Gambit: Nov. 2, 2022

4930AnnunciationSt. Call (504) 452-2056

Free WIFI!FreeUtilities &Earn Free Rent!

areappreciated!Extended

living,furnished Studio,1 &2 BDRM units w/ FLEXIBLE payment options, no leases,courtesypatrol, laundryonsite. Call now504-688-3554.

Screentime

The NewOrleans Film Festival screens 170 movies

NEWORLEANSWILLGETSOMEGREAT ONSCREENCAMEOSDURINGTHENEW ORLEANSFILMFESTIVAL,which runs at localvenuesNov.3-8,and continues with itsonlinestreaming portion throughNov.13.

NewOrleans is thesetting for “Causeway,”featuring “Hunger Games” star JenniferLawrence recovering from awar injury.The bohemianart sceneofBywater is oneofthe settings forlocal direc torMajaHolzinger’s feature “Street Punx.” Documentaries include “Louis Armstrong’s Blackand Blues,”fea turing previously unreleased home recordings andconversations

Thefestival also brings viewers around theworld whiledelving into allsorts of subjectmatter, from punk bands in Myanmar to roamingpolar bears in northernCanada.

Thefestival featuresmorethan 170films plus paneldiscussions and more at venues includingThe Prytania Theatre in Uptown,The BroadTheater,The Broadside, Second Line Stages and theNew OrleansJazzMarket. Some screen ings arefollowedbytalkbackswith directors andstars.The festival is also retainingsomefeaturesit addedduringthe pandemic.Many filmswill be available in thefestival’s streamingportion,which runs Nov. 3-13,and theBroadside is back as an outdoor venue.

Thefestivalhas aconferencewith paneldiscussions featuring movie makers that touchonahostofsub jects, including thestate of indepen dentcinemaand usingdocumentary filmsasa tool in healing. SouthPitch is apitch competitionfor filmmakers Visitneworleansfilmsociety.org fora full festival schedule and tickets. Here aresomeofthe festival highlights.

“CAUSEWAY” Director Lila Neugebauer’s debutfeature film premieredatthe Toronto InternationalFilmFestival in September, and it’s nowopening in theaters.Lawrenceplays Lynsey, amemberofthe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who’scompleting physical therapyafter an improvised bomb left her with abrain injuryin Afghanistan.She’sliterally regain ingbasic life skillsasshe gets a jobcleaning pools in affluent New Orleansneighborhoods. Thefilm develops patientlyasLynseyrealizes shehad previous injurytorecover from and reachesout forhelp. “Causeway” has drawncomparisons to Lawrence’s impressiveearly work

by Will Coviello|

in “Winter’sBone.”At7:30 p.m. Sunday,Nov.6,at Prytania Theatre.

“THE INSPECTION” Thefes tival’sopening nightfilmis directorEleganceBratton’s drama aboutaMarinein basic training whostrives to overcomethe hazing and homophobiaofsoldiersand fellow recruits,after he’s sufferedindifferenceand rejection from hismother.Bratton will attend thescreeningat 7p.m.Thursday, Nov. 3, at Second Line Stages

“NANNY” TheGrand Jury Prizewinner from this year’s SundanceFilm Festival,“Nanny” is ahorrormovie about Aisha, an undocumentednanny from Senegalwho worksfor awealthy couple in NewYork. She’saboutto be reunited with ason whocan finally join her in theU.S., andshe struggles to keep boundaries betweenher personallifeand thedemandingpersonalitiesofthe family that employsher Thebattledisrupts her mind and spirit as shenegotiates thevulnerability immigrants oftenface. At 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, at TheBroad Theater.

“CLOSE” LukasDhont’s drama aboutchildhood friendship won theGrand Jury Prizeatthe Cannes FilmFestival. Leoand Remi arebest friends, buttheystruggle to keep theirfriendshipwhen they enter anew middleschooland other kidsquestiontheir bond. It’s setin Belgiumand in French.At7:30p.m Tuesday, Nov. 8, at Prytania Theatre.

“STREETPUNX” There’sasemi-au tobiographicalscheme in actor/ directorMajaHolzinger’s “Street Punx.” Maja is acharter school teacherinNew Orleanswho dreams of beingafilmmaker andwants to makea moviebased on her travel in Myanmar anddiscovering apunk rock scene in Yangon.She struggles to figure outwhatstory she’stelling as she’ssurroundedbyhipsters and artistsall hungryfor fame or mean ing, whilealso communicatingonline withone of thepunks,ashis country slips intocivil unrest.Holzinger deliversa very naturalperformance in afilmmostlyshotlocally.At5 p.m. Sunday,Nov.6,atPrytaniaTheatre

“YOU RESEMBLEME” Director DinaAmer’s 2021 French film traces thelives of sisterswho grow up in a Muslim community on theedgeof Paris. From beingalmostinseparable as girls,theybecomeradically

differentyoung womenasgreater forces in theworld pull them in different directions.At8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, at TheBroad Theater.

“LOUIS ARMSTRONG’SBLACK AND BLUES” There’sample documen tation of LouisArmstrong’s life and career.Besides allofthe recordings and film andTVappearances, he was aprolificletterwriterand he recorded musicand conversationsathome. Director SachaJenkins’ documen tary explores hisinfluence in music, entertainment and culture,and it also uses hispersonal recordingsand interviews to exploreissuesincluding race and civilrightsand what he said in public and in private. At 7:15 p.m. Friday,Nov.4,atPrytaniaTheatre

“LAST DANCE” Artist anddrag star Vinsantosperformed foryears, everywherefromSan Francisco to Paris, and ranthe drag workshop in NewOrleans.After deciding to retire thecharacter andperform a final show in Paris,Vincent DeFonte broughtcameras and prepared to enterthe next phase of hislifeand performing. At 10 p.m. Friday,Nov. 4, at Prytania Theatre.

SHORT FILMS Thereare 21 slates of shortfilms groupedaroundcom mon themes or subjectssuchas region,spirituality, comedy, LGBTQ stories, animated and experimental filmsand more.Inthe Wild Longings slateofnature subjects, the14-minute “Nuisance Bear”has made asplash. Thedocumentary leavesout sentimental narration and musicalcues to watchpolar bears migratingthrough aCanadiantown on theirway north, rootingfor food and ambling by clustersoftourists trying to getupclose photos.

OakSt. Po-boyFestival

THEFESTIVALOFCREATIVEANDTRADITIONALPO-BOYSFEATURESMORETHAN 40FOODVENDORS,including food boothsand restaurantsonOak Street.Thereare multiple music stagesand thelineupfeatures George Porter Jr.and HisRunnin’ Pardners, Michot Melody Makers, EricaFalls,Nolatet, TheRumble, NewOrleans Nightcrawlersand more. Therealso arecraftven dors, kids’activities,footballgame watching zonesand more.From 10 a.m. to 6p.m.Sunday, Nov. 6. A portion of proceeds benefitSon of aSaint.Visitpoboyfesttickets.com for informationand to purchase wristbands in advance($9).

AbitaFallFest

ABITAFALLFESTBRINGSTWODAYS OFMUSICANDACTIVITIES to the AbitaSprings Trailhead. The RebirthBrass Band,FlowTribe andBrasshearts Brass Band per form Friday evening.Saturday’s lineup includesBon BonVivant, MuscadineBloodline, Sunpie and theLouisiana Sunspots, WashboardChaz, Ever More Nest, ImaginationMovers andmore. Therealso aregames, kids’ activi ties,anLSU tailgatearea, craftven dorsand more. Thefestival is open 5p.m.to10p.m.Friday, Nov. 4, and 10:30a.m.to7:30p.m.Saturday, Nov. 5. Tickets $15and up,and festival passes areavailable.Find informationatabitafallfest.com

LeoNocentelli

ATJAZZFEST,FORMERMETER LEONOCENTELLIPERFORMEDTHE ENTIRETY of hiscountry music-in spiredproject “Another Side,” a solo record he recorded butdidn’t releasein1971. He’s joined by Marc Stone, AngeloNocentelli,Jason Neville, Jamal Batisteand more to perform songsfromthe albumand from hisMeterscatalog.Slugger also performs at 8p.m.Friday, Nov. 4. Tickets$25 at tipitinas.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NEWORLEANS FILM SOCIETY “StreetPunx’goesback andforthfromNewOrleans toMyanmar.

PHOTO BY DINAH L. ROGERS/ THETIMES-PICAYUNE

Louisiana’sDepartmentofNatural Resourcesclearedthe wayfor a $100 million delayed settlement from mining companyFreeport-McMoRan to finally go to coastal parishesfor restoration work.The companyagreed to thesettlementin2019for its part in causingdamagestothe coast. Butfourparishesdid not sign on to thesettlement, preferringtoworkwith oiland gas companiesonvoluntary restorationprojects, deadlockingthe process untilthe statestepped in to signthe deal

Houma’shomefor‘misfittoys,’

andasweirdasever

TheLouisianaSupremeCourthas ruled5-2 that aban on splitjury verdicts will notapply retroactively,effectively denyingnew trials to around 1,500people convictedunder theJim Crow erapractice. Louisianansin 2018 votedtoabolish split-jury verdicts,and theU.S.Supreme Courtfound nonunanimous verdicts unconstitutional in 2020.The ruling onlyapplied proactively,leaving theretro activity issuetothe state. The state Supreme Court’sdecision nowleavesfew optionsfor thosepreviouslyconvicted by nonunanimousjuries.

HOUMA,LOUISIANA—ALMOST14 MONTHSAFTERHURRICANEIDA

devastatedthe region,Houma’s Intracoastal Club reopened Oct. 21 withanexperimental performance of theRocky Horror Picture Show, loud music, karaoke—and lots of costumes,hugs andtears

“A lotofpeople cried, which blewmymind,”saysTony Bergeron,who co-ownsthe club withhis wifeWhitney Loupe Bergeron.“Ididn’tcry yet, butI thinkI’m still in shock.”

From theircarport on Sunday, thecouple describedanemo tional,joyful— andsleepless weekendcatchingupwith old friends.

Whitney says.“Ourneighbors and people whocomeinto thebar said they sawour drag queens’ ass pads flying out [duringthe storm].Theypicked up aMuhammad Aliposter. All of ourart and stuffwas just flying outofthe topof thebuilding.”

AfterIda,manyofthe region’s performersand entertainers had to temporarilyrelocateto find work

TheBergerons traveled back and forthbetween Houmaand NewOrleans forshows andlived outofacamperfor months,all whilerebuildingtheir club and theirfamily’s homes.

That number is accordingtodataMayor LaToya Cantrell’s administrationpro videdtoCityCouncil this week.Around $40million of that couldbeusedfor other city needs as they arise,but the Council needstoapprove it first.NOPD remainsthe most heavilyfundedcity agency,despite staffing shortages,with $166 million allocatedfor thedepartmentthisyear.

