May 18-24 2021 Volume 42 Number 20
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CONTENTS
MAY 18 — MAY 24, 2021 VOLUME 42 || NUMBER 20 NEWS
OPENING GAMBIT
6
COMMENTARY 9 CLANCY DUBOS
Spring arrangements available!
10
BLAKE PONTCHARTRAIN 11
FEATURES
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 5
STAND UP COMEDY
Take
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MUSIC 24 FILM 26
IN WESTWEGO!
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EXCHANGE 27
@The_Gambit @gambitneworleans S TA F F P H OTO B Y S C OT T T H R E L K E L D
HEADLINER MATT OWENS
Producer of Stand-Up Nola
14
@GambitNewOrleans
Let’s Get Wet Gambit’s 2021 Summer Going Out Guide
COVER PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER COVER DESIGN BY DORA SISON
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Gambit (ISSN 1089-3520) is published weekly by Capital City Press, LLC, 840 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130. (504) 4865900. We cannot be held responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts even if accompanied by a SASE. All material published in Gambit is copyrighted: Copyright 2021 Capital City Press, LLC. All rights reserved.
Road trip
Strings and things LOST BAYOU RAMBLERS’ FRONT MAN AND FIDDLER LOUIS MICHOT croons in Cajun French with his side project the Melody Makers, joined by Grammy-winning cellist and folk singer Leyla McCalla, who has successfully launched a solo career after cutting her chops with the Carolina Chocolate Drops. At 8 p.m. Thursday, May 20, at the Broadside. Find tickets at broadsidenola.com.
Comedian and writer Sam Tallent returns to New Orleans BY WILL COVIELLO AFTER A YEAR OF STAYING IN HIS DENVER HOME because of the pan-
demic, comedian Sam Tallent is back on the road. And even though many audiences have given up on Covid precautions in search of live entertainment, there are still tough gigs out there. Tallent published a novel about a debauched comedian’s wild life on the road, but there’s still no way to predict everything that can go wrong. He was reminded of that in April during a gig in Wisconsin. “This guy hit me up,” Tallent says. “He was like like, ‘Hey, do you want to come do a show in Green Bay?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I have never been to Green Bay before.’ He was like, ‘Cool. Here’s the amount of money,’ I was like, ‘Well that’s very generous. I am in. For sure.’ “But it’s not in Green Bay. It’s in Luxemburg, Wisconsin. Population maybe 300. The show is across the street from a dairy farm in an old abandoned mill. We get there. It’s supposed to be prime rib night. Prime rib shipment didn’t show up. So, people paid $50 for prime rib. They weren’t there for us. They were there for prime rib and the six free beers that came with it — and there happened to be comedy. “I walk in, and a man with an oxygen tank says, ‘Oh good, the clowns are here,’ and points to this stage, which is just a couple of milk cartons. We’re supposed to be in the entertainment venue upstairs, but they didn’t sell enough tickets. Now we’re just going to do it in a bar, which is just an L-shaped room next to a bowling alley. As soon as we got there, I was like ‘What are we doing? Oh my god. This is going to be bad.’ ” The story gets much worse. One opening comic bombed, another cursed out the audience and another bailed out halfway through what was supposed to be a 25-minute set. During the show, children from the bowling alley came in to help themselves to soft serve ice cream from a machine by the milk carton stage. Tallent’s set was cut short when a man in the crowd said it was time to switch to karaoke. Tallent’s show at The Broad Theater on Saturday should go better. Tallent is friends with many local comedians, and he visits the city often. In fact, he got his whole family to join him in the city this week.
Space cowboys
Tallent loves live stand-up, and his act is grounded in his flair for improvisation. That makes sense given his unconventional career path. The burly comedian was an all-state offensive linemen in high school in Colorado. He was given the microphone at the awards banquet, and he says it’s the first time his father saw him kill an audience as a comedian. Tallent detoured into rock and roll, abandoning college to play in a hardcore noise band called Red vs. Black, based in Ithaca, New York. That band performed in New Orleans, and Tallent says he learned about booking tours and selling merchandise from his career in rock. While he was living a rock-and-roll lifestyle at a place dubbed Mouth House in Denver, comedy began to take precedence. Tallent began touring, and built up to a steady stream of 40 to 45 weekends a year. While he’s been on Comedy Central and launched and contributed to various podcasts, he’s also spent time writing in a more literary vein. His work has been published in VICE and he had a column for a Denver website, contributing short fiction. He started writing a novel about a boy whose father is a famous comedian who’s always on the road, but then the comedian character took over and became a different book. “Running the Light” is about Billy Ray Schafer, a comedian who’s tumbled from the heights of TV fame and ekes out a living at rough gigs away from the capitals of comedy and entertainment. He’s still great onstage, but he binges on coke, booze and sloppy sexual hookups to pass the time and
P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y S A M TA L L E N T
blunt feelings about the hole he’s dug for himself. “That first chapter came out and I was like, ‘Oh shit. That guy is easy to write,’ ” Tallent says. “I understand the decisions this guy makes, because I have opened for that guy like 100 times. That’s what you do (when you get started) in stand up. You open for the most jaded road hacks you’ve ever seen.” The book takes place over a week of shabby gigs in barrooms, bachelor parties and elsewhere along the highways between Amarillo, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. The road trip is feuled by a cache of drugs to match Hunter S. Thompson in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” and Schafer’s lust for trouble gives it a page-turning rush. He’s estranged from his wife, his manager and others, and he’s burning more bridges as he goes. Tallent released the book on his Too Big To Fail imprint, and hopes to start publishing works by other writers. As darkly funny and tragic as the novel is, it’s nothing like Tallent’s life. “There’s not a lot of wins in that lifestyle,” Tallent says. “Seriously, when they hit you with a bar tab at the end of the show, you’re like ‘What am I doing? You’re not going to comp me six chicken wings and a couple of Long Islands. What the fuck?’ It’s crazy. Luckily, I am not doing that. I am doing my thing. Comedy is great.” Sam Tallent performs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Broad Theater. “Running the Light” is available from samtallent.com.
BEFORE MOVING TO NEW ORLEANS IN 2019, singer-songwriter Conor Donohue spent years in Charleston, South Carolina, and fell into the same raucous Americana circles as Shovels & Rope. His last album, “Let Love Contaminate,” imbues that scene’s folk rock with psychedelia and New Orleans rhythms. New Orleans alt-Americana showcase Cosmicana will host Donohue at 6 p.m. Friday, May 21, at Zony Mash Beer Project. Tickets are $10 at zonymashbeer.com.
P R OV I D E D P H OTO
Morning 40 Federation
Rock ’n’ roll ruckus NINTH WARD ROCKERS MORNING 40 FEDERATION reunite at this dimly lit, lower Decatur Street hotspot to deliver their signature blend of raucous, whiskey-fueled, hybrid jazz-punk-rock for a pair of back-to-back shows. At 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 21-22, at Santos Bar. Find tickets at santosbar.com.
Eggplant special FROM THE ADDLED MIND OF KING JAMES AND THE SPECIAL MEN’S BASS PLAYER ROBERT SNOW, Kid Eggplant and The Melatauns bring their unique mashup of rock ’n’ roll and R&B — think the soundtrack to PAGE 25
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OPENING GAMBIT N E W
O R L E A N S
N E W S
+
V I E W S
If they’d leave us alone, we would have a happy home, sent from down below anti-vaxer-troll, anti-vaxer-troll
# The Count
Thumbs Up/ Thumbs Down
37.53
Harm reduction advocates marked a win earlier this month when the City Council voted to decriminalize the possession of fentanyl test strips and allow their sale. The testing strips allow people who use drugs to check their supply for the highly potent opioid and avoid overdose. Local advocates have been pushing for decriminalization for years. City Health Director Jennifer Avegno also supported Council President Helena Moreno’s ordinance.
The percentage of people in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of May 13.
P H OTO B Y J E S S I C A H I L L / A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for use among people aged 12 and older.
State health department greenlights vaccines for youths 12-15 under new federal guidance The Ray Charles Foundation recently gave a $1 million
grant to Dillard University’s Ray Charles Program in African-American Material Culture to fund, and provide scholarships for, the new Food Studies minor. Charles, who would often perform in New Orleans, worked with Dillard in 2003 to establish the program with the mission to study and preserve Black culture and culinary traditions in the South.
Republican state representatives on the Louisiana
House Commerce Committee last week blocked legislation that would have made it illegal for landlords to discriminate against renters based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The four Democrats on the committee voted in favor of the bill, while the seven Republicans opposed, including Rep. Polly Thomas of Metairie.
LOUISIANA PRE-TEENS AND ADOLESCENTS aged 12 through 15 are now eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine to protect them from COVID-19. Youths will require parents or guardians to accompany them in person to a vaccination sight or present health care providers with a signed consent form. Any provider in the state that has Pfizer doses can administer them to this age group, said state health department officials on May 12. The health department’s announcement came just hours after the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control greenlit the vaccine for this younger demographic, after an independent federal advisory committee voted to approve it following months of successful clinical trials that produced similar results as the adult trials. “The LDH has complete confidence in our federal partners’ decision,” said state health officer Dr. Joseph Kanter, whose guidance has mirrored that of the CDC for the state. Expanding eligibility to 12-15 year-olds opens the opportunity to vaccinate an additional 250,000 Louisiana residents who fall into this age group. Department officials also said they plan to ramp up distribution of Pfizer vaccines to reach smaller clinics and pediatricians’ offices. Even though children and young people do not often suffer symptoms as severe as their older counterparts, getting them vaccinated plays an important role in protecting themselves and others — especially as more virulent and contagious variants of the virus continue to spread, and vaccination rates have plateaued among adults in recent weeks. Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has been known that children can often be asymptomatic carriers of the virus. Children and teenagers have spent the last year distance learning and missing out on important milestones like graduation, playing team sports and gathering with peers. Getting them vaccinated will help the state’s continuing efforts to return to life as it was pre-pandemic, said Kanter. “Going ‘Sleeves Up’ will mean getting back to normal with experiences going to camp and other fun summer activities and a normal experience at school in the fall,” he said. — SARAH RAVITS PAGE 7
And, according to state health department statistics, more than 375,000 people in the region — close to 41% — have at least initiated the series of two-dose vaccines. Still, the numbers have plateaued in recent weeks as health officials continue to push for herd immunity, which won’t occur until roughly 70% of the population is inoculated. Another 250,000 Louisianans became eligible for the vaccine after the CDC recommended usage of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone over the age of 12.
C’est What
? What was on Joe Biden’s mind when he visited the Carrollton water plant?
19.2% NOW, HOW COULD THAT GUY TELL WHERE I GOT MY SHOES?
