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LSD Clownsystem throws ‘Return to Clowntown’
WHEN LSD CLOWNSYSTEM STARTED PLAYING SHOWS outside of New Orleans, the members of the band weren’t entirely sure if people in other cities would get it.
A raucous clown-themed band playing covers of LCD Soundsystem makes perfect sense in New Orleans. But what about in Austin, Texas, or New York City?
“It took us a long time to get out of town because, like, ‘What if it doesn’t feel as good or as special or it’s not as cool out there?’ ” vocalist and percussionist Brooke Paulus says. “Of course, it isn’t as cool [as New Orleans] out there, but it was still pretty awesome, and people were really receptive and had a great time. We had audiences full of clowns in both places.”
Paulus says touring has been something of a “proof of concept” for LSD Clownsystem. And it isn’t hard to see why crowds in other cities would want to buy into the idiosyncratic magic: An LSD Clownsystem show is a wild, joyous affair.
Decked out in clown makeup and costumes, the band of New Orleans musicians are close friends and collaborators, and they lean into community to help pull off immersive shows held only a few times a year. That camaraderie flows into the audience — often amplified in the crowd by spirits and other vices.
While a show may feel freewheeling, LSD Clownsystem is a top-tier tribute to dance-punk band LCD Soundsystem. Of course, the group also puts its own spin on the music by adapting lyrics about clowning and New Orleans and adding appropriate honks and bonks.
For the last few years, LSD Clownsystem has hosted a blowout, immersive show during Carnival, including the underwater-themed “20,000 Clowns Under the Sea” in 2023 and last year’s “Big Top Ball” — complete with a golden nitrous cracker hanging from the rafters.
This year, the band is expanding a past theme when it plays Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Joy Theater and hosts “Return to Clowntown.” Sabine McCalla will open.
“Return to Clowntown” revisits the band’s 2022 Halloween show, when the group built a town inside the Toulouse Theater complete with a village newspaper called The Clowntown Tribune, a contested election and other free-flowing gags. Some attendees embraced the theme, like the “Town Crier,” a clown
on Feb. 22
by Jake Clapp |
sobbing and yelling about the news, and the drive-thru operator of a fast-food restaurant called Clownies.
LSD Clownsystem now is adding a Clownies when it rebuilds Clowntown in the Joy Theater. There’s also going to be another edition of The Clowntown Tribune available inside the town bodega, new storylines and other Easter eggs spread throughout the set.
“The theme of the show is that every clown has a job to do,” says bassist Ricky Ostry. “We want everybody to show up sort of as an incarnation of what they dreamed they might be when they didn’t want to grow up.”
The band started out as a joke that stuck back in 2018. Ostry and other musicians were planning to cover LCD Soundsystem for the New Orleans Community Printshop’s annual cover band show. Their drummer, Karl Tear, jokingly suggested they call themselves LSD Clownsystem.
“My immediate reaction was, ‘That’s a horrible idea,’ ” Ostry says with a laugh. “And here we are playing the Joy again.”
Along with Paulus, Ostry and Tear, LSD Clownsystem also includes vocalist Howe Pearson, who plays with The Deslondes; vocalist and percussionist Toren Hardee of Wavering; vocalist and synth-player Julianne Merino, a costume and fashion designer; keys-player Jake Gold, who plays with Margie Perez; and guitarist Kerem Ozkan, who also is a DJ.
The members are all involved in a long list of other bands, and a few musicians play together in different combinations in projects like the satanic ABBA tribute band BAAB and the Now That’s What I Call a Karaoke Band. Paulus, Ostry and Ozkan also DJ together as Solid Gold. And a few
members belong to the surrealist Carnival krewe Interrobang.
“There was this creative energy all flowing around through our group, before and after the start of [LSD Clownsystem],” Ostry says. “We’re also all old pedicabbers, so we feel connected to the streets of the city.”
Paulus says LCD Soundystem is good “dance while you cry music.”
“It’s sexy, punk-y, dance-y, but it touches on some pretty heavy themes, like aging and dying and friendships,” she adds. “All these things that are really important. Music should move your body and touch your heart and stimulate your mind. This music really does all three for me.”
In early 2023, LSD Clownsystem released its first recording, “New Orleans, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down.” It’s a lovingly made, local take on LCD’s Soundsystem bittersweet ode to New York City and the ways frontman James Murphy has watched the city change.
LSD Clownsystem has original music coming this year, starting with three tracks releasing to streaming platforms ahead of the Feb. 22 show. WWOZ will debut the new music on Feb. 19. The songs depart from the LCD Soundsystem style — although there’s plenty of influences still there, especially in the parallel ways the bands sing about their home cities — and turn more toward the new wave bands at the root of the music, like Devo, Talking Heads and B-52s.
The band also plans to pop up a few more times this year, outside of their usual Carnival and Halloween time shows, Paulus says.
“We’re all throwing these big parties now, and for me, the driving thread through it all is they’re all very radical and sexy and fun and joy-based but also usually in line with or promoting a good cause,” Paulus adds. “If nothing else, community is the base of everything we do. The way people show up and are willing to be a part of it and build this thing with us is so special and cool.” “Return to Clowntown” opens at 9 p.m. Tickets are $25 via thejoytheater.com. Find the band at lsdclownsystem.com.
The GreenHouse Efect
Fresh off its latest single, “Somebody,” New Orleans hip-hop collective glbl wrmng is starting up a new series showcasing its artists and friends at the Virgin Hotel New Orleans. The GreenHouse Effect gets going Friday, Feb. 21, with performances by Pell and Odd the Artist backed by a live band. DJ Kuti also will be spinning. Doors open at 8 p.m. and admission is $24.92 via dice.fm.
Soccer Mommy
On “Evergreen,” Sophie Allison’s fourth album as Soccer Mommy, the singersongwriter processes grief that comes from the loss of a loved one amid the sound of patient, lo-fi indie rock. Soccer Mommy plays at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, at Tipitina’s. Hana Vu opens. Tickets are $30 via tipitinas.com.
‘…And the Ball and All’
Ricky Graham’s yatty Carnival comedy is celebrating its 30th birthday with a production featuring some of the original performers, including Becky Allen, Tracey Collins and Yvette Hargis. In the comedy, the gossipy women of the Krewe of Terpsichore gather to decide the year’s ball and float themes. Graham also makes a cameo in the show. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, Feb. 22, and 2 & 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, at Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts. Tickets $43.41 (including fees) via rivertowntheaters.com.
Emline Ball
Each year, the Emline ball celebrates legends in the New Orleans Black and music communities, like Mia X, Juvenile and the late Soulja Slim. The 2024 ball paid tribute to Cash Money founders Bryan “Birdman” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams with performances by Curren$y and others. Now in its fourth year, the Emline Ball takes place at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Fillmore
New Orleans hip-hop collective glbl wrmng
PROVIDED PHOTO BY TYLER ROI
LSD Clownsystem
PROVIDED PHOTO BY LEONE JULITTE
OPENING GAMBIT
We’re entering the carnival homestretch y’all. Remember to hydrate!
THUMBS
UP/ THUMBS DOWN THE COUNT #
The NFL and Louisiana environmental groups planted 600 cypress trees in Madisonville ahead of the Super Bowl. The project, which was organized by the league’s sustainability initiative NFL Green and the Pontchartrain Conservancy and included volunteers from Entergy and Dow Chemical, focused on a vulnerable area near Madisonville’s 1837 lighthouse.
Louisiana will soon begin executing people after a nearly 15-year pause on carrying out the death penalty, Gov. Jeff Landry announced last week. Moreover, the state has approved protocols for killing prisoners by nitrogen hypoxia — or forcing a person to breath nitrogen instead of oxygen until they asphyxiate. The death penalty is not an effective deterrent, is expensive to enforce and the use of gas is widely considered an especially cruel method of execution.
For many New Orleans artists and businesses, the Super Bowl’s promised payday never came
SUPER BOWL LIX WAS SUPPOSED TO MEAN A MASSIVE INJECTION of capital into New Orleans at a time the Crescent City could most use it.
In the last five years, the city has gone through a pandemic, multiple hurricanes, an exodus of residents, a terrorist attack and a historic blizzard that shut the city down for four days.
For business owners, musicians and workers alike, the timing of a massive, multibillion-dollar event like the Super Bowl sounded like it couldn’t have hit town at a better time.
In more than a dozen interviews, Gambit found that a far grimmer picture appears for many small business owners, musicians, artists, tour guides and others.
For those who didn’t have access to levers of power, didn’t sign a legally binding buy-out contract with a corporate sponsor or just didn’t luck out otherwise, the Super Bowl was a dud.
2,000
THE AMOUNT, IN DOLLARS, POST MALONE LEFT A HOWLIN’ WOLF WORKER AS A TIP DURING SUPER BOWL LIX WEEKEND.
The payment processing app Square at first refused to release the funds due to fraud prevention mechanisms – after all, the tab was only $25. But after bartender Heather Foster’s story went viral, and with the help of Council Member Helena Moreno, Square realized its errors and Foster received her generous tip from the musician.
C’EST WHAT ?
How’s your Mardi Gras costume coming along?
Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s blind attacks on USAID have put in jeopardy a project involving the LSU AgCenter meant to combat global hunger. Led by researchers at Kansas State University and involving LSU, the Feed the Future Climate Resilient Cereals Innovation Lab wants to make cereal crops like rice and wheat more readily available to those at risk of hunger. It’s also research that could help local farmers. But Musk’s DOGE project has put a halt to all USAID work pending review.
And there are plenty of individual examples of folks who benefited. Hotels and short-term rental owners cleaned up. The NFL helped get many locally owned vendors into exclusive events.
Some performers and others ended up either making money off the game or using its national media stage to widen their fan base. And local charities used the event to pull in big dollar donations, which will help fund their work in our community for years to come.
But for many businesses and workers across the city, hosting the game was anything but the financial windfall promised by the city and economic development group GNO, Inc..
“They sold that [promise] to all of us, with all of the construction going on. It’s been a nightmare in the [French] Quarter owning a business here ... for months,” said Remy Diamond, owner of C’Mere on Chartres Street.
Instead of a financial windfall, her shop — which sells locally made art, jewelry and other products — ended up losing thousands of dollars, she said.
“It just felt so gross ... to be spit out by this giant corporate machine that is just servicing these big corporations and influencers and big brands,” Diamond added.
Aoleon Broomfield, a musician who regularly busks in the French Quarter, shared a similar experience.
“It seemed like they didn’t really think about local performers,” Broomfield told Gambit.
2.4%
The normally bustling Jackson Square was all but deserted through much of the Super Bowl week.
PHOTO BY JOHN STANTON / GAMBIT
Sigourney Morrison, who owns Dressed New Orleans in the French Quarter, said from her perspective, city leaders seemed more intent on wooing ultra-wealthy people than on ensuring residents saw benefits.
“They turned New Orleans into a pick me girl [for billionaires] ... but they’re never going to be into you, girl,” she said.The physical work of preparing for the Super Bowl began in earnest last summer, but GNO, Inc., President Michael Hecht, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and other city leaders had already spent more than a year doing some heavy lifting of their own. They had to convince the people of New Orleans that it was their duty to endure difficulties for the Super Bowl — and that it would pay off in the end, if they just trusted the process.
“And this begs a question for each of us: What will each of our specific contributions be, as individuals? We each have a responsibility to help tell the story of a great region, and, moreover, to work to fulfill that promise,” Hecht wrote in an op-ed in The Times-Picayune.
