Gambit: July 5, 2022 by Gambit New Orleans

July 5-11 2022 Volume 43 Number 27

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JULY 5 — JULY 11, 2022 VOLUME 43 || NUMBER 27

CONTENTS

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NEWS

Yes ! e Pleas

Opening Gambit ...............................6 Commentary.....................................8 Clancy DuBos....................................9 Blake Pontchartrain.....................10

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Working Toward the Future

How wind power could help save energy industry jobs

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Fluid Movement

Lauren Ashlee Messina’s “Louisiana Flood Stories: 1927” opens at CAC THE RANDY NEWMAN SONG “LOUISIANA 1927” HAS BECOME A LOCAL CLASSIC,

covered by numerous pianists and vocalists, with its familiar lines, “The river had busted through clear down to Plaquemines / Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline.” It describes the destruction after the Mississippi had swelled for months, flooding up and down the river from 1926 into 1927. The disaster killed 500 people, displaced hundreds of thousands and spun off other problems as many people lived in relief camps, and some were forced to work on the levees during the ongoing threat of further flooding. The levees were dynamited in many places, and locally, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes were flooded to an effort designed to save New Orleans. The flooding reached all the way up to Illinois, and it inspired many blues songs, including Bessie Smith’s “Back-water Blues.” That music inspired Lauren Ashlee Messina’s dance-based piece “Louisiana Flood Stories: 1927,” which runs at the Contemporary Arts Center on July 8-9. Smith’s song “was the spark for it,” Messina says. “There was a lot of blues music written by Black artists in response to the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. I wanted to do a piece about water. I think a lot of people did coming out of Hurricane Ida. I didn’t feel a huge personal connection to it — not coming from here — and not relating to it in the close way some other people did. The story of the flood of 1927 allowed me to connect the dots as someone from the Midwest coming down here, and the flood really took that same trajectory, from Illinois all the way down to Louisiana.” Messina moved to New Orleans in 2017 and joined the Marigny Opera Ballet dance company. She also teaches at the New Orleans School of Ballet. She applied for an artist residency at the Contemporary Arts Center last year, and though she wasn’t accepted in the initial round, she was granted use of rehearsal space. She’s been developing choreography at the CAC, and she reapplied and was accepted for a residency this year to finish “Louisiana Flood Stories: 1927.” The multimedia piece is immersive, and audiences will move through the CAC before the second half of the work finishes in the ground-floor

theater space. The narrative follows several dancers playing everyday people affected by the disaster, as the story goes from Chicago to Louisiana. The piece incorporates video segments featuring the cast as well as historic footage. There also are spoken-word recorded audio segments over dancing, and some dialogue by dancers. Costumes are simple but evoke the period, and there are some props. The piece uses many blues songs about the floods, such as Sleepy John Estes’ “Floating Bridge” and tunes by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy, including “When the Levee Breaks” (recognizable to many because of Led Zeppelin’s cover of the song). The work has more joyous moments. “The first half is light, with snippets of what’s to come,” Messina says. “The cast members come in with the ‘Joe Louis Strut.’ it’s a joyful, happy, fun dance number. You’ll hear some sounds of rain coming.” It also addresses the scale of the flooding, which at one point reached roughly 80 miles wide in Mississippi, and its expanding impact. The work also touches on the way racism affected relief efforts. “There’s a Black man at a levee camp who was forced to be there,” Messina says. “He does a solo and tells his story. It’s connected to someone else on stage. He’s blowing up the levees. He didn’t know whose house he might be destroying. Black people were paid (to do relief work), but not much, and were treated like they were property.” The full work grew out of a segment that Messina created for her MFA thesis at Belhaven University. Her thesis was about movements of social change. “There is a piece in the show called ‘Mississippi Drifter,’” Messina says. “It was a part of a larger work from my thesis, which was about movements of change or movements of protest.” Messina’s training, both in study at the Ailey School at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and at Belhaven focused on the modern dance techniques of Martha Graham, Lester Horton, Paul

by Will Coviello

Running of the NOLA Bulls THE RUNNING OF THE NOLA BULLS HIGHLIGHTS SAN FERMIN IN NUEVA ORLEANS, a weekend of events

inspired by the bull runs of Pamplona, Spain. The local bull run features roller derby team members in horned helmets wielding plastic bats. The run begins early on Saturday morning in the Warehouse District and is followed by a party at the Sugar Mill. The weekend also includes El Txupinazo, a Friday night party before the run, La Fiesta de Pantelones on the evening of the run, and a morning after lunch on Sunday. July 8-10. Visit nolabulls.com for tickets and details.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY M AT T H E W K E L L E R

Taylor and Katherine Dunham. The choreography in “Louisiana Flood Stories” is largely modern movement, but Messina is building on experience choreographing historically based works. She was cast as Josephine Baker in the Marigny Opera Ballet’s original work “Josephine,” which was to be presented in conjunction with the New Orleans Opera Association’s opera “Josephine” in January (Though the piece finished final rehearsals, the show was canceled due to COVID-19). “It told a little of her story and gave the audience a feel of what a show from that time might have been like,” Messina says. “We had some jazzy numbers, some tap and some comedy elements from the 1920s, like Charlie Chaplin’s style, or even just Baker’s expressions and the way that she danced and her improvisation. There’s some good humor in there.” The presentation of “Louisiana Flood Stories” completes Messina’s CAC residency. But she expects to build on the work. “I think the ‘Louisiana Flood Stories’ will grow as a topic,” she says. “I want to dig into that in Louisiana and the Gulf South.” Tickets are $15 via cacno.org. For more about Messina, visit laurenashleedance.com.

PHOTO BY BRET T DUKE / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Bad Operation

NEW TONE SKA BAND BAD OPERATION’S POOL PARTY at The

Drifter got rained out last month, but they’re making up for it on Saturday, July 9. The band plays with LeTrainiump, Delores Galore and Dominic Minix (who also sings in Bad Operation) starting at 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door and $15 in advance at thedrifterhotel.com.

‘Soul’

FOR ITS 2020 ANIMATED FILM “SOUL,” PIXAR TAPPED JAMIE FOXX to voice

its school music teacher and jazz pianist lead character Joe Gardner, but it’s Jon Batiste’s fingers you’ll see at the piano. Pixar captured the Kenner native’s hands for the scenes of Joe at the keys, and Batiste composed several jazz songs for the film. For their work on “Soul,” Batiste and composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won the Academy Award for best PAGE 22

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OPENING GAMBIT NEW ORLEANS NEWS + VIEWS

This is gonna be a long, hot summer y’all. Try to take it easy.

T H U M B S U P/ THUMBS DOWN

10,000

Shaka Zulu, Big Chief of the

Golden Feather Hunter Indian Tribe, a stilt dancer and a musician, has been named a 2022 NEA National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. The fellowship is the country’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. The NEA named 10 artists and groups as 2022 fellows, and each will receive a $25,000 award. Earlier this year NEA named fellow Black Masking Indian Donald Harrison Jr. a 2022 Jazz Master.

Edward Buckles, a New Orleans

native and Dillard University graduate, recently won the Human/Nature Prize and best new documentary director award at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York for his documentary “Katrina Babies.” The film follows the shortterm and long-term damage Hurricane Katrina and the federal levee failures left on young New Orleanians. The film will air on HBO beginning in August.

Byron C. Williams, a former Orleans Parish Criminal Court judge, has admitted to engaging in “unwelcome touching of two staff members and a judicial colleague” during his time on the bench. Williams resigned from his judgeship in 2020 during an investigation by the Louisiana Judiciary Commission. He made the admission as part of an agreement over a violation of attorney ethics rules. His law license was also suspended for a year and a day.

THE COUNT

THE NUMBER OF BLANKET PARDONS FOR CANNABIS CONVICTIONS THAT STILL AREN’T SHOWING UP IN CRIMINAL RECORDS.

P H O T O B Y D AV I D G R U N F E L D / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.

Cantrell’s chief technology officer resigns, latest to leave New Orleans City Hall JONATHAN WISBEY, THE CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER who was involved

in several of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell administration’s IT initiatives — including the use of surveillance technology and the aborted “smart cities” program — has resigned, the latest official to leave City Hall in Cantrell’s second term. Wisbey resigned June 5 for unstated reasons, according to Civil Service records. He did not respond to a voicemail and text message on Tuesday. The Cantrell administration said Wisbey “contributed tireless effort toward the betterment of the City of New Orleans.”

‘Smart cities’ program

WISBEY WORKED IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT FOR ALMOST NINE YEARS,

both in City Hall and with the Police Department. Most recently, he was a member of the selection committee for the smart cities program aimed at bringing government-controlled broadband and internet-connected infrastructure to New Orleans. The selection committee ended up choosing a vendor with business ties to Jonathan Rhodes, the administration’s utilities director, and Christopher Wolff, an IT staffer who also

sat on the committee. The deal collapsed when the winning vendor, Smart+Connected NOLA, pulled out amid investigations by the City Council and inspector general’s office into bid rigging allegations. Wisbey has not been implicated in any wrongdoing related to smart cities. In 2017, Wisbey resigned from a two-year stint as a deputy Police Department chief of staff, after federal monitors found that background checkers whom Wisbey supervised routinely approved job candidates with red flags. He soon landed in Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration as an innovation manager. Cantrell promoted Wisbey to chief technology officer in 2018, a position that came with a $128,000 salary.

