Happy Jazz Fest 2013!

Locals usually pick their Jazz Fest days based on the out of town headliners. Unless you are one of those who go every day. Yes there are folks who go all 7 days. Usually they buy a brass pass which allows to enter and leave as you please. Regular tickets holder can’t do that.

We went the Sunday of the first weekend. Not to see anyone in particular but it was nice because I don’t normally go on Sundays. There’s usually someone I really want to see on the Saturdays, the biggest days the largest crowds. So Sundays are more chill. It stormed Sunday morning which also kept a lot of people away. It had stopped raining when we went but we had ponchos and zip lock bags just in case. Which turned out to be a smart move because it started raining hard again around 3:00. But a “bad” day at JazzFest is better than a good day at work.

When it rains at JazzFest it get really muddy. And stinky. It is a racing track for horse. Do not wear flip flops. You will fall on your ass or lose them in the muck. If you want to keep your feet dry and clean, rain boots or shrimp boots are the way to go. If you like squishing your toes in mud, go bare foot or wear something like Teevas you strap to your feet.

Music for May 28, 2013
Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Ed Volker, Calexio, Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ swingers, Honey Island Swamp Band, Gispy Kings and Treme Brass Band tribute to Uncle Lionel.

Food eaten (very important!): Cochon de lait po boy. Crawfish sack, crawfish beignets and crawfish bread.

Mardi Gras Madness - Part 4 - Super Bowl

What does the Super Bowl have to do with Mardi Gras? Nothing really except when Mardi Gras parades have to be rescheduled because of the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl fell on the weekend before the weekend prior to Mardi Gras and there are usually parades Friday night through Sunday so it was sandwiched between parades and festivities.

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, in New Orleans was really REALLY hoping that this year's Super Bowl would include the Saints. A few years ago we finally made it to, then WON, the Super Bowl, so we wanted our return to be in our home town. But alas, that was not to be. Hosting the BIG GAME is a BIG DEAL for the host city and New Orleans has been busy spiffing up the downtown and French Quarter for the game. Road were repaved, new streetcar lines were built*. Homeless were moved.


Personally, I was going to avoid the whole thing. I joked I was going to hunker down at home as if riding out a hurricane. The last time the Super Bowl came to New Orleans, February 2002, it was the first game after 9-11. The area around the Superdome was locked down few days before the game but that was about it. This time, blocks all around the Superdome were locked down a week or more before the game. And there were all these events that didn't happen before. Fan Zones and Fan Experiences. CBS took over Jackson Square and ESPN took over the huge parking lot in the French Quarter both broadcasting from these remote locations. What caught my eye was the FREE concerts along the Mississippi of local, New Orleans bands and artists! This all started happened about the Wednesday before the BIG GAME. Super Bowl Sunday, I broke down and G and I headed down to the CBD to go see what the hoopla was about. It was early and I figured the tourist would be either sleeping their hang overs off or at brunch. But no, there was SF and Ravens fans walking around. But what struck me was how many Saints fans were out and about, wearing the black and gold. You would have thought the Saints were also in the Super Bowl judging by the number of jerseys I saw.

I wasn't really that interested in the game. If I had to root for a team I was going with the Ravens. Went to a pot luck Superbowl party with amazing food and fun folks. The first half of the game was a shut out and the commercials were a bore. Half time with Beyonce, what ever. Third quarter BLACK OUT! Finally things got interesting.

*Loyola Streetcar line - $45 million, took 19 months and goes 9 blocks. Progress!

Magazine Street Blues Festival this weekend

I went to this Uptown festival last year and it was really nice.

Ups and Downs

Another JazzFest has come and gone. I only went two days this year - the first Saturday and Thursday. The Thursday has always been my favorite day. "Locals Day" much smaller crowds, no lines for anything.

Saturday we saw: Bonerama, Papa Grows Funk, Big Sam's Funky Nation,Terence Blanchard, Treme Brass Band, Dr. Michael White. We saw the first half of Simon and Garfunkle but were somewhat dissapointed so we scooted over to the Blues tent to catch the second half of Tab Benoit's set. He was tearing it up! We also saw the parade " Kirk Joseph & the Sousaphone Symphony Parade honoring Anthony “Tuba Fats” Lacen" with 15 tubas!

Thursday the weather was perfect. I saw Dumpstafunk, Sunpie Barnes, Steve Martin w/ Steep Canyon Rangers (yes that Steve Martin), Soul Rebles, 101 Runners and Elvis Costello. The day was more laid back in all ways.

Soul Rebels - the nice thing about Thursday you can get up closer to the stages.

We were up front for Dumpstafunk. This is looking back at the crowd.

The down was the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and the oil leak (leak? geyser is more like it) that followed. 11 men lost their lives, hundreds of fishermen will lose their livelihood and thousands of marine animals and bird are suffering not to mention the damage to the coastlines and beaches of 4 states. And BP is hemmoraging money for the clean up. As of this time still waiting to hear why this happen. Here in New Orleans people are eating and buying up seafood for the very real fear it will be in short supply for years, which of course will drive up the cost. It remains to be seen how this will affect shipping in the ports of New Orleans and Mobile and the price of gas.