AT&Tandotherinternetcompanies areregularly providing servicetocustomersinpre dominatelyBlack and Latino neighborhoods of NewOrleans at slowerservice speeds than —but at thesame priceas— thoseinmostlywhite neighborhoods,accordingtoan investigationbyThe Markup

TheIntracoastal Club, which they opened in 2016, hadbecome animportant,safe spaceinthe area forthe queercommunity, indieartists,creativetypes and other “misfittoys” as New Orleans artist Quintron,a close friend of theBergerons, fondly described it last year.Ithad always been avenue “for the artists, by theartists,” Whitney says.But Hurricane Ida—and a simultaneoustornado —had all butdestroyedthe building,forcingittoclose forovera year

“Itturns outtherewas a tornado within thehurricane,”

They triedtomaintaina senseof community even when theirfriends and regulars were dispersed.

They even sought help from beyond themortal veil shortly before reopening. TheBergerons and some of friendsperformed a ritual in theempty space, “kinda cleansingawaysomeofthe big part of themess,”Whitney says “Two weeksago,that’swhen we started to laydownthe artin theplace.I could seethe biggerpicture,and no longerthe destruction. We hadtuningforks and crystals and moon water and sage, and alot of people

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TONY BERGERON

were saying they could feel anice, calm energy in there.”Early last week,after months of construction,rebuilding, and redecoratingthe club,theyfinally got thegreen light from thefiremarshal’s office,sayingtheycould flingopentheir doors again.

TheBergerons scrambledtospread thenews, largelythrough socialmedia and throughwordofmouth.After a couple “soft openings” on Wednesday and Thursday, they prepared fora grand reopeningFriday. Sincethen,it’sbeen “nonstop,” they say.

“I went from finishingupconstruction on Monday to justgetting run overby people (atthe bar) on Friday,” Tony says,laughing. “AroundFridayat8 p.m., it startedgetting lit, and then by 10:30 it wascrazy —and it’s been nonstop. (Saturday)wehad karaoke. Andwe don’t do normal karaoke— people tryto makeitasridiculous as possible.Itwas ahugefreakshowofpeople in costumes doingeverythingfromAbba to ‘Return of theMack,’just goingwildand acting crazy. It wasinsane.”

Theclub ownerswererelievedtosee theirregulars

“95% of thepeople whocame in were familiar faces,”Tonysays. “One of our

bigworries wasthatour identity mighthave gotten lost, butittotally wasn’t that way. [Being back in theclub] feelsthe same... butitalso feelslikeI’m dreaming— like aweird acid trip.”

Whitneysays, “oncewestartedseeing familiar faces, it became natural. It’s a family.It’scommunity.”

Nowthatthe Intracoastalhas finally reopened,the couple hopestocontinue wheretheyleftoff —and then some Already, theirevent calendar has been fillingup, and musicians from all overthe region have been callingto book gigs

TheBergerons arethrilled to have this senseofnormalcy andtheir community back.It’sanimportantand catharticmilestonefor theregion’s ongoingrecovery from thestorm,and they’redetermined to make up for lost time.

“A lotofpeople were like,‘Yeah Ididn’t go outfor awhile,’”Tonysays. “People were gettingstir-crazy. They were like,‘I need this weirdshity’all do to be back in my life.’”— SARAHRAVITS

PHOTO PROVIDED BY WHITNEYLOUPE BERGERON

theIntracoastalClub

THEMIDTERMELECTIONSONNOV.8 will have aprofoundimpactonour nation as well as ourstate and city,but fordifferent reasons. Thenationalbalanceofpower hangs precariously on theoutcomes of severaldozen keySenate and Houseraces —all of them outsideLouisiana

Locally,the ballotfeaturesan important amendmenttothe New OrleansCityCharter,eight amend mentstothe Louisiana Constitution, akey stateSenatecontest in Orleans andJefferson parishes,and races forstate Public ServiceCommission, localjudgeships, clerkofFirst City Court, and oneseatonthe Orleans Parish School Board. Early voting runs from Oct. 25-Nov.1

Louisiana’sclownishU.S.Sen.John NeelyKennedy, aRepublican, faces DemocratsLukeMixon and Gary Chambersand severalunknowns. Kennedyisa prohibitive favorite, though he doesn’tdeserve to be. Thesame is true of 1stDistrictU.S Rep. SteveScalise,the powerful GOPWhipwho hasmostlyusedhis post as amegaphone forhis blind fealty to Donald Trumpand theBig Lie(SeeEditorJohnStanton’s take on theseracesonP.15). We make no endorsements in thosecontests.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,the freshman Democrat from NewOrleans,also is virtually unopposed. We endorsed Carter in the2021specialelection, and hisrecordsince then showswhy he earned thatendorsement

Themostimportant localraceis thespecialelectioninstate Senate District 5between Democratic state Reps.Royce Duplessisand Mandie Landry.The districtstretches from theCBD throughCentral City,Gert Town,Carrollton and Uptown to partsofMetairie.Both Duplessis and Landryare staunchlypro-abortion rightsand reliably progressive. The main difference betweenthem, in ourview, is theirability to work with fellow legislatorstoget things done forNew Orleans.For that reason,we recommend RoyceDuplessis

Since hiselectiontothe state Housein2018, Duplessishas authored significant buthard-to pass legislationoncriminaland juvenile justicereforms,accessto mental health services,women’s health,votingrights, localeconomic development, tenants’ rightsand more. That is no easytaskfor alib eral Democrat whochampions abortion rights and opposesGOP efforts to limitminorityrepresentationand voting rights.Duplessis’impressive legislativeaccomplishmentsshow that he hasgainedthe respectof hiscolleaguesonthe other side of

theaisle whiledistinguishinghimself as an effectiveadvocatefor hiscity and hisconstituents.

Elsewhere, we previously stated whywesupportthe City Charter amendmenttogivethe NewOrleans City Councilauthoritytovet and approve topmayoralappointments. We also explained oursupport for stateconstitutional amendments 2, 4, 5, 6and 8, andour opposi tion to amendments 1, 3and 7. You cansee those reasons on oursite. Gambit doesnot endorseinjudicial elections;webelieve judges should be appointedbased on merit.We also take no position this time on thecontestsfor Public Service Commission, First City CourtClerk, and Orleans ParishSchoolBoard. We urge allour readerstovote early before Nov. 1— or vote in persononTuesday, Nov. 8.

DearWayne&Renee,

ALFRED“BUD”SAUNDERSOPENED THEFIRSTBUD’SBROILER in 1952 on Airline DriveinMetairie, offering charcoal-broiled hamburgers and hotdogs (with or withoutchili and hickorysmokesauce). He opened asecondlocationat500 City Park Ave. (nearDelgado Community College)in1956.Other locations on CalhounStreetand Banks Street followed.

Thereweretwo Gentilly locationsnearthe University of New Orleans. Thefirst opened in 1964 at 2073 Pelopidas St.nearHebrew Rest cemetery.Inhis 1970 book, “The NewOrleans Underground Gourmet,”RichardCollincalledit “the most pleasantofthe restaurants… butthe food is similarinall of Bud’splaces.”

ABud’s Broileropenedat6325 ElysianFieldsAve., closer to the UNOcampus,around 1986. It was locatedinthe former home of Siebenkittel’s, also known as Seven

Kettles restaurant, which opened in the1960s

In themid-1970s, theproperty became home to Luigi’s, which offeredpizza,pooltables, live musicand 35-centdraftbeer, makingitverypopularamongUNO students.A1978newspaper ad also said Luigi’soffered charbroiled hamburgers,withchili or “smokey sauce,” alot like Bud’sBroiler

When theElysian Fields spot didbecomea Bud’sin1986, it wasone of 14 locationsofthe localburgerchain.Itclosedafter HurricaneKatrina andthe federal levelfailures. Otherbusinesses, includinganinsuranceagent, have also shared theproperty, whichsince 2005 hasbeen home to aseveral other restaurants, includingThe MunchFactory and HomegrownPizza

BLAKE

THISWEEK—THOUGHHEDOESN’TLOOKITORACTIT—ISTHE75THBIRTHDAY of QuintDavis,the manknown around theworld as producer-directorofthe NewOrleans Jazz and HeritageFestival

ArthurQuentin DavisJr. wasborninNew OrleansonNov.5, 1947. His father,ArthurQ.Davis,was co-founder of thearchitectural firm which designedthe Superdome,Smoothie King Center, Rivergateand many other notablebuildings.

QuintDavis attended MetairieParkCountry DaySchooland at an early ageshowedsigns of thecolorful career to come.Asa teenager,heplayed drums at Preservation Hall,was aregularatsecondlines,jazzfuneralsand afriendtoMardi Gras Indians. He enrolled at Tulane in drama and ethnomusicology,the studyofmusic in itssocialand culturalcontexts.

At Tulane, he also worked in theHoganJazzArchive,which is howhe connectedwithJazzFest founderGeorgeWein. Before theinaugural event, Wein askedthe archive’s curatorfor help findinga studentwho couldhelpbook performersfor him. Wein hiredDavis overbeignetsat Cafe du Monde, paying him$250for hiswork.

Before long,Davis dropped outofcollege to join thefestivalfull-time as it grew into amajor success.Heand Jazz Fest co-founder AllisonMiner (Davis’girlfriendatthe time)became Professor Longhair’s manager, revivingthe musiclegend’s career.Davis also managedartists such as Duke Ellington, ChuckBerry andB.B.King.

Davisisnow CEOofthe companyWeinfounded,Festival Productions Inc., andproduces notjust Jazz Fest butalso concerts andfestivalsall overthe world. That hasincludedEssence Festival of Culture,which Festival Productions startedin1995, though it is nowproducedbya

HeyBlake, We aretryingtolocate information abouta former Bud’sBroiler location that we wouldwalktofromUNO in theearly 1970s. Wouldyou have anyinfo? —Wayne&Renee

PHOTO BY IANMCNULTY /

GAMBIT’S2022

BY JOHN

THENOV.8MIDTERM BALLOT LEADSWITHFEDERAL ELECTIONSFOR SENATE ANDHOUSE, butthe most hotlycontested racesare thelocal and regional That’s no surprise. Duetothe generalrightward drift of statepoliticsand partisan gerrymandering,U.S. Sen.JohnNeely Kennedyand Reps.Steve Scalise and Troy Carter areprohibitive favoritestowin re-election.

Down theballot, however,the storyisplaying out quite differently.

In NewOrleans,there’sa tightstate Senate race betweentwo of Louisiana’sleadingprogressives Reps.Royce Duplessisand Mandie Landry (story on p. 13), acompetitive race forPublic Service Com missioner(moreonthatinamoment),aproposed City Charteramendment that would clip themayor’s wings abit,three localjudge races, acitycourt clerk race,aspecialelectionfor oneseatonthe Orleans Parish School Boardand eightproposedstate constitutionalamendments(p. 12).

