Month: November 2025

“Po-boy Fest”

Diana and Laurie played pickleball on Tuesday morning.  Laurie clearly liked it – when Diana suggested that they could play on Tuesday evenings when the guys did trivia, she replied “I can play tonight.”  And they did, running in to some of the other girls there.

The Bayou Boyz had an excellent first half at trivia, finishing in first place (for the half).  Michael has been a helpful recent addition – none of us had any idea what the sorceress Circe turned Odysseus’s men into in Homer’s Odyssey.  Michael immediately knew it was pigs.  Apparently, she offered Odysseus’s scouting party a meal of cheese, honey, meal, and wine. She drugged the wine with her potions, and after they drank it, she turned them into pigs using her magical wand.

The plane started to sputter (you really need Thom’s visual and sound effects) in the second half.

I did help with a banking related question – “The Manhattan Company, started by Aaron Burr in 1799, is now which major financial institution?”  Answer – JP Morgan Chase.

An interesting aside – the company was originally formed to supply clean water to New York City.  Burr included a provision (the banking loophole) that allowed any surplus capital to be used for banking, allowing it to eventually operate solely as a bank.

The lady from Ajun Cajun won two awards, including best of the fest po-boy for the yakiniku.  Made with stir-fried ribeye, this is a sandwich the restaurant family has been serving at Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest, Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo and other events for many years.

The narrow Oak street got very busy as the day progressed – beautiful weather and no Saints game helped with that.  We parked ourselves at a couple of the music stages to avoid the worst of the crowds.  We started with Eric Johansson at the Leonidas stage, followed there by an all star band assembled by Tony Hall.

After that we rendezvoused with the Kirsch girls at the Eagle stage to listen to a bit of a Ween cover band – Pollo Asado.

And we shouldn’t forget the Piano on a Truck – always fun:

We were reviewing Thanksgiving plans with Will and Christine and received these two funny caricatures – it’s amazing what they can create easily these days.

And I still think it’s too early to see Christmas trees everywhere – particularly as I walked into the grocery store earlier in the week.

I finally finished “The Librarians” this week, and I’m not happy with the conclusion.  It’s like watching a movie that you’re really enjoying and then being left with an overdone and unbelievable ending.  There were many unbelievable elements – I would have survived  a couple.  It seemed like every character that I enjoyed early in the book, ended up with unrealistic qualities.  Maybe that’s why it took me a few weeks to finish this.  I would skip it.

We’re skipping the music section this week as I need to wrap this up.

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all.

“Happy Halloween”

We drove over to the Bywater for lunch on Monday.  The focaccia sandwiches at Bywater Bakery are ridiculous – wonderfully tasty and huge.  We barely managed to finish a turkey, Swiss and pesto between both of us.  I really enjoy the feel of this section of New Orleans and here’s an interesting article on the challenges with maintaining that in the face of gentrification and ever changing demographics:

Overview of Bywater by CNN

I think the article has some good recommendations on the bars and restaurants in the neighborhood.

After lunch, we attempted to check out the Pompadour hotel on Elysian Fields.  We saw it in the Michalopoulus (thought I was finished trying to remember how to spell that for a while) documentary last week and were intrigued.  He owns the hotel and has filled each unique room with his original art.

The hotel was all locked up and I suspect one has to be a registered guest to get the entry codes.  It does look like a great place if we have adventurous visitors looking for somewhere funky to stay.

We walked from there over to Frenchmen Street to see how things were faring there – it’s been a few years since we spent any time there during the day, having just dropped into Snug Harbor for evening shows.  Several joints had live music going in the middle of a Monday afternoon – the blessings of tourist season being with us again – kinda.  The Spotted Cat had Jenavieve Cooke and the Winding Boys playing and we decided to give that a shot.  This was a typical afternoon Spotted Cat ensemble – some brass, a banjo and a few other players.  The lady on the left was very entertaining – a good trombone player and an ace on the xylophone – I haven’t heard anything like her.  By the time we left, the club was pretty full with what I’m guessing were almost exclusively tourists.

Diana was busted on returning home.  Billy (handyman) was finishing up some repairs and immediately spotted her Spotted Cat roadie with the remains of her mimosa.

Tuesday began with an early walk in the park – relishing the cooler, less humid weather.  That was followed by a drive downtown to the Prytania theaters on Canal to watch the “Blue Moon” movie at the $6 Tuesday price.