33%
OBAMA GOT TO EAT AT DOOKY CHASE’S AND I’M HERE LOOKING AT PUMPS
13.2% NOT SURE IF I CAN FIX THIS ONE, MAN
34.6%
WE’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER INFRASTRUCTURE BILL
Vote on “C’est What?” at www.bestofneworleans.com
OPENING GAMBIT
PAGE 6
LSU has placed a whistleblower at its Shreveport medical school on administrative leave in what her attorney charges is retaliation for filing a formal complaint with the Biden administration over alleged sexual harassment and discrimination by the school’s now suspended chancellor and two former employees. “She is being unfairly targeted in a malicious and retaliatory move that we believe was orchestrated by [Chancellor Dr. Ghali E. Ghali] because of her brave involvement in the protected activity of whistleblowing and opposing discrimination both for herself and for protected learners,” attorney Allison Jones said in a press release released May 13. Lisa Babin, a spokesperson for LSU Health Shreveport, told Gambit the school has seen the press release but “offers no comment based on this being a personnel matter.” Dr. Jennifer Woerner, an associate professor at the medical school, previously brought complaints to LSU on behalf of female medical students against F. Scott Kennedy, who served as the school’s dean of admissions at the time and has since been forced
to retire. Those complaints included Kennedy allegedly asking prospective female students to summarize pornographic stories and making negative comments about a student’s looks. According to The Advocate, following those complaints, medical school chancellor Ghali E. Ghali, a friend of Kennedy’s, demoted Woerner from the admissions committee, and soon after the medical school began an investigation into her. Ghali himself has been the subject of allegations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination. LSU placed him on administrative leave April 13 after Woerner and three others filed complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. LSU placed Woerner on administrative leave following a press conference last week in which she and the other three women who filed EEOC complaints spoke publicly with their lawyer about the complaints and why they decided to come forward.
P H OTO B Y B I L L F E I G / T H E A DVO C AT E
Dr. Ghali E. Ghali, chancellor of the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, speaks at a COVID-19 press conference last year. Ghali has been placed on administrative leave following recent allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and mishandling harassment claims.
“The temporal proximity of these complaints raises a high level of concern that there was a retaliatory intent,” Jones said, “and we are calling on the school to do the right thing and protect Dr. Woerner and all of my clients from retaliation and, further to protect the learners from being unduly influenced by an administrator who continues to be
under investigation, but is allowed to still teach protected learners.” Though he is on administrative leave from his duties as chancellor, Ghali continues to be around medical school students and residents through his work at the hospital. In the press release, Jones demanded LSU administration immediately remove Ghali from “his active positions with students, residents and fellows,” while the university system conducts its investigation into him. “His continued presence creates a coercive and pernicious influence on everyone, especially protected learners,” she said. “The learners are being unfairly subjected to the power differential he possesses to impact their academic progression and future careers.” — KAYLEE POCHE
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LSU accused of retaliation in medical school harassment scandal
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OPENING GAMBIT PAGE 7
What is marijuana ‘decriminalization’ and how is it different from full legalization? The Louisiana House on May 11 took a significant step toward loosening the state’s tough stance on marijuana possession, approving a bill to decriminalize possession of up to a half-ounce of the drug. House Bill 652, by Rep. Cedric Glover, D-Shreveport, is one of a host of marijuana-related bills pending the Legislature, which has advanced such proposals further than ever before this year. Among the other bills is a proposal to legalize marijuana for recreational use, which is a step further than decriminalization. The debate comes as opinions about marijuana among the public, and lawmakers, continue to soften. Here’s what you need to know about the decriminalization effort: What is decriminalization? “Decriminalizing” marijuana generally means taking away the possibility of jail time when someone is caught with an amount of marijuana small enough that it appears to be for personal use. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have already decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The states vary in how they handle it. For instance, North Dakota in 2019 made the maximum penalty for possession of up to half an ounce of marijuana a $1,000 fine. New Mexico made the penalty for a half-ounce or less up to a $50 fine. That means people caught in those states with a relatively small amount of marijuana won’t go to jail for it. If people are caught with larger amounts, they’re typically subject to harsher penalties. What is current Louisiana law? Currently, someone caught with up to half an ounce of marijuana in Louisiana — roughly 14 grams —is subject to a $300 fine or 15 days in jail on the first offense. Beyond that, the penalties ramp up significantly. On the second conviction, people can be jailed for six months. On the fourth conviction, they can be jailed for up to eight years. What would Glover’s bill do? If Glover’s bill becomes law, any time someone in Louisiana is caught with up to half an ounce of marijuana, they would get a summons instead of an arrest. Instead of the harsher penalties laid out by current law, each possession offense would only be punishable by up to a $100 fine — and no jail time. The law is similar to ordinances already in place in Baton Rouge,
New Orleans and Shreveport. In New Orleans, the first offense for possession of small amounts of marijuana carries a $40 fine, though some local officials are trying to reduce that penalty to $1. In Shreveport, the fine is $50, and in Baton Rouge, the fine starts at $40. How is it different from legalization? Glover’s bill is a step short of legalization. Generally, legalizing marijuana for recreational use —also sometimes called adult use —means setting up
P H OTO B Y R I C H A R D VO G E L / A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S
Efforts to decriminalize cannabis are underway at the state legislature.
a legal, private market for selling marijuana. That involves licensing businesses to grow it and sell it to customers who are 21 and older. Rep. Richard Nelson, R-Mandeville, has a bill to legalize the drug for recreational use. It made it to the House floor for the first time ever, and Nelson has delayed a vote as he tries to gain support of a majority of lawmakers. The bill is a much higher hurdle than decriminalization, and Nelson has scheduled the bill for a vote for May 18. What’s next for Glover’s bill? The state House voted 68 to 25 May 11 to approve Glover’s bill. Now, it heads to the state Senate, where it must win approval from a committee and then the full chamber. If that happens, Gov. John Bel Edwards would have to sign it for it to become law. The state Senate has generally been more opposed to loosening pot laws in the past, but opinions in the Legislature appear to be changing around marijuana. While influential law enforcement groups like the Louisiana Sheriffs Association and the Louisiana District Attorneys Association are fighting against Nelson’s bill to legalize the drug, they haven’t taken a stance on Glover’s bill to decriminalize it. — SAM KARLIN / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE
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COMMENTARY
Citizens deserve real accountability with infrastructure spending LAST WEEK HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
of dollars in federal economic recovery funding started making its way to New Orleans, much of it earmarked for badly needed maintenance and upgrades to our crumbling infrastructure. As if on cue, on Wednesday evening the Sewerage and Water Board issued a boil water advisory for Uptown and much of Mid-City after water pressure dropped to unsafe levels. That, in turn, forced Morris Jeff Community School — where students were in the middle of taking annual statewide exams — to close. S&WB claims the pressure drop was caused by a loss of power as a result of recent violent storms that damaged some of Entergy New Orleans’ power grid. That explanation conveniently ignores the fact that S&WB is supposed to have backup power for just such an emergency. Who is responsible for this latest failure is, to some extent, beside the point. It is, however, a grim reminder of just how fragile — and often mismanaged — New Orleans’ infrastructure is and how badly citizens need accountability before City Hall starts spending its $375 million recovery fund. This is not just about S&WB and Entergy. Our streets are such a mess there’s literally an Instagram account with the handle @lookatthisfuckinstreet. The account has more than 25,000 followers and has chronicled hundreds of the city’s worst potholes. And don’t get us started on Cox Communications, which provides Internet service for most of the city but too often leaves subscribers wondering when service will be restored. For decades, the city has thrown money at the problem. Successive mayors and councils have promised to fix the roads, fix S&WB, and ensure there’s reliable power and Internet for all New Orleanians — but somehow things have only gotten worse. Citizens have become so accustomed to the failures of our infrastructure that it’s just assumed
silk waterfall $98
linen pant $88
P H OTO BY E L I OT K A M E N I T Z , T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E
S&WB’s skill at accountability is about as rusty as this meter cover.
this is way it has to be, that it’s somehow normal. Twitter political commentator and full-time curmudgeon @skooks last week tweeted a photo of an orange water cooler, dryly noting it was full of water from the last boil water fiasco and that it is “standard kitchen equipment now.” Of course, there’s nothing normal about this. People in other major cities don’t live under multiple infrastructure Swords of Damocles, holding their breath in anticipation of which entity will fail next time the skies darken. Will the power be out for a week? Will our children have to bathe in contaminated water? Will sinkholes devour our cars? This is why the city must adopt more stringent rules for transparency and accountability before spending the latest federal bailout. The public’s ability to see where and how money is spent — with real threats to people’s jobs and bottom lines for failure — are the only guarantee of systemic improvements among local infrastructure providers. In Italy, the Acqua Vergine aqueduct has provided water to Rome since 19 B.C. If the Romans could build a system that has operated for more than 2,040 years, surely S&WB can keep the water pressure up for a full 12 months, Entergy can keep the power on during a thunderstorm, and Cox can provide more reliable Internet service.
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CLANCY DUBOS @clancygambit
E R AT E D. F A M I LY O P
ned. F a m i ly O w
. . . g n i l s Rie A GRE AT E! SUMMER W
Decriminalized cannabis closer than many think
IN
S TA F F P H OTO BY B I LL FEIG / T H E A DVO C AT E
Rep. Richard Nelson, R-Mandeville, second from right, canvasses other reps concerning his cannabis bill.
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dreamed of the day when state lawmakers would seriously consider removing or significantly reducing penalties for possession of small amounts of cannabis. Most assumed it would never happen in their lifetimes. Chances are it won’t … until it does. And that day appears to be closer than many think — particularly in New Orleans. State lawmakers are considering at least a half-dozen cannabis reform measures. The proposals run the gamut from allowing smokable forms of medical cannabis to reducing criminal penalties for possession of small amounts to full-on legalization and taxation of cannabis. Here’s a look at the major bills and where they stand as of press time: HB 391 and HB 514 by Rep. Tanner Magee of Houma would allow — and tax — smokable medical cannabis, which is cheaper and easier to produce than the currently available tincture. Both bills await final action by the Senate, though they were not scheduled as of press time. HB 434 and HB 699 by Rep. Richard Nelson of Mandeville would decriminalize, regulate and tax the growing, processing, intrastate transportation and retail sale of cannabis. Both bills cleared a House committee and are scheduled for debate by the full House on Tuesday, May 18. HB 243 and HB 709 by Rep. Candace Newell of New Orleans would decriminalize and regulate the sale of cannabis. Her bills are similar but not identical to Nelson’s bills. Newell’s bills have cleared the House criminal justice committee
and await full House action without (as of press time) a scheduled date for consideration. HB 652 by Rep. Cedric Glover of Shreveport decriminalizes possession of small amounts of cannabis. The measure would eliminate jail time and cap fines at $100 for possession of 14 ounces or less of pot for first and subsequent offenses. Enhanced penalties apply only to second or subsequent offenses for possession of more than 14 ounces. Glover’s bill cleared the House by a vote of 68-25 and awaits action by the Senate Judiciary C Committee. In addition to the legislative measures, New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno plans to introduce an ordinance that would reduce fines for possession (currently only $40 per offense) to as low as $1 per offense. She promises additional decriminalization steps in the city. The council in recent years has adopted measures to end stiffer penalties for marijuana use, including steps in 2010 and 2016 to encourage cops to issue a municipal summons rather than arresting anyone caught with cannabis. In addition, District Attorney Jason Williams has adopted a policy of not prosecuting people arrested on minor drug charges. Proponents of reforming statewide laws are doubtless encouraged by the early legislative traction shown by the various reform proposals, but lopsided votes in one chamber don’t necessarily mean smooth sailing in the other. The safer bet is that the New Orleans City Council will make getting caught with a joint no more expensive than buying a soft drink.