By the fall, huge swaths of the CBD and areas around the Superdome were being torn up for improvements, even as road projects slowed in other parts of the city. The New Orleans City Council approved a request from the mayor to essentially turn over the entirety of the city’s downtown to the NFL as part of a weeklong “clean zone” ordinance. Under the ordinance, the NFL could freeze out local vendors not on its approved list from working the streets while restricting the way independent bars and restaurants could market non-NFL sanctioned events.
By December — arguably the biggest month of the year for French Quarter retailers because of the holidays — the construction disruptions had spread down river as the crews moved into the Quarter.
For Remy Diamond, the run up to Christmas is a crucial time and foot traffic is a major driver of customers to her shop.
“But the street out in front of the shop was being repaved ... with the promise that all of this will be done and we’ll have this really great week of the Super Bowl,” Diamond said.
She and other businesses on her stretch of Chartres Street were disappointed, but assurances from city leaders of a Super Bowl boom in business helped ease their minds.
Those promised customers and profits, though, never materialized for Diamond’s and other businesses.
The disruptions caused by, first, street and sidewalk repairs, then, construction of event sites and, finally, locking down Bourbon Street, lasted for months — and significantly disrupted economic life throughout the French Quarter.
Military check points made normally busy spots like Vampire Cafe on Royal Street struggle to attract customers throughout Super Bowl week.
Take for example
Dressed New Orleans on Bienville Street. Situated between N. Rampart and Burgundy streets, the vintage clothing and custom stitching store has a prime location to bring in not only local shoppers but tourists making their way from short-term rentals in Treme, the 7th Ward and other areas across Rampart from the Quarter.
According to store owner Sigourney Morrison, events like Taylor Swift, Mardi Gras and even Saints home games bring in plenty of business.
“With fans coming into town for a Saints game, I’ve never had a situation where I’m like, ‘Ugh, these people are
You’re free to live your lifeout loud! Becauseyou’vegot the compassion of the cross, the securityofthe shield, andthe comfortofBluebehind you.
PHOTO BY JOHN STANTON / GAMBIT
in town.’ They’re always great,” she says.
But Super Bowl week was different. According to Morrison, for most of the week, event promoters illegally parked huge panel vans in front of her shop as they set up for an Adidas event over the weekend. The trucks essentially camouflaged her store from whatever foot traffic her block might see.
Meanwhile, her employees — displaced by the trucks — got ticketed for illegally parking in other areas, she said.
Morrison, like other business owners who spoke with Gambit, lost money — a lot of it.
“I should have closed,” she said. 0“I just want to forget this week ever happened.”
Meanwhile, Royal Street — which has become a major space for musicians to make money playing on the street — hasn’t been closed off to vehicles for its regular pedestrian mall hours for weeks, according to Aoleon Broomfield, a singer and guitarist who busks on Royal.
According to city law, Royal Street is closed to vehicles between Bienville
and Orleans streets from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
“It’s just been open to traffic, and when you busk, you can’t obstruct the sidewalk, so we have to be on the corners,” Broomfield said. “So it’s so tough because we’re almost getting hit.”
Jackson Square tends to be louder, Broomfield said, with Super Bowl events and a brass band that plays in front of the Cabildo.
The disruptions on Bourbon Street meanwhile forced performers who normally work there into other parts of the Quarter, which in turn made it more difficult for buskers to find space to set up.
Magician TommEE Pickles, who state troopers kicked off of Bourbon Street, said in Jackson Square he has to share a spot with three other street performers and take turns doing shows there.
“You’re taking this little chunk from us during a big tourist weekend. That is really encroaching on my First Amendment rights,” he said. “Now they’re going to complain it’s
For most of the Super Bowl week, panel trucks blocked the entrance to Dressed New Orleans. PROVIDED PHOTO
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about safety and security. But again, what do I do that a normal tourist couldn’t do out on Bourbon Street?
The fact that I have bravado, or deck of cards or a table, that doesn’t show that I am dangerous.”
These changes affected the French Quarter street performer ecosystem as less spots became available to perform.
“It’s just making it really, really competitive, so you see more arguing and disputes amongst performers,” Broomfield said.
Broomfield said she typically makes between $100 and 150 a day on weekends. Other weekend events, she has brought in $200-400. She said on the Friday before the Super Bowl she was making $50 on a good day during that week.
“I see more media people than I see actual people,” Broomfield said. “I’m pretty sure we’d be making more if the Super Bowl wasn’t here.”
Joe Rohaley, who performs as a Saints-themed Darth Vader on Bourbon, said on Wednesday he made $16 performing on Canal compared to his typical $100 daily average on Bourbon.
It’s a far cry from when Taylor Swift visited for her three-night string of shows in October. Doing street karaoke that weekend, he said he made about $1,800.
“It’s killing me this week,” he said.
Gov. Jeff Landry’s eagerness to militarize much of the city also ended up being a major economic drag, and not just on areas like the French Quarter and CBD. From Freret Street to Bywater, bars and restaurants were slow during the entire week as tourists largely stayed put downtown and many locals opted to stay home.
On Wednesday and Thursday before the game, the Quarter was as dead as it has been since the weeks after Hurricane Ida left the city
powerless. Bars like Harry’s — which can get by on a stream of locals stopping in even in the doldrums of August — were empty.
In Jackson Square, the crowds were so thin that for large stretches in the afternoon no bands were playing, leaving the normally lively space oddly quiet.
“If I was a tourist, I wouldn’t want to be walking past all these army tanks ... it was like a warzone,” said Lyla Clayre, who owns an art gallery in the Quarter a half block from Jackson Square.
Law enforcement set up a checkpoint in front of her business, which meant there were four heavily armed members of the National Guard posted up at her door throughout most of the week — not exactly the welcoming environment one might want for their watercolor painting store.
Her bottom line bears that out.
On an average Saturday, Clayre said, her business makes around $1,000. On the Saturday before the Super Bowl?
“We made $100,” she said.
With sales so low, after paying her employee, she ended up losing money each day by being open, she said.
On Bourbon Street, the muscular show of force may have been designed — and in
some cases succeeded — to make people feel safer, but it also changed the entire atmosphere, according to musicians, bartenders and others working on the street.
“The military presence has completely changed the feel of the Quarter,” musician Dr. Sick told Gambit on Saturday evening. “The bright security lights are blinding the audience at one of the clubs where I play, so we made makeshift drapes to shield their eyes.”
“Personally, I do not feel safer with the young members of the National Guard standing around with machine guns,” he added.
The Monday before the game, law enforcement outnumbered tourists on Bourbon Street, according to TommEE Pickles.
“When we’re sitting there at like, 5:30 p.m. on Bourbon Street, you saw more military cops, regular NOPD and state troopers than tourism,” he said. “We’re like, wow, this actually looks scary for tourists to come down here because they might be worried that this is a dangerous zone.”
In the week leading up to the Super Bowl, buskers were forced off Bourbon Street entirely — despite a city ordinance allowing them to perform for much of the day.
Louisiana State Police kicked street performers off Bourbon, citing a law
PHOTO BY JOHN STANTON / GAMBIT
Works smooth asphalt at there intersection of Royal and Dumaine Street in the French Quarter in January ahead of the Super Bowl.
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
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Son of a Sa int seizes opport unities to ex pa nd impa ct and build a lega cy of transfor ming young lives
So n of a Sa in t is ri di ng a wa ve of po si ti ve moment um as 20 25 be gi ns , as it s le ader s an d me nt or s ga rn er ad diti on al supp or t an d work to create more li fe -cha ng in g opport un it ie s for youn g men in New Orlean s.
The orga nization ma rked its 14th anniversar y on Ja nu ar y 1. Founder Bivi an “S on ny ” Le e II I launched Son of a Saint in honor of his single mother and la te fa ther, Ne w Orle an s Sa ints defensive ba ck Bivian Lee Jr, who died of a hear t at ta ck at age 36, when Sonny wa s on ly 3 years old. Today, Son of a Sa int pr ov ides gu id ance to fa therle ss boys, with a focus on mentorship, mental health, ca se ma na gement, academic suppor t, immersive tr avel , re creation and li fe sk il ls .
“O ur wo rk re al ly be ca me el ev at ed ba ck in 2020 When the world turned upside down, people realized how much Son of a Sa int is needed,” sa id El liot Hutchi ns on , the or ga ni zation’s creative di rector “More people st ar ted payi ng at tent ion to th e re so ur ces we pr ov id e an d th e se rv ic es we ofer There were more conver sation s about di ferent ty pe s of le ar ni ng and ra ce re la tion s. Al l of th at he lp ed ou r wo rk to be co me mo re paramount and helped us form strong connections with key suppor ters We feel fort un at e th at the moment um fr om th at ti me ha s cont inue d and th at we have be en able to increa se the nu mb er of st af and boys th at we serve.”
In Ja nuar y, Son of a Sa int leaders traveled to the nation’s capita l for the an nu al Wa sh in gt on
Ca rt er, as we ll as ot her di gn it ar ie s, includ in g the 2025 Wa sh in gt on Ma rd i Gras Ki ng , reti red Lt Col. Rico Alvend ia , an Iraq Wa r vetera n and ac compli shed Loui si an a at torney
“T he be au ty of Wa sh in gt on Ma rd i Gr as is th at we ar e ab le to be in sp ac es an d pl ac es wi th pe op le wh o we mi gh t no t ot he rw is e ge t to intera ct with ,” Hutc hin son sa id . “We get to sh ake ha nd s with key suppor ters and de ci sion ma kers and tell them wh at is goin g on with us
The feedba ck is always great. People recogn ize th at the ne ed is un iver sa l.”
Hutchinson sa id the trips also help plant seeds th at may benefit Son of a Sa int ment ee s in the future, by allowing its thought leaders to connect with busi ness people, prospect ive pa rt ners and ot hers about possible future internships, college vi sits and job oppor tu nities
“T ho se ar e th e mo me nt s for us to la y th e groundwork for future ex posure and ex periences for ou r youn g men,” he sa id
Son of a Sa int ga rnered even more vi sibi lity ahea d of Super Bowl LI X in New Orleans. It wa s one of on ly four nonpro fit s invite d to the fie ld and stage for the NFL Opening Night festiv ities, putting its na me and work in front of hundreds of players, coaches, media entities and global brands.
Other activities included collaborations with Nike and Toyota , plus work with pe er or ga ni zation s to create se ssions for ment ee s ab out li fe sk il ls , ra ci al equity, educ at ion and more
Now that the Ca rnival season is underway, Son
sh if ti ng to creati ng cu lt ural nd Ma rd i Gr as Th ro ug h a ne rs hip with th e Kr ew e of int ment ee s, ment or s, st af and fa mi lies ride on a float in the pa rade For the fir st ti me , Son of a Sa int wi ll debut an al l-ne w super-float th is year, desi gned by Kern St ud ios.
“W hen you ar e a kid fr om Ne w Orle an s, it ’s ea sy to possibly ta ke Ma rd i Gr as for gr ante d,” Hutchi nson sa id “By havi ng ou r ow n float , they get to see al l of the logi st ics th at go into putt in g on a succe ss fu l pa ra de . We’re doin g some li ght pl an ni ng and bein g intent iona l ab out ma ki ng su re we have enou gh th ro ws to la st the whole pa ra de The ment ees get a great perspect ive on the city when they ar e on the float and se e the tape st ry of the crowd. It ’s ju st an over al l great ex perience that they ’ll ta lk about for a long time.”
