December 2008 - Antigravity Magazine

vol.6 no.2 dec. ’08
your new orleans music and culture alternative
REMEMBERING BRIAN TURD
ALSO: WHY ARE WE BUILDING SUCH A BIG SHIP? I JASON AFFOLDER
MITCH CLEM I FATTER THAN ALBERT I HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE
WITH JIM HENDERSON I ADVICE BY REVEREND SPOOKY I MORE!
www.antigravitymagazine.com
FREE!
PHOTO BY MANTARAY PHOTOGRAPHY
STAFF
PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF:
Leo McGovern
[email protected]
your new orleans music and culture alternative
ASSOCIATE EDITOR:
Dan Fox
[email protected]
WHY ARE WE BUILDING
SUCH A BIG SHIP?_page 18
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Nancy Kang, M.D.
[email protected]
Jacob Mazer
[email protected]
Dan Mitchell
[email protected]
AuraLee Petzko
[email protected]
Sara Pic
[email protected]
Mike Rodgers
[email protected]
Brett Schwaner
[email protected]
Nicholas Simmons
[email protected]
Jason Songe
[email protected]
J.W. Spitalny
[email protected]
Mallory Whitfield
[email protected]
AD SALES:
[email protected]
504-881-7508
SET SAIL WITH THE BAND WITH THE LONGEST NAME IN NOLA
ON THE COVER:
Remembering Brian Turd_page 12
Friends of the local frontman remember the much-loved singer.
FEATURES:
The AG Wish List_page 14
Some suggestions for the AG stockings.
REVIEWS:
Homefield Advantage_page 15
Making it through a stressful Saints season and an interview with Jim Henderson.
COLUMNS:
Film_page 20
ANTI-News_page 5
Sun Dogs and a chat with Jason Affolder.
Some of the news that’s fit to print.
Comics_page 23
The AG Social_page 5
Brian Turd Cover Art by Steve Whatstyle
Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship photo
by Eric Martinez
We like stuff! Send it to:
111 South Alexander St.
New Orleans, La. 70119
Have listings? Send them to:
events@antigravity
magazine.com
ANTIGRAVITY is a publication of
ANTIGRAVITY, INC.
RESOURCES:
Homepage:
Fatter Than Albert_page 20
New Orleans’ favorite ska band proves they’re fat.
A chat with punk comic artist Mitch Clem.
Last month in photo form.
Music_page 24
N.O. Punks Special_page 6
Brett Schwaner gives his wishes for the NOLA music scene.
Burn the Scene_page 7
Albums by Crystal Stilts, Cradle of Filth, Darkthrone, Of Montreal, Satyricon, Wilderness
EVENTS:
Guest columnist Bryan Funck fills the gap.
Listings_page 26
Dr. Feelgood_page 8
Previews of PhotoNOLA, a Sweet Home New Orleans Benefit
and the New Orleans Craft Mafia Last Stop Shop
Quit playing too many video games and get moving!
The Goods_page 9
Some local options for X-Mas shopping.
COMICS:
Guidance Counseling_page 10
Illustrations_page 30
Qomix, How To Be Happy, The K Chronicles, Load.
The Reverend Spooky dishes advice.
INTROLETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
www.antigravitymagazine.com
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antigravitymagazine
4_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
T
his issue wraps things up for the 2008 version of this magazine—
we had a fun ride, did you? This issue is both celebratory and
tragic, as our cover features a drawing of Brian Turd, the singer
who was killed last month in the Irish Channel, by Steve Whatstyle. Read
Dan Fox’s collection of what some of Brian’s friends have to say about
him and you’ll be touched, even if you didn’t know him.
This issue features interviews galore, with Why Are We Building Such
a Big Ship?, Sun Dogs’ Jason Affolder, punk comic artist Mitch Clem and
Fatter Than Albert—we’re really closing the year heavy on the Q&A. We
also give Santa a few gift ideas (and delve into some wishful thinking) for
those looking for the perfect something for any New Orleans music and/
or sports fan. We also have the interview I’ve been waiting my whole
sports-fan life for, WWL-TV Sports Director and Saints play-by-play
announcer Jim Henderson. All said, we think it’s a great way to end
the year and, as always, we’ll be looking for ways to improve next
year.
In the meantime, we’ll get away for the holiday shuffle and leave you
with this photo, which I shot upon arriving at a friend’s car after the
Po-Boy Festival in November. Just remember that, if you feel bad, you
probably don’t feel as bad as the person who, while trying to parallel
park this car, opened their door, looked back, and upon putting the
car in reverse somehow greeted the curb with the corner of their door,
crumpling the whole thing like a used Coke can.
See you in ’09! —Leo McGovern, Editor in Chief
COLUMNON THE SCENE
1.
3.
4.
5.
2.
1) “Kurt & Courtney,” by Dan Fox. 2) Ballzack and Odoms, by Rebecca Kennedy. 3) Dark Meat, by Alexandra Dibrell. 4) The Royal
Pendletons, by Kristen Zoller. 5) Jimmy Glickman, by Dan Fox.
COLUMNANTI-NEWS AND VIEWS
AFTER THE A.D. COVER
DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME
For over a year and a half you’ve been able to follow AG editor Leo McGovern and several
other New Orleanians’ Katrina stories through A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, SMITHmag.
net’s webcomic by Josh Neufeld. Now you can look forward to the print version from
Pantheon Books, and we’ve got the cover to prove it. With a cover designed by the famed Chip
Kidd, the A.D. book is set for a Summer ’09 release. Find out more over at smithmag.net and
randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphicnovels.
The latest from the brain of Mike Kennedy (director of the recent Ballzack “Rainbow in Marrero”
video, Lil’ Doogie and such) comes his new website, noadventure.com. The site focuses on activities
of the physical kind that can be accomplished in and around New Orleans and the difficulty levels
are varied, from kayaking Bayou St. John to spelunking the abandoned Civil Defense shelter at
the end of West End Boulevard in Lakeview. Part Vice Magazine, part Jackass and all Kennedy,
noadventure looks to be a good resource for getting the hell off that bar stool and out into our
Sportsman’s Paradise.