Almost a year after it was issued, the City Council’s move to pardon people still hasn’t been implemented, according to The Lens. Though largely symbolic, the pardons could help clear people with old municipal convictions — and mitigate some challenges in finding employment, housing and other resources. The council left it to New Orleans judges to figure out the pardon process, which would only apply to people convicted after 2010.

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Tech strategies

IN THAT ROLE, WISBEY OVERSAW CITY HALL’S INNOVATION TEAM,

the performance and accountability office and the equity office, according to an online biography. He was also charged with developing information technology strategies. In 2020, Wisbey was accused of misleading the public about the government’s use of facial recognition and other surveillance PAGE 7

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software when he spoke in front of the City Council. The Police Department later admitted it did use such technology. Wisbey’s departure this month makes him at least the seventh high-level Cantrell administration official to leave since the beginning of her second term. The others are deputy chief administrative officers Ramsey Green and Peter Bowen, city attorney Sunni LeBoeuf, Communications Director Beau Tidwell, Public Safety Director Terry Ebbert and Josh Cox, a senior adviser and director of strategic initiatives. — BEN MYERS

New Orleans City Council members ask city government not to use funds to prosecute abortion

NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ON TUESDAY FILED LEGISLATION asking

the city government not to use any funds to investigate or prosecute abortion following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Council President Helena Moreno, Vice President JP Morrell and Council Member Lesli Harris

brought forward the resolution, which the council will vote on at its July 7 meeting. “I will continue to pursue any and all avenues to protect our people,” Moreno said in a statement. In the resolution, the council specifically requests that law enforcement entities — such as the New Orleans Police Department, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office — not use money to enforce the state’s latest trigger law banning abortion. The resolution also asks law enforcement agencies not to store reports of abortions and miscarriages or provide any related information to other governmental agencies unless to defend abortion rights. It carves out exceptions for cases where “coercion or force is used against the pregnant person, or in cases involving conduct criminally negligent to the health of the pregnant person seeking care.” Last week New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams said his office would not “shift” its resources to prosecuting abortion following the Supreme Court’s

P H O T O B Y M A X B E C H E R E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

A group of about 90 people protest the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that overturned abortion protection under the Roe v. Wade ruling around Jackson Square. decision, but fell short of outright pledging not to enforce state abortion bans. “It would not be wise or prudent to shift our priorities from tackling senseless violence happening in our city to investigating the choices women make with regard to their own bodies,” he said. Statewide, a New Orleans judge already ordered the state on

Monday to pause enforcing the state’s trigger laws amid legal battles for now. Reproductive rights groups and the Shreveport abortion clinic are suing the state over the state’s abortion laws, arguing they are too vague and confusing to be constitutional. A hearing is scheduled for July 8. — KAYLEE POCHE

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C O M M E N TA R Y

Adapt or Die — the existential challenge of climate change THIS WEEK’S ISSUE MARKS THE BEGINNING of a yearlong series on the effects of climate change and its disastrous impact on the lives, and livelihoods, of workers in New Orleans and southern Louisiana. Our cover story this week on the nascent offshore wind industry, written by Kaylee Poche and Sarah Ravits, is the first piece in a multi-part, multimedia project we are undertaking with the Solutions Journalism Network. The goal of this project is both simple and daunting: to document how climate change and associated disasters such as hurricanes and rising sea levels will affect workers in southern Louisiana; and to explore potential policy and economic changes that could protect critical sectors such as fisheries, tourism, shipping and energy. This project is also timely. Even as we continue to recover from devastating 2020 and 2021 hurricanes, the 2022 hurricane season is upon us. Forecasters predict this year’s hurricane season will be abnormally active and destructive. This is the second consecutive year that we’ve partnered with SJN. Last year, Ravits and Gambit reporter Jake Clapp produced a seven-part series on affordable housing in New Orleans. Their stories examined the housing challenges facing transgender New Orleanians and hospitality industry workers, and how shortterm rentals and climate change make it harder for everyone to afford housing. Critically, they also provided solutions that our community can, and should, explore to help solve this longstanding social ill. Too often, the media focus only on diagnosing problems, in large part because of outdated notions of objectivity which hold that exposing problems is the province of journalism, but proposing solutions is best left to “experts” and public officials. This myopic view of “objectivity” inherently skews media coverage toward the status quo — and the institutions and interests that benefit from maintaining it.

BY MICHAEL PROBST / THE AP

Wind turbines stand in front of the rising sun. Similarly, many editors fall into the trap of letting conflict drive news coverage. Conflict may sell papers, but if all we give our readers is conflict, that’s all they’ll look for — and we’ll fail in our duty to better inform our readers. Solutions-based journalism isn’t about “feel good” stories. At best, feel-good stories provide emotional camouflage for seemingly intractable problems, and at worst they distract readers from opportunities for real change. When done right, solutions journalism not only sheds light on problems facing our community but also spotlights the work being done to solve those problems here and around the world. As part of our work on climate disasters and labor this year, we will explore how places from Rhode Island to the small island nations of the Pacific are adapting to climate disasters to protect the shipping, fishing and tourism industries. We’ll also turn a critical eye toward how those efforts have fared and how they could be adapted to fit the needs of southern Louisiana. Ultimately, we hope this project will serve as a stepping off point for a broader conversation within our region, not about whether but how we must adapt to the reality of climate change before it’s too late — or die for lack of trying.

@clancygambit

Cantrell’s approval rating tanks as citizens’ optimism plummets TO THE SURPRISE OF NO ONE OUTSIDE OF MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL’S INNER CIRCLE, Heronner’s second term has quickly gone off the rails. New Orleans’ murder rate is on track to lead the nation. If there’s a master plan for rebuilding the city’s infrastructure, it’s a closely guarded secret. Trash still gets collected only once a week. And citizens have little hope for the city’s future. A recent citywide survey verifies all the above conclusions — and voters clearly hold Cantrell responsible. For the first time since she ran for mayor in 2017, her job rating has fallen below 50%, and her “negative” rating outpaces her “positive” rating. The survey, taken in early June for the New Orleans Crime Coalition by pollster and political consultant Ron Faucheux, should serve as a wake-up call for Cantrell, who by all accounts doesn’t take bad news well. Unfortunately for her, the Coalition’s poll has no good news. For starters, 75% of those interviewed said New Orleans is “off on the wrong track.” Only 18% felt the city is “going in the right direction.” Cantrell historically has enjoyed strong support among Black voters, but the poll shows Black and white voters in virtual lockstep on many issues. For example, 76% of white voters said the city is going in the wrong direction; 75% of Black voters felt the same way. Pessimism about New Orleans’ future runs even stronger among women — who used to be unshakable supporters of Cantrell: 79% of women said “wrong track” versus 70% of men. Not surprisingly, 63% identified crime as the most important issue facing New Orleans. Here again, there was no racial divide on crime as the number one issue: 65% among whites and 62% among Black respondents. Now for the really bad news: Only 44% of voters approve of Cantrell’s performance as mayor;

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Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s job approval has fallen below 50% for the first time. 48% disapprove. On this question, Cantrell does fare better among Black people (56% approve), but that number is way down from past years. Among white people, her approval rating is a meager 27%. And among women overall, it’s just 48%. In response to violent crime, Cantrell consistently offers the bromide that it’s a national problem and she’s doing everything possible. Voters disagree. Overall, 61% disapprove of the job she’s doing on crime, while only 28% (37% among Black people, 14% among white people) approve. Cantrell gets similar low marks for her handling of infrastructure: 28% approve; 68% disapprove. Equally bad for the mayor, 83% agree that the city’s “general conditions” make it harder to attract new businesses, jobs and people to New Orleans — and those numbers are virtually identical among Black and white people, men and women. Only 14% disagree. And 79% felt that general city conditions lead to increased crime, again with no racial or gender divide. Less than three years ago, Cantrell’s approval rating topped 70%. Now, she’s in negative territory. She still has three-and-a-half years as mayor, but turning around numbers like these will require a major reset of how she approaches her job — and her constituents.

