A lot of things jumped out at me at the alternative arts show in New Orleans earlier this year, but one thing that really grabbed me was a booth by the Goodchildren Carnival Club.
“We’re starting a new parade (really?) and it’s going to go along St. Claude on Easter (wow!)” The name Goodchildren comes from an old New Orleans street name.
New Orleans photographer Frank Relle…
I just picked up a postcard of his work at Mojo’s (see previous post) my favorite hangout in the city.
Relle specializes in what he calls “nightscapes” which turns out to be exquisite architecture photography, portraits of the city’s peerless wooden houses taken at night.
Beauty…mystery…a palpable, but invisible presence in the air. These photographs nail New Orleans.
Good stuff and worth a visit:
A while back, I posted an article about MICHAEL “REX” DINGLER who faces $50,000 in city fines for posting beautiful, encouraging hand-painted signs in desolate areas and other places needing some charm.
http://foodmusicjustice.com/2008/03/19/nola-rising-video/
Today, I have an article about his nemesis, a man who amazingly enough has received the endorsement of the city government to vandalize public property.
http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/uptotheminute.cfm?recid=16992
In the spirit of “anything worth doing, is worth doing badly,” I got on my bicycle on a slow night on Frenchman Street and one-handed it with my $95 video camera.
Yes, it could be done a lot better. Consider it a rough sketch, a very rough sketch.
New Orleans may have more smoking good dancers per capita than any other place in America.
They sure have great bands to dance to. This is the Treme Brass Band at Ray’s Boom Boom Room on Frenchman.
It’s happened twice, once at the beginning of my trip and again as my time in New Orleans draws to a close.
A small child - in both cases a black boy - randomly wandered up to me and gave me a big hug (at kneecap level), in each case to the embarrassment of their respective mothers.
The first time, I thought it was cute, but the second time, it made me think…
New Orleans is a tale of two cities.
If you live on the rim of the bowl - Uptown, the Garden District, the French Quarter, and a few other lucky spots - life is pretty good.
In fact, during the winter months through about now, I’d be hard pressed to find a more pleasant place on earth.
But if you live in the neighborhoods devastated by the levee collapses, it’s a very different story indeed…
Creole Wild West - the oldest Mardi Gras Indian tribe.
How far back to they go?
Don’t answer so quick.
Caught Evan Christopher at Snug Harbor. The word is “sublime.”
His albums:
* Django à la Creole - NEW
* Delta Bound
* Road to Romance
* Hottest clarinet/This side of Evan
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