Gambit: July 20, 2021 by Gambit New Orleans

July 20-26 2021 Volume 42 Number 29

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Bundles of Bouquets!

CONTENTS

JULY 20 — JULY 26, 2021 VOLUME 42 || NUMBER 29

TIPS FOR KEEPING BILLS DOWN AND FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE 17 NEWS

OPENING GAMBIT

CLANCY DUBOS ON THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF EDWIN EDWARDS 6

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STAFF

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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.

Miami verse

Big Chief Juan Pardo

‘Comedy of Errors’ hits the beaches at the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane BY WILL COVIELLO IN SHAKESPEARE’S “THE COMEDY OF ERRORS,” ANTIPHOLUS, FROM THE CITY OF SYRACUSE, arrives in

a new city, and he doesn’t like what he sees. He marvels that it’s full of “Dark-working sorcerers that change the mind / Soul-killing witches that deform the body / Disguised cheaters, prating mountebacks (sellers of quack medicine) / And many suchlike liberties of sin? If it prove so, I will be gone the sooner.” At the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane, that city looks like Miami Beach. Antipholus has arrived at a beachfront, art-deco-style condo building painted in bright shades of pink, purple, orange and turquoise. A feisty woman who claims to be his wife wants to know where he’s been, and if he’s been seeking other company to dine with. A jeweler presents him with a glitzy chain, saying Antipholus commissioned it and expecting a high price. Antipholus’ servant Dromio seems to have been talking nothing but nonsense since they’ve arrived. “Some of the anger and frustration (in the play) makes sense in the context of people who have been out all night and aren’t sleeping,” says director Jon Greene. The hedonistic times of early 1980s Miami suits the play’s scheme, Greene says. (The play uses Shakespeare’s text, it’s not updated dialogue.) But “Comedy of Errors” is one of Shakespeare’s shorter and sillier comedies. “It’s the most comedic of his plays,” Greene says. “It’s the most slapstick, the most farcical, the most absurd.” Whether it’s set in its intended time and place — ancient Greek isles — or in a modern context, it’s a story of mistaken identity and serial misunderstandings. The plot rests on common Shakespearean plot gimmicks, such as twins long separated by a shipwreck, and long-lost relatives who’ve lived hidden in plain sight. Here, there are two sets of twins,

forming identical master and servant pairs. Antipholus from the city of Syracuse is served by Dromio. Bearing the same names, an identical twin Antipholus, from the city of Ephesus, is served by the other Dromio brother. In Miami, the Antipholus brothers look strikingly like Ricardo Tubbs of “Miami Vice,” and the Dromios look like beach bums. There’s intrigue as Antipholus of Syracuse falls for Luciana, the sister of his long lost brother’s wife, Adriana. Luciana thinks her actual brother-in-law is looking to cheat. Meanwhile, the Antipholus’ father has come to the city looking for his lost son and gotten in trouble for poking around. Greene sees the work as likely being influenced by Italian commedia dell’arte, which spread in popularity across Europe during Shakespeare’s time. It was full of stock characters representing social types and positions, and often emphasized physical comedy. The scheme of the play follows a traditional form. All the action takes place in a single day, or in this case from sunrise on the beach to sunset. Greene says some of the mistaken identity and petty frustrations may be more timely. “This play is built on everything I have experienced going to the grocery store during the pandemic,” he says. “Going to the store at the height of the pandemic in my mask, not knowing who anybody was, being mistaken for somebody else.” The work is being performed in a partially immersive scheme. Some audience members will sit at cabaret tables on the beach. “Comedy of Errors” is the only production of the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival’s season, and it runs July 23 through Aug. 7. (There’s

P H OTO B Y C AT L A N D R U M

Matthew Raetz, Mack Guillory III, Michael Forest and Reid Williams perform in ‘The Comedy of Errors.’

IN THE YEARS SINCE JUAN PARDO BECAME BIG CHIEF of the Golden Comanche Mardi Gras Indians, he’s recorded and performed with Galactic and funk band 101 Runners along with appearing with Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Dr. John and Trombone Shorty. In 2015, Pardo & The Golden Comanches released “Spirit Food,” a full-length album featuring originals and their touch on Indian traditionals. Recently, Pardo collaborated with Sky Pardo and Anjelica “Jelly” Joseph for the brass and beats single “Coming from the City.” Big Chief Juan Pardo performs at 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 20, at the New Orleans Jazz Museum courtyard. Admission is free and the show will be streamed at facebook. com/nolajazzmuseum.

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a preview show Thursday, July 22.) The show will be remounted in January for local public school children. Torey Hayward, who is assistant directing the summer show, will direct the remount for the proscenium stage at Dixon Hall. Greene is the artistic director of The Radical Buffoons theater company, and Hayward is its assistant artistic director. That company will open its season in early fall with an original children’s work called “Play. No, Play!” In January, Greene will direct “Redux,” an original two-person comedy about clowns confronting white supremacy. And it will dramatize a suite of songs by company member Mahalia Abeo Tibbs for a spring show that will debut during Jazz Fest. For his first production since the pandemic began, Greene is happy to be working on a comedy. “Don’t we all just deserve a laugh after the year we just had,” Greene says.

P H OTO B Y B R E T T D U K E / T H E T I M E S - P I C AYU N E

Nathan Williams and the Zydeco ChaChas perform Friday at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center.

THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FOUNDATION’S SERIES OF CAJUN AND ZYDECO SHOWS continues with Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas on Friday, July 23, and Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers on Saturday, July 24. The shows begin at 7 p.m. at the outdoor space at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center at 1225 N. Rampart St. Doors open at 6 p.m. and food and drink vendors will be on site. Visit jazzandheritage.org for information.

George Porter Jr. Trio GEORGE PORTER JR. HAS BEEN ON TOUR WITH HIS RUNNIN’ PARDERS BAND following the March release of “Crying for Hope.” He is back in the familiar stomping PAGE 29

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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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

‘Un De Nous Autres:’ Rest In Peace Edwin Edwards 1927 — 2021

# The Count

Thumbs Up/ Thumbs Down

175.5

Beaucoup Eats, Taste & See and Addis NOLA are among

the first 10 grant recipients of The PepsiCo Foundation and National Urban League’s Black Restaurant Accelerator Program. Through the program, Black-owned and operated restaurants have access to funding, mentorship services and tools such as back office and accounting systems support, inventory management and marketing support. New Orleans had the biggest showing among the recipients.

The percentage by which COVID-19 cases have jumped in the past two weeks.

P H OTO B Y B I LL F E I G / T H E A DVO C AT E

Edwards in June. NOT SINCE HUEY LONG HAS ANYONE DOMINATED LOUISIANA’S LANDSCAPE the way Edwin Washington Edwards did. The Bayou State’s

Attorney General Jeff Landry is among a group of

state attorneys general who sent a letter to the Biden Administration opposing the Department of Education’s interpretation that Title IX protects LGBTQ people, the Louisiana Illuminator reported. In 2020, the Supreme Court decided gay and transgender employees were protected against discrimination under the Civil Rights Act. The Department of Education is now expanding Title IX protections.

Louisiana rental prices are so high now workers in the state need to earn about $18 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment, according to a new report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. That’s well above the state’s average $14.50 an hour, while the minimum wage is a mere $7.25 an hour. In New Orleans, workers would need to make $20.40 an hour.

only four-term governor, Edwards’ rapier wit, roguish charm and unmatched political skills defined Louisiana for more than a generation — as did his conviction and imprisonment on federal racketeering and corruption charges. With Edwards’ passing July 12 at the age of 93, an era has passed into the history books. In some ways, Edwards was the modern heir to Long’s brand of free-wheeling populism. He gave voice to the state’s dispossessed — particularly Black people and Cajuns — who lionized him like no other governor since Long. He mimicked some of the Kingfish’s boldness, chicanery and corruption as well.But Edwards also ushered in a new, modern era of government by convincing lawmakers and voters to discard the clunky 1921 Constitution, which calcified many of Long’s topdown policies and programs. The streamlined 1974 document strengthened local governments and paved the way for a measure of official transparency and accountability. And unlike Long, Edwards embraced much of the political power structure in New Orleans and protected the city’s interests during legislative sessions. In return, local voters gave him lopsided margins at election time. Edwards lacked Long’s national ambitions, focusing instead on the Governor’s Mansion, which he inhabited a record four times over the course of 24 years. Even when he wasn’t governor, his many legislative allies often referred to him as “the Governor” as if it were an inside joke that virtually everyone was in on. “What I recall most about him was his genuine concern for the poor and working people of this state,” said former House Speaker and Senate President John Alario, who first met Edwards as a delegate to the 1973 Constitutional Convention and went on to become one of the former governor’s most trusted friends and allies. “I don’t think anyone else I’ve even known in politics had that level of concern for those less fortunate. He did everything he could to better their status in life.”Ever quotable, Edwards offered a somber reflection among his last words, according to his biographer Leo Honeycutt, who was at the former governor’s bedside when he passed. “I have lived a good life, had better breaks than most, had some bad breaks, too, but that’s all part of it,” Edwards said. “I tried to help as many people as I could and

Health officials reported 631 more cases on July 13 and are sounding the alarm among unvaccinated people, especially as the highly transmissible Delta variant of the virus continues to spread. The number of cases was the highest seven-day total since February 17. Hospitalizations, patients requiring ventilators and deaths have also increased. Nearly all cases since May have occurred in unvaccinated people, according to the state health department.

