The grounds are free spirited and a bit “flower power” with food and beverage booths featuring gluten-free and organic options, a fancy cocktail bar tucked into a covered corner (The Chaz Bahhh), a CD and t-shirt shop in a dilapidated breezeway and plenty of artisan booths selling everything from bright and beautiful hats to body art and hair braids. My favorite artist there is Kaia Martin-Paternoster, a 13 year old industrious enough to offer glitter tattoos and nail art in addition to her whimsical  ”dudes and dudettes” paintings. We own her 2011 “Washboard Chaz” and I bought her ballerina last year at Bon Castor as a gift. I was tempted by the 610 Stomper painting but left empty handed.

Opening the show was the punk-rockabilly band, The Stacks. They did an ode to Green Onions that was inspired. We started eating right away with a Crawfish Bread ($6) and a combo of Beans and Rice and Spicy Asian Peanut Slaw ($6) then washed it down with a delicious Watermelon Aqua Fresca ($3-$4) and an Ice Box Cookie ($3). The Glorioskis opened the second stage (called The Hard Liquor Stage) with voices like nightingales and sweet melodic tunes. Singer Debbie Davis is in at least 5 bands that I know of and the city still can’t get enough of her.

Los Po-Boy-Citos got the early crowd on their feet with Latin-inspired songs that never left their NOLA roots. The blending of their spicy beats with We Got That Fiyo showed how many flavors the gumbo of this city can blend. Greg Schatz began playing on the wooded stage but I mostly stayed in the yard to watch children playing in the hay that had been strewn to combat potential mud. One of my favorite things about Chaz Fest is the obvious sense of community. (It’s the only public gathering in NOLA I can think of where people throw away their trash and can their butts). It reminds me of my own childhood in the 70′s when the world felt safer and we all climbed trees.

Chaz Fest manages to cram nearly as many musical genres into their day as Jazz Fest offers including rap/hip hop. Truth Universal was next to take the Main Stage and they totally delivered on the promise of their name. With beats as diverse as Pink Floyd and Commodores, Truth Universal spit super-smart social commentary. Evelyn Champagne blended it all together with her dulcet oooh’s and aaaah’s. By then, the yard was getting packed and everyone was bopping.

While The Geraniums played the Hard Liquor Stage in the magical woods that you could swear houses faeries, we ate refreshing Watermelon & Shrimp Salad ($6) and a Beef Brisket Sandwich ($7) – topped with slaw, of course, from The Joint.

The biggest crowd of the day was during TBC Brass Band. They played a nice mix of originals and original takes on covers. The crowd danced and jumped and sang call and responses. I hadn’t seen trumpeter Eric Gordon, Jr. since he played with Glen David Andrews and Amanda Shaw at that most amazing French Quarter Fest show I’ve seen so it was nice to see his smiling face again.

The cutest food booth went by the name of Flaco’s and was run out the back window of the house. Three kids manned the booth and dutifully wrote orders before passing them through the window and onto the chef. Our Caribbean Grilled Roasted Chicken with Greens and Couscous ($6) was terrific. The TinTypes finished on the Hard Liquor Stage and The Tin Men literally owned the Main Stage. The trio consists of Alex McMurray, Matt Perrine and the eponymous Washboard Chaz, the creators of the festival. We all sang along and swayed to an original song, “If you can’t make it here, you better not leave” and  McMurray joked, “It’s like the Piano Man,” referring to our recent Kumbaya moment with Billy Joel at Jazz Fest.

The band stayed where they were as the 20+ members of The Valparaiso Men’s Chorus filled the stage to bursting. Singing along to their pirate tunes, you could picture Jean Lafitte swinging a pint around at the Blacksmith’s Shop back in 1770 while swashbucklers belted drunkenly. Now, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop (the oldest bar in the U.S.) plays things like Lynard Skynard, but the spirit felt alive at Chaz Fest.

Night was falling and twinkly lights laced the trees around Lonesome Leash, a one man band. His stage may have been fairly empty, but the sound was full. Then it was time for David Pirner of Soul Asylum to take the Main Stage with  a band they called “Everything but the Snare.” Though I didn’t get his name, the guitarist had a talent for getting his electric to wail hauntingly. The songs were mostly macabre with lyrics about funerals and hookers, but were beautiful nonetheless. The crowd went a bit bananas when Pirner sang his Grammy winning tune Runaway Train.