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Dear reader,

ANY CHRONICLE OF ELVIS PRESLEY’S LOCAL CONNECTIONS begins with the

Louisiana Hayride, the Shreveportbased radio and TV show where he appeared eight times in 1954. The weekly show, similar to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, was staged in Shreveport’s Municipal Auditorium from 1948 to 1960. It was there that emcee Horace Logan first uttered the phrase, “Elvis has left the building!” On Feb. 4, 1955, Presley played the auditorium at Jesuit High School. Local radio broadcaster Keith Rush brought him to New Orleans for two shows. According to Rush, tickets were just $1. In September 1955, Elvis was back in New Orleans, to perform at the Pontchartrain Beach amusement park. Disc jockey Red Smith brought Presley here as part of his WBOK Hillbilly Jamboree. Presley performed and helped judge the Miss Hillbilly Dumplin’ beauty pageant. By the time Elvis returned to New Orleans the next summer, he had signed his first contract with RCA Records and appeared on network television, so his appearances drew much more attention. In July 1956, The New Orleans Item reported that Presley had visited Pontchartrain Beach with

PHOTO BY CHRIS GR ANGER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Rolling Elvi at the Prytania Theatre for the premiere of the movie Elvis on Friday, June 24, 2022. his parents and his then-girlfriend, Biloxi resident June Juanico. The next month, Presley returned to New Orleans to perform at Pontchartrain Beach and in two shows at the Municipal Auditorium. “Elvis Presley jerked his torturous way across the stage of the Municipal Auditorium on Sunday, ‘sang’ eight or ten songs, thumped on a guitar, fell to the floor, knocked over microphones and set off a din of teenage squealing unparalleled since the heyday of Sinatra,” wrote Pen Wilson in a Times-Picayune review. In March 1958, Presley came back to town to film scenes for his fourth movie, “King Creole.” Fans staked out the Roosevelt Hotel, where Elvis stayed, and tried to get glimpses of him as the movie shot scenes in the French Quarter and at a fishing camp on Lake Pontchartrain. Presley would later call the movie his favorite of the 31 pictures in which he starred.

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With the new Elvis movie now showing, what are some of the places Elvis Presley performed or visited in New Orleans?

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THIS WEEK MARKS THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY of the crash of Pan Am Flight 759 in a Kenner neighborhood — one of the deadliest airline crashes in American history. On July 9, 1982, Flight 759, which originated in Miami, took off for Las Vegas after making a stop at New Orleans International Airport. The Boeing 727 was cleared for takeoff just after 4 p.m. despite heavy thunderstorms. A National Transportation Safety Board investigation showed that the plane encountered a microburst and wind shear, which caused it to quickly lose altitude and speed. It crashed in the Morningside Park subdivision near Roosevelt Boulevard and West Metairie Avenue. The crash killed all 145 passengers and crew on board, as well as eight people on the ground. A 16-month-old child was found alive under a mattress inside her home. Melissa Trahan’s mother and 4-yearold sister died, but she suffered only minor burns. According to filmmaker and author Royd Anderson, who produced a documentary about the disaster, the crash led to the development of Doppler radar to predict severe downdrafts. By the next decade, federal authorities also began requiring wind shear detection systems in all commercial aircraft. Facing lawsuits above $3 billion, the airline and federal government offered victims’ families an undisclosed settlement.

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WORKING TOWARD THE

FUTURE How wind power could help save energy industry jobs

PHOTO BY MICHAEL DW YER / AP

The first offshore wind farm in the U.S. stands in the water off Block Island, Rhode Island in 2016.

KAYLEE POCHE AND SARAH RAVITS

GROWING UP IN LAFOURCHE PARISH, state Rep. Joseph Orgeron’s family made a living supplying every manner of boat needed by Louisiana’s offshore oil and gas industry to operate in the Gulf of Mexico. Boats for crews and supplies, tugboats, liftboats, you name it, they had it. And they made a good living at it. At its peak, Montco Offshore, the business Orgeron’s father started in 1948, employed 250 mariners and around 30 office staff. And his family goes back further in the industry: His grandfather and great uncle created a similar business before that. But the energy industry has drastically changed since Orgeron got into the family business. Oil and gas producers have moved to deeper waters and substantially improved the productivity of oil rigs through automation, doubling oil production in the country but shrinking the number of workers needed to produce it. So during his nearly 16 years at Montco, Orgeron began pivoting, using his workers to take oil platforms and other old infrastructure no longer in use in the Gulf and bring them to scrapyards to be turned into scrap metal.

Still, he knew this was only a temporary solution. “I realized, look, this can only last for so long,” Orgeron told Gambit. “We gotta find something else to do with these vessels.” Around this time, he started receiving calls from people from companies who were planning offshore wind projects on the East Coast and were interested in using his liftboats. “Very, very early on, before U.S. offshore wind was even a thing, I was kind of getting calls about people interested in my Gulf of Mexico boats up there,” Orgeron says. Seeing the writing on the wall, Orgeron decided to take a chance on the wind industry, and in the last decade, he and his workers have become key players in this growing sector of the U.S., and global, energy market. Teams of his workers have traveled up and down the East Coast to install platforms the wind turbines sit on, the wind towers and the blades themselves. They’ve also worked on wind farm projects in Europe. Now, energy companies are poised to set up wind farms in Louisiana. With the state’s oil and gas background, its workforce and equipment in

the Gulf of Mexico give it the potential to become an offshore wind energy hub. And the New Orleans area could be a key player in that picture, with universities and community colleges training a new workforce of engineers and other experts. The New Orleans City Council has already begun taking steps to transition to alternative energy sources like wind. This all comes at a critical moment in the state’s — and energy sector’s — history. Jobs in the oil industry are expected to continue disappearing, leaving tens of thousands of workers onshore and off without work. “I see Louisiana as the heart of the Green New Deal in every sense,” says Megan Milliken Biven, who previously worked for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEM), the federal agency that regulates offshore energy. But environmental experts and business leaders say we need to transition to wind and other forms of renewable energy quickly to reap the most benefits of our existing infrastructure and to save thousands of miles of our coast and much of the

W O R K I N G TOWARD T H E F U T U R E

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State Rep. Joseph Orgeron in front of the liftboats that were used to install the wind turbines in Rhode Island.

southern part of the state, including New Orleans. The way Bob Marshall, New Orleans environmental journalist and Times-Picayune contributor, puts it, “We have the most to lose if the world doesn’t win this battle.”

LOUISIANA’S STATE CLIMATE PLAN,

released in February 2022, sets a goal of generating 5 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2035, which could power millions of homes. The goal is part of a larger recommendation to reduce greenhouse gases and reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Over the last few years, city, state and federal governments have been taking some behindthe-scenes actions to position Louisiana as a potential leader in offshore wind development. But it’ll take some time to get the industry up and running. “It’s a multi-year effort to do all of this legwork before you ever get an environmental document out the door,” Biven says. “First, you have to be like, OK, is everyone appeased?” In October 2020, Gov. John Bel Edwards sent a letter to the Department of Interior letting them

know Louisiana is interested in leasing federal waters for offshore wind. This created a task force with state and federal representatives to identify potential places for wind farms. In the coming months, BOEM will propose areas in the Gulf they will let offshore developers lease for wind farms. If everything goes smoothly, companies could be able to bid on leases as soon as early 2023. Based on the experience of eastern offshore wind farms, Josh Kaplowitz, the vice president of offshore wind at the D.C.-based American Clean Power Association, says companies who get those initial leases will spend around two years developing a construction and operation plan. Then, the federal government will spend around two more years deciding whether to approve it. That’s when the next phase of work will begin. The initial buildout of offshore infrastructure will take a year or two, Kaplowitz says, and the wind farms could start operation by 2029 or 2030. Meanwhile, New Orleans city and business leaders like GNO, Inc. are trying to prepare the region for the coming of wind energy and encourage its development.

Last year, the City Council passed legislation requiring Entergy New Orleans to transition to renewable and clean energy and shift away from its heavy reliance on oil and gas. The city is requiring 100% net zero carbon emissions by 2040, which leaders hope will help usher in a workforce for the wind industry. “It’s telling Entergy you have to produce renewable energy for this area,” Biven says. “It can’t be something else … It’s like, sorry, this is the only thing we purchase.” Andrew Tuozzolo, City Council President Helena Moreno’s chief of staff, says it signals to local existing companies and potential newcomers that there’s a market for wind energy in Louisiana. “New Orleans could be America’s clean power leader,” he says. “What the [standard] does is create an intrinsic demand for clean power. That policy alone makes the New Orleans region an attractive place to do renewable development.”

LOUISIANA HAS A LOT GOING FOR IT when it comes to offshore wind energy. A 2020 BOEM report named it as one of the top states with the

greatest offshore wind potential based on its wind speeds, shallow waters, existing technology and cost competitiveness. Besides sheer wind strength, the state already has a working coast, an oil and gas workforce that knows how to build similar types of equipment and existing fabrication plants needed to build that equipment. An available workforce is crucial because building wind farms is a massive undertaking. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a single offshore wind project in the Gulf of Mexico could potentially provide 4,470 construction jobs and 150 full-time operations jobs. “[Louisiana] has expertise and knowledge and improvising in a new frontier,” Biven says. “It’s been doing it for decades.” A handful of Louisiana companies already played a major role in designing and putting together a five-turbine offshore wind farm in the waters of Rhode Island, one of the U.S.’s first offshore farms. The Block Island Wind Farm began fully operating in state waters in 2016, proving Louisiana’s existing workforce could reasonably pivot to the wind industry. “If you can put together an oil rig, you can definitely build a wind turbine,” says state Rep. Jerome Zeringue, a Republican who represents Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes. Orgeron’s workers were trained to do just that by the Global Wind Organization before they began working on a wind project in Europe. “They basically do training very, very similar to what every Louisianan oil and gas oilfield worker has to take, just a little bit slightly different type of training,” he says. “But 90% of the coursework, of the certification is stuff that they’ve done already.” Originally, Orgeron apologized to his workers for making them take the training because he was worried it would be repetitive, but he says they returned thankful for having done it. “They said, ‘No need to apologize. The way that this GWO training was done was expert.’ They appreciated us buying that training,” he says. “They promised that, ‘Hey, I’m going to keep this up to date and renewed and stuff like this because I want to be ready for this energy transition and be prepared to work.’” Now, Orgeron is already taking that experience and putting it to use in the new wind industry with he and his brother’s latest company, 2nd Wind Marine. They started the business in 2019 specifically to

