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Performance art
Prospect.6 internationalart expo openswithweekend of events
THESPECTACLE OF HALLOWEEN WILL BARELY BE OVER BEFORE theinternational arttriennial Prospect.6 begins Butthere’sstill abit of witchcraft to kick-off theopening weekend’sbusy schedule of performances andevents.
“Magic Maids” is aperformance piece by Filipinodancerand choreographer eisa Jocson andSri Lankan performanceartistvenuriPerera. Thetwo wear blackdresses andswish brooms betweentheir legs,almostlikeriding thebroomsticks.But they’rebrushing drifts of turmeric andother aromatic spices in theritual.
“Itbringstogether theirresearchinto thehistories of witchcraft andwomen persecuted as witchesand histories of labormigration,” says Prospect.6 co-artisticdirectorMiranda Lash. It explores thevillainization and powerofwomen from countrieslike thePhilippines andSri Lankaasthey’ve come to Westerncountries as laborers. Jocson andPererawillperform thepiece twiceatthe NewMarigny TheatreonFriday, Nov. 1, anda video versionofitwillbeondisplay through Prospect.6’s endatthe Ford Motor PlantsiteinArabi.The womenalso will do an openingweekend workshop forwomen andfemale-identifying participants that they have dubbed Broomology 101.
Prospect.6 is thesixth iterationof Prospect NewOrleans,the multivenueinternational ar texhibition launched by Dancameron in thewake of HurricaneKatrina.The expo is titled “The Future is Present, TheHarbinger is Home”and runs from Saturday, Nov. 2, to Feb. 2, 2025.Someofthe major themes includelooking at howthe ef fectsofclimate change arealready here, NewOrleans’tiestothe rest of theworld,the notion of home as an idea people carrywiththem as they move andmigrate,and more.
Prospect.6 features 51 artistsfrom across theglobe at venues including museumsand arts centerslikethe New OrleansMuseumofArt,Ogden Museum of SouthernArt,contemporaryArts center andNewcomb ArtMuseum, as well as smallergalleries andnontraditionalart venues,plusoutdoor installations.The roster includes Mel chin,christopher cozier,JoanJonas, AbigailDeville, JoiriMinaya, Tuan Andrew Nguyen,TuanMamiand more. Philippines-born StephanieSyjucowill create large-scalewheat-paste images recallingthe lost fishingvillageorSt.
by Will Coviello |
Malo.Danish artist Jeannetteehlers hascreated sculptures usingbraided syntheticBlack hair.
Lash wasthe curatorofcontemporary artatthe NewOrleans Museum of Art when Prospect waslaunched. She’s nowaseniorcurator at theMuseumof contemporary ArtDenver. co-artistic director ebonyG.Patterson is apainter from Kingston,Jamaica,currently basedinchicago.Her work was included in Prospect.3,and both Lash andPatterson were on thecuratorial advisory councilofProspect.4.
“Hesaidyou have to dreambig.You have to thinkonaninternational scale,” Lash says.“Oneofthe only prompts abiennialortriennial offers is that it should be ambitious.”
Thetwo curators have emphasized newwork, whichincludes42ofthe 51 artistsdoing newcommissioned pieces.There’s also abig emphasis on performances on openingand closing weekends.And therewillbenumerous large-scale, eye-catching exhibitionsin public spaces
Oneofthe last pieces installed forProspect.5was Simone Leigh’s “Sentinel,”astatueofanAfrican goddess enwrappedbyasnake at Harmonycircle. Prospect.6 will beginatHarmony circle with theinstallationofa new sculpturebyMexican-bornmultimedia artist andmusicianrauldeNieves. Hispiece is titled “The Sacred Heart of Hoursand theTrees of Yesterdays, Todayand Tomorrow,” whichcontemplates what couldbememorializedon thecircle. On Halloween, therewill
be aperformance titled “LoveBurst,” whichwill feature thedragwrestling groupchokehole, localperformer and educator Antonio Garzaand more Thereare several music-based performances on openingweekend L. Kasimu Harris, whoisknown forhis photos of Black-ownedbars in NewOrleans, will displayworkatSweet Lorraine’s jazz club,and thereisa performance by Delfeayo Marsalis’UptownJazz Orchestraat10a.m.Saturday, Nov. 2. NewOrleansnativeAshleyTeamer leadsa performanceand talk titled “TambourinecypherPart1”about the simple percussion piece’ssignificance in NewOrleans andits rootsand ties to cultureelsewhere.The eventis10a.m Sunday,Nov.2,atTulaneUniversity’s FreemanAuditorium.Quintronwill lead aperformance with hisenvironmentally activatedWeather Warlocknear the MusicBox villageat6a.m.Sunday, Nov. 3, andit’ll be followed by breakfast at theMusic Box.
Therosterofartists includes several basedinNew Orleans. Whilesome visiting artistsdoing work mayreference NewOrleans,manywerechosen becauseofthe waytheir work resonates with thecity’shistory or people.There arenumerousartists from vietnamand SouthAsia, LatinAmerica,Africaand thecaribbean
ronald cyrille, akaB.Bird, is apainter andsculptorfromGuadeloupe. He is knownfor paintingsand hybridized painting/sculpturesdepicting birds, often in worksquestioning or dispelling the narrativeofthe caribbean as floral paradise,and taking more nuancedviews of theregion’sculture andhistory.His work will be on displayatMerchantHouse just outsidethe WarehouseDistrict. That spacewillalsohouse theProspect.6 visitorcenter, wherethere will be information on triennial, aguidebook with recommendations forexploring its22 venues andspacesand more Openingweekend also features the Prospect.6 gala at 7p.m.Friday, Nov. 1, at theSugar Mill.
Formore aboutProspect.6, go to prospect6.org.
NOLA Zydeco Festival
NOLA Zydeco Festival celebrates zydeco musicand preserves the historyand cultureofAcadiana’s creole culture. co-foundersGabrielle Deculusand courtney Smithcreated theevent to honorthe legacy of their great-grandfather,creolemusic pioneerAlphonse“Bois Sec” Ardoin Hisgreat grandson,AlphonseArdoin, is amongthe performers,along with Dwayne Dopsie,rusty Metoyer, WayneSingleton,Koray Broussardand more.There also is acreolehistory exhibit, zydeco dancelessons anda gumbocook-off. At 11 a.m. to 8p.m Saturday, Nov. 2, in crescent Park. Ticketsstart at $20and areavailable vianolazydecofest.com.
LilWeezyanaFest
LilWayne reunites with theHot Boys to headlinethisyear’s LilWeezyana Fest.Hip-hop fans,especiallyNew Orleanians, have been hoping Wayne, Juvenile,B.G.and Turk wouldone dayreunite as theHot Boys ever since B.G. left prison last summer.There have been promises andsomemissed opportunities, butitlooks like areunion is finallyhappening.Thisyear’s fest also features rob49and aDJset by Mannie Fresh. At 7p.m.Saturday, Nov. 2, at theSmoothieKingcenter. Find tickets viasmoothiekingcenter.com
TheDeslondes
TheDeslondes released theirlatestalbum,“Roll It Out,” in early September. With songwritingcontributionsfromall five musicians, including newest member Howe Pearson, it ranges from honky-tonkingtothe weathered reflectionsinriley Downing’s“Hold on Liza.” They celebratethe albumwith theirfirst localshowsince itsrelease Mama’s Brokeand Sabine Mccallaalso performat7p.m.Wednesday,Oct.30, at Toulouse Theatre. Tickets$20 via toulousetheatre.com.
ShannonPowelltribute
DrummerShannon Powell continues to recover from astrokeand heart
‘Container #4’ by JoiriMinaya
PH OT OP ROVI DE DBYJ OI RI MI NAYA
NewOrleans hashoused555 formerly unhoused people in the last year underanambitious plan by thecantrelladministrationto shelter1,500 people experiencing homelessness by theend of 2025 Although fundingand affordable housingstock will challengethe program’slong-term success —and thecityhas been criticized forhow it hascleared encampments—the sheltering work seemstobemovinginthe rightdirection
OP EN IN G GA MB IT
Theunhousedare humans too. Treatthemaccordingly
La.wildlife, transportation ofcialstasked with relocating NewOrleans’unhoused
ToupsFamilyMeal, chef Isaac andAmandaToups’nonprofit, earlierthismonth delivered600 pumpkins and1,200 pizzas to families with kids around New Orleans. TheHalloween-themed delivery continuestheir work of fighting food insecurity in thecity, especially amongkids.
Louisiana’sdecision to reclassify misoprostolasacontrolled dangeroussubstance hasmeant womenwho need thedrugto prepare forroutine medical proceduresare having ahardtimefilling theirprescriptions,the Louisiana Illuminatorrepor ted. Statelawmakers reclassified misoprostol andmifepristoneasdangerous substances becausetheycan be used in abor tions, butthe decision endangerspatientswho need thosedrugs forroutine as well as emergencymedical care. Meanwhile, doctorsand pharmacistsworry they’llinadver tently actillegally.
75
THEAPPROXIMATENUMBER OF UNHOUSED PEOPLE DISPLACEDOCT.22, AHEADOF THEERASTOUR. C’ ES T WH AT ? LouisianaGov.JeffLandry.
LOUISIANA GOV. JEFF LANDRY LAST WEEK TASKED thestate Wildlife &Fisheriesand Transpor tation departmentswithrelocating potentiallyhundredsofunhoused humanbeingslivinginand around areasofNew Orleansfrequented by tourists in advanceofTaylor Swif t’sthree nighterasTourstand at theSuperdome,according to the LouisianaState Police earlierinthe week when LSPbroke up an encampment of an estimated 75 people on calliope andLoyola streets, it wasunclear whetherthey were beingtaken anywhere or simply displaced. ButanLSP spokesperson told Gambit Oct. 23 “troopersare workingwithDOTDand Wildlife andFisheriestoactivelymovethe unhoused andtheir belongings to a saferlocation.”
It is unclearwhy thesetwo agencies —which deal with managing Louisiana’sanimalpopulations,and roadsand vehicles,respectively— are nowresponsible forremovingpeople from downtown encampments Therelocations arepartofa broaderanti-houseless“sweep” beingconductedbyLSP’s “Troop NOLA” in therun up to this weekend’sTaylorSwift concerts andnext year’s SuperBowl. LSPisprimarily targetingthe houselessinthe cBD, Warehouseand French Quarter
neighborhoods. Sweeps began Tuesdayand will continue throughat leastThursday.