BLAKE PONTCHARTRAIN™ Hey Blake, I recently saw an aerial photo on Twitter of the roof of the Newman Bandstand in Audubon Park. How long has it been there?
A NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT! Say good-bye to that double chin!
Dear reader,
The Newman Bandstand was named to honor Isidore Newman, the local businessman, financier and philanthropist. He is also the founder and namesake of Isidore Newman School, the private Pre-K-12 school established in 1903. Born in Bavaria in 1837, Newman came to Louisiana as a young man. He settled in central Louisiana in Catahoula Parish before moving to New Orleans to work as a bookkeeper. By the time he died in 1909, Newman owned the Maison Blanche department store chain, helped establish the New Orleans Stock Exchange and had an ownership interest in street railway systems across the South. Newman was known as a generous philanthropist. His obituary in The Daily Picayune said many of his donations were made anonymously and to institutions serving all faiths — Newman himself was Jewish — and races. He funded the Newman Manual Training School on Peters Avenue (renamed Jefferson Avenue in 1924). The school was renamed Isidore Newman School in 1931. Newman, who served on the Audubon Park Commission, donated money for a bandstand in
Kybella!
P H OTO B Y S H E R R I M I L L E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E
The Newman Bandstand in Audubon Park
the park. He intended it to replace an older one which had fallen into disrepair. The new bandstand was dedicated in 1904. After Newman’s death, his wife and seven children donated $15,000 to build a more elaborate bandstand. Completed in 1921, the Newman Bandstand became a popular place for music concerts. In recent years, it has also been used for weddings and as a staging area for fundraising walks and runs.
BLAKEVIEW ERNIE K-DOE, THE SELF-PROCLAIMED “EMPEROR OF THE UNIVERSE,” often said, “There ain’t but two songs that will stand the test of time until the end of the world. One of them is ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’ The other one is ‘Mother-in-Law.’ ” This month marks the 60th anniversary of that iconic K-Doe song hitting No. 1 on both the Billboard pop and rhythm and blues charts. Written by the late, great Allen Toussaint, who also plays piano on the song, “Mother-in-Law” was filled with funny and blunt lyrics. K-Doe describes his wife’s mother as “the worst person I know,” saying “Satan should be her name.” Although K-Doe’s lead vocals are unmistakable, it’s Benny Spellman’s bass voice singing the title phrase that most people remember. Legend has that it that K-Doe didn’t take to the song the first time Toussaint played it for him and it ended up in the wastebasket. As writer Ben Sandmel details in his book “Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans,” there is mystery surrounding who rescued the song from the trash. But after a few changes, Toussaint and K-Doe were happier with the results. Released by Minit Records, “Mother-in-Law” became a national sensation in May 1961 and was nominated for a Grammy Award. K-Doe (born Ernest Kador Jr.) had a string of other regional hits but never duplicated his “Mother-in-Law” success. His career faltered until the 1990s, when he and his wife Antoinette bought a bar at 1500 N. Claiborne Avenue. Ernie K-Doe’s Mother-In-Law Lounge served as a music club, community center and K-Doe shrine. K-Doe died in 2001. The lounge closed in 2010 after his wife died. In 2014, trumpeter Kermit Ruffins bought and reopened it as Kermit Ruffins’ Treme Mother-in-Law Lounge.
BEFORE
AFTER
This is a before and after of just 1 Treatment
SAINTLY SKIN 3000 Kingman St. #101 Metairie | 504.475.5510 saintlyskin.com
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@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com
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BRANDED CONTENT
MUKBANG VIDEOS AND VIRTUAL TEXTBOOKS AT NEW HARMONY HIGH SCHOOL How Lauryl Grimes leads innovative classes at a unique school
NEW HARMONY’S INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT PROFILED SOME OUTDOOR VOLUNTEERING THIS YEAR
ACCORDING TO NEW HARMONY HIGH SCHOOL’S VISION, when students graduate, they will do so “as individuals who practice resilience and understand ecology–the interconnectedness of people, land, air, and water.” The school is focused on coastal restoration, so students might learn about rising sea levels or water quality in science and math class. They might read, write, debate, and make art about the impact of these changes on communities in their humanities classes. They prioritize projects and presentations over worksheets and tests.
MY BEST TEACHING COMES FROM PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY DO AND WHAT THEY’RE INTERESTED IN AND WHAT THEIR STRENGTHS ARE. Students also have “fellowships,” where they have hands-on learning experiences like internships with local organizations and ecological projects. Because of this, the school believes, they will leave New Harmony ready for college, career, and making change.
To keep students engaged, Grimes meets them where they are. “My best teaching comes from paying attention to what they do and what they’re interested in and what their strengths are. So much of what I do in a day is focusing on kids and their needs and their identities and making sure that things are relevant to them,” she says. Even when Grimes is teaching far back into our nation’s history, she brings in more relevant, recent history, as well. She structures her class through a “then, now” framework. “As much as possible, as we are talking about a subject, we will connect it to something modern– and modern is a little bit loose. It can be local, or a little bit personal. We talked about the transcontinental railroad during Westward Expansion and how it shoved Native Americans off of their land, and then we looked at the interstate system and when we built the I-10 overpass on Claiborne, it kicked entire Black communities off of their land.” One of the class texts is Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States. Using the book as a model, students are making their own digital multi-media “textbook,” a New Harmony History of the United States, which is oou have a website with pages that the class designs. They also made classwide “album covers” for Black History Month that bridged the art and writing of the Harlem Renaissance with modern hip-hop and R&B musicians.
Much of this model, of course, looked logistically different this year. Due to the pandemic, students were learning fully online until March. Now, they attend in-person classes every other week, with some students one week and others the next, to allow for social distancing. But Lauryl Grimes, the school’s United States History teacher and a Diverse Learning (Special Education) case manager, was determined to make her class as relevant and responsive to students’ interests as it could be. She kept a project-based focus, even virtually, and tied her class carefully into issues of social justice and equity. This year brought barriers, so she innovated to surmount them. As she puts it, she didn’t have much of a choice. “I think everything about our schedule and the way we function this year is innovated by necessity,” she explains. “It is hard enough to get high schoolers to come to school when things are good–to get them to show up when it’s on Zoom? And sometimes, they’re IN ADDITION TO HANDING OUT TECHNOLOGY FOR DISTANCE babysitting their two-year-old LEARNING, NEW HARMONY GAVE OUT COLORED PENCILS, NOTEBOOKS, COMPASSES, AND FLASHLIGHTS. sibling and the sibling is with them on Zoom?”
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BRANDED CONTENT
GRIMES
Students’ individual projects are just as innovative. Grimes gives them a great deal of control over how they present their knowledge. This doesn’t mean they miss out on hard facts, skills, and understanding. It means they show their knowledge in a different way. “You have to find all this information, you have to analyze primary sources–very standard historical thinking stuff–but you also have to produce something creative for me… if it’s a spoken word poem, a podcast, a flipbook, a zine, whatever you want, whatever your thing is.” According to Grimes, this is in part pragmatic. “If you make a project something they like to do anyway, they’re more likely to do it.” For one student, this meant making a mukbang video (a video, popularized in South Korea, of oneself cooking and eating) about what they were learning in class.
“He made me a mukbang. He was eating noodles and talking about Westward expansion. Having kids have flexibility in how they share what they learn, especially right now, yields way more interesting results.” Another student examined women’s rights over time through cooking. She profiled the chefs Leah Chase, Julia Child, and Alice Waters, then made her own cooking video with her grandmother. “The kids are innovating all the time,” says Grimes. “You can’t stop them.” Even with the constraints of COVID-19, Grimes feels that her students and her school were wellequipped to adjust. She says her colleagues are doing creative things in their classrooms, too, and the school as a whole is strong, in part, because it’s responsive to what students need and grounded in strong personal connections. “The relationships students have with their teachers contribute deeply to their learning,” she explains. “Both the mukbang and cooking videos were catalyzed by my coworker Kitty O’Connor, who has known those students for years, knows what they enjoy, and encouraged them to have fun with their projects.” Together, the New Harmony team makes adjustments based on that deep knowledge of their students. “Every year, we change so many things to try and make it work. And because we’ve been doing that multiple times a year since the beginning, doing it again was not that big a deal...because we are small, like our own NEW HARMONY STUDENTS, BACK IN-CLASS little district, we can make IN PERSON THIS SPRING decisions quickly. We are constantly improving.”
For instance, they have changed the schedule of the school week to better accommodate how they found students were learning online, having formal class time in the morning with support hours in the afternoon. They built in “grade level community fun time” to get to know one another and connect. They also adjusted how they sent emails to students. They found that, because of the way their virtual platform, Google Classroom, worked, students were getting overwhelming amounts of email notifications each day. While getting used to email is an important skill for students in college and career, the level of notifications was unproductive. “They were getting bombarded by Google Classroom notifications...so we set up a system,” Grimes said. They set up certain days for emails in certain subjects. For instance, teachers in humanities and STEM classes email students on Mondays. There are so many small shifts like this that have allowed New Harmony to adjust to a trying year, while making it an exciting place to learn and grow. But when it comes down to it, Grimes feels one of the most important things about the school is not innovative at all. “We care about every single student which is the least innovative thing, it’s just reality—that every single kid is different and should belong and feel valued...no matter who you are, who you love, what you look like, what your talents are, what your opinions are, you should be here, and we love you, and you matter.”
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WE CARE ABOUT EVERY SINGLE STUDENT WHICH IS THE LEAST INNOVATIVE THING. IT’S JUST REALITY — THAT EVERY SINGLE KID IS DIFFERENT AND SHOULD BELONG AND FEEL VALUED.
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Let’s
Get
Wet!