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THOUGH OFFSHORE WIND is likely to have a huge effect on Louisiana’s economy — and will help reduce the world’s collective carbon footprint — it’s nowhere near the most discussed subject in the state legislature. Orgeron, a first-term Republican who represents parts of Jefferson and Lafourche parishes, and Zeringue, also the former head of the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, are some of the few legislators bringing forth legislation to create policies for offshore wind. Both presented a bill this session to allow offshore wind leasing in state waters, or up to three miles off the shore. The bill extends limits on oil and gas leases to up to 25,000 acres to give more room for large wind turbines. This will also give the state room for pilot projects in state waters while leasing in federal waters gets off the ground. The governor signed the bill, which also gives the state a share of profits generated by wind farms, into law June 21. Some wind proponents argue the provision giving the state part of wind revenue will create a financial hurdle before the industry gets

off the ground, but Zeringue says no wind developers he spoke with had a problem with the bill. Even though the legislature easily passed offshore wind bills this session, it is still dominated by Republicans who insist on “letting the market dictate” the energy transition — though their party has given the oil and gas industry billions in tax breaks and exemptions. “I think the government stepping in and forcing the shutting down of certain industries in order to prop up others is a shaky foundation to build a business model on,” Orgeron says. “So I’d rather see our transition be market-driven and there being a profit benefit for corporations who want to invest and get into offshore renewables in Louisiana.” Orgeron says when his vessels were helping kick off offshore wind on the East Coast, his contracts with the state of Maryland required him to buy groceries, fuel and other supplies within the state of Maryland. “Trust me, being a vendor working on a project, even though I was pro-offshore wind development, it was counterproductive to be forced to have to source from one particular state,” he says. “Sometimes that state doesn’t have the infrastructure to be able to get you the supplies you need.” But Marshall and Biven point out that government policy dictates the market and what types of energy are profitable in the first place. “If you let the market decide, if you tell people they don’t have to change, they’re not going to change,” Marshall says. “It takes political support to do the incentives that we still give out to these polluting petrochemical industries.” Biven says a statewide commitment to purchasing a certain amount of renewable energy, like New Orleans has, would show offshore wind companies that investing in Louisiana will be profitable. The state would be far from the first to do this. Thirty states, including Texas, and Washington D.C. have already done so. Though the offshore wind targets set in the state climate plan are a step toward establishing a market for wind energy, they don’t create as much certainty for investors because they’re not legally binding. “We’re seeing that the industry is twitchy, that it doesn’t want to invest in these resources because the government is taking so long with these processes,” Biven says. Logan Atkinson Burke, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy in New Orleans, agrees the state should follow New

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design and build custom vessels large enough to install offshore wind turbines, after realizing even the country’s biggest liftboats wouldn’t cut it. Additionally, Louisiana has universities and community and technical colleges with maritime programs focused on offshore oil and gas that could have dedicated offshore wind programs to train the next generation of wind farm engineers. The University of New Orleans has one of the only naval architecture and marine engineering programs in the country. It’s one of only a handful of universities in the country to have its own towing tank, which can test scale models of offshore structures and ships. But, Biven says, politicians and universities need to take action if they want to seize this opportunity. She says the state could provide training through the Louisiana Workforce Commission and seek federal money from the Department of Energy and Maritime Administration to update existing facilities and sponsor professorships at these universities. “I think we already have a head start,” Biven says. “It’s just a matter of making sure that the adults are in charge, the people who are really dedicated and committed to the people of Louisiana, not just to their pocketbooks.”

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Logan Atkinson Burke, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, says the state needs to move faster to implement renewable energy.

Orleans’ lead and legally commit to buying wind energy. “The companies that have traditionally used their expertise in extracting and selling fossil fuels are saying, ‘We can do this, too.’ But they need that signal [from politicians],” she says. “The city has sent the signal this is something we want and need, but we are an island, and it will depend on decision makers in Louisiana and Mississippi to move the action forward, as well for us to be able to access the renewables we need — unless they are right here in Orleans Parish.” Marshall points to other countries, including in Europe and Asia, who are already establishing competitive markets for renewable energy. “If you wait for the market to develop (in Louisiana) ... it’ll just happen very slowly and maybe not at all here,” he says.

ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS, legislators and industry professionals alike acknowledge the oil and gas industry will still exist for decades even as wind, solar and other forms of renewable energy grow in Louisiana. But to what extent and for how long remains to be seen.

“Anyone who is honest about studying climate issues knows that we can’t turn overnight … or even 10 or 15 or 20 years immediately to clean energy,” Marshall says. “We will need oil and gas ... but it will be a declining amount. How fast it declines depends on how serious nations become on reducing emissions.” Biven believes the state should end all existing tax credits for oil and gas, citing their current record production as proof they’re unnecessary. “That’s a subsidy that’s actually disincentivizing wind,” she says. She also says the state should be suing the federal government for allowing the oil and gas industry to leave 18,000 miles of pipelines no longer in use off Louisiana’s coast because the pipelines could get in the way of wind farm construction as well as coastal restoration. There are also more than a million abandoned oil wells in the state that need to be replugged or monitored. “I see a federal agency and workforce of oil and gas workers that can do that work forever,” Biven says. For Louisiana to become an offshore wind hub it will require investments in shipyards and

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Blades crisscross the manufacturing floor at LM Wind Power at Michoud in New Orleans East. fabrication yards. The state could work with the federal Department of Energy and Department of Commerce to get grants for these updates. Biven also points to the Avondale shipyard in Jefferson Parish, saying if it were stateowned, the state could use federal dollars to turn it into a center for dredge building and offshore wind. “If we don’t prepare our people, [offshore wind companies] are gonna hire someone else. If we don’t prepare our facilities, they’re gonna use other facilities. If we don’t prepare our educational institutions, they’ll use other educational institutions,” she says. “If we want to be a player, then we have to play.”

AS CLIMATE CHANGE RAPIDLY ACCELERATES , the clock is ticking to get

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these projects underway. Looking at a 2029 to 2030 timeline before the state gets its first wind farms in federal waters, Burke worries policymakers are dragging their feet on reducing carbon emissions and not taking advantage of the state’s robust wind resources. “We’re definitely not acting quickly enough,” she says. Complicating matters further is the 2023 governor’s election. Edwards, who is term-limited, has clearly expressed support for the renewable energy sector, as evidenced by his administration developing the Deep South’s first state climate plan. But whoever replaces him could ignore the goals set for reduc-

ing emissions and transitioning to cleaner energy sources. “Whether any kind of initiative or any kind of progress and energy that that whole process built up, whether that’ll keep going or not depends on who the next governor is because it’s all about policy,” Marshall says. Edwards’ deputy director of the Office of Coastal Activities Harry Vorhoff points out the governor’s climate action plan includes input from oil industry leaders and environmental experts alike. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll outlast the governor’s tenure. “We’re trying to build consensus, so the next governor hears from a range of constituents who can say, ‘We need to stay on this path in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change,’” Vorhoff says. Burke says transitioning to clean energy quickly couldn’t be more crucial. “Every year that we don’t take this action, the more of our state will be uninhabitable and the more dangerous our future looks,” she says. “From a climate perspective, we have to move as urgently as possible.” Biven agrees and, in fact, says she sees her hometown as a test case for how the rest of the world will fare with climate change. “If New Orleans falls, we all fall,” Biven says. “If New Orleans cannot pivot and protect itself, if it cannot pivot [from] reliance on an extractive energy industry that has sunken it into the sea … then we are all doomed.”

A taste of the Mediterranean

FORK + CENTER

Byblos expands to Elmwood | by Beth D’Addono

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

SEASONEDRESTAURATEURSKNOW

that timing is everything. Byblos partners Tarek Tay, Gabriel Saliba and Hicham Khodr first looked at the Elmwood space that eventually housed Nacho Mama’s on Clearview Parkway 15 years ago and had been keeping an eye on the location ever since. “We got distracted with other things and it didn’t happen,” Tay says. “But we kept in touch with the owner and let him know that if he ever was going to leave, to let us know first.” The owner did just that mid-pandemic and this time, the moment was right. Byblos, a Lebanese restaurant named for Saliba’s home village, will celebrate 28 years on Metairie Road in October. Their 3 of a Kind Restaurant Group has opened and closed a handful of restaurants over the years, and their current holdings include the original location and Byblos Market on Veterans Memorial Boulevard, which opened in 2001 with its casual vibe and stock of Middle Eastern staples. They opened the 3,200-squarefoot Elmwood location in March with combined indoor and outdoor seating for 140. Tay is enthusiastic about it and says the restaurant is exactly the size and location that represents the direction the company is heading. “People want a place they can park easily, take their families without any worries,” he says. “I have three boys. This is the kind of place I want to be.” Tay wishes the kitchen were a little bigger, but sacrificed that for the spacious bar area, with its lovely Lebanese-inspired yellow stone. “It’s so pretty,” he says. Executive chef Tiffany Thomas is running the kitchen, bringing experience including five years at Commander’s Palace and stops at Jack Rose and Hotel Saint Vincent before taking over the Byblos kitchen in May. The Elmwood menu is similar to the one from the original location.