Hutchi nson sa id approx im at ely 30 kids wi ll ride on the float , ma ny of whom have received a mont hly recogn ition from Son of a Sa int or have ha d no ta bl e ac ad em ic ac hi ev em en ts Th os e mentees will be joined by a team of dedicated Son of a Sa int mentors and staf members. Another 15 to 20 suppor ters wi ll ma ke up a wa lk in g krewe th at wi ll ca rr y a la rge ba nner in adva nc e of the float , creati ng “a fu ll-fled ge d pres ence” for the or ga ni zation . The Krewe of Freret pa ra de is at 3:30 p. m. Satu rd ay, Feb. 22
As th e Kr ew e of Fr er et sh if ts to us in g su st ai na ble th rows in pl ac e of pl as tic bead s, it is seek in g fin anci al donation s so Son of a Sa int pa rt ic ip ants ca n have an adeq ua te amou nt of th rows Donations may be ma de on li ne at www kreweofreret .org /sonofas ai nt
“We’ve been ta lk in g a lot with the boys about
the new creativity behi nd the th rows , and how what we do du ri ng Ma rd i Gras afects ou r world an d en vi ronm ent in th e fu tu re ,” Hu tc hi ns on sa id “T hat ha s been a cool teacha ble moment .”
In addition , Son of a Sa int is ho st in g ma skma ki ng work shops for it s ment ees in the week s le ad in g up to th e pa ra de Th ey wi ll ha ve th e op po rt un it y to we ar or ha nd ou t th e ma sk s du ri ng the pa ra de
“T here’s a lot of le sson s we’re incorpor at in g into th at in te rm s of cu lt ur e, hi st or y an d li fe sk il ls ,” Hutchin son sa id
Wh il e So n of a Sa in t ca ll s Ne w Or le an s home, it s leader s are ta ki ng some st eps towa rd ex pa nd in g it s impa ct On e pr og ra m, Son of a Sa int Schola rs, collects and redirects Louisiana st at e ta x li abil it y doll ar s and de si gn at es thos e fu nd s to prov ide schola rs hips to st udents who me et income re qu irements The st udents who are awarded schola rships are then able to at tend tu it ion- ba se d pr iv at e an d pa ro ch ia l sc ho ol s.
To da te , Son of a Sa int Sc hola rs ha s aw ar de d m or e th an $1 .7 5 mi ll ion an d supp or te d more th an 35 0 schola rs hips
Th an ks to a pa rt ners hip with the Loui si an a Depa rtment of Education, Son of a Sa int Schola rs is op en to both boys and gi rl s, and to st udents wh o ar e no t af fi li at ed with th e or ga ni za ti on Schola rship applications are open through Apri l 30 at ww w. sonofa sa int.or g/schola rs . “We’re real ly proud to be bu ildi ng a lega cy in real time,” Hutchinson sa id “We ca n humbly but af rm at ively st at e th at we are homegrow n and we have a bold futu re in front of us It ’s exciti ng to se e more pe ople lean in g into th at .”
that “restricts anyone from blocking a sidewalk, street, or public passage.”
“On the heels of the January 1st events, with the increased law enforcement resources in New Orleans, and in anticipation of the large pedestrian crowds on Bourbon Street, Troopers are enforcing those violations,” LSP spokesperson Kate Segall told Gambit.
However, the New Orleans Police Department said officers were “following city guidelines” allowing street performances between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.
“If officers observe any street performers operating after 8:00 p.m., the officers must advise the performer(s) to stop,” NOPD said in a statement. “We cannot speak to any other law enforcement agency’s operations.”
Pickles said he experienced this mixed messaging firsthand when he went out to perform magic tricks on Bourbon on Feb. 3, the Monday before the Super Bowl. Around 7 p.m., he said around five state troopers came up to him and told him to leave.
“Like five state troopers came up to me, wearing their hats and stuff, and they’re like, ‘You’re done.’ And I was like, ‘Really? That’s not right, because we know the ordinance.’ They said they had an ordinance, and they just read the number,” he said.
Pickles said he tried to tell them he was allowed to perform for another
hour but was shut down anyway.
After, he said, he ran into an NOPD cop and recounted what happened.
“I saw one local cop come down, and I told him the story, and he goes, ‘No, they’re wrong,’ ” Pickles said. He left anyway.
The new security measures also ended up being extended beyond the Quarter to include Frenchmen Street.
Starting the Wednesday before the game, the city began blocking off vehicle access, without informing horse carriage operators, residents or the businesses that line the popular three block stretch of street, according to multiple business owners, carriage drivers and residents who spoke with Gambit.
That meant dozens of employees ended up being boxed in at the end of the night. It also seemed to play a significant part in reducing crowds on the street, according to multiple musicians, club owners and Frenchmen Art Market artists interviewed by Gambit.
“This weekend was dead. I made 1/6 of what I made the previous weekend,” said artist Pilar McCracken, who vends at the art market. “It’s incredibly disappointing to see the city cleaned up and militarized for tourists who are going to private corporate parties and are not supporting local restaurants and businesses. I hope the city does not host again.”
Claudia, right, and Kaliecia Sparkles, didn’t see the economic benefits of the Super Bowl Mayor Cantrell and other leaders had promised. PROVIDED PHOTO
@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com
Hey Blake,
We’ll hear one of my favorite Mardi Gras songs, “Carnival Time,” a lot over the next few weeks. It mentions the Green Room “smoking” and the Plaza “burning down.” Were they real clubs and where were they located?
Dear reader,
WRITTEN BY NEW ORLEANS NATIVE AL JOHNSON AND RECORDED in December 1959, “Carnival Time” has become one of the most-played songs of the season. Johnson explained its origins in a 1985 Times-Picayune interview. He said his friend Frank Miller helped inspire him. “He gave me the lines about the Green Room and the Plaza. They were bars near the corner of Claiborne and Basin Street – there’s a fire station there now.”
In a 2009 New Orleans Magazine article, Johnson elaborated: “We used to go there. Tony’s Green Room and Joe Prop’s Plaza. They used to be jumping and hot. One was smoking and … well, I wasn’t going to let my baby burn up, so I got her out the window.” He laughed that “those places weren’t really on fire, I just meant the people were having a good time.”
Johnson said it was only after he was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, with the Army a few years later that he began to hear from family and friends back home that the song had gained popularity. For decades, Johnson didn’t see a penny from the song’s financial success. In 1999, after a court battle, he finally secured sole rights to his song.
THIS WEEK MARKS THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY of one of the most memorable moments in modern Mardi Gras history: when the Duke and Duchess of Windsor came to Carnival.
Their visit to New Orleans made international headlines and happened five years after the man who had been Edward VIII, King of England, renounced the throne for his wife, American-born Wallis Warfield Simpson.
The couple arrived by train on Feb. 21, 1950. They traveled to the St. Charles Hotel and Gallier Hall, where they watched the beginning of the Rex parade and received the keys to the city from Mayor deLesseps “Chep” Morrison.
“I had no idea that Mardi Gras was like this. It’s much more exciting than I expected,” the duke said. “It’s fantastic, fabulous and such fun,” added the duchess.
The couple lunched at the Boston Club on Canal Street and watched the rest of the Rex parade, followed by a reception at the Beauregard-Keyes House and dinner at Antoine’s. They watched the Comus parade that night from the Brulatour building at 520 Royal Street that is now part of the Historic New Orleans Collection. After coffee and brandy, they were taken to the Municipal Auditorium. But would the real-life royalty bow to the make-believe monarchs of Rex and Comus at their Carnival balls? “Nobody worried that the Windsors would not enjoy the goings-on, but they all wondered what would happen when they were presented to the Carnival rulers,” explained LIFE magazine.
The royal couple was nothing but gracious. As Cheri Chandler reported in The New Orleans Item, “Mardi Gras-mad spectators at the Comus ball clapped their hands in regal revelry as a former King of England and his wife bowed and curtsied to temporary royalty.”
They would do the same in the adjoining ballroom at the Rex ball.
“This Mardi Gras was a great day for royalty – the genuine article and the kings for a day,” wrote the New Orleans Item. “Rex and Comus ruled, but they shared center stage with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.”
BLAKE VIEW
Al ‘Carnival Time’ Johnson
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Wegot the
Be on the lookoutfor Carnival’snewestdance team! Hear tBeat is acolorful krewe of health care workersgetting readytomake their debut during Mardi Gras 2025.The team has morethan 150 membersfromLCMCHealth’s hospitals and clinicsacrossthe metro area.Catch aHeart Beatperformanceinthe following parades:
Krewe of Freret Februar y22
Krewe of Femme Fatale Februar y23
Krewe d’Etat Februar y28
ROLL ON A
Parades and events in New Orleans and Metairie
CARNIVAL GETS BUSY with a weekend of parades in New Orleans and Metairie, and there are both celebrations of longstanding traditions and new things to see. The Krewe of Choc taw marks its 90th year. And there are new floats, like Cleopatra’s new four-trailer signature float, and hand-decorated dragon eggs from the Krewe of Excalibur.
The Krewe of Choctaw has paraded all over New Orleans in its nine decades, including on both banks and in river parades. This year’s procession celebrates with a throwback theme.
Other krewes hitting milestone years include the Krewe of Pygmalion, hitting its 25th year. It celebrates at its parade and Pygma lion Fest at the Sugar Mill with entertainment by producer Steve Aoki and The Party Crashers.
Metairie parades will roll by Family Gras on Veterans Memorial Boulevard near Lakeside Shopping Center. The music festival and parade watching hub is located at Mardi Gras Plaza at the 3300 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard. The lineup features Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts, Gabby Barrett, Ambrosia, Kansas, Zebra, Amanda Shaw and more.
There also are walking parades in the French Quarter, including Krewe of Cork and the canine Mystic Krewe of Barkus. On the North Shore, Covington hosts its annual lawnmower parade.
The following pages include parade previews with information on routes, themes, throws, royalty and more.
ON TE N TS
PARADE PREVIEWS 17
PARADE SCHEDULE & MAPS 27
KREWE OF CORK 29
BARKUS 29
FAMILY GRAS 29
COVINGTON MOWER PARADE 30
BOOK WORM BALL 31
The Krewe of King Arthur parades Sunday, Feb. 23.
PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale parades on Sunday, Feb. 23.
PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
The Krewe of Cleopatra parades Friday, Feb. 21.
PARADE PREVIEWS
FRIDAY, FEB. 21
Oshun
5:30 P.M. UPTOWN
Theme: New Orleans Floats: 14
Queen: Cayla Bean
Shango: Marlon Dozier
Throws: fans, footballs, beads and more
The krewe theme celebrates various aspects of New Orleans culture. The procession includes the Le Bon Ton Baby Dolls, and Q93’s Uptown Angela is the grand marshal.
Cleop atra
6:30 P.M. UPTOWN
Theme: Cleopatra’s Taking Care of Business Floats: 24
Queen: Greta Gloven
Throws: decorated beverage cups, metal cups with drink recipes, plush
Nile animals, travel neck pillows, potholders, pocket mirrors and brushes, charm bracelets, koozies and more
Cleopatra is moving its route this year, starting on Napoleon Avenue. The theme celebrates women in a variety of professions, such as CEOs, chefs, pilots, scientists and athletes. In addition to the parade’s signature floats, like the Royal Barge, the krewe is debuting its second four-trailer float, Cleopatra’s Nile… The River of Life.