FREE NOMA
The New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park is waiving its admission fee through January 18th, 2009.
That means you can freely check out NOMA’s Prospect.1 exhibitions, the current Faberge exhibition,
plus Photography and Depression, Prints Past & Prints Present: Limited Editions From Louisiana and A Taste for
Excellence: A Tribute to Louisiana Collector H. Speed Lamkin. NOMA admittance has been free for Louisiana
residents since Katrina, but this freebie period is for all, even those out-of-towners you have staying with
you for the holidays.
THE BOOKFAIR WANTS PHOTOS
Went to the New Orleans Bookfair on November 15th? You did say hi to the AGers manning a table
in d.b.a., didn’t you? If you snapped some photos of us, the cotton candy tribute to Helen Hill or any of
the other neat Bookfair things going on around Frenchmen St. that day, the Bookfair organizers would
like to see it. If you’re interested in allowing them to use your photos to document the Bookfair, drop an
e-mail to robinstricklin @gmail.com and let her know.
HOT IRON PRESS SEEKS TO FILL VISITING ARTIST PROGRAM
From a letter by our friends over at Hot Iron Press:
“We are seeking artists to apply to our visiting artist program at Hot Iron Press. Though we do offer
residencies for New Orleans area artists, in this instance we’re specifically looking for out-of-town
artists to bring to New Orleans. We have funding to provide for all expenses—travel, accommodations,
materials, shipping, and a stipend. It would be a great opportunity for deserving artists to come spend
some time in the Big Easy, make some prints, have a show, and have all expenses paid!”
For more information, send an e-mail to hotironpress @hotmail.com.
5
antigravitymagazine.com_
COLUMNLOCAL MUSIC
N.O. PUNKS SPECIAL
MUSINGS ON A NEW ORLEANS
MUSIC SCENE
by brett schwaner
I
[email protected]
’ll admit that I haven’t been very good this year, both outwardly and
inwardly. I probably don’t deserve to have any of my wishes fulfilled. I spend
most of my time frowning. I habitually post fake “missed connection” ads
on Craigslist. Sometimes, I sleep face down on my floor just so I won‘t have to
make my bed in the morning. I never wash my hands before returning to work.
I force my friends to listen to Huey Lewis and the News when they ride in my
car. I draw pictures of dead unicorns in my notebook. Children hate me because
I give out really bad candy on Halloween. It’s safe to say that I’m pretty low on
Santa’s list this year.
In between all of the horrible things that I just mentioned, I did manage to
make it out to quite a few local shows in 2008. Over the course of the past twelve
months, I’ve probably been out to every rock music venue in the city at least once,
not counting various shows in people’s living rooms and in random warehouse
spaces here and there.
After spending yet another year witnessing the city’s rebirth, now three-plus
years post-K, having logged another couple dozen local concert-going experiences,
and being just a little harder of hearing for it, I’ve come to a conclusion that’s
probably worse than anything I confessed to earlier in this column: I think that
we can do better.
Before you tune out and write me off as some cantankerous hack, sounding
the tired alarm that “culture is dying,” just hear me out for a second. I’ve been
around this scummy town for a while now and I’m not looking to stand up on
my soapbox and condemn the current state of the local music scene. Far from it.
I’ve seen this town do better. I know that we can do better.
The main problem facing the rock scene in New Orleans as we turn the
calendar towards 2009 is not a lack of musicians interested in creating music.
A quick glance at the concert calendar of any local venue would reveal more
shows featuring local bands than you could shake a stick at. Looking over
any given concert listing, what would you likely find? You’d probably find an
ocean of jam bands, maybe some instrumental stuff, a little ska, gloomy metal,
droning indie-rock and a whole bunch of bands with bad haircuts and illegible
logos.
Looking back over the past decade, the local rock bands that really stand
out in my mind are the ones who broke from trends. They were the ones who
really had something to say. They weren’t preoccupied with following the crowd
and rehashing what had come before. The memorable ones didn’t spend their
time trying to amass thousands of indifferent Myspace “fans,” rehash the past
by wallowing in nostalgia or aspire to the mediocrity of pedestrian bar metal
or lifeless indie-rock. They did what they did with an undeniable energy and
presence. That’s what made them great. And I think that’s what’s largely missing
from the “new” New Orleans rock scene right now.
Someone (and I forget who exactly, sorry!) once wrote that nostalgia is a
statement of contempt to the present and a fear of the future. Ian MacKaye,
speaking of his former band, once said “Minor Threat can’t change anyone’s
life because Minor Threat isn‘t a band anymore.” Keeping those sentiments
in mind, I don’t want to dwell on this city’s past. The Ghostwood, The Picts,
The Robinsons, The Skullniks, The Suburban Rats and The Supaflies were all
amazing bands during their time, but their time is in the past. What exists now
is all that we have and what we should aspire to be is that which is greater than
we are.
So, my wish for the New Orleans rock scene in 2009 is this: Aspire to be better.
Be progressive. Be inventive. Reject sameness. Eschew mediocrity. Break from
trends and break boundaries in the process. Get out of your comfort zone. Claw
your eyes out if that’s what it takes (okay, that may be asking a bit much…).
Strive to be prolific, whether you’re playing to a crowd of 10 people or a crowd
of 1,000.
Don‘t forget to have fun, though. Seriously. If you’re not excited to be doing
what you’re doing, then why bother, right? I want to be excited about going
to shows in this town every week. I want to stumble out of music venues at
2:00 a.m. feeling like I just witnessed something amazing. I want to continue to
witness the growth and rebirth of the New Orleans music scene.
That’s not to say that there aren’t some great bands in New Orleans right now,
because there are. I’ve seen them… both of them. I kid, I kid! Actually, I’m going
to resist naming them all because I don’t like playing favorites and this isn‘t a
“best of” list, anyway. There are a bunch of great ones out there and you‘ll know
them when you hear them. They’ll sound better.