Andyet,theysay theseare the“federal” midterms Well,atleast thefedsare footingthe bill forit—so let’sstart there.

Rep. Troy Carter’s district represents most of OrleansParishand partsofthe West Bank before windingupthe rivertoBaton Rouge.It’sconsidered oneofthe safest districtsinthe country.

Carter facesalone, andunknown,Republican challenger in anti-vaxxerDan Lux.

TheflipsideistrueGOP Whip SteveScalise’s district. Republican statelawmakerskepthis districtas redaspossible,which washardlya challenge.

Scalise, like virtually allHouse Republicans, is a faithful devoteeofformer PresidentDonaldTrump. In aless gerrymandered district, hischief opponent, Democrat KatieDarling,could pose athreat. She has run aspiritedcampaign,garneringsupportalong theway from groups likethe Independent Women’s Organization and makinga national splash witha campaign ad featuring hergiving birth.Inayearin whichreproductive rights areatthe forefront, Darling could have been aDavid to Scalise’s Goliathina more competitivedistrict.

Then there’sKennedy,perhapsthe biggest politicalparadoxinWashington.He’sOxfordedu catedbut with apenchantfor cornballmusings That makeshim aregularonFox News,where he’s oneofthe network’sfavorite cheerleaders of the Jan.6insurrection.

CA MPAI

PR

Darlingisa Democratic candidate challengingU.S Rep. SteveScaliseinthe 1st Congressional District.

House MinorityWhip Steve Scalise speaksatanevent to announce House GOP’s “Commitment to America” at Ductmate Industries Friday,Sep.23, 2022 in Monongahela,Pa. (Post-Gazette)

That,combined withthe fundraising advantages of incumbency,makehim an odds-onfavorite. Kennedy faces threeDemocratic challengers: Luke Mixon, Gary ChambersJr. andSyritaSteib.All threehave struggledtogaintraction. TheDemocratic partyestablishmentfavors Mixon, and in an open-seat race thedecorated former Navy TopGun pilotcould have beena contender. Chambershas thebacking of manyprogressives andanational networkofgrass rootsdonors,but he facessignificant pushback from some progressiveand many mainstream Democrats, whichhas limitedhis ability to stand out.

That brings us to thelocal and regional contests.

Theracefor theregional seat on thefive-mem ber LouisianaPublic Service Commission(PSC) pits three-term incumbent LambertBoissiereIII of NewOrleans,the PSC’scurrent chair,againstfour challengers: insuranceadjusterWillie JonesofNew Orleans; activist andformer school teacher Da vanteLewis of BatonRouge;Rev.GregoryManning, pastor of Broadmoor Community Church;and Jesse ThompsonofPlaquemine.

Allfourare Democrats, and allare Black. PSC membersserve six-year terms.

While most folksassociate thePSC with utility regulation,commissionersalso regulate intrastate trucking,tow truck, taxi,bus,limousine, water, sewer and telecommunication companies

ThePSC doesnot regulate those industries in New Orleans(that powerrestswiththe City Council),but thecityfor generations hasheldthe District 3seat. If elected, Lewiswould give BatonRouge twoPSC members; theother is District2Commissioner Dr CraigGreene.

District 3isthe PSC’sonlymajority-Blackdistrict. It stretchesfromNew Orleans throughthe River

Parishes to partsofBaton Rouge.

Boissiere’stwo main opponents,Lewis andMan ning,have criticized himfor acceptingcampaign contributionsfromutilities andallegedlynot doing enough to promote renewable energy sources.

“Weneedsomeone in office to enactchange for ourpeople,” Lewissays. “Not accepting$75,000 from entities they should be regulating.”

Manninghas called on Boissieretogivebackthe utility donations.

Athird-party super PAChas joined in those attacks.Keepthe LightsOnPAC,anaffiliate of the Environmental DefenseFund, is spending$500,000 attacking Boissieres

Boissieresayshehas votedagainst Entergy and other utilities many timesand consistently championed positionstaken by theAlliancefor Affordable Energy,a NewOrleans nonprofit that advocatesfor renewables.Henotes that theAlliance hasgiven him itshighest consumer-advocacy award.

Boissierealso points to hischairmanship of the PSC, which has3 Republican membersand only 2 Democrats, as evidence of hiseffectiveness on the commission.

“Since Ibecame chairman,wehaveapprovednine utility-scale solarprojects— and we will approve a tonmoreinthe near future,” Boissieresays.

Theracewill be atestofprogressives’ ability to electa regional candidate—withhelpfroman out-of-state super PAC— andofa localcandidate’s ability to countermassivespending by superPACs in theclosing days of acampaign

Earlyvotingcontinues throughTuesday,Nov.1.Find information aboutyourpolling location andballotat geauxvote.com.

PH OTOBYB RA DB OW IE /

TH EA DVO CATE

Louisiana Sen.JohnKennedy.

MBR

Changestothe city charter and state constitution,judicial positions dominatelocalballot

BY CLANCY DUBOS

ONEOFTHE HOTTESTCITYWIDE

CONTESTS on theNov.8 ballot doesn’tfeature candidates.It’sa proposed change to theNew Orle ansCityCharterthatasksvotersto decidewhether mayor-appointed departmentheads should be subject to City Councilvetting and confirmation.

Ironically,thatproposition is also theLAST thingonthe ballot—liter ally,it’satthe bottom,after ahostof other racesand statewide referenda.

Also on thelocal ballotare races for threejudgeships, clerkofFirst City Court andone seat on the Orleans Parish SchoolBoard —plus eightproposedamendmentstothe Louisiana Constitution.Early voting beganonOct.25and continues throughNov.1

REFERENDUM ON CANTRELL?

PROPONENTS OF THECITYCHARTER change,particularly Council Vice PresidentJPMorrell andthe nonpartisan Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR), sayitwould give thepublic an additionallayer of scrutinyand transparency —and helpensuretop administrators are qualifiedfor theirjobs. Opponents, includingMayorLaToyaCantrell, say theproposalwould dilute themay or’s powerand could leadtogridlock and dealmaking.

So far, thecharterreferendumhas notgenerated much of apublic campaign.“It’s been kind of organic,” Morrellsays. “The propositionhas garnered some keyendorsements, particularly from BGRand several media. My biggest concernisthe po tentialfall-offinvotingbecause this is thelast thing on theballot.”

Severalofthe city’s old-line Black politicalorganizations have come outagainst theproposition,which

comesata delicatetimefor Cantrell

Themayor is thesubject of arecall drive that reportedlyisabout to kick into high gear afterthe Nov. 8primary

Thedebate, to theextentthereis one, centersonwhether theneed for reininginthe mayor’sunchecked ap pointive powers outweighs concerns overthe potentialfor anew levelof politicking— and “burdening”future mayors and theirappointees

“Itisnot overly burdensome,” Morrelltold TheTimes-Picayune. He addedthatdepartmentheads who wieldsignificant power“should be forced at least onceper administration to go to apublic hearingand answer questionsastowhattheir vision is.”

Cantrell has called themeasure “duplicativeand duplicitous,” noting that thecouncil alreadycan remove department headswithasimple four-votemajority.

District ECouncil Member Oliver Thomas also opposes thepropo sition.“Youhave sevendifferent politicalpersonalities that areon thecouncil,” he told TheTimes-Pic ayune. “Whathappenswhen five or six, or threeorfour, vehemently disagree aboutwho gets appointed? Nobody’stalkedaboutthat.”

In arecentreport, BGRnoted that manyU.S.citiesrequirelegislative approval of mayoralappointments

JUDICIAL CONTESTS

NEWORLEANS VOTERS WILL

FILL threelocal judgeships on Nov. 8— one on the4th CircuitCourt of Appealand twoonMunicipal and TrafficCourt

Thecontest foraseatonthe appellatecourt featuresthe most diverseset of candidates on thelocal ballot: former U.S. Rep. Anh“Joseph”

Cao, aVietnamese-American Republican; Criminal District CourtJudge KarenHerman,a whiteDemocrat; and attorney MarieWilliams, a BlackDemocrat

Caoservedone term representing Louisiana’s1st Congressional Districtafter he defeated scandalized Congressman Bill Jeffersonin2008 Herman has served as ajudge at Criminal DistrictCourt since2009. She hasbeen re-elected twicewithoutopposition.Williamshas never held elective office,though shehas run severaltimes

Thethree arevying foran“at large” seat on the4th Circuit bench. That meanstheymust campaignnot just in NewOrleans butalso in St Bernardand Plaquemines parishes.

Theracefor judgeat Municipal and TrafficCourt Division Dhas incum bentJudge Mark Shea challenged by attorney DerekRuss

Sheahas served as ajudge at Mu nicipal andTrafficCourt since2009. Priortothatheservedasanindigent defenderfor morethan twodecades at Criminal District Courtand Traffic Court. During that time,hehandled morethan 50,000 indigent cases. He hasbeenanattorneyfor almost four decades.

Russ hasbeen an attorney since 2005 andhas practicedprimarily in Criminal Courtand Municipal and TrafficCourt,whereheservedas aclerk.Healso served as public defender in Criminal DistrictCourt and on theSouthernUniversitySys temBoard

Thecontest forMunicipal and TrafficCourt Division EfeaturesattorneysGeoffreyGates andBobbie Smith. Thereisnoincumbent in this race; incumbent JudgeSeanEarly announcedhis retirementbefore qualifying opened.

Gatesisa former lawclerk in First

City Courtand former assistant DA in NewOrleans.Hecurrently serves as aprosecutorfor thecityin Municipaland Administrative Hear ingOffice.

Smithisa former assistant City At torney andcurrently practicesinMunicipal andTrafficCourt,CivilDistrict Courtand Criminal District Court. A 13-yearArmyReserve veteran, Smith also hasservedasanAdHoc Judge in Municipal and TrafficCourt

CLERKOFFIRST CITY COURT

INCUMBENTCLERK AUSTIN

BADON lost ahotly contested race forClerk of Criminal District Court last year to Darren Lombard,who wasthenhis counterpartasclerk of Second City Court.

Badonnow findshimself in arace forhis politicallifeagainstformer interimat-largeCityCouncil Member Donna Glapion.

First City Courthas jurisdiction on theEast Bank of NewOrleans Second City Courthas jurisdictionin Algiers. Thecourtsare mostly known forhandling residentialand commercialpropertyevictions as well as smallcivil claims.

