French Quarter Fest – Sunday

The 35th annual French Quarter Fest was rained out Saturday, which is a crying shame. Many of the biggest acts were set for that day including Grammy-winners, Rebirth Brass Band. It was supposed to be a day of having to make hard choices about what to miss, but a massive storm wiped the day away.

Sunday was sunny, windy and super-chilly (50’s).  Sarah Quintana’s teeth were chattering and her trumpet player was trying to keep at least one hand warm enough to play. But Sarah Quintana (with her nightingale’s voice) and the Miss River Band managed to put on a beautiful show. Bruce Sunpie Barnes joined

French Quarter Fest – Friday

Day 2 of French Quarter Fest brought more nice weather, though things got dreary toward the end of the day foreshadowing the oncoming storm. And the latest oil spill in the river gunked up the banks and halted riverboat cruises and ferries. But, the day was terrific – starting with Cha Wa, a Mardi Gras Indian band. Lead singer J’Wan Boudreaux is the grandson of Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and is one of our city’s many reassurances that our music and culture are being passed down to a worthy generation.

Another New Orleans Mystery!

If you’ve read any of my books, perhaps you’re already familiar with Charlotte Reade, the L.A. actor who returns to her family home in New Orleans to attend a funeral and ends up helping to find a birth mother in The Secret of the Other Mother: A Charlotte Reade Mystery. Charlotte’s search takes her down a path that starts in a laundromat in the 1950’s and winds through costume experts and a burlesque tour before landing her on the infamous Bourbon Street. Set during the Saints’ 2009 march to Super Bowl victory and the most-amazing-Mardi-Gras-ever, many of the details of those events are based on this blog.

Charlotte’s back in this second installment of the local best-seller Charlotte Reade Mystery series, The Hidden Huntsman.

Oyster Fest & Hollywood South Lunch

We had planned to go tubing with John Schneider near his super-cool studio outside Baton Rouge Saturday, but the river was way too high and a downpour flooded the streets of New Orleans trapping many of us in our neighborhoods. After the rain passed, we instead headed to the 6th annual New Orleans Oyster Festival in Woldenberg Park. I’ve been every year and the fest keeps getting bigger and better – even adding an additional stage for food demonstrations and live music. We stopped for a few songs from local favorites, TBC Brass Band.

Living in New Orleans – the first 5 years

My family is from Louisiana for generations on both sides but my path home was winding. After living in Maryland, Washington D.C., Japan, Alabama, New York and Los Angeles, I finally moved to New Orleans in late 2009. And I’ve never been happier. When I got here, the Saints were on their way to winning the Superbowl and the city was vibrating with optimism. Most of the people who would come home after the Storm were back. Katrina money was being spent on street repairs and schools were getting instruments from places like Tipitina’s Foundation. Buildings, homes, t-shirts and more exclaimed, “Believe” and “Renew, Rebuild, Rebirth.” It was intoxicating.

Krewe du Vieux and Krewedelusion (R-rated)

Though Carnival doesn’t “officially” start until 12 days before Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras in French), the city’s unofficially-official start is certainly the one-two satirical-parade punch of Krewe du Vieux and Krewedelusion. The bawdy R-rated parades lampoons local, national and even international politics with the addition of jabs at the Olympics-host Russian policy toward gays. With throws ranging from earplugs to liquor, it’s a fun adult night parade in the French Quarter.

Links

Restaurants, treats, bands, clubs/venues/bars, events/concerts/festivals, cool places and things, organizations/charities, the oil spill and about the author.

If you’d like to see the post in which the link appears, enter the title in the search tool on the right side of this screen.