6_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
COLUMNLOCAL MUSIC
BURN THE SCENE
HARDCORE FOR THE HARDCORE
by auralee petzko [email protected]
by bryan funck fl[email protected]
I
nstead of catching an amazing show at the Outer Banks on the 22nd with Haarp and Big
Baby, I spent sixteen hours driving around Covington looking for a wedding that was actually
in Abita Springs. After countless wrong turns, a non-stop mom-sister combo bludgeoning of
Metairie drawl and a ravishing hunger of grimness—I found the place. Of course, I missed the
ceremony and there were no vegan options on the menu. Classic. The Big Baby set I was missing,
on the other hand, strayed from the typical and into the sublimely unique. To celebrate Lauren
Goldstein’s return to New Orleans and the unusual attendance of certain female Lakeview
Kultists, Big Baby played their oft-requested but rarely performed hit “Creepy Alone Time.” Big
Baby slowly defies all odds. Their penchant for confusing the ignorant New Orleans masses with
their otherworldly space odysseys has made them a favorite with the progressive punks of the
northeast and the smarter folks from down south. And then there’s Haarp, who simply cannot
be denied. Shaun Emmons’s vocals and stage presence blend perfectly with their pummeling
doom metal. One young man who saw the Outer Banks spectacle said “his vocals have always
been frightening, but now he sounds truly horrific. He’s a goddamn monster.” I can picture him
now: his bald head a swollen, red beet; sweat raining from every pore of his being; anguished
growls breaking out like thunder: “I open my legs for money!”
I also skipped out on the Torche show at the Dragon’s Den with Clouds and Black Cobra to
knock out some accounting down at the Iron Rail. I guess I wasn’t the only one who missed it
since there was supposedly only about 20 or 30 people there this time around—a pale comparison
to Torche’s last show at the Den, which was packed to the gills. Perhaps the cold, dark Sunday
scared all the timid metal warriors into submitting to modern convenience. Perhaps the high door
price along with the failing economy had folks reigning in their spending practices. Perhaps the
booking agent’s hatred for local bands reared back its serpent head and struck out at its master.
In any case, the touring bands still delivered with some high quality sludgy metal. Torche even
blew the breakers not once, not twice, but of times THRICE—finally ending the show in an
explosion of sparks and a bustling inferno of wreckage.
Neither weddings nor Iron Rail inventory nor frozen wintry gusts could stop me from
catching the 2008 New Orleans Bookfair. Vendors were packed into every watering hole
and lined up and down two blocks of Frenchman Street like gutter waifs skillfully dodging
serfdom, haranguing tourists with their printed wares. They hawked their independent books
and art; guides to alternative, homeopathic and occult cure-alls, manuals for future criminal
masterminds (though the fullest instruction guides for perspective illegalists can best be found
in the action of avoiding arrest at the annual Bookfair after-party or, if pinched, by scouring the
blueprints of the criminal mind while being packed like sardines in OPP). Bywater sorcerers and
minstrels filled the streets with their bardic magicks, including the archmages in Why Are We
Building Such a Big Ship?, blowing their wind and brass instruments with the breath of demigods and hammering out ancient, heroic rhythms on their percussive dingle dongs. Bourgeoisie
Uptowners and street-walking hobos joyfully bumped taddies all day long in a bacchanalian
celebration of literacy. Following in the enormous black shadows of Kyle Bravo and GK Darby
is no small feat, but Robin Strickland and her minions deftly pulled it off this year.
After the amazing hardcore fest that Seth threw at the end of November, I don’t know if
anything in the bleak, grey month of December will compare, but here’s the run down of what’s
scheduled so far: Zoroaster and Deadbird return for another metal show with local punk lords
A Hanging and Christian-hating Catholicon.
Although it’s not hardcore, it’s still slightly punk—Greg Rodrigue and Fatter Than Albert
are hosting a show at a new all ages space uptown called The Vintage (above Temple Gym
on Magazine between Napoleon and Jefferson). Supposedly, this place is nicer than the Big
Top (though I hear it’s even more expensive to rent out). Multimedia, surf, anime lycanthropes
Pumpkin, traveling pop punks Safety, and local high school rudies Shoot the Daily Edit are
all opening. Maybe we can subvert this new space for our own ends? On New Year’s Eve’s
Eve, hardcore emo screamo makes its triumphant return to the Neutral Ground with another
Light’s Bane installment featuring Cassettes on Fire, Vessels of Energia, Chiaroscuro and
Revolutionary Youth (all on tour) plus Party Time (local kickball MVPs). I guess we can spend
the rest of the month re-shelving books and keeping the Iron Rail nice and tidy.
An alliance of marriage and love has been made between former Charts & Maps singer
Ariel Wallick and her beau Simon Dorfman. Congratulations, guys! Much did my beautiful
pre-fiancé Emily McWilliams and my dour unsmiling self enjoy the festivities of your divine
matrimony. Soon young pups will be springing forth from your loins to take control of the New
Orleans punk scene alongside Mike Patton’s and Billy Slaughter’s brood.
In other news more useful than four pages wasted on football premonitions, Red Beards
alumnus Tate Carson has finally emerged from the wilderness of apathy and inactivity and
returned to the Magickal Realm of Punk Rock. His huge, grizzly beard has him looking more
like a member of Against Me! than the former bass player of one of New Orleans’ best kept
secrets. And yet even with his new facial hair, Tate’s song writing simply cannot compare to
the prodigious “Little James” Hayes he had replaced. James has a new band called The Lovey
Doveys with Adam Bebe from Rougarou and Chuck Dass from A Hunger Artist. I missed their
first show at the Circle Bar, but supposedly this is the best band James has ever been in. I did
briefly walk in on one of their practices, and they sounded killer. If you liked the Little James
songs in Red Beards, you’ll love these guys.
Some other new bands to keep an eye on are Necro Hippies and Further Reasoning. Necro
Hippies is sort of a cross between Minor Threat and Blatz, somehow combining fast hardcore
with sloppy, infectious pop punk into a cohesive whole. Ten-minute sets win again. Further
Reasoning isn’t quite a hardcore or a punk band, but their indie rock leanings are geared more
towards folks who like the ’90s emo /pop crossover stuff like Braid or I Hate Myself than the
bra-tossing Conor Oberst worshipers or the Okkervil River, TV on the Radio, Modest Mouse,
etc. indie rock sycophants.
