Last week, I attended the last My Darlin’ New Orleans event thrown by the producers of HBO’s Treme. It was bittersweet as it means the show will end next season. Our city is the better for the jobs the production created, the peek it gave others into our unique local culture and the light it shined on the Mardi Gras Indians and a little known parade called Krewe Du Vieux. Among the many amazing performances that night was Al Johnson singing his classic It’s Carnival Time.
The song had been stuck in my head ever since watching 3 floats pass by that morning. The next day, brass bands kept passing the house, practicing for the upcoming parades. Every store has stocked up on King Cake and parade schedules. Bleachers are being constructed and with the Saints’ season over, the city has exchanged many black and gold decorations for purple, green and gold. Soon people will bead their fence lines and clean out the costume shops. It’s Carnival Time and everybody’s having fun!
The first parade to roll after Katrina was the funny and irreverent R-rated Krewe Du Vieux. Many in the media questioned whether it was “appropriate” to parade amid such horrible devastation but the Krewe knew their obligation to the city, “Preserve our culture and heritage first, and the recovery will follow.” Krewe Du Vieux is also the first parade I attended after moving here in 2009. I didn’t really understand most of the local and political satire but it was clearly a fun way to deal with frustration.
This year, the crowd grew yet again. You might think that all of the national attention to this parade might tame their expression but, if anything, the parade seems to be getting more graphic and cutting every year. Though there was plenty of criticism to go around (much for the Times-Picayune newspaper), the biggest butt of the jokes this year was certainly NFL head Roger Goodell. Former Mayor Ray Nagin had been indicted on 21 counts that morning, too late to be included in the roasting.
The theme this year was Krewe Du Vieux Comes Early and executive director of the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic, Bethany Bultman, served as Queen. Along with some of the best brass bands around, DancingMan504 and fun costumes were the shocking floats including an Energizer bunny sporting a giant penis for Krewe of Lewd’s “Keeps Cumming” float and Krewe of Inane’s Roger Goodell clutching a Lombardi Trophy while climbing out of (or being swallowed by?) a giant steaming vagina labeled, “Super Hole XLVAG.” My favorite float was porn-free but no less visually shocking – Governor Bobby Jindal pushing a granny into a gator’s mouth on Krewe of T.O.K.I.N.’s “TOKIN Rolls with Yamama Care.”
One of the best parts of these adult-themed parades is the music. Bands for Krewe du Vieux included Langiappe, Pinettes, Kinfolk, TBC, New Birth, Jazzmen, Bone Tone, Young Fellaz, Paulin Bros, Baby Boyz Brass Band, Stooges Brass Band, One Mind, Panorama, The Tornados, Free Agents, Treme Brass Band, Egg Yolk Jubilee, Hot 8 Brass Band, Jack Brass and Down and Dirty. Many of them play Jazz Fest and other large shows and festivals.
Krewe Delusion followed with more off-kilter fun. Cheeky Blakk served as their first Queen. The parade featured fewer floats and more drumming groups than brass bands. Though my personal highlight was hugging a few friends from Krewe of Bananas, I suspect the crowd favorite was the Krewe of Goddeses, many of whom sported actual boobs rather than the papier mache ones of Krewe du Vieux.
As Drumcart ended the parade, I squealed with delight that the Mardi Gras season has arrived! It’s Carnival Time and everybody’s having fun. For more history and stories and videos, visit the 2010, 2011 and 2012 posts for Krewe Du Vieux and Krewe Delusion.
Please forgive my confusion, I mistakenly thought Krewe du Vieux ended with Spermes so a few of the final features of that parade are seen on the Krewe Delusion video.
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- Krewe du Vieux begins
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- theme – Comes Early
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- NOMC
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- Mondu’s Birds of a Feather
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- Chicken Pen/State Penn
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- Krewe of Lewd bunnies
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- bunny ears and funny hats
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- Drips and Discharges “Picayune”
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- “Goodell’s Head Removed From Ass”
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- K.A.O.S. “Black and Blue and Dead all Over”
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- haunting woman
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- giving stickers
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- dancing skeleton
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- Krewe of Inane’s “Superhole XLVAG”
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- Seeds of Decline’s “Chokes Mor’ Chikin”
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- Decline parades
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- milk maiden
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- Pizza Sluts “Super Blow”
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- Comatose’s “Times Prickayune Fails to Deliver”
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- paper people
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- Krewe of Underwear’s “NFL Penetrates Carnival”
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- Krewe du Mishigas
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- more Mishigas
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- alien cutie
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- heavenly creature
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- Mama Roux’s “Comes to the Stuporbowl”
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- Mama Rouxers
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- sPANk “Postpones the Game”
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- Vilma for Mayor
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- Sandra Bullock-alike
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- “TOKIN Rolls with Yamama Care”
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- Krewe of TOKIN
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- handing out a doubloon
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- more Krewe of TOKIN
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- I’ve got more Cowbell
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- Space Age Love’s “Cumming Attractions”
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- “Which Came First?”
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- Mystic Krewe of Spermes
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- more Spermes
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- Rue du Bourbon’s “Cumalot”
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- Rue du Bourbon paraders
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- flower girl
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- C.R.U.D.E.’s “Here Cums the Brides”
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- trumpeter
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- pelican
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- Krewe Delusion “Branches of Government”
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- Cheeky Blakk as Queen Cheeks
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- Krewe of Crustaceous Desire jellyfish
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- sea creature
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- dancing
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- Krewe of Bananas
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- Banana
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- revelers
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- Skinz n Bonez
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- Krewe of Goddesses
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- cars abandoned to watch parade
L.A. to N.O.LA 
Hey Laura, glad you enjoyed the Delusion parade. Did you get a copy of The Times-Chickayune, The Chicken Flockers faux newspaper? I can email it to you if you like!
We did! Very fun.
This is well timed, as the Ogden Museum opens with “Well Suited” the costumes of Alonzo Wilson, HBO’s Treme. We rolled last Saturday night in KreweDelusion, with War Chief Juan Pardo, who will be performing at tonites opening. It will run through March 31st.
I am sad to see Treme Close, but I’m also proud to say that I rolled in that first parade after the storm. It was my FIRST experience, and we were “C’est Levee”, and my sub krewe rue bourbon? Pulled in with “Fridge over Troubled Waters”. It was the experience of a lifetime. While most of the country looked upon us? and asked the question? We answered, “nothing stops Mardigras, Nothing”. southern comfort even put that on a billboard. Krewe Du Vieux brought the sarcasm to the table.
KreweDelusion now follows and isn’t as well known, but it does provide an opportunity for anyone, to roll in a parade. Here’s to the renaissance of new krewes, and sub krewes, who are making mardigras even more special each year. Thanks for this great article!
Thank you for all of your additional history and information. For those who watched Katrina’s aftermath from a distance, the parade was so important – a sign that it was all going to be okay one day. They can wash away the levees but not the culture…
The loss of Treme (the show) will hurt for the reasons you mentioned but also because it’s the most incredible, riveting television show currently airing and the one I can’t stop thinking about, even between seasons. Can’t we find a way to keep it going? I’m so sad!
Thanks for your blog.
I feel your pain!
Thanks for the mention! Kinfolk actually played for krewedelusion this year and rolled behind Krewe de Mu’u Mu’u.
Thanks for the update! The parade was great.