Gambit: French Quarter Fest 2023

STAFF

EDITORIAL

(504)483-3105//response@ gambitweekly.com

Editor | JOHN STANTON

PoliticalEditor | CLANCY DUBOS

Arts &EntertainmentEditor | WILL COVIELLO

StaffWriters | JAKE CLAPP, KAYLEE POCHE, SARAHRAVITS

Intern | GABRIELLE KOREIN

ContributingWriter | IANMCNULTY

CREATIVE

Creative Director | DORA SISON

TrafficManager | JASONWHITTAKER

Project Manager | MARIAVIDACOVICH BOUÉ

Senior ArtDirector | CATHERINEFLOTTE

AssociateArt Director | EMMA VEITH

Senior Graphic Designer | SCOTTFORSYTHE

GraphicDesigner | JASMYNE WHITE

Gambit

Publisher | JEANNE EXNICIOS

BUSINESS& OPERATIONS

Billing Inquiries1(225)388-0185

ADVERTISING

Advertising Inquiries(504) 483-3150

Advertising Director | SANDYSTEIN BRONDUM (504) 483-3150 [sstein@gambitweekly.com]

Sales Representatives

KELLYSONNIER (504) 483-3143 [ksonnier@gambitweekly.com]

CHARLIETHOMAS (504) 636-7438 [cthomas@gambitweekly.com]

BENNETTGESTON (504)483-3116 [bennett.geston@gambitweekly.com]

Sales andMarketing Coordinators ABIGAILSCORSONE [abigail.scorsone@gambitweekly.com]

CAMILLE CROPLEY [camille.cropley@gambitweekly.com]

SHAWNTHOMAS [shawn.thomas@gambitweekly.com]

STAFFPHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Puppetslam

The NewOrleans Giant Puppet Festival is April 13-17

PERFORMINGASTOYBOX,PUPPETEER

KEITHSHUBERTHOSTS theWham, Bam! Puppet Slam in hishometown of Asheville, NorthCarolina, and he takeshis showsontourevery year He’s been aprofessional performer formorethan 20 years, and he just wonthe AshevilleFringe Festival’s audienceaward forfunniestshow for“TheMagic Weaver.”

He’s bringing that show and more here this week forthe NewOrleans GiantPuppetFestival,one of his favorite festivals.

“I go to alot of puppetry festivals, and none arelikethe NewOrleans festival,” he says.“Youcan go to greatpuppetfestivals, butasfar as beingweird and wild, thereisnothingthatcompares because it mixes avariety of artists. Youhave these seasoned old-schoolprofessional artists like myself,who do this fora living, and then youhave this sort of punk rock weirdo aestheticfrom people presenting work that you can’tget anywhereelse.”

The9th NewOrleans Giant PuppetFestival takesplace Thursday, April 13,toMonday, April 17,and features16different showsatvenuesinMarigny and Bywater, includingthe Mudlark PublicTheatre,Happyland Theater and TheBackyardBallroom.There aremultiple showseachnight,four late-night puppet slamshostedby Toybox,aparade, workshopsand apaneldiscussion. Thefestival features marionettes, rodpuppets, shadowpuppets, giantpuppetsand more. Most showsrun on consecutivedaysatthe same venue, but showtimesvary. Some showsare kidfriendly, and some arenot Shubertpremiered“TheMagic Weaver” at theAshevilleFringe. It’s hisadaptationofa Russian fairy tale usingCzech-style rodmarionettepuppets.Inthe story, an evil wizard kidnaps aweaverand imprisons her under thesea.An oldsailorthen helps thewoman’s sontry to rescueher.The show runs at theMudlark Public Theatre Thursday throughSunday.

TheMudlark’s resident company, theMudlark Puppeteers, is presentingashowthe groupwas commissioned to do forthe Provincetown Tennessee WilliamsTheater Festival in Massachusettslast year.It’san adaptation of one of Williams’ lastplays,“This is thePeaceable Kingdom or Good Luck God.”The show closed almost as soon as it

opened in 1981,two yearsbeforethe playwright’s death.

byWillCoviello

Inspired by a strike at aNew York nursinghome that left people caring fortheir own lovedonesinthe facility,it’sa dark contemplation of societydeteriorating. In adapting it, Mudlark founder PandoraGastelum intuitsthe redeemingrelationships in thedrama,but she notesit’sa difficult work and notfor young audiences

“Despite thecruelty in thepiece, thereishumor,” Gastelum says.“It’s astory of love andredemption.”

Theshowcombines marionettes and shadowpuppets. It runs at the Mudlark from Friday to Sunday.

California-based musician,circus arts performer andpuppeteer

Samson YHisscombines silentfilm, shadow puppetsand live musicin

“One-Handed Witch.”The story wasinspired by Hiss having to compose musichecould playwith one hand afterhebroke hiswrist.Inthe spooky tale,awitch loses ahand afterconfronting an angrymob of townspeople,hustling acasinoand dealingwithwildanimals in theforest.The show runs Friday through Monday at Happyland Theater.

Charlotte Lily Gaspardleads the Brooklyn-basedMidnightRadio Show. She plays thefairy princess in thescience fictioninfused

“Tourofthe Fantastical Galaxy,” in whichshe meetsspace pirates and travels to other planets andseeks peacebetween divergentpeople

TheshowisatHappyland Theater

Friday through Monday

Poosethe Puppet is thecreationof Benjamin Martin,who relocatedfrom Greensboro, NorthCarolina, to New Orleans in 2021 to focusonhis puppetryand performing. He also joined hisbrother,Sam Martin,who performsasThree-Brained Robotand is participatinginthe festival as well

Though thereare Poose performances forall ages,this“Poose AfterDark” show is moreofan experientialpiece with lights, musicand dancing. Poosenarratesajourney of exploration and discovery that startswithfindinga blueberry plant.Itinvites attendees

to find their“purpoose”through exercises in mindfulnessand breathing.Martinwill tour laterthis year,onboth an East Coast series and to apuppetry festival in Puebla, Mexico.“PooseAfter Dark”runs

Thursdaythrough Monday at The Backyard Ballroom

Foryears,MissPussycathas done puppet showstoopenmusic shows withher partnerQuintron.She’s also hadpuppet exhibitionsatthe NewOrleans Museum of Artand theContemporary ArtCenter. For thefestival,she presents “MGXing Evergras,” aCarnival-inspired show, on Saturday at theSpellcaster Lodge. ThePuppet Slamsare open-mic styleeventsfeaturing shortworks Toybox hoststhe events and is bringing severalofhis ownshort pieces. Theslams areat10:30 p.m. Thursdayand Friday at the Mudlark and Sunday and Monday at theAllWaysLounge&Theatre

Thegiant puppet parade beginson PressStreet at 10 p.m. Saturday Also performingatthe festival areHarry Mayronne, Playdoh, Velvet Effigy,Cookie Tongue,Inner Workings Theater, Enormousface, Esmerelda thePuppet, Flutterbug and Abandoned Ships

Ticketsand festival passes are availableonlineatneworleansgiantpuppetfest.wordpress.com. Slidingscaleadmissionatthe door is $10-$20, and $5-$10 for children under12.

Josh Johnson

JOSHJOHNSON,ANATIVEOF

ALEXANDRIA,LOUISIANA,HASGAINED

ATTENTION as awriterfor Comedy Central’s“TheDaily Show”and touringwithTrevorNoah. He’s also released acouple of recent comedy specials highlightinghis mellowstyle,and he incorporated musiconhis 2021 release “Elusive.” He performsat7 p.m. Thursday, April 13,atTipitina’s. Tickets $20$25via tipitinas.com.

TheSuffers

LEDBYKAMFRANKLIN’SSOULFUL VOCALS,HOUSTON’STHESUFFERS BLEND abig mixofrock, soul,blues, jazz andLatin sounds that they dubGulfCoast soul.The group released“It Starts with Love” last year.The band performs at Wednesdayatthe Squarewith NewOrleans’ TrumpetMafia.There also arefood anddrink vendors and an artmarketatthe free concert in LafayetteSquare. From 5 p.m. to 8p.m.Wednesday,April 12 Visitylcwats.com forinformation

Beaucoup BrassBash

TRUEORLEANSANDSHAMARRALLEN PRESENT this brassband blowout ThelineupincludesAllen,Stooges Brass Band,TBC Brass Band, Glen DavidAndrews andDJPolo. At 8p.m.Saturday,April 15,at TheBroadside.Tickets $20 viabroadsidenola.com

Hovvdy

AUSTIN,TEXAS,DUOHOVVDYWRITES RELAXED,INTROSPECTIVEINDIEPOP that feelsperfect forlong, warm weather nights with people you love.Their latest EP is 2022’s “Billboardfor My Feelings.” They playwith Whitmer Thomasand girlpuppyat7 p.m. Tuesday, April 11,atToulouseTheatre.Ticketsare $20via toulousetheatre.com

Toyboxhostspuppetslams attheNewOrleansGiant PuppetFestival

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NEWORLEANS GIANTPUPPETFESTIVAL

PROVIDED PHOTO BY JAYTOVAR

THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN

IrmaThomas,thesoulqueen of NewOrleans,will be honored at theNew Orleans Jazz &Heritage Foundation’s annual galalater this month with thefoundation’s ChampionofCulture Award. AGrammyAward winnerand living legend of NewOrleans music, Thomashas played every Jazz Fest since1974and canbe seen at the2023festonApril 29 and May5.Beforethen,Thomas headlinesFrenchQuarter Fest on Thursday, April 13

GrabyourfannypackandtheSPF30causefestingseasonishere!!

THE COUNT #

THENUMBER OF FRENCH QUARTERFESTIVAL STAGES AT ITSPEAK SATURDAY ANDSUNDAY.

Thefreefestivaliscelebrating its 40thyearand kicksoff Thursday withfivestages of live bands, then expandsto12for Friday.Overthe four-day fete,morethan 270artists areslatedtoperform forpacked crowds. Last year,the festival drew in more than 825,000 fansand similar numbers areexpectedthisyearas thefestivalcontinues to grow

FormerlyIncarceratedTransitionsClinic, aNew Orleans-based programworking to help people leaving jail or prison find health care,recently received agrant from the national Foundation forOpioid ResponseEfforts to support harmreductioneducation and substanceuse treatment. FITC will useits roughly $150,000 granttocontact individuals within48hours of theirrelease and help them find addiction services.FITCalso will work withTrystereo to expand harm reductioneducation in area jails. UniteHereLocal23, aunion representingclose to 1,000New Orleans hospitalityworkers, has strucka deal with Sodexo, theiremployer, fora substantial increaseinwages andbetter benefits.The deal will cover cooks, bartenders,concessions workersand other employees at theCaesars Superdome, Smoothie King Centerand the Ernest N. MorialConvention Center.The unionhas been working forbetterwages over thelastyear, includingthreateninga strike in late 2022

Counciltoconsidermeasure requiringMayorCantrelltopay rentonherapartment

NEWORLEANSMAYORLATOYA CANTRELLCOULDBEFORCEDTO

STARTPAYINGRENT on her French Quarterapartmentunder anew proposed ordinance by City Council PresidentJPMorrell formalizingthe rightofmayors to usethe city-owned property as a residence— butonlyiftheypay fair market rent

Cantrell hasbeen livinginthe Upper Pontalba on Jackson Square sincelast summer.The city has owned thebuildingfor nearly 100years,and it’s currently owned by city-owned entity theFrenchMarketCorp. Thereare anumber of apartmentsinthe building,including onewhich hastraditionally not beenrentedout.Rather, it’s been used by various mayors as a spacetohostdignitaries,holiday parties and other events

Under Morrell’sordinance, whichwas introduced April 6, themayor would have “first right of refusal” on using theapartmentastheir residencewhen first takingoffice. She would then have twoweekstodecide whether to continue living there, and if so would then be required to payrent.

Whatthatwould amounttois unclear.Apartments in thebuilding areeffectively rent controlled,and thecosts canvarywidelydependingonwhen atenantsigned their lease. However,the ordinance notesthatFMC has indicatedif it were to offertorentthe apartmenttothe public,itestimates it would cost $36,000 ayear. There is currentlya wait list of over300 people interested in rentingan apartmentinthe building

Although Cantrell’s move into thePontalbaisunusual,atthis pointitdoesnot appear to be illegal or violate anyethicslaws. However, thefactthatshe’s livedtherefor nearly ayear rent free hasraisedeyebrows in NewOrleans,which is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis.Overthe last decade,rent increases have faroutpaced the riseinwages forthe majority of workersinthe city,and many musicians, performers,artists and serviceindustry workersin theFrenchQuarter cannot only nolongeraffordtoliveinthe neighborhoodorthe surroundingneighborhoods.

Thewaveofshort-termrentals has driven,inpart, therise in

C’EST WHAT ?

36.3% SHORTLINES AT THEBEER TENTS

19.4%

13.8%

TheUpperPontalbaapartmentbuildingonJacksonSquare. PHOTOBYDAVID GRUNFELD/ THETIMES-PICAYUNE

rentsand helped push outlocal residentsfromthe Marigny,Treme, Bywaterand partsofthe 7thWard.

TheCantrelladministrationhas beguncrackingdownonSTRsin thelast year.But during herfirst term,when theofficeincharge of regulating them wasoverseen by Cantrell appointee and STR executivePeter Bowen, therewas almost no enforcement against illegal operators in thecity.

—JOHNSTANTON

RiverRidgeparentscall forendtogunstoreschoolzoneloophole

JEFFERSONPARISHCOUNCILMEMBER

DEANOBONANO,who represents the RiverRidgearea, said he understands parents’concernsand said thestore opening“nevershould have happened.”But he also pointedout thestore owner,Trey Rankins, followedall legalprocedurestoopen, andthatparishofficials’hands aretiedbystate laws that preventlocal governments fromenactingstrictergun policies than thestate

That answer isn’tsitting well with most parents at theschool.

“Whatwewanttocommunicate is that whatever staterep,council rep, senatororany other elected representative is happy to sitback on theirhandsand say, ‘I can’tdo anything about this’will likely not be supportedinthe next election,” said AaronWeidenhaft,who sends threeofhis childrentothe school.

Rankins’ gunshopisconsideredprivate property andisthus exempt from another statelaw that

bars firearms from beingless than 1,000 feet from school campuses

Many parentsatthe school in theNew Orleans suburb are conservative,avidsupportersof thesecondamendment,who say thestore’s location posesathreat to theirchildren’ssafetyamid an epidemic of gunviolencein Americanschools

Butinadditiontothe threat of schoolshooters,manyofthem fear accidental gunfirecoming from across thestreet.The front doorofthe gunshop is roughly fewhundred feet away from fences that border theparking lot and partofthe schoolyard.

Rankinspreviouslytold Gambit that no customerswillbeleaving hisstore with aloadedfirearm,but that promise doesnot assuage parents’ concerns

“Accidents canand will happen,”wrote Cusachs.“It maynot be tomorrow, buttheywill have an accident.”

Parentsare also angrythatthere were no communitymeetings leadinguptothe store’sopening, and they saytheywereblindsidedbythe initial news of the store’sopening,which they largely learnedabout throughsocial mediaand notpublic notices.

“School shootings areonevery parent’s mindofevery childinthe country,”wrote Cusachs.“This is notbecause we do notsupport thesecondamendment. This is purely relatedtolocation.”

If thegun storerelocates,she said,the majority of thecommunity “would be active supporters of this business.” —SARAH RAVITS

ParentsofstudentsatSt.MatthewtheApostleare outragedafterlearningthatagunstorewillbecelebrating itsgrandopening50feetawayfromcampus.

PHOTOBYSARAH RAVITS

It’sFrenchQuarterFest time—andweneedit!

THEFRENCHQUARTERFESTIVALKICKSOFFTHISWEEK,and so far,the weatherpromisestobepicture perfect forenjoyingtonsoflivemusic,stuffingour faces withgreat food and celebrating ouruniqueculture.

Louisiananslove agoodfestival —arguablymore than folksinany other state—and festivalsgive us an opportunitytodance,eat and drinkwith friendsand strangersalike,ofcourse. Buttheyalso define therhythmofour lives, so much so that the run of festivalsacrossLouisiana passesfor one of ourfourseasons in place of that mercurialannual periodthe rest of thecountry calls“spring.”

This year marks the40thanniversaryofFrench QuarterFest.Thatalone standsasanachievement. Butthe festival hasnot just lasted,ithas grown beyond anyrealisticexpectationsorganizersof thefirst festival mighthave had. Whatstarted as aone-stageproduction forlocalshas blossomed into a20-stage,four-dayevent,withdozensof food vendors andthousands of tourists coming from around theworld

Even more remarkable is thefactthatafestival showcasinghundredsofbands, includingsomeof NewOrleans’ most famous and in-demandacts, is free. In themodernage of mega-festivals,putting on an eventofthissizewithoutgouging the audience—we’re lookingatyou,Ticketmaster —is

extraordinary. It is atestament to thehardwork and dedication of thefestival’s organizers and staff that it hasendured.