There were still 2 acts left to take the stage when we finally called it a day but all good things must come to an end and it was a “school night.” I look forward to the lunacy that is Jazz Fest’s second weekend but Chaz fest offers the essence of Jazz Fest without the crowds and lines. I can’t wait to slather on sunblock, grab an umbrella and head down to next year’s day of lesser known music, tasty but healthy food and children in face paint climbing trees while Bohemian Bywater residents relax on the lawn taking it all in.

A colorful trio of African dancers from Ivoire Spectacle greeted us at the Old U.S. Mint as we ate another Satchmo Dog ($8) from Dreamy Weenies and Lamb Sliders (2 for $6) from The Three Muses. Behind the Mint, The Tin Men played. Guitarist Alex McMurray is a “never left” who attended Tulane years ago and… never left. Like the other members of the trio, he plays in several bands and his own band played French Quarter Fest earlier in the weekend. Sousaphonist Matt Perrine won Offbeat Magazine’s award for best tuba player 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Percussionist Washboard Chaz of Chaz Fest rounds out the trio. Chaz Fest is a 1 day concert series begun by musicians (including The Tin Men) who’d been rejected by Jazz Fest. Though today many of the Chaz Fest musicians have played Jazz Fest, the day continues to be a more like an evening on Frenchmen Street and I’m looking forward to it!

I was thrilled to find no line for Dunbar’s Fried Catfish and Potato Salad ($7). Saturday, it was forever long all day. We passed Linnzi Zaorski playing for a packed floor of swing dancers on our way to see the kids of England’s  K College on the International Stage in Dutch Alley. I first saw their band 2 years ago and was impressed with their talent and soul – and comforted by the idea that our music was being studied and explored so far from here. The kids are graded on their performance and I was even more intrigued by what they must be learning in that school when the head of the Music Department, Julie Parker, explained that they start the program as regular students, not prodigies who audition for entrance. I wasn’t able to see the whole show but was treated to 2 of the 3 bands. I found it particularly cool that both saxophonists I saw were women. I don’t know the names of the students so feel free to comment if you do.

Paul Sanchez and the Rolling Road Show played with the Mississippi River as their backdrop. Their folksy, sometimes funny, music has been featured on HBO’s Treme and all of the members have appeared in episodes. Paul Sanchez is a prolific songwriter and the man behind Nine Lives, the musical adaptation of a New York Times Best Seller by Dan Baum about The Storm. The band includes drummer Eric Bolivar, keyboardist Davis Rogan, ukulelist Debbie Davis, Aurora Nealand on alto saxophone (another female on sax!?!) and vocalist Arsené Delay.

In a moment of life imitating art imitating life, Sanchez explained to the crowd that Treme‘s Steve Zahn character “Davis” was inspired by Davis Rogan and in the show, Zahn came to Sanchez (playing himself) to ask him to write a Katrina “opera” (like Nine Lives) and that Davis Rogan then played in Zahn’s band on the show. Then The Rolling Road Show proceeded to play the sardonic Katrina ditty they’d written for Treme‘s “opera.” It’s just another example of the reality built into  the extraordinary Treme. I’ll be sad to see it end next fall and I feel grateful to have been a part of the show.

We made our way toward the stage by the Aquarium and enjoyed a bit of the Treme Brass Band‘s set while eating a fest food favorite, Crawfish Bread ($6) from Lakeview Harbor. The band continues to evolve yet hold firm in the wake of Uncle Lionel’s passing but I couldn’t help but miss his presence.

One of the best things about the layout of the festival is that the stages are spread throughout the Quarter affording the opportunity to wander all over the city from landmark to landmark experiencing local cuisine from soul food to fine fare and tons of free music. Our Sunday wanderings took us from the Mint to the Aquarium before we headed past Jackson Square to finish the weekend with one last Rouses Family Platter of crawfish, corn, potatoes and sausage ($25) while the All for One Brass Band played in the street. What a weekend!

zydeco band

We’ve just spent 2 days at french quarter festival–the 30th I think.  It’s a free festival in the French Quarter and down by the river.  Several big stages host a series of performers–most 1 and a half hour sets,  and numerous smaller stages–some indoor and some set up in the streets–host smaller groups and lesser known performers.  And around every corner is another street musician, puppeteer, etc.    lots of great food.  we tried a bbq shrimp po’boy, slow roasted duck po’boy, crab and artichoke salad.   we’ve heard more live music in the past couple of weeks than in the past 5 years i think.  we are still working on how to add photos, send posts, etc,–so apologize for the double posts.

band at one of the formal venues

jackson square during the festival

tap dancer, banjo player

accapella trio

marionette painting (hard to see but real paint, brush, canvas..)

bass player at preservation hall

african bassharp, the first musician we saw on the first day of frenchquarter fest

Dr. Michael White-clarinet, band leader–nice “Summertime”

central grocery for a muffuleta

bass player and pianist at preservation hall

The women next to me live in Pensacola. They used to split the driving but now they take a tour bus to use their season tickets. The “younger” ones wore radio headphones so they could hear the play-by-play on WWL. One of them said she comes to the games to “get away” from her husband and cheer on her team. But, my favorite was the senior of them, the woman in her 80′s who high-fived us then danced after every touchdown. Nothing like “getting crunk” with someone’s maw maw. Made me miss mine.

