Alternative Mardi Gras Kruisin’ da Krewes Vol. II, issue 2 1 Dave Malone from The Radiators

Photo / Pat Jolly

Where is Beat Street? There is a place in New Orleans, a figurative address that is home to all that is real. New Orleans Beat Street is the home of jazz. It is also the residence of funk and the blues; R&B and rock ‘n’ roll live here, too. When zydeco and Cajun music come to town, Beat Street is their local address. Beat Street has intersections all over town: from Uptown to Treme, from the Ninth Ward to the French Quarter, from Bywater to the Irish Channel, weaving its way through Mid-City and all points Back o’ Town. Beat Street is the Main Street in our musical village. It is where we gather to dine and to groove to live music in settings both upscale and downhome. Beat Street is where we meet to celebrate life in New Orleans with second line parades, festivals and concerts in the park. Beat Street is lined with music clubs, restaurants, art galleries, recording studios, clothing shops, coffee emporiums and so much more. New Orleans Beat Street is a mythical street in New Orleans surrounded by water and flooded with music.

2 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 3 Photo Michael P. Smith In This Issue... Beat Street takes a look at Carnival from an alternative perspective. Broderick Webb explores the East-West connections. David Kunian investigates the origins of some of the most fascinating “underground” krewes. Spike Perkins gets up close and personal with the Krewe Du Vieux. Timothy Beckstrom peeks into the world of the gay krewes. Robyn Loda visits with Mondo Kayo and the Jefferson City Buzzards. Rob Rudner exposes the Krewe of Kosmic Debris. Jerry Brock takes us back to the golden era of the Baby Dolls and celebrates 20 years of the FI YI YI. Warren America gives us a tour of new gadgetry.

contents

The Million Dollar Baby Dolls By Jerry Brock 7 Krewe Du Vieux Music and Mayhem By Spike Perkins 9 Jefferson City Buzzards The Oldest Marching Club in New Orleans By Robyn Loda 12 Mardi Gras Essentials By Jerry Brock 15 Box of Wine By David Kunian 17 In the Spirit! - With FI YI YI By Jerry Brock 19 That Jewlu That You Do By David Kunian 23 Bass Parade By David Kunian 26 Sub-Woofers and a Six-Foot Banana Krewe-sin’ with Mondo Kayo By Robyn Loda 32 Are You Ready to Tumble? The Krewe of Kosmic Debris By Robert V. Rudner 36 The Year of the Monkey By Broderick Webb 44 MP3 Confidential NAMM Show New Gear Report By Warren America 50

4 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 5 The Million Dollar Baby Dolls By Jerry Brock

Miriam Reed is the last of the streets. Batiste family Baby Dolls. She admits, “I don’t get around like I used to.” The Batiste clan held and holds The Million Dollar Baby Dolls were some characters. The incomparable her family and friends. She laments, charm of “Uncle” Lionel Batiste 8403 Willow Street “The young people don’t seem to of the Treme Brass Band and his New Orleans, La. 70118 know what fun is today.” brothers Precisely, Norman and 504.314.0710 Arthur were the core of the original [email protected] The Million Dollar Baby Dolls have Dirty Dozen The sisters included slowly faded from the streets. An Miriam and Felicia. The Dirty Dozen exotic and romantic celebration featured snare drum, bass drum, Publisher Writers of Carnival and womanhood tambourines, triangle, ukulele, banjo, Stephen Novak Warren America encouraged by life in Storyville. The kazoos and voices. Everyone sang. Timothy Beckstron Editor Baby Dolls have caught the attention Jay Mazza Jerry Brock of artists, photographers, filmmakers We paraded from 8 AM Fat Tuesday David Kunian and writers since the 1920s. until 2 AM the following morning. Robyn Loda There was a loosely organized Sales Director Jay Mazza Melisa Coby Spike Perkins When the Baby route with Robert B. Rudner Dolls arrived, the rest periods. Art Director Andy Schulz Broderick Webb party began. They We strutted struck a profile though huge Cover Art that conjured crowds on Photo Editor Mike Williamson Bob Compton cute, beautiful, Claiborne Beat Street Logo fine and sexy. with ease and Business Diplomat Jerry Brock Mike Williamson They sewed grace. They precious satin played old baby doll outfits ribald songs, in a Victorian jazz tunes and style with Creole songs. large bonnets, Everyone eloquent tops loved the with lace, Baby Dolls over-size linen and thousands drawers and lace of revelers bobby socks. cleared a path They carried for the Baby with them baby Dolls and the bottles and Dirty Dozen. pacifiers. Despite the raucous In the middle atmosphere, of a gigantic creativity, dignity crowd, a and respect Million Dollar Baby Doll with Jerry Brock. space would were expressed magically Information for and returned by the masses that open and there would be a three- witnessed their parade. legged card table barely standing with a fifth of Jack Daniels for In 1980 and 1981 I paraded with the the Baby Dolls and Dozen. It was LOVING Million Dollar Baby Dolls and the more surreal than any Fellini film. Original Sixth Ward Dirty Dozen The next stop might be gumbo and LIVING Kazoo Band. We met at 7 AM at sandwiches. in Felicia Shezbie’s house on Orleans Avenue. A huge breakfast with eggs, The Baby Dolls predate many New Orleans pork chops, gumbo, biscuits, gravy, Carnival traditions. In 1929, Fox greens, rice and deserts was the Movie Tone Newsreel filmed them Subscribe to FYI - $18 a year morning meal. strutting across Canal Street. In 12 issues + special Jazz Fest issue 1933, Caroline Durieux, the Head Following breakfast, Precisely Batiste of the Louisiana WPA Art Program, Send a note with your check to led a prayer for our safety and to rendered them in a charcoal Subscription Department have a beautiful day. Then we hit the drawing. Bradley Smith printed two 8403 Willow Street, New Orleans, LA 70118. definitive photos he took in 1938. “Skeletons” Lyle Saxon interviewed Beatrice Hill. Photo Michael P. Smith