Badonservedasa staterepresentative from NewOrleans East for 12 years. He ranunsuccessfully for an at-large City Council seat before landingthe clerk’sjob in 2018.Since then,hesayshehas increasedthe size of thestaff and madeitmore “customer oriented”by, among other things,lowering thecostofcopying documents from $2 to $1 per page

Glapionwas appointedbythe council to servethe unexpired term of JasonWilliamswhenheleftthe council to serveasOrleans Parish district attorney lastyear. She then served as interimclerk of Second City Court. Glapionownsanevent planningbusiness and hasserved in operations managementfor two NewOrleans-based charterschools and Tulane MedicalSchool, andshe worked as theprogram managerfor No KidHungryLouisiana

SCHOOL BOARDDISTRICT1

INTERIMSCHOOLBOARD MEMBER

LeilaJ.Eames,aveteran educator in public schools, faces challenger PatriceSentino,a social worker and mentalhealth professional,inthe specialelectionfor aseatonthe Orleans ParishSchoolBoard from District1

Eameshas held thepostonan interimbasis sinceMarch.She was appointedbythe other sixboard membersafter District1board member John A. BrownSr. steppeddown because hisdaughterhad become asemi-finalistfor theposition of schoolsuperintendent.

Eamesand Sentino both sought

PHOTO BY BRETTDUKE/THE

the interim appointment, and now both seek to serve out the remainder of Brown’s term, which expires in 2024 Both are Democrats, and both promise to make the board more responsive to the mental health needs of students and the expecta tions of parents.

District 1 encompasses New Or leans East, parts of Gentilly and the Lower 9th Ward

CONSTITUTIONAL

AMENDMENTS

EIGHT PROPOSED STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS APPEAR ON THE BALLOT.

Amendment 1 would allow the state treasurer to invest up to 65% of revenues from permanent state trust funds in stocks, up from the current limit of 35%.

Amendment 2 would exempt veter ans who are totally disabled because of their military service from local property taxes.

Amendment 3 would allow classified civil service employees at the state level, and in some municipalities, to support the campaign of “an immediate family member” in certain circumstances

Amendment 4 would allow public (mostly rural) water systems to waive or reduce charges that result from damage to the system not caused by the customer

Amendment 5 would give local taxing authorities more discretion to maintain lower property tax mill age rates

Amendment 6 would limit the increase in the assessed value of a residential property covered by the state homestead exemption to no more than 10% per year in Orleans Parish. Because it would apply only in Orleans Parish, the proposi tion must pass statewide and in New Orleans.

Amendment 7 would eliminate a constitutional provision that many interpret as equating “involuntary servitude” as punishment for a crime with a form of slavery. In the course of legislative approval, state lawmakers amended so much that the amendment’s author has asked voters to reject it

Amendment 8 would remove the current requirement that homeown ers who are permanently and totally disabled must re-certify their income as $100,000 or less each year to maintain their “special assessment,” which freezes the assessed value of their property.

SENATE RACE IS A BETWEEN TWO PROGRESSIVES HOTCONTEST

BY SARAH RAVITS

THE SPECIAL ELECTION to fill the District 5 state Senate seat is shap ing up to be a nail-biter between two ambitious, progressive state representatives who generally align on major issues but now oppose each other on the Nov. 8 ballot

Democratic state Reps. Mandie Landry of House District 91 and Royce Duplessis of District 93 both seek the seat vacated by Karen Carter Peterson, who resigned in April before pleading guilty to a single federal count of wire fraud. Prior to pleading guilty, Peterson cited her longstanding gambling addiction and other mental health challenges as the main cause of her precipitous fall from power.

Senate District 5 encompasses the CBD, Warehouse District, Garden District, Carrollton, Gert Town, much of Uptown and Mid-City neighborhoods of New Orleans and a sliver of Jefferson Parish. Many considered it the state’s most progressive Sen ate district.

The district has a plurality of white voters for now. The state’s new districting plan, adopted earlier this year but not scheduled to take effect until next year’s statewide elections, gives District 5 a Black majority.

Silas Lee, a pollster and political strategist, says this race is especially tough to predict, given the candidates’ similarities in ideology and because federal midterm elections generally don’t draw as many voters as presidential contests. When they do draw lots of voters, he says, they draw more conservatives.

“This election is a question of mo bilization and who can generate the most enthusiasm for their candidacy,” Lee says

Almost immediately after Peterson’s resignation, Landry announced her intention to become what she terms “the only pro-choice woman in the Senate,” which has 39 mem bers. A month later, Duplessis announced his candidacy No other candidates qualified.

Both candidates have championed reproductive rights, but Landry has made it the centerpiece of her campaign

Prior to entering politics, she represented abortion clinics as an attorney She says in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and Louisiana’s strict “trigger” abortion ban taking effect, women will need her voice in the Senate. She says she will make maternal health care a top priority

“I’m running for similar reasons as I did in 2019,” she told Gambit “I felt like we haven’t, for a while, had really strong New Orleans members who can stand on progressive values.”

Duplessis, also an attorney, agrees with Landry’s pro-abortion rights position but disputes her claim that only she can properly advocate for reproductive rights in the Senate. He says he has defended those rights just as staunchly but has been far more effective across a spectrum of other issues, such as criminal and ju venile justice reform, tenants’ rights, access to mental health and other important issues

At a recent town hall meeting in Treme, Duplessis said the city’s homelessness crisis is also a top concern. He called for more holis tic policies “This is a very complex issue that we’re trying to solve that involves housing and services for behavioral health, mental health and [looking at] other issues that may contribute to someone being in the scenario that they’re in,” he said on Sept. 28

Both candidates hype their efforts to reform the criminal justice system Duplessis authored a new law mak ing it illegal to post most mug shots, while Landry authored legislation that ended solitary confinement for pregnant people

One major area of disagreement: redistricting. Landry voted against an amendment to increase the number of Black-majority House districts, while Duplessis supported that effort Also, Landry voted for the Republican plan that most Black Caucus members say short-changes Black voters, whereas Duplessis voted against it The GOP-favored plan passed and is now the law, though it has been challenged in court. They have also deployed different campaign strategies.

Duplessis has garnered far more endorsements than Landry, particularly from their legislative colleagues His other endorsements include those of political groups such as the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee (OPDEC) and the Inde pendent Women’s Organization (of which Landry was once a member).

Duplessis also cites his vice chair manship of the powerful House and Governmental Affairs Committee, and his role as a go-to lawmaker in the Legislative Black Caucus

Landry says endorsements don’t mean as much as knocking on voters’ doors. She ran a successful grassroots campaign for her House seat in 2019 and now touts her cadre of young campaign volunteers who have canvassed the district with and for her Landry also has honed her social media skills during the COVID-19 shutdowns she amplified her voice on Twitter and Instagram and has maintained a strong presence online. Additionally, she regularly meets constituents in comfortable settings like local breweries and coffee shops.

The outcome of this race is hard to predict, given the candidates’ similar political stripes. It also helps their mutual causes that whoever loses will still hold a seat in the House. They likely will remain in step with each other on major policy issues

“They recognize that in politics, there’s always tomorrow,” Lee says. “They are just engaged in a very issue-focused campaign.”

This much is certain: The winner will have to run again in 11 months in a district whose demographic profile will differ significantly from what it is today. One other certainty: There will be a vacancy in the House after Nov. 8, which means another special election in the spring.

PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE StateRep.MandieLandry,D-NewOrleans.

PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE StateRep.RoyceDuplessis,D-NewOrleans

ONELECTIONDAY,

EDITOR

BY JOHNSTANTON|GAMBIT EDITOR

THIS YEAR Gambit’s editorialboard decided to focusour endorsements on localissues and offices. We didsolargely because it better represents ourbroader editorialfocus on what is happeningonthe ground in NewOrleans and theimmediate surroundingareas

We also made this decisionbecause of the largelyinevitableoutcome of twofederal elec tionsinwhich we historically have endorsed. Thankstohow hisdistrictisdrawn,U.S.Rep SteveScalise,who represents partsofNew Orle ansand JeffersonParishaswellasthe Northshoreand severalcoastal parishes, wasnever in danger of losing.Similarly,red-state politics overwhelminglyfavor U.S. Sen.JohnNeely Kennedy’sunfortunate return to office

However, afterthe repeal of Roev.Wadeand amid effortsatthe stateand federal levels to claw back other civil and humanrights, as Editor-in-Chief Ifeltitwas importanttopersonally weighinonthiselectionseason.

Therepeal of Roeisa stain on American history andthe U.S. Supreme Court. Takingaway women’s fundamental righttomakeabortion decisions with theirdoctors constitutesanovert refusalbythisnation’spatriarchytoshareany powerwithwomen.Itisalso afundamental vi olation of basic humanrightswhich hasalready endangeredthe lives of thousands of pregnant people —including underaged survivors of rape

Unfortunately, that is just thebeginning Already, Republicansinthe Houseand Senate areworking to expand on theirloathsome court victory, includinglayingthe groundwork fora national banonabortion.Theyhave made clear that theiragenda also includesfurther restrict ingoreliminating privacy and reproductive rights and banningboth interracialand same sexmarriages.Theyhavetriggereda violent wave of hatredagainst LGBTQpeople,inparticulartrans and non-binaryyouth.

Amid allthis, both Scalise —who as House MinorityWhipisone of themostpowerful Re publicansinthe country— and Kennedy march in lockstep withthe most retrograde elements of society. Foryears,agrowing number of Louisi anaRepublicans have triedtopushtheir party

further rightward —tothe pointofembracing some elementsoffascism. Now, if theGOP has even aslimhope of surviving as aviable party in ademocracy,itwill requires national figures whoare moreconcerned with thewellbeing of ourstate and countrythan they arewithstaying in office,orDonaldTrump’sgood graces.Sadly, neither Scalisenor Kennedy hasshown that kindofleadership.Instead, like so manyother sycophants, they clamortobeatthe forefront of theTrumpCult, hopingtoridethatwave to a fewmoreyears in office

Kennedywas an ardent supporterofthe Jan. 6 insurrection,a seditiousact that should disqual ifyhim from electedoffice. Forhis part,Scalise hasvacillated,ifnot lied,aboutthe outcomeof the2020presidentialelectionand thetragic events of Jan.6,basinghis statements on the prevailing politicalwinds.His dissembling has givenaid and comfort to thethose seeking to destroyour republic and replace it authoritarian minority rule

Even on issues which directly affect Louisianans, Kennedy and Scalise have failed their constituents. Take hurricanerelief, forexample Kennedyhas spentmoretimeonFox News attacking children forsimplybeing themselves than he hasdevoted to helpingthe people of ourstate recoverfrommultiple disasters. He repeatedly votedagainst measures aimed at helping SouthLouisiana recoverfromhurricanes Laura, Delta, Zeta andIda —yet he happily

ABOVE:Sen.JohnKennedy, anotedgraduateofOxford andsupporteroftheJan.6 insurrection,speaking Aug.18.

LEFT:HouseMinorityWhip SteveScalise,right,toooftenis moreinterestedinthepolitical fortunesofDonaldTrumpthan thecitizensofLouisiana

sendsout press releasestakingcreditfor that moneyonceitgetshere.