New Orleans sucks because you suck: noladiy.org. Get involved or get out.
7
antigravitymagazine.com_
COLUMNMEDICINE
DR. FEELGOOD
SWEATIN’ TO THE OLDIES
by nancy kang, m.d.
[email protected]
A
s a performer and spectator, the Dragon’s
Den is one of my favorite venues. Carrying
gear up the winding stairs is treacherous
and physically demanding. I’m not going to drop
names, but it’s common to see our favorite local
musicians huff and puff from lifting amps and
guitars. Well, I hate to break it to you guys, but
schlepping music gear is NOT exercise!
I am not a cardiovascular behemoth. But this
month I want to share with you someone who is
a physical activity inspiration. We are entering the
decadent holiday season of wining and dining that
stretches all the way though Fat Tuesday. Cold,
rainy New Orleans winter days keep us inside, cozy but sedentary. Let’s think about a more active
alternative. Regular exercise can make us a healthier and happier community. Read on for a real life
challenge for all you couch surfing music lovers out there.
THE FACTS
More than sixty percent of U.S. adults do not engage in the recommended amount of physical activity.
Approximately twenty-five percent of U.S. adults are not active at all. Physical inactivity is more
common among women than men, African American and Hispanic adults than whites, older than
younger adults, less affluent than more affluent people. Social support from family and friends has been
consistently and positively related to regular exercise.
WHY EXERCISE?
Exercise can reduce your risk of dying! Exercise reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, high blood
pressure, colon cancer and diabetes. Physical activity helps maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
Harkening back to last month’s Dr. Feelgood column-crusade for mental health, exercise also reduces
symptoms of anxiety and depression and fosters improvements in mood and feelings of well-being.
Most of us know that exercise helps control weight, develop lean muscle, and reduce body fat. New
studies suggest exercise can reverse alcohol-induced brain damage.
Exercise helps you sleep better. It improves memory and reaction times. It is a good way to meet
people. It gives you a rosy glow. It makes you look attractive like David Beckham.
Physical activity need not be strenuous to achieve health benefits. Previously sedentary people who
begin physical activity programs should start with short sessions (5-10 minutes) of physical activity
and gradually build up to the desired level of activity. There was a morbidly obese woman who started
her workout program by clapping her hands for a few minutes at a time! Adults with chronic health
problems should first consult a physician before beginning a new program of physical activity.
A PERSONAL STORY
My sister Jane is a player. She follows the latest bands, dresses up like Bacon and Spam on Halloween
and lives in the Texas hold-out of cool, Austin. But she also recently lost seventy pounds and in
November, completed an Iron Man triathlon: 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run.
Before exercise, this born again athlete had diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. All
have disappeared.
Austin is a city of Emo’s, South by Southwest, and Sixth Street. But it is also a city of bike trails,
parks and hot girls in New Balance. Exercise can change your life and your relationship with your city.
What is your relationship with New Orleans? Molly’s and Mardi Gras? Gin rickeys and Fiorella’s fried
chicken? There are also jogs on the Riverwalk, urban hikes in the Quarter, ultimate frisbee at the Fly
and a small plot of land called City Park for heaven’s sake!
HOW TO START
Our city is full of outlets for physical activity despite our reputation as an exclusive eating and drinking
destination. Walk. Dance. Go to a yoga class. Join a gym. Play B-ball (I’ll be shirts, you’ll be skins).
Some pointers for maintaining an active lifestyle:
1. Time of Day. What’s the point in signing up for sunrise Jazzercise when you are not a morning
person? You might start with the best intentions - but it will probably not last. Find the time that works
best for you.
2. Boredom Busters. Does a treadmill bore you to tears? If you bore easily (like me) then mix it up. The
feeling of doing something new or different can keep you interested.
3. Buddy system. It’s tough enough to motivate yourself without having a bunch of couch potatoes
pouring scorn on your intentions. Find a friend and encourage each other. Make exercise dates.
4. It’s not All or Nothing. “If I can’t workout properly then there is no point in working out at all.”
Ridiculous. Untrue. Even a five-minute walk is better than five minutes on the couch. Don’t give up.
Something is better than nothing.
5. It’s not just about looks. That twiggy indie rock coffee shop wench may look good—but dress size is
no indication of health. Exercise is as much about a healthy body as it is about looking good. Our goal
should be to exude strength and life.
DR. FEELGOOD’S MARDI GRAS HALF-MARATHON CHALLENGE
The annual New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 5K is Sunday, February 1, 2009!
I pledge to be among those sweaty runners on that day. Take the pledge with me! If you complete
either the marathon, half-marathon or 5 K, show me your medal and get in free to our post-Marathon
Glorybee show and party at a super secret as-yet -undisclosed location. Register at mardigrasmarathon.
com. Today is a perfect day to start training. See you on race day!
This column serves the public health interest of New Orleans’ music community and is not meant as medical advice.
For medical treatment or counseling, seek care from a medical professional.
8_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
COLUMNFASHION
THE GOODS
HOMEGROWN GIFT IDEAS
by miss malaprop
[email protected]
W
hile shopping local should be a year-round goal, it’s especially important to
make the effort this holiday season, in the midst of troubled economic times. Did
you know that, according to StayLocal.org, a dollar spent at a locally-owned
small business has three times the impact on your local community and local economy
than a dollar spent at national big-box stores like Wal-Mart or Best Buy? It doesn’t just stop
at discount chains either; think about all of the amazing locally owned restaurants, bars
and other services we have at our disposal here in New Orleans. If you’re still stumped for
holiday gift ideas, I’ve put together some suggestions for just about any taste or budget, all
available at local small businesses.
GREAT GOODS UNDER $25
There are plenty of locally made gifts that cost less than $25. Etsy’s Shop Local feature is
a great place to start. Just log onto Etsy.com, click on “Shop Local” on the left side of the
screen and then set New Orleans as your home location. The search will pull up tons of
unique, handmade items from a variety of local artists. For more locally handmade treats,
check out the New Orleans Craft Mafia webshop (shop.neworleanscraftmafia.com) or
B-Native.com. Metro Three (2032 Magazine St), Dirty Coast (5704 Magazine St), and
Defend New Orleans (defendneworleans.com) also have something for just about anyone
among their selections of NOLA-centric t-shirts, and most are priced under $25. For the
bookworms in your circle of friends, try picking up a gift at Maple Street Book Shop (7523
Maple St) or Octavia Books (513 Octavia St) and avoid the holiday rush at the big chain
stores. The friendly staffs are sure to have some great recommendations on the perfect
book to give.