6 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 7 “I was the first Baby Doll, “ Beatrice saying “Satin and Sinners” and the Hill asserted firmly. “Liberty and Baby Dolls followed three abreast Krewe Du Vieux Perdido was hot back in 1912 when strutting in red satin baby doll that idea started. Women danced outfits. on bars with green money in their Music and Mayhem The meetings of the Million Dollar stockings, and sometimes they By Spike Perkins danced naked… a gal named Althea Baby Dolls and Satin & Sinners are Johnson jumps up and says, ‘Let’s be legendary. They would meet in the ourselves, let’s be Baby Dolls. That’s 6th Ward and throw down in the streets. “Everyone thinks the Krewe Du Vieux theme set for the what the pimps always called us. …” is way out there, but at the same whole parade. time, we’re the most traditional “… And that Mardi Gras Day came Others have claimed that the Baby krewe around,” says Keith Twitchell. Clones paraded and we hit the streets. I’m tellin’ Dolls were just prostitutes who Twitchell, the krewe’s publicity from 1978 to you; we hit the streets lookin’ forty, masked on Mardi Gras Day. But that captain, points out that Krewe Du 1985 and then was fine and mellow. … We had stacks of seriously oversimplifies it They were Vieux is the only krewe that still denied a permit in dollars in our stockings and in our hard working people caught up in parades in the French Quarter and 1986. The official hands. We went to the the life they were dealt makes their own floats which are krewe history Sam Bonart playground but made the most of. pulled by mules. states that this was They stuck together due to, “…infighting among the on Poydras Street and krewe/CAC leadership, combined bucked each other to and created an ironic with pressures from the city see who had the most twist unlike any other. due to the parade occurring the money. …” night before the Super Bowl…” Put into context Former krewe captain Ray Kern “Know what? We went consider that in 1912, says more specifically that he on downtown, and talk Louis Armstrong was believes the city feared the about puttin’ on the 10 years old. The Zulus krewe’s raunchy humor would ritz! We showed them were just starting offend Super Bowl tourists. out as a ragtag, black- whores how to put it Several of the sub-krewes on. Boy, we was smokin’ faced collection of decided to march anyway. The cigars and flingin’ ten gentlemen. The Baby Krewe of Underwear and the and twenty dollars Dolls, Louis and the Krewe of Mama Roux dubbed through the air. Sho, Zulus came from the Photo Pat Jolly their celebration a “Clone we used to sing, and Felicia Shezbie. same neighborhood. Funeral” and held a short march Photo Michael P. Smith Music is provided only by traditional boy did we shake it on Jazz had emerged and New Orleans brass bands marching in mid-city. The Seeds of Decline and down. We sang ‘When the Sun Goes was blasting from every corner of in between each parading unit. The Krewe of C.R.U.D.E. (of which Kern is a member) joined up with the Pair- Down’ and ‘When the Saints Come the city. krewe puts more brass bands on the street than any other parade. This A-Dice Tumblers and the Krewe of Marchin’ through I Want to Be In Cosmic Debris and paraded informally That Number’ …we showed our These people, born into a repressed year, 19 bands will be marching with the organization’s 17 sub-krewes. in the French Quarter with the theme, linen that day.” condition, turned it around and “The Stupor Bowl.” After Carnival was made a brilliant creation of live over that year, the two groups joined art. The joy they spread changed At the same time, the Krewe Du A lesser-known but striking group Vieux is known for of Baby Dolls was from further the path of culture worldwide. The its irreverent but downtown. They were known as Baby Dolls were a welcome and basically good- Satan (spelled Satin) and Sinners. unique part of an African-American natured satire, Film footage shows Satan with renaissance centered in New which targets his red union drawers and with Orleans. politics and society white cotton boxers worn outside. both national and Along with his long red tail and his local. This year’s theme, “Quest for red horns he carried a decorated Immorality,” spoofed umbrella. A man carried a sign the Egyptian exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Previous themes have included “Depraved New World,” “2001: A Space Fallacy,” and “Souled Down the Voted best River.” meeting place on Krewe Du Vieux Frenchmen St. evolved out of the Krewe of by the Beat Street staff Clones, which was Photo Andres founded by former forces, established a parade date Contemporary Arts Center director and the city gave them permission to Don Marshall and was based out of parade in the Quarter. Friday 2/27 the CAC. Like Krewe Du Vieux, Clones Coco Robicheaux was based on a series of sub-krewes The celebration of New Orleans music who did their own takes on a satirical runs a close second to off-center (504) 942-3731 618 frenchmen street www.drinkgoodstuff.com 8 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 Photo / Michael P. Smith9 Usually, sub-krewes keep the same bands they have marched with before and some even develop extended relationships with them. For example, it has become a tradition for Hyman’s krewe, the Krewe of C.RA.P.S, to have the Paulin Brothers play for their pre-parade party and then lead a second line to the starting point for the main parade. Also, the Treme Brass Band. Photo Pat Jolly. Panorama Jazz Band has become a fixture with the Krewe De enjoys the give and take with the you’re playing.” In contrast, some of Jieux. krewes that sometimes request songs the more crowded places of the route Photo Andres. not in the band’s repertoire. “That’s require the bands to march single file. been a really good experience, getting humor as the krewe’s mission. They Sometimes, though to try stuff, and they say, ‘that’s fine, Ray Kern believes the gods of Mardi have tried both to honor legendary there are problems such as when we’ll take it any way you know it.’” Gras have smiled on Krewe Du Vieux. local performers and to showcase some band’s laid-back approach to He also appreciates that the brass This unusual and definitely low budget emerging talent. Past royalty has professionalism doesn’t come up to band players are invited to the ball, parading group has survived and included the Treme Brass Band’s the krewe’s expectations. Hyman with passes for their guests. thrived. He says, “The Muses have “Uncle” Lionel Batiste, Ernie and remembers one year a band showed up with no bass drummer. He says, been blessing us with miracles and Antoinette K-Doe, Irma Thomas, Despite all the fun and creativity, magic and all sorts of weird shit that Marcia Ball and Danny Barker. “So one of the krewe members who was quite musical found one of those the loose nature of the parade can happens—the only thing that I can make things difficult for the bands. explain is that it is a sort of magic.” The Krewe Du Vieux Doo, the annual big plastic beer container things lying ball after the parade, has showcased around the Den and he played that as a bass drum during the parade, with One example might be Kern’s finding Tommy Ridgley, Monk Boudreaux with the warehouse property where the Anders Osborne and Henry Butler. the snare drummer kind of giving him Charmaine Neville, Marcia Ball and some guidance.” Hyman confirms, “If Irma Thomas have had the unusual there are enough complaints about distinction of reigning as royalty and a band, they may be dropped the performing at the ball the same year. following year.”

In 1994, noted octogenarian jazzman Krewe Du Vieux is widely appreciated Danny Barker was king and was also by the musicians for their support scheduled to perform. According to of the brass band scene and music captain John Hyman, “He had just gotten sick and he came on stage with his guitar and he just couldn’t play.” Barker passed away a few months later.

Ray Kern notes that, “Musicians like to play Photo Andres. our gig, because they don’t have to warm up krewe meets and builds floats just the crowd. When we when the old landlord raised the come in we’re cooked.” rent. He and some partners bought the space, which he named the Den Papa Grows Funk got Photo Mike Williamson. into the spirit last year- of Muses. I didn’t know at the time that the Muses were all women. That before the next to the Photo Mike Williamson. last song, they mooned the crowd. the opportunity to showcase so explains a lot.” many bands at the same event. According to Letterman, “The On the brass band front, it is Hyman’s Louis “Bicycle Louie” Letterman, challenging thing is that there are Katherine Cargo, the present krewe job to oversee hiring the brass bands percussionist and leader of the Bone so many bands, sometimes it gets a captain, feels the Krewe Du Vieux and assigning them to the sub-krewe Tone Brass Band, notes that, “It’s a little chaotic. Here you are playing, pays tribute to, “…real New Orleans with which they will be marching. people’s parade, a grass roots parade, and there’s another band twenty feet characters or those who have Many brass bands have participated and therefore, it allows for a lot of away playing a different tune.” contributed significantly to the fiber in the parade for years. Some of individual creativity.” of the city.” Krewe Du Vieux seems those involved the longest include the The parade starts and stops a lot. to have a finger on the pulse of what’s Treme, Bone Tone, the Down and Dirty Rebirth bass drummer Keith Frazier is Sometimes when it makes a fast hip locally. As Keith Twitchell says, Jazz Band and the Paulin Brothers also a big supporter. Unless they are move, it’s hard for the bands to keep “Music has always been at the core of Brass Band. gigging out of town, Rebirth always up. Letterman says, “People expect Mardi Gras, and we want to bring that participates. Frazier particularly you to run and you can’t run while back.”

10 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 11 the area between Napoleon Buzzard!’” Inventing & Reinventing Tradition and Jefferson, from the river to Magazine. There Today when Buzzards kiss were stockyards on the women, they exchange small, Jefferson City Buzzards 5200 block of Annunciation. paper throws called Buzzard The Oldest Marching Club in New Orleans Many buzzards would circle Bucks that read, “Buzz Value One Kiss”. “Getting one of By Robyn Loda the area there. The second line of thinking is that the these means you’re a Buzzard name was taken from a now- Babe,” he adds. (Also on the “Two steps forward, one step that we leave our titles at defunct group downtown Bucks are “Get a Buzz” and back. That’s how a Buzzard the door. Inside, we’re all called the French Market “Not Negotiable”.) makes progress,” says Martin Brother Buzzards.” Buzzards.” Schmidt, part of a fourth- Like the majority of Carnival generation membership to The Jefferson City Buzzards With approximately 100 clubs, its members are of the Jefferson City Buzzards. is an all-male Carnival members, this invitation-only similar stripe. In this case, marching club that club is open only to men. they are all men. Outside This former grand marshal celebrates life together with Members range between New Orleans, this would knows a thing or two about four major parading events twenty and seventy. And seem outrageous. But Mardi success. This club has annually. The main event, they parade alone—just Gras is a time for tribe endured for 114 years. It’s where they march between the members, no families members to come together the oldest of its kind and Zulu and Rex on Mardi Gras or friends. “To become a and wave their flags in even owns property. morning; the St. Patrick’s Buzzard, you have to be celebration of the great Day parade in Metairie; the sponsored by two different diversity of nations within members,” explains our fair city. Schmidt. “Two people have to recommend you and “I give full credit to my wife vouch that you’re a good, Sandy for helping me be a upstanding man. We say, ‘We Buzzard,” says Schmidt, his tend to bend our elbow [he infectious grin revealing motions as if lifting a cup to boyish love after 42 years of his lips], but we always land marriage. “She and the other on our feet.’” wives and girlfriends are not in the club, so they don’t Responsible action is parade with us, but they are certainly a longstanding there before and after to Buzzard tradition. Schmidt celebrate with us. And it’s a explains that the founding family tradition. I’m part of members saved their money four generations of Buzzards. for 17 years to acquire their I was a banner boy by the own meeting hall called time I was seven years old. the Buzzard Roost at 5215 My grandfather, my father, Annunciation St. in 1907. my kids and my nephews are “We meet there every all Buzzards.” month and it belongs to the organization.” Two grand dames of New Orleans are also big Buzzard This club is all about supporters: Ms. Mae, owner tradition. But traditions of The Club (also known as need to be flexible to reflect Ms. Mae’s) and Miss Dot, changing times—another owner of Domilise’s bar and Photo Jefferson City Buzzards. part of landing on one’s po-boy place, whose late feet. From its inception husband was captain and “We were founded on Irish-Italian parade in New in 1890 until 1958 the president of the Buzzards. December 17, 1890 by Orleans in late March; and Buzzards paraded in black blue collar people,” gearing up again for Carnival face because of the black Ms. Mae and Miss Dot sponsor explains Schmidt, a retired with a practice parade, in bird that they represent. “It the Buzzards’ annual raffle pharmaceutical salesman drag, in early February. had other associations and where we raffle off a $500 now living on the West Bank. was therefore inappropriate dollar prize,” says Schmidt. “Back then, Uptown wasn’t Schmidt says The buzzard to continue doing this by “Their names are even associated with the idea of mascot has two traditions the late 1950s, so the club printed on them.” being upper class. Those behind it. “We Buzzards stopped. It used to be the believe there are two lines tradition that when members Domilise’s and The Club are were the downtown people. two longtime Buzzard haunts. Uptown was working-class. of thinking when it comes would kiss women during to our name. First, before their reveling, the women “As we parade, we make Today we have doctors, stops. I should say as we lawyers, policemen, Uptown was annexed to the would get black smudges on City of New Orleans, it was their faces. It was a way of ‘meander’,” laughs Schmidt. businessmen (as members), “These places have been two you name it. But we say Jefferson City. This was saying, ‘I’ve been kissed by a

