"IF YOU KEEP CRAPPING ON

magazine.com YOUR HOME, FOUNDER Leo J. McGovern III

PUBLISHER & PRETTY SOON EDITOR IN CHIEF Dan Fox magazine.com [email protected] YOU’RE NOT SENIOR EDITORbarryfest.com Erin Hall [email protected] GONNA HAVE A

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COMICS EDITOR Caesar Meadows I had big plans for Mardi Gras this year. For the first time in a long [email protected] time, I wasn’t encumbered by a heavy work schedule or inclement weather. Man, was I really gonna do it up: long bike rides, meet- ASSOCIATE EDITORS Kelly McClure ups with old friends, maybe even a costume! Then the throat [email protected] tickle started up Saturday afternoon, the coughing Sunday, and by Andru Okun Monday, I felt like death. I managed to rally enough on Tuesday [email protected] to catch Zulu and Rex, but short of a Lundi Gras Mucinex and a Sara Pic Tuesday morning Bloody Mary, it was the soberest, shortest-lived, [email protected] Elizabeth Vash Williams most exhausting Carnival I can remember. What’s that old saying? [email protected] We make plans and God says, “hold my beer.”

ADVERTISING No matter. Though it was certainly a buzzkill to be back home, [email protected] checking emails, and returning to the work of finishing this issue CONTRIBUTING WRITERS before the sun set Tuesday evening, I was not alone in my self- William Archambeault imposed exile. Much gratitude goes to select members of the [email protected] ANTIGRAVITY team, who worked right through the holiday, Lyn Archer writing, editing, photographing, and even responding to my [email protected] Jules Bentley frequent, sometimes panicked e-nagging. Every year around [email protected] this time, I try to plan around the chaos, assuming everyone’s Corey Cruse productivity will crater starting right around Muses Thursday and [email protected] lasting well into Ash Wednesday. Imagine my horror, then, as I Yvette Del Rio [email protected] plotted out this year’s schedule only to find Mardi Gras’ late date Holly Devon barreling down on our usual end-of-month production week like [email protected] the asteroid from Armageddon. But to my perpetual astonishment Anton Falcone and delight, the AG krewe just kept right on chuggin’. If you’re [email protected] reading this now, we made it and it’s kind of a miracle. (But then Holly Hobbs [email protected] again, it always is!) Maeve Holler [email protected] As with my abandoned party plans, I also got a touch of the FOMO Christina Igoe this last week of production, missing out not only on Mardi Gras [email protected] Brandon Lattimore but TWO great shows by our pals in Hand Grenade Job, as well as [email protected] Valerie June’s set at the Republic. I’ve been fortunate enough to Morgan Lawrence catch Ms. June everywhere from the Circle Bar to Bumbershoot in [email protected] Seattle, but no such luck this go around. What’s that other saying? Dan McCoy Always the editor, never the bride? [email protected] Leo McGovern III [email protected] So again, many thanks to all of our contributors who do get Ben Miotke out there. It’s through your words and images that I get to live [email protected] vicariously. I hope these pages have the same effect for you, Chris Staudinger [email protected] beloved readers. Hope to see you on the streets... eventually. I’ll be Ian Willson sprung from this ink-stained cage yet! —Dan Fox [email protected] SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 2215 Gretna, LA 70054 cover illustration by Luke Howard photo this page of Bourbon Street by David Joshua Jennings

[email protected] FACEBOOK.COM/ANTIGRAVITYMAG @ANTIGRAVITYMAG / #ANTIGRAVITYMAG 4 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 5 need to expand your relationships or end them altogether. You may be attracted to Star Hustler buying things during this time that you can’t afford. For some signs, it can be a “wild” time to buy a new shirt, whereas other signs will suddenly really need a diamond- by CHRISTINA IGOE illustrations KALLIE VAN TASSEL coated car. You will be able to afford some things and have a lighter feeling about spending, but don’t get too crazy. Aries loves action, and this Venus retrograde will be over the top this year. Your own heart is on fire, but so is everyone else’s. Be aware of the weight you push into the world. NEW RETROGRADE, WHO DIS? ARIES the people you are romantically linked There are a lot of horoscopes written to. The full moon on the 12th brings to Aries as if they are babies that need some upset to your home, which will to be directed in their every action. be needed to understand the kinds of Your strength, for better or worse, changes necessary for the year ahead. is that you get up and go whenever Make moves. something is happening that calls you. This month, your love life will be CANCER in focus in a way that it hasn’t been Your routines and habits are very for years. There may be some lessons personal, cancer. If someone else that you will be shocked to learn, and has encountered this with you, it is there may be some behaviors that you because you have granted them access have made into patterns because it to your secret world. Sometimes, served you just fine. Get ready to undo because of the nests you create within some things, and be comforted in the your most special relationships, it knowledge that these lessons bring can feel like you live secret lives. This incredible, new blessings. The new month, Venus asks that you live a little moon on the 27th is especially epic for more out loud. It is time to show your you because it is in your sign. If you friends and lovers how much they spend the month working harder than mean to you. It is time to declare your you ever have, consider this date the love. It is time to make it Facebook celebration of your fire, your power, official. These processes might feel and the worlds you can move with silly, because you take good care to your compassion and strength. be up front about your feelings, but professing love will feel just right TAURUS for you and the receivers of these This month, Venus (your ruling messages this month. planet) is retrograde, making a space of compassion and energy in LEO your most sacred and secret worlds. In astrology, there is a special power Practically, this is an important time given to the triangle. The shape for you to understand, especially as it needs all angles to work in order to relates to your relationships, where stay standing, so there is a trusting you feel safest. Are you staying in a pressure when something is angled relationship because you feel like a toward your sign. This month, Venus part of something? Are you holding (the planet of love) is making this on to something that won’t ever be relationship with your sign, holding as dreamy as you know you need it you up and helping you see spaces The astrological sign of Pisces, a water sign, is represented by the fish—there is no to be because of a common theme you can rely on more. On the 4th, better symbol. Pisces breathes feelings. It navigates the depths with a knowledge that running through the course of this this planet’s energy shifts into a is unattainable to someone who doesn’t have the patience or experience with this type relationship? Unfortunately, it’s retrograde, and while it will still be of terrain. In groups, it is equally protected by and vulnerable to being too connected time for a shake up, Taurus. While a cradling and empowering space, and too aware. Every March, the sun swims through the sign of Pisces until the 21st. this month might not shake you free it will also bring a lot of new and During this time, we feel more deeply, we pick up the feelings of those around us more of the limitations exactly in front of important lessons in what makes love naturally, and there is a tendency to need air. In a practical sense, this “air” can be you, it will change your ideas about happen the way it does for you. These any number of things to get you out of the current. Pisces brings an extreme need to go what makes you feel emotionally lessons aren’t meant to be necessarily deep, sit in the depth, and—just as it becomes too much—rise to the surface and take content. What is your gut telling you? easy, but it’s still an important your mind out of how real things can get. This year, there are a lot of realities to avoid, If you embrace change, there may be process in undoing some of the most and it is important that in a dreamy state of floating above your problems, you don’t a rollercoaster effect this month, but strongly held behaviors that are do harm to yourself. If you see yourself avoiding a personal reality this month, try you can handle it. not serving you well romantically. being absorbed by a family and world that needs you. Be careful in the ocean, and be Remember: these changes are for you caring of the openness and softness of the people close to you. GEMINI and your health and happiness, not Inspiration and new information anyone else’s. Every 18 months, Venus goes retrograde. Venus, the ruler of love and relationships, comes from all places and people will be retrograde from March 4th until April 15th in the sign of Aries. The last time in your life, Gemini. This year’s this happened was from July to September in 2015. During a Venus retrograde, VIRGO Venus retrograde is in your house of there is a lot of attention and energy devoted to the ways we show love both romantic When Venus goes through your and platonic. Often during this time, there are breakups; bad feelings rise to the community and friendship, which eighth house every couple years, surface that maybe you didn’t know existed. Also during this time, our values become brings up a lot of internal processing of it is a revolution to your sexual unrecognizable. Because this retrograde is occurring in Aries, some of these feelings what friendship means to you. Are you identity and emotional awareness. will be burning hot and unavoidable. Here is the deal: try to keep late night drunken romantically involved with someone It can feel like a lightning bolt of calls to someone you dated 10 years ago to a minimum. Find ways to deal with who you consider a friend? Are you new information and experiences. you are romantically through calm conversations. Do not be intentionally “bad” spending time socially with people who This transit of Venus through during this time if you can help it, because when the retrograde phase is over, you you are not in love with? It’s time to get your 8th house also brings a will be feeling it. This is a good time for a fun fling, but if you wake up April 16th and back into some of the relationships that retrograde phase, which begins a feel like you started something with someone who isn’t right for you, get out. Make bring different and new perspectives, time for change to some of your amends. Be gentle in your relationships, but ask for what you need and decide if you as well as get into friendship love with personal behaviors. It might get

6 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 weird (because of the full moon in be very thorough in your decisions your sign on the 12th) but when and this month, you may find yourself considering the moves you need doing something quickly in your love to make in your sexual identity, life in a way that can feel scary. Don’t health, and well-being, now is worry; it’s good for you. the time to get into it. This also marks a period that is profoundly SAGITTARIUS healing in deeply emotional spaces. With Venus moving through your When Mars enters your house of fifth house, you could feel like you adventure on the 11th, an adventure want it all, like everything that has to somewhere unusual could help ever felt good to you should be at unlock some new information. your fingertips, like you can make things in seconds that you may have LIBRA spent hours working through before. Your ruling planet, Venus, is retrograde It is a time for abundance, creative this month in your house of long-term tsunamis, and good feelings. Because relationships. Being that this is the Venus is retrograde in the sign of sign of love, it’s a natural time to be Aries, now is a good time to consider very interested in your romantic life. what holds you back from feeling this As a single person, this could mean way most of the time. Any human has thinking a lot about what you want difficulties, but when you consider and who you are in relationships. This your emotional self, how can you be is a time to check in with yourself more free? In your relationships, I and people around you to learn some want you to consider this freedom. BE GENTLE IN YOUR of the behaviors that serve you best Celebrate it, be in it, and free yourself and worst. As a person romantically if you aren’t feeling it. RELATIONSHIPS, BUT ASK involved, this is a time to consider how your relationship functions. This CAPRICORN phase also marks a time to strongly Significant retrogrades of planets FOR WHAT YOU NEED. consider whether or not you like are tough for you, Capricorn. You the functionality of your romantic want as much clarity as possible, and AQUARIUS PISCES partnerships. It’s a good time to initiate when a planet is going backwards, the Alright Aquarius, it’s time to get Venus is retrograde this month in permanent changes that make things essence of that energy is confusing real about your love life. Your mind your house of values. This retrograde healthier for everyone involved. as a rule. This month, Venus goes is the center of your world. You are by its very nature skews our ideas retrograde, asking that you not only naturally someone that thinks a lot about what is important to us. Be SCORPIO consider your love life, but make about the ins and outs of the human wary of spending money on things— Do you feel like you have been waiting moves as quickly as possible. Some experience and has a lot to say about and be aware that if you are strongly bazillions of years for your dream things to ask yourself in this phase: it all. This month, Venus is retrograde drawn to expensive things in a way job to appear? This month, there who makes you feel most comfortable in your house of knowledge, which that feels unusual, it might signify is a lot of love in the realm of your to be exactly yourself? Are you is a time to consider your mental a desire for change in your love life. career. This could be taken quite spending enough time being in the connection to the people you are This Venus retrograde is in Aries, literally as “you will have a romance moment and not considering what is in partnerships with. If you are which brings out a lot of boldness, so in your workplace;” or it could be a coming next or what has happened single, consider how you speak to try something different, and ask for time where you strongly consider before? With this retrograde phase, people you are interested in—if it’s what your heart desires. Partnerships your worth as an employee in that you may also be thinking a lot about not working for you, change the are the focus this month, and clarity workplace. This month also brings being taken care of, or taking care way you communicate. If you are in about who you want to be with is positive and important changes of someone else. Allowing either of a relationship, speak up about the especially strong. The full moon on to your health: Go for a routine these makes you very vulnerable but things you want or need to continue. the 12th might bring about some check up, change something in your with the correct people, this is a very Mental spark is huge, and you might energy that makes you want to appearance. Venus is retrograde this important lesson in who you can be find yourself fighting about little profess your love in a big way to month in Aries, which is helpful in with another person. The new moon things, so strip them down as much as someone: go with it. making some choices and moves in on the 27th is a good time to spend possible to change the conversation. your love life. You have a tendency to with the ones you love most.

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 7 Jung’s Golden Dragon II the food off the Chinese menu was so (3009 Magazine St.) much better. The beef in special sauce Reality Bites Various people have told me to try was truly something else—the sauce is Jung’s Golden Dragon; and, after trying spicy, sweet, and acidic. I don’t know it, I kind of wonder if they were trolling what was in it, other than something by YVETTE DEL RIO illustration BEN CLAASSEN III me. We ordered eggrolls, General Tso’s vaguely citrusy. I should note that chicken, sauteed pork with Szechuan China Rose has a lot of vegetable pickled cabbage, and beef with orange and tofu dishes that I haven’t seen peel. Now, here’s the weird thing: before, but that I’m very interested in CHINESE FOOD PART 1 everything tasted exactly the same. If trying (dry tofu skin with hot peppers, you closed your eyes, the only way to cucumbers with minced garlic, corn tell the difference in anything was by with pine nuts), so this could be a good I LOVE STANDARD AMERICANIZED CHINESE FARE, BUT IT’S SO MUCH MORE FUN TO EAT SOMETHING I’VE NEVER HAD BEFORE.

texture. The inside of the eggroll was place to hit up if you’re vegetarian and indistinguishable from the sauteed tired of eating the same old things. pork with cabbage. The beef with Actually, I guess, this would be a good orange peel seemed to be hanging out place for anyone if they’re looking for in the same sauce as the General Tso’s something different than what they’re chicken. It was really odd. Also, I never used to getting in New Orleans. really comment on service because, 10/10 Cold Black Fungi hey, I’ve waited tables. It’s not fun (and I was horrible at it), so I usually just Red’s Chinese (3048 St. Claude Ave.) give waiters a pass. It doesn’t make Red’s is perhaps the antithesis of some or break my meal if someone isn’t of the other restaurants I went to. the best, but in this case, I feel like I Instead of a more authentic Chinese actually need to say something. The food experience, à la China Rose, Red’s waitress commented on how much is pure fusion. In lieu of the flamboyant food we ordered (too much!), what rococo tiki-ism of China Doll, Red’s is a we ordered (she actually dissuaded us stark minimalist box. I honestly didn’t from ordering a duck dish because we know what to expect. Luckily, I went “wouldn’t like it”—but well, we didn’t to Red’s with a group, so I was able to like anything we actually did get), and order a lot of food. We got craw(fish) then at the end of the meal, she forced rangoons, eggrolls, pork belly buns, us to box up our food (no one wanted kung pao pastrami, general’s chicken, to take their food, because no one liked and the bok choy. OK, let me get this their meal enough to want any more). out of the way: the eggrolls and bok In retrospect, it was probably good choy were awful—I’m not sure what that she made us take the food; we was going on with the eggrolls, as they ended up giving it to someone down were weirdly salty and the texture the street, and it would have been was off, and the sauce on the bok choy This is going to have to be another multi-part investigation, as there are so many trashed otherwise. So, OK, I’ll add a was inedible. But everything else was Chinese restaurants! I tried to order a variety of dishes everywhere I went, but couple points to my rating for that. excellent. The kung pao pastrami is just made sure to try the eggrolls and General Tso’s chicken at each place so that: 1) But seriously, no one liked their food, as good as everyone says (seriously, I’ve I’d have a baseline point of comparison, and 2) because I recently watched the and one of my dining companions was had like ten people tell me I need to try documentary The Search for General Tso. Ostensibly a history of the dish, the seriously upset by the waitress’ running it, and they were right). Who thought movie turns into a tale of the myriad ways that immigrants have shaped American commentary. It didn’t really bother me of this? I love pastrami but it’s never culture, and how some foods—like chimichangas, chow mein, vichyssoise, and that much, but it was definitely enough occurred to me to eat it in anything yes, General Tso’s chicken—are purely American inventions. As the child of an to make sure that, even if it was just an except a sandwich. It’s the perfect foil immigrant myself, I’m especially grateful for stories about the blending and off night for the cook, I’ll never darken for chilis and ginger; it’s complex and evolution of cultures, especially food cultures. Also, General Tso’s is basically their doorstep again. fun! The craw rangoons had a good just fried chicken in a sauce, which everyone knows is the best thing in the world. 2/10 Indistinguishable Meats cream cheese-to-wrapper ratio, the (Special shout out to Imperial Garden in Kenner, which I’ve already written about general’s chicken totally leaned into [ANTIGRAVITY #144, “Williams Boulevard”]. Y’all are still one of my faves!) China Rose (3501 N. Arnoult St., Metairie) the fried-chicken-in-a-sauce thing, and For this one, I was fortunate enough the pork belly buns were exactly what China Doll (830 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey) cho, beef stick, crab rangoon (they to have a dining companion who is a I wanted. Even though I wasn’t wild Here’s the thing: I’m a lifelong fan of have bacon in them!), fried prawns, longtime fan of China Rose and was about the eggrolls—which is an issue China Doll. I feel like I have to admit bbq ribs, and bbq pork—all served in able to guide our meal. She tipped that would normally be a deal breaker— that straight away because this review this massive, entirely wacky ceramic me off that you have to ask for the it didn’t even matter. I can’t wait to go is going to be biased. I don’t think the dish that wouldn’t look out of place on Chinese menu when you go in. The back. Oh, also, I enjoyed the music. food is great necessarily, although I do a Brady Bunch trip to Hawaii. It’s so American menu is good, but the 9/10 Stark Minimalist Boxes think it’s very good. If I’m being honest much fun. The crab rangoons are off- Chinese menu is where you’ll find the though, I go to China Doll for the the-chain delicious and the eggrolls more interesting fare. I’ve never been HONORABLE MENTION ambience. It’s an old-school tiki den in are also pretty impressive. As for to China, so I obviously can’t speak to the middle of a strip mall. And I’d argue main dishes, the General Tso’s here is the authenticity of the dishes being Red Apple (1611 Franklin Ave.) that they do the tiki vibe better than just fine, but my favorite is the lemon offered, but I can say that it’s definitely My favorite place for to-go orders. Tiki Tolteca (the themed bar above chicken, which is just fried chicken different than what you find at most It’s fast, the food is consistent, and Felipe’s in the French Quarter). We’re strips coated in a sticky sweet, vaguely local Chinese spots, which is something it’s really cheap (apologies to Yummy talking old school exotica here. There lemony sauce. You might as well order I’m always grateful for! I love standard Yummy—you try, but you’re no Red are velvet paintings! Cocktails (which a lot, because the to-go boxes are red Americanized Chinese fare, but it’s so Apple). Your mind isn’t going to be are listed as “Oriental Exotic Drinks”) and gold. Seriously, if you like mid- much more fun to eat something I’ve blown, but the eggrolls are decent, the come in tall skinny mugs featuring century kitsch, you need to hit them up. never had before. We ended up with General Tso’s is pretty good, and the rather zaftig hula girls. There is wood It’s weird to discuss authenticity when the scallion pancakes, cold black fungi, steamed dumplings are surprisingly paneling and lanterns covered with talking about something that’s basically beef and tripe with special sauce, and, tasty. I’ve successfully fed three shells and stamped with seahorses! I drenched in artifice, but China Doll of course, General Tso’s chicken and unexpected house guests and myself recommend ordering a Mai Tai or a feels genuine and earnest in a way that eggrolls (off the regular menu). Don’t for less than 30 bucks. 8/10 Reasons To Tiki Bowl and then splitting the China lots of places just can’t seem to pull off. order the General Tso’s here; there was Drive Down Franklin Ave. Doll Tidbits appetizer: eggrolls, cho 9.5/10 Seahorses absolutely nothing wrong with it, but