One section over was a giant clump of Eagles fans. I was surprised to see how many attended. They were throughout the Dome. I’ve seen a lot of fans from other cities come to the games here and they always wear their colors and enjoy our festivities, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen another group of fans embrace the spirit of the city as much as the Philadelphia Eagles fans. Yes, it’s touristy, but I loved seeing them in their giant green Mardi Gras beads or green boas. They came for their team but they chose this game for a reason – they clearly think we know how to show folks a good time.

Before the game, it was fun to tour the Batmobile exhibit featuring all of the Batmobiles from all of the movies, and my favorite, the original from the 1966 TV series. We ran into Manny Edwards from Django Unchained who was manning one of the tents.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence that we won, but I did finally debut my new rhinestone Saints helmet earrings from Fleurty Girl and postponed my pedicure to make sure I had my Who Dat toes right. And as an odd side note, there is a state trooper who works the Dome who makes me smile every time I see her. She’s 6 feet of armed charm with a radiant smile and she is probably one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen (which is really something considering my 10 years as a model and 20 as an actor in L.A.). Officer Who-ever-you-are, you make my day just thinking of you arresting some guy who’s not sure whether to fight you or fall on his knees in awe.

Now, to another wonderful week of HBO’s Treme. One of my favorite things about the show is all the ways it strives to capture what I LOVE about my city and the joy of revisiting my memories here through the show. One of this city’s finer, funner dining experiences is Friday lunch at Galatoire’s. The 2 most coveted Fridays are the one before Christmas and the one before Mardi Gras – which they featured in this week’s episode. The first thing you notice is few people are just seated at a table. They mill and table-hop. The Friday I went, in addition to the just-released from house arrest former 4-term Governor,  Edwin Edwards, there was the annual “Gal at Gal’s Birthday Fete” for the tiara and boa wearing Louisiana-born Houston resident, Suzy Bergner. The guy holding court in the background of the TV episode wearing a foot-high king’s crown brought that whole magical day back.

I still haven’t attended the annual  “Greasing of the Poles” at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, but I’m putting it on my to do list. For over 40 years, the Royal Sonesta has held an event, on the Friday before Mardi Gras, to grease the poles in front of their hotel so Mardi Gras revelers won’t be able to shimmy up them. Whether it’s Saintsations or news anchors, the event includes a group of beautiful women in fun, fancy costumes applying Vaseline to poles and is, therefore, very well attended. There’s a contest to see who gets the job done with the most flair.

David Morse‘s “Colson” (my character’s ex-husband) notes that New Orleans gets the difference between vice and sin. To paraphrase, vice is human frailty, sin is doing criminal damage to someone. In a city that can turn the task of putting Vaseline on poles into a fun and sexy event, vice can be virtue. And, yes, Heidi. I saw you laughing in the background. Heidi was the woman I danced until dawn with the night the Saints beat the Vikings in 2009, securing their spot in their first-ever Super Bowl so I will always picture her having the time of her life.

It was interesting to hear Emeril talking about becoming commercial as a chef. Success isn’t measured so much by money or occupation here as it is by how much of a good time you’re having being alive. Al Roker’s idea of fun at Jackson Square seemed to NOT be a lot of fun for Kim Dickens‘ “Janette.” Selling cooking is clearly cutting into her soul as a chef.

Wendell Pierce‘s marching band practicing in the street brought another flood of memories my way. In particular, I remember the day The Roots of Music‘s band passed nearby and we caught them practicing for their Mardi Gras parades in their regular clothes. You just never know when you’ll see a parade or hear music in New Orleans. We met a musicologist at K. Paul’s “deli-style” lunch the other day and he remarked that he couldn’t believe how much music there was everywhere you went here. True dat.

