November 2011 - Antigravity Magazine

AS A THREE DOLLAR BILL
COLUMNS
How was everyone’s Halloween? I spent mine costumed
as one of the five groomsmen of the apocalypse for my
man James Hayes’ wedding. It was a crazy, wonderful
weekend, a true celebration of love New Orleans-style (if
that pic of me and everyone’s pal, Eric Martinez, getting
cozy in the photo booth is any evidence) and a damn good
excuse for ducking out of the ever-increasing production
that is Halloween, or as I like to call it, scary Christmas.
But maybe I’m just being curmudgeonly, as I spent Horror
Day proper working on this slippery little beast of an issue.
Seriously, we’re getting weird with it this month and in
fact, take a shot every time you see the word “queer” in
the following pages. There’s plenty of sugary, salty, genderbending action, starting with Sara Pic’s coverage of this
year’s Fringe Fest queer (shot!) offerings. We’ve become
such a movie-and-cable-obsessed culture that it’s good to
remember that there is still live action theatre going on out
there. It’s refreshing to break away from the screen every
once in a while to check out some of these performances.
We’ve also got a great inside scoop on the Occupy!
movement from our resident anarchist, Derek, who really
breaks it down for us in his column. If all that’s too radical
for you, Jenn Attaway catches up with those dude-bro’s in
Spickle (you gotta love a good dose of Paul Webb humor!)
and we hear from a couple of legends like Tav Falco and
Mojo Nixon. A little something for everybody, just like any
good Thanksgiving feast.
On a final bittersweet note, we’ll be saying goodbye (for
now) to longtime theatre columnist, feature writer and
Gray Ghost enthusiast Sara Pic. She’s going for her MFA in
writing so we wish her the best of luck and thank her for
her many contributions over the years and look forward
to her eventual return. If anyone out there wants to pick
up where Sara has to leave off and continue to cover
alternative (or otherwise) theatre in New Orleans, hit us
up! We’re always looking for fresh meat. Well, enjoy this
issue; it’s a pretty quick read. We figured you’d need room
for dessert! --Dan Fox, Associate Editor
Hello Nurse pg4
STAFF
Publisher/Editor in Chief:
Leo McGovern
[email protected]
Associate Editor:
Dan Fox
[email protected]
REVIEWS EDITOR:
Erin Hall
[email protected]
staff writerS:
Dan Mitchell
[email protected]
Michael Patrick Welch
[email protected]
Contributing Writers:
Nichole Brining
[email protected]
Leigh Checkman
Graham Greenleaf
[email protected]
Sara Pic
[email protected]
Mike Rodgers
[email protected]
Derek Zimmer
[email protected]
Ad Sales:
Jennifer Attaway
[email protected]
504-881-7508
Guidance Counseling pg5
Notes From the Splash Zone pg6
Beats Per Month pg7
Slingshots, Anyone? pg8
Photos pg26
FEATURES & NEWS
Fringe Festival pg10
Spickle pg13
News pg24
the rest
Reviews pg14
Events pg17
Comics pg25
INFO
Send your snail mail to:
4916 Freret St.
New Orleans, La. 70115
Have listings? Send them to:
[email protected]
Have an album to submit for review? Send it to:
ISSUE(S)
Cover design by Dan Fox
Cover photo by Austin Young
CORRECTIONS: In last month’s issue we ran the
incorrect cover with our review of the Breton Sound’s
album Eudaemonia. The correct cover is below.
[email protected]
Homepage:
antigravitymagazine.com
Twitter:
twitter.com/antigravitymag
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HELLO, NURSE!
BY NICHOLE BRINING
[email protected]
MUSIC THERAPY
H
4
ello, readers--I’m back! I was
walking in City Park not too long
ago and found myself naturally
beginning to hum some tune I don’t
remember. I look up and I see several
joggers pass me by with iPods strapped
to their arms. I cross the street and hear
BASS BASS BASS coming out of a Ford
Focus and I enter my school to a bevy of
handmade fliers all saying “see my band
at here on this day for this much.” Music
is absolutely everywhere. Sure, you can
say that New Orleans is a very musicdriven city but only because I feel people
as a whole are very musically driven.
Even people who you think like “shitty
music” are still listening to it. What is
it about music that is so pervasive and
prevalent in practically every culture
that has existed, ever? Let’s explore
some of the therapeutic ways music is
used to help people cope, heal and affect
their health.
When you think of the word “music
therapy,” what is the first thing you think
of? hippie drum circles? Baby Mozart?
Really quiet ambient shit that is suppose
to make you fall asleep? That’s what I
think of and I think that stuff sucks. So
I did some research. Boy, was I wrong!
Music therapy is bad-ass.
First off, music therapy is clinically
and
evidence-based,
shown
to
successfully produce positive results
when used therapeutically under the
guidance of a professional. Let me
break that down for you: You can use
music to help resolve conflict, create
peace, create motivation, promote
better health. You just may have to visit
a person who is licensed for maximum
results-- but you don’t have to. And
here’s another cool thing about music
therapy. It’s individually tailored. If
Neurosis provides you with greater
inner peace than Mozart then run with
it. No one will argue with your options.
I really wanted to zero in on a certain
aspect that music brings out in people,
but there was so many I just had to
make a list. I love lists.
*music heals (both emotionally and
physically)
*motivates people to take better care
of themselves
*provides a medium to express
emotions in a neutral atmosphere
*engages people to become more
proactive in treatment
And here are some music therapy fun
facts:
*Music is used in prisons and juvenile
detention centers because of its positive
results. They found that popular dance
music piped into prisons promoted
better cooperation from inmates, less
violent outbursts and an increase of
morale.
*For people that have endured
traumatic and crisis-type situations,
music therapy has been proven to
decrease respiration rate, reported
diminished pain and self-reported claims
of lowered anxiety.
*For Alzheimers patients, music
therapy provides sensory stimulation
which provokes responses due to the
familiarity, predictability and feelings of
security associated with it.
*For children with developmental
disabilities, the brain processes music in
both hemispheres. Music can stimulate
cognitive functioning and may be
used for remediation of some speech/
language skills.
*Hospitals that pipe music into their
patients’ rooms report higher levels of
satisfaction and shorter hospital stays.
*Music has been proven to work in
group therapy sessions, facilitating
camaraderie and creating a less stressful
environment to exchange thoughts and
ideas. Anyone with a practice space can
attest to this.
All of the examples above are just the tip
of the iceberg when it comes to the great
things that music gives us. If you want to
know more about music therapy you can
check out these sites: musictherapy.org
and centerformusictherapy.com. There
are just so many great benefits that it
would almost be considered unhealthy if
you didn’t put music in your life.
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GUIDANCE
COUNSELING
THIS MONTH’S COUNSELOR: MOJO NIXON
Send questions to: [email protected]
SEX, DRUGS AND CATS
Sometimes you have to skip over all
the rational, sane people you know and
go straight for the craziest person for
advice; and there’s no one who puts the
‘psycho’ in psycho-billy like Mojo Nixon.
A cultural force all his own, Mojo’s
anarchist-country twang has produced
such classics as “Destroy all Lawyers,”
“Burn the Malls” and “Don Henley Must
Die.” He’s also infiltrated everything
from MTV and feature films like Great
Balls of Fire to songs written in his honor
by that other iconic maniac, Wesley
Willis. Mojo will be making a straightout-of-retirement appearance in New
Orleans on December 4th at the Howlin’
Wolf, with the legendary Dash Rip Rock.
Hey, it might not be the best advice, but
it’s real.
What do you do when you’re a guy and a
woman is coming on to you really strong,
like she’s making no bones about wanting
to do it with you, but you don’t want to?
That happened to me last week (she was a
little drunk, obviously) and I wasn’t really
into it but I felt weird about it, like I was
being mean or something, because she’s a
girl and I’m a guy. Is that weird?
Listen up fuck face: get in there and start
fuckin! “You don’t want to-- yer not into
it?” You make me wanna puke. One day
soon you will be old and fat like me.
There will be no more creepy psycho
drunk pussy throwin itself at you. More
fucking-–less thinking.
I’ve been seeing this guy for about a year
now, so I’d say we were pretty serious.
With Thanksgiving coming around, we’re
having a hard time figuring out whose
family to spend it with since both of our
families take it kind of seriously. Neither
one of us is giving in and it’s causing some
tension. Any advice on how to conquer
this? We really want to spend the holiday
together!
Family, parents, in-laws are a drag. A
big fuckin bummer, dude. Get a quarter
pound of psychedelic mushrooms and
take a real trip. You will be forever
united with the spark of life.
Should I get a dog or a cat?
Cats are almost impossible to have sex
with.
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NOTES FROM THE
SPLASH ZONE
BY SARA PIC
[email protected]
WELCOME HOME, NEWCOMERS
ew Orleans has always
been a hub within the
larger global artistic
community. For centuries,
the city has pulled in artists,
sometimes against all reason,
to write, paint, and dream. Our
theatre and performing arts
community are increasingly
a beacon for both aspiring
and established artists. While
we mourn the closing of two
theatrical institutions, Le Chat
Noir and Le Petit Theatre, the
explosion of extraordinary
independent theatre and performance art
gives hope and inspiration.
Emile Whelan, Performance Coordinator
of the New Orleans Fringe Festival and
member of Cripple Creek Theatre, relays,
“New Orleans is the most theatrical city
in the United States. Hands down. Right
now, New Orleans has more ensemble
groups per capita than any other American
city.” Whelan, who moved to New Orleans
from Virginia in 2006, was drawn here
because “a lot of larger cities don’t have an
infrastructure to support young passionate
minds who need to act (not theater act - life
act) to evolve.”
The five-person company of Skin Horse
Theater (SHT) decided as a collective to
move to New Orleans after graduating from
Bard College in upstate New York in 2009.
Brian Dorsam, from SHT, shares, “New
Orleans is nothing if not a community. Artists
from different disciplines are constantly in
collaboration, sharing their time, knowledge
and passion with each other to create work
that rejects categorization and definition.”
Chris Kaminstein, Co-Artistic Director of
Goat in the Road Productions who moved
here from New York in 2008, felt “there was
something magical about the city. Not only
were people friendly and welcoming, but
there was a different vibe about the way of
life down here. It felt like people were really
taking the time to make their lives fulfilling
for themselves. New Orleans is a Do-ItYourself town and the theater we do is DoIt-Yourself theater.”
Many artists choose New Orleans because
it provides more for less. Shannon Flaherty,
Media Coordinator of Fringe and Managing
Director of GRP, relays, “My friends who
had lived here said it was possible to live a
good life in New Orleans without struggling
as hard as you do in New York, and that
there was space in the city – literal space in
terms of living and working, but also that
everything wasn’t so saturated like it is in
New York.” Anna Henschel, member of
SHT, whose first time in New Orleans was
when “my U-Haul pulled up to the front
door,” relates, “We needed somewhere
where we could create without immediately
being judged as a success or a failure, but
where we could take the time to learn and
develop our craft, and take in influences
from our cultural surroundings.”
Potential problems loom. Whelan
elaborates, “New Orleans has a long history
of getting folks to do incredible things for
no money but an enriched lifestyle. I don’t
think any other city offers as little financial
compensation for the theatrical work that
happens down here. At the same time, the
rent is fairly inexpensive, most folks work
four days a week, not five, and you get free
jazz and free food when you need it most.
New Orleans relies on that to keep its
artists. The talent has come from all over the
country, and for many reasons, want to make
the art here. What happens when they want
to have a family? What happens when free
cheap beer isn’t enough to keep their artistic
engines running? If New Orleans wants
to hold on to these artists, if the city cares
enough about these artists to say, ‘I want you
to make your canon of work in New Orleans,’
support systems are going to have to grow.”
Will Bowling, Co-Founder and CoArtistic Director of GRP moved here from
New York in 2008 with Co-Founder Rachel
Carrico. He states simply that here it is
“easier to ‘make’ work - harder to get ‘paid’
for it.” However, he still feels that “across
the nation, we’re seeing a radical shift from
a traditional presentational model, and a
move towards ensemble built work and
artist to artist producing, presenting and
touring. NOLA is at the forefront of this, but
the movement needs some clear direction if
we expect to sustain our energies.” Dorsam
agrees that “New Orleans has the potential,
with its unique artistic voice and its vibrant
community of fierce talent, to become a
leading force in the decentralization of
contemporary theater.”
Though Whelan has concerns, she still
believes that in New Orleans, “We are not
establishing a theatrical ladder, but rather
providing more and more ground to spread,
like grass.”
More information about the New Orleans
Fringe Festival at nofringe.org, Cripple
Creek Theatre at cripplecreekplayers.org,
Skin Horse Theater at skinhorsetheater.
org and Goat in the Road Productions at
goatintheroadproductions.org.
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BEATS PER MONTH
BY GRAHAM GREENLEAF
[email protected]
A LEGEND RETIRED
ver the years there have been a
lot of changes both musically and
technologically in the world of the DJ.
Music itself is in constant flux and there are
new variations of every genre and subgenre
nearly every day. From the technical side,
what DJs have used to play music has changed
constantly since the beginning. What began
as a pitch control slider on a turntable later
became a key component on most midi
controllers used by many of today’s top
performers and has even played a part in
expanding people’s idea of what a DJ is.