This is a biopic about Lorenzo Hart (of Rogers and Hart) and focuses on a night in 1943 when he attends the opening night of Oklahoma!  A running joke from Hart is the use of the exclamation point in the title – he would be horrified at the mass proliferation of that punctuation these days.  Rogers wrote this with Oscar Hammerstein, ending his long running partnership with Hart.  Hart (played wonderfully by Ethan Hawke) struggles with his feelings about his career being over, or at least in a rapid decline, and with his feelings for a young Yale student, Elizabeth Weiland.

The movie takes place exclusively in Sardi’s restaurant and I thought Hawke did a masterful job with the fast and dense, and often very funny and clever, dialogue.  You really had to listen and remember what was said, as things arose again later.

We had a fun time at Gallatoire’s last Halloween and snoozed too late for a reservation this year.  That combined with the fact that it’s a Friday and most of the tables have been on standing weekly orders for years.  We decided to go the bar next door and watch the scene from there.  Usually one can order the same food in there, but there was no service on Halloween.  No worries – we had a drink and observed the costumes for a while.  Flamingoes and Pink Ladies:

My favourite outfit of the afternoon – little Bo Peep with her “sheepdog:”

I suggested to “sunshiny fairy girl”, Amy, that this would be a good costume for her next year and this is what I got back:

Butterfly fairy girl and rocker Grace, including classic Pacifica fog.

Here’s what the main dining room at Gallatoire’s looked like – what a party:

We were getting hungry and headed over to Patula where we enjoyed those crazy Turkish meatballs and the mushroom toast.  Such a great new place.

We did manage to avoid the massive spider web on the way:

And enjoyed these high kicking guys that maybe want to be Rockettes one day?

We arrived home in time to see Augie and family heading out to their street party.

As soon as Diana told me Augie was coming out the door as Peter Pan, I knew tony would be Tinkerbell (such a good sport.)  And theater major Britney is such a photographic poser.

Unlike last year, we did get several groups of fun little trick or treaters.   They didn’t last too long – all very well as we had limited treat supplies.

A walk down St Charles Avenue kicked off our Saturday.  I had a visit to Aidan Gill shortly thereafter for a short back and sides, and then we drove over and parked at Kenny and Kara’s home for Freret Street Fest.

This is a really well done street festival with hundreds of booths and several music stages.  I’m good for a small amount of time with that many people trying to move down the street.  Hence, I convinced McD to stop in for a drink and snack at Cure (award winning cocktail bar that the guys always make fun of for being to pompous.)  I had never been before and found it very welcoming with a really quiet and comfy patio.  That was until Anne showed up for a chat and brought in a tiny remaining amount of an outside drink – then I saw how silly and pompous they can be.

We made it down to the Napoleon end of the street and met up with Denny, Kenny, Kara, Nina, Randy, Amy, Brian, and Lisa – the classic festival krewe.  The Creole String Beans, who played Anne’s 50th birthday party at the Chickie Wah Wah and feature Derek Huston on saxophone, played a typically fun set:

The piano truck (last seen with Kyle Roussel at Bywater Bakery) made an appearance – this time with Josh Paxton (last seen at the Broadside Spinal Tap event) on board:

Kenny and I made an early exit to relax and enjoy some college football.  The girls joined a bit later.  Another festival in the book – ‘Tis the Season.

Sunday evening brought a real treat.  I received an invite to attend a tribute to Lillian Boutte at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA.)

The Boutte family has a long New Orleans history – all the way back to Napoleon and Jean Lafitte.  The musical family was headed by Lillian Boutte until her recent passing.  She spent many years working in Germany and launched the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and Assistance Foundation many years ago.

You may have read my previous posts about how much we have enjoyed John Boutte concerts.  He did an excellent song last night right after the family was awarded a proclamation from the city of New Orleans:

The organization does amazing work to support aging musicians with health care, hearing and mental health support.

It was encouraging to hear about a new program where elderly musicians will form a band and perform at senior centers.  This is sponsored by Humana health and requires reporting on how this reduces loneliness and isolation for both performers and attendees. “Music as Medicine.”

Additionally, Sun Pie Barnes has been nominated to be the new cultural ambassador for the group – they receive donations from 29 or more countries and need someone to spearhead those efforts.

The world class Oscar Rossignoli (Honduran pianist making his home in New Orleans) led his various ensembles through some astoundingly high quality music.  The NOMA venue had excellent acoustics, clearly designed for these type of evenings.