Another Up - New Orleans has a new mayor! Mayor Mitch Landrieu was sworn in to day. Can I get an amen?! I'm more excited about the departure of Ray Nagin but I do hope Landrieu can turn things around and actually get things done and be accountable. It's pretty easy for him to look better and accomplish more than Nagin.

Tomorrow marks 4 years since Hurricane Katrina made land fall. I’ve struggled thinking about what to do to mark the occasion, like I did for last week’s anniversary of my mother’s death (Needless to say, August, especially this last week, is particularly emotional for me.). I have a friend’s baby shower to go to. I remember thinking when I got the invitation, “Are they crazy? Do they know what day that is?” But maybe they did it on purpose to symbolize rebirth and renewal; life must go one. I imagine anyone who lived here 4 years ago must have August 29th burned in to their memory, unless they are in very deep denial. I’m glad it falls on a Saturday this year. It was odd the last 3 years to go to the office and work, just like it was any other day. But it wasn’t. Sure there are bell-ringings, plaque dedications and wreath layings across the city, but I couldn’t connect with that. The other day, a friend who had surgery a few months ago proclaimed that she was finally ready to go out and wanted to go to Rock ‘n’ Bowl. I pulled up the music calendar and saw that Kermit Ruffins was playing Saturday. Perfect.

After bouncing around from house to house to house in Baton Rouge the first few weeks of September 2005, we decided to head to Houston. We weren’t the only ones, many of our neighbors ended up there, as did Kermit Ruffins. He wrangled a weekly gig at a Jazz Club downtown and it when he played, it would be overrun by New Orleanians. We got there early and while waiting for friends and neighbors to arrive, got a drink and noticed a couple sitting across the room. The guy was wearing a huge gold Saints Jersey and Saints baseball cap and we took the table next to them. Turned out the women worked at my friend’s gallery in the quarter and they lived in Gentilly. When Kermit took the stage I started crying, wondering when I would be able to go back home and what would I be going home to. It felt good to have other New Orleanians around who understood what you were going through and could talk about it. I hugged neighbors I wouldn’t normally hug and let Kermit’s music and voice wash over me. The crowd stood around listening to the music, but when he broke out into “We are Family” everyone cut loose, dancing and singing along.

Festivus on Freret

This Saturday the Freret Market is having "Freretstivus" with double the vendors, double the free music and Festivus Festivities. So bundle up and come support local vendors and bands.

Saturday December 13th from Noon to 5 pm on Freret between Napoleon and Valence
Join us around the Festivus Pole, Airing (and reading) of Grievances, gift exchange, Flattery Booth, Insult Booth, and the Mighty Feats of Strength--See how many Big Easy Rollergirls can you pull on a rope?

Also featuring 130 Vendors with local art, food, produce, craft and junk, plus six bands for free on two stages.

Market Stage
The Space Heaters at Noon
String Beans at 1:45
Billy Iuso and Restless Natives at 3:30

Freret Stage
Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots at Noon
Viva! Los Americanos at 1:45
Los Poboycitos at 3:30

Tonight I plan on going over to Tipatina’s to check out the “battle” of the high school marching band that’s part of the Instruments A Comin' initiative. I was in band in Jr. High (flute) and loved marching band. The bands are one of my favorite parts of Mardi Gras parades and college football games. I was very happy to read that one of my fav musicians, and fellow Floridian, Tom Petty, donated a sizable chunk of change to the effort.

I think this quote from John Summers sums it up well:

"When you put a horn in a student's hands, you've taken him off the street for four hours," Tiller said. "And when he's done (with rehearsal), he's so tired that he's going home and going to sleep. If every band has 100 kids, and you've got 15 high schools, that's 1,500 kids off the street.

"We're not just making music. We're saving kids."

Weekly Photo Challenge "Music"

I had to go through the archives for this one... I came across some JazzFest shots but that's too easy. I looked further and came across some photos I took at the funeral for Ashley Morris. I wasn't sure about posting it but reconsidered. Jazz Funerals are such an unique part of New Orleans culture. And it makes a great lead in to plug the "FYYFF Black and Gold Forever" fund raiser for Ashley's family Saturday, July 26.

So I present to you the Hot 8 Brass Band taking five at St. Louis No. 3 Cemetery.

It's not yet 5:00 so I should still be working. But my brain is fried having just written 3 proposals. Oy.

I Googled "Annunciation Street New Orleans" and low and behold I came across a vid clip of the Hot 8 on Annunciation Street 2005.



I can't tell what stretch of the street they are on, and I'm pretty sure this is Pre-K. But you can always tell Annunciation by the huge power poles. They are so big you don't really notice them after a while. Except when it's about the rain, they buzz like crazy.

In 1897 they must have renumbered the buildings on the street. link
There must have once been an Annunciation Street Car line. link

If you are looking for a new Christmas CD this year, I highly recommend Putumayo's New Orleans Christmas CD. It's a compilation featuring different artists and a range of New Orleans musical styles. Plus a portion of the sales are donated to the NO area Habitat for Humanity's Muscians' Village. It's a win-win! Give one for a gift.