While there may be much debate about
where DJing had its beginnings, certain other
aspects simply aren’t disputed. Before the
influx of CDJs, Traktor and numerous other
controllers, a DJ needed only four things:
records, a mixer and two Technics SL1200s. Certainly, there are other turntables
available on the market, but none of them
hold a candle to the durability, precision or
longevity of the 1200.
First produced in 1972, the 1200 quickly
gained popularity with radio and club
DJs and by 1979, the 1200MK2, with its
improved torque, pitch slider and start/stop
button became the industry standard. Soon
after, as Hip Hop began to take hold, the 1200
became the choice turntable for scratching,
beat juggling and mixing. Because the 1200
relies on a magnetic direct drive motor, it
not only reduces noise and feedback but also
allows for better start/stop time as well as
enough power to keep the platter rotating
at a constant speed, even while moving a
record back and forth on it. The 1200 also
allows for height and weight adjustment
on the tone arm (which was key for the
evolution of scratching) because it allows
DJs to adjust exactly how the needle sits in
the groove and also how much pressure is
applied to the record. This, combined with
Technics’ anti-skate control, helps prevent
the dreaded needle skip. Another feature of
the 1200 is the quartz-locked pitch shifter,
which ensures that the platter rotates at the
desired pitch steadily: a must if you want to
do any beat matching or traditional mixing at
all. Any DJ out there can tell you that one of
the worst things that can happen is having a
record slip out of time during a mix. Nothing
will clear a dance floor faster.
Weighing in at a hefty 26 and a half pounds,
the 1200 is not something to be taken lightly,
pun intended. While other turntables are
encased in plastic, the 1200 is wrapped in
die-cast aluminum and perched atop four
rubber “feet” for maximum absorption of
vibration. This is paramount when playing
in close proximity to loudspeakers because,
as we all know, feedback is quite undesirable
unless you’re at a punk or metal show. The
solid build of the 1200 is also what has helped
it stand the test of time. Many produced in the
‘70s are still in use today and they are able
to withstand most bumps and dings without
incident. My friends and I used to say that you
could throw one down a flight of stairs and it
would be fine-- but I wouldn’t recommend it.
As time has progressed, so has technology.
Vinyl sales are declining regardless of what
all your hipster buddies might tell you and
the turntable is slowly being replaced by
newer technologies that are expanding
where a DJ can take a set. It’s a very exciting
time, but it’s also bittersweet. In November
2010, Panasonic announced that it would
discontinue production of the Technics
1200 due to a decline in the market. But
let’s not lose sight of the important thing
here: without the Technics 1200, we might
not have Hip Hop, electronic music or dance
parties the way we do now. Sure, computers
have made things easier in a lot of ways, but
will the computer ever have the longevity of
the turntable as a musical instrument? Some
may say that it already has, but at the same
time we are seeing the resurgence of the “allvinyl” DJ. Only time will tell.
7
SLINGSHOTS, ANYONE?
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M [email protected]
N OCCUPY EVERYWHERE
S
o I just arrived back, not even a
half hour ago, from a march against
police brutality through the streets of
Oakland. As I stare bleary-eyed at the local
squat’s communal computer screen, I can
feel a blister festering within the damp and
encrusted confines of my sock, along with
an arthritic flaring stretching from my lower
back to my neck after the blocks upon blocks
of heavy treading. But I am pushing through
my discomfort and exhaustion to deliver you
this column.
For a little back story, early last Tuesday
morning cops in riot gear—with the assistance
of 17 other departments—brutalized the
Occupy Oakland camp at Oscar Grant
Plaza. They utilized tear-gas, rubber bullets,
batons and other “non-lethal” weaponry
to evict the camp—arresting, injuring and
leaving one Iraq war veteran, Scott Olsen, in
critical condition. They also seized tents and
belongings. However, the occupiers retook
the plaza within days and the militancy of the
camp—already strong—has only intensified.
Cities all over the globe, including Cairo, have
held solidarity actions with Oakland. So it is
with this bevy of support and outrage that this
march commenced.
It’s an exciting time we’re living in right
now. A time of incredible possibility, which
I’m not quite sure I can capture in a single
column—but I will try. Walking down
the street in the last 48 hours I’ve seen
billboards tagged, sidewalks chalked and
posters plastered to walls all promoting the
occupation and the upcoming General Strike
planned for November 2nd. I gathered with
hundreds of others last night for a speak-out
during which I was literally moved to tears
by peoples’ personal testimonials of police
violence, the prison industrial complex and
state terror. Even at the record store in
Berkeley I hear people discussing the actions
of the police and the Occupy movement. The
momentum is infectious!
But I have to admit, I left New Orleans a
little deflated. After gathering with some
anarchist comrades around bowls of
oatmeal that morning in early September, I
participated in the march from OPP that led to
City Hall and the beginning of Occupy NOLA.
I camped in the rechristened Reverend
Avery Alexander Plaza those first 3
nights, curled up in my sleeping bag on the
concrete—a time I can describe as nothing
short of magical. People were reclaiming
space to hold general assemblies and make
decisions by consensus. Committees were
forming to address the needs of the camp.
Possibilities for a new kind of society based
on mutual aid were arising where just one
week before the continuum of capitalist
reality had seemed as isolating and hopeless
as ever. I was ecstatic.
But in that time I witnessed the waves
of idealism crash against the harshness
of reality. For one, people were burning
out. In other cities (with more grassroots
infrastructure),
duties
such
as—for
8
instance—meal servings would have been
streamlined by the local Food Not Bombs
group; the Food Committee of Occupy NOLA,
however, was scrambling to establish a
rotation of volunteers, kitchens and meal
plans almost from scratch. Also, because the
occupation was not created in a vacuum,
the same shitty dynamics of the dominant
culture began playing out within this
supposedly “safer” space and the logistical
challenges of occupying the plaza were only
increased over the proceeding days...
Conflicts began a week in. One of the
measures utilized by the group is a method
called the “peoples’ mic” (which has since
been discontinued). This began in New York,
where there are stricter laws regarding
amplified sound in public space. The peoples’
mic is essentially an exercise in which
whoever is speaking breaks their sentences
into fragments and those within earshot will
repeat these bits so that it can be audible for
the surrounding clusters. When someone on
stack is speaking too quickly or not enough
people are repeating, folks who can’t hear
will call out “mic check” to correct this. The
facilitator of the first general assembly, who
had been a part of Occupy Wall Street and
presented the idea, told the group:
“It may seem odd at first...” (It may seem
odd at first...)
“...but I think you will find...” (But I think
you will find...)
“...it has its benefits.”
You get the idea. Although it makes the
assemblies slower overall, I appreciate the
peoples’ mic for a number of reasons. One,
it keeps people concise and discourages
rambling. Two, everyone is invested in the
conversation rather than simply being talked
at. And as someone who is very meek when
it comes to speaking to a large number of
people, especially regarding the use of an
intimidating mic to do so, it can be much
more welcoming to hear those around you
reinforcing what you’ve said.
But a small contingent within the camp
were critical of peoples’ mic, as well as the
consensus process overall. They complained
there wasn’t enough action (ironically,
not the anarchists!), that their aspirations
and individuality were being stifled by the
restrictive assembly process. In the interest
of trying to understand their positions, I
theorize two misunderstandings at work:
firstly, what consensus actually exists to
accomplish and the fact that individuals
are empowered to take whatever action
they desire without explicit “permission”
so long as it does not adversely affect the
camp; and secondly, that social movements
go on for decades and if all we’re getting
“accomplished” one week in are discussions
and creating a space from which to perhaps
springboard future action, that’s actually
quite a lot.
So at a general assembly, a person from
this group stood up to present a “proposal”
and proceeded to mock the peoples’ mic
“I camped in the rechristened
Reverend Avery Alexander Plaza
those first three nights, curled
up in my sleeping bag on the
concrete—a time I can describe
as nothing short of magical.”
and disrespect the group by making us
waste time idiotically repeating statements
with no constructive value whatsoever.
Somewhere in there, a proposal was sussed
out that a mobile PA be made available for
those who do not wish to use peoples’ mic.
Not an unreasonable proposal, actually,
I’d say. Perhaps one with a few minor
logistical difficulties, but not anything
insurmountable. Some agreed and “friendly
amendments” were added. Others chimed
in with their misgivings. “Amplified sound
is how the cops talk to us,” one man pointed
out. “This is how we talk to us.” Meanwhile,
as the assembly discussed this agenda item,
a small group of the proposee’s cronies—
who, it is important to note, had been
staying on site but not participating in the
assembly—wheeled in a cart rigged up
with a PA and microphone and proceeded
to fiddle with the controls. It was feeding
back for a while, causing a small disruption
before one man took it upon himself to use
the mic to address the crowd about why
it was such a good idea. A woman got on
stack and told the crowd—using peoples’
mic, of course—that the night before many
of these same men had been using this PA
to drunkenly call people “pussies” at 2 in
the morning for not attending their earlier
autonomous march on the federal reserve.
A small argument ensued and I could feel
the knot in my stomach growing tighter
before someone finally expressed what I’d
been too nervous to say: “I offer a friendly
amendment that this microphone not come
with a group of disrespectful men.”
The exact details become hazy at this
point, but what I’m sure of is that at some
point an older man (in a “9/11 Truth” shirt
no less) gained access to this microphone
and proceeded to talk over a woman who
was speaking. “What’s that you said? I can’t
hear you?” he mocked as he drowned out
her as well as others telling him what he
was doing was inappropriate and that he
needed to shut the fuck up. In the midst of
this, another man walked up behind them
with a banner reading “Leadership Needed:
Apply Within.” “I apologize to the group
for leaving,” I heard someone declare. The
assembly then regressed into a shouting
match, followed by a lady comrade and the
older man needing to be physically pulled
apart. “I would like to ask the GA what it is I
should do as facilitator...” I heard my friend
shouting over the din, before he threw up
his hands and walked away. Women were
telling these guys that their behavior was
not acceptable and of course–they refused
to listen. What happened next was all too
predictable: the assembly had imploded,
the women who had been disrespected—
as well as their feminist allies—were
abandoning the camp and the men with the
PA who had instigated this disruption were
left standing in a circle giving speeches over
their ever-useful microphone. It was a coupd’etat! I felt sick. I felt angry and sad. I left.
Fortunately for Occupy NOLA, many of
us who were questioning our continued
involvement have trickled back in. This is
largely due to the example of a few dedicated
occupiers. I am not dissing anyone who
does not wish to return; but it would seem
that if we are struggling for the impossible
dream of revolution, we shouldn’t throw
up our hands at the first signs of conflict—
even if they are with those who should be
our allies. Within this amorphous “99%,”
we are all coming from vastly different
backgrounds and analyses—and though it
can be frustrating, I think ultimately this is
our strength.
Taking part in the struggles here in
Oakland has been reinvigorating. I think it
also helps place the woes of Occupy NOLA
in context. So I’d like to conclude on an
uplifting note. So far it has been totally
fucking empowering to take the streets with
hundreds of others. It’s a small but joyous
occasion to hold up a finger—definitely
not two!—to the riot police flanking and
corralling us. And there is more to come. I
never want this to stop. I will keep pushing
myself to struggle even more fiercely—
and strategically!—for the world I want
and I long to see all of this revolutionary
momentum continue to blossom into strikes
and shutdowns everywhere all the time.
I want those soulless rich—the so-called
“1%”—to not find one moment of peace
wherever they congregate to fuck up our
lives. When the uniformed thugs gun down
one of us, I want business as usual to grind
to a halt. The world is already burning; the
system is already in crisis—so if my life is
one constant succession of abetting that
rupture, seeking liberation in the small
fractures of this oppressive society, I’d call
that one well spent. And even though all
of us may not be fighting explicitly for a
world without cops and capitalism, what’s
happening right now certainly isn’t a bad
start...
So to my friends in New Orleans: keep
fighting and don’t be discouraged. I will be
back to join you shortly.
9
Body Parts: The New Orleans Fringe Festival
Explodes with Experimental Queer Theatre,
Comedy and Performance Art
C
U
L
T
U
R
E BY SARA PIC
S
ince its inception four years ago, the New Orleans Fringe
Festival has delighted audiences with the wildest, weirdest,
freshest and original theatre from around the world. As a
grassroots-led organization, Fringe Fest has evolved each year
as new artists bring new talents and desires. Last year, Gregory
Gajus, owner of Deity Arts and also a performance artist, saw
many shows at Fringe Fest—but there was almost no queer
theatre or performance art. He decided to change that and through
the “Bring Your Own Venue” program of Fringe, which accounts
for about half of the schedule, started a mini-festival within the
festival. A queer Fringe. ANTIGRAVITY sat down with Gajus to talk
about sexual addiction and recovery, redefining drag and what it
means to be a straight queer.
You and your partner Vinsantos DeFonte moved here recently
from San Francisco, where you have a legendary history
within the queer performance scene. Why did you decide to
join New Orleans Fringe Fest this year?
Gregory Gajus: Vince and I saw so many shows at Fringe last year, it
“We always thought one of the
cool things about being gay was
that you didn’t have to serve in the
military. We wanted to abolish
the military, not join it.”