As Whip,Scalise should wieldenough power to have flooded ourregionwithmoney and resourceswhile bringingpressuretobearon insurers and otherstoaid stormvictims and promoterecovery across hard-hitSouth Louisi ana. In fact, wranglingvotes is literallyhis jobas Whip. Hisreputed influenceisoften citedasa reason to vote forhim,yet Scalisecouldn’teven getRep.ClayHigginstosupportrecovery aidto hissouthwest Louisiana constituents. If he can’t wrangle asimple-mindedbackbencher like Higgins, there’snoreason to believe Scalise will usehis influencetoprevent insurancecompa nies and other profiteers from fleecingLouisiana stormvictims.

Thepartisan gerrymandering of voting districtsbystate legislativeRepublicanshas safely ensconced Scaliseinhis currentoffice. Statewide, Democratsare far outnumberedby Republicansand conservatives, which means theOxford-educatedKennedywill be around forsix moreyears to embarrass us with his phonydown-home accent and pro-Putinpolicies.These areunfortunate realitiesthat, ratherthan discourage folksfromvoting, should inspirethose whotruly believeinthe highest expression of American democracy to vote against them both.Inmyopinion,thatisboth a fundamentalright and,thisyearinparticular,a moralimperative.

PHOTO BY JACQUELYN MARTIN / THEAP

PHOTO BY BRAD BOWIE/ THETIMES-PICAYUNE

Redistricting

THELATESTEXPANSIONOFDISTRICT

DONUTS-SLIDERS-BREWISABITDIFFERENT,though DistrictAll-Day Delicious hastwo of thethree food groups regulars have come to expect

At thenew restaurant locatedin theSouth Market Districtdevel opment, doughnuts abound Oversizedorbs of sweet, frosted doughoozeflavors and fillings like Vietnamesecoffeeseededwith tapiocapearls,and cookiesand creamdoughnuts have jagged Oreo crowns.There’sbrewinvar ious formsfromits robust coffee program,aswellasdraft beer,with most of theeight choicesfrom localbrewers

Butinsteadofthe chain’ssigna ture sliders,the restaurantoffersa double Angus cheeseburger served withhouse-madefries.It’sone of theoptions that show thewider culinaryreach of DistrictAll-Day. Most of theDistrictlocations do thebulk of theirbusiness during breakfastand lunch.Thisnew District hasa menuwithdishes forall hours,rangingfrommaple glazedwingswithporksausage crumbles and morning Mexican pizzafor breakfasttofishand chips,steak frites and half aroasted chicken with black beansand Havartifor lunch anddinner

Situated in theformerspace of thesecond location of Company Burger,the restaurant wasdesigned forthe neighborhood,sayspartner AaronVogel.

“At3,000 square feet,thisbuild ing is significantly differentfrom ourother restaurants,” says Vogel, whoopenedthe first Districtinthe Garden Districtin2013withpartners Chris Audler andStephen Cali

This is more of atraditional restaurant,witha long side bar and an openkitchen in thebackofthe modern,airyspace.Italso offers tableservice,something Vogel and hispartnerswerefamiliar with from workingfor theHillstone Restaurant Group, which owns Houston’s andother restaurant concepts.Guestsalso canget counterservice takeoutordersof doughnutsand coffee

Thepartnershad originally planned to expand in this direction,but when the spacebecame available, they explored thepossibilities

“Wethoughtabout what people who work andlivehere want.Samefor the people whocome here forshows and games,”Vogel says “There area couple thousand hotel rooms, apartments and condos within walkingdistance. We arethinking about business lunches, weekendbrunch, game dayspecials.”

Fornow,the restaurant is open for breakfast andlunch daily,and haslater hours on home game days.Eventually, hours will expand to 7a.m.to9 p.m.

Just as DistrictDonutsgetscre ativewithdoughnutflavors,the AllDayDelicious menu elevates fast casual fare.General manager Matt Bordelon,who trained in culinary artsatNicholls StateUniversity, giveswings an upgrade. Dried ancho chili spikes thewhite barbecuesauce slathered on thewhite sauce wings,and friedshallotsadd some crunch

TheMansion is asalad of mixed greenswith roasted chicken, camparitomatoes, goatcheese, almondsand dates. Beer-battered codcomes with chips and aside of jalapeno tartar sauce andmalt vinegar. Grilled marinatedten derloin is topped with sizzling Worcestershire butter andfries. Side dishes rangefromGouda gritstoancho-seasoned Brussels sproutsand braisedcollards.

Thenew spot also serves house made icecream in flavors like Tahitian vanilla, Cisfor Cookie and thecardamom-infusedFlight to

India.The icecream maypop up at other locationsaswell.

Theteam’sall-scratch approach stretchesfromsourdough breadto saladdressings andturkeysausage made inhouse. A6,000-squarefoot commissarykitchen on the West Bank is thecompany’s culinaryhub,bringingconsistency to thefivelocal locations, includ ingtwo on Magazine Street,one on Harrison Avenue in Lakeview and oneinElmwood.Therealso arelocations in LasVegasand Jackson,Mississippi Expandingthe DistrictAll-Day Deliciousconceptisinthe cards.

“Thereare many excellentplaces to eatinthisneighborhood,”Vogel says.“Ournicheisapproachable everyday items— aburger, BLT, roast chicken, breakfast biscuit —thatare thekinds of foods that people caneat everyday.”

FORK +CENTER

Emaildining@gambitweekly.com

Peas,please

AREARESTAURANTSAREPARTICIPATING INADININGFUNDRAISER forthe Made in NewOrleans (MiNO) Foundation Nov. 5-11,and there’sa dinner by chef Serigne Mbayeatthe St.Vincent Hotel on Nov. 11.MiNOwas foundedtomake localworkplaces moreinclusive.

Participants in theannual Pass the Peas fundraiser offerspecialitems on theirmenus from Saturday,Nov 5, to Friday,Nov.11. Proceeds from thoseitems supportthe organization

Thereare morethan20participating restaurants, includingThe Chloe, Mister Mao, Palm &Pine, Barracuda, TheMunch Factory, Carmo, Cochon, JohnnySanchez, HotelSt. Vincent, Seafood Sally’s,Sylvainand Vals.Also participatingare Faubourg Brewing Co., Barrel Proofand Cure. Visitminofoundation.org fora complete list.

ThePass thePeasdinner will be at theHotel St.Vincent.ChefMbaye, whofocuses on Senegalesefoodin hispop-upDakar NOLA, will cook themulti-course, family-style meal

and cocktails andwineare included. There’salso acocktailhourand music beginning at 6p.m.Friday, Nov. 11 Tickets are$300via eventbrite.com

Thereisa Pass thePeasparty afterwardinthe hotel’sChapel Club. DJ FTKwill providethe musicand there’sa cash barrun by Jamerra Gould, agraduateofTurning Tables, alocal programthatprovidestrain ing andresources to make thebar industry moreinclusiveand eliminate racialinequalities. Suggested donation is $30.

MiNO workstoexpand oppor tunities forBlack,Indigenousand people of colorinthe restaurantand hospitalityindustry andtoimprove equityand address biasand disparities.The organization fundsscholar ships, provides mentors andmore.

—WILLCOVIELLO

PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER Co-ownerAaronVogelwithshrimp andgritsandbuttermilkpancakesat DistrictAll-DayDelicious.

PHOTO BY IANMCNULTY /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

ChefSerigneMbaye

DaleRivas

by Will Coviello

DALERIVASGREWUPINNICARAGUA ANDCAMETONEWORLEANS when he was10. He becameinterested in cookingand currentlyworks at Mister Maowhile finishinga programatthe NewOrleans Culinaryand HospitalityInstitute. He’s oneofthree students whose concepts were chosenfor a NOCHI Food Hall,open to the public forlunch Nov. 4, 7-9, 11 and 14-16. HisPetrona standfocuses on elevated Nicaraguandishes. Theother concepts areJohnny’s forbarbecue andKanpai for Japanese dishes.Therealso is a barwithcocktails andnonalco holic drinks foreachconcept.The food hallisopen from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.,and patronscan walk-inor makereservations vianochi.org/ foodhall.Rivas spokeabouthis interest in cookingand Petrona

Howdidyouget interestedincooking?

DALE RIVAS: When Iwas akid, my grandmother andmygreat auntie would cook on Sundays, because afterchurcheverybody washungry. They always woke up at like 7and started getting everything readysotheycould be readybynoon and thefamily could come and eatand enjoy. They would cook thingslikearroz aguado,which is atypeofricethat is made so it’s soft and watery like asoup. It hassometypeofpork. It’s arealtraditional dish we’d eat on Sundays. Or we’d eatdifferent varietiesoftamales.Nacatamales arebig ones. Some of thetamales aresweet,but they getalot of flavorfromthe masa

Iwould help my grandmother with thecooking. Iwould run around gettingingredients. The first thing Ilearned to cook was gallo pinto,which is riceand beans sauteed together.You canput onions,garlicand other things on them,but in my house,itwas beans, riceand onion.

Whendidyoustart workinginrestaurants?

R: Thefirst jobIgot wasactually an accident.Mymom was supposed to do desserts,but shewasn’table to take thejob.I waslike, Iwanttoworkand have moneyinmypocket. Shelet me It wasClancy’s,and they taught me howtocook allthe desserts

—lemon pie, pecanpie,coconut pies.Therewas breadpudding, brownies and allthe classic desserts. Ialso made icecream.I’d makestrawberryand blueberry sorbets, vanillaice cream, pecan that wasdelicious.Theyalso did a greatwatermelon sorbet

At Clancy’s,Imovedaroundthe kitchen. They movedmetothe fry station, whereI wasfryingsoftshellcrabs,shrimpand oysters. Then they movedmetothe grill and handling allofthe meats. Then they movedmetothe app station. Ihad morecreativity there. Icould do what Iwantedwiththe sweetbreads. Icould do whatever kindofsauceI wanted.The chef showedmehow to make beurre blancs and other sauces.Myfavoritewas acitrus beurreblanc,and I’dput that with thesweetbreads and butternutsquash, broccolini and sauteed onions

Iwas therea year and ahalf, and then sixweeks agoI moved to Mister Mao. Iamonthe saute station. Idoscallops, alot of stir fries, sometimesI do dumplings SometimesI do thehot desserts.I am learninga lot. Mister Maoisfast paced, and chef Sophina (Uong) is giving me alot of tips

Imet agraduatefrom(NOCHI) at Clancy’s.Hetold me it would be agreat opportunitytolearn

TellusaboutPetrona.