GAMBIT ’S SUMMER going out guide SUMMER IS ALMOST UPON US. And just as sure
as the Sewerage & Water Board will find new and creative ways to disappoint us, it’s definitely gonna be hot. And sticky. And also hot. Definitely humid. Did we mention the heat? ‘Cause it’s a damp heat. After spending last summer indoors, we know everybody is hoping to get out there and sweat uncomfortably in public. But we’re still in a pandemic, and we are most certainly not Florida, so if you are going to go outside, you’ll need to be Covid safe about it. Luckily for you, kind and gentle reader, Gambit’s ace team of Sunkissed Satyr Reporters is here to help! This year with options limited thanks to the pandemic, they’ve focused cloven-hooved talents on ways you, your family, your pod or you and your new “two shot vaccine buddy” can enjoy the sun and cool your heels, literally. Got a hankering for some nature but with that lazy, day-drunk feel? We’ve got you covered with ideas for tubing, relaxing river trips and easy to get to beaches. Need to feel the salt wind in your hair and spray on your face? Check out our recommendations for boating on good ol’ Lake Pontchartrain and the Tchefuncte River! Maybe you desire a bit more class in your laid-back outdoor drinking? No worries friend, take a gander at our rundown on hot pools with lots of booze in which to cool your tuchus. Perhaps you’re looking for a festival to bake your noodle at in more ways than one? Don’t worry, we’ve got ya covered, with a handpicked list of the best safe happenings in southeastern Louisiana this summer. Whatever your poison, we’ve got an option, close at hand. Just remember to keep socially distant, wear your masks and sunscreen, and don’t drink and dive. P H OTO B Y S O P H I A G E R M E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E
A mood.
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Lay back
‘CAUSE THIS IS SUMMERTIME
B Y S A R A H R AV I T S NEW ORLEANIANS GET DESPERATE
every year in search of a place to cool off. Our brains melt from the humidity, pushing us to the brink of consideration of jumping into the bayou. (Is getting eaten by a gator or developing a third, mutant arm worth the risk? Maybe? It’s hot as hell.) Luckily, we’ve compiled some of our favorite places to swim, sip, see and be seen — all of which seem much safer and more fun than diving into your neighborhood pothole after a long rain when the pumps aren’t working.
P H OTO B Y N I C O L E F R A N Z E N F O R D E S I G N H OT E L S
The Drifter Hotel on Tulane Avenue hosts visitors and events including water ballet.
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ACE HOTEL 600 Carondelet St., (504) 900-1180; acehotel.com/neworleans For a $20 cover fee, the Ace Hotel’s trendy rooftop pool, with sweeping views of the city skyline, is open Monday through Thursday. The price jumps up by 10 additional bucks Friday through Sunday. Guests also can lounge in day beds, which cost $50 to reserve. The entire rooftop space is getting a “refresh” this month, says a hotel spokesperson, but will be ready to host poolside gatherings as of Memorial Day, with a new menu and programs carrying into Labor Day. After you’re done swimming, to keep the party going, head downstairs to catch a show, see one of the hotel’s rotating art exhibits, or satisfy the boozy munchies at its first-floor bars and restaurant, Josephine Estelle.
THE CHLOE 4125 St. Charles Ave., (504) 541-5500; thechloenola.com The Chloe Hotel has become a destination, not just for outof-towners, but for locals who have been drawn to its elegant restaurant and bar. Management says guests at the boutique hotel maintain priority use of the stylish pool, but a number of lounge chairs and tables are available for four-hour sessions. If you’re up for a dip, you’ll have to reserve the day-of, when the online bookings start at 8 a.m. Sessions last from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., or from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The cost is $40 to reserve a lounge chair and luxe pool towel, which comes with the lagniappe of a house-made frozen cocktail. Groups of four can shell out $80 for a table reservation, which also comes with a round of drinks and towels.
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THE COUNTRY CLUB
634 Louisa St., (504) 945-0742; thecountryclubneworleans.com The Bywater Country Club hasn’t quite been able to return to its previous splendor as a bustling summer party scene since the start of the pandemic — known also for its popular drag brunches — but it’s still a happening place to cool off. The staff says for now, they are opting to play it safe with a limited capacity. Rather than booking in incremental time slots, it’s operating on a first-come, first-serve basis. “Once we reach capacity at the pool or bar, we can only let one new person in for each person who leaves,” explains Country Club staffer Cameron Eaton. “We like people to be able to enjoy themselves as long as they wish,” he adds. “We love it when time slips away and you get to forget the clock for a change and just relax for a while. These days we all need that more than ever.” While many are there for the pool, the Country Club also has a full menu and a three-hour-long happy hour. If you’re a maniac and don’t think it’s quite hot and humid enough, it also has a sauna and hot tub.
THE DRIFTER HOTEL
3522 Tulane Ave., (504) 605-4644; thedrifterhotel.com As it did last summer, the Drifter Hotel is operating at a limited capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions. The hotel offers “Drifting Away” sessions that last two hours and cost $15 — before staffers sanitize the space and get ready for the next round of guests. But The Drifter, which also hosted a range of special events, dance parties, yoga sessions and other pop-ups pre-pandemic, is starting to feel a little more like it did. Recently, it hosted a limited-capacity peep show, and there are plans to host more special events throughout the summer.
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DON’T miss
the boat
B Y K AY L E E POCHE
ANYTIME I CROSS THE CAUSEWAY and it’s sunny out, seeing the
lake immediately makes me want to go on the boat. Growing up in Covington, we had a canal in our backyard and a boat launch in our neighborhood leading out to the Tchefuncte River, so I’ve been going on the boat ever since I can remember. In the early days, my parents would load up the boat and pack my brother and I two sandwiches each: a turkey sandwich and a PB&J for dessert. We would ride to a small beach — which tragically barely exists anymore — and swim all day and really live our best lives. When we got a little older, we were introduced to tubing, and that really took the boating experience to a new level. Still, when I visit my parents on the weekend, I try to be sure to sneak a boat ride onto our agenda. So naturally, I’m hype that it’s finally boating season again. As someone who has practically zero tolerance for heat, that boating breeze is pretty much one of the only ways you’ll get me outdoors during the height of a Louisiana summer. If you don’t have a boat or know someone who knows someone who has a boat, there are several places to rent boats in the area.
SEABROOK HARBOR & MARINE 5801 France Road, (504) 283-9801; seabrookharbormarine.com/boat-rentals You can rent a pontoon for four hours for $295, for a full day for $475 or $80 hourly. An extra $20 gets you a tube and a rope.
NUNMAKER YACHTS, INC. 112 Highway 22, Madisonville, (985) 792-4622; nunmakeryachts.com The 20-foot pontoon, which holds up to 10 people, is $265 for a half day and $345 for a full day. The 22-foot pontoon holds up to 12 people and is $310 for a full day and $395 for a half day.
P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F BARBARA POCHE
Rolling on the Tchefuncte River
LOUISIANA TOURS & ADVENTURES 119 Fairview Drive, Madisonville, (985) 789-9602; louisianatoursandadventures.com Located in Fairview-Riverside State Park, Louisiana Tours & Adventures offers three-hour private charter trips on the Tchefuncte River, starting at $375 for up to six people.
NEW ORLEANS YACHT EXPERIENCE (504) 910-7245; neworleansyacht.com The company offers private sails on their 47-foot sailing yacht for $350 for the first two passengers. Additional passengers are $89 each, and there’s a six-passenger maximum.
WHEEL FUN RENTALS 4 Friedrichs Ave., (504) 3001289; wheelfunrentals.com If you’re looking for something far more low-key that doesn’t require a boating license, City
P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F BARBARA POCHE
Once a boat kid, always a boat kid.
Park has swan-shaped paddle boats for rental at its Big Lake. Adults are $11 per hour and kids under 18 are $6. So pack your life jackets and sunscreen — along with a few PB&Js for tradition’s sake — and get to boating this summer.
FLOAT DOWN THE AMITE RIVER
CANOE THE BOGUE CHITTO
P H OTO B Y C H U C K C O O K
Tubing is a great way to do absolutely nothing while still getting from point a to point b.
BY JAKE CL APP MOST SOUTH LOUISIANANS GROW UP ON THE WATER, but with more marshes
along our coastline than beaches, we
10237 S. Choctaw Road, Bogalusa, (985) 735-1173; boguechitto.com The Bogue Chitto, cutting across the toe of the Louisiana boot on the Northshore, has plenty of places to chill on a sandbar, drink and swim in the normally relaxed, cool stream. Bogue Chitto Tubing, located southwest of Bogalusa, has canoe, kayak and tubing rentals seven days a week during the summer months. The company offers two drop-off locations for tubing — determined by how much time you want to spend on the water itself — and canoes will move you along faster. But you and your friends can go at your own pace, as long as everyone is out of the water and back by 7 p.m. Located about an hour’s drive north of New Orleans. Prices and more information can be found at boguechitto.com.
FIND THE EDGE OF LOUISIANA AT GRAND ISLE BEACH
normally have to turn to rivers, sandbars and hidden bayou rope swings to cool off on hot summer days. While pools in the city offer a great place to relax and splash around, there’s just something different about floating down a lazy river or laying in the sun
P H OTO B Y S O P H I A G E R M E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E
surrounded by nature. If you’re looking
Grand Isle is a great spot to build a castle or two this summer. Even if they’ll drift into the sea. Eventually.
for some time on the water, outside
Along Highway 1, Grand Isle; townofgrandisle.com/beaches There is plenty of space to stretch out and wade into the Gulf of Mexico on Grand Isle, with about seven miles of public beaches running the length of the barrier island. Grand Isle State Park is on the eastern end of the island for those looking for fishing, nature trails and beautiful Louisiana scenery. Located about two hours south of New Orleans. More about the beach and state park can be found at townofgrandisle.com.
DIP INTO VERMILION BAY AT CYPREMORT POINT BEACH 306 Beach Lane, Cypremort Point, (337) 867-4510; lastateparks.com The Gulf Coast beaches are usually where our minds wander to during the summer, but a low-key, often-overlooked beach south of Lafayette offers something a little different. The man-made stretch of beach in Cypremort Point State Park is a relaxing spot for picnics and summer reading, and you can dip your toes into the smoother waters of Vermilion Bay. And definitely stick around for a sunset. Located about two and a half hours west of New Orleans. More about the beach and state park can be found at lastateparks.com.
of the bustle of the city, here are five suggestions for wet day trips away from New Orleans, including a couple of overlooked beach options.
SAIL OUT TO SHIP ISLAND
P H OTO B Y I A N M C N U LT Y / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E
Situated 12 miles off shore, Ship Island puts pristine white sand and clear water closer to home.
Ferry launches at 1040 23rd Ave., Gulfport, Mississippi, (228) 864-1014; msshipisland.com A ferry ride from Gulfport, Mississippi, Ship Island is a solid, beach day trip away from New Orleans without necessarily needing to commit to a hotel. Along with the beach and Gulf waters, the barrier island features a historic fort, and visitors can take dolphin-watching cruises in the area. Located about an hour and a half east of New Orleans. More information about the island can be found at msshipisland.com.
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ROLLIN’ DOWN the river
32625 Highway 1019, Denham Springs, (225) 2231156; tikitubing.com The best summer days are spent floating in a big inner tube down a slow river with a group of friends and an ice chest of beer. Most of your time on the Amite River, north of Denham Springs, will be spent on the water, but the river isn’t too deep and the pace is easy-going. Tiki Tubing in Denham Springs offers tube rentals for four-hour float times Friday through Sunday during the summer. About an hour and a half northwest of New Orleans. Prices and more information can be found at tikitubing.com.
