Krewe du Vieux and Krewe Delusion 2013

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.

Krewe of Orpheus 2012

Krewe of Orpheus, which celebrates music, is another of the city’s favorite parades owing to its many bands and celebrity guests. Rolling on Lundi Gras night (Monday before Fat Tuesday), it would be my last parade of the season. As with last year, floats overflowed with celebs including Bret Michaels, Harry Connick Jr., Mariska Hargitay, Cyndi Lauper, Hilary Swank and Modern Family‘s Sarah Hyland.

Krewe of Muses 2012

Too busy parading to write, but I have been taking photo and videos. For more information and history about Krewe of Muses, read last year’s post. This year, the theme was “Muses go Shopping.” Celebrity guests included hometown girl, Patricia Clarkson (known here as Councilwoman, Jackie Clarkson’s daughter) riding in the giant lit stiletto and Theresa Andersson, singing live atop a giant swan followed by our beautiful city made of papier mache hats. We even spotted Ted Danson quietly marching along, taking it all in.

Krewe de Vieux and Krewedelusion 2012

It’s Carnival time!!! Kids on Christmas Eve have got nothing on New Orleanians anticipating Mardi Gras so when I heard a brass band passing through the French Quarter Saturday afternoon, I ran to find The Roots of Music marching through the the streets, rehearsing for their 6 upcoming parades, and squealed with delight. Enjoy the short video of the casually dressed but very skilled kids who’ve dedicated themselves to training after school with this wonderful non-profit group. They certainly got me in the mood for Krewe du Vieux and Krewedelusion’s parades later that evening.

Krewe of Tucks

The Krewe of Tucks is without a doubt one of the most “colorful” of the Carnival parades in every sense of the word. Known for its toilet-based humor, Tucks was founded in 1969 by Loyola students in the Friar Tuck bar (from which the krewe derives its name) after they had tried in vain to become White flambeaux carriers. Begun as a small night parade of pick-up trucks, the parade is now a large daytime parade and one of the city’s favorites.

Krewe du Vieux and Krewedelusion (R-rated)

Though much of the humor is the local insider sort, Krewe du Vieux and Krewedelusion are far and away the bawdiest sanctioned parades to roll through the French Quarter. Mardi Gras hasn’t officially started but the brass bands and costumes and throws have already begun. Saturday morning, I heard a band coming down the street and ran out to find DancingMan504 leading the second line honoring the recently departed Poppa Neutrino.