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Thebeatgoeson

Krewe du Vieuxdunks on City Hall,right-wing trolls and the Supreme Court

IFLAUGHTERISTHEBESTMEDICINE,then theKrewe du Vieuxparade will help heal ourtrauma.Oratleast, take a massiveloadoff foranevening

Knownfor blendingsexual innuendos,double entendresand biting politicalsatire, theparade rollsat 6:30 p.m. Saturday,Feb.4

Itstheme is “Krewe du Vieux BeatsOff.”

Thereare multiple layers to that, says krewecaptainSebastian Boegershausen.Primarily,it’sa nod to its2023monarch, Jan Ramsey, thepublisher and editor of New Orleans musicmonthly OffBeat Magazine,who will be accompanied inher reignbyher husbandand business partner,Joe Irrera

It’s also, of course, areference to self-gratification, keeping in line withthe krewe’spenchantfor sex puns,lewdthemesand mocking public figures.

Butit’salso acommentary on howkrewe membershave felt out of step with electedleadershipover thepast year and howfrustrating timeshave been in NewOrleans

“Wealways like to encourage interpreting ourthemesona broaderbasis,other than what our sophomoric humor maysuggest,” Boegershausensays. “It’sa reference to howdysfunctionalthe city can be. It’s us puttingour stakeinthe ground,saying, ‘Look,the beat’s off.’”

Eachofthe 17 subkrewesrollwith afloat illustrating oneofthe events or controversies from thepast year Thesubkrewesmaketheir own floats,and eachgroup is paired witha brassband in theparade.

Some of thesegroupsdraw inspirationfromworldlyissues, but some, like SPANK! prefertodevelop themesbased on what’s unfolding right here at home.

“You won’tsee us goingafter a national story,”saysStaceySumma, SPANK!’s co-captain. “Weliketo keep oursatirelocal andpointed.”

Thesubkrewe decided on a bowlingleague themethisyear, and they’llbewearing signature booty shorts and freshlyembroidered shirts forthe occasion

“We’re bowlingfor trolls,” Summasays.

The53-member groupisreferencing Rock ’n’Bowlowner John Blancher, whohas been accused of making racistremarks on social media,and in thefallcame underfire foradistastefulpostaboutthe violent attack on former HouseSpeaker NancyPelosi’shusband,Paul.

“We’re always battling againstracismand unkindness,” Summasays. “We’re trying to pointout those thingsare notOK. Youhavetospeak up,and youcan find avoicewith satire.That’sour goal: to educatewithhumor aboutinjustices.”

ThesubkreweK.A.O.S. is leaning into the self-pleasuringaspectof theparade theme. Krewe members will sport leather,dom-themed costumes andhand out “masturbation enhancers,”accordingtoa oneparticipant

TheKrewe of Crapswill remind revelers that politics canbea dirty game.Outragedoverthe U.S. Supreme Court’soverturningofRoe v. Wade,the groupwill highlight theinjusticesthatresult from rigged systems, whilepaying homage to thedicegame forwhich they arenamed.

In moretraditionalfashion,othersare goingafter theperpetual target of City Hall.Expectplenty of jestingdirectedatMayor LaToya Cantrell overher first-class travel expensesand otherheadline-generatingcontroversies.

“I thinkthateffectively watching ourmayorself-destructinfront of ourown eyesin a short amount of time —itreally gave lots of fodder forthe satirists,” Boegershausen says.“In theTrumpyears,there was no shortageofmaterial, butalot of it wasnational.What’sdifferent about this year is therewas so much localstuff.You’llsee alot more locally flavoredfloatsthisyear.”

Of course, that encompasses theusual mockery of thecity’s never-ending stalledroadworks projects andongoingwastemanagementwoesstemmingfrom ineffectiveleadership

“Our theme this year is ‘Boobs!’” says Sean Gerowin, amember of the subkrewe Drips and Discharges “While ourfloat andmarcherswill be overflowingwithboobsand such,it’sintendedaspolitical satire on ourcitygovernment, andnot justthe glorification of mammaries.”

Thepastfew months have been especially inspiring formembers, and notjustbecause City Hall hasgone offthe rails. They’vebeen able to gather at theden en masse,asthey didbeforethe pandemic took hold, forcrafting,float developmentand

by SarahRavits |

Legendz of theStreetzTour

THELEGENDZOFTHESTREETZISBRINGINGTOGETHERSOMEOFMOSTRECOGNIZABLENAMES in hip-hop foratour across theU.S.The tour’s second stop will be in NewOrleans on Saturday,Feb.4,atthe Smoothie King Center andwill feature rappersJeezy,T.I.,Gucci Mane, 2Chainz, Jadakissand Cam’ron along with tour stop guests Juvenile and JuceeFroot.The show starts at 7p.m.and ticketsare $90 viasmoothiekingcenter.com.

“good, cleanfun,” as Summaputsit. Theparade is followedbythe Krewe du VieuxDoo at theSugar Mill.The ballfeaturesmusic by the NewOrleans Suspects,John “Papa” Gros,GeorgePorterJr.,Pocket Chocolate,Dana Abbott and Blake Quickand theQuickening. Theball is open to thepublic,and tickets areavailable at PeachesRecords, Louisiana MusicFactory and via eventbrite.com

Thekrewe returned to parading last year afterpresentinginstallationsatbarsand outdoor venues in 2021due to thepandemic.

“Wesortofhad ahybrid[for 2022’s parade]ofworkinginthe den,and at people’s homes, butnot everyone wascomfortable yetcomingtogether to brainstorm and do allthe creative work,buildingand socializing,” Summa says Thepastseveral months, however,have broughta renewedsense of camaraderie.

“We’veall been able to gather at theden,not just with our(subkrewes) butall theother intermingling groups,” Summa says.“We’re nothavingZoom meetingsanymore and it feelssogood, andit’s goodfor thecity.”

Other than a“badhangover,” Boegershausen says he hopes parade-goers “walkawaywiththe onething that onlyKrewe du Vieux cangive, andthat’sthe unfiltered satire with which we mockthe city and ourselves. It’s in good humor.”

Theparade routewas notfinalized at press time.For information aboutthe parade,visitkreweduvieux.org.

FORSOME,IT’SNOTMARDIGRAS WITHOUTBEADS or paradesorking cake.For others, it’s theannual remountingofRicky Graham’s yattycomedy“…And theBalland All.”The womenofthe Krewe of Terpsichoreare back with the usual gosspastheybattleover thegroup’s balland floatthemes. Graham directs his1995local classicatRivertown Theaters for thePerformingArts. At 7:30 p.m. Friday,Feb.3,and Saturday,Feb.4, and2 p.m. Sunday,Feb.5.Tickets $35via rivertowntheaters.com.

Joanna Hale-McGill

GOSPELSINGERJOANNAHALEMCGILLWILLHOSTALIVELISTENINGPARTY and“Sip& Sing”at6 p.m.,Saturday,Feb.4,atDillard University,her alma mater. HaleMcGill andher band will perform her upcomingalbum “New Sound, Same God, Vol. 2,”and will then be joined by vocalist LeKeisha Cotten foraliveround of “Sip &Sing,” acollaborationthe twosingers startedduringthe pandemic where they take on-sight song requests from theaudience. ShariNycole will host. Ticketsare $20for studentsand $50general admission viajoannahalemcgill.com

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GARMER / THETIMES-PICAYUNE MembersofthesubkreweMama Roux,picturedin2022,during theKreweduVieuxparade

“…Andthe Ball andAll”

PHOTO BY BRETTDUKE/ THETIMES-PICAYUNE GucciManereturnstoSmoothieKing CenterSaturday,Feb.4.

MardiGrasinWashingtonistheexactamountoffunasthenamesounds

THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN

TheCityofNewOrleans forgave more than $1 million in late fees during itsAmnestyLateFee Forgiveness program last fall Theprogram waived late fees forpast-due parking tickets, sales and hoteltaxes,occupational licenses,code enforcementviolations and libraryfees if theoriginal fine waspaid betweenOctober andDecember.The largest contributor: More than $530,000 in parking and photo safetyticket late penalties were waived.

Louisianaviolatedincarcerated peoples’rights,heldinmates pasttheirreleasedates

NewOrleansartistsBryanC Lee andKattorrisBang! have been named 2023 fellowsbyUnited States Artists, anational arts fundingorganization. Lee, an architecture anddesignfellow, and Kattorris Bang!, theperformanceartsduo of Nathalie Nia Faulk andindeemitchell, were awarded $50,000 along with a year of financialplanningand additional artist services.They were among 45 fellowsfrom across thecountry

TheLouisianaDepartmentof PublicSafetyandCorrections routinelyviolatesthe 14th Amendmentbydetaining people beyond theirreleasedates, sometimesfor more than 90 days,the U.S. JusticeDepartmentfound aftera two-year investigation. TheDOJ report said Louisiana has failed to implement adequatepoliciesand procedures, causingsystemic over-detention, and thedepartmentis“deliberatelyindifferent” to thesituation —having been on notice for10years withoutfixing theproblem.

LOUISIANA’SDEPARTMENTOFPUBLIC SAFETYANDCORRECTIONSREGULARLY VIOLATES theConstitutionbyholdingpeople in custodybeyondtheir releasedates,officials with the U.S. DepartmentofJustice found during atwo-yearinvestigation.

Foratimelastyear, morethan 1out of every4 inmatesreleased had been heldtoo long,and the average length of theiroverdetentionwas 29 days,the Justice DepartmentsaidWednesday as it notedroutine violations of the14th Amendment. TheDOJ beganinvestigatingthe Louisiana agency in December 2020.

AccordingtoJustice, the DepartmentofPublic Safety and Corrections denies people their due process rights to atimely release, hasfailedtoimplement “adequatepoliciesand procedures” that leadto“systemic overdetentions,” and is “deliberately indifferent” to such overdetentions

“For morethan 10 years, LDOC hasbeen on notice of itsoverdetentionproblemand hasfailed to take adequatemeasures to ensure timelyreleasesof incarcerated individualsfromits custody,”the Justiceannouncementsaid.

Theinvestigators notedthat, between Januaryand April last year,26.8% of those completing

theirsentences were held past theirscheduledrelease dates. Of that group, 24%wereheldfor at least90daysmore. Themedian length of overdetention was just under amonth,the investigators said Theagency hadtopay localjails an estimated $850,000 in fees forthe days people were overdetained in that four-monthperiod.

“Atthatrate, this unconstitutional practice costsLouisiana over$2.5milliona year,” DOJ officials said The DepartmentofJusticegave thefindings to theCorrections agency and notified it of “the minimumremedialmeasures necessarytoaddress them.”

“The Constitutionguarantees that people incarcerated in jails and prisons maynot be detained beyond theirreleasedates,and it is thefundamental duty of the Statetoensurethatall people in itscustodyare releasedontime,” said AssistantAttorneyGeneral KristenClarkeofthe DOJ’scivil rights division.“We arecommitted to taking action that will ensure that thecivilrightsofpeople held in Louisiana’s jailsand prisons areprotected. We stand readytoworkwithstate officials

THE COUNT #

3,638

THENUMBEROFSANITATION DEPARTMENT COMPLAINTS RECEIVEDBYTHE CITY’S 311 SYSTEMWITHINTHE FIRST THREEWEEKS OF JANUARY.