In astatement to theTimesPicayune, aLandryspokesperson said,“as we preparefor thecityto host Taylor Swiftand SuperBowlLIX, we arecommitted to ensuring New Orleansputsits best foot forward when on theworld stage.”
AccordingtoanLSP spokesperson, TroopNOL Aisalsoworking with theLouisiana Department of Health, theState Fire Marshal, and theDepartment of Public Safety & corrections“to create safe alternativesand reclaimpublicspaces.”
city of ficials, meanwhile, are objectingtothe sweeps.Duringan Oct. 22 pressconference, Nathaniel Fields,directorofthe Of fice of Homeless Services andStrateg y, called on Landry to halt thesweeps. He andother city officialshavesaid thestate swooping in is impeding theirown ongoingefforts to secure housingfor this population.
“Weare asking thegovernorto notper form thesweepingofthis encampmentand otherencampments,”Fieldssaid, accordingto theTimes-Picayune. “We’re asking them to work with us andbea part of thepar tnership andnot part of theproblem.”
Aseriesofsweepswereordered by Gov. Jeff Landry,indefianceofNew Orleans officials, whohavebeenworking on securing permanenthousing forthisgroup.Housing advocatesalsoarguedthatthe sudden move wouldcause trauma to an already-traumatizedpopulation.
Is it time forthe NewOrleans Saints to say good-bye to DennisAllen?
41.4%
GETALLENOUT OF THEREIMMEDIATELY
20.7%
Wineis Calling! Leavesare Falling!
TheLSP sweeps areseparate from ongoingefforts by thecitytomove houselesspopulations into housing.
Thesweepscomejusttwo months afterasimilar city-ledenforcement sweepofthe French Quarterand otherareas in whichofficials targeted economicallydisadvantaged people includingbuskers,kidsplaying bucketsand panhandlers, amongothers.
Many of theencampments and otherareas beingtargetedbyTroop NOLAlie in theshadowofsome of NewOrleans’mostunsafeand unsightlyproperties, includingthe decrepit PlazaTower,long-abandonedcharityHospitaland other blighted andempty buildings.
So farthere’s no word on whether Landry will also conducta similar sweepagainst developers andother landowners who’ve left theseproperties to rotfor years. —JohnStanton
NewOrleans S&WB
is nowofferingfixedrate billing forwater. Here’s howitwillwork
THENEW ORLEANSSEWERAGE& WATERBOARD IS BELATEDLYUNVEILING afixed-ratewater billingoption forsomecustomers as it continues installingnew “smart”metersacross thecity.
processiscomplete,”according to thepress release.
That is abouttwo months behind aschedulethatofficials laid out in August
S&WB officialssaidthe newfixed rateswillbebased on a12-month averageofwater usage, including estimates. That is contrary to the
Thefixed-rateoption— required underastate lawpassedthisyear, as well as an August city ordinance—is intended to ensure predictablewater billsuntil themeter upgradeproject is complete.Smart meters,which allowcustomers to trackusage in real time,are seen as theultimate fixtoanunreliablebillingsystem that is notoriousfor producingwildly inaccurate bills.
TheS&WBsayshalfofthe city’s 144,000meterswillbereplaced by theend of this year,withthe rest installedbythe endofnextyear. Fixed-rate billingwill be available to thosewho haven’tyet received asmart meter. If customerschoose thefixed-rateoption, it will remain in placeuntil they getasmart meter.
“Thistemporary fixed-rateoption of fers predictability andpeace of mind whileweworktobring smar t metering technology to every customer,improvingaccuracy andtransparency,”saidS&WB executiveDirector Ghassan Korban in apress release.
TheS&WBwillbegin notifying customersoftheir fixedratenext week,along with instructionsfor opting in if they wish.The fixedrates will begin“at thestart of thenext full billingcycle once theopt-in
recent statelaw andcityordinance, whichsaidthe fixedrates must be calculated on “actual” meterreads conductedbyS&WBpersonnel, withoutfactoring anybills basedon estimatedusage.
Theutility uses estimateswhen it doesn’thaveenoughstaff for actual reads, or when meters are obstructed.Adifferent statelaw also passed this year will banthe useof estimatesstartingin2025. customerswillbeabletorequest reviewsoffixed-rateamounts if disputed billsare included in thecalculations, accordingtoapress release.
S&WB of ficialstoldcitycouncil membersand statelawmakers in an August public meetingthat excludingestimated billswould be impossible.Thatdidn’tsit well with lawmakers, especially staterep. Stephanie Hilfer ty,who sponsored thenew statelaw requiringfixedrate billing.
“estimates should have no part of a fixedratethatsomebodyoptsinto,” Hilferty said at that meeting.
Hilferty,who reviewed S&WB data afterthatmeeting,saidinatext messagethatmany“actual”bills included upward adjustmentstoprior estimates, resultinginhigherfixedrate calculations.
“The concernwithrelying solely on actual readings is that many of them are‘true-up’ adjustments, whichtend to be higher andcould unfairly burden ratepayers,” Hilferty said
S&WB BoardDirectorGhassan Korban in March2024.
Theback-and-forthoverthe formulaseems to have pushed back thefixed-raterollout.S&WBofficials said at theAugustmeeting that notification letterswould go outin September, andthatfixed-ratebilling wouldbeavailable in October.
Newcustomers andthose with fewerthan12monthsofbilling history will be dealtwithonacase-bycase basis, officialssaid. —Ben Myers /The Times-Picayune
Schlockand awe
AGOODSPOOKYMOVIE IS AS ESSENTIAL TO THEHALLOWEEN SEASON thesedaysasfun-sized chocolate bars and12-foot skeletons. So Gambit knockedona fewcoffins and polled thegraveyard to digupsome horror movierecommendations!
It ’s dangeroustogotoo far Louisianafolkloreisfullofspirits, monsters,murderand theunexplainable,and countlessfilmmakershave triedtocapture that —withvarying degreesofsuccess.Plus, recognizing alocationwhereahorrormovie was shot helpscrank up thecreep factor
“Interview with thevampire,” the1994adaptationofAnnerice’s novel, maybethe most iconic horror film setinSouth Louisiana, andas long as you’re OK with alittlemelodramaand camp,itremains aclassic (Streaming on HBOMax).
If you’re more in themoodfor a possession movie, head up to Baton rougewith“TheLastexorcism.”A minister whoisready to expose his exorcism scam invitesa documentary crew alongtovisit apossessed girl on aremotefarm—and gets more than he bargainedfor in this intense found-footageflick (OnPrime video andPeacock).
The2006movie “Hatchet”has flownunder theradar over the years, butit’sasolid,fun slasher flick. Agroup of tourists getstuck on aswamp tour andcomeface-toface with thebrutalvictorcrowley, Louisiana’sown unstoppablekiller (FinditonTubi)
Laughing past thegraveyard
It’s been alongyear—longdecade —and with election Dayonour doorstop,maybe aheavy movie isn’twhatyou’reafter.Ifyou want to keep thespookyvibes,while adding afew laughs,check outthese great horror comedies
“Shaun of theDead,”the 2004 collaborationbetween director edgarWrightand actors Simon Pegg andNickFrost aboutapairof aimlessLondonersfacingthe zombie apocalypse,isn’t just oneofthe best horror comedies ever made,it’salso
alovinglymadetribute to thezombie genre(Streamingon Peacock)
Similarly, the2014mocumentary “WhatWeDointhe Shadows” is afirst-rateode to thevampire genre. Thewitty TaikaWaititi-and Jermaine clement-directed film, aboutfourvampiressharing aflat in Wellington,New Zealand, also launched an acclaimedT vshow (rentitonPrime video)
Thereare fewbetterHalloween movies than the2007anthology film “Trick ’r Treat,”featuring theinstantly iconic characterSam,dressed in
orange pajamasand an old-school burlap sack mask.Thereare alot of chills,a tonofblood anda healthy dose of humorinits five interwovenstories —justdon’t disrespect Halloweentraditions(On HBOMax).
Dracula’sa real pain in theneck
Half themonsters, mad scientists, eeriecastles andother tropes we play with on Halloweenall stem from UniversalStudios,which helped shapeour images of Dracula, The Wolf Manand more
Whilemostofthose black-andwhiteflicksare wortha watch, we recommendstartingwith“TheBride of Frankenstein”— asequelthat surpassesthe original andpaints themonster as amisunderstood character—and rollinginto“The Wolf Man,”the 1941 werewolf movie starring LonchaneyJr. as thetragic LarryTalbot. Finish thetrilogy with “FrankensteinMeets theWolfMan,” the1943crossover moviefullof foggygraveyards, monsterfightsand UniversalStudios establishing itsown shared cinematicuniverse.
Want more?cleanse your palate with thegoofy yetcharming“Abbott andcostelloMeetFrankenstein,”the 1948 film featuringBelaLugosias Dracula, chaney andGlenn Strange as Frankenstein’s monster. —JakeClapp
PH OT OBYJAS MY NE WH IT E/ GA MB IT
shop @ ga et anas nol a la
IN ADVANCEOFTAYLOR SWIFT’SHISTORICTHREENIGHTERASTOURSTAND at theSuperdome,Gov.Jeff Landry launched adystopian beautification project in NewOrleans,directing theLouisiana StatePolice andDepartmentofWildlife andFisheriestoremove unhoused personsfrom partsofthe city heavily trafficked by tourists Starting Oct. 23,LSP’s TroopNOLAand DWF officers clad in flak jackets brokeupencampments of theunhousedinthe cBD, French Quarterand Warehouseneighborhoods Througha spokesperson, Landry made clearthe sweeps were aestheticin nature.“As we preparefor thecitytohostTaylorSwift andSuper Bowl LIX,weare committedtoensuringNew Orleansputsits best foot forwardwhenonthe worldstage,” his spokesperson said in astatement MayorLaToyacantrell’sadministrationimmediately objected to thedehumanizing operation, to no discernableeffect.