FOR HER
Green Spa Therapy (1546 Magazine St, 504-322-7663) is a new day spa specializing in
massage, skin and body treatments, waxing, makeup applications and more. They offer
green makeup alternatives and other eco-friendly goods in their retail section, and gift
certificates for a day of pampering are a sure-fire hit for any lady on your holiday shopping
list.
For delicious-smelling treats, try the custom blended perfumes available at Bourbon
French Parfums (805 Royal St), which has been in business in New Orleans since 1845. The
selection of fun wigs and fabulous makeup at Fifi Mahony’s (934 Royal St) is something
almost any girl can get behind, and while she’s in the mood to dress up, you might also
try the vintage inspired styles at Trashy Diva (2048 Magazine St & 829 Chartres St) or
the killer lingerie selections at House of Lounge (2044 Magazine St) and Trashy Diva
Lingerie (831 Chartres St). If you’ve got big bucks to spend this holiday season, or perhaps
you’re thinking of popping the question over the holidays, check out the locally designed
jewelry at Aucoin Hart Jewelers (1525 Metairie Road) or Mignon Faget (mignonfaget.
com).
FOR HIM
The posh selection of men’s accessories and old-school barbershop style haircuts and
shaves at Aiden Gill (2026 Magazine St & 550 Fulton St) almost makes me wish I was
a guy. Any gift from here would be perfect for sophisticated fellas, but if you think he’d
rather get dressed up New Orleans style, try Perlis (6070 Magazine St) or top off the look
with a cool cap from Meyer the Hatter (120 St. Charles Ave). For guys with a more
alternative, twisted sense of style, check out the array of geek, goth, and literary t-shirts
designed and printed in New Orleans at Sigh Co. Graphics (sighco.com). Athletic types
will love something from Massey’s Professional Outfitters (masseysoutfitters.com).
CONSUMABLE AND CHARITABLE
What to get for the person who already has everything? Think consumable or charitable
gifts. A gift certificate to a favorite local restaurant is always a hit, and what friend wouldn’t
appreciate a case of Abita Beer picked up from a local company like Martin Wine Cellar
(martinwine.com)? CC’s and PJ’s coffee gift cards are a great inexpensive option for friends
or co-workers. Another idea is to make a charitable donation in someone else’s name to a
local non-profit organization. Think about the recipient’s interests and base the donation on
that. Eco-warrior? Try The Green Project (thegreenproject.org). Animal lover? Maybe a
donation to Animal Rescue New Orleans (animalrescueneworleans.org) or the Louisiana
SPCA (la-spca.org) would be a perfect gift. For more ideas, go to CharityNavigator.org
and do an advanced search to find charities based in New Orleans.
The above list is by no means comprehensive, so check out StayLocal.org for more reasons
why you should shop local and for more local holiday shopping ideas. Be sure to view their
events calendar as well for a list of upcoming markets where you can meet and purchase
gifts directly from local artists.
FOR MORE MISS MALAPROP, GO TO:
9
antigravitymagazine.com_
COLUMNADVICE
GUIDANCE
COUNSELING
WHO’S GOT PROBLEMS?
this month’s counselor: reverend spooky lestrange
I
f you were to go to a city like, say, New York or Las Vegas, and
picked the minds of their local burlesque troops with one question:
“What do you know about New Orleans’ current burlesque
scene,” one name would invariably come up—The Reverend Spooky
LeStrange. Seen around New Orleans with her Billion Dollar Baby
Dolls (frequently set up in her Church of Burlesque) and performing
in conjunction with the Elvis Presley interpretation band Clockwork
Elvis, Spooky’s gained national notoriety by participating in the New
York Burlesque Festival, Tease-O-Rama and Ponderosa Stomp, and
also with bands in the know like El Vez, Dirty Diamond and Andre
Williams. To sum it up, we thought Spooky LeStrange was the perfect
burlesque performer to dispense advice this month because she’s got one thing most others don’t—
credibility. And it’s cred built up not by creating some show for herself to be in but by mastering her
craft and garnering notice from the best in her medium. Oh, and she’s available for weddings, birthdays
and bachelor/bachelorette parties. And funerals and baptisms. No, really—go over to myspace.com/
billiondollarbabydolls and book her for your next quasi-religious function today.
Dear AG,
I have a friend who recently kicked a nasty heroin addiction, which sounds like great news, and we are all grateful
and happy for him. The problem in all of this is that part of his recovery seems to involve a whole lot of J.C. talk. As
his friend I want to support his new direction in life, but at the same time it’s really hard for me to spend time with
him in “bible study” or having these awkward conversations about God and salvation, etc… Considering my own
views on the subject are somewhat charged in the opposite direction, what the hell should I do (no pun intended)?
First of all, your friend hasn’t “kicked his nasty heroin addiction.” He simply replaced it with an even
nastier addiction—religion. And, unfortunately, there is no such thing as Sanctimonious Bullshitter’s
Anonymous. There is no reasonable way to handle this situation and there is no one more stubborn
or impossible to reach than the newly converted. Your three options are simple. One, call it quits on
this lost cause before it’s too late, or two, employ the techniques perfected by the Scientology Cult
and brainwash your friend back to a happy, healthy existence. Or, you could convert, start your own
religion and make a million dollars. And remember, this is coming from a reverend!
Dear AG,
How much is too much?
Ha! There’s no such thing! The bigger, the sparklier, the gaudier, the better!