Fauxnique (photo by Parker Tilghman)
10
was so much fun. We have great respect for the
festival and the people involved. But we felt there
was a real lack of queer programming. And it was
curious to us because we know so many queer
people here who were involved in Fringe Festival
but there was not a lot of work in the festival that
was queer-themed. We wanted to see that and so
it was suggested to us, if you want to see it then
why don’t you curate some shows to be part of
the festival? We put our money where our mouth
was and we put these shows together. But we saw
in the schedule there are quite a few other queer
shows, which is really exciting. We were on a
mission to queer Fringe Fest but at the same time
we see a lot of other queer programming this year
which is totally exciting.
You chose three shows to produce, two by
performers from San Francisco and a show
by Vinsantos, who is now based here in New
Orleans. He has performed in all kinds of
shows from drag to burlesque to cabaret.
What is his show during Fringe, Don’t Ask Do Tell, about?
The biggest challenge for us was in the
options given to us by Fringe Festival in
how to label Vince’s show. It’s cabaret, drag,
musical theatre-- it’s interdisciplinary. It’s
hard to categorize his work. He will be telling
some stories, doing some movement, singing
some songs, playing some piano. Most of the
music he has composed. He will be playing
with a band, Bon Bon Vivant. They will be
playing some of their original music as well.
The show is about Vince’s reaction to what
happened with [the U.S. military’s] “don’t ask,
don’t tell” and this horrible visceral reaction
he has about soldiers coming back home with
limbs missing. It’s a powerful image for him.
We always thought one of the cool things
about being gay was that you didn’t have to
serve in the military. We wanted to abolish
the military, not join it. He’s trying to take a
longer view and look at queer love in times
of war in the context of the military. He starts
with the Civil War and Walt Whitman and
brings it through to Afghanistan. It’s not literal
though, not war reenactment. It’s weaving
Need more queer theatre?
Cirque du Gay Exposed
“Two gay clowns service you with a rainbow of entertainment and pure
happy fun!” They only ask that you allow them to make you laugh and forget
about the rest of the world for a while. Using juggling, dancing, puppetry, S&M
and Broadway they bring you an “adult circus that shows the naked truth.”
How to be a Lesbian in 10 Days or Less
Rhode Island-based theatre artist and “expert lesbian” Leigh Hendrix, in
her solo performance, plays multiple characters to weave together a show
that is “part instructional seminar, part personal story and part wacky
performance art.” Hendrix wants to let potential audience members know
that the show “is a queer theatre piece but a wider audience connects with
the themes of identity making and putting together some kind of grown-up
person from your experiences of the world. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll
want to buy me a drink after the show and tell me your story - and I am
totally available for that, by the way.”
Pchile Goyin (a letting go)
From locally-based and nationally-acclaimed NEW NOISE and Mondo
Bizarro, Pchile Goyin is the story of one woman’s journey into self-discovery
– after she is swallowed by a lake. On the other side she encounters huge
slithering snakes, colossal spiders and a beautiful living woman buried
deep within a tree. The protagonist struggles with questions of who she
is, clinging to old hurtful habits, as she unexpectedly finds herself falling
deeply in love. She undertakes a journey to discover what she must let go of
in her old self so that she can be free and fully embrace love. The show uses
large-scale puppetry, original live music, intricate mask work and intensely
physical performance to bring us along for the ride.
David Kleinberg (photo by John Carman)
The Beautiful Refrigerator is Empty
Described as “demonic drag cabaret,” Beautiful Refrigerator explores
the darker, most depraved side of teenage angst. Mark McCloughan, who
plays the main character, says, “By using mask and a style of drag that
simultaneously signifies woman and foregrounds my masculine body, I
hope to challenge the audience to think about the ways in which identity,
narrative and meaning are constructed in the moment, and the ways in
which these meaning-making processes can be controlled, subverted and
interfered with. Also, I just think queer mixing and matching of gender
signifiers is super hot, so if you don’t care about ‘making meaning,’ our
show is basically me, shirtless, in heels and a skirt, talking about teenage
lust, murder and the American Dream.”
Check out nofringe.org for dates and venues.
11
tales together of queer love and loss. When it’s funny,
you will cry and when it’s sad, you will laugh. His work
is like that, it catches you off-guard.
Who is Fauxnique? And what is a “faux queen”?
Fauxnique is the faux queen alter ego for Monique
Jenkinson. She has been performing since she was
a kid. She was a ballet dancer, very good and very
talented. She moved to San Francisco with her
husband, who was her teenage sweetheart that she
met at camp, which was where I lived and met them.
They are my queer straight friends. On a lark about
ten years ago she did drag one night. There weren’t
many people performing as faux queens then, who
are women who perform as drag queens. She was
trying to come up with a queen name, a faux queen
name, and she decided to be Glory Wholesome. She
was almost instantly hooked and started performing
all the time. Though she was choreographing for her
dance company and doing other more serious work,
she would still do drag every week. She performed at
Trannyshack, a queer performance space where she
could be free, where she didn’t have to follow the rules
of dance or of movement. She could come and explore
and approach it as play and it then changed all of her
dance work. She is the only Miss Trannyshack to be
crowned who wasn’t a drag queen, who was a faux
queen, which was amazing at the time. A faux queen
was still a new idea, even in San Francisco. There were
people like Ana Matronic from the Scissor Sisters who
was also performing as a faux queen at Trannyshack
and who still has that faux queen persona with the
“Marie Laveau is one of the first
queer performance artists.”
band. But she doesn’t get called out that way, no one
says, “Oh you’re just a faux queen,” they say, “Wow,
what a glamorous woman with fake eyelashes.”
It’s a different kind of femininity.
It really is. It’s a powerful femininity. There are so
many jokes inside it. It really challenges the viewer
but it never feels aggressive. That’s what makes it
so fun. It’s playful. The solo work that Fauxnique is
performing during Fringe Fest, Faux Real, explores
this, questions like, “How am I this straight woman
who is gender-queer?” and “How am I a drag queen
but a woman and what does that mean?” and “What is
a faux queen?”
You called her your queer straight friend. Tell me
more about that.
It creates a resonance. How I perceive them and how
they perceive me gives me more insight into what it
means to be queer. It helps me deconstruct what queer
is. One of the reasons I rented this building where the
performances will be held is that it is across the street
from Congo Square, which is where Marie Laveau did
her stuff. I don’t care about voodoo but to me Marie
Laveau is one of the first queer performance artists.
If you think of “queer” as being transgressive, and
outsider and other-- all those things that are loaded
into “queer”-- that was what Marie Laveau was in her
time. She was a totally transgressive figure yet she was
powerful. She was a woman and queer and fully in her
power and what she did was performance. She would
do these mass public rituals right across the street
from here. So for us, for New Orleans, Marie Laveau
is our queer lineage. That’s where we are grounded.
That’s one of the great things about being queer: we
make our own rules. We get to choose our heroes. I
claim her.
You have one other show in your line-up. Tell me
more about that.
The third show, The Voice: One Man’s Journey into Sex
Addiction and Recovery, is really interesting. Also a
performer from San Francisco. David Kleinberg is a
stand-up comedian, very talented. Extremely funny.
The show he is doing is a comedy. The thing all three
shows have in common is that they are comedies but a
little sad. It’s about his struggle with sex addiction and
coming to terms with that. He is a straight-identified
man. His show fits really neatly into what we wanted
to do here in curating a queer mini-Fringe because
after finally seeking help for his addiction, he becomes
a sponsor to a gay man. A good portion of the show is
about him dealing with his homophobia in the face of
trying to find help for his sex addiction. Like the other
two pieces, it is a self-exploration. And he is very, very
funny.
What are your hopes for Fringe Fest and alternative
theatre in New Orleans?
Fringe Fest is really helping the audience become
more adventurous and see theatre in venues they
wouldn’t have been willing to go to before. I was at the
AllWays a week ago and these very well-heeled older
women with quite expensive outfits were coming out
of the back where they had seen a show and they never
would have gone there before. It’s an exciting time for
theatre; it’s an exciting time for queer theatre.
Vinsantos DeFonte (photo by Arturo Guevera)
12
Don’t Ask - Do Tell, Faux Real and The Voice will run at
Deity Arts Gallery, 830 North Rampart, from November
16th to the 20th. Faux Real will show at 7 pm, Don’t Ask
- Do Tell at 9 pm and The Voice at 11 pm on November
16th and November 17th and at 5 pm on November 18th
through the 20th. Tickets are available at the door or at
nofringe.org, where you can also get more information
about these or any Fringe Fest shows. M
U
S
I
C
NO EGOS, JAMS OR GHOSTS ON SPICKLE 3
By Jenn Attaway
PHOTO BY GARY LOVERDE
S
pickle is probably the most-renowned
and longest-running instrumental
band in the New Orleans underground.
This month they will release their third fulllength album, aptly-titled Spickle 3. The
band features Paul Webb and Gregg Harney
on guitars, Bret Davis on bass and Kenny
Sumera on drums. I caught up with Paul and
Gregg to find out more about the album and
the upcoming release party, and to discuss
thriving in an instrumental band for more
than a decade in a pretty tough scene.
How long has Spickle been together now?
Are these still all original members?
Paul Webb: Been together for a pretty long
time now. 14ish years, maybe?
Gregg Harney: Thirteen years with me… I
think 16 total.
PW: We were a three-piece for a minute but
added Gregg pretty soon after. Two guitars
are better than one.
You guys are an instrumental band, and
there’s a certain freedom to not having
to worry about lyrics going over the top.
You can go off free-form and not follow
the basic structure of lyrical music. Do you
find it easier or maybe more fun, to write
and perform instrumental music?
PW: It’s easier to write a song instrumentally,
for the most part. Structure can be a hurdle
since there’s no verse/chorus thing going on.
We all write riffs on our own and bring them to
practice. Sometimes our riffs just fit together
in a scary way, like we were thinking the same
thing. Really, all we’re doing is throwing riffs
together until it’s long enough! Not much to it.
It ain’t rocket science.
GH: It can be easier when it comes to writing,
being there isn’t someone’s vocal range
to be considerate of. At the same time, we
tend to push ourselves a little more with
arrangements because we can do so much
more without vocals. Plus, there’s the
challenge of keeping it interesting to others.
So, it’s a two-way street, I guess.
Was there ever a conscious decision made
to be an instrumental band? Were there
times that you considered looking for a
vocalist, or even just collaborating with
someone?
PW: Singers have egos for the most part.
They kind of have to. It’s not a bad thing, but
in Spickle, we just wanted to do something
totally devoid of ego. Only music! No politics
or emotion; none of that crap.
GH: We’ve never really ruled out
collaborations. But I think we’re all satisfied
the way it is… It ain’t broke, so we won’t fix
it, ya know?
Do you ever think being an instrumental
band poses challenges or obstacles that
you don’t normally face in a regular rock
band, or separates you from the rest of the
scene?
GH: I don’t know. I think we have just as much
trouble getting more than 10 people out
to see us as any other band with a singer…
Maybe it’s a little harder keeping those 10
peeps interested for the whole show, though.
PW: Oh yeah! Being instrumental is a good
way to send people packing after 15 minutes.
Of course people want to hear a singer. They
want to identify with what the “front man”
has to say. We understand that.
How often do people ask you why you
don’t have a singer, or suggest themselves
“if you ever decide to get one...”?
GH: We used to get that shit all the time... Or,
that one dude that swears he’s ‘the guy’. It
seems like those questions have lightened up
over time.
PW: We just don’t see how a singer would fit.
No room for it in our eyes. I’ve had people tell
me, “You’d get farther with a singer.” So what?
We’re having fun.
Just to clarify for the readers who don’t
know the difference: Do you consider
yourselves a “jam band”? If not, what do
you think separates you from a common
jam band? Have you ever been confused
for one?
PW & GH: DEFINITELY NOT A JAM BAND!
GH: Jam bands go off on long, boring tangents.
We like the structure of songs, keeping them
tight. That’s fun for us.
PW: We rarely go off on tangents, if ever.
Everything is structured; written from the
first count to the last. Jam bands tend to
noodle around a lot. We try not to do that. I
can honestly say no one has ever called us a
jam band.
It doesn’t seem like Spickle plays very
many shows. Is this by design, or is it just
simply that difficult to get everyone’s
schedules in sync?
GH: I think it’s definitely a little of both.
Scheduling is always an issue, but it’s cool
because it does keep us from playing too
much. Those ten people at our shows can turn
to only five quick!
PW: But it’s mostly schedules, other bands,
kids, work. We all work for a living. Spickle
don’t pay the bills!
Tell me more about your new full-length
album, Spickle 3.
PW: It’s our third full-length, not including
one split-EP with Dulac Swade. It’s actually
two records crammed together on one
release; one we recorded during some storm
a while back. We just finished the other and
decided to put them both on the record.
GH: So it’s new and old... There are 21 tracks
total (I think), half of which were recorded
in 2004, and the other half last year. We
decided to be real original and call it Spickle
3!
PW: We all came up with ideas for names
that we all shot down. We can’t agree on any
kind of words or sentences. We’re writing
another right now. It’ll probably be called
Spickle 4. The last record “came out” in 2001.
Time flies…
Are there any notable tracks you want to
highlight? Do you have any stories behind
any of the songs?