Trashand recyclinggoinguncollected forweeks is still ahugeconcernfor residents, especially in areasservicedby Richard’sDisposalInc.DistrictACouncil Member JoeGiarrussoina newsletter to constituents pointedout costshave ballooned andsaidthe Cantrell administrationneedsto“treatits partnersright.” He says thecityisnegotiating to see Richard’sthrough theend of thecontractand working to stabilizeservice.

C’EST WHAT ?

36.2% THECITYFORGOTTO PAYITS ELECTRIC BILL

21.7%

13.1%

PHOTO BY MICHAELJOHNSON /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE Angolaprisoncell.

OPENING GAMBIT PAGE 7

to institutelongoverdue reforms.”

KenPastorick, aDepartmentof Corrections spokesperson,saidina statementthe agency is reviewing thereport.

“Withoutafullreviewofthe report’s findings anddocumentation supporting said findings,it would be achallengetoprovide acomprehensiveresponse at this time,”hesaid. “The Departmentof Corrections hasbeen cooperative for theentiredurationofthe investigation,and we will continue to work withDOJ throughoutthisprocess.”

William Most, an attorney who represents people individually and in twolawsuitsseekingclass action statusclaimingoverdetention violations in Louisiana,saidthat releasingpeople on time “isa legal and amoral obligation.”

“Justicedemandsa complete and immediate overhaulofthe entire system,” he said.“It’s long overdue.”

Stateauditors have,for years, sounded thealarm about overdetention

A2019state legislativeaudit reported that Louisiana’s prisons failed to properlytrack inmate releasedates.Auditors found an inadequatereviewprocess of sentencingcalculations that they said ledtoerrors determininginmates’ good time status, parole eligibility and rehabilitation programcredits allfactors in decidingthese dates.

Asimilar stateaudit in 2017 also raised concerns,criticizing the department’slackofconsistentpolicies forrelease date calculations Courtfilings releasedin2020 revealedDOC officialsknewas earlyas2012thatthe system for calculating release datesisflawed.

DOC SecretaryJimmy Le Blanc acknowledged in aMay 2019 deposition that delayed andinaccurate sentencecomputationswerea “big problem” forthe agency.

In December 2019,LeBlanc told alegislative committeethatthe time-calculation processinvolves an antiquated system to transfer paperworkfromone agency to another,often requiringrecords to be physically driven across the statefor hand delivery.And with many of Louisiana’s inmateshoused in localjails in additiontostate prisons,DOC officialsmust rely on parish-by-parishcooperation.

Justiceofficialsreferenced in theirreportthe limitationsofthe outdated Criminal and Justice UnifiedNetwork (CAJUN), which hasbeenusedbythe DOC to process time computationsand calculate release datessince 1991. Even amid adatamodernization project forthe agency’s custodyrecords, theDOJ reportsaysanupdatewill notrectify thefundamental issues

Justiceofficialsalso notedthat at least 15 privatelawsuitshave been filedagainst theCorrections agency in recent yearsregarding overdetention

Forexample,a55-year-old man said he washeld95dayspast his officialreleasedateafter aconviction forstabbing aman during a fightinAlgiers.Keith Bryant filed hislawsuitin2019.

Mercedes Montagnes, executive directorofthe Promise of Justice Initiative,anorganizationseeking to change thecriminal legalsystem, said thefindings were “evenworse than we could have imagined.”

“Weare hopefulthatDOC will finally take itsconstitutional obligationsseriously,” Montagnessaid.

JACQUELINE DEROBERTIS / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

WednesdaysattheSquare areback,featuringWater Seed,Galactic,George PorterJr.andmore!

WEDNESDAYSATTHESQUAREIS

RETURNINGONCEAGAIN this year, featuringperformances by Water Seed,GeorgePorterJr.,glblwrming, TheSoulRebelsand more.

Over theyears,the free Wednesday evening eventinLafayette Squarehas become an institutionin thecity’soutdoor live musicscene. It runs throughoutthe spring and summer months before heat and humiditycombineforcestomakedaylight performances uncomfortable

Held by theYouth Leadership Council,the eventalso features food and artvendorsfromaround thecityand region

Theperformances aresubject to rain cancellation,and there’sonly one make-upday,which is May24 this year.Here’sthe full rundown on who’ll be performingthisyear:

•3/15: WaterSeed with The RumbleFeaturing ChiefJoseph Boudreaux Jr

•3/22: MaggieKoerner with LouisMichot

•3/29: Galactic featuring Anjelika “Jelly”JosephwithYUSA

•4/5: MiaBorders with TheQuickening

•4/12: TheSuffers with TrumpetMafia

•4/19: TheIcemanSpecialwith Zita

•4/26: George Porter Jr.& Runnin’ Pardners with JoyClark

•5/3: TheSoulRebelswithTonya Boyd-Cannon

•5/10: NigelHallwithMissMojo

•5/17: glbl wrmngwithLeTrainiump Formoreinformation,check

AMardiGrasMiracle andmoreofthesame fromMayorCantrell

LIKEMOSTNEWORLEANIANS, WEBREATHEDADEEPSIGHOF

RELIEF when MayorLaToya Cantrell announced that sheand Sheriff Susan Hutson,along with other stakeholders, had come to an arrangementwhich will allowMardi Gras parades to resume theirtraditional routes.It’sanother signof ourcity’srecoveryfromthe pandemic-era shutdowns and will be an economic boontosmall businesses along theroutes.

Toofrequentlyoflate, thecity’sresponseto daunting challenges has been aterse ‘no’ rather than listening to and engaging with citizens Thankfully,pressurefrom thepublic,the parade krewesand thecouncil made sure that didn’t happenthistime.

Hutson’s role in theroute deal is particularly heartening.Sources involved in thediscussions tell Gambit shewas instrumental in bringingroutesbacktotheir pre-pandemic lengths. Shealso engaged sheriffs in other parishes —manyofwhom hadregardedthe former police monitor with some skepticism— to garner additional parade security.

Hutson’s time in office hasthus farbeen disappointing in many respects.Her first year hasseen scandal,jailviolenceand the sort of politicalblame-shifting we hoped would endwhen we endorsedher in 2021.While her work on theMardi Gras parade routes maynot seem as life-anddeathasreforming conditions at theprison, it’s achallenge unique to NewOrleans —and onethat requires considerable skill.We hope shebuildsonthat“win” to enactbadly needed reformswithin herdepartmentand thejail, which shepromisedinher campaign Thesame,unfortunately,cannot besaidofCantrell, whojustmade asecondtriptoWashington, D.C. in as many weeks. During her first trip,Cantrell appeared on CBSNews’ “Facethe Nation with Margaret Brennan,” whereshe againtried to shift blame away from herself forthe problems facingthe city.She bizarrelyclaimed that COVID-19 and alackof

“accountability”causedour city’s first-in-the-nationmurderrate.

She also (and notfor thefirst time) triedtoblame DistrictAttorney JasonWilliams,the city’s judgesand even thecitizensofNew Orleans for NewOrleans’ violent crimespree anybodybut herself.

On hersecondtrip, which coincidedwiththe annual Washington MardiGrasfestivities,the mayor threwaparty at Dauphine’s, an upscale restaurantfeaturing an $85duckjambalayaand acomparativelyaffordable$13 mirlitonand pigear salad. Theposhevent was Cantrell’s wayofcelebratingthe BidenAdministrationfor recovery fundsthe city received twoyears ago.Thatraisedsomeeyebrows back home afterCantrell failed to organizea majorMLK Dayparade earlier this month.The parade holdsgreat significancetothe Blackcommunity, and itsabsence this year hurt

Themayor diduse her D.C.tripto askthe WhiteHouse to send U.S. Marshalstohelpthe city roundup people with outstandingwarrants, as they didinNovember.But that hardlyjustifies asecondtripto D.C.— presumablyattaxpayers’ expense.Lasttimewechecked, thephones at City Hall and the WhiteHouse still worked Unlikemanyofour streetlights and trafficsignals.

PHOTO BY MAXBECHERER/ THETIMES-PICAYUNE OrleansParishSheriff SusanHutson.

l shop @gaetanasnola

textured slings

$69 cotton candy pictured coconut blue cloud black berry

WHENLOUISIANA REPUBLICANPARTY

CHAIRLOUISGURVICH publishedan embarrassingly asininescreedon Jan.16calling for party “unity”ashe attacked several declaredand potential GOPgubernatorial candidates,he left himselfand the LAGOPhierarchy open forawell-deserved ass kicking.

Anumber of Republican luminaries answered the bell,asdid most of thestate’s political columnists (thisone included)

Worsefor theLAGOP,Gurvich’s unforced erroralso handedthe state’sfoundering Democratic Partya rare opportunitytoscore some easypolitical points.

Gurvichneedn’tworry,however

TheLouisiana Democratic Party shares itsnationalcounterpart’s penchantfor bungling slam-dunks

In fact, state Demchair Katie Bernhardt upped Gurvich’s ante on asininityand un-self-awareness by promptly appearingina superPAC ad in which sheconfidently touts herown leadershipqualities— but stopsshortofsayingshe’s running forgovernor

The60-second ad,paidfor by aPAC whosemaincontributor is localcontractorA.P.Marullo,is everybit as insulting to potential Democraticcandidates forgovernor as Gurvich’s missivewas to GOP hopefuls.Itlacks politicalheftand depth,but that’s notthe worst of it

In thead, actors portraying Louisianavotersoffer hackneyed takesonpolitics— “Itsucks” and “It’sbroken” —towhich asmiling Bernhardt responds by presenting herself as “someone whoremembersa time when ourfuturewas brighter than ourpast.” Thead goesontointercutbetween the fauxvotersand thefauxcandidate. Bernhardt lamentsno longer having“aLouisiana wherethe national nonsensedidn’tstand in theway of us comingtogether.”

To putitmildly, that claim strains credulity. I’ve been covering Louisianapoliticslongerthan the 36-year-old Bernhardt hasbeen alive, andsince thefinal yearsof thepreviousmillennium (when she

was11or12years old), Washingtonstylepartisanshiphas increasingly defined ourstate’s politics.

Bernhardt closes withher prescription forLouisiana’s travails: “Itstartswithelectingpeople with strong characterand even stronger values …and alittlebit of fire power.”Atthatpoint in thevideo, Bernhardt shouldersa shotgunand shatters aclaypigeon—another over-used trope.

Theadalmostresembles an SNLparody. More concerning for Dems,the first vice chair of the stateparty resignedinprotest, and some partyleaders reportedly want Bernhard to step down.

She mightaswell, because between her self-aggrandizementand her disparagementof Louisianapolitics—while we have aDemocratserving as governor —Bernhardt failed to mention anywhereinthe ad that she’s aDem.That’sapretty glaring omission, anditcouldn’thave been accidental

If Bernhardtwon’t claim the mantleofher partyasits chair in astatewide TV ad,how canshe expecttobetaken seriouslyasa candidate— or as onepreparing theway fora serious Democratic alternativetoGOP frontrunner Jeff Landry?

At atimewhenboth political partiesstruggletounite behind goodcandidates forgovernor, both aresaddledwith chairs who don’t getit.

YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT KatieBernhardt’s politicalad

@GambitBlake |askblake@gambitweekly.com

HeyBlake,

—Carlton

DearCarlton, MARTINBROTHERSRESTAURANTOPERATEDAT5838CHEFMENTEURHIGHWAY

fornearly 40 years. Thesprawling restaurant near Chef Menteur and DownmanRoadwas open24 hours.Itwas established in 1939 by W. ClintonMartinand hisbrotherin-law,Louis Miramon.