Dear AG,
Christmas is on the horizon and, like tons of people, I’m a bit strapped for cash. Members of my immediate family
(who are all better off than me) expect lavish gifts from everyone, and last year was a nightmare because of my
“mid-grade” presents—and I was actually financially better off back then. I’ve tried the whole “please don’t get me
anything” line, and it doesn’t stick. I wind up getting tons of presents and feel guilty about keeping them and even
more guilty about my lacking gifts—and it’s made even worse when my family is vocal about how I’ve disappointed
them yet again. What do I do?
Here’s a little peek into the ghosts of Rev. Spooky’s past. My stepfather is notorious in our family for
hating and making fun of every present he’s ever received (Christmas, birthdays, Father’s Day, any giftgiving holiday). At the age of 17 I was no longer living at home, but I still felt the need to buy my family
presents. I made a trip down to the local dollar store and got almost everyone’s presents. But I was
having real problems thinking of something for dear ol’ dad. I finally settled on a pair of water-pump
pliers (I had no idea at the time what a water pump even was!). When he opened the gift he laughed and
laughed and teased me unmercifully, but I played it off like I didn’t care. The next year, I opened my
present from my father and it was the same unopened pair of water-pump pliers. The next Christmas,
guess what I got him? It has now become something of a Christmas tradition and a welcome source of
hilarity at family gatherings. Family doesn’t care if you’re cheap, so long as you make them laugh!
Dear AG,
I’m in high school and have a friend who’s in a wheelchair. She’s not mentally disabled, and is pretty smart,
actually. My problem is she tries to cheat off of my work all the time. If we have homework, she calls to ask if I’ve
finished with it before she even tries to start. If we have a take-home test, she always wants to work on it together,
only I wind up doing the work while she watches TV or plays on her laptop. The one time I tried to tell her
something about it we were in class and she cried for ten minutes in front of everyone—and then the teacher had me
stay behind after class and explain why I was “mean” to her. The whole thing is getting on my nerves. I don’t want
to get her in trouble, but how do I get her to stop?
If I were you, this is what I would do. First, if she calls for the answers to your homework, give her
mostly wrong ones with a few of the right ones mixed in. Turn yours in with all the right answers. Be
sure to show her your grade, if she doesn’t get the hint from the vast difference in the two grades you
need to take drastic measures! Buy a tarantula or a rat and place it on her toes. (Use cash and make
sure you buy them out of town. Also, may I suggest a wig and glasses as well?) After she’s had a good,
long freakout, ask her very nicely to stop cheating off of you. Or, you could always set up a sting with
one of those “nanny cams.” Get her on tape, make copies and then tell her you’ll take it up with her
parents and the schoolboard if she doesn’t turn over a new leaf. She’ll either change or kill herself.
Either way, you win!
NEED SOME ADVICE? SEND YOUR PROBLEMS TO:
[email protected]
10_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
COVER FEATUREMUSIC
REMEMBERING BRIAN TURD
photos by gary loverde
12_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
COVER FEATUREMUSIC
W
ell, once again we at Antigravity have
to wonder why we are covering someone’s
death rather than their band. Brian Turd,
singer for Lez Turdz and more recently the
Nassty Habits, was murdered last month
by the corner of 6th and Chippewa in the Irish Channel
neighborhood, his dog left standing over him, defending his
body much in the same way Brian defended the people he was
close to. The one time I met Brian was at the Saint, where
he introduced himself simply as Turd. That one occasion
proved to have far-reaching consequences, though, as
he almost effortly destroyed a planned interview with
the band Die Rotzz and created something far more
interesting in its wake. Paul Artigues, the drummer for
Die Rotzz, remembered that night with me at Turd’s
vigil and had this to say about it: “He’s the sweetest,
most caring person to ever take a picture and make
fun of a Japanese guy taking a shit.” Turd’s death
has unleashed an infinite string of stories about
him, proof of a life well lived. Joe Pestilence sums
it all up well when he writes, “Any night out with
him was sure to unravel into a psychotic joyride
of exposed body parts, broken glass, abused
substance abusers and the occasional night in
jail, dark eyes dilated as if they were all pupils
the entire time.”
Of course, for all the stories of excess it was
noted by Adele Hunt that he had mellowed
somewhat prior to his death, perhaps due to his
return to New Orleans from Gulfport and finding
a (relatively) healthy groove. “Before he died,
there was a different light in his eyes. He probably
died at a really peaceful place in his heart,” Hunt
said. Adele was also one of a chorus of people
who felt protected and safe with Turd around. Jen
Kirtlan says, “When the Saint first opened I was
the bartender on opening night (and for the next
five months) and Brian Turd was my door man. He
was protecting my ass every time I worked. It was
an intense time in that neighborhood—and it still
is—but I felt completely fine when he was... keeping
things in line, which helped me tremendously. I
never had a sense of security without him there, so
it makes it more bittersweet that it’s this way now.”
Jen also pointed out Turd’s inner charm. “One of
the last things he said to me was a compliment. He
was that kind of guy, especially to the ladies—very
sweet to the ladies! I’ll just keep it between us, but
it was very sweet and positive and I cherish it and
we’ll miss him tremendously,” she said. Colby Spath
writes, “Although he had a near legendary crazy side,
he was the kind of person you could always count
on. If you were in a tough spot and he was around he
was there for you. If he said he’d be somewhere he’d
be there, no doubt.” King Louie appreciated Turd for
his contribution to the city. “He was important... He
was doing the right thing. He moved here, got a job, got
a place, was in two bands (here and in Gulfport) and
he was doing everything the right way, the way we tell
people from everywhere to come back to the city and
create and help recover, and that’s what he was doing,”
Louie said.
With a figure like Turd it’s easy to get lost in the many
voices and internet alleyways scribbled over with his
name, but I’ll simply leave it to Joe Pestilence to offer some
direction in dealing with the tragedy of his death: “We will
always be numb and stunned by this travesty and horror. It
is a tremendous, irreplaceable loss. But we also know that
if we keep dwelling on it he’d call us a bunch of fucking
pussies and sucker punch us with a broken Pabst bottle, only
to wake up the next day and laugh about it.” —Dan Fox
13
antigravitymagazine.com_
FEATUREHOLIDAYS
ANTIGRAVITY’S HOLIDAY WISH LIST
by leo mcgovern
3.
2.