PW: They’re all the same. They all remind me
of being loaded in the practice room. That’s
what they’re all about. Practicing. Playing
riffs. Having fun with friends. We’re like a
family. We fight a lot.
GH: Hopefully, somebody out there will
listen to it from beginning to end at least
once and enjoy it.
PW: Oh, and song stories? The song “Bone”
is dedicated to our good friend [Michael
Frey, Jr.] who passed away at the hands of a
mugger in 2006. Still in our thoughts, Mike!
We played that song for the first time in
Baton Rouge a while back. It was an outside
show at some bar. We dedicated the song
to him and started playing it. Right then, a
cool breeze just slammed through the yard.
I in no way believe in any kind of afterlife,
whatsoever. It was just a really cool moment.
We all just looked at each other and smiled.
It’s the kind of fun we have playing together.
The last album was recorded by Chris
George and Daniel Majorie over at the
Living Room Studios. Did you go back to
them for this one?
PW: Yes. Chris and Daniel let us do what we
want. Plus, they live near Pho Tau Bay. Sorry
guys, that’s really why we record there.
GH: Nah, they’re effin awesome! Half of it was
recorded at the new studio and the other at
the first one. So there’s a definite difference
in tones and everything.
So, what should we know about the
record release party?
PW: Guest appearances by Grant Tom [of
haarp] and Durel Yates [of Suplecs] are
planned. If anyone has a Spickle song they
like and want to play with us, we’ll have
a third amp set up. Siberia is pretty much
where we play now. We’re gonna put flyers
on every telephone pole in the city with
SIBERIA written in huge letters across the
top. SIBERIA!!! They have a great PA system,
by the way.
Are you going to tour in support of the
record?
PW: Might go to Bed Bath and Beyond
Saturday. Maybe even Home Depot, don’t
know if we’ll have time...
Spickle debuts their new album, Spickle 3,
Saturday, November 26th at Siberia. Opening
are Sunrise:Sunset and Dummy Dumpster.
13
R
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BJORK
BIOPHILIA
(ONE LITTLE INDIAN)
As evidenced by the amount of
energy given over to its iPad
app supplement, Biophillia is an
album more about concept than
entertainment, but unlike most progressive concept
records, the story here isn’t about dragons, space
aliens or fantasy. Instead the music and lyrics seek to
embody the essence of nature itself, from the black
distances between celestial objects, (“Cosmonogy”),
to the brittle connection between a host and its
parasitic counterpart, (“Virus”). Partially composed
with a tablet computer, Biophillia is easily Bjork’s
most simplistic record. The songs are sparse to a
fault; gentle computerized percussion beats beneath
hushed synthetic choruses or twinkling chimes.
“Crystalline” is the most recognizably traditional
song on the record, letting the barest skeleton of
verse-chorus-verse structure develop within a
conveyor belt of puffing, squelching static bursts
before erupting into a cacophony of break beats.
“Dark Matter” most explicitly embodies what’s
right and wrong with the album; its eerie bleakness
meted out in off tune organ hum and gibbered,
whispered vocals is the perfect representation of
the dark matter theory, but for three-and-a-half
minutes, the record treads water. It’s like Bjork
was so enraptured by the macro-idea that she was
willing to sacrifice the individual tracks. Biophillia
is littered with “dead air,” and even when a song
should work (like “Mutual Core” and its skittering
digital drum flashes), there’s always a sense that
something’s missing. And yet, despite its brainy,
cold and distant nature the record still intrigues
me in its own way. The promise of hidden meaning
deeper in the layers of the songs and above all
Bjork’s hypnotic voice gives me the feeling that this
record will bloom slowly with time. --Mike Rodgers
CRAFT
VOID
(SOUTHERN LORD)
Void is a record fueled by anger,
strength and hate. Unlike one
strata of black metal which
explores inward feelings of
sadness or despair, Craft are pure power. The
riffs pound like vile machinery, churning out
vicious belches of white noise and chainsaw roars.
This brand of heavy metal is closer to the kind of
fierce gallop of Hellhammer or the black ’n roll of
Satyricon than Burzum or Xasthur. From the instant
the gurgling bile of “Come Resonance of Doom”
boiled over into a crusty chunk of thrashing steel,
I was hooked. There’s something about gruesome
14
riffs played with the rhythm of a smoking engine
that just does it for me. Void is comprised of staticshrouded guitars, beastly growls and pounding
artillery in lieu of drums; this isn’t highbrow black
metal with aspirations to be despondent art, this
is heavy hitting metal that only exists to rock the
fuck out. The driving force of “Succumb to Sin”
and the piercing high neck trills of “Serpent Souls”
are electric and add dynamism to the spinning
gear staccato riffing. One pass through the epic “I
Want to Commit Murder” is enough to shred the
meat from your bones: the bare knuckle shred, the
incessant refrain of the title, the tempo escalations.
Each element is one piece in a manic, venomous
whole. Craft is no nonsense metal, freed from the
trappings of art, or self-importance and concerned
only with ripping every ounce of godliness from
your ears. --Mike Rodgers
DJ SHADOW
THE LESS YOU KNOW, THE
BETTER
(VERVE)
Taking in sampled music is no
longer a cutting edge thing to
do. Part of that is due to the
sheer cost of obtaining permissions to use others’
music for sampling…also, tastes change. Trends
favoring sampling ebb and flow like the tides, but
listeners can be certain that at least one man has
a pulse on the flow. DJ Shadow’s virtuosity with
the beats is used to its greatest effects on his latest
album, with its first three tracks exhibiting more
typical rocking and rhyming, and then, the gears
shift with “I’ve Been Trying,” a slow folksy sway
built around the jazz phrasing of a single lyric
reminiscent of “Fever” that melts into the sound
of a passing subway train. “Sad And Lonely” slows
things down further with a heartbreak of piano
and strings, until “Warning Call” hypes things back
up again with Tom Vek laying down lyrics amid a
sound reminiscent of the Pet Shop Boys. “Tedium”
and “Enemy Lines” follow, with their mesmerizing
layers of guitar work and keyboards. There are a
lot of good tracks on here, but they have the quality
of being a mere collection of songs rather than a
cohesive album set. Perhaps it is a consequence of
The Less You Know being Shadow’s fourth album
in eleven years (he has admitted it takes a great
deal of time to coax the samples together into his
constructions). I find it no accident that “Going
Nowhere” marks the middle of the album, but it is
a pleasure to see how The Less You Know works its
nowhere. --Leigh Checkman
FEIST
METALS
(CHERRY TREE/INTERSCOPE)
A beautiful melancholy colors
Metals from its first gently
bombastic track “The Bad In
Each Other,” onward, making
this the first album of Leslie Feist’s that feels like an
album, something that is becoming all too rare at a
time when shuffling one’s music choices is almost
required. Don’t mistake melancholy for drearily
dull, though: Feist is too masterful a songwriter
and musician for that. ”How Come You Never Go
There” evolves from an easy swing to a slight
rocking growl, telling a tale about love gone stale.
The occasions when she lets her chanteuse voice
stand out are still there in songs like “The Circle
Married The Line,” “Caught A Long Wind,” and
“Anti-Pioneer.” The sweetness in the tone of Metals
is centered in the lovely “Bittersweet Melodies,”
in which Feist returns to territory she mined for
optimism in “Mushaboom,” from Let It Die, only to
find every aspect of her surroundings send her a
message of how memories can hurt so well. Feist’s
past recordings have been working towards this
moment, with the musician trying on disco, folk,
and even French jazz in Let It Die and The Reminder,
possibly in attempts to get singles out there first,
which she finally did with “1234.” I’m not hearing
anything in Metals that screams “single” to me, and
that’s a good thing. --Leigh Checkman
JC BROOKS & THE UPTOWN
SOUND
WANT MORE
(BLOODSHOT)
Bloodshot
Records,
after
establishing itself as the label to
go to for alternative and outlaw
country music, has now situated itself as a major hub
of the Neo-Soul Movement. Want More is the debut
album on the label for JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound,
and it’s outrageous. With a more polished sound than
label-mates Andre Williams or Black Joe Lewis & the
Honeybears, the Uptown Sound recreates vintage
early ‘70s grooves in the mold of Smokey Robinson
and the latter-day Temptations. It’s more of a pure
soul sound than that of the Heavy, and it’s markedly
funkier than the Dap-Kings. It’s also more than
just a party record (though it’s a spectacular party
record...I’m dancing in my chair while typing this).
“I Can See Everything” is a suicide lament straight
out of the Long Hot Summer, magnificently scrawled
across a lush, can’t-help-but-shake-it Jackson 5-style
arrangement: “Gimme pills and liquor/ Gimme a
little cocaine/ I’m feeling sicker/ Just wanna kill the
pain/ I’m gonna dance in the sky/ Just pull the rope
tight/ Don’t ask me when and why/ I know hereafter
brings delight.” Historical as their sound is, the band
is certainly not ignorant of their contempraries (and
fellow Chicagoans), offering a revved-up, groovalicious
cover of Wilco’s “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.”
They’re also not ignorant of current events; album
closer “Awake” serves as the “What’s Going On?” for
2011. A thoroughly impressive record from start to
finish, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound definitely leave
you wanting more (see what I did there?). --The Rev.
Dr. Daniel P. Jackson
MARKETA IRGLOVA
ANAR
(ANTI-)
Being the youngest person to
win an Oscar in a music category
can’t be a bad place to start your
career. Accepting the award
alongside musical collaborator, co-star and then
boyfriend Glen Hansard (of Irish band The Frames)
this meek Czech pianist/singer showed grace and
power beyond her mere 19 years when she walked
on stage to accept the award for Best Original
Song (“Falling Slowly” from the film Once). She and
Hansard went on to record two albums as The Swell
Season. One as a couple and one immediately after
their break-up. Anar is her first solo effort and it is
a tale of being enraptured and captivated by exciting
new love while struggling to make peace with a love
whose time has passed. The record is definitely
missing the raw, bleeding, screaming fits of emotion
that filled The Swell Season’s work (Hansard is simply
a powerhouse in that aspect), but Irglova puts forth
a beautiful set of songs whose classic musicality help
to make up for occasional weak or cliche lyrics (and
let us remember that English is not her first language
either). With her trilling but steady soprano, pacing
that often consists of one elongated word followed
by a cascade of prose, and lyrics that equate holding
a lover’s hand to “clinging to a cup of steaming tea
in winter,” comparisons to Joni Mitchell wouldn’t be
unwelcome or off base. Opener “Your Company” is a
great introduction to the struggle of the album and
touches like the horn section on “Go Back,” the sensual
piano line on “Crossroads,” and the foreign-language
chant of “Dokhtar Goochani” keep the songs from
becoming too sound-same despite sharing a common
subject matter. “Let Me Fall in Love” and “For Old
Times’ Sake” seem to be clearly about Hansard with
lines like “Hold me tight, but just for tonight / But not
as tight as before, we’re not that close anymore” and
“To wish for pain-free love is to wish in vain.../If love
is a gift, to it yield an offering.” It’s not fresh territory
by any means, but its relatability will be undeniable
for many listeners. “Divine Timing,” which sits at the
midpoint of the album, is a high point both musically
and lyrically. There isn’t a “Falling Slowly” on this
album, but for a first effort, it’s nothing short of
impressive. --Erin Hall
OPETH
HERITAGE
(ROADRUNNER)
Acoustic
guitars,
jazz-funk
basslines, erratic, complex time
signatures, overtly symbolic
cover painting, yup, it looks like
Opeth have finally gone full prog. It’s not like the signs
weren’t there, but Heritage is a complete departure
from their Swedish death metal roots. The record is
unashamedly progressive, so much so that it wouldn’t
feel out of place scoring a medieval themed Ice Capade
or on a double bill with “Jazz Odyssey.” If all that
is true then why isn’t the actual music on the disc a
joke? Well, because Opeth is a hell of a talented band
and they are committed to the sound as a legitimate
musical avenue and not some one-off joke. The record’s
first single “The Devil’s Orchard” is everything you
could want in progressive rock: funky rhythms, trippy
guitar riffs that twirl and bend like tails of smoke and
a haze of evil psychedelia that hovers like a fog around
Mikael Akerfeldt’s call, “God is dead!” The only problem
with the song is that it’s the album’s high water mark.
Nowhere else on Heritage do the twin pillars of prog-jamming and rocking--coalesce so brilliantly. The
pastoral “Haxprocess” is all slippery time changes and
clean arpeggios sandwiched between twin stretches
of dulcet tones and gentle guitar plucks. The heavier
moments of Heritage are oddly enough not as fulfilling
as its more expansive sections; the driving “Slither” is
too straightforward to make much of an impact and
feels slightly out of place nestled between its quiet
brothers. Heritage marks a drastic diversion for Opeth,
a record that symbolizes the death of one incarnation
and the birth of a new one. Luckily there’s more to the
album than novelty. --Mike Rodgers
RYAN ADAMS
ASHES AND FIRE
(PAX AM/CAPITOL)
Two years between albums is a
long time for prolific alt-country
musician Ryan Adams, but he’s
been dealing with a lot – marriage
and adjusting to Meuniere’s disease, an inner ear
disorder making hearing and balance difficult when
it strikes, does take some adjustment. At first listen,
Ashes and Fire seems to indicate a mellowing of this
enfant terrible known almost as much for his battles
with critics and fellow musicians as he is for his music.
