Last Minute Rossini

I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for over a month, yet I haven’t had time to compose a simple two minute blog entry to support Knoxville’s favorite street fair. Damn work, damn it to hell.


We talk about the same things each year: drinking in the streets, eating Italian sausages in the streets, going from bar to bar, causing a scene in the streets, and more drinking throughout the night. Guess what, it will be the same again this year. Sure, we’ll check out the vendors, we’ll run into friends we haven’t seen in a while, and possibly watch the live performances, but make no mistake – we’re there to drink and have a good time.

The weather forecast is 50-50 for rain. Big deal. I’ve been there on rainy days, scorching hot days and wintery cold-as-a-mf days. The weather hasn’t impacted my enjoyment one bit. Having the trifecta by mid-afternoon will make any occasion a good time. Cheers to another fun day downtown Knoxville!

In Which I Rail About the Weather

Well you little son of a bitch, what's it going to be? Hmm? Do we get a timely and much needed Spring or will this miserable wet weather never end?

Half the country is buried under record snowfalls, but many of the lucky ones in those otherwise deadly urban traps will walk to local bars, and the rest of them should know to have ample stores of hooch at home. Keep the faith, folks.

For the last few weeks, we've bundled and medicated all in order to consume whiskey and drink as many strong beers as possible. Regardless of what the rat does in Pennsylvania tomorrow, this weekend is the Super Bowl, so we can all eat well then laugh at the expensive commercials. It's a sign of hipness and a badge of honor to show up Monday at work and still slightly reek. It's in the national character.

Once that holy of holy days is in the books however, yours truly is ready for warmer weather. St. Patrick's Day will loom large, as it always does in Knoxville(seriously, check out the Old City and Downtown that afternoon, you'll be surprised in the participation). Then come April, it's time for the fantastic street festival affectionately known as the Rossini Festival. Mackey has elaborated on that happy-as-shit fun time in previous entries, so maybe I will spell him and write this year's account. In the meantime, I'll continue to freeze my ass off...and pay attention to that gopher lookin' prick.

Weekend (Drinking) Options

Pork Knox Q Fest – Has anyone heard about this BBQ competition at World’s Fair Park this weekend? (Note - this is the worst event name I've ever heard, just saying) I just saw them setting up yesterday and was immediately interested. Their website has all the details of this first-time event, although I thought we’ve had a couple of other Knoxville BBQ competitions over the years. I guess this is first one sponsored by the Disability Resource Center so that explains it. I’m sure it’s supporting a good cause so good luck to them and hopefully it will grow into a popular event.

The thing I’ve noticed about most BBQ contests is that you don’t usually have the opportunity to taste competition BBQ unless you’re on a team. Visitors are left to purchase food items from “outside” vendors who may or may not have high quality products, so it’s kind of a crap shoot. I understand that the teams cannot provide enough food for every guest but it has always been sad to know there is much better food available only a few feet away but it’s off limits. Oh well, my 2 cents. And most importantly I looked at the fair site and the website and did NOT see beer vendors set up so I hope that changes soon. You’ve got to have cold beer with some ‘que – no one denies this!

Rossini Festival – Ah yes, drinking in the streets. Rain or shine this will be the highlight of my weekend. We’ve talked about this event for years and we think it is one of the best outdoor events in Knoxville. Always fun and subject to bizarre behavior, you can always count on something noteworthy happening. Like the year I was kicked out of KRTI’s apartment for “touching his baseball glove”, or catching a glimpse of young, male adults having a caricature drawn of themselves, or drunken hookups/breakups, or being incoherently drunk by 5 PM but staying out ‘til 11 PM with 6+ hours of stories that you have to piece together via secondhand drunken accounts and pocket forensics. Plus the street vendors will have tasty Italian sausages. Ooof, I see a Sunday hangover in my future.

Latitude 35 Grand Opening – Word is that they will open Friday, 4/23. Despite the rainy weather this is a great opening weekend for them with lots of activity downtown to draw a crowd to the newest bar & restaurant on Market Square. I’m sure it will be mayhem while they get their act together during the grand opening but we’ll have plenty of opportunities to sample and review their place soon enough so expect updates within the next few weeks.

Enjoy the weekend folks, cheers!

Rossini Festival Pics

It was a hot, windy day at 2009 Rossini Festival



The real reason we love Rossini Fest so damn much

The Rossini Fest mascot refused to have a beer with me!!

Later at Preservation Pub

No photographic evidence, but the Italian sausages and sandwiches were great too

Rossini Time

The day has arrived, Knoxville’s finest street festival is here and it is going to be a gorgeous, hot day. An early walk through downtown revealed vendors scurrying to set up their booths and prepare for thousands of visitors. We’re in for the long haul today and will set up HQ at the urban bunker of King Randall The Insufferable - let’s hope we’re not banished from the castle mid-afternoon as we were last year. The plan today involves eating and drinking, and lots of it. I’m sure we’ll make a disaster of our group outing as usual but hopefully we can put together a recap of events by Monday, we’ll see. Salute!

Mixed Bag

Hey drunks! Although we’re mighty glad to have Scarlett back on the scene I thought we may want to do at least one update this week, so I’ve put together a mixed bag of random topics. We’ve got Knoxville events, drinking and music but not necessarily in that order. Let’s get straight to it. Allez!!