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SUMMER events
FESTIVALS, CONCERTS AND EVENTS IN NEW ORLEANS and
surrounding environs for all y’all hydrophobic folks out there to do this summer
MAY 30 J.F. Harris The stand-up comic performs at The Broad Theater. thebroadtheater.com
BY W I L L COV I E L LO
JUNE 2-6 Dance for Social Change Dancing Grounds’ festival of dance is highlighted by a screening of the DSC Teen Company’s film “Yah Heard Meh? Youth Stories in a Global Pandemic.” Closing night includes guest appearances by Big Freedia, the Original Pinettes Brass Band and DJ Webbie. Events are outdoors at the Broadside. dancinggrounds.org.
JUNE 4-5
Running anywhere in the summer seems like a terribly sweaty and awful idea, but we won’t argue with the Nola Bulls.
Robert Randolph and the Family Band and Old Crow Medicine Show headline the annual barbecue and music festival that raises funds to fight pediatric brain cancer. The event moves to the Plaquemines Parish Government Facility grounds in Belle Chasse. More than 80 barbecue teams are
Beach please! WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED!
JUNE 4-5 & 11-12 ‘Songs for a New World’ Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre presents the song cycle created by Jason Robert Brown, who’s known for the musicals “Parade” and “The Last Five Years.” liberalarts.tulane. edu/summer-lyric-theatre
JUNE 5 NOLA Gold New Orleans’ professional rugby team faces off against Rugby Atlanta at the Gold Mine on Airline. nolagoldrugby.com
JUNE 12
Hogs for the Cause
F I L E P H OTO B Y T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E A DVO C AT E
participating, and the Friday night event highlights bacon dishes and chicken wings. hogsfest.org
dare” ride beginning at 4 p.m. in Bywater. See facebook.com/ groups/wnbrnola for details.
JUNE 24-25 ‘A Grand Night for Singing’ Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre presents a collection of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most popular tunes, including “Some Enchanted Evening” and “Shall We Dance?” liberalarts.tulane.edu/summer-lyric-theatre
JUNE 25-27 Jean Lafitte Seafood Festival The festival features live music, amusement rides, an art market, local seafood, access to the boardwalk through Wetland Trace and more. Jean Lafitte Auditorium and Grounds, 4953 City Park St., Jean Lafitte. townofjeanlafitte.com
JUNE 25-27 & JULY 2-4 Essence Festival of Culture
Shane Torres The comedian, actor and podcaster performs stand-up at The Broad Theater. thebroadtheater.com
JUNE 12 World Naked Bike Ride New Orleans’ chapter of the environmentally conscious, free-spirited group holds its “Bare as you
The annual Essence Festival of Culture is a virtual event this year, but it will present its usual mix of concerts and speakers from the realms of politics, entertainment, business, empowerment and more. Some programming will be exclusive to New Orleans and Louisiana residents. Find streaming links on essencestudios.com.
NEW ORLEANS - METAIRIE
REAL EXPERIENCE
MATTERS.
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JULY 3
JULY 15
Creole Tomato Festival
Sebastian Maniscalco
The stand-up comic has appeared in Netflix specials and in the movie “The Irishman.” He performs at the Saenger Theatre. saengernola.com
JULY 31 Marc Broussard
JULY 9
JULY 15-AUG. 1
The singer-songwriter performs at Southport Hall in Jefferson. southporthall.com
PRETTYMUCH
‘Jesus Christ Superstar’
AUG. 7
One of Simon Cowell’s boy bands performs at The Fillmore at Harrah’s New Orleans. With The FOMO. fillmorenola.com
JULY 8-18 ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’
Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre presents Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera about Jesus’s last days. liberalarts.tulane. edu/summer-lyric-theatre
JULY 23-AUG. 7
White Linen Night
The Arts District of New Orleans hosts the annual summer event highlighted by gallery openings and festivities in the Warehouse District. artsdistrictneworleans.com
Gary Rucker directs the musical about the Biblical tale of Joseph, who is sold into slavery by his brothers and reveals a gift for interpreting dreams. At Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts in Kenner. rivertowntheaters.com
‘Comedy of Errors’ The Shakespeare Festival at Tulane University presents Shakespeare’s comedy about two sets of twins separated at birth and the mishaps that could reunite them at Tulane’s Lupin Theater. neworleansshakespeare.org
AUG. 10
JULY 10
JULY 26
San Fermin in New Orleans
Lindsey Stirling
The comic and film and TV star performs at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. saengernola.com.
In 2020, the pandemic prevented the hard contact of women from roller derby teams “goring” runners with plastic bats in the Running of the NOLA Bulls. There will be an in-person event this year, and the San Fermin in New Orleans festival has staked a date for July 10, but details have not yet been released. nolabulls.com
The violinist and dancer performs. Kiesza and Mako open at Saenger Theatre. saengernola.com
Rise Against
The Chicago punk rockers perform at The Fillmore at Harrah’s New Orleans. fillmorenola.com
AUG. 27 George Lopez
JULY 30-AUG. 1 Satchmo Summerfest
French Quarter Festivals holds its annual celebration of Louis Armstrong with jazz performances, seminars and video presentations
S TA F F P H OTO B Y S C OT T T H R E L K E L D
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The French Market hosts its annual festival with both in-person and virtual events. Details TBA. frenchmarket.org
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and more. Details to be announced. satchmosummerfest.org
EATDRINK
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Spreading his wings Chef Chris Lusk opens the Peacock Room BY B E T H D ’A D D O N O CHEF CHRIS LUSK had all his ducks
in a row. At the end of 2019, he’d landed the job as executive chef at the Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, a 202-room boutique hotel in the Warehouse District at the corner of Poydras and Tchoupitoulas streets. The company had flown him to its corporate headquarters in Denver, and he nailed the tasting, sending 20 dishes out at a brisk pace for the brand’s restaurant and bar management team. Lusk started in early January last year, working on menu development and training for the hotel’s food and beverage program, which included the Peacock Room lounge and the casual Gospel Coffee and Boozy Treats, along with a still unnamed three-meals-a-day eatery. Gospel Coffee was set to open Monday, March 16, 2020. The night before, however, everything changed. Just 12 hours ahead of the scheduled opening, the city went into lockdown because of COVID-19. The newly opened hotel soon closed, and the restaurants weren’t happening. “It was beyond surreal,” Lusk recalls. “Everything just came to a screeching halt.” Lusk, whose last job was as executive chef of The Steakhouse at Harrah’s New Orleans casino, is wellversed in running hotel restaurants. The Texas native has earned his Louisiana cooking stripes working with the Brennan family at Commander’s Palace and Cafe Adelaide. He also spent time at the Caribbean Room in the Pontchartrain Hotel and Restaurant R’evolution in the Royal Sonesta. “Everything about this job clicked
for me,” he says. When it became clear that the pandemic wasn’t going away, the furloughed chef picked up odd jobs and side gigs when he could, which included working at Justine with his friends, chef Justin and Mia Devillier. He spent a lot of time with his family — he and his wife Ashley have two boys under 4. “That was the best part of this time, having a chance to connect with what’s really important,” he says. But he was itching to get back to work. Finally, 14 months later, the hotel reopened on May 11. The Peacock Room is drop-dead gorgeous, with gilded cages, feathered birds and retro wallpaper creating an opulent jewel menagerie of prints and patterns. Lusk’s menu of elevated sharable dishes has its roots in the tasting he did in Denver. “They liked what they had so much, they said I could just run with it,” he says. Despite his fine dining chops, his food is not over-wrought composed fare. The dishes are meant to be labor intensive behind the scenes, but the guest doesn’t need to worry about that, the chef says. “I wanted to have fun — we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Lusk says. “I want to cook food that I’d want to eat if I was out having some drinks and got hungry at the bar.” Take the “gizzards and greens” for instance. Cured overnight in a salt and sugar brine, the chicken bits are cooked sous vide for 12 hours, then deep fried and placed in Lusk’s Southern take on a traditional French frissee lardon salad. He grew up eating pimiento cheese, but his version is made with creamy Port Salut cow’s milk cheese, a drizzle of sambal and blue crab meat. Fruitti de mare gets a pho treatment with local fish crusted with housemade hoisin and cashews and served with ramen noodles made with dried shrimp and crab stock fragrant with herbs and spices, including a hint of star anise. There’s a duck and smoked oyster gumbo, served with pickled red bean potato salad, and one of the chef’s personal favorites is Crawtator-crusted oysters fried with a panko and Zapp’s potato chip coating.
Email dining@gambitweekly.com
Birds of a feather THE NATIONAL FRIED CHICKEN FESTIVAL will return to New Orleans
this fall with creative dishes from a wide range of vendors and live music on two stages on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. Cleveland Spears, founder of the annual event, confirmed May 12 that the food and music festival will return Oct. 23 and 24 on grounds between Franklin Avenue and the Seabrook Bridge. The location runs parallel to the University of New
P H OTO B Y C H E R Y L G E R B E R
Peacock Room Chef Chris Lusk with Blue Crab Pimento Cheese.
There are fun, approachable, spirits-driven menus at both Gospel and the whimsical Peacock Room. Bar manager Paula Echevarria is behind the creative bar offerings, which include boozy milkshakes and frozen drinks at Gospel. Peacock has everything from the classics to hard-to-find spirits, with an impressive collection of rum and Madeira and an emphasis on drinks that are light and floral. Gospel Coffee has a cafe menu as well as pastries and coffee drinks. Although it’s different on a lot of levels, ramping up the hotel eateries reminds Lusk of what it was like re-opening a restaurant and finding staff after Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures. And although banquets and events aren’t happening yet at the hotel, they will be. “A hotel restaurant keeps you running — with a lot of balls in the air,” Lusk says. So far, he has been able to bring back three people who were on his original opening team. “We don’t have a huge staff but it’s a good, passionate crew,” he says. “We’re ready.”