8 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 9 clasp on my stripper heel is still held panoramic sky above. With her finger Light Work with electrical tape. I rationalize. she traces the mountain range, edged in * Day-Glo. Strippers love the Space Room, We get our Heart Coffee to go, walk he laughs. We’re the only strippers you by LYN ARCHER photo MEG MARZEC beneath the bridge to the pole-dance know. Aren’t we? The tonic in our vodka studio, for $10 open gym. We ask the glows in the black light. At least admit coach what it was like stripping in we’re your favorite. Vegas pre-recession, as the women EGGS IS LOST arrive for Pole-Fitness class, shaking There’s a paperback I’ve come across out their umbrellas. We pack up to wait at house parties, shelved among last term’s textbooks, or in that basket in 2015. I drive around behind the food the bathroom. It’s a script-writing bank and pull the flattened cardboard guide called Save the Cat. Show your from the dumpster. Each box reads hero’s motives: Make him save a kitten, EGGS on all sides. On the drive to New way up in a tree. Force your hero’s Orleans, van packed full, I tabulate will: Make him save himself. In his the last twelve years. This will be spacepod-wreckage tent, Matt Damon my 28th move, after living across six pulls a grapnel from his abdomen; the states (traveling through 37 more) same hook that retracted him from and 13 countries. That time in the death in the Martian storm. Make your boat. Six months living in the van. I audience peek between their hands. imagine unpacking completely; all my * belongings amount to 115,200 eggs. The following night I get called in to go- go dance at the cabaret downtown. In the At a two-screen theatre matinee, I basement dressing room, I borrow a roll choose between a mystery and a thriller of black tape and stick two little x’s over about a stranded astronaut. Matt my nipples. Three pairs of girls rotate Damon lives on Mars for a long time. between the stage and the glass cat-walks The moviemakers use a montage to above each bar, climbing past each other make years pass by in minutes. Wrapped on the ladder-rungs. At midnight, we fling in survival blankets, he rations his food our tops off into the crowd. from tear-away tinfoil packs. In space, the days are measured in Sols. I un-crumple my tips and text Jay. * Already home. C’mon by. I wipe my 2012. Stripping has been the motive makeup off with a baby-wipe and then and the mechanism for my aimlessness. think to put some of it back on again. Three years after leaving Portland, I The owner holds out a pair of drink still returned twice yearly, to work and tickets. I text. Come get me? I wait as he stay with Vivian. Vivian was staying counts my pay-out and I down a double- with Michael, a classmate of ours who vodka-tonic and say my cab’s arriving. turned out to be rich—rich enough to buy the house, on a tree-lined street Water purls in the intersection beside just east of our club, in cash. Michael the 24/7 donut place at the bridge’s foot. suffered from a chronic malaise that had You up? I buy a sprinkle donut and eat it. gone misdiagnosed until recently. He’d Jay’s phone rings through to voicemail. been told that he’d sustained mercury I buy a jelly donut in the shape of a man poisoning from old fillings in his teeth, with a pretzel impaling his body, then or the drinking water in one of the think to ask if they have any day-olds. remote, off-the-grid dwelling-places his I PROMISE I’LL INTRODUCE MYSELF The taxi dispatch-line rings, emptily. I mother had moved them to throughout hold a donut in my mouth and cradle the his childhood. He let us stay in the house AS “EGGS” EVERY NIGHT NEXT pink box under my arm and sling my bag while he was on a healing tour of the hot onto my shoulder. springs and soaking pools of Japan. WEEK, IF YOU JUST COME BACK, CAT. At the high point of the bridge, Old The appliances chirp little tunes when I PROMISE NOT TO BEND REALITY. Town glows back at me. I wonder how we pull our lingerie from the dryer, or mercury poisoning can be cured with load stemware from the dishwasher We face our money cross-legged in the for the bus. Another green summer, hot water from the ground. I wonder if into the cabinets, beside esoteric bed, filling in each others’ versions of punctuated by cold, wet snaps. the river could really feel like concrete, cooking oils and mushroom complex the shift. A music video plays on the if I were to jump. The freight yard tablets. I turn over a jar of colloidal laptop while the cat burrows into the We smell pasta cooking across the street, bends into the dark. I shake off the silver; the label side claims to chelate duvet. Strippers balance on a brass a hanging sign of a huge red M. The sentiments and continue. heavy metals from the body. Chelae: pole, telescoping into the stars. Their Montage. Closed. We peek in at a man having or resembling claws. legs cross at the ankle as comets pass taking benches down from the tables. The guy in the empty lot shuffles around, by, into the infinite. The shower has two Try the bar around the corner. We scratch opening his coffee cart. Jay’s front porch At the wide, hardwood kitchen table, heads but we lather under one. In the at the screen. A man is lighting candles gives a little at the center. The door Vivian fills in GRE practice tests while mirror, I towel off and snap our picture at the tables. We shiver in pantomime. stands open. I set the donut box on the I flip through last month’sLucky Peach. as she blows her hair dry. He looks up, and doesn’t move. counter and push a couple of cans into She shows me how to make coffee the the sink, tighten the dripping tap. Jay’s right way, in the Chemex glass carafe. Wealth shone its light on us and we That night the club is slow. Restlessness room is tented with bedsheets and foam In his absence, our only household laughed. We are having brunch at catches hold in us. Let’s escape. Jay has panels left over from his thesis show, responsibilities are to try not to break Zells, whatever special was up on the a truck. I text. Come save us? Vivian an installation of a props department anything and to mind the cat. board. We wander the racks of a vintage climbs onto my lap; I push trash and for an imaginary cult B-movie. Into the shop with an ampersand conjoining oil-paint tubes off the shotgun seat and night, he’d painted the panels to look The cat was more of a kitten, white with its name. Work is exhausting and the reach to unlock the driver’s side. Gold like lichen-covered stone, carving in gray spots. Michael had a tattoo of the solution is Total Luxury. Not long ago Dust Meridian? Dots? Space Room? alien hieroglyphics with a dremel, in the cat, wearing a huge bow and flanked with I was swiping my Oregon Trail food- studio next to mine. flower-wreaths, rendered like a portrait stamp card at Plaid Pantry and combing The Space Room is an octagon with on his bicep. The cat’s name was Eggs. the by-the-pound Goodwill bins. The a mural of the night desert and a The curtain is caught under his

10 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 outstretched arm. I lift his wrist. The Total Luxury was take care of the covers are on the floor. I find one of his Favorite Cat. In the afternoons, we’d baseball shirts and put this on and take sunbathed under the backyard maple off my stockings. The gray hiss of traffic. whose leaves were turning an indolent I make a space for myself in the curve of red. He’d seemed to trust us then. Two his shoulder. more Sols go by. * I wake to a text: Over the fence we watch the neighbor- are you up? lady feeding the strays. Michael had EGGS IS LOST named her cats after food, too. Bacon: The burly orange tom. Croissant: She had been out looking for him, in Blonde with a broken tail. This was our the night. joke: concocting absurd stripper names and daring each other to use them in Wait a little, I text back. the club, though we always fall back Put some food out. on Erin and Abby. Natural Redheads. He will come back. Students. Art. Phenomenology. He is a cat. Astrophysics. Cousins. Sisters. Twins. I Cats love food. promise I’ll introduce myself as “Eggs” every night next week, if you just come Hey kiddo. Jay flings his arm over me back, cat. I promise not to bend reality. and falls asleep again under his hair. * She shakes me out of bed. Look!!! I’ll come help you look. I reach for the note. It is already hot out, cicadas working in the trees. On a corner stoop, a man think we found your cat in his PJ pants, having his morning he was out on our rooftop cigarette. No, he hasn’t seen a white cat we didn’t notice at first with a pink nose and soft ears and gray spots who answers to Eggs. We knock This was in the mailbox. I went and got on every door, surprised, at 11 a.m., how him already. He ran straight into the many people are just waking, how many house, up the stairs and into the hamper! people aren’t yet at work, or don’t have I pull on my jeans. Where’s he now? work, or don’t have to. We lift the lid and push back Michael’s unwashed clothes. Eggs, how did you get We are despondent. Our only all the way up there? He looks out, and responsibility beyond Ourselves and doesn’t move.

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 11 A tasty exploration of Southeast Asian & Southern cuisine. VINYL Come get your grub on!

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HAPPY HOUR(S): 12PM-DOORS, TUE-SUN MARCH *see gasagasa.com for door/showtimes* 2 The Ocean Party// Midriff// The Fruit Machines 3 The Bowery Presents: The Staves// Mikaela Davis 5 Helen Gillet and Tephra 4 w/ Nikki Glaspie, Jessica Lurie + Mario Abney and the Abney Effect 7 Progression Presents: Little Girl// Dirty Lungs// Toonces 8 The Bowery Presents: Xenia Rubios 9 The Bowery Presents: The Wild Reeds// Blank Range// The Lostlines 10 Motel Radio// The High Divers// Edison 11 The Bowery Presents: Kane Strang // Bonus // Scenic World 12 Blackfoot Gypsies + Chief Scout + Neighbor Lady + The Detail 13 The Bowery Presents: Nick Hakim // Norvis Junior 14 The Bowery Presents: Allison Crutchfield // Vagabon 15 Julie Odell 17 The Bowery Presents & Winter Circle Presents: Mykki Blanco // Cakes Da Killa 18 The Bowery Presents: GGOOLLDD 19 Sofi Tukker 20 The Bowery Presents: Big Thief// Mothers// Kalvin 21 Progression X Breakfast For Dinner Records Presents: Dave Cappello & Jeff Albert, Outercore, and Extended Trio 22 All People 23 Noruz 24 Mid City Pizza Presents: Gravity A 25 Cardinal Sons 28 Progression X Bubble Bath Records Presents Kristina Morales & The Inner Wild, Biglemoi, Chris Lenox Band 30 Wolves and Wolves and Wolves and Wolves/Burn Like Fire/I'm Fine 31 SHARKS TEETH, GREATER PYRENEES, PATRICK SHUTTLESWERTH GASA GASA

12 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 things that will do OK or even well during the summer, starting in April. I Dirt Nerd in the heat include: Chicory (frisee, wouldn’t recommend starting them in endive, and radicchio are all chicories, August, but you can, and it will work. and all quite heat tolerant), Malabar Some may attest that planting your by IAN WILLSON illustrations MELISSA GUION spinach, tetragonia, molokhia, water cucurbits earlier will decrease their spinach, and a few other increasingly chances of being afflicted with powdery unfamiliar things that I will not mildew or vine borers, but I think the mention so that I may have strong presence of these maladies is inevitable. SUBJECTIVE SEASONALITIES fodder for future columns. Call it a negative worldview, but I don’t think the glass isn’t half empty, it’s just I consider lettuces a thing apart full of pathology and woe (most cucurbits from the very broad and decidedly will do fine even if they are riddled with Technically, spring will fall upon us in March, if you want to get a decent crop. It’s unscientific term “greens.” Lettuces disease and pestilence, though). the middle of this month when the sun OK to go later, but you’ll get less tomatoes are great in the spring but not so finds itself resting atop our equator, and more leafy growth going forward, and much the summer. It’s OK to plant As for beans, I find it largely an exercise straddling day and night to draw a firm a lot more pests. As for summer planting, lettuce in March and April, but you’re in futility to try to grow summer- line between the cold, lifeless winter I think it’s dangerous. Planting tomatoes really pushing it if you plant in May. friendly beans in a quantity that makes and the flowering and fertile season of in June is crazy. It’s too hot and there Lettuces will be miserable in our up for the effort involved, but for one rebirth. Technically. are so many beetles out there that love proper summers. Generally speaking, glaring exception: Yardlong beans. Known by many names, including Actually, we have had spring-adjacent but-not-limited-to Chinese long bean, weather in New Orleans since September, snake bean, and asparagus bean, this and while temperature is not the only legume thrives in the summertime control that deserves consideration when from now until November. They taste deciding what to grow and when, it’s like green beans but are bigger and definitely the main control. cuter, and purple if you’d like them that way. Lima beans aren’t impossible Blame it on the irreparable damage to grow, so if you really want to stick humanity has brought upon our planet, to the familiar these ought to be your or the fact that we live in the Gulf South huckleberry. Southern peas, cowpeas, (or blame it on both). Regardless, the field peas, and black-eyed peas, which fact remains that it barely gets cold as far as I can tell are all the exact here anymore. At all. It does get very, same thing, grow pretty great in the very hot though, a little more so every simmering depths of July and August, year. We have to adapt accordingly, but the amount of space you’ll have to growing what we can when we can. dedicate to growing these guys is not even kind of worth the yield, in my I’m going to divulge all of my secret opinion. When it cools down a bit, snow seasonal planting practices for the spring peas, green peas and green beans are and summer, which are probably unique easy enough to grow and provide yields to me and which many gardeners and worthy of any dinner plate. farmers will wholeheartedly disagree with. I’m not getting down on myself Herbs are a vague and exceptionally here; I have full confidence in the esotery unscientific class of foodstuff consisting I am about to disclose, but farming is of plants from myriad genera (that’s chaos magic. We all must draw our own plural for genus), with desires as far- sigils in the gardening game. flung between them as the genetics that separate them. As such, they I’m going to break it down by species I’M GOING TO DIVULGE ALL OF MY SECRET deserve notes on the subject of summer and chronology here. I’m going to lay SEASONAL PLANTING PRACTICES FOR growing at least twice the length of this out what I grow and approximately column. So I will leave but a petty few when I grow it, and also when I don’t THE SPRING AND SUMMER, WHICH ARE monolithic words on choice cooking grow it, as well as what’s not worth PROBABLY UNIQUE TO ME AND WHICH herbs. Basil will grow throughout the growing at all. Again, this is my book summer, but not in the cold. Parsley, of spells and if your tome reads MANY GARDENERS AND FARMERS WILL cilantro, and lavender cannot stand real differently, that doesn’t mean it’s all WHOLEHEARTEDLY DISAGREE WITH heat—do not grow them now. Thyme wrong. There are a lot of planting can take the heat, but won’t last long guides out there, but it’s a question that sucking on that fine tomato juice. Planting I like to start lettuces in mid-winter if it hasn’t established itself before gets asked all too often all the same. tomatoes in September, however, is pretty and continue planting them through the real heat comes. Plant it in March fantastic. Same with October. Tomatoes March, but again, you aren’t a totally or wait until September. Most other Let’s start with root vegetables. Once will grow through December to great crazy person if you want to start some standard kitchen herbs will survive the spring has begun, I forsake all root effect if you start them late in the game. lettuce in April. summer but should be planted by June vegetables. The latest I will plant them Nobody does it, but everybody should. at the absolute latest. is in February. Make no mistake: carrots, Another note on tomatoes: growing the Peppers and eggplants can be put in the beets, radishes, turnips—all of them will big guys is hard here. It’s just a fact. If ground as early as March, and as late Okra grows all summer and you can grow with might and fury in the early you’re going at tomatoes for the first time, as June. Both are fairly slow growers, plant it whenever you’d like. This is spring sun, lapping it up and loving it. But I would try a cherry or pear or grape or but are also very forgiving and heat probably why it is so beloved around as the heat gets hotter, root vegetables some other variety of tomato named after tolerant. Don’t expect much fruit from these parts. If you like okra, grow okra store less sugars in their roots and use a small fruit. the peppers until it cools off a little bit all summer. If you don’t like okra, don’t those sugars to grow more greens to some six months from now. You’ll get a grow it, because it’s pointless to grow collect more sun to make more energy It is also said that collards and mustard little something, but almost certainly food if you’re not going to eat it. to produce more sugars to grow more. greens grow great in the summer here. less than you hoped for. However, you While this is great news for the plant, it’s I say they grow kind of OK but hate will get more eggplants than you hoped terrible news for the plant’s predators (us), their lives, taste worse, and get eaten for and will be very happy to be rid of because root vegetables taste bitter and/ by bugs before you can eat them, more them when the cold finally knocks them or astringent and all around inedible when often than not. Growing greens in the back. Eggplants are extremely prolific they aren’t storing their sugars in their summer sucks. If you already have throughout the summer months roots. In summary, root vegetables taste any mustards, kale, or collards in the around these parts. As far as I can tell, really bad after March. ground, they’ll keep on until May or it doesn’t even matter what kind of so, but starting them off now is cruel. eggplant you grow. They don’t quit. It is said tomatoes have three growing Arugula, on the other hand, is pretty seasons in New Orleans: one in spring, one easy to grow most of the year. It’ll get Cucurbits—which include all your in summer, one in autumn. I think we have really spicy, but that’s OK. Swiss Chard melons, squashes, zucchinis, cucumbers, more like one and a half. Tomatoes need to does well until July or so, but the bugs gourds, gherkins, mirlitons, and more— be planted near the early end of spring, i.e. will be an issue. Other alternative leafy can be started pretty much anytime