R: ThenameIcameupwith is Petrona,which is my grand mother’s name. She’s abig influenceinwhy Icook.She’smy biggest fan. Isendher photos of what Iamdoing, and it makesher happyand that makesmewantto cook more.The pop-upisa chance to bringforward Nicaraguan

dishes.Thereare some Nicaraguan restaurantshere, butI want to elevatethe dishes

Thereare sevenplateson themenu. Thefirst dish is El Guardabarranco, named forthe national birdofNicaragua.It’s friedyucawith some ricepaper cracklings.Ontop of that is going to be asalad of cabbage, carrots, onions andtomato vinaigrette. Theyucaisboiledand friedsothe middle is soft butall around it will be crunchy.

Nacatamales aretraditional Nicaraguan tamales made of rice, tomatoes,potatoesand meat, whichisporkmostofthe time. That’s what Iamusing,porkrib Iamdoing tostones.Usually,it’s aside. Youcan putthemonthe side of many plates. It’s like ator tilla— youcan pick it up —but it’s friedplantains crushed andthen friedagain.

Onedessert is goingtobeapush pop. It’s popularinNicaragua We’remakinga habaneroand mango sorbet.It’slikeapopsicle witha wrapper that youpushup.

Onedessert that is abig part of Nicaraguaisrosquillas. It’s a doughnut-shapedcheeseand masa dish.Wedon’t have many resources(in Nicaragua),soweuse as much as we can. We have alot of corn.Wehave alot of cows.We take themilkand make cheeses. We trytoput it into foods,sowe combinemasaand cheese.You bake it andithas acrunch.Some rosquillasare sweetand some are cheesy.Myfavoritesare thesweet ones.We’ll be doingbothkinds

WINE

THE

Campo Viejo

Cava Brut

Reserva

Very pleasant, fine and powerful aromas of fruit with hints of yeast. Round and pleasantpalate with sweep spots and final reminders of apple. Balanced and open, harmonious and with a lingering finish.

DISTRIBUTED

PHOTO BY WILL COVIELLO

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.

Acorn— 12 HenryThomasDrive,(504) 218-5413;acornnola.com Thecafe a at theLouisiana Children’sMuseumhas kid-and adult-friendly menu. Blackened shrimp fill atriooftacos topped with arugula,radish,pineapple-mango salsa andcilantro-lime sauce. No reservations breakfast andlunchWed.-Sun. $$

Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St.,Metairie,(504) 834-8583;andreas restaurant.com Chef Andrea Apuzzo’s speckled troutroyaleistopped with crabmeat andlemon-cream sauce Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angelhairpasta andsmoked salmonin cream sauce.Deliveryavailable.Lunch and dinner daily,brunchSun $$$

AngeloBrocato’s — 214N.CarrolltonAve., (504)486-1465;angelobrocatoicecream. com— This sweetshop serves itsown gelato, spumoni, Italianice,cannolis,bis cotti, figcookies,tiramisu,macaroons and other treats. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun $

Annunciation— 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245;annunciationrestaurant. com— ThemenuhighlightsGulfseafood in Creole,Cajun andSoutherndishes Gulf Drum Yvonne is served withbrown butter sauce with mushrooms and artichokehearts. Reservations recommended.Dinner Thu.-Mon $$$

TheBlueCrabRestaurant and Oyster Bar— 118HarborViewCourt,Slidell, (985)

$ —average dinner entrée under $10

—$11-$20

—$20-up

315-7001;7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898;thebluecrabnola.com The menuincludessandwiches, friedseafood platters,boiledseafood and more. Basin barbecue shrimp areservedovercheese gritsfeatureswith acheese biscuit. Outdoor seatingavailable.Noreserva tions. Lakeview:lunchand dinner Tue.-Sun Slidell: lunch Fri.-Sat., dinner Wed.-Sun $$ Broussard’s— 819Conti St.,(504) 581-3866;broussards.com Themenu includesCreole andcreativecontemporary dishes.Rainbowtrout amandine is served withtassoand corn macque chouxand Creole meunieresauce Reservations recommended.Outdoor seatingavailable.Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

Cafe Normandie— HigginsHotel,480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941;hig ginshotelnola.com/dining— The menu combines classic French dishes andLouisiana itemslikeCrabbeignetswith herb aioli. No reservations.Breakfast andlunch daily $$

Common Interest HotelIndigo, 705 Common St.,(504) 595-5605;commoninterestnola.com Shrimpremoulade Cobb salad comeswith avocado,blue cheese,tomatoes,bacon,egg andcorn relish. Slow roasted beef debris tops goat cheese andthyme grits. Reservations accepted.Breakfast, lunch,dinner and late-night daily $$

Curio— 301Royal St.,(504) 717-4198; curionola.com— ThecreativeCreole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken and andouillejam balaya. Reservationsaccepted.Lunch and dinner daily $$

Desire Oyster Bar— RoyalSonesta New Orleans,300 Bourbon St.,(504) 586 0300;sonesta.com/desireoysterbar— The menu higlightsGulfseafood in Creole dishes.Char-grilled oystersare topped withParmesan andherbs.Reservations recommended.Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily $$

Dickie Brennan’sBourbon House— 144 Bourbon St.,(504) 522-0111;bourbon house.com Theseafood restaurant has araw barand alarge selectionofbourbon. Redfishonthe Halfshelliscooked skin-onand served withlemon buerre blanc.Reservations accepted.Lunchand dinner daily $$$

Felix’sRestaurant& Oyster Bar— 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.The menuincludes seafood platters,crawfishetouffee, po-boys and more.Noreservations.Lunch and dinnerdaily $$

Frey SmokedMeat Co.— 4141 Bienville St.,Suite 110, (504)488-7427; freysmokedmeat.com Thebarbecue restaurantservespulledpork, St.Louis ribs,brisket, sausages andmore. Fried pork belly poppers aretossedinpep perjelly glaze.Noreservations.Lunch and dinner daily $$

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

Theshop serves freshfruit in platters, smoothie bowlssuchasa strawberry shortcakesmoothie andmoreusing pineapple,various berries,citrus and more.Noreservations.Outdoor seating available.Breakfast andlunch daily. $$

Joey K’s— 3001 Magazine St.,(504) 8910997;joeyksrestaurant.com— Themenu includesfried seafood platters,salads, sandwiches and redbeans and rice Sauteedtrout Tchoupitoulasistopped with shrimp and crabmeat. Delivery available.

Lunchand dinner Mon.-Sat., brunchSun $$

Juan’sFlying Burrito— 515Baronne St., (504)529-5825; 2018 Magazine St.,(504) 569-0000;4724S.CarrolltonAve., (504) 486-9950;juansflyingburrito.com The Flying Burrito includes grilled steak, shrimp, chicken,cheddar-jack cheese,black beans, yellow rice, guacamole and salsa. Themenu also has tacos,quesadillas,nachosand more. Outdoorseating available.Noreser vations.Lunch anddinnerThu.-Tue. $$

Katie’sRestaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504)488-6582;katiesinmidcity.com A CajunCubanhas roasted pork,grilled ham,cheeseand pickles on buttered bread.The Boudreauxpizza is topped withcochon de lait,spinach, redonions, roasted garlic and scallions.Delivery available.Reservationsacceptedfor large parties. Lunch anddinnerTue.-Sun. $$

Kilroy’s Bar— HigginsHotel,480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941;higginshotelnola.com/dining Thebar menu includessandwiches,flatbreads, salads and more.A Louisiana peachflatbread

hasprosciutto,stracciatella cheese,aru gula and pecans. No reservations.Dinner Wed.-Sat $$

LegacyKitchen’s CraftTavern— 700 Tchoupitoulas St.,(504) 613-2350;leg acykitchen.com— Themenu includes oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, salads and more.ANOLAStyle Grits Bowl is topped with bacon, cheddarand apoached egg. Reservations accepted Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily $$

LegacyKitchen Steak&Chop 91 Westbank Expressway,Gretna, (504) 513-2606;legacykitchen.com Themenu includesfiletsmignons, bone-in rib-eyes and topsirloins, as well as burgers, salads and seafood dishes.Reservations accepted.Outdoor seatingavailable Lunchand dinnerMon.-Sat. $$

MartinWine Cellar — 714Elmeer Ave., Metairie,(504) 896-7350;3827Baronne St.,(504) 894-7444;martinwine.com The spiritsshop’s deliservessandwiches,salads andmore. TheSena salad includes roasted chicken,raisins,blue cheese,pecansand fieldgreenswith Tabasco pepperjelly vinaigrette.Noreservations.Lunch daily $$

MidCityPizza 6307 S. Miro St.,(504) 509-6224;4400BanksSt.,(504) 483 8609;midcitypizza.com Thepizza joint serves NewYork-stylepies,calzones, sandwiches andsalads. Shrimpremou lade pizzaincludesspinach, redonion and garlic on an oliveoil-brushed curst. Delivery available.Noreservations.Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave.,(504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com TheSouth

Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki,avo cado and snow crab.The menu also has sushi, sashimi,noodle dishes,teriyakiand more.Reservations accepted.Delivery available.LunchSun.-Fri.,dinnerdaily $$ Mosca’s— 4137 Highway90West, Westwego,(504) 436-8950;moscasrestaurant.com Thisfamily-styleeateryserves Italiandishes andhouse specialties includ ingshrimpMoscaand chickena la grande. Bakedoysters Moscaismade withbreadcrumbs andItalianseasonings.Reservations accepted.Dinner Wed.-Sat.Cash only $$$

Mother’s Restaurant— 401Poydras St.,(504) 523-9656;mothersrestaurant net— This counter-servicespotisknown forpo-boys dressed withcabbage and Creolefavorites, such as jambalaya, crawfish etouffee andred beans and rice. Delivery available.Noreservations Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily $$ Nephew’sRistorante— 4445 W. Metairie Ave.,Metairie,(504) 533-9998;nephews ristorante.com— Chef FrankCatalanotto is thenamesake“nephew” whoran the kitchen at Tony Angello’srestaurant. The Creole-Italianmenu featuresdisheslike veal,eggplantorchicken parmigiana. Reservations required.Dinner Tue.-Sat $$ Neyow’sCreole Cafe — 3332Bienville St., (504) 827-5474;neyows.com Themenu includesred beans with friedchicken or porkchops, as well as seafood platters, po-boys,char-grilled oysters, pasta, salads and more.Noreservations.Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunchSun $$ Nice Guys Bar&Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504)302-2404;

niceguysbarandgrillnola.com— Chargrilled oystersare topped with cheese Themenualso includeswings,quesadillas, burgers, sandwiches,salads, seafood pastaand more.Noreservations.Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat $$$

Nonno’s CajunCuisineand Pastries — 1940 DauphineSt.,(504) 354-1364; nonnoscajuncuisineandpastries.com The menu includeshome-styleCajun and Creoledisheswith some veganoptions Shrimp aresauteed withonionsand bell peppers, toppedwith cheese andserved withtwo eggs andtoast.Deliveryavail able.Reservations accepted.Breakfast and lunch daily $$