12 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 13 of our watering holes for the elderly at two Uptown years, on the route and off.” nursing homes, the Poydras Mardi Gras Essentials Home and Covenant House. By Jerry Brock The Buzzards meet early in “We bring joy! That’s a main the morning on Mardi Gras duty of a Buzzard,” explains Mardi Gras Music The Wild Magnolias Day in Audubon Park and Schmidt. “We sing all kinds Polydor Japan Mardi Gras would not be the same eventually proceed down of songs, ones like ‘Little Though this is now only available as the main parade route. “We, without great New Orleans music. Liza Jane’. Of course, we There are a lot of great collections an expensive import from Japan it is in essence, lead Rex,” says keep it traditional there. and the following are essential to a worth every dollar. It is the original Schmidt. “We’re between While out singing and successful Mardi Gras celebration. 1973 landmark recording featuring Zulu and Rex. And we always reveling, though, a Buzzard Willie Tee, Monk Boudreaux, Bo Mardi Gras in New Orleans Dollis, Uganda Roberts, Julius Farmer carry an American flag and a has been known to make up a and Snooks Eaglin. If you can find a Mardi Gras flag to honor the Various Artists bawdy lyric or two to replace Mardi Gras Records used copy cheaper you have found a tradition that Rex set in 1872 the old ones.” jewel. with the three colors: purple This is the classic collection that most for justice, green for faith Mirroring the meeting of Rex locals have grown up with over the Super Mardi Gras past 20 years. It features Professor Various Artists and gold for power. Also we and Comus that occurs at Mardi Gras Records bring along a live band called the climax of Mardi Gras, the Longhair’s classic Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Al Johnson’s Carnival the St. Charles Streetcar Buzzards’ practice parade Time, the Wild Magnolias New Suit This collection is fairly recent Band, our own bar of beer in early February (the drag and Handa Wanda and the Hawketts compared to most of the records on and our own urinal. We have event) includes meeting up Mardi Gras Mambo. this list. The Mambo #5 by Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. and Take Your Drunken Ass a saying, ‘You only rent with another Carnival club, Home by Big Al Carson are guranteed beer—you never buy beer!’” the Phunny Phorty Phellows, Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge Professor Longhair to keep your Mardi Gras party going. at Frankie & Johnny’s on Rhino Records As for costuming, the Arabella St., near the There are so many great recordings Buzzards do not have themes Buzzard Roost. In another This is pure and unadulterated by Mardi Gras Indians, New Orleans each year, but donning a venerable Carnival tradition, Professor Longhair at his finest. Fess Brass Bands and local artists that is joined on this record by Snooks we recommend anything by the cape is encouraged. They the Buzzards receive a tray Dirty Dozen, Rebirth, Treme, New can look traditionally regal Eaglin on guitar, Will Harvey on bass, of corn and potatoes from Shiba drums, George Davis bass, Birth, James Andrews, Kermit Ruffins, in these capes, but Schmidt the Phellows. Zigaboo Modeliste drums, Kid Jordan Golden Eagles, Coolbone, Paulin’s reveals another motive. baritone sax, Willie Singleton trumpet Brass Band, Algiers, Storyville “Before we brought along and Clyde Kerr trumpet. Any song by Stompers, Indians of the Nation, Bo our own urinal, it was the Professor Longhair fits into any Mardi Dollis, Monk Boudreaux, the Meters, Gras party. Snooks Eaglin, Professor Longhair, tradition for a small group Since 1890, the Jefferson Neville Brothers Lee Dorsey and Fats City Buzzards have proudly of Buzzards to spread their Mardi Gras Parade Music From New Domino. capes while another Buzzard paraded from uptown to Orleans did his duty, like around a downtown. Catch them Various Artists tree.” Thankfully for the early, or catch them late, but GHB Records general public, when a don’t miss this time-honored krewe. For more traditional jazz tastes this Buzzard now spreads his is the best for the money. Included is cape, he’s usually making Pete Fountain, Santo Pecora, Thomas simulated bird noises and Jefferson and the classic Lakefront strutting like a feathered Lounger’s The Day After Mardi friend. Gras. For the older generation it includes March of the Bob Cats that was extremely popular during 1933 One particularly Carnival season. heartwarming Buzzard tradition is that of singing to Mardi Gras Party Various Artists Rounder Records

This contains the great Rockin’ Dopsie version of the Dirty Dozen’s Feet Don’t Fail Me Now. Also featured are the Rebirth Brass Band, James Gourmet Fresh Soups, Sandwiches, Salads Booker, Zachary Richard, Bo Dollis and Irma Thomas.

The Wild Tchoupitoulas Lunch delivery every Mango Records business day everywhere downtown, Classic Mardi Gras Indian songs from when Big Chief Jolly ruled uptown. to your desk, Every song on this recording has your customers desk, become a Mardi Gras standard. This was also the first recording that the or even the park! Neville Brothers made together. 596-2863

14 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 15 Box of Wine By David Kunian

Carnival is not a recent of friends going to see Bacchus phenomenon. It can be traced together,” Coviello explains, “and back to pre-Christian rituals such then (at) one Bacchus parade I had as the Roman Lupercalia where a religious conversion. I saw the two noble young men were face of Bacchus in a bull and felt anointed with sacrificed goat’s that I’d been cleansed. I had a true blood and then ran through the Dionysian experience. I didn’t city lashing bystanders with goat know at the time that Dionysus skin as a fertility ritual. comes to people as a bull.” For the classics-impaired, Dionysus There are is the Greek many other equivalent of pagan and the Roman god, centuries- Bacchus. old rituals from which She continues, Carnival has “I read up descended. on Greek Such rituals mythology and are the Dionysus and root of the realized that celebration in the old rites New Orleans. were peak experiences that Many transformed participants and transfigured. in Mardi Gras Then I found are unaware people who that in their agreed that excessive having fun was intoxication, a transforming uninhibited experience. The behavior, Photo Pat Jolly. highs of musical and thirst experience for beads they are enacting and and intoxication, having fun, is a participating in something that spiritual pursuit.” goes back to ancient practices. Amid the modern rituals of Coviello acknowledges that Box breast-baring and bead catching, of Wine is derived from other there are Carnival krewes whose krewes including the late Army rites attempt to duplicate and of Clowns, the Krewe of St. Ann, reinvigorate the rituals of our and the Krewe Du Vieux. Box of ancestors thousands of years ago. Wine assembles uptown on the afternoon before Bacchus and One of the most prominent of parades down and around St. these is the krewe dedicated Charles. The members dress in to the Greek god of theatre, Break Free from Apathy and Cynicism pagan and provocative costumes wine, and ecstatic truth through and imbibe box wine among other If You Want It Bad Enough It Will Happen intoxication. No, this is not the beverages while yelling “Box of home of the Bacchasaurus and the Wine!” in a call and response, This City Has What It Takes To Be An Economic Power Bacchagator. This group calls itself Embrace Diversity And We’ll All Be Rewarded as the Box of Wine. The parade is also equipped with its not-so-secret weapon, the 9th The Box of Wine was the Ward Marching Band. The 9th inspiration of Ann Marie Coviello. Ward Marching Band is your But as she puts it, it was also typical small-town marching “divinely inspired.” “Box of Wine band- if your small town is the started as an amorphous group

