Glen David Andrews kicks off Armstrong Park Thursdays

The People United for Armstrong Park concert series began its 5th season with Treme’s own prince, Glen David Andrews. French Quarter Fest, the free 4 day local music and food extravaganza, just ended on Sunday. Days later, Billy Iuso and Honey Island Swamp Band played Wednesday at the Square, a free concert series. (I was stuck waiting on the Cox cable guys). And now, Thursdays in the Park are back – more booths of food, cocktails and crafts and more free music!

French Quarter Fest 2014 – Saturday

With the weekend in full swing, all of the over-20 stages and dozens more food booths opened throughout the Quarter for day 3 of French Quarter Fest. The first day, we parked ourselves in front of the Abita Stage and watched masters of their craft all day. Friday, we enjoyed all that again as well as watching well over 100 children take the stage throughout the day.  Saturday, we hit every corner of the Fest – from the Mint to the Aquarium and from Bourbon Street to the river.

Molly’s (Jim Monaghan’s) Irish parade

Whichever name you call it by, this was its 32nd year. Molly’s at the Market is an Irish pub with game nights, neon cluttered walls and a jukebox full of rock and local favorites. It’s also where the parade was born, begins and ends. A friend of mine from college had just arrived in New Orleans for her first visit to the city. After lunch at K. Paul’s, a visit to Jackson Square, Photoworks Gallery and Maskarade mask shop (all from my list of Fav Things), we headed over for her first parade – ever. The parade is short on floats but big on fun and she loved it.

Gumbo Fest, Glen David Andrews and a “Pop Up” Restaurant

This weekend, the Superdome hosted the Sunday Night Football game bringing lots of Cowboy fans and the NBC Sports film crew into town. One of the film crew wives organized a dinner for the crew by getting some of her favorite local chefs to open a “pop up” restaurant in the Golden Feather Mardi Gras Indian Restaurant on Rampart. Surrounded by staggeringly beautiful, elaborately beaded and fully-feathered Indian suits, Melisande Short-Colomb and Venessa Williams of Cajun Moon Catering treated us to a paper plate feast. 

Glen David Andrews Speaks – my first LAtoNOLA interview

In 2010, I did a series of interviews for NOLA Defender speaking with Richard Dreyfuss, Jeff “the Dude” Dowd (inspiration for The Big Lebowski character) and local band Gravity A, but it never occurred to me to an interview for this blog. Actually, the idea to start came from NOLA musician and spectacular showman Glen David Andrews who made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. The Andrews family is one of several musical legacy families in New Orleans and includes many of my favorites like Andrews’ Grammy winning brother Derrick Tabb (Rebirth Brass Band and founder of The Roots of Music) and their cousin Trombone Shorty. As the streets flooded and tornado warnings dinged on our phones, we met this week to talk about Andrews’ family, his city and his addiction and recovery.