Restaurants/Food

Antoine’s

http://www.antoines.com/

Avenue Pub

http://www.avenuepub.com/

Bacchanal

http://www.bacchanalwine.com/

Bayona

http://www.bayona.com/

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

http://www.bubbagump.com/

Cafe du Monde

http://www.cafedumonde.com/

Camellia Grill

http://www.camelliagrill.net/home.htm

Checkpoint Charlie’s

http://www.myspace.com/checkpoints

Community Coffee

http://www.communitycoffee.com/ccc/default.aspx

Coop’s

http://www.coopsplace.net/

Court of Two Sisters

http://www.courtoftwosisters.com

The Columns

http://www.thecolumns.com/

Commander’s Palace

http://www.commanderspalace.com/

Crepes a la Carte

http://www.crepesalacarts.com/

Deanie’s

http://www.deanies.com/

Deja Vu

http://www.dejavunola.com/

Domenica

http://domenicarestaurant.com/

Dot’s Diner

http://www.dotsdiner.com

Drago’s

http://www.dragosrestaurant.com/

Dunbar’s

http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/dunbars-new-orleans-la-70118_18no071104.html

Golden Feather (Mardi Gras Indian restaurant)

http://www.goldenfeatherneworleans.com/

Gott Gourmet

http://www.gottgourmetcafe.com/

The Grocery, Inc.

http://thegroceryneworleans.com/

Herbsaint

http://www.herbsaint.com/

The Joint (barbecue)

http://alwayssmokin.com/

K. Paul’s

http://www.chefpaul.com/kpaul

La Divina

http://www.ladivinagelateria.com

Lakeview Harbor

http://www.neworleansbestburger.com/Lakeview_Harbor/Home.html

Larsen’s Steak House, Los Angeles

http://www.larsenssteakhouse.com/

Li’l Dizzy’s

http://www.nomenu.com/joomla1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=184:lil-dizzys-cafe-cbd-610-poydras-504-212-5656-&catid=105:breakfast&Itemid=75

Lost Love Lounge

http://lostlovelounge.com/

Louisiana Pizza Kitchen

http://www.louisianapizzakitchen.com/

Love at First Bite

http://www.cochondelaitpoboys.com/

Lucy’s Retired surfer Bar

http://www.lucysretiredsurfers.com/

La Madeleine

http://www.lamadeleine.com/

Marigny Brasserie

http://www.marignybrasserie.com/

Marmalade Cafe, Los Angeles

http://www.marmaladecafe.com/calabasas_ca/

Mel’s Drive-in

http://www.melsdrive-in.com/

Mia’s Balcony

http://miasbalcony.com/

Mother’s

http://mothersrestaurant.net/

Muriel’s

http://www.muriels.com

Oceana Grill

http://www.oceanagrill.com/

The Original New Orleans Po-Boys

http://www.theoriginalneworleanspoboyandgumboshop.com/

Palace Cafe

http://www.palacecafe.com/

Parasol’s

http://www.parasols.com/

Patois

http://www.patoisnola.com/

Praline Connection

http://www.pralineconnection.com/

Red Fish Grill

http://www.redfishgrill.com/

Refuel

http://refuelcafe.com/home

Rip’s

http://www.opentable.com/rips-on-the-lake

Rouses

http://shop.rouses.com/

Royal House

http://www.royalhouserestaurant.com/

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

http://www.ruthschris.com/

SoBou

http://www.sobounola.com/

Three Muses

http://www.thethreemuses.com/

Upperline

http://www.upperline.com/

the owner of Upperline being interviewed

http://videos.nola.com/times-picayune/2008/09/art_at_the_upperline.html

Venezia

http://www.venezianeworleans.com/

Verti Marte

http://www.vertimarte.com/

Treats

Abita Beer

http://abita.com/

Angelo Brocato’s

http://www.angelobrocatoicecream.com/contactus.shtm

Buttermilk Drop Bakery

http://www.buttermilkdrop.com/

Café du Monde

http://www.cafedumonde.com/

La Divina

http://www.ladivinagelateria.com

Meltdown Gourmet Popsicles

http://www.facebook.com/meltdown.popsicles

Plum Street Snoballs

http://www.eteamz.com/plumstreetsnoball/

SnoWizard

http://www.snowizard.com/

Sucre

http://www.shopsucre.com/

Bands

101 Runners

http://www.myspace.com/101runners

Marcia Ball

http://www.marciaball.com/index.shtml

Band of Horses

http://bandofhorses.com/home.html

http://www.myspace.com/bandofhorses

Uncle Lionel Batiste

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22780225999

Russell Batiste Jr.