16 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 17 Faubourg Marigny and the Bywater. “The people in the permit office Grand Marshal for Life Shelley are really cool cops.” In the Spirit! - With FI YI YI Loughnane describes it as being, By Jerry Brock “like a high school marching band Now they go down the route crossed over to a Steadman/ with official permission. This has Thompson version of urban energized Coviello yet again. She Big Chief Victor Harris of the FI YI YI walks says, “We’re going to continue it. in the Spirit of the Mandingo Warrior. On freakiness”- referring to the grand Mardi Gras, don’t get in his way. He won’t chroniclers of all things decadent, People tell me (after the parade) bow down. He will set this city on fire. You Ralph Steadman and Hunter S. that they’ve never had more fun in can almost hear the chanting, “He got fire their lives.” in the hole. We gonna rock your soul. On Thompson. Mardi Gras Day you better get out the way.” The 9th Ward Marching Band Coviello’s dedication rarely wavers. th She says, “This is spiritual for me. This year, FI YI YI celebrates their 20th is the brainchild of 9 Ward anniversary. mad scientist and organist Mr. We say, ‘Let’s keep Bacchus in Quintron. It came together the Bacchanal,’ and ‘Dionysus is Victor Harris is a man of energy. He speaks the reason for the season.’ Tits quickly and to the point. “When I put on when Quintron hooked up with my suit Mardi Gras Day, I’m afraid to know the anarchic, percussion-heavy and beads are good too, but it’s myself,” he explains. “It is a transformation band Crash Worship. Out of this more than that. Tits and beads into the spirit. Vic’s gone. I have to tell a lot meeting grew a marching band are (symbolic of) grapes, bounty, of folk to not be mad if I don’t recognize fertility. This stuff is supposed them. It’s like on Sunday when the preacher of 20 plus complete with red is at the altar giving his sermon. You don’t and white uniforms playing Pat to be used with real honor and walk up to him and say, ‘how are you doing?’ Benatar’s “Heartbreaker” over real respect. I mean, I don’t need It’s obvious what he is doing.” for everyone to believe in what I and over while majorettes shoot Harris begins the tale, “It’s hard to say when confetti-spewing guns. believe, but there is something in it I started because really it’s been with me that can help people.” all my life. The heart of the FI YI YI lies in The Box of Wine parade has gone the 1300 block of Annette Street in the 7th Loughnane agrees, “Box of Wine Ward. That is where the Spirit of the FI YI through changes with 1999 being YI was born. FI YI YI is about everything. It is a watershed year. Not only had is a contemporary Eleusinian my family, friends, and community. It is about a founding member, “been called mystery transplanted to the seamy life and bringing people together.” Chief Victor Harris. Photo Bob Compton. home to Papa Bacchus,” Coviello streets of New Orleans. We are Harris has masked Indian for 39 years. He Harris jumps in, “He comes from uptown remembers that “we almost got the Bacchae. We worship the says, “I didn’t get here by saying I want to where there is a real tradition of sewing. grape and the excess and the be a Chief. I got here through dedication. Man, I saw that tuxedo and thought this arrested in 1999. There were 8 It required dedication to the art and the person has got something different. I paddy wagons lined up for us.” vision through excess, the horror community I live in. I started out with Big hooked up with Jack and we’ve been sewing and the beauty of the grape. Chief Tootie Montana. He is my Chief and ever since.” I will always be a member of the Yellow Given that the parade has gone We take our sacred obligation Collins Lewis is a founding FI YI YI member. from several friends to a multi- seriously. Bad things happen to Pocahontas. In 1984 the spirit of the FI YI YI got so powerful that it created its own life.” He also designs and sews. “The FI YI YI has division behemoth, the krewe people who don’t give Bacchus his brought the tradition full circle,” Lewis was forced to adapt. Coviello has due, especially if they live like we We visit that life as the FI YI YI Committee explains. “When the first Africans here met prepares for Mardi Gras 2004. Victor Harris, the Native Americans they adopted some “gone legit” and gotten permits to do.” Collins Lewis and Jack Robertson sit at a of their ways. Now we have returned to go on St. Charles. She confirms, large round table with creations in hand. African ways. For example, Victor is the first They have been hard at work. Blood stains (Mardi Gras Indian) to wear a mask that their fingers and needles and thread scar covers his whole face.” their skin. It is evident that the FI YI YI has added a Harris says, “It’s like everything else. To do new twist to this age-old tradition. In their it good you have to work at it. When we sit sewing, music, masking and spirit they bring, down to sew a suit we don’t have a design to coin a phrase, a “Wild African Gang” to in mind. We start sewing and the spirit the streets on Mardi Gras. As they say in guides us and the design comes forward. the neighborhood, they kick it up a notch. This year the spirit brought us to red, black and gold. Red is for the blood, black is for the Nation and gold is for the wellness of the people. “ Harris states, “When it comes to our music, we don’t stick to only old songs. We create “To put a suit together like this, first you new songs with African percussion and call have to master the pearling, the beading, and response singing. Our songs are about then the sequins, the stones and the shells. life. What we see around us. We try to bring Every piece is individually hand stitched,” a positive message because we see so much Victor continues. “A suit like this takes us negative. Of course we sing ‘Indian Red’ about three months to make. We work on because that is a sacred prayer”. it pretty much every night. I always take off “Drugs and violence have destroyed our work the month before Mardi Gras to get neighborhoods. I look around and think ready.” that these kids today don’t know what life is,” Harris continues. “I’m not stupid. Jack Robertson is a sewer and designer. He I know I can’t do this alone. I have my came to sewing relatively late. He says, “A family and friends and we have the FI YI YI few years back I helped my partner Red Committee.” Head hook up a tuxedo.”

18 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 19 Collins Lewis and Chief Victor Harris. Photo Bob Compton. For the past 18 years the FI YI YI “They treated us like kings on the throne. I Committee has sponsored a “Back to was performing on stage and Chief Sitting School Picnic” for kids in the 7th Ward. In Bull came up and I gave him my mask and August, they clear a vacant lot and celebrate my shield. He truly felt the spirit and he with a second line, food, music and games. didn’t want to give my mask and shield back. Through the support of local people and I had to take it from him.” businesses they pass out school supplies to about 300 children. Harris marvels at the experience, “We performed in one area that was nothing but The FI YI YI also participates in the annual dirt and stone. As we got going the wind White Buffalo Day celebration organized by started coming from all different directions Reverend Goat Carson. This past summer at once. It got stronger and stronger. It FI YI YI traveled to the Cheyenne River began to throw the dirt and stone at us Indian Reservation in South Dakota to and we got stronger. The wind was really participate in a children’s wellness program blowing about 25 miles per hour. All at with the Lakota people. once it shot up into the sky above us and disappeared. The people said that it was Thunderbird, a wind God. They told us that this only happens in this location if the spirit is just right. The spirit was strong that day.” Lewis waxes, “This thing were doing is a very spiritual thing. It is holy ground. There are days when you just don’t want to do it but you have to pull yourself up.” Harris announces, “When I hit that street I will be on a righteous journey. I want to bring people together. Like James Brown sang, ‘Get it together. Everybody get it together.’ I am a person of this earth. I love the beauty of nature and naturalness in people. If this earth is destroyed tomorrow we’ll all be gone together. So lets get it together now.” He concludes, “On Mardi Gras Day I want to bring the atmosphere of Carnival to everyone. I feel inspired to present, represent and create a great time and to Hands of Jack. Photo Bob Compton. show our best. I might walk six miles in one block if the spirit hits me. Who knows how “When our children see how poor these far I’ll go and who I’ll see?” children are on the reservation they realize life is not so bad in New Orleans,” Harris To see the wonderful designs of Big Chief said. “It was amazing to see the harsh living Victor Harris of the FI YI YI up close and conditions of people there. At the same personal head to the Backstreet Cultural time their spirit cannot be broken.” He Museum in the Tremé neighborhood or adds, “They recognize that spirit in us.” look for his gang on the streets on Mardi Gras.

Chief Victor Harris. Photo Michael P. Smith.

20 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 21 That Jewlu That You Do By David Kunian

One of the coolest things about the gap between Zulu and Rex and Carnival is the do-it-yourself march down St. Charles until the aspect. On Fat Tuesday, there is cops kicked them off the parade no delineation between actor and route. audience, participant and observer. If you and a couple friends want to The first couple years they were drink peyote tea, paint your bodies not able to get too far, but one chartreuse, grab kazoos, and march year during the Barthelemy through every gay bar on Dauphine administration, according to the Street playing Judy Garland’s fire-haired, dancing fool-grand greatest hits, you can do it. marshal, writer-in-real-life Henry

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Photo David Kunian Not only is it permitted, but such Griffin, the parade made it all the behavior is also encouraged. This way past the Mayor’s reviewing is the way many walking krewes stand. “It was great,” says Griffin, and other phenomena of Fat “’Mean’ Willie Green (the drummer Tuesday began. One such group for the Klezmers and the Neville which was started by a small Brothers) was up there on the group with creative ideas has now stand with the (Neville) Brothers, evolved into a sum far greater than and he got the Mayor to announce its formidable parts This is the the band as the, ‘New Orleans notorious krewe of Jewlu (or Julu Klezmer All Stars.’ It was like we or Jooloo or…). had stolen something good.” Several members and friends of the Of course the gathering has wild aggregation known collectively evolved. The friends who lived as the New Orleans Klezmer All on Jackson Ave. have since moved, Stars formulated the idea of Jewlu but the new occupants have been in the early 1990s. Band members most welcoming, letting this band Ben Schenk, Glenn Hartmann, of crazies hang there and use the Jonathan Freilich, and Ben Ellman, bathrooms. Also, the route is now amongst others, decided to form a in constant flux, changing from year walking krewe/parade as a way to to year as the police have tightened get from uptown to downtown. up their rules about who can get on the Fat Tuesday parade route. To be a member, Ellman says, “You have to be a freak. That’s the Now, as Ellman confides, “You have only requirement.” The band and to be in the know.” Jewlu marches friends would gather to watch Zulu in a convoluted pattern all the way at a friend’s house on Jackson near downtown, stopping at assorted Carondelet. Then, after the parade bars and homes. Griffin recalls, had passed and “the drugs had “There was a year we went down kicked in,” everyone would fall in Prytania and Davis Rogan got his