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OPENING GAMBIT

Jesse Jackson and Edwards during Jackson’s 1984 presidential campaign.

I hope I did that, and I hope, if I did, that they will help others, too. I love Louisiana and I always will.” Many who know Edwards only by his reputation for wheeling and dealing would no doubt be surprised to learn that he first ran for governor in 1971 as a reformer. His top campaign pledge: a new state constitution. He delivered on that promise, or at least laid the groundwork for it, within months of taking office in 1972 by pushing through a call for a constitutional convention the following year. For decades before him, governors had promised, tried and failed. While the new state constitution may be EWE’s most enduring legacy, his imprint on state politics and government encompasses much more, both stylistically and substantively. For starters, he was by far the most talented — and most controversial — governor in modern Louisiana history. Others before and after him had to learn how to be governor once in office, no matter how long they’d been around government. Not Edwards. He knew how to be governor the minute he lifted his hand from the Bible after taking his first oath of office. It’s doubtful anyone will ever match his influence, his political instincts or his four terms in office. He was a masterful communicator, having honed his skills as a youth minister in the Pentecostal Church (though he was born Catholic). He could make people laugh, cry, and stand up and cheer. You could fill a book with his quips, the most legendary being his boast in the 1983 gubernatorial election that the only way he could lose to Republican incumbent Dave Treen was “if I get caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy.” He previously said of Treen, who had a reptation for taking his time with decisions, “It takes him an

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P H OTO B Y H . J . PAT T E R S O N / T H E T I M E S - P I C AYU N E

Ewards and Moon Landrieu two weeks before Edwards was sworn in as governor in 1972.

On another key front, he didn’t much care for the press, but he could charm all but the most grizzled political wags by wise-cracking his way through a news conference — and still drive home serious policy points. He was smart and entertaining, and almost everyone, including the media, liked him for that. He was even more popular among the state’s political class. He always returned phone calls and never broke his word — not even to PAGE 9

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P H OTO B Y G . A N D R E W B OY D

hour-and-a-half to watch ‘60 Minutes.’ ” Behind closed doors, he could bring disparate interests together and forge, or force, compromises better than anyone I’ve ever seen. Part of his secret sauce was knowing what each side really wanted; the rest was his willingness to use the awesome powers of his office to bring warring politicos and special interests to heel. Two examples of that rank among his greatest and most lasting accomplishments, along with the 1974 Constitution: • In the 1970s, he convinced lawmakers to change the way Louisiana taxes oil, from a set price per barrel to a percentage of value. That poured money into the state treasury and stabilized state revenues. It also enabled him to fulfill all his populist promises and expand the role and reach of state government. • In the 1980s, during his third term, he muscled through a skeptical Legislature the unprecedented financing package that new Saints owner Tom Benson proposed as part of a highly leveraged acquisition. The deal was predicated on millions in state subsidies, but it kept the franchise in New Orleans. Only Edwards could have gotten the deal through. It set a precedent for future deals that have kept the Saints in business — and in New Orleans — to this day.

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OPENING GAMBIT adversaries. One of the state’s first Republican legislators, the late state Rep. Charlie Lancaster of Metairie, who rarely voted with Edwards, once told me that even he could call on EWE for a favor if it was good for the people of his district. “He was accessible like no other governor I’ve ever known,” Lancaster said.With Edwards, all politics was not just local. It was, as the late U.S. House Speaker Tip O’Neill famously said, also personal. He often entertained lawmakers at

P H OTO B Y B I LL H A B E R / T H E A P

Tom Benson and Edwards in 1985.

“the Mansion” over lunch or after hours during legislative sessions, regaling them with jokes and anecdotes — and twisting arms for votes when necessary. “He had a remarkable ability to return phone calls to legislators, whether they be friend of foe,” Alario recalled. “I remember seeing some who didn’t agree with him sneaking into his office through the back door to avoid being seen. He even listened to them to find some common ground. He never kept a grudge. “I stopped to see him last Friday,” Alario added. “I got to say that I loved him. He recognized and understood who I was, and we held hands and said goodbye.” “It’s not every day you get to know someone who literally changed history,” said current House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, who lived near EWE’s final home. “Governor Edwards was that person. We’ll never see someone like him again.” Edwards no doubt will be remembered for the corruption that mars his legacy, but he also remains popular, even loved, because of his personal magnetism. How did he manage that? For all his accomplishments, he never forgot his own humble roots. He was born in rural Avoyelles Parish,

P H OTO P R OV I D E D B Y C L A N C Y D U B O S

The author and Edwards.

where his family often got by with government assistance. He told me once that as a child he received emergency health care at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. As governor, he was a tireless defender of Louisiana’s public health care system, particularly of “Big Charity,” as the former hospital in downtown New Orleans was known. Years later, he recalled helping wire his family home for electricity — with a single bulb hanging in the family room.

As a politician, he never forgot those roots. He didn’t just relate to poor people, he sincerely cared about them. They could feel it when he spoke to them, and they responded with their votes — corruption be damned. He began his legal and political career in Crowley, where his native Cajun French was still widely spoken after he graduated from LSU law school. He won a seat on the Crowley City Council in 1954, a seat in the state Senate a decade later, then a special election to Congress in 1965. Soon thereafter, he set his sights on the Governor’s Mansion. Few politicians are good at managing their own careers and campaigns. Edwards was the exception. He recognized early on the growing statewide numbers — and potential political clout — of Black and Cajun voters in the second half of the 20th century. He united Cajun, Black and union voters to forge an unbeatable coalition when he ran for governor in 1971.In that race, Cajuns turned out in record numbers to support Louisiana’s first Cajun governor. Many older Acadians still recall the mantra that united them behind EWE: “Un de nous autres” — “One of our own.” Similarly, Black voters remember

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him as the first governor to bring Black people into state government in significant numbers and in significant positions. Over the years, they rewarded him with loyalty on Election Day. He’ll always be considered a hero in the Black community. “He had great appeal in the Black community because every hand he shook, he made them feel like he knew them personally and knew their needs,” said New Orleans businessman and veteran civil rights leader Don Hubbard, whose political organization SOUL played a big role in helping Edwards win his first gubernatorial election in 1971. “We had our first meeting with him before we endorsed him for governor, and we told him we were going to be knocking on doors in the Ninth Ward. ‘If you really want SOUL’s support, you need to join us on Saturday,’ we said. He said, ‘I can start today.’ And he did. That’s what people loved him for — he

P H OTO B Y C H E R YL G E R B E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AYU N E

Edwards and his wife, Trina Grimes Scott.

always showed up. He also never said ‘no.’ He always said, ‘Let me try to get it done.’ That’s all you could expect from an elected official. He was always straight-up. He never lied, because he knew you would remember the lie.” Hubbard later co-founded Superdome Services Inc., which handled security, ushers, custodial and all other services at the Superdome except for food and electrical services. The firm grew to 1,100 employees and was the state’s — and the nation’s — largest Black-owned public contractor in the 1970s. It happened because Edwards

made it happen.“Edwin Edwards was key to the Black community’s progress by helping us to secure that contract at the dome,” Hubbard recalled. “It was a big stretch for him and we knew it, because he knew what the climate of the majority community was, but he stepped up anyway. We used to have an inside joke between the two of us. He would say to me, ‘Hubbard, you made me cut a bad deal, but since we agreed to it, I’m gonna do it.’ He always had an open door for us. He had a different fight with other politicians, but he stood up for what we went to him for.” Edwards’ third and fourth terms proved to be far more trying than his first two, when the state was flush with cash during the oil boom of the 1970s. His third term began on a high note — he beat Dave Treen with more than 60% of the vote in 1983 and several months later took more than 500 of his top contributors on a fundraising trip to Paris and Monte Carlo. Tickets cost $10,000 apiece. At the time, it was the most successful political fundraiser in U.S. history.Things changed quickly. The Oil Patch dried up, taking state coffers with them. The feds continued to hound him as well. In 1985 he faced several counts of federal corruption charges in connection with the alleged sale of hospital permits. Jurors acquitted him after two trials, but the state’s tough economic times and testimony about him losing hundreds of thousands of dollars at Las Vegas casinos and paying gambling debts with a suitcase full of cash cost him dearly. He ran for a fourth term in 1987 at perhaps the lowest point of his popularity. The combination of hard economic times and corruption scandals caused him to run second to political upstart Buddy Roemer, a reform-minded congressman from north Louisiana who promised a political “revolution.” Ironically, Roemer’s father had managed EWE’s first two gubernatorial campaigns and served as his commissioner of administration, the most powerful post in state government next to the governor himself. Edwards declined to contest the runoff, handing the governor’s office to Roemer. For EWE, this was more than a defeat; it was a generational changing of the guard. Part of his success, and failure, had always depended on luck. He was lucky to be governor during the oil boom of the 1970s, and unlucky to be governor when oil crashed in the 1980s. In tough economic times, voters didn’t find him so amusing. He bided his time. In 1991, he ran again for a fourth term, and this time he won — thanks to a combination of luck and astute political forecasting. He knew that his best chance of winning depended on making the runoff against neo-Nazi David Duke, who had won a legislative seat from Metairie in early 1989, and squeezing