AccordingtoDWF’s missionstatement,itexistsinpartto“manage, conserve,and promotewiseutilization of Louisiana’srenewable fish andwildlife resources,”including the “nuisance” wildlife removalindustry.
What DWFisneither designed to do norcapable of doingisprovidinghousing,healthcare, food or general welfareservicesfor unhoused humanbeings.
In acivilized society, treating human beings as nuisance animalswould be seen as morallyrepugnant.The unhoused arenot racoonsorcoyotes with rabies.They’re notwayward alligators or blackbears that have become accustomed to diggingin trashcans.
Unhoused people areentitledtothe same rights,respect anddignity to whichthe so-calledpillars of society areaccorded.
Buteventhatdepiction is alie.Most houselesspeopleare simply folks whoselives have takenaterribleor even tragic turn.Manyhavejobsbut can’taffordstablehousing.Others have medical conditions that make earning alivable wage nearlyimpossible. Addtothose misfortunesa lack of familial supportoraccesstosocial safety nets —and NewOrleans’chronic affordablehousing problem— andit’s no surprise so many find themselves on thestreet.
Landry andhis supporters paint theunhousedashordesofmentally illpeopleorlostsouls hopelessly boundbyaddiction.Neither of those conditions justifythe houselessbeing roundedupand relocatedlikewild animals, rather than beingtreated with compassion,empathy andlove.
Sadly, Landry’s performative stunt wasall toopredictable.Hecapitalized on,and at everyturnstoked, public fear of violentcrime in 2023 to gethimself electedgovernor. even before anydetails aboutTroop NOLA were made public,Mayor cantrell in February declared her “fullsupport” forits creation anddeployment. Landry hasmadehis catholic faitha centralpartofhis politicalpersona and hispitch to voters.Asgovernor, he and hisallieshavesoughttoinjectreligious fundamentalism into public policy If they really want to follow the teachingsofJesus,theyought to re-readthe Gospel of Matthew, particularly chapter25, verse40: “Amen, Isay to you, whatever you didfor oneofthese leastbrothersof mine,you didfor me.”
@GambitBlake |askblake@gambitweekly.com
Hey Blake, We enjoyedwatching episodesofMorgusthe MagnificentonWYES lastweekend.Theyalso showedclips of Morgus in Detroit. When didhis shows airthere?Was that before histimein NewOrleans?
Dear reader,
DR.MOMUS ALEXANDER
MORGUS IS ANEW ORLEANS
ORIGINAL ,created by Sidney Noel rideau,a native NewOrleanian whoworkedinlocal radiobeforegoing on Tv in costumeashis wackymad scientistcharacter.Morguspremiered on WWL-Tv on Jan. 3, 1959,witha late-night program, “House of Shock,” featuringhis experimentswrapped around segments of horror andsci-fi movies.“Dr.Morgus” wasassistedby hishulking henchmanchopsleyand talkingskull sidekick e.r.I.c.
By late 1959,Morguswas also doing adaily weathercast on WWL, called “The Morgus Board” or “Morgusand theWeather.” Morgus even starred in a 1962 featurefilm, “The WackyWorld of Dr.Morgus.”
In 1964,Morgusrelocated to Detroit, with help from WWL’sformergeneral manager, Larrycarino, whohired rideau to appear on WJBK-Tv. “Morgusofthe wild hairdo,staringeyesand theteeth that arean orthodontist’s dream, holdsforth on WJBK-TvMondaytoFridayat5:55 p.m. in aweather show andagain at
unfortunatepatient awaits the attentionofMorgusand Chopsley
11:30p.m.onFridayashostand actor of ‘MorgusPresents,’” reported the DetroitFreePress in June 1964
By Januaryofthe followingyear, Morgus hadmoved to competing stationWXYZ-Tv,wherehis show wascalled“ShockTheater.” There also wasaMorguscomic stripin Detroitnewspapers.
By June 1965,Morguswas back home in NewOrleans,airingagain on WWL. In 1970,hemoved to WDSU-Tv,airingonSaturdayafternoonsduring“Star Trek”episodes. He left theair in 1971 butreturned in 1987 with newepisodesof“Morgus Presents”airingon WGNO andsyndicatednationwide. Thosesameshows laterran on coxcable,WvUeand in recent yearsWYeS, as well as being packaged on DvD. rideau died in 2020,but hisiconic characterlives on
THIS WEEK MARKS 25 YEARSSINCE HARRAH’SNEW ORLEANSCASINO,now knownas caesars, openedinits location at thefootofcanal Street.The building opened to thepubliconOct.30, 1999
It took sevenyears to gettothatpoint.The stateLegislature approved gambling in 1992,and Harrah’s openedatemporary casino in May1995inthe Municipal Auditorium.Itclosedafter sixmonths, andthe projectspent threeyears in bankruptcy reorganization.Finally,the $381 millioncasinoopenedonthe site of what hadbeenthe rivergateconventionfacility, whichwas demolished in 1995.Atthe time it wasHarrah’s19th— andthe largest— casino in itsportfolio.
“Wehad some long days andsomelongnights, butwefinally gothere,”Mayor Marc Morial said at avIP grandopening event, accordingto TheTimes-Picayune. “Likeaphoenix, this projecthas risenfromthe ashes…af terbeing writtenoff by so many.”
Thegrand openingtothe general public wasprecededbyfreeconcertsat Spanish PlazabyFatsDomino, clarence “Frogman”Henry andDeaconJohnas well as fireworksalong theMississippi river.
In 2016, Harrah’s openeda450-roomluxuryhotel adjacent to thecasino. In 2020,ascaesars entertainmentInc.becamethe parent companyofHarrahs, thehotel andcasinolauncheda$430million renovation projectwhich was unveiled last week.
BL AK E VI EW
WHAT’S ON THE NOV. 5BALLOT ?
BY CL ANCY DUBOS
OTHERTHAN THEBIT TERLYDIVISIVEPRESIDENTIALR ACE,the Nov. 5ballotfeaturesfew contestedelections in Orleansand Jeffersonparishes. In fact,the hottestlocal item appearsto be aproposedCit yCharter amendmenttocreatepermanent localfunding foraffordablehousing in NewOrleans.
Voters in both parishes will consider severalballotinitiatives Statewide, aproposedconstitutionalamendment woulddedicaterevenues that thestate receives from alternativeoffshoreenerg ysources to the CoastalProtectionand RestorationFund.
In NewOrleans,asecondproposedcharter change expressessupport for workers’ rights.InJef ferson Parish,voterswillconsideraHomeRuleCharterchangeregarding “at-will”clericalemployees hiredbycouncil members andthe parish president.
Regionally,U.S.Reps. SteveScalise,R-Metairie, andTroyCar ter, D-New Orleans, each face four lesser-known opponents. Both incumbents are over whelming favoritesto winre-election.
Scalisehas held theFirst District seat sincewinning aspecial election in 2008.Hehas risenthrough theGOP ranksto become HouseMajority Leader,the Republicans’ second-in-commandbehindSpeaker Mike JohnsonofBenton, La
Carter likewise wonaspecial election to capturehis Second District seat, winningitin2021after PresidentJoe Bidentappedhis predecessor, DemocratCedricRichmondofNew Orleans, as aspecial advisor.
Carter is Louisiana’sonly Democrat in Congress —but that will likely change soon.Afederal cour t-orderedredistricting plan that lawmakers reluctantlyadopted in Januar ycreated thestate’s second Black-majority Housedistrict. StateSen.CleoFields, D-BatonRouge,isthe odds-on favorite to winthatseat.
Theonly othercontested electionsinNew Orleansare twoseats on the seven-member OrleansParishSchoolBoard JeffersonParishhas no contestedlocal elections.
HOUSINGON THEBALLOT
THENEW ORLEANSCIT Y COUNCILHAS PROPOSED a pair of City Char teramendments —the firsttopermanently fund af fordable housinginitiatives,and thesecondexpressingsupport forworkerrights.
Proposition1 hasgenerated the most attention, largelybecause of thecity’slongstandingand severe shor tage of af fordable housing unitsfor low- andmiddle-income families.Evencriticsofthe proposal acknowledgethe urgent need to addressthatproblem. Thepoint of contention is how best to do that
Thecouncil unanimouslyapproved puttingProp1 on theNov.5
ballot last spring.Council members also passed a“backup plan” in theformofacityordinance that does pretty much thesame thing—incasevotersrejectthe proposed char teramendment. Themaindif ferencebet ween thet wo is permanence,or lack thereof.
If voters approveProp1,the 2% dedication couldbechanged or removedonly by another referendum or by unanimous vote of acouncil quorum during adeclared emergency. If voters reject theproposedamendment,the ordinancewould allowthe council to change or repeal thededication anytimebymajorityvote. Neitherwould create anew tax. Instead,eachwould requirethe counciltospend asimilar amount on housinginitiatives.
PH OT OB YC HR IS GR AN GE R/ THE TI ME S- PI CAYU NE
The char ter amendment would dedicate 2% of the city’s general revenue around $17 million in 2025 to addressing the city’s shortage of housing for low- and moderate-income residents.
General revenues are those not already dedicated to specific needs or agencies. They account for less than 19% of the city’s total capital and operating budgets, according to District B Council Member Lesli Harris, who authored the proposed charter amendment and leads the effort to pass it
The backup ordinance, authored by District A Council Member Joe Giarrusso, sets a goal of $20 million for affordable housing, with the amount to rise each year with inflation. Unlike Prop 1, the ordinance would allow the council to use federal money that the city already receives to reach the $20 million goal. Prop 1 requires the dedication to come solely from local funds, in addition to federal funds.
Both Prop 1 and the ordinance would establish a housing trust fund administered by agencies outside City Hall the quasi-public Finance Authority of New
which are in addition to federal dollars for housing programs, are flexible but there are guardrails put in The council will oversee the administration of the money. It will also allow the city to respond when there is a crisis.”
Orleans’ affordable housing crisis but “fails to consider the fact that an ordinance can be repealed at any time. If that occurs in this case, we will go back to investing zero city dollars into our residents’ housing.”
Orleans and the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority but all disbursements would be subject to council oversight.