Thefestival also celebrates morethan thecity’s greatmusicians and theofficialfood vendors. As it has grownoverthe years, so hasits economic footprint.Businessesacrossthe city willbenefit fromthisweek’s festivitiesand,hopefully, geta much-needed boosttotheir bottom lines.

That also goes forthe many buskersyou’llsee in theQuarter during thefestival,manyofwhom will also be performingonstage. Busking is acritical part of manymusicians’ income,and we urge everyone to tipgenerouslyand often.

As wasevidentlastyear, followingatwo-yearhiatus, FQFalsohas palpable positive effectsonNew Orleanians

It raised ourspiritsand gave locals asense that,despite the lockdowns, deaths andeconomic upheavalofthe previoustwo years, we remained unbowedand upbeat.

This year,the festival arrivesnot amomenttoo soon.The crimeepidemichas gotten worsesince last year.Our roadsseem to be in worseshape than ever,and toomanytrafficlightsremaininexplicably broken.The recall didlittlemorethan sow theseedsofbitternessand highlight just howlittle faithany of us canput in many of thepeople and institutionsentrusted with oursafety andsurvival

In short, we allneeda reason to dance,eat and drinkinour city’s oldest neighborhood and —even if forjust afew days —put asideour worries and celebrateour culture.For that and many other reasons, we onceagainthank theFrenchQuarter Festival.See y’allthere!

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER/ THETIMES-PICAYUNE

@clancygambit

AMIDTHEDINOFRIGHT-WING DEMAGOGUESTAKINGCHEAP POLITICALSHOTS at librarians, LGBTQpeople andother invented bogeymen,serious ideas will struggletogain attentionduringthe annual legislativesessionthatbegins Monday,April 10

Onemeasureworthyof rising above theclatter is Sen.Kirk Talbot’s proposalto makethe office of Insurance Commissioner appointed rather than elected.

Talbot,R-River Ridge, chairsthe Senate InsuranceCommittee. His bill,SB208,would take effect at the end of Commissioner JimDonelon’s currenttermnextJanuary.Donelon, whohas served in that role since 2006,has optedtoretire. Donelon opposesTalbot’sbill,but thesenatorispushing forward.

Appointing astate insurance commissioner is actually the national norm. Only 11 states electtheirs; 39 appointtheir commissioners.

Back in 1973,delegatesatthe Louisiana Constitutional Convention debatedatlengththe preferred number of electedstatewide officials. They settledoneight —but authorized lawmakerstoeliminate, by two-thirds vote,the superintendentofeducation andthe commissionersofelections and insurance.

Previous Legislatures dispensed with thefirst twoyears ago

Nowthe time mayberight for Talbot’s proposal.

Skyrocketing property insurance premiums have angeredLouisiana voters to thepointthatanyone running forcommissioner right now couldjust as easily be acandidate fora lunacy hearing.

If there’sanupsidetothe crisis,it maybethe opportunityitpresents to re-think thenotionthatanelection rife with demagogicpromises will produce lowerpremiums. Historysuggests it’s morelikelyto give us acrooked commish. Three of Donelon’spredecessors went to thefederal pokey.

Talbot says he will fine-tunehis bill in theweeks ahead. Even now, it envisions acommissioner with yearsofregulatory and/orindustry experiencewho would serveno morethan twoconsecutive sixyear terms.

InsurancecommissionerJim Donelonisretiringthisyear, andlawmakersareconsidering makingthepositionappointed ratherthanelected.

“Weneed to hire someone with experience andexpertise to do averytechnical,regulatory job,”Talbotsaid. “Wealso need to free thecommissioner to make harddecisions andnot worry aboutthe politicalwinds —by severing theregulatorfromthe regulatedindustry.”

Talbot’s bill sets professional qualifications forthe commissioner, whom thegovernor would select from nomineessubmitted by acommittee Talbot says should represent diverseinterestsand viewpoints

Talbot says hisbill is nota critique of Donelon.HesaysDonelon would have metthe qualifications outlined in SB 208had it been the lawin2006, when Donelonfirst took office.“AndI’m notlooking forthe jobmyself,”Talbotadded.“I don’t meetthe qualifications.”

Talbot acknowledgesthatgetting atwo-thirdsvoteonanything is “alwaysachallenge,” buthesays hisideahas received “cautiously positive”reviews from many of hiscolleagues

Louisianalawmakers generally do theirutmosttoavoid controversialtopicsduring election-year sessions.TalbotsaysDonelon’s retirement and thecurrent crisis have createdaonce-in-a-generation opportunity forlawmakers to seriouslyconsider changingthe wayour stateregulatesthe insuranceindustry

It’llbeinterestingtosee if lawmakersgiveitthe consideration it deserves

PHOTO BY TRAVIS SPRADLING / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

BLAKEPONTCHARTRAIN™

@GambitBlake |askblake@gambitweekly.com

HeyBlake, Inoticedthewords“Leon FellmanBuilding”onabuilding inthe800blockofCanal,near CarondeletStreet.Whowas heandwhatsortofbusiness wentonthere?

Dearreader,

LEONFELLMANWASAPROMINENT LOCALMERCHANT formorethan50 years. When he diedinMarch 1920, his obituary called himthe “deanof theretailtrade of NewOrleans.”

Accordingtohistorian andauthor Edward Branley, Fellmanwas born LippmanFeibelman and emigrated to theUnitedStatesfromGermany at age17. In 1873,heand hisbrother BernardformedFellman Brothers (using an Anglicized versionoftheir name)and operated drygoods stores on CanalStreet.

In 1898,Fellman movedhis business to thecorner of Canal and Carondelet,inwhathad been thePickwick Club building,an ornate structure originally builtin 1884.When afiredamagedthe building in 1894,itwas renovated and Fellmans movedin. Asecond building next door wasdesigned by architectEmile Weil and built in 1911

When Leon Fellman died in 1920,his family changedthe nameofthe storefromFellman’s to Feibleman’s. They operated theCanalStreet storeuntil 1931, when they movedtoBaronne and Commonand then sold their stores to Sears, Roebuckand Co.

In 1948,the Fellmanbuilding (the former Pickwick Club)was

BLAKEVIEW

Aphototakensometime between1900and1906at thecornerofCanaland CarondeletstreetsinNew OrleansshowstheoldPickwick Clubbuilding,whichbecame LeonFellman’sstoryin1898

PHOTOPROVIDEDBYLIBRARY OF CONGRESS

demolished andlater became theGus Mayerdepartmentstore (now aCVS drugstore).The Leon Fellman Building next doorat810 CanalSt. laterhousedGoldring’s, awomen’s clothing store, and Koslow’s,which sold furs.Today it is home to amen’s store.

Fellman also hadaconnectionto another majordowntownretailer. He leased property at Canaland Basinstreetstothe Krauss brothers, whoopenedKrauss departmentstore in 1903.Itremained a CanalStreet shopping landmark untilitclosedin1997.

THISWEEKMARKS65YEARSSINCETHEOPENING of theCrescentCity

Connection.Originally called theGreater NewOrleans Bridge,the cantileverbridgeoffered driversa newway to travelacrossthe MississippiRiver and openedupthe West Bank to newdevelopment

Thefirst span of thebridgewas built over thecourseofthree years,at acostof$65 million.Itopenedtotrafficat12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, April 15,1958. “History will be madewithoutany hoopla at 60 seconds after midnight,” reportedThe NewOrleans Item,which added that no formal ceremonies would be helduntil laterthatyear.

Originally,a 35-centtollwas assessedoncarsand smalltrucks, with larger vehicles paying more. In 1964, Gov. John McKeithen made good on acampaign promiseand eliminated thetolls.A $1 toll returned in 1989 to payfor theconstruction of asecondbridgespan. Thetolls were removed again followingapublic referendumin2013.

In 1989,acontest washeldtorenamethe bridge.The 621suggestions were whittled down to 25 finalists presentedtothe public foravote. The winner,CrescentCityConnection,camefromGaynellHerbert’s fourthgradeclass at St.ClementofRomeSchoolinMetairie.

Also in 1989,the YoungLeadership Council and other communitygroups raised money to install decorativelightingonthe bridge.However, theCCC hasbeen dark sinceHurricaneIda in 2021.Lastmonth,the stateDepartment of Transportation andDevelopmentannounced afirm would designand installnew decorativelights, oncethe statefinds $16.5milliontopay forit.

Introducing the revolutionary SEMAGLUTIDE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM, specially designed to help you:

-achieve aguaranteed 20% total body weight loss of fat -prevent hypertension, heart disease, strokes, and renal disease -improve your overall health and well-being

Don’tlet excess weight hold youbackany longer. Call Dr.Joseph Gautreaux today 985-709-7093 •504-292-2129 Flexible hours &Saturdayappointments available

That That

FEST

FrenchQuarterFestival celebratesits 40th year

BY WILL COVIELLO

IT’SBEEN 40 YEARS since theFrenchQuarter Festival debutedtohelpdrawlocals back to theFrenchQuarter Followingrepairs to sidewalks and other refurbishingmade in advanceofthe 1984 LouisianaWorld Exposition,the city wanted to show offthe historic district’srefreshed look

French QuarterFestival has sincebecomea rite of spring, and nowitdraws visitors from across thecountry to Louisiana’slargest free musicfestival, with270 performancesover four days on as many as 20 stages. Festivities run from Thursday, April 13,through Sunday, April 16

The2023event celebrates its40thbirthdayand brings in amusically diverselineupof mostly localperformers. Headlinersinclude Irma Thomas, AniDiFranco, BigFreedia, theSoulRebels, Tank andthe Bangas and Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. Therealso arenight concerts and fireworks.

Thefestivalopensat10a.m

Thursdaywithaparade featuringthe NewBirth Brass Band

and theBlack Magic Drumline. It starts on the200 blockof BourbonStreet andendsin JacksonSquare. Thefestival celebrates itsanniversarywith fireworksoverthe Mississippi RiveronThursdayevening, followingIrmaThomas’ seton theAbita Beer Stageonthe Riverfront.Throughoutthe festival,anexpowithphotosfrom past festivalsand interviews withmusicianswill be open on topofOscar Dunn Park,across from JacksonSquare.

Openingday featuresmusic on five main stages along the Riverfront,nexttoJax Brewery and in JacksonSquare. Friday expandstoa dozenstages, and on Saturday andSunday, there’s music on 20 stages,spread throughoutthe French Quarter and stretching to theNew Orleans Jazz Museum.Music runs from 11 a.m. to 8p.m

Thefestival’sAfter Dark concertsare at differentvenues, includingonesoutside the

French Quarter. Ivan Neville performsatthe Four Seasons HotelGarden at 9p.m.Thursday. John Michael Bradford and theVibeperform at theAce Hotelat9p.m.Friday. Boyfriend is at HouseofBlues at 10 p.m. Saturday,and Eric Lindell closes theseries at 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Tipitina’s Kids activities areset up in frontofthe Audubon Aquarium onSaturday andSunday. FestivalsponsorChevron presents itsSTEM Olympicsand partner groups includeAudubon Nature Institute,NASAAstro Camp, OchsnerHealth Education Outreach, STEM NOLA, New Orleans Jazz NationalHistoric Park and others.

French QuarterFestival has remained afreefestival based

on sponsorships andhundreds of volunteers. Patronizingthe festival’s 60 food and drinkvendorshelps supportthe fest.Ice chests, tents, sunshades, pets other than serviceanimals, and drones arenot allowedinmany festival areas. Visitfrenchquarterfestival.orgfor alistof allowedand prohibiteditems.A festival appalso is available On thefollowing pages, Gambit previews many of thebandsperformingatthe festival.There’s also apullout sectionwitha mapand the full schedule of allstages and performers

Everybodylovestoshaketheirmoneymakerat FrenchQuarterFest

PHOTO BY CHRISGRANGER /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Fromrhythmandbluestohip-hop, DON’T MISS THESE WOMEN PLAYING AT FRENCH QUARTER FEST

BY JAKE CL APP

WANDA ROUZANCAN REMEMBER notplaying only oneFrench QuarterFestival in thefestival’s 40 yearshistory.The rhythm and blues and jazz singer closed outthe first festival,when therewas onestage, shetold Gambit’s Kaylee Poche(read moreabout Rouzan on page31), and she’sbeenafixture ever since. Festivalgoerscan catchher continuingthe streak on Sunday at theTropical Isle Hand Grenade StageinWoldenberg Riverfront Park

Noteventwo hours later, audiences can wander overtothe AbitaBeerStage, also in theRiverfrontPark, to seeTarriona “Tank”

Ball and herfierce, elasticvoicewithher band Tank and theBangas.Ortheycan take in jazz vocalist Mikhala“Jazz Muffin”

Iversen(3:45-5 p.m.), sociallyconscious rocker Cole Williams(4-5p.m.),blues-y singerTiffanyPollack and herband (4:155:30 p.m.)orCuban-born,New Orleans-based singer-songwriterYusa(5:30-7 p.m.)all headlining theirstages on Sunday

This year’s French QuarterFest is filled with womenperformersand women-fronted bandsplaying in virtually everygenre aQuarter Ratcould hope for—although thereisn’tparitywiththe number of male musiciansinthe lineup.

Thefestival’s opening nightfeaturestwo top-billed performers closingout thebig AbitaBeerStageinWoldenberg RiverfrontPark: Alt-rock singer-songwriterAni DiFranco— whoseacclaimed “LittlePlastic Castle”turns 25 this year —plays 4:50-6:10 p.m.,and then legendarysoulqueen Irma Thomas headlinesat6:40-8p.m

Earlier in theday,the Cajun/folk group Babineaux SistersBand (readmoreon page 20)play12:40-1:50p.m.onthe ChevronStage; Americana pianistand singer LilliLewis andher band perform 3:30-4:40 p.m. on theJackDaniel’sStage; and folkpopmusicianSusan Cowsill canbeseen at 4:30-5:30 p.m. on theTropicalIsleHand Grenade Stage.

Friday at thefestival,New Orleans can catchneo-soulsingerErica Fallspreviewing newmusic from her upcomingfull-length albumat6:40-8p.m.onthe ChevronStage. That stagealso sees TMarie andBayouJuju (2:10-3:20 p.m.)and high-energy fiddler AmandaShaw(5-6:10 p.m.)takedifferent approachestoCajun and countrymusic

At 3:50-5 p.m. on theGEStageinJackson Square,vocalists YolandaRobinsonand Jolynda“Kiki”Chapman and theirband Solid Harmonywill paytribute to theirmother, gospel and jazz vocalist TopsyChapman, whopassed away late last year.Catch NewOrleans songbirdRobin Barnes &The Fiyabirds at 3:10-4:10p.m.onthe Tropical IsleStage. Andthenwatch bluesrocker SamanthaFishburndownthe AbitaBeer Stageat4:50-6 p.m.

On Saturday,the festival’s busiest day, startwithsaxophonist Aurora Nealand & TheRoyal Roses at 11:15a.m.-12:30 p.m. on theZapp’s StageonBourbon Street— and catchNealand’s alterego Rory Danger on Sunday (readmoreon page 39). Then catch TheDixieCups— wholostoriginal member RosaLee Hawkinslast year —perform at 2:10-3:10p.m.onthe AbitaBeer Stage before hustling over to theJazzMuseumto catchcharismatic Americana

guitarist-singer JoyClark’s perform at 3:455:10 p.m. on theEsplanade in theShade Stageatthe Jazz Museum.Stayatthe museum forthe powerhouse Original Pinettes Brass Band headlining theLouisiana Fish FryStageat5:45-7p.m

On thefestival’s last day, GumbeauxJuice —a showcasehighlightingemerginghiphopnow in itssecond year —will feature emotivesingerand rapper OddtheArtist, along with La Reezyand duoFresh XReckless at 3:30-4:40p.m.onthe JackDaniel’s Stage. Before theshowcase, catchsoulful singerTonya Boyd-Cannon at 2:10-3:10p.m. Sunday also featuresperformancesby Americana groupEverMoreNest (12:351:50 p.m. at theMoonwalk); rootsrocker Maggie Koerner (2:10-3:10 p.m. on theAbita Beer Stage);accordionist Donna Angelle and her band TheZydecoPosse (3:30-4:40 on theChevron Stage);amongothers.

WandaRouzanplaystheFrenchQuarterFestonSundayatthe TropicalIsleHandGrenadeStageinWoldenbergRiverfrontPark.

PHOTO BY CHRISGRANGER /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

THERECYCLE CHALLENGE

Parade &Festival WITH Core, Healthnutt System &TriWater

18 –23

20 23

St.Roch Market St.Claude Ave.