P H OTO B Y P H I L I P B A R R / T H E M O R N I N G A DVO C AT E

Edwards and former Governor Buddy Roemer prior to the swearing in of EWE Monday at the Centroplex in 1992.

out Roemer, whose revolution had begun to fizzle. Edwards and Duke, on the other hand, had plenty of fire — and Duke had significant appeal among conservative whites who didn’t feel particularly loyal to Roemer. As the only high-profile Democrat, Edwards had a virtual lock on Black and labor votes and enough Cajuns to make the cut. Roemer ran third, and most of his reform base followed the admonition of a bumper sticker whose message resonated: “Vote for the crook — it’s important.” But Edwards’ triumph over Duke, which matched his overwhelming 1983 rout of Dave Treen — was also short-lived. He reneged on a campaign promise not to back casino gambling, and continued fiscal crises along with hints of scandal convinced him not to seek another term in 1995. In the spring of 1997, the feds raided his home and office as part of a wide-ranging racketeering investigation into the sale of riverboat gaming licenses. In May 2000, jurors convicted him on 17 federal counts of corruption and racketeering. On the steps of the federal courthouse after the verdict, he took note of the feds’ long pursuit of him, noting the old saying, “If you sit by a river long enough, the dead bodies of your enemies will float by you. I suppose the feds sat by the river long enough, and here comes my body.” In October 2002, at the age of 75, he entered federal prison to begin serving a 10-year sentence. He emerged in early 2011 to wed his third wife, Trina. While he had lost his political influence, his

popularity, at least among voters old enough to remember his early magic, remained strong. He became a sought-after speaker, authorized a biography and briefly co-starred in a campy, short-lived reality TV show. He made one last run for office — for Congress in 2014 at the age of 87 — but lost a runoff contest to Garret Graves. When historians recount Edwin Edwards’ triumphs and travails, I suspect his legacy will mirror the path he and Louisiana trod during the nearly half-century of his public life: It was not always smooth or easy, but it was never dull. He was a force of nature, shaped not just by his heritage but also by the often turbulent social and political upheavals — from the civil rights movement to reality television — that rocked the state and the nation throughout his career.I saw him once after the 2014 race. Even then, on the cusp of turning 90, he hadn’t lost his touch. We were both at a fish fry on the Northshore in 2016, and predictably, people still mobbed him for autographs and selfies. We’d known each other for more than 40 years at that point, and as was the case with the rest of the media, our relationship had been as turbulent as the rest of life. What the hell, I figured. I asked if he would mind getting his picture taken with a reporter who hadn’t always treated him kindly. As ever, Edwards didn’t miss a beat. “Sure,” he said. “Just don’t tell anybody we’re friends.”

BLAKE PONTCHARTRAIN™ Hey Blake,

The Lobby Bar at Ace Hotel New Orleans is a friendly place for cocktails, small plates and gatherings of humankind. Dogs, too.

In your July 6 article about the Municipal Auditorium, you mentioned some of the sporting events it hosted. Didn’t the New Orleans Buccaneers and the New Orleans Jazz play basketball there, too? — Karl

Dear Karl,

The Municipal Auditorium was the site of amateur basketball games and an annual Sugar Bowl basketball tournament in the 1950s. And yes, it also hosted professional basketball in the 1960s and ‘70s. That included the New Orleans Buccaneers, the American Basketball Association franchise that came to the city in 1967. One of the team’s owners was Sean Downey, who would become better known as the radio and TV talk show host and actor Morton Downey Jr. The Bucs played their inaugural season at the Loyola University Field House. In late 1967, Downey announced that the Buccaneers would move their home games to the Municipal Auditorium. However, scheduling issues delayed the move. The Bucs played four games in the auditorium in 1969. At the time, The Times-Picayune reported the auditorium could seat 6,643 for basketball. After the 1969-70 season, the Buccaneers moved to Memphis before folding in Baltimore in 1975. When the National Basketball Association franchise known as the

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New Orleans Jazz came to the city in 1974, it played many of its first games in the Municipal Auditorium. The legendary “Pistol Pete” Maravich made his debut there with the Jazz on Oct. 25, 1974, for the team’s first home game. “A crowd of 6,450 jammed Municipal Auditorium to welcome their team for the first home stand,” Ron Brocato wrote in The States-Item. “They were treated to a half game of exciting pro basketball then were asked to witness a second half of the disaster.” The Jazz lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, 102-89. The Jazz made the Louisiana Superdome its new home when that building opened in 1975. The team left for Utah in 1979.

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BLAKEVIEW WITH THE 2021 OLYMPICS SET TO BEGIN IN TOKYO later this week, we remember New Orleans-born Olympian Audrey “Mickey” Patterson-Tyler. She was the first Black woman to win an Olympic medal, earning the 1948 bronze in the women’s 200-meter dash.   Born in New Orleans in 1926, Patterson-Tyler attended Gilbert Academy, the private Black prep school located where De La Salle High School is today. As a student at Tennessee State University, she became one of nine Black women to earn a spot on the 1948 U.S. Track and Field team and a chance to compete in that year’s London Olympic Games. At age 22, she made history, finishing third in the women’s 200-meter dash with a time of 25.3 seconds and earning the bronze. Although she and other Olympians were invited to meet President Harry S. Truman at the White House, Patterson-Tyler later said she was stung by the lack of public recognition for her success here in her hometown. After failing to qualify for the 1952 Olympics, she graduated from Southern University, married Ronald Tyler and became a physical education teacher. She and her husband moved to San Diego in 1964. Patterson-Tyler had four children and founded Mickey’s Missiles, a track club for young people, including several future Olympic athletes. Patterson-Tyler died in 1996. She was inducted into the Allstate Sugar Bowl’s Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.

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On the front lines of the fight to save affordable housing from climate change BY SARAH RAVITS

Editor’s note: This is the second part of our two-part series on how climate change affects housing affordability and efforts to address those challenges. It is part of a year-long partnership between Gambit and the Solutions Journalism Network focused on affordable housing. ROBERT ROBINSON, A 29-YEAR-OLD TEACHER, celebrated an important milestone in November 2020: He purchased a house in the Gentilly neighborhood where he grew up. With a modest salary and burdened by student loans, his dream of home ownership had started to seem like an unattainable goal — until he connected with an affordable housing nonprofit that helps people in similar situations. “As a full-time teacher with a graduate degree, I thought that I’d have little issue purchasing a home the traditional route,” he says. “However, I quickly found that New Orleans is a very expensive city to purchase a property.” Even if Robinson could have afforded to buy a house on his own, keeping it may have proven too high a financial burden. After all, it’s not just expensive mortgages that are preventing many New Orleanians from home ownership: There’s also the looming threat of catastrophic flooding, storm damage maintenance and high utility bills. This is where Home by Hand, the affordable housing nonprofit, stepped in. The local organization is one of a handful of groups in the country working to combat the growing impacts of climate change on housing costs. “Our goal is to build energy-efficient, storm-resistant homes that are easy and inexpensive to operate and to maintain,” Executive Director Oji Alexander says. “We know most of these folks don’t have a lot of expendable income and face a lot of cost burdens.” “Cost burdens” are high in New Orleans: more than a third of people spend at least 30% of their income on housing. Alexander also notes the percentage of renters in New Orleans — around 50% — is higher than the national average, which is 35.5%, according to the latest Census report. For economically disadvantaged people, the high costs of living, compounded by environmental effects, are causing housing insecurity or forcing people to make decisions like whether to pay off bills or loans or buy groceries. And for thousands of other New Orleanians, the skyrocketing costs associated with climate change could soon push them into a precarious housing situation as well. “We have to do better,” Alexander says. “There are correlations between housing security and health outcomes, and one of the

P H OTO B Y A N DY F R I T Z H A L L / P R OV I D E D B Y H O M E B Y H A N D

Home by Hand helps construct new affordable, energy-efficient housing for families in New Orleans.

unique things about New Orleans is not only the number of people who rent, but because of Hurricane Katrina and lost housing stock, rental rates skyrocketed and never really stabilized.”

BATTLING CLIMATE CHANGE and the affordable housing crisis it has compounded is daunting, to say the least. Problems stemming from climate change can be physically evident, in the form of flooding or storm damage, or less visible, like poor quality air that can feed toxic mold and cause long-term respiratory problems. But many people don’t see the connection between climate change and housing costs, even in cases like increased flooding or the now frequent heat waves and winter cold snaps that cause bills to skyrocket and can also cause illnesses or even death. Julia Kumari Drapkin is CEO of ISeeChange, a tech company that tracks both public and user-submitted data and then uses the information to advise local policymakers and the public on climate change issues.