A seven-person advisory panel appointed by the council, the mayor and housing nonprofits would advise the two agencies in determining which initiatives to fund Advocates have suggested programs to support first-time homebuyers, to provide gap financing for affordable housing developers and to subsidize fortified roofs and other weatherization work for homeowners and small landlords.
In addition to the unanimous backing of the council, a handful of New Orleans developers and housing advocates have provided financial support to the NOLA First Political Action Committee, which is promoting Prop 1. The PAC created the Yes to NOLA Housing website to support the creation of the NOL A Housing Trust Fund.
“We’re setting the stage for real change,” says Andreanecia Morris, executive director of HousingNOL A, an affordable housing advocacy group. “These dollars,
Housing advocates have pushed officials for years to do more to address the local housing shortage. They say the city needs at least 47,000 new affordable units.
The nonprofit Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) has issued an analysis of Prop 1 and opposes it
“The city can and should make new housing investments as part of its strategy to alleviate the problems,” BGR stated in its report “While the proposed charter amendment would guarantee consistent new funding for housing, it would also be difficult to alter or undo It would unnecessarily limit the city’s budget flexibility as it confronts substantial new costs for personnel, infrastructure and other needs.”
BGR instead recommends that the council strengthen the affordable housing ordinance already in place by increasing the annual local appropriation, adopting a long-term financial plan for the housing fund and adding greater transparency and accountability to the fund’s advisory panel. Harris took issue with BGR’s analysis, saying the group acknowledges the severity of New
WORKERS’ RIGHTS
PROPOSITION 2 WOULD ADD to the New Orleans City Charter’s bill of rights a nonbinding expression of support for worker rights.
“It’s aspirational and does not have the force of law,” says City Council President Helena Moreno, the proposed amendment’s author. “But it’s important to state what kind of city we want to be one that supports equal pay, fair and safe work environments, health care pay and a living wage.”
Although the proposed amendment would not grant workers additional rights or legal standing to sue, Moreno says it’s important for the city to make a statement in support of workers’ rights particularly in light of state lawmakers’ refusal to raise the minimum wage or pass equal pay laws
“Advocates of workers’ rights have suggested adding this to the charter’s bill of rights,” Moreno said “After the Hard Rock Hotel collapse, which killed several workers because of unsafe conditions, we thought it would be appropriate to give workers an ex-
New Orleans City Council member Lesli Harris
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Affordable housing advocates stand in the New Orleans City Council chambers in 2018.
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pression of supportinthe charter, even if it’s notenforceable.”
OFFSHORE
ENERGY REVENUES
THEONLYSTATEWIDE PROP-
OSITIOnonthe ballot is Amendment No.1.Ifapproved by voters, it woulddedicatefederal revenues that Louisianareceives from alternative or renewableoffshore energy sourcestothe Coastal Protection andRestoration Fund
Louisianavoterscreated the fund viaaconstitutionalamendment in 2005.Thatamendment requiredall future federalmineral revenues received by thestate from offshore oiland gasdrilling to be placed in thefundand dedicated to wetlands preservation, coastalrestoration,hurricane protection, andinfrastructuredirectly impacted by coastalwetlandsloss.
“Inasense,thisisa prospective approach becausethereiscurrently no federallegislationthat authorizes thesharing of these typesofrevenueswiththe states,” CABL noted.
licans,havefiled legislation to allowfederal revenues generated by offshore wind projects to be shared with states,but Congresshas notyet actedon either measure.
Meanwhile, Louisianahas lost 2,000squaremiles of coastal land in thelastcentury.Mississippi Riverleveeskickstarted that loss by deprivingthe wetlands of land-buildingsediment, but thousandsof milesofmarshland canals dugbythe energy industryaccelerated it.Oil andgas extraction also caused land to sink andgiveway to open water.
In theaftermath of Hurricanes Katrinaand Rita,Congresspassed theGulfofMexicoEnergy Security Act—known as GOMESA —which allowedLouisiana to receive hundreds of millions of offshore revenuedollars over thelast18 years. Thosefunds,combined with more than $7 billionfromthe BP DeepwaterHorizon settlement andhundredsofmillionsofdollars in statesurpluses,havefueleda massiveinvestmentincoastal restoration andhurricane protection effortsalong Louisiana’scoast ButLouisiana facesserious fundingchallengesinthe coming decade.BPoil spillfunds dryup in 2031,and statesurpluses will soondisappear.GOMESAand other fundingsources remain,but they cannot sustainthe coastal investmentsLouisiana hasseenin recent years.
Proponents of Amendment1say it’s an importantfirst step toward replacingcoastal restorationfunds that areshrinking faster than the coastitself.
SCHOOL BOARDR ACES
ORLEANSPARISHPUBLIC
SCHOOLS became thenation’s laboratory forcharter schoolsin thewakeofHurricane Katrina. With more than 80%ofthe city in shambles andall schoolsclosed, thestate transferredmorethan 100failing OrleansParishpublic schoolsintothe state-runRecoverySchoolDistrict.
Thedistrictbegan reopening failed schools— andthe fewthat hadsucceeded —aspubliccharter schoolsmanaged by private boards.The locallyelected school boardmostlydirectedpublic fundstothe privatelymanaged charterschools andrenewedor revokedcharters’ authorityto operate, dependingonstudent test scores andother metrics.
Sincethe statetakeover, electionsfor theseven-member OrleansParishSchoolBoard have pitted candidates backed by charterproponentsagainst candidates supporting areturntocentrally managedpublicschools.Byand large, thepro-charter forces have prevailed, butsupportersoflocal
controlhavegainedground.
This year’s school boardelectionsare no exception—except only twoofthe board’sseven seatsare contested. Five seats were wonbyincumbentsornewcomers whoran unopposed.
District 2comprises Gentilly, partsofNew OrleansEastand the Upper9th Ward,where Gabriela Biro,Eric“Doc” Jonesand Chan Tucker arev ying to succeedboard member EthanAshley, whochose nottoseekre-election
Biro is aprofessionalhairdresser andcommunity organizerwho participated in Occupy Wall Street andBlack LivesMatterprotests. ShetoldThe Times-Picayune that shedecided to runafter hearing her clients’ storiesofflawed schoolsand seeing lawmakers pass abillrequiring public schools to post theTen Commandments in classrooms.She says she supports thedistrictrunning more schools, if that’s what her constituentswant. Sheisendorsedby theUnitedTeachersofNew Orleansunion,which represents all school employees.
Jonesisa former teacherwho spentalmosttwo decadesasa director at Teachfor America, whichhas recruitedteachersfor localcharter schools. He also has served on theboardsofNew OrleansEastMatters,the Downtown DevelopmentDistrict(DDD),the Industrial DevelopmentBoard, thenow-closedMaryD.Coghill
NewOrleans City Councilmember
Helena Moreno.
Workersbegin building acontainment dike as part of theNoNameBayou restorationproject
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School’s board. He left the Coghill board amid allegations that he had told teachers not to fail any students; he denied those allegations in a T-P interview. He said he supports successful charter schools but would advocate for the district to take over struggling schools and turn them into “neighborhood schools.” He is endorsed by the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee, the Independent Women’s Organization (IWO) and other local groups
Tucker, an executive at Entergy, is the best-financed candidate and the most supportive of charters He serves on the board of Audubon Gentilly Montessori, a charter school that his two sons attend. He told the T-P that he supports “parent choice and school autonomy,” and that his experience balancing a $1.5 billion budget and managing hundreds of employees and contractors gives him an “engineer’s” perspective on citywide school governance He is endorsed by the Louisiana chapter of Democrats for Education Reform, a pro-charter group.
In District 4, which covers Algiers and parts of the Marigny, By water and the French Quarter, incumbent Donaldo Batiste faces challenger KaTrina Chantelle Griffin. Both are also endorsed by the Democrats for Education Reform
Batiste was appointed to the board in 2022 to fill the vacant 4th district seat and then ran unopposed in a special election He previously taught math in Terrebonne Parish and served as principal of John McDonogh Senior High School, as an administrator in the district’s central office and as superintendent of a school district near Chicago. He has advocated more direct-run schools if enrollment numbers fall and whenever charter schools fail including a moratorium on new charter schools.
Griffin is an accountant and community volunteer who has worked as a certified police mediator and education fundraiser
Noting that her children graduated from local public schools, she says she wants to emphasize teacher retention and data transparency and address truancy.
JEFFERSON CHARTER PROPOSITION
VOTERS IN JEFFERSON PARISH will decide whether to change the Home Rule Charter to let parish council members and the parish president hire and fire unclassified non-civil service employees at will. The proposed change would not affect classified civil service employees, who make up the bulk of parish workers.
Currently, a small number of council and administration employees, mostly clerical workers, are hired at-will but are protected from dismissal until the end of the elected official’s term Council and administration chiefs of staff and other top advisers can be hired and fired anytime and they can work in political campaigns.
The parish Charter Advisory Committee recommended putting all council and administrative employees on the same “at-will” status The council unanimously voted to put the committee’s recommendation on the ballot.
A “yes” vote on the proposed charter amendment would allow council and administration employees to engage in political campaigns and activities and to serve at the pleasure of the elected official who hired them.
Students from Young Audiences Charter Schools at Lawrence D. Crocker participate in a Hispanic Heritage parade
EA T+D RI NK
French fare grounds
Le Ponceopens in
Faubourg St.John by Beth D’Addono |
FINALLY,LEPONCE IS OPEN,AND LOCALS CANGET BACK to theregular grindwithsomeFrenchflair
It’s theFrenchcoffeeshopand café theFaubourgSt. John neighborhood hasbeenpiningfor sincecaféDegas ownersJacques Soulas andJerry edgarboughtthe former Fair Grinds coffeehousein2022.
It wassupposedtobeopenby last MardiGras, then Jazz Fest.But despiteteasing locals andvisitorswith pastry andcoffeepop-ups during the festival,permittingdelayskeptthe croissantsand cappuccinosatbay
It openedSept. 6and offers breakfast andlunch daily.
Whilethereare plenty of good coffeeshopsaroundtown, Le Ponce boasts awell-earned French pedigree,withlongtimecaféDegas chef JoeTurleyoverseeingthe kitchen Turley is aTexas native whowound up cookingatcaféDegas 14 years ago. He waslivinginSan Antonio, but came heretojoinhis mentor,the late chef rené Bajeux
“I only worked with chef rene for ayear, butitchanged my life,” says Turley,now 40.“He wasinspiring,an incredible teacher.When he said his buddiesatcaféDegas needed asous chef,Iput my stuffinstorage,packed my clothesand my doginthe carand starteddriving.Iwas 26.”
