior “right” or “wrong.” Rather, I want to get into the psychology of why MSB does what it does.

Let’s take a trip back in time…

The year was 2006. To my absolute shock, this blog was nominated for, and won, “Best Local Blog” in the annual Memphis Flyer poll. The term “influencer” didn’t exist yet, but I was seen as one. That led to some interesting offers coming my way.

Through a friend attending grad school in L.A. I was introduced to David DeAngelo, a coach for “PUAs” (pick-up artists). Basically, he taught guys what to say to women they met in nightclubs and bars. David offered to send me, free of charge, a recording of one of his seminars to review on this blog. I accepted.

The main point of everything David D taught was that bars and clubs are all one big status game. Demonstrate high status, high value, and you should do well with the ladies you meet.

The rest of David D’s course focused on ways to demonstrate high status, and I want to focus on one in particular:

Take up more space, more physical space, than the average person in the room.

Drape your arms across the back of the couch. Spread your feet apart. Use your body to send the nonverbal message that you’re as comfortable there as you would be in your own living room.

But, here’s my observation: “Take up a lot of space” can be applied to senses beyond visual/physical.

For example, take the guy who walks into the bar reeking of too much body spray (or marijuana). He’s fully aware that he stinks to the point of possibly offending people. But he doesn’t care. He’s taking up more than his fair share of the room in the olfactory sense. He’s projecting high status (or so he believes).

Consider a group of people across the room talking all at once and extremely loudly, so loudly that you can’t hear the conversation you’re having with your friend sitting 2 feet away. Those people are adults; they know what an “inside voice” is. They just choose not to use theirs. They take up a lot of space sound-wise. They’re projecting high status.

Of course, not everybody who goes out to bars cares about communicating high status. Many people go out to relax, meet their neighbors, and be comfortable being their true selves.

But there are enough status seekers to make it lucrative for bars in Memphis to appeal to that crowd. Especially Downtown. How many times have you seen bar customers FaceTime their friends to say, “look at us, we’re at a swanky bar Downtown”? They’re conveying status upon themselves.

Local bars – some of them, at least – want to attract that status-seeking crowd. It’s profitable to do so. That crowd spends a lot of disposable income (and likes to be seen doing so).

So the bars play the status game too.

They blast their music way louder than is appropriate in a residential neighborhood, taking up a lot of space in the noise-o-sphere.

They know, but don’t care, that the lyrics they play offend some of their neighbors and neighborhood visitors. They’re taking up a lot of space in the offensive-o-sphere.

They may as well hang a neon sign in the window that reads “Status Conveyed Here.”

That’s my take on what’s going on with MSB.

Back tomorrow with a long news post.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
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… with a long-form post on the state of the Downtown bar scene. Then on Tuesday the regular news posts’ll be back.

I’ll be in The Edge 4-9 Saturday for the tomato fest!

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Hey everyone. I received some news this morning that has me pretty shook up. Gonna need a couple of days to process it.

Not health-related.

Love you all.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Happy 80th, Bill Clinton.

The Mid-South Food Bank seeks a director of corporate and foundation giving.

Jasper Float Spa seeks a licensed massage therapist.

A Downtown professional organization seeks a polished, dependable administrative assistant.

StyleBlueprint looks at 6 new development projects.  Which one will find the success that Crosstown Concourse did?

Soul & Spirits has added a 7000 SF outdoor beer garden.

Comedian D.L. Hughley plays the Cannon Center Saturday night.

Also Saturday night, FreeWorld plays Slider Inn Downtown.

There will be Marvel cosplay and karaoke with NerdLife901 Saturday night at Club 152.

Memphis Filling Station will host a burlesque show Friday night. 7-10 PM, 21 and up.

I got third place in the Flying Saucer’s trivia league playoff last night, scoring a $30 gift card.  Congratulations to the teams that finished ahead of me.

