Lundi Gras 2014: Putting The M In Orpheus & Cowboy Mouth Gets A Cavity

April 1, 2014 by

ALL GOOD NOT-QUITE-BELL-CURVES MUST COME TO AN END

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Chilling Out (Literally) At Orpheus

I’m tempted to describe the final weeks of My Year of Mardi Gras as a steep bell curve of excitement, but that wouldn’t be accurate. There were multiple peaks on this wild rollercoaster ride, not a steady ascent. One of my primary missions in moving here was to ‘imbed’ in at least one Mardi Gras krewe and I wound up both walking with an alternative krewe and riding with a traditional krewe, allowing me to compare and contrast. As expected, these were by far the highlights of my year here, although the entire  Mardi Gras 2014 season has been a blast.

The Crew At Krewe du Brew

The Crew At Krewe du Brew

Carnival actually began January 6th, and the prep and planning stretched far beyond that, leading to a slow build of anticipation. Then there were three weekends of parading starting with Krewe du Vieux which I was able to share with my Treme addicted brother. Even though my ride with Morpheus that Friday and walk with Chewbacchus the Saturday before were the culmination of my ambition, I still had guests in town so enjoyed all the aspects of Mardi Gras to it’s fullest. However, by the time we met up with Chip and Eloy for brunch at Krewe du Brew Monday afternoon where I was finishing a blog post before heading to the Cowboy Mouth Lundi Gras show at the Riverwalk, it was clear we were about to descend the final peak.

Not helping matters, the beautiful weather of the weekend had given way to a chilly Lundi Gras (Fat Monday) on the one Monday you actually care about the weather. So after warming up on coffee and pressed croissant sandwiches, we all piled into Eloy’s truck and bundled up in blankets as we looked for parking downtown.

DANNY CATTAN ABIDES

The Man, Danny Cattan! Lundi Gras 2013

The Man, Danny Cattan!
Lundi Gras 2013

Despite the weather, the downtown was packed so we wound up having to wind our way to the top of the Canal Place parking garage on the border of the French Quarter and the CBD. This put us right between [Read more…]

Filed Under: Autobiography, Food & Cocktails, History & Trivia, New Orleans Attractions, Restaurant Reviews, Travel, Venue & Band Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Mardi Gras 2014: A Rocckus Reunion and (Barely) Eyeing Endymion

March 25, 2014 by

PIRATE SURPLUS & GYPSY FRUGALITY

Pirate Captain & Krewe

Pirate Captain & Krewe

Since moving to New Orleans I have often had trouble sleeping soundly, but the night after my ride with Krewe of Morpheus I fell into sleep like a stone sinking to the deepest canyons of the Pacific. There I remained until late Saturday morning.

We’d planned on catching the two Uptown parades  that afternoon at my favorite coffee shop, Krewe du Brew, but that required crossing St. Charles before they closed the street off prior to the 11:00 a.m. parade My friends were as exhausted as I was, so by the time we all stirred, showered, and dressed it was past noon. We needed to be at House of Blues by 3:00 for a soundcheck party for the annual Better Than Ezra Mardi Gras show that night so decided to head to the French Quarter for the day.

Mardi Gras Gypsy & Medieval Pirate

Mardi Gras Gypsy & Medieval Pirate In the Masks They’d Found Friday

The day before while I was away with Morpheus, Kyle and Kelly had shopped for fancy Mardi Gras masks, their interest piqued by the simple ones I’d bought them. Kyle is in law school in Jacksonville and had already missed Friday so was planning to drive back Sunday; thus he and Kelly would miss Mardi Gras day when masking is near mandatory. Still, some people choose to dress up for parades and parties throughout Carnival, so I shared my lagniappe pirate gear with Kyle (and some with Aimee on Fat Tuesday; yes, I have enough pirate surplus to dress at least three other people!) while Aimee assembled the costume she’d brought and Kelly reluctantly donned the skimpy sequined gypsy top she’d purchased in her initial Mardi Gras intoxication the day before. We all laughed and encouraged her, assuring her she didn’t have to worry because wearing that she’d soon be covered in beads!