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 13 NEW ORLEANS HARM REDUCTION NETWORK PRESENTS: listening to each other and learning from League of Women Voters-New and trying to get smarter about stuff, Orleans, which will be available starting ANTI-OPPRESSION / ANTI-BS and we hope to see this energy not only March 1st on their website (lwvno.org). sustain itself but grow and grow and grow. Locals are calling for a People’s VOTE: Undecided. If nothing else, vote VOTING GUIDE Assembly in June, so get yourself and for community activist Williams, and your friends and neighbors together, see if she’ll break her record at 24% of FOR NEW ORLEANS ELECTIONS and get involved. the vote! In the meantime, we’ve got our local JUDGE COURT OF APPEAL government to hold accountable, and 4TH CIRCUIT, MARCH 25, 2016 we’re voting this month to select two 1ST DISTRICT, DIVISION C judges to replace a retired judge and Regina Bartholomew-Woods, who Paula Brown ascended to Court of Appeals after Tiffany Gautier Chase this past November’s election. (New Orleanians wait until the fall elections Two colleagues from trial court vie for to vote on Mayor and councilmembers.) this seat in Court of Appeals. Their If you’ve gotten tired of the rich, white experience in civil court is about men and their nightmarish antics in the equal in duration, and they both have news, then you may find it refreshing the charmingly cultivated public that all our candidates are Black personas you might expect from women, except a white lady who is gay. local politicians. Both have quality backgrounds: Brown’s mentor is Chief JUDGE CIVIL DISTRICT COURT, Justice Bernadette Johnson, who she DIVISION B served for as clerk, and Chase snapped a selfie at the Women’s March with Rachael Johnson her former law professor and civil M. Suzanne “Suzy” Montero rights lawyer Bill Quigley. Before you These guides have been produced lovingly and carefully since 2014 by a group of Marie Williams decide who gets your vote, keep an eye individuals who seek to confront the existing lack of accountability in the branches out for the League of Women Voters’ of Louisiana government, and in the election process more generally. We did a lot of For this one, let’s brush up on some candidate info as it becomes available, research and talked with our neighbors, friends, and allies. We agreed on the following Black herstory. In the 1990s, the and see who’s going to endorse these guidelines to make—or in some cases, decline to make—our recommendations: Louisiana Supreme Court was tasked two (AFL-CIO and lots of local with racial reconciliation, as part politicians endorse Brown). • Commit to a social justice (anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-classist, anti-hateful etc.) agenda; of the settlement of a federal voting rights lawsuit. Through that process, VOTE: Back to Chief Justice • Promote justice and advancement for people of color, poor people, immigrants, an additional judge joined the state’s Bernadette on this one, choose the youth, people affected by environmental degradation, and other marginalized highest bench, and she is a Black woman who calls her a mentor: Brown. populations in our communities; prioritize the needs of these people above others; woman. Judge Bernadette Johnson, having ascended to longest serving • Favor the judicial candidates (especially the incumbents) least destructive to the member on the court in 2012, expected VOTER REGISTRATION lives of the poor and others caught in the dragnet of our punitive system; (as per convention) to become Chief AND OFFICIAL ELECTION Justice. But it took a damn hard court INFORMATION • Be strategic about New Orleanians’ specific needs being adequately addressed on battle, and the advocacy of civil rights the state and federal levels, especially with regard to environmental, economic, and supporters (New Orleans’ Justice & Dates: Spring Municipal Primary healthcare concerns; Beyond Coalition was born from this Election on March 25 and the General effort), to protect the law and Johnson’s on April 29. • Reject the influence of post-Katrina opportunism at all levels of government. rightful role. Early Voting is Saturday, March 11- These guides usually start as working drafts, so expect updates as we continue to do Bernadette Johnson’s daughter March 18, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (not research. Feel free to submit your contributions! Rachael Johnson is a first time Sunday) at the following locations: campaigner going after this civil We approach this work with a harm reduction ethos—that is, we understand court judgeship. After years of REGISTRAR’S OFFICE we cannot easily nor quickly move the mountains of inequality, prejudice, experience as a lawyer and as a law CITY HALL (bureaucracy!), and oppression that keep people down. We considered the view that clerk for City Councilwoman Nadine 1300 Perdido St. deliberating on “Who is going to harm us?” is actually not a form of harm reduction Ramsey when she was a judge at Civil RM 1W23 at all. Ultimately, we believe we can work to ease the suffering and trauma that exist District Court, Johnson says she in our communities. In this way, we advance towards a visionary society in which aims to serve the public. REGISTRAR’S OFFICE everyone’s needs are met, and our values are reflected in our system of governance. ALGIERS COURTHOUSE Also campaigning are first time 225 Morgan St. Vote early and vote often! If you are registered and don’t care, please find someone candidate Suzy Montero and Marie RM 105 who is currently incarcerated, on parole, or otherwise disenfranchised from voting, Williams, who is a veteran campaigner. but wants their opinions heard. You can vote for their interests. Montero is a longtime litigator for VOTING MACHINE WAREHOUSE a personal injury firm, daughter of 8870 Chef Menteur Highway An 18-year-old decided to run for Boartfield is among many to turn Wilson Montero, a local criminal Mayor of Gretna this year. Though this away from complacency and step defense attorney, and former partner of LAKE VISTA COMMUNITY CENTER young man was disqualified, we just into political activism this year. New the late super lawyer Jack Martzell. 6500 Spanish Fort Blvd. want to take a second to bring attention Orleans’ turnout for the J20 protest 2nd floor meeting room. to his brief run for office. After being and Women’s March is not matched in Never earning more than a quarter disqualified, William Boartfield, Jr., recent memory! (Though it is in past of the votes, Williams ran for a Civil Depending on where you live, your who is co-chairman of the Louisiana history. Look to the Black Workers District Court seat in 2004, Juvenile ballot may differ from this guide. Green Party, told the New Orleans Organize NOLA Timeline as an Court in 2010, Second City Court in Visit voterportal.sos.la.gov to view Advocate, “I ran mostly because no one awesome resource for contextualizing 2012, Criminal Court in 2014 and in your ballot by your name or address. was running against an administration the history of Black organizing and 2016. Not only should y’all applaud All are encouraged to read up on that isn’t being held accountable... I resistance in New Orleans, available her persistence, but she shares some biographical information and answers still will fight for what I believe in.” He at blackworkersorganizenola.org). common sense views, like no one should to questions from League of Women pledged to push for law enforcement And regardless of whatever your be arrested for marijuana charges. Voters-New Orleans, which will be reform through grassroots organizing. feelings are about your neighbors in available starting March 1st on their While this is not an endorsement for the political pecking order, we think Since Johnson and Montero are new website, lwvno.org/s17election.html. the Green Party, we think this young that it generally is an exciting thing to candidates for public office, there isn’t For updates and more information on adult took the criticism of Green Party see so many folks catalyzed against the much information about what these this Voting Guide, go to arielleschecter. candidates never making grabs for local enemy of the Trumpdaddy, turning out candidates’ stances are on relevant blogspot.com/p/voting-guides.html office and really ran with it. We respect in solidarity with their brown and Black issues. Keep an eye out for biographical you, Boartfield. and immigrant and femme neighbors, information and answers to questions PHOTO: BEAU PATRICK COULON

14 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 NO JUSTICE – NO PEACE

Alfred Banks for DNO

600 Carondelet St. 1101 First St. DNO Records now open: 1113 Saint Mary St.

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 15 around, though! gonna show something shocking at Mmmmm… Verdi Marte! a high school in San Francisco, and I said “Your teachers had your parents Between the daily and the other sign release forms, right?” And you strips, how’s the syndication could see all the teachers looking at side going? each other with that “I didn’t know It’s chugging along... But my online there were any forms” look on their income has totally overtaken my faces. It was hilarious! print income. There are other things brewing that may take my comics On that same note, one of the off the page and into your various issues you’re dealing with across viewing devices! the board while you’re in town is police brutality. What are some Will your family be traveling with of the ways you talk about that you to New Orleans? subject with kids? The fam will not be traveling with me I am still learning how to talk to kids to N.O. Wish they were, but we just about police brutality. I have yet to bought a house. I need them to stay address a group of kids about it. What home and use it. I do is welcome parents to bring their kids to my adult slideshow. Some the fine print of Two of your events will be held parents are fine with their kids seeing at libraries and will be all-ages, that content, but some aren’t. and one on Xavier’s campus, open to the public. What are some I feel like if we start really talking challenges in approaching those about Trump we could fill an KEITH KNIGHT two audiences? entire issue and not get close to It’s not too challenging presenting caught up. But let’s start anyway! by LEO McGOVERN III photo KERSTIN KNIGHT to different aged audiences. Mainly What’s been the most frustrating because I have the different strips: thing for you so far? Older folks know me for the K Trump? This would all be hilarious "I WILL NOT RANT TO Chronicles and (th)ink. Kids know me if we were watching from another for my daily strip and MAD magazine planet. I’m just dumbfounded at the stuff. And Random House is just idea of people voting for him, not THE CHILDREN. I’LL SAVE about to release my new book, Jake because he’s competent, but because the Fake Keeps it Real, which is my it’ll piss off the “lib-tards.” There is a THAT FOR THE ADULTS." first foray into theDiary of a Wimpy group of folks in this country willing Kid market. to sink the ship just because. Longtime readers of ANTIGRAVITY no doubt recognize Keith Knight’s name, as his comics have elevated the social commentary in this magazine since its The first event on your docket is a What do you think that’s about? very first issue. The K Chronicles follows Knight’s ideas wherever they lead him, teen workshop and looks to teach Maybe it’s the naiveté of growing whether it’s questioning authority, paying tribute to a historical event or person, about expressing through art. up always thinking that one day or just celebrating life’s little victories. Over the years, Knight has expanded What are some of the things you’re all the hate in this country would his cartoon roster with another socially focused strip in (th)ink, and in 2008 going to teach these youngsters? be stuffed in the corner, like the launched a syndicated daily comic, The Knight Life, which looks at life through I’m going to show teens how comics old useless crap we keep in the the prism of his family. are a great way to express yourself, attic. Neither one of us can smell but also a great way to learn a lot our 20s anymore, so it’s not that Live speaking is another way Knight has reached people, conveying new thoughts about the world, other people, and we’re too young to have seen on current events through a slideshow of curated panels from his repository cultures. I’ll show some examples hate permeate the world before, of comics, “They Shoot Black People, Don’t They?” which debuted in 2014 at and techniques. but to me it feels different now, universities in Germany. He’s since performed at colleges from California to like the tide’s turned and being New York. Knight will extend his reach in Louisiana in March when the New What are some of your favorite a hateful idiot is now a legit Orleans Public Library, in coordination with Tulane and Xavier, hosts the artist non-fiction comics that you hold career/life choice. for a lineup of workshops and slideshows in an effort to explore the issues of up as must-reads? And that is why we must punch Nazis! race, police brutality, and community accountability. I caught up with Keith I suggest any non-fiction comic about about talking to kids about serious stuff, some guy named Trump, and even his someone from a culture you may not Keith Knight will be appearing on hometown professional football team winning some big game. be familiar with. That’s all I’ll say. Tuesday, March 21 for a teen workshop There are a lot of folks doing some at the Main Branch of the New Orleans I hope all’s going well! It’s been quite to promote a book at the American really neat auto-bio and non-fiction Public Library, 4 p.m. (advance a while since I’ve seen you, maybe Library Association conference. It work out there. Just march on over to registration required, ages 15-24); San Diego Comic-Con in 2012? was really interesting. Tanks were your local comics shop and you’ll find Wednesday, March 22 at the Xavier Yeah—it’s been a while! Looking still rolling around the streets. I what you need. Student Center Ballroom, 7 p.m. (open forward to catching up! A lot has remember sitting in a cafe with Black to the public); and Thursday, March 23 been happening. and white locals at one table. National When you’re doing these types of for a Community Talk also at the Main Guard at another. And a group of talks with an all-ages audience Branch, 6 p.m. (all ages). For more First off, that was quite the Spanish-speaking laborers at another. in other cities, how often does info, check out kchronicles.com Super Bowl, wasn’t it? Even a politics get brought up, and how couple weeks later it seems so This time around you could still do you balance that? improbable that I don’t believe it find all that, minus the tanks. The idea of me expressing myself happened sometimes. I’m looking forward to seeing where as a Black cartoonist is inherently Super Bowl! Holy sh—! It was like New Orleans is at, now. political, and urging youth to express watching the Seahawks throw themselves through comics—in that interception on the one—yet I’m curious to hear what you many ways it is very political. I dragged out over the second half, think about that, by the end of certainly don’t avoid politics. But I plus overtime. It woulda felt a lot your trip. It’s always interesting will not rant to the children. I’ll save better as a Pats fan if Trump wasn’t to see people experience the city that for the adults. pulling for ’em. after not being here for a long time, just because we can take Has there been anything that a When’s the last time you were in for granted the incremental parent went nuts over, where you New Orleans, and what did you do? changes that happen, places that were really shocked they weren’t The last time I was in New Orleans are gone or something completely cool with it? was a year after Katrina. I was there different now. Verdi Marte is still Nah. One time I pretended I was

16 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 17 POWER PLANT POP: AG PICKS FOR

BUKUby AG STAFF photos JOSH BRASTED number dedicated2017 to his cat. This the game. The Atlanta native (born sort of unpredictability is the reason Jeffery Lamar Williams)—known Six years in and it feels like among all the music festivals in New Orleans, The BUKU he has become the most interesting for his idiosyncratic vocal stylings Music + Art Project is still the fresh new kid on the block, dropped on the Crescent (and, frankly, weirdest) figure of the and sometimes non sequitur lyrical City from some faraway exotic locale, like New York City or Jupiter. Below are our recent modern jazz renaissance—a approach—has seen acclaim from a favorite picks for this year’s BUKU, from up-and-coming, accidental artists to those scene that includes fellow L.A. series of unreal mixtapes, the last of who’ve been on the grind since before the internet existed. artists like Kendrick Lamar, Kamasi which being 2016’s eponymous Jeffery. Washington, and Terrace Martin (all It’s Thuggers’ unorthodox, sometimes of whom he has collaborated with). mumbling take on hip-hop that has UNICORN FUKR paved the way for renegades like FRIDAY New Orleans’ own Unicorn FUKR Lil Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert to reach (pictured above) returns to BUKU for mainstream success. Though he hasn’t LIL DICKY his annual EDM set this year fresh released a major label album yet, his While working his first job as an off a European/U.S. tour a couple collaborations with Gucci Mane, T.I., advertising account manager, David months ago with Use of Force, via the and the aforementioned Birdman has Burd jokingly reimagined his monthly prestigious UK dubstep label Wheel & put him on an amazingly successful progress report as a rap video. He had Deal. FUKR continues to focus on his path, even garnering an appearance on never planned to pursue a career in musical output while making plans to Kanye West’s latest album, The Life of music and his stated goal was “simply take Church—his local Sunday night Pablo. BUKU attendees will certainly to get attention comedically, so I could EDM showcase at Dragon’s Den—on Originally starting his solo music be treated to a manic, impassioned write movies, write TV shows and act.” the road for 2017. Meanwhile, FUKR’s career with sample-based electronic performance from Thugger, one that But when the video for his debut track label, Versed Recordings (co-owned beats à la Brainfeeder label-mate will likely be remembered as a fest “Ex-Boyfriend” went viral on YouTube, with Quickie Mart and Organik), plans Flying Lotus, he has recently settled highlight. —Corey Cruse receiving more than one million views to release a bass music compilation for into a mixture of experimental jazz in the first 24 hours, Lil Dicky was born. the spring. Look for a BUKU set that and funk. By the time you read this, SOPHIE Since then, Dicky has released 32 songs incorporates elements of a number of Thundercat’s new album Drunk will Certainly among the most texturally and 15 music videos, including the genres, from house/techno to dubstep/ be out, the lead single off which is complex artists playing BUKU, highly popular track “$ave Dat Money,” bass music/drum and bass/grime. an airy yacht rock jam featuring London’s SOPHIE uses raw waveforms featuring Fetty Wap. His deft melding —Holly Hobbs Michael McDonald and Kenny to create noises replicating everything of humor and hip-hop landed him the Loggins. It’s doubtful those two will from the sound of fizzing bubbles to cover of XXL magazine’s 2016 Freshmen THUNDERCAT be in attendance at his Friday BUKU latex-on-latex rubs. A collaborator of Class alongside Anderson .Paak and It’s been about three years since performance, but it will definitely notables like Madonna, Charli XCX, 21 Savage. One can expect high energy, Los Angeles bassist Thundercat be worth it to see him working his and fellow festival performer Cashmere head-bobbing beats and possibly even a performed one of the best shows I’ve genre-hopping jams in a live festival Cat, he has been making a name for lap dance to a lucky festival goer if Dicky ever witnessed at One Eyed Jacks. setting. —Brandon Lattimore himself by sounding like none of his performs his romantic ballot, “Lemme Draped in an actual wolf skin (head contemporaries at all. More akin to Freak.” Whether or not Lil Dicky plans and all), he premiered the song YOUNG THUG Oneohtrix Point Never than Skrillex, to make a long-lasting impact in hip-hop “Them Changes,” a bouncy break-up If New Orleans can embrace its son Lil Samuel Long presents a hyper-realistic remains to be seen, but he has boldly song that could be mistaken for a cut Wayne, surely it has love for Wayne’s take on electronic dance music, making stated, “I’m not leaving the game until from Hall and Oates’ greatest hits. spiritual successor. Hailed by Birdman the normal and accepted feel grotesque, I’ve proved my point.” He then immediately followed with as “the future of music,” Young and the possibilities of the genre seem —Morgan Lawrence “Tron Cat,” a slow experimental jazz Thug has certainly been changing boundless. —Corey Cruse

