May 5, 2012 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Round 3...My Final Round

 I will try to use my last day at Jazzfest to summarize my week in New Orleans. So here goes...it was fucking hot with unbelievable humidity most of the week but especially today. I heard great music from many different genres. I ate tons of amazing food. I visited cemeteries and took a shitload of pictures. That pretty much covers each of my eight days in New Orleans. So on with today...Paul Sanchez & the Rolling Road Show were playing when we arrived at Jazzfest.

 Freshly shucked oysters...damn good with fresh horseradish. I ate a lot of oysters this week...baked, stuffed, chargrilled and raw. Great way to start my day.

 This band was listed as an editors pick in a local music magazine I picked up...

 ...they played on the Lagniappe Stage (if you can pronounce that correctly, you must have been to New Orleans) which had seats under a tent...perfect. Sam Doores & the Tumbleweeds were fantastic. They mixed traditional blues, country, gospel & folk to form what is currently known as Americana.  

 We stayed for their entire set. I absolutely loved the music they played...

...but my brother is more of a heavy metal music fan. So after their set, I said I wanted to buy their CD and my brother says "So do I. They were great!". This is why I loved being here this week and encourage anyone that loves listening to good musicians playing all types of music to come to Jazzfest...

 ...and if you aren't a fan of live music but love great food...

 ...then you should come to Jazzfest too.

The food booths go on forever. I was in charge of getting the food...

 ...Jeff got the alcohol.

 Happy Jazzfest...indeed.

Big Sam's Funky Nation lived up to the band's name. I spent so much time enjoying music that I usually do not listen to but will from now on. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.

 Back to my favorite stage, the Fais Do Do...

 ...to see me some more zydeco from the powerful party band Dwayne Dopsie...

 ...and the Zydeco Hellraisers who put on a masterful high energy show that had people dancing in the 90 degree heat & humdity for an hour. It was like being in the most polite mosh pit ever. It's been over a month since I took these pictures and I'm still smiling as I look at them.

 After checking out Better Than Ezra for a few songs, I was back at The Fais Do Do stage to see one of my all time favorite musicians, Mr. Steve Earle. For over 25 years now, he has been one of America's best songwriters. He mixed politics and music so perfectly...of course I loved his set.

 I don't know who this fat motherfucker with three chins is but he looks like he is having a great time listening to My Morning Jacket...

 ...and spending time with his brother, Jeff.

 Chicago is represented with the city flag, a Cabaret Metro banner and an Irish flag...what a shock.

We were waaay back in the crowd for My Morning Jacket which was fine with me. After a nonstop week of mayhem...meaning music, food, 90 degree temps and alcohol...I was worn out. But worn out in a good way. Like I really accomplish something for my efforts. I finally got to visit New Orleans. I ate things I'd never had before, some things I'd never heard of before this trip. But everything I had was damn good...mostly deep fried or covered in a very rich sauce...but damn tasty...that said I'm having a salad as soon as I get back home. I heard so much great music everywhere I went this week...in bars, on the streets and at Jazzfest...with that combination how could I not have enjoyed myself on this trip. But the best part was spending time with family that I rarely get to see. Thanks Laura. Thanks Donnie...and thanks to my brother Jeff. I wish Springsteen would have played "Racing In The Street" for you.

I got a sixty-nine Chevy with a 396
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor
She's waiting tonight down in the parking lot
Outside the Seven-Eleven store
Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch
And he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money, got no strings attached
We shut 'em up and then we shut 'em down

Tonight, tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em off in my first heat
Summer's here and the time is right
For racin' in the street

We take all the action we can meet
And we cover all the northeast state
When the strip shuts down we run 'em in the street
From the fire roads to the interstate
Some guys they just give up living
And start dying little by little, piece by piece,
Some guys come home from work and wash up,
And go racin' in the street.

Tonight, tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em all out of their seats
Calling out around the world, we're going racin' in the street.

I met her on the strip three years ago
In a Camaro with this dude from L.A.
I blew that Camaro off my back,
and drove that little girl away,
But now there's wrinkles around my baby's eyes
And she cries herself to sleep at night
When I come home the house is dark
She sighs, "Baby did you make it all right,"
She sits on the porch of her Daddy's house
But all her pretty dreams are torn,
She stares off alone into the night
With the eyes of one who hates for just being born
For all the shut down strangers and hot rod angels,
Rumbling through this promised land
Tonight my baby and me, we're gonna ride to the sea
And wash these sins off our hands.

Tonight, tonight the highway's bright
Out of our way, mister, you best keep
'Cause summer's here and the time is right
For racin' in the street.

May 4, 2012 My Jambalaya Of A Day In NOLA

Today was a mix of all kinds of things. I'm usually not a tour group kind of person. This is mostly due to the amount of slovenly white people that are tour group people. But my brother insisted so I decided to take a tour of New Orleans. The driver was entertaining but not nearly as funny as he thought he was. I did get to see areas of the city that I hadn't seen yet. Unfortunately it was from a moving bus so there are no pictures of the poorer neighborhoods. But we did stop for 10 minutes at the Saint Louis Cemetery No. 3. Here's what I managed to see...away from my group.

 There really is a Little Sisters Of The Poor. I always thought it was a sports joke about beating a really bad team. This cemetery deserved more of my time...next visit it will get it.

Finally done with that bus full of pasty white people. Now I can tour NOLA my own way...by walking through it.

Music...Sweet Music...Street Music...never sounded so good to my ears.

These pictures were taken as we headed to Frenchmen Street.

 A couple of cool looking hotels in the French Quarter.

We stopped and talked music with this street performer for quite awhile. He played singer songwriter songs very well. I really enjoyed talking about Texas musicians with him.

I've written this before...this is the most colorful city I've ever visited.

 AAAHHH....Frenchmen Street...feels like home to me.

 It was early enough to get a seat at the bar in The Spotted Cat Music Club. We listened to what I would call ragtime piano with a guitar player following along. It was perfect for an early evening beer at the bar...

...with my brother.

The Washboard Chaz Blues Trio followed the piano player. They were very good...I bought their CD.

I must have really liked the signs because most of my pictures taken while walking back to the FQ are of signs.

Musicians heading to work.

The food is amazing here.

This place has everything you could possibly want...24 hours a day.

We ended our night at the Cafe Du Monde...

...because I haven't had a beignet all week in NOLA. I figured since I started my day being a dumb tourist, I could end it doing the typical tourist thing. I didn't regret it, our waitress was a trip and the beignet was deee-licious.