“If we planted a tree for every man, woman and child, [New Orleans] would be a totally different place. We can change the landscape … When you’re planting them as infrastructure, the trees act as a system.” — COUNCILMEMBER KRISTIN GISLESON PALMER

ISeeChange’s maps are a great demonstration of the effects of climate change on everyday lives — and the app also is accessible to average people, allowing them to document the effects in their homes and neighborhoods and take action. ISeeChange also identifies more vulnerable areas and provides details at a neighborhood level, instead of at a city level. “Our neighborhoods vary,” Drapkin explains. “The National Weather Service is supposed to send city or parish-wide alerts [for heat

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C E L E B R AT I N G A D E C A D E O F I M PAC T S O N O FA S A I N T . O R G

Susannah Burley, founder and executive director of Sustaining Our Urban Landscape, right, and Julia McClanahan, SOUL’s program and outreach coordinator.

advisories], but they can’t isolate it by neighborhoods. Similar to flood data, when we track heat, it can identify the risks [to specific neighborhoods].” Heat islands are areas that experience higher temperatures than nearby areas, often due to lack of vegetation and permeable surfaces — buildings, roads and paved surfaces absorb and trap heat. Most cities have cooling stations that are open for especially vulnerable residents, including the elderly and unhoused. NOLA Ready, the city’s office of emergency preparedness and response, sets up temporary cooling centers at New Orleans Recreational Department Commission locations during electricity outages and other intense weather events. But while cities have for years focused on these sorts of immediate steps to solve the life-threatening consequences of climate change, heat islands have continued to not only grow in number, but severity. This, in turn, has driven up housing costs, prompting officials in a number of cities to begin looking for long-term solutions.

IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE MUCH, but a few trees planted in strategic spots can have a huge impact on the temperatures in neighborhoods and homes. “There’s a dramatic [temperature] difference between neighborhoods with adequate tree canopies and permeable surfaces,” says Jane Gilbert, chief heat officer for the City of Miami. Gilbert, who began her work for Miami this spring, is the first municipal heat officer — her job is to coordi-

nate action around extreme heat events — in the country, and one of a growing number of officials tasked with addressing climate change at the municipal level. She says urban tree canopy programs, which are being implemented in communities from Tucson to Washington. D.C., are a “quadruple win” because they provide shade to cool pavement and buildings, absorb stormwater, sequester carbon and have even greater cooling effects than man-made shade because of transpiration. “Plus, they’re beautiful,” she says. Susannah Burley, a landscape architect in New Orleans who founded Sustaining Our Urban Landscapes (SOUL), sees Atlanta as the gold standard for its usage of tree canopies. At least 47% of the city is covered by trees. While trees can get expensive for residents paying out of pocket, some nonprofits can bring trees to those who might not be able to afford it. NOLA Tree Project, for example, hosts free giveaway events throughout the year. Burley, meanwhile, primarily populates public spaces with trees and works closely with Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer, who has spearheaded planting efforts throughout the city. And just last month, city officials signed an agreement with SOUL to develop a $140,000 reforestation plan as part of the city’s ambitious “Master Plan for the 21st Century” and implement green infrastructure and incentivize property owners to invest in risk reduction efforts over the next decade. “We are all so overwhelmed with the needs of our pumping system and the Sewerage and Water

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“Our goal is to build energy-efficient, stormresistant homes that are easy and inexpensive to operate and to maintain. We know most of these folks don’t have a lot of expendable income and face a lot of cost burdens.” — OJI ALEXANDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HOME BY HAND

gy usage after trees were planted. The studies reveal that cooling energy savings ranged between 7% and 47% and were greatest when trees were planted to the west and southwest of buildings. The economic and climate benefits of tree planting aren’t just found in their leafy canopies. Their root systems and trunks can be valuable weapons in the fight to mitigate flooding and to keep the cost of housing down. The types of trees planted vary depending on the neighborhood — and what residents want in their public spaces — but certain species are especially good at soaking up rainwater. Burley is especially fond of cypress trees,

which can suck up to 880 gallons of water a day, and alleviate some of the strain on the city’s pumping system. Magnolia trees, another New Orleans fixture, can suck up to 200 gallons of water. While the economic benefits of water containment are harder to quantify, they are no less real. In a city like New Orleans with an aging pumping system that is no longer capable of handling even moderate rain events, the savings from less wear and tear on infrastructure and flood damage to our homes is enormous, particularly in the long-term. Still, in many cases those sorts of savings can either be far off — trees don’t grow overnight — or feel hypothetical. For homeowners and renters struggling to pay their bills, the need to address climate change’s impacts on their wallets now can mean the difference between paying their rent or being evicted.

FOR YEARS, HOUSING AND CLIMATE ACTIVISTS have operated

in largely siloed-off tracks. But in recent years as economic and racial disparities of the climate crisis have become more evident, the two have increasingly converged. That’s particularly true in New Orleans. Much of the housing predates modern energy efficiency standards. In the years since Hurricane Katrina, housing and climate activists have seen their work overlap, particularly in new construction. With the loss of many homes to post-Hurricane Katrina flooding, “it was an opportunity to build back better,” says Home by Hand’s Alexander. “You had houses sitting right on the ground [pre-Katrina]. A lot of these neighborhoods got eight or nine feet of water, and [we were] also dealing with severe mold and water damage. We advocate for new construction because we know everything going into the house, we know what’s behind the walls, and we know people won’t have to worry about costly repairs three or five years down the road.” The nonprofit uses best environmental practices, he says. “The more efficient the home is, the less expensive your utility bills will be. We build to just about every energy-efficient standard out there, but what it comes down to is the homeowner and what size check they are cutting to Entergy,” he says. Over the last decade, Alexander’s group has helped more than 200 people buy weatherized, efficient homes, but the group

7 CUTTING THE COSTS OF CLIMATE 8 CHANGE

Close blinds, shades and curtains to keep the sun out and the cool air in. Also, close air conditioning vents in rooms that are not in use.

14 THINGS YOU CAN DO

Have your pipes insulated. With freezes happening every winter because of climate change, it can help avoid burst pipes and help on water heating bills long term.

Seal cracks and holes around doors, windows and ductwork. Weather stripping and caulk will help keep the cold air in and the hot air out.

Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or the highest comfortable temperature. Every degree lower than 78 can raise your bill as much as 3 percent. If you crank down the A/C to a cooler 72 degrees, you’ve already increased your bill by 18 percent.

Likewise, in winter set your thermostat to 68 degrees — or as close as you can get — when you’re home and awake. If you drop it 10-15 degrees while you’re out of the house, you can save as much as 15% on your heat bill.

Buy a programmable thermostat. As energy use rises, costs also rise.

Ceiling fans, box fans and oscillating fans use very little electricity to circulate the air, which helps you feel several degrees cooler. To save more energy, be sure to turn them off when you leave the room.

If floors are poorly insulated, consider adding area rugs to plug up leaks where air can escape from

Replace old lightbulbs, power strips and appliances with new energy efficient versions. Even a high-efficiency shower head can save as much as $129 a year in electricity costs for some water heaters.

Air filters on some air conditioning units require monthly cleaning or replacement. This can help keep costs down and protect you and your family from some air born illnesses. You can also get your A/C inspected to make sure your system is leak-free and operating as efficiently as possible.

Rain barrels can also help with stormwater management. Green Light New Orleans installs these mechanisms which help reduce localized flooding and helps limit subsidence — the sinking of soils due to the pumping of stormwater.

Plant a deciduous tree on the south side of your house; in the summer it’ll be cooler and in the winter you’ll get the sun warming your house.

Apply for a free energy efficiency assessment and assistance from the city at energysmartnola.info. Income-qualified residents can receive free weatherization services and free energy efficiency upgrades.

Even if you don’t qualify for free assistance, under the federal Energy Star program, Entergy will conduct a free efficiency assessment of your home. As part of the assessment, you can get significant discounts on new appliances and equipment to upgrade your home.

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Board and drainage, but everybody can plant a tree,” Palmer says. “And if we planted a tree for every man, woman and child, [New Orleans] would be a totally different place. We can change the landscape … When you’re planting them as infrastructure, the trees act as a system. They can’t change if we flood or not, but they can make a huge impact.” SOUL’s outreach also has grown exponentially. In 2016, the group planted 200 trees, and the numbers have grown each year as they recruit more volunteers and obtain more donations and resources — including funding from Entergy. This past year, Burley estimates they planted 2,000 trees throughout the city and says it’s had an impact on public health and has helped people and their homes stay cool. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that tree canopies result in reduced energy use, too. Trees and vegetation that shade buildings decrease the demand for air conditioning, for example. Joint studies by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District measured buildings’ ener-

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Julia Kumari Drapkin gives her iSeeChange.org pitch on stage to MC Fletcher Mackel.

heavily relies on philanthropy and other forms of outside funding. “We are selling houses to people for less than it costs us to build, to people who need a lot of assistance in order to buy the homes,” Alexander says. At any given moment, the group has a pipeline of between 70 and 100 applicants. “It is a constant uphill battle,” Alexander says, given that the demand is so high and far outweighs the supply.