18 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 massive, ethereal song, coloring them SATURDAY with unconventional but ultimately relatable emotions. This all makes AMINÉ them very likely to appeal to fans of any Rapper Aminé’s debut single “Caroline” number of experimental rock bands is everywhere right now. The track—a that draw influence from popular ‘60s throbbing, playful tribute to young rock, such as My Bloody Valentine, lustful, love—was released after the Deerhoof, or Animal Collective. Portland, Oregon native signed a —Ben Miotke deal with Republic in 2016, and it peaked at 11 on the Billboard Top CASHMERE CAT 100 in September of that year. While For many, Norway’s DJ/producer Aminé holds established mixtapes Cashmere Cat first floated onto their like Odyssey to Me and Calling Brio radar with his 2012 EP Mirror Maru. under his belt, the single “Caroline” The title track features squeaking marks his skyrocket into mainstream bedspring audio that helped to make music. He chased the success of this the song a hit, earning it a place on release with another hit single titled mixtapes near and far. With a heavily “Baba” shortly thereafter. Aminé melodic and genre-bending sound, started rapping in high school, writing Cashmere Cat has gone on to work with dis tracks for his basketball team, and artists like Selena Gomez and Ariana reportedly never took his music career Grande, while producing for some of the festival circuit. His most recent $UICIDEBOY$ very seriously until post-graduation. the biggest names in the mainstream, outing, a seven-track EP and short I have extremely fond memories of Until now, the Portland rapper worked including Kanye (“Wolves”) and film entitledPrima Donna, featured seeing Aristos Petrou (a.k.a. Oddy quietly on productions with artists like Britney (“Just Luv Me”). In 2016, he A$AP Rocky and increased his fan base Nuff, a.k.a. Ruby Da Cherry, a.k.a. Kaytranada and Tek.Lun, but it seems began releasing tracks off his much- significantly. Whether you only know Snow Leopard) play drums in the apparent that he’s ready to bust into anticipated debut album, Wild Love, his most viewed video, “Norf Norf,” or seminal New Orleans punk band the mainframe. He recently refined which he’ll bring to BUKU along his entire catalog, Vince Staples owns the Vapo Rats. Since those times, his sound while recording Calling with his unique brand of intensely the stage with a confidence that assures however, he and his cousin Scott Brio in 2015, and his music boasts an enjoyable, melodically intricate, and dedicated fans and new listeners alike Arceneaux (a.k.a. $crim, a.k.a. $lick assemblage of ties to his Ethiopian ornate composition. —Holly Hobbs will enjoy the show. —Morgan Lawrence $loth, a.k.a. $uicide Christ) have roots, electronica and house music, been setting Soundcloud and the afrofuturism, R&B, and hip-hop. VINCE STAPLES RUN THE JEWELS rest of the world aflame with their —Maeve Holler 23 year-old Long Beach native Vince With Run the Jewels 3 just released raw, uncompromising raps and Staples is primed to turn Mardi Gras and endless streams of appearances— production. The backed-up hype CADDYWHOMPUS World into the Staples Center. The including a great recent NPR Tiny machines and G59 Records label Local dreamy experimental rock band Cutthroat Boyz front man rose to Desk Concert—Killer Mike and El-P heads have made their demented Caddywhompus (pictured below) may (pictured above) continue to grow brand known through a series of “Kill seem like something of an anomaly their musical empire with integrity Yourself” tapes, with the 20th one in the BUKU lineup. But for a local and talent. Meow the Jewels, their expected to be the last released this festival largely dedicated to powerful crowd-sourced 2015 all-cat opus (for year. This is promised to be followed rhythms and out-there, entrancing which all proceeds went to charity) by their proper debut album, I melodies, they may be one of the most grew their fan base even further Don’t Wanna Die In New Orleans. clever additions to the bill. The single while showing that, in everything Expect the crowd to be as hyped as from their upcoming third LP, Odd Killer Mike and El-P do, they are able $uicideboy$ presumably are to be Hours, was just previewed by NPR to combine political commentary, playing their hometown. and shows that the duo still have just absurdity, resistance, and humor in —Corey Cruse as much freaky energy, psychedelic recognition with verses on Odd Future’s a way that feels real, enjoyable and logic, and love for pop as they did albums and his collaborative mixtape, effective. Wait for performances of AF THE NAYSAYER while grinding at Loyola. Sean Hart’s Stolen Youth, with fellow underground “Talk to Me” and “Panther Like a Maybe you’ve seen NOLA-by-way-of drumming drives Caddywhompus heavyweight, Mac Miller. Staples’ Panther” at BUKU off RTJ3, as they’ll L.A. producer Amahl Abdul-Khaliq and their audience through bombastic debut album, Summertime ’06, earned be high points. —Holly Hobbs at one of his traveling Dolo Jazz dins, contemplative lulls, and all him critical acclaim that landed him Suite showcases. Maybe you’ve seen kinds of catchy moods; all while Chris in the 2015 Freshman Class for XXL DEADMAU5 him perform at another promoter’s Rehm’s sprawling riffs and extensive magazine and garnered him a record “Dead Mouse Guy” became the show. Maybe you’ve just heard last arrangement of gear liberates the guitar deal with Def Jam. With four mixtapes moniker for Joel Thomas Zimmerman year’s Armor Wing Battle Unit. In any from most terrestrial concerns. His and a tour with Schoolboy Q under his after he found a dead mouse in his case, if you truly keep up with what’s androgynous vocals chime within each belt, Staples is making his way through desktop when he was a teenager. Now, happening in New Orleans, Amahl the masked, Toronto-based producer and his music have likely left some and DJ is one of the most well-known imprint. This vegan, straight-edge names in the EDM and house music producer makes the music of club realm alongside Kaskade, Skrillex, and dreams. Hard hitting bass is matched Daft Punk. Most can only recognize with ethereal atmosphere to create him in his giant Mickey Mouse- a unique, captivating sound. With shaped helmet. With six Grammy credits as wide reaching as production nominations and almost 20 years in work for nerdcore rapper Mega Ran the music industry, deadmau5 doesn’t and Taiwan’s Juzzy Orange, Amahl plan to slow down. He began his career has cemented his status as one of the in 1998 and mastered his way to his greatest beatmakers New Orleans has debut album, Get Scraped, in 2005. to offer. Corey— Cruse His self-released compilations Project 56, deadmau5 Circa 1998-2002, and A The BUKU Music + Art Project takes Little Oblique inspired up-and-coming place March 10th and 11th at Mardi producers and DJs to promote and Gras World (1400 Port of New Orleans release their own music. Now with Place). For more info, check out his own record label, mau5trap, more thebukuproject.com artists can master their rave. —Morgan Lawrence

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 19 20 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 Cheeky Blakk at 3 Keys (Ace Hotel) (photo by Avery Leigh White)

Noisician Coalition marches in Muses (photo by Adrienne Battistella)

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 21 At Louis Armstrong Park, mourners hold a vigil for Chyna Doll Dupree Gibson. She was one of three trans women (along with Ciara McElveen and Jaquarrius Holland) murdered in Louisiana over an eight day period in February. (photo by Avery Leigh White) At Louis Armstrong Park, mourners hold a vigil for Chyna Doll Dupree Gibson. She was one of three trans women (along with Ciara McElveen and Jaquarrius Holland) murdered in Louisiana over an eight day period in February. (photo by Avery Leigh White) Cauche Mar at Deslonde House (photo by Beau Patrick Coulon)

Hand Grenade Job at Sisters in Christ (photo by Katie Sikora)

24 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 25 You’ve been overseas for a while Mykki is certainly far more and are now back in the States intimate than your previous on a month-and-a-half long tour. work. How do you think being I’m wondering if this is the first more open about your personal time you’ve been back to America life changed your music? since Trump’s inauguration and I think that what it did was just if you feel like the experience of allow my work to mature, which touring has changed in any way as is what I wanted. I really wanted a result of the country’s current to grow musically and I wanted to political climate. grow lyrically and conceptually, I actually came back to the country which I think came out of having for early voting in October, right that pause. The album was written before the election. Then I came in North Carolina, but it was also back again in December. So far, recorded and written in Paris and I think that I haven’t necessarily Chicago. So those three places encountered anything different— helped me to conceptualize the other than what happened when album and stimulate really focused I was coming from Toronto to work periods. Also, the album’s Detroit—and I don’t even know producers [Woodkid and Jeremiah if that’s a symptom of the Trump Meece] really contributed to the presidency per se. If anything, I’ve finished product. noticed that the crowds coming out feel like it’s a really poignant time for Of all the art you’ve made, why Cakes and me to be doing this tour do you think people responded together, for us to be on the road and so strongly to the rap? going to not just the main cities, not That itself was something I kind just the hipster cities, but really all of fell into. Mykki Blanco started over. I’ve heard from the audience out as a performance art video that they’re really glad, especially project, and the rap just began as a considering the early stages of this component of that. Then it ended administration, that we decided up spiraling into me finding out FULLY CHARGED to do the tour. No one planned it, that I could work with a manager, though. Like, it wasn’t a political then have that manager help me an interview with the relentless strategy to be touring right now. create my first mixtape, then it led to working with booking agents Do you find the shows are and working as a musician. I think different in Middle America than people probably latched onto the MYKKI BLANCO on the coasts? rap because it was good, because by ANDRU OKUN illustration ERIN K. WILSON photo FELIX GLASMEYER No, because the same kind of audience the content was original, the things comes out across the country. I was talking about. I think they The creative output of Michael David Quattlebaum Jr. has taken on multiple forms— liked the politics of my identity at he’s worked as a model, a poet, a performance artist. In the the past five years, the And you’ve played shows on five the time. Probably a combination of multifaceted 30-year-old, better known as Mykki Blanco, has made a name for different continents, right? those things. himself as a sharp-witted rapper with a high-voltage stage show and a penchant I’ve played shows on every continent for wigs. Politically outspoken and increasingly open about discussing the intimate except for Antarctica and Africa. You said in a 2012 interview details of his personal life, the orbit of Blanco is continually expanding. “Mainstream artists, they have The backstory of Quattlebaum’s rap career dates back to a performance art video You’ve described yourself as publicists, agents, and marketing project. Dressed in drag in front of a background meant to look like a teen girl’s “glamorously homeless” with outlets—these machines. I only bedroom (pictures of Drake and Rihanna on the wall, pink bed sheets), he took on the a “jet set lifestyle.” In contrast have me, but this is what I’m persona of an 18-year-old high school senior named Mykki Blanco, a name inspired to this, you spent months in the good at and I have to do it.” Now by the notorious beef between Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj. In the videos, the Blanco woods of North Carolina to write that your career has advanced character tangentially aspired to be a female rapper, something the artist didn’t your first album,Mykki . How did and you have this apparatus at originally intend to pursue until the project gained popularity. People began to this level of seclusion affect your your disposal, do you feel like encourage Blanco to actually make music, thus a hip-hop starlet was born. creative output? you’re positioned closer to the It was just a really, really mainstream? Predating all this is a poetry book, From the Silence of Duchamp to the Noise constructive time. I hadn’t lived in It’s funny because I think that I’ve of Boys, and a noise-punk performance project called No Fear. Taking stock of always had a very odd position in my Quattlebaum’s history of performance and his eclectic array of influences—Le Tigre North Carolina for over 15 years. and GG Allin; Suicide and Jadakiss—provides deeper context to the varied offerings Once you move all over and live career. Like early on in my career, of Mykki Blanco. From the blown out grittiness of “Join My Militia (Nas Gave Me A in big cities, that sense of going I was doing international tours. Perm)” off 2012’s Mykki Blanco & the Mutant Angels to the neatly distilled pop of home, the familiarity and even There’s always been a mainstream “Loner” off the new album Mykki, Blanco has proven himself to be an exceptionally the boredom, all that stuff can be element to my career as far as how versatile recording artist. really constructive. It was really it’s worked. I think that’s why you helpful for me to create this album. know who Mykki Blanco is and A few days prior to this interview, the artist made headlines for an incident on a Delta I needed that level of focus and you don’t know who some other flight from Toronto to Detroit. According to a string of tweets from Blanco on February concentration in a really familiar artists are. I’ve always had a really 17, a man on the flight complained that the airline allowed Blanco to board the plane environment to produce the kind of enterprising pedigree to what I do. and sit next to him. The man had the police called, who threatened Blanco with jail for To me, it doesn’t matter if I don’t asking questions and told Blanco an FBI report would be filed. Blanco described the album that I came out with. event as “the most bizarre form of homophobia I have ever encountered.” have the infrastructure. If I know Do you think sobriety informed how to do something or know how Yet, Blanco doesn’t let the negative define him. While his growing list of your artistic process? to work with people to do what a accomplishments back up his modest self-description as a “working artist,” it I think it did. I think whenever you mainstream artist is doing, than I’m should be said that a part of Blanco’s artistry is his ability to prevail over bullshit. choose sobriety, it’s because you going to do that. Using every skill Recognized as a performance pioneer as well as a habitual defier of conventions, really need to. I truly think being in my skill set to get what I want, I Blanco’s unfaltering commitment to thwarting oversimplified categorizations is part sober for a part of every year is think I’ve always been good at that. of his charm. something to strive for. It allows you to be extremely self-reflective Does getting radio play or Currently on a nationwide tour with Cakes Da Killa, I caught up with Blanco to talk about his new album Mykki and his artistic trajectory as a performer. in a very, very pure way. charting matter to you? I think that is something where

26 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 I don’t know how realistic that acting and theatre. Taking different world will be for me. I don’t have opportunities and avenues is the thousands of dollars you need something I plan to do. It’s exciting. to pay radio stations. I don’t have You know, people never know what those types of industry connects. you’re capable of until you do it. It’s really interesting how the world So you just have to do it and then always paints Chance The Rapper people understand. as this completely independent artist, because while I think that Do you see yourself ever dude is really talented, he has slowing down? You seem to be people in the industry that helped everywhere, always traveling promote his shit from like way and working. early on. You can’t have million I just don’t know if I know of dollar endorsements and only be any other way to be. This is true an independent artist. It’s like of any entertainer that feels this wool that people always pull like they haven’t reached where over other people’s eyes, when they want to go. One thing about talking about a “hyper-famous” or entertainment—and I think any “mainstream independent” artist. career is this way but especially But you know, never say never. entertainment—it is relentless. When it comes to charting, that’s a You can get tired and you can take very mainstream world where I’ve breaks, you can rest and take care of never felt completely outside, but I yourself, self-care and all that stuff. don’t really have the infrastructure But to be the kind of entertainer to enter that world right now. that I know I will be one day, the entertainer that I want to be, using Did you see the Chance The Mykki Blanco as the catalyst that Rapper Kit Kat commercial? launches me into television or Yea. You know, when I talk about hosting my own show or doing the Chance, I’m not critiquing his various other things I know I’m success or whether he’s deserving capable of, I will get there by not of it or talented. He obviously is stopping. You know what I mean? worthy and talented and deserves You really have to understand that all of those things. But when people to be an entertainer is a relentless talk about him as this independent experience. You’ve got to have the artist, like he came from the battery for it. Everyone ends up underground, that’s not entirely "I WOULD HAVE NEVER REALLY falling along the rungs that work true. You don’t just end up where best for them, but I’ve always been he’s at without knowing people in LASTED LONG IN THE ART extremely ambitious and I don’t the industry. think that’s a part of me that’s going WORLD... I WOULD RATHER BE to change. What are your thoughts on the direction of hip-hop being INDENTURED TO THOUSANDS OF But there was one point where influenced in large part by its you were considering quitting consumer base? PEOPLE WHO ENJOY MY MUSIC music and you visited a psychic To be quite honest, I don’t really THAN JUST ONE COLLECTOR." who told you that you weren’t think about hip-hop that much. actually going to quit, right? One of my favorite albums that That’s true. came out last year was from my It seemed to work out for you. you’ve generated throughout friend Yves Tumor called Serpent [laughs] Yea. your career, what are some ways Does the occult play a big role in Music. There’s this artist Gaika that you’d like to see media do your decision-making process that I’m super psyched about. I love As an artist, have you better? when it comes to your art or life? everything that’s happening with experienced any constraints as I think the media should just be There were other things that were NON Records and my friend Chino a result of turning performance fucking smart. Writers should just going on, other people that told me Amobi. Total Freedom is one of my into a career? continue to write honestly about I was not going to quit. favorite DJs. I love Rihanna’s Anti. I No, I’ve actually experienced the people’s music. It’s really stupid, but think that Lil Uzi Vert is really cool. opposite. still when writers talk about me or And after this tour, what’s next? I like 21 Savage. Lil Yachty is really any other “queer artists,” they often I’m shooting two music videos. One great at marketing and looking cool So it was liberating? do it in a really homophobic way. in New York, another in Germany. and being weird. I’m really happy Yea, that’s probably why we’re here. And then I do the European festival for everything that’s happened with People have spent a lot of time circuit. Then in August I start Migos, to have the mainstream How do your personal attempting to label and define recording my next album. finally get into it. Migos has been experiences differ in the art you. I’d like to hear how you’d making hits for the past five years. world versus the music world? describe yourself. Anything you’d like to add? I would have never really lasted A working artist. A working artist I’m looking forward to the New I watched a video of you giving a long in the art world. Artists have who’s come out with a first album. Orleans show. It’s going to be lecture at an art school, which I to really kiss these collectors’ And I’m going to start recording filled with a lot of friends. I think found funny considering you’re asses. It feels like such serfdom. my new album this year. My goal we even have our friend’s band a two-time art school dropout. Even though some of these patrons is to produce back-to-back albums opening for us. And my DJ, Sissy In regards to your artistic are extremely wealthy, you’re for 2018 and 2019. And I want to Elliot, is living in New Orleans trajectory, does your decision still like an indentured servant to keep branching out into other right now. I’m really excited. to leave school hold any special the collector. I would rather be forms of entertainment. I’ve been significance? indentured to thousands of people talking to an online network about Mykki Blanco plays Gasa Gasa on It doesn’t. I kind of left school who enjoy my music than just one having a travel web series, so that’s Friday, March 17 with Cakes Da Killa because I thought I was a know-it- collector that I have to appease and in development. For me it’s never and Special Interest. For more info, all and, to a certain extent, I really have some weird stewardship with. been about remaining an indie check out mykkiblancoworld.com did know a lot about what I was rapper, I’ve always wanted to be studying. In regards to all the attention a performer. My background is in