“Dirty Rain” is reminiscent of some easier going Jackson
Browne in its tone, but the proof is in its lyrics, in which
remnants of Adams’ inner fires still remain. What is new
here is how well Adams has crafted these love songs,
pouring every inch of different aspects of a recognition
and acceptance of vulnerability into “Come Home,”
“Rocks,” and the baldly questioning, bare-it-all-forlove of “Do I Wait.” “Chains of Love” is imbued with an
optimism in the freedom the constraints of love can
bring. Even the simple love of “Kindness” has a certain
gentle complexity in its wooing of a lover. Ashes doesn’t
show us a mellow Ryan Adams so much as it shows an
artist sitting down and actually taking the time to make
the most of his craft. I for one find it something to hear.
--Leigh Checkman
SCOTT H. BIRAM
BAD INGREDIENTS
(BLOODSHOT)
“I been drinkin’ since forever, I just
can’t put it down/Lord I never felt
nothing like a warm safe place ‘til I
hit that open road.” Scott H. Biram
sounds something like Billy Gibbons would have, if
Gibbons had grown up in northern Mississippi gobbling
PCP and then made all his records inside Oscar the
Grouch’s trash can. Gloriously gritty, Bad Ingredients
boogies, stomps, and head bangs its way through stories
of $2 whores, voodoo women, and jailhouse births. The
term “outlaw” only begins to describe Biram’s attitude.
He does things his own way, writes all his own songs
(except for a cover of Bill Monroe’s “Memories of You
Sweetheart”), plays all his own instruments, and does
his own recording and engineering, all in his own studio
in Austin. There is a powerful punk authenticity at work
here, with none of the neo-punk pretension. These songs
are accessible and articulate, and they speak to the most
basic elements of humanity. They are personal without
necessarily being heartfelt, because Biram’s approach is
much more, “Your life sucks? Well mine sucks too. Let’s
drink,” than, “Oh look how much I feel my feelings!”
There are artists who put on a tough guy act, and there
are artists who are genuinely tough guys; Biram is one
of the latter, and Bad Ingredients is, if nothing else, a
shit-kicking good time. --The Rev. Dr. Daniel P. Jackson
SHE & HIM
A VERY SHE & HIM CHRISTMAS
(MERGE)
It may seem a touch early for
holiday cheer (clearly not a feeling
the City of New Orleans shares as
wreaths are already up on Canal
St.!) but for optimal enjoyment of yuletide tunes, She &
Him (the unstoppably adorable Zooey Deschanel and
her mostly-silent partner M. Ward) have released a
Christmas album, A Very She & Him Christmas. It is, as
you might have guessed from their previous work, indie
pop goodness. There are two covers of songs originally
featured on the Beach Boys’ Christmas album (“Little
Saint Nick” and “Christmas Day”) and there’s a general
sheen of west coast vintage dripping off the whole
thing. It has a classic feel that will likely appeal to a wide
cross-section of people ranging from housewives with
a penchant for that throwback sound to their too-hip
teenage kids. It’s quite “cool” in every sense of the word,
avoiding any real “over the top” moments of holiday
cheese. That’s nice in a way, but doesn’t everyone
love a bit of schmaltz this time of year? “Silver Bells”
becomes decidedly less annoying than usual, however,
as its stripped down to just Zooey’s smoky voice and a
ukulele. “Blue Christmas” is much the same, but replace
the uke with twangy guitar. Zooey’s take on “Baby It’s
Cold Outside” in the Will Ferrell movie Elf was the
place most fans first heard her sing. It made me fall in
love with her, so it’s a bummer in some ways to hear
the version on this album, which is a choppier, spedup version in which M. Ward plays the fleeing party to
Zooey’s insistent come ons...but I will admit it’s growing
on me with time. The clear highlight of the album for me
was the poignant, somewhat melancholy “Have Yourself
a Merry Little Christmas,” which always has the power
to be a tearjerker. Sung in breathy whispers with a sly,
charming wink, this would be the song that, if I threw a
Christmas party, I’d put on after everyone left and dance
around the room barefoot with my man, illuminated
only by the light of the Christmas tree. If you’re feeling
the need to get into the holiday spirit but prefer to avoid
soft rock radio, this is your jam. --Erin Hall
SPLIT()LIPS
RUB IT TIL IT’S RAW
(SHEER TERROR)
(Fair warning: for the weak-of-heart
or easily offended, turn away now.
The review alone of this release
might scar you permanently.) The
Split()Lips might be one of New Orleans’ most viciouslykept secrets and with a collection of war names in the
credits like Sharon Taint (vocals), Panty Mayonnaise
(guitar), Eve Summers (bass) and Torry Anus (drums),
that might be the way they want it. Clearly, the ‘Lips
are a pack of blood-thirsty broads with an itch that can
only be scratched by raw, x-rated punk rock ala the
Misfits, except with more body fluids. “Sharon’s” voice
cuts through the carnage and that throaty, enraged
howl might surprise you if you know her alter-ego as
the otherwise demure bassist in the Unnaturals. I could
describe their sound in more detail but their song titles
paint all the picture you need. There’s the catchy “Cum
Dumpster” and a sick cover of GG Allin’s “Sluts in the
City”; “Vagina Dentata” is a stand-out, chant-along track
and if you’re wondering what that means (like I did),
let’s just say it’s a folk-tale that rewards potential rapists
with a vagina full of teeth. So don’t let these ladies of the
night fool you: they might be horny as hell but they’ll just
as soon cut out your intestines as fuck you. --Dan Fox
15
TOM VEK
LEISURE SEIZURE
(ISLAND/DOWNTOWN/
COOPERATIVE)
“I’m a lost cowboy,
waiting for the
truth,” Tom Vek
proclaims in “Hold Your Hand,” the
first song on Leisure Seizure, his first
album in six years. The drollness of
Vek’s voice and the electronic settings
are perfect for the many themes of
alienation he puts forth through
“A Chore,” “Seizemic,” and “We Do
Nothing.” There are some up-tempo
standouts such as “Aroused,” with its
far Eastern sound and its lyrics likening
heightened sensation to a certain kind
of oppression, and the cool rocking
taunt of “World of Doubt.” Problem
is, Seizure suffers from a sameness in
its sounds halfway through its songs,
which is either a consequence of Vek’s
limited vocal range or of the limitations
of his instrumentals – it dooms the
album to being little more than some
ambitious house music. The music
never goes beyond a certain detached,
icy irony, somewhat clinically dissecting
abandon more than it surrenders to it. I
can’t help but feel that if Vek wants to
keep fumbling towards an ironic tone,
something has to give. The first thing
I’d have him give up would be tired
material such as “A.P.O.L.O.G.Y.” and go
for exploring worlds beyond his posing.
The truth is out there, Tom. Don’t wait
for it. --Leigh Checkman
VARIOUS
THE LOST NOTEBOOKS OF HANK
WILLIAMS
(EGYPTIAN/CMF/COLUMBIA)
16
When
Hank
Williams met his
untimely demise in 1953, he left behind
four full notebooks of unpublished,
unrecorded song lyrics - some sixtysix songs or fragments, all without
music. A half-century later, a handful
of record executives asked Bob Dylan
to make an album out of this forgotten
heap of brilliance. A bit daunted, Dylan
enlisted the mostly magnificent roster
of Williams disciples we see here.
The arrangements are the epitome of
mid-century Nashville, with heaping
helpings of pedal steel over clean and
subdued electric and acoustic guitars.
The subject matter of the songs is
forlorn desperation, which might be
expected, but what’s stunning is the
bottomless desolation with which
Williams wrote: “If for your wasted,
wicked life, your soul cries out in
shame/And you could live it all again,
it’d never be the same” (from Alan
Jackson’s opening track “You’ve Been
Lonesome, Too”). Williams’ lyrics are
plainspoken, unabashed, and always
eloquent. The greatest revelation
on the record is Jack White’s vocal
performance on “You Know That I
Know,” which is neither distorted nor
yowling, and not accompanied by an
arrangement from Loretta Lynn’s Van
Lear Rose. It’s the least-Jack-Whitesounding that he’s ever sounded, and it
might be some of the best singing he’s
ever done. It’s downright reverent,
which is more than can be said for
the Paul McCartney (Award winner
for Overwhelming Egotism) and Hank
Williams Jr., whose overwrought
“harmonizing” vocals ring like a gong
against his daughter Holly’s reserved
and poignant performance of “Blue
is My Heart.” Bocephus aside, these
twelve songs are rendered brilliantly
and faithfully to what Hank Sr. might
have done if he’d had the chance. --The
Rev. Dr. Daniel P. Jackson
YOUTH LAGOON
THE YEAR OF
HIBERNATION
(FAT POSSUM)
The problem with
most bedroom pop
is that, obviously,
it sounds like it was conceived and
recorded in a bedroom. Too often those
records substitute crackly aesthetics for
song craft, hoping that what worked in
their home studio among their friends
and a joint will work on wax. Youth
Lagoon, the musical project of Trevor
Powers, side steps those shortcomings
in the most obvious and fundamental
way; he writes intelligent, warm and
instantly cozy songs. The way a track
like “Afternoon” slowly climbs up from
whistles and gentle vocals to a clapping,
big eyed sing along is subtle and yet
expertly done. Powers’ songwriting
is instantly likable. The cozy reverb
cloud of “Posters” opens the record
and provides an immediately warm
and inviting atmosphere. Part of the
album’s appeal lies in Power’s voice.
Buried in echo, like it’s emanating
from some distant space, his gentle
vocals add vulnerability and a delicate
framework to his songs. His voice
calls out in multi-tracked unison on
the splendid “Cannons,” bouncing
between the stomp-clap percussion
and precocious piano melody. The
Year of Hibernation does run the risk
of remaining a little too one-note
throughout. Regardless of how good
the songs are, the formula stays pretty
consistent and by the end of the record
there’s a sense of being overwhelmed
by the delicacy and unavoidable tweeness of it all. Faults notwithstanding,
Hibernation succeeds not because of
its woozy, homemade stylings, but
because Trevor Powers knows how
to weave that idiom into powerful,
friendly songs. --Mike Rodgers
E
V
E
N
T
S
MONDAY 11/7
Cypress, Metairie: Wednesday 13, Vampires Everywhere,
Polkadot Cadaver, She’s Still Dead [goth/rock], doors 6pm/
show 7pm, all ages
Hi-Ho Lounge: Missy Meatlocker, 10:30pm
Howin’ Wolf: IN THE DEN: ANR
The Maison: Penthouse: Swing Dance Classes w/the NOLA
Jitterbugs, 6pm; Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, 7pm;
The New Orleans Super Jam, 9:30pm
One Eyed Jacks: Russian Circles with Deafheaven
Preservation Hall: The St. Peter Street Playboys featuring
Mark Braud
Siberia: Mission Vs. Madness, Adults, Opposable Thumbs,
10pm
TUESDAY 11/8
Blue Nile: Balcony Room: Open Ears Music Series featuring
Caroline Davis, 10pm
Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Kristina Morales, 8pm
The Maison: The New Orleans Super Jam, 6pm; Magnitude,
9pm
Siberia: Thee Oh Sees + Total Control + Dead People
+Nervous Juvenile, 10pm
On November 8, Thee Oh Sees, the San Franciscan five-piece
wrecking crew led by the manic, ultra-prolific John Dwyer,
will pull into town to perform at Siberia, and aside from the
obvious significance of this--- that Thee Oh Sees absolutely
kill live--- the band is also set to release their new full-length
collection on this day as well. The album, recorded in about
one week’s time on tape in Sacramento, was originally slated
to be released separately as two EPs, but will rather see
release under the title Carrion Crawler/ The Dream, with ten
tracks total. The album is a return of sorts to Dwyer’s heavier
hitting psychedelia, after momentarily cooling things down
with the largely acoustic, solo full-length Castlemania, which
was released on May 10th, earlier this year, but to think
that this new record will sound similar to past efforts is not
entirely true. While the new record is upbeat, the inclusion
of horns and the elevation of the keyboards throughout give
MUSIC VENUES
12 Bar, 608 Fulton St.
All-Ways Lounge/Marigny Theatre, 2240 St.
Claude Ave., (504) 218-5778, marignytheatre.org
Banks St. Bar And Grill, 4401 Banks St.,
(504) 486-0258, www.banksstreetbar.com
Barrister’s Art Gallery, 2331 St. Claude Ave.
Bayou Park Bar, 542 S. Jeff. Davis Pkwy.