22 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 23 90 year old grandmother to come still playing ‘Give Peace a Chance.’ out. There was also a year where A couple year ago Michael Skinkus we met up with a Mardi Gras was still leading the parade into the Indian. Every year has a couple (of) evening.” peak experiences and someone has ULTIMATE a true epiphany. We’ve come in to Griffin, who now lives in New York, the Lounge Lizards or the Matador flies in every year to be the grand and totally taken over the stage and marshal. The appeal of Jewlu to danced on the bar. Each year we him is visceral. “The Klezmers,” he Frisbee take over some open space.” states, “represent a certain kind of verve. In my role as grand marshal, It is also amazing how the Krewe I judge people by their capacity for has grown. Jonathan Freilich states, celebration. Mardi Gras is the day “It was (originally) the Klezmer when it all comes out, and you see band, but now it’s taken a life of its how jubilant people can get. This is own.” The Krewe now includes any true to the spirit of Carnival- when ULTIMATE number of people associated even you get it all out.” just peripherally with the Klezmers, New Orleans Galactic, All That, Iris May Tango, Royal Fingerbowl, and the other Photos: Hart Matthews stalwarts of the great late 90s www.durhamdigital.com music scene. However, both Ellman and Griffin say that the charm of the krewe is their lack of structure. Griffin affirms, “Disorganization is the order of the day.” Ellman agrees that, “it is completely disorganized. If it ever becomes organized, it would be a shame.” Despite the chaos, or even possibly because of it, the Krewe of Jewlu is a magical experience. Freilich laughs as he recalls the past decade of marching, “Sometimes the guys who start with the parade can’t stop. (Sousaphonist) Matt Perrine was found last year at 11 PM Photo David Kunian donna’s Brass Band Headquarters

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for information or to register contact 24 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 [email protected] Bass Parade By David Kunian

Mardi Gras is full of moments Approaching the 2002 Mardi Gras that stretch sanity, let alone season, Cabral was inspired. He credibility. These are the had seen an article in a magazine moments when one’s imagination, about a guitar army and wanted fantasies, or absurdities seem to make a bass army. The 9th to jump out of one’s mind and Ward Marching Band also inspired become street theatre or music him. “It was a great idea,” he says, of fascinating intensity. “but I decided to start a Mardi Gras parade. I have enough Sometimes a person must give a beautiful and freaky friends that serious shake of the head to make would probably go for the idea.” sure that the sights beheld by the eyes are not hallucinations. For Cabral suggested it to several instance, venturing through the people, and the Bass Parade was Faubourg Marigny on Lundi Gras born. Some of those beautiful morning last year, a witness would friends have included Greg Photo Pat Jolly have seen a procession full of “Schatzy” Schatz, Jimbo Walsh, musicians playing nothing but bass Alex McMurray, Jonathan Freilich, The first year, Cabral bought Last year Singleton came guitar including several musicians and Cassandra Faulconer. many mini-Danelectro amps out dressed as the legendary not known for playing bass and gave them out to the studio bass player Carol Kay and one bass virtuoso in drag The parade starts at the R Bar participants. This helps the complete with a beehive wig. He complete with blonde beehive at 3 AM on Lundi Gras. Cabral parade’s selections to be heard obviously loves the bass parade, hairdo. This was the second year acknowledges that “it is not an on the street. The repertoire is commenting, “It’s very informal. of what has come to be known as easy hang.” From the R Bar songs with recognizable bass lines. We try to raise hell wherever we the Bass Parade. the parade proceeds around The tunes that rumble out from go.” Frenchman Street and Decatur this aggregation include “Smoke The Bass Parade is the brainchild Street. There is no planned on the Water”, “Cissy Strut”, So if you find yourself on the of musician Joe Cabral. It is route. Cabral remembers, “We “Frankenstein”, and “Iron Man.” streets of Marigny early Lundi amazing that Cabral even has got onstage at DBA after the Gras morning, you may not time to think given that he plays band had finished. Then we went James Singleton, bassist for believe your eyes as you witness in so many bands around town to the Blue Nile and got onstage the Astral Project and the this kind of parade vision. It may including the Iguanas, 007, and there. That was pretty wild.” Rob Wagner Trio, is also an be a vision of hell or heaven, but Poor Man’s Speedball. enthusiastic participant. He says, those low-end vibrations will let “It’s very random. Everybody you know that it is a vision of yells out what to play. Whoever BASS. yells loudest wins. It is so much of the moment.”

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26 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 27 SKELETONS! North Side Skull and Bone Gang

The North Side Skull & Bone Gang are lead by Big Chief Al Morris. He was given this honor by Big Chief Arthur on his retirement.

Besides Mardi Gras the skeletons appear on All Saint’s Day and can be linked to the Hatian immigration to New Orleans.

Big Chief Al Morris. North Side Skull And Bone Gang 28 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 29 Images of Mardi Gras

by Bob Compton 504.669.4923 www.capturedlight.com

30 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 31 Sub-Woofers and a Six-Foot Banana Krewe-sin’ with Mondo Kayo K.O.A.K. By Robyn Loda

They blast Caribbean music, Krewe of OAK Ball wear grass skirts and tow their Rolland’s lovely, civilized living featuring johnny sketch and the dirty notes young ’uns in a six-foot banana on room—complete with baby wheels. And they’re LOUD. grand—becomes transformed into a hall of laughter. The interview Friday, February 20, 2004 Four longtime Mondo Kayo becomes a kind of pre-party for members Mardi Gras talk about day: Wine grass skirts fl ows. The and bicycle- parlor doors pulled audio open at systems for one point. this interview In walks a during a beautiful rainstorm in young woman early February. holding Their average a case of age is about beer. It’s 45, but when clearly good they describe to be the their club’s king around Mardi Gras here, even if traditions, your crown they’re as is made of giddy as Photo Pat Jolly coconuts. teenagers. Carnival as Fountain of Youth The four Mondo Kayos begin and indeed. end each other’s sentences as if only one spirit describes their The four suspects are real group. Herein I quote them as one estate man and U.S. Army Corps chorus. of Engineers attorney Marco Rosamano; Mondo Kayo president; “Mondo Kayo was founded by a Bob Northey, also a Mondo Kayo man from New Orleans named founder and Corps of Engineers Chuck Bush, who has since passed tickets on sale now attorney; yet another founder and away,” they inform me. Northey an “attorney on the side of good” and Rolland were his high-school The Maple Leaf Bar and real estate man Mike Rolland, cronies. “He loved to travel, who is currently group secretary; and spent a lot of time in South 8316 Oak St. and performing-arts stage hand America. He wanted to bring extraordinaire Mike Nellson, vice- the fl avor of the real Caribbean 886.9359 president and treasurer, whom Carnival back to New Orleans. So I suspect to be a magician with he brought back a piece of cloth sound amplifi cation. from Guatemala, and his wife International Vintage Guitars Your #1 Shop for vintage used & new of New Orleans Fender, Gibson, and Martin Guitars

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32 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 33 created a banner out of it. They have not been present at the site Lots of people love Mondo used the words, Mondo Kayo. because of their participation in Everyone takes a grinning sip, Kayo. So many, in fact, that its ‘Mondo’ is ‘world’ and ‘Kayo’ is Zulu, the attending city officials then someone says somberly, membership is now closed. “We like nirvana. It’s a reference to have welcomed Mondo Kayo’s “We’re very family-oriented. We are a dues-paying club, and we the Book of Urantia, a kind of mayoral toast. “The cornerstone are not about being bawdy so are by invitation only. We have warmed-over Bible-slash-book- of Chuck’s vision was that New much as being colorful, having a female and male members, and of-mysticism that a lot of hippies Orleans was the northernmost great time and dancing around to they’re people and their kids of revered back in the day.” banana republic,” the group great music in grass skits.” Child all ages and walks of life. Our roars. “Bartholomew loved this! Services would certainly approve only criterion is to have fun! We They pause. Here comes the So did Councilman Singleton. He of daddies as hula girls after all can’t take on anyone new at this truth: “We’re really just a bunch even gave an acceptance speech! this is Carnival in New Orleans. point—we’re very overcrowded of guys from high school doing a They thought we were a hoot.” as it is,” says Rosamano, “but at whole lotta reveling to a lot of Rolland brings out photos of the the end of our route, anyone can hot music. It’s the most fun you Today Mondo Kayo’s boasts more early days, careful to point out join in and have a good time with can have before noon on Mardi than 200 members. Amidst its his hand-made grass skirt. “This us and our music on Frenchmen Gras Day!” merriment you’ll find bikes pulling was way back before you could Street.” four small floats and carts of BIG just go out and buy a grass skirt. Their humble 1983 beginnings: speakers…and beer. “It takes a lot Now they’re everywhere. Back Robyn Loda is a freelance Sixteen people, one flag and of beer to go five miles,” they say in the day, we had to make them writer living in New Orleans one boom box. “We made with straight faces. The speakers out of paper bags and slice them for the second time and loving a substantial advance when get bigger and louder with each up with a razor blade for the it. She is a regular contributor someone liberated a grocery passing year. Did I mention that fringes.” to Beat Street. Contact her at cart so we could carry our keg,” Mondo Kayo is LOUD? [email protected]. Their day starts at 7 AM at the Latin American Club on Magazine and Third Streets. Their sojourn runs from St. Charles Ave. and Second St. along the traditional parade route down St. Charles to Basin Street. Next the group gets off the route, sometimes to watch Zulu, and moves through the French Quarter to Frenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny. Mondo Kayo then holds its own kind of court outside Café Brazil, inciting dance and revelry with everyone on the street. The music is infectious. And, of course, it’s LOUD.