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 27 by CHRIS STAUDINGER illustrations LUKE HOWARD photo AVERY LEIGH WHITE

On the eastern edge of the Atchafalaya Louisiana is a place where origins, content, destination, and amount of money that these people Basin, the brown water of the Williams environmental ruin has long been potential risks anonymous. But the make on that oil and gas transported Canal was barely deep enough for a considered a given and the very fact that Bayou Bridge would be the through these pipelines, there is no canoe, the channel narrow and full footprint of the state has been deflated direct end point of the Dakota Access reason that we should have crippled of beaver-chewed sticks. Animal by 2,000 miles of coastal erosion. Gone Pipeline places it very clearly among our environment the way it has been droppings full of crawfish shells dotted are the ancient cypress of an un-logged the tangle of pipelines, refineries, crippled over the past decades.” the mud banks, which were overgrown Atchafalaya and many of the species and chemical plants that dominate with brambles that stuck to my clothes. that inhabited them (ivory-billed Louisiana and connect it to the global At issue for Meche are spoil banks. The From the stern of the canoe, set down woodpecker, Florida panther, red wolf). hydrocarbon market. ridges that kept me from seeing past so low, it was nearly impossible to see Three times more pollution is released the Williams Canal, for instance, were past the tall grasses on the ridges and here (1,800 pounds per square mile per Seventy-one-year-old Andrea Kilchrist piled up when the canal was dug and get a bigger picture of the land. The year) than the rest of the country, and, said at the meeting that her property’s never filled back in. Those elevated Williams Canal is a tiny cut in the 1.2 complicating things further, the state flood risk and insurance would rise spoil banks keep water from freely million acres of wilderness that is the budget dips into the red as it subsidizes with the pipeline’s construction. The flowing through the swamps, which Atchafalaya Basin. The floodway, stuck the corporations who produce it ($300 New Iberia native’s testimony then can lead to stagnant water, low-oxygen in the middle of the state, could fit 82 million as of January). shifted to a gruesome account of areas, fish kills, and sediment pile up. islands the size of Manhattan within its crackdowns by law enforcement against According to permitting requirements, levees. The water in its complex tangle Chris John, the president of hundreds protesting the construction companies must fill those canals after of channels can move in two different Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which construction, but few in the Basin have. directions, depending on the day. It is Association, helps to bind the interests she witnessed in October. “They the largest river swamp in the United of the state and 80 oil and gas related were packed so tightly that they Just a few miles north of the Williams States—beautiful, confusing, and companies, including ExxonMobil, couldn’t move,” she said of the water Canal, Energy Transfer Partners heavily altered. Halliburton, and ConocoPhillips. protectors at Standing Rock. “They owns the Florida Gas Transmission At a public hearing on Bayou Bridge were sprayed with mace and tear gas, Co. Pipeline, which, according to I walked through the woods about a this past January, the former US and they couldn’t turn away so they mile beyond the canal and found one congressman and state legislator said, vomited on each other and urinated of the iconic cypress swamps that “Louisiana is a pro-energy state... To on themselves.” As her allotted three evoke the greatness of the Atchafalaya say that the pipeline industry and minutes wound down, she said, “I hate Basin. They grow in knee-deep still Louisiana are interchangeable is pain. I’m afraid of pain and broken water alongside dozens of orange and certainly an understatement.” Sitting bones. But on that first day, if y’all give yellow-tipped PVC pipes that warn of behind him was a sometimes-raucous that permit, I will be sitting in front of underground pipelines already buried crowd of 500, which seemed to surprise the bulldozer.” in the mud. Driving back through him. It is rare for a pipeline project in the sugarcane fields, past the hazy Louisiana to generate a public hearing, Several speakers scrutinized Energy Motiva refinery in Donaldsonville, it and it is even more rare for these Transfer Partners for its role at was hard to imagine how one more hearings to generate attention. “I think Standing Rock and its reliability pipeline could do any more damage to that the only difference between this as a company (Sunoco Logistics, a the landscape. project and the others of the countless subsidiary of ETP, which will operate projects that are approved on a yearly the pipeline, spills more crude than The Williams Canal, which cuts an basis is the politics and certainly the any of its competitors, according to east-west line through St. Martin pageantry,” he said. a Reuters analysis). But testimony Parish, is the future path of the Bayou against the project focused as much Bridge Pipeline. Dallas-based Energy It was clear from John’s testimony and on past damages by the industry as Transfer Partners (ETP), the company the speakers who followed that the future risk from a new pipeline. Jody responsible for the Dakota Access effects of the Standing Rock resistance Meche is a commercial fisherman from Pipeline (DAPL), is trying to secure are being felt in Louisiana, and the town of Henderson, which sits on permits to lay the 163-mile pipeline scrutiny of the industry’s legacy here the western edge of the Atchafalaya from the Texas border across the has resulted. Basin. He was angry about existing Atchafalaya Basin to the Mississippi damage from pipelines, which “have River at St. James. The northernmost The oil and gas infrastructure that crippled our ability to make a living as source of Bayou Bridge would be the already exists under the Williams commercial crawfishermen,” Meche Dakota Access Pipeline. Canal is difficult to trace. The said. “We all need [the oil] and we need pipelines are underground; their the jobs,” Mech continued, “but the

28 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 Atchafalaya Basinkeeper Dean Wilson, per day. With Bayou Bridge, ETP is in violation of its permits and has would like the option of piping the oil compromised fisheries in the area. east under the Atchafalaya, through Enforcement of the permits in the the Williams Canal, and out to St. Atchafalaya falls on the Army Corps of James, where it can be sold to the 167 Engineers, yet, Wilson said, “The Corps chemical companies and refineries do not have a single person to review along the Mississippi that make permits for compliance and regulatory, gasoline, plastic pellets, neoprene, nor do they have a boat for monitoring.” styrofoam, paint, jet fuel, propane, diesel, vinyl, and fertilizer. Wilson said the reason for the ignored violations is the unwillingness of While ETP has said that the project will politicians to put pressure on the help achieve U.S. energy independence industry to clean up pipeline areas. in the service of national security, Former Lieutenant Governor, U.S. its investor materials say that the Congressman, and Department of company is “exceptionally well- Natural Resources Secretary Scott positioned to capitalize on U.S. energy Angelle is paid $380,000 each year exports.” In 2015, the U.S. Congress, to serve on the board of Sunoco led by Republican Representative Logistics. He is also one of five elected (and Majority Whip) Steve Scalise of officials on the Louisiana Public Metairie, quietly lifted the crude oil Service Commission which, among export ban. Louisiana is responsible other industries, regulates petroleum for exporting up to 31% of the nation’s pipelines. During his years in office, crude oil. Senator David Vitter made a habit of putting pressure on the Corps The Bakken Shale formation began not to enforce wetlands regulations taking shape when the Appalachian in Louisiana. As late as 2015, Vitter Mountains shot up to their highest joined property rights advocates, farm and most jagged peaks. Beside it, a interests, and business groups to press massive network of coral reefs fed an the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case LOUISIANA IS A PLACE WHERE inland sea all the way up to Canada. that would reduce the enforcement After a mass extinction event and 300 capacity of the EPA and the Corps when ENVIRONMENTAL RUIN HAS LONG million years of these sea creatures’ federally-protected wetlands coincide entombment, oil was made. By with private property boundaries. BEEN CONSIDERED A GIVEN AND comparison, it only took 7,000 years About half of the Atchafalaya is for the Mississippi River to creep privately owned. THE VERY FOOTPRINT OF THE STATE its way out into the Gulf of Mexico, spreading silt like a loose firehose It’s a slow change but Meche HAS BEEN DEFLATED BY 2,000 from Lafayette to Venetian Isles. (the commercial fisherman from Henderson) can easily see it. He told MILES OF COASTAL EROSION. Bayou Lafourche, which runs a me that 25 years ago, he could fish the few hundred feet from the gym in cypress stumps of Tin Can Lake for sac- against a disregard for the ecology gym, protesters yelled and beat on the Napoleonville, is a cloudy brown a-lait when the river gauge was at six that sustains his livelihood. When I bleachers, halting Landrieu’s testimony channel set down in a low ravine. One feet. Today, he said, the gauge can be at asked Meche why he fights, he thought until moderators could quiet the crowd. thousand years ago, it carried the twelve feet and he can’t get his boat into for a moment and said, “To protect Less than a month after that testimony, main channel of the Mississippi River the area. A 2010 report by the Louisiana what God left us. If you keep crapping a Phillips 66 natural gas pipeline and was responsible for creating the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on your home, pretty soon you’re exploded in St. Charles Parish, killing wetlands in the Bayou region. Like the showed wild crawfish landings on a not gonna have a home to live in and one worker and calling into question undoing of a rope, the bayou spread slow, steady decline. Between 1988 survive in anymore. Even animals the safety of chemical pipelines. itself into smaller channels—Bayou and 1998, commercial landings ranged know to take care of where they sleep Terrebonne, Bayou Dularge, Bayou from 20 to 50 million pounds each year. and where they live and where they The pipeline fight has put Louisiana’s Grand Caillou, and others—which Between 2002 and 2008, that range survive better than ourselves.” oil economy in the spotlight. In form the relative high ground of decreased to between 1 and 16 million Napoleonville, Dr. Greg Upton of LSU’s Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. pounds. Commercial crawfishing is not The people who spoke in favor of the Center for Energy Studies described Farther south, those bayous unbraid impossible, Meche said, but it’s getting pipeline cast opponents as out-of-state an economic analysis of Bayou Bridge further into channels like Bayou more difficult. activists who are out of touch with their that was commissioned by ETP. His Pointe au Chien, where the ridges fall own energy consumption. Business numbers showed the traditional into the salt marshes beyond levees, “We’re losing the culture I come from,” lawyer Brigham McCown of Southlake, weight of the oil and gas industry in and houses are set high above the he said, “They want to talk about no Texas said, “Wishing for something the state’s economy: 40,000 people are surges of the Gulf of Mexico. endangered species? Look no further,” to be true doesn’t make it so.” He was employed in the industry and 9% of he said in response to Energy Transfer echoed by former Democratic Senator the state’s payroll comes from it. Those Many of the indigenous people of Partners’ claim that no species were Mary Landrieu, who drew the ire of kind of statistics have been seen as South Louisiana have made the threatened by the proposed pipeline. opponents both in Baton Rouge and unshakeable, especially in the face of farthest ends of these waterways in a basketball gym in the town of consistent budget shortfalls over the their home since the mid 1700s, when Two days before I spoke to him, Meche Napoleonville, where state officials last decade and the proposed energy European settlement forced them had been checking his crawfish traps held a second public hearing. Landrieu policies of the Trump administration. from the high grounds of places like and realized that the weather would admitted that she is being paid to Upton spoke during the presentation of Iti-Humma (“Red Pole” or Baton be ideal for frog hunting that night. represent ETP. Kerry Farber, spokesperson for Bayou Rouge). In the summer of 2010, as So later on, he and his wife shoved off Bridge. Farber began his speech by crews skimmed Deepwater Horizon into the dark swamp and came back in Landrieu said that millions of barrels saying that the pipeline “is exactly the oil off the surface of the Gulf, I spoke under three hours with 63 bullfrogs. of oil already flow through the type of project that the new President, to members of the Pointe-Au-Chien “Who else can say they can do that?” country, and pipelines are the safest President Trump, envisioned when he Tribe who were dealing with the he said. His moorings lie somewhere way to move it (A ConocoPhillips issued the recent presidential order for latest in a series of disruptions from in the swamps of the Basin, where his representative said pipelines were 4.5 infrastructure.” the oil and gas industry. Several father was born on a houseboat. Meche times safer than barge, truck, or rail). * described francophone parents and said he gave most of the frog legs to the “Nobody is going to walk up to this Ten thousand feet beneath the buttes grandparents, many of whom couldn’t lawyer who represents the Louisiana mic and say that every plane—many of the Missouri Plateau in North read, unwittingly signing their Crawfish Producers’ Association-West, people on both sides travelled by air to Dakota, The U.S. Geological Survey property rights to Texas oil companies which has fought pipeline activity for get to this hearing—is going to have to estimates the Bakken shale formation for small amounts of cash. In 2010, two decades. So while his resistance be grounded. So the issue before us is contains 7.4 billion barrels of oil, made 60-year-old Sydney Verdin told an AP is not a battle against the ideology of how to do this as rationally as possible.” newly available by the technology reporter that he and his father had to fossil fuels—“I’m not some big green Landrieu drew the ire of opponents in of hydraulic fracturing, i.e. fracking. use shotguns to block an oil crew from environmentalist,” he reiterated—it Baton Rouge, who yelled, “You used DAPL would send the oil through digging a trench through a nearby is in many ways a battle for survival to work for us!” In the Napoleonville Illinois to Texas, half a million barrels burial ground. “We said: if you go one

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 29 more step, you’ll risk your life. They The changes on the ground are slow- didn’t go through the burial ground.” moving, difficult to see, and often THE EFFECTS OF THE STANDING hidden underground or behind levees. At the Napoleonville hearing, members Even more obscure are the changes of the United Houma Nation expressed ROCK RESISTANCE ARE BEING from above. The future of Louisiana’s disbelief that they had not received coast hangs in a delicate balance of notice of the public hearing for the FELT IN LOUISIANA, AND global carbon emissions and the rising project. Members were concerned that seas that result. Water across the globe the pipeline will cross under Bayou SCRUTINY OF THE INDUSTRY’S doesn’t rise uniformly, and Louisiana Lafourche, which provides much of the faces some of the highest rates of tribe’s water supply and plays a pivotal sea level rise in the world. The Paris role in the State’s Coastal Master LEGACY HERE HAS RESULTED. Climate Agreement, which Donald Plan. Since the 1970s, the rising Gulf Trump has said he would “cancel,” has claimed 40 to 50% of Lafourche The collection that she is digitizing is loss is due to oil and gas activity, attempts to control carbon emissions Parish’s land, according to NASA. To housed in the former Old Settlement such as dredging and extraction. enough to keep global temperatures fight erosion, the state plans to build School, built in the 1940s to educate That number does not include the from rising above two degrees Celsius. a $196 million structure that would indigenous children, who, until that industry’s effects on sea level rise Any higher and sea levels could jump divert Mississippi River sediment back point were not allowed to attend local from the burning of hydrocarbons. from 3.5 feet in 100 years to 6.5 feet into Bayou Lafourche and nourish public schools. The school, Parfait said, in the same time period, according to wetlands in its basin. That plan relies “is way down at the end of the road Despite the fact that the 17,000 a 2016 study in the journal Nature, on the deepening of the bayou, and down in Golden Meadow. You could members of the United Houma erasing much of the coast south of I-10. members of the tribe worried that the literally walk to the road and see the Nation occupy some of the most pipeline could complicate that process. floodgates. And the first time I went vulnerable places on the coast, the Lanor Curole, director of the United (The proposed pipeline would be there I was thinking to myself: those tribal council treads lightly when it Houma Nation’s vocational program, sunk 40 feet below the bayou, which floodgates are the only thing keeping us comes to the industry’s damage to the has already seen the changes with opponents say is not deep enough). safe from losing decades of history.” coast. “We don’t say we completely her own eyes. In Napoleonville she John Silver, who serves on the Houma oppose oil and gas because we do said, “Science is not foolproof and we Nation’s tribal council, said he “urges The town of Golden Meadow understand that that is where a lot can never project the consequences the DNR [Department of Natural occupies a seven mile stretch of of people make their living,” Parfait of these actions. The land here in Resources] to deny the permits as Bayou Lafourche, surrounded by said in an interview. Both her father Louisiana has told us this over and coastal efforts to protect the tribe’s a ring of levees. On either side of and brother work offshore on rigs. I over again. As a Native woman, I ask homelands are ongoing.” the levees, globs of wetlands once asked about the tension in relying on that you deny the permit, as this coast nourished by Bayou Lafourche an industry that is responsible for so is not strong enough to withstand the Jessica Parfait, another member of the freshwater have been carved into an much damage—a tension embodied by trade offs of this industry.” United Houma Nation who spoke in angular network of criss-crossing the tribe but shared by most who live Napoleonville, is working on a two-year canals—state land first leased in the in this state. She said it’s hard to look grant to archive the tribe’s artifacts and 1930s to The Texas Company (later at the bigger picture when, “I hear historic materials. She testified about Texaco). Below them, according it all the time, it feeds my family... the potential damage to cultural sites, to DNR maps, are more than 400 They’re not really fully taking into mounds, and artifacts along the path of mostly-abandoned oil, gas, and account our contribution to it, like oil the pipeline, since the construction will sulfur wells. A study published in and dredging and what that’s doing to cross land that was once inhabited by 1996 by UNO researchers estimated the environment.” indigenous populations. that 36% of Louisiana’s wetland