THE SLUGS & SLOTH SOCIAL AIDE & PLEASURE CLUB

First Line

First Line

By the time we parked up Esplanade and walked into the French Quarter, it was well into the afternoon and we were starved. We decided to try Coop’s Place where Aimee was determined to eat before leaving town. As we reached Royal Street, though, a strange sight interrupted us. During Mardi Gras…hell, anytime in New Orleans…you’re likely to be delayed by [Read more…]

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Mardi Gras 2014: Ancient Druids & Nyx in Pictures

February 27, 2014 by

ANCIENT DRUIDS & NYX: OSHUN & CLEOPATRA

 

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Nyx Grand Marshal Susan Spicer

Yesterday was rainy, cold, and wet. Even at a little after 5:00 as I rushed to Krewe du Brew, my favorite New Orleans coffee shop, to blog and try and beat the closing of St. Charles Avenue it was cold and drizzly.

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The K.R.A.P. Krewe Gathers

Ah, but the Gods of Carnival shined upon us. The ladies (and Pimp Daddy Bryan ‘Rocksteady’) from K.R.A.P. were gathering to watch two of our own parade in Nyx, the all female krewe that formed three years ago with Muses membership (the reigning sarcastic hipster queen of female krewes) and has quickly swelled to over 1,300 riders and rivals Muses for top diva–countering their custom shoe throws with hand decorated purses.

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The Purple Pirate Cradles Krewe du Brew Coffee On A Night When Ice Cream Wouldn’t Melt

K.R.A.P. co-founder and Thunderlord Rachel Unger was riding in float 21 and last-minute Mordor refugee Ann Thompson was in #12. A few others were mixed in as well. Their Chewbacchus compatriots made [Read more…]

Filed Under: Autobiography, History & Trivia, New Orleans Attractions, Travel Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Chewbacchus Mardi Gras Parade 2014: Episode 1, A New ‘Ho

February 25, 2014 by

CHERRY POPPIN’ IN A RED DRESS

Sacred-Drunken-Wookiee-Original2So my Carnival cherry has been popped, and in a red dress and support hose, no less. After seeing dozens of Mardi Gras parades in my life and having fallen in behind a few second-lines (next best thing to joining a krewe!) I rolled through the Marigny on Saturday night with the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus for my first ever Mardi Gras parade as participant rather than spectator. Like the movie trilogy that inspired Chewbacchus (I’m still in denial about the three prequels), it was an epic production of thrilling and inspiring grandeur.

Rolling with the oft mentioned sub-krewe of K.R.A.P. (Krewe of Really Awesome Parodies), I embraced their theme of Star Wrecks whole-heartedly…everyone seemed to agree that my costume was a glorious wreck of epic proportions. We’re talking Edmund Fitzgerald worthy Star Wreck.

Chewbacchanal-2014

YOU HAD ME AT HELLO

Chilling at Danielle's

Chilling at Danielle’s

At last writing, I was hastily posting prior to rushing to K.R.A.P. member Danielle Wheeler’s house for some early afternoon pre-gaming as we donned our cringe-inducing parodies. Although my costume idea had popped into my head the moment I read the 2014 Chewbacchus theme on their website: The Wrath of Khan-ival, it took me a while to identify an opening to assimilate into the group. I’d been handed a K.R.A.P. recruitment card, though, at the kick-off party back in September, and the name caught my interest. Thus, I rushed back from a Florida visit in October to attend a sub-krewe meeting where Rachel Unger and Chrissy Gross—our fearless leaders—announced the theme of Star Wrecks; and the grumbling began. Folks said they didn’t understand it or that it gave them no ideas. Hell, it made perfect sense to me: A hung-over, disheveled, half-drunk, morning after, walk-of-shame parody of your favorite sci-fi character. Baby, you’re singing my song.

It wasn’t that my costume fit K.R.A.P.’s theme, but that [Read more…]

Filed Under: Autobiography, Greatest Hits, New Orleans Attractions, Travel Tagged With: , , , , , ,