Photo Mondo Kayo. says Northey. “One of Chuck’s prime goals was to march on St. The evolution of their audio Charles without getting kicked system is even more important off.” For the first 15 years Mondo to them than getting chartered Kayo “flew under the radar” by the city. “First it was a boom by jumping in and joining the box. Then we had a bike carrying procession behind Pete Fountain’s a car battery with speakers, Half Fast Walking Club. They but it would run out of juice.” came clean and went legal in You’ve got to be impressed with 1996. That is, they were included their ingenuity. “Next we had in the city’s charter to officially three car batteries powering parade on Mardi Gras Day down eight speakers. Finally we have a the traditional route before Zulu. special cart to hold a generator for the speakers.” They’re clearly As a recognized entity, Mondo committed to being LOUD. Kayo now presents the mayor and his group with a token of “We also built a six-foot banana reverence in front of Gallier Hall. on wheels for our kids to ride in, In this case, the offering is a but the banana is well behind colorful basket of beads and New- the speakers so they’re safe.” Orleans-grown bananas. Although The kids, that is. You never know Mayors Marc Morial and Ray Nagin around audiophiles. 34 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 35 Are You Ready to Tumble? they meander through the Quarter, they enjoy colliding with other marching clubs The Krewe of There are “certain touchstones in the ritual” for Kosmic Debris Photo Alan Langhoff the Langhoffs, like meeting By Robert V. Rudner Glen Meneche, the owner of Port of Call, in front of his restaurant. Alan says, Alan Langhoff, his wife “I know more about where Deborah and his brother I’ll be on Mardi Gras Day Irwin, formed the Krewe of than any other day of the Kosmic Debris in 1977 as a year.” He also states, “There marching club. This krewe is validity to the ritual in fits into the alternative the repetitive nature of the category because it is loosely benchmarks that are always run, but long running. For there.” many, they represent the last bastion of original hippies in Another unique feature of New Orleans. this krewe is the longstanding (since ‘79) tradition of When asked about the bringing the kids along. Now actual number of members, THAT’S family values! Many co- founder, Alan Langhoff of those children have grown said, “I have no idea and I’m up only knowing the French proud of it!” There are no Quarter on Mardi Gras. organizational components Deborah Langhoff proudly other than showing up and proclaims, “Our three standing up---for as long as children have never seen you can. As an offshoot of Rex.” The baby carriages the scene that surrounded were always up front in the the early Krewe of MOMs, Photos Pat Jolly procession. It is this group Luigi’s and the Dream Palace become the Royal Court, of mothers who have always in the late 70’s, it was, and with the longest standing kept the parade together. still is, one of the wilder member chosen King or krewes around. Queen. They then chose their consorts, and when Ray The Pair-A-Dice Tumblers has been closely associated with Alan and Deborah Langhoff, Manning shows up with the owners of the fondly band, the Pair-A-Dice remembered Dream Palace Tumblers, they are (now the Blue Nile), say ready to roll on their that the origin of the merry way. Krewe’s name is the club’s only mystery. According to The King chooses the them, “We’ve got to keep parade route. Because something secret-- everyone it’s the King’s call, knows who we are.” the only constant is the starting point, in front of the former There are no fundraisers. Dream Palace at 534 Sometimes there is a ball, Frenchmen Street. sometimes not. Sometimes It snakes its way the King Cake party that through the lower decides the Royal Court end of the Quarter by is before Fat Tuesday, way of Royal Street, sometimes not. The King is stopping at familiar always chosen by “kosmic spots, like Johnny selection” with the aid of White’s on St. Peter, four or five King Cakes. but generally avoiding Those who get the babies Bourbon Street. As

36 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 37 the Krewe of Kosmic Debris convergence of “kosmic” Gay Mardi Gras Krewes in New Orleans: since 1978. Their mission, proportions besides adding the musical component to the krewe’s A 40-Year Legacy parade, is also to call other 1979 The Krewe of Kosmic By Timothy D. Beckstrom Tumbles during the year, Debris tumbled despite the Photos by Michael P. Smith such as on Thanksgiving, infamous Police strike The Mardi Gras tradition in the scandal, with many in attendance Halloween, and Bastille New Orleans gay community facing scrutiny in the press. Day. Manning calls these 1980 The late, great James is one that dates back to the Tumbles and they are eagerly Booker served as Grand late 1950’s with the formation Through those turbulent times, attended. Marshal wearing a shiny red of the Krewe of Yuga. Prior to krewes such as Petronius and suit and cape, cutting a that time, organized Mardi Gras Amon Ra carried the torch into the Revelers who join them on dashing figure through the groups catering directly to the next few decades as they paved the parade route note that gay community were virtually the way for at least half a dozen non-existent. It was this scarcity other carnival organizations, the krewe has a very special 1981 Camile Baudoin, one that kick started Yuga on their including newer krewes such as energy. They truly are a of the guitarists in the tradition of hosting private Mwindo and Satyricon. “cosmos” unto themselves Radiators, reigned as King. within the merry madness of Realizing the band’s grueling Mardi Gras. Carnival schedule, including their Lundi Gras performance at the Dream Palace, and to EARLY HIGHLIGHTS insure his making the parade on time, the Langhoffs 1977 The Krewe of Kosmic invited him to crash at their Debris is formed as a apartment above the club marching club. When they march it is called “tumbling” You are cordially invited to join them at High Noon on Fat Tuesday at 534 1978 The Pair-A- Frenchmen Street. Dice Tumblers join in the merriment. It is a

parties where costumed themes Today, there are twelve prominent and a tableau complete with a gay-oriented krewes* in Louisiana; queen became the standard. six of which are based in New Orleans. In the Big Easy, those Unfortunately, the krewe’s early krewes ranking in order from success was short-lived as a police oldest to youngest are: Petronius, raid at their costume gala in 1962 Amon Ra, Armeinius, the Lords of erupted in a well-publicized Leather, Mwindo and the Mystic

38 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 39 Krewe of Satyricon. Although reign, and the krewe’s balls Amon Ra out of a shoestring budget, as none of the gay krewes actually have grown; rolling through the the founders rushed to raise participate in organized street changes over the years, adding Having just hosted its 39th money and recruit members to parades, each continues to host more decorative and theatrical Annual Carnival Ball Masque at design costumes; all in time to annual balls, or “Bal Masques,” productions to accompany the the St. Bernard Cultural Center hold their first ball, “Year of the along with several parties and pageantry. One interesting on January 31st, the Krewe of Queen,” merely four months later fundraising events in and around aspect is the food arrangement, Amon Ra maintains an active in February 1969. Beginning as the city during the Carnival as Todd W. Smith, 2001 ball membership of over 50 members. somewhat of a parody of “straight” season. attendee, noted. “Each member With the theme “Amon Ra carnival balls, Armeinius has is responsible for providing food, Goes Retro,” the krewe’s ball shifted towards a more serious Petronius drinks, party favors, etc., for featured their own Miss and Mr. approach of late, as their website, their own tables, as it is almost America 2003 talent contests. www.armeinius.com, outlines. Touting itself as the “Grande like a competition between each According to their website, According to krewe historian Dame” of gay Mardi Gras balls, of the tables to see who is more www.kreweofamonra.org, Amon Albert Carey, their bylaws decree Petronius holds the distinction elaborate in what they bring.” Ra (named for the Egyptian Sun that the ball must be held on of being one of the oldest gay Led by krewe captain Mickey Gil, God) is known as the Big Easy’s the last Saturday night before organizations on the planet. All Petronius funds its ball through largest gay Mardi Gras krewe. Mardi Gras day. Since the early of the gay krewes, except for proceeds gained via fundraising Dating back to 1964, the krewe 1970’s, the ball has continued to Lords of Leather and Armeinius, events. For more information, hosts several events throughout be held at the St. Bernard Civic were all formed out of Petronius. go to www.gaymardigras.com/ the year, including a Country Auditorium. Additionally, one of Founded in 1961, Petronius pethis.html. & Western Dance and Silent the krewe’s more recognizable marks its 35th anniversary this Auction. activities is their hosting of the year, with its Bal Masque theme, annual Miss Gay Pride Louisiana “Star Whores,” featuring actress Armeinius Pageant at Uptown’s Laborers Becky Allen. A king and queen Hall. Formed by four friends in October 1968, Armeinius came to life