Peacock Room — KimptonHotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St.,(504) 324-3073;pea cockroomnola.com— Blacklentilvadou vancurry comeswithroasted tomatoes, forest mushroomsand basmati rice.The menu includes smallplates, aburger, salads and more.Reservationsaccepted DinnerWed.-Mon.,brunch Sun. $$

Rosie’sonthe Roof— Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining The hotel’s rooftopbar hasa menuofsandwiches, burgersand smallplates. No reservations.Dinnerdaily. $$

Tacklebox— 817Common St.,(504) 8271651;legacykitchen.com— Theseafood restaurantservesraw andchar-grilled oysters, seafood,burgers,saladsand more RedfishSt. Charles is served with garlic herbbutter, asparagus, mushroomsand crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily. $$

Tavolino Pizza&Lounge— 141Delaronde St.,(504) 605-3365; tavolinonola.com— Themenufeaturesthin-crustpizzas, salads,meatballs andmore. ABehrman Hwy. pizzaistoppedwith pork belly,caramel, marinated carrotsand radishes,jalapenos and herbs.Noreservations. Outdoorseatingavailable.Dinner Tue.-Sat $$

Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza— 1212 S. ClearviewParkway,Elmwood,(504) 733-3803; 2125 VeteransMemorialBlvd., Metairie,(504) 510-4282;4024Canal St., (504)302-1133;4218MagazineSt.,(504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway21, Covington, (985)234-9420; theospizza.com A Marilynn Pota Supreme pie is toppedwith mozzarella,pepperoni,sausage, hamburger,mushrooms,bellpeppersand onions.Therealso aresalads, sandwiches and more.Takeoutand deliveryavailable Lunchand dinner Tue.-Sat $

Tito’sCeviche &Pisco — 5015Magazine St.,(504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco. com— Peruvian lomo saltado is atraditional dish of beef sauteedwith onions, tomatoes,cilantro, soysauce andpisco, and served withfried potatoes andrice. Outdoor seatingand deliveryavailable Reservations accepted.Lunchand dinner Mon.-Sat., brunchSun $$$ Zhang Bistro 1141 DecaturSt.,(504) 826-8888; zhangbistronola.com— The menu includes Chinese and Thai dishes TheSzechuanHot Wokoffersa choice of chicken,beef, shrimp or tofu with onions,bellpeppers, cauliflower, jala penos, garlic andspicySzechuansauce. Reservations accepted.Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

The

TUESDAY1

DOSJEFES —Wendell BruniousBand feat.Tom Hook,9 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB CollinMyers Band,5pm; Fritzel'sAll Star Band,8 pm

GASA GASA —The LegendaryPink Dots with OrbitService,9 pm

SIBERIA —Chew, SuzieTrue, Secret Cowboy,9pm

SMOOTHIEKING CENTER —Greta VanFleet,7 pm

ZONY MASH BEERPROJECT Rebirth Brass Band First Tuesdays,8 pm

WEDNESDAY2

BLUE NILE —New BreedBrass Band,9 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB Fritzel'sAll Star Band,8 pm

GASA GASA —Joe Hertler, TheRain bowSeekers, ProximaParada, 9pm

JEANLAFITTE NATIONAL HISTORICALPARKVISITORCENTER, NEW ORLEANSJAZZNATIONAL HISTORICALPARK —Darianna Videaux Capitel, 5pm

NEW ORLEANSJAZZMUSEUM —Kevin Gullageand theBlues Groovers,2 pm

SANTOS —Child Bite withWizard Dick,Totem,9 pm

SIBERIA —JamesRose, Dustyand theDecision, BigLeather,Jennifer O'Brien, 9pm

THESANDBAR —GeraldFrench, 7pm

THURSDAY3

BLUE NILE —WhereY'atBrass Band,9 pm

CAFE NEGRIL —SierraGreen and the SoulMachine, 10 pm

DIXONANNEX RECITALHALL Nayo Jones, 7pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB Fritzel'sAll Star Band,8 pm

HOWLIN'WOLF —BrunoElisabetsky withIan Bowman,Fernando Lima, Martin Masakowsky, 8pm

LE BON TEMPSROULE —Soul Rebels, 11 pm

PEACOCKROOM, HOTELFONTENOT —DaLovebirds with Robin Barnes andPat Casey, 8pm

ROCK 'N'BOWL —RustyMetoyer& theZydecoKrush,8 pm

SIBERIA —Gel,Dracula,Sodomite, Paprika, 9pm

THEJAZZPLAYHOUSE —Brass-AHolics,7:30pm

TIPITINA'S —Plains, MJ Lenderman,9 pm

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS AMPHITHEATRE —John "Papa" Gros,5 pm

FRIDAY4

ABITASPRINGS TRAILHEAD MUSEUM —Abita Fall Fest, 12 am

BLUE NILE —The Caesar Brothers, 7pm

BLUE NILEBALCONY ROOM TrumpetSlim&Brass Flavor,10pm

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS SoulRebels, 10 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB Fritzel'sAll Star Band,9 pm

GASA GASA —Mia Daywith Lyla Di Paul,WildRoots Rising,9pm

HIDEAWAY DEN&ARCADE —Mrz Crowley, 8pm

NOLABREWING COMPANY —Papa Mali,Billy Iuso, Reggie Scanlan, MichaelFouquier, 6pm

OLDRAILBREWING COMPANY JimPeterik —Ozone HitWriter Showcase, 6pm

PUBLIC BELTATHILTONRIVERSIDE —PhilMelancon, 8pm

RAISING CANE'SRIVER CENTER KoeWetzel, 7pm

ROCK 'N'BOWL —The RougeKrewe, 8:30 pm

SIBERIA —TimothyEerie,Tattered Rabbit,Quarx,8pm

TIPITINA'S —Leo Nocentelli's Another Side, Slugger,8 pm

ZONY MASH BEER PROJECT —Lost BayouRamblers,8pm

SATURDAY5

BLUE NILE —George BrownBand,7 pm;SoulBrass Band,11pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM —The MarignyStreetBrass Band,10pm; DJ Novi,11:45 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB Fritzel'sAll Star Band,9 pm

GASA GASA —The Unlikely Candidates, NoxHolloway, KenzoCregan, 9pm

HOWLIN'WOLF —Never Ending Fall,9pm

PUBLIC BELTATHILTONRIVERSIDE —PhilMelancon, 8pm

ROCK 'N'BOWL —Lostin the'60s, 8:30 pm

SANTOS —She MightBeaBeast, Drab,Sansho, 9pm

SIBERIA —SisterKill Cyclewith Mr Lugosi,Livernois,Mange &More, 9pm

THEALLWAYS LOUNGE &CABARET —The NewOrleans High Society Hour,8pm

THEBOMBAYCLUB —Anais St.John,8pm

THERABBITHOLE —GlenDavid An drewsBand,9 pm

ZONY MASH BEERPROJECT Bo Dollis Jr.and TheWild Magnolias, 8pm

SUNDAY6

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

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB Fritzel'sAll Star Band,8 pm

GASA GASA —Bystanders,Inferious, Bottomfeeders, OX,Wasted Creation,8 pm

HOWLIN'WOLF —Tenth Mountain Division,KendallStreet Company, 8pm

ONEEYEDJACKS —Venom Inc., Eyehategod,Ringworm, Cult of Lilith,7 pm

SIDNEY'S SALOON —Foco, The Nancies, Goatman Express,7 pm

SOUTHPORT HALLLIVEMUSIC & PARTYHALL —Black Flag,T.SO.L., TheDickies, 6pm TIPITINA'S —Shovels &Rope,The MinticoreTour+ TréBurt, 9pm

MONDAY7

GASA GASA —Foco,

We AreNot

Weightofwords

by JakeClapp

IN2001,ST.TAMMANYPARISHPROSECUTORSTURNEDTORAPLYRICS as part of theirattempt to paintMcKinley “Mac”PhippsJr. as capable of first-degreemurder. Theirrea soning: Phippswritesmusic with violent lyrics,and so it must not onlybepossible,but probable, he killed 19-year-old Barron Victor Jr in February 2000 at aclubinSlidell.

At trial, prosecutors presentedwit nesses —several of whom latercame forwardtosay they were bullied by authoritiestoplace thekilling on Phipps —and they quoted Phipps’ lyrics to thejury, oftentakinglines outofcontextand even combining lyrics in amisleading fashion. It was enough to convince 10 of the12 jurors to convictPhippsofthe lesser charge of manslaughter. In 2015,the jury foremantoldThe Huffington Postthe useofPhipps’lyricsinflu enced theirdecision.

ButPhippswasn’tliving thesongs he wroteinthe 1990s.Beforehis arrest in 2000,hehad no criminal record.Hewas justa gifted storyteller and performer

“Fromasearly as apre-teen, I considered myself abattlerapper, and in therealmofhip-hop,battle rapisbraggadocio, it’s writing rhymes that you’re trying to convincethe audiencethatyou’rethe hardest,you’rethe best rapper,” Phippssays.

Aloverofliterature andstorytell ing, theNew Orleans-bornrapper earned acclaimfor hislyrical prowess during thelate-’90s, when he released hisalbums “Shell Shocked” and “World WarIII”onNoLimit Records. Phipps wasa battle rapper influenced by East Coasthip-hop andsigned to alabel that already hadareputation forgritty, street-life gangstarap —hewas goingtogo hard.And knowingwhatlistenersat thetimedemanded,manyofPhipps’ songs includedviolent lyrics.

On Feb. 20,2000,Phippswas performingata smallclub in Slidell when afight brokeout,a gunwas firedand Victor waskilled.Police arrested Phipps,but therewerea number of discrepancies from the start. Therewas no evidence tying Phippstothe crime. Anumberof witnessesdescribed another person —and another manlater confessed Phippswas sentencedto30 yearsfromasplit jury verdict, but he always assertedhis innocence

Last year,Gov.JohnBel Edwards grantedclemencyand Phipps returned home to NewOrleans

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, Phipps will sharehis storyaspartof RaponTrial,a symposium focusedonthe issueofprosecutors andlaw enforcement usingrap lyrics as evidence in thecourtroom

“I don’tthink manypeople know what it entails when youuse song lyrics against someone in court—the negative impact it canhave on ajuryand the potentialithas to denysomeone a fair trial,”Phippssays.

TheRap on Trialsymposium at DillardUniversity’sCook Theater will include four panel discussions, covering theissue from theangle of defenseattorneys,the media, artistsand musiciansand what changescan be madetolawsto better protectartists in court.