http://www.russellbatiste.com/

Jeff Beck

http://www.jeffbeck.com/

Bucktown Allstars

http://www.bucktownallstars.com/

Bonerama

http://boneramamusic.com/

Big Chief Monk Boudreaux

http://www.myspace.com/thethunderbirdmanagementgroup

Marc Broussard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Broussard

Grady Champion

http://www.gradychampion.com/

Chopteeth

http://www.chopteeth.com/

Jon Cleary

http://www.joncleary.com/

Naydja CoJoe

http://www.naydjacojoe.com/

Kevin Costner

http://www.myspace.com/kevincostnerandmodernwes

Cowboy Mouth

http://www.cowboymouth.com/

Susan Cowsill 

http://susancowsill.com/

Chuck Credo IV

http://www.fourcatsradionic.com/chuck.html

Creole String Beans

http://www.creolestringbeans.com

Dirty Dozen Brass Band

http://www.dirtydozenbrass.com/

http://www.myspace.com/dirtydozenbrass

http://www.rosebudus.com/dozen/

Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr.

http://www.rockindopsiejr.com/home.cfm

Dumpstaphunk

http://www.dumpstaphunk.com/

Derrick Freeman

http://www.myspace.com/derrickafreeman

Galactic

http://www.galacticfunk.com/NEW2007/index.php?skin=8

Good Enough for Good Times

http://www.myspace.com/goodenoughforgoodtimes

Benny Grunch

http://www.bennygrunch.com/

http://www.myspace.com/bennygrunch

Happy Jack Frequency

http://www.happyjackfrequency.com/

Happy Talk Band

http://www.happytalkband.com

Hot 8 Brass Band

http://www.hot8brassband.com/Hot_8_Brass_Band/Home.html

Billy Iuso and the Restless Natives

http://www.billyiuso.com/

Kirk Joseph’s 504 Brass Band

http://www.jambase.com/artists/27110/Kirk-Joseph’s-504-Brass-Band

B.B. King

http://www.bbking.com/

Little Freddie King

http://www.littlefreddieking.com/

Joe Krown

http://www.joekrown.com/

Colin Lake

http://colinlake.com/

Sonny Landreth

http://www.sonnylandreth.com/

Los Po-Boy-Citos

http://www.lospoboycitos.com/About.html

Mark Adam Miller

http://www.markadammiller.net/Site/HOME.html

Molly Ringwalds

http://themollyringwalds.com/

The Neville Brothers

http://66.70.148.219/

Anders Osborne

http://www.andersosborne.com/

http://www.myspace.com/andersosbornenola

Papa Grows Funk

http://www.papagrowsfunk.com/

Partners N Crime

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Partners-N-Crime/65651806940

Nicholas Payton

http://www.nicholaspayton.com/

Margie Perez

http://www.myspace.com/margieperez

Margie Perez with Ensemble Fatien

http://www.seguenon.com/fatien.php

Pinettes Brass Band, the world’s only female brass band

http://www.myspace.com/thepinettesbrassband

Sarah Quintana

http://sarahquintana.com/

Rebirth Brass Band

http://www.rebirthbrassband.com/

http://www.myspace.com/rebirthbrassband

http://rebirthbrassband.wetpaint.com/

Jimmy Robinson

http://jimmyrobinsonmusic.com/Home.html

The Roots of Music

http://www.therootsofmusic.com/

Kermit Ruffins

http://www.myspace.com/kermitruffinsmusic

Irene Sage Band

http://www.irenesageband.com/home.html

Amanda Shaw

http://amandashaw.com/fr_home.cfm

Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes

http://www.johnnysketch.com/

Rhonda Smith

http://www.rhondasmith.com/

http://www.myspace.com/rhondasmith

Soul Rebels Brass Band

http://www.soulrebelsbrassband.com

http://www.myspace.com/soulrebelsbrassband

Stooges Brass Band

http://www.stoogesmusicgroup.com/

Irma Thomas

http://www.irmathomas.com/

To Be Continued Brass Band (TBC)