Mardi Gras is a great time to run into neighbors and friends. Rob Brown‘s “Delmond Lambreaux” ran into Kimberly Rivers Roberts AKA Blackkoldmadina. Her Oscar nominated, Sundance Jury Winning documentary Trouble the Water contains her first-hand account of the day before the storm, the flooding of her street up to the stop signs and her days in the Superdome followed by her odyssey into insurance and rebuilding. It’s truly remarkable. I fell in love with her music also and especially love Amazing. It’s so raw, it’s like she’s reading from her diary. This clip is Roberts rapping to her own track in Trouble the Water. WARNING – explicit lyrics and an amazing life story of a young hard-knock woman.

The Lambreaus watch the movie together and it brings it all back, just as it did for me. The other day, someone asked me when I moved here. I told them 3 years ago thinking it wouldn’t hold much weight. He replied, “So you’ve seen the city go through a lot of changes.” I have and Treme helps put that in high relief as the show is now up to just 9 months before my arrival.

Of course, watching Mardi Gras parades brings back a million wonderful memories of floats gone by. Watching Phyllis Montana LeBlanc pushing the crowd back to make way for the band, I thought, “They sure got the right person for that job.” I imagine most folks do what she tells them. It was fun seeing the ladder chairs lining the road and even watching the parade get stuck. For accuracy’s sake – parades don’t usually have bands back to back, but it was great watching the kids in the middle school marching band learn from the Marines as they moved from perfect and proper to a fairly funky version of Rebirth’s Do Watcha Wanna. Whether sitting in on a set or joining the Marines when the parade breaks down, one reason musicians here are so good is they get to play with people who are better than they are, sometimes even the greats.

The reporter (Chris Coy) eats a piece of King Cake and says it’s his “14th piece this week. They keep ending up in front of me and I just keep eating them.” The woman who served him replies, “That’s how we do.” True and I can’t wait to do it again.

Legendary music producer and 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Cosimo Matassa made an appearance as himself. You can find him, after a career dating back to the 40′s, working in his family’s store for 3 generations, Matassa’s Grocery. Yes, the man bagging your Zapp’s potato chips and 6-pack might have just been inducted to the Hall of Fame this year. Heck, I meet Grammy winners here all the time and some of our city’s best musicians might install your cable or repair your toaster. Success is different here. When once asked what defines the New Orleans sound, Matassa said, “It’s a party sound. New Orleans was a partying town because it wasn’t a very wealthy town. The ethnic makeup of New Orleans was such that music was part of everybody’s lives.”

The Neville Brothers appeared on the episode playing a gig at the D.C. Mardi Gras. They played Pocky Way and no one danced, no one sang along, no one even stopped chatting and pecking at hors d’oeuvres. It was like they thought the Grammy winning, and saturated in NOLA history, Neville Brothers were good background music – like in an elevator. Maybe the Nevilles are not everyone’s cup of tea but… give in a little, feel it for a minute. More people stopped to listen during the familiar hurricane dirge Louisiana 1927 by NOLA native Randy Newman.

Steve Zahn‘s “Davis” was up and fully costumed early Mardi Gras morning as he headed out to follow the Bone Gang. I LOVE that the world is getting an opportunity to see the Mardi Gras Indians in full regalia. They chanted Indian Red as they held their roll call, showing all the positions in the tribe. In the streets, the spy boy spotted another tribe and they battled, boasting their feats of strength and power, and displaying their amazing plumed and beaded masterpieces to be praised as “pretty.”

The colorful St. Ann’s parade honoring the dead with offerings to the Mississippi (ashes) brought back memories of Treme‘s painful and powerful first season. I missed John Goodman from the moment his daughter placed the needle on the record player and ran out the door to join the fun just as they always had.

I loved the costumes at the AA meeting. The giant roach was particularly hilarious and accurate as readers of this blog know I just took a photo of a guy dressed this way last week.

It was great catching the beautiful green-eyed percussionist Tambourine Green dancing down Frenchmen Street. I love all the accurate touches in the show and it gives the world a chance to meet some of our local characters. And seeing the Trojan horse in the background, I realized I was right there last Mardi Gras Day.

Washboard Chaz and Valparaiso Men’s Chorus ended the show with one of their rousing beer-drinking seafarer songs. It brought me right back to the raucous intimacy of Chaz Fest and I suddenly remembered that Steve Zahn was at Chaz Fest when I went. Life imitating art imitating life.

Free unreleased DBRS songs? Whaaaaa?

Yes, that’s right folks. We’ve got a really big show coming up this Saturday, August 18th at Tipitina’s in New Orleans. Buy a pre-sale ticket to the show and we’ll email you 3 unreleased songs from our new upcoming LP The Most Peculiar Thing for free!!!