FOOD •ART •MUSIC •STORYTELLING•CULTURE

Week-Long of Activities Around RECYCLING

Therecyclechallengeisa globalandlocalinitiativeincludingBIPOCintothe narrativearoundrecycling,action,andart.

HE AD LI NE RS

AMEKORA • ZAHRIA SIMS COLLECTIVE VICTOR CAMPBELL &THE IMMIGRANTS • BRYANKEITH &ZYDECOLEGACY

JOSE CONDE • KARI JAY • ROCKYRAINE • TAYLOR MROSKI • FNGI CHUCKPERKINS • RAVENSPEAKS • TYMISHA HARRIS

JOSPHINE -THE PLAY • EMERALDTRIO

ON LI NE GU ES TS PO ETS

BRUCEGEORGE • LINDASHAW • &MORE

DA ILYE VENTS

TUE4/18 FAMILY “GET YOUR TRASHOUT” SecondLine Community TRASHPICKUP

THU4/20 FULL Youth &Family Food Tour &Reviewer

FRI4/21 SmartArt Of TrashPerformance

5PM-10PM | 6PM Procession begins Featuring Paper Dresses, Queens &LivePerformances

SAT4/22 1PM-10PM St.RochMarket-Festival 12 NOON Private VIP Area Opens

SUN4/23 7PM-9PM Cafe Istanbul -PoetryRefueled &Repurposed

5PM-8PM St.RochMarketFashion Show

LOCALS BRING RECYCLED ITEMS /ANY DONATION &GET FREE PASS

KUTUPKREWE

SCANFOR TICKETS

FrenchQuarterFest

PREVIEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL

13

KERMIT RUFFINS

2:10-3:10 P.M. THURSDAY

AbitaBeer Stage (WoldenbergRiverfrontPark)

KERMIT RUFFINSDOESN’T JUST playNew Orleans jazz. He is New Orleansjazz. From thefirst breath he blowsintohis trumpetineach performance, themusic and the musician areone.

Therange of notesheplays are some of themostdifficult to reach, and theswiftchangesfromnoteto note exhibitRuffins’ agility as his fingersspringlivelyfromone valve to thenext.

Ruffinsdraws acrowd no matter wherehegoes.He’sbeencalleda “modernLouis Armstrong,” atitle

that carriedhim outofour southernbootand to theWhite Housein 2007.Whether across thecountry or just down thestreet,Ruffins’ signature call,“Allaboard!”invites hisaudiencetohop on arejuvenatingjourney of jazz that no trainride couldreplicate

—SinclairMcKinney/ JRNOLA

JOHNNYSKETCH ANDTHE DIRTYNOTES

3:30-4:30 P.M. THURSDAY

AbitaBeer Stage (WoldenbergRiverfrontPark)

JOHNNYSKETCHAND THEDIRTY

NOTES arestaples on theNew Orleansmusic sceneand areknown fortheir signature blend of funk and rock.Led by thelong-bearded Marc Paradis(akaJohnnySketch), thegroup hasbeen described by RollingStone as “whatyou’d getif Phish hadbeenbornatTipitina’s

KermitRuffinsplaysThursday,April13

PHOTOBYGRANT THERKILDSEN /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

and studiedunder George Clinton and Frank Zappa.”

Thegroup started in 2001,and theirlongtimecamaraderieiscontagious.Above all, they really want theiraudiences to have fun, and that’s practically guaranteed —Gabrielle Korein

CHUBBY CARRIERAND

THEBAYOU SWAMPBAND

5:00-6:10P.M. THURSDAY ChevronStage

FORMORE THAN THREEDECADES, ChubbyCarrier andThe Bayou Swamp Band have been playing theirbrand of classiczydecomusic Athird generationzydecoartist, Carrier’sfamily is steeped in the traditions of zydeco, and hiscousins Bebe andCalvinCarrier,fatherRoy and grandfather Warren areall consideredlegendsinzydecohistory ButChubbyisa heavyweightin

hisown right. In 2010,Chubby Carrierand TheBayou Swamp Band wona Grammyfor their album“ZydecoJunkie.”

—GabrielleKorein

ERNIE VINCENT

5-6:30 P.M. THURSDAY Jack Daniel’sStage(Canal Plaza)

ERNIE VINCENTISAMASTER OF R&B and funk whose career spansfivedecades.A native of SouthLouisiana,Vincent’s career took shape in the1960s when he begantoplaymusic with legends includingErnie K-Doe He became astaple at music clubsinNew Orleans,Acadiana andthe MississippiDelta region before formingThe TopNotes in the’70s, and hisskillsasa writer, instrumentalist, arranger and musicologist earned hima spot in theLouisiana MusicHall of Fame in 2012.

In January, Vincentreleased “Original DapKing,”a10-track albumthatincorporates elements of brassmusic,blues,rockand roll andpsychedelia.The album’s titleisanod to his1972smashhit

“Dap Walk.”

—GabrielleKorein

THELILLI LEWISPROJECT

3:30-4:40THURSDAY Jack DanielsStage(Canal Plaza)

SINGER-SONGWRITER LILLI LEWIS’ LIFE hasrevolvedaround musicsince shewas achild growingupinAthens, Georgia. Drawing from R&B, gospel,jazzand funk, Lewis’ musicexploresa range of issues,and like many classic protest musiciansofthe 1960s and ’70s,socialjusticeand human rightsare clearlyonher mind. Butthat’snot theonlyplace Lewis’ activism canbeseen. Lewis hasusedher platformtospeak outonavariety of issues including racism,sexismand homophobiain theAmericanaindustry —GabrielleKorein

PAUL SANCHEZAND THEROLLINGROADSHOW

3:10-4:10P.M. THURSDAY

Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage (WoldenbergRiverfrontPark)

NEWORLEANSNATIVE PAUL

SANCHEZ is perhapsbest known as afounderofthe longtime rock groupCowboyMouth,though he left thegroup long agotofocus

onhis solo songwriting.Healso appeared as himselfonthe HBO show “Treme.”

Though he’s arockand roller at heart, Sanchez’smusic is philosophical andreflectiveofhis experiences living in NewOrleans, includingsurviving Hurricane Katrina. Much of hismusic is a celebrationoflivinghere, buthe doesn’tshy away from thedark timeseither.

—GabrielleKorein

BABINEAUXSISTERS BAND

12:40-1:50THURSDAY ChevronStage(JaxLot)

CAJUN FOLK ROCK GROUP the BabineauxSisters Band became aregularact on theLouisiana festivalcircuitoverthe last decade, playing itsbrand of Cajun music. Ledbysisters Julieand Gracie, theband is part of themodern movement in Acadiana to notonly maintainCajunmusic,language and culturebut approachtheir traditions in newways. Theband’s reachhas gone beyond theGulfCoast —their last record,“He’s OneofThose,” reachedNo. 3onthe iTunes ContemporaryCountry charts —Gabrielle Korein

2:10-3:10THURSDAY Jack DanielsStage(Canal Plaza)

ThecrowdatFrenchQuarterFest2022

PHOTO BY BRETTDUKE/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

forovertwo decades.Formedin the1990s,the groupdraws inspirationfroma varietyofgenres includingthe blues, jazz, New OrleansR&B andeventhe music of theMexico/Texasborder.

Thegroup’s most recent single, “MyEverything,”dropped in 2022 and waswritten by fellow New Orleanian singer-songwriterAlex McMurray.Their musichas appeared in televisionshows such as HBO’s“Treme” and “The Wire”as well as movies like “VarsityBlues.”

—GabrielleKorein

FRIDAY, APRIL 14

GEORGEPORTERJR.

2:10-3:10FRIDAY

AbitaBeerStage (WoldenbergRiverfrontPark)

YES, GEORGERPORTERJR. IS THEFORMER BASSIST and songwriterfor TheMeters, recipientsofa Grammyaward for Lifetime Achievement.Yes,they disbanded in 1977 and reunited sporadically in lateryears.Yes, he’s75-years-old.But he probably also wantsyou to know he hashis ownbrand of NewOrleans-rooted music.

Hishistory includesperformances with legends like Dr.John, Paul McCartney, PattiLaBelle,along withleft-fieldappearances with JimmyBuffett,David Byrne and Tori Amos.

ButPorter, the13thWard-born

musician,mixes in funk,R&B and soul andhasn’tforgotten what musicmeans to NewOrleans.His song “Cryingfor Hope,”recorded duringthe pandemic,tells the storyofthe BlackLives Matter movementinacitythat’sconstantlyfailing itsfellowmen,over and over.

Butthe classics still play throughouthis currentsets.

“Mardi Gras Mambo” mightcome along withAlJohnson’s“CarnivalTime,”justtoremindyou of thejoy through thepainthe city feels. Porter is oneofthe legends whocreated themusic youthink about when youthink of New Orleansfunk.

—DeaconLawson/JRNOLA

ANAÏSST. JOHN

3:45-5 P.M. FRIDAY

Pan-American Life Insurance GroupStage (Moonwalk Extension)

SINGER ANDPIANISTANAÏS ST. JOHN is influenced by musical iconsthatspanseveral decades, rangingfromEttaJamestoEartha

Kitt andDonna Summer

She wasformally trained in both operaand musicaltheater and also incorporates blues,jazz, disco and gospel into her repertoire.

“It’sdefinitely amixed bag,” shesays.

TheNew Orleans native was raised by her mother.St. John’s father wasthe late avant-gardejazz pioneerMarionBrown,and she says sheremembers joining “every choir Icould getinto” as achild

“I have afeeling hisinfluence on

Mmmmmm,oysters.

DINAH L. ROGERS,NOLA.COM|THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

HEYLOUISIANA, IT’S SAMSUMMER

my life came throughinhis DNA,” shesays.

More than 25 yearsago,she took her first jobasasinger in theNew Orleans Opera Chorus, butshe veered offthat path and began performingat theformerLeChatNoircabaret theater. Thereshe metcomposer,pianist and puppeteerHarry Mayronne, and thetwo cabaret enthusiastsbecamefastfriends and collaborators

St.John also hasbeen astaple at localhotelsand upscale restaurants. She performsevery Saturday nightatthe French Quarter’sBombayClub. Andshe channels her innerdisco queen foraDonna Summer tribute, which she’ll bringtoBay St.Louis, Mississippi, on June 16

Though she’sperformed around theworld —including at theAscona Jazz Festival in Switzerlandand other international festivals— she’slookingforward to playing forabig audienceright here at home.

“I like that [FrenchQuarter Festival] is localmusicians,primarily,” shesays. “I always want to supportpeople working hereand gettingfeatured, because they don’t getenough attentionon

thenationalscale.The bignames do,but so many other [talents] don’t. Andthisallowsthem to shine, anditgives us achance to shine,and give ourpeople a chancetosee them withouta very expensiveticket.”

Audiences canexpectanenergeticand “quintessential”blend of hits at her set, shesays

“It’ll be ahip-shaking, dancing show,” shesays. “There’ssomethingfor everybody.”

—Sarah Ravits

SWEETCRUDE

3:30-4:30P.M. FRIDAY

AbitaBeer Stage(Woldenberg Riverfront Park)

SELF-DESCRIBED AS ABANDOF

“SILLY GEESE” by singer Alexis Marceaux,Sweet Crude was originally inspired to sing in both Englishand CajunFrenchtohelp revivethe disappearingdialect

Formed in 2013,the indie folkrock band hasreleased twofulllength albums,and theirsecond, 2019’s “Officiel//Artificiel,”marks theirmajor label debutafter signing with VerveForecast.

When it comestoperforming, liveshows areMarceaux’shappy place.“Igointomyown little world, andthe crowdislikea beam of energy coming toward me,” shesays. However,thatbeamisa twowayexchange

Knownfor energeticand improvisationalsets, Sweet Crudemolds theirCajun history lesson into amodern, lively performancethatlightsuptheir fans. Andthatspirit only gets amplified during open-air festivals likeFrenchQuarter Fest and Jazz Fest

“Itfeels differentfromthe club shows,”Marceauxsays. “It’s exciting,and thecrowd is right therewith us.”

—FinnGalarneau/JRNOLA

BIGCHIEFBODOLLIS JR. &THE WILD MAGNOLIAS

11:30A.M.-12:30 P.M. FRIDAY

AbitaBeerStage (WoldenbergRiverfrontPark)

IT’S CLEARINTHEIRPASSIONATEAND RICHMUSIC, oldand new, that NewOrleans runs in

SweetCrudeplays

FridayApril14.

PHOTOBY SOPHIA GERMER / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

theDollisbloodline. Singer Bo DollisJr. releasedhis first record as BigChiefofthe Wild Magnoliasin2013, taking overfor hisfather, thelateBig ChiefBoDollisSr. Thegroup hasbeen performinginNew Orleans forover50years andtheir stage presence is plentyto rouseany soul well beyond half acentury.Suitedinthe traditionalMardi Gras Indian wear,the Wild Magnolias bringthe second line to centerstage with theirbright, livelyperformances

Theirsongs oftenfeellikea jamsession,but onebacked by an elaboratelycoordinated chorusofvoices.Their rendition of Al Johnson’sMardi Gras hit“Carnival Time” elicits whistles andshouts from audiencemembers,singingthe hook: “It’sCarnivaltime, and everybody’shavingfun.”

Afterall,everyoneataWild Magnoliasshow, from the band itself to thecaptivated listener,isbound to have fun.

—MayaShields/ JRNOLA

JEFFERY BROUSSARD AND THECREOLE COWBOYS

3:30-4:40P.M. FRIDAY ChevronStage(JaxLot)

JEFFERY BROUSSARDAND THE CREOLE COWBOYS bringsoul to modernzydeco, agenre that reflects Louisiana’s diverseIndigenouscultures. Broussardand the Cowboys’ marriage of Western and southernCreole makesfor a mixofblues,country,Cajun,and Native American music.

Theband’s lively melodies weave emotional French-Creole lyrics betweensighs of theaccordion,rustyscratches of arubboardand arapidly bowedviolin. Broussard’sraw,yearningvoice leads thecrew, taking hislisteners to abayouoasis of hisband’s creation.A difficultchildhood taught Broussardthe transportive capability of music.

With oneFrenchQuarter Fest performanceunderhis beltand countlessJazzFest appearances,Broussardisnostranger to a NewOrleans stage. Watching this groupperform will have theheel of your cowboy boots tapping

to thebeat, and your strawhat bobbingonyournoddinghead. —SinclairMcKinney/ JRNOLA

JAMES ANDREWS

5:20-6:45P.M. FRIDAY GE Stage(JacksonSquare)

THEHILLAND ANDREWSDYNASTYOFDISTINGUISHED JAZZ ANDR&B musicianscontinues withJamesAndrews,anative NewOrleanian whoholdsmusic as closetohis core values as the city does.

Andrewsquicklyreturnedafter Katrinatoperform at alocal park to help reunitethe community, saying that,together,the city wouldberebuilt “notebynote.”

Andrewshas performed within avariety of bandsincluding the Treme Brass Band and NewBirth Brass Band

On stage, Andrewsrocks to the soundofhis ownvoice, hisaura ebbing as he sings each word. Theclear-cut notesfromhis trumpetreverberatethroughout every room he plays, amusical majesty whocoined thenickname“Satchmo of theGhetto.”

—SinclairMcKinney/

JRNOLA

PHOTO BY DINAHL.ROGERS/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Keep theparty going after

SATURDAY, APRIL 15

MESCHIYA LAKE AND THELITTLEBIG HORNS

2:20-3:30 P.M. SATURDAY GE Stage(JacksonSquare)

CHANTEUSEMESCHIYALAKE deliversdynamic,charismatic performances with TheLittleBig Horns. Thegroup is atraditional jazz outfit that infusessome modernmusical elements.

“It’straditional NewOrleans jazz,but with atwist,”Lakesays.

“It’sa little morefunky,alittle morerockand roll.But we want to give anod to ourjazzpredecessorsand theancestors of traditional jazz as we carry that torch.”

With amagneticstagepresence and aluminousvoice, Lake hasbeenafixture on theNew Orleansmusic scenefor more than twodecades.Prior to New Orleans, shetraveledaroundthe countrywitha small, family-run circus doingmagic tricksand singing. Hereclectic, vaudevillian background still shines through on thestage.

Lake puttogether theLittleBig Hornsin2009, andthe group gigs on Frenchmen Street at The Spotted Catevery Tuesday, servingasthe soundtrack forlocal swingdancing events or fortipsy tourists testingout theirmoves.

While theband membersare accustomed to playingindimly lit clubs,Lakesaystheyare excited to performinbroad daylight and on abigger stagethan they areusedto.

“I love playing during the daytime,”Lakesays. “The festival is such agoodcross-section of NewOrleans music, andIlove that people canbring kids.Connectingwith the audiencefeels very special.”