40 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 41 Lords of Leather was their New Year’s Eve Fetish Mystic Krewe of Satyricon at the door, and all of the krewes Ball held at Cowpoke’s bar. pride themselves on maintaining Celebrating their 21st year with Born from departing members a firm standard of formal attire. “Leather, Love and Laughter,” Mwindo of Petronius, The Mystic Krewe Consult with the krewes for the Lords of Leather boasts that of Satyricon is a two-year old specific information regarding it is the “only leather-oriented Formed in February 1998, and krewe that is proud to announce krewe membership as well as Mardi Gras krewe in the world.” consisting primarily of an African- their creation of a more artistic proper Bal Masque etiquette, fees According to their website, American male membership, ball where talent is said to be in and standards of dress. www.lordsofleather.com , Mwindo just hosted its 6th Annual abundance this year. Their second membership is classified by four Bal Masque on January 25th. Annual Bal Masque on February 15th * The term “gay krewes” used levels of membership (ranking Although it began as a small at the Municipal Auditorium hopes herein simply refers to the six from junior to senior): Viceroy, and somewhat modest krewe, to launch the krewe into another notable krewes that consist Baron, Viscount and Lord. The Mwindo has continued to gain successful carnival season with of predominantly bisexual or krewe’s charter dictates their prominence in recent years as their fitting theme, “Satyricon in homosexual members. The functions, and the krewe sponsors trendsetters. Said to be known Bloom.” Monthly meetings, Toga term is not used to explicitly many events throughout the year, for its bountiful finger food parties and events supporting the exclude membership from the all of which culminate in their and lavish tableaus, Mwindo’s arts community are just some of heterosexual or trans-gender annual Bal Masque. Dress is of Bal Masques have continued to the functions highlighted on their community. As Todd Cole, current paramount importance, as all ball grow in popularity since their website, www.mystickreweofsaty President of the Lords of Leather, attendees are expected to wear auspicious debut. Their website, ricon.com. explained, “most all offer all leather attire or a tux, gown or www.kreweofmwindo.or g , memberships and include current uniform. As Todd Cole, the Lords details the krewe’s history and One facet common to most of members who are not gay.” For of Leather’s president, says, partnership with the NO/AIDS the balls is that cameras are clarification, please contact the “members of the organization Task Force. Like most of their restricted, unless permission is krewes for information regarding are directed by the Ball Captain fellow krewes, Mwindo sponsors granted beforehand. Also, short their specific membership as to their required attire.” The events each year to benefit the dresses and sloppy tuxedos will guidelines. krewe’s most recent popular event Belle Reve hospice. guarantee a refusal of admittance

42 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 43 The Year of the Monkey By Broderick Webb

In the Far East of New Orleans good fortune in the coming year. between Jazzland, Bayou Sauvage, and the NASA facility lies the Michoud Mary Queen of Vietnam Catholic section of the city. Known colloquially Church, located at 14401 Dwyer as “the Village” and as “Little Saigon”, Boulevard, hosts one of the largest the smell of coffee from a nearby Tet New Year celebrations in the Folgers plant wafts in the air. Business land. It’s a three-day extravaganza of signs bear Vietnamese names. The fireworks, dragon dances, games of markets bulge with Asian products. fortune, musical performances and E l d e r l y culinary delights. Vietnamese w o m e n The games w e a r i n g are a fun way rickshaw hats of driving can be spotted home the tending their importance crops in the of good luck. same fashion One such as their game gives forebears in children the their homeland opportunity eons ago. to catch plastic fish While Carnival using toy festivities fishing rods. dominate this The fish time of year inhabit a small elsewhere in backyard style s w i m m i n g the metro area, Photo Vinh Tran. in this heart of pool and New Orleans’ Vietnamese community evoke, along with the children, all the annual Tet Tam Nguyen, (Fete Of the wholesome symbolism of fertility, The Three Firsts), the Vietnamese Tet prosperity, longevity and good New Year, reigns supreme. fortune.

In a bit more than a coincidence, Tet Other games of chance appeal to a Tam Nguyen, falls between January slightly older crowd. Teenagers and and March- Mardi Gras time! twenty-somethings swarm around Wheel of Fortune-like gaming tables It is now the year of the monkey, where small cash wagers can be which symbolizes intelligence, made. Some wheels are numbered creativity, energy, and longevity in the and others are decorated with images Asian zodiac. This most important of animals, but they are essentially the of holidays for the Vietnamese same game. Place your bet, spin the is traditionally a time of turning wheel and if it lands on your number NEW ORLEANS MUSIC EXCHANGE attention inward towards family and or your animal, you’re a winner. Again, ancestors. Pre-Christian traditions the games call up symbolic cultural AMPS - P.A.’S held that Tet was a time for the imagery. The lunar calendar and the household genies or deities-- the animal zodiac are the real wheels of MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Craft Creator, the Land Genie, and fortune. RECORDING EQUIPMENT the Kitchen God-- to meet and settle accounts preparing a clean slate for a Fireworks and the dragon dances SALES & SERVICE new year. are interspersed throughout the celebration to ward off evil spirits In this modern era, the first day of and welcome good fortune. While 3342 Magazine St. NOLA the Tet remains a family time, but tiny explosives snap crackle and homes are also cleaned and painted pop, young men draped in a dragon’s 504.891.7670 and special guests are invited. Having head and body move to their own www.neworleansexchange.com prestigious guests in your home syncopated beat, similar to Carnival during Tet Tam Nguyen is said to bring processions. The dragon’s sudden and

44 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 45 jarring movements seem well suited queens of Carnival krewes are usually to the task of scaring off evil spirits. among the most prominent individuals Krewes krewes krewes ... of their respective communities and The musical acts range from many are held in high esteem. Photos by Pat Jolly Vietnamese synthesizer pop to eclectic World synthesizer pop. Bearing in mind the participation of Without much fanfare they shuffle the military in Carnival, there was a on and off a large Pagoda-style stage. military presence at the opening Tet While a small audience attentively ceremony. A color guard in full regalia listens, other revelers are never opened the event with a ribbon cutting dissuaded from their pursuit of food ceremony. While the uniformed men and games. postured and presented arms and flags, both the American and the Along with visitors from across Vietnamese national anthems were the gulf-south region, several local sung. notables attended this year’s All of the celebration. special guests Among them were adorned were the district with a replica attorney, a few of the symbolic city council yellow Hoa members, a state Mai blossom, a representative, welcome change the captain of of pace from the local police Mardi Gras district, the beads, and were principal and Photo Vinh Tran. treated to a feast vice-principal of an area school of traditional Vietnamese cuisine. As and visiting members of the clergy. in Carnival feasts, Tet New Year is City Council member Cynthia marked by unbridled consumption Willard-Lewis, dressed in traditional of tasty meats. Hot noodle soups, Vietnamese attire, participated in the roasted skewered beef, and spicy ceremony and was honored for her jellied pork were among the savory support of the program. offerings.

Involving political authorities in The Hoa Mai blossom represents the the event gives it a real touch of coming of spring and is traditionally authenticity as historically New Year’s used to decorate homes for Tet Tam celebrations throughout Asia have Nguyen. Fittingly, spring reaches New been closely tied to the dynastic Orleans sooner than it reaches the rest of the nation. Culturally the spirit of rebirth is already afoot.

Traditional Twelfth Night celebrations close out the Christmas season and open the season of Carnival. This is the time of year when New Orleans truly secedes from the cultural union of America. With the commencement of Photo Vinh Tran. Mardi Gras Indian practices, Carnival balls orders of the day. Nguyen, as in Tet and New Year celebrations we enter Tam Nguyen, is also the name of one a season of revelry which is uniquely of Vietnam’s most powerful dynasties. ours.

This also bears resemblance to the Mardi Gras and the Vietnamese intrinsic hierarchy of Mardi Gras New Year are both based on lunar societies. The big chiefs, kings and calendars and they can both trace

46 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 47 some of their roots to pre-Christian them to practice a trade that they traditions. We temporarily realign knew well - fishing. ourselves with our primordial origins as we distinguish ourselves from the However, what has been rest of the contemporary American underreported is that the well- cultural landscape. established Catholic infrastructure provided some of the earliest inroads Like the Vietnamese, much of the for Vietnamese into Louisiana. While ancient world marked time by the their Buddhist counterparts relocated cycles of the moon and developed to places like California, many of the lunar calendars prior to the Catholic refugees found the necessary development of the modern solar sponsorship through the Catholic calendar. Church here in Louisiana.

China has the longest continuous According to Father Francis Quyet record of calendar keeping dating Bui, President of the Southeast to 2600 b.c.e. Appropriately, modern Regional Organization for Vietnamese holidays that are not celebrated Culture and Religious Life and head on fixed calendar dates are often priest at St. Gregory in Houma, many determined by these prehistoric lunar of the first refugees in Louisiana calendars. received their sponsorship through the church. Their families would Ancient Romans held a circus- follow later. Often religion provides like festival, bearing similarities greater hegemony than nationality. to Mardi Gras, in mid - February called Lupercalia. Once Christianity The Vietnamese-Americans that grew to dominate Rome, this event populate Michoud have come a long was absorbed into the pre-Lenten way since the late seventies. Then,“the celebration of Carnival or “farewell Village” was an extremely isolated to flesh” in Latin. community. Now, the community is hosting downright cosmopolitan Eventually, French Catholics colonized events and contributing to the Louisiana bringing their religious broadening scope of New Orleans ceremonies and what became known culture. as Mardi Gras with them. Hauntingly, like a sailor with a girl in every port, According to Ms. Myloc Nguyen, the French also colonized Vietnam Mary Queen of Vietnam’s secretary, impregnating her with Catholicism members of the community actively as well. participate in the traditions of Mardi Gras. With all the current and pasts Later, the religious kinship created links between the cultures along with between Vietnam and Louisiana the intelligence, creativity, and energy figured into the pattern of immigration that the year of the monkey will bring, followed by refugees of the war in it seems only natural that we will Vietnam. Mirroring their Catholic soon see Tet dragon floats emerging Acadian brethren who were expelled from Far East New Orleans. from Canada centuries before, the Vietnamese refugees, arriving in Louisiana in the late 1970s, were attracted to a terrain that allowed

featuring coco robicheaux fridays 48 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 49 MP3 Confidential

