After our trip out to New Orleans East, Theresa and I decided to head home to handle some work and then meet back up later that night to check out the Art for Art's Sake - a New Orleans street festival, of sorts, that celebrates local artists and entrepreneurs on Julia St. and Magazine St. My afternoon "work" was making red beans and rice from Lena Richard's recipe. I was really happy with how they turned out!
Later that night, we went to Magazine St. at the intersection of Napoleon - a thriving part of Magazine that is home to institutions like Miss Mae's and Bella & Harlow (completely different!) There were live bands set up on the street (some of them even asked us to join in!) and we discovered a number of adorable boutiques such as Feet First. The fun thing about Arts for Art's Sake is that all of the businesses on Magazine have cocktails and food to entreat customers. I was happy to accept a flute of champagne with Chambord at one place, and banana's foster ice cream at another!
After exploring for a good hour or so, Theresa and I made our way over to Tipitina's. We arrived around 9:00 and were pretty much the only ones there. A thing I have to keep reminding myself about is the fact that New Orleanians do not start anything on time. So, when the Tip's website says that a concert begins at 9:00pm, it really means that the opener will start around 10:15pm and the main act will start up around 12:30am.
So, Theresa and I wandered around a bit more, grabbed a drink at the bar, and staked out spots right in front of the stage.
Eventually, the first opener, Helen Gillet, made her way on to the stage. She is a solo cellist who uses looping to create a fuller sound. She was incredibly talented and Theresa and I enjoyed the Cajun and French folk traditions she incorporated into her performance.
Next up was Sweet Crude, a hipster/Cajun French local band (complete with mauve colored pants, horn rimmed glasses, and heavy bangs). What I loved most about this band was the array of instruments they used (a la Jimmy Fallon and the Roots using school house instruments). I was particularly fond of the heavy drums and the occasional xylophone solo.
The most AMAZING moment of the night, by far, was when Big Chief David Montana decided to come on stage and perform with Sweet Crude. He was soon followed by a number of the members of the Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra (the headliners for that night) who proceeded to parade throughout Tip's with their punchy tambourines and call-and-response vocals. The Big Chief made his way right in front of Theresa and I - We could not only hear, but also feel the thwack of the tambourine...oh my! What a powerful, amazing, overwhelming music moment! The entire audience joined in on the call-and-response singing and was dancing without a care in the world.
Then we prepared for the main event: The Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra.
According to The Times Picayune, The Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra, "is an ever-evolving local all-star unit" that on Saturday night featured, "Montana, guitarist June Yamagishi, bassist Reggie Scanlan, drummer Kevin O’Day, guitarist Sam Hotchkiss, percussionist Rosie Rosato and keyboardist Chris Spies, plus a four-piece string section with Sam and Jack Craft on violin and cello, respectively, violinist Harry Hardin and cellist Helen Gillet." At the beginning of their act, the band was able to show off their skills a bit with a few solos before the Big Cheif and his fellow Mardi Gras Indians came on stage to sing in full costume. The men hand bead their own costumes every year!! You have to check out the photos that Theresa captured:
The performance was stellar. Theresa and I ended up making friends with a local 12-year resident of the city who was passionate about New Orleans music. We danced the entire time, sang along with the Orchestra, and reveled in the very New Orleanian experience at Tip's!
Later that night, we went to Magazine St. at the intersection of Napoleon - a thriving part of Magazine that is home to institutions like Miss Mae's and Bella & Harlow (completely different!) There were live bands set up on the street (some of them even asked us to join in!) and we discovered a number of adorable boutiques such as Feet First. The fun thing about Arts for Art's Sake is that all of the businesses on Magazine have cocktails and food to entreat customers. I was happy to accept a flute of champagne with Chambord at one place, and banana's foster ice cream at another!
After exploring for a good hour or so, Theresa and I made our way over to Tipitina's. We arrived around 9:00 and were pretty much the only ones there. A thing I have to keep reminding myself about is the fact that New Orleanians do not start anything on time. So, when the Tip's website says that a concert begins at 9:00pm, it really means that the opener will start around 10:15pm and the main act will start up around 12:30am.
So, Theresa and I wandered around a bit more, grabbed a drink at the bar, and staked out spots right in front of the stage.
Eventually, the first opener, Helen Gillet, made her way on to the stage. She is a solo cellist who uses looping to create a fuller sound. She was incredibly talented and Theresa and I enjoyed the Cajun and French folk traditions she incorporated into her performance.
Next up was Sweet Crude, a hipster/Cajun French local band (complete with mauve colored pants, horn rimmed glasses, and heavy bangs). What I loved most about this band was the array of instruments they used (a la Jimmy Fallon and the Roots using school house instruments). I was particularly fond of the heavy drums and the occasional xylophone solo.
The most AMAZING moment of the night, by far, was when Big Chief David Montana decided to come on stage and perform with Sweet Crude. He was soon followed by a number of the members of the Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra (the headliners for that night) who proceeded to parade throughout Tip's with their punchy tambourines and call-and-response vocals. The Big Chief made his way right in front of Theresa and I - We could not only hear, but also feel the thwack of the tambourine...oh my! What a powerful, amazing, overwhelming music moment! The entire audience joined in on the call-and-response singing and was dancing without a care in the world.
Then we prepared for the main event: The Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra.
According to The Times Picayune, The Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra, "is an ever-evolving local all-star unit" that on Saturday night featured, "Montana, guitarist June Yamagishi, bassist Reggie Scanlan, drummer Kevin O’Day, guitarist Sam Hotchkiss, percussionist Rosie Rosato and keyboardist Chris Spies, plus a four-piece string section with Sam and Jack Craft on violin and cello, respectively, violinist Harry Hardin and cellist Helen Gillet." At the beginning of their act, the band was able to show off their skills a bit with a few solos before the Big Cheif and his fellow Mardi Gras Indians came on stage to sing in full costume. The men hand bead their own costumes every year!! You have to check out the photos that Theresa captured:
The performance was stellar. Theresa and I ended up making friends with a local 12-year resident of the city who was passionate about New Orleans music. We danced the entire time, sang along with the Orchestra, and reveled in the very New Orleanian experience at Tip's!
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