The krewe is all about Camelot and the Knights of the Roundtable, but this year, there’s a budding interest in dragons. Krewe members will
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
distribute glittered, hand-decorated dragon eggs, and there also are plush baby shoulder dragons. The krewe is participating in the Rhythm on the Route band contest.
SATURDAY, FEB. 22
Pontcha r train
11:30 A.M. UPTOWN
Theme: Pontchartrain Celebrates
50 Years
Floats: 16
Queen: Kristen Pouey Barton
King: Trent Richard Pouey
Throws: plush Super Groupers, crawfish trays, baseball hats, lighted beads and doubloons
The krewe is celebrating its 50th anniversary, having first paraded in New Orleans East, where the founders lived. The floats depict a variety of things, from the Wild West to the circus.
Legion o f Mars
12:30 P.M. UPTOWN
Theme: United in Service Floats: 18
Queen: Madigan McDonough Spiers
Primus: secret
Throws: krewe camouflage boonie hats and items related to the military and first responders
The krewe honors military service people and veterans and first responders, and many riders are sponsored by local philanthropic support. Floats represent various branches of the military, and the procession includes vintage military vehicles. There’s a new float honoring health-care workers.
Choct aw
2 P.M. UPTOWN
Theme: Choctaw Celebrates Its 90th Anniversary at the Sock Hop Floats: 18
Princess: Madelyn Grace Roper
Chief: Dr. Krish Dev Sekar
Throws: hand-decorated tomahawks, plush tomahawks, crawfish trays, plush spears, fanny packs, logo socks, fuzzy dice and doubloons
This krewe celebrates 90 years, spanning parades on both sides of the river and also river parades. The
Krewe of MadHatters rolls in Metairie on Saturday.
theme is musical, with throwback floats depicting a jukebox, Elvis, soda shops and more.
Freret
3:30 P.M. UPTOWN
Theme: Time is on Our Side Floats: 23
Queen: Carlyle Herbert Ryan
King: Anderson Lewis III
Throws: hand-decorated hats, fanny packs, coloring books, collapsible dog bowls, cups and doubloons
The krewe has rolled out likenesses of local music luminaries in recent years, including Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews on a float with a 30-foot trombone. This year’s theme also celebrates local music, most obviously Irma Thomas and her 1964 record. Freret introduces a new Son of a Saint float this year. As usual the Mexican wrestling-inspired Lucha Krewe also
marches. Freret does not toss beads but throws include packages of red beans and jambalaya as well as reusable totes. The parade is followed by Shorty Gras at Mardi Gras World, with music by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Ja Rule, The Soul Rebels and more.
MadH atters
5 P.M. METAIRIE
Theme: Magic of Wonderland Floats: 34
Alice: Rachel Fleetwood
MadHatter: Jerry Christopher Jr. Throws: krewe T-shirts, footballs, bibles, toothbrushes, toothpaste and beads
In lieu of royalty, the MadHatters present local celebrities and media personalities as the characters from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Al “Carnival Time” Johnson is the
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
Magical
PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
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Grand Marshal, and other guests include Rockin’ Dopsie, Amanda Shaw, Vince Vance and the Valiants, Bag of Donuts, Abdul and the Tentmakers, Lee Zurik, Scott “Scoot” Paisant, Sula Kim and more.
Spa r tan Socie ty
5:30 P.M. UPTOWN
Theme: Love Makes the World Go ’Round Floats: 23
Queen: Jessica Sylest Taranto
King: Kimlee Rogers
Throws: hand-decorated platters, helmets, capes and doubloons
Spartan Society includes the Knights of Sparta and the Mystical Order of the Phoenix. The theme highlights love songs from around the world. Reigning as Phoenix V is Nicole Moss Dorignac. Mule-drawn chariots will carry figures representing Greek gods and goddesses.
P y gmalion
6:15 P.M. UPTOWN
Theme: Joyeaux Anniversaire Floats: 26
Queen: Kaelyn Kellogg
King: Eric Heidingsfelder
Throws: pig head balls, pig rings, necklaces, lighted sunglasses, lighted medallions and doubloons
The krewe celebrates its 25th anniversary, and many throws, such as medallion beads and doubloons, will mark the occasion. The krewe’s signature floats include the Pygmammoth and the Jester float. The
Feb. 21.
parade is followed by Pygmalion Fest at the Sugar Mill, and there will be music from Steve Aoki, The Party Crashers and DJ Rachii.
SUNDAY, FEB. 23
Femme F atale
11 A.M. UPTOWN
Theme: I’m Every Woman Floats: 38
Queen: Yolanda M. Singleton
Throws: compacts, umbrellas, flasks, sun visors, playing cards, coin purses, tambourines and beads
The krewe celebrates women and floats depict professions such as teachers, artists and lawyers. Riding as grand marshal is New Orleans Pelicans executive, former professional basketball player and Olympic medalist Swin Cash.
The Krewe of Oshun parades on Friday,
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
Riders throw beads during the Krewe of Pygmalion parade.
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
GREATTASTE FROM SIDEWALK TO NEU TRAL GROUND
Ca r rollton
12:30 P.M. UPTOWN
Theme: Carrollton Takes 101
Floats: 24
Queen: Mia Rose Adams
King: Manuel “Guy” James Valvis
Throws: shrimp boots, seafood trays, backpacks, playing cards, poker chips, totes, krewe fedoras and doubloons
After marking its centennial last year, the Krewe of Carrollton goes back to school with some 101 level themes. Floats depict academic subjects such as music, cooking classes and the animal kingdom. The royalty from the centennial parade will ride again this year.
krewe logo lunchboxes, baseball caps, plush knights, dragon drawstring bags and Karmel Korn
The krewe celebrates the gods and entities whose names have adorned krewes, so there will be floats for Okeanos, Athena, Choctaw and more. That’s in part a nod to the krewe captain, Phil Fricano Jr., who’s been active in Carnival for 50 years, including as a float builder. The krewe’s most prized throws are hand-decorated grails, including one extravagant Grail of Grails.
Atl a s
4 P.M. METAIRIE
Theme: Games People Play
Floats: 12
Queen: Krystal Ann Abadie Throws: stuffed animals, lighted items and more
The krewe theme depicts popular board games, such as checkers, Monopoly and Twister. The procession also features a dune buggy group.
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The 689 Swampers march in a Carnival parade.
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, FEB. 21
7 P.M.
SATURDAY, FEB. 22
PONTCHARTRAIN 11:30 A.M. Uptown 1
MARS 12:30 P.M Uptown 1
CHOCTAW 2 P.M. Uptown 1
FRERET 3:30 P.M. Uptown 1
MAD HATTERS 5 P.M. Metairie
SPARTAN SOCIETY 5:30 P.M. Uptown 2
PYGMALION 6:15 P.M. Uptown 2
SUNDAY, FEB. 23
FEMME FATALE 11 A.M. Uptown 1
CARROLLTON 12:30 P.M. Uptown 2
KING ARTHUR 1:30 P.M. Uptown 2
ATLAS 4 P.M. Metairie
The Krewe of King Arthur parades on the Uptown route.
PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
KREWE OF CORK
3 P.M. FRIDAY, FEB. 21 FRENCH QUARTER
THE KREWE OF CORK JUST GETS BETTER WITH AGE, and this is a vintage year. The krewe is sure to pop plenty of Champagne corks for its 25th anniversary.
Bar owner, sommelier and King for Life Patrick van Hoorebeek is one of the krewe founders. The group is made up of local hospitality industry people, wine industry veterans and other wine enthusiasts.
The grand marshal is usually a figure from the wine world, and this year JeanCharles Boisset has the honors. Boisset was born into the wine industry in France and moved to California. He has a portfolio of wineries in both regions and has branched into other luxury businesses.
The queen generally comes from New Orleans, and this year Janice Ray will reign.
KREWE OF CORK subject to change
Krewe members costume in wine themes and gather for bloody marys and a brunch before the parade. The parade begins in front of The Court of Two Sisters on Royal Street in the heart of the French Quarter and circles the district. The procession ends at the Royal Sonesta, where the krewe ball is held.
For more information, visit thekreweofcork.com.
FAMILY GRAS
FEB. 21-23
METAIRIE
FAMILY GRAS BRINGS LIVE
MUSIC, parade-watching and more to a festival area set up near Lakeside Shopping Center.
A parade will pass the festival grounds each night, Friday, Feb. 21, through Sunday, Feb. 23. Excalibur rolls on Friday. MadHatters brings an array of local celebrities and media figures on Saturday, and Atlas offers a lot of young members a ride in Carnival on Sunday.
The music lineup is topped by country stars, like Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts,
BARKUS
2 P.M. SUNDAY, FEB. 23
FRENCH QUARTER
Gabby Barrett from “American Idol,” and Justin Moore. John Ford Coley is on tour with 1970s Los Angeles rockers Ambrosia, and they make a stop at Family Gras. Fellow ’70s rock group Kansas also performs. Additionally, the lineup includes Amanda Shaw, Zebra, Imagination Movers, Timothy Wayne, River Dan and Rock Show NOLA.
Food vendors include Couzan’s BBQ, NOLA Chuck Wagon, NeauxLA RolLA, The Frying Station, Messina’s Catering and more. There also are kids’ activities and an art market.
Gates open at 3 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.
Admission is free, and VIP passes ($125 per person) include limited food and beverages, stage viewing areas and more. More details can be found at familygras.com.
BARKUS IS BACK and ready to stun the crowds with fresh lewks and hot fits. The annual canine parade through the French Quarter features scores of pups and their fashionable humans.
The free-spirited Scrim has inspired locals this past year, defying capture and making his rounds of the city. Though he’s not scheduled to be present in the parade, a likeness of him will be.
But the parade is less about running the streets than the runway. This year’s theme is “Vanity Fur: Barkus Rules the Runway,” and canines and human escorts are promising a fashionable affair.
The parade will be reigned over by Petey Benson, Gayle Benson’s Yorkshire Terrier. The Queen is Ruthie Sable, a foxhound-dalmatian mix who was rescued in the Washington, D.C. area.
The parade starts and ends at Armstrong Park, making its way on a winding, 15-block loop of the heart of the Quarter that includes Jackson Square. The procession also passes a viewing stand at Good Friends Bar.
There are pre- and post-parade parties in the park. The pre-party begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, and there will be food and drink vendors at the park.
Proceeds from the park go to animal care organizations in Louisiana.
For more information, visit kreweofbarkus.org. KREWE OF BARKUS subject to change
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
PUSH IT
The Push Mow parade in Abita Springs is a small-town tradition
BY KAYLEE POCHE
NEW ORLEANS IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE IN LOUISIANA to find a quirky, DIY Mardi Gras parade.
In Abita Springs, residents have been pushing around decorated lawn mowers and other contraptions in a parade with unique themes for more than two decades.
Hoppers and The Kilts of Many Colours Pipes and Drums band, which led the first parade with bagpipes.
The parade was artist-lead for more than a decade but has since switched hands to the Abita Trailhead Museum and then the Town of Abita Springs, which has organized the parade for the last three years.
Like many great ideas, the concept of the Push Mow parade started at a house party circa 2000. Partygoers, among them many artists and musicians, started talking about how Abita Springs should have a Mardi Gras parade.
While some participants ride trucks, golf carts and other vehicles in the parade, the town made a rule this year that all entrants must incorporate a lawn mower. It’s an attempt to go back to the roots of the parade, according to Town Events Coordinator Tayler Migues.
But they didn’t want to just create another float parade. The Northshore already had some of those, and the town, home to less than 3,000 people, didn’t really have room for a big route anyway.