http://www.myspace.com/tbcbrassband

Topcats

http://www.thetopcats.com/front2.html

Toubab Krewe

http://www.toubabkrewe.com/

http://www.myspace.com/toubabkrewe

Allen Toussaint

http://www.allentoussaint.com/

Treme Brass Band

http://www.myspace.com/tremebrassband

Trombone Shorty

http://www.tromboneshorty.com/

Vintage Trouble

http://vintagetrouble.com/

Walter “Wolfman” Washington

http://www.walterwolfmanwashington.com/

Clubs/Venues/Bars

Bacchanal

http://www.bacchanalwine.com/

Candlelight Lounge

http://www.yelp.com/biz/candlelight-lounge-new-orleans

Checkpoint Charlie’s

http://www.myspace.com/checkpoints

Chris Owens

http://www.chrisowensclub.net/pages/home.html

The Columns

http://www.thecolumns.com/

Coop’s

http://www.coopsplace.net/

d.b.a.

http://dbabars.com/dbano/

Deja Vu

http://www.dejavunola.com/

Famous Door

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/neworleans/N25388.html

House of Blues

http://www.houseofblues.com/

Johnny White’s

http://www.johnnywhitesneverclosed.com/home.html

Lost Love Lounge

http://lostlovelounge.com/

Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar

http://www.lucysretiredsurfers.com/

Mid-City Rock n Bowl

http://www.rockandbowl.com/

Mother in Law’s Lounge

http://www.k-doe.com/lounge.shtml

Parasol’s

http://www.parasols.com/

Pat O’ Brien’s

http://www.patobriens.com/patobriens/

Razoo

http://razzoo.com/

Rendezvous Tavern

http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Orleans-LA/Rendezvous-Tavern/112570913945?v=info

Siberia

http://siberianola.com/

Sweet Lorraine’s Jazz Club

http://www.wwoz.org/new-orleans-community/music-venues/sweet-lorraines

Tipitnia’s

http://www.tipitinas.com/

Events/Concerts/Festivals

(New Orleans) Beatles Festival

http://www.facebook.com/pages/THE-NEW-ORLEANS-BEATLES-FESTIVAL/52809199514

Congo Square Rhythms Festival

http://www.jazzandheritage.org/congo-square

Essence Fest

http://www.essence.com/festivals/2012/essence-music-festival

Fiesta Latina

http://www.jazzandheritage.org/fiesta-latina/

French Quarter Fest

http://www.fqfi.org/frenchquarterfest/itinerary/

Harvest the Music

http://harvestthemusic.org

Hogs for the Cause

http://www.hogsforthecause.org/

Jazz Fest

http://www.nojazzfest.com

Lady Fest

http://www.ladyfestneworleans.webs.com/

Louisiana International Film Festival

http://www.lifilmfest.org/

Mardi Gras

www.mardigrasparadechedule.com

New Orleans Oyster Fest

http://neworleansoysterfestival.org/

Po-Boy Fest

http://www.poboyfest.com/

NOLA Pyrate Week

http://nolapyrateweek.com/

Oyster Jubilee

http://oysterjubilee.com/

Roadfood Festival

http://www.neworleansroadfoodfestival.com/

Southern Decadence

http://www.southerndecadence.net/

Spring Fiesta

http://springfiesta.com/

Vieux To Do

http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/festivals/musicfestivals/vieuxtodo.html

Wednesday at the Square

http://www.wednesdayatthesquare.com/

Tennessee Williams Festival

http://www.tennesseewilliams.net/

Shopping and “Making Groceries”

Berry Town Produce

http://www.berrytownproduce.com/

Bon Castor

http://boncastor.com/

Bourbon French Parfums

http://www.neworleansperfume.com/

Covey Rise Farm

http://www.coveyriselodge.com/csa/

Fleur de Paris (hat and dress shop)

http://www.fleurdeparis.net

Fleurty Girl

http://fleurtygirl.net/

Forever New Orleans

http://www.facebook.com/foreverneworleans

The French Market

http://www.frenchmarket.org/shopping/

Garden District Book Shop

http://gardendistrictbookshop.com

George’s Farmers’ Market

http://www.yellowpages.com/terrytown-la/mip/georges-produce-16331041

Goorin Bros (hat store)

http://www.goorin.com/

Greg’s Antiques

http://www.gregsantiques.net/

To buy music recorded at Jazz Fest:

https://www.munckmusic.com/wms/jazzfest/index.html

Kaia Martin-Paternoster – preteen painter

http://dudedudetteartkaia.blogspot.com/

Maskarade

http://www.frenchquartermaskstore.com/

Mayan Import Tobacco Shop

http://www.mayanimport.com/

On the Other Hand Consignment Shop

http://www.ontheotherhandconsignment.com/ontheotherhandconsignment/

Photoworks – Louis Sahuc Gallery

http://www.louissahuc.com/home.html

Rockmore Gallery

http://rightwaywrongway.com/index.php?module=PhotoGallery&func=detail&pid=622&startnum=0