Alongwith Phipps, thesympo sium will featurerapperKiller Mike; writerErikNielson, whose2019 booklends thesymposium itsname; NewOrleans artist NesbyPhips; RapCoalition founderWendy Day; journalist Leslie D. Rose; Angelique Phipps,whose AMPPRorganized thesymposium;writerDavid Dennis Jr.; VOTE deputy director Bruce Reilly;professor Corey Miles;BE NOLAdirectorAdrinda Kelly;and KevinMiller,aBaton Rougelaw enforcementofficer

Thesymposium starts at noon andisfreetoattend Phipps’ accountfeaturesheavily in thebeginning of Nielson’sbook, “Rap on Trial: Race,Lyricsand Guilt in America.”Nielson, an associ ateprofessor at theUniversityof Richmond,co-wrotethe book with University of GeorgiaSchoolofLaw professor AndreaL.Dennis.

In thecourseoftheir research, Nielsonand Dennis foundhundreds of examples of raplyricsusedin both state andfederal courts,most involving young Blackand Latino men. Whilehighprofile cases involving figureslikeC-Murder, another No Limits rapper,Boosie and Young Thug catchheadlines, Nielsonand Dennis foundamateur and up-and-comingrappers arethe most impacted by thepractice.

Despite themassiveinfluence of hip-hop in today’sculture,rap isn’t afforded thesame protectionsas other formsofmusic

“Ratherthanacknowledging that theselyricsare theresultofcreative license, thecriminal justicesystem has effectivelydeniedrap musicthe statusofart,allowingpoliceand

prosecutors to presentittojuries as autobiographyrhymedoverabeat —often with devastating consequences,” Nielsonand Dennis write. “Noother fictionalized form,musical or otherwise is treatedthisway in court. That’s whywecallthisbook ‘Rap on Trial.’It’snot artontrial.It’s notmusic on trial. It’s only rap.”

Since theearly ’90s,rap and itscreativeexpressionhave been misrepresented andmisunderstood by prosecutors,judgesand juries, Nielsonsays. Thepracticefurther marginalizes people of color, mutes musicianswho earnaliving from theirart by puttingthem behind bars and could have achilling effect on future rappers.

“Rap on Trial” is very carefulnot to arguefor theinnocence or guilt of anyparticularperson, “it’sreally justtoargue fortheir righttoa fair trial,”NielsonsaidtoGambit.“Using lyrics jeopardizes that.”

Therehas been movement in recent yearstomakeand change laws to address theuse of raplyrics in trials,withbillsinCalifornia,New York andNew Jersey as well as at thefederal leveltacklingthe topic to varyingdegrees.

More attentionhas been given in thelast fewyears to the“Rap on Trial” issue, but“it’s an uphill fight,”Phippssays. “You have some peoplewho have atotal opposite perspective,but formethiswas something that affected my life and cost me 21 yearsinprison.Ifanyone is goingtobeatthe forefrontof trying to push this change,it’s going to be me.”

“I’mnot saying Iwanttogivepeo ple apass,”Phippsadds. “Criminal activity is criminal activity.But if youhave serious charges, [prosecu tors]need much morethatcan tie this person to this crimethan words of asong.”

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

McKinley‘Mac’PhippsJr.willtake partintheRaponTrialsymposium atDillardUniversityonNov.1.

Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE

THECONTEMPORARYDANCECOMPANYPRESENTSRONALDK.BROWN’S LATESTPIECE,“EqualityofNight and Day,”set to jazz and spokenwordbyAngelaDavis,and “Grace,” settomusic by Duke Ellington, Fela Kuti,Roy DavisJr. and others. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, and Saturday,Nov.5,at NOCCA’sFreda Lupin Hall.Find ticketsatnobadance.com.

Plains

AFTERTHEYEACHRELEASEDSTRONG SOLOPROJECTSIN2020,Los Angeles singer-songwriter Jess Williamson and KatieCrutchfield,best known forindie projectWaxahatchee, got together as Plains.Ontheir October release“IWalkedWith YouA Ways,” they explore theircountry musicinfluences in an Americana album. MJ Lenderman opens at 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, at Tipitina’s. Tickets$25 at tipitinas.com.

Shovels &Rope

THEMULTI-INSTRUMENTALISTDUO CARYANNHEARSTANDMICHAEL TRENT recently marked the 10th anniversaryoftheir debut release. They worked on their mostrecentalbum,“Manticore,” in NewOrleans.The Charleston, SouthCarolina-based couple playashowatTipitina’sontheir waybackfromheadlining the 30th anniversarycelebrationof theOxfordAmerican.Rootsy singer-songwriterTre Burt also performsat9 p.m. Sunday,Nov.6 Tickets $35via tipitinas.com.

YeMaYa parade

THEYORUBANGODDESSYEMAYAGUARDS OVERWOMEN,CHILDREN,CHILDBIRTH, THESEAANDFISH.The YeMaYa parade celebrates her with aparade includ ingthe Brazilianmarchinggroup BlocoSereia, andsingersincluding Margie Perez.Marchersinsilver, blueand whitewill gather on Bayou St.JohnatToulouseand Moss streets andparadeonthe Lafitte GreenwaytoArmstrong Park and then throughthe French Quarter to theMoonwalk.Beginningat1:30 p.m. Sunday,Nov.6

Shaken Souls

CELLISTANDSINGERHELENGILLET ANDSWISSPERCUSSIONISTSIMON BERZ explore electronic jazz punk sounds in Shaken Souls. They incorporateloop and effects on thenew album“Weather Veins,”which will be releasedon Wednesday, Nov. 2. Theduo celebrates with aconcertatthe new St.Claude Arts Park in Arabi. At 8 p.m. Wednesday. Visitzeitgeist nola.org fordetails

‘TalesfromtheGimliHospital’ DIRECTORGUYMADDINHASAGENIUS FORTELLINGBIZARRESTORIES within theconventions of early blackand-white films. Oneofhis early features, “Tales from theGimli Hospital” is theoffbeat story of neighborsEinar and Gunnar seekinghelpata primitivehospital during asmallpox outbreak.They competefor theattention of the young nurses anddiscoverthey have more in commonthanthey knew.Interspersedinthe odd tale,there’s visions of waterballet, Icelandicwrestling andfrighten ingbedside manners and more. Despite Maddin’s intentional effectsusing high contrast black and white, thefilmreceiveda 4K restorationand re-release.The arthouse cult favorite screensat ZeitgeistTheatre &Loungebegin ning Friday,Nov.4.Visit zeitgeistnola.org forinformation

M.O.M.

NETFLIX’SMUSICALDRAMAMINISERIES “THEEDDY”FEATURESANEWYORK PIANIST dealingwith gangstersat aParisianjazzclub. Thegroup M.O.M. washatched on set, as twin brothersFrancoisand LouisMoutin were joined by HaitianCanadian horn playerJoweeOmicil.The trio performsatSnugHarbor at 8 p.m. and10p.m.Thursday, Nov. 3. Tickets$30 viasnugjazz.com

JoeHertler & TheRainbowSeekers

MICHIGAN’SJOEHERTLER&THE RAINBOWSEEKERSHAVEWORKED OUTAGROOVINGRETROPOPSTYLE infusedwithsouland funk Thegroup is duetoreleaseits “Painter World” EP in November ProximaParadaopensat9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, at Gasa Gasa Tickets $17via ticketweb.com

JulieOdell

SINGER-SONGWRITERJULIEODELLHAS BEENAWELL-KNOWNFIGURE in New Orleans’ musiccommunity for years, and sherecentlyreleased her firstfull-lengthrecord, the charming “AutumnEve.” Odell celebrates thereleasewith ashow at 9p.m.Saturday,Nov.5,atOne Eyed Jacks before headingout on atourofEuropeand theUnited Kingdom.Drummer Jonathan Arceneaux, bassistKenny Murphy, guitaristAjaiCombelic,Tif Lamson on vibraphone,trumpeter DavidWill andclarinetist Rex Gregory joinOdellonstage, along with other specialguests. Ocean Boyfriendopens. Tickets are$15 at oneeyedjacks.net

By Frank A. Longo

“The Beverly Hillbillies”

Bow

One (vodka brand)

bolt holder

a seized auto

honchos

TV’s Jenner

accrual

of

Lot676:Louis

Lot685:French LouisXVStyle Carved Cherry Marble TopBombe Commode, late19thc., the ogee edge cookiecornerthick whiteand gray marble over asetback bank of threedrawers flanked by bombesides andfloral carved cabriole legs,H.- 36 3/4in.,W.- 53 1/2in., D.-25in. Est. $1,000-$2,000

panel, H.-621/2 in., W.-36in.,D.- 16 in.Est.$800-$1,200

Lot630:Dutch School,“DutchFishingVillage,” 19th c.,oil on canvas,signed“H.W. Mesdag” lower right, possibly HendrikWillem Mesdag (Dutch, 1831-1915),presentedina gilt frame, H.-205/8 in., W.-281/8 in.Est.$800-$1,200

Lot752:American

verso, H.-271/4 in., W.-205/8 in Est. $1,000-$2,000

Lot651:GeorgeBucquet

Lot471:FifteenPiece SterlingPunch Set, early20th c.,byWhiting,consistingofalarge punchbowl, #227,28pints,inagrape andvine motif,12matchingpunch cups,1322, andtwo punch ladles,one by Whiting, retailedbyGeorge Brodnax,Memphis,and aTowle example,inthe “Old English” pattern,together with an ebonized twotierwoodenstand,Est.$4,000-$8,000

steppedcrown with acentralleaf andvinecarvedapplique,

doorswithiron fichehingesand

, H.-112 in., W.-72in.,D.- 26 in Est. $800-$1,200

Lot653: Boehm Porcelain Figure,“Danceofthe Proud Peacock,”No. 40430,Limitededition

Lot627:BritishSchool, “Portrait of an Admiral, possibly SirJohnSkelton,Governor of Plymouth,” 17th c.,oil on canvas,unsigned, H.-271/4 in., W.-235/8 in.Provenance: Ex-CollectionofLt. Col. andMrs.Miodrag R. Blagojevich, West SaintMary’sManor, Dryden, Maryland;Est.$800-$1,200

Lot547 and548:JohnJ.Korver (Louisiana,1910-1988), “Cotton PickingScene,” and“Carriage Full of Cotton,” 20th c.,watercolor,pencil andcharcoals on paper, H.-4 3/4in. W.-8 3/4in. Est. $1,000-$2,000 each

Lot751:American Carved MahoganyTesterBed,19th c.,the archedtwisted spindle headboard, flanked by turned andoctagonalposts,joined by wood railsand asingle footboard, H.-107 in., Int. W.-65in.,Int.D.- 79 in Est. $1,000-$2,000

Lot519:American

Lot625:LudwigBeyfuss (Austrian, 1805-),“Portrait of aYoung BoyDressed in Tartan with Dog,”c.1859,oil on canvas, signed “Beyfuss”and dated “1859”lower left,withanillegible stampenverso,H.- 17 1/8in., W.-137/8 in.Est.$300-$500

Collection of BlackamoorFigures