NAMM Show New Gear Report By Warren America

Each January the music products and-a-half inches thick and less than industry descends on Anaheim, three pounds, it is perfect for laptop California for the Winter NAMM Show. music. It’s USB-powered, has velocity North America’s largest musical sensitive keys, and did we mention that instrument trade show, Winter NAMM it’s also a 24 bit/96khz audio interface? is where new music and audio gear is debuted, and where many deals and Florida firm Stanton Magnetics, fresh contacts are made. from a corporate reorganization, was showing Final Scratch; no news NAMM began more than a century there. But Final Scratch competitors ago, initially as an exhibition by piano are appearing, such as Serato manufacturers for their dealers. NAMM Scratch Live for Mac and Windows still has acres of pianos, horns, and XP. Both packages will scratch orchestra instruments, as well as and mix computer audio files using insane amounts of guitars and drums. conventional turntables, by way of a But it’s the latest advances in music dedicated hardware interface, special technology that make NAMM so software, and two time-code LPs. exciting. Distributed in the U.S. by Rane, the Serato product doesn’t require a The big story this year is the special Unix operating system, unlike ascendance of the DJ market. DJ its competitor. gear is the fastest-growing segment of the music products industry, and like French firm Hercules debuted their everything else, DJ tools are going portable USB DJ Console, a fantastic digital. And it’s not just about vinyl any solution for laptop deejays. It has two more, or CDs for that matter. Video jog wheels, a crossfader, EQ, cue point DJ, or “VJ” gear is getting hot, we saw buttons, digital I/O, a slim, light form more video technology on display at factor and requires no batteries or this year’s NAMM show than ever power supply. The manufacturer says before. it’s compatible with popular software packages including Traktor; it’s our The biggest buzz had to be Pioneer’s best bet for on-the-go party rocking. DVJ-X1 DVD Turntable (suggested retail price around $3000, shipping EJ Enterprises is shipping the first in April). It’s the first DVD scratching MIDI turntable, as well as the E- deck, allowing one to loop, pitch-shift, Musician turntable MIDI retrofit. They cue and scratch DVD video (and didn’t actually have a booth at the audio) just like you’d scratch a record show, but seeded their demo units into or CD. It has the same form factor other booths including Tascam and and basic controls as their market- Edirol. The founder of the company leading CDJ-1000 CD deck, making it told us that the devices are primarily immediately familiar to anyone who’s intended for VJing, but the turntable used a pro CD player. MIDI controller could be used with any MIDI effect or sound generating Numark debuted the DVD01 Pro DVD device. player, a dual DVD deck intended for real-time video mixing, complete with Lexicon showed the Omega Desktop pitch control, looping, and a built-in Recording System, which consists of switcher. Numark also previewed an 8x4x2 USB audio interface/mixer, the CDX, a CD deck that uses real plus recording software bundles for a turntable and vinyl for jog/scratch Mac & PC.At a list price of under $400 control. Tascam has a similar idea, the it competes favorably with Digidesign’s TT-M1 CD Scratch controller, which M-Box. Also entering the beat-M-Box allows any vinyl turntable to control sweepstakes is the “Spike” package Tascam’s CD-X1500 & CD-X1700 pro from Mackie, in which Mackie’s XD-2 CD decks. two-channel USB audio interface is bundled with the fantastic Ableton Live Edirol, a division of Roland, made looping software, plus Mackie’s own their booth into VJ central, with live Tracktion audio/MIDI sequencer. mixing performances to show off the P1 photo/MP3/MIDI player, which Alesis, now a division of Numark, allows synchronization of still images debuted the PlayMate Vocalist, a with sound. The device will perform consumer karaoke device. transition effects and layering, and has a simple touch-screen interface. Also It combines a vocal remover and new at Edirol is the PCR-1 portable reverb effects unit with a built-in CD MIDI controller keyboard; at one- player, in a compact, table-top form

50 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 51 factor. CDs can be tempo-shifted or Using technology licensed from transposed, and the unit uses phase Yamaha, they’ve derived phonemes cancellation and EQ to reduce the from two prominent U.K. session amount of vocals (actual results will singers, and canned them so one vary). Alesis says you’ll never buy may control their every oooh & aaahh another karaoke CD again. For studio from the safety of your own computer. use they’re releasing the Vocal Zapper It accepts typed lyrical input, has a vocal eliminator, a micro-rack unit that fairly intuitive scoring/editing display, only does voice removal, at a budget and provides reasonable, usable, but price. decidedly processed-sounding male & female singing. Now shipping. E-mu’s new Emulator X desktop sampling system combines add-in Technics are perhaps best known in cards and software to turn your PC into the audio market for their SL-1200 a powerful audio sampler. With E-mu’s turntable, the standard turntable for pro background in sampling and parent DJs. They rolled into NAMM this year company Creative’s manufacturing with a new digital DJ mixer (called the and marketing might, this easily SH-MZ1200) and a CD/MP3 turntable could become the computer sampling (the SL-DZ1200). If you’re looking for product of choice. a surround-capable battle mixer, this is the closest we’ve seen; its four output Austin, TX start-up Open Labs channels can be assigned to front & returned to NAMM with a new lease rear pairs. Oh yeah, there’s also the on life, having secured major funding SL-1200GLD, another reissue of their and redesigned their flagship product, classic photograph, but with a sharp the Neko keyboard workstation. black-and-gold color scheme. Looks Billed as “the most advanced & cool, but hey, why no digital outs?!?! flexible electronic keyboard in the world,” it’s a ripping fast Pentium Scraping the bottom of the 4/Windows XP computer inside innovative barrel, a professional semi-weighted one firm decided keyboard. It has loads of that what the assignable controller world needs knobs and sliders, is flavored a touch-sensitive sax and flat screen clarinet reeds. display, and Sadly they oodles of drool omitted the two factor. Ships most obvious later this spring. tastes, namely beer and female. Microsoft One hopes they get gazillionaire it together next year. Paul Allen’s Vulcan Ventures, doing business Security this year was the as Submersible Music, showed tightest I’ve seen in fifteen a deep new drum library with years of NAMM attendance; a nifty software front-end called there were several anecdotal DrumCore. Want reggae legend Sly reports of overzealous security goons Dunbar, or ex-Guns N Roses stickman stripping badges from legitimate Matt Sorum on your next session? This attendees and exhibitors. could be the way... The after-show entertainment at Baton Rouge firm Presonus debuted a NAMM is usually lame, and this year 24-bit/96kHz version of their FireWire was no exception. My associate and audio interface, called the Firepod. I went to see the Spinal Tap guys do With eight discrete, high-quality mic their Folksmen act (from the film “A preamps, it’s just the ticket for tracking Mighty Wind”) but they cancelled at drums and other multi-mic applications. the last minute. We also snagged M-Audio is also on the FireWire tickets to a metal jam at the House tip, announcing the FireWire 18/14 of Blues, but blew that off to go on a interface. high-speed drive around the Hollywood Hills in the rental convertible. Food Roland showed the Fantom-S and at NAMM is catch-as-catch-can, with Fantom-S88 keyboards, featuring long lines, high prices and surly staff. a new skip-back sampling feature, We encountered a series of ugly essentially a large recording buffer that incidents at the Hilton sushi bar, and helps capture real-time performances. are issuing a travel advisory on that Also: the MV-8000 production studio, particular restaurant, but thankfully a tabletop sampler on steroids, with food poisoning did not result. midi sequencing, CD burning, built-in effects and a 40GB internal HD.

Over at the East-West booth, euro Warren America is the nom de punque software guys Zero-G debuted LEON of a New Orleans technology worker/ & LOLA “virtual vocalists,” a pair of author/skateboarder. singing synthesis software packages.

52 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 2 53 DO Advertisers: Talk with your YOU LIVE ON customers as they relax and plan their fun! Talk with your customers Beat Street? as they relax and plan their fun! The residents of Beat Street are musicians and artists and everyone who loves them.

The perspective of Beat Street is finely focused. We promise to expose our readers to the nuances of the music scene in New Orleans. To help you decide what to do on your nights out, our listings provide you with information to make decisions about what acts you want to see, even on the run. Our goal is to provide quick informative reads that will direct music lovers to real New Orleans music made by real New Orleans musicians. When we say New Orleans Beat Street, what we really mean is, “No B.S.” GET a SUBSCRIPTION TO Beat Street On a palette that allows you to show your brightest diamond, your coldest drink, Subscribers to Beat Street will receive fax or the beauty of your restaurant, art gallery or e-mail updates whenever club schedules change or are incomplete at press time. floral arrangement. They will also be notified of late-breaking events or significant news relevant to the music community. New Orleans Publications: Send a note with your check to Beat Street Subscription Department 8403 Willow Street, Beautiful, Informative & Fun. New Orleans, LA 70118. Or subscribe online at A conduit to our reader’s hearts and minds. www.neworleansbeatstreet.com for one year at $28, or for two years at $49 (504) 314-0710

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