The Big Top, 1638 Clio St., (504) 569-2700,
www.3ringcircusproductions.com
The Blue Nile, 534 Frenchmen St., (504) 948-2583
Broadmoor House, 4127 Walmsley, (504)
821-2434
Carrollton Station, 8140 Willow St., (504)
865-9190, www.carrolltonstation.com
Checkpoint Charlie’s, 501 Esplanade Ave.,
(504) 947-0979
Chickie Wah Wah, 2828 Canal Street (504)
304-4714, www.chickiewahwah.com
Circle Bar, 1032 St. Charles Ave., (504) 5882616, www.circlebar.net
Club 300, 300 Decatur Street, www.
neworleansjazzbistro.com
The Country Club, 634 Louisa St., (504) 9450742, www.countryclubneworleans.com
d.b.a., 618 Frenchmen St., (504) 942-373,
www.drinkgoodstuff.com/no
Der Rathskeller (Tulane’s Campus),
McAlister Dr., http://wtul.fm
Desperados, 801 Frenchmen St., (504) 9439900, [email protected]
Dragon’s Den, 435 Esplanade Ave., http://
myspace.com/dragonsdennola
Eldon’s House, 3055 Royal Street,
[email protected]
Fair Grinds Coffee House, 3133 Ponce de
Leon, (504) 913-9072, www.fairgrinds.com
the record a very distinct feel. Joining Dwyer and Co. will be
Melbourne, Australia’s Total Control, who is on tour with
Thee Oh Sees currently, as well as New Orleans’ own Dead
People and Nervous Juvenile. Do not miss an opportunity to
see Dwyer perform if you have not been able to in the past, it
would be a mistake. Take my word on that. -DM
WEDNESDAY 11/9
Blue Nile: United Postal Project, 8pm; TBA 10:30pm
Hi-Ho Lounge: My Graveyard Jaw, Whiskey Dick, Black
Eyed Vermillion, 10pm
Howlin’ Wolf: LIVE IN THE DEN: Zach Deputy
The Maison: The Cat’s Pajamas, 9pm; Penthouse: Jazz Jam
w/Mario Abney Quartet, 9pm
One Eyed Jacks: Trashy Diva presents Trashy Diva 15th
Anniversary Bash featuring Rasputina with Rock City
Morgue and Burlesque
Preservation Hall: The Preservation Hall Jazz Band
featuring Mark Braud
Siberia: Fletcher C. Johnson, Cussins’, The Jonesbirds, 10pm
Tipitina’s: Dr. Dog + Felice Brothers + Quiet Life, $18
So perhaps you (like many other people who breathe), like
The Beach Boys and The Beatles. Maybe you long for the days
when “pop” wasn’t a dirty word and split vocal harmonies
dominated the airwaves. Then, my friend, Dr. Dog is your
band. Launching themselves through local label Park The Van,
this Philly-based group has made a name for itself combining
catchy indie rock with the complex surround sound pop of
the 1960s. This show kicks off their winter tour, where you
can expect to hear some new tracks off their upcoming album
Be The Void, scheduled for release in February 2012. Before
Dr. Dog hits the stage, fans will be treated to some folky rock
courtesy of upstate New York’s Felice Brothers (get ready for
some hot accordion action!) They definitely don’t mirror the
exact aesthetic of Dr. Dog, but they share a passion for gravelvoiced sing-a-longs. --EH
THURSDAY 11/10
BMC: Chapter: SOUL, 8pm, 21+, NO COVER
Goldmine Saloon, 701 Dauphine St., (504)
586-0745, www.goldminesaloon.net
The Green Space, 2831 Marais Street
(504) 945-0240, www.thegreenproject.org
Handsome Willy’s, 218 S. Robertson St.,
(504) 525-0377, http://handsomewillys.
com
The Hangar, 1511 S. Rendon. (504) 8277419
Hi-Ho Lounge, 2239 St. Claude Ave. (504)
945-4446, www.myspace.com/hiholounge
The Hookah, 309 Decatur St. (504-9431101), hookah-club.com
Hot Iron Press Plant, 1420 Kentucky Ave.,
[email protected]
House Of Blues / The Parish, 225
Decatur, (504)310-4999, www.hob.com/
neworleans
The Howlin’ Wolf, 907 S. Peters, (504)
522-WOLF, www.thehowlinwolf.com
Kajun’s Pub, 2256 St. Claude Avenue (504)
947-3735, www.myspace.com/kajunspub
Kim’s 940, 940 Elysian Fields, (504) 8444888
The Kingpin, 1307 Lyons St., (504) 8912373
Le Bon Temps Roule, 4801 Magazine St.,
(504) 895-8117
Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave., (504)
581-5812, www.cabaretlechatnoir.com
Lyceum Central, 618 City Park Ave., (410)
523-4182, http://lyceumproject.com
Lyon’s Club, 2920 Arlington St.
The Maison, 508 Frenchmen St.,
maisonfrenchmen.com
Maple Leaf, 8316 Oak St., (504) 866-9359
Marlene’s Place, 3715 Tchoupitoulas,
(504) 897-3415, www.myspace.com/
marlenesplace
McKeown’s Books, 4737 Tchoupitoulas,
(504) 895-1954, http://mckeownsbooks.
net
Melvin’s, 2112 St. Claude Ave.
MVC, 9800 Westbank Expressway, (504)
234-2331, www.themvc.net
Neutral Ground Coffee House, 5110
Danneel St., (504) 891-3381, www.
neutralground.org
Nowe Miasto, 223 Jane Pl., (504) 8216721
Ogden Museum, 925 Camp St., (504) 5399600
One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St., (504)
569-8361, www.oneeyedjacks.net
Outer Banks, 2401 Palmyra (at S. Tonti),
(504) 628-5976, www.myspace.com/
outerbanksmidcity
Republic, 828 S. Peters St., (504) 5288282, www.republicnola.com
Rusty Nail, 1100 Constance Street (504)
525-5515, www.therustynail.org/
The Saturn Bar, 3067 St. Claude Ave.,
www.myspace.com/saturnbar
Side Arm Gallery, 1122 St. Roch Ave.,
(504) 218-8379, www.sidearmgallery.org
Southport Hall, 200 Monticello Ave., (504)
835-2903, www.newsouthport.com
The Spellcaster Lodge, 3052 St. Claude
Avenue, www.quintonandmisspussycat.com
St. Roch Taverne, 1200 St. Roch Ave.,
(504) 945-0194
Tipitina’s, (Uptown) 501 Napoleon Ave.,
(504) 895-8477 (Downtown) 233 N. Peters,
www.tipitinas.com
The Zeitgeist, 1618 Oretha Castle Haley
Blvd., (504) 827-5858, www.zeitgeistinc.
net
Vintage Uptown, 4523 Magazine St.,
[email protected]
Cypress, Metairie: I Wrestled A Bear Once,
Surrounded By Monsters, Pacifist, Dodging
Cathrine [hardcore], doors 6pm/show 7pm,
all ages
The Maison: Those Peaches, 5pm; Tarik
Hassan, 7pm; Ashton Hines and the Big Easy
Brawlers, 10pm
Preservation Hall: The Paulin Brothers’
Brass Band featuring Dwayne Paulin
Siberia: Nobunny + The Woggles +
Superdestroyers + Bipolaroid, 10pm
If you do not like sweaty, naked men sporting
bunny masks getting up in your business, it
might be best if you sit this show out. I’m not
saying to expect this at this show, but what I
can say is that weirder things have happened
at Nobunny shows in the past. Nobunny, for
those unacquainted, is the musical alter-ego
of Oakland’s Justin Champlin and once duder
is behind that bunny mask in performance
mode, there is no telling what may ensue. It
is also worth mentioning here that Nobunny
is also a very talented singer/ songwriter
with two full-length LPs under his belt. But,
while the recorded songs exhibit restraint
and attention to detail within the garagerock realm, and sound great on vinyl, the
live shows, as previously mentioned, are
hedonistic and unhinged debaucheries.
And, speaking of live musical debaucheries,
Atlanta’s own Woggles will be on the bill this
night as well. The Woggles rival Nobunny
in energy and sexual evocation in the live
setting, and the pairing of the two is almost
too perfect for words. Rounding out the
evening with the opening slots are two of
New Orleans’ best in the Superdestroyers
and Bipolaroid. This show marks the end
of a truly epic run in the New Orleans live
music scene, with stellar shows every night
in early November, so don’t blow your load
too early. But, if the prospects of about a
dozen must-see shows seems overwhelming
and simply too much to handle, just reason
your participation in them this way--2012
pre-season Mardi Gras training, November
addition. -DM
Tipitina’s Uptown: Dr. Dog plus The Felice
Brothers plus Quiet Life, doors 8pm, show
9pm
FRIDAY 11/11
Blue Nile: Dirty Bourbon River Show, 11pm;
Balcony Room: Newport Secret Six (ska/
funk/brass), 9pm
Cypress, Metairie: The Mothercell, Riffer
Madness, Eternal Absence [metal], doors
6pm/show 7pm, all ages
Hi-Ho Lounge: Hell Yes Fest presents Battle
Rap Royal; Comedy Hip-Hop – Chris Trew,
10pm
Howlin’ Wolf: 610 Stompers Thanksgiving
Day Parade; LIVE IN THE DEN: Melo-D
Showcase
The Maison: Those Peaches, 6pm; Soul
Project, 10pm; Penthouse: The Buena Vista
Social Latin Dance Party, 10pm
One Eyed Jacks: The Revivalists 11/11/11
Party withy Rotary Downs
Siberia: The Bills CD Release with The Sluts,
The Poots, Dummy Dumpster, 10pm
Tipitina’s Uptown: Raw Oyster Cult
featuring Dave Malone, Camile Baudoin,
and Frank Bua (of the Radiators), Dave
Pomerleau (of Johnny Sketch) & John “Papa”
Gros and special guests, plus TBA, doors
9pm, show 10pm
SATURDAY 11/12
AllWays Lounge: RECORD RAID, noon-6pm
Babylon, Metairie: Calibrate The Massacre
+ Action After Dark + Azitiz [metal & hip
17
P I Z Z A B Y T H E S L I C E • A N T I PA S T I • S A L A D • C A L Z O N E S
Come try our
“Cucumber Margarita"
— Made with Lunazul Blanco 100% Agave Tequila —
It’s Refreshing and Clean!
The Perfect End-of-Summer Cocktail.
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hop], doors 9pm/show 10pm, no cover, 21+
Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, 7pm;
Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, 11pm;
Balcony Room: Soul Project, 10pm; DJ Real
and Black Pearl, 1am
Cypress, Metairie: OH! The Moment, Versus
Robots, Abide In Me, Carpe Diem [hardcore],
doors 6pm/show 7pm, all ages
Hi-Ho Lounge: RECORD RAID, noon-6pm;
Dana Abbott, 10pm
Howlin’ Wolf: LIVE IN THE DEN: Bunga
Bunga w/ Boom Chick
Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Alexi
Marti, 8pm; Brass Band Jam featuring
Kinfolk Brass Band, midnight
Louisiana Music Factory: Debauche, 2pm;
Ed Barrett Trio, 3pm
The Maison: Kelcy Mae, 5pm; The Gregory
Agid Quartet, 7pm; Debauche, 10pm;
Penthouse: Jermaine Quiz + Miles Felix,
10pm
NEW ORLEANS RECORD RAID: 2200-block
St. Claude Ave., (AllWays Lounge, Hi-Ho
Lounge, Siberia), noon-6pm
One Eyed Jacks: Hayes Carll + Caitlin
Rose, 9pm, $15
Hayes Carll is from a shiny suburb of Houston
(The Woodlands) but his music is anything
but. Unlike the shellacked slop Nashville
shoves down the throats of top-40 radio
listeners, Carll takes a book from old school
Texas twang and outlaw country stars of
yesteryear and focuses on simple melodies
and wry lyricism to convey his message. Some
of his work was featured in the Gweneth
Paltrow film Country Strong. I haven’t seen
it, so I won’t make any judgements on the
strategic importance of such a move, but it
has benefited him greatly by opening his
audience up and providing him the chance
to tour more extensively outside of the Lone
Star State. If you’re a fan of Townes Van Zandt
or any of the artists signed to Lost Highway
Records (Carll’s label) this could be a
worthwhile show to check out. Opener Caitlin
Rose is a soft-spoken country songstress
whose name is spreading quickly alongside
comparisons to legends such as Loretta Lynn
and Pasty Cline. Let’s see if she lives up to it.