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have stepped up over the last two decades. Most of the houses in the city, particularly shotgun homes, were built for a climate that doesn’t exist anymore. For instance, the 1938 New Orleans City Guide described New Orleans weather as “remarkably equable, subnormal cold and excessive heat being rare. The winters and summers are generally moderate, Gulf breezes and the proximity of numerous bodies of water serving to modify extremes in temperature ... Tropical hurri-

canes, which harass most points of the Gulf Coast, very seldom strike New Orleans.” A New York Times interactive map also shows that the number of days with temperatures hitting 90 degrees have increased: in 2010, the New Orleans area averaged about 82 days a year reaching 90 degrees; now that number is estimated to be around 89 days yearly. Logan Atkinson Burke, executive director of the consumer advocate nonprofit Alliance for Affordable Energy, says there are a number of cost-effective, environmentally friendly ways to reduce power bills. Part of her mission at the Alliance is to educate residents about existing programs and help connect them with available resources, as well as to advocate for policies that will incentivize energy efficiency. “A lot of our housing stock is really old, so that means whether the power is forced out — if our homes are more prepared for that kind of thing — we will be healthier and safer no matter what those changing impacts are,” Burke says. She also says it’s important for

TEMPERATURE CHECK cost, energy-efficient appliances, lighting and other products. Through the program Entergy also provides free energy efficiency assessments and rebates for customers, as well as cash incentives for energy-efficient audits and upgrades. Entergy spokesperson Maleiya Porter-Jones says the company works with renters and homeowners, as well as business owners, facility managers and contractors to identify opportunities and provide cash incentives for completing eligible upgrades. Since Energy Smart’s inception in 2011, she says more than 98,000 customers have participated in the programs to cut down on their bills. Porter-Jones says as a result, 315,000,000 kilowatt hours of electricity have been saved.

IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, some lawmakers are hoping to implement more incentives for green building. State Rep. Matt Willard, D-New Orleans, calls Louisiana “the tax credit capital of the nation” and says it’s not too farfetched to propose these ideas in the legislature and gain bipartisan support. “If you do it in the right way, you can set up job opportunities, and opportunities for businesses to come forward. If you get a business whose sole purpose is to provide materials for people to weatherize properties, it could spur economic development,” he says. The impacts from climate change are moving faster than policy, however — which is why it’s also important for residents to take some steps themselves. “The heatwave in the Pacific Northwest is the perfect example, but closer to home in New Orleans, we can point to yearslong infrastructure processes that are well intentioned, but aren’t keeping pace with local, blockby-block needs,” says Drapkin of ISeeChange. The root causes of climate change aren’t going to be solved until national governments wrest control of policy-making away from the fossil fuel industry, and until then, the effects of the climate crisis are only going to get worse. And unfortunately, it’s become increasingly clear that if governments won’t lead, the people must, Drapkin says. “It all comes down to people. People have so much to offer when it comes to solving the climate crisis. They shouldn’t feel powerless; their story matters.”

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residents to maintain their HVAC and A/C systems. Even something as simple as regularly remembering to change air filters can have a noticeable impact on both on your energy bills and over all energy consumption. “That’s a real opportunity to reduce energy waste,” she says. She recommends installing Smart Thermostats, which can be programmed to adjust throughout the day and can be controlled remotely. And she’s a proponent of solar energy. While Louisiana does not have a dedicated state rebate for solar panel installation, many manufacturers offer their own rebates. There is also a 26% federal investment tax credit — meaning if someone spends $20,000 on a solar energy system, the credit would be $5,200. Burke recognizes making major updates to systems and installing panels aren’t affordable options for everyone — especially for the city’s vast lower and moderate-income class, and she and members of the City Council, whom she frequently advises on energy policy, hope that state lawmakers will add more financial incentives in the future. In the meantime, more affordable options to keep houses from wasting energy can be simple and low-cost, like covering floorboards with area rugs to plug up leaks, hanging window coverings, using ceiling fans to circulate air and keeping curtains drawn to help trap heat or air conditioning, depending on the season. Figuring out what steps to take can be a challenge, especially for renters or first-time homeowners who are barely making ends meet. Luckily, there are, in fact, a number of organizations and programs in New Orleans designed to help figure it all out. The Louisiana Housing Corporation has a weatherization assistance program for low-income residents. It partners with other agencies who go into homes and help residents keep their utility costs down by sealing leaky doors and windows, adding insulation and fixing or swapping out appliances that are not efficient. Similarly, in 2011, the city launched the Energy Smart program. Operated in conjunction with Entergy, the program provides a host of assistance to homeowners, renters and businesses. For instance, income-qualified families can receive free energy-saving products to replace inefficient ones and get free attic insulation and duct and air sealing installed. The program also has an online marketplace with reduced

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Taste of Cebu Cebu Litson & Grill serves Filipino food on the West Bank BY B E T H D ’A D D O N O LOY MADRIGAL REMEMBERS WHEN

he first started paying attention to the food of his heritage. He was about 7 years old and visiting his aunt Lita in the Philippines. “My aunt owned a little food stand, the kind that the taxi drivers would stop at all the time,” he says. “She sent me to the market with a list of what she needed, and I stayed with her in the kitchen after that as much as I could.” Loy Madrigal previously ran a Filipino food pop-up and food truck called Cebu Lechon at locations including Sidney’s Saloon on St. Bernard Avenue. Cebu is the island region where his mother’s family is from, and lechon is the Spanish word for a baby suckling pig. The late chef and travel host Anthony Bourdain proclaimed that the Cebu region produced the most succulent pigs of all of the Philippines’ more than 7,000 islands. He opened his home-style Filipino restaurant Cebu Litson & Grill in Algiers Point in May 2020. “It was a risk — in the middle of the pandemic at a time when we didn’t know when indoor dining would start again and when people could get together in person for celebrations,” he says. He and his wife Iris Madrigal had bought the building at the corner of Hende and Newton streets to serve as both their home and restaurant. With Filipino roots on his mother’s side and German on his dad’s, Loy Madrigal was born in the Philippines and moved to Arkansas, where his paternal grandfather lived, in 1994. He met his wife in the Philippines, and they have lived in New Orleans since 2000. The restaurant space is large, but for now they mainly are using the small main dining room. There’s more

dining space to use when necessary, as well as a small catering kitchen and bars. The Madrigals plan to use outdoor space for weekly barbecue specials and family-style meals. He plans to add grilled meat fiestas on Wednesdays. The menu focuses on the marinated meats that dominate the Filipino table. “That’s where the flavor is, in the marinade,” Loy Madrigal says. Filipino cuisine is known for its bold flavors, which have incorporated influences ranging from Malay, Spanish, Chinese and American and evolved over time. Soy sauce, ginger, garlic and vinegar are big flavor carriers. They are what make his pork adobo succulent — pork belly with a sweet-and-sour tang served over rice. That sour flavor is the driver in all versions of sinigang, a hearty soup made with ribs or milkfish with distinctive tamarind flavor. Although pork is the star attraction in many Cebu dishes, seafood is a supporting player. Whole roasted fish and seafood are available grilled, stewed or raw in a sashimi style. Popular dishes include adobong pusit, made with squid and adobo spice; dinuguan, a savory stew of pork simmered in a rich, spicy, dark gravy of pig blood, garlic, chili and vinegar; and lumpia Shanghai, a flashfried minced pork egg roll. Fried seafood and chicken get an added punch of distinctly Filipino flavor. Pork from a roasted whole pig is an occasional special and available as a special order. The $45 combination platter easily feeds three people — pick two main items and two sides for an adventure into Filipino gastronomy. The menu features traditional names and servers are happy to help diners unfamiliar with Filipino cuisine. For dessert, halo-halo is a delicious option. It’s like a Hawaiian shaved ice married a Vietnamese bubble tea studded with dried sweets. Add in

Lakeview’s cooking again FOR MONTHS, IT SEEMED THAT JOSEPH FAROLDI couldn’t go any-

P H OTO B Y C H E R YL G E R B E R

Loy and Iris Madrigal opened Cebu Litson & Grill.

evaporated milk and nutty tasting purple ube ice cream made from island-grown purple yams and the combo is dynamite. Like most dishes at Cebu Litson, the portion is large and shareable. A visit to Cebu also offers a look at local Filipino connections. Historic photos, art and posters from the Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society show the island nation’s natural beauty as well as its ties to Louisiana. The former fishing village of St. Malo, about 30 miles east of New Orleans, was the first and largest Filipino community in the U.S. until it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1915. Also, at the turn of the last century in Barataria Bay, a group of Filipinos built what became known as Manila Village. Unfortunately, that shrimping community was destroyed by Hurricane Betsy in 1965. But the Madrigals are offering a taste of the Philippines again. “Our idea is to introduce traditional Filipino food to people who know and love it already or want to try it out,” Loy Madrigal says.

