New Orleans

[Tom Banjo]

New Orleans is like an onion that you must peel one layer at a time.  At first, for me at least, the onion was rough.  You know made the eyes tear up and pushed me away.  The town is a tourist trap and a large part of the scene there is designed to separate a man from his hard earned money.  They'll pour the drinks down your throat before you even agreed to pay for them.  Bourbon and much of the city also seemed to be heavily entrenched in booze and booze culture with a touch of trashy sex mixed in.  You know cheap hookers and cheap strippers.  The first layer of this onion is like a repellant for me.  I just can't see why anyone would want to buy into this.  However, as you get the lay of the land, you find yourself peeling deeper into the onion and discovering a culture that enlivens the spirit, lifts you up, and can take you on an unforgettable ride.  

I must thank DSO band and crew for allowing me this experience.  I would never have given New Orleans a chance if it wasn't for DSO.  DSO was the sole reason I made the trip to the Big Easy.  I got to cross another DSO state off my list, but much to my surprise and in spite of the heat and humidity, I found a place that I would visit again and anxiously immerse myself in their scene and culture.  The music I heard all day and all night was beyond quality.  I know Jazz fest brought some extra gravy to the music train, but I'm confident week in and week out one can find amazing music to entertain themselves.  We danced all day to funk and R&B reviews.  Then we hit DSO before we would do the funk dance party all night long.  For those who often find themselves on alley cat street, New Orleans is like a breathe of fresh air.  Plenty of cats to share in th groove until the sun comes up.

My New Orleans experience was so great I haven't even begun to share on the best part of the whole trip yet.  Dark Star crushed two shows at the Joy Theater.  I will be back to give show reviews as well.   

[John A]

Plus, how good are etouffee and jambalaya?!?  That said, alligator tastes like chicken, only tougher. 

[Island Bro]

49 minutes ago, Mason's Child said:

New Orleans is like an onion that you must peel one layer at a time.  At first, for me at least, the onion was rough.  You know made the eyes tear up and pushed me away.  The town is a tourist trap and a large part of the scene there is designed to separate a man from his hard earned money.  They'll pour the drinks down your throat before you even agreed to pay for them.  Bourbon and much of the city also seemed to be heavily entrenched in booze and booze culture with a touch of trashy sex mixed in.  You know cheap hookers and cheap strippers.  The first layer of this onion is like a repellant for me.  I just can't see why anyone would want to buy into this.  However, as you get the lay of the land, you find yourself peeling deeper into the onion and discovering a culture that enlivens the spirit, lifts you up, and can take you on an unforgettable ride.  

I must thank DSO band and crew for allowing me this experience.  I would never have given New Orleans a chance if it wasn't for DSO.  DSO was the sole reason I made the trip to the Big Easy.  I got to cross another DSO state off my list, but much to my surprise and in spite of the heat and humidity, I found a place that I would visit again and anxiously immerse myself in their scene and culture.  The music I heard all day and all night was beyond quality.  I know Jazz fest brought some extra gravy to the music train, but I'm confident week in and week out one can find amazing music to entertain themselves.  We danced all day to funk and R&B reviews.  Then we hit DSO before we would do the funk dance party all night long.  For those who often find themselves on alley cat street, New Orleans is like a breathe of fresh air.  Plenty of cats to share in th groove until the sun comes up.

My New Orleans experience was so great I haven't even begun to share on the best part of the whole trip yet.  Dark Star crushed two shows at the Joy Theater.  I will be back to give show reviews as well.   

Noting the vivid quality of the descriptive writing here and digging the onion analogy....

[Dr. Barry]

Very true. Under a commercial veneer there is much excellent reality to be discovered.

Music abounds. History galore. Over abundance of hotel rooms, restaurants, ubers and close to the airport. An "easy" trip for a weekend of fun. Anyone going there and not taking some kind of small tour to get the jist of the history of this place and simply indulging in the music and party is missing out big time.

The locals are particularly nice. I was taken in by what seemed to be a genuine good feeling and friendly attitude. This is a segregated city in the sense that the service sector is virtually all black people. But I never detected anything but good vibes from all I had contact with. It was refreshing. Everyone went out of their way to offer help and advice. And the accent is endearing and unique.

