"The Man Who Lives Here is Looney"
You know you’ve seen or heard that some place, but where or when was it? You’ve probably known someone who fit the description, but that’s not it. If you’ve walked around Market Square and you’ve looked...
Knoxville Busking Militarized! Martial Law Declared pending Bill and Jake vs. City of Knoxville Outcome!
As I walked through Market Square on my way to the recycle center, I passed these guys and did a double take. They didn’t look like any buskers I’d seen there before. The group played a...
Take another little piece of my art, now baby!
Well, public art is a controversial topic in a number of ways. Who should pay for it? Should public funding be used? How should it be selected? Whose are and which topics are worthy of display...
"Too Much, the Magic Bus"
In the 1950’s and 1960’s Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys toured the country in a bus proudly sporting the name of their sponsor, Martha White Flour. I remember listening to them...
So the city has trash, big deal! Can I recycle?
Go ahead, raise your hands. How many of you would move to downtown Knoxville if you were certain you could recycle? OK, so maybe it isn’t quite a poll worthy question, but it seemed like a...
"You’re the Missing Piece"
What’s missing? What should we have? It’s a favorite discussion of the residents downtown. “Somebody ought to . . .” The ending of the sentence is completed any number of ways. Grocery stores will have to...
"You Will Wind Up Peaking Through Her Keyhole Down upon Your Knees"
The Entrance to Black Market is Prepared Before Opening Often that’s the case. We’re so interested in the next new thing to open downtown that we strain to see through cracks in the windows or doorways...
If Dogs Run Free
Summit Hill/Central Avenue Entrance to the Downtown Dog Park One of the things you might wonder about living downtown is how in the world anyone could have a dog without a big suburban yard for them...
"Way Down South They Gave a Jubilee"
The Bijou Theater celebrated its annual Jubilee with the Emmylou Harris concert that I blogged about earlier, as well as a series of tours and workshops the following afternoon. The festivities concluded with a rare performance...
Does Size Really Matter After All?
It’s easy to walk around the downtown streets and start to feel a little inferior. I know there will always be people who are cooler than me. I know there will be people who have more...
"Graffiti the world, I saw the writing on the wall"
I suspect Knoxville is pretty good or bad, depending on your feelings about graffiti, compared to other cities. I remember the great cover for Bob Dylan’s “Oh Mercy” that featured a graffiti artist he came across in New...
"I’m Working on a Building, Oh My Lord"
Construction is as much a part of every day life in downtown Knoxville as the hope of successfully navigating the never-yielding traffic at cross-walks. Sometimes the construction is exciting, as we anticipate the restoration of a...
"I hate to see that evening sun go down"
It’s those late afternoon dusk-into-evening walks that get me into trouble. I think I’m about one thing, but as Taylor the Rose Guy and Elder Beat Master would say, it’s not what I think I’m about it’s...
End of the Month Details
Well, I made it through a month. There are a few things worth noting and wrapping up as we move into July. The first poll asked whether Sundown in the City should continue. The final numbers revealed...