"Jesus takes away bad dreams"

This seems to be popping up around town. Anyone have an idea where it started or who is behind it?

This one was found on Gay Street (can I still say that?) and one of our own had a note with the same message left on their door one night. I've seen it in the form of graffiti, notes, and pieces of paper on stuff.

Thoughts? Questions? Theological ponderings?

What the crap is this!?

Has anyone seen the crazy graffiti on the fireproof storage building in the Old City? I saw it evolve into its current state a few months back and every time I look at it I honestly get a little creeped out.

I mean... kudos to the artist because there is a lot of detail in there and I'm sure it took a long time. This is definitely one of the most elaborate graffiti pieces that I've seen in town.




Anyone care to take ownership?


For some reason the centerpiece kind of (emphasis on KIND OF!) reminded me of this childhood favorite from Zelda: Link's Awakening on GameBoy... Don't ask why.

Downtown view

Nice light after a short rain shower downtown.

Scenes from Rhythm and Blooms

I took my girlfriend, KTG, out for her birthday to the Rhythm and Blooms Festival. We took in an intimate show with Greg Horne at Remedy and a relaxing one with the Black Lilies at the Knoxville Botanical Garden.

I will now take the liberty to say that the Knoxville Botanical Garden is HANDS DOWN the best outdoor concert venue in Knoxville. With the sunset, great music, a good person by your side and of course beer and BBQ it's like seeing a show in the colorful and magical Tennessee Theatre but OUTSIDE. You can't feel the breeze inside now can you?

Ok enough jabber. Here's the take on the weekend.

The Night Owl Cafe

After your First Friday festivities are through stop by the Night Owl Cafe for a bite to eat and some sort of hot beverage to warm up those fingers.

I stopped by for the first time last night with my girlfriend and got a burger. We got "the burg" which consisted of fried onion, gouda, arugula, grass fed beef and mustard on a home made roll. Mmmmmmmmm. I made a point to tell the people working there that it was the best dang burger I had in a long time. Oh and it comes with home made waffle chips. I left wanting more. That is coming from a guy who won't allow himself to buy a bag of potato chips because he'll eat the whole thing.



From what I was told, the drinking vessels are all hand made by the chef. I like the homey / non-sterile-restaurant-supply-store feel to the mugs. Even the water was really good. They must filter it or something. Or Old City tap water is just that good.

The pricing was a little high for a daily routine for me, but you get what you pay for and it is worth every penny. You are getting freshly prepared everything (for the most part, but not the mustard) and in good sized proportions. I mean, look at the size of that burger people.

Before we left, my significant other bought curried split pea soup and rosemary potato bread for lunch today. Score more delicious points for the Night Owl. We plan on going back soon to try the other stuff.



Now The Pol's turn.

Unbeknownst to either of us Max and I both went to Night Owl at different times yesterday. I’ll echo his sentiments on the feel, very comfortable, homey, and welcoming. Now for the important part.

I had the Shitake sandwich. It was a joyous vegetable and bacon combo on great bread that provided a light, but satisfying end to a night that started with bowling alley nachos. Mrs. The Pol ordered the Butternut Squash Hummus which came with some sort of homemade focaccia bread that was great, though a touch oily. What struck me though was the quality of the offerings. There is a Fennel and Orange salad that comes with either shrimp or… wait for it… Pork Belly. It’s great that a low key grab and go would offer gastronomic delicacies like this without all of the fuss of a sit down dinner.

I’ll definitely be back and I recommend everyone swing by this evening. Tell them the Wigshop recommended it.

Night Owl is located on Central Ave. near Crown and Goose. Think former Pasta Trio location. Night Owl roosts in half of it.

Bricks!

I saw this circle-o-bricks while hiking at Ijams on Valentine's Day with my sweetheart and my dog. I have been to Meads Quarry at Ijams several times but have never noticed these bricks. I wonder what they are / why are they there? You can see them on the quarry loop trail near the owl themed water tower. And if you haven't been hiking on a brisk winter day, I strongly suggest it. Downed leaves and crisp winter air provide some nice clear views this time of year.

convenient fish bait

I saw this little gem in Fountain City the other day. It is right next to the new Super Kroger.

I have never imagined a fish bait vending machine before, but if I did it would look a lot like this one. I think the prices were around $3 for each type. Sadly the store is closed and is likely to never open again. See below. I'm sure he's just out fishin'.

Pubby Buddy

Just wanted to say that Pres Pub is now offering the "Pubby Buddy."

Before you get your shorts in a wad, this isn't some random guy to come shoot the breeze with you during your first 1.5 beverages at your favorite local pub. The Pubby Buddy is a whiskey (or whisky) shot and a PBR for $5! Pint night look out!