Although he’d studiedthe classics in culinary school,itwas histime with Bajeux that solidified hisloveof French cuisine.
café DegasreflectsSoulas’sFrench heritage. He came to Louisianafrom Paris. In 1986,heand edgaropened therestaurantwithamenuofclassic French brasseriefood, from French onionsouptogarlicky escargot and musselsand fries.
Now, with Le Ponce, there’sa casualand reasonably priced option forFrenchbreakfast andlunch fare, availabletogoortoenjoy inside the café or on thesidepatio
Of course,thereare pastries, includingthe highly dunkable chouquettes, akin to asmall cream puff withoutthe filling, served with
asimpledusting of sugarontop.The croissantoptions includechocolate andalmond. TheDunkDat duois $6 foracup of AppliedArtscoffee with achouquette. Jamonatoasted baguette is $3.
Turley took thecafe’sbuild-yourownbreakfast sandwich option from personal inspiration. Thefatherof threehas direct experience with the stickershock that occurs when he takeshis owncrewfor breakfast.
“I hate goingsomewhere like a drive-throughthatI expect to be cheapand wind up spending more than $50,”hesays. “everythingisso expensive. My goal wastokeepprices as lowaspossible.”
Thebaked goodsstart with breads,and it’s $3 forasix-inchtoasted andbutteredbaguette. Freshcroissantsare $5.Dinerscan add ingredients, including an eggfor $1,housesmoked comté, brie or garlic-herbgoatcheese for$1.50,and ham, baconorandouille for $1.75. Add-onslike house-made cornichons, cucumber,tomato andred onionare gratis. Unlessdinersreally pile on,the sandwich is well under$10,and theingredients stellar. Anotherdealisthe Joe andJoe,acup of java anda croissant breakfast sandwich for$10 Thejambonand brie tartineisanother tastydeal. An openfacedbaguette is lined with thick-cutham, house-pickledred onion, cornichons andslabs of creamy brie.The smallhouse salad($5)beliesits description, delivering ahefty portion of arugula, tomatoes,cucumbers and redonion,and it canbecrowned with nibs of baconorcreamygoatcheese foranother $1.50.
Theownersinitially bought the building becausecaféDegas was starvedfor space, Turley says “The idea wastoput akitchen in thebackand keep it acoffeeshopin thefront,” he says.“With as much business as we’vebeendoing,there is nota wholelot of spaceand time to help Degas.”
Although thebuildings areclose, they aren’t attached
“I’m always goingaroundincircles,” Turley says.“I’mthinkingofgetting walkie talkiesbetween thetwo kitchens to cutmysteps down at least afew hundreda day.”
Emaildining@gambitweekly.com
Portuguese homecoming
WHEN EMERIL LAGASSEFIRST DESCRIBED HISNEXTNEW ORLEANSRESTAURANT,he said it wouldbealovelettertoPortugal. As therestaurantpreparedtoopen, it wasclear that letter is penned in abeautiful, intricately-detailed hand 34 restaurant &Bar wasslatedtoopen Oct. 23.reservationsare open now.
It’s unlike anyrestaurantthe celebrity chef hasopenedbefore, andone inspiredbyhis family heritageand earliest influences.Fromthe bartothe menu to thedesign, 34 is drawnupasan odetoPortugueseculinaryculture
“I wanted this to be therealdeal,” Lagassesaidinaninterview.“Iwantedto give people arealtaste of this,Iwanttofeel like you’re beinginvited into my home.”
Theinteriorisatransformationofwhat hadbeenthe oldA.D.Wynne Furniture showroom,at714 BaronneSt.,across from thecBD rouses supermarket.
Theentranceand host standform acove-like enclosure. Dinersmove throughitasifwinding througha nautilus shelltofindthe barand lounge, wheretheysee thefirst renderingofthe Portuguese design elements that are defining features throughout
That flowsintothe main dining room, flankedbyranks of curving, deep-set booths andleading to apairofprivate dining rooms. It’s alldoneinapalette of greentones,darkwoods andgleaming traditionalAzulejostiles in colorful geometricpatterns.
Theopenkitchen givesclues of what dinerswillbeeating, with thearoma of wood-firedgrillssmolderinginbackand ajamon barinfront,serving both the reveredSpanish hamand itsPortuguese counterpart, presunto.Picture an oyster bardedicated to fine Iberianham
Seafoodisaprimary colorin Portuguese cooking, anditiswellrepresented on the34menu, ledbychef de cuisineT.J.Lewis.
Emeril Lagasse andson E.J. Lagasse at Emeril’s restaurant.
Chef JoeTurley at Le Ponce
Thehouse take on bacalhau abras (normallyahomey casserole-like dish of salt cod, eg gand potatoes)getsa refinedre-do with caviar.There’sthe seafoodstewcataplana,clams cooked with wine andgarlic andarroz de lagosta(lobsterrice),aswellasarroz de pato (withduckand chourico sausage)
Piri piri chickenwithchili peppers, the eggcustardspasteis de nata andBasque cheesecake areall on themenu. Behind thekitchen,there’sa large bakery area foraselection of traditional Portuguesebreads.
Portuguese wine is thespecialty of thebar alongwithPortuguesebeer. Thelistisabout 70%Portugueseand represents both thefamiliarprice value andalsothe less heraldedregional diversityofwinefromPortugal.
LagassecametofameinNew Orleansfirst as theyoung executive chef of commander’sPalaceand then with hisown restaurant that sparked histelevisioncareerand celebritystar. Before that,hewas anativeson of Fall river, Massachusetts, ahub of Portuguese-Americanlife, acitywitha seafaring heritage, itsown Portuguese language newspaperand many restaurantsserving thefoodof theold country.
It wasthe home kitchenofhis mother,the late HildaMedeiros Lagasse, wherethe chef wasfirst inspired to step up to thestove
Thenew restaurant is afamily affair.e.J.Lagasse,the chef’s son, is a collaborator on theproject.The name 34 comesfroma combinationoftheir namesasemerilJ.Lagasse III (the father) andemerilJ.Lagasse Iv (the son).
Thechef’swife, AldenLagasse, contributedtothe restaurant design, workingwithLaurie Pearsonof Houston-basedL.Pearson Design and localarchitects AQ Studios.
“I wanted this restaurant to feel different, themostimportant thingisithad to be authentic,”Lagasse said.“That’s why Ispend so much time andinvestedso much in thepeoplewho will runit.”
Managers andchefs,hired months ago, went on adeepdiveofPortuguese food andculture,fromthe oldcountry to food toursofLagasse’s hometown. craftsmenfromPortugalcrossed the oceanfor thebuild out, anda jamon master gave instructiontostaff
Last year,emeriland hisson unveiled anew versionoftheir flagship restaurant,emeril’s, positioningitatthe upper reachesofluxuryfinediningasa tasting menu restaurant with global aspirations.
Thenew restaurant is drawnup much differently. From 34’s menu of largedishesand pitchers of sangriato theconfiguration of cozy booths,it sets thestage forsharedmeals. It also hasalate-nightidentitybuilt-in, as abid to host localhospitality pros after hours, servinguntil midnight weekdays anduntil 2a.m.onweekends. There’s even aDJstation in thediningroom, whichthe restaurant planstoactivateon weekendnights, generally after9 p.m. IanMcNulty /The Times-Picayune
Hibachiguys
THEPEOPLEBEHINDPOPUL AR NEW ORLEANSPOP-UPNORIGUYS will soon open abrick-and-mor tarrestaurant in Mid-city
HibachiGrill is on pace to open in thecomingweeks at 400S.Broad St., in theformerhomeofLas Delicias de Honduras near coffee Science, co-owner KennyTruongsays.
Truong hadastall in thePythian Market, whichwas underthe culinary direction of NigelPais. Afterthe market closed, Pais andTroungembarkedontheir new venturewithbar pop-upsaroundthe city andappearancesatlocal festivals.
Nori Guys solidified an identity as the
sushitacopop-upincrescentcity.
“Our sushitacos areprettymucha deconstructedsushi roll,” Truong says Nori Guys batter fryasheet of nori, theseaweed that holdsarolltogether, andforms it into atacoshell shape before fillingitwithseafood,rice, some sauces andmaybe some other items, like wakame (seaweed salad)
Theduo opened astall in city Market on elysianFieldsAvenueinJune, but Troung said that venturedidn’t work well forhis team,and thedeparture spurred them to find alocationtobuild afan base
Truong says thenew shop will offer thehibachi experience at alower price.
“Weare goingtobring freshand high-quality ingredients, focusing on both traditionalJapanesedishesand localflavors to connectwiththe New Orleanscommunity,” Truong says In addition to hibachiitems andthe sushitacos,expectthe menu to include bang bang chicken, yaki noodles, fried rice,braised oxtail,grilled lamb chops andspicy edamame.
Truong says theNoriGuysbrand also is here to stay.The chefswillcontinueto popuparoundNew Orleansand serve theirsignature dishes. —Ian McNulty/ TheTimes-Picayune
JulieFrederick Vaucresson
restaurateur
by Will Coviello
JULIE FREDERICKVAUCRESSON AND HERHUSBAND VANCEVAUCRESSON run therestaurant andsausage-making business vaucresson’s creole cafe &DelionSt. BernardAvenueinthe 7thWard. vaucresson’s family has been in theculinary business for 125years,fromrelatives originally openingabutcher standatthe St BernardMarket to hisfatherrunning vaucresson’s cafe creole,the first Black-ownedrestaurantinthe French Quartersince reconstruction.Julie’s grandfatherwas Dr.riversFrederick, asuccessfulsurgeon andbusinessmanwho also foundedLouisiana Life Insurance company, whichbecamethe largestBlack-owned insurancecompany in theSouth.Julie vaucresson drew on her family heritageand the sausagebusinesstocompile her cookbook “creoleMadeeasy.”Italso features theirsausagesand herlineof mustards.For informationabout the vaucressonsand theirrestaurant, visit @vaucressonsausage on Instagram
Howdid youget into theculinaryworld?