Here’s the expanded “International Orchestra” with percussion and trumpet:

That’s the one of a kind Pedro Segura on drums and percussion.

A guest vocalist treated us to a poignant version of her song, “The River:”

Here’s the conclusion of their version of “Caravan:”

How about those percussionist in perfect sync with Oscar and his beautiful piano touch.

They finished up with “Bourbon Street Parade.”  It took the ladies in the audience around us about 20 seconds to get up and start parading up and down the aisle.  So much fun:

I loved this evening and hope to be able to help the organization in some way.

Here’s a funny picture that Denny shared this week.  It’s from 19 years ago and we’re on an airboat for a swamp tour, looking for gators (I’m praying that we are unsuccessful):

Here’s a nice picture of Finn and Holly that I received this week.  They look very happy, or maybe they’re just excited about the yummy barbeque that ‘s coming:

Any of you familiar with Tintin?  Just saying:

I almost finished “Buckeye” this week and still don’t agree with the rave reviews.  It’s a pleasant and somewhat interesting read – and that’s as far as I go.  Looking forward to something meatier and more engaging next week.  I think I’ve found it – more to come.

I read some very bad news this week.  The lovely and hugely talented Marcia Ball has retired from performing due to an ALS diagnosis.  We have enjoyed her so much over the years and she is so important to New Orleans piano music.  Here she is performing with the Preservation Hall Allstars during Jazzfest last year:

You can see the joy and admiration on the faces of the other band members.  And one of my treasured pics:

That was at Poor David’s Pub in Dallas and I believe was during the “Home for the Holidays” Christmas concert.

And now with three of my favourite New Orleans piano players – Oscar (from last night at NOMA), Jon Cleary and John Papa Gros:

I can still hear my Dad snorting with laughter to the Pink Panther cartoon.  I heard on the radio this week that a New Orleans resident, Plas Johnson, played that saxophone solo:

Plas performed all of that in just two takes and received a standing ovation from the other orchestra members and Henry Mancini.  The list of his other well known contributions is vast.

“Please answer the phone and let me inside.”

We visited Sunnie’s on Monday with Kenny.  This is a new place on Freret Street that we found out about from a partial owner that we met at the Batture farmer’s market.  They have some pleasant tables outside by the pool (one can buy a daily or longer term pass to use the pool.)

They were having a special “Still Austin” night and we sampled the unique cocktails created for the event, and several of their snacks.

I don’t think Sunnie’s will be on the regular rotation, but is a pleasant stop on a good pool day.

I remember one thing that I learned at trivia on Tuesday evening.  “What is the only state that is unicameral?”  The answer is Nebraska, and it means having just a single legislative body.  Who knew?  Most certainly not me.

After trivia, we went across the street to the open mic comedy show.  The comics are always happy to see us – gives them an opportunity to roll out all their old guy jokes.  I sent Diana a text that I was on my way home, and by the time I got home (6 minutes later), she was fast asleep.  That would have been fine, had the front door lock not been acting up.  It wouldn’t open at all and I didn’t have a physical key.  Thankfully, I did have a key to the side gate in a lock box and so was able to “sleep” on a lounger in the backyard.  It got chilly!  I did call Diana every hour or so, several times in a row, and rang the front doorbell many times.  She ultimately answered at 5am.  It’s a funny story now, but was not when I was shivering outside.

Kenny and Kara joined us at Merry Lee’s pool on Wednesday.  I asked Diana to drive since I was pretty sleepy from my time outside.  We had a pleasant time chatting, napping and reading books until the sun dipped behind the building at 2pm.

Then it was time for a stop at Juan’s Flying Burrito for a late lunch – always delicious.  A good, relaxing day.

Stanley Jordan played the newly reopened Jazz Market on Thursday and Friday evenings.  He was interviewed on WWOZ and it was perhaps the best interview of a musician that I have ever heard.  Cerebral, genuinely kind, and monstrously good at talking about music – just a great listen.  I’ve spent some time and have not been able to find a link to the interview.  Here’s what he sounds like if you’re not familiar:

Open in Spotify

The New Orleans Film Festival opened on Thursday night with a showing of “Michalolopoulis – The Art of Celebration,” and we were fortunate enough to attend.  We are lucky to have one of his paintings and were interested to learn more about his background.  That’s him on the right of the picture.