Ola!

Saw this on the way home from work today. I'm assuming the rest of it will say "Coca-C" at some point. I'm so happy they are repainting this! I was just mentioning to my girlfriend the other day that I wish they would repaint those things. Wish granted.



This is at the corner of Central and Broadway.

A love letter to Barley's

Some of you may have noticed a few changes being made at Barley's in recent weeks. A new bar is going into place on the ground floor, the upstairs is being renovated and is currently closed, the patio will (from what I've heard) be covered and more seating will be made available as a result of the redesign. Kudos to Barley's on this....



But what about our beloved Trolley? The pint night hostess told me last night that it will disappear when the renovations are finished. Why oh why!? I'll be the first to admit, I have been going to Barley's for several years now and only recently noticed that the downstairs bar is a trolley. After this revelation however, my beloved Monday and Tuesday (and sometimes Wednesday and Friday) hangout spot became even more special to me. I love to think that my IPA addiction is fed by a Trolley. The Trolley.

So Barley's, what is it? What will you do with the Trolley? After talking to several people about its imminent disappearance, they either A) didn't realize it was a trolley, but when they did instantly loved it or B) were shocked and saddened by the news.

I would like to suggest something... If it is indeed going to be firewood in a couple of weeks, why not just auction the thing off for a worthy cause? I'd pay good money for one of those windows with the beer listing chalked on it. Seriously, dibs on the IPA listing.

For now, I suggest enjoying a pint or three while gazing longingly into the mirrored windows behind the bar. I look forward to a new improved Barley's experience but with a little bittersweet feeling as I will miss a component that gave the place a lot of character.

Cheers.

max.

explosions in the sky

Just in case some of you have forgotten what Boomsday looked like Sunday night, here it is. Sorry for ze delay.

























































Huckleberry paid us a visit, too.

Party Time~!

Saw this in SoKno behind Underdogs. Love it.

Not sure about the use of the preposition "for" though. Grammatically speaking, not theologically.

Suggestions?

As a proud native East Tennessean and someone who attended Sundown in high school, I have to say the series is a great part of downtown. I hate that people don't patronize the local joints. If they do, sometimes they don't tip well or at all. It is frustrating. I have close friends who work down there and I hear about it. I also hate that Market Square is covered with trash every Thursday night. But that comes with any public event: Christmas parades, football, 4th of July festivities, etc. People litter. People can be cheap. Period.

I wonder if there is some way to create more awareness about those two things without calling people names, stereotyping them, or sending them away. That approach, as you may have seen in our comments section, is not healthy. Nor do I like it at all. The people that attend Sundown are eclectic and I feel like they represent a cross-section of the community in which we all live. The more the merrier.

I liked those "Don't throw down on K-town" stickers that surfaced a couple of years ago. I wonder if there could be some "Don't throw down on Sundown" kind of campaign that would make people aware that if they are being served it is customary to tip. Don't throw down on our servers, etc. Be good patrons y'all. Another part would encourage people to keep each other accountable for picking up their trash. There are a gazillion trash and recycling bins around the square. It isn't that hard to pick up your stuff (if you even sat it down in the first place) and put it in the proper bin. Be good citizens y'all.

respectfully.

MAX.

Just use your imagination

I pass Ft. Sanders Regional Medical Center on a daily/nightly basis. I have always thought that it looks like....




Forgive the poor photo quality. The best angle is from the interstate and you can't really stop and snap a photo out there.

Just use your imagination.

The Apocalypse

I was hunting lightning strikes last night during the storm that rolled through. These two are slightly underexposed.













Huckleberry will make things OK.









My exposure settings were still locked in from the storm photos. This is what happens when you try it in the apartment. Audrey took this btdubs.

I'm sure you've noticed

It looks like our good friend Blue Steel has some competition.
Guess they finally decided to bust out the big guns.

photo by max

Tennessee Valley Bicycles (moving)

Your friendly downtown bike shop Tennessee Valley Bicycles at 214 W. Magnolia is moving! Don't worry. They're only scooting over a unit or two to a bigger space. If you haven't had the chance to stop by and check the place out, go on down and meet Scott Smith. Basically he's the man in charge and will take care of your bike needs. If you don't know where it is, remember Marie's Olde Towne Tavern? Same block.

The new digs.




I stopped by last Friday to buy a lock because my old bike was stolen. That's a whole other story. Scott mentioned that they are moving and handed me a flier for what looks to be a fun weekend of bikes and skinned knees. Just kidding.

Their Grand Opening party takes place May 1-3. Here's the rundown.