Roux Royale

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Roux-Royale/219714451383759

Royal Treasures

http://www.yelp.com/biz/royal-treasure-new-orleans

Sabai Jewelry

http://www.sabaijewelry.com/

Signs by Dr. Bob

http://www.drbobart.net/

Signs by Simon:

http://www.tabasco.us/arts_pavilion/louisiana_artist/simon_hardeveld_about.cfm

Trashy Diva Dress Shop

http://www.trashydiva.com/site/indexNOW.html

Products by Laura Cayouette

Know Small Parts: An Actor’s Guide to Turning Minutes into Moments and Moments into a Career by Laura Cayouette. Foreword by Richard Dreyfuss.

http://knowsmallparts.com/Know_Small_Parts/Welcome.html

How to Be a Widow: A Journey from Grief to Growth by Norma Dupont. Introduction, epilogue and editing by Laura Cayouette.

https://latonola.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/how-to-be-a-widow/

LA to NOLA Store (NOLA-centric t-shirts, greeting cards, gifts)

http://www.zazzle.com/latonola

 

Cool People, Places and Things

Beasts of the Southern Wild – the movie

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/beastsofthesouthernwild/

Belladonna Day Spa

http://www.belladonnadayspa.com/

Dr. Boogie hair pieces

http://www.boogiesecrets.com/

City Park

http://neworleanscitypark.com/

Court 13 (independent filmmaking collective)

http://www.court13.com/

Django Unchained – (Quentin Tarantino movie)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_Unchained

The Duchess Bed and Breakfast

http://www.theduchessbb.com/

Jeff “The Dude” Dowd

http://www.jeffdowd.com/

Finding Jacob, short film

http://www.findingjacob.com/home.html

Fleur-D-Licious

http://www.myspace.com/fleurdlicious

Hotel Storyville

http://www.hotelstoryville.net/index.html

Lafayette Cemetery

http://www.tour-new-orleans.com/cemetery-tours.html

http://goneworleans.about.com/od/cemeteries/a/Lafayette.htm

Louisiana State Museum

http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/1850ex.htm

Mahalia Jackson Theatre

http://www.mahaliajacksontheater.com/

Morgus the Magnificent

http://www.morgus.com

Muggivan School of Irish Dance

http://www.irishdancela.com/

New Orleans Musician’s Clinic

http://www.neworleansmusiciansclinic.org/

NOLA Defender

http://noladefender.com

Oak Alley Plantation

http://www.oakalleyplantation.com/

Patio Planters of the Vieux Carré, a beautification organization.

http://www.patioplanters.org/

Prytania Movie Theatre

http://theprytania.com/

St. Louis Cathedral

http://www.stlouiscathedral.org/

Stand Up and Get Crunk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkrJ_XvXorY

Tchoupitoulas – the movie

http://rossbros.net/tchoupitoulas.html

The Theatres at Canal Place

http://www.thetheatres.com/

Traffic Tranny

http://traffictranny.com/

Under the Sea Indoor Playground, Los Angeles

http://www.undertheseaindoorplayground.com/

The VooDoo Museum

http://voodoomuseum.com/

Woldenberg Park

http://www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1346

The Zoo

http://www.auduboninstitute.org/visit/zoo

Organizations/Charities

Americorps

http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/hurricane.asp

Celtic Highlanders

http://www.myspace.com/celtic_highlanders

Class Got Brass

http://www.jazzandheritage.org/what-we-do/high-school-brass-band-competition

Daughters of Lir

http://www.myspace.com/daughtersoflir

Dredge Baby Dredge

http://dredgebabydredge.com/

Heal to Toe, teaching kids about second line

http://dancingman504.com/

The Honeybees

http://www.nba.com/hornets/dance/

Horizon Relief

http://www.horizonrelief.org/

Hornets

http://www.nba.com/hornets/

Lady Buckjumpers

http://www.myspace.com/ladybuckjumpers

New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic

http://www.neworleansmusiciansclinic.org/

My Darlin’ New Orleans

http://mydarlinneworleans.eventbrite.com/

The Pickens Plan

http://www.pickensplan.com/act/

Raintree Children and Family Services (serving special needs children as well as foster child and adoption services)