Kitchen makeover FOR TWO YEARS, THE FATE OF THE FORMER K-PAUL’S LOUISIANA KITCHEN has

PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER

“We took some items, like grape leaves and moussaka, off the menu. Those are high prep items, and this is a bigger and busier restaurant than Metairie Road,” Tay says. “I’m also encouraging chef Tiffany to play around beyond Middle Eastern cuisine to include Mediterranean dishes as specials. France, Italy, Spain are all on the Mediterranean, and in Spain’s case, that cuisine is very influenced by the Middle East.” For a recent special, Thomas served grilled tuna with grapefruit beurre blanc. “It sold like crazy,” she says. “We are thinking outside the box a little and seeing what our customers want.” The restaurant’s favorites are undisturbed, including starters like the sumac fried cauliflower, baba ghanoush, spanakopita and hummus. Additions include fried Brussels sprouts with a buttermilk garlic drizzle, smoked trout dip with fried pita wedges, and baconwrapped shrimp. A mix of feta, jack and cream cheese are fried in egg roll wrappers and drizzled with pepper jelly. Kebabs, shawarmas, steak frites, rack of lamb and daily

Chef Tiffany Thomas, manager Jeannette Stansbury and co-owner Tarek Tay at Byblos in Elmwood. fish specials are a few of the main course options. One side of the restaurant is dominated by a large pizza oven, which produces pita rounds with a sourdough tang to their puffy goodness. Thompson plans to make more use of that oven in the near future, perhaps with flatbreads and roasted seafood. Although the staff is still growing, the management team is in place, Tay says. The general manager is Jeannette Stansbury, who last managed Katie’s Restaurant & Bar in Mid-City. “We are surrounded by a concentration of workers,” Tay says. “River Ridge is close. We draw from the West Bank since we’re right over the bridge. And we’re close to Metairie.” Although Elmwood has more than its share of chain restaurants, Tay believes that is going to change. “I believe this area is going to be a major draw for local chefs in the next few years,” he says.

? WHAT

Byblos — Elmwood

WHERE

1000 S. Clearview Parkway, Harahan, (504) 766-9785; byblosrestaurants.com

WHEN

Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat.

HOW

Dine-in and outdoor seating available

CHECK IT OUT

Lebanese and Mediterranean fare in Elmwood

been an open question, after the famous and highly influential New Orleans restaurant closed amid pandemic woes. Now, though, it has a new owner with a plan to transform it into a hub for breakfast, brunch and lunch in the middle of the French Quarter. Local businessman Robert Thompson and his partners recently completed a purchase of the former K-Paul’s building at 416 Chartres St. Work now is underway to open French Quarter Boulangerie, which Thompson describes as a large, all-day breakfast and lunch restaurant designed for high volume and swift service. It is slated to open mid-2023.

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French Quarter Boulangerie will have many types of pastry and a menu of savory dishes, with coffee drinks and a full bar. The key to the concept is making these daytime meals quick and accessible. It will be a large restaurant, at more than 12,000 square feet over two floors, using a counter service model. “When I moved to town, I wanted to understand what the pulse and the needs were in the community,” Thompson says. “What jumped out at me is there just aren’t enough places serving breakfast and lunch for the 18 million people who come here, and there’s long lines at the ones that are.” He described the approach as “polished plates in an efficient, counter service environment,” comparing the intent to the energy and versatility of a food hall. PAGE 16

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In the evenings, French Quarter Boulangerie will be available for private events. Thompson is a Mississippi native who got his start in the restaurant business in Denver in the mid-1990s. He later was founder and CEO of Punch Bowl Social, a chain of “eatertainment” venues with bowling lanes, arcade games, darts, ping pong and karaoke rooms. The brand grew to 20 outlets across the country over a dozen years before the pandemic. He left the company in 2020. He moved to New Orleans last year, where his hospitality firm, Angevin & Co. owns The Frenchmen Hotel with its bar Midnight Revival and the Whitney Hotel, slated to reopen after an overhaul in 2023. This latest project will mark a new start for a property that has for decades been synonymous with Paul Prudhomme, who died in 2015. Prudhomme and his wife K Hinrichs Prudhomme opened it in 1979 as a casual spot, with communal tables and no reservations. With its casual approach and focus on a regional American cuisine, the restaurant helped set the table for the modern American restaurant scene and inspired a generation of chefs, and this was where Prudhomme himself made the leap from local innovator to global ambassador for Cajun cooking. But in July 2020, the family owners who were carrying on the restaurant’s traditions closed it for good, citing the changing restrictions and uncertainties of the pandemic. It was the most significant New Orleans restaurant to shutter through the coronavirus crisis. A renovation to create French Quarter Boulangerie will bring a design style mixing classic French cafe with contemporary touches. Thompson’s partners in the project include OnPath Credit Union and GBX Group. Thompson says when he started looking for the right property for the concept, he was immediately drawn to the former K-Paul’s. The many nearby hotels are a key to the plan, and there’s also the legacy of the building. “I like taking on the responsibility of a building where Paul Prudhomme found success and

became an icon,” he says. “We like stretching into that challenge.” — IAN McNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Spreading their wings THE SHED-SIZED STOREFRONT IN THE MIDDLE of Freret Street‘s

restaurant row has birthed a succession of restaurants that grew beyond it, beginning with the original Dat Dog. The latest to take up residence here is a family restaurant that is already on its own upward trajectory. J’s Creole Wings recently opened at 5031 Freret St. It’s the third location for a concept that got started in the 7th Ward in 2017, built as a cluster of shipping containers attached to a patio near the I-10 exit ramp on North Claiborne Avenue. Another location opened in Slidell, at 1325 Gause Blvd., earlier this year. More are in the works, with restaurants under development in Westwego at 1101 Westbank Expressway, in New Orleans East at 7152 Crowder Blvd. and in Metairie at 1914 Veterans Memorial Blvd. All locations serve the same menu: a roster of fried wings with different rubs and sauces, loaded fries and fried okra. The restaurant is the creation of Gina and Omar Duncan and their family. Their motto for the restaurant is “We good baby.” It’s emblazoned on the walls, takeout boxes and staff T-shirts. The Duncans did not start out in restaurants. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, they ran a T-shirt and sign printing business. A fire in the building sidelined that endeavor, so they turned to food. They started with J’s Seafood Dock, the oyster bar and restaurant they run in the French Market. Over time, more family members got involved, including their sons Justin (the namesake J) and Austin. The business expanded with J’s Creole Wings. “People use the word Creole as a marketing hook now, but it’s really who we are, a Creole family straight from the 7th Ward, and that’s what we’re bringing here,” Omar Duncan says. “I always try to give people a taste of what you have at home.” — IAN McNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Joel Griffin

OF THE

WEEK

Founder, Joel’s Lobster Rolls by Will Coviello JOEL GRIFFIN’S FIRST JOB WAS IN A SEAFOOD RESTAURANT IN HIS HOMETOWN of Madison, Connecticut.

While attending Tulane University, he missed lobster rolls, a New England seafood staple. Last year, he started his pop-up Joel’s Lobster Rolls to serve the sandwiches to locals. His pop-up is at Oak St. Brewery on Thursday, Winston’s Pub and Patio on Friday and Miel Brewery & Taproom on Saturday. He also regularly pops up at Henry’s Uptown Bar. For more information, see @joelslobsterrolls on Instagram.

How did you get into cooking? JOEL GRIFFIN: I am from a small beach town in Connecticut right on the water. It’s not that I wanted to work in a restaurant. I turned 16 and needed money, so I put in applications everywhere. The place that took me in was this restaurant. I ended up sticking around for four years through high school and college. When I came home from college in the summer, I worked that same job. That’s where I learned how to make lobster rolls and fish and chips. They taught me everything. I started on the fryers. That was rough in the summer heat. Then I moved up to the line and made lobster rolls for a year or two. When I’d be down here at Tulane, I’d always crave lobster rolls, but I could never find one. I have lived here for five years. The first thing I do when I get back home is eat a lobster roll, like four or five of them. When I come back here, after three to five months, I’d be like, “Damn, I really want a lobster roll.” Fast forward to last year, like November, I had graduated, I didn’t really have a job, and I really wanted a lobster roll. That was my aha moment. I was like, I just need to do this myself. Within a month, I got all my equipment and had my first pop-up.