Therestauranthad avery similarnamebut no connection to Martin’s Poor BoyRestaurant, originally in theFrenchMarketand lateronSt. ClaudeAvenue. That restaurant wasoperated by Bennie and ClovisMartin, wholegend has it played akey role in thepopularityofthe po-boy.

Youcould getsandwiches and a lotmoreatMartinBrothersonChef Highway. In fact, in his1970 book “The NewOrleans Underground Gourmet,”restaurantcriticRichard Collinsingled outthe particularly goodroast beefpo-boys at Martin Brothers. He called therestaurant

BLAKEVIEW

“good, cheapand dependable, withanextensive menucovering most of thespecialNew Orleans seafood dishes.”

During itsheyday,Martin Brothersalso operated itsown bakery and butcher shop,aswell as alaundry forwashing theuniformsofits employees

RestaurantcriticTom Fitzmorris remembersMartinBrothersasa popularspotfor driverstraveling through thearea, particularly since diningoptions in that part of town were somewhat limitedduring Martin Brothers’ heyday.“It wason U.S. 90,the main east-west routein and outoftown, and anyone headingthatway at least thoughtabout stopping. It wasespeciallybusyin thewee hours,” Fitzmorris wrotein hisbook with PeggyScott Laborde, “LostRestaurants of NewOrleans.”

Martin andMiramon sold the business in the1960s butthe restaurant stayed open under new management,until afirecaused extensivedamaged in 1978

HappyHour5-7

THISWEEK(JAN.29)THEKREWEOFNEFERTITIWILLBETHEONLYPARADETOROLL THROUGHNEWORLEANSEAST during this Carnival season.But therewas a time when at leastthree Carnival paradesrolledthrough “the East.”

Thefirst wasthe KreweofPontchartrain,which nowrolls Uptown but gotits startalong theNew Orleans East lakefront. Thekrewe wascharteredin1975and first paradedthe followingyear, on aroute that beganat Downmanand Dwyerroads and ended at Dwyerand Read Boulevard. Over theyears,Pontchartrain introducedtwo signature floats:a giant crawfish called the“PontchartrainMud Bug” andagiant fish called the “Super Grouper.” In 1991,Pontchartrainmovedtothe Uptown route, where its375 male and femalememberswill roll this year on Feb. 11

Theall-female KreweofMinerva rolled in NewOrleans East from 1977 to 1992. AccordingtoMardi Gras GuidepublisherArthurHardy,Minerva rolled on theThursdaynight before FatTuesday.Its earlyparades began at Downmanand Dwyerand ended at Hayneand Read,nearthe lakefront. Therewas also theKrewe of Selena,which paradedfrom1977to1986

Theall-female krewerolledonthe Saturday afternoonbeforeMardi Gras

Therewerenoparades in NewOrleans East formorethantwo decades untilthe all-female KreweofNefertitilaunched in 2018.Itfirst rolled as a subkrewe of theKrewe of Freret before goingout on itsown to bringa parade to NewOrleans East in 2020

PHOTO UPLOADED BY INFROGMATION /CREATIVECOMMONS MartinBrothersRestaurant

THROWMESOMETHING

Heymister, handmade

and unique

BY SARAHRAVITS

DURING ANY GIVEN CARNIVAL SEASON, Aaron Colar estimateshepaintsupto4,000 coconuts. TheWest Bank-based barber pivots into painter mode around August, when he starts gettingcommissions from membersofthe Zulu Social Aidand PleasureClub

“I feel really good aboutit,”hesays. “It’slikegetting apiece of artintopeople’s hands.Itgoesall overthe world— younever knowwho caught this coconut.”

Zulu coconuts arethe gold standard of MardiGras handmade throws and arecertainly oneofthe oldest DIYmementosbeing thrown at parades during Carnivalseason.But in recent years, morekreweshave startedshiftingtowardhandmade or hand-decorated tokens representing theirorganization, particularly amongwalking krewes whosemembers areenvironmentally minded

Like Zulu,someemphasizeusing naturalorupcycled materials. Forinstance, theKrewe of Goddesses, amarchingorganizationthatcelebrates feminism, givesout hand-decorated oyster shells

Kelly Herman,aboard member and longtime member of thegroup,saysthe shells areaperfect fitfor them becausetheyare afeministsymbolthatcan be customized to reflecteachindividual creator.

“Theyare hand-decoratedasour memberssee fit —whateverinspires them,based on thetasteand the theme,”she says.

Throws canbesimple keepsakesoruseful—and in some cases, edible. TheMerry Antoinettes, who dressuplikeMarie Antoinette and areknown fortheir fondness of champagne, favordecorated fans forthe overheatedorthe melodramatic. Buttheyalso hand outbrioche or macaronsassnacks,aswellaspainted champagnecorks as keepsakes.

Others, like thesubkrewesinthe KreweofBoheme, userecycledmaterials to maketheir throws.Theyrun thegamutfromdecorated bottle topmagnetstothe intricatelydecorated 45sthe KreweofKingJames “threw”several yearsago.

TheKrewe desFleurseachyearhonors aflower, whichisreflected in thecostumesand throws each membermakes

“There’ssomuchwasteassociatedwithMardi Gras,” captainMadeleine Briscoe says.“We’veall shared that concern. Thehandmade throws arespecial— someonehas puttimeand intentionalityintothem.It’slike keepinga little piece of art. Ireally thinkpeople are starting to shift away from plasticand wasteand shift toward moremeaningfulitems.”

This year,the Krewedes Fleurs celebrates thelily, and membershave made mini versions of theflower outofleftovercostume scraps to matchtheir outfits. They canbewornaslapel pinsorhair clips or affixed

to other garments.Members also make signature wooden doubloonsand hand out bundles of seedsfor flowers native to Louisiana

Since thekrewe formed, they’veamassedfansalong theroute includinggarden enthusiastswho hold up handmadesigns replacing thetired classic “Throw me something, mister”withthe phrase “Seedsfor beads!”

Briscoesaysrevelersoften send thekrewe photosof theplantsthey’ve cultivated from thethrows.

It’s notjust thewalking paradesand marching krewes that aremovingawayfrom bulk plastic throws either

Rexhas begun phasing outplastic go-cupsinfavor of stainless steel, reusable cups.The groupalso started cutting back on plastic beadswhile increasing the number of specialglass bead braceletsand necklacesin theirinventory.

Rexofficialsare also workingwiththe city and other large-scale parade krewes forwaystofurther replace plasticbeads withglass and other throws,including lo-

cally sourcingglass beadsin Louisiana— which hasone of thelargest naturalsupplies of sand in theworld

Then thereare Muses’ shoes, which standwith Zulu’s coconuts as one of the most covetedthrowsof Carnival season.Members of thekrewe work formonths meticulously applying glitter to shoesofall shapes and sizes, and longtime parade goers proudly displaytheir collectionsintheir homes.

Carrie Jo Martina, a member of Musesfor more than adecade, says this time of year she’ll spend severallonghours aday in her“womancave” as she decorates shoes. Whilesome membersrepurposeshoes from thrift stores forthe occasion, Martinasaysall of hers come from friendswho have thoughtfully collected them throughout theyearfor hertodecorate. (Someare likely hopingMartina will pay them back in theformofa revamped, sparklyshoe.)

“I’ve been coming out here for3to4hours aday Ijust turn theTVon, have some wine andglitter and

decorate,” shesays. “SometimesI have friendsoverwho come help.”

Each Musesrider is only allowedtocarry 30 shoes with them on thefloats, but Martinasaysa lotofmembers decoratemuchmore than that,sotheycan give them to friendsand family before or afterthe parade Thesocialaspectof hand-decoratingthese throws is one of thebest partsofbeing in akrewe, memberssay

“Weget together as a krewe to have parties, to decorate, and memberscan work on them individually,” Goddesses’Herman says.

And of course, the crowd reaction makesit allworthwhile.

“Welove that people aremoreexcited about handmade throws,” says Fleurs’ Briscoe.

“That’sone of themost funthingsaboutbeing in a krewe:seeingthe reactions to thecostumesand the throws,”she adds.“Ilove to hand them outtochildren. Theireyespop,and they get so excited.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KREWEDES FLEURS KrewedesFleurshand outLouisiananative seedsandfloral-themed throwsmadeoutof costumescraps.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KREWEOFGODDESSES TheKreweofGoddesses paintsanddecoratesoyster shellsasthrows.

Beads, beads, be beads

TheDamesdePerlage celebrate 10years ofCarnivalbeading andmarching

KAYLEE POCHE

DAMES DE PERLAGE GRAND DAME JULIE LODATO has officiallyentered crunch time in beadingher 2023 Carnival costume.

She wasupuntil 3a.m.after work on arecentFridayand 4 a.m. thenextday hand-stitching beadstomakea bustier, bustle and headdress,she says.Topass thetimewhile beading, she’s been listening to podcastsand doinga lotofbinge-watching.

“I canlookatmybeadwork and tell youwhatTVshowI was watching in that section,”Lodato says.“Ihave awhole ‘White Lotus’ sectiononmyskirt.”

Lodato anticipateslongnights ahead to complete hercostume before thefirst parade theDames aremarchinginthisyear, Krewe of Freret on Saturday,Feb.11. She also has beenbeadingon her lunch breaks at work

“Sometimes you’ve justgot to do what you’ve gottodo, squeezeinacouple beadswherever youcan,” shesays. “And that’s whereI’m at rightnow.”

Butit’ll allbeworth it come parade time. Thewomen’s krewe, knownfor theirintricate costumesmadeusing abeading stylesimilar to thetraditionsof MardiGrasIndians,formedin 2012,and theirtheme fortheir 10th year of paradingis“We Make MardiGrasHappen.”

EachDame’scostume will featureadesigninspired by a Carnival krewespecialtothem. Thedesigns include popular paradinggroupslikeMuses and Zulu as well as krewes no longer around like Minerva and newer krewessuchasRed Beans.

“We’re trying to turn the volume up to 11 on this year’s designs,” Lodato says.“We really

were trying to make them better than they’veeverbeen.”

Creating thecostumestakes much of theyear. Leadership announces theupcomingtheme to thekrewe afterJazzFest.Then, each Dame worksona design for theircostume,printsitout on a sheetoffabricand chooseswhat colorbeads they want to sewon. Dependingona member’s sewingtechnique and procrastination tendencies, thefullcostumescan take anywherefromtwo to nine monthstocomplete.

Since itsinception,Dames de Perlagehas grownfromaround 20 memberstoclose to 60.Past themeshave included“Hidden Street ArtofNew Orleans,” “FierceWomen of Louisiana”and “The Saints Go Marching In Patron Saints of NewOrleans.”

Over theyears,they’ve learned what worksfor them andwhat doesn’t. They nowstayaway from nightparades,optingfor earlier affairswhereparade goers cansee theirelaboratebeadwork in allits glory.

This year theDameswill march alongside their Dudesand the BigFun Brass Band in parades with thekrewesofFreret, King Arthur, OAKand Tucks, as well as in theirannual Dame Fine Second Line on LundiGras.

Thesecondlineistheir main eventofthe year.Itcommences with aluncheonatAcmeOyster Houseinthe French Quarter, and then eachmember takesa turn struttingdown—orsometimes cartwheeling down —the catwalk,withthe rest of theDames cheering them on Afterward, theBig FunBrass Band,which hasmarched with

theDames from theget-go, leadsthem in asecondlinefrom Acme to Cosimo’s,makingseveral stopsatFrenchQuarter bars along theway.