All you have to do is private message DBRS’s facebook page with your ticketweb confirmation # & your email, and we’ll send you some new tunage no one else but the band has heard before! Do it now! Offer will close once we’ve sent out too many mp3′s!

Once Again:

1) Pre-order tickets at: http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=4682315&pl=tipitinas

2) Message your pre-order confirmation # to: http://www.facebook.com/dirtybourbonrivershow

3) Receive your free music!

Solar powered since 2007 (supplied this year by South Coast Solar), the eclectic lineup reflects the sounds of Frenchmen Street and other downtown sounds. Though many of the musicians are experienced and many play with some pretty big bands, they find a new voice and form new groups that are often more right for the backyard gathering of Chaz Fest than the madding crowds of Jazz Fest.

As we checked in with the front door to square away tickets, we were given a paper wrist band and a used thimble from Washboard Chaz. War Amps was on the Main Stage when we entered. Given the giant metal drum onstage, they joked they were “Heavy Metal” and played some fairly aggressive rock songs.

The Actioneers took the Bywater Juke Joint Stage, a tarp-covered make-shift stage tucked in a cove of shady trees so magical I expected to see faeries. Part cover band, part party band and all entertainment, they provided us with fun out of the sun. Another word on the weather – it’s been glorious for months now. I know heat and humidity are around the corner, but it’s been an amazing Spring.

The Main Stage was set up while everyone was in the tree fort area and vice versa throughout the day so that they music was non-stop, even slightly overlapping at times. Established in 1994, the newly reunited Mas Mamones was next up. We ate delicious Cochon de Lait from The Joint while bopping to the Latin jazz beats. The amiable band’s mascot was an adorable tiny tot named Little Louie who danced to nearly every song and got more women dancing than Travolta could’ve. The band offered a free CD to anyone who gave their email address inspiring the relaxed concert-goers to wait in line until the box was empty. I’m hoping to listen to mine after I get through Jazz Fest.

For me, the highlight of the day was Sarah Quintana on the Bywater Juke Joint Stage. She was the faerie I’d expected to find in that beautiful cocoon of shade trees. With a voice like a 1930′s nightingale and eyes like a Keane painting, her blend of French lyrics and American songs (and vice versa) transported me to a kinder gentler place without getting sappy. It seemed just as likely that birds and mice would dress her as that someone would hand me a mason jar of moonshine. Proud of her Cajun heritage, she mixes their sounds with folk, jazz and blues. Playing guitar since 12, she attended New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), alma mater to Harry Connick Jr. and Trombone Shorty, among others. Having received a CODOFIL scholarship to study on France, she lost her home and several friends and family members during Katrina. Though France may have become her second home, I’m so glad the storm didn’t wash her away. And her band, particularly the saxophone player, were the perfect accompaniment.

In direct contrast to the floral femininity of Miss Quintana, Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers featured a brash woman with a female version of a Buddy Holly-like look and a voice that moved from aggressive punk to raspy ballads with tongue  trills at the end. Aurora Nealand, a California native, also plays saxophone with the Panorama Jazz Band among others. She led the band of Dangers from a hard driving version of Gene Vincent’s Cat Man into a darling duet of  the Everly Brothers’ All I Have to Do Is Dream then into a version of Nancy Sinatra’s Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) as dramatic and unpredictable as the Tarantino movie it evokes. It was the groups’ first concert and I predict many more.

As with most of the bands, I wasn’t sure who was who but immediately recognized Brian Coogan on keyboards, having just seen him play with Lillian Boutte on day 1 of French Quarter Fest. I’ve seen him play with enough bands to lose count starting last year with Good Enough for Good Times at Wednesday on the Square.

Another treat was the refreshing and yummy watermelon agua fresca as well as strawberry sorbet made with Ponchatoula strawberries, the finest in the world. The taste was so powerful and pure, I had multiple mouthgasms.

I walked around a bit to check out the commerce offerings. There were sun dappled patios everywhere with people sipping cocktails or sampling dishes made with locally grown ingredients. There were posters and T-shirts, CD’s and wheatgrass but my favorite vendor was a young girl with the soul of an artist and the sales savvy of a car dealer. Offering everything from manicures and “Sharpie tattoos” to face painting, her best offerings were her paintings of people. With large rectangular heads and polarized black-dot eyes, they were as fascinating as they were simple, pared down and playful. Even the children here can humble me with their talents.

