Carnival is a season. Mardi Gras is a day (Fat Tuesday). Though there have already been several parades this year, most of us still think of the French Quarter’s satirical Krewe du Vieux Saturday night parade as the official-unofficial start of “parade season.” Since 2019, Krewe Boheme (with a Covid interruption) has been rolling the preceding Friday. The whimsical Bywater/Marigny/French Quarter walking parade was established by artists and the krewe’s symbol is a green fairy – the nickname for absinthe, a super-intoxicating liqueur. Continue reading
Tag Archives: latonola
Satchmo Summerfest 2022 – Day 2
We began day 2 of Satchmo Summerfest – a celebration of Louis Armstrong’s birthday – with the official Summerfest second line parade. Just like with The Roots of Music the day before, rain doused the parading brass bands, dancers, and convertible-riding royalty. But, we’re a rain-or-shine kinda town so even with the grey-skied downpour, the colors were vibrant, the music was infectious, and energy was high. And this time I was equipped with rain boots for the big puddles and the slush of grassy mud. Or muddy grass. Definitely mud.
Our first bite of the day was the savory, spicy Collard Greens ($8) from Praline Connection. John Boutté (of HBO’s Treme fame) sang passionately on the Barracks Street Stage as we waited for our Charbroiled Jerk Chicken w/ Dirty Lamborghini Rice ($13) from Theaudric’s Real Clever Cuisine. Continue reading
Satchmo Summerfest 2022
With 2 days of music and food, the French Quarter’s Satchmo Summerfest celebrates New Orleans native, Louis Armstrong’s birthday. The festival started with The Roots Of Music parading to the Old U.S. Mint, home of the New Orleans Jazz Museum where you can find Armstrong’s first coronet.
The band is a wonderful reminder of the importance of keeping the city’s traditions and culture alive. Grammy Award-winning snare drummer of Rebirth Brass Band, Derrick Tabb, co-founded The Roots Of Music non-profit program providing hundreds of at-risk youths (8-14 years old) with instruments, education, tutoring, meals and a ride home. Continue reading
L.A. Trip (and Hearst Castle)
I’ve lived in New Orleans since late 2009, but before that – I was in Los Angeles for nearly 18 years. So far, that’s the longest I’ve lived anywhere, but if home is where the heart is, my heart was always in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Because of the pandemic, I haven’t been back to L.A. since 2019. The things I miss most about L.A. are my friends and 3 food items. Continue reading
Filed under entertainment industry
French Quarter Fest 2022 – Sun.
The 4 days of French Quarter Fest came to a close on Sunday. Employing over 1,700 local musicians, the fest features genres from funk, R&B and jazz to rock, gospel and Zydeco. Over 1,500 volunteers and a variety of local companies handling sanitation, security, stages, sound, etc. insure that all of the money spent producing the festival remains within the local economy.
We started the day with Shrimp Ragivote over Fried Green Tomato ($9) from Tujague’s Restaurant. Continue reading
Filed under Concerts, Culture, festival, free events and lagniappe, Local Cuisine, Pelicans
French Quarter Fest 2022 – Sat.
Saturday is always the busiest day of the 4-day French Quarter Fest. All of the 20 stages and 50+ food booths were open and crowded. We started with the quieter sounds of Sarah Quintana before moving on to rocking and rolling with Irene Sage Band. When it comes to covers of anything by Stevie Nicks or Fleetwood Mac, Irene Sage is still the only singer that fills me with joy.
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles filled the big stage with beaded and feathered Mardi Gras Indian suits. I especially loved the Big Chief’s rendition of Indian Red.
Lunch was another Cochon de Lait Po-Boy ($12) from Walker’s Southern Style BBQ – one of my favorite fest foods. Continue reading
Filed under Concerts, Culture, decorations and costumes, festival, free events and lagniappe
French Quarter Fest 2022 – Fri.
Friday, more of the eventual 20 stages of indigenous music and over-50 local food booths opened for French Quarter Fest. My favorite festival of the year, it’s also one of the city’s most profitable – generating an economic impact of $190 million in 2019.
We walked past the dance lessons in full swing at the French Market before starting our day near the Aquarium with Valerie Sassyfras of America’s Got Talent fame. Her memorable original, Girl’s Night Out, may not have gotten her past the second week of competition, but it made her a cult celeb.
Miss Sassyfras put on quite a show. Continue reading