Lodato says she’smostexcited forthisday because it’s away for theDames to celebrateeachother,nomatterwhatthe previous year broughttheir way.

“We’re therefor eachother in thegood timesand thebad times,”she says.“This year in particular, alot of us have hadarottenyearwiththe loss of people in ourlives,illnesses,thingslikethat, and we just do everything we can to supporteachother.”

Forexample,Lodatojust arranged fora member whorecently brokeher foot to join theDames viapedicab this year, as per their“no Dame left behind”policy.

“The supportthatwegive each other —I can’tput a dollar signonit,”she says.“It’s just unbelievable.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JULIELODATO Keepaneyeoutforthishand-beaded CleopatracorsetbeadedbySarah DouglaswhentheDamesdePerlage marchthisyear.

PHOTO BY BILL LANXNER TheDamesdePerlagesecondline throughtheFrenchQuarterduring Carnival2022.

Walk this way

Aweekendofwalkingparades,musicandindulgence

CARNIVAL PARADESCONTINUE with aclusterofparadesinthe French Quarterand Marignyand thereturnofthe Algiers MardiGras Festival.Onthe East Bank,it’sall aboutparadesfullofsubkrewes marchingwithbrass bands. Thefloatsand most of thethrowsare handmade and eachsubkrewe hasits ownflair.InAlgiers,there’s a parade andaMardi Gras festival.Routesare subject to change. Checkbestofneworleans.com forupdates andmoreCarnivalnews and previews

KREWEBOHEME

7P.M.FRIDAY,FEB.3

French Quarterand Marigny

THE GREEN FAIRYRETURNS to theFrenchQuarter on Friday, Feb. 3, with 900revelersinthe KreweBoheme parade

Thegroup of artistically inspired subkrewesisbacktopre-pandemic proportions.After parade themes aboutmusic andfood,the krewe celebrates visual artwiththe theme “Night of theLiving Art.” Ruling as thekrewe’s Supreme GreenFairy is Charles Gilliam Sr., a folk artist and creatorofthe AlgiersFolkArt Zone &Blues Museum.The krewealso will have severalmini-floats celebratingartists includingSalvador Dali, GustavKlimt andothers.

Theparade features more than 20 subkrewesand dancegroups. Longtime groups include theKrewe of King James:The Super BadSex MachineStrollers,the MerryAntoinettes,Krewe of Dystopian Paradise and Skinzn Bonez. Newtothe groupisthe Bollywood-inspired Krewe da Bhan Gras.The KreweofGoCupsisa spinoff from theIntergalacticKrewe of Chewbacchus’ Hanand the Solo Cups.Also in thelineupare Interrobang?!,Krewe of Full Bush, Neon Cowboys, Menage aTrike Roule, KrewedeLuneand the Star-Steppin’Cosmonaughties

Theprocessionalso will have severalbrass bands. Thekrewe encourages hand-made throws.

Theroute starts in Marigny and circles theFrenchQuarter.Itends at thekrewe’s Absinthe Ball,which is limitedtokrewe members and guestsonly.

Visitkreweboheme.comfor information

ALGIERSMARDI GRAS FESTIVAL

SATURDAY,FEB.4 Algiers

ALGIERS COMMUNITY GROUPS AND SCHOOL

BANDS highlight the AlgiersMardi Gras festival on Feb. 4. There’sa parade at 9 a.m. followedbylive musicfromJames Andrews, Amanda Shaw andothersat FederalCityPark from 10 a.m. to 6p.m

Recently retired 4thCircuit Courtof AppealJudge Edwin A. Lombardisthe grandmarshal, and theparade includes membersofthe Krewe of NOMTOC, theMohawk Hunters MardiGrasIndians and marchingbandsfromL.B.Landry and Edna Karr high schools, New OrleansMilitary andMaritime Academy, AliceM.Harte CharterSchooland Martin Behrman Charter School. Therealso are danceand community groups Themile-long routestartsat Lamarque and ends at Federal City Park at Hebert and Constitution streets.

Thefestivalmusic lineup includesthe L.B. LandryChoir, aU.S.MarineForcesReserve Band and BigFrank/Lil Frank Thefestivalfeaturesmore than adozen food vendors, and free parking isavailable.

Visitalgiersmardigrasfest.com forinformation

’TIT REX

4P.M.SUNDAY,FEB.5 Marigny

THE ’TIT REX PARADE STARTS with a“HotTip”and endswith aspecial surprise this year

Carnival’s microkrewe,which holds aparade of artistically rendered,often satirical, shoe-box size floats,parades on Sunday,Feb.5.Itlines up on the neutralgroundonSt. Roch Avenue behindSt. Roch Market,but itsusual start time has been movedupto4 p.m. to accommodatechangesinthe city’s parade schedule

Thetheme forthe group’s15thparadeis“HotTip,” which mayatfirst glance sounda little removedfromthe usual puns on tiny things.But ahot tipis“a little bitofinformation,” says JanineHayes, oneofthe kreweorganizers, and there’splentyofpuns and double entendresfor members to work with when designingmini-floats.The tiny constructions roll on theirown wheels,and some have mechanical features. Most also arelighted,and thekrewe hastried to keep aparadetimethatwill allowmanyspectators to enjoythe full effect of viewingthe floats at night.

PHOTO BY SCOTTTHRELKELD /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE TheMohawkHuntersMardiGrasIndiantribeare intheparadetotheAlgiersMardiGrasFestival.

Celebrateyourbusiness in ADORE and GAMBIT’S upcoming weddingissues to reach more brides,groomsand theirlovedones. For moreinformation,callSandy (504)483-3150or emailsstein@gambitweekly.com

Bride GROOM +

ComingMarch 2023

Thereare morethan 30 floats in this year’s lineup. Many of the float-makersalso crafttinythrows. In past years,one decoratedwalnuts as aminihomage to Zulu coconuts,and another memberdecorated cocktailumbrellas like NewOrleans-style parade parasols. There also arebracelets instead of bead necklaces.

Theparade featuresfourjazzand brassbands, includingPanorama Jazz Band,Egg Yolk Jubilee, WhereY’atand theBra Band,anall-women group. Theroute circles Marigny andendsatthe AllWaysLounge.

This year’s parade doesnot have humanroyalty.Instead, thekrewe is saluting inanimateobjectstoberevealed at parade time. Aproclamation teases,“AllhailtoGlinda, ourGoo WitchQueen! Behold herpowerfulbinding spell— hotmagic endlesslyflowing from her fierytip.” Visittitrexparade.com for information. ‘TITREX subjecttochange

KREWEDELUSION

SUNDAY,FEB.5

Marigny

WHILE KREWEDELUSION PARADESINITS 13TH YEAR, it amountstoa bitofgood fortuneafter amishap last year formonarch BennyJones Sr., when theroyal transportbroke down mid-parade. So he’sbacktoruleagain, addingthe Sultan of Syncopation to histitle.A founderofthe DirtyDozen Brass Band and longtime member of the Treme Brass Band and socialaid and pleasureclubs, he’s aquintessential NewOrleans parade veteran.

Thebig news forkrewedelusionisthe move to Sunday nightafter yearsofparadingonSaturday, followingKrewe du Vieux. Andthe diverseprocessionhas plenty to attractcrowdstoits first solo foray. The RootsofMusic band will leadthe parade.There also arebrass bands in theprocession, includingNew BirthBrass Band and Squeakand the Boys,and some subkrewesadd theirown music.

Thereare morethan10subkrewesand some independent marchers. Groups include theWeatherGirls, theKrewe of Conus, …and Boleyns, and KrewedeMayahuel,inspired by theAztec goddess of fertility and agave,which leads itsown parade in observationofthe Dayofthe Dead.Created at thewishofformerkrewedelusionmonarchLois NelsonAndrews,there’s aBabyDolls group. TheAlkrewistsoften costume as bumbling superheroes. TheTrashformersare focusedonrecycling, and they usually collectitems during theparade,including aluminum cans this year.Kreweleidoscopewas originally inspired by Dr.Seuss, and they create musicwiththeir rolling contraptions.

Thekrewe appliedfor a6:45p.m.start time and generallystartsits parade in theMarigny,but aroute wasnot finalizedatpress time.The krewe’s BedlamBallisatd.b.a.following theparade. Doorsopen at 9 p.m. anditisopen to thepublic Visitfacebook.com/krewedelusionfor information

APERFECT UNIONTOREACH THEENGAGED

Royalreturn

EXACTLYONEYEARTOTHEDAY

That’s howlongShirleyand Tang Leestayedretired before opening theirnew spot, MissShirley’sChinese RestaurantinUptowninDecember

TheLeesran RoyalChina in Metairie for44years.The pandemic convincedthem they were tiredand needed to sell theirrestaurant. They spentalmostseven monthstraveling, visitingtheir grandkidsand other family membersinSingapore.

Butthen theirdaughterCarling LeeGannon,a localreal estate attorney and nowtheir business partner,found outthatJung’s Golden Dragon II wasclosing on Magazine Street

“I thoughtitwas perfect and just threeblocksfrommyhouse,” Lee Gannon says.“Commercialproperty doesn’tcomeupfor sale in that neighborhood toooften,soI boughtthe building.”

TheLeescamehomefor Lee Gannon’s wedding,and whilethey didn’tagree to openMissShirley’s right away,their actionsspoke volumes aboutthe possibility. Although most mothersofthe bride areprettyinvolvedinthe planning, ShirleyLee had aproject of herown

“Assoon as they gothome, mom called up alot of her old customers and startedcookingfor them,” Lee Gannon says.“She’ddotwo lunch seatings and an earlydinner at her formal dining tableathome—I neversat at that table in my life.I’d say, ‘Mom,can youcometopick outflowers with me?’ andshe’d say, ‘Sorry,I can’t. Mr.Mikeiscomingfor take-out.’ It wasobvious shemissed therestaurantsomuch.”

Hermother knewDecember could typically be aslowermonth for restaurants and wasworried that herold customersmight not findher on Magazine,Lee Gannon says.But theresponsefromthe community wasimmediate “Weweren’t even readytoopen, and people were at thedoor,”Lee Gannon adds. “Ofcourse, she’dlet them in.”

When LeeGannon started postingonsocialmedia,dinersstarted coming to thenew spot.“We didn’t

have aphonein thebeginning because the number didn’t have an eightin it,” shesays. “It’s aChinese thing, alucky number Finally,I said, ‘Mom,wecan’t be openwithout aphone,’so shehad to let that go.”

Thenew spot is moreintimate than the Metairierestaurant —cozyand inviting with a long baralong onewall. Aslate blue and gold colorscheme is accented with a scattering of light wood tables.

Miss Shirley’sisopen forlunch half of theweekand dinners most days.The restaurantdoesn’taccept reservations,and therewas an hour wait on arecentThursdaynight LeeGannon recommends coming at 5p.m.or8p.m.toavoid await.

Miss Shirley’smenuisfullofthe dim sumand Cantonese specialties connectedwiththe couple’sroots in Hong Kong.“It’s alittlemoresuccinct,”Lee Gannon says.“We took away afew of themoreAmericanChinesedishes— mandarin chicken, sweetand sour chicken.That’snot ourjam.”