30 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 31 potential for dissatisfaction in brevity. Esfandiari’s melodic, vicious vocals immerse one in a purgatory—bound both to agony and beauty—articulating hope embattled by alienation and regression in a vocabulary learned from the spiritual proponents of both. This performance of the tension between a positive society and a monopolized supernatural is matched in instrumental doom almost certain to hook fans of Thou and True Widow, although with harshness and drones attenuated to a near-goth gloom judging deities for the unconditional recalling Siouxsie and the Banshees and love of dogs. “Fuck the Neighbors” is an making the band more approachable over-the-top party anthem, bringing to non-metal fans. The near-grunge, to mind Municipal Waste numbers cathartically primal romance of like “Born to Party.” The discordant King Woman arrives as powerfully piano intro to “Dead With My Friends” in recording as it does live and I can’t is chill-inducing, perfectly setting recommend Created enough to almost the tone for the tune’s heavy riffs. any underground music listener. I also music affairs, proclaiming that as a The album even features the group’s CODE ORANGE recommend keeping an eye out for a genre, it’s been sucking up a storm (to shortest song to date: a five-second possible tour stop in New Orleans near FOREVER paraphrase) for quite some time now. (ROADRUNNER) piece entitled “Parents of Tomorrow.” the end of March. —Ben Miotke Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold One of the album’s welcome surprises took a belly flop into the internet is Andreas Sandberg’s guest vocals on When Code Orange signed to discourse with some comments of “Megachurch,” a smooth contrast to Deathwish, I was very impressed his own and provided an important Faresta’s intense shouting. Overall, to learn that the average age of its timestamp to this that is easy to pick Crossover Ministry is a stable collection members was 18. I began obsessively up and run with for the purpose of a of mosh-worthy tunes. Anyone who watching their output due to how review. Pecknold tied Dirty Projector’s is seeking to headbang or jump into a much their first EPs blew me away 2009 release Bitte Orca to the last circle pit is looking in the right place. with a potently terse and irreverent known pulse worth taking and if you —William Archambeault sludge/metalcore sound and multiple pretend that the whole argument just vocalists. Following releases saw them described was a turd and you were get more atmospheric, cold, and—with then given the assignment of mentally their last album I Am King—just plain locating the peanut of truth inside that belligerent. All while securing a sort of turd with an imaginary toothpick, that tenure as go-to support for metal and would be it (but only in the specific case hardcore icons. King’s belligerence of Dirty Projectors, not indie music made those support slots sensible but as a whole). Their latest since 2012’s shifted Code Orange’s sound from an Swing Lo Magellan is, at face value, MOUNT EERIE artsy behemoth toward the providence an impressive collection of effects, A CROW LOOKED AT ME of meatheads. Their first LP,Love bleeps, and bloops that, somewhere, (P.W. ELVERUM & SUN) Is Love/Return To Dust’s haunting, at some point, contain the emotions opaque anxiety and illustrative quiet- of a breakup album. But it’s a far Similar to the horrific beauty of Sufjan loud dynamics haven’t returned but, far cry from the salty newness—the Stevens’ Carrie & Lowell—which was for an album that incorporates a lot actual human stuff—ofBitte Orca. released in 2015 and dealt with the of industrial alienation and rage, Listening to the new album, it’s hard loss of his estranged mother—A Crow Forever restores flowing dynamism to imagine we’ll ever be given anything Looked At Me, which is Phil Elverum’s and augmented scale. Code Orange as moving and seemingly important KING WOMAN response to the tragic loss of his wife seems intent on terrifying, and their as “Two Doves” from this band again. CREATED IN THE IMAGE Geneviève Castrée to cancer in 2016, is electronics, effects, and other industrial And maybe that’s the feeling of loss OF SUFFERING an honor to be allowed to sit and listen (RELAPSE) features make this album’s terror the Longstreth’s rant originated from. to. Being brought in on feelings this most profound and postmodern yet. —Kelly McClure fragile, sorrowful, and new feels like a Love had terror in suspense, King’s Aside from a provincial affinity for reverent thing that we can’t possibly all terror may have been an evocation of IRON REAGAN all slow and low metal, New Orleans be allowed to share in, and yet Elverum an especially suburban mosh pit, and CROSSOVER MINISTRY has had only a brief acquaintance welcomes us for all aspects of it. “When Forever triumphs for emulation of a (RELAPSE RECORDS) with King Woman to this point: their real death enters the house, all poetry more universal terror: the pummelling phenomenal EP Doubt; a set limited is dumb,” he sings in the opening track, inhuman mechanisms of modernity. Riding a thin line between thrash to three songs by technical difficulties “Real Death,” and as an intro to the While it is their best paced album yet metal and hardcore punk, Iron at Siberia in 2016; and another dark album, it sums the totality up pretty (not a single song dilutes its barrage), Reagan delivers an all out assault. musical outlet for vocalist Kristina well. Every single person who lives the tracks featuring clean vocals from Their third full-length, Crossover Esfandiari (Miserable) have been will, at one time or another, experience guitarist Reba Meyers elevate Forever Ministry, is half an hour of intense all that availed us to the power and the feelings beautifully sung on this beyond the level of just another great crossover thrash that just doesn’t let craft of King Woman hitherto. But album. While listening it’s important Code Orange maelstrom by reminding up. Featuring members of Municipal Created in the Image of Suffering to stray away from “poor Phil,” and listeners that this is a seriously talented Waste, Darkest Hour, and ANS, Iron is the most potent dose yet. Any think something more along the lines of group of artists. —Ben Miotke Reagan is a rattling mixture of rapid research on King Woman leads one “what will I transfer my pain into when pace guitar work, hard hitting rhythms, to Esfandiari’s formative experiences something like this happens to me?” DIRTY PROJECTORS and energetic vocals. Anyone who in a Charismatic Christian sect and —Kelly McClure S/T has seen them at Siberia can attest to wisely abbreviated time in Whirr, as (DOMINO) their power. Unsurprisingly, the group well as the ever-apt description of King PRIESTS sticks close to their signature sound Woman as a phenomenal fusion of NOTHING FEELS NATURAL David Longstreth—the head button- on this album. On “Dogsnotgods,” Black Sabbath and Mazzy Star. Created (SISTER POLYGON) pusher behind Dirty Projectors— Tony Faresta somewhat humorously maintains all of this doom, sorrow, and recently used his Instagram account to calls upon listeners to abandon their ethereal heaviness but without any Priests are a band so powerful that one speak out on the current state of indie listen seems to guarantee appreciation,

32 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 the London-based artist wastes no time introducing his listeners to the deep sorrow behind sickness. On the first track, “Plastic 100°C” he belts “I was sleeping with my worries, I didn’t really know what that lump was,” over an eerie, spiraling beat. In 1998, Sisay lost his father to lung cancer, and in 2015, his mother also passed away from cancer. Allusions to his parents are persistent throughout, and Process navigates these tragic events of illness with incredible care. The record is impressively refined and but so anticapitalist that appreciators strays from Sampha’s typical bedroom may not be aware of their many recording style. Tracks like “Kora releases. Despite my diligence, their Sings” and “Reverse Faults” sport a new full length came out of nowhere. beautifully tangled patchwork of piano- Naturally, Priests remain perfect. laced rhythm that fully mirrors the The DC band is simultaneously the unproduced, emotionally raw songs best possible outcome of Dischord’s sprinkled across the album. Tracks Revolution Summer and my top like the vulnerable ballad “(No One recommendation to Alvvays and Le Knows Me) Like the Piano” provide Tigre fans. Their dark, riotous, and listeners with clarity and a more tender, hooky post-punk/garage pop still spiritual side of the highly-featured presents perhaps the best synthesis of artist. While it can be considered a the B-52s, the Fall, Mission of Burma, concept album, in its whole, Process is Bangles, Liliput/Kleenex, Gang of Four, much more—an invaluable peek into Pere Ubu, X-Ray Spex, Siouxsie and the correspondence between Sampha’s the Banshees, and Blondie and retains heart and mind. —Maeve Holler their stylistic fluidity. This fluidity now brings more diverse instrumentation, near-shoegaze dins, a surprisingly coherent string interlude, and even a leftfield funk closer recalling ESG and A Certain Ratio. Katie Alice Greer’s voice stays integral to the sound by galvanizing every song (even live) and, although resembling Debbie Harry’s and Chrissie Hynde’s, shouldn’t be considered anyone else’s. Timeless pop anthems and rhetorical cunning pressurize Greer’s far-left radicalism and sardonic post-modern perspective so intensely that Priests are volcanic, propelling Nothing Feels Natural’s ideas across an uncommonly wide SUTEKH HEXEN range of listeners. This is sure to be one SALEM of my favorites in 2017 and I expect (SAINT ROCH RECORDINGS) a similar take-away from their early March set at Mudlark! —Ben Miotke Saint Roch Recordings is a local label with a fledgling catalogue and an interesting focus on drone metal rather than the more provincial metal styles. Salem—by Oakland ambient drone outfit Sutekh Hexe—fits well with the label’s previous Wolves in the Throneroom release, for a shared black metal-derived noise evoking the pastoral in mechanical experimentation. This style naturally brings to mind Sunn O))) but Salem’s improvised feel, both in performance and recording, recalls more patient, melancholic passages by Wolf Eyes. These influences are so common that SAMPHA their mention might be too broad a PROCESS stroke for Salem though. Situating (YOUNG TURKS) the band with peers like psychedelic ambient post-metal Botanist and occult Process—singer-songwriter Sampha power ambient Trepaneringritualen Sisay’s debut album—is an aptly named seems necessary to distinguish them journey through shedding the weight from other acts in the crowded niche of grief that incurs after a family of black metal noise. The album’s death. Sampha is known for his quiet macabre, fatalistic atmospheres were collaborations with artists like Solange, recorded live from the outfit’s studio Drake, and Kanye, but on his debut, improvisation and it’s impressive that this process produced such a seamless,

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 33 cavernous, enveloping doom. Crafting a fabricated system of reality with an one of the responsibilities to have to a sound without percussive rhythm uncomfortable but necessary truth. make sure that we are not totally dead is essential to the seamlessness of Peck recognizes the writer’s remedial in the picture.” their traversals and it makes for properties, dispensing his words like an interesting callback to bygone medicine, and never was a cinematic While Hollywood’s role in European prog acts like Cluster and cure quite so timely. You might leave propagating American racial Wapassou. While fans of such acts’ the theater more with the feeling delusions is a recurring theme, the arrangements might not be won over of having attended a seance than film is fundamentally a testament by the lack of almost any identifiable a documentary, for each carefully to the courage it takes to confront instrument, Sutekh Hexen captures selected interview and image these fallacies, and the consequences the dire, impressionistic European redirects Baldwin’s fierce gaze from in store for the Black individuals dread without the ostentation that his century onto ours. who do. I Am Not Your Negro takes longer records in both prog and noise for a narrative spine an unfinished risk. Definitely recommended for those Much of Peck’s success stems from manuscript that Baldwin began interested in black metal and ambient the freedom which comes of favoring writing in 1978, in which he hoped to noise, and especially for collectors as thematically open terrain over a bring together the stories of Medgar Saint Roch has beautifully packaged linear narrative progression. His Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther LPs! —Ben Miotke camera follows Baldwin’s ideas as King Jr., that their struggle and they wind through time and space violent ends might “reveal each other in their circular fashion, bringing as they did in life.” These three were an intense visual translation of men of action, and not only did they this distinctive literary style onto dare to publicly corroborate Black the screen. One moment you see a reality, as James Baldwin did, but clip from the silent film version of they were prepared to do something Uncle Tom’s Cabin, in another it is to change it. Louisiana present day, and eerie afternoon sun is streaming through In Baldwin’s eyes, the work of each cypress trees and Spanish moss. The man, in spite of any differences, sounds and images never correspond emerged from the same vision. As he as literally to the words as the way we puts it in the film: “Malcolm picked are used to seeing in documentaries. up Martin’s burden and articulated They move according to their own it. Martin saw Malcolm’s vision from rhythm, and there is a sense that Peck the mountaintop.” As Peck brings us I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO is telling an independent but parallel to the moment of each of their deaths, DIR: RAOUL PECK story, deepening the meaning of the we feel the loss acutely. We see what (MAGNOLIA) VARIOUS ARTISTS text rather than illustrating it. A might have been had they lived long MANY WATERS: BATON ROUGE particularly chilling example comes enough to bring about this shared The price the white American paid for FLOOD RELIEF 2017 towards the end of the film. Baldwin vision, and we realize more keenly (THRILL JOCKEY) his ticket was to become white—and, in is talking about the disconnect than before what a cold world it is the main, nothing more than that, or, between the Black reality and the without them. as he was to insist, nothing less. This white fantasy, and as he speaks we In the wake of the 2016 Baton Rouge incredibly limited not to say dimwitted area flooding, Thou has teamed up with watch a group of white policemen There is no discernible difference ambition has choked many a human beat Rodney King senseless. Peck between the swastika-waving white Thrill Jockey Records and a plethora being to death here: and this, I contend, sets these blows against a melancholy supremacists of the 60s and those of artists to benefit the Greater Baton is because the white American has waltz, and after a few devastating of today, and state violence is just as Rouge Food Bank with Many Waters: never accepted the real reasons for minutes he cuts to the hopeful and brutal, as Peck reminds us in images Baton Rouge Flood Relief 2017. With 33 his journey. I know very well that my innocent face of Audrey Hepburn of police barricades, of Ferguson, of tracks and over two hours of material, ancestors had no desire to come to this as she is taken in the arms of Gary the many Black children recently it’s hard not to find something to place: but neither did the ancestors of Cooper, who whisks her around the murdered by the police. I Am Not love, ranging from the absurdity of the people who became white and who room to the same wistful tune. Your Negro reaffirms the notion of Christworm’s doom metal take on Tears require of my captivity a song. They American progress, when it comes for Fears’ “Mad World” to Treadle’s require of me a song less to celebrate Born in Haiti, and raised in the Congo to race relations or anything else, is sparse acoustic melancholy. Sporting my captivity than to justify their own. from age eight (after his parents a dangerous self-deception, and we an abundance of Louisiana bands, this —James Baldwin The Price of the Ticket fled the Duvalier dictatorship), Peck cannot afford to maintain the artifice. compilation could easily be re-worked to 1985 bore witness to numerous political become Thou’s Guide to Underground upheavals which have never been Those who come to the film looking Music in LA. Gland delivers an abrasive For a filmmaker to contain James incorporated into the dominant for concrete solutions will be punk assault. Caddywhompus takes Baldwin’s expansive vision within one global narrative. His 2001 biopic disappointed. Baldwin does not offer listeners on a thrilling instrumental meager hour and 35 short minutes Lumumba, the story of the Congolese a clear way out of this historical math rock journey. Thou continues their is a formidable challenge. The Price Independence leader whose vision nightmare, the contours of which he history of performing eclectic covers, of the Ticket, a complete anthology of African freedom and prosperity so clearly defined for his generation blaring through Neil Young’s “Don’t of Baldwin’s essays published so threatened the global order that and for ours. But as he says in the Let It Bring You Down,” complete with between 1948 and 1985, clocks in his assassination was a collaborative film, “not everything that is faced a mountain of feedback. Despite their at 690 pages, throughout which he effort among at least three Western can be changed, but nothing can be meticulously explores, among other two dramatically different musical governments, demonstrates the same changed unless it is faced.” things, his Harlem upbringing, the approaches, metal group Solid Giant and commitment to elevating the larger —Holly Devon crisis of race in America, the link electronic duo A Living Soundtrack both cinematic political consciousness. between capitalism and sexuality, sculpt trance-inducing atmospheres and the irredeemable sins of Western Peck sees his work as a possible to consume listeners. There’s a lot of Civilization, all without a moment of corrective to the genre’s diversity on here. These recordings excess or repetition. And this is to say homogeneity. As he said in an prove that a large scale compilation nothing of his fiction. Shakespeare interview with NPR: “as a Black of Louisiana’s under-recognized had such a mind, and James Joyce, person and as a third-world person I underground scene has been long too, but neither ever had the burden don’t have my own narrative in this overdue. Hopefully, this album will bring of translating the artist’s mandate to medium, which is cinema. Since the much needed funds to the food bank the political urgency of the 1960s. discovery of cinema others have been while also bringing some new attention the one telling the story... we don’t to these great bands. Yet Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro have our own visual history. So being —William Archambeault does exactly that. The essential a filmmaker for me was also trying to function of Baldwin’s work is to strip save part of our memory, part of our his audience of its illusions, to replace images, part of our stories. I saw it as

34 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 stick and proved to everyone— feel of lazy day euphoria under including himself—that he was the promenade. A droney, deep still Dean Ween. bass version of “Fingerbangin” followed, allowing Deaner’s pick-up Like many Ween records before promiscuity to go full bore. What it, The Deaner Album acts as a the song lacks in lyrical content was foundation and solid framework made up for in Deaner’s signature that stands alone as a recorded drunken master guitar work. Next, work, but really comes to life Prince’s influence on Melchiondo during live interpretations. The was made known by all of the company Melchiondo keeps also paisley-covered funk dripping off helps to animate the chameleon- the wheels of “Mercedes Benz.” like qualities of his written work. The album’s players include Ween The slow burn of “Garry,” a cohorts Dave Dreiwitz, Claude companion piece to Ween’s “A Coleman Jr. and keyboard captain Tear For Eddie,” reined in the Glenn McClelland. Outside help set. It was a masterclass in funk comes in the form of Parliament guitar, a tribute to Garry Shider Funkadelic’s Michael Hampton, of Parliament Funkadelic, and Moistboyz’s screamer Guy Heller, an example of why Melchiondo and Meat Puppets’ guitar player and is one of the best guitarists alive. vocalist Curt Kirkwood. The set progressed into the last Ween cover of the night, “I Got To The set’s opener came on full Put The Hammer Down.” Mike speed with Ween’s “It’s Gonna Be Dillon’s vibraphone filled in for A Long Night” sung by long-time the synth of the recorded work, collaborator and bassist go-to Dave pushing the proto-punk sound to Dreiwitz. “Exercise Man,” a fast the night’s finale. tempo lob at spandex-clad yuppies, sped by in the bike lane, setting up “Bums,” a fast-paced progression the Southern-by-the-grace-of-god and building act of aggression GOD'S GIFT TO GUITAR: Allman-inspired rambler “Dickie closed out the show. It was the rock Betts.” The capo-pinched, self- equivalent of a stuck accelerator. THE DEAN WEEN GROUP depreciating swagger of “Bundle Of The song blasts forward to keep Joy” followed and set a rock roots from tripping over itself. It was a LIVE AT TIPITINA'S standard that carried on through rocketship ride to post-show silence the rest of the night. and had the crowd standing in by ANTON FALCONE photos BRANDT VICKNAIR bewilderment, a manic thunder that The Dean Ween Group hit the lived, well traveled, recently re- After some banter with the audience left behind a wait, that’s it? moment well-worn Tipitina’s stage this past commissioned juggernaut of a about how important New Orleans as well as this riddle: should we feel February on a mission to leave a band—Ween. Melchiondo had music was to him and the legends guilty for wanting more? mark deeper than a dropped Pelican spent the better part of 30 years that had graced the Tipitina’s stage, case. Deaner’s post-Ween rotating as half of the often mislabeled, Melchiondo and crew played a Big yet fluid band of pros brought with constantly misunderstood Easy R&B jam they called “Sunset them a brand of rock that’s been rock‘n’roll force and suddenly, Over New Orleans.” It was evident dormant for some time. The show due to his longtime partner’s at this point we were witnessing an was a guitar eruption that hovered resignation, found himself without assembly of masters, each revealing over guest percussionist Mike a band and questioning his brand. their influences and professing the joy Dillon’s vibraphone like a shrine to found in the power of amplified sound. six-string legends. The Dean Ween The Deaner Album was “Sunset Over New Orleans” was an group added some much-needed Melchiondo’s therapy to shake off-record jam void of all wandering resonance to the long faded echoes the depression and open a trappings and white-boy noodling. of the New Orleans rock‘n’roll scene. window on the darkness of a world without Ween. With the “Pandy Fackler,” a Ween standard, The writing of Mickey help and encouragement of kicked off the second half of the Melchiondo’s (a.k.a. Dean Ween) friends like Josh Homme and Les set and, due to Mike Dillon’s first solo record came about Claypool, Melchiondo found the Wolverine-style hammering, took after the demise of his long energy, picked up the whooping on new life and added an extra