What’s different about Louisiana seafood and the New England dishes you do? G: In a crawfish boil, a lot of what you taste is the boil, the seasoning and the spices. The lobster roll traditionally is just the lobster and butter on a toasted bun. Even though

it’s simple, you need to nail the ingredients. If you don’t have quality lobster, it’s going to fall apart. The bun needs to be a specific New England style of bun. If you get any of that wrong, it’s very obvious it’s not what a lobster roll is supposed to be. You need to get the best quality ingredients. I go to the airport to pick-up my lobster shipments. It’s perishable. In terms of the volume I do, you buy the lobster pre-picked. You can’t boil 200 lobsters a day and shuck them. You get the meat already picked and saute it in melted butter and put it in a toasted bun. I do everything except boiling lobster on site. Everything is made to order. Some people prefer (lobster rolls) cold with mayonnaise, but I do the warm butter style. I also have a lobster bisque drizzle that I can add on top of the rolls. When I first introduced these to a lot of locals, they were like, “the lobster roll is good, but it needs a sauce.” The bisque drizzle is a compromise to appease the locals who want sauce, but it turned out good. I have homemade New England clam chowder that I make fresh before every pop-up. For the chowder, I render some bacon, about a half a pound. I throw in onions and celery and soften them up. Then I add Yukon Gold potatoes and clam juice. I add a little red wine vinegar and a gluten-free flour roux and halfand-half cream. I add clams from Massachusetts.

Are you thinking about expanding the menu or business? G: I normally pop-up on weekends and a couple times during the week. I was approached by Bourree to see if I wanted to have access to a whole kitchen for the weekend. Of course, I had to say yes to that. Lugging all the

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOEL GRIFFIN

equipment to a pop-up is a pain. Fixed equipment opens up more possibilities for recipes. Several months ago, I tried fresh cooked fries and lobster loaded fries. Those were very good. I had homemade garlic aioli, parsley, lemon juice, the bisque drizzle and lobster chunks on top. But all I had was an electric fryer. It was tough to keep up with demand. It took like 10 minutes for the fryer to come back up to temperature. I did it for three weeks before I decided it was not viable. I am hoping to reintroduce the fries, and maybe fish and chips. The next thing for me is getting a team that’s got a consistent schedule on the pop-up. Then I can add the fries and things. I can get a commercial fryer, but I need like two people to help set up and break down. What’s next is to get a great team going and go five times a week and make it a full-time thing. When I have a team, I am going to do a lobster grilled cheese (sandwich), the lobster loaded fries and a crab roll. If that goes well, I can scale up again.

Frank Family Chardonnay

This wine is perfumed in brioche and baked apple, with seasonings of nutmeg and vanilla. It opens in a rich, full-bodied concentration of citrus and white peach and evolves on the palate to show structure and depth. Bright acidity lifts hints of toasted oak, maintaining a fresh and plush ﬁnish.

DISTRIBUTED BY

17 G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > J U LY 5 - 1 1 > 2 02 2

WINE

3 COURSE INTERVIEW

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O U T T O E AT C O M P L E T E L I S T I N G S A T W W W. B E S T O F N E W O R L E A N S . C O M 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.

Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; andreasrestaurant.com — Chef Andrea Apuzzo’s speckled trout royale is topped with crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce. Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in cream sauce. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. $$$ Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — This sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and other treats. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $ Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant. com — The menu highlights Gulf seafood in Creole, Cajun and Southern dishes. Gulf Drum Yvonne is served with brown butter sauce with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$ 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 and grits features jumbo shrimp over cheese grits and a cheese biscuit. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lakeview: Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Slidell: Lunch Fri.-Sat., dinner Wed.-Sun. $$ Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 5813866; broussards.com — The menu of Creole and creative contemporary dishes includes Rainbow trout amandine with tasso and corn macque choux and Creole meuniere sauce. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ Common Interest — Hotel Indigo, 705 Common St., (504) 595-5605; commoninterestnola.com — Shrimp remoulade Cobb salad comes with avocado, blue cheese, tomatoes, bacon, egg and corn relish. Debris grits features slow-roasted, beef served over goat cheese and thyme grits. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$ Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative Creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken and andouille jambalaya. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

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

Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — The Creole menu features Gulf seafood, shellfish and car-grilled oysters topped with Parmesan, herbs and butter. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar — 739 Iberville St., (504) 522-4440; 7400 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 304-4125; felixs.com — The oyster bar serves raw Louisiana oysters, and char-grilled oysters are topped with butter, garlic, Parmesan and breadcrumbs. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Frey Smoked Meat Co. — 4141 Bienville St., Suite 110, (504) 488-7427; freysmokedmeat. com — The barbecue restaurant serves pulled pork, St. Louis ribs, brisket, sausages and more. Fried pork belly poppers are tossed in pepper jelly glaze. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 8910997; joeyksrestaurant.com — Sauteed trout Tchoupitoulas is topped with shrimp and crabmeat and served with vegetables and potatoes. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; juansflyingburrito.com — The Flying Burrito includes grilled steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar-jack cheese, black beans, yellow rice, salsa la fonda, guacamole and sour cream. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$ Katie’s Restaurant & Bar — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity. com — A Cajun Cuban has roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles pressed on buttered bread. The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic and scallions. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com — A NOLA Style Grits Bowl is 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, rib-eyes, bone-in rib-eyes and top sirloins, as well as burgers and seafood dishes. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Martin Wine Cellar — 714 Elmeer Ave., Metairie, (504) 896-7350; 3827 Baronne St., (504) 894-7444; martinwine.com — The Sena salad includes pulled roasted chicken, golden raisins, blue cheese, pecans and field greens tossed with Tabasco pepperjelly vinaigrette. No reservations. Lunch daily. $$ Mid City Pizza — 4400 Banks St., (504) 483-8609; 6307 S. Miro St., (504) 5096224; midcitypizza.com — The pizza joint serves New York-style pies, calzones, sandwiches and salads. Shrimp remoulade pizza includes spinach, red onion, garlic, basil and green onions. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. The menu also has sushi, sashimi, noodle dishes, teriyaki and more. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$ Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves shrimp Mosca, chicken a la grande and more. Baked oysters Mosca is made with breadcrumbs and Italian seasonings. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant. net —The counter-service spot is known for po-boys and Creole favorites, such as jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and red beans and rice. No reservations. Delivery available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Nephew’s Ristorante — 4445 W. Metairie Ave., Metairie, (504) 533-9998; nephewsristorante.com — The Creole-Italian menu features dishes like veal, eggplant or chicken parmigiana. Reservations required. Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes New Orleans favorites such as red beans with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as seafood plates, po-boys, char-grilled oysters, pasta, salads and more. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Nice Guys Bar & Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola. com — The menu includes chargrilled oysters, wings, quesadillas, burgers, sandwiches, salads, seafood pasta and

more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$ Nonno’s Cajun Cuisine and Pastries — 1940 Dauphine St., (504) 354-1364; nonnoscajuncuisineandpastries.com — The menu includes home-style Cajun and Creole dishes. Shrimp is sauteed with onion and bell pepper, topped with cheese and served with two eggs and toast. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$ Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com — Black lentil vadouvan curry comes with roasted tomatoes, forest mushrooms and basmati rice. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.Mon., brunch Sun. $$ Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 8271651; legacykitchen.com — The seafood restaurant serves raw and char-grilled oysters, seafood, burgers, salads and more. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Tavolino Pizza & Lounge — 141 Delaronde St., (504) 605-3365; tavolinonola.com — The menu features signature thin-crust pizzas as well as salads, pepperoni chips, meatballs and more. A Behrman Hwy. pizza is topped with pork belly, caramel, nuoc cham-marinated carrots and radishes, jalapeno and herbs. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza.com — A Marilynn’s Pota Supreme pie is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. The menu also includes salads and sandwiches. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $ Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 5015 Magazine St., (504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco. com — The Peruvian menu includes lomo saltado, featuring beef tenderloin tips sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce and pisco, and served with fried potatoes and rice. Outdoor seating and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ Zhang Bistro — 1141 Decatur St., (504) 826-8888; zhangbistronola.com — The menu includes Chinese and Thai dishes. The Szechuan Hot Wok offers a choice of chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu with onions, bell peppers, cauliflower, jalapenos, garlic and spicy Szechuan sauce. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

Daily Happy Hour Specials! 3-7 PM /// $5 Cocktail of the day BBQ, BURGERS, SHAKES, AND BEER Open Daily at 11am | 4141 Bienville St | 504-488-7427

FOR COMPLETE MUSIC LISTINGS A N D M O R E E V E N T S TA K I N G P L AC E IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA, VISIT C A L E N D A R . G A M B I T W E E K LY. C O M To learn more about adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com

TUESDAY 5 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Quartet, 7 pm DOS JEFES — Wendell Brunious, 8:30 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard "Piano" Scott, 12:30 pm; Colin Myers Band, 5 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm ZONY MASH BEER PROJECT — Rebirth Brass Band, 8 pm

WEDNESDAY 6 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Trio, 7 pm BLUE NILE — New Breed Brass Band, 9 pm D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Tin Men, 6 pm; "Wolfman" Washington & the Roadmasters, 9 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard "Piano" Scott, 12:30 pm; Bourbon Street All Stars, 5 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm GASA GASA — Pons with Make Your Maze, Dusty Santamaria, Ethanol Mermane, 8 pm SANTOS — DarkLounge Ministries, 7 pm; Russell Welch Swamp Moves Trio, 9 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Funkin' It Up with Big Sam, 7:30 pm

THURSDAY 7

WE EVENT EKE THIS ND !

BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Quartet, 8 pm BUFFA'S — Tom McDermott and Tim Laughlin, 7 & 9 pm CAFE NEGRIL — Sierra Green and the Soul Machine, 10 pm D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Secret 6 Jazz Band, 6 pm; Smokin' on Some Brass, 10 pm

DOS JEFES — Anna Quinn, 8:30 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Doyle Cooper Trio, 2:30 pm; John Saavadra Trio, 6 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm PAVILION OF THE TWO SISTERS — James Rivers Movement, 6 pm POUR HOUSE SALOON — Ron & Tina's Acoustic Jam, 7 pm ROCK 'N' BOWL — Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie, 8 pm SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Delfeayo Marsalis Sextet, 8 & 10 pm SOUTHPORT HALL LIVE MUSIC & PARTY HALL — Trapt - 20th Anniversary Tour, 7 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Brass-AHolics, 7:30 pm

FRIDAY 8 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Trio, 8 pm BLUE NILE — The Caesar Brothers, 7 pm; Brass Flavor, 10 pm BUFFA'S — Susanne Ortner, 7 & 9 pm CARNAVAL LOUNGE — Katie Cat & Cain with The Hip Tones, 6 pm; Marina Orchestra & Kinky Vanilla, 9 pm D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Russell Welch's Wood Floor Trio, 6 pm; The Electric Arch and Egg Yolk Jubilee, 10 pm DOS JEFES — Afrodiziac's Jazz, 9 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Sam Friend Band, 2:30 pm; Lee Floyd and Thunderbolt Trio, 6 pm; Fritzel’s All Star Band, 9 pm NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEE HOUSE — Jay Walkers, 7:30 pm POUR HOUSE SALOON — The Great Twenty-Eights' Chuck Berry Tribute, 9 pm REPUBLIC NOLA — MeSo, 11 pm ROCK 'N' BOWL — Paperchase, 8:30 pm SANTOS — Morning Star, The Robot Bonfire, Touch the Buffalo, Kate Van Dorn, Blueprint Tokyo, Bat Allison Rising Revolution, Even in Death, 6 pm SIDNEY'S SALOON — Jackie Straw, Chris Turpin, Tennessee Dixon, 9 pm SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Jason Marsalis Quartet Tribute to Lionel Hampton, 8 & 10 pm

SOUTHPORT HALL LIVE MUSIC & PARTY HALL — 4 Mag Nitrous , Them Guys, Choke, 8 pm THE HANGAR — The Molly Ringwalds, 8 pm TIPITINA'S — Honey Island Swamp Band, The Crooked Vines, 9 pm

SATURDAY 9 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Jordan Anderson, 8 pm BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM — The Marigny Street Brass Band, 10 pm BUFFA'S — Freddie Blue & the Friendship Circle Band, 7 & 9 pm CARNAVAL LOUNGE — Jamie Vessels Band, 6 pm; The Show! A Local Music Showcase, 9 pm D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Sunny Side, 5 pm; Suplecs and Malevitus, 10 pm DOS JEFES — Betty Shirley, 9 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Jazz on Bourbon, 12:30 pm; Joe Kennedy Band, 2:30 pm; Lee Floyd and Thunderbolt Trio, 6 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 9 pm GASA GASA — Louisiana Yard Dogs with Chupcabra, 9 pm GEORGE AND JOYCE WEIN JAZZ & HERITAGE CENTER — Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue, 8 pm JEFFERSON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER — Salute to America, 7:30 pm MAY BAILEY'S PLACE — Nanci Zee Trio, 8 pm NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEE HOUSE — Johnny Velvateen, Fith, Caleb Brown, Oldolibo, 7:30 pm POUR HOUSE SALOON — Stumpgrinders, 9 pm ROCK 'N' BOWL — Sugar Shaker, 8:30 pm SANTOS — Spitfire with The Grooxs, Blooddrunk and Whether, 8 pm SIDNEY'S SALOON — Eduardo, Matthew Fiock, Steff Mahan, Amy & Me, Wild Rabbit Salad, Patrice Luciano, J. Scott Band, Extended Vacation, American Gypsy Band, 6 pm SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Davell Crawford and Company, 8 & 10 pm THE BOMBAY CLUB — Anais St. John, 8 pm

THE HIDEAWAY DEN & ARCADE — Emo Night , 8 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Gladney, 7:30 pm

SUNDAY 10 BLUE NILE — The Baked Potatoes, 7 pm; Street Legends Brass Band, 10 pm BUFFA'S — Some Like It Hot, 11 am & 1 pm; Common Law, 7 & 9 pm CARNAVAL LOUNGE — Songwriter Night, 6 pm D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Palmetto Bug Stompers, 5 pm; Treme Brass Band, 9 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Sam Friend Band, 12:30 pm; Joe Kennedy Band, 2:30 pm; Marla Dixon Band, 6 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm GASA GASA — Coffinwolf Ultra with Totem, The Big Snooze, 9 pm HOUSE OF BLUES — The Drag House Party, 1 pm PEACOCK ROOM, HOTEL FONTENOT — Rachel Murray and Joe Bouchá , 11 am ROCK 'N' BOWL — Junior Lacrosse & Sumtin' Sneaky, 4:30 pm SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Davell Crawford, 8 & 10 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — James Rivers Movement, 7:30 pm

MONDAY 11 BUFFA'S — Doyle Cooper Trio, 7 pm D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Hot Sugar, 9 pm DOS JEFES — John Fohl, 8:30 pm SIDNEY'S SALOON — The Amazing Henrietta, 6 pm; DarkLounge Ministries, 8 pm

SCAN FOR THE COMPLETE GAMBIT CALENDAR

NEW ORLEANS SUMMER BEAD & JEWELRY SHOW!

JULY 8, 9, 10 $4 ADMISSION ALL WEEKEND

EVENT THIS WEEKEND

(WITH THIS AD)

PONTCHARTRAIN CENTER • 4545 WILLIAMS BLVD. KENNER, LA • FOR MORE INFO VISIT WWW.AKSSHOW.COM

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MMUUSSI ICC

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Pralines& Cream A NEW ORLEANS TRADITION

PRALINES & CREAM ICED LATTE

FE ATU R I N G

Pralines & Cream Granita!

GRANITA

ALWAYS ON TAP

A frosty cold brew espresso treat, slightly sweetened & oh-so-delicious!

PR ES ENTS

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Summer Summer Sippers Sippers

July 22nd • 6:30-8pm • $20 each AT ALL LOCATIONS Join Martin’s as we raise our glass to summer with a walkabout style tasting! We’re tasting a mix of twenty white and sparkling wines along with light bites from our deli & catering department. TICKETS: MARTINWINE.COM/EVENTS · MARTINWINE.EVENTBRITE.COM

Lasting legacy by Jake Clapp

ANEWLAW SET TOGOINTO EFFECTIN LOUISIANA on Aug.

1 will protect the use of a deceased person’s likeness, preventing businesses, groups or campaigns from using a well-known Louisianan to earn money without the permission of their heirs. The Louisiana Legislature passed Senate Bill 426, also known as the Allen Toussaint Legacy Act, during this session and Gov. John Bel Edwards recently signed it. The law stipulates that a party can’t use or exploit a person’s identity — things like their name, voice, likeness, distinctive mannerisms — for commercial purpose without consent. A commercial purpose is something like selling merchandise or putting a deceased musician in a political campaign. It applies to the person while they’re living and for 50 years following their death, unless there is proof of nonuse by an heir for three years. “So anyone who wants to invoke your identity for a commercial purpose following your death would have to get the consent of your heirs,” says Tim Kappel, an attorney who specializes in entertainment and intellectual property law. Kappel and music industry professional Reid Wick were instrumental in pushing the Allen Toussaint Legacy Act. “It is very much like a copyright in that respect,” Kappel says. “That’s sort of the model to look at: You’ve got copyrights while you’re living, but you’ve also got copyrights after your death. The same thing now applies to your personality rights as it relates to commercial use. Following your death, it’s not a no holds barred situation where anybody can do whatever the hell they want with your name, image, likeness for commercial purpose without anyone’s consent.” There are exceptions made in the law: Creative works, like a song or a mural made in tribute are protected, as are other fair use aspects. “The same sort of things that would be fair use in the context of copyright law would also be a fair use in the context of personality rights,” Kappel says. Kappel began working on the bill following Toussaint’s death in November 2015. At the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

PHO T O BY BRIA NN A PACIOR K A / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

A new law, named after pianist Allen Toussaint, protects a person’s image after their death. soon after, Kappel came across a vendor selling a Toussaint koozie. Kappel’s firm represents artists, songwriters and producers, and part of the job is to protect their name, image and likeness rights — especially to make sure any use is reflective of the artist’s values. “But then after you die, in Louisiana, all that protection goes out the window in an instant,” Kappel says. Louisiana has laws protecting image use for those living, but unlike most other states, those protections did not extend past death. The Allen Toussaint Legacy Act fills in that gap and brings Louisiana in line with most other places in the U.S. It’s particularly beneficial for the families of Louisiana musicians, writers, artists and other icons. The act was originally introduced in 2017 but didn’t find success until the 2022 session. State Senator Patrick McMath, R-Covington, introduced SB 426. Interestingly, Louisiana went from no protections to leading the country in a way: The new law also includes a provision about “digital replicas” — an artist’s likeness recreated digitally. Hologram Tupac’s performance at the 2012 Coachella comes to mind, but it could also be Fats Domino’s voice reading to you from the Alexa speaker or a CGI Ernie K-Doe showing up in a commercial. “We spend an awful lot of time trying to preserve this really important right, and the reason is it’s so personal to you. This is your legacy and image,” Kappel says. “And if that can just be preserved all throughout your lifetime and then it just evaporates upon death, that doesn’t seem to be consistent with the rights we have for our creators and musicians in this state.”