? WHAT

Cebu Litson & Grill

WHERE

1800 Newton St., (985) 302-6801; facebook.com/ cebulitsonnola

WHEN

9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

HOW

Dine-in, outdoor seating and takeout available

CHECK IT OUT

Filipino-style barbecue and more in Algiers Point

where without people asking when his restaurant, Lakeview Burgers & Seafood, would reopen. They wanted to know when they could get their favorite burger, or an oyster pirogue or the hand-cut mozzarella sticks. “I didn’t have an answer for them, and that felt bad,” Faroldi says. “But there was never a doubt in my mind we would be back.” Lakeview Burgers & Seafood did finally reopen recently. It is part of a neighborhood restaurant row in Lakeview that has proved remarkably resilient through the pandemic, and through its own particular travails. Lakeview Burgers & Seafood was the last of four businesses to reopen after a fire ripped through the building they share on the 800 block of Harrison Avenue. The blaze on June 17, 2020, at Parlay’s Bar, left both the bar and Faroldi’s restaurant next door as charred shells. Smoke also damaged the adjacent Reginelli’s Pizzeria and

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 AYU N E

Parlay’s is open again after a fire last summer.

The Steak Knife. As they’ve worked back, each reopening has been a validation in a difficult time, illuminating the interdependence of neighborhood businesses like these. “The fire kind of pulled us together more, because we had to talk about things,” says Steak Knife proprietor Bobby Roth. “We all knew the others were coming back, we all wanted to do it the best way we could and make the whole block a little brighter, a little better.” Without any formal coordination between the businesses, Lakeview neighbors and regulars from around town still use them in a complementary way. After-work drinks at Parlay’s sometimes lead to dinner PAGE 22

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down the block at The Steak Knife. Go-cups and takeout boxes from different spots are in constant circulation between them. “You can’t get much more neighborhood than this,” says Mike Keiffer, owner of Parlay’s. “You got the parents eating at one place and their kids partying down the block at our place. Sometimes they go and check on each other or trade places as things move on.” Their shared building has a long history of neighborhood businesses. It once housed World of Strings Guitar Studios, well known to local musicians of a certain vintage, and also Harry Connick Sr.’s Studio A record store. That old music store is now part of the Steak Knife, the restaurant that Roth and his family have run since 1971. The Steak Knife reopened from the fire in late 2020, when coronavirus restrictions were still in place and picked up where it left off. The restaurant will mark its 50th anniversary later this year. Across that span of time, it has played a consistent role, with the feel of a casual lounge, a menu of steaks, seafood and Italian dishes, and the long bar that serves as a Lakeview social hub. Next door, the Lakeview location of Reginelli’s is one of the oldest outposts for the New Orleans-based brand, which got started Uptown in 1996. The restaurant had completed a substantial renovation just a few months before the pandemic. Getting back open last August after the fire was essentially a redo. Parlay’s opened in 1984, taking over a corner spot that had been a succession of bars through the years. It can be packed at night, while on mellow weekend afternoons it might feel like the de facto 19th hole for the City Park golf course nearby. The damage from last year’s fire here was total. The interior was completely rebuilt and the bar — already an impressive runway length of over 80 feet before the fire — was extended even farther. Parlay’s added an oyster bar in back when it reopened. The shucker cuts off early, serving from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. After that, a rotating assortment of pop-ups and food trucks usually takes over. Now back open again, Lakeview Burgers & Seafood resumed its regular menu. The small restaurant serves a mix of burgers, po-boys, tacos and fried seafood pirogues (fried seafood stuffed into hollowed bread loaves). It also is the continuation of an unbroken line in the restaurant business for the Faroldi family, which helped fuel the resolve to reopen. Joseph’s father, Joe Faroldi, now 70, has worked in the restaurant business since he was 14. He grew

up in the French Quarter, where his family settled a generation earlier after immigrating from Italy. He and his family have worked in or run their own restaurants and catering operations for more than half a century, mostly in the French Quarter. The family opened Lakeview Burgers & Seafood together in 2015 in the longtime home of Lovecchio’s Deli. When the pandemic hit, it was this local focus that saved the restaurant. Relying on takeout only for the first few months, business swelled as people who were hunkered in their homes sought comfort food. The restaurant has increased its kitchen capacity and has doubled down on take-out business. Meanwhile, it’s added more outdoor seating, joining the adjacent businesses that have done likewise. Together, they form what appears to be one continuous outdoor patio. “Being in a neighborhood means everything now,” Joseph Faroldi says. — IAN McNULTY

Vintage food court A LOCAL RESTAURANT GROUP is now developing a new wine bar and café in the Lakeside Shopping Center. It’s the next project from New Orleans-based Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, which operates many restaurants around the area. The company has not yet confirmed a name for it, but work is underway to have the new bar open by late September, company CEO Marv Ammari says. The new wine bar is taking shape near the center of the mall, in the location formerly occupied by a Godiva Chocolatier store. Earlier this year, Godiva began closing all 128 of its retail stores and cafes in North America to focus on wholesale and online sales. The wine list will offer a full range of styles and many wines will be served on tap. There will also be cocktails and beer. The menu, now under development, will focus on quick, easy dishes to pair with drinks. Ammari says he was inspired by wine bars he’s seen in malls in other cities. Customers will be permitted to take their drinks with them to keep strolling the mall. Late last year, his company opened a Tavola Restaurant & Wine Bar in a separate building adjacent to the mall, taking over the former home of Bravo! Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts runs a wide array of restaurants and bars, including Broussard’s, Cafe Maspero and The Bombay Club. Lately, it has been growing in Jefferson Parish and now has its first north shore project underway, a third location of its Boulevard American Bistro is slated to open this fall in Covington. — IAN McNULTY/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

EAT+DRINK

Amarys Herndon, Jordan Herndon

AMAZING SEAFOOD. AWARD-WINNING BBQ!

Chefs/Restaurateurs IT’S NOT EASY TO OPEN A RESTAURANT IN THE BEST OF TIMES, let alone

the worst of times. Chefs Amarys and Jordan Herndon opened Palm & Pine at 308 N. Rampart St. in July 2019. Their restaurant was flooded by a rainstorm on its second day of business. Several months later, the Hard Rock Hotel collapsed, which left Palm & Pine almost inaccessible in the cordoned off evacuation zone. Then the pandemic hit. During the pandemic, they made food for Feed the Front Line relief efforts, and for a year — out of their own pockets and with some support from other restaurants — served free meals on Mondays to service and entertainment industry workers. Their restaurant celebrated its second birthday in early July.

Palm & Pine opened with late-night hours aimed at service industry workers. Are things getting back to normal? AMARYS HERNDON: Having that focus on serving food late and the service industry was always part of the plan. Obviously with the pandemic, that changed. We’re rebuilding that now. (Late-night service) is just Friday and Saturday nights now, but we have a goal of being open late every night. JORDAN HERNDON: Right now, our bartender friends and service industry people know they can get off their shift in the Quarter and get something good to eat and have a good drink and relax — without it just being a slice of Bourbon Street pizza.

Is the dinner menu much different from opening? AH: We have an always-changing menu. We have some staple dishes and some that have evolved. Definitely on late night, the Upper Quarter Pounder is a staple. On our dinner menu, something changes every couple weeks. We have whole roasted charred eggplant. We served it with housemade fresh cheese and Bellegarde ciabatta. On the opening menu, we served it with tomato relish and fried peanuts. Last summer we brought it back as a to-go option and we did it with pecans. There was a point when Bellegarde wasn’t open, so that

P H OTO B Y C A R R I E D E M AY

Amarys and Jordan Herndon opened Palm & Pine.

affected what we could do with it. Now this summer, we’ve got benne seeds from Anson Mills and the dish is focused around benne seeds and benne seed oil. It’s evolved. JH: During the pandemic, we went into survival mode as far as what we were going to purchase. We didn’t know what we would be able to get, or what our sales would be like. As things progressed, we were able to get back in touch with our purveyors and farmers who we built relationships with. They’re trying to survive as well. AH: We’re selling our ice creams by the pint. That started during the pandemic. We started a whole pantry and preserves menu. We kept selling ice cream because there’s still a desire for them. It’s a fun thing when people are too full for dessert but want to take a pint of ice cream home.

What are you looking forward to? AH: I am pretty excited about what can happen with sweets and our pastry program. We have a pastry chef now. When we first opened, we just had a couple of things and we were focused on our savory menu. Now people can come after a Saenger show just for dessert. JH: I want to have the Saenger Theatre back. I want to be able to see the streetcars rolling down Rampart again. I want to see an accessible intersection of Rampart and Canal. Summer is one of the worst times for a restaurant to open. Our first summer was rough, but for three or four months before the hotel collapsed, we were seeing what (the restaurant) would be like, so I’d like to see us get back on the path that we were on. — WILL COVIELLO For more information, visit palmandpinenola.com.

