Saints Lose and Treme’s Season Ends – Dang

It’s such a joy to head to the Superdome to watch a Saints game. The city is cloaked in black and gold optimism. All the other teams that had to lose Sunday to keep our playoff hopes alive lost. All we had to do was beat the 49’ers and things were looking pretty darn good. Alas, it was not meant to be. Warren Easton‘s marching band opened the game and got me in the mood for Mardi Gras as they are always one of the favorite parade bands. Favorite person of the game this time was definitely our usher who didn’t even try to hide her enthusiasm for our team.

Po-Boy Fest, Saints and Treme

What a day to live in New Orleans. Sunday was the 6th annual Oak Street Po-Boy Festival. About 50,000 people pack into a few blocks lined with po-boy vendors and try as many different po-boys as they can, washing it down with plenty of Abita Beer. I’m not really into sandwiches and yet I really look forward to this fest every year. Like the Got Gumbo? event at the Royal Sonesta, over 30 vendors bring at least one po-boy offering so the level of creativity can be outstanding and you never know what flavor combinations you might find.

2 Weeks of Treme

It’s been too long since I last blogged, long enough to have missed posting on the Saints’ first win this season and the records broken by Brees and Colston. It’s also been long enough to have watched 2 more episodes of HBO’s  multi-award winning Treme. The more I get to know this city, the more familiar the musicians, locations and traditions are for me this season. At some point in the season’s second episode, I heard the familiar refrain of Mr. Okra rolling through the neighborhood in his colorful truck chanting, “I have eggplant. I have collard greens. I have oranges.” In L.A., you never knew who or what you might see. I remember seeing a car that was a chicken, a 3 story-tall Oscar on a flatbed truck and a gladiator walking through a neighborhood. In New Orleans, you also never know who or what you might see, but it’s not because someone is trying to make movie magic, it’s because life here can be truly magical.

Treme Finalé – There’s No Place Like Home

I was out of town for a wedding for the season finalé of Treme, but thanks to HBO Go, we were able to watch the episode from a hotel in Napa, CA. The show opened with Bayona‘s extraordinary chef, Susan Spicer, playing herself during the Kim Dickens‘ chef character’s trip to NOLA. As Dickens took her short ride on the streetcar and started welling up with homesickness, I began crying for home too. I’d only been gone 4 days.

Krewe of Orpheus

The Krewe of Orpheus is the last parade to roll before Fat Tuesday. Like Endymion and Bacchus, Orpheus is a super-krewe with giant floats, mountains of throws and celebrity guests. Founded in 1993 by Harry Connick Jr. and Sr. and theatrical director, Sonny Borey, the krewe accepts members of any race or gender. Named for the son of Apollo whose music enchanted everything in nature, the 27 Blaine Kern designed floats portrayed the theme of, “Visions of Other Worlds.” Celebrity guests included Jennifer Coolidge and Jonathan Silverman as well as a chunk of HBO’s Treme cast including Steve Zahn, NOLA native Wendell Pierce, Khandi Alexander, John Goodman, David Morse, Kim Dickens and many more.

Treme in the Treme (R-rated language)

Last night, I made it to my friend’s house in the Treme to watch HBO’s Treme and eat a great potluck dinner. The opening credit song, John Boutte’s “The Treme Song,” is still one of the most infectiously cheerful songs I’ve heard. I can’t make myself fast forward it even when I’m watching at home alone on TIVO.

Treme and I go down memory lane

This week’s Treme episode was like a walk down memory lane for me. I guess it shouldn’t come as too big a surprise to me that David Simon, the show’s creator, notices many of the same things about this city that I do. We were both born in D.C. and grew up in Maryland. We both work in entertainment. And we both clearly LOVE this city and want to give the world an insight as to why.