The food is another one of those things where you need to scratch the surface to get down to what's "real". If you want fried anything you don't need to scratch at all. But beyond the fried are many tasty treats. But...., if you hail from a coast and consider yourself an oyster aficionado you will be disappointed here. The gulf oysters are not in the same league as their east and west coast cousins. Be forewarned. And as long as you aren't diabetic, living off of the beignets drenched in confectionery sugar could be life altering.

Would I go back? Absolutely.  If DSO was there it would be a no brainer. This is a music town though, so I am hoping that the right timing can be found for the band to pack a venue despite so many competing interests all over the place. Without DSO there? Sure I would, but not as quickly. Not because it isn't great, but simply because there are many places to go, and DSO tends to be my magnet when it comes to my limited travel ability.

And this is a town for the hearty. 3 nights is plenty if you are the party type because you can literally be up all night for the entire time. Add in any indulgent behavior and you will need to be a party giant to stand more than that amount of time. And best to go with some friends. Always good to have someone to have your back in a place with so many distractions.

It was fun. I am so glad that the band went back there after a long hiatus. It gave me a reason for my first trip there. I hope they give me another one next year because it is a place I can easily see becoming a cherished destination.

Dr. B

 

[Tea]

Wow!  If that's not a ringing endorsement, I'm not sure I understand the word!

While I'm sure this delicate flower would wilt from the Bacchanalian onslaught, it sounds like I should give it a try if the  opportunity presents itself again.

Word to the wise:  If you go to NOLA for the Bourbon Street treatment only, you are missing what makes the city truly great!  Just gotta poke around.

Thanks for filling in the colors and textures of an amazing place!

 

[ducats]

went to the famous Weber travel final four.  one of the guys i'm  with sets up a lunch with an old friend of his who's working at Tulane.  I figure were going to one of the 50 tourist traps we've already hit. guy drives us 20 minutes to an area that looked like present day Detroit.  pulls over, parks and we walk past some boarded up old clapboards to the corner dilapidated building.

inside a 300 lb 3 toothed guy put appetizer after appetizer (shrimp this, crawfish that, clams, etc etc) in front of us for 2 hours.  we didn't order anything. he just kept there was 5 of us and we pigged out every minute we were there.  all the while grabbing our own beer (and keeping track ourselves) out of the cow trough filled with ice.

he did this simultaneously for 4 tables of 5 people (+/-) each. some looked like the guys from swamp monsters. some looked like they were the fisherman who brought in the food we were eating, some looked (black) like local servants.......conversations were flowing all around the room.

we get up to leave and our host says to the (calls him by name as they obviously see eachother often) guy, "we got 27 beers on the sheet-what do we owe ya". the guy doodles on his pad for a minute and says make it an even hundred.  we hand him $200 and leave loaded, stuffed and happy as pups.

2 of the greatest hours of my life.

[PoetryGirl]

Watch the documentary "The Man Who Ate New Orleans" by Michael Dunaway if you have an opportunity. Inspired by discussion of whether NOLA was worth "saving"  following Katrina. Format is the seven virtues of the city. 

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt2244680/

pS Dunaway manages Paste Magazine too

 

[Tom Banjo]

Sittin world

me and my uncle
Hard to handle 
Doin rgar rag
Dancin
It hurts me too 
Cold rain
Big bossman
Cryptical suite 
Casey

Mans world
Green green grass of home
Dark star
Stephen 
Will tell
Eleven 
Alligator 
Death dont

lovelofht 

 

e: Lindy hop

new Orleans 

Whenever DSO plays one of these in the style of 69 electives, it pains me if I'm not in attendance.  I was not in the right physical frame to handle what was to come.  New Orleans will chew you up and spit you out.  I hated slept for what seemed like days, but nevertheless, I was blessed to be in attendance.  I can't think of one thing I would rather do they hear DSO play 69 dead.  I know some people got their show the night before.  Who doesn't like 77?  I'm talking to you buddy, but for me this much rawer more carnal Grateful Dead is what I truly desire.  I even find the music polishes out by 72 and I have an easier time dancing to two drummers than one.  So I'm specifically saying I chase these earlier Pigpen shows.  

I was exhausted.  The venue was still filling in.  I didn't quite feel the energy during Sittin or Uncle.  I felt like I was forcing myself to spin harder because I wanted this to be the experience.  69.  Better give it my all. In all honesty, I'd end up picking and choosing my moments of dance at the show.  I sat with Ellie on the road case for much of the show.  It sounded great and I got to take in the music just the same.  However, I danced hard to hard to handle, but still didn't quite connect.  I started to find my feet during Doin that Rag as I slowed myself and let the movement come funkier slower chunkier.  The music started to click.  My body when I willed it moved in sync and in time with the sound.  Dancing was a grooving good time.  Cryptical other one cryptical is the goods as a buddy of mine at Black Mountain once said.  Casey sure does come creeping up on your mind.  New Orleans will chew you up.