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 35 Sunday: 3/5 Maple Leaf: The Porter Trio: George Porter Jr., Terrence Houston, Michael Circle Bar: Micah McKee & Friends Lemmler, 10pm + Blind Texas Marlin, 7pm; Country Siberia: COMIC STRIP: Comedy and Night w/ DJ Pasta, 10pm Burlesque, 9pm ($5) Friday: 3/3 Saturday: 3/4 Banks St: Lilli Lewis, 9pm Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Boiler Room Chickie Wah Wah: James Singleton New Orleans, 7pm Circle Bar: Rik Slave’s Country Circle Bar: G’d Up Sh*t -presents- Quartet featuring Brian Haas, Jonathan Persuasion, 7pm MOTO + The Tommy Wright III + Rik & The Pigs + Freilich, Aurora Nealand with special Tuesday: 3/7 Planchettes + Midnite Prowler, Dingle ($10) guest Annie Ellicott, 8pm 10pm ($5) d.b.a.: John Boutte’, 8pm ($10); Vapors d.b.a.: The Palmetto Bug Stompers, Checkpoint Charlie: Midnight d.b.a.: Tuba Skinny, 6pm; Alvin of Morphine, 11pm ($10) 6pm; Samantha Fish + Lightnin’ Creeps, 11pm Youngblood Hart, 10pm ($10) Hi-Ho: Close Me Out, 7pm; DJ Soul Malcom, 10pm ($10) Circle Bar: Carl LeBlanc, 6pm; Period Gasa Gasa: The Staves, Mikaela Sister presents HUSTLE, 11pm Hi-Ho: NOLA Comedy Hour Open Mic, 8pm Bomb + Problem Child + Three- Davis, 9pm House of Blues: Bad Girls of Howlin Wolf: In the Den: Hot 8 Brass Brained Robot, 10pm ($5) Hi-Ho: Tephra: Helen Gillet, Nikki Burlesque - in the Parish, 8pm ($21); Band, 10pm d.b.a.: DinosAurchestra, 7pm; Treme Glaspie, Brian Haas, and Jessica Laurie, The Rabbit Hole: Dj Otto & Dj Matt Maison: Swingin’ Jazz Brunch with Brass Band, 10pm ($5) 8pm; RELAPSE 80’s & 90’s Dance Party Scott, 11:59pm ($10) Chance Bushman & The NOLA Hi-Ho: Tuco Taco Tuesday Presents, 8pm with DJ Matt Scott, 10:30pm Howlin Wolf: The Hodgetwins Live: Jitterbugs, 10am; Hokum High Rollers, House of Blues: Dorothy plus The House of Blues: LouMuzik Live, No Filter Tour, 9pm 1pm; Nickel-A-Dance featuring Georgia Flood, 7pm ($14) 9pm ($15) Maison: Chance Bushman & The Wendell Brunious, 4pm; Meghan Howlin Wolf: In the Den: Comedy Howlin Wolf: In The Den: “Stoked” Ibervillianaires, 1pm; Royal Street Stewart, 7pm; Higher Heights, 10pm Beast, 8:30pm NOLA’s Best Comedians, 10:30pm Winding Boys, 4pm; Smoking Time Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio, 10pm Maison: Sam Winterheimer Quartet, Joy Theater: Circa Survive: On Letting Jazz Club, 7pm; Ashton Hines and One Eyed Jacks: MC Sweet Tea and 4pm; Gregory Agid Quartet, 6:30pm; Go 10 Year Tour, mewithoutYou, The Big Easy Brawlers + RnR Music Da Tastee Hotz, 7pm ($5 at the door (no Corporate America, 9:30pm Turnover, 7:30pm ($23-$35) Group, 10pm advance tickets available)) Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band, 11pm Maison: Kala Bazaar Swing Society, One Eyed Jacks: Tribal Seeds with Siberia: Sunless, Grogus, Mehenet, One Eyed Jacks: An Evening with 1pm; New Orleans Swinging Raging Fyah plus Nattali Rize, 9pm ($15 Witch Burial, 9pm ($7) The Marc Stone Band :: New Orleans Gypsies, 4pm; Shotgun Jazz Band, advance / $18 at the door) Tipitina’s: Sunday Youth Music Musicians’ Clinic Benefit, 7pm ($20 7pm; Organized Crime + Mutiny Saenger Theatre: Norah Jones Workshop Feat. Ron Johnson Band, 1pm suggested donation) Squad, 10pm Siberia: Chappy, Stoo Odom, Denise Siberia: Leopold and His Fiction, Maple Leaf: Funk Monkey, 10:30pm Bonis: FREE EARLY SHOW!, 6pm Monday: 3/6 Howling Tongues, The JimJims, 10pm Mudlark: No Face | Kawaiietly Please (Free Early Show!); CAPTURED BY | Three-Brained Robot | Kyle Clyd | ROBOTS, Consortium of Genius, Gar Circle Bar: Phil the Tremolo King, Wednesday: 3/8 Dolce, 9pm ($5) Gar, 10pm ($10) 7pm; Elvis DeLarge, 9:30pm One Eyed Jacks: DJ Pasta’s Greasy Fuzz Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Debauche, 10pm d.b.a.: Alexis & the Samurai, 7pm; Glen Banks St: Free BLT’s & Major Bacon, 10pm (…in the Front Lounge), 9pm (FREE) Tipitina’s: Wake of the Dead Feat. David Andrews, 10pm ($5) Circle Bar: The Iguanas, 7pm Siberia: Skelatin Record Release with Papa Mali, Dave Easley, Reggie Scanlan, Hi-Ho: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party, 8pm; d.b.a.: Tin Men, 7pm; Walter Wolfman Rareluth plus Dusty Tupelo & The Pete Bradish, 10pm Instant Opus Improvised Series, 9pm Washington & the Roadmasters, 10pm ($5) Family Band, 10pm Maison: Chicken & Waffles, 4pm; Gasa Gasa: Xenia Rubinos, Baron Aurora Nealand & the Royal Roses, Ahmon, 9pm 7pm; RnR Music Group, 10pm Hi-Ho: Marina Orchestra, 10pm

36 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 House of Blues: Son Volt plus Jonny Fishplate, 10pm ($5) Irion, 7pm ($20) d.b.a.: John Boutte’, 8pm ($10); Brass- Joy Theater: Jimmy Eat World, AJJ, a-Holics, 11pm ($10) 8pm ($32.50 - $42.50) Gasa Gasa: Kane Strang, Bonus, Scenic Maison: Ramblin’ Letters, 4pm; The World, 10pm New Orleans Jazz Vipers, 6:30pm; Lil’ Hi-Ho: Brown Improv, 8pm; DJ Soul Glenn and Backatown, 9:30pm Sister presents HUSTLE, 11pm Maple Leaf: Hip Hop covers with Soul House of Blues: Dance Gavin Dance & Brass Band, 10pm CHON plus Eidola plus Vasudeva, 6pm One Eyed Jacks: Vixens & Vinyl ($22.50); The Rabbit Hole, 11:59pm ($10) Burlesque Dance Party, 9pm (No Cover) Howlin Wolf: In The Den: Southern Siberia: THE DESLONDES, Chris Avenue, 10pm Acker and His Growing Boys, Julie Joy Theater: BUKU LATE ft. Odell, 10pm ($8) Gramatik, Ganja White Night, Josh Pan, Space Jesus, 11:59pm ($35 GA Thursday: 3/9 Advance | $40 GA Day of Show | $50 VIP Balcony) Circle Bar: Natalie Mae, 7pm; Maison: Chance Bushman & The Noise Bro Safe Space I w/ Straight Ibervillianaires, 1pm; Smoking Time Panic + Sensual Assault + Corey Jazz Club, 7pm; The Pinettes Brass Cruse, 10pm ($5) Band + No Good Deed, 10pm d.b.a.: Little Freddie King, 10pm ($5) Maple Leaf: The Gripsweats, 10pm Gasa Gasa: The Wild Reeds, Blank One Eyed Jacks: DIVACON :: Trashy Range, The Lostines, 10pm Diva 20th Anniversary Party, 9pm Hi-Ho: CHEW + TRANCHE, 9pm Siberia: Esther Rose, Camille Howlin Wolf: In the Den: Comedy Weatherford, Julie Odell: A FREE Gumbeaux, 8:30pm EARLY SHOW!!, 6pm; CINDY WILSON Maison: The Good For Nothin’ (The B-52’s), Angry Lovers, Renshaw Band, 4pm; Roamin’ Jasmine, 7pm; Davies, 10pm ($15-$35) Dysfunktional Bone, 10pm Three Keys (Ace Hotel): BODY Maple Leaf: The Trio featuring DRILL with DJ Kathi, Bouffant Johnny Vidacovich, George Porter Jr & Bouffant and Disko Obscura, 10pm Special Guest, 10:30pm Tipitina’s: Durand Jones & The Siberia: DOWNTOWN BOYS, Sneaks, Indications, 10pm Pill, Alternative Facts, 10pm ($8) Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Little Sunday: 3/12 Cosmicana with The Artisanals plus Jackson and the Janks, 9pm Banks St: Lilli Lewis Band, 9pm Circle Bar: Micah McKee & Friends Friday: 3/10 + Blind Texas Marlin, 7pm; Country Night w/ DJ Pasta, 10pm Circle Bar: Rik Slave’s Country d.b.a.: The Palmetto Bug Stompers, Persuasion, 7pm; Toranavox + AR-15, 6pm; John Sinclair w/Carlo Ditta Trio, 10pm ($5) 10pm ($5) d.b.a.: Hot Club of New Orleans, 6pm; Gasa Gasa: Blackfoot Gypsies, Dave Jordan & NIA + Little Maker, Neighborhood Lady, Chief Scout, 10pm ($10) Detail, 9pm Gasa Gasa: Motel Radio, The High Hi-Ho: NOLA Comedy Hour Open Mic, Divers, Edison, 10pm 8pm; The Undercover Dream Lovers, 10pm Hi-Ho: RELAPSE 80’s & 90’s Dance House of Blues: Colony House plus Party with DJ Matt Scott, 10:30pm Deep Sea Diver, 7pm ($14) House of Blues: Low End Theory Howlin Wolf: In The Den: Players: A Tribute to A Tribe Called Space4Lease, 8pm; In the Den: Hot 8 Quest, 8pm ($12); BAD GIRLS OF Brass Band, 10pm BURLESQUE, 8pm ($21) Maison: Swingin’ Jazz Brunch with Howlin Wolf: In The Den: Mark Chance Bushman & The NOLA Farmer plus Lawrence Trailer, 10pm Jitterbugs, 10am; Loose Marbles, Joy Theater: BUKU Late x All Good 1pm; Nickel-A-Dance featuring Kerry Records ft. GRiZ (DJ Set), SunSquabi, Lewis, 4pm; Leah Rucker, 7pm; Higher Muzzy Bearr, AF THE NAYSAYER, Heights, 10pm 11:59pm ($30 - $50) Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio, 10pm Maison: Claire and The Company, One Eyed Jacks: Franks & Deans :: Rat 1pm; New Orleans Swinging Gypsies, Pack Rock & Roll Tribute + Burlesque, 4pm; Shotgun Jazz Band, 7pm; Barry’s 9pm ($10) Pocket + Ashton Hines and the Big Easy Siberia: MERCHANDISE, Chain of Brawlers, 10pm Flowers, OMNI, Boyish Charm, 9pm ($10) Maple Leaf: Khris Royal & Dark Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Tephra 5, 9pm Matter, 10pm One Eyed Jacks: Mad Dogs and Monday: 3/13 Englishmen – a Celebration of Joe Cocker and Leon Russel, 9pm ($12 in Circle Bar: Phil the Tremolo King, advance, $15 at the door) 7pm; all the colors of the dark Siberia: Thelma and the Sleaze, Dead -presents- The Poppy Field, 9:30pm Neighbors, Casual Burn, Jack and the d.b.a.: Alexis & the Samurai, 7pm; Glen Jackrabbits, 10pm ($8) David Andrews, 10pm ($5) Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Tunde Gasa Gasa: Nick Hakim, Norvis Olaniran with special guests BJ and Junior, 9pm Edgeslayer, 10pm Hi-Ho: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party, 8pm; Tipitina’s: Robert Earl Keen + Marc Instant Opus Improvised Series, 9pm Stone Solo, 10pm Howlin Wolf: In The Den: Valley Queen, 9pm Saturday: 3/11 Maison: Chicken & Waffles, 4pm; Aurora Nealand & the Royal Roses, Circle Bar: Richard Bates, 6pm; 7pm; New Legaxy, 10pm Tamarron + Lawn + The Tangiers + Maple Leaf: The Porter Trio: George

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 37 Porter Jr., Terrence Houston, Michael Honey Island Swamp Band, 10pm ($10) Lemmler, 10pm Gasa Gasa: The Stunt Queen Tour Siberia: COMIC STRIP: Comedy and with Mykki Blanco and Cakes Da Killa, Burlesque, 9pm ($5) Special Interest, 10pm Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Too Trill Hi-Ho: Helen Gillet + OHMME, 8pm; Trivia, 6pm; Family Affair ft. DJ RELAPSE 80’s & 90’s Dance Party with Pressure World of Memphis, 9pm DJ Matt Scott, 10:30pm House of Blues: Cane Hill plus Darke Tuesday: 3/14 Complex plus Daemon Grimm plus The Arbitrary, 7pm ($10) Circle Bar: Carl LeBlanc, 6pm; Death Maison: Slick Skillet Serenaders, Stuff + Bottomfeeders + Heavy Lids + 1pm; New Orleans Swinging Gypsies, Evil Rats + Enoch Ramone, 9:30pm ($7) 4pm; Shotgun Jazz Band, 7pm; Soul d.b.a.: DinosAurchestra, 7pm; Treme Project + Ashton Hines & The Big Easy Brass Band, 10pm ($5) Brawlers, 10pm Gasa Gasa: Allison Crutchfield and the Maple Leaf: Mainline Brass Band’s St Fizz, Vagabon, New Holland, 9pm Patrick’s Day Partay, 1:15pm Hi-Ho: Skelatin + The Light Set + We’re One Eyed Jacks: Where Y’acht’s Saint Ghosts Now + Fun While You Wait, Patty’s Day Ball, 9pm ($12 in advance, 8pm; Tuco Taco Tuesday Presents, 8pm $15 at the door) House of Blues: THAT 1 GUY, 7pm ($13) Siberia: The Blood Royale, Torture Howlin Wolf: In the Den: Comedy Garden, TBA, 10pm Beast, 8:30pm Tipitina’s: Bonerama w/ Darcy Malone Maison: McKenna Alicia, 4pm; and The Tangle, 10pm Gregory Agid Quartet, 6:30pm; The Resident Aliens, 9:30pm; The Resident Saturday: 3/18 Aliens, 9:30pm Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band, 11pm Circle Bar: Vincent Marini, 7pm; Siberia: DELICATE STEVE, Muuy The Nowhere Squares + more tba, Biien, Bleach Party, Sun Year, 10pm ($10) 10pm ($5) Civic Theatre: Conor Oberst, The Wednesday: 3/15 Felice Brothers, 8:30pm ($26 Advance) d.b.a.: John Boutte’, 8pm ($10) Banks St: Free BLT’s & Major Bacon, 10pm Gasa Gasa: GGOOLLDD, Tysson, 10pm Circle Bar: The Iguanas, 7pm; Die Hi-Ho: Sketch & The City, 8pm; DJ Group + Weapon Man, 10pm ($5) Soul Sister presents HUSTLE, 11pm d.b.a.: Tin Men, 7pm; Walter Wolfman House of Blues: METAL SHOP: Washington & the Roadmasters, 10pm ($5) Hair Metal Lives! Plus New Rebel Hi-Ho: Noelle Tannen + Kaya Nicole + Family, 8pm ($12); The Rabbit Hole, McKenna Alicia, 8pm 11:59pm ($10) House of Blues: Joey Purp - Run It Up Howlin Wolf: In The Den: Ruby & The Tour, 7pm ($15) Rogues + Richard Bates, 10pm; Rebirth Maison: Claire and The Company, Brass Band + Brass Lightning, 10pm 4pm; The New Orleans Jazz Vipers, Joy Theater: John Waters: This 6:30pm; Brasszilla, 9:30pm Filthy World, Filthier and Dirtier, 8pm Maple Leaf: Old-School Hip Hop Review ($35-$100) Siberia: WEEDEATER, Beitthemeans, Maison: Chance Bushman & The Rozamov, Capsizer, 9pm ($15) Ibervillianaires, 1pm; Roamin’ Jasmine, Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Illphonics 4pm; Smoking Time Jazz Club, 7pm; with Slangston Hughes plus Fo’ on the Kumasi + Black Market Brass Band, 10pm Flo’, 9pm Maple Leaf: Lost Bayou Ramblers - Maple Leaf Debut Thursday: 3/16 Saenger Theatre: Bill Maher Siberia: Alex McMurray, 6pm (Free Circle Bar: Natalie Mae, 7pm; Paper Early Show!) Bison + Queen of Jeans, 10pm ($5) Three Keys (Ace Hotel): La Noche d.b.a.: Funk Monkey, 10pm ($5) Caliente with Margie Perez and Gasa Gasa: Organized Crime Album Muevelo plus Bookoo Rueda, 9pm Release Party, Miss Mojo, 9pm Tipitina’s: Eric Lindell and Special Hi-Ho: Circus Darling, 10pm Guests, 10pm House of Blues: The Noise Presents Metal Blade’s 35th Anniversary Tour w/ Sunday: 3/19 Whitechapel, 6:30pm ($23) Howlin Wolf: In the Den: Comedy Banks St: Lillii Lewis Band, 9pm Gumbeaux, 8:30pm Circle Bar: Micah McKee & Friends Maison: The Good For Nothin’ + Blind Texas Marlin, 7pm; Country Band, 4pm; Asylum Chorus, 7pm; Night w/ DJ Pasta, 10pm Dysfunktional Bone, 10pm Civic Theatre: New Orleans Fashion Maple Leaf: The Trio featuring Week, 5:30pm ($35-$300) Johnny Vidacovich & Special d.b.a.: The Palmetto Bug Stompers, Guests, 10:30pm 6pm; Soul Brass Band, 10pm ($5) Saenger Theatre: Bryan Ferry Gasa Gasa: Sofi Tukker, 10pm Siberia: Blato Zlato, Helen Gillet, 10pm ($7) Hi-Ho: NOLA Comedy Hour Open Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Washboard Mic, 8pm; Alfred Banks Album Release Chaz Blues Band, 9pm Party, 10pm House of Blues: Ann Wilson Of Heart, Friday: 3/17 7pm ($75) Howlin Wolf: In the Den: Hot 8 Brass Circle Bar: Rik Slave’s Country Band, 10pm Persuasion, 7pm; WTUL download- Maison: Swingin’ Jazz Brunch with release party w/ Merkabah + Plan-Z + Chance Bushman & The NOLA more tba, 10pm ($5) Jitterbugs, 10am; Leah Rucker, 1pm; Civic Theatre: At The Drive-In, Nickel-A-Dance featuring Steve 8:30pm ($30 Advance) Pistorious, 4pm; Royal Street Winding d.b.a.: Smoking Time Jazz Club, 6pm; Boy, 7pm; Higher Heights, 10pm