Lake also plays with multiple bands spanninggenres, from Americana,rockand roll and blues to discowithone of her latest projects,The Machetes

She’ll also be at d.b.a.onFriday withDebbieDavis,Arsene Delay, Kimberly Kay, MiaBorders and Miss Sophie Leefor “Women & WitchesinPopularMusic,” which pays tributetoStevieNicks, DavidBowie,Dr. John and Erykah

This

to NorthCarolinatorecordan albumthatwill be folk-influenced and reflective.“I’ve been sitting on alot of that materialfor a decade now, butit’sbeenone thingafter another,” shesays. “I’mprettydetermined.”

—Sarah Ravits

DONVAPPIE &BANJO ALACREOLE

3:50-5 P.M. SATURDAY GE Stage(JacksonSquare)

DONVAPPIEISANATIVE NEW ORLEANIAN whoisknown as one of thebest banjoplayers in theworld.

Just last year,hewas inducted into theAmerican BanjoMuseum Hall of Fame,and in 2021 wasawarded theSteve Martin BanjoPrize forhis “livingembodimentof300 yearsofNew Orleansmusic.”

With sevenself-produced albums —the most recent being2019’s“TheBlueBook of Storyville” —Vappie describes hismusic as acelebrationofhis Creole heritage.

“(My music) is Creole in that it’s connectedtoNew Orleans, as it’s connectedtothe Caribbean,asit’sconnectedtothe rest of theworld.It’saway of life,” Vappie says

He became fascinatedwiththe banjoatanearly ageand thinks of it as an instrumentthatreflects Creole culture.After all, it’s an instrumentofAfrican descent, though it hadlong been co-opted by whiteAmericans. That caused many AfricanAmericans to turn theirbacks on it,hesays.

“The whole American racial construct caused me to delve into themeaning of what it is to be Creole,” he says.“Irealized thebanjo wasanAfrican instrument, andIwonderedwhy Black folkshated it so much in America. My question was: Howcan onepeople allowanother people to hate somethingthatbelongs to them?”

Vappie foundthatthe banjo helped himtakepride in hisancestry.Besides,hesays, he hasalwaysbeena huge fan of Earth, Wind and Fire and other funk bands, and thepercussivebanjo remindedhim of a funk instrument.

Vappie’s musicreflectsdiverse influences on NewOrleans.“[The music] is part of ourculture,” he says.“It’s part of ourlife— like theway youcook and talkand buildyourhouse.It’sall part

of onewhole,which is sort of an Africanconcept, by wayof theCaribbean.”

Vappie describes hisstyle as “funky as anyfunkbands, swingin’ as anyjazzbands,and it’s danceable,”hesays. “It’s truth. Ourmusic is truth.”

—Sarah Ravits

THERUMBLE

3:30-4:30 P.M. SATURDAY AbitaBeer Stage (WoldenbergRiverfrontPark)

ALITTLEMORE THAN AYEAR

AGO, severalmembers of Cha Wa announced they were leavingthe band to embark on a differentproject,citing“irreconcilable internal differences.”

Together they formed The Rumble,now comprisingSecondChief Joseph Boudreaux Jr of theGolden Eagles,trumpeter Aurelien Barnes,trombonist José MaizeJr.,bassistTJNorris,

guitaristAri Teitel,keyboardist

Andriu Yanovski and drummer

TrentonZO’Neal

Theband didn’t waste much time before making theirdebut with aresidency at Maple Leaf in February 2022.And they’vebeen busy playinggigsall over thecityeversince

TheRumble’smembersare deeply embeddedinNew Orleanstraditions, including BlackMasking Indians,the NorthsideSkull andBoneGang andsecond line brass bands. In this newchapter, they want to incorporateand honor those traditionalaspects of thecity’s culture, whilealso experimentingwith newideas and sounds

“We’re bringinga full-on NewOrleans experience,” Barnes told Gambit last year

“Itincludesthe MardiGras Indians.Itincludesbrass bands. It includesthingslikeSkull and BonesGang. It’s aholisticapproach to NewOrleans culture.”

Boudreaux’s father,Big Chief

Monk Boudreaux, andthe Golden Eagles also playFrenchQuarterFest at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on theChevron Stage.

—KayleePoche

ANNA LAURAQUINN

1:15-2:30P.M.SATURDAY Omni RoyalOrleans Stage (500 RoyalSt.)

THESMOOTHJAZZAND SILKY

VOCALS in Anna LauraQuinn’s musicmakeiteasytofeelthe senseofgentlytransporting back in time.Quinncountsclassic-era Disney filmsamongher influences,and that soundisalmost palpablewhen sheperforms.

In fact, on her 2022 album, “Openthe Door,” shecovers “VeryGoodAdvice,”fromthe 1951 “Alice in Wonderland”film.

It’s oneofninearrangements of jazz standards on theNew Orleans- and SanFrancisco-based artist’s debutalbum,

including“Comes Love”and “Speak Low.”The songsfeature cello, saxophone, fluteand other instruments

Astandoutonthe albumis Quinn’scoverofEllisMarsalis’ “Cry Again.” “All that’s left for me to do is cryand then sigh and then cryagain,” shelaments

Quinngraduated from the University of NewOrleans’ Jazz Studies master’sprogram in 2021 andthrough theprogram performed with prominent musiciansliketrumpeterTerence Blanchard, organistLonnie Smithand even Marsalis himself before hisdeath in 2020.

Her2022album followeda 2018 EP,“IFeelthe SuddenUrge to Sing!,”which sherecordedin SanFrancisco

While “Open theDoor”iseasy listening, during Carnival,you mayhave caught Quinnina higher-energycapacity: jamming and cruising down thestreets on aDIY floatcontraption dubbed the“truckuzzi.”

Quinncan be seen at venues

PHOTO BY DINAH L. ROGERS/ THETIMES-PICAYUNE

like SnugHarbor,Preservation Hall andDos JefesUptown CigarBar.Saturday marksher debutperformanceatFrench QuarterFest

—KayleePoche

ANDREW DUHONTRIO

4:30-5:30P.M.SATURDAY

HouseofBlues (225 DecaturSt.)

ANDREWDUHON’S GRUFF, GOLDEN VOICE anddeftstorytelling combineintoaneasy, folkyblues that have lent him thenickname“asoulmateof VanMorrison.”

ANew Orleans native,Duhon combines thetexture of blues withnotes of contemporaryfolk. Despite beinga solo artist for much of hiscareer,Duhon recently joined forces with drummer JimKolacekand upright bassist

Myles Weeks

Kolacekand Weeksbring a colorful vocalharmony to Duhon’s soundthatcan be heardinthe titlesong of their2022album “EmeraldBlue.”The albumtakes listenerstraveling with theband to theWashingtonmountains then brings them back to New Orleans, building a“Castle on Irish Bayou.”Listeners of everygeneration will find themselves stomping withthe guitar and soakingupthe sounds of Duhon’snew iteration.

—MayaShields /JRNOLA

SEGUENONKONE FEATURINGIVOIRE SPECTACLE

11:30 A.M.-12:30 P.M. SATURDAY

AbitaBeer Stage

(WoldenbergRiverfrontPark)

SEGUENON KONE ANDHIS

ENSEMBLE bringsoundsand traditions of West Africa to French QuarterFest.The Ivory Coast native infuseshis sets with high-energypercussion, dancing and storytelling

Kone hasbeen aNew Orleans resident for15years and hascollaborated with many of thecity’s jazz artists, includingclarinetist Dr.Michael White, as well as blues and zydecomusicianBruce “Sunpie”Barnes.

Kone shines on thebalafon,a type of xylophonemadeofwood, andthe djembe drums,which he plays with hisbarehands.

Therewill also be plentyoftraditional chants and singing. And whileKoneheavily showcases his West Africanroots,his NewOrleansinfluences also shinethrough in hislivelyperformances.

—Sarah Ravits

THEORIGINAL PINETTES BRASSBAND

5:45-7 P.M. SATURDAY

Louisiana Fish FryStage

(New Orleans Jazz Museum at theOld U.S. Mint)

THEORIGINAL PINETTES are anall-womanbrass band that formed in 1991atSt. Mary’sAcademy, aCatholicgirls school.

Since then,they’ve lost and welcomed manynew members and broughttheir talentsaround theglobe to festivals, including theAscona Jazz Festival in Switzerland. They’vealso performed alongside bignameslike KatyPerry

Though they’vesteadily been growinginpopularity,the 2013 RedBull“Street Kings” brass band blowout competition helped

TheOriginalPinettesBandplaysSaturdayApril15

solidify theirreputationasapremier ensemble,whentheybeat three(male-led)bands. Theband proudly notesthe competition renamed thetitle to honorthemas “StreetQueens.”

Thebrass band also playsFriday nights at Bullet’s Sports Barinthe 7thWard.

—Sarah Ravits

JASONNEVILLE FUNKYSOULBAND

2-3:25 P.M. SATURDAY

WWL-TV Esplanade in theShade Stage(NewOrleans Jazz Museum at TheOld U.S. Mint)

JASONNEVILLE,SON OF GRAMMY WINNER AaronNeville, formed hisband in 2016 and incorporates ablend of funk and soul,following in thefootsteps of oneofthe city’s most influential musicaldynasties. They perform frequently on Frenchmen Street at 30/90and Cafe Negril,and at other localvenues. This is the band’s first time playing at French QuarterFestand they will perform original material and some covers.

This summer,Nevilleand his bandwill bringthe funk on the road fora tour that stops inAlabama,Georgia,Florida andthe PacificNorthwest

—Sarah

Ravits

ROSIELEDET &THE ZYDECO PLAYBOYS

5-6:10 P.M. SATURDAY ChevronStage(JaxLot)

ACCORDIONISTAND SINGER

Rosie Ledethas been playing zydecomusic ever sinceshe attendeda zydecodanceat

Richard’sinSt. Landry Parishas

a16-year-old andsaw Boozoo Chavisperform

Thedance wastransformational in morewaysthanone,asshe also metMorris Ledet, theman who wouldbecomeher husbandabout ayearlater.She taught herself to playthe accordionlistening to recordings of Chavisand John Delafose,and before long thecouple startedperformingtogether with theirband TheZydecoPlayboys.

Rosie Ledethas released10 albums,eight of them between

PHOTO BY DOUG MACCASH/ THETIMES-PICAYUNE

1994-2005,and shewrote many of thesongs on them.She’s sloweddownthe output in recent years—her last full album was2015’s“Raw!”—but hascontinued performingand released asinglein2020.

Most of Ledet’ssongs are upbeat, oftenwithsuggestive lyrics,somemoresubtlethan others. Buther 2020 single, “Love Song,” is soft andsweet “You’remylove song,” shesings in thechorus.“Don’tmakeme sing it alone, baby.”

—KayleePoche

CHRISTIANSERPAS &GHOST TOWN

11:10A.M.-12:10 P.M. SATURDAY Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage (WoldenbergRiverfrontPark)

THIS MANDEVILLE COUNTRY ROCK GROUP will be readyto hootand holler when they take thestageSaturday at French QuarterFest

The6’7”Christian Serpas fronts theband singingand playing acoustic guitar,withJeffOteri on drums,GeorgeNeyreyonguitar, and DonWilliams on bass guitar Allmembers contribute vocals

Christian Serpas &Ghost Town first performed together in 1999, and Serpas jokedina 2021

WWLinterview that thegroup mightrenew theirvowsfor their 25th anniversary.

Sincethen,the band hasput out eightalbums as well as athreetrackholiday release, “Rockin’ol’ Christmas,” in 2018

Over theyears,they’ve shared stageswithsomeofthe biggest namesincountry musicincluding KennyChesney,Merle Haggard and BlakeShelton.

Theband plays showsonthe Northshore,New Orleans and across theSouth,performing original songsaswellastheir own livelyrenditionsofsongs from artists like BobDylan,JohnnyCash and theRolling Stones.

Andthoughtheyhaven’t released afullalbum since2016, fans shouldn’tfret. Thegroup does have newmusic in theworks. —KayleePoche

JOHN “PAPA” GROS

5-6:20 P.M. SATURDAY

Jack Daniel’s Stage(Canal Plaza)

KEYBOARDISTAND SINGER

JOHN “PAPA” GROS remembers growingupwithfriends who also playedpiano.Inhighschool, they’d race to seewho would be thefirst to learn to play thelatest radiohit —whether it wasVan Halen’s“Jump”orToto’s“Rosanna”

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

—and help eachother when they were stuck.

Thefriendlychallenges, which he writes aboutinhis blog,were aprecursor to hislongcareerin funk,blues,traditional jazz and rhythm and blues

Gros gothis startbackingup former Meters bassistGeorge Porter Jr.and guitaristSnooks Eaglin, giving himamasterclass in musicianship

“George Porter Jr.taughtme howtofunctionindifferent musicalenvironments,” Gros said in a recent Facebook post. “You adapt by having faithinthe people you play with,trust in your upbringing, and comfort knowingyourears will leadthe way.”

From 2000 to 2013,heled his ownfunkband, Papa GrowsFunk, which played popularweeklygigs at theMaple Leaf.When theband dissolved,itgave himachanceto revisithis solo music, andhe’sreleased twofull-lengthsoloalbums since—“River’sonFire” in 2016 and “Central City”in2020.

“Central City”featuresa host of NewOrleans legends,including Ivan Neville, drummer Herlin Riley and even hisold friend Porter, amongothers. It includesoriginal tracks as well as covers of songs by AllenToussaint,JohnPrine and Lloyd Price. —KayleePoche

SUNDAY, APRIL 16

ROCKIN’DOPSIEJR.

&THE ZYDECO TWISTERS

6:40-8 P.M. SUNDAY ChevronStage(JaxLot)

THESON OF ZYDECOPIONEER

ROCKIN’DOPSIE, DavidRubin, akaRockin’ Dopsie Jr., grew up listeningtohis father’s band and hangingaroundmusic greats,like

B.B. King,Clarence“Gatemouth” Brownand Dr.John. He joined his father’s band andtheyperformed together untilhis father’s death in 1993

At hisfirst show followinghis father’s passing, Dopsie says GatemouthBrown told him, “Now youare Rockin’ Dopsie.You gotto makethe legacy, keep thelegacy going.”Anatural showman,he took over theZydecoTwisters, leadingthe groupand playingthe washboard.

“Fromthatday on,Idid what he told me,and Inever looked back,” Dopsie says

While theseniorDopsieplayeda heavily blues influenced versionof zydeco,the junior Dopsie infuses

IrmaThomasplaysThursdayApril13

avariety of musicalinfluences from James Browntothe Rolling Stones,B.B.King, JohnnieTaylor and John Fogerty.

“I did something that my father said he’d’venever done,”Dopsie says.“Iadded ahornsection and anorganist/keyboardplayerand aharmonica because Iknewwhat Iliketohear. Ilikethe soundofa bigband.”

Dopsie Jr.has also made aname forhimself with hislivelystage antics,including breakingout into splits.Heevenswitched over from playing theaccordion, like his father played, to thewashboard so he could easily putitdownand dancearoundthe stage.

He learned from hisfather’s cousin,washboardplayerChester “Shorty” Zeno,who he says would somehowpickupfurniture,like atable or chair,withhis mouth whileperforming. WhenZeno couldnolongerplay, thesenior Dopsie askedhis sontoplayfestivals as ateenagerinZeno’splace Theexpectation:Bring ashow.

“I remembertelling him, ‘I can’t pick up no tables or chairswith my teeth. ButIcan dance,I can do splits,’”DopsieJr. says Thesedays, Dopsie Jr.isworkingonmultiplealbums,including oneofmostlyoriginal songs and another with hisbrotherDwayne Dopsie of theirfather’ssongs. He’s also been approachedabout doinga separatecoveralbum of

hisfavorite songs.

AndthoughDopsieJr. never goes in with asetlist,expecta high-energyset when he closes outthe ChevronStageatFrench QuarterFest Sunday evening, with covers of TheDoobie Brothers, JamesBrown and theRolling Stones.DwayneDopsieand the ZydecoHellraisers take thesame stage at 2:10 p.m. It’llbeone of severalfestivals Dopsie Jr.has linedupthisyear, including Jazz Fest,MayFest in Abbeville, and morearoundthe South and overseas.

“I want people when they leave my show to leave going, ‘Oh, my God, man, Rockin’ Dopsie wore me out,’” he says.“Iwantthem to be tiredwhen my setisoverwith.

If I’mtired,Iwantthemtobetired Iwantthemtoput outthe same energy Iput out. Iwanteverybody sweating andjust having agood time …I want them to dance‘til they’redizzy.That’smything.”

—KayleePoche

3:10-4:10P.M.SUNDAY

Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage (WoldenbergRiverfrontPark)

of French QuarterFest

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Relaxonour TROPICAL COURTYARD OR SIDEWALK SEATING

Experience luxurylivingintheheartofthe FrenchQuarterwiththis meticulously maintained5-bedroom,6-bathroom home featuringstunningarchitectural details, aprivatecourtyard,andparking.Must-see!