? WHAT
Peacock Room and Gospel Coffee and Boozy Treats
WHERE
Kimpton Hotel Fontenot 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com and gospelcoffeenola.com
WHEN
Peacock Room: 3 p.m.-11 p.m. Sun.-Wed.; 3 p.m.-1 a.m. Thu.-Sat. Gospel Coffee: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
HOW
Takeout and dine-in
CHECK IT OUT A luxe restaurant and casual coffee shop offer playful menus
P H OTO B Y S O P H I A G E R M E R | T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E | T H E N E W O R L E A N S A DVO C AT E
Orleans’ Lakefront Arena, but on the other side of the levee. The 2020 edition of the festival was lost to the pandemic. To move to the lakefront, organizers have been working with the Lakefront Management Authority, the body that oversees this and other public areas here. The National Fried Chicken Festival is sponsored by chicken giant Raising Cane’s, though the focus of the event is on smaller restaurants, food trucks, caterers and other pros with a passion for fried chicken. “We think it’s about great chefs and restaurants making unique versions of fried chicken. That’s the headliner,” Spears says. “Our team is working with new and returning restaurants to be more creative with their dishes. We’re looking for creative dishes that incorporate fried chicken.” Spears, who heads the local company Spears Group, first held the event in 2016 in Lafayette Square. In the second year, it moved to bigger digs at Woldenberg Park, between the Mississippi River and the French Quarter. Spears thinks the new location will mean a smaller crowd but also more support for the vendors and more engagement for sponsors, with PAGE 21
EAT+DRINK more people out to make a day of it. He’s planning for 50,000 people per day this year. “The folks coming now will be coming for our festival, and we’ll make it worth their while with new programming on the stages and across the festival grounds,” Spears says. The lakefront area is twice the size of the Woldenberg Park location, he says. As the number of festivals proliferated in New Orleans in recent years, the National Fried Chicken Festival emerged as one of the most successful. The broad appeal of fried chicken is one ingredient. Spears also says an intentional plan to draw a diverse crowd has been a key. He thinks the mix of sponsors, musical acts and restaurants makes it welcoming and inclusive for a wide spectrum of the community. “We started this with the premise that everyone loves fried chicken ... We believe food brings people together,” he says. “We program it with the goal to appeal to a broad range of people.” Admission is free, with tickets available for special access and experiences. Details on those will be announced later. — IAN McNULTY/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE
Galerie row FROM ITS HISTORIC MAIN DINING ROOM decked in tile and mirrors,
Galatoire’s Restaurant connects to its adjacent steakhouse and bar and wends across different upstairs dining areas. Now, it also extends a block away, where a new Galatoire’s experience is taking shape. The Bourbon Street landmark is developing a restaurant called Galerie de Galatoire, located at 211 Royal St., directly across from the Hotel Monteleone. Galerie de Galatoire is designed around private dining, with a flexible space of three adjoining rooms for different sized gatherings, including one with a demonstration kitchen for chef-led dinners. “This is essentially an extension of us,” says Melvin Rodrigue, president and CEO of Galatoire’s. “It’s us bringing that to a different setting where we can do more and be more flexible for the ways people want to experience Galatoire’s today.” Many regulars at Galatoire’s Restaurant never look at a menu; they already know what they’ll order from the repertoire of traditional dishes. But at Galerie de Galatoire, the menu will change from one visit to the next. Instead of conventional a la carte service, Galerie de Galatoire will serve a changing array of set, multi-
course dinners, including wine dinners and tasting menus. By the fall, it should be fully open with a schedule of dinner and weekend brunch. Currently, the new concept is getting started with periodic private events. The space has two large dining rooms, which can be combined. A third room, dubbed the Chef’s Gallery, is equipped with its own cooking show-style kitchen, offering diners a view of how each dish comes together. Founded in 1905, Galatoire’s serves traditional dishes centered on seafood and classic sauces. But Galatoire’s can stretch into different territory for special events and private dinners. Today, these are led by chef Phillip Lopez, who before joining Galatoire’s as executive chef in 2018 ran his own avant-garde restaurants — Root and Square Root. Galerie de Galatoire covers the second floor of the one-time Hurwitz Mintz furniture building. John Georges is an owner of Galatoire’s (full disclosure: Georges also owns Gambit). He bought the building at 211 Royal St. from local real estate mogul Kishore “Mike” Motwani in 2017. The “galerie” part of the name is a reference to an architectural feature of the space. The Royal Street side is lined by a pair of galleries, or balconies supported by posts and covering the sidewalk below. The Chef’s Gallery is equipped with a glassed-in wine cellar and a homestyle kitchen, albeit a large one. A butcher block island gives the chef a podium and serving station. The main kitchen is arrayed so the culinary staff can handle different types of private dining at once, with duplicate stations to accommodate multiple menus. The restaurant worked with local craftsmen to fill the dining rooms with local character. That includes a palm tree motif carried through in plaster features by Poree Plastering and millwork from Gus Hartdegen & Sons Architectural Millwork. Galatoire’s has undertaken a series of renovations and expansions through the past two decades that have greatly increased its size and capacity. The first, finished in 1999, added a new bar and additional dining rooms on the second floor. Rodrigue points out that this project actually restored private dining to Galatoire’s, which had offered this for decades until World War II brought rationing and staff shortages that curtailed the service. “It was about bringing something back and preserving who we are,” he says. — IAN McNULTY/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE
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July 28 - Augus t 3, Volume 41 // Numb 2020 er 28
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MAY 25 Ad Director Sandy Stein 504.483.3150 or sstein@gambitweekly.com
Peyton Barrell Chef PEYTON BARRELL GREW UP IN HOUSTON but often visited New
Orleans, where his father is from. He was in the first class of graduates of the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI). After the pandemic forced the shutdown of Batard, the French fine dining restaurant he worked at in New York, he and his partner Katie Grabach moved to New Orleans and started Gourmand New Orleans, which makes charcuterie to sell at local wine and food shops and farmers markets, as well as doing private catering events.
How did you start Gourmand New Orleans? PEYTON BARRELL: I spent 10 months (at Batard) while Katie was working in the events department of the Marriott Marquis. When we both got furloughed (because of the pandemic), we went from the fastpaced New York life, like 80 hours a week at work to zero. We got stir crazy. The city seemed doomed. We were like, OK, let’s stop paying rent (here) and do something to get back in the groove of things. We wanted to come back to New Orleans at some point anyways. We came back (in June 2020), opened this up, and from day one to today, we’ve done about a hundred different things. But we’ve found our groove as a product wholesaler and private event company. We walked into Vino Fine Wine & Spirits one day, and I was like, “Hey, out of curiosity, why don’t you have cheese and charcuterie?” And they were like, “Well, you have to get a health department license.” You have to get a grease trap just to cut a piece of cheese. I was like, “What if we provided you with cheese and charcuterie, and what if we offered it on consignment, so it’s no risk to the shop?” Basically, the light turned on. There was a huge need for that. So, if a wine shop has a refrigerator, we can provide them a full cheese and charcuterie selection. That was the basis. I am really passionate about French charcuterie. I did a lot of that in New York, mostly terrines and torchons. We’ve expanded now. We have a huge product list now, over 40 items. We’re hoping to open a brick-and-mortar this fall. But right now, we’re in 11 stores locally and one in North Carolina.
At farmers markets, is it hard to sell terrines in clear shrunkwrapped plastic? B: We do find that some of our products require some customer education. Sometimes you have to hold people’s hand and tell them that eating gelatin is not scary. When I started this, I was alarmed that nobody was making this stuff. (Isaac) Toups does rillettes and foie gras, but there isn’t a business that focuses just on classic French charcuterie — like head cheese, which people think is a coonass swamp creation. That is classic French and is served in Michelin-star restaurants. A lot of people, especially people that have traveled internationally, are familiar with this stuff. Nobody has been able to travel for a year. I try to think, “What are the things I wish I were eating in a park in France right now?” Some duck rillettes, a little slice of a foie gras terrine, some head cheese, Dijon mustard, cornichons and a baguette. That’s what led me into the selection of those products. But definitely when you suspend confit beef tongue in aspic, some people are going to get weird about it. At the beginning, we were struggling to sell this stuff. I think the Coffee Science market has been the biggest help for us. Because Katie, (sous chef) Danny (Levy) and I can stand out there and say it’s not scary. It’s just meat gelatin and chicken stock that’s been reduced really far. We are starting to get some noteworthy chefs buy our stuff, and it’s always the terrines.
How is the business growing? B: We expanded our product list into everything and anything to see what was going to sell. Now we are fine-tuning it to what we love and what has been selling really well. The French charcuterie with the terrines, rillettes, pates and things like that are going to be the focus of the brick-and-mortar. We’re also trying to grow the wholesale business as much as possible, because that’s the cushion and very consistent. We’re trying to expand into bakeries and grocery
P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y P E Y TO N B A R R E L L
Peyton Barrell and Katie Grabach
stores, and we’re looking to get into Lafayette and Baton Rouge. This summer, we’re doing a lot of charcuterie with game. We just did a rabbit and foie gras rillette. It’s unbelievably decadent. We’re also starting to do French-style bacon and duck confit. For summer, we’re trying to go with Provence-style French food for pop-ups. Pork and duck go really well in the winter, but it’s a harder sell when everyone is hanging out by the pool. We also reached out to a couple different farms to do some co-branded product lines. Give me your products that you struggle to sell, like the ducks. I’ll turn it into something presentable, and we’ll co-brand it and we’ll both sell it. We just announced a deal with Backwater Foie Gras, and we’re about to announce something with another farm. We’re also going to do a whole line of meat pies. We want to highlight the farmer as well. When we start selling sausage to Coffee Science and you buy a breakfast burrito from them, you pay three local businesses. You pay them for the burrito, you’ll pay me for the sausage, you’ll pay the farmer for the pork. And it all happens within 50 miles of Mid-City. I am pretty excited about that. — WILL COVIELLO For more information, visit gourmandneworleans.com.
TO
Contact Will Coviello wcoviello@gambitweekly.com 504-483-3106 | FAX: 504-483-3159 C O M P L E T E L I S T I N G S AT W W W. B E S T O F N E W O R L E A N S . C O M Out 2 Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are in New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.
Notice: Due to COVID-19, dining at restaurants is impacted. All information is subject to change. Contact the restaurant to confirm service options.