If they were going to put on a parade, they were going to do it their way — folksy and artsy while still being family-friendly.
“Even if it’s like a Little Tikes bubble-blowing lawn mower, you have to have some type of push mower in your group,” she says.
Twenty-something years later, the parade is still a hit locally. Migues says the parade had around 43 entrants last year.
“Abita’s sort of an art colony,” says John Preble, one of the parade’s founders. “It’s like the Woodstock of New Orleans.”
The Push Mow parade debuted in 2002 with the theme “Not Quite.” Since then, it’s explored original themes like “Dollar Store Dumpster Discoveries,” “Unfortunate Couplings” and “Reality TV Shows in the Future.”
Over the years, many of the themes have incorporated the concept of bad ideas, like “Lousy Ideas for a Fast Food,” “Terrible New TV Channels” and “Terrible Theme Park Ideas.”
The theme of the 2025 parade, which starts at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, is “Nightmare at the Museum.” Look out for taxidermy coming to life, a softball team taking over the Hall of Fame and, of course, ghosts.
Parade regulars include the Abita Queen Bees — known for their beehive wigs, yellow and black skirts, and wings — the frog-themed group The Abita 30/90
At one point, Preble, who also owns the Abita Mystery House, says they even had too many people participating. “We had more people at the parade than spectating,” he says.
The parade is also a source of hometown pride for Abita residents, who see themselves as distinct from the rest of the Northshore. That explains 2013’s theme “We’re not Mandeville,” which Preble fought hard for, ultimately even getting Mandeville’s mayor at the time, Donald Villere, on board.
“Mandeville is just a little more upscale and more preppy,” Preble says.
It’s the same reason the parade doesn’t have a ball associated with it. Instead, they’re opting for a pre-parade party at the local farmers market with live music and food trucks.
“Of course, it’s going to be quirky,” Migues says. “It’s going to be different, just like everything else in Abita.”
A giant chicken crosses the road during the 2023 Push Mow parade.
PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
READING ROOM
The first Book Worm Ball will have people reading, dancing and costuming for a cause
BY KAYLEE POCHE
BROOKE PAULUS HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN NEW ORLEANS’ NIGHTLIFE
SCENE for years as part of the clownthemed cover band LSD Clownsystem, as a DJ and as an event planner.
But with everything going on in the world, she recently has been trying to plan parties that involve more than just drinking and would benefit a good cause — aka what she likes to call “wholesome hedonism.”
“This year I’ve been trying to kind of just cultivate spaces around getting together, but not just for the sake of partying,” Paulus says. “Especially this year, I just want a little more purpose to parties and coming together.”
That’s the goal for the first Book Worm Ball, which will take place Tuesday, Feb. 18, at Okay Bar and will raise money to get more books into prisons.
The event was born from the Read the Room events Paulus has hosted the last few months at the bar. They start with a half hour or so of quiet reading time — sometimes with attendees laying on picnic blankets in the backyard — before breaking off to talk about books with one another. Then rinse and repeat.
Paulus, who works with youth in her day job, says the event series was inspired by school book fairs. Each person gets a bookmark and a punch card to reward recurring members with prizes.
The concept has been an instant success. According to Paulus, the first event in October drew around 30 people, and about 100 showed up to the second.
“I think people are just also seeking deeper connections, wanting these third spaces,” she says.
Paulus, an avid reader who read 60 books last year, says though the event is young, she’s already made a ton of new friends through it. She’s met people with
different reading habits, including some who only read poetry, and had conversations with people about topics like what books they liked as kids.
“I talked to this one woman, and she was like, ‘Well, I’ve never finished a book before because I hate endings, and I like to imagine a world where everything is possible. I don’t like when the story’s over, and I grieve these worlds that I built,’ ” she says.
“Just like the headiest, most beautiful little book conversations ever had.”
The Book Worm Ball will start with regular reading and chatting hours from 7 to 9 p.m. Then at 9 p.m., the event turns into a dance party, which Paulus will DJ. She’s still putting together the setlist but says “Wuthering Heights” by Kate Bush is a must.
Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite literary characters. Paulus says she’s considering going as American Girl Doll Molly McIntire or her go-to costume: the large-thumbed Sissy Hankshaw from Tom Robbins’ 1976 novel “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.”
She expects a few Ignatius J. Reillys from “A Confederacy of Dunces” and lots of obscure sci-fi characters.
“There’s no shortage of fodder,” Paulus says.
Her artist friends are lending a hand with the decor. One is building a big book disco ball while another is creating a giant worm for the photo booth.
Admission is $10, and the money will benefit LA Books 2 Prisoners, a nonprofit that donates books to people in state and federal prisons in Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi.
Paulus’ vision for the Book Worm Ball and some of her other events is to create a space for introverts and extroverts alike, whether you’re drinking or not.
“Obviously, there’s drinking at our party because it’s a bar, but it’s not the focal point,” she says. “The focal point is the love of reading and good conversation and just connecting with like-minded people.”
In a political climate where far-right politicians are banning and restricting books at public libraries and targeting LGBTQ people, having an inclusive event that celebrates reading is particularly important, Paulus says.
“We’re going to keep reading, we’re going to keep dancing, and there’s nothing anyone, anywhere can do to stop us,” she says.
Emma Campbell poses with a book at a Read the Room event.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BROOKE PAULUS
While a number of performers were highlighted during NFL events, including a musical showcase during the pre-game show, in the end many musicians argue that if you weren’t lucky enough to score a gig at one of the big showcases or NFL events, the city’s culture felt as if it was treated like an afterthought.
Little Freddie King, a legendary blues musician and this year’s king of Krewe du Vieux, is always a reliable draw for d.b.a. and BJ’s Lounge, two bars he regularly plays at. Even in the dead of summer, it’s not uncommon for both clubs to be packed for his shows.
But back-to-back shows at the venues the Friday evening before the game were sparsely attended.
Likewise, burlesque performers, who have long been an integral part of the city’s cultural landscape, feel largely left out. AllWays Lounge on St. Claude, for instance, ended up cancelling multiple shows, and those that did go on had a fraction of the crowd they normally have on an average weekend.
“Typically, I sell 85 to 90 tickets ... [and] we have anywhere from one to seven shows in the building run by independent producers,” said Vivacious Miss Audacious, a performer and producer at AllWays. On the Saturday before the game, her show sold 17 tickets.
She said the show saw the “worst attendance that I’ve ever had in New Orleans.”
While she was lucky enough to book some corporate gigs, Audacious said she ended up losing money for the week after paying out other performers and related expenses for her AllWays shows.
Similarly, tour guides, pedicab drivers, carriage horse operators and others who work on the streets of the French Quarter also were hit hard, with road closures limiting where carriages could go.
Carriage operator Kaliecia “Sparkles” Smith told Gambit the Friday before the Super Bowl that she didn’t have any riders the two previous nights.
“They take pictures and pet the mules,” she said. “They do not take any rides.”
Sparkles and her horse Claudia have worked together for 12 and a half years, and she said she’s been trying to put away money to buy property for when the horse retires.
But “how can I when big events take the money from the locals?” she said. Jamie Walker, a walking tour guide in the Quarter, said she experienced
harassment during Super Bowl week.
“Not only have we not been booking, but we have been harassed by armed men [and] interrupted, mocked, and heckled by ignorant football fans,” she said. “We have been left out of this corporate buyout of our city.”
Jennifer Raven, who has worked as a tour guide for 25 years, agreed.
“We had more and better tourism the October after Hurricane Katrina wiped the city out,” Raven said. “I’ve made enough money this week to purchase and mail a postcard to someone who might give a fuck.”
From Magazine Street to the Marigny, corporate sponsors were eager to snatch up prime party hosting real estate in the city in the weeks and months leading up to the Super Bowl.
It’s a common practice during massive events like the Oscars or Grammys for corporate sponsors, celebrities and others to buy out a venue or restaurant for an entire day, night or even week in order to ensure they have exclusive use of a space.
In theory, it’s a win-win. For those holding an event, it means they can plan in advance, negotiate costs and send out invites. For the venue and its staff, it
means a guaranteed source of revenue — often significantly higher than they might expect — at a time when competition will be high.
So going into the Super Bowl week, many with a buyout were feeling pretty good. But for some musicians who work those venues, the week didn’t go according to plan.
“A lot of musicians have either been bought out, or they thought they were being bought out but they didn’t get paid for the gigs when the venues were bought out,” said Danovon CalhounBettis, a musician and the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans’ director of engagement and partnerships.
One musician who works a regular gig on Bourbon and who asked for anonymity to avoid repercussions said the bar they play at was bought out by Fox Sports well in advance of the Super Bowl.
“For the whole year, we were under the impression that we would be playing music while Fox would be broadcasting nearby,” the musician said. “We anticipated a busy and lucrative week, after the terrorism and the snow gave us a very rough start to the year.”
But on the Saturday before, the musician said they were “blindsided”
when the senior musician announced there would be no music schedule for the whole week.
“We were instantly unemployed for the entire week of the Super Bowl with less than 48 hours’ notice,” the musician said. “Our workforce includes mothers and fathers of young children. We have disabled employees and employees with mental health issues ... Our children don’t stop eating just because it’s Super Bowl week.”
That forced them to scramble for jobs — just as bars, music halls and other venues were realizing the Super Bowl might not be the payday they’d been promised.
The musician said working Bourbon can often mean lower wages but a steady paycheck. That dynamic, though, was “destroyed by greed this week. Fox and the NFL paid off the bar owners to run a steamroller over our city, and fear of losing our jobs is expected to keep the workers silent.”
Not everyone had a tough time during the Super Bowl, especially Mayor LaToya Cantrell who was a fixture at parties all week.
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
This isn’t an isolated problem. Gambit has identified at least eight buyouts, ranging from one-off evenings to about a week, where things went wrong. In several cases, regular staff were essentially laid off for the week and replaced by outside bartenders and musicians. In others, the buyouts were cancelled shortly before — or even after — they were supposed to start.
One owner, who asked not to be named to discuss their experience freely, noted that they hadn’t pushed aggressively for buyouts in part because they assumed their business would see plenty of spill over traffic, like it has during other major events.
Still, they said they did book one event that was “supposed to be lagniappe to make up for last summer,” they said. The event was ultimately cancelled — but only after its scheduled start time.
That meant bartenders and servers cooled their heels for hours waiting and earned no tips. But even for the owner, the buyout didn’t end up putting them in the black for the week, which they said was as slow as any weekend last August.
In fact, it is uncertain if venues with cancelled events will even see their promised pay. In one case, a restaurant that had a buyout cancel allegedly didn’t have a written contract in place, and it’s unclear if even the owners will see any compensation.
Virtually everyone who Gambit spoke with believes there is a way to host large events in a way that makes economic sense for locals — and they almost all point to Taylor Swift’s three-day concert run last October as an example.
Taylor Swift fans walk along Bourbon Street in the French Quarter on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024.
burlesque’s traditionally “high holy days” of Halloween weekend, agreed.
While most non-Taylor themed shows during that weekend ended up being half full, “they tipped like it was full.”
C’Mere’s Remy Diamond said she pulled in $30,000 in sales during that weekend — a full month’s worth of revenue. “That allowed me to have a little bit of money in the bank for the first time,” she said.
Likewise, Lyla Clayre said the difference was “completely night and day. I mean just the opposite. We had such friendly people ... and there were no armed men outside our door intimidating people.”