Instead, thereare tender snow pea leaf dumplings stuffedwith shrimp, steamed pork soup dumplings tangywithgarlic andginger,and plates of clamsthatare rich withfermentedblack bean sauceand chili

Crabmeatudon noodles areLee Gannon’s go-tocomfort food.The noodles arestir-friedinanumami-rich blackbeangarlicsauce studdedwithjumbo lumps of crabmeatinthe deeply satisfying dish

“I wassolucky,” shesays. “My mom would make me that whenever Iasked forit. It wasmymacaroni and cheese.”

Shirley’sfried rice features brown ricefried withshrimp, pork chicken and vegetables.Jalapenoscome stuffedwith shrimp,squid,tofuor salt and pepperfish. Glazed tropical friedshrimphas asweet chili glaze and is served with blueberries and pecans.

Beyond thefamiliar wonton and hotand sour soup,there’sa Chinese dumpling andmushroomsoup, a spicy soup packed with seafood and five kinds of mushrooms, and beefnoodle soup with glass noodles andcilantro. Fordessert, beignets aremadetoorder in crowd-sized portions

As in her previous restaurant, theever-smiling Miss Shirleycircles thediningroomtovisit with customerswhenshe takesa break from thekitchen

“I’msohappy to seemycustomers,”she says.“My restaurantwas alot of hard work becauseIwas raisingmykids, too. When you enjoyit, it’s notsuchhardwork afterall.”

FORK +CENTER

Emaildining@gambitweekly.com

Cake

ATTHISTIMEOFYEAR,SEASON’SGREETINGS AREOFTENACCOMPANIED by king cake.It’severywhere, in formsboth familiar and those that seem to defy king cake tradition.

Nowthatwe’re into king cake season,itfeels likea good time to take stock. Here aresomeofthe standout kingcakes I’ve hadalready in this young season.Thisisnot a “bestof” listorrankingoftop king cakes. This is justthe first cut into thekingcakeabundance as the season progresses

AyuBakehouse

801Frenchmen St.

Thisnew bakery is offering three very differentkingcakes

Oneisasavory number that essentially beefsupthe delicious, meaty, olivesalad-studded muffuletta sticks thebakerynormallymakes into a kingcakesizeand shape.

Thecheekily namedbut more traditional“Croissant City Classic” cake is fluffy and flaky, andgives a

fine contrast betweenthe croissant-like laminated outershelland thefeathery-soft interior.

Thethird could be aproblemfor chocolate fanatics.ThisNutella babkakingcakeisbased on the palm-sizedbabkaknots thebakery regularly produces. Swirls of dough entwinewith rich,hazelnut-imbued chocolate coursingthroughout.

Some chocolate seepsout and makesdarklycaramelized bits that areexplosively flavorful

Anotefor babkafans: Theidea of babkabraided into therole of kingcakecametoacclaim through Shaya, which has itscinnamon and saltedcaramel versionbackthis year (asdoesits newCovington siblingrestaurant, TAVI).

Preorder online or getwhole cakesatthe shop.Traditional king

PHOTO BY IANMCNULTY / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

ShirleyLeeopenedMiss Shirley’sChineseRestaurant onMagazineStreet.

PHOTO BY IANMCNULTY / THETIMES-PICAYUNE AyuBakehouse’sCroissant CityClassickingcakes.

ShirleyLee serves Cantonese dishes at her newspot in Uptown

ShirleyLee opens anew restaurant on Magazine Street{ by Beth D’Addono |

OUTTOEAT

cake $36,muffulettakingcake

$36,babka king cake $40.

Up thestreet, theunrelated restaurant Saba is servingits babkakingcakeonlybythe slice, and only in therestaurant.

TheLarder GourmetMarket

3005 Veterans MemorialBlvd., Metairie ParisKhalaf, kitchen managerand pastry chef at this 2-year-old deli, hascomeupwitha standout on thetraditional king cake roster.It starts with theLarder’scinnamon roll doughand filling, with acream cheese icing. Thetexture is thekey

Thetop is lined with ridges,upon which theicing gathersinwhips still light enough to getthatcrunch beneath. Theinteriorshows cinnamon betweenthe many strands braidedtogether, and contrastsits soft bite with thecrisp exterior.

TheLarder also hasagalettedes rois this year (whole andindividual size), andthere’s asavory king cake in theworks

Call to pre-orderortry your luck overthe counter. TheLarder also sellssliceswhenavailable.Whole king cake:$32 ($5slice).

Loretta’s AuthenticPralines

2101 N. Rampart St.&French Market,1100N.PetersSt.

Pralines arethe thing at Loretta’s, and naturallythatisthe unifyingideafor thekingcakeatthis long-running Marigny bakery, which is nowbeing carriedforward by thenextgenerationofthe late LorettaHarrison’s family

There’spraline icingontop and athick seam of crushed pralinefillingrunning underneaththat. The cake itself has adense,coffee-inviting texture

Loretta’sships whole cakes nationally andsells whole cakes and slices at both themainbakery and itsFrenchMarketstand.Whole cake:$27

Leo’sBread

2438 Bell St.

Acombinationofricotta,chocolate and orange swirled within gives this king cake amellowsweetness to thebrioche body.The bits of citrus candieddowntoahardcrunch, givescontrastingspark.There’sa flurry of pearlsugar bedazzlingthe top. Insteadofa baby,there’s atiny plastic lion

Order in advancefor pick-up or tryyourluckfor whole cakesor slices at thecounter,Thursdayto Sunday only.Whole king cake:$35

Just walkingintoHaydel’s lifts thespirits. There’sMardi Gras musicplaying in theparkinglot, whereyou cansmell thebaking underway.Inside, it’s an anchor of tradition with thicklybraided king cakes, with the“fillings”ridingon topofthose braids

Haydel’s adds porcelain collectiblestoits kingcakes.This year there’sa floattractor and also apeacock, in honor of the 50 year anniversaryofthe Krewe of Argus, which takesits mascot from Greekmythology

Haydel’s ships nationally and sells whole cakesinthree sizesatthe shop.Whole mediumfilled king cake:$23

WishingTown BakeryCafé

802NashvilleAve.&

3327 Severn Ave.,Metairie

WishingTownmight be best known forits dumplings if you’re moreon thesavory side of things.But this two-location dim sumparlorand bakery gotits startfromco-owner Vivi Zheng’sway with baking

Once again this year,ithas a distinctivekingcake. Thebrioche doughisexceptionally airy,witha loosecoiloftwistsand substantial open pocketsthroughout.And the creamcheeseicing is abold color rendition of Mardi Grashues, witha nice sour tang

Thered bean filling is themostin line with thebakery’sChinese influences, andthere’scoconut too. The cinnamon, themosttraditional, also hasa bitofbrown butter gilding thespicewithin thecakefor extra richness.Whole cake:$28

DongPhuong

14207ChefMenteur Highway

Planningisusually key to gettinga Dong Phuong cake,the madlypopularkingcakefromNew Orleans East.People placepre-orderswell in advance(and pre-orders are alreadybooked up forthe season).

Another routeisqueuingupat thebakery(8a.m.Wednesday to Monday)orgoingtothe networkof official retailpartnersthatsellthem allacrossthe area,fromVietnamese restaurants to breweries.

Iwalkedintomyneighborhood puband foundaregularwho had her Dong Phuong cake open to shareonthe bar.

Thescalloped curls of dough, thecrisp,croissant-like layers and thesubtletanginits creamcheese icingmakeitall it’s crackedupto be, year afteryear.

Forkingcakeinformation and retailers, seedpbakery.com. Whole king cake:$24 ($28 filled).

MelindaWilson,Paige Wentzel,RenaFord &ClaubriellMcLaurin

NOCHI Students

by Will Coviello

ACAPSTONEPROJECTFORSTUDENTS

ATTHENEWORLEANSCULINARY& HOSPITALITYINSTITUTE (NOCHI)isto create apop-uprestaurantatits location in theWarehouse District. Allstudentsinthe class settocomplete theirprogram in Marchare workingonanIndiancuisineconcept,Sai.The idea waspitched by a team includingRenaFord, Melinda Wilson, Claubriell McLaurin,Paige Wentzeland SylviaBerry.The menu of appetizers,maincourses, desserts and drinks will be finalized this week.Sai willserve lunch Feb. 3, 6-8, 10 and 13-15. Seatings areavailable on thehalf-hourfrom 11:30a.m.through 1p.m.Proceeds benefitNOCHI’s scholarshipprogram.For moreinformation about NOCHIand Sai, visitnochi.org

Howdidyouget interestedincooking andattendingNOCHI?

CLAUBRIELL MCLAURIN: Iamin thebakeryand pastry program.My family —wehavealot of creativity— bakers,and we have afood truck. It’s called BrownSoulTruck It’s been outtherelikethree years. Iworkonitall thetime. Itake orders and passour dessertslike pralines,brownies andooey-gooey cakes. Ihavealot of restaurant and customer serviceexperienceas well.After Igraduate, Iamgoingto work on acruiseship.

RENA FORD: Istarted baking when Iwas 12.I started with blondies, brownies,cupcakesand cakes. Imade my first loaf of bread when I wasineighthgrade. Istarted pickingthings up on my own, and it progressed into bigger things.I have a passion forbaking, so it wasaneasy decisiontostart school here IamfromSalem, Oregon.Icame here with my husband, whocame back forfamily.Itwas theinfluence of NewOrleans culturethatmade me want to getintofood.Culinary schoolhas improvedmyskills. My goal is to open afood truck, but just fordesserts.

PAIGEWENTZEL: Icame to NOCHIbecause Ihad apassion forcooking. Afteryears of my

friendsand family telling me to go to cookingschool, I finally started.I have afriend whoisa privatechef, and I helped outduring Covidwhen restaurantswereshutdown. Ihope to open aplace of my ownsomeday

MELINDAWILSON: Iamchangingcareers.Ithink Idid my first troutamandinewhen Iwas 12 Instead of readingbooks,Iwas readingcookbooks.But Iwentthe traditionalroute into college and businessand themedical field, then construction and sales. Then, Covidchangedmyway of thinking. Ishould do what Iampassionate about and love Ihave done catering forfriends and family.Theysaidifyou can cook for50people,you should go forit. Iwould like to go into formal private catering

Howdidyoudecide ontheconceptforSai?

PW: We came up with Saiasa group. Indianfoodisnot very common in NewOrleans.Ithadn’tbeen done before at NOCHI. We wanted to do something that waschallengingbut also goingtobeappealing to ourclientele.Wecompared it to things we eatinNew Orleans every day, like alot of rice dishes and stews —thingsverysimilar to curriesand Indiandishes. We’retakingsomethingfamiliarand makingitfun.

MW: NOCHIhas done alot of traditionalFrenchand Italianand barbecue.We’re steppingout of everyone’s comfortzone.

CM: Iamoriginally from here, butwedon’t have alot of Indian restaurants. Ourconceptistoput it outthere andget people to try newflavors

MW: We also cost outthe menu We talkedabout theambiencefor therestaurantand pitched that to apanel of staffand instructors

PW: It’s going to be very Bollywood.It’sgoingtobebright and fun.

Whatkindsofdishesare yougoingtoputonthemenu?

MW: We wanted to have dishes foreveryone. We wanted to have

WINE OF THE WEEK

afishoption, ameatoption, but we also wanted to stretchwith tofu andvegetarianfoodwithout having to say“vegetarian.”We’re trying to be plant forward.