As the yard became more crowded, the idea of finding a spot in the cozy tree stand became less appealing and I began to stay put for the Main Stage, choosing instead to visit with my out of town guests from L.A. The day attracted tie-dyed tots, women in sundresses, a wheelchair-bound man with a respirator, a Helen Mirren-like woman and Treme star Steve Zahn.

The Palmetto Bug Stompers took the stage next and were an instant favorite. A more traditional jazz band, they were as familiar as a Paw Paw’s lap yet still fun and funky. People crowded the lawn in front of the stage and began dancing almost immediately.

Afterward, the Valparaiso Men’s Chorus filled the Main Stage, and I do mean filled. With 5 musicians, including Washboard Chaz, and 9 chorus members, there was barely room for the instruments but that didn’t stop them from adding a fiddler midway through the set. Billed as a “party band,” their tunes had an Irish drinking song meets sea shanty quality to them. All they needed were frothy schooners of ale. The chorus featured members of other great bands including Happy Talk among others.

As the sun was setting and the after-work folks began to pour in, we left, forgoing perennials King James and the Special Men, Schatzy and The New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars and made our way to the French Quarter to refuel in time for Jazz Fest to start again the next day.

Saturday, April 2nd

The Blue Nile on Frenchmen

Show kicks off at 10pm with our dear friends from Greensboro, NC, the one and only Holy Ghost Tent Revival. This 6 piece string/brass extravaganza is the perfect mixture of foot-stompin’ love makin’ folk/roots/blues/dixieland/rock and more. Say hello:

Then, at 11pm, yours truly will be taking the stage, performing for you our newest album – Volume Two. Songs you’ve never heard, old familiars, and everything in between. Good friends, bourbon pours, fireballs and more. So excited to be sharing this newest one with you. We sincerely believe it is our greatest work yet:

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, guess who’ll be closing out the evening? None other than New Orleans’ own the Tin Men. Washboard Chaz, Matt Perrine, Alex McMurray – these cats kill:

Tickets are $10, $8 if you click “attending” on the Facebook event, and free for those who pre-purchase the album on our Bandcamp site.

If you can’t make the New Orleans Show (which you should, even if you live 300 miles away) you can catch us and Holy Ghost in Baton Rouge on Thursday, Mobile on Friday, and Lafayette an Sunday with Chubby Carrier.

Don’t miss this one. It is going to be our greatest fxxking show yet.

That changed for the better when I returned for my first volunteer stint in March 2006. I was met by my friend Bruno who took me for po-boys at Domilise’s, to his rental home uptown, and for a heart-rending visit to his flooded-out home in Lakeview and the recently opened Lower Ninth Ward. He deposited me at a FEMA camp in St. Bernard Parish. I’m certain that, at that point, the volunteers at the camp that week outnumbered the parish residents who had returned.

Rites of Swing, Spotted Cat, March 2008.

One day, as we were gutting houses, one the young women in my group shared that  her friend had told her about a place called Frenchmen Street. It was not in the Quarter, but it was the place where locals went to hear real music. It was not the bad classic rock, zydeco, and stultifying jazz that make up most of what you hear on Bourbon Street. I didn’t have a car, but the first chance I had to get into the city, I went to Frenchmen Street.

It was in the Marigny, just to the east of the French Quarter. It was named to honor the Frenchmen who led the rebellion against the Spanish authorities who assumed control of New Orleans in 1762. A governor with a firmer hand had them summarily executed near where the street intersects with Decatur. History shows that he got his point across. But from this tragic beginning, this place has yielded wonder and joy.

If you like good music, Frenchmen Street is like no other. You don’t even have to enter one of the many establishments; you can walk from doorway to doorway, to hear blues or jazz or klezmer or brass band music – it stretches the imagination. Folks dance on  the tight dance floors or on the sidewalks outside. That first week, I kept going back to a disreputable pile of boards called the Spotted Cat. How in the Hell did this three story shack make it through a hurricane?

The Spotted Cat, March 2007.

But the building’s smoky, cash only innards were golden. It was loud, dirty and occasionally the toilets would flush, but for the price of couple of drinks you enter a world of great music and exquisite people watching. I became acquainted with the New Orleans Jazz Vipers, the Pfister Sisters, Washboard Chaz and St. Louis Slim. I got to sit and talk to a wildly entertaining bartender named Bucky and watch as Uncle Lionel Batiste shuffled in, raised his bowler hat and did a soft shoe to the music. I was smitten, and years later my love has not diminished.