I went upfront for Green Grass at home.  I had to know what the song was about it but I can feel it now.  Truly heavy.  The Dark Star was the highlight of the night for me.  I sat for over half the song, but for the half I danced too I felt some of most magical connection to movement music and sound in my life.  I impressed myself and not just in I like to toot my own horn kind of way.  Funny thing.  I felt like most people around me were kind of freaked out.  Nobody seemed all that impressed.  Fortunately, a friend let me know that it wasn't totally in my head. I definitely couldn't recreate the movement if I tried.  It was beautiful and magical.  Just like DSO delivery of Dark Star although not totally stretched out.  Stephen through Alligator is a blissed out danceathon.  I had saved up enough energy sitting some songs out.  I even had a little Alligator hand puppet to share with friends and strangers throughout the crowd.  Death Don't well.  I'm gonna leave those thoughts alone.  We all know it'll leave you standing and crying there.  Lovelight washed away the blues.  

We all knew the encore was coming.  This was a special show.  I feel like DSO may have known ticket sales might be tough with so much competition in town and they definitely could've used a larger showing.  They could've used as much support as they could get, but I also feel DSO picks to play shows like this to kind of say hey look you fucked up this was the goods.  Thats at least how I feel.  Anyone not there in my estimation was making the wrong choice.  DSO deserves loads of praise for showing and knocking it out the park night in and night out and rewarding us with one of those special nights here in New Orleans.  I still wouldn't get no sleep tonight.  I'd die if I did all 2 weeks jazzfest.

Love is Real

[Tom Banjo]

Ducats my story not nearly as cool in the dining, but someone had a local friend that worked at restaurant down there.  Great food but pricey.  She hooked us up half price with the only premise that we gave the leftovers to homeless.  It was great.  We had lots of leftovers.  Several people on the street ate great that night.

[Supplicated Velvet Thunder]

 Not fade away...

I love dirty smelly things. Shit grows flowers. Money, who needs it? Oh, except to give away cause it's just paper. Roadrunner baby, don't stay in New Orleans too long. look for your face n it might be gone. Glad we all got out bwahahahaha

and white boxes are free and hot  best free food I've ever had! Ppl too drunk to eat it, gotta keep it from becoming their vomit lmao

they won't give you a dollar for Gatorade or water but they will hand you a beer when they like what they hear

[Tom Banjo]

Roadrunners are headed to Jersey in the next few days.

[Supplicated Velvet Thunder]

27 minutes ago, Mason's Child said:

Roadrunners are headed to Jersey in the next few days.

Funny.... we are getting a van in next few days and headed that direction.... perhaps we will have a few show stops on our way north  hehehehe

 

[Tom Banjo]

I hope to see you at some of the gigs coming up.  Either way I know when the dust hits your shoes....

[Tom Banjo]

So at the joy if you stared up at the ceilings at times it looked like stars all over the ceiling. Usually when my movement gets more creative and free i look at the ground for balance. Here during dark star I was staring into the stars. 

[Supplicated Velvet Thunder]

Got a van  see y'all soon

[Rude]

I think the biggest theme of Nola to me was freedom. Jamming music at 4am on the balcony, stumbling around with drinks in hand as the sun rose. No hassles at all the entire weekend. The cops all said hi. They were there only in case of violence as it should be. The joy theater let people do what they wanted. New Orleans was like jubilee in a 1 sq mile chunk of city.  If you didn't start and problems you wouldn't get any hassle from authority.  We did almost throw down with a likely terrorist at 5am outside of a bar who believed that if he bought a woman a drink he now owned her but that's another story. Was quite a rush. Think my gf wanted to fight him too.  Down on Frenchmen's it was like these bands would come before us to present us with this gift of music. I started to keep a pocket full of 1's to give to musicians. Just writing this brings back hundreds of fantastic memories.  MC, you know I'm not a violent guy(too skinny) but think we should have dealt with that dude for good or bad. Worst case we may have taken a small blade in the stomach but what a story that would have been . I actually got excited when my gf got agressive trying to get back the property the terrorist stole. Next time...