1) A CHAMPIONSHIP
While we were ready to put “new defensive
coordinator” on our holiday wish list, the Saints’
first two-game winning streak makes us hold off on
that for awhile. Whoever coaches the Saints, there’s
always one thing we want in New Orleans—a
championship. We haven’t before tasted that kind
of success in the Crescent City, and it’s still a long
shot even a playoff berth will fill our stockings, but
that’s why this is a wish list. If ’08 turns out to indeed
be Deuce McAllister’s last with the Saints, wouldn’t
winning a championship be the right way to send off
one of the most loved players in the team’s history?
A far second from an NFL championship, an
NBA title would whet our appetites, wouldn’t it? The
Hornets aren’t off to as good a start as they hoped
to be, but you can’t count out Chris Paul, David
West and company in the long run. It’d almost
be bittersweet if the Hornets won a championship
before the Saints, but beggars can’t be choosers and,
who knows, it may break the dam wide open.
2) THE SWAMP TECH SHIRT BY
DEFEND NEW ORLEANS
Note the band names in place of some cities on this
sweet shirt by Defend New Orleans. You probably
already own the classic punk and/or the New Orleans
Daiquiris-themed shirts, but this one is a re-release of
an earlier shirt that Mr. Quintron wore on tour back
in 2005. This is a fine shirt for any purveyor of local
music. Also, check out the hoodies on the DNO
website—they cost more than the tees but have some
nice designs. Who doesn’t need a hoodie for those
four days it’s cold in New Orleans?
3) THE CHURCH SHIRT BY DIRTY COAST
You can never go wrong with a Saints-themed
gift for a New Orleanian. This shirt is special for
anyone who chooses to give their weekly tithe to an
array of food and drink vendors in the one and only
Superdome. For eight (or in this year’s case, seven)
glorious black and gold games between September
and January, hieratic and heathens alike gather in
the biggest house of worship in the city—and love
every minute of it. Buy the shirt at dirtycoast.com
or at 5704 Magazine St.
1.
1a.
4.
4)ANGELO
BROCATO’S
PUMPKIN ICE
CREAM
If you like pumpkin
pie, pumpkin bread,
pumpkin lattes or
pretty much pumpkin
anything, you’ll love
the pumpkin ice cream
at Angelo Brocato’s at
214 North Carrollton
Ave. in Mid-City.
Who wouldn’t want
a quart of ice cream to
wash down Christmas
dinner?
14_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
DAN FOX’S X-MAS RECORD
RECOMMENDATIONS
T
here have been more than a few releases in
the past couple of months that have really
made me happy to be part of our music scene,
and in the spirit of the season I’d like to recommend
the following releases to stuff in your or any music
fan’s stockings.
WE NEED TO TALK: It’s Not Us, It’s You 7”
(IFB / Human Crush / One Eye)
Love it or hate it, We Need
to Talk is one of the most
intriguing band names ever
and their music lives up to
the statement. Aggressive,
riff-heavy and organic in its
production, It’s Not Us, It’s
You stays squarely on top of
the intensity, sounding genuinely pissed, amped
and fast. It doesn’t hurt to have Andy Gibbs on
drums, who, as a guitarist in Thou and Spring Break
Shark Attack, knows a thing or too about passionate
playing. Singer (and AG contributor) AuraLee
Petzko has a great growl/howl that brings out the
same in the bass and guitar. I also appreciate their
humor, which seems like more of a throwback to an
earlier time. I hear this band has a hard time keeping
things together but I hope they can stick around and
not become another Copout. The solution’s in their
name, after all.
THE ROYAL PENDLETONS: Louisiana Party
Music 7” (Allons Records)
THE ROYAL PENDLETONS: Nites Along the
Mississippi 12” (Allons Records)
The legend goes something
to the effect that in sifting
through some garbage at
his parents’ hardware store,
drummer
(King)
Louie
Bankston found some tapes
long thought to be destroyed
by a divorce and Katrina.
Rescued and repaired, we get two releases by the
Royal Pendletons, one of New Orleans’ finest
musical acts of all time. Anyone who caught their
show at One Eyed Jack’s this past month would
probably agree, though their venue of choice might
have a darker atmosphere, lower ceilings and a dress
code. Nites Along the Mississippi splits sides between
two lives shows, one in Memphis and the other in
New Orleans, where it was recorded in the dearly
missed Mermaid Lounge. Both records are a time
warp, an experience drenched in Scotch and reverb,
evoking everything from the Animals to Dick Dale
to that proto-Ramones sound you hear during the
more heart-pulsing sets on Oldies radio. I’m glad to
hear an even more wicked version of “I’ve Got My
Sheep Suit On” and a recorded version of “Stormy,”
a churning, growing epic of a song. The Pendletons
are BACK!
D. BRIAN BECNELL: Dat Ole Bricknell CD-R (?)
I found this CD in a warehouse I used to work at.
Its author, D. Brian Becnell, was a co-worker whose
guitar chops I was vaguely aware of and is also a
part of the Terror Optics film production gang. Well,
this CD turned out to be pretty fucking entertaining.
Dropping squarely into the gas-huffing-geniusbasement-musician genre ala Beck or Ween, each
song is pieced together by cheap effects pedals,
simple recording procedures and a singular vision
of pop mastery. Tunes like the steady-paced “Drunk
Bastard” and countrified “You Take the Cake”—
that’s what I’m calling them, anyway, as the CD
is unlabeled—are infectious, repeatable tracks that
betray a sober, precise reasoning inside the haze. I
don’t know how you’re going to get a copy, but if
you see him around (just look for Sideshow Bob’s
real-life counterpart), ask for one.
WE’RE
ALIVE!
ALIVE!
THE
VOICE
OF
SAINTS
LET’S WIN ONE FOR THE DEUCE
GENERATIONS:
by nicholas simmons
SAINTS
PLAY-BY-PLAY
ANNOUNCER
JIM
A
t press time, a day before Thanksgiving, things are looking up for the Saints. I was
prepared to write a column bidding farewell to the 2008 Saints season, but their—dare I
say it—dominant 51-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football
changed my mind. The way the Saints had played until that point was, to put it lightly, extremely
disappointing for fans. They could reach an even record but not surpass it, the defense couldn’t stop
an offense even if the players’ lives counted on it, and the offense, as great as it can be behind the
masterful Drew Brees, would choose big moments to make mistakes that would lead to field goals
instead of touchdowns or a three-and-out instead of a time-consuming, defense-resting drive.