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MUSIC

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A R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T PAGE 5

original score. The Orpheum Theater hosts a free screening of the family-friendly film at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 7. For more information, go to facebook. com/orpheumnola.

‘Sailor Moon Speakeasy’

CARNAVAL LOUNGE HOSTS A NIGHT OF BURLESQUE AND MUSIC based

Easily cash out equity in your commercial or investment property.

• Maximum loan to recently appraised value amount of 65% • Must be owned by a corporation • Can not be an owner-occupied residence • Typically close within 3 days of appraisal’s completion • Cash out or fix and flip funding • Asset based loan

nolahardmoney.com

New Orleans

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JULY 22

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AUGUST 2

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around the classic anime “Sailor Moon.” There will be burlesque performances by Joie DeVivre, Eros Sea, Ember Alert and Sofi Le Bear, with music by the Big Easy Nerd Band. At 9 p.m. Thursday, July 7. Tickets are $10 in advance via eventbrite. com and $15 at the door. Find more information on Instagram, @bigeasynerdband.

Chess Fest

NEW ORLEANS WAS HOME TO PAUL MORPHY, AN INTERNATIONAL CHESS CHAMPION and prodigy in the

middle of the 19th century. “The Opera Game,” a biopic about young Morphy, screens at Chess Fest, a day of games, puzzles and films at The Historic New Orleans Collection. There’s a mini competition for unrated players, chess puzzles, a human chess game, and more for both kids and adults. Hosted by THNOC Chess Club at the Williams Research Center from 10 a.m. To 2 p.m. Saturday, July 9. Visit hnoc.org. for information or to register for the tournament.

Cutting Edge Conference

NOWINITS30THYEAR,THECUTTING EDGECONFERENCE presents semi-

nars on music industry business and law. There also are artist showcases at venues around town, including House of Blues, Carver Theater, Zony Mash Beer Project, Santos Bar, Sidney’s Saloon, The AllWays Lounge & Theatre and more from Thursday, July 7, through Saturday, July 9. Some of the showcases are grouped by genres, including a R&B, soul and hip-hop night at Zony Mash, Thursday, and electronic music, pop and New Orleans funk at Zony Mash on Saturday. Irma Thomas will be presented a lifetime achievement award at a ceremony at Carver Theater on Friday. Visit cuttingedgenola.com for information.

Davell Crawford

PIANIST AND SINGER DAVELL CRAWFORD, the proclaimed

“Prince of New Orleans,” plays two intimate sets with his band on Saturday, July 9, at Snug Harbor. Shows are at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tickets are $35 at snugjazz.com.

Suplecs

IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE SUPLECS HAS RELEASED A NEW ALBUM —

the group’s “Mad Oak Redeoux” was out in 2011 — but the New Orleans stoner rockers pop up every once in a blue moon, like at French Quarter Fest earlier this year. Catch them at 10 p.m. Saturday, July 9, at d.b.a. Malevitus also plays. Tickets are $15 via eventbrite.com.

Valerie Sassyfras Birthday Blowout

VALERIE SASSYFRAS CELEBRATES HER BIRTHDAY with a show at Old

Point Bar. She’ll perform and there will be music videos and appearances by her cast of supporters, T-Rex and Mr. Pickle. There will be a food truck and a special Horny and Lazy cocktail from the bar. At 8 p.m. Friday, July 8. Tickets $15 in advance via Eventbrite, or $20 at the door.

The Soul Rebels

THE SOUL REBELS RETURN TO NEW ORLEANS ON A BREAK from a

wide-ranging national summer tour with Trombone Shorty. The brass band returns to its longtime haunt, Le Bon Temps Roule for a string of Thursday night shows. At 11 p.m. Thursday, July 7. Visit lbtrnola.com for information.

Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet

TROMBONIST COREY HENRY BRINGS HIS TREME FUNKTET TO THE MAPLE LEAF for a show at 10 p.m.

Saturday, July 9. Tickets are $15 in advance at mapleleafbar. com and $20 at the door. And if you miss him on Saturday, you can catch Henry on Thursday nights at Vaughan’s Lounge in the Bywater.

Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue

COUNTRY BAND GAL HOLIDAY AND THE HONKY TONK REVUE checks

into the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center for another installment of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s summer concert series. The show is at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 9. Tickets $10 at jazzandheritage.org, and the show is available via livestream on jazzandheritage.org/live.

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PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE UNSPOILED EXPANSES By Frank A. Longo

34 Biblical metaphor for Jerusalem [Utah] 38 Drs.’ org. 39 Slimy veggie 41 “Swell!” 42 Hush-hush U.S. org. 43 Original thing 45 Regal name of Norway 47 Erwin of old Hollywood 49 Dozes 53 Full-size SUV introduced in 2000 [California] 58 It’s between tau and phi 60 Curbside cry 61 Not given an assessment 63 Very, in slang

64 Scottish cap 67 “Star Wars” royal 69 Opaque quartz with banding [Alberta] 71 Nervous 74 Pol who was JohnJohn’s uncle 76 Coll. in Columbus 77 Big name in train travel 78 Mac computer platform released in 2014 [California] 81 Actor Neeson 83 — 10 (acne medication) 84 Strong string 85 Actress Redgrave 87 “Ooh” or “tra” follower 90 British spy novelist John

92 Ice mass descending a mountain valley [British Columbia] 97 Love god 98 Magnate Onassis 100 High volcano in Sicily 101 Society for brainiacs 102 Bronze-hued 104 “Sheena” star Gena Lee — 108 Action word 110 “ASAP!” 111 Full-size SUV introduced in 1998 [Alaska] 116 Natty necktie 118 OPEC supply 119 Type of 35 mm camera 120 Part of USSR: Abbr. 121 Torah cabinets 123 Rd. crossers 125 Like Attu’s island chain 128 What each of seven key words in this puzzle is the name of 131 Really rant at 132 “Beats me” 133 Shaw of jazz clarinet 134 Vaccine injectors 135 Abhor 136 Game token

GARDEN DISTRICT OFFICE 2016, 2017 & 2020

18 Singer Green formerly on “The Voice” 19 Ruhr city 24 Its cap. is Bismarck 29 Ex-Giant Mel 33 Ton of, casually 35 Not pleasurable, colloquially 36 Aurora, to the Greeks 37 Most wacky 38 Astern 40 TV’s O’Donnell 44 Mayberry’s Otis, e.g. 46 Brand of bottled water 48 Sassy quality, for short 50 Elite NFLer 51 Medieval war weapon 52 Catty 54 Wheel bars 55 Singer Rita 56 “Othello” role 57 Sloping 59 Counterfeit 62 Needle case 64 Flute sound 65 Respond to 66 Toluca locale 68 Rombauer of cooking 70 Actor Malcolm— Warner 72 Line of family rulers 73 Attendee

ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR, SRS

75 “Hooked on Classics” label 79 At any time 80 Seer’s skill 82 Pool growth 86 Tuscany city 88 Baby sheep 89 Top pilot 91 Irritating 93 Outskirts 94 Be a pioneer 95 Arcane 96 Uncooked 99 B&B, e.g. 103 Big Texas city 105 Has too much, with “on” 106 Brezhnev of the USSR 107 Enter forcibly 109 Tabula — 111 Bleating beasts 112 Singer Cyrus 113 Not fuzzy 114 Talk formally 115 Singer Cleo 117 Italian isle 122 Make tangled 124 — -Ball 126 Geller of the paranormal 127 Denials 129 “For shame!” 130 Indy circuit

DOWN 1 Coffee holders 2 Italian encore song, often 3 Concerning cooking 4 Couldn’t help but 5 Beer for a Brit 6 Box lightly 7 Terrier breed 8 Saint — (island country) 9 Hearth waste 10 Get back at 11 Violinist Elman or actor Auer 12 Computer pioneer Lovelace 13 Person on a bus, e.g. 14 Classic soul song by Curtis Mayfield 15 Wolfs (down) 16 Sidekick of Stimpy 17 PC character set acronym

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 2

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1 Choco-coffee flavor 6 Low bow of respect 12 Global rivalry concerning weaponry 20 Customary 21 Last pope of the 1700s 22 Bishops’ jurisdictions 23 Iconic logo of McDonald’s [Utah] 25 Proceeds forward 26 Long, thin cut 27 Three, in Germany 28 Sgt., say 30 Poet’s “always” 31 Suffix with percent 32 “— Holmes” (2020 Millie Bobby Brown film)

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