Sub-Zero, thepreservation specialist.Wolf, thecookingspecialist. Cove,the dishwashing specialist. Findthem exclusively at your localkitchen specialist.

mightbeanunderstatement. The R&Band traditional jazz singer says sheonlyremembersmissing playingthe festival onceinits 40 years.

“Weclosedatthe first French QuarterFestwhenthere wasone stage,” shesays.

Last year notevenastorm could stop herfromperforming at thefestival.“That stormcame in,wesaw it coming,itblewover and Iwas still able to do ahalfan hour set,”she says,“Thosepeople were soakingwet,and they did notcare.”

Rouzan’s presence at French QuarterFestisjust oneslice of hercareerinshowbusiness that hasspannedmostofher life and includedsinging,dancing, choreographingand acting

As children, Rouzan andher sisters startedentertaining around their7th Ward neighborhood

They learned to sing by harmonizing with therecords —the

AndrewsSisters,Ray Charles,and theBoswell Sisters—thather parents, also musicians, would play. Hermaternalgrandmother AbigailPellebonwas also a vaudevillesingerinNew Orleans, and musicianslikeLee Dorsey and theBruniousfamily worked and lived nearby

“Historically,music wasinthe family,” shesays. “Itwas not onlyinthe family,but it wasin theneighborhood.”

TheRouzanSisters released theirsingle“MenofWar”in1964, recorded withFriscoRecords and performed as backup singers for R&Bsinger NewOrleans Danny White.Theyalso worked with composerWardellQuezergue, singer andpianist TommyRidgley, and TheDixie Cups.But when they performedinclubs,they were forced to usethe back door duetoracialsegregation

“Duringthose times, whilewe lovedwhatwedid and we were

greatartists,westill gotsecond class treatmentasmusicians,” Rouzan says Forher French QuarterFest setthisyear, Rouzan is planning to sing covers of Irma Thomas and Fats Domino as well as some originals, includingthe country-influenced “IfYou Care.” She says she’sbeenleaning toward older songs from theR&B erabecause manylocal musiciansfromthe era have sincepassed away

“Mygroup is a‘singingand dancing, jump on your feet,have a goodtime’ bunch,”she says Rouzan says shehopes to releasea newalbum withher friendsJohn Boutte and George Porter Jr.and to starttouring again.She also hasanationalTV appearancecomingupduring Jazz Fest anda cruise with Black CatProductions in thefall.

Fans also cancatch Rouzan at Jazz Fest when sheperformsat theBlues Tent on Friday,April 28

She plans to enjoythe fest afterward and is excitedabout one performerinparticular.

“Asold as my bodyis, Imma berightupintherewithLizzo,” shesays.

—KayleePoche

TONYABOYD-CANNON

2:10-3:10P.M.SUNDAY

Jack Daniel’s Stage(Canal Plaza)

GROWINGUPASAPREACHER’S KID, TonyaBoyd-Cannon hasbeensinging soul musicher whole life.But shesaysitwas until around eightyears ago that she begantruly understandingwhat soul was.

“Oftentimessoulmusic doesn’t getthe attentionand credit that it deserves as itsown platform,”she says.“Whereassoulmusic elementsare in tons of other genres, soul musicbyitselfhas been basi-

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

cally pushed to theside.”

Though Boyd-Cannon draws from avariety of artistsand genres,soulhas always remained thethroughline.

“I would getonstagewithartists and perform my musicbut also perform other artistsand collaboratewithother artists,” Boyd-Cannon says.“Andthey wouldsay,‘Tonya, Idon’t know what that is,but it’s so soulful.’”

Boyd-Cannon competedon “The Voice” in 2015 andreleased her second album, “Muzicis Life”later that year.She’sbeen workingonher thirdalbum since2018but alot has changed in thelast five years, andshe says songs shepreviously thoughtwereready shenolongerthinks areready

On arecenttripfromCuba, Boyd-Cannon performed songs shewrotearounda decade ago, and shesaysthe crowdtoldher thesongs made them feel at home.Whenshe askedthem what they meantbythat, “they would oftensay asafe spaceto justbeme,”she says

“That’swhatI want to bringto people,just beingable to find that safe spacewhereveryou are,”she says.“Ihopeto bring freedom,transparency and healing through music.”

Whilereworkingthe album and playing around with the title, Boyd-Cannon is paying particular attentiontothe power of thelyrics, something she’s learningabout gettingher master’sinTulane University’s new

BlackAmerican Musicprogram foundedbyNicholasPaytonand Jessie McBride.

“Words hurt butwords can also heal,” shesays. “Words can also allowyou to take ajourney to find whatever that is you’re searchingfor.”

At French QuarterFest, Boyd-Cannon is lookingforward to playing near theMississippi Riverand listening to theother performers. Forher set, she’ll be playing “InNew Orleans,” which shewroteabout adecadeago whileteachingatMcDonogh 15 andtakingthe students on a fieldtripinthe French Quarter. She also will sing “Love that NeverEnds” from her 2015 albumaswellasthe classic hymn “ThisLittleLight of Mine”

“‘Love That NeverEnds’ is a song that is asking your love to just be patientbecause Ido know what Iwant, butIjust need youtobepatient with me so Ican find me whilegiving myself love to give to you,” shesays.

—KayleePoche

THELOSTBAYOU RAMBLERS

5-6:10 P.M. SUNDAY ChevronStage(JaxLot)

MUSICHAS ALWAYS BEEN A FAMILY AFFAIR forLouis and AndreMichot. They hail from abig family of Cajunmusi-

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

cians and grew up jammingwith their dadand theiruncles.The brothersformed theLostBayou Ramblers in 1999 and in 2018 wonaGrammyaward fortheir album“Kalenda.”

Frontman LouisMichotisa virtuoso on thefiddleand the accordion, with an unmistakable voicethatechoesfar beyond theswamps.

Andthough thegroup showcasesCajun French traditions, theartists writeoriginal material that’s morecontemporary.

Audiences canexpectto hear traditional Acadian waltzes, as well as songswith elementsofpunk, rock and pop. TheRamblers areknown fortheir improvisational skills and experimentation.

During arecentsolo show, LouisMichot performed histake on thenew wave/synth hit“Take on Me”byA-Ha, and he frequentlycollaborates with membersofthe Celtic punk band, ThePogues.

“You neverknowwhatwe’re gonna play,” Michot says.“We’re spontaneous.”

—Sarah Ravits

RORY DANGER AND THEDANGER DANGERS

3:45-5:10P.M. SUNDAY

WWL-TV Esplanade in theShade Stage(NewOrleans Jazz Museum at theOld U.S. Mint)

AURORA NEALAND is achameleon of an artist.She is widely knownfor her talentsasa jazz musician whosings and playsthe saxophoneand theclarinet. But shealso shines as her playfully eccentricalter-ego,RoryDanger.

As Rory Danger,Nealand leads thenine-piece Danger Dangers, agenre-bending, pop-infused,rockabilly supergroupoflocal artists, including membersofJohnny Sketch and theDirty Notes, Debauche and Misfit Power.

It’s aperformancethatincorporatestheatrics,aseachartist playsa character, and there’salso plentyofcrowd interaction. Rory is knownfor comingupwith a theme foreachshow, so it’s not surprising to seeher localcult-like followingdressed accordingly.

Nealand also plays amoretraditional jazz setwithThe Royal Roses on Saturday at 11:15a.m.-

12:30 p.m. at theZapp’sPotato Chips StageonBourbon Street —Sarah Ravits

A.C.E. (ANDERSON,

CHUTE, EASLEY)

2:15-3:30P.M. SUNDAY Loyola University Stage (400 RoyalSt.)

THOUGHTHEYCOMEFROM

DIFFERENT MUSICAL BACKGROUNDS, bassistDavid Anderson, drummer TomChute and pedal steelguitarist Dave Easley merge together to form jazz and funk trio A.C.E. —a namethey gotfromthe late blues guitarist CocoRobicheaux.

Anderson playsseveral electric bassesaswellasan acoustic upright forjazz-focusedsessions,and bassistJaco Pastoriustaughthim lessons on crossing overbetween jazz and classicalmusic.

Meanwhile, Chute hasstudied Indigenousforms of musicand playedina rangeofbands.Similarly,Easleyhas played in several differentprojects, includingThe Heartifacts,3Now 4and the BrianBlade Fellowship,and has performed withGeorgePorter Jr., CyrilNevilleand Dr.John.

In 2021,the trio released “Adventuresofthe Moss Bear,” whichcontains five free-form improvisations and one original trackbyEasley, “SlenderForest.” Kass Krebssings vocals on that folk rock trackwithhints of surf rock,including thefar toorelatable lyric, “I’mtoo sleepy forthe morning light.”

Theimprovisational nature of theother tracks lendsthem to beinglongerthan apre-arranged song.The longest is thetitular track, clocking in at just more than 18 minutes, while“PopMedleyFromOuter Space” is more than 12 minutes.

Thetrio canbeseenon FrenchmenStreet, including at SnugHarborand Blue Nile, and around thecity.

—KayleePoche

JefferyBroussardandtheCreoleCowboysplayFridayApril14

PHOTO BY BRAD KEMP /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Stream local music for free at crescentcitysounds.org

After theFest After theFest

BY WILL COVIELLO

FRENCHQUARTER FESTIVAL

PRESENTS plentyofmusic and food,but there’smoreto checkout afterthe festival.There arenew restaurantsand breweries to tryinornearthe French Quarter. Here aresomeofthe latest additionstothe dining scene.

HABANAOUTPOST

In 2015,a location of Brooklyn’s Habana Outpostwas slated to convert thelongshuttered former gas station at thecorner of Esplanade Avenue andNorth RampartStreet into arestaurant. It’s finally open, withindoorand outdoorseating and amenuofCubanand Mexicanfood

Themenuincludesa Cuban sandwich,avegan po-boywith potatoes, black beans, onions and peppers, as well as nachos,tacos,quesadillas and more. Frozen margaritas and pinacoladashighlight thedrink menu. HabanaOutpost is open Thursday though Sunday.(1040 Esplanade Ave.,habanaoutpost.com)

MAMOU

Reservations arerecommended to getatable at chef/owner Tom Branighanand sommelierMolly Wismeier’sbistroonthe edge of theQuarter.Refined French fare informsthe menu and dishes like the escargot tartletand cote de boeuf, buttherealso areLouisiana flavors, as in theGulffishcourt bouillon with oyster dressing.The wine listdraws on oldand newworld vineyardsand almost 20 winesare available by the glass. (942 N. RampartSt.,504-3814557;mamounola.com)

BREWERYSAINTX/ DEVILMOONBBQ

Theserecentlyopenedadjoining restaurantsare respectively about house-brewedbeers and barbecue. Shannon Bingham is thepit masterfor Devil Moon andsmokes brisket, pulled pork,spare ribs, turkey breast andhouse-madesausages. BrewerySaint Xhas itsown menu of sandwiches,saladsand entreesincluding smoked chicken androastedGulffish. Itsbeerlist has acoupleofhouse-madecask beersaswellas14tapswith its fruitedsours,hazyIPAsand traditional Britishand German-style beers. (Brewery SaintX,1100Girod St., brewerysaintx.com; Devil Moon BBQ, 1188 GirodSt.,504-7880093,devilmoonbbq.com)

NINA’SCREOLECOTTAGE

Chef Nina Compton’s latest venture is Nina’s Creole Cottage, a quick-serviceeateryinsideHarrah’s Casino.The menu includesfried catfishwith Creole slaw,chicken andplantainwaffles with spiced honey, rice andpea croquettesand more. Afrose andthe Nina Colada highlight itsbar menu.It’sopen from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily

Also part of thecasino’snew fast-casual food offerings are Bobby’sBurgers,aconceptdevelopedbycelebrity chef Bobby Flay that serves burgers, fries and milkshakes.There’salso PizzaCake from BuddyValastro of “Cake Boss.” (4 CanalSt.,caesars.com/ harrahs-new-orleans)

CHAPTERIV

Edward “Dook”Chase, thegrandsonofLeahChase, opened this restaurant with amoremodernapproachtoCreole cuisine. It offers anoysterBLT,inspired by one of Leah Chase’sfavoritesandwiches, aswellasfishorshrimpand grits anda shrimp and linguinedish. It’s alunch andbrunch spot located near City Hall,but it’s also become apopularSundaybrunch destination.(1301 GravierSt.,504-7667851;chapterivnola.com)

CLEO’SMEDITERRANEAN CUISINE

Thesecond location of Cleo’s MediterraneanCuisine opened as afull-servicerestaurantin2019but shutteredquicklywhen thepandemicstarted.Arevampedversion recently reopened,and Egyptian cuisine still informsthe menu.But thereare morecausaloptions,such as pita sandwiches,and more seafood,suchassauteed fish served withhummusand yellow rice. (117 DecaturSt.,504-218-5874)

BAKERYBAR

As ahometoDebbie Does Doberge, Bakery Baralwayshad a strong sweets menu. In thelast severalmonths, newchefLydia Solano hasbeenbuildingup itssavorymenu.Thatincludes bar-friendly comfortfareand more Latininfluenceddishes, like oxtail croquettesand blackened fish tacos. (1179Annunciation St., 504513-8664;bakery.bar)

Cleo’sMediterraneanCuisine reopenedintheFrenchQuarter.

PHOTO BY IANMCNULTY / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

CRICOS 00025B |TEQSA PRV12080

Familymeals

CHEFSAMMYSHIFFERAWANDHISSON HENOK“HENNY”SAMUEL have alot of pridefor theirnew restaurant, Sammy’sEthiopian Kitchen

“Sammy is passionate abouthis food,” Samuelsays. “Hepaysa lot of attentiontodetailand freshness He’s been doing it formorethan 35 years.”

That is longer than Samuel has beenaround, buttheyare partners in thebusiness.His last nameisdifferent from hisfather’s because it’s an Ethiopiantradition forchildrento take theirfather’s first name as their last name.

Sammy’stookoverthe former AddisNOLAspace at South Broad Street and Tulane Avenue. It’s a spot familiar to Shifferaw. He was Addis’sopening chef and helped getthe restaurantgoingfor the Lobo family,who hadnever been in thehospitalitybusiness. Before that,Shifferaw ranCafe Abyssinia in Uptown and worked at Ethiopian restaurantsinWashington, D.C., and Atlanta.

Samuelwas borninAtlanta and grew up around restaurants there. Hisdad movedtoNew Orleans in2011, andSamueltook agap year from schooltohelphim at Cafe Abyssinia. BesidesSammy’s, Samuelhas another jobworking forthe global digitaltechnology firm DXC.

“Myfocus is on thebusiness side of things,accounting,front of thehouse,” he says.“My dad’sin thekitchen.”

Shifferaw, an Ethiopiannative, minesthe greatest hits of hisnative cuisine, renderingcomplex, savory dishes built on afoundationof whole toastedspice and aromatics. Injera,the stapleEthiopianflat, spongy bread, is eatenwitheverything. Dinerstearpiecesand use them to scoop from stewsand stir fries.Ittakes aminutetoget used to usingthe thin,floppybread but it hasapleasingtangevocative of sourdough bread.

Themostpopular dish is the dorowot,athick chicken stew that’s complexlikea Mexicanmole and rich as butter.Atraditional

dish forcelebrations,dorowot can take anywhere from an afternoon to severaldaystoprepare, as onions slowly caramelize and spicesblend.Ethiopianberbere spice blendshave strong flavors of cardamomand ginger.For diners newtoEthiopian cuisine, this dish is agoodintroduction,and Shifferaw’sversion is layeredand densewithflavor.

Eating at Sammy’siswarmly communal, with many largeplatters meantfor sharing. Thevegetariancombo featuresmounded vegetables andlegumeslikeyellowlentils bright with turmeric and ginger,garlickycollard greensand shiro, astewofpowderedchickpeas spiked with onions,garlicand chili.Itisservedwith aplate of rolled injera

Thereare plentyofoptions for vegans and vegetariansbut meat lovers candig into minced lamb kitfo, seasoned withspicesand clarifiedbutter. Tibs,one of themost popularstreetfoodsinEthiopia, is a sautéoftendercubes of beef,lamb or chicken,studdedwithonions, tomatoes and peppers.Tofucan be substitutedfor meat

Shifferawand hisson fixedupthe restaurant themselves before openinginJanuary. It’s alovely spacein shades of sunrise, with ascattering of whitetable-clothed tables and paintings by Ethiopianartists “You canfindmycountry’scuisine in so many cities:Dallas, Houston, L.A.,” Shifferawsays. “I wanted to bringthatexperiencetothisbeautifulcityoffood lovers.”