Even Vivacious Miss Audacious, whose field saw some losses because Swift’s concerts coincided with
“There’s a difference between Taylor Swift money and ... the CEOs who we pandered to for a week’s money,” argued Dressed New Orleans’ Sigourney Morrison. According to Morrison, that money was spread around more equally, and the tourists who flooded the city actively sought out New Orleans’ music, food, art and fashion in a way Super Bowl visitors simply didn’t. “Billionaires ... just don’t care,” Morrison said. — John Stanton and Kaylee Poche
PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
EAT + DRINK
Freshly shucked
CHEF FARRELL HARRISON HAS LIVED ON THE FIFTH FLOOR of the building at Julia and Tchoupitoulas streets for 12 years. Despite there being longstanding restaurants on the ground floor, Tommy’s Cuisine and Tommy’s Wine Bar, he never experienced them as neighborhood spots that felt welcoming and affordable, he says.
“We all understand that we are a tourist city,” says Harrison, who co-owns plates restaurant with his partner Brian Weisnicht. “But so many people living in the Warehouse District can’t get into their favorite spots because they cater to large groups. When we heard the space was available, Brian and I both thought it would be perfect for a relaxed oyster and wine bar. A place where locals could talk to their neighbors, hang out, have a nice happy hour.”
They opened Maria’s Oyster & Wine Bar in one of those spaces last month. The 100-seat restaurant has a stylish, artsy vibe, with accents of mermaid-inspired neon and fishing nets billowing from the ceiling. One wall is covered with a stunning backlit photo showing an oyster boat in the Gulf. The restaurant’s name is an homage to Weisnicht’s grandmother, the same way boats are often named for family matriarchs.
As for the décor, Maria’s is literally night and day from before. “We got rid of the New Year’s Eve, vampire look,” the chef says. Everything is lighter, brighter and more approachable, which also goes for chef de cuisine Christian Hurst’s menu. Hurst, formerly the corporate chef for the Link Restaurant Group, also ran a beachfront restaurant in St. Croix. He brings Caribbean flavors and modern Louisiana dishes to Maria’s table.
Besides oysters, the raw bar serves shrimp escabeche and Gulf tuna crudo. On the hot side, pimiento cheese croquettes are crispy bites that ooze warm cheese. Tasso marmalade is served on the side for dipping. There’s an excellent smoked tuna dip, a killer braised oxtail hand pie and a standout spicy Gulf fish sandwich with house-made
Bowl game recovery
LARGE EVENTS OFTEN PRODUCE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT of food waste. However, over the Super Bowl LIX weekend, a national organization worked with Louisiana student volunteers to minimize the huge event’s environmental impact.
The Food Recovery Network diverted 12,348 pounds of food from being wasted after two massive tailgate events in New Orleans, donating the equivalent of 10,290 meals in food to the New Orleans Mission.
New Orleans Mission is an organization that helps to feed and house people who are facing homelessness, addiction, abuse and other issues.
Food Recovery Network worked with Tulane University and Louisiana State University student volunteers to collect food from The Players Tailgate hosted by Bullseye Event Group and Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Tailgate.
fried bread, a cousin to Caribbean johnnycake. Roasted Gulf oysters sizzle with Tabasco mash butter.
Large plates include a tuna steak au poivre with fries and brandy cream sauce and curried pork cheeks with fried yuca and slaw. For dessert, there is a tres leches cake with mango and banana pudding, along with Doris’ hummingbird cake made using a recipe of Harrison’s grandmother.
Prices reflect the owners’ desire to stay approachable. “We want people to come in, have a great meal and not feel like they might not make it to next week’s paycheck,” Harrison says. Hurst says the tight production kitchen dictates no fuss dishes that can be plated elegantly and delivered quickly. Menu items hover between $15 and $29, with generous portions.
Local Gulf oysters are key to Maria’s concept, including oysters farmed by Little Moon Oyster Ranch and
Bright Side Oysters in the waters surrounding Grand Isle. There are Murder Points from Alabama, and wild oysters harvested from the Gulf. Shucker Lorenzo “Zo” Marrero has 28 years of experience. He spent the last five at Peche Seafood Grill before joining Maria’s team. Oyster prices are in the $2.50-$3 range apiece, but the daily 4-6 p.m. happy hour offers Gulf oysters for $1.50 each.
The expansion of the partners’ restaurant group is continuing. The space connected to Maria’s, formerly Tommy’s Cuisine, will be Le Moyne Bistro, a modern French restaurant set to open later in the season. Plates opened in 2023, and Harrison acknowledges that this flurry of activity is happening quickly.
“We’ve learned from restaurateurs that we respect, including the Link Restaurant Group, that you have to offer your people opportunity to grow within the company,” Harrison says. “This expansion allows us to do that. We want people to want to come to work every day. That’s important to our culture.”
In addition to helping use the excess food to feed people in New Orleans, the
Food Recovery Network volunteers prevented thousands of pounds of food from being wasted during Super Bowl weekend.
organization’s executive director Regina Harmon said their food recovery efforts helped combat climate change.
“The impact of wasted and surplus food on our climate is undeniable, and we all see the effects,” Harmon says. “It’s important for us to shine a light on this issue in New Orleans, particularly a city that has seen too many climate change-fueled tragedies.”
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that the U.S.’s annual food waste accounts for 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The nation’s wasted food could feed 150 million people.
Maria’s Oyster & Wine Bar opens in the Warehouse District by Beth D’Addono |
Brian Weishicht (left), chef Farnell Harrison and chef Christian Hurst at Maria’s Oyster & Wine Bar
PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER
Mardi Gras,inthe hear tofLouisiana’sCajun and Creole Countr y, is thefamily-friendly waytohave fun. Enjoynineparades, afestivalwithlivemusic, fairground rides,and the traditional courir de Mardi Gras.There’s something foreveryone in your krewe.
The Food Recovery Network said that in 2024, it prevented 1,785 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions by recovering 3.7 million pounds of food and providing 3.1 million meals.
“From special occasions like tailgates and watch parties to the meals we make for our families each day, we all have a role to play in eliminating food waste and supporting our natural environment,” Harmon says.
In addition to recovering food at events like the Super Bowl, students at LSU, Tulane, Centenary College of Louisiana and Loyola University New Orleans work toward reducing food waste on their campuses as part of the Food Recovery Network’s overall nationwide mission.
In the 2023-2024 school year, colleges across Louisiana reported recovering 3,723 pounds of food to help feed the food insecure and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. — Chelsea Shannon / The Times-Picayune
Baker Steve Himelfarb dies MANY PEOPLE FIRST GOT TO KNOW STEVE HIMELFARB AS “THE CAKE MAN,” the nickname he earned as a joyful presence bringing slices of cake around to their workplaces. Later, he created a king cake that would be influential in the acceleration of the traditional cake into a more creative piece of Carnival culture.
For Himelfarb himself, though, cake and the craft of baking was a calling that connected him to his sense of community and his own spirituality.
“Every day Steve went into the bakery and made the world he wanted to create, and it was a lovely world,” said Becky Retz, his wife. “At his heart, he was a New Orleanian who showed his love for people through food.”
Himelfarb died Feb. 5 at his home in New Orleans after a battle with cancer, Retz confirmed. He was 61.
Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Rockville, Maryland, Himelfarb started his career in the music business, moving to Los Angeles at age 18 and knocking on doors of recording studios, looking for any kind of work. He made his mark as a sound engineer and worked with many top artists of the day, including Bob Seger, Pat Benatar, Crowded House and Shelia E. He came to Louisiana to work with local bands, including Buckwheat Zydeco and BeauSoleil, and developed a recording studio in New Orleans.
Always deeply spiritual, Retz says Himelfarb discovered baking as a continuation of his pursuit of discipline through faith. For years, he rose early in the morning and made cake, always the same type, chocolate, honing his skills. His repertoire expanded, and by the late 1990s he began selling his cakes.
FORK & CENTER
He went door-to-door at offices and businesses with a route that stretched from Slidell to LaPlace.
He appeared at people’s doors or at their cubicles, often in a tropical pattern shirt, with a kind smile and a tray of individually wrapped cake slices.
In 2004 he opened New Orleans Cake Café & Bakery in a tiny spot on Exchange Place in the French Quarter.
A year later, Hurricane Katrina struck, closing the shop. By 2007 he reopened in a new location. It took over what had been La Spiga Bakery at 2440 Chartres St. (now home to the cafe Horn’s).
It was there that he developed a king cake filled with green apples and goat cheese, with an exuberant lashing pattern of purple, green and gold icing that drew frequent comparisons to the art of Jackson Pollock. It was striking in flavor, appearance and concept at the time and helped usher in a new era of king cake creativity.
Judy Walker, the retired TimesPicayune food writer, once dubbed him the “godfather of modern king cakes in New Orleans.”
“Steve always said that in New Orleans a bakery is going to be defined by its king cake; he wanted something that embodied the joy and celebration of the season and the city,” Retz says.
From a first batch of 20 cakes, the bakery eventually produced up to 4,000 king cakes in a season.
The café closed in 2020, when Himelfarb said it was time for a life change. The following year, however, Himelfarb brought back his signature king cake as a fundraiser for the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the high school where he taught culinary classes and supported students with internships. Retz says that was part of his approach to business and community.
“He always said, ‘This is why we work so hard, so we can support others we want to support,’ ” Retz says.
Himelfarb’s family is planning a memorial in the spring. — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune
Dates Parade Name
February 23 FemmeFatale
February 26 Druids,Alla
February 27 Babylon, Muses
March 2
March 4 Zulu, Rex Okeanos, Mid City,Thoth,Bacchus
Visit the Maroon Mardi Gras 2025 Eventbritepage to purchasetickets! 1206 SaintCharles Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70130 4TH ANNUAL
Strugglingwith Struggling
Yo u’re not alone. New Orleans residents dese rv ea ffordable, reliable energ y-but the City Council has ye tt ot ake action.
The Allianc ef or Affordable Energ yi sf ighting for :
•A debt forgiveness program to help fa milies struggling with high bills
•A shut-of fm oratorium to keep the power on when you need it most
•E fficiencyi mpro vements to lower ener gy costs for eve ry one
We ’ve proposed real solutions. Now,w en eed your voice to push the City Council to act! No one should have to choose between keeping the lights on and making ends meet.
The Alliance is here to help.
Steve Himelfarb works on a cake at New Orleans Cake Cafe & Bakery.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW HINTON / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Notice of Third Public Meeting
New Orleans City Council Utility Docket UD-23-01
Entergy New Orleans 2024 Integrated Resource Plan
Every three years an Entergy New Orleans (ENO) Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is produced. This is the planning process by which Entergy assesses the resources available to meet the power supply needs of New Orleans. The IRP is produced following an open, transparent planning process through which all relevant resources are investigated. Resources considered include supply-side (such as power plants) and demand-side (programs to modify customer loads to reduce or shift loads from hours with high electricity costs or reliability constraints to other hours). The factors infuencing choice among these resources are considered in the planning process. The goal is to identify the optimal set of resources to meet current and future electric service needs at the lowest total cost to customers and ENO in a manner consistent with long-term public interest. The expected combination of costs, reliability, risks and uncertainty are considered.
The planning process to develop the 2024 IRP is underway. To facilitate this process, a third public meeting will be held:
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 from 10:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m. New Orleans City Council Chamber, City Hall, 1300 Perdido St., Room 1E07, New Orleans.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend/view this meeting to make a two-minute statement regarding their opinions on the IRP
The Council’s Utilities Regulatory Ofce will maintain a signup sheet for Interested Persons who wish to receive copies of all flings, issuances, and notices occurring in the proceeding
If you wish to be included on this list, please contact CURO at 504-658-1112 or by ome to vie also
OUT TO EAT
Out to Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are for New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.
Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — This Mid-City sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ices, cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and more. There also are coffee drinks. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $
Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant. com — Gulf Drum Yvonne is served with brown butter sauce with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. There also are seafood pasta dishes, steaks, lamb chops and more. Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$
Bamboula’s — 514 Frenchmen St.; bamboulasmusic.com — The live music venue’s kitchen offers a menu of traditional and creative Creole dishes, such as Creole crawfish crepes with goat cheese and chardonnay sauce. Reservations accepted. Lunch, dinner and latenight daily. $$
The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 118 Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985) 315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com — Basin barbecue shrimp are served with rosemary garlic butter sauce over cheese grits with a cheese biscuit. The menu includes po-poys, fried seafood platters, raw and char-grilled oysters, boiled seafood in season, and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lakeview: Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Slidell: Lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$
Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 5813866; broussards.com — Rainbow trout amandine is served with tasso and corn macque choux and Creole meuniere sauce. Brunch includes Benedicts, chicken and waffles and more. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$
Cafe Normandie — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The menu combines classic French dishes and Louisiana items like crab beignets with herb aioli. Sandwiches include po-boys, a muffuletta on flatbread and a burger. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch Mon.Sat., dinner Fri.-Mon. $$ The Commissary — 634 Orange St., (504) 274-1850; thecommissarynola.com — A smoked turkey sandwich is served with bacon, tomato jam, herbed cream cheese, arugula and herb vinaigrette on honey oat bread. The menu includes dips, salads, sandwiches, boudin balls, fried oysters and more. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Sat. $$
Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative Creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken and andouille jambalaya. There also are crab cakes, shrimp and grits, crawfish etouffee, po-boys and more. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Dahla — 611 O’Keefe Ave., (504) 7666602; dahlarestaurant.com — The menu includes popular Thai dishes like pad thai, drunken noodles, curries and fried rice.
$ — average dinner entrée under $10
$$ $11-$20
$$$ — $20-up
Crispy skinned duck basil is prepared with vegetables and Thai basil. Delivery available. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 5860300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — A menu full of Gulf seafood includes chargrilled oysters topped with Parmesan and herbs. The menu also includes po-boys, po-boys, gumbo, blackened fish, fried seafood platters and more. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House — 144 Bourbon St., (504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse.com — There’s a seafood raw bar with raw and char-broiled oysters, fish dip, crab fingers, shrimp and more. Redfish on the Half-shell is cooked skinon and served with crab-boiled potatoes, frisee and lemon buerre blanc. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$
Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse — 716 Iberville St., (504) 522-2467; dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com — The menu includes a variety of steaks, plus seared Gulf fish, lobster pasta, barbecue shrimp and more. A 6-ounce filet mignon is served with fried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes and bearnaise. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$
El Pavo Real — 4401 S. Broad Ave., (504) 266-2022; elpavorealnola.com — The menu includes tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, ceviche. tamales and more. Pescado Vera Cruz features sauteed Gulf fish topped with tomatoes, olives, onion and capers, served with rice and string beans. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and early dinner Tue.-Sat. $$
Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; 8140 Oak St., (504) 897-4800; juansflyingburrito.com — The Flying Burrito includes steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar jack cheese, black beans, rice, guacamole and salsa. The menu also includes tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, nachos, salads and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$
Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — The Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, ham, cheese and pickles. The eclectic menu also includes char-grilled oysters, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, fried seafood platters, pasta, salads and more. Delivery available. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Kilroy’s Bar — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The bar menu includes sandwiches, salads and flatbreads, including one topped with peach, prosciutto, stracciatella cheese, arugula and pecans. No reservations. Lunch Fri.-Mon., dinner daily. $$
Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches,
salads and a NOLA Style Grits Bowl topped with bacon, cheddar and a poached egg. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, (504) 513-2606; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes filets mignons and bone-in ribeyes, as well as burgers, salads and seafood dishes. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Luzianne Cafe — 481 Girod St., (504) 2651972; luziannecafe.com — Boudin Benedict features two poached eggs over boudin and an English muffin, served with green tomato chow chow and hollandaise. No reservations. Delivery available. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sun. $$
Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. The menu also has noodle dishes, teriyaki and more. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.Fri., dinner daily. $$
Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves Italian dishes and specialties including chicken a la grande, shrimp Mosca, baked oysters Mosca and chicken cacciatore. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$
Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net — This counter-service spot serves po-boys dressed with sliced cabbage and Creole favorites like jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more. Breakfast is available all day. Delivery available. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes red beans and rice with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as shrimp Creole, seafood platters, po-boys, chargrilled and raw oysters, salads and more. Side items include carrot souffle, mac and cheese, cornbread dressing, sweet potato tots and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$
Nice Guys Bar & Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola. com — Char-grilled oysters are topped with cheese and garlic butter, and other options include oysters Rockefeller and loaded oysters. The creative menu also includes seafood bread, a Cajun-lobster potato, wings, quesadillas, burgers, salads, sandwiches, seafood pasta, loaded fries and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$
Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro 720 Orleans Ave., (504) 523-1930; orleansgrapevine.com — The wine bar offers cheese boards and appetizers to nosh with wines. The menu includes Creole pasta with shrimp and andouille in tomato cream sauce. Reservations accepted for large parties. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$ Palace Cafe — 605 Canal St., (504) 523-1661; palacecafe.com — The contemporary Creole menu includes crabmeat cheesecake with mushrooms and Creole meuniere sauce. Outdoor seating available. Reservations recommended. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$
Parish Grill — 4650 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 100, Metairie, (504) 345-2878; parishgrill.com — The menu includes burgers, sandwiches, pizza and sauteed andouille with fig dip, blue cheese and toast points. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner
Mon.-Sat. $$
Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com — At brunch, braised short rib grillades are served over grits with mushrooms, a poached egg and shaved truffle. Reservations accepted. Dinner
Wed.-Mon., brunch Sun. $$
Rosie’s on the Roof — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The rooftop bar has a menu of sandwiches, burgers and small plates. Crab beignets are made with Gulf crabmeat and mascarpone and served with herb aioli. No reservations. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Tableau — 616 St. Peter St., (504) 9343463; tableaufrenchquarter.com — The menu features traditional and creative Creole dishes. Pasta bouillabaisse features squid ink mafaldine, littleneck clams, Gulf shrimp, squid, seafood broth, rouille and herbed breadcrumbs. Outdoor seating available on the balcony. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch
Thu.-Sun. $$$
Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 827-1651; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes raw and char-broiled oysters, seafood platters, po-boys, fried chicken, crab and corn bisque and more. Redfish St. Charles is served with garlic-herb butter, asparagus, mushrooms and crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
WI NE OF THE WEEK
Tapestry RedBlend
Katie’s Restaurant and Bar (3701 Iberville St., 504-4886582; katiesinmidcity.com) in Mid-City serves pizza and much more.
Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza.com — A Marilynn Pota Supreme pie is topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. There also are salads, sandwiches, wings, breadsticks and more. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $ Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 1433 St. Charles Ave., (504) 354-1342; titoscevichepisco. com — The Peruvian menu includes several types of ceviche, as well as steak and seafood dishes. Traditional lomo saltado features sauteed beef tenderloin tips, onions, tomatoes, soy sauce and pisco, served with potatoes and rice. Delivery available. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$
The Vintage — 3121 Magazine St., (504) 324-7144; thevintagenola.com — There’s a full coffee drinks menu and baked goods and beignets, as well as a full bar. The menu has flatbreads, cheese boards, small plates and a pressed veggie sandwich with avocado, onions, arugula, red pepper and pepper jack cheese. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
and will feature rapper 2 Chainz. Tickets are $172.50. Find more info on Instagram: @emlineball.
Jef Rosenstock
Prolific musician Jeff Rosenstock’s “Hellmode,” their latest album under their own name, is a great punk record for uneasy times at the brink of climate crisis and fascist takeovers. It’s cathartic and speaks to the anxiety of the time while also reminding listeners there’s still a lot to fight for. Rosenstock returns to Tipitina’s at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, with support from New Orleans ska punk band Bad Operation and Philly’s Soul Glo. Tickets are $23 via tipitinas.com.
Gypsy Kings
The Gypsy Kings enjoyed massive success in the late ’80s and ’90s with their self-titled third album, which included “Bamboleo” and “Djobi Djoba.” Though French, the members have Catalan heritage and blend rumba, flamenco, salsa and pop. Though members have focused on side projects, band co-founder Nichola Reyes still leads the group. Adelaide opens at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, at The Fillmore. Tickets $91.50 and up via fillmorenola.com.
Tim Heidecker
Tim Heidecker made a name for himself in comedy and acting in projects like “Tim and Eric Aweseome Show, Great Job!” with Eric Wareheim. He also appeared in “Bridesmaids” and other films and has played in bands for many years. Recently, he’s started focusing on music again. His 2022 album “High School” has catchy indie rock tunes like “Buddy.” The last time he performed in New Orleans, he did a comedy set and a music set. He recently released the album “Slipping Away,” and this time his performance will be all music. At 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at Tipitina’s. Tickets $39.50 and up via tipitinas.com.
EyeHateGod
New Orleans sludge giants
EyeHateGod return to Southport Hall on Friday, Feb. 21, with support from Slowhole, D. Sablu and Rāde. Music starts at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $27.39 via southporthall.com.
Jim Gafgan and Sebastian Maniscalco
Jim Gaffigan has come a long way from joking about Hot Pockets, and now he mines the mundane humiliations of being a parent of teens for comedy. And he’s blossomed as a talented character actor. Currently he’s on tour with Sebastian
Maniscalco. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Smoothie King Center. Tickets $34.50 via ticketmaster.com.
Water Seed and the LPO
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra last month launched a new series at the New Orleans Jazz Market that pairs the orchestra with local bands and musicians. This month’s edition of the series will feature New Orleans forward-looking “future funk” band Water Seed collaborating with the LPO. The concert also will feature LPO ensembles performing works by Bobby Ge, Jesse Bateman, Kevin George and Stacy Garrop as well as a pre-concert happy hour DJ’d by Antiwigadee. At 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19. Tickets are $40 via lpomusic.com.
Mid-City Afrobeat Meltdown
Mid-City venue Broadside hosts a lineup of New Orleans bands known for their afrobeat sets. Sam Dickey and Read the Sands opens, followed by Gov’t Majik, and ending with Afrobeatnola DJ’ing a dance party. The Mid-City Afrobeat Meltdown starts at 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22. Tickets are $22.20 via broadsidenola.com.
Brad Walker Quartet with Stanton Moore
Ubiquitous, top-tier New Orleans saxophonist Brad Walker leads this masterful quartet with pianist Joe Ashlar, bassist Martin Masakowski and drummer Stanton Moore. Miss this combination at your own risk. The quartet plays at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, at Snug Harbor. Tickets are $25 via snugjazz.com.
Bon Bon Vivant
Americana and jazz group Bon Bon Vivant plays a family-friendly Mardi Gras time show hosted by kids music educator Blue House Music at 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, at Music Box Village. Tickets are $15 adults and $5 for ages 3-10 with discounts for families of four and six. Find more info at musicboxvillage.com.