Suddenly, cornerbacks and safeties were making plays (even Jason David!) and the entire
defense played with the most emotion I’ve seen since Week 1 vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And
the argument that the Packers were a 5-5 team heading into that game, same as the Saints, doesn’t
lighten the impression. Of course, a lot of this good feeling can disappear with a misstep in Tampa
Bay on the Sunday between me writing this and you reading it. If you’re reading on December
1st and laughing because I was sucked back into the season only to see us lose in Tampa, just
know I’m probably huddled in the corner of my apartment, staring at the wall and waiting for
Christmas.
Whatever happens, I’ll rest easier knowing the Saints haven’t screwed me as much as they
screwed Greg Reynolds of Chico, California. Reynolds was a major player in ESPN’s “Streak For
the Cash” game, where contestants chose the winner of one of four sports matchups ESPN would
provide online. The first contestant to correctly pick twenty-five straight games would win. The
Saints/Packers Monday Night Football game was an option that weekend, and Reynolds, sitting
at twenty-four consecutive correct calls, picked…the Packers. Had Green Bay bested the Saints,
Reynolds would’ve won a million dollars.
BREES FOR MVP?
Drew Brees’ stretch of big games this season had him mentioned as a candidate for the ’08 MVP
award, but the Saints’ mediocrity in the standings recently bounced him from the list, though his
name popped up again after the Packers game. If the Saints finish this season with a playoff berth
after starting 5-5 and competing in a division where the three other teams could very will finish
the season above .500, doesn’t Brees deserve to be MVP? You could make a case for Patriots QB
Matt Cassel, but Cassel had several built-in weapons, like Randy Moss and Wes Welker, waiting
for him. Brees seems to find a way to get the ball to all his receivers, running backs and tight ends
(I think I caught a pass or two this season, the way Brees is spreading it around), all while playing
without Reggie Bush for at least four and a half games.
Also, much has been made about Drew Brees’ record-setting pace, an effort that may end
up with Brees beating Dan Marino’s single-season record for passing yards. That might sound
pretty good until you see the QBs who’ve vied for that record. Besides Marino, those QBs are
Rich Gannon (Oakland Raiders), Warren Moon (Houston Oilers) and Dan Fouts (San Diego
Chargers). Super Bowl appearances between those four QBs? Two. Super Bowl wins? Zero.
Not exactly elite company when it comes to the most important stat in football—championship
winning percentage.
SHOCKEY TO THE SYSTEM
Jeremy Shockey finally had a great game. Yes, through the Packers game he’s yet to score a
touchdown, but he had a key block that allowed Lance Moore to go nearly untouched into the end
zone on a 70-yard TD and he caught several clutch passes that extended drives for the Saints. We
have to admit it—we thought about giving up on Shockey, but if he continues to play at the level
shown in the Packers game I’ll be glad to eat my words.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR US?
Jammal Brown has to go. I’m sick of this guy getting perennial mentions on ESPN and in Sports
Illustrated as a “top left tackle” in the NFL. I realize that because the Saints’ offense is built around
the passing game, Brown has more opportunities to screw up, but this is past ridiculous. You can
count on Brown for at least two dumb things per game, sometimes the trifecta of the stupidest
things a left tackle can do: committing a holding penalty, allowing a sack or committing a false
start, and chances are they’ll come at the worst possible time. Brown sees himself as a left tackle, so
moving back to the right side, where he started his career, is probably something he wouldn’t do.
All I know is I’d rather give the less talented Zach Strief a shot, because there’s something about
Brown imploding in big spots that scares me.
Continued on Page 17...
HENDERSON TALKS ABOUT DEUCE,
FAVORITE SAINTS MOMENTS AND MORE
by leo mcgovern
HIS
T
he relationship between the Saints and the city of New Orleans is special due to the generations of
fans that grow up here, according to WWL Sports Director and Saints play-by-play announcer Jim
Henderson. If that’s true, there’s only one voice in the Crescent City that currently spans generations
of New Orleans sports fans, and Henderson’s is it. In 1978, Henderson succeeded the revered Hap Glaudi
at WWL-TV, and since 1986 he’s been the bedrock of Saints radio broadcasts alongside the likes of Archie
Manning, Stan Brock and Hokie Gajan. He’s called the best—and some of the worst—the Saints have
offered, from the franchise’s first division championship to their first playoff win to the dregs of the Mike
Ditka days, and through it all he’s been insightful, knowledgeable and, best of all, emotional. When the
Saints do well there’s audible power in Henderson’s voice, and when they’re performing poorly his sighs sum
up any Saints fan’s feelings. When he eventually hangs up his headphones, the Saints and the Superdome
could do no better than to hang a banner bearing Henderson’s name among those others representing the
great professionals who’ve given so much of their lives to New Orleans, like Jim Finks, Archie Manning and
Dave Dixon. Henderson is to New Orleans sports broadcasters what Donald Trump is to financiers or Brett
Favre is to quarterbacks—it’s impossible to imagine not seeing or hearing them, and you know it’ll be a long
time before anyone else comes close to filling their shoes.
To help make sense of this trying Saints season, HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE talked to Jim Henderson
about the Saints’ inconsistencies, the worst time of his professional career and the best free agent pickup of
all time.
Why do you think it took so long for the Saints to put together back-to-back wins this season?
I think primarily it was injuries. And that’s not to say they’re not going to go out and get beaten as badly
in Tampa Bay as they beat the Packers. Every week’s a different week, and those people who say, “How
did it take them so long to discover how to be this proficient,” there’s no guarantee they will be next week.
They have thirteen people on injured reserve, probably more than anybody in the NFL, and it’s been hard to
establish continuity. If Jeremy Shockey were at full strength, Marques Colston were at full strength—Reggie
Bush hasn’t even been in there, and when he comes back it’s hard to think of anybody who