Indelible Marks

I still remember the conversation I had with my mother after I got my first tattoo. It went a little something like this: Me: So, I need to tell you something. Mom: What happened? Me: Nothing happened. I got a tattoo. Mom: WHAT?! Me: I said, I— Mom: WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!! Me: I just wan— Mom: THAT’S JUST STUPID! You know those things never come off! Me: Yes. I know, but— Mom: So, now you drink beer AND have a tattoo?! Well, you’re just white trash!

StoriesGabe HartSeptember 2, 2016Jackson TN, Tennessee, Gabe Hart, tattoo, artist, art, arts, Chad Newsom, Legendary Ink, Budo Tattoo, Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach Tattoo Festival, England, London, Europe, travel, France, Chattanooga TN, local, local business, Best of 2016

Drinks, Dogs, & Dreams

Entrepreneurs are sometimes the kind of people who come up with an idea and ruthlessly execute it. Others stumble into businesses ownership when their hobbies or passions lead them down a winding path of challenges and unexpected joys. Walt and Michelle James, the new owners of the Downtown Tavern, fall into the latter category. They are a pair of charitable entrepreneurs who were flung into the revitalization of downtown Jackson.

A Bar Crawl Through Downtown Jackson

A few years ago I was talking to a friend of mine who lives in Denver about her plans for the evening. She told me she was going on a bicycle pub crawl. I had no idea what she was talking about. She explained that she and a group of her friends would rent bicycles and ride around downtown Denver and visit the local pubs and bars in the area. The idea was to have one drink at each location and then move on to the next place via bicycle.

Reviews, GuidesGabe HartAugust 5, 2016Jackson TN, Tennessee, bar, alcohol, pub, local, local restaurant, local business, business, downtown Jackson, JDDC, Jackson Downtown Development Coorporation, Gabe Hart, Josh Garcia, Grubb's Grocery, Jackson Walk, Rock'n Dough Pizza and Brew Co., Fleet Street Pub, Downtown Tavern, music, local music, Miss Ollie's, Caitlin Dhillon, Bell's Oberon, North Highland Avenue, patio, Thirsty Thursdays, Blue Moon, pizza, 2 Hops Shakur, Lewis Silvers, Moscow Mule, Tito's Vodka, whiskey, vodka, Buffalo Trace, Old Fashioned, Angostura, trivia, Charlie Bulldog's, English, British, Wendy Graham, pale ale, Annie Tennyson, The AMP, cocktail, Erin Rose, Pokémon GO, Jeremy Dyer, bourbon, Louisiana Dr. Pepepr, Louisiana Dr. Pepper, Southern Comfort, amaretto, Blair & Madison, Christian Lee Hutson, The Bones of J.R. Jones, Brandon Clifton, Dylan Evans, The Kernal, Death by Chocolatini, Woodstock Bake Shop, #OurJacksonTable, Best of 2016

Transcending Today

I still remember my last day of high school. I remember leaving the parking lot and listening to the Dave Matthews song “Number 41,” and I still remember the lyrics that were blaring from the speakers of my Nissan Maxima. “I will go in this way, and I’ll find my own way out. . . .” They seemed poignant at the time, though I’m not sure in what way exactly. As a matter of fact, I’m not really sure that I even liked Dave Matthews. I think I wanted to like Dave Matthews because all my friends liked Dave Matthews.

EssaysGabe HartMay 11, 2016Jackson TN, Tennessee, JCM, Jackson Central-Merry High School, Jackson-Madison County School System, Gabe Hart, education, athletics, sports, high school, school, Vision 2020, Dave Matthews, Allen Avenue, Vision2020, teaching, teacher, students, school system, job, Libert, Southside High School, South Side High School, Early College High School, integration, diversity, African American, African-American Merry High School, Jackson High School, Artis Hicks, athlete, Ed Jones, Ben Howard, Al Wilson, basketball, 5A State Championship, Oman Arena, Wesley Barlow, North Side High School, Nancy Petit, Wanda Taylor, Donna Tosh, Russ Pflasterer, O’Neal Henley, Johnny Williams, Johnny Reynolds, Tommy Allen, Tom Cobb, football, coach, Ricky Collins, Germantown TN, Jim Hardegree, Frank Shelton, Bobby Jelks, Jon Frye, Joe Davis, Willie Wortham, Jimmy Carmichael, USJ, University School of Jackson, Rothrock, Brett Favre, entrepreneur, Best of 2016

Good Vibrations

The third Hard Rock Cafe in the world was opened in Jackson, Tennessee, on January 29, 1983 in the Old Hickory Mall, and although it was short-lived, people still get excited about the idea that for a brief time in history we were listed among cities like London, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. The first Asian location was actually opened the same year as our own, officially making HRC a worldwide enterprise.