JULIEFREDERICK VAUCRESSON: Imarried into thesausage business.I always said that my marriage vows were to “love, honorand work theJazzFest,” becauseit’ssuchabig part of ourlife.
Ihaveknown vancesince we were younger. Butwhen Iwas at thefestival, Iwenttothe boothand he started talkingtome. He askedmefor my number,and theMondayafter thefestivalhecalledme. Therestishistory Irememberworking thefestivaland thinking “Oh, this is goingtobefun.” It is,but it’s hard work.
Thevaucressonfamilyisthe only original vendor (still)atJazzFest. vancewenttohis firstfestivalina playpen. He’s been thereevery year ever since. He’s probably theonly one besidesQuint Daviswho hasbeento everysingleone.The wholeconcept of having ajazzfestivalstarted at his daddy’s restaurant,vaucresson’scafe creole on BourbonStreet. Hisdaddy andLarry Borenstein,the whole group, they were at therestaurant. Oneofthem haddonethe Newpor t Jazz Festival
Thefestivalhas evolvedsomuch. Butwhen (the vaucressons) started, they didn’t cook anything on site.They
cooked at therestaurantand took it over to thefestivalatcongo Square
We always have threeitems for sale (atJazzFest).Hot sausageisthe staple.Overthe yearsithas changed, butinthe yearsIhavebeenthere,it’s hotsausage,crawfishsausage andthe thirditemchanges or rotates.
We’realwaysthinkingofnew sausage flavors. Themostrecentone we didis thejerkchicken sausage, andwehave amango mustardthatgoeswiththat. We’rethinkingofdoing Buffalochicken sausage. Iamalsoworking on asalad dressing,likea mustardvinaigrette.
Your sausagebusiness wasdestroyed by flooding afterHurricane Katrina.
Whydid youopena restaurantinthe same spot?
V: It wasreallyimportant to us to go back to that corner.The vaucresson familyhas been operatinginthatcommunity,withinafiveblock radius,for 125years.Itwas like goinghome. It took us alongtimetoget there. We weren’tgoing to be able to go back with afullprocessingfacility. We decided to go back with adifferent concept: a retail spacewherepeoplecan come in andwatch thesausage beingmadeand buysausage.You cancomeinonany givenday andsee us making sausage. Andwhile vanceismakingit, he givesa historylessonabout theneighborhood andall thesedifferent things
Whydid you do thecookbook?
V: When thepandemichit,we were doinginstitutional sales. We were sellingtorestaurants anddifferent entities.We lost that business during the pandemic becauseeverything wasclosed. We decidedtodo direct-to-consumer sales. I said,“Look,ifwewantpeople to buythe sausage, we need to show them what to do with it.” So Istarted doingthese recipes. It’s “creoleMade easy.” If youuse thesausage, it takeshalf theworkout of it, becausethe sausagebrings allthe flavor.I starteddoing a cookingsegment on Fox8.The book evolvedfromthere It wasalsoreally important to putfamilyrecipes in there andtalkabout creole culture andhistory.The onerecipe that wasreally important to me is craw fish bisque.The ironyisthatitisn’t easy.It’s oneofthose labors of love.Thatwas importanttomebecause we have acrawfishboilonGoodFriday, and we have craw fish bisque on easter Sunday.I made it with my 84-yearoldmothersothatIcould quantify it. If Ididn’tget it from her, it wouldhave died with her. This is what’s important aboutthissor tofthing.Peoplesay, “Oh, it’s afamilyrecipe.”But if you don’ttellanybody, youmight lose it, andnobodycan make it
Some of therecipes arethingsIhave tweaked. My momalwaysmadeshepherd’s pie. When Imakeit, Iadd alittle hotsausage becauseitgives it alittle kick.Samething with themeatloaf. My sonloves meatloaf,sothat’swhere it comesfrom.
Idid some recipesthatwere featured on themenuatthe Bourbon Street restaurant.Sothere’s throwback recipeslikepainperdu,orlost bread, andliver andonions. There’s calas. People don’tdothose anymore, buttheywerea staple.You hadto have thosefor firstcommunion
Family recipesthatwereimportant to me help me tell thestory,but it’s aboutthe stories. Some areabout my kids.The best part of thebookfor me wasbeing able to sharethisexperience with my mother andmydaughter. rightnow,peopleneedtoget sausage at therestaurant. It’s abeautiful thingbecause when people come in, they tell us howtheygrewuponthe sausage. They sharetheir memories They wouldtalkabout my father-inlawand my mother-in-law. It’s nice to be part of so many traditions.
WI NE OF TH E WEEK
Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
This cabernethas adeep garnetcolor yielding aromas of dark chocolate, pomegranate,cedar shavings, blackberry, and leather.The palate exhibits flavors of blueberry compote, black cherry,espresso, and cigar boxwithbright and juicyfruit forward sensations. The texture is rich and boldwith well-structured tannins
PH OT OP ROVI DE DBY JU LI EF RE DE RI CK VAUC RE SS ON
HeadQuarters
BY NICE GUYS NOLA
Out to eatisanindex of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addressesare forNew Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates:email willc@gambitweekly.comorcall (504)483-3106
AngeloBrocato’s 214N.CarrolltonAve., (504)486 -1465;angelobrocatoicecream. com— This Mid-city sweetshopserves itsown gelato,spumoni,Italianices, cannolis,biscotti, figcookies,tiramisu, macaroons andmore. Therealsoare coffee drinks.Noreservations. Lunchand dinner Tue.-Sun $ Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504)568-0245; annunciationrestaurant. com— Gulf Drum Yvonne is served with brownbuttersauce with mushroomsand artichokehearts. Therealsoare seafood pastadishes, steaks,lambchops andmore. reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$
Bamboula’s — 514Frenchmen St.; bamboulasmusic.com— The live musicvenue’s kitchen offers amenuoftraditional andcreativecreoledishes, such as creole crawfish crepes with goat cheese andchardonnay sauce. reservations accepted.Lunch, dinner andlate-nightdaily. $$
Tue.-Sun.Slidell: LunchWed.-Fri.,dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun $$ Broussard’s— 819Conti St., (504)5813866;broussards.com— rainbowtrout amandine is served with tassoand corn macquechoux andcreolemeunieresauce Brunch includes Benedicts,chicken and wafflesand more.reservationsrecommended.Outdoor seatingavailable. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ Cafe Normandie— HigginsHotel,480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941;higginshotelnola.com/dining The menu combinesclassic French dishes andLouisiana itemslikecrabbeignetswithherbaioli Sandwiches includepo-boys,amuffuletta on flatbreadand aburger. No reservations Breakfastand lunchdaily $$ TheCommissary— 634OrangeSt.,(504) 274-1850;thecommissarynola.com— A smoked turkey sandwich is served with bacon,tomatojam,herbedcream cheese, arugulaand herbvinaigrette on honeyoat bread. The menu includes dips,salads, sandwiches,boudinballs,fried oystersand more.Noreservations. Outdoorseating available. LunchTue.-Sat. $$ Curio— 301Royal St., (504)717-4198; curionola.com— The creative creole menu includes blackenedGulfshrimpservedwith chickenand andouille jambalaya. Therealso arecrabcakes,shrimpand grits, crawfish etouffee,po-boys andmore. reservations accepted.Lunch anddinner daily. $$ Dahla— 611O’Keefe Ave.,(504) 7666602;dahlarestaurant.com— The menu includes popularThaidisheslikepad thai, drunkennoodles,curries andfried rice crispy skinnedduckbasil is prepared with
Desire Oyster Bar— RoyalSonesta New Orleans, 300Bourbon St., (504)5860300;sonesta.com/desireoysterbar— A menu full of Gulf seafoodincludeschargrilledoysters topped with Parmesan and herbs.The menu also includes po-boys, po-boys, gumbo, blackenedfish, fried seafoodplatters andmore. reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily. $$
Dickie Brennan’sBourbon House— 144 BourbonSt.,(504) 522-0111;bourbonhouse.com— There’saseafood rawbar with rawand char-broiled oysters, fish dip, crab fingers, shrimp andmore. redfishon theHalf-shell is cooked skin-onand served with crab-boiledpotatoes, frisee andlemon buerre blanc. reservations accepted Lunchand dinner daily. $$$
El Pavo Real — 4401 S. BroadAve., (504) 266-2022;elpavorealnola.com— Themenu includes tacos, enchiladas,quesadillas, ceviche. tamalesand more.Pescado vera cruz features sauteedGulffishtoppedwith tomatoes,olives, onionand capers,served with rice andstringbeans.Outdoor seating available. No reservations.Lunch andearly dinner Tue.-Sat $$
Juan’s Flying Burrito— 515Baronne St., (504)529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000;4724S.CarrolltonAve., (504)486-9950; 8140 OakSt.,(504) 897-4800;juansflyingburrito.com The Flying Burritoincludessteak,shrimp, chicken, cheddarjackcheese, blackbeans, rice,guacamole andsalsa.The menu also includes tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, nachos,saladsand more.Outdoor seatingavailable. No reservations.Lunch anddinner Thu.-Tue $$ Katie’sRestaurant— 3701 IbervilleSt., (504)488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com— Thecajun cubanwithroasted pork,ham, cheese andpickles.The eclectic menu also includeschar-grilledoysters,sandwiches, burgers, pizza, friedseafood platters, pasta, salads andmore. Delivery available. reservations accepted forlarge parties. Lunchand dinner daily. $$ Kilroy’s Bar— HigginsHotel,480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941;higginshotelnola.com/dining The barmenuincludes sandwiches,saladsand flatbreads,includingone topped with peach, prosciutto, stracciatellacheese, arugulaand pecans No reservations.Dinner Wed.-Sat $$ Legacy Kitchen’sCraft Tavern 700 TchoupitoulasSt.,(504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com Themenuincludes oysters, flatbreads,burgers,sandwiches, salads andaNOL AStyle GritsBowltopped
with bacon, cheddarand apoached eg g. reservations accepted.Breakfast,lunch anddinnerdaily $$ Legacy KitchenSteak &Chop— 91 Westbank Expressway,Gretna, (504) 513-2606;legacykitchen.com The menu includes filets mignonsand bone-in rib-eyes,aswellasburgers,saladsand seafooddishes. reservations accepted. Outdoorseating available. Lunchand dinner Mon.-Sat $$ LuzianneCafe— 481Girod St., (504)2651972;luziannecafe.com— Boudin Benedict features twopoached eg gs over boudin and an englishmuffin, served with greentomato chow chow andhollandaise.Noreservations. Delivery available. Breakfastand lunchWed.-Sun. $$
Mikimoto 3301 S. Carrollton Ave.,(504) 488-1881;mikimotosushi.com TheSouth carrollton roll includes tuna tataki,avocado andsnowcrab. Themenualsohas noodle dishes,teriyakiand more.reservations accepted.Deliveryavailable. LunchSun.Fri.,dinnerdaily $$ Mosca’s— 4137 Highway90West, Westwego,(504) 436-8950;moscasrestaurant.com— This family-style eatery serves Italiandishesand specialties includingchicken alagrande, shrimp Mosca, bakedoysters Moscaand chicken cacciatore.reservationsaccepted. Dinner Wed.-Sat.cashonly. $$$ Mother’s Restaurant — 401Poydras St., (504)523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net— This counter-servicespotservespo-boys dressedwithslicedcabbage andcreole favoriteslikejambalaya,crawfishetouf fee, redbeans andriceand more.Breakfast is availableall day. Delivery available. No reservations.Breakfast,lunch and dinner daily. $$
Neyow’sCreoleCafe— 3332Bienville St., (504)827-5474; neyows.com The menu includes redbeans andricewith friedchicken or pork chops, as well as shrimp creole,seafood platters,po-boys, char-grilled andraw oysters, salads and more.Sideitems includecarrotsouffle, mac andcheese, cornbreaddressing, sweetpotatototsand more.Noreservations. Lunchdaily,dinnerMon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$
The Peruvian menu includes severaltypes of ceviche, as well as steakand seafood dishes.Traditional lomo saltadofeatures sauteedbeeftenderlointips, onions, tomatoes,soy sauceand pisco, served with potatoes andrice. Outdoorseating available on Magazine Street.Deliveryavailable reservations accepted.Lunch anddinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$
TheVintage 3121 Magazine St., (504)3247144;thevintagenola.com— There’sa full coffee drinks menu andbaked goodsand beignets,aswellasafullbar.The menu has flatbreads,cheeseboards, smallplatesand apressed veggie sandwich with avocado, onions,arugula,red pepper andpepper jack cheese.Noreservations. Delivery and outdoorseating available. Breakfast, lunch anddinner daily. $$
attack this summer.His colleagues at Preservation Hall anda host of New Orleansmusicians paytribute to Powell at Tipitina’s andhelpraise fundstosupport hisrecovery. Produced by Herlin riley, theshowwillfeature George Porter Jr., Joncleary, Kermit ruffins, TheDirty DozenBrass Band,corey Henry, TonyaBoyd-cannon andmore. At 7p.m.Sunday, Nov. 3, at Tipitina’s Ticketsare $30via tipitinas.com.