CARROLLTON Mid City Pizza — 6307 S. Miro St., (504) 509-6224; midcitypizza.com — See Mid-City section for restaurant description. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$ Pyramids Cafe — 3151 Calhoun St., (504) 861-9602 — Diners will find Mediterranean cuisine featuring such favorites as shawarma prepared on a rotisserie. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
CITYWIDE Breaux Mart — Citywide; breauxmart. com — The deli counter’s changing specials include dishes such as baked catfish and red beans and rice. Lunch and dinner daily. $
FAUBOURG MARIGNY Kebab — 2315 St. Claude Ave., (504) 383-4328; kebabnola.com — The sandwich shop offers doner kebabs and Belgian fries. A falafel sandwich comes with pickled cucumbers, arugula, spinach, red onions, beets, hummus and Spanish garlic sauce. No reservations. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Mon. $
FRENCH QUARTER Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — The menu features Gulf seafood in traditional and contemporary Creole dishes, po-boys and more. Char-grilled oysters are topped with Parmesan, herbs and butter. Reservations recommended. Takeout available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
HARAHAN/JEFFERSON/ RIVER RIDGE The Rivershack Tavern — 3449 River Road, (504) 834-4938; therivershacktavern.com — This bar and music spot offers a menu of burgers, sandwiches and changing lunch specials. Curbside
$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11 to $20 $$$ — $21 or more
pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; theospizza.com — There is a wide variety of specialty pies and toppings to build your own pizza. The menu also includes salads and sandwiches. Curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $
LAKEVIEW The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com — The menu includes sandwiches, fried seafood platters, boiled seafood and more. The Blue Crab platter has fried shrimp, oysters, catfish and crab claws and either fried stuffed crab or softshell crab. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Lakeview Brew Coffee Cafe — 5606 Canal Blvd., (504) 483-7001; lakeviewbrew.com — This casual cafe offers coffee, pastries, desserts, sandwiches and salads. Tuna salad or chicken salad avocado melts are topped with Monterey Jack and Parmesan. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. Breakfast and lunch daily. $
METAIRIE Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; andreasrestaurant.com — Chef Andrea Apuzzo’s speckled trout royale is topped with crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce. Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in cream sauce. Curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. $$$ Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop — 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, (504) 8352022; gumbostop.com — The Seafood Platter comes with fried catfish, shrimp, oysters and crab balls and is accompanied by fries and choice of side. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Kosher Cajun New York Deli & Grocery — 3519 Severn Ave., Metairie, (504) 888-2010; koshercajun.com — This New york-style deli specializes in sandwiches, including corned beef and pastrami that come from the Bronx. Takeout available. Lunch Sun.Thu., dinner Mon.-Thu. $ Mark Twain’s Pizza Landing — 2035 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 8328032; marktwainpizza.com — Mark Twain’s serves salads, po-boys and pies like the Italian pizza with salami, tomato, artichoke, sausage and basil. Takeout and curbside pickup are
MID-CITY/TREME Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream.com — This sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, fig cookies and other treats. Window and curbside pickup. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $ Brown Butter Southern Kitchen & Bar — 231 N. Carrollton Ave., Suite C, (504) 609-3871; brownbutterrestaurant. com — Sample items include smoked brisket served with smoked apple barbecue sauce, smoked heirloom beans and vinegar slaw. A Brunch burger features a brisket and short rib patty topped with bacon, brie, a fried egg, onion jam and arugula on a brioche bun. Dine-in, takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — Favorites include the Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles pressed on buttered bread. The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic and scallions. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.Sun. $$ Mid City Pizza — 4400 Banks St., (504) 483-8609; midcitypizza.com — The neighborhood pizza joint serves New york-style pies, plus calzones, sandwiches and salads. Signature shrimp remoulade pizza includes spinach, red onion, garlic, basil and green onion on an garlic-olive oil brushed curst. Dine-in, takeout and delivery available. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$ Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes New Orleans favorites such as red beans with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as grilled or fried seafood plates, po-boys, raw or char-grilled oysters, pasta, salads and more. Dine-in and takeout available. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Nonna Mia — 3125 Esplanade Ave., (504) 948-1717; nonnamianola.com — A Divine Portobello appetizer features chicken breast, spinach in red pepper sauce and crostini. The menu includes salads, sandwiches, pasta, pizza and more. Curbside pickup and delivery are available. Dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; theospizza. com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $
NORTHSHORE Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 2349420; theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $
UPTOWN CR Coffee Shop — 3618 Magazine St., (504) 354-9422; crcoffeenola.com — The selection includes Coast Roast coffees made with beans roasted in antique roasters, and the sweet vanilla cream cold brew is a signature item. There also are pastries and snacks. Indoor and outdoor seating, online ordering and delivery available. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. $ Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 891-0997; joeyksrestaurant.com — The menu includes fried seafood platters, salads, sandwiches and red beans and rice. Sauteed trout Tchoupitoulas is topped with shrimp and crabmeat and served with vegetables and potatoes. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Red Gravy — 4206 Magazine St., (504) 561-8844; redgravycafe.com — Thin cannoli pancakes are filled with cannoli cream and topped with chocolate. The menu includes brunch items, pasta dishes, sandwiches, baked goods and more. Takeout available. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $ Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 5015 Magazine St., (504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com — The Peruvian menu includes a version of the traditional dish lomo saltado, featuring beef tenderloin tips sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce and pisco, and served with fried potatoes and rice. Dine-in, outdoor seating and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$
WAREHOUSE DISTRICT Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant.com — The menu highlights Gulf seafood in Creole, Cajun and Southern dishes. Fried oysters and skewered bacon are served with meuniere sauce and toasted French bread. Reservations required. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$$ NOLA Caye — 898 Baronne St., (504) 302-1302; nolacaye.com — The menu features Caribbean-inspired dishes and Gulf seafood. Seared ahi tuna is served with mango, avocado, mixed greens, citrus vinaigrette and sesame seeds. Takeout, delivery and outdoor seating available. D daily, brunch Sat.Sun. $$$
WEST BANK Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves shrimp Mosca, chicken a la grande and baked oysters Mosca, made with breadcrumbs and Italian seasonings. Curbside pickup available. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Specialty Italian Bistro — 2330 Belle Chasse Hwy., Gretna, (504) 391-1090; specialtyitalianbistro.com — The menu combines Old World Italian favorites and pizza. Paneed chicken piccata is topped with lemon-caper piccata sauce served with angel hair pasta, salad and garlic cheese bread. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
23 31 G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > M ay Ay 1 8 - 24 > 2 0 2 1
OUT EAT
available. Lunch Tue.-Sat., dinner Tue.-Sun. $ Nephew’s Ristorante — 4445 W. Metairie Ave., Metairie, (504) 533-9998; nephewsristorante.com — Chef Frank Catalanotto is the namesake “nephew” who ran the kitchen at his late uncle Tony Angello’s restaurant. The Creole-Italian menu features dishes like veal, eggplant or chicken parmigiana, and Mama’s Eggplant with red gravy and Romano cheese. Reservations required. Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $ Short Stop Po-Boys — 119 Transcontinental Drive, Metairie, (504) 885-4572; shortstoppoboysno.com — The menu includes more than 30 po-boys along with other Louisiana staples. Fried Louisiana oysters and Gulf shrimp are served on a Leidenheimer loaf with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $
G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > M ay 1 8 - 24 > 2 02 1
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MUSIC
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PRESENTS THE
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PET PHOTO
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ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER WILL ALSO WIN A PRIZE PACKAGE FROM METAIRIE SMALL ANIMAL HOSPITAL DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES:
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Photo files must be hi-res and not exceed 5mb. Please submit only (1) photo per family. For complete contest rules, please visit bestofneworleans.com/petphoto.
WHEN JAMES WEBER JR. STARTED WRITING THE SONGS for his band
Keen Dreams’ debut album, he’d start small, alone with a guitar in his apartment, but he had a much larger vision for those tracks, he says. Weber saw “bigger musical landscapes, which might seat the tunes’ characters in the big histories” he was studying as a world history graduate student at the University of New Orleans. A book of essays, “The Second Body” by British professor and writer Daisy Hildyard, helped Weber “solve the songwriting equation.” It had such an impact, in fact, that the New Orleans band’s album shares the book’s title, features it prominently on the cover, and taps into its themes — shortly, that living beings really have two bodies: the fleshy, physical body and an ethereal, global existence. “I’ve called what I took from the book a ‘structure of feeling,’ ” Weber says, “which doesn’t quite make sense, but … somehow does make sense, too.” Even the soundscapes of “The Second Body” seem to parallel Hildyard’s themes. Keen Dreams — singer-guitarist Weber, bassist Shana Applewhite and drummer Eric Martinez — build their songs into expansive, dreamy ethereal visions, but also stay grounded in catchy, uncluttered indie rock songwriting. It’s more the feeling of endlessly gazing through the night sky, back firmly planted in the grass, rather than floating untethered through space. Keen Dreams released “The Second Body” last week through New Orleans’ Strange Daisy Records and New York label Whatever’s Clever. It’s the first release by the New Orleans trio, which has been
P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y ANGELIQUE SANDERS
Keen Dreams is, from left, Shana Applewhite, Eric Martinez and James Weber Jr.
playing in town for a few years. Martinez and Applewhite were regulars at Euclid Records, the Bywater shop Weber co-founded in 2010 and managed until stepping away in 2018. After recording a few demos in 2019, Keen Dreams brought the songs to New York musician Shannon Fields, who performs as Leverage Models, to produce the album. “He makes straight-ahead pop get a little weird, and what is perceived as ‘weird music’ easier to approach,” Weber says. The two share an appreciation for the band Talk Talk, he adds. Fields brought the band to D. James Goodwin’s studio, The Isokon, in Woodstock, New York, to record. Both Fields and Goodwin also perform on “The Second Body,” and the songs are vibrantly filled out by several other guest musicians, including War on Drugs saxophonist Jon Natchez, vibraphonist Michael Hanf of San Fermin, and Tiny Hazard vocalist Alena Spanger. Within Keen Dreams’ big, hazy pop, Weber’s lyrics hint at the personal and the “second body” interwoven-ness of existence — between people, with nature and within the universe. Sometimes those two bodies meet, and we’re forced to realize the impact of our choices. “[I hope] people find their friends in the songs,” Weber says, “and maybe, if I’m lucky, the spirit of our communal effort shines through — a bunch of hard-working musicians, engineers and friends.”
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Fish fry GUITARIST SAMANTHA FISH has highlighted various blues styles and throwback rock on recent albums. She joins Johnny Sansone at his Monday night blues series at the Broadside. At 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 24. Find tickets at broadsidenola.com.
Go west LOCAL COMEDIANS MATT OWENS AND BEN JONES perform at Jefferson Performing Arts Society’s Comedy Zone. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 21-22, at Westwego Performing Arts Center. Find tickets at jpas.org.
Stormy warning THE WITCHY-THEMED POP-UP SPELLBOUND MARKET will have vendors, music, food from Le Nyx Noir Food Truck and bartenders at GrandPre’s Friday, May 21. If you’re interested in some self-reflection guidance from the-one-and-only Stormy Daniels, she’ll be at the market reading oracle cards. At 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at 834 N. Rampart St.
Steam room TRIXIE MINX IS BACK AT THE HOWLIN’ WOLF with a weekly “Sultry Sundays” series featuring a rotating cast of burlesque performers, comedy and circus acts. Follow @trixienola on Instagram for the next week’s lineup. The next show is 6 p.m. Sunday, May 23. Tickets are $30 for two seats; $60 for four; and $90 for six at thehowlinwolf.com.
Flea circus THE POPULAR BAR REDUX ART & FLEA OUTDOOR MARKET returns this week. In keeping with the general DIY punk vibe of Redux, the market is a generally chaotic and fun affair, with loads of people from professional artists and vendors like Kevin Comarda, Deadly Dapper Designs and Joe Badon to amateur collectors of treasures big and small. DJ Shane Love will be providing the soundtrack for the event from his perch by the tracks. Masks are required — but you’re not a jerk and you knew that without having to be told. At Bar Redux from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, May 23.
Soul stirring
P H OTO B Y A L F O OT E I I I
PERCUSSIONIST DERRICK FREEMAN’S SOUL BRASS BAND can easily float between the traditional and the modern. The group’s repertoire includes New Orleans classics, brass band takes on radio hits and soulful originals. The group plays 10 p.m. Friday, May 21, at Howlin’ Wolf. Tickets are $30 for two seats; $60 for four; and $90 for six at thehowlinwolf.com.
Heather Massie stars in ‘Hedy! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr’ at BB’s Stage Door Canteen in the National World War II Museum.
