First taste of Memphis

A friend and I are headed to Memphis to see Tom Waits in about a week and a half. I'm thinking of giving Little Pigs a try, unless someone has a better recommendation?

Send some samples to Texas! This should be my post # 100!

Cool. Thanks guys. We'll probably in town the better part of 2 days. Maybe enough time to hit a few, heh heh.

Steve.....we have a ton of que places here. Those that I've been to and can give my personal recommendation are:

• Rendezvous in downtown Memphis....good stuff, good experience but maybe a bit overrated
• Neely's Interstate BBQ on 3rd Street.....this is your typical bbq joint. They actually do a BBQ spaghetti which is "different" but it's not for everybody. One other thing, it's what I consider a "daytime only" place. Not the best part of town at night. Lots of business types go there for lunch though, including me.
• Pig and Whistle out East on Winchester Rd serves some good stuff
• The Commissary in Germantown serves some pretty good stuff too and they have some simple but awesome desserts.

Sometimes, I'll even send sauce from these places for the Trading Post sauce trades that we do. Of course, I've been to others but they're chain type places and I've had different experiences when I go there....Corky's, Smokey Bones, Colemans, Top's, Leonard's (decent buffet here).

If you're into catfish, there's a couple of places I can recommend too. Most of them are down in MS though but that's ok, we're right across the border from Memphis. Ben's Place would be closest but I haven't been there in a while. Olive Branch Catfish Company is nothing fancy, but really good food. The Chatterbox has to be my favorite though. A little cabin on a pond....good country atmosphere. But it's only open Thurs-Sun 4-11P and it's a good little drive from Memphis.

Let me know when you're gonna be in town and we'll see if we can together for a drink or something.

Richie,

Thanks for the reviews and the invitation. At the moment, I think we're planning to get in next Thurs. evening. Scour the town, eat 'cue Fri, show Fri night, sightseeing and more BBQ eating Sat. probably head back to St. Louis Sat. afternoon/evening. Nothing but the showtime is set, however.

A Taste of Waits

Well, barbecue in Memphis didn't work out this weekend. Next time, better planning, on my part. A change in arrival time caused me to miss lunch with Richie. I will be back. Saturday, a drive to Little Pigs BBQ uncovered that the store was now a Quizno's. My bud, Bob and I found Topp's BBQ. We had a couple of decent pulled pork sandwiches and headed back to St. Louis.

But the concert...THAT was impressive! A fan for several years, I'd hoped to one day see Tom Waits in concert. My wish came true Friday evening. I was not disappointed.

Memphis setlist - Orpheum Theatre, August 4
(thanks to http://eyeballkid.blogspot.com/)

Singapore
Make it Rain
Hoist That Rag
Shore Leave
Ain’t Going to the Well
Yesterday is Here
God’s Away on Business
Til’ the Money Runs Out
219 (My Baby’s Leaving on the)
Dead and Lovely
Tango Till They’re Sore
House Where Nobody Lives
The Ocean Doesn’t Want Me (Bobby Darin Remix)
Invitation to the Blues
Whistling Past the Graveyard
Heart Attack and Vine (with Spoonful by Willy Dixon)
Shake It
It Rains on Me (the Chuck E. Weiss song)
Circus
Trampled Rose
Get Behind the Mule
Murder in the Red Barn
Going out West
Encore:

Day after Tomorrow
Sins of the Father

Excellent photos from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
http://lpe.accessatlanta.com/galler...tomwaits/?cxntlid=aa-hp-rtr?cxntlid=aa-hp-rtr

The Orpheum is a world class venue. The sound was incredible and our 8th row seats were a stroke of good fortune. Tom Waits' vocal gruffness, these days, surrenders to more of a bark on occasion. Like many singers, however, he seemed to get more of his voice as the show progressed. Joking with the locals, he claimed to be disappointed in Memphis, for taking 20 minutes to sell-out the show. Fortunately, he told us he'd give them another chance to do better. Keep your fingers crossed.

An incredible band joined him for the two and a half hour set. Featuring his son, Casey Waits (drums), Duke Robillard (guitar), Larry Taylor (upright bass) and Bent Clausen (vibraphone, keyboards, banjo, and percussion). Tom did sit at the grand piano for a few numbers, but mostly gyrated about while holding his own on electric or acoustic guitars, and of course, a megaphone.

Tom Waits is not on everyone's jukebox, but those who've acquired the taste and were able to score the precious few tickets left the theatre with ear-to-ear grins and memories for a lifetime.

Glad you had a good time, Steve. Let me know when ya'll come back and we'll try to get together then. By the way, here's a little bit of information about the Orpheum that not everybody knows about.

http://www.prairieghosts.com/orpheum.html

Have a good one!

That Just Gave Me The Farken Chills

Didn't see her. I guess Mary either enjoyed the show quietly or went out for a night on the town. We'll get together next time.