It’s Mardi Gras time again, the citywide festival that is the linchpin of everything New Orleans. Mardi Gras krewes create their own little worlds of fun and traditions, all for the practice of being in a social club that excludes other “inferior” mortals. It’s been that way since the holiday started and it persists today. [...]
It’s the beginning of a new year, and it’s time to reflect on what’s happened in the past: our accomplishments, our failures, and what we can do to improve in the upcoming year. It’s been over two decades since OffBeat started its crusade to promote and market music, not only to locals, but to people [...]
It’s the end of another year; it’s holiday time, so it’s time for a bit of reflection. When I was a kid, I thought it so farfetched to think that I would live as long as I have. I thought that surely I would be dead by the turn of the century. Little did I [...]
Everyone in New Orleans is aware of the rechristening of the Louisiana Superdome as the “Mercedes-Benz Superdome.” The naming rights for the 36-year-old dome were sold to Mercedes-Benz exclusively for 10 years in a deal estimated to be worth $10 to $12 million per year. That’s a pretty long-term investment. I wonder if there are [...]
Last night I had the privilege of viewing part-time New Orleanian/actor/musician/radio personality and journalist Harry Shearer’s documentary on the real cause of Katrina’s flooding, The Big Uneasy. Everyone knows about the flood and the suffering and destruction it caused, but not much media attention has been focused on the real problem: why our levees actually failed. [...]
This is kind of local news, but it’s so typical “New Orleans.” The Rex organization is threatening to sue the Krewe of ‘tit Rex (that’s “petit” or “small” in French, colloquialized to “’tit”) for trade name infringement. Rex, the holiest of holy Mardi Gras krewes that parades on Fat Tuesday, wants to protect its copyright. [...]
The ongoing controversy regarding Armstrong Park has reared its head yet again, following the discovery of a murdered woman who was found in the bushes near the abandoned Municipal Auditorium. The victim was a German national, 47 years old—another tragedy to add to the tarnished reputation of the park. The park has been a political [...]
When OffBeat was still in its infancy and I was club hopping I mostly did my hanging Uptown at the Maple Leaf, Tip’s, Jimmy’s, Carrollton Station, Le Bon Temps Roule, Muddy Waters, and Madigan’s. You could walk between the Leaf, Muddy Waters, Jimmy’s and Carrollton Station. Tip’s, Le Bon Temps and Madigan’s were more of [...]
Last year at this time, there was a serious issue concerning the so-called “noise ordinance,” which prohibits street musicians on Bourbon Street after 8 p.m. and only allows noise up to a certain decibel level, among many other restrictions. At that time, the To Be Continued Brass Band was accosted by the NOPD for playing [...]
Having been in the business of promoting New Orleans and Louisiana music for over 25 years, I’ve seen its acceptance in the mainstream ebb and flow. Having tourism officials recognize the value of using our music to attract visitors has been up-and-down. The last big push we had for music statewide ended when Mitch Landrieu [...]