Many of therecipes Shifferaw uses arefromhis mom’s kitchen, wherehefirst learnedtocook.“She taughtmethe dorowat and howto deal withlamb,which isn’taneasy meat,” he says Samuel thinks just as highly of hisfather’s cooking. “Wecalled therestaurantSammy’sEthiopian Kitchen forareason,”hesays. “My dad’sa legendaryguy when it comestocooking. He’s passionate about bringing people together overhis food.”

FORK +CENTER

Emaildining@gambitweekly.com

Boulevardexpands

AWAREHOUSEDISTRICTPROPERTY THAT’SBEENHOMETOTWODIFFERENT FOODHALLS in thepast year will soon become anew location fora growinglocal restaurantbrand

Creole CuisineRestaurant Concepts planstoopenanother of itsBoulevard American Bistro concepts at 801Magazine St., which washometoAuction HouseMarket and,briefly,the Hall on Mag.

Slated to open in thefall, it will be thefifth renditionofBoulevard,following another that’s nownearing completion in theFrenchQuarter They join locations in Metairie, Elmwood andCovington.

“Boulevard is growing in the metroarea, andithas that recognition now,”saysMarvAmmari, CEO of Creole CuisineRestaurant Concepts,which operates two dozenrestaurants around thearea.

“Wewanttoget back to thecity and be part of therebuildingofthe city,and felt theWarehouseDistrict would be theway to go.”

Boulevardfirst came about in 2015 afterCreole CuisineRestaurant Concepts took over thelongtime home of Houston’sinMetairie. The newrestaurantkeptsomeofthe touchstones of itspredecessor, withanupscale/casual design, wide-rangingmenuand alarge bar. Thedowntownrestaurantwill serveessentially thesamemenu

ChefandownerSamuel Shifferaw(left)andhisson HenokSamuelopened Sammy’sEthiopianKitchen. PHOTOBYCHERYLGERBER /GAMBIT

PHOTO BY IANMCNULTY /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Anew Ethiopianspot in Mid-City

Anew Ethiopian restaurant takes Addis NOLA’s oldspot by Beth D’Addono

as theother locations.That’sa contemporaryAmerican roster withdisheslikeprime rib, seared tuna salads,redfish withcrabmeat, barbecuedribs and walnut apple cobbler. Crabcakes,spinachand artichokedip and cedarplank salmon aresomeofthe bestsellers. Also likethe other locations, it will servelunch anddinnerdaily and willrun thesame weekly bar specials,including ahalf-price wine deal on Wednesdaysand $7 martinisonThursdays

Thefour-sided, marble-topped island barfromthe former food hall will be acentral elementin itstransformation into Boulevard, though much aboutthe current interior will change.The food hall standswill go,and thenew dining room willhave amix of booths and tables with an openkitchen

Thecompanyisstill assessing thebest usefor abanquet room that adjoinsthe main space. One idea is to make it into aretail marketfor grab-and-gofoodand bottles of wine and spirits.

“We’re lookingatthe neighborhood and thinking aboutwhat’s thebest fit,”Ammarisays.

Creole Cuisinehas alease-purchaseagreementinplace,Ammari says,meaning thecompanyis leasing thepropertyfromowner Felicity Property Co.withplans to buyiteventually.

TheFrenchQuarter location of Boulevardistakingshape in the three-storybuildingonSt. Louis Streetthatfor decadeswas home to Emeril Lagasse’srestaurant NOLA, which did notreopen throughthe pandemic.Creole Cuisineisexpectedtoopen BoulevardthereinMay

That French Quarterlocation is only abouta mile away,but Ammari says whilethey’re close on themap thetwo comprise much differentmarkets,and he believesbothcan be successful.

“Wefeeltruly comfortable with themarkethere,”hesays. “It’sa combinationoftouristsand locals wholivehereand eatand drink nearby regularly.”

Hiscompany operates several restaurantsand barsnearby, includingTommy’s Cuisine, NOLA SocialHouse,Flamingo AGo-Go and Ernst Café

Therewill likely be more Boulevardlocations in thefuture, though Ammari says thecompany is nowlookingtoexpand the conceptinother regional markets, includingthe Jackson,Mississippi, and Mobile,Alabama,areas.

TheWarehouse District property is aVictorian-erabrick buildingthatwas previously New Orleans AuctionGalleries,and it

occupies acentral corner between themuseums,hotels, condobuildingsand conventioncenter.

AuctionHouse Market opened in 2018 as amulti-vendor food hall,originally run by PolitanRow, thecompanybehindthe St.Roch Market food halland othersaround thecountry.The building owner, Felicity Property Co., took over management of the hall in 2020.It closed around this time in 2022

By thesummer of that year,the propertyreopened as theHall on Mag. That wasanexpansion of afoodhallconcept based in Tampa, Florida, anditoffered table serviceand reservations

Butthe Hall on Maglasted only a few monthsbeforeshuttering in December Downtown’s other food hall, PythianMarket, closed late last year afterits operator wasevicted for failing to paybackrent. As recently reported, theprospects forthat food hallreturningappear dim

In astatement,thatproperty’s landlord,ERG Enterprises,called thefood halla “victimofthe pandemic”and wrote, “While we wouldlove to seethatuse return, it is notclearatthistimeifthatisa viable option.” —IAN

McNULTY / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

Causeforcelebration

THECROWDSSHOWEDUPREADYTO EAT,DRINKANDPARTY,and fortwo days Hogs forthe Causeturned thegrounds around theUNO LakefrontArena into afestive landscape of barbecue,music and goodtimes

Throughthe collective work of 90 cook-off teams, theMarch 31 and April 1event seta new fundraisingrecordfor Hogs for theCause,raising $3.6 million,the groupreported

“Webroke thescale this year,” says Becker Hall,CEO and co-Founder of Hogs forthe Cause.

“The amount of good that canbe done with thesefunds is astonishingand humbling.”

Theorganizationsupports families dealingwith pediatric brain cancer and sinceits foundingin2009has becomethe most important funder forthis work nationally.

Theparticipating teamsfuel thegiant charitycook-off with the food they servethrough the weekendand themoney they raisethroughout theyear. Along theway,theycompete forawards across arange of categories

Here arethe winnersfor 2023:

• Children’s Hospital New Orleans GrandChampion: HogAddiction

• WholeHog:Squeal Team Six

• Ribs:PorkFunkAll Stars

• Pork Butt/Shoulder:0Trailer Pork Boys

• Porkpourri:Hog Addiction

• Best Sauce:All Hail the Curly Tail

• Blue PlateMayonnaise Best Side:Smokey &The Bacon

• IrpinoAvinHawkinsBest Bacon:Hoggystyle

• “JustWinging It”presentedbyTabasco:Captain Porkenheimer

• FanFavorite:Mr. Pigglesworth

• Friday NightParty:The Boar’s Nest

• Best Booth:House of Hogs

• Best Social Media:PorkHub

• Fundraising Champion:Fleur De Que(more than $500,000)

• Second PlaceFundraising: Morten Anderson’sMullets (morethan$350,000)

• ThirdPlaceFundraising: Hogwatch (morethan $300,000)

• Online Fundraising Champion: TheBoar’s Nest (morethan $300,000)

• Teams that raised over $150,000:Mr. PigStuff, Marchofthe Pigs

• Teams that raised over $100,000:River Pork Pilots, Swine&Dine, Piggystardust

• Teamsthatraisedover $70,000:Mr. Pigglesworth

• Teamsthatraisedover $60,000:The Hogfather, SwineKrewe

• Teams that raised over $50,000:The PigEasy, House of Hogs,Irish Brew BBQ, DeswineIntervention, PigLatin, Hogaddiction,FreyPartDeuce

• Teamsthatraised over$40,000:Captain Porkenheimer,Bassets, Booze&BBQ,Sir Pork ALot, Rugaroux Q

• Teams that raised over $30,000:Lardand In Charge, Hoggystyle,ChewForks Farms, Smokeshow Cook Squad, Devil Moon,Porkchopitoulas, Hupigs, Mazant National, HogDat Nation

• Teamsthatraised over $20,000:Sweet Swine O’Mine, Piglit,Smokey Ridge BBQ, SwineSpectators, Chits&Piggles,Dirty D&The ThunderPigs, Swineaux,That’ll Do Crew,TeamHamerica, Gooteeque —IAN McNULTY / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

Marielle Songy

Author by Will Coviello

MARIELLESONGYISANEWORLEANS

FOODWRITER andher newbook, “The Absinthe Frappe,”isthe latest in LSUPress’sseriesabout famous NewOrleans cocktails Songyexploresthe historyof absinthe, from itsinventionjust before 1800 to itsbeing banned in manynations in theearly 1900s. She delves into itsromanticization and popularity in NewOrleans, both before and afterthe U.S. ban. There’salso arecipesection of popularabsinthecocktails.Songy discusses andsigns thebook at 6 p.m. Monday,April 17,atGarden District Book Shop (findticketsat gardendistrictbookshop.com). She signs thebook at Peychaud’s at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 18,and tickets, which include acopyofthe book and acocktail, areavailable on eventbrite.com

Howdoyouexplain theallureandmystery ofabsinthe?

MARIELLE SONGY: Alot of people areintrigued,eventhough it’s notaccurateabout thewhole hallucinationthing.When Itold them Iwas writingaboutabsinthe, so many people said,“Oh,itmakes youhallucinate.”That’sthe No.1 misconception.Somepeople hesitate because they thinkitisa drug It’s justalcohol

ButwhatI did find outisthat theabsintheavailable todayisthe same absinthe that wasavailable in thelate19thcentury.Ithas wormwood in it.Alot of people know that theregulationswereliftedand thinkthatitdoesn’thave wormwood —thatit’sjust fenneland anise. No,it’sgot allthe original ingredients. Oneofthe reasons Iwas excitedabout writingthis bookisIcan educatepeopleon thetruth and myths.

Ithink alot of it is romanticized. Yousee in thesecondchapter about people whodrank absinthe in the19thcentury,and none of theirstories endedwell. People like VanGogh and Paul Verlaine. Idon’t thinktheir livesended as early as they did because of absinthe,but that’s another thingthatangled with theban of it

Alot of theban had to do with winemakers who were nervous that absinthe would cut in on theirsales. They considered wine apartofthe meal because it wasfermentedand notdistilled.They said alcoholthatis distilled is theroot of alcoholism.

Howdidit getlegalized intheU.S.?

S: Theshort story in theU.S.isthat TedBreauxisa NewOrleanian and ascientist.He became fascinated with absinthe and whyitwas banned.Duringhis research,hediscovereditwas banned because of achemicalin wormwood called thujone. Back inthe late 19th, early 20th century, therewas aFrenchscientist called Valentin Magnan,who did alot of research on animals. He injected them with largeamounts of thujone and some of them dropped dead.Soheconcludedthat thujonewill kill you, or make you crazy. Butthe fact of thematteris that thereare such smalltracesof thujoneinabsinthethatthe alcohol in it will kill youfirst

Breaux wasable to gethis hands on pre-banabsintheand tested howmuchthujone wasinit. It wassuchsmallamounts that that began theprocess of liftingthe regulations and people saying we should be able to sell it in theU.S In 2007,Lucid,which is one of his brands, wasable to be sold in the U.S. legally

Whatareyourfavorite localabsinthedrinks?

S: Ihad always enjoyeditin Sazeracs andother absinthe cocktails,orstraightwiththe louching and thewater.I neverhad an absinthe frappe before Istarted researchingthisbook,but it’s such asimplecocktail— just absinthe, simple syrup, soda waterand ice. Theabsinthefrappehas such arich history, andittouched on art and musicand writing.The absinthe frappe wasinvented at theOld Absinthe House. It putOld Absinthe Houseonthe map. New Orleanswas such an absinthe hub before it wasbanned.

As far as theother cocktails go,I wasintrigued by howmany

WINE OF THE WEEK

LLOYD

cocktails have absinthe in it.A lotofcocktailmakerswantedto include it.

My friend Dave (Rodrigue)—he did thephotography (for thebook) —wefound as manyabsinthe frappesaswecould.One of my favoriteswas theone we hadat Cure,which is actually thesame onethat’ll be served at Peychaud’s It’s classicwiththe crushedice dome.That’sthe classiclookofit. Ialso likethe oneatMr. B’s, which hasanegg whiteinit. Alot of bartendersliketoput theirown twist on it.Someserve it over ice. Jewel of theSouth serves it straight up Pirate’s AlleyCafé doesitwiththe crushedice

Isampledall thedrinks(in the book), butsomeIhad to make myself at home.Myfavorite is the Bitter PartyofOne,which was introducedtomebyTed.Wewent to Jewelofthe Southand he had thebartender makethiscocktail withabsinthe and bittersand rum.It’ssuchauniquedrink.It wasmade by amixologist named MaxBarwick.It’sa cool,modern cocktail. TheMorning Call,with Maraschino liqueurand lemon or lime juice, Ihad to makethatone at home.

NowIhave quitethe collection of absinthe and Iamreally honing my palate. Most of it is European Ihave JadeLiqueurs,which is made by TedBreauxinFrance, and GroenOpal and Butterflymade in Switzerland.But thereisalocal one that Ilike, AtelierVie Toulouse Green. We’refortunate to have one made in NewOrleans

Carmel Road

Monterey Chardonnay

Monterey Chardonnayis so rich,itdoesn’t need oak. Refreshingacidity, courtesy of thecool climate, heightens the goldenmango,tangerine, Asianpear, white flower, vanillabeanand butter creamflavors,leading to alongfinish complexed with ahintofyeast from surlie aging.

DISTRIBUTED BY

PROVIDEDPHOTO BY GINA

Out 2Eat is an indexofGambit contract advertisers. Unlessnoted, addresses arefor NewOrleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

8FreshFoodAssassin — 1900 N. Claiborne Ave.,(504) 224-2628; Instagram, @8freshfoodassassin Chef MannyJanuary’smenuincludesgrilled lamb chops, T-bone steaks,salmon, crab cakes, deep friedribs,fried chickenand seafood-loadedoysters.Noreservations.Deliveryavailable.Lunchand

dinner Tue.-Sun $$

Acorn— 12 HenryThomas Drive, (504) 218-5413;acornnola.com— Thecafe at theLouisiana Children’sMuseumhas blackenedshrimptacos topped with arugula,radish,pineapple-mango salsa and cilantro-lime sauce.Noreservations

breakfastand lunch Wed.-Sun. $$

Angelo Brocato’s — 214N.Carrollton Ave.,(504) 486-1465;angelobrocatoicecream.com This sweetshop serves itsown gelato, spumoni, Italianice, cannolis,biscotti,fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroonsand more.Lunchand dinner

Tue.-Sun $

Annunciation— 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245;annunciationrestaurant.com ThemenuhighlightsGulf seafoodindisheslikeGulfDrum Yvonne, served with brownbuttersauce with mushrooms andartichoke hearts

Reservations recommended.Dinner

Thu.-Mon $$$

Banana Blossom— 5009th St.,Gretna, (504)500-0997; 504bananablossom com JimmyCho’s Thai dishes include smoked pork belly andporkmeatballs in lemongrass broth with egg, greenonion,cilantroand crispy garlic.

Reservations accepted forlarge parties except weekends.Deliveryavailable

Lunchand dinner Tue.-Sat $$

TheBlue Crab Restaurant andOyster Bar— 118Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985)315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504)284-2898;thebluecrabnola.com

Basinbarbecue shrimp areserved overcheesegrits witha cheese biscuit Outdoor seatingavailable.Noreservations.Lakeview: lunchand dinner

Tue.-Sun.Slidell: lunchFri.-Sat.,dinner

Wed.-Sun $$

Broussard’s— 819Conti St.,(504) 5813866;broussards.com Rainbowtrout amandineisservedwith tassoand corn macquechouxand Creole meuniere sauce.Reservations recommended

Outdoor seatingavailable.Dinner Wed.Sat.,brunch Sun. $$$

Cafe Normandie— Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining Themenu combines classic Frenchdishes and Louisiana itemslikecrabbeignetswith herb aioli. No reservations.Breakfast andlunch daily $$

TheCommissary 634OrangeSt., (504)274-1850; thecommissarynola. com— Thecentral kitchenfor Dickie Brennan restaurants offers graband-godishesand adine-in menu withahouse-smoked turkey breast sandwichwith bacon, tomato jam, herbed creamcheese, arugula andherb vinaigretteonhoney oatbread.No reservations.Outdoor seatingavailable LunchTue.-Sat. $$

Curio— 301Royal St.,(504) 717-4198; curionola.com ThecreativeCreole menu includes blackenedGulfshrimp served with chicken andandouillejambalaya.Reservations accepted.Lunch and dinner daily $$

$ —average dinner entrée under $10 $$ —$11-$20 $$$ —$20-up

Desire Oyster Bar— RoyalSonesta NewOrleans,300 Bourbon St.,(504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar— Themenu highlightsGulfseafood in Creole dishes.Char-grilled oysters aretopped withParmesan and herbs Reservations recommended.Breakfast, lunch anddinnerdaily $$

Dickie Brennan’sBourbon House 144 BourbonSt.,(504) 522-0111;bourbonhouse.com Theseafood restaurant hasaraw barand alarge selectionof bourbon.Redfish is served withlemon buerre blanc. Reservations accepted

Lunchand dinner daily $$$

Dickie Brennan’sSteakhouse 716 Iberville St.,(504) 522-2467;dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com A6-ouncefilet mignon is served with flash-friedoysters, creamedspinach, Pontalba potatoes and bearnaise.Reservations recommended.

