Saturday

Woke up early for walk with JR. Looking overcast, ominous. And the rains came, pouring steadily until about 2pm when, peering outside from our lunch bar,13 Monahan, we took note that the rain ceased. Off to the Fest! Lots of mud, but the crowd deals with it.

First stop, Wayne Toups& the Zydecajuns; Wayne informs the crowd this is his 20th year at the Fest. Good zydecowith a rock slant, crowd favorite. Off to see Marva Wright in the Blues Tent; ok, but a little disappointing after hearing her cd. Short stint with local band Galactic. JR/JK catch most of the Allen Toussaint session. Wonderful. Looking almost elegant in suit and tie at the piano, but good and funky backed by a great band and two backup singers. BD/MG find Walter Wolfman & the Roadmasters and come back with rave reviews. Elvis Costello bounds onto the stage and launches into "Watching the Detective". Finish up with Ike Turner. Ike is in fine voice and attire. First song we catch is "Rocket 88".

Friday

Got to the Fest about 4pm, actually plenty of time. Sampled food. Music highlights were CJ Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band and Marcia Ball, a real crowd favorite.

Then off to have some fish burritos and marguaritas (which would come back to haunt me in the middle of the night)with JR/Jeff (Dallas friend of BD). Then finish the night at the Maple Leaf Cafe to see Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. Maple Leaf is a small venue, hot and crowded with limited sight-lines, But Cleary puts on a great show.

And they're off!!!!!!!!!!

Back on the air….please be patient……internet hookup problems here at the Residence Inn on Saturday morning

Ready to roll

Met with JR last night to review/plan. He and I will be sharing one of the two bedrooms; I get the rollaway bed. BD/MG get the good room because they have been doing this for 1,000 years. I leave at 8am, arrive at 2:15pm (three hours in Philly!), travel 1st class; the rest of the crew leaves later, arrives earlier, but travels coach. They PROMISE to wait 20 minutes for me.

Best we can do is about three hours at the Fest on Friday, so decisions will have to be made. I, the ROOK, will probably have no vote. Note to cruise the club grids for Friday night club entertainment. Update: Marcia Ball is playing late Friday so to the Fest we will go.

Packing - shorts, tee shirts, hat (may go Kickbox 2000), sun screen (very important, I'm advised), SNEAKERS, one extra pair of underwear should be sufficient, no? Laptop.

Update: told to bring slacks to dine at Delmonico's on Monday night.

Delmonico’s 1300 St. Charles Avenue 525-4937 In 1895, Anthony LaFranca opened Delmonico’s. The establishment remained in his family until Emeril LaGasse, the celebrity chef of Emeril’s, bought the New Orleans institution. Emeril describes the menu at Delmonico’s as "classic Creole reinvented for the contemporary palate." Dished include Victorian favorites such as beef Wellington, chicken Clemenceau (grilled), Crabmeat Imperial and Chateaubriand. Crepes, café brulot and other specialties are cooked tableside. The inside is completely restored and includes a wine cellar and private dining rooms. Interior designers Ann Holden and Ann Dupuy have decorated the inside in a sumptuous array of neutrals. Expensive. Reservations a must. Jackets recommended; no t-shirts, blue jeans or tennis shoes. Lunch Monday through Friday; Dinner seven nights a week. Major credit cards accepted. Location: on the street car line just outside of the CBD.

JR back from the front

Piano Night
JR is back in town resting from last weekend's fest. Highlight was attending a WWOZ fundraiser called "Piano Night" at Generations Hall, a renovated warehouse in, where else, but the Warehouse District! Held each year on the Monday night between the two New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival weekends, Piano Night exists to honor and extend the great New Orleans Piano tradition. This year's honoree was Allen Toussaint.

Performing stages are set at opposite ends of the building, the Piano Band Stage and the Solo Piano Stage, with attendees roaming the space between listening to the music and feasting of great food and drink. Alternatively, for an additional fee, you can be in the balcony area, which runs the length of the building. It is an eight-hour event featuring over forty performers, with this year's headliners Marcia Ball, Eddie Bo and Dr. John. Goes from 6pm to the wee hours of the morning - a daunting task for someone who must get up at 4am to get to the airport! And with aching puppies! But our boy did it and we love him for it.

Mo' Fest
JR also sampled another of the many 'mini-festivals' that have sprung up as the Festival evolved - Mo' Fest. No, it isn't- not that there's anything wrong with that. Mo' Fest showcases great local talent and is held Mon/Tues at Hibernia Pavilion,Woldenberg Riverfront Park - and it's free!

Food!
More to come.

Word from the Front

Actually, no words, just JR leaving phone messages with NO narrative, just music, like he's got some kind of portable Bose system that makes me feel like I'm right there. NOT! I have misplaced his cell# and can't call him. We need a report, people!

Spoke with JR via bad cell connection. He said he was in a bad place. I told him I didn't give a shit about his mental state, but wanted a report about the Festival. Poor boy, his feet all blistered from lots of walking in his sandals (poor, stupid boy). But weather/music/food have been spectacular. Meters, Dr. John and a host of others; he has been taking notes.

The Planning

I must have a plan; something like going to Disney World for the first time - an attack strategy to do as much as I can in the time available, regardless of sleep constraints.

Behave Misbehave (within reason, of course, for I am a responsible adult. I think. Kinda.) At the Festival, figure a way to catch most of the great 'known' acts while also discovering some of the wonderful musicians I have never heard of. Cruise the clubs at night to sample great acts in smaller settings. Eat tons of wonderfully spicy, exotic foods without ballooning to 300 lbs and/or puking. Drink gallons of tasty, exotic beers without ballooning to 300 lbs and/or puking. Buy some great music to bring back to the boys and girls at home. Maybe get BD to offer some neat little additions to Reet Says Eat.

Friday, April 29th

Saturday, April 30th

Sunday, May 1st

2nd Weekend Club Dates

Impending dilemma- Saturday, April 30:

Elvis Costello & Imposters, Ike Turner & Kings of Rhythm, Dave Matthews Band all playing at the same time! KA says it's a no-brainer - Elvis

Preliminary 'must-see' listing:

Marva Wright & the BMWs - JR brought back a CD from last year's Fest and I love this big ol gal; seriously powerful voice; blues/gospel Dixie Cups - 60's girl group who gave us "Going to the Chapel" and contributed "Iko Iko" to the wonderful "Big Easy" soundtrack CD; I don't have false expectations, but I want to see them. Maria Muldaur/ Marcia Ball/Angela Strehli/Irma Thomas in a tribute to Sister Rosetta Thorpe - great potential with this group (although I'd love to see Lou Ann Barton included) Neville Brothers - I have to give New Orleans' "House Band" another chance; always been a big fan of their music (Wild Tchoupitoulas is a CLASSIC album), but was very disappointed in their performance at Oakdale Theatre about 10 years ago. Here's hoping they keep Aaron Neville's cloying falsetto under control.

The Decision

After months of procrastinating, I have decided to go. JR has been urging me to go for awhile now, saying that I would REALLY appreciate the amount/quality/diversity of the music, both at the Festival itself and at the downtown clubs each evening (and into the early morning), but I've been reluctant to splurge on myself. The Reet, a rabid New Orleans promoter since her trip to the 2004 'Final Fur', has been pushing for me to go. So, when I won about $350 at a card raffle (ten of spades), I rationalized that I wasn't spending 'family' cash. Immediately called TK, who graciously gave me some of his millions of air miles (first class, no less) to use.

I will be attending the second weekend of the two-weekend mega-music event, plenty for a Festival virgin. JR and BD, Festival veterans, are going both weeks. They leave early tomorrow morning.