RF: Themajorityofour menuis goingtobeglutenfree.

MW: Iamlookingforward to vegetariantikka masalawith tofu It’s pan-seared tofu with acreamy tomato-based curry. It’s thefirst Indian dish Itried.I letmydaughterorder forme, andI didn’t know Iwas eating tofu.Ifyou cansurprisemewith tofu like that,Iamin.

PW: We’redoinga tri-colored cauliflower, sincewe’ll be open duringMardi Gras.There are purple,green andyellowtypes Cauliflowerisinseason right now. We’remakinga tri-colorpakora, which is an appetizer. It’s deep friedinchickpeabattertogive it this really full flavored, almost nuttyaroma

Ourcurries aregoingtobethe hitofthe show.Thereare alot of seasonings that go into them,but nottoo muchspice

CM: Ihad neverhad Indian food, but samosas remindmeofatraditional meat pie

PW: It’s gotturmericand garam masala.We’re makingour own spice blend.It’sgot fennel, potato and Englishpeas

CM: We have aturmericmarshmallow we’releaning towards doing. We have apistachioyogurt.

RF: We have amango-coconut tart.We’re doinga chai panna cotta. Iamexcited to trythe ice creams.Ilove Indianfood. It’s very homeytasting. With icecream,we had talkedabouta mint one, an apricotone.Weweretalking about acitrusyone and then some offthe-charts flavorliketea

This wine displays vibrantand punchy aromatics of grapefruit, white peach and passionfruit with a scattering of tropical stonefruits. This wine demonstratesmouthwatering acidity,and minerality.Alovely young anddynamic drop that finishes with apleasingfresh passionfruit note that lingers

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PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOCHI NOCHIstudentsRenaFord(l tor.),MelindaWilson,Sylvia Berry,ClaubriellMcLaurin andPaigeWentzel.

Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc NewZealand

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Out 2Eat is an indexofGambit contract advertisers. Unlessnoted, addresses arefor NewOrleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

Acorn— 12 HenryThomas Drive, (504) 218-5413;acornnola.com— Thecafe a at theLouisiana Children’s Museum haskid-and adult-friendly menu Blackenedshrimpfillatrio of tacos toppedwith arugula,radish, pineapple-mango salsaand cilantro-lime sauce.Noreservations.breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sun $$

Andrea’s Restaurant— 3100 N. 19th St.,Metairie,(504) 834-8583;andreasrestaurant.com Speckled trout royale is topped withcrabmeatand lemon-creamsauce.Capelli D’Andrea combines house-madeangel hair pastaand smoked salmon in cream sauce.Deliveryavailable.Lunchand

dinner daily,brunchSun $$$

Angelo Brocato’s 214N.Carrollton Ave.,(504) 486-1465;angelobrocatoicecream.com This sweetshop serves itsown gelato, spumoni,Italian ice, cannolis,biscotti,fig cookies, tiramisu,macaroons andother treats.

Lunchand dinner Tue.-Sun $

Annunciation— 1016 Annunciation St.,(504) 568-0245;annunciationrestaurant.com

Themenuhighlights

Gulf seafood in Creole,Cajun and Southerndishes. Gulf Drum Yvonne is served with brownbuttersauce with mushrooms andartichoke hearts Reservations recommended.Dinner

Thu.-Mon $$$

TheBlue Crab Restaurant andOyster Bar— 118Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985)315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504)284-2898;thebluecrabnola.com

Themenuincludessandwiches, friedseafood platters,boiledseafood andmore. Basinbarbecue shrimp are served overcheesegrits with acheese biscuit.Outdoor seatingavailable

No reservations.Lakeview: lunchand dinnerTue.-Sun. Slidell: lunchFri.-Sat., dinnerWed.-Sun. $$

Broussard’s— 819Conti St., (504) 581-3866;broussards.com—

Themenu includes Creole andcreativecontemporary dishes.Rainbow troutamandineisservedwith tasso and corn macque chouxand Creole meuniere sauce. Reservations recommended.Outdoor seatingavailable

DinnerWed.-Sat., brunchSun $$$

Cafe Normandie— Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining The menu combines classicFrenchdishes and Louisiana itemslikeCrabbeignets withherbaioli.Noreservations

Breakfastand lunch daily $$

Common Interest HotelIndigo, 705 Common St.,(504) 595-5605;commoninterestnola.com— Shrimpremoulade Cobb salad comeswith avocado, bluecheese, tomatoes,bacon,egg and corn relish.Beefdebris tops goat cheese and thymegrits.Reservations accepted.Breakfast, lunch,dinnerand late-night daily. $$

Curio— 301Royal St.,(504) 717-4198; curionola.com ThecreativeCreole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken andandouille jambalaya. Reservations accepted

Lunchand dinner daily $$

Desire Oyster Bar— RoyalSonesta NewOrleans, 300Bourbon St.,(504)

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

586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar ThemenuhiglightsGulf seafood in Creole dishes.Char-grilled oystersare toppedwith Parmesan andherbs.Reservations recommended.Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily. $$

Dickie Brennan’sBourbon House — 144Bourbon St.,(504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse.com— Theseafood restauranthas araw barand alarge selectionofbourbon.Redfish on theHalfshelliscooked skin-onand served withlemon buerre blanc Reservations accepted.Lunch and dinnerdaily $$$

Felix’s Restaurant&OysterBar

739Iberville St.,(504) 522-4440; 7400 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 3044125;felixs.com Louisiana oysters areservedraw or char-grilled with garlic,Parmesanand breadcrumbs. Themenuincludesseafood platters, crawfish etouffee,po-boys and more.Noreservations.Lunch and dinner daily $$

Frey Smoked Meat Co.— 4141 Bienville St.,Suite 110,(504) 488-7427;freysmokedmeat.com Thebarbecue restaurantservespulledpork, St Louis ribs,brisket, sausages andmore. Friedporkbelly poppers aretossed in pepperjelly glaze. No reservations

Lunchand dinner daily $$

FrootOrleans — 2438 Bell St.,Suite B, (504) 233-3346; frootorleans. com— The shop serves freshfruit in platters,smoothie bowlssuchas astrawberry shortcakesmoothie and more using pineapple, various berries,citrus and more.Noreservations.Outdoor seatingavailable

Breakfast and lunch daily. $$

Joey K’s— 3001 Magazine St.,(504) 891-0997; joeyksrestaurant.com The menu includes friedseafood platters, salads,sandwiches and redbeans and rice.Sauteed troutTchoupitoulasis toppedwith shrimp and crabmeat. Delivery available.Lunch and dinner

Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$

Juan’sFlying Burrito— 515Baronne St.,(504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St.,(504) 569-0000;4724S

CarrolltonAve., (504)486-9950; 8140 OakSt.,(504) 897-4800; juansflyingburrito.com The Flying Burritoincludesgrilled steak, shrimp, chicken,cheddar-jack cheese,black beans, yellow rice,guacamole and salsa.The menu also has tacos, quesadillas,nachosand more. Outdoor seatingavailable.Noreservations

Lunchand dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

Katie’s Restaurant— 3701 Iberville St.,(504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity. com— ACajun Cubanhas roasted pork,grilled ham, cheese andpickles onbutteredbread.The Boudreaux pizzaistopped withcochon de lait, spinach, redonions and roasted garlic.Deliveryavailable.Reservations accepted forlarge parties.Lunch and dinnerTue.-Sun. $$

Kilroy’s Bar— HigginsHotel,480

Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504)528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining The bar menu includes sandwiches,flatbreads, salads and more.A Louisiana peach flatbreadhas prosciutto, stracciatella

cheese,arugula and pecans. No reservations.DinnerWed.-Sat. $$

LegacyKitchen’s CraftTavern— 700Tchoupitoulas St., (504)6132350;legacykitchen.com Themenu includesoysters,flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches,saladsand more.A NOLAStyle GritsBowlistopped with bacon, cheddarand apoached egg. Reservations accepted.Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily $$

LegacyKitchen Steak&Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway,Gretna, (504) 513-2606;legacykitchen.com The menu includes filets mignons, bone-in rib-eyesand topsirloins,aswellas burgers, salads andseafood dishes Reservations accepted.Outdoor seatingavailable.Lunchand dinner

Mon.-Sat $$

MartinWine Cellar — 714Elmeer Ave.,Metairie,(504) 896-7350;3827 BaronneSt.,(504) 894-7444;martinwine.com— Thespiritsshop’s deli serves sandwiches,saladsand more TheSenasalad includes roasted chicken,raisins,blue cheese,pecans and greenswith Tabascopepperjelly vinaigrette. No reservations

Lunchdaily $$

MidCityPizza — 6307 S. Miro St., (504)509-6224; midcitypizza.com—

Thepizza jointservesNew York-style pies,calzones, sandwiches and salads

Shrimp remoulade pizzaincludes spinach, onion and garlic.Delivery available. No reservations.Lunch

Thu.-Sun., dinnerThu.-Mon. $$

Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504)488-1881; mikimotosushi.com

TheSouth Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki,avocado and snow crab. Themenualso has sushi, sashimi, noodle dishes,teriyakiand more Reservations accepted.Deliveryavailable.LunchSun.-Fri.,dinner daily $$ Mosca’s— 4137 Highway90West, Westwego,(504) 436-8950;moscasrestaurant.com Thisfamily-styleeateryservesItaliandishesand specialties includingshrimpMoscaand chicken alagrande. Bakedoysters Moscais madewith breadcrumbs andItalian seasonings.Reservationsaccepted Dinner Wed.-Sat.Cash only $$$

Mother’s Restaurant— 401Poydras St.,(504) 523-9656;mothersrestaurant.net This counter-servicespot is knownfor po-boys dressed with cabbageand Creole favorites, such as jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and redbeans and rice.Deliveryavailable No reservations.Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily $$

Nephew’sRistorante— 4445 W. Metairie Ave.,Metairie,(504) 5339998; nephewsristorante.com Chef Frank Catalanottoisthe namesake

“nephew” whoran thekitchen at Tony Angello’s restaurant.The CreoleItalianmenufeaturesdisheslikeveal, eggplantorchicken parmigiana Reservations required.Dinner

Tue.-Sat $$

Neyow’sCreole Cafe — 3332Bienville St.,(504) 827-5474;neyows.com The menu includes redbeans with fried chicken or porkchops, as well as seafoodplatters, po-boys,char-grilled oysters, pasta, salads andmore. No reservations.Lunchdaily,dinner Mon.-

Sat., brunchSun $$

Nice Guys Bar&Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404;niceguysbarandgrillnola.com Char-grilled oystersare topped withcheese. The

menu also includes wings, quesadillas, burgers, sandwiches,salads, seafood pastaand more.Noreservations

Lunchdaily,dinner Mon.-Sat $$$

Nonno’s CajunCuisineand Pastries 1940 Dauphine St.,(504) 354-1364; nonnoscajuncuisineandpastries.com— Themenuincludeshome-styleCajun and Creole dishes with some vegan options.Shrimpare sauteed with onions and peppers, topped withcheeseand served with two eggsand toast.Deliveryavailable Reservations accepted.Breakfast andlunch daily $$

PeacockRoom— KimptonHotel

Fontenot,501 Tchoupitoulas St.,(504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com

Blacklentilvadouvancurry comes withroasted tomatoes,forest mushrooms and basmati rice.The menu includes smallplates, aburger, salads andmore. Reservations accepted

Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunchSun $$

Rosie’sonthe Roof— HigginsHotel, 480AndrewHigginsBlvd.,(504) 5281941;higginshotelnola.com/dining—

Therooftop barhas amenu of sandwiches,burgers andsmall plates

No reservations.Dinner daily $$

Tacklebox 817Common St.,(504) 827-1651;legacykitchen.com The seafoodrestaurantservesraw and char-grilled oysters, seafood,burgers, salads andmore. RedfishSt. Charles is served withgarlic-herbbutter, asparagus, mushroomsand crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted

Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily $$

Tavolino Pizza&Lounge— 141 Delaronde St.,(504) 605-3365; tavolinonola.com— Themenu features thin-crust pizzas,salads,meatballs and more.ABehrman Hwy. pizza is topped with pork belly,caramel, carrots, radishes,jalapenosand herbs

No reservations.Outdoor seating available.DinnerTue.-Sat $$

Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza— 1212 S. ClearviewParkway,Elmwood,(504) 733-3803; 2125 VeteransMemorial Blvd., Metairie,(504) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St.,(504) 302-1133;4218 Magazine St.,(504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway21, Covington,(985)2349420;theospizza.com AMarilynn

Pota Supremepie is toppedwith mozzarella,pepperoni,sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions.Therealso aresalads, sandwiches andmore. Takeoutand deliveryavailable.Lunchand dinner

Tue.-Sat $

Tito’sCeviche& Pisco— 1433 St. CharlesAve., (504) 354-1342;5015 Magazine St., (504)267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com— Peruvian lomo saltado is adishofbeefsauteed withonions,tomatoes,cilantro, soy sauce andpisco,and served with friedpotatoesand rice.Outdoor seatingavailable on Magazine Street. Delivery available.Reservations accepted.Lunch anddinner Mon.Sat.,brunchSun $$$

ZhangBistro— 1141 DecaturSt.,(504) 826-8888;zhangbistronola.com

Themenu includes Chinese and Thai dishes.The Szechuan HotWok offers achoiceofchicken,beef, shrimp or tofu withonions, bellpeppers, cauliflower, jalapenosand spicySichuan sauce.Reservations accepted.Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

RAM

THOUGHBESTKNOWNFORMIZIK

RASIN,AHAITIANSTYLE of roots music, RAMisnostranger to Carnival.The groupisnow based in NewOrleans,and on anight when KreweduVieux rollspast Frenchmen Street,SnugHarbor makes achange of pace to open up itsmusic room andhosttwo sets.Ticketholdersget wristbands to getinand outofthe club.A limitednumber of ticketsare $10 in advance, and$15-$20 after supplies run out. Thefirst setisat 9p.m.Saturday,Feb.4.See snugjazz.com forticketsand details.

Brass Brunch

NEWORLEANS’YOUNGFELLAZBRASS BANDANDTHENEWYORKGROUP

BRASSQUEENS will playa brunchtime show on Saturday,Feb.4,at theMusic BoxVillage. Barbekyu

NOLAand Deuxbelle Plant Pastry and Confections will have food forsale andtherewill be special drinks available.The show runs 11 a.m. to 1p.m.and ticketsare $16 generaland $8 forkidsages4-12 viamusicboxvillage.com.

InstigationFestival

NOWINITSSEVENTHYEAR,THE INSTIGATIONFESTIVALPAIRSCHICAGO ANDNEWORLEANS-BASEDMUSICIANS and artistsincollaborativeand improvisational performances runningJan.30through Feb.

2. HelenGillet,Lia Kohl,Martin Masakowski,Rob Frye,Ben LaMar Gayand SashaMasakowski perform at “Instagation Meets Progression” at Chickie WahWah at 8p.m.Tuesday,Jan.31. Chicago artist Damon Locksand New Orleans musician LaTashaBundy collaborateatthe NewQuorum at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1. The InstigationOrchestra performsLia Kohl’s “Emurmerations”at7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2atHappyland Theater. Visitinstigationfestival comfor schedule and details

Tenci

CHICAGOINDIEROCKBANDTENCI released itssweetly soft sophomorerecord, “A SwollenRiver,A Well Overflowing,”latelast year. They arenow on tour andplay NewOrleans at 9p.m.Tuesday, Jan.31, at Gasa Gasa.Ticketsare $12via ticketweb.com.

OPLIAM

MULTI-INSTRUMENTALISTOPLIAM BLENDSALTERNATIVEROCK,BLUES, RAPANDREGGAE in hismusic,which regularly highlightsissues impactingand justicefor Indigenous peoples.OPLIAM, whoisMohawk

throughhis father’s side,also recently publisheda nonfiction book,“IndigenousAmerica,” for young readers.Heplays TheGoat withMel Flowerand Jess Joseph at 7p.m.Thursday, Feb. 2. Tickets are$5advancevia eventbrite.com and $10atthe door.

TheRumble MARDIGRASINDIANFUNKBANDTHE RUMBLEMADEITSDEBUTaround this time last year.The band,fronted by ChiefJoseph Boudreaux Jr.of theGolden Eagles is nowcelebratingits first anniversary with a Wednesdaynight residency at the Maple Leaf.Also,beonthe lookout foralivealbum due outsoon and astudioalbum laterthisyear. The Rumble playsnextat10p.m.Feb.1 Ticketsare $15advancevia mapleleafbar.com and $20atthe door.

LessepsStreet Block Party

ATRIBUTETOLATEBYWATERRESIDENTS BILLYDINGANDMICHAELAARONhas turned into an annual blockparty traditionally held thenight before the KreweduVieux parade. The 11th annual LessepsStreet Block PartyisFriday, Feb. 3atneighboringbarsVaughan’sand BJ’s,with performances by Quintron and Miss Pussycat,Egg Yolk Jubilee, Little FreddieKing, Malevitus, HappyTalkBand, Chris Acker, DaynaKurtz andDaiquiriQueens. Tickets areavailable for$23 througheventbrite.comor$30 at thedoor

SouthCoast WritersRound CHICKIEWAHWAHTHELASTCOUPLE OFWEEKS has been hostinga singer-songwriters’ nightfeaturingNew Orleans musicians “in theroad.”The third“South Coast WritersRound”takes placeat8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, andwill be hosted by Micah McKeewith MichaelMantese,James Roseand NeverEver. Ticketsare $10via chickiewahwah.com.

DeathCab forCutie

LO-FIINDIEROCKERSDEATHCABFOR CUTIEARESTILLLEDBYBENGIBBARD after25years,thoughguitaristand songwriterChris Walla departed in 2014.InSeptember, theband released“Asphalt Meadow,”featuring theenergetic popsingle“RomanCandles.” Also on thebill is Brooklyn’sMomma, whichchanneled 1990s altrock on itsJulyrelease “Household Name.”At8p.m.Friday, Feb. 3, at OrpheumTheater.Findtickets viaorpheumnola.com

cash out equity in your commercial or investment property.

MUSIC

FOR COMPLETE MUSIC LISTINGS AND MORE EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA,VISIT CALENDAR.GAMBITWEEKLY.COM

To learn moreabout adding your event to the music calendar,please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com

TUESDAY31

BAYOUBAR AT THEPONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL —Peter Harris

Quartet, 7:30 pm

CHICKIEWAH WAH —Instigation

Festival,8 pm

DOSJEFES —Tom Hook,8:30 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

—Richard“Piano”Scott,12:30 pm; CollinMyers Band,5pm; Fritzel'sAll Star Band,8 pm

GASA GASA —Tenci,9 pm

NEW ORLEANSJAZZMUSEUM

ArrowheadJazzBand,2pm

NUNEMAKER AUDITORIUM,MONROESCIENCE COMPLEX, LOYOLA UNIVERSITY —JeffAlbert, MikelPatrickAvery,Damon Locks, 7:30 pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —Preservation All-Stars,5,6:15&7:30 pm

ROYALFRENCHMENHOTEL & BAR —TrumpetMafia,6 pm; Jazz Vipers,9 pm

SATURN BAR —JJSlater, Lexi Weege, Read theRoom, 9pm

THERABBITHOLE —Rebirth Brass Band,10pm

WEDNESDAY1

BLUE NILE —New BreedBrass Band,9 pm

CHICKIEWAH WAH

JonCleary, 8pm

GASA GASA —ContortionWith Konstricted,Silver Dose,And NVision, pm

HOTELMONTELEONE —JamesMartin Band,8 pm

NEW QUORUM —LaToshaBundy, DamonLocks,6pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —Preservation

All-Starsfeat. BrandenLewis,5,6:15, 7:30 &8:45pm

ROYALFRENCHMENHOTEL &BAR

MilesBerry &Friends,7pm; BAMJam,10pm

SANTOS —Swamp Moveswith Russell Welch,9pm

SATURN BAR —Sleep Habits,9 pm

THEBOMBAYCLUB —Harry Mayronne and RebeccaLeigh,8 pm

THURSDAY2

BLUE NILE —Jamison Ross, 10 pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM DJ T-Roy, 11pm

BUFFA’S —Tom McDemott and Aurora Nealand, 8pm

CHICKIEWAH WAH —South Coast WritersRound hosted by Micah McKee, 8pm

GASA GASA —JeanBertrand And The99PlayboysWith Gal Holiday, 8pm

HAPPYLAND THEATER —Josh Berman,Rob Frye,Lia Kohl, JamesSingleton,Mikel Patrick Avery, 7:30 pm

LE BON TEMPSROULE

SoulRebels,11pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —Preservation

All-Stars feat.Branden Lewis, 5, 6:15, 7:30 &8:45pm

SATURN BAR —Sam Dooresand Ali Dineen,9 pm

THEJAZZPLAYHOUSE —Brass-AHolics,7:30pm

THERABBITHOLE —ShamarrAllen, Yusa Cuben Quintet, 8pm

ZONY MASH BEERPROJECT —Cha Wa plusThe Brass Queens,8 pm

FRIDAY3

THEALLWAYS LOUNGE &CABERET

—Neon Glow:Abenefit&Fundraiser hosted by TheKrewe of Belle Reve andFridayNight Before Mardi Gras ‘23, 6pm

BJ’S —LessepsStreet BlockParty

ft.LittleFreddie King,Daiquiri

Queens, Quintron andMissPussycat, HappyTalkBand,Egg Yolk Jubilee and more,7pm

BLUE NILE —KermitRuffins and the Barbecue Swingers, 11 pm

BUFFA’S —Nolaroma w/ Johnny Sansone, LucioVillaniand Alessio MagliocchettiLombi, 7pm

CHICKIEWAH WAH —New Birth Brass Band,8 pm

GASA GASA —Moccasyn, 9pm

HIDEAWAY DEN&ARCADE

TheKurtLoders,8 pm

HOUSE OF BLUESNEW ORLEANS

—Pandora'sBox -The Ultimate Aerosmith TributeatHouse of Blues, 8pm

JOYTHEATER —Krewe de Void Presents Carnivoid 2023:The Iceman Special, Good Enough ForGood Times, Gov’tMajik -ADirty South Afrobeat OrchestraperformsKool Karnival,C’est Funk and more,9 pm

ORPHEUM —Death Cabfor Cutie, 8pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —Preservation

All-Stars feat.Branden Lewis, 5, 6:15, 7:30 &8:45pm

REPUBLIC NOLA —Bawldyand Donny,Phulti, naada,fluent, 10:30 pm

SATURN BAR —Pastel Panties, MatthewCharles,Hobo Gadget Junk Band and Joel Wilson, 9pm