Karl Denson’sTinyUniverse
Saxophonistand vocalist Karl Denson became aregular festival-time performerinNew Orleans with hisTinyUniverse, andhe’s backed up Therolling Stones,Lenny Kravitz, Dave Matthews,James Brown andahostothers. Denson’s Tiny Universe celebrates HalloweeninNew OrleanswitharickJames throwdown featuringvocalists BernardFowler andAnjelika“Jelly” Joseph.The Super FreakBallstartsat9p.m.Thursday, Oct. 31,atthe civicTheatre.Tickets are$35 viacivicnola.com.
Quintron &MissPussycat
Quintron &MissPussycatfor years threwtheirHalloween bash at One eyed Jacks, untilthe French Quarter venueclosedupamidthe pandemic Themad psychedelicswamp rock duo last year resurrectedtheir Halloween show at theMusic Boxvillage and arebackfor anotherfrenziednight of costumes andmusic.Steef andSpirit Sticks open at 7p.m.Thursday, Oct. 31.Tickets are$25 advancevia musicboxvillage.com and$30 at thedoor.
NECROMANCER
Femmepioneersofthe NewOrleans undergroundtechnoand deep house scene join forces to delivera nightofnonstop energywiththeir firstinstallment of NecrOMANcer. Theevent features performances from founderofthe dancecollective SubjectMatter, TristanDufrene,and femme-techno trio,N*S*F*W*, which consists of artistsD1Me, gabriela and Lady Lavender.Brooklyn-basedartist WTcHcrFT is aspecial-guest,bringinganexperimentallyimmersive night of rhythmic groovesand drums. The DJ eventstartsat10p.m.Halloween nightatSantosBar.Tickets are$10 andare availableatthe door
Tedeschi Trucks Band GuitaristDerek Trucks wasamember of the Allman Brothers Band and metsinger-guitaristSusan Tedeschi when her band openedfor theAllman BrothersBandatNew Orleans’
SaengerTheatre.Tedeschiand Trucks married in 2001 anda fewyearslater decidedtostart theirTedeschiTrucks Band.The soulfulSouthernrockband returnstoNew Orleansfor twonights at theSaengerTheatre.The music starts at 8p.m.Friday, Nov. 1, and Saturday, Nov. 2. Ticketsstart at $49 pernight viasaengernola.com.
‘Nosferatu’
ThelandmarkGermanvampire silent film “Nosferatu” wassubtitled “A Symphony of Horror.” BrianHaas, JamesSingleton andHelen Gillet give it alivescore in screenings at theBroadside.They’re joined by Mike Dillon at 8p.m.Tuesday,Oct 29,and by Otto Schrangat8p.m Wednesday, Oct. 30.Tickets.$22.19 viathebroadsidenola.com
LPOwithLostBayou
Ramblersand Sweet Crude
Thelasttimethe Lost Bayou Ramblers played with theLouisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, thebandand orchestrawound up with aGrammy Award. Thecajun rockersreunite with theLPO andbring alongNew Orleans popbandSweet crudefor aconcert at 7:30 p.m. Friday,Nov.1,atthe OrpheumTheater.Tickets startat $40via lpomusic.com.
Phil Minton
Vocalist Phil Minton hasbeenaforce in European avant-gardejazz and improvised musicsince the1960s recently,hehas been collaborating with Beam Splitter,the Berlin-based voice-trombone-electronics duoof Audrey chen andHenrikMunkeby Norstebo,and thetrioofmusicians arenow on aU.S.tour. Minton timed astopinNew Orleanstocelebrate his84thbirthdaywithaperformance featuringchen,Helen Gillet andcliff Hines. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at ZeitgeistTheatre &Lounge. Find more info at zeitgeistnola.org.
Chapel Hart
Theharmonizing country band of sisters Danica andDevynnHart andcousinTreaSwindle introduced themselves to U.S. audiencesvia asuccessfulrun on “America’s GotTalent.”
Thegroup just released achristmas album, with aguest appearance by Darius rucker.But before theholidays, they play afreeHalloween show with theHot 8Brass Band at 5-8p.m Thursday,Oct.31, at SpanishPlaza Find detailsatriverwalkneworleans com/thursdays-on-the-river.
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To learn moreabout adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com
MONDAY28
ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Look What YouMade MeDo: Taylor Swift cabaret,7:30 pm
SANTOS Miranda and the Beat record release PartywithLordFriday the 13th, TheNanciesand reddixYoung,9pm
SATURN BAR— Sirocco Brass Band, Trendaflkaand DJ Kerem, 9pm
WEDNESDAY30
21ST AMENDMENT— Dr.Sick, 8pm
BACCHANAL — Jesse Morrow,6pm
BAMBOULAS J.J. and the A-OKs, 1:15 pm; Boardwalker and the 3 Finger Swingers, 5:30 pm; The Queen and Friendz,9pm
BLUE NILE— New Breed Brass Band, 9:30 pm
BOURBON OBAR GaryBrown, 4 pm;Serabee, 8pm
CHICKIE WAHWAH — Joncleary Solo Show, 8pm
FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — richard"Piano"Scott,1pm; Bourbon Street Stars, 5pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Kevinray clark, 8pm
LASALLE RESTAURANT,HILTON
AIRPORT— Suzaune& company, 7pm LONGUE VUE HOUSE &GARDENS — Twilight at Longue vue, 5pm
PRYTANIA THEATRES AT CANAL PLACE— Philip Melancon, 7pm
SANTOS Zoomst+She Might Be aBeast,rareSeed&The Bomb Pulse,9pm
TOULOUSE THEATRE — The Deslondes,Sabine Mccalla and Mama’s Broke, 8pm
THURSDAY 31
BAMBOULAS — caleb Nelson and His Hot5,1:15 pm; christina Kaminis and TheMix, 5:30 pm; WolfeJohn's Blues Band, 9pm
BARMÉTIER Salvador Avila Trio, 6pm; DJ rQ Away,9pm
BJ’S — Louis Michot’sDevil on the Bayou, 9pm
BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM — Strange roux, 9pm
BOURBON OBAR Billy rae, 4pm; Xcitement Band, 8pm
LouisMichotplays asolo setonHalloween Night at BJ’s Lounge
CHICKIE WAHWAH George Porter Jr.And running PardnersWill Funk YoutoDeath, 8pm
CIVIC THEATRE Super FreakBall! Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe: Tribute to rick James,9 pm
DEWDROP INN Spirits Of TheDew Drop with Big Freedia, 9pm THE DOMINO TheBywater Local’s Halloween AfterParty (clownsvs. Puppeteers) ft.Blue Tang People, 11 pm
FRED HAMPTON FREE STORE — Tasche and ThePsychedelic roses, LSDclownsystem, Delish Da Goddess and cest Funk, 8pm
FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — richard"Piano"Scott,12pm; Doyle cooper Band,2 pm; John Saavedra Band,5pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Kevin ray clark, 8pm
LE BONTEMPSROULÉ — Isaac eady and TheThirdMoon, 11 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR— Trumpet Mafa with Johnnyvidacovich,8pm
THE REPUBLIC DrINKUrWATer with Neotek,Dream Takers and WANDer, 11 pm
ROCK 'N' BOWL — rockin'Dopsie Jr,8 pm
SANTOS BAR— NecrOMANcer:
Subject Matterand N*S*F*W*, 10pm SATURN BAR— Daikaiju vs. Badzyand Planetofthe Little Green Men, 9pm
VAUGHAN'SLOUNGE coreyHenry and TheTreme Funktet, 10:30 pm
FRIDAY 1
BJ'S LOUNGE BYWATER — Miss Martha, We HateLindsay, 9pm BOURBON STREETHONKYTONK
TheBad Sandys, 8pm BUFFA'S— cole Williams, 8pm
THE GOAT — TheTemple Of Mercy, Sub-Division, 10 pm
HISTORIC BK HOUSE &GARDENS — Jelly Joseph, 6pm
HOUSE OF BLUES cumbia de los Muertos ft.Los Güirosand Santero, 9pm
THE JOYTHEATER BAAB:"All Demons'Night, 10 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR— Zitawith Nigel Hall, 8pm
THE ORPHEUM Livewith TheLPO:LostBayou ramblers &Sweet crude, 7:30 pm
THE REPUBLIC — TheGlitchMob withAnna Morganand Secret Handshake, 11 pm
SATURN BAR— LatinNight with La Tran-K Band, 10 pm
SATURDAY 2
THE BARNETT People Museum, 8pm
BJ’S — cuba Heatft. carol cand victor campbell, 6pm
CHICKIE WAHWAH — LittleFreddie King, 8pm
DEWDROP INN HOTEL &LOUNGE — Mikhala Iversonand TheGerald FrenchBand, 1:30 pm
FAUX MEAUXNOLA— TheBad Sandys, 9pm
KERRYIRISH PUB crescent & clover,5pm
THE RABBIT HOLE Marbs with Wake &Blakeand Marcus Lott,10pm
SIBERIA — GreetDeath and Slowhole, 9pm
WILD BUSH FARM AND VINEYARD TheWalrus, 6:30 pm
SUNDAY 3
BOURBON STREETHONKYTONK — TheBad Sandys, 8pm
BROADSIDE — TMarie &Bayou Juju Album release Party, 3pm
CHICKIE WAHWAH Distillation: NoaJamir,KeatonSchiller,Lyla George and Maddy Kirgo, 7pm
THE JOYTHEATER iDK HOWBUT THeYFOUND Me, 8pm
SATURN BAR— My Neptune record release Party, 9pm
People Museum performs at TheBarnett on Saturday, Nov. 2.