The Party Bike

This is pretty damn cool but I don't think we could get away with something like this in the US, much less Knoxville. While scavenging Google for images to rip off for another blog post I found this

(from original post)
Definitely the best thing I’ve ever seen to work off a beer belly. This is basically a party bike. It has four wheels and is powered entirely by foot power. Everyone has a seat around this bar, and each seat has its own set of pedals. The bartender in the middle of the bar steers, because he’s sober, but all the people drinking around the sides add power to the vehicle.

What a surprise, another fun idea from the Dutch. This picture is from several years ago so some of you may have seen or been on one of these. I think this would be serious fun. I can envision using this on UT game days, drinking and pedaling around town, enjoying some nice weather. Yeah right, with our drunken bunch we’d be too hammered after a few rounds of tailgating stops. I bet the damn thing would wind up a trash heap left on the side of the road. Just being realistic.

Looking Ahead

Spring is here and some favorite local events are just around the corner. I haven’t been a huge fan of Sundown in the City for the past few years due to excessive lines for ID checks, beer tickets and beer itself, not to mention the event has outgrown Market Square and the regrettable trend of drop-off daycare for teenagers. Whatever, I still like having the event downtown and manage to drop by for at least a couple of shows. Then continue to the bar.

Here is the Sundown schedule, from Metro Pulse

April 9 -- Arrested Development with special guest
April 16 -- Cowboy Mouth with Phil Pollard & Band of Humans
April 23 -- Karl Denson's Tiny Universe with Brent Thompson & His Wandering
April 30 -- Big Head Todd & the Monsters with Joan Jones
May 7 -- Local night featuring Royal Bangs, Same As It Ever Was, and Tenderhooks
May 14 -- Gavin Rossdale with Vertigo
May 21 -- Grupo Fantasma and The Belleville Outfit
May 28 -- Dave Barnes with Jonathan Sexton & The Big Love Choir
June 4 -- Shooter Jennings with 1220
June 11 -- Grace Potter & the Nocturnals with special guest
June 18 -- The Wailers performing the classic reggae album Exodus in its entirety with special guest Toubab Krewe
June 25 -- Jamey Johnson with Brendon James Wright & The Wrongs

UT Orange and White Game

Saturday, April 18 at 3 PM

Hey I know it’s just a damn scrimmage game but this is a new era. Usually I skip this nonsense but you can bet your ass that I’ll be attending this year. As fans we could use the practice too – start front loading well ahead of game time, gather with friends, talk your shit, go to the bars afterward, etc.

Rossini Festival Street Fair - Knoxville Opera
http://rossinifestival.org/

Saturday, April 25 12:00 - 9 PM.

Now we’re talking! Let’s see, block off a couple of streets downtown, sell wine, beer, Italian sausages and other foods, add music, performing arts, crafts, hopefully good weather – all within close proximity of restaurants and bars selling more food and drink. Yep, sounds good to me.

Music

From The Smoking Section comes one of my favorite new finds. Forgive me if I’m years behind the rest of you slackers but I’ve never heard of Lou Draws until now. Fucking. Funny. Here he is singing Youngest MILF, very Bobby Brown. I had a hard time deciding to go with that one over "Juicealicious" or "Sweatpants and Birkenstocks" (wait for the Frito-smelling shoes comment near the end, a la Oran Juice Jones back in the day), so if you have time to kill I suggest going to YouTube for these gems.


Oh, This

From one of those forwarded emails, something about if you're ever at a company party with a 1 drink limit...









And just because it's out there

Thank you Lindsay

Rossini Festival

Rossini Fest was held last weekend and as usual it was a blast. Since I accidentally discovered it a few years ago it has become an annual excuse to get plastered and stumble around the streets of downtown Knoxville. Opera, music, artists, yeah, yeah, yeah - point me to the beer and wine vendors! Now we're talking. That other stuff is all well and good but does anybody think it would be so successful without alcohol? Exactly.

A brief recap of the day:

Begin by front loading with Lord von Lord at my place. Walk downtown and notice bums taking bath in fountain at World's Fair Park. Stop at food vendor for delicious Italian sausage with marinara sauce. Meet King Randall the Insufferable downtown for drinks. It's KRTI's birthday - shots for everybody!

We're off to a good start. Continue drinking before heading to the streets for more drinks. Already feeling good and the trash talk is flowing. Have some wine and see someone I know in a compromising situation. Snap picture for evidence: 2 college guys having a caricature done - appalling! After we're done horse-laughing we continue to roam the street and decide to go to KRTI's for some reason, probably more drinks. First cigars for KRTI and LVL. Then on to the penthouse. Oh hell no, SCOTCH!!

Things just got worse from there. KRTI kicks us back out to the streets, apparently he had enough for the day - by 6:00. Have second Italian sausage of day. It is getting cooler and I head home for wardrobe change and return downtown for 2nd act. By this point we're crocked and meet up with the rest of the group to continue drinking.

Things get fuzzy at this point, but we did manage a full 12 hour drinking day and had tons of laughs throughout it all. Looking forward to doing it again next year.