Pop Elody SINGER JULIE ELODY’S INSTAGRAM BIO defines her sound as “pop music with lyrics that don’t suck.” The electronic/dance artist released her latest single “Underwater” in April with Taly Vega. She performs at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 20, at Gasa Gasa. Find tickets at ticketweb.com. P R OV I D E D P H OTO
Partners-N-Crime
Pump tha party HIP-HOP LEGENDS PARTNERS-NCRIME headline a show with equally legendary New Orleans artists Lady Red and Hot Boy Ronald and Lafayette-based Cupid — bringing a new line dance of his song “Flex” — at Southport Hall. Doors at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 22. Tickets are $20 at eventbrite.com.
G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > M ay 1 8 - 24 > 2 0 2 1
“Some Kind of Wonderful” if it were set in St. Bernard — to the backyard at Pirogue’s Whiskey Bayou. At 8 p.m. Saturday, May 22. Free. Pirogueswhiskeybayou.com.
Hot ticket THE HOT 8 BRASS BAND have been a fixture in the New Orleans community for more than 25 years. Last year, their cover of “Sexual Healing” was featured in the Netflix show “Sex Education.” The band takes the stage at 9 p.m. Sunday, May 23, at The Howlin’ Wolf. Tickets are available to purchase in pods of two, four or six at $25 per person at thehowlinwolf.com.
Hedy games HEDY LAMARR WAS A STARLET MATCHED ONSCREEN WITH CLARK GABLE, she dated Howard Hughes and she helped develop radio wave technology used during World War II for torpedo guidance. The drama “HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr” explores her busy life. At the BB’s Stage Door Canteen at the National World War II Museum Friday through Sunday May 21-23 and 28-30. nationalww2museum.org.
Extraordinary people THE SOLO-DARITY SERIES IS A MIX OF MUSIC, poetry, dance and theater performed outdoors at UNO. Carolina Gallop hosts the series, and this week’s performers include Reese Johanson’s troupe’s piece “Extraordinarily Ordinary” accompanied by Phil deGruy. Attendees can bring their own chairs and blankets. The UNO Amphitheater is near the student union on Alumni Drive. At 8 p.m. Saturday, May 22. Find info on eventbrite.com.
Abundantly clear MICAH MCKEE HAS LED local indie rock projects including Empress Ho-
tel, Little Maker and Silent Cinema, but his latest album is the solo project “Abundances.” He performs at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 23, at Gasa Gasa.
Go-brass THE BRASS-A-HOLICS takes its blend of go-go and brass band music to the Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonesta. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 20. sonesta.com.
By a string NEW ORLEANS’ LOTT QUARTET features violinists Kurt Munstedt and Benjamin Thacher, violist Luke Fleming and cellist Rachel Hsieh, all members of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. The string ensemble is in an artist residency at UNO and performs this Musical Excursions show at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 18. Admission is free, but seating is limited so register for seats on eventbrite.com.
Throwing bones TROMBONE ROCKERS BONERAMA throws down at The Howlin’ Wolf. At 9 p.m. Saturday, May 22. Tickets are $30 for a pod of two seats, $100 for four and $150 for six at thehowlinwolf.com.
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FILM
awberr y Louisian a StrSEASON ENJOY
Lost in transistors BY WILL COVIELLO
L OUISI A N A ST R AW BER RY I TA LI A N ICE
FOOTAGE FROM A NEW YORK ART GALLERY in
ONLINE ORDERING AVAIL ABLE • 214 N. CARROLLTON IN MID CITY A NGEL OBROCAT OICECR E A M .CO M
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MUSIC LINEUP
FRIDAY
4:30 Abita Blues Band 5:30 The Chitlins 7:00 Big Al and the Heavyweights 9:00 Jimmy Hall Band
SATURDAY
SEPT. 24–25, 2021 CASSIDY PARK BOGALUSA, LA
1:00 Looka Here 3:30 Laurie Morvan Band 5:30 Walter “Wolfman” Washington 7:00 Jonathan Boogie Long 9:00 Eric Gales
www.bogalusablues.com 2021 Festival Tickets and Camping Now Available at www.bogalusablues.com/tickets | Children 10 and under are free! The Bogalusa Blues & Heritage Festival is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible
Long Term Care Specialist
1974 shows Suzanne Ciani setting up three large electronic consoles with extruding connecting wires piled and looped like spaghetti. A well-dressed audience sits on the floor as she adjusts knobs to elicit electronic music from the equipment. Director Lisa Rovner’s documentary “Sisters with Transistors” is narrated by veteran performance artist and experimental musician Laurie Anderson. While it is full of exotic sounds and early electronic music, it also is about quiet revolutions, as women battled sexism and resistance to new ideas about musical creation. Almost all of the film concerns developments from the last century, and Ciani’s performance is decades after women developed their own machines and methods of making electronic music in Britain, France and the U.S. “Sisters with Transistors” is eye opening, but less about the concept of electronic music than about the little-known history of pioneering women in the field. The timeline goes back to the 1930s to introduce Clara Rockmore, a classically trained musician who helped develop the theremin. Manipulated without direct contact, the device makes eerie sounds as an antenna picks up the musician’s hand movements. She brought electronic music to classical music halls and listeners. The film finds perfect illustration of the use of machines to build beats from two prescient British women. Daphne Oram was a classically trained musician who cofounded the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. While some wrote off her work as postWorld War II experiments in surreal art, she created practical devices and techniques. She set up her own electronic music studio and now is remembered as a musical composer. Also credited and named for her, Oramics is based on her invention of turning drawings into sound via electronic readers. Delia Derbyshire also did groundbreaking work at the Radiophonic Workshop, where she would splice together magnetic tape to build loops that play repeating sounds, and by simultaneously playing several that run at different frequencies, creating music. She was fascinated by abstract sounds, though some dismissed her work as merely exercises in mathematics.
P R OV I D E D B Y DA P H N E O R A M T R U S T/ M E T R O G R A P H
Daphne Oram pioneered electronic music.
Later, she created the original music for “Doctor Who.” Using new technology to make music was taking hold elsewhere as well. In France, Eliane Radigue battled distrust of technology to make art. In New York, Bebe Barron and her husband Louis Barron built their own equipment for their own avant-garde recording projects. They recorded readings by writers such as Anais Nin and overloaded circuits to make musical sounds. They created the first entirely electronic score for a movie for the 1956 science fiction film “Forbidden Planet,” though it was credited as “electronic tonalities.” While much of the film features antiquated equipment — tape reels and what look like antique telephone operator panels — it makes the great leap forward to the first Macintosh. The film introduces many women who found different points of entry into the intersection of music and technology. In one of the film’s more recent clips, Ciani’s music seems to blow David Letterman’s mind on a late-night TV segment. Rovner also examines the contributions of composers Pauline Oliveros, Maryanne Amacher and Laurie Spiegel, who developed the early Mac music software Music Mouse. The documentary does not attempt to bridge the gap to contemporary electronic music or its explosion in popularity. It’s fascinating to hear women from the 1950s articulating ideas about making electronic music that would be resisted or misunderstood for decades. It seems that many people just weren’t listening, either to the music or women. “Sisters with Transistors” opens at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge on May 21.
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“OH GEEZ!”
By Frank A. Longo
61 Royal daughter who always moves with short, quick motions? 66 Berlin article 69 Effortless 70 Prefix with chic or tourist 71 Love-letter “hugs” 72 Cab 73 Indigo, e.g. 74 Goose flocks making people chuckle? 81 Suffix with event or context 82 Wove rattan into 83 Tire marks 84 Big brown beast seeking handouts of salmon?
90 Steak or ham 91 — Claire (magazine) 92 Berlin article 93 Cellar, in ads 95 Makes accursed 99 Tooth doctor’s org. 100 Expectant father 103 Latin I verb 105 Fore and — 106 Way to pack fresh fish 109 Heroic American spy’s petty bargaining? 112 Whopper dropped in water? 116 — about (around) 117 British islet 118 City in central Florida 119 Dancing woman’s moves? 123 Suppressed 124 Lyric poem 125 Discontinues 126 Money, informally 127 Filled cookies 128 Abel, to Eve 129 Sing like Ella 130 Neighbor of Colombia DOWN 1 Wipe 2 Very learned 3 Disparity in work pay 4 Children’s author Madeleine L’— 5 Abbr. for a handyperson 6 Refused the request 7 Blast from a lighthouse 8 Pet collar attachment 9 Homer Simpson cry 10 “Be right there” 11 Carpet style 12 Big icy chunk 13 GIs’ force 14 Coffee flavor 15 “Now I remember” 16 Italian sports car 17 Cultural exhibition hall 18 Encl. with a manuscript 24 “Can’t, I’m already late” 25 Diminish 30 “MacGyver” network 31 Faux — (slip) 32 Without assurance of payment
33 Disappear as if by magic 38 On the — (hiding out) 39 Kobe sash 40 Rock singer Nugent 42 Bit of work 44 Itty-bitty 46 “Wow, neat!” 48 Gets mature 49 Cpl.’s boss 51 Austin-to-Houston dir. 53 Dir. opposite 51-Down 54 Santa — winds 55 Be a debtor 56 Impersonated 57 Silver-haired 58 Increase 59 Gp. patrolling shores 62 Division: Abbr. 63 Errand runners 64 Top Olympic medal 65 Mauna — 66 Info to input 67 Chopped down 68 Knights, e.g. 72 Eta-iota link 74 Look intently 75 Wholly 76 Heart chart, in brief 77 — -AFTRA (showbiz union) 78 Due to wagering 79 Sport- — (off-roader) 80 Good egg rating
81 Israeli weapon 84 ABC a.m. show, for short 85 Police vehicle 86 Reagan-era scandal 87 Positive vote 88 Auction offer 89 Doc treating sinusitis 90 Ski resort in S. Vermont 94 Most ogreish 96 Cartoon gorilla of 1960s TV 97 Lions, 49ers or Steelers 98 Canonized Fr. woman 100 Cotillion gal 101 “That’s — haven’t heard!” 102 — & Noble 104 Scampi food 107 Inuit dwelling 108 Greenish-blue colors 110 Accord maker 111 Be choked by 112 Merely OK 113 Sci-fi vehicles 114 Overhaul 115 Fed. agents 120 U.S. “Ltd.” 121 — long way 122 — Na Na
ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 2
PUZZLES
31 Cooing bird wearing fancy duds? 34 Port in Iraq 35 “I’m — loss” 36 Dark film style 37 Forest cats 41 Bar brew 43 Months before Octs. 45 Pre-Q queue 47 Prez Lincoln 48 Furrier John Jacob — 50 Safe sword 52 Question about one’s relentless following skills? 56 Thinks alike 59 Sch. in the Nutmeg State 60 Saturated
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PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Gets married again 7 Playmate for Spot 11 Fed. loan agency 14 The — & the Papas 19 Greek Muse of astronomy 20 Take way too much of, for short 21 That lady 22 Scarlett of Tara 23 Equipping a ranch with light, horsedrawn vehicles? 26 Anatomical sacs 27 Playa — Rey 28 Qatari capital 29 Brie exposed to heat?
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