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2021 Hogs for the Cause Award-Winning BBQ, smoked low-n-slow over wood in our Gentilly smokehouse

THE FRANKLIN PRIME BRISKET BURGER with MELTED JALAPEÑO CHEDDAR CHEESE & SAUTEED ONIONS served on a LEIDENHEIMER ROLL $11 THE BIG PORKER PORK SMOKED LOW-N-SLOW with COLESLAW & OUR HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE served on a LEIDENHEIMER ROLL $10 NOT OPP BOLOGNA HOUSEMADE BOLOGNA SMOKED SLOW-N-LOW with MELTED JALAPEÑO CHEDDAR CHEESE, ONIONS & POTATO CHIPS served on a LEIDENHEIMER ROLL. $10

BRISKET PLATTER Prime Brisket Cooked low-n-slow $16 PULLED PORK PLATTER Award-winning pulled shoulder smoked low-n-slow $14 SMOKED RIB PLATTER 4 ST. LOUIS RIBS SMOKED low-n-slow $ 15 HALF RACK (No Sides) $13

FULL RACK (No Sides) $25

SMOKED WINGS SMOKED LOW-N-SLOW THEN FLASH FRIED, served with SPICY HOUSEMADE BBQ SAUCE, RANCH, BLUE CHEESE or SOUL SAUCE 6 WINGS $8 | 12 WINGS $14

THE FOGHORN CHICKEN DRENCHED IN A BUTTERMILK & PEPPER MIX, BREADED & FRIED with HOUSEMADE PICKLED ONIONS, COLESLAW & SRIRACHA AIOLI served on a LEIDENHEIMER ROLL $11

SMOKED SAUSAGE 2 LINKS OF HOUSEMADE SMOKED SAUSAGE with 2 Sides, Bread & Pickle $14

THE GENTILLY REUBEN HOUSEMADE SMOKED BRISKET PASTRAMI with SWISS CHEESE, SAUERKRAUT & SPECIAL SAUCE served on MARBLED RYE $12

3 MEAT PLATTER with 2 Sides, Bread & Pickles $25

THE NEVILLE HOUSEMADE HOT SAUSAGE with SWISS CHEESE, ONIONS, PICKLES & SRIRACHA AOILI served on a LEIDENHEIMER ROLL $11

2 MEAT PLATTER with 2 Sides, Bread & Pickles $20

PONTCHARTRAIN PACK (FEEDS 4-5) BRISKET, SMOKED PULLED PORK, SMOKED RIBS, SMOKED WINGS & 4 12oz SIDES $65 Meats also available by the pound (seasonal) Seafood available by the pound (seasonal)

AND, AS ALWAYS, OVERSTUFFED PO-BOYS AND OUR FAMOUS BOILED SEAFOOD AVAILABLE BY THE POUND! (MKT PRICE)

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OUT EAT 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 WO 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.

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11 to $20 $$$ — $21 or more

Notice: Due to COVID-19, dining at restaurants is impacted. 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 MidCity 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) 3834328; 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. $$

GENTILLY NOLA Crawfish King Seafood & Barbecue — 5321 Franklin Ave., (504) 571-5038 ; crawfishking.com — The restaurant specializes in boiled seafood and barbecue. The Gentilly Reuben features house-smoked brisket pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and house sauce on marbled rye. No reservations. Takeout and outdoor seating available. Lunch and early dinner Wed.Sun. $$

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 pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $

Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 7333803; 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 soft-shell 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. $

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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. $$$ Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop — 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, (504) 835-2022; gumbostop.com — The Seafood Platter comes with fried catfish, shrimp, oysters and crab balls and is accompanied by fries and choice of side. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ 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) 832-8032; 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 available. Lunch Tue.-Sat., dinner Tue.-Sun. $ PAGE 27

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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. $

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) 6093871; 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) 234-9420;

theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

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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. $$

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) 8910997; 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 Asia — Boomtown Casino & Hotel, 4132 Peters Road, Harvey, (504) 364- 8812; boomtownneworleans.com — Restaurateur Tri La’s menu serves Chinese and Vietnamese dishes. The Lau Hot Pot for two comes with choice of scallops, snow crab or shrimp. Reservations accepted. Dinner Fri.-Sun. $$ Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves shrimp Mosca, chicken a la grande and baked oysters Mosca, made with breadcrumbs and Italian seasonings. Curbside pickup available. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$ 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. $$

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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

Album Reviews BY JAKE CLAPP

SATURDAY

SEPT. 24–25, 2021 CASSIDY PARK BOGALUSA, LA www.bogalusablues.com

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Violet” are missing). Several older DiFranco songs fill out the set, including opener “Play God,” “Gravel” and “Allergic to Water.” By necessity the concert is stripped-down and intimate but filled with fantastic, breakout moments. DiFranco’s voice and guitar-playing carry the songs forward with a strong backbone from Higgins, DiFranco’s longtime touring drummer, and Neville on Wurlitzer and organ. “Revolutionary Love” is a product of 2020, and the scene of “Live at Big Blue” in the middle of DiFranco’s house — particularly Neville wearing a mask, prayer candles lit on his Wurlitzer — feels equally like a captivating snapshot of the times.

Ani DiFranco (Righteous Babe Records) Early this year, well before venues started to re-open for live music, Ani DiFranco invited Ivan Neville and Terence Higgins to her New Orleans home and studio, nicknamed Big Blue, to help celebrate the release of “Revolutionary Love,” DiFranco’s 22nd studio album, which was released in January. Over two days, the trio played intimate versions of new tracks from “Revolutionary Love” along with a few songs pulled from throughout DiFranco’s catalogue. They also talked about touring, music and life, and it was all captured on film — using seven cameras around the home studio space — and ultimately cut into a 95-minute concert film. DiFranco streamed the finished film in April, and now, “Revolutionary Love: Live at Big Blue” is available as a video to purchase through Vimeo and as a live album — in a slightly shorter form — on DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records and Bandcamp. For the studio album, “Revolutionary Love,” DiFranco found inspiration in Sikh-American activist Valarie Kaur’s book “See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love” and in the book’s themes about radical love — for yourself, for your friends and for those you might be pitted against. The messages of “Revolutionary Love” felt all the more needed amid the tumult of the pandemic, the urgency of the Black Lives Matter protests and the chaos of a government that either doesn’t care or actively works to do harm. The 15-tracks on “Live at Big Blue” include all but two of the songs on “Revolutionary Love” (the mostly instrumental jam “Station Identification” and the track “Shrinking

‘Welcome to Jet Life Recordings 2’ Various Artists (Jet Life Recordings)

New Orleans rapper Curren$y capped 2020 — a year the man released about 10 projects — with “Welcome to Jet Life Recordings,” an album showcasing the artists he works with on his Jet Life label. Barely two months later, he released his 11th solo album, “Collection Agency,” and now is back with “Welcome to Jet Life Recordings 2.” The 14-track album again finds Curren$y collaborating with the Jet Life family, including Fendi P, T.Y. and Black Cobain, along with others connected to the label, like Jay Worthy, BLÜ (who released the single “Note to Self” earlier this year) and Scotty ATL. Given Curren$y’s very consistent output over the past few years, it can be tough to know where to hop on the Jet Life story. But these two albums are a great entry point for the uninitiated, both to learn more about Curren$y and find the artists inside and outside of New Orleans he chooses to work with.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

grounds of the Maple Leaf Bar with his trio, featuring Terrence Houston, Mike Lemmler and Chris Adkins. Find tickets for shows at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Monday, July 26, at mapleleafbar.com.

Turkey and the Wolf pop-up market TURKEY AND THE WOLF WILL HAVE EVERYTHING FROM CHARCUTERIE BOARDS TO HANDMADE EARRINGS at its pop-up market Friday, July 23. from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Radical Joy Bakery will provide vegan and gluten-free goods, Dank Azz Boards will offer cheese and charcuterie boards and Taste of the Tropics will provide summer cocktails. Also attending the market is bread baker Pan Fuerza, threaded jewelry business Firebird Wearables, Crazy Plant Bae and clothing business LaSalle & Jackson. The tour is part of the In the Weeds campaign to support local restaurants and pop-ups, and proceeds benefit House of Tulip and Southern Solidarity. Find more information on Instagram @alteconomy.

Water Seed FUNK AND SOUL BAND WATER SEED CHECKS INTO TIPITINA’S for a free show at 10 p.m. Friday, July 23. Guitarist/songwriter Stephen Kelly opens. Visit tipitinas.com for information.

‘Dr. Strangelove’ DIRECTOR STANLEY KUBRICK TIMELESSLY CAPTURED TROUBLED TIMES AND PARANOIA in “Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.” The film stars Peter Sellers as the madman Dr. Strangelove and other roles, George C. Scott as the crusty Gen. Buck Turgidson and Slim Pickens as the nuclear cowboy Major T.J. “King” Kong. The Prytania Theaters at Canal Place runs it in a summer series of Kubrick classics. It screens at 10 p.m. Friday, July 23, and Saturday, July 24, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 25. Visit prytaniacanalplace.com for tickets.

Anaïs St. John FOR MORE THAN A YEAR DURING THE PANDEMIC, jazz singer Anaïs St. John collaborated with pianist Harry Mayronne for a weekly series of live-streaming porch concerts. The duo still occasionally hosts “Porch Fest” concerts, but St. John can now be seen more often performing at re-opened venues, like The Bombay Club and The Starlight

Lounge. St. John performs next at 7 p.m. Friday, July 23, at The Starlight in the French Quarter. Singer-guitarist Sean Riley also performs that night at 5 p.m., and jazz group SingleMaltPlease follows St. John at 10 p.m. Find more information at facebook.com/thestarlightnola.