Monster mash
by JakeClapp
LOOSECATTLE HASDONEEVERYTHINGBACKWARDS,vocalistand guitarist Michaelcerverissays, only half-jokingly.
It usuallytakes awhile for bandstorecordoutside of the studio or to tackle holidaymusic Butthe NewOrleans-based Americanabandstarted outwith alivealbum in 2013and followed it up afew yearslater with a well-received christmasrecord
releases
Finallyin2021, more than 10 years aftercerverisand vocalist Kimberly Kaye startedLoose cattle whilelivinginNew York,the band released “Heavy Lifting,” astudio-recordedfull-length more representativeofthe band’s barnstorming alt-countryethos
Still, while“HeavyLifting”included afew tracks writtenbycerverisand Kaye,Loose cattle leaned into putting theirspinonfavoritesongs by other artists, like vicchesnutt’s“Aunt Avis,” “Gasolineand Matches” by Buddyand JulieMiller, andaboisterousmash-up of DollyParton’s“Jolene”and ceeLo Green’s“Fuck You.”
Now, “Someone’s Monster,”Loose cattle’s newest studio album, findsthe band centeringits ownsongwriting. Thealbum,which is outNov.1onSingle Lock records, mostly includes originals writtenbycerverisand Kaye —alongside atrioofinteresting covers After“HeavyLifting,” “Kim andIsaid to each other,‘We want to writethe next record,’ ”cerverissays. “And we felt confidentthatwecould andwould.” During thepandemicshutdowns, cerveris andKayefound themselves with alot more time on theirhands, andmanyofthe songson“Someone’s Monster” begantodevelop during that time,cerverissays.
In late 2022,the band —cerveris, Kaye,bassist rene coman, drummer Doug Garrisonand fiddlerrurik Nunan —spent time at Dockside Studio in Mauricerecordingwithproducer John Agnello, whohas worked with Dinosaur Jr., Sonvoltand Waxahatchee.
“When we were in thestudioat Dockside together,itkindofdawned on me that Ihadn’tbeenwitha group of people foraperiodoftimeinalmost twoyears at that point. It felt very specialtome,”Kayesays. “community really does matter.”
Thealbum’s title, “Someone’s Monster,”nodstothe fact that everyoneiscapable of hurtingsomeone else.But it dependsonhow we handle that reality. Andthroughoutthe album Loosecattletakes an empathetic,
Alongsidetheir originals, Loose cattle puttheir stamponLady Gaga’s “Joanne,”withguest vocals by acclaimedsinger-songwriter Lucinda Williams.And lateronthe album, Loose cattle coverWilliams’“crescent city.”
ThebandalsoincludesLafayette musician JohannaDivine’s“BigNight Out,”an “evocative,wry andboozy tributetothe realityofwakingupmiddle-aged,” Kaye wroteabout thetune. Divine also playslap steelonthe track. Williams isn’tthe only prominentAmericana artist to appear on “Someone’s Monster.”Patterson Hood, co-founder of theDrive-ByTruckers, lendshis voiceto“TheShoals,”a Southern rock trackwritten by cerveris aboutMuscleShoals, Alabama. cerveris andKayeare musicveterans. Kaye is atrained vocalist andtrumpeter, whoplayedinher ownska bandsonthe Warped Tour circuit. cerveris toured as aguitarist with Husker Du’s BobMould andhe’saTonyAward-winning actorwho is currentlyportrayingJerry Falwellinthe Broadway production “Tammy Faye.”
Thetwo were once in aromantic relationshipand formed Loosecattle forcasualgigsaroundNew York
Theduo movedtoNew Orleans, and although therelationshipdidn’tlast, they remained closefriends andgrew Loosecattle. Thebandhas become a steady part of NewOrleans’ inclusive Americanacommunity.
“Whenitstarted,Michael andIwerea couple,Iwas in my 20s, andwewerejust trying to be abackyardparty band,” Kaye says.“It’s nowclearly somethingdifferent. Butwedidn’tforce it to become that …I’m in my 40snow,and alot hashappenedtothe worldand to allofus. The waywecommunicate that haschanged as we’vegottenolder andwiser.”
TO MAKE FULL-HELMETMASKS is astep beyond thestandard jack-o’-lantern. It makesthe shor tfilm “PumpkinGuts” kind of funny— in acreepy way. It doesn’tmake thefilmpar ticularly sexy,but it is oneof theshort amateur porn flicks with some Halloweenspiritin HUMP!2024Par t Two, whichscreens Nov. 1-2atThe BroadTheater
Sexand relationship advice columnist andwriterDan Savage startedthe amateurpornfilmfestalmost20years ago, andithas grownand evolved, from anonymousfantasy explorations to thecurrent fullycreditedprojects from NorthAmerica,europeand Brazil Forthisyear, therewereenoughfilms submittedtocreatetwo slates,and part onecametothe Broadearlierthisyear andisavailable online
Thesecondslate has25films that are five minutesorlessinlength, andtogether they span adiverse rangeofgenders, sexualities, kinksand styles,and only a fewdon’t have graphicnudityorsex.
Oneofthe most entertaining films is themostinclusive.“SpaceTrip: Do YouWanna”works in Star Trek and sci-fi jokes, furries, nakedclownsdoing goofymagic tricks anda pansexualcast in amusical aboutthe importance of consent. It’s acolor burstofactionand sexual exoticathatcomes together in a sweetand upbeat way.
In theHalloween spirit,there area fewmoviesdabblinginthe occult.In “veronica,”acoupleoftattoomodels, includingLunaLuck, play acouple seekingrefugeinabarnwho trytoflip thescript on ademonic figure whois stalking them
In “Horned,”anonlinestreamer triestosummona demonicsuccubus forhis audience.While hisresults are successful andhorrifying, thereissome humorinthe runningtextcommentsof hard-to-please followers.
“cheeseNoir” also flirts with dark rituals in aforestinthe PacificNorthwest Twowomen puttheir ownelaborate twistoncomfort food andfoodfetishismintheir cabininthe woods.
An ingenuegoesskinnydipping in alakein“Pansexual,”afilmthatis graphicand alittledopey butcomes offassweet
Many filmmakers worked with pornographycliches.Two filmsfeature pizza delivery schemes, and“PizzaGuy”isall sexand fewcomplications,while “Pizza Sluts” hasplentyoftoppings.
“FamilyAffair” is agentlecomedy that aims to dispel ahusband’s squeamishnessabout sexduring hiswife’spregnancy
In nichefetishes, theAustrianentry “ToesWithTaste”isafunny romp in squishingkiwis,avocados, brie and more to thetuneofearly jazz.The Swiss film “Walking aFineLine” is aboutas gentle andwarma treatmentasone couldimagine foracoupleintorope bondageand restraints andsomeother related kinks.
“FullBodyBlush”isall aboutthe brilliantlycolored blurredeffects of usinga thermalcameratofilmnaked bodies.
Some filmsare notgoing to be everybody’scup of tea, like theneedleplay in theU.K.film“Baby Blue.” Thehunt in “Bunny xGator”alsogetsalittleraw despitethe playfulstart
Originally,Humprequiredthe useof specifiedprops to ensure thefilms were newand made forthe festival.Now theoddball propslikepingpongballs andblowing bubblesare serendipitous. Thefilms noware mostly credited with actors andcrew.
Savage introduces thefilms,sitting in atheater surrounded by blowup dolls. He notesthatthereare no fees to submit to thefestival, andfilmmakers shareinthe proceeds.Healsonotes that thedeadlinefor entriesfor 2025 is Dec. 6, should anybuddingfilmmakers or exhibitionists feel inspired.
Ticketsfor HUMP!2024PartTwo are$25 viathebroadtheater.com or humpfilmfest.com.
‘Space Trip:DoYou Wanna’ PH OT OP ROVI DE DBYH UM P!