May 1 : Music, art and drinks. It says 5pm to whenever. Bar tips go to AMBC-SORBA. Musical guests include Steve Greene, I Need Sleep, and Three Man Band. Artists include Sarah Shebaro and Eric Lee.

May 2 : Bicycle photo scavenger hunt: 2-6pm, meet at TVB. Woohoo!

May 3 : Kona bike demo at Haw Ridge: 10am, meet in the parking lot.

Or you could just read the flier at the top of the post.

The new space is bigger and will have more bikes, more gear and a big garage door that opens the front of the store to the street. After driving by Sunday I noticed that the old place had already been cleaned out and the new one was in the process of being stocked. Bicycles for all ya'll!

This is the old space.

Beth Meadows - Featured Artist at the Tomato Head

My dear artist friend Beth Meadows is a lovely soul and is now showing in downtown Knoxville. You can see for yourself some of her work at the Tomato Head on Market Square from now until May 2 in a show titled "The Sound of a Train at Night: Paintings and Prints by Beth Meadows." After that her work will magically transcend from downtown Knoxville and alight on the Tomato Head in Maryville from May 3 - June 7.

The show went up this past Saturday at TomHead HQ so I stopped in to check it out. Despite the fact that it is a sit down joint, the Tomato Head is a great place to view art. While savoring your Kepner Melt you can get a taste of something even better and you don't have to eat it (and it's free)! Beth's work, based on memories from childhood, will evoke memories of your own as it takes you through dark lit streets with power lines hanging overhead or into an empty living room set aglow by the light of a television set.

Whatever your taste demands, Beth's show is worth checking out. See my personal favorite between the windows on the right wall in a small frame. Stop in, grab a bite and enjoy one of Knoxville's best kept secrets.


UPDATE: Beth also has work hanging at Blackbird Coffeehouse in Sequoyah Hills. Check it out: http://www.blackbirdcoffeehouse.blogspot.com/

Dogwood Arts Festival

The Dogwood Arts Festival has already kicked - off in Knoxville, but here is a quick rundown of what is going on around town according to their website www.dogwoodarts.com

April 3 (Tonight!):

-Bela Fleck and the Africa Project are taking stage at the Tennessee Theatre. Banjo master Bela, Toumani Diabate, D'Gary of Madagascar, Vusi Mahlasela and Anania Ngoliga will perform songs from the documentary "Throw Down Your Heart. I've seen the documentary and without too much fanfare, you need to go see them perform. You will be moved. $30 and $40 plus fees. 8pm.

- Comedian Louis C.K. takes the stage at the Bijou for a raucous evening of laughter. $31. 8pm show.

- Artists Joe Parrott and Brad Bittle are presenting at Hanson Gallery tonight. Parrott has street scenes of Knoxville and Charleston.

April 3, 10, 17, 24: Uniquely Friday takes place at the Knoxville Visitor's Center and showcases local artists, attractions, events or performers. Sounds like a good time.

April 3-18: Photographer Hei Park presents black and white photographs at the Three Flights Up gallery. I'm going.

April 4 : Matt Wertz @ Square Room. Great songwriter and performer. The ladies will like him. If you haven't seen a show at the Square Room I suggest going. It is intimate and you can drink beer, coffee, whatever. I suggest an Uptown Burger from Cafe 4 before hand. $12 advance. $15 at door. 8pm.

That is just a quick rundown of things that caught my eye for this weekend. I don't know if tickets are still on sale, but Anthony Bourdain is speaking at the Tennessee Theatre April 4. I enjoy his show, No Reservations on the Travel Channel. Don't go hungry because he'll probably talk about food.

The photos above and below are sculptures in Krutch Park downtown. They went up this week and should be admired while you are downtown.

Vetiver @ Square Room

Vetiver played the Square Room Monday night to a small crowd of about 50 folks. I might be over estimating the numbers here, but it was something like that. I suspect that this is due to the fact that the world is on Spring Break and Market Square isn't exactly a destination for typical beach goers. Despite the fact that I felt bad for them having to play for such a small group, it was intimate and they put on a fantastic show.  Having never experienced the venue before, the room sounded great and they played my favorite song "Been So Long." According to one 4 Market Square insider, the band members were really friendly and even introduced themselves to staff.  This just in: they're just a bunch of dudes who like to play music. 

Lead man Andy Cabic mentioned getting lost 100 miles in wrong direction due to an iPhone map mistake. They were traveling from Birmingham to Knoxville but somehow ended up in Murfreesboro which is a little bit off in terms of direction. I won't blame them though. 

Here's to them coming back for another round.