Sirocco Brass
Sirocco Brass is a 10-piece New Orleans brass band that focuses on Mediterranean sounds, from Egypt to the Balkans. The group celebrates the release of its debut album. Local psychedelic Cumbia band, Los Guiros, and Sagapo Choir and DJ Karem also perform. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, at Cafe Istanbul. Find information @siroccobrass on Instagram.
MUSIC
M U SIC LISTINGS AND MO RE E V E NTS TAKING PLAC E IN TH E N E W O R L E ANS A RE A, VISIT CALENDAR.GAMBITWEEKLY.COM
To learn more about adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com
CARROLLTON STATION Cristina Kaminis + Victoria Douton + Yusa Mar, 8 pm
CHICKIE WAH WAH Andrew Duhon’s Living Room Sessions, 8 pm
D.B.A. Palmetto Bug Stompers, 6 pm; Khris Royal & Dark Matter, 9 pm
DOS JEFES — Mark Coleman Quartet, 8:30 pm
FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Doyle Cooper Band, 2 pm; John Saavedra Band, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/ Chuck Brackman, 8 pm
HOLY DIVER — Vermit, Torture Garden and T.A.C.K., 9 pm
IRENE’S — Monty Banks, 6 pm
JAZZ PLAYHOUSE Brass-A-Holics, 7:30 pm
LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ The Soul Rebels, 11 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR Bill Malchow, 6 pm
NO DICE — Shark Attack!! + Atom Cat + JJ Shreds, 9 pm
OKAY BAR Azad Safavi, Tashi Delay, Eddie Chapman & The Velvet Ants, 8 pm
ROCK 'N' BOWL Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots, 8 pm
SALON SALON Hanna Mignano, 7 pm
SANTOS BAR — Tainted Love 80’s Night with DJ Shane Love, 10 pm
SATURN BAR — Sari Jordan + Noa Jamir + Swinging Astrid, 9 pm
VAUGHAN’S LOUNGE Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet, 10:30 pm
FRIDAY 21
30/90 Jef Chaz Blues Band, 2 pm; Jon Roniger & The Good For Nothin’ Band, 5 pm; Colin Davis & Night People,8 pm; Zena Moses & Rue Fiya All-Stars, 11 pm
BACCHANAL — David Sigler, 6 pm; Willie Green III, 7 pm
THE BARNETT — more & more w/ Rusty Lazer, 10 pm
BJ’S LOUNGE Max & The Martians + Twisted Teens, 9 pm
BLUE NILE — The Caesar Brother’s Funk Box, 9 pm; Kermit Rufns & The BBQ Swingers, 11 pm
BOURBON O BAR — Ellen Smith & April Spain, 4 pm; Mem Shannon Trio, 8 pm
BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK — The Bad Sandys, 8 pm
BUFFA’S — Ragtime Piano with Adam Rogers, 6 pm; Dayna Kurtz & Robert Mache, 8 pm
CAFÉ NEGRIL — Soul Tribe, 2 pm; Jamey St. Pierre & The Honeycreepers, 6 pm; Higher Heights, 10 pm
— Doyle Cooper Band, 1 pm; Sazerac Jazz Band, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Mike Fulton, 8 pm
GOLDEN LANTERN BAR
Vanessa Carr , 2:45 pm
HOWLIN’ WOLF — Hot 8 Brass Band with Sporty’s Brass Band, 10:30 pm
THE MAISON Kimchisoop Jazz Band, 3 pm; Jenavieve & The Winding Boys, 6 pm; Higher Heights, 9 pm
MUSIC BOX VILLAGE — Blue House Music & Bon Bon Vivant, 11 am
OKAY BAR — Juno Dunes, Alex Wilkerson & Them, Dusky Waters and more, 8 pm
SATURN BAR — Silver Synthetic + Glyders + Maddy Kirgo, 8 pm
TIPITINA’S — Carnival Fais Do-Do with Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band, 5:15 pm
TREME HIDEAWAY — Big 6 Brass Band, 9 pm
FASHION | LIFE | DESIGN
We are excited to launch The Pearl, our new monthly FASHION, LIFE, and DESIGN magazine. With a reach of more than 230,000 highly educated and afuent readers who love to shop local, look no further than The Pearl.
THE PEARL’S REACH:
232,000
Distributed monthly in the frst issue of GAMBIT and to TIMES-PICAYUNE home subscribers, The Pearl will quickly become the most read lifestyle magazine in New Orleans. readers, in Gambit + Times-Picayune — more than any lifestyle magazine in New Orleans.
INCLUDING
44,000 households
with an income of $150,000+ – more than double any lifestyle magazine in New Orleans.
In each issue, you’ll find:
• Local Takes on National Trends
• Shopping Stories
• A-List Profiles
• Home Tours
• Shop Dog
To advertise, contact Abigail at abigail.bordelon@gambitweekly.com or call 504-636-7427
MUSIC
Acadiana connection
by Jake Clapp
AS SOON AS JEFFERY
BROUSSARD & THE NIGHTTIME
SYNDICATE hit the first notes, the space in front of the stage at BJ’s Lounge was full of people dancing. It was almost immediate — people didn’t need much prompting to grab a partner and get moving to the zydeco great and his relatively new, New Orleans-inflected band.
It was early January, but the Bywater bar was cramped and warm as Broussard, toothpick firmly in the corner of his mouth, and his band smoothly turned things up and slowed things down throughout the night. And it didn’t matter if you were dancing alone.
Broussard has long been a zydeco mainstay in Acadiana and an accordion master, first playing with his father, Delton Broussard and the Lawtell Playboys, then with the innovative Zydeco Force and his more traditional Creole Cowboys. With The Nighttime Syndicate, though, Broussard is rolling in more New Orleans rhythm and blues influences and a powerful horn section, courtesy of a trio of players from TBC Brass Band.
“What makes me happy is to see how the people are embracing it,” Broussard told Gambit. “Every show [is a] packed house. Just a lot of good people.”
Jeffery Broussard & The Nighttime Syndicate are back at BJ’s Lounge on Saturday, Feb. 22, with Noah Trahan’s Jourdan Ave. Aces opening. The band also plays Chickie Wah Wah on March 8 with Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes & The Louisiana Sunspots.
In 2020, musician Romain Beauxis was working on an album with his band Sabertooth Swing — the ambitious, Louisiana history-focused record “Delta Bound” — and more guest musicians were becoming involved, including Sunpie Barnes, Cedric Watson and The Daiquiri Queens. He felt the album wouldn’t be complete without a zydeco song, and he contacted Broussard to give his forceful take on Clifton Chenier’s “I’m on the Wonder.”
Broussard “showed up to the studio, and frankly the vibe was really awesome, and I felt musically we were clicking,” Beauxis says. “It started giving me ideas, and from there, we got the idea of producing more music together.”
Beauxis pitched Broussard on building a band that would blend Acadiana and New Orleans styles by putting a rolling New Orleans piano and brass band horns behind his accordion and the washboard.
“When I was approached, I was thinking, ‘How’s this going to work?’ And it’s worked out really fine. A lot of places I go, people are telling me about it,” Broussard says. “I’m looking forward to the future and doing bigger and better things.”
Broussard & The Nighttime Syndicate have so far released a trio of singles, including a swaying version of Chenier’s “I’m Coming Home” that adds a pleading verse from Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me.”
The song “Madeline” holds a special place for Broussard. He grew up in Opelousas playing the song with his father, and he’s played it often ever since.
“I started playing with my dad at the age of 8, and it’s a song that just stuck,” Broussard says. “It’s known all over the place. You hear two notes, and you know it’s ‘Madeline.’ And what we did with it here, I love it. It’s such a different twist.”
For their most recent single, The Nighttime Syndicate invited soulful New Orleans singer-songwriter Anna Moss to sing Rosie Ledet’s tune “Hello Baby.” Moss also opened the January show at BJ’s and jumped on stage to sing with Broussard.
Along with Broussard and Beauxis on guitar, both “Madeline” and “Hello Baby” featured washboard player Gary Francois, pianist Zach Wiggins, drummer Hannah Davis, bassist Spike Perkins, trumpeter David McKissick, saxophonist Paul Chéenne and trombonist Edward “JU9CEY” Jackson.
Broussard & The Nighttime Syndicate have another single releasing in the near future, this one featuring Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, and a full album coming this spring.
Find Jeffery Broussard & The Nighttime Syndicate on Instagram: @nighttime_syndicate
Jeffery Broussard & The Nighttime Syndicate PROVIDED PHOTO BY NOE CUGNY
GOING OUT
Oscars short list
by Will Coviello
ONLINE STREAMING HAS MADE IT EASIER TO VIEW SHORT FILMS, but you can get the in-theater experience with Oscarnominated shorts in movie houses this week. Slates of short live action, animated and documentary films are playing at theaters around the area.
The nominees for short live-action and animated films come from across the globe. There are no U.S. finalists for animation, and it’s an eclectic slate that includes two films better for younger audiences.
Japanese director Daisuke Nishio’s “Magic Candies” is a sweet film about a boy overcoming his shyness. In the colorful claymation piece, Dong-Dong plays marbles by himself instead of making friends, and when he tries to buy new marbles, he instead winds up with colorful hard candies that open his mind to communicating with a sofa, his dog and then others. It looks like a delve into psychedelic substances, but the story is based on a Korean children’s book, and the film is best for very young audiences.
“Beautiful Men” is a stop-motion animation film about growing old and humorously delves into human frailty and awkward intimacy. In Nicolas Keppens’ film, three brothers go to Istanbul to battle their balding with hair implant treatments. Poor planning leaves them with only one appointment and deciding which brother gets it begins a humorous and revealing process as they negotiate their insecurities. The film is listed as an entry from Belgium, France and the Netherlands.
Goldfish are considered good luck in Iran, and it’s clear at the beginning of “In the Shadow of the Cypress” that something is amiss because a fish finds itself out of water and flopping on the ground. The artistic style is spare and muted, as a father and daughter living by the seaside endure a series of bleak events, including trying to save a beached whale. Directors Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi set out to make a film about PTSD, and the story is poignant, at times unsettling and often opaque.
“Wander to Wonder” is a surreal madhouse. The film blends stop-motion, large-scale puppetry and more in the story of a children’s program run amok, but the movie is not for children. There are three characters in the show, Mary, Billybud and Fumbleton, and when the show’s creator dies, they try to keep doing the program for fans. But they have no idea how to provide for themselves, and the show gets bizarre.
The production is credited to Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the UK.
The French film “Yuck!” addresses maturation, as children camping during summer are disgusted while spying on adults kissing.
The live-action films largely focus on major contemporary issues and are all sharp and compelling. “A Lien” is a gripping 14-minute film about a family at risk of being torn apart as an appointment to apply for a green card goes off the rails. Also short and tense is “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” from France and the Balkans. A train is stopped by an unidentified military force that demands documents while soldiers spew slurs, and most of the terrified passengers comply.
The South African entry “The Last Ranger” features beautiful footage of a game reserve in a film about rangers trying to save rhinos from poachers. Filmed in India, “Anuja” is about two sisters who have different ideas about how to best help themselves escape working in a sweatshop. The DutchBelgian film “I’m Not a Robot” is a sort of technological thriller about being gaslit.
Four of the five short documentary nominees come from the U.S. and cover subjects of school shootings, the plight of a prisoner on death row, a deadly shooting by a Chicago police officer and the first woman musician in the New York Philharmonic. Rounding out the slate is a Japanese film about first graders charged with running their own educational project.
Slates of short films run at The Prytania at Canal Place and The Broad Theater. Documentary shorts open at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge on Feb. 21.
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