DinnerMon.-Sat. $$$

DragonflyCafe— 530Jackson Ave., (504)544-9530; dragonflynola.com— Thecasual cafe offers breakfastplates, waffles, salads,coffeedrinks and more. Braisedrib is served on greens with cornbread. Deliveryavailable Reservations accepted.Breakfastand lunch Wed.-Sat $$

El Pavo Real 4401 S. BroadAve., (504) 266-2022;elpavorealnola.com Pescado

Vera Cruzisasauteed Gulf fish topped withtomatoes, olives,onion andcapers and served withriceand string beans Themenu also includes tacos, quesadillas,enchiladasand more.Outdoor seatingavailable.Noreservations.Lunch and early dinner Tue.-Sat $$

Felix’s Restaurant &OysterBar — 739 Iberville St.,(504) 522-4440;7400 Lakeshore Drive, (504)304-4125;felixs. com Louisiana oystersare served raw or char-grilled with garlic, Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Themenuincludesseafood platters,crawfishetouffee, po-boys andmore. No reservations.Lunchand dinnerdaily $$

Frey Smoked Meat Co.— 4141 Bienville St.,Suite 110,(504) 488-7427;freysmokedmeat.com Thebarbecue spot serves pulled pork,ribs,brisket, sausagesand more.Fried pork belly poppers aretossedinpepperjelly glaze No reservations.Lunchand dinner daily $$

FrootOrleans — 2438 Bell St.,Suite B, (504)233-3346; frootorleans.com

Thereare freshfruit platters and smoothie bowlssuchasa strawberry shortcakeand more usingpineapple, berries,citrus and more.Noreservations.Outdoor seatingavailable

Breakfastand lunchdaily $$

Juan’sFlyingBurrito 515Baronne St.,(504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504)569-0000;4724S.Carrollton Ave.,(504) 486-9950;8140Oak St., (504)897-4800;juansflyingburrito.com

TheFlying Burritoincludessteak, shrimp,chicken,cheddar jack cheese, blackbeans,rice, guacamole and salsa

Themenualso has tacos, quesadillas andnachos. Outdoorseating available. No reservations.Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue $$

Katie’sRestaurant— 3701 Iberville St., (504)488-6582;katiesinmidcity.com—

ACajun Cuban hasroasted pork,ham, cheese and picklesonbutteredbread

TheBoudreauxpizza is topped with cochon de lait,spinach, onions and

garlic.Deliveryavailable.Reservations accepted forlarge parties. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun $$

Kilroy’s Bar— Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504)528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining— Thebar menu includes sandwiches,saladsand flatbreads,including onetoppedwith peach, prosciutto,stracciatella cheese, arugula andpecans. No reservations

Dinner Wed.-Sat $$

LegacyKitchen’s CraftTavern— 700Tchoupitoulas St.,(504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com— Themenu includes oysters, flatbreads,burgers,sandwiches,saladsand more.ANOLAStyle GritsBowlistopped withbacon,cheddar anda poachedegg.Reservations accepted.Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily $$

Legacy Kitchen Steak&Chop 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna,(504) 513-2606;legacykitchen.com The menu includesfiletsmignons, bone-in rib-eyes and topsirloins,as well as burgers, salads andseafood dishes.Reservations accepted.Outdoor seatingavailable

Lunchand dinner Mon.-Sat $$ MartinWineCellar— 714Elmeer Ave., Metairie,(504) 896-7350;3827Baronne St.,(504) 894-7444; martinwine.com— Thedeliservessandwiches and salads such as theSena, withchicken,raisins, bluecheese, pecansand Tabasco pepperjelly vinaigrette. No reservations

Lunchdaily $$

Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504)488-1881; mikimotosushi.com— TheSouth Carrollton roll includestuna tataki,avocado and snow crab.The menu also has noodle dishes,teriyaki and more.Reservations accepted Deliveryavailable.Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinnerdaily $$

Mosca’s— 4137 Highway90West, Westwego,(504) 436-8950;moscasrestaurant.com This family-style eatery serves Italiandishesand specialties includingchicken alagrande and baked oystersMosca. Reservations accepted DinnerWed.-Sat. Cash only $$$

Mother’s Restaurant— 401Poydras St.,(504) 523-9656;mothersrestaurant net— This counter-servicespotserves po-boys,jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, redbeans andriceand more.Delivery available. No reservations.Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily $$

Neyow’sCreole Cafe — 3332Bienville St.,(504) 827-5474;neyows.com The menu includes redbeans with fried chicken or porkchops, as well as seafood platters,po-boys,char-grilled oysters,saladsand more.Noreservations

Lunchdaily,dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch

Sun. $$

Nice Guys Bar&Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404;niceguysbarandgrillnola.com— Char-grilled oystersare toppedwith cheese.The menualso includeswings,quesadillas,burgers, sandwiches,salads,seafood pasta and more.Noreservations.Lunchdaily, dinner Mon.-Sat $$$

Orleans GrapevineWine Bar&Bistro — 720 Orleans Ave.,(504) 523-1930; orleansgrapevine.com

Thewine bar’smenuincludesCreole pasta with shrimp andandouilleoverpappardelle in tomato creamsauce.Reservations accepted forlarge parties. Outdoor seatingavailable.DinnerThu.-Sun. $$

Palace Cafe 605Canal St.,(504) 5231661;palacecafe.com

Thecontemporary Creole menuincludessignature crabmeat cheesecake topped with mushrooms andCreolemeunieresauce

Outdoor seatingavailable.Reservations recommended.LunchWed.-Fri.,dinner Wed.-Sun., brunchSat.-Sun. $$$

PeacockRoom— KimptonHotel

Fontenot,501 Tchoupitoulas St.,(504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com

Blacklentilvadouvancurry comeswith roastedtomatoes,mushroomsand basmati rice.Reservations accepted.Dinner

Wed.-Mon., brunchSun $$

Rosie’sonthe Roof— HigginsHotel, 480AndrewHigginsBlvd.,(504) 5281941;higginshotelnola.com/dining— The rooftopbar hasa menu of sandwiches, burgers andsmall plates. No reservations.Dinnerdaily $$

Tableau— 616St. PeterSt.,(504) 934-3463; tableaufrenchquarter.com—

Pasta bouillabaissefeaturessquid ink mafaldine, littleneck clams, Gulf shrimp, squid, seafood broth,rouilleand herbed breadcrumbs.Outdoor seatingavailable Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunchThu.-Sun. $$$

Tacklebox 817Common St.,(504) 8271651;legacykitchen.com— Theseafood restaurantservesoysters,seafood, burgers, saladsand more. RedfishSt. Charles is served withgarlic-herbbutter, asparagus, mushrooms andcrawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted

Breakfast,lunchand dinnerdaily $$

Tavolino Pizza&Lounge— 141 Delaronde St.,(504) 605-3365; tavolinonola.com— Themenu featuresthin-crust pizzas,salads, meatballs andmore. A Behrman Hwy. pizzaistopped with pork belly,caramel,carrots,radishes,jalapenosand herbs.Noreservations.Outdoor seatingavailable.Dinner Tue.-Sat $$

Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza— 1212 S. ClearviewParkway,Elmwood, (504)733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie,(504) 510-4282;4024 Canal St.,(504) 302-1133;4218Magazine St.,(504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway21, Covington, (985)234-9420; theospizza com— AMarilynn Pota Supremepie is topped with mozzarella,pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers andonions.There also are salads,sandwichesand more.Delivery available. Lunchand dinner Tue.-Sat $ Tito’s Ceviche& Pisco— 1433 St. Charles Ave.,(504) 354-1342;5015Magazine St., (504)267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com

Peruvian lomo saltado features beef sauteed withonions,tomatoes,cilantro, soysauce and pisco, served with fried potatoes and rice.Outdoor seating availableonMagazine Street. Delivery available. Reservations accepted

Lunchand dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

TheVintage — 3121 Magazine St., (504) 324-7144;thevintagenola.com The menu includes beignets,small plates, sandwiches andflatbreads.The veggie pressed sandwich hasavocado,onions, arugula,red pepper,pepper jack cheese and lemon. No reservations.Delivery and outdoorseating available.Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily $$

ZhangBistro— 1141 DecaturSt.,(504) 826-8888;zhangbistronola.com

ThemenuincludesChinese and Thai dishes.The Szechuan HotWok offers a choiceofchicken,beef, shrimp or tofu withonions, bellpeppers,cauliflower, jalapenosand spicySichuan sauce

Reservations accepted.Lunchand dinnerThu.-Tue. $$

LewisBlack

COMEDIANLEWISBLACKISKNOWN FORHISHEATEDRANTS,especially on showsincluding “The Daily Show.” He brings hisOff theRails tour to TheFillmoreat7 p.m. Sunday,April 16.Findtickets vialewisblack.com.

Soul

CHEFMAYAMASTERSSONHOSTSAMULTICOURSEDINNER tracing foodways to African Americans whowere enslaved andtoAfrican culinary roots. Dishes include wildhog consumewith bone marrow,duck chitterling hand pieswith pickled peaches,forbiddenricecalas,rice teaand more. LaReina Besant performs burlesqueand DJ Funke worksspirituals, jukejointsounds and African drumming into the mix. At Margaret PlaceHotel at 7 p.m. Sunday,April 16.Tickets $99 at eventcreate.com/e/soul-2,and a cocktailpairing is available as well.

‘New Moon’

“NEWMOON”ISTHESECONDINSTALLMENTINTHETWILIGHTSAGA,centeredaroundahuman girl and her immortal,otherworldlylove.The titleisareferencetothe darkest periodofthe lunar cycleand a nod to protagonistBella Swan’s struggleswithheartbreak after beingdumpedbysparklyvampire Edward Cullen.The free screening will include adrinkinggameand specialtycocktails at BJ’s Lounge, at 8p.m.Wednesday,April 12.As always,glitter,grungefashions and asense of ironyare recommended.For more information, checkInstagram,@bjslounge.

TheRumble

MARDIGRASINDIANFUNKPOWERHOUSE THERUMBLE will releasea live album laterthisspring, butfanscan get apreview —and buya limitededition,pre-release copy of thealbum in person —ata show at Chickie WahWah on Friday,April 14.The show starts at 8p.m.Ticketsare $20advancevia chickiewahwah comand $30day of theshow.

BigFreedia with theLPO

NEWORLEANSQUEENDIVABIGFREEDIA ISCLOSINGINON20YEARS as a professional musicianand doing somethingbrand new: performing withthe Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Theconcertisthe latest in theLPO’s series of concerts withlocal and regionalbands,like Tank and theBangas and TheLost BayouRamblers.OnBig Freedia’s setlistwill be herhits“N.O. Bounce,” “Chasing Rainbows,” “Betty Bussit”and more.Will Big FreediamakeconductorJonathan Taylor Rushtwerk?You already

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

know!The concertisat7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 13,atthe Orpheum Theater. Ticketsstart at $49 vialpomusic.com.

Luke Julien

IT’SBEENAMINUTESINCENEW ORLEANSRAPPERLUKEJULIEN has had ahometownshow. He remediesthatand celebrates anew EP witha show at 8p.m.Thursday, April 13,atZonyMash. Kidnap opens. Tickets are$15 viaeventbrite.com.

TheMothGrandSLAM

WINNERSOFMONTHLYMOTHSTORY-TELLINGCONTESTS compete in theGrandSLAM, hosted by actor and singer RahimGlaspyat8

p.m. Tuesday, April 11,atThe Joy Theater. Tickets$28 via thejoytheater.com

RedBullTerminal Takeover: AfterHours

CURREN$YHOSTSACONCERTCELEBRATINGNEWORLEANSHIP-HOP and skate culture with rappersPell, FendiP and504icygrl,pop duoFresh X Reckless andbrass band Kings of Brassalong with BatonRougebased (because shealso plays for theLSU women’sbasketballteam)

rapper Flau’jae Johnson.The show caps thethird year of RedBull’s Terminal Takeover, atwo-day eventfeaturing skateboarder crewsskatingatthe oldMSY airportterminal. TheAfter Hours concertstartsat8p.m.Saturday, April 15,atRepublic NOLA. Tickets are$10-$15 via republicnola.com.

RoyalComedy

COMEDIANSSOMMORE,BRUCEBRUCE, LAVELLCRAWFORD,JOECLAIR and JJ Williamson headlinethe Royal Comedyshowcase. Theshowisat 8p.m.Saturday,April 15,atUNO LakefrontArena.Findtickets viaarena.uno.edu

Neptune Trio

CELLISTHELENGILLET,SAXOPHONIST BRADWALKERANDDRUMMER Doug Garrison areamongthe city’s most notable experimentaland improvisationalmusicians.They formed this grouptoexplore free jazz.Thereare performances at 8 p.m. and10p.m.Wednesday,April 12,atSnugHarbor. Tickets$25 viasnugjazz.com

Hippie Sabotage

THEELECTRONICDANCEMUSICDUOOF BROTHERSKEVINANDJEFFSAURER have createdtheir ownmusic and released popularremixes of other artists’ work,notably Tove Lo’s “Habits(Stay High).”They perform at 9p.m.Tuesday,April 11, at Orpheum Theater. Find tickets viaorpheumnola.com

MUSIC

FOR COMPLETE MUSIC LISTINGS AND MORE EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA,VISIT CALENDAR.GAMBITWEEKLY.COM

To learn moreabout adding your event to the music calendar,please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com

TUESDAY11

BAMBOULAS —Amberand theSweet Potatoes,1:15pm; Mike ClementQuartet, 5:30 pm;AndyJ.Forest Blues Band,9 pm

BLUE NILE —Water Seed, 8pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

Richard“Piano”Scott, 12:30 pm;Colin MyersBand,5 pm;Fritzel's AllStar Band,8 pm

GASA GASA —Lightning Bolt,9 pm

NEWORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM —ArrowheadJazzBand,2 pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —Preservation

All-Stars,5,6:15, 7:30 &8:45pm

SIBERIA —Maggie May, Zachary Kane O'Quinn, ShawnBourg,Guitar is Dead,9 pm

SIDNEY'S SALOON —The Amazing Henrietta, 6:30 pm;Deep Cross, ShiningFields, Troy Bennett's Graveyard Lips, 9pm

THERABBITHOLE —Rebirth Band,10pm

WEDNESDAY12

BAMBOULAS —JamesMarkawayTrio, 1:15 pm;Swingin’with John Saavedra, 5:30 pm;Roule andthe Queen, 9pm

BLUE NILE —New BreedBrass Band,9pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

—Richard“Piano”Scott, 12:30pm; Bourbon StreetStars,5 pm;Fritzel's AllStarBand,8 pm

JOYTHEATER —Silverstein, 6pm

MADAMEVIC'S —PleaseLovesCompany,Daphne Parker Powell,8pm

NEWORLEANS CITYPARK —Evenings

With Enrique, 5pm

NEW ORLEANSJAZZMUSEUM

ChristianWhitner Quintet, 2pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —Preservation

All-Stars feat.Branden Lewis, 5, 6:15, 7:30 &8:45pm

SANTOS —Franks and Deans, 9pm

SIBERIA —Rosegarden Funeral Party, Missing, CometoRuin,9 pm

THEBOMBAYCLUB —Harry Mayronne andNanciZee,8pm

THEJAZZPLAYHOUSE —Funkin'ItUp with BigSam,7:30pm

THURSDAY13

BAMBOULAS —Sigridand theZig Zags, 1:15 pm;CristinaKaminisand theMix,5:30pm; Wolfe John'sBlues Band,9 pm

BLUE NILE —WhereY'atBrass Band,9 pm

CARROLLTONSTATION —AlfredBanks, Albert,TheSmoothCat&The 9thLife, Gracie Jaywith Nu Bass Theory,and Love Your OwnNoise,8 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

Thrown Together Jazz Band,12:30 pm;St. PeterStreetStompers,3 pm; SandraPointAll Starsfeat. LouisFord, 5pm; Fritzel'sAll Star Band,8pm

GASA GASA —SharedWalls,Dana Ives, Will Roesner,Bad Misters, 9pm

MADAME VIC'S —Ted Hefkoand The Thousandaires,8 pm

NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEEHOUSE

Loyola MusiciansKrewe,9pm

ORPHEUMTHEATER —Big Freedia with theLouisiana Philharmonic Orchestra,7:30 pm

PAVILION OF THETWO SISTERS

LadiesofSoul, 6pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —Preservation