Snug Harbor. Apple Barrel, DBA. Blue Nile, Mimi’s and the rest. Frenchmen is a continuous, musical smorgasbord. But the Spotted Cat remains my favorite. Bucky is gone, but Uncle Lionel is still there. Along with a non-stop line of musical acts. So, when we head down at spring break, my students know where they can usually find me. It is my refuge; “The Street” is my office.

Praline Connection, Frenchmen Street, March 2009.

Frenchmen Street. From street performers, to street parades, to taco stands, to sidewalk cafes, to Creole food at the Praline Connection. And while I hesitate to invite anyone else to encroach upon my joy, to crowd my places of refuge beyond capacity, Frenchmen Street is opposite of Bourbon Street. If you like music and want to take the pulse of the city, you have to cross Esplanade and explore the Marigny. Frenchmen Street is where it’s at. Even CNN has discovered it; just in time for Mardi Gras!

We priced the album – temporarily in this unannounced early interim period -  at $20. We did this because the last one (Free Love) was completely free, and this new online bundle includes some sweet extra goodies ~ in addition to the full-quality download you get a special digisheet of the artwork, liner notes & lyrics + your choice of either:

(a) a spot on the guest list at our CD release party in New Orleans and a free, reserved, and autographed physical copy of the album waiting for you at the merch table that night

or, for you out-of-town-folks:

(b) an autographed copy mailed to your house free-of-charge on the day of the CD release party + a sticker and a personalized note from the band.

Ya, that’s a whole lot of stuff packed up in this sweet little baby:

This is our best work yet

Then, on April 2nd (Volume Two’s official release date) the album will drop to $9.99 for digital download (without the extra goodies) and will be available on iTunes and Amazon as well.

That night we will be performing our new album at the Blue Nile on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans. Musical guests will include:

—- The Tin Men and Holy Ghost Tent Revival —-

Both of these bands are incredible, and we are extremely lucky to have them play with us.

This unprecedented 3 ring circus will start at 10pm and will be $10 at the door for those who did not pre-purchase the album. The Blue Nile only holds 300 people, so I’d grab your goodies and get your spot while they last.

For those in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Mobile, we’ve got shows in your town that weekend with Holy Ghost Tent Revival as well – check our sidebar.

Whether you live in or around New Orleans and plan on attending the live show, or you live somewhere else and plan on just listening to or downloading the album, we hope that you enjoy this new piece of art as much as we did making it.

We are extremely proud to bring these new sounds to your ears, and anxious for your feedback.

Enjoy!
Sincerely,

~ The Dirty Bourbon River Show

P.S. Also, apparently, there are some golden tickets floating around…

This cover of Stand By Me was recorded by completely unknown artists in a street virtual studio all around the world. It all started with a base track—vocals and guitar—recorded on the streets of Santa Monica, California, by a street musician called Roger Ridley. The base track was then taken to New Orleans, Louisiana, where Grandpa Elliott—a blind singer from the French Quarter—added vocals and harmonica while listening to Ridley’s base track on headphones. In the same city, Washboard Chaz’s added some metal percussion to it.

And from there, it just gets rock ‘n’ rolling bananas: The producers took the resulting mix all through Europe, Africa, and South America, adding new tracks with multiple instruments and vocals that were assembled in the final version you are seeing in this video. All done with a simple laptop and some microphones.

All rather good and a nice way to show the magic of the modern world. Now the whole world can busk together, it is only a matter of time before we can live together and build a better society. To coin (geddit?) a pun on the nature of revolution and petty cash, “Onwards to endless busking in a world without small change!”

Various Artists (Roger Ridley, Grandpa Elliott, Washboard Chaz, Clarence Bekker, Twin Eagle Drum Group, Francois Viguie, Cesar Pope, Dimitri Dolganov, Roberto Luti, Geraldo & Dionisio, Junior Kissangwa Mbouta, Pokei Klass, Django Degen, Sinamuva, Stefano Tomaselli, Vusi Mahlasela), “Stand By Me,” live, various locations

Wunderschön.

Last weekend, I watched the following music video produced by Playing for Change, a network of musicians and artists who want to bring peace, inspiration, and connection through a collaborative, multimedia effort that stretches across the entire planet. As they raise funds and awareness, Playing for Change hopes to build music and art schools in impoverished communities, so they can teach young people to share their music with others and connect with other such schools around the world. Their website describes the vision:

Traveling across four continents over three years with cameras and a mobile recording studio, Mark Johnson and Jonathan Walls embarked on a search for musical inspiration. What they discovered on their journey was the power music has to connect the world together. Chronicled in the feature-length documentary, Playing for Change: Peace Through Music, is a journey that starts in the city streets of America and Europe and heads to South African townships and the Himalayan Mountains….Throughout the film, musicians from different locations that have never met each other join together to recreate songs such as “One Love” and “Stand by Me,” further demonstrating the power of music to connect and inspire people around the world.