This is a typical example of his work, and similar to the one that hangs in our dining room:

Here’s what the brochure for the Film Festival said:

“No artist has captured the spirit of New Orleans like James Michalopoulos. “Michalopoulos – The Art of Celebration” traces the evolution of his work—from iconic architectural paintings and celebrated portraiture to luminous French landscapes. The son of a Greek immigrant and architect, Michalopoulos’ wanderlust brought him to New Orleans four decades ago. Drawn to its beauty and decay, he forged a lifelong love affair with the city. From street artist to New Orleans’ icon, his rise in the ’90s led to international acclaim, yet he chose to root himself in America’s last bastion of Bohemia. Here he champions its culture, artists, architecture, and communities – making the preservation of New Orleans’ spirit as much his legacy as his art.”

The Ardbeg whisky “Masters of Smoke” airstream trailer posted up at Martin Wine Cellar on Friday afternoon.  Ardbeg is distilled on Islay, off the west coast of Scotland and is famous for its smokiness, where most of the other whisky from Islay is dominated by a distinctly peaty taste.

You smell five different scents in the airstream, give them each a rating, and are told which of the Ardbeg lines is best for your palette.  Then head inside Martin and have a sample to confirm before purchasing.  What a deal!

I think I enjoyed the “Wee Beastie” the most.

After wetting our whistles with Ardbeg, we met the extended (various kids included) krewe (and a surprise of Aidan Gill out front with a Guinness) at St. Joe’s pub.  We couldn’t stay too long as we had to head over to our final event of the afternoon – the “Walrus” at the Broadside theater outside stage.

This is an excellent Beatles cover band that were doing all Paul songs from either the Beatles, Wings, or his solo career.  They were calling it Paulapalooza ahead of his upcoming concert in New Orleans.

I enjoy most shows at the wonderful Broadside, and this was no exception.  Here are some highlights.  I loved that the band were willing, and even seemed to relish taking on some of the more musically and technically challenging songs.

We joined Denny, Fred, Jack and Brennen to watch the Alabama game at the Rusty Nail on Saturday afternoon.  We bailed out at half time and went around the corner to Plates for tapas and one of those yummy Spanish G&Ts.

Diana was fortunate that they had soft shell crab still on the menu (getting late in the season) and we supplemented that with some perfectly cooked shrimp.

Diana made friends with the lady next to her who seemed to be very knowledgeable about the local hotel and dining scene because of her job.

We left Plates just in time to see Chris Peet heading off the Krewe de Boo Halloween parade:

We didn’t stay for the full parade, but caught all the usual attractions – marching krewes, bands, and the rolling Elvi:

After very busy Friday and Saturday afternoons, it was time for a lower key Sunday.  I wasted some time watching both Cowboys and Saints lose horribly.

I started “Buckeye” by Patrick Ryan this week.  I’m making steady and slow progress.  Here are a lot of rave reviews and an exciting overview, but it just hasn’t hooked me yet:

“A glorious sweep of a novel.”—Ann Patchett
“Captivating.”—The New York Times Book Review
“A once-in-a-decade novel . . . I fell in love with these characters.”—Jenna Bush Hager

One town. Two families. A secret that changes everything.

In Bonhomie, Ohio, a stolen moment of passion, sparked in the exuberant aftermath of the Allied victory in Europe, binds Cal Jenkins, a man wounded not in war but by his inability to serve in it, to Margaret Salt, a woman trying to obscure her past. Cal’s wife, Becky, has a spiritual gift: She is a seer who can conjure the dead, helping families connect with those they’ve lost. Margaret’s husband, Felix, is serving on a Navy cargo ship, out of harm’s way—until a telegram suggests that the unthinkable might have happened.

Later, as the country reconstructs in the postwar boom, a secret grows in Bonhomie—but nothing stays buried forever in a small town. Against the backdrop of some of the most transformative decades in modern America, the consequences of that long-ago encounter ripple through the next generation of both families, compelling them to reexamine who they thought they were and what the future might hold.

Sweeping yet intimate, rich with piercing observation and the warmth that comes from profound understanding of the human spirit, Buckeye captures the universal longing for love and for goodness.”

My favourite Jazzfest performance so far:

I love the “Live from Daryl’s House series, and this one with Robert Fripp is very good:

Fripp played on the original David Bowie version and raved about how quickly Daryl’s band could jump from song to song and genre to genre.

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all.