--EH
Preservation Hall: The Preservation Hall
Swing Kings featuring Orange Kellin
Siberia: RECORD RAID, noon-6pm; Fake
Wedding After Party with Rusty Dreidel, DJ
Pr_ck, and the Faux Wedding All-Star Band,
10pm
Tipitina’s Uptown: TBA, doors 9pm, show
10pm
SUNDAY 11/13
Hi-Ho Lounge: Spain Street Fire victims
Relief featuring Lagniappe Brass Band,
Burlesque, Amanda Hickey and the Bruises;
12 Noon; Indian Practice: Skinz and Bonez,
6pm; 7th Ward Creole Hunters, 8pm;
Stomach Pump w/ 3 Bad Jacks and TBA,
10pm
Howlin’ Wolf: Miguel (9pm)
The Maison: Barry Stephenson’s Pocket,
7pm
One Eyed Jacks: Sondre Lerche with Peter
Wolf Crier plus Danny Burns
Preservation Hall: The New Orleans Legacy
Band featuring Tommy Sancton
Siberia: Tav Falco & Panther Burns, Ken
Stringfellow, DJ Matty, 9pm
MONDAY 11/14
18
The Maison: Penthouse: Swing Dance
Classes w/the NOLA Jitterbugs, 6pm; Aurora
Nealand and the Royal Roses, 7pm; The New
Orleans Super Jam, 9:30pm
Preservation Hall: The St. Peter Street
Playboys featuring Rickie Monie
Siberia: Viva Le Vox, Michael James & His
Lonesome, + more, 10pm
TUESDAY 11/15
Blue Nile: Balcony Room: Open Ears Music
Series featuring Shane Theriot’s Dirty Power
Trio, 10pm
Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Jason
Marsalis, 8pm
The Maison: The Gregory Agid Quartet,
6pm; Magnitude, 9pm
One Eyed Jacks: Gabby La La with Ratty
Scurvics and His Imaginary Band plus The
Chinese Drywall Band
Siberia: NOCULT dance Party with DJ’s
Drew Lyons and Honey B, 10pm
WEDNESDAY 11/16
Blue Nile: United Postal Project, 8pm;
Gravity A, 10:30pm
Hi-Ho Lounge: Fringe Festival Theater;
Professor Pithlump, 7pm; Yo! Majesty,
Shunda K with Elephant, 10pm
The Maison: The Cat’s Pajamas, 9pm;
Penthouse: Jazz Jam w/the Mario Abney
Quartet, 9pm
Preservation Hall: The Preservation Hall
Jazz Band featuring Mark Braud
Siberia: East of the Wall, Lazarus Heart,
Dazein, 10pm
THURSDAY 11/17
BMC: Chapter: SOUL, 8pm, 21+, NO COVER
The Maison: Those Peaches, 5pm; David
Mahoney, 7pm; Magnetic Ear, 10pm
One Eyed Jacks: The Protomen with I Fight
Dragons (7pm)
Preservation Hall: Survivors Brass Band
featuring Jeffrey Hills
Siberia: Exhumed, Goatwhore, Havok, Hot
Graves, 10pm
Tipitina’s Uptown: Nola Brewing Presents
Homegrown night Feat. Nasimiyu and the
Many Moons plus United Seas plus Gris Gris
FRIDAY 11/18
The Big Top: Healing Out Loud Theatre (
H.O.L.T.) Productions Presents..
“The Ass Chronicles” & “I Killed My Baby
Daddy” during the 2011 New Orleans Fringe
Festival, tickets $10 w/ $3 Fringe button
for each showing and may be purchased
online at nofringe.org (discounted tickets),
healingoutloudtheatre.com or at the door,
ADULT CONTENT, 7pm and 10pm
Blue Nile: Honey Island Swamp Band,
10:30pm; Balcony Room: Zena Moses, 9pm
Cypress, Metairie: The Vettes, Rookie Of
The Year, Royal Teeth, xDefinition, Static
Breakdown [rock/funk/pop], doors 6pm/
show 7pm, all ages
Hi-Ho Lounge: Fringe Festival Theater;
Professor Pithlump, 7pm; Mermaid Reunion
featuring Royal Fingerbowl original lineup
plus Valparaiso Men’s Chorus, 10pm
Howlin’ Wolf: Don’t Spike The Eggnog 3: A
Benefit for the Bridge House Clinic (9pm);
LIVE IN THE DEN: Ramblin Letters String
Band plus TBA
The Maison: Those Peaches, 5pm; Kristina
Morales, 7pm; Chapter Soul, 10pm;
Penthouse:The Buena Vista Social Latin
Dance Party, 11pm; Kings of the Fauborg,
12am
One Eyed Jack: Old New Orleans Lil Big
Vaudeville Variety Show
Republic: Wolves, Where?
Siberia: Mermaid Reunion Fest with Orange
Eye, 66 Goat, Cambre & Costello + more,
10pm
Tipitina’s Uptown: John Mooney and
Bluesiana plus TBA, doors 9pm, show 10pm
SATURDAY 11/19
Babylon, Metairie: Bad Grass, Fat Camp, &
More [punk/rock], doors 9pm/show 10pm,
no cover, 21+
The Big Top: Healing Out Loud Theatre (
H.O.L.T.) Productions Presents..
“The Ass Chronicles” & “I Killed My Baby
Daddy” during the 2011 New Orleans Fringe
Festival, tickets $10 w/ $3 Fringe button
for each showing and may be purchased
online at nofringe.org (discounted tickets),
healingoutloudtheatre.com or at the door,
ADULT CONTENT, 7pm and 10pm
Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio,
7pm; Stooges Brass Band, 10:30pm; Balcony
Room: Yo Jimbo!, 10pm; DJ Real and Black
Pearl, 1am
Cypress, Metairie: Joystick, The Waffle
Stompers, Squirt Gun Warriors [ska], doors
6pm/show 7pm, all ages
Hi-Ho Lounge: Fringe Festival Theater;
Professor Pithlump, 7pm; Mermaid Reunion
featuring Royal Fingerbowl original lineup
plus Valparaiso Men’s Chorus, 10pm
Howlin’ Wolf: Gorilla Productions Finals
(6pm); LIVE IN THE DEN: Minus Ned w/
Jesse Dupui
Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Bill
Summers, 8pm; Brass Band Jam featuring
Hot 8 Brass Band, midnight
Louisiana Music Factory: Peter
Novelli Band, 2pm; Ted Hefco and the
Thousandaires, 3pm
The Maison: Jerry Jumonville and the Jump
City Band, 5pm; Magnitude, 7pm; Penthouse:
Fringe Fest Spoken Word Event, 7pm; The
Brassaholics, 10pm; The Lagniappe Brass
Band, 12am
One Eyed Jacks: Big History Record Release
Party
Preservation Hall: The Preservation Hall
Swing Kings featuring Steve Pistorius
Siberia: Mermaid Reunion Fest with Rotary
Downs, The Geraniums, Jai Alai, Strawberry
Presents, 10pm
Tipitina’s Uptown: Bonerama plus TBA,
doors 9pm, show 10pm
SUNDAY 11/20
The Big Top: Empress and Tasting Darkness
plus The Honorable South, 8pm
Hi-Ho Lounge: Indian Practice: Skinz and
Bonez, 6pm; 7th Ward Creole Hunters,
8pm; Fringe Festival Theater; Professor
Pithlump, 10
The Maison: Jayna Morgan and the Sazerac
Sunrise, 7pm
One Eyed Jacks: Fleur de Tease
Preservation Hall: The St. Peter Street AllStars featuring Lars Edegran
Siberia: Fringe Fest Closing Party, 10pm
MONDAY 11/21
The Hangar: GWAR with Every Time I Die
and Warbeast, 7:30pm, $20 advance, $23
day of show
The Maison: Penthouse: Swing Dance
Classes w/The NOLA Jitterbugs, 6pm; Aurora
Nealand and The Royal Roses, 7pm; The New
Orleans Super Jam, 9:30pm
One Eyed Jacks: The Foreign Exchange
Preservation Hall: The St. Peter Street
Playboys featuring Maynard Chatters
Siberia: Prince Rama, Indian Jewelry,
Kindest Lines, 10pm
Tipitina’s Uptown: WCP & MCP Present
Lykke Li plus First Aid Kit, doors 8pm, show
9pm
TUESDAY 11/22
Blue Nile: Balcony Room: Open Ears Music
Series featuring Hamid Drake plus late set by
Ivo Bol, 10pm
Cypress, Metairie: 2nd Harvest Food Drive
Benefit Show feat. T-Part, Jump The Sky,
Action Afterdark [hardcore/hiphop], doors
6pm/show 7pm, all ages
Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Jason
Marsalis, 8pm
The Maison: The Gregory Agid Quartet,
6pm; Magnitude, 9pm
One Eyed Jacks: King Khan, Tandoori
Knights, 9pm, $12 King Khan is a crazy bastard. I doubt any
of our readers need that preface, but there
it is anyway. He joined up with Montrealbased one man band Bloodshot Bill in 2009
to record an album, and Tandoori Knights
was born. Melding traditional Indian music
with juke joint honky tonk rhythm and vocal
pacing, it’s an interesting project to say the
very least. Khan’s live shows are the stuff
people swear to never tell their grandchildren
about. He even got momentarily notorious
after rubbing his ass in Lindsay Lohan’s face
at a show in Cannes, France. But as of late, he
seems to have toned it down. So if you’ve been
staying away due to the (very real) possibility
of finding yourself in the middle of a gross
G.G. Allin-esque situation in which you must
fear being covered in bodily fluids (not unlike
those goobers in the front row at a Gallagher
show dodging bits of watermelon), fear no
more. You probably won’t get peed on. But I
bet you’ll have a good time. --EH
Siberia: The Queers, Knockout, Joystick,
Adults, Lollies, 10pm
WEDNESDAY 11/23
Blue Nile: Craig Paddock, 8pm; Gravity A,
10:30pm
Cypress, Metairie: Comedy show, doors
6pm/show 7pm, all ages
The Hookah: K.I.S.S. Pre-Thanksgiving Party
with DJ Jay Skillz, 10pm
The Maison: The Cat’s Pajamas, 9pm;
Penthouse: Jazz Jam w/The Mario Abney
Quartet, 9pm
One Eyed Jacks: Generationals with
Caddywhompus plus Jean-Eric
Preservation Hall: The Storyville String
Band featuring Seva Venet
Siberia: The Saboteurs, 10pm
Tipitina’s Uptown: Tryptophunk featuring:
George Porter Jr, John Gros, Terrence
Houston, Brian Stoltz, Craig Klein, doors
9pm, show 10pm
THURSDAY 11/24
Howlin’ Wolf: Thanksgiving Throwdown
with Rebirth Brass Band and special guests
Preservation Hall: New Birth Brass Band
featuring Tanio Hingle
Siberia: TBA
FRIDAY 11/25
Blue Nile: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ
Swingers, 11pm; Balcony Room: Illuminasti
with Mike Dillon, James Singleton, Mark
Southerland and more, 9pm
Cypress: Death Of Juliet CD Release
w/ Bellaport, Shotgun Silhouette
[hardcore,power punk], doors 6pm/show
7pm, all ages
The Maison: Those Peaches, 5pm; Ingrid
Lucia, 7pm; Mainline, 10pm;
19
20
Penthouse: The Buena Vista Social Latin
Dance Party, 12am
Siberia: Star & Micey, Natalie Mae, + more,
10pm
Tipitina’s Uptown: The New Orleans
Suspects and Joe Krown Trio featuring
Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Russell
Batiste, doors 9pm, show 10pm
SATURDAY 11/26
Blue Nile: Kristina Morales, 7pm; Soul
Rebels, 11pm; Balcony Room: Nick Ray,
10pm; DJ Real and Black Pearl, 1am
Cypress, Metairie: Vexation, Chaos Aeon
[metal], doors 6pm/show 7pm, all ages
Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Bill
Summers, 5pm; Brass Band Jam featuring
Hot 8 Brass Band, midnight
The Maison: Courtyard Kings, 7pm;
Yojimbo, 10pm; Penthouse: Tony Skratchere,
12am
Preservation Hall: Tribute: The Legacy of
Louis Armstrong featuring Clive Wilson
Siberia: Spickle CD Release Party with
Sunrise: Sunset: and Dummy Dumpster,
10pm
Tipitina’s Uptown: Kermit Ruffins & The
BBQ Swingers plus TBA, doors 9pm, show
10pm
SUNDAY 11/27
The Big Top: Friday Night Music Camp
welcomes Davis Rogan and Friends, kids and
3 Ring Circus members free, 5-7pm
Hi-Ho Lounge: Indian Practice: Skinz and
Bonez 6pm; 7th Ward Creole Hunters,
8pm; Sarah Quintana, 10
The Maison: Cristina Perez, 7pm
Preservation Hall: The New Orleans Legacy
Band featuring Tommy Sancton
Siberia: Krashkarma, No Fuego, Curie, 10pm
MONDAY 11/28
Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship? and
Hurray for the Riff Raff come to mind).