The music video “Stand by Me” begins with Roger Ridley, a street musician from Santa Monica, California, who launches into a laid-back rendition of the song with simply an acoustic guitar. But hold on tight because Ridley’s brought friends, thanks to the wonders of high-tech digital music and video production. A New Orleans blues and jazz singer, Grandpa Elliott, takes the first verse of the song:

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we’ll see
No I won’t be afraid, no I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me.

A third musician, Washboard Chaz, also from New Orleans, brings his unique instrumentation into the mix and all three buskers are digitally joined together for the chorus. It gets better! At the onset of verse two, the music goes transatlantic with the amazing vocals of Clarence Bekker, standing in a side alley of Amsterdam, Netherlands; however, a group of drummers from the Twin Eagle Drum Group in Zuni, New Mexico, set a driving pace with their Native American drums. Okay, here’s the video:

All I have to say is…the video accomplished exactly what it’s founders intended! I found myself inspired, even to the point of tears, as I embraced the impact of what was taking place right before my eyes: virtually unknown street performers who, if we’re honest, we wouldn’t give a second thought. Recognizing the technical hurdles and the behind-the-scenes planning that must have been poured into this project, I was simply and utterly blown away by the amazing performance of this rag-tag group of nobodies, especially Grandpa Elliott who featured quite prominently and cut loose with a really cool harmonica solo.

Then yesterday my wife called me upstairs to watch the video of Susan Boyle, a 47-year-old unemployed Scottish woman who entered the Britain’s Got Talent competition because, in her words, “I’ve always wanted to perform in front of a large audience.” Susan admits, “I’ve never been married. I’ve never been kissed. Shame, but it’s not an advert!” As of this moment, nearly thirteen million people have viewed the following video in only four days, not to mention the millions who have watched several other versions floating around cyberspace:

Miss Boyle attempted to walk off-stage when the song ended, but the judges quickly called her back to hear their comments. One of the judges, Amanda Holden, summed up everything I was feeling during Susan’s solo:

I am so thrilled because I know that everybody was against you. I honestly think that we were all being very cynical and I think that’s the biggest wake-up call ever. And I just want to say that it was a complete privilege listening to that.

You would have to be brain-dead to watch the above television clip without having your heart stirred, perhaps needing a box of tissues on hand. I’ve begun thinking about these two seemingly unrelated videos, featuring Grandpa Elliott and Susan Boyle, and asking myself, “What can I learn from this?”

Why do such things stir us so? Many people willingly pay exorbitant prices for tickets to see top talent such as Sir Elton John or U2 or Lady GaGa, often forming long lines at the ticket office, camping out for days in advance to avoid the disappointment of a sell-out. But when you go to an event like that, you expect a great performance. It’s what the professionals do, isn’t it? And we love them for it.

But we’re not normally tuned into watching nobodies perform, unless it’s to make fun and have a laugh. If they are truly talented, we reason, then they would already be at the top of the charts. Since they’re not, they must be rubbish. So it might be worth taking a chance and listening to thirty seconds before changing channels or looking for another form of entertainment, but what if we get totally blown away by the unexpected? To borrow a phrase from Susan Boyle, I was gobsmacked…completely and utterly astounded, overwhelmed, beyond amazement, rendered speechless.

People are now searching the internet to buy Grandpa Elliott’s music on CD—some might even be willing to buy his stuff on 8-track tape if it existed—because of one brief appearance in a collaborative effort by Playing for Change. Unfortunately, Grandpa Elliott doesn’t have an agent or a record label or a public relations manager. He’s been playing jazz and blues on the streets of New Orleans for the past fifty years, an “undiscovered” talent that most passersby probably wrote off as another homeless bum who could have been a good singer if he had not thrown his life away on booze or drugs.

Susan Boyle has been living in obscurity in a small Scottish village, enjoying a simple life and singing in her church choir, until now. The reality of what’s happened could change everything for Miss Boyle and Grandpa Elliott; and unfortunately it may take away as much as it gives them in notoriety and fame.

And don’t miss this short of One Love by the same Playing For Change: Peace Through Music folks.

Don’t forget: It’s time for Rising Tide, the annual bloggers conference on the future of New Orleans, with featured guest Harry Shearer!.