38 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio, 10pm Maison: The Good For Nothin’ Band, Matty, 10pm One Eyed Jacks: Valerie Sassyfras and the 4pm; The Swingin’ Gypsies, 7pm; d.b.a.: John Boutte’, 8pm ($10); Little Sasshay Dancers with Batebunda, 9pm ($10) Dysfunktional Bone, 10pm Freddie King, 11pm ($10) Siberia: Sarah Quintana, Kid Kaboom, Maple Leaf: The Trio featuring Hi-Ho: The Rip Off Show, 7pm; DJ Soul 6pm (Free Early Show!); Joecephus and Johnny Vidacovich & Special Sister presents HUSTLE, 11pm the George Jonestown Massacre, THE Guests, 10:30pm House of Blues: BIZ MARKIE: 80’s vs UNNATURALS, Stevie Tombstone, 90’s - Decades Collide!, 7pm ($13); The 10pm ($7) Friday: 3/24 Rabbit Hole, 11:59pm ($10) Tipitina’s: Sunday Youth Music Howlin Wolf: Pancakes and Booze Art Workshop Feat. Johnny V. Trio, 1pm Circle Bar: Rik Slave’s Country Show, 9pm; In The Den: Shane Smith & Persuasion, 7pm; Giantology + more The Saints, 10pm Monday: 3/20 tba, 10pm ($5) Maison: Chance Bushman & The d.b.a.: Tuba Skinny, 6pm; Marc Stone & Ibervillianaires, 1pm; Cajun/Zydeco Circle Bar: Phil the Tremolo King, Friends, 10pm ($10) Fais Do Do, 4pm; Smoking Time Jazz 7pm; Canadian Waves + Gardenella, Hi-Ho: Fever Dreams + Up Up We Go, Club, 7pm; Ashton Hines and The Big 9:30pm ($5) 8pm; RELAPSE 80’s & 90’s Dance Party Easy Brawlers + more TBA, 10pm d.b.a.: Alexis & the Samurai, 7pm; Glen with DJ Matt Scott, 10:30pm Maple Leaf: Johnny Sketch & the David Andrews, 10pm ($5) House of Blues: MATISYAHU: Dirty Notes, 10pm Gasa Gasa: Big Thief, Mothers, Kalvin, 9pm Release the Bound Tour, 8pm ($30); One Eyed Jacks: Fleur De Tease Hi-Ho: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party, 8pm; White Animals & Dash Rip Rock, presents “Alice In Wonderland”, 8pm Instant Opus Improvised Series, 9pm 8pm ($15) ($25 Reserved VIP Table Seating / $20 House of Blues: The Noise Presents: Howlin Wolf: In The Den: Eleanor Reserved Theater Seating / $15 General The Decibel Magazine 2017 Tour, Tallie, 10pm Admission) 6pm ($25) Joy Theater: Flogging Molly, Skinny Saenger Theatre: Chris Rock Total Maison: Chicken & Waffles, 4pm; Lister, 8:30pm ($32.50 - $42.50) Blackout Tour Aurora Nealand & the Royal Roses, Maison: New Orleans Swinging Siberia: Robert Allen Randow, Willy 7pm; Mutiny Squad, 10pm Gypsies, 4pm; Shotgun Jazz Band, 7pm; Gantrum, Sam Doores, 6pm (Free Maple Leaf: The Porter Trio: George TBA + Soul Company, 10pm Early Show!) Porter Jr., Terrence Houston, Michael Maple Leaf: Chapter Soul Kanye’s Three Keys (Ace Hotel): HOUxNOLA Lemmler, 10pm Universe, 10pm with CoolNasty feat. Jack Freeman and Siberia: COMIC STRIP: Comedy and One Eyed Jacks: The Edwardian Ball Brandon Terrell, 10pm Burlesque, 9pm ($5) Artist Mixer and Soiree, 9pm ($15 in Tipitina’s: Sing It! The David Egan advance, $20 at the door) Songbook Feat. Marcia Ball, Irma Tuesday: 3/21 Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Thomas, C.C. Adcock, Roddie Romero, CLASHBACK with Yung vul and special David Torkanowsky, Kristin Diable, Circle Bar: Carl LeBlanc, 6pm; guests Sam Ferguson and Wayne Buddy Flett, Kevin Gordon, Papa Mali, Platinum Boys + Bottomfeeders + Matthews, 10pm Steve Riley and More, 10pm Mama + Trampoline Team, 9pm Tipitina’s: Tank and The Bangas, 10pm d.b.a.: DinosAurchestra, 7pm; Treme Sunday: 3/26 Brass Band, 10pm ($5) Saturday: 3/25 Hi-Ho: Tuco Taco Tuesday Presents, 8pm Circle Bar: Micah McKee & Friends House of Blues: The Lox - Filthy Circle Bar: Mod Dance Party w/ DJ + Blind Texas Marlin, 7pm; Country America...It’s Beautiful Tour, 7pm ($28) Howlin Wolf: In the Den: Comedy Beast, 8:30pm Joy Theater: William Singe & Alex Aiono, 8pm ($28.50 - $125) Maison: Eight Dice Cloth, 4pm; Gregory Agid Quartet, 6:30pm; Vegas Cola, 9:30pm Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band, 11pm Saenger Theatre: Chicago w/ JD & the Straight Shot Siberia: Calvin Love, Heat, TBA, 10pm ($7)

Wednesday: 3/22

Banks St: Free BLT’s & Major Bacon, 10pm Circle Bar: The Iguanas, 7pm d.b.a.: Tin Men, 7pm; Walter Wolfman Washington & the Roadmasters, 10pm ($5) Joy Theater: GrandSLAM, 8pm ($20) Maison: Loose Marbles, 4pm; The New Orleans Jazz Vipers, 6:30pm; Organized Crime, 9:30pm Maple Leaf: Old-School Hip Hop Review, 10pm Saenger Theatre: Brain Candy Live Siberia: CHERRY GLAZERR, Ian Sweet, LALA LALA, TBA, 8pm ($10)

Thursday: 3/23

Circle Bar: Natalie Mae, 7pm; Urban Pioneers + Dirty Rotten Snake in the Grass + Pony Hunt, 9:30pm ($8) d.b.a.: Mainline Brass Band, 10pm ($5) House of Blues: Mayday Parade: “A Lesson In Romantics” 10th Anniversary Tour, 7pm ($25) Howlin Wolf: In the Den: Comedy Gumbeaux, 8:30pm Joy Theater: Randy & Mr. Lahey of Trailer Park Boys, 9pm ($29.50 - $34.50)

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 39 Night w/ DJ Pasta, 10pm d.b.a.: The Palmetto Bug Stompers, 6pm Saenger Theatre: The Avett Brothers Hi-Ho: NOLA Comedy Hour Open Mic, Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Delgado 8pm; Stripped Into Submission, 10pm Songwriter Competition Finals Showcase House of Blues: Loumuzik Live - In plus Ruby and the Rogues, 8pm The Parish At Hob, 9pm ($15) Tipitina’s: Reverend Horton Heat + Howlin Wolf: The Bloody Mary Unknown Hinson + Goddamn Gallows Festival - New Orleans, 12pm; In the + Birdcloud, 9pm Den: Hot 8 Brass Band, 10pm Maison: Swingin’ Jazz Brunch with Friday: 3/31 Chance Bushman & The NOLA Jitterbugs, 10am; Eight Dice Cloth, Circle Bar: Rik Slave’s Country 1pm; Nickel-A-Dance featuring Frank Persuasion, 7pm; Mindscar + Witch Oxley, 4pm; Brad Walker, 7pm; Higher Burial + A Hanging + Fat Stupid Ugly Heights, 10pm People + Recluse, 9:30pm ($5) Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio, 10pm d.b.a.: Tuba Skinny, 6pm; John Papa Saenger Theatre: Chris Rock Total gros, 10pm ($10) Blackout Tour Gasa Gasa: Sharks Teeth, Greater Pyrenees, Patrick Shuttlesworth Wants Monday: 3/27 To Make You Deaf, 10:30pm Hi-Ho: TRISHES + People Museum, Banks St: Red Beans & Rice Piano 8pm; RELAPSE 80’s & 90’s Dance Party Night W/Reve Dignity and Guests, 7pm with DJ Matt Scott, 10:30pm Circle Bar: Phil the Tremolo King, 7pm House of Blues: Bustout Burlesque, d.b.a.: Alexis & the Samurai, 7pm; Glen 7:30pm & 10pm ($22) David Andrews, 10pm ($5) Maison: Eight Dice Cloth, 1pm; New Hi-Ho: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party, 8pm; Orleans Swinging Gypsies, 4pm; Instant Opus Improvised Series, 9pm Shotgun Jazz Band, 7pm; The Resident Maison: Chicken & Waffles, 4pm; Aliens + TBA, 10pm Aurora Nealand & the Royal Roses, Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Seguenon 7pm; RnR Music Group, 10pm Kone Band ft. Cole Williams, 10pm Maple Leaf: The Porter Trio: George Tipitina’s: The Rides - Stephen Stills, Porter Jr., Terrence Houston, Michael Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Barry Lemmler, 10pm Goldberg + Shannon McNally, 9pm Saenger Theatre: Chris Rock Total Blackout Tour Saturday: 4/1 Siberia: COMIC STRIP: Comedy and Burlesque, 9pm ($5) Circle Bar: The O-Pines 7pm; Street Sects + Divtech + Honeysulk + Jasper Tuesday: 3/28 den Hartigh + Proud/Father, 10pm Gasa Gasa: Airpark, 10pm Circle Bar: Carl LeBlanc, 6pm Hi-Ho: DJ Soul Sister presents d.b.a.: DinosAurchestra, 7pm; Treme HUSTLE, 11pm Brass Band, 7pm ($5) House of Blues: DJ LOBO, 11pm Hi-Ho: Tuco Taco Tuesday Presents, 8pm Howlin Wolf: In The Den: “Stoked” Howlin Wolf: In the Den: Comedy NOLA’s Best Comedians (Free), 9:30pm Beast, 8:30pm Maison: Chance Bushman & The Maison: Slick Skillet Serenaders, Ibervillianaires, 1pm; Smoking Time 4pm; Gregory Agid Quartet, 6:30pm; Jazz Club, 7pm BrassLightning, 9:30pm One Eyed Jacks: Allah-Las, 8pm ($15) Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band, 11pm Sunday: 4/2 Wednesday: 3/29 Circle Bar: Micah McKee & Friends + Banks St: Free BLT’s & Major Bacon, 10pm Blind Texas Marlin, 7pm; Tapestries + Circle Bar: The Iguanas, 7pm; all the Tranche + Chris Lennox, 10pm ($5) colors of the dark -presents- Beyond Hi-Ho: NOLA Comedy Hour Open the Darkness XV, 10pm Mic, 8pm d.b.a.: Tin Men, 7pm; Walter Wolfman Howlin Wolf: In the Den: Hot 8 Brass Washington & the Roadmasters, 10pm ($5) Band, 10pm Gasa Gasa: Gravity A Unplugged in Maison: Swingin’ Jazz Brunch with New Orleans, 9pm Chance Bushman & The NOLA Maison: Kala Bazaar Swing Society, Jitterbugs, 10am; Higher Heights, 10pm 4pm; The New Orleans Jazz Vipers, 6:30pm; Kristina Morales and The Inner Wild, 9:30pm Maple Leaf: Old-School Hip Hop Review, 10pm Saenger Theatre: Brian Wilson (Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary Tour)

Thursday: 3/30

Circle Bar: Natalie Mae, 7pm d.b.a.: Lightnin’ Malcolm, 10pm ($5) House of Blues: Katchafire plus Inna Vision plus DJ Green Thumb, 7pm ($15) Howlin Wolf: In the Den: Comedy Gumbeaux, 8:30pm Maison: Tuba Skinny, 4pm; The Good For Nothin’ Band, 7pm; Dysfunktional Bone, 10pm Maple Leaf: The Trio featuring Johnny Vidacovich & Special Guests, 10:30pm

40 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017 WEEKLY EVENTS

MONDAYS THURSDAYS

Ace Hotel (Lobby Bar): Allways Lounge: Bingo! w/ Family Affair, 9pm. Vinsantos, 6pm Allways Lounge: Redbeans & Dragon’s Den: Adventures of the Rupaul Mondays, 7pm Interstellar Bboyz: Ghetto Funk, Banks St. Bar: South Jones & Breaks, Bass, Hip Hop, Funk and Free Red Beans & Rice, 9pm more, 10pm d.b.a.: Glen David Andrews, Howlin’ Wolf: Comedy Gumbeaux, 10pm, $5 8pm (Live in the Den) Dragon’s Den: Service Maple Leaf: Johnny V. Trio & Industry Nights with DJ Pr_ck Special Guests Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass One Eyed Jacks: Fast Times ’80s Pickin’ Party, 8pm Dance Night, 10pm New Movement Comedy: Knockout! 9:30pm FRIDAYS Spotted Cat: Sarah McCoy, 4pm; Dominick Grillo and La Nuit Comedy Theater: Open the Frenchmen St. All-Stars, Mic Stand-Up , 10:30pm 6pm; Kristina Morales & the New Movement Comedy: The Bayou Shufflers, 10pm [1st & Franchise, 9pm 3rd Mondays]/The Jazz Vipers, 10pm [2nd, 4th & 5th Mondays] SATURDAYS

TUESDAYS Hi Ho: DJ Soul Sister presents HUSTLE, 11pm Ace Hotel (Lobby Bar): La Nuit Comedy Theater: Selectors at Ace, 8pm ComedySportz, 8pm Banks St. Bar: NOLA County, 8pm New Movement Comedy: Go Carrollton Station: Acoustic Ahead, 7:30pm; The Megaphone Open Mic, 9pm Show, 10:30pm Café Negril: John Lisi and Playhouse NOLA: The Magna Delta Funk, 7pm Carta Comedy Show, 8:30pm d.b.a.: Treme Brass Band, 9pm, $5 Dragon’s Den: Punk Night SUNDAYS Gasa Gasa: The Progression Series, 9pm Allways Lounge: Swingin’ Sundays Howlin’ Wolf: LIVE IN THE (Free Dance Lessons, 8pm; Live DEN: Comedy Beast Band 9pm-12am) Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band Checkpoint Charlie: Acoustic Preservation Hall: The Open Mic Night w/ Jim Smith, 8pm Preservation Hall-Stars Dragon’s Den: Church: Dubstep for featuring Shannon Powell the Masses, 10pm (Upstairs) The Saint: Tikioke, 9pm, FREE Hi Ho: NOLA Comedy Hour hosted Siberia: Trivia Night, 8pm by The New Movement, 8pm Spotted Cat: Andy Forest, House of Blues: The Sunday 4pm; Meschiya Lake & the Gospel Brunch, 10am Little Big Horns, 6pm; Aurora & Howlin’ Wolf: Brass Band the Royal Roses, 10pm Sundays with Hot 8 Brass Band, 10pm (in the Den) WEDNESDAYS Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio New Movement Comedy: School Allways Lounge: Bustin’ Out NIght, 7pm; Beta, 8pm (A Music Series), 10pm Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Saints & Banks St. Bar: Major Bacon & Sinners Sunday Swing, 12pm Free BLTs, 10pm Tipitina’s: Cajun Fais do do Carrollton Station: Standup featuring Bruce Daigrepont, 5:30pm Comedy Open Mic, 9pm d.b.a.: Tin Men, 7pm; Walter “Wolfman” Washington & The Roadmasters, 10pm ($5) Dragon’s Den: DJ T-Roy Presents: Dancehall Classics, 10pm, $5 Hi Ho: Teacher Appreciation Night, 6pm House of Blues: Jet Lounge, 11pm New Movement Theater: Dean’s List, 8pm; Chris & Tami, 9:30pm

MARCH 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 41 42 * ANTIGRAVITY * MARCH 2017