‘Remember the Darkroom?’ THE NEW ORLEANS PHOTO ALLIANCE’S SUMMER 2021 NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION opens this week in conjunction with the opening of the organization’s new community darkroom. The show, “Remember the Darkroom?,” includes 30 photographic pieces by 16 photographers in a range of styles, from documentary to experimental, says curator and NOPA Gallery director Eddie Ralph Hebert. Photographers include New Orleanians Thom Bennet, Mary Kucera, Charles Franklin and Zack Smith among others, along with Randy Matusow of Chappaqua, New York; Hannah Neal of Austin, Texas; Duc Pham of Campbell, California; and Brooklyn’s Eric Thornton. An opening reception will be held 6-8 p.m. Saturday, July 24, at the NOPA Gallery and Resource Center on Oak Street. The show will be on display through Sept. 24. Find more information at neworleansphotoalliance.org.

Howl! A Full Moon Freak-out for Queers and Their Feels BURLESQUE PERFORMER KITTEN LARUE AND DRAG KING LOU HENRY HOOVER host their witchy monthly event at AllWays Lounge coinciding with the full moon. There will be a dance party to help “ya exorcize all yer 2020 demons” and live performances “to stir yer spirit and yer loins” at 10 p.m. Friday, July 23. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com.

Teatro Sin Fronteras Latin Late Night THEATER AND SPOKEN WORD ARTIST JOSE TORRES TAMA launches a late-night TV-style live show on Tuesday, July 20, at Café Istanbul. He’ll perform and host guests to explore Latin culture, art, music and more. Bandleader Margie Perez, artist Francisco Magallan and immigration advocate Homero Lopez are the guests at the debut show. At 7 p.m. at Cafe Istanbul, inside the New Orleans Healing Center. Tickets are sliding scale from $5-$20. Visit torrestamac.com for information.

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FILM

Collision course BY WILL COVIELLO AT FIRST GLANCE, IT MAY

not make sense how skateboarding and hip-hop culture intersected in the late ’80s and early ’90s. But in lower Manhattan and later the outer boroughs of New York City, they did. That was well documented on film, and an amazing collection of archival footage is the basis of “The Streets are Silent: The Convergence of Hip Hop and Skateboarding (1987-1997).” Just the footage of the early work of Busta Rhymes and Method Man and many others rapping at clubs and in the studios of WKCR 89.9 FM is worth the ticket. The same is true of the footage of the skateboarders flying over trash cans, and sometimes falling hard in the streets, in places like Washington Square Park, Astor Place and what was known as the Brooklyn Banks. Both subcultures had the energy and zeal of the young and fearless. The skateboarding community was overwhelmingly white, and the hiphop culture was predominantly Black. “Streets are Silent” shows that there were white and Black people who ran in both circles, notably Eli Gesner, who narrates the film, and Harold Hunter, a talented skater who became a celebrity in the scene — and was featured in the 1995 film “Kids.” Taking a broader look at lower Manhattan at the time, there were other connections that bridged the two subcultures. Graffiti had exploded as a street-art in New York in the 1980s. Artists including JeanMichel Basquiat and Keith Haring had emerged from that scene. Skaters and rappers alike embraced graffiti as suiting their culture’s sense of being rebels and outsiders. The skateboarders, like the Beastie Boys, switched from focusing on punk to hip-hop, and some rappers wore skater clothes, though it’s not clear how strong other links were. The film illustrates how things that develop at society’s margins or underbelly can grow in appeal to drive social, and inevitably, economic trends — much the way graffiti did. In the mid-1980s, hip-hop was not welcome in the best-known Manhattan dance clubs. Places like Mudd Club and Danceteria played house music. The new Club Mars brought in hip-hop, which took over its multiple floors. The film follows DJs and rappers from Mars to radio stations including WKCR. There DJs Stretch Armstrong

P H OTO B Y G U N A R S E L M U T S / P R OV I D E D B Y G R E E N W I C H E N T E R TA I N M E N T

Harold Hunter skateboards in New York in ‘All the Streets are Silent.’

and Bobbito Garcia took a graveyard slot from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Thursdays and turned it into a beacon of hip-hop. Video tape from Mars co-founder Yuki Watanabe is priceless. Ultimately, the popularity of hiphop and skateboarding energized commercial brands. The film comes full circle here. Gesner co-founded Zoo York, which put its graffiti-styled logo on clothes, skateboarding gear and more. A handful of shops, such as Supreme, evolved into major brands. The film focuses on some very successful people who came out of the relatively small scene. Moby was a DJ at Mars (and action star Vin Diesel was a bouncer there). Photographer Larry Clark was drawn to the skateboarding scene and made the film “Kids” about it — together with Harmony Korine, who his spent teen years skateboarding in New York. Rosario Dawson, who starred in “Kids,” knew the skating scene there as well. The film does an excellent job following many of the DJs, artists and skaters through the entities that they made influential (Mars, WKCR, Zoo York, Supreme). It’s hard to say whether the link between skateboarding and hip-hop is more substantial or happenstance. But it’s a fascinating portrait of street culture and in this case, an early look at many people who went on to great success in their own niches. “All the Streets are Silent” opens July 30 at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge.

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PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE TOTALLY OUT OF IT By Frank A. Longo

32 All — sudden 35 Spoken 37 French movie theater 38 Riddle, part 2 44 President Biden 45 Speaks 46 Singer Turner 47 Tell el — (Nile excavation site) 50 It fills la mer 51 Riddle, part 3 57 Becomes familiar with anew 59 Per-unit price 60 Mortise insertion 61 Ambulance VIPs 62 Decorative dashboard finish

66 Chain in biology 67 Riddle, part 4 73 China’s Chou En- — 74 Like many soda bottles, volume-wise 75 Purposely ignore 76 Book of charts 79 IRS form IDs 80 “— is a virtue” 84 Riddle, part 5 87 In honor of 89 Small river 90 — -mutuel betting 91 Oxygen-requiring bacterium 93 Start for center or Pen 94 End of the riddle 102 Square yardage, e.g.

103 Instant replay option 104 Expressive rock genre 105 — Leppard (rock band) 106 Mythical man-goats 109 “In the red,” e.g. 111 Division of history 115 Concorde, e.g., in brief 116 Riddle’s answer 120 Grassland 121 Henner of “Taxi” 122 — Island (Providence’s state) 123 Old TV’s — May Clampett 124 Work unit 125 Workout wear 126 Planted 127 Some deli loaves

42 Org. in many spy novels 43 Make a ski mask, maybe 48 Lagoon surrounder 49 Christen 51 Core group 52 Frisky swimmer 53 Uncool sort 54 About 55 Lower-class, to Brits 56 Growl threateningly 58 Warning initials above an internet link 59 Hair bases 62 Actress Kate of “Grey’s Anatomy” 63 Of sheep 64 “Casablanca” woman 65 Prized buy for a coin collector 67 Nail on a paw 68 Pledge DOWN 69 Brand of sneakers 1 Cry noisily 70 Didn’t win 2 Ghostly pale 71 Hang it up 3 Real bargain 72 App that asks 4 Electric eye, e.g. “Where to?” 5 “The Tall Corn State” 6 Leave for a short time 77 Frolicking 7 Spy novelist Deighton 78 Move back and forth 80 Open tourney, often 8 Exhibit works 9 “... or — told” 10 Drag racer 11 New York home of Cornell 12 Relative of a stickpin 13 Raging crowd 14 PDQ’s cousin 15 Emperor after Claudius I 16 City on the Illinois River 17 Ralph Lauren competitor 18 Pale hue 24 Actress Skye 25 Main parts of churches 30 Fuel rating 33 Galas 34 On the Red, e.g. 36 Former senator Trent 38 Open slightly 39 City in Alaska 40 Four-piece band 41 Writer Capote, to pals

ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR, SRS

81 Necessarily 82 Sleeveless cloak 83 Arabian chief 85 Pooch noise 86 Misters 87 Agent’s cut 88 “... there — square” 91 Something hilarious 92 Fabric with raised designs 94 Grapple with, slangily 95 Slate clearer 96 Attachment to a dog or cat collar 97 “House” actress Wilde 98 Old-time Ford 99 NASA countdown term 100 Ferber of fiction 101 — regions (Hades) 107 Crater edges 108 Novelist Irwin 110 Corp. VIPs 112 Squeezed (out) 113 Be in power 114 Jubilant cries 117 Exist 118 “So that’s your trick!” 119 Wrecker’s job

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 2

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1 Four-string guitar 5 Bits of land in el agua 10 Luca Brasi in “The Godfather,” e.g. 16 Soft infant food 19 Life — know it 20 New Mexico or Colorado county 21 Useless 22 Division of history 23 Start of a riddle 26 Mantra syllables 27 Old-time cleaning cake 28 Tennis’ Safin 29 Not skilled in at all 31 Heavy weight

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