http://www.raintreeservices.org/

Rebuilding Together

http://www.rebuildingtogether.org/

Red Dress Run

http://www.neworleanshash.com/

Roots of Music

http://www.therootsofmusic.com/

Saint Patrick’s Day club

http://www.irishchannelno.org/

The Super Bowl Champion Saints:

http://www.neworleanssaints.com/

Saintsations

http://saintsations.net/main/index.php?page=home

Save Charity Hospital

http://www.change.org/savecharityhospital

Second Harvest

http://no-hunger.org/

Silence is Violence

http://silenceisviolence.org/

Open letter to Miami in preparation for the Super Bowl

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2010/02/dear_miami.html

Sweet Home New Orleans

http://sweethomeneworleans.org/

Team Gleason

http://www.teamgleason.org/

Threadhead Records

http://www.threadheadrecords.com/

HBO’s Treme

http://www.hbo.com/treme/index.html

Radio Station WWOZ

http://www.wwoz.org/

Young Leadership Council

http://www.youngleadershipcouncil.org/site.php

Oil Spill

CNN June 2nd

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/02/video-bps-atlantis-rig-being-questioned/

Dredge Baby Dredge

http://dredgebabydredge.com/

Horizon Relief

http://www.horizonrelief.org/

Largest Oil Spills

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_spills#Largest_oil_spills

List of Oil Spills

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oil_spills

National Geographic, “Oil Not Degrading”

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/08/100819-gulf-oil-spill-bp-underwater-plume-science-environment

Oil Spill Action blog

http://oilspillaction.com/

Oil Spill photos

http://blogs.tampabay.com/photo/2010/06/gulf-oil-spill-coastal-impact.html

University of Georgia findings

http://oilspill.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/GA-Sea-Grant-Oil-Spill-Update-Presentation-20100817.pdf

And… stupid things said in response to Katrina

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/currentevents/a/katrinaquotes.htm

About the Author

Author’s website

http://www.lauracayouette.com

Author’s IMDB page

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0147312/

Author’s Wikipedia page

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Cayouette

Author’s facebook fan page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-Cayouette-fan-page/132033790171924?ref=sgm

Author’s bio at NOLA Defender

http://noladefender.com/author/laura-cayouette

Beasts of the Southern Wild Q&A

Once again, the newly launched Louisiana International Film Festival (LIFF) has created a “Red Carpet, Meet Bayou” community event celebrating our great state’s place in the global film industry. Their first big event was a screening of The Big Lebowski hosted by Jeff “The Dude” Dowd, the inspiration for the Jeff Bridges character in the film. It was a great, action-packed weekend and, as Dowd helped kickstart Sundance, it felt like an auspicious start of something wonderful. On Thursday, LIFF brought their concept home with a screening in Baton Rouge (again, attended by The Dude) of the highly acclaimed Beasts of the Southern Wild and asked me to moderate the Q&A afterward. I was honored… nervous and honored.

Oyster Fest 2012

Thank you New Orleans Oyster Fest for moving from that aggressively hot blacktop parking lot to the breezy, grassy Woldenberg Park! The festival, including the artists booths and many wonderful food selections, was much more spread out this year and the crowd for the stage was manageable, like the very-local Thursday crowd at French Quarter rather than the jam-packed Saturdays and Sundays. It almost made me nostalgic for the times before the Saints Superbowl win and HBO’s Treme helped remake the city’s image. 

L.A. Celebrity Sitings

This week, I traveled back to Los Angeles to attend to some things for my upcoming part in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. Though I was thrilled beyond compare to be embarking on that journey, it was bittersweet to be leaving NOLA in the middle of Mardi Gras.