SOUTHPORT HALL

Maiden LA,8 pm

THERABBITHOLE —Brass Queens,9 pm;BodyLanguage: Ft.Leather

Penitence, 11:30pm

TIPITINA'S —PreservationHallJazz Band,7 &8 pm

ZONY MASH BEERPROJECT Only Dans,8 pm

SATURDAY4

300BOURBON STREET —James Rivers Movement, 7:30 pm

BLUE NILE —George Brown Band,7 pm

BLUE NILEBALCONY ROOM DJ Novi,1 am

BUFFA’S —LynnDrury,8 pm

CHICKIEWAH WAH —Mahmoud Choukiand DavidTarkanowsky Duo

GASA GASA —Sam BetWith YesDaddy And T’raeBrooks,9 pm

FRERET STREET MARKET —Valerie

Sassyfras, 12 pm

HIDEAWAY DEN&ARCADE —Okay, Boomhauer, WhiteRose Motel& T Masonand theBrick,8 pm

HOWLIN’WOLF —FeteTaboo: KreweDeVieux Afterparty ft People Museum,LeTrainiump and DJ Kuti,10pm

MUSICBOX VILLAGE —Brass Queens and YoungFellaz, 11 am

PRESERVATIONHALL —Preservation

All-Stars feat.WendellBrunious, 2:30,3:45pm; Preservation

All-Stars feat.Shannon Powell, 5, 7:30,6:15&8:45pm

SMOOTHIEKING CENTER —Legendz of theStreetz ft.Jeezy,T.I.,Gucci

Mane,2 Chainz,Jadakiss, Cam’ron, Juvenile and JuceeFroot,7 pm

SOUTHPORT HALL

Contraflow, 9:30pm

THEALLWAYS LOUNGE &CABARET

—The NewOrleans High Society Hour,8 pm

TOULOUSE THEATER —KARNEVAL: Farewell to Flesh, 930pm

SUNDAY5

BLUE NILE —StreetLegends Brass Band,10pm

BUFFA’S —Traditional Jazz Brunch w/ Some LikeitHot!11am—2pm; PfisterSisters,6 pm

FILE PHOTO QuntronandMissPussyCatplay theLessepsStreetBlockParty alongwithLittleFreddieKing, DaquiriQueensandotherFeb.4.

GASA GASA —Prevail 19:21With King Yaosii, FrankXteele, BigDoo,& Erica, 9pm

HOWLIN’WOLF —Hot 8Brass Band,1pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —Preservation Legacy Band feat.Will Smith,2:30, 3:45,5,6:15, 7:30 &8:45pm

SEANGER —Chris D’Elia, 7pm

ST.ROCHTAVERN —Valerie Sassyfras, 5pm

THEJAZZPLAYHOUSE —The Wolfe JohnsBlues Band at theJazz Playhouse,7:30 pm

THERABBITHOLE 79rs Gang,9:30 pm

TIPITINA'S —Bruce Daigrepont CajunBand,5:15pm

MONDAY6

BUFFA’S —Doyle Cooper Trio, 7pm

PRESERVATIONHALL —The Preservation Brass,5,6:15, 7:30 &8:45pm

ST.CHARLESAVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH —"Next Door Neighbors",7:30 pm

SCAN FOR THE COMPLETE GAMBIT CALENDAR

Moodboard

by Jake Clapp

DOMINICSCOTTISLOVINGTHE SPONTANEITYOFLIFERIGHTNOW

Lately,the 25-year-old New Orleanian’s days have been alloverthe place: recording sessions forhis ownmusic, songwriting forother artists, photography,producing videosasRed Balloon Works, developingalifestylebrand

“I’m justtryingtowake up everyday and do things that fill thesoul,”Scott says “Life’salready hardenough, so to notbedoing thingsthatyou love —it’sjust mundane.”

Scotthas been steadily building hisprofile forseveral yearsthrough singles,video work andaspartofthe glblwrmng collective,but thelast year had severalbreakoutmoments forthe risingR&B artist.Heplayed BUKU Music+Art Projectwith glbl wrmng, performed solo at Essence Festival of Culture,booked agig in LosAngeles and featured on songs withother musicians, like singer Sevyn Streeter. Then to capthe year, Scott released hisdebutmixtape, “Color Theory,” in late December

The8-track “Color Theory” is a studyinemotions and vibes. Over vibrantproductionbyGoodSick, Katapullt andother producers, Scottsings aboutfalling in love,lust and ultimately heartbreak

As thealbum titlesuggests,each song is tied to acolorand itsassociated moods,Scott says:“TreatU (Secrets)” is red, “Backseat” is purple, “BiteMyTongue”isblue, and so on.The albumcover—anaura photoofScott takenduringa sixmonth stay in L.A. afterHurricane Ida— playsupthe emotionsScott is feelinginamerge of greens,yellows and blues.

“When Igot the[aura]reading back,theywerelike, ‘Yo, thesecolors mean growth.You have ahard time expressingthis, or youhave a hardtimeletting love in,’ andstuff like that,” Scottsays. “Itwas very on point, andIfeltlikeIhad themissingpiece of theproject.”

“I wasn’t that greatatexpressing myself as akid,” he adds,“Ikindof bottled[thoseemotions] up,soit made it hardfor me to sayhow Ifelt about certainthings.Sothrough music, Ican saywhateverIwantinto this mic, andI canput it allintoit.”

Scottwas borninHollygrove and grew up in Avondale in amusicalhousehold.His dadisa blues musician,and hismom introduced himtogospelmusic andmusicians

like John Legend.Scott wasalways listeningtomusic andkepta pairof headphones handyinhis backpack, butittook awhile forhim to come around to makinghis ownsongs

As ateen, Scottgot into skateboarding,but “I wasone of thel skilled skaters,”hesayswith alau

So he picked up acamerainstea shooting photos of hisfriends sk ingaroundAvondale,which he “openedthe creative doorfor me.

Hisphotographyworkgrew, and he started dippingintovideographysoon after. Around 2016, Scot started RedBalloon,and he’s producedvideosfor rappersPell, $l EZ andKr3wcialaswellasLiberty

Bank foraproject with PJ Morton

Toward theend of 2017,music foundScott again. Hisbrother ha setupa smallhomestudio, and Scott starteddabbling. He got hooked andstarted writinghis music. Scott’sfirst singlesbegan showingupin2021, usually acco panied by well-shot, moodymus videos— with adistinctive,colo stylethat’sstartingtodevelop as brand forScott

Scottcalls himselfaperfectio ist, andittook awhile forhim to say“ColorTheory” wasready fo release. Initially,hehad pictured rolloutcampaign in early 2023,b afterthe momentumof2022, he felt “thisisthe rollout.”

“I thinkthere wasa lotofselfcovery” in 2022,Scott says.“Th moreIfound outaboutmyself, morecomfortable Igot with be like,‘OK,I’m an artist.’”

Scottwillnextperform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14,aspartof “Couches” with BLÜand Legatron PrimeatHotel St. Vincent.Tickets are$25-$30 via tellyourfriends.

xyz. Find “Color Theory”onmajor streaming platforms andatdominic-scott.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY TRENITY J. THOMAS DominicScottreleasedhis debutmixtapeinDecember

MaRdI GrAs let’s Y’all

BrechtFestclub

by WillCoviello

GERMANPLAYWRIGHTBERTOLT BRECHTHASPLENTYOFPASSIONATE FANS,but many people arefamiliar withhis work,eveniftheydon’t connectthe work to hisname “I tell people,‘If youthink you’re notfamiliar with this —if youknow(TheDoors’)‘Alabama Song’or‘Mack theKnife,’ this is whereitcame from —from Brecht,” says HarryMayronne.

Mayronneisapianist and cabaretperformer,and he is a puppeteer whomakes hisown marionettes. He’s is alifelongBrechtfan, and when DavidC.Symonswanted to start aBrechtFestin2019, Mayronneeagerly joined him. The twoare presenting Brecht Fest IV on Monday, Feb. 6, and Tuesday, Feb. 7, at theAllWaysLounge&Cabaret Mayronne became interested in Brecht as ateenager when aneighborloaned hima recording of “The Threepenny Opera” in German.It motivatedhim to studyGerman, and helater studiedinMunich.In 2013,Mayronneand German punk singer Nina Haganperformed together in aprogram of Brecht’s work at Berliner Ensemble,the theaterfounded by Brecht and wife Helene Weigel in Berlin.

Brecht’s work is performed from coffeehousestooperahouses, Mayronne says.“TheThreepenny Opera,”created with composer Kurt Weill,bridges thesame span, headds.

“Iftheywerealive today, if they wereinNew Orleans,KurtWeill wouldbeconducting thesymphony, and Brecht would be in the Bywater,”Mayronne says.

Mayronne waspartofa collaborationwithCripple CreekTheater foranotable 2010 productionof “Threepenny Opera” that drew uptown anddowntownaudiences much theway theoriginal drew rich and poor audiences in Germany. Though intriguedby“Threepenny,” upper class audiences denounced thefollow-up,“HappyEnd,” as beinganti-capitalist.

Brecht’s work hasremainedrelevant because of thesocialissues he oftenaddressed

“It’strueofmanypeople whohit on socialissues,”Mayronne says “The work is timeless —social injusticeingeneral anddiscrimination.Brechtwrote aboutsomany of them.”

Aportion of proceeds from Brecht Fest IV will go to Innocence ProjectNew Orleans

Brecht Fest IV opens with theensemble piece“Hosanna

HarryMayronnewith

Rockefeller”from“HappyEnd.”

Thecast includesa host of singersand performers, and there’sa seven-piece chamber orchestra featuring Mayronne, Symons,accordionist StephanieReed,bassist Stoo Odom,aswellassaxophone, clarinet,violinand cello. Thefocus is Brecht’s work,but it’s morea concertthan theater, and it has no emcee. Vocalistsinclude Chris Wecklein and Bremner Duthie,who splits time betweenNew Orleans and Paris andtouredthe world with hissolo show aboutcabaret performers disappearingduringthe rise of Nazism in 1930sGermany.

Duthie figuresprominently in severalofthe songsfrom“The Threepenny Opera,”including “PirateJohnny” and “WhatKeeps MankindAlive?”

Mayronne takesabreak from the piano fora briefmarionetteintro to aGerman andEnglish versionof “Alabama Song.”

Theshowalso includesafew songs by Symons and one by Mayronne. Whilethe annual showshavedrawn Brecht fans, an unexpectedvisitor attended thefirst installmentin2019. SarahBrecht, thegranddaughterof BertoltBrechtand Helene Weigel, came to theshow. She’sapainter and splits time betweenhomes in NewOrleans and Ireland.Mayronne and Symons reached outtoher,and nowshe’s aregularparticipant at theevent.Previously, shehas read poemsbyher grandfather.Thisyear, she’ll read work by her father,poet Stefan Brecht

Brecht Fest IV is at 8:30 p.m. Monday,Feb.6,and Tuesday, Feb. 7, at AllWaysLounge. Ticketsare $25inadvancevia brownpapertickets.com, or $30atthe door.Visit theallwayslounge.net for information

PHOTO BY CHRISGRANGER / THETIMES-PICAYAUNE

hismarionettes,including puppetsforBertoltBrechtand ElisabethHauptmann.

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