All-Stars feat.WendellBrunious, 5, 6:15,7:30 &8:45pm

SANTOS —The Toasters,8 pm

SIBERIA —Conor Donohue,The Oops a Dasies,Cannonand theBoxes, Holler Choir,8 pm

THEFOUNTAINLOUNGEATTHE ROOSEVELT HOTEL —Sam Kuslan, 6pm

THEJAZZPLAYHOUSE —Brass-AHolics,7:30 pm

THERABBITHOLE —Joanna Conner, Wolfe Johns BluesBand,9 pm

TIPITINA'S —JoshJohnson,9pm

ZONY MASH BEERPROJECT —Luke Julien feat.Kidnapand Friends, 8pm

FRIDAY14

BAMBOULAS —St. Julien xBand,11am; Fully Dressed Po’Boys, 2:15 pm;Les Getrex NCreole Cooking, 6:30 pm; Bettis +3rd Degree Brass Band,10pm

BLUE NILE —The CaesarBrothers, 7 pm;KermitRuffins and theBarbecue Swingers,11pm

BLUE NILEBALCONY ROOM —Trumpet Slim &Brass Flavor, 10 pm

BROTHERS THREELOUNGE —Valerie Sassyfras, 9:30 pm

CARROLLTONSTATION —TMarie and BayouJuju,Sweet Magnolia Brass Band,9 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

ThrownTogether Jazz Band,12:30 pm;CrawfishWalletJazzBand,3 pm;St. PeterStreetStompers,6 pm; Fritzel'sAll Star Band,9pm

GASA GASA —Dougie Poole with ThomasDollbaum, 9pm

HIDEAWAY DEN&ARCADE —Cypress Creek, 8pm

MADAMEVIC'S —Poisson Rouge, 8pm

MANDEVILLE TRAILHEAD —Chubby

Carrier, 6:30 pm

MAYBAILY'S PLACE —NanciZee Trio, 5pm

NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEE HOUSE

Temple Wooten and Melinda Hagan, 9pm

NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEE HOUSE

JayWalkers,7:30 pm

NEWORLEANS JAZZ NATIONAL

HISTORICALPARKINDUTCH

ALLEY —SidikiConde andWowo Souakoli, 2pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —Preservation

All-Stars feat.MarkBraud,5,6:15 &8:45pm

PUBLIC BELTATHILTONRIVERSIDE

PhilMelancon, 8pm

ROCK 'N'BOWL —Dale Watson Plus TheBad Sandys,8:30 pm

SANTOS —Schism, 9pm

SIBERIA —ANight of Rock,Horror, & Romance,9 pm

SIDNEY'S SALOON —DarkLounge Ministries,7 pm

THEFOUNTAINLOUNGEATTHE ROOSEVELT HOTEL —Sam Kuslan, 6pm

THERABBITHOLE —Subject Matter ft Sabinin,11pm

THREEKEYSATACE HOTELNEW ORLEANS —JohnMichaelBradford& TheVibe, 9pm

TIPITINA'S —HansWilliams, Letters Instead,Grace Gardner,9pm

ZONY MASH BEERPROJECT —Koan Kenpachi,Smokers World, 9pm

SATURDAY15

BAMBOULAS —Jaywalkers, 11 am;New OrleansSwingingGypsies, 2:15 pm; JohnnyMastro Blues, 6:30 pm;Paggy Prine, 10pm

BB'S STAGE DOORCANTEEN,NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM —Dine&Dance withthe VictorySwing Orchestra,6 pm

BLUE NILE —George BrownBand,7pm; ChrisCottonand Trap Orchestra,11pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM —The MarignyStreetBrass Band,10pm

CARROLLTON STATION —Mia

Borders, 9pm

CHEMIN ALAMER AT FOUR SEASONS —Amanda Shaw,12pm

DEWDROPSOCIAL&BENEVOLENT

HALL —Shannon Powell AllStar Band,6:30 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB St.Peter StreetStompers,12:30 pm; ThrownTogether Jazz Band,3 pm; LeeFloyd and ThunderboltTrio, 6pm; Fritzel'sAll Star Band,9 pm

GASA GASA —Sharks'Teeth withSilver Godling, KidCharleroi,9pm

MADAMEVIC'S —OrShovali Plus,8 pm

NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEEHOUSE —LisaO'Neill,7:30pm; RichardBienvenu,9pm

NEW ORLEANSJAZZMUSEUM —Mia

BordersTrio, 4pm

NOLABREWING TAPROOM —Richard Rourke,6 pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —Preservation

All-Stars feat.WendellBrunious, 3:45 pm;Joe Lastie's NewOrleans Sound, 5, 6:15,7:30 &8:45pm

PUBLIC BELTATHILTONRIVERSIDE

PhilMelancon, 8pm

SANTOS —The Well with Firebreather,9 pm

SIBERIA —Debauche, 9pm

THEFOUNTAINLOUNGEATTHE ROOSEVELT HOTEL —LeslieMartin, 6pm

THERABBITHOLE —Scrubfish,Torrfisk, Syndrome, Jmike, Freckle &Cameron Kelly,11pm

BigFreediaplayswith theLouisianaPhilharmonic OrchestraattheOrpheum TheaterThursdaythe13th

TIPITINA'S —Big Sam'sFunky Nation, Joshua Starkman,Anjelika "Jelly" Joseph,9 pm

SUNDAY16

BAMBOULAS —SecretSix Jazz Band, 1:15 pm;MidnightBrawlers, 5:30 pm

BJ'S LOUNGE —ValerieSassyfras, 6pm

BLUE NILE —The BakedPotatoes, 7pm; StreetLegends Brass Band,10pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB St.Peter StreetStompers,12pm; Sam Friend Band,3pm; Crawfish Wallet Jazz Band,6 pm;Fritzel'sAll Star Band,8pm

GASA GASA —Loose Cattle and Bruisey Peets, 8pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —Preservation Legacy Band feat.Will Smith,5,6:15, 7:30 &8:45pm

SANTOS —Urban Heat with Baby Bats and BerlinTaxi, 8pm TIPITINA'S —EricLindell,8:30pm

MONDAY17

BAMBOULAS —Jon Roniger,1:15pm; TheMelatuan’s,5:30pm; JoeGelini Band,9pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB LeeFloyd and Thunderbolt Trio,12:30 pm;CrawfishWalletJazzBand,5 pm; Richard"Piano"Scottand Friends, 8pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

JOYTHEATER —Sullivan King,8 pm

MUNHOLLAND UNITED METHODIST CHURCH —"ACelebrationofRelatives",7:30 pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —The Preservation Brass,5,7:30 &8:45pm

THEFOUNTAINLOUNGEATTHE ROOSEVELTHOTEL —Sam Kuslan, 5pm

PHOTO BY SHAWNFINK/ THETIMES-PICAYUNE

SCAN FOR THE COMPLETE GAMBIT CALENDAR

HigherLevels

by JakeClapp

KOANKENPACHI’S“SUPREMIUM”ISAHIPHOPRECORD.That’sobvious,ofcourse, in the17-trackalbum’s soundand theNew Orleansveteran emcee’s fine-tuned lyricism, butmore, “Supremium” is acelebration of hiphop culture, alove letter to what this musiccan do —and afiercenoticeto thecity’sartists to step it up.

“I fell in love with hip-hopwhen Iwas achild,and allIwanttodois give back thefeeling that hip-hop gave me,” Koan says. “It was likea heaventome: Gettinganew album, chilling withmyhomies, we’d light up some blunts and listentothe musicand getanappreciation forit. That feelingwas something Icould neverforget.”

OnFriday, April 14,Kenpachiwill perform an albumreleaseshow for“Supremium,”his second solo album,atZonyMashBeer Project. He’llbebackedbyhis live band,My Theme Music, includingKhris Royal, Terrence Houston,Scott Jackson, Raja Kassis and DJ Tony Skratchere, and vocalist Sean Careyand rapper WoeShinigami also will join fortheir featuredspots on thealbum.Derrick Freeman —who playswithKoan as part of thehip-hop tributeThe Low EndTheory Players —and hisband Smoker’s Worldwill open Released last November, the robust “Supremium” is highlighted by Koan’s aggressiveflow. Abattle rapper —who is still lookingfor hisfirst defeat,Koanboasts— the emcee smoothly packseachline withbravado and barbs as well as wisdom.Koan has adeep love of ’90s hip-hop,but “Supremium”isn’t athrowback;it’sa continuation of a styleinspired by Biggie and Wu-Tang Clanand molded by NewOrleans

ExecutiveproducedbyErin

Brazley—who runs Daily Bread Productions with Koan “Supremium” features Freeman performing as Mr.Smoker; Carey, a NewOrleans multi-instrumentalist and singer;emerging producer and musician Rodney Weber; Koan’s son, WoeShinigami;and DJ Skratchmo.

Koan grew up in the9th Ward and learned to playtrumpet, but gravitated toward hip-hopashe became ateen and beganwriting everyday andbattlerapping. Then, he managedtoget on stage during aHieroglyphics show at Tipitina’s “The beat wasgreat.I hadjust wrotethissick ass battle rap. And thewhole moment wasjust perfect,” he says Seeingthe crowdrespondtohis verses andfeeling comfortableon

stage,itwas afeeling he hadnever experiencedbefore. “I knew at that moment this wasmypurpose,”

Koan adds

In 2004,Koanco-foundedEqual OpportunityEmployment(EOE) as theemcee forthe rock-hip-hop hybrid and toured and recorded withEOE untilthe groupdisbanded in 2011.Thatyear, Koan releasedhis debut solo album, “Chronicles of a DyingBreed.”

In thedecadebetween solo albums,Koanregularly performed live and releasedanEP, “Homage,” buthealso battledglaucoma and kidney failure. Just afew weeks afterakidneytransplantin2022 and still recovering,Koanfilmedthe musicvideo forhis single “Weirdo.”

“I hada kidney transplant.Ilost my eyesight and gainedthatback. I’ve been throughabunch of stuff, man,” Koan says.“Andsothe ‘Supremium’ is justspeakingonmy evolution into adifferent kindof understandingand mindset.”

An animefan (the master’stitle “Kenpachi” is from theseries “Bleach”), Koan relateshimself to thecharacter Vegeta in “Dragon Ball Z” —arelentless warrior constantly seekingtoget better and neversettling. Hisemcee name,“Koan,” is aBuddhistterm forparadoxical questions used by thoseseekingenlightenment. Therealso arespiritual toucheson “Supremium,”likechakragemstones on thecoverand lyrics about reaching higher consciousness.

“I’ve evolvedintosomething different as far as theexpressionofmy musicand thethingsI want to say,” Koan says Koan Kenpachi performs at 9p.m Friday.Tickets are$15 in advance viazonymashbeer.com and $20 at thedoor.Find “Supremium” at koanmusic.com

KoanKenpachiplaysan albumreleaseshowatZony MashonApril14.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY ADACHI PIMENTEL

The Right Realtors, Right Now

Dirtymovies

by WillCoviello

WHENSEXANDADVICECOLUMNISTDANSAVAGE launched theHumpFilmFest in 2005, it mighthave seemed like it wasbound to become obsolete.While hishomeporn festival wasinparta responsetosomeofthe drearieraspects of theporn industry andits overwhelming focusonheterosexual male audiences,the internetwas openingupall sortsof niches.But even withthe riseof OnlyFans andother platformsfor individual contentmakerstoreach like-mindedfans directly, Hump Fest keepsgrowing.ABest of Hump slateiscurrently on thefirst European tour,and the2023fest comestoThe BroadTheater April 14-15.

Hump Fest wasconceived to invite non-professionals to make filmsaboutwhatevertheydesired butnever sawonscreen.As Savage told Gambit in 2016, “You have people makingfilms with theirfriends and lovers that’s an expressionoftheir unique sexuality, sexual interests, sexual expression,their gender expression for an audience.”

Theselectedshortfilms area varietyshow, uncovering adiverse rangeofsexual andgenderidentities,bodytypes,fetishesand kinks. Thecurrent slateof22films checks alot of boxes. Allare lessthan five minuteslong.

Filmmakersare invitedtoinclude specifiedprops as away of showing that they were made forthe festival This year’s include legwarmers, clothespinsand dirty martinis, but notall filmsuse them

(not aeuphemism) arewellarticulatedand funny.

Hump highlightsusually include afew thingsviewers mightnot have known wasanyone’s kink. Oneofthe best filmsisthe introductiontoquicksand fetishismin “A Deep Understanding.”

Othersurprisesinclude thecolorfuldancepiece “Bloom Room.”

Thecouple in theRonaldMcDonald outfitsseemtobelovin’it, buttheir film hasa creepy vibe. “Menage aFromage” exploresanamusing pointofscience

Themessinthe food fetish piece “Feast of Fantasy” is visually creativeand excessive. Themess in Switzerland-based conceptual artist abcdeFlash’smedical fetish piece, “Grace,” is notaseasytowatch,and hasa triggerwarning

Many of the2023films seem overly serious,and it’s hardto matchthe narrationonpersonal freedom to theauthoritarian tone in theGerman BDSM short“Cum as YouAre.” Theblack and white BDSM piece “State of Mind”reflects Robert Mapplethorpe’sstyle and is beautifully shot

at only$5

Some filmshave no sexornudity, and otherswaste no time getting up close andgraphic.Regardless of thesexual content, themost enjoyable filmstendtobethe ones wherethe performerslook like they arehavingfun.In“TheBoy with theTightyWhities,” thenarrator is an OnlyFans personality, and he canbarelyconcealhis glee at sharinghis kink.In“Screen Play,”a coupleofCanadianlesbiansco-opt allsorts of cliched heterosexual romanticstorylinesand baskintheir owngaze.

Acouple of very shortcomedy filmsstand out. “It’sMr. Yamface!” is atoy animationfilmthattakes on theproblemofdolls notactually having genitals.“Shadow Play”also is simple,but thetinyrod puppets

Afew filmsthatskip allnotions of plotortheme and just getright to thegraphic sexare among theleast compelling.Glow-in-the-darkpaint doesn’tmake“ColorMeWild” interesting, and“Body Language” has a heavy-handedsimple message.

Some filmsmight have been better left on thecutting room floor,includingthe fantasy “Demon Seed” and thegoofy “The Cannoli Brothers.”

It’s hard to imagine someone liking everyfilminthe showcase, and afew herefeelprettydark. But themissionand achievement of Hump is showingasmall glimpseof thewidevariety of ways different people find pleasure.

Hump Film Fest screensat TheBroad TheaterApril 14-15, andisavailableonlineat humpfilmfest.com.

4127CLARASTREET

3BR,2.5BA,2190 SqFt.Beautiful SpaciousOpenFloor Plan.Renov’din2018 hasthecharacter ofaClassicN.O. Homew/Modern conveniences& GorgeousFinishes

12FtCeilings,HdwdFlrsthruout.UpscaleKitchen w/QuartzCounters.PrimarySuitehasBathroom w/WalkinShower&Whirlpool.DeepLot150ft

$525,000

3118CADIZSTREET

2BR,2BAHome featuringOriginal Architectural Details.Orig WindowFrames &OrigHardwdFlrs. CentralHVAC.Lots ofNaturalLight EatinKitchen

LovelyBackyardwithlotsofpotential.OffStreet Parkingfor3cars.Convenientlylocatedwitheasy accesstoUptown&Downtown.

$275,000

(504) 895-4663

PREMIER CROSSWORD

TYKES IN THE SADDLE

By Frank A. Longo

ACROSS

1Milk-Bone products

10Legendary masked swordsman

15“Getting out of it is not possible for me”

20Stat for a baseball pitcher

21Mountain nymph of Greek myth

22Can’t get out of it

23Start of a riddle

25Santa’s little helpers

26“Delicious!”

27Insect snares

28Told fibs

29Attempts to hit, as a fly

31Hair fixative

32Ryder Cup org.

33Manipulator

34Prefix with angle

35Felt concern

38Riddle, part 2

43Supreme Norse deity

44California vineyard valley

45Joust verbally

46Words before “dream” or “be different”

47Jazz pianist Allison

48Loft

50In a very uncordial way 52City in Iowa 53Riddle, part 3

docile

172 2D EMOS THENE SS TREE T

31Big Swiss city

32Extol

33Toward a stream’s source

35Calculate

36Ornament hanger, e.g.

37Italian rice dish

38Lot in life

39Makes the decision

40Sheriff Andy Taylor’s boy

41PC shortcut code

42Barter

44Consumer advocate Ralph

49Signaled, as an actor

51Pre-euro Italian money

54Bank

55Power

61He

62Recoiled

63Blackboard

66Baltic

67Tile

69Blocks

71

74Clog-clearing

76Year

78Writing

80Cause

1Like

2Waikiki

18Zinc

19Brand

24Gymnast

30Competitor