We (Chrissy, my cousin Laura & me) headed out through the neighborhood to have breakfast at a place called Elizabeth's. Chrissy found it online and is so excited because they have praline beacon.
It is a perfect weather day, sunny and 75. The houses throughout this area of New Orleans are very colorful and artistically decorated.
These signs are all over the neighborhood. After spending a week here, I have to agree with this group. One of the main reasons I love this city is how unique it looks. If this building was going up in the Central Business District...fine...but not in the French Quarter or Marigny or Bywater. It would ruin the soul of these neighborhoods.
These corner stores are all over the neighborhood and not one of them is a corporate store. Maybe I love places like this because they no longer exist in most cities...I'll admit to that. But if Walgreens were to appear on every corner here...it would break my heart.
One of the local artists posted this warning on the wall of Frady's One Stop.
There is something to photograph everywhere in New Orleans...
...and live music is also everywhere.
We finally made it to Elizabeth's. The girls went in while I took pictures of the building...
...it has been scientifically proven that restaurants with authentic art work...
...serve the best food. OK, I am not a scientist but my research into this subject definitely has proven my point. Artwork has been available on the walls of just about every restaurant we visited...
...Elizabeth's sold Dr. Bob artwork...
...and has delicious food including the praline bacon.
My scientific research is done here but will continue throughout my week in New Orleans.
We tried to walk to the French Quarter Fest in Crescent Park along the Mississippi River...
...but we couldn't due to ongoing construction in the park.
So that meant backtracking and wandering through a different area of the city.
Chrissy & I do this everywhere we visit. We jokingly call it 'wandering aimlessly' and it has resulted in some incredible adventures over the years.
Today was no exception. I had never heard of Dr. Bob and his art before this morning at Elizabeth's.
An hour later, we stumbled across his unique studio.
Then we found a real doughnut shop when Laura stopped for coffee and I had a very tasty blueberry doughnut.
We eventually made it to Jackson Square for the start of the French Quarter Festival. I was bummed that Lionel Ferbos was unable to perform with his band today. The Louisiana Shakers were really good but I was hoping to see the 102 year old Mr. Ferbos play his trumpet. Hopefully I'll see him play next year.
The Louisiana Shakers.
The Big Easy Playboys on my favorite stage, the Cajun/Zydeco stage.
Chrissy enjoying the sun and the music and the daiquiris...
...my cousin Laura refusing to be photographed.
This is the biggest free music festival in the country so the sponsors get prominent displays.
The Steamboat Natchez played calliope music while docked near the Louis-Louis Stage.
The New Birth Brass Band
There is traffic on the Mississippi River all day long.
I took this picture because I saw a t-shirt with the same design but it read
"N.O.P.D.
Party Line
Dance Across".
Two Chicagoans loving the New Orleans music and the 70 degree weather
Irma Thomas drew the biggest crowd of the day
Corey Ledet playing some fine zydeco music
The fans were either dancing, singing or playing along with the music at the zydeco stage.
The Stevie Wonder fan, PJ Morton singing a song about New Orleans girls that had the local female fans singing and dancing all around us.
The food at this festival is incredible.
We saw this band last year at JazzFest and we loved them...
...and they were fantastic again this year.
Flow Tribe mixes all the music styles they heard while growing up in New Orleans and add some modern influences to create their own sound.
The upbeat funk/soul/rock/Caribbean mix combined with talented musicians and unbelievably good stage presence by such a young band had me saying this show was my favorite of the year so far.
Whenever a band is having fun on stage, I am enjoying the show even more.
Flow Tribe brought out the Central City Dance Team during the show...
...and the band had as much fun as the kids did dancing to the music.
We have seen several bands that have artists painting on the stage while they play. Flow Tribe seems to always have one on stage, this is Alex Harvie
The band did the best version of "Proud Mary" I've heard since Ike & Tina Turner. John Michael Early is doing his best Tina Turner impersonation here.
After the amazing set to end the festival today, we walked back to Faubourg Marigny to the Feelings Café for dinner and the piano jazz of Alan Bailey.
We enjoyed a fine meal and a beautiful night in the outdoor courtyard of the Feelings Café. We had the artichoke hearts appetizer, the Marigny mango drum and the veal Florentine...a perfect ending to a wonderful day.
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