One of the best national touring acts to
come through town in the last few months
was another banjo-powered act, Carolina
Chocolate Drops. If you think you can’t
have a blast at a “folk” show, you are sadly
mistaken. Opening act Brown Bird is a
similarly situated outfit with a hefty dose of
mountain-man beard and upright bass. I’m
fully endorsing this show as worth your time
and money. So now you know I’m serious,
right? --EH
WEEKLY EVENTS
MONDAYS
Banks Street Bar & Grill: N’awlins Johnnys,
9pm
Bayou Park Bar: The Hooch Riders, 9pm
Blue Nile: Big Pearl and the Fugitives of
Funk, 9pm
Checkpoint Charlie’s: Karaoke, 9pm
Circle Bar: Kelly Carlyle, 6pm
d.b.a.: Glen David Andrews, 9pm, $5
Desperados: Kickball Disassociation After
Party & Old Timey Music, 9pm
Dragon’s Den: Slide Guitar Domenic
Hi-Ho Lounge: Blue Grass Pickin’ Party,
8pm
Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Bob
French and the Original Tuxedo Band, 8pm
The Maison: Jayna Morgan and the Sazerac
Sunrise Band, 7pm; New Orleans Super Jam,
10pm; Swing classes w/ NOLA Jitterbugs,
6pm (Penthouse)
Spotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm;
Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. AllStars, 6pm; Kristina Morales & the Bayou
Shufflers, 10pm [1st & 3rd Mondays]/The Jazz
Vipers, 10pm [2nd, 4th & 5th Mondays]
TUESDAYS
Blue Nile: Carolina Gallop’s Annual Fashion
Show, 6pm; Gravity A, 11pm
The Maison: The Cat’s Pajamas, 9pm;
Penthouse: Jazz Jam w/The Mario Abney
Quartet, 9pm
Preservation Hall: The Joint Chiefs of Jazz
featuring Frank Oxley
Siberia: Black Label Underpants Party,
10pm
SATURDAY 12/3
Banks Street Bar & Grill: NOLA
Treblemakers, 10pm
Bayou Park Bar: Walter Wolfman
Washington, 9pm
The Big Top: Brit Wit & Krewe of
Chewbacchus Present Make it Throw: crafts
& Dr. Who, 7pm, FREE [7/6 & 7/20]
Carrollton Station: Acoustic Open Mic, 9pm
Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk, 7pm
Desperados: Noxious Noize Tuesdays, 9pm
Dragon’s Den: Climate Change Hip-Hop Nite
Hi-Ho Lounge: Euclid Records Triva w/ DJ
Lefty Parker, 8pm
The Hookah: Entourage Ent. Presents HipHop Night, 10pm
Howlin’ Wolf: Stupid Time Machine Improv
Comedy, 8:30pm
The Maison: Gregory Agid Quartet, 6pm;
Magnitude, 9pm
Mimi’s in the Marigny: Michael Hebert,
8pm; the Emilonius Quartet, 9pm
Preservation Hall: The Preservation HallStars featuring Shannon Powell
The Rusty Nail: Open Mic w/ Whiskey T.,
8pm
The Saint Tikioke, 9pm, FREE
Spotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm;
Smokin’ Time Jazz Club, 6pm; Meschiya Lake
& the Little Big Horns, 10pm
House of Blues: The Devil Makes Three +
Brown Bird, 9pm, $15
The Devil Makes Three is such a
quintessentially New Orleans band in
so many ways. They combine a punk
philosophy and approach with traditional
folk instrumentation (shades of local bands
12 Bar: Brass-a-holics, 9pm
AllWays Lounge: Marygoround & The
Tiptoe Stampede
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Major Bacon,
10pm
The Bar: Musician Appreciation Night, 7pm
Bayou Park Bar: U.S. Nero & Friends, 9pm
The Maison: Penthouse: Swing Dance
Classes w/The NOLA Jitterbugs, 6pm; Aurora
Nealand and The Royal Roses, 7pm; The New
Orleans Super Jam, 9:30pm
Siberia: TBA
TUESDAY 11/29
Blue Nile: Open Ears Music Series featuring
Rex Gregory, 10pm
Irvin Mayfield Jazz Playhouse: Jason
Marsalis, 8pm
The Maison: The Gregory Agid Quartet,
6pm; Magnitude, 9pm
Siberia: Au Ras Au Ras, Tracy Shedd, Whom
Do You Work For?, 10pm
WEDNESDAY 11/30
WEDNESDAYS
21
Blue Nile: United Postal Project, 8pm;
Gravity A w/ Special Guests, 11pm; Jason
Songe Presents, 10pm (Balcony Room)
The Box Office: Dan Wallace Quartet, 7pm
Carrollton Station: Standup Comedy Open
Mic, 9pm
Checkpoint Charlie’s: T-Bone Stone, 7pm
Circle Bar: Jim O. and The No Shows w/
Mama Go-Go, 6pm
d.b.a.: Walter Wolfman Washington and The
Roadmasters, 10pm, $5
Deckbar: Blues & Beyond Jam w/ John Lisi
& Delta Funk, 8pm
Dragon’s Den: DJ T-Roy Presents: Dancehall
Classics, 10pm, $5
Hi-Ho Lounge: DJ Bees Knees & SINful
Friends, 10pm
The Hookah: Entourage Ent. Presents HipHop Night, 10pm
Howlin’ Wolf: Hump Day Super Jam w/
Hope Toun and Gravy Flavored Kisses,
9pm Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: The
Session, 5pm; Irvin Mayfield’s NOJO Jam,
8pm
The Maison: Jerry Jumonville and the Jump
City Band, 6pm; the Cat’s Pajamas Funk AllStars, 9pm
The R Bar: DJ Lefty Parker
The Rusty Nail: Jenn Howard’s Jazz Set, 8pm
Spotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm; Free
Swing Dance Lessons, 5pm, The Orleans,
6pm; St. Louis Slim and the Frenchmen St.
Jug Band, 10pm
Yuki: Mojotoro Tango Trio, 8pm
THURSDAYS
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Dave Jordan’s
Neighborhood Improvement, 10pm
Bayou Park Bar: Pocket Aces Brass Band
Blue Nile: DJ T-Roy Presents Reggae Night
w/ Bayou International, 10pm; My So Called
’90s Dance Party, 10pm (Balcony Room)
Circle Bar: Sam and Boone, 6pm
Desperados: Loose Marbles, 9pm
Dragon’s Den: Basebin Safari w/ DJ Proppa
Bear, 10pm
Fortier Park (3100 Esplanade): Drum
Circle, 6pm
Hi-Ho Lounge: Stooges Brass Band, 10pm
The Hookah: Studio 504 Disco Dance Night,
9pm
Howlin’ Wolf: Comedy Gumbeaux, 8pm
(Live in the Den); Party Time! Dance Night,
11pm (Live in the Den)
Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Roman
Skakun, 5pm; James Andrews, 8pm
La Nuit Comedy Theater: A.S.S.tronot,
8:30pm
The Maison: Those Peaches, 5pm
One Eyed Jacks: Fast Times ’80s Dance
Night, 10pm
Republic: LEGIT, 10pm, $7
The Rusty Nail: Boozin’ Bingo, 8pm
Spotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm; Miss
Sophie Lee, 6pm; New Orleans Moonshiners,
10pm
FRIDAYS
22
Bayou Park Bar: The Revealers, 10pm
The Big Top: Friday Night Music Camp, 5pm
Blue Nile: Mykia Jovan and Jason Butler,
8pm; DJ Real and Black Pearl, Midnight
(Upstairs)
Checkpoint Charlie’s: Hooch Riders, 4pm
Circle Bar: Jim O. and The Sporadic Fanatics,
6pm
d.b.a.: Hot Club of New Orleans, 6pm
Desperados: Michael James and His
Lonesome, 9pm; Bobby Bouzouki, 11pm
Hi-Ho Lounge: Stooges Brass Band, 9:30pm
The Hookah: College Fridays, events. HipHop, DJ, 10pm
Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Professor
Piano Series; Leon “ Kid Chocolate” Brown,
8pm; Burlesque Ballroom f/ Trixie Minx and
Linnzi Zaorski, Midnight La Nuit Comedy
Theater: God’s Been Drinking, 10pm, $10
Le Bon Temps Roule: Joe Krown Live Piano,
7pm, 9pm
The Maison: Those Peaches, 5pm; Buena
Vista Social Latin Dance Party, 10pm
(Penthouse); [Dark 8/5];
Preservation Hall: The Preservation Hall
Jazz Masters featuring Leroy Jones
Republic: Throwback, 11pm
Spotted Cat: Brett Richardson, 4pm;
Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, 6pm; New
Orleans Cottonmouth Kings, 10pm
Tipitina’s: Tipitina’s Foundation Free
Friday!, 10pm
SATURDAYS
Blue Nile: DJ Real and Black Pearl, 1am
(Balcony Room)
Circle Bar: The Jazzholes, 6pm
d.b.a.: John Boutte, 8pm
The Hangar: Ladies Night
The Hookah: Entourage Saturdays, events,
Hip-Hop, DJ, 10pm
House of Blues: Sabado, Fuego, DJ Juanes, DJ
Q, Midnight (The Parish @ House Of Blues)
La Nuit Comedy Theater: ComedySportz
(1st/3rd Saturdays), 7pm
LePhare: DJ Jive
Republic: DJ Damion Yancy, 11pm
Spotted Cat: Luke Winslow King, 3pm;
Panorama Jazz Band, 6pm
SUNDAYS
Banks Street Bar & Grill: Open Mic Jam w/
Ron Hotstream and the F-Holes
Bayou Park Bar: Roarshark, 4pm
Blue Nile: John Dobry Band, 7:30pm;
Mainline, 10pm
Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk, 7pm
Checkpoint Charlie’s: Acoustic Open Mic
w/ Jim Smith, 7pm
Circle Bar: Drink N Draw, 3pm; Micah
McKee and Friends, 6pm
d.b.a.: The Palmetto Bug Stompers, 6pm
Desperados: Stumps the Clown’s Variety
Show Sundays f/ Jo Robbin, Stalebread
Scotty & More, 9pm
Dragon’s Den: Bass Church: Dubstep for the
Masses, 10pm (Upstairs)
Hi-Ho Lounge: 504DancingMan,
Skinz&Bonez, 6pm; Indian Practice, 7pm
The Hookah: Entourage Ent. Presents,
10pm
House of Blues: The Sunday Gospel Brunch,
10am; Poppa’s Party House, Midnight (The
Parish)
Howlin’ Wolf: Brass Band Sundays w/ Hot
8 Brass Band; In The Den: Chef Nathanial
Zimet & James Denio & The Purple Trunk
Que Crawl Guest Chef Takeover (12pm)
Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Tyler’s
Revisited f/ Germaine Bazzle and Paul
Longstreth, 7pm
Le Bon Temps Roule: Chapter Soul f/ Calvin
Johnson, Kirk Joseph & Kevin O’Day, 9pm
The Maison: Dave Easley Trio, 5pm
Spotted Cat: Rights of Swing, 3pm; Kristina
Morales, 6pm (1st/3rd Sun.)/Ben Polcer and
the Grinders (2nd/4th Sun.), Pat Casey & the
New Sound, 10pm
Tipitina’s: Cajun Fais do do f/ Bruce
Daigrepont, 5:30pm
N
E
W
S
THE MYSTIC KNIGHTS OF THE MAU-MAU
PRESENT: TAV FALCO’S PANTHER BURNS
superwomen and twin
menaces
“Don’t push, don’t shove, there is room for one and all.” Take this rare
opportunity to behold the lowdown and unapproachable Panther
Burns. Named after the Mississippi town that was, in turn, named
after a black panther that had been terrorizing the region (until it
was trapped in a barn and subjected to immolation-assassination.
Its howling shriek is said to yet be discernible in the airwaves), the
Panther Burns have been honoring the musical region from whence
they came for over thirty years. Formed in 1979 in Memphis,
Tennessee by the charismatic Tav Falco and a pre-New Orleanian
Alex Chilton, the legendary band has boasted a revolving door of
foundation-forming members including local musical pillars René
Coman, Doug Garrison and George Reinecke. Mesmerizing fans
and spectators by effortlessly weaving rockabilly, R&B, new wave,
fife & drum and tango, it’s easy to comprehend how high and
resolute the Panther Burns flag has flown since Tav relocated to
Europe so long ago. As a result, unfortunately, regional appearances
have been few and far between.
Performance artist, crooner, songwriter, guitarist, tango dancer,
actor, filmmaker, photographer, renaissance man and now author,
Tav Falco will also be doing a reading and meet-and-greet at Euclid
Records the same day to promote his newly released book Mondo
Memphis (a collaboration with Erik Morse), a psycho-geography
and history of Memphis’ cultural/criminal underbelly, spanning
the Civil War to Tav’s late ‘70s-to-early-‘80s involvements with
the likes of William Eggleston and Chilton. These are rare and
possibly surreal appearances and you probably regret missing any
of several late ‘90s or early ‘00s Panther Burns shows with Chilton
at the Mermaid Lounge, with Quintron & Nikki Sudden on the
Cajun Queen or one of the first Spellcaster Lodge Maritime Balls.
Friends of Like Flies on Sherbert, the Cramps, Glyn Styler and
tango argentino, please “Drop Your Mask,” put on your “Clear Vinyl
Jumpsuit” and “Pass the Hatchet”; there couldn’t be a better night to
Occupy Siberia and celebrate what is yours as an American. PBFL!
(Panther Burns Forever Lasting) --Dan Rose & Michael Bateman
24
Tav Falco’s Panther Burns plays Sunday, November 13th at Siberia.
Falco will also present his book, Mondo Memphis, at Euclid Records
at 5:30pm the same day.
Author, DJ and promoter Ethan Clark has a keen eye for weird and outlandish acts and with
this bill he’s really pitting some exquisite forces against each other. Yo! Majesty are lesbian
rappers from Tampa with a pretty gutter sound; think less Indigo Girls and more Mia X, with
Florida club beats behind songs like “Kryptonite Pussy,” which includes the chant “Courvoisier,
Courvoisier, where art thou?” Elephant are militant queer/identical rappers from Los Angeles
(via Oklahoma!) who bring more of a noisy, frenetic edge with tracks like “Notorious HIV”:
equal parts x-rated man-sex and public service announcement. Opening up is North America
who also just happen to be queer, identical twins. With mainstream hip hop stuck in its own
glam-rock phase, it’s good to see the more extreme sides of society take up the flame (in more
ways than one, ha ha!). --Dan Fox
Yo! Majesty, Elephant and North America are playing the Hi-Ho Lounge on Wednesday, November
16th. For more information, check out myspace.com/yomajesty4life and elephantwave.com
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