Back soon with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

The Redbirds are back in town for a 6-game homestand vs. the Jacksonvillle Jumbo Shrimp tonight-Sunday. Notable promotions:

• Thur: 2000s night
• Fri: SpongeBob night
• Sat: Fireworks and Harry Potter night

Get ready to get ALL the maters at Memphis’ first Edgy Tomato Festival Saturday from 4 to 9 in The Edge. Mater-based dishes at neighborhood restaurants, mater-themed crafts for sale at a curated  vendor market, mater art contest, and more… It’s all about the maters, mane!

The Peabody celebrates Memphis Swim Week Friday night 7:00-10:30. Resort fashion show, luxury swim, red carpet, VIP cocktail hour.

Farmhouse Studio will have a Songwriter Night at South Main Sounds Saturday:

• 6 PM – Abby Frances and Steve Porter
• 7 PM – Dutch Van Der Pool and CK

Live music at A. Schwab on Beale Saturday night: (tickets)

Optic Sink, We Live on the New Madrid, Jenny Davis, and DJ Kitschy Kat all perform while Infinity Stairs provides live visuals.

It’s National Ice Cream Cake Day. Margie’s 901 can help with that.

Pink lemonade was invented at the circus.

Wish me luck, everyone! I made tonight’s playoff round for the Flying Saucer’s 10-week trivia league. As one-man team Professor Paul, I’m in 4th place with about two-thirds the points of league leaders Legal Drug Lords. Let’s hope for lots of questions about history, geography, and presidents, and NO MOVIES!!!

Back soon with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

One of the benefits of attending Sunday brunch at Bardog is that I have a bartender who loves 1970s disco as much as I do.

And this week he turned me on to the rarest thing: a disco album that flew under my radar all these years. It’s called Supernature and it’s by the French artist Cerrone.

FESJC result: Scottie wins by 8 shots

Leanne Morgan brings comedy to the Orpheum Friday-Sunday.

The Southern Lodging Summit will bring hospitality professionals to the Renasant Convention Center Tue-Wed.

Back soon with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

St. Louis Cardinal Joshua Baez, recently called up from the Memphis Redbirds, swatted 3 home runs out of Wrigley Field yesterday, becoming the first player to homer 3 times in his Major League Baseball debut.

Memphians are not surprised. On June 17, then-Redbird Baez racked up 4 HRs against Nashville. In 93 games played for Memphis, Baez had 32 home runs, 81 runs batted in, and 16 stolen bases. This kid is one to watch, for sure.

Who remembers River Time Deli on Court Square? Pam is sharing her famous chicken chili recipe. PayPal her $1.00 and include your email address or indicate in the message box where to send the recipe card. Coming soon: cornbread recipe

The Green Beetle has a new GM, Meredith, a veteran of the Downtown restaurant and bar scene. Stop by and wish her well in her new role.

The South Main Association has its monthly social Tuesday at Memphis Filling Station. SMA members get 10% off full menu of pizzas, calzones, snacks, beer, and Memphis Whistle-inspired seltzers.

It’s National Rum Day.

I’m going to go cherish this Sunday without NFL football. Back soon with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

The Pinch District is officially dead: Westy’s closes today

From History Facts: Why is Oklahoma shaped like that?

A judge has denied dismissal of the criminal indictment against Tami Sawyer.

There’s a South Main pool party with DJ Katie Loopz this afternoon at The Rambler, 400 S. Main. $50

South Main stopped waiting for the last Friday of the month

Blue Christmas: There will be an Elvis-themed DJ set 6-9 tonight at Bar Hustle inside the ARRIVE Hotel.

There’s Jazz in the Cavern at Irish pub The Brass Door tonight 7:30-9:30 featuring Memphis native / Nashville pianist Eli Ibrahim. $30

Save the date: Create your own Tom Lee kerosene lantern at Beale Street Landing on Saturday, Sept. 12. You’ll be able to show off your lantern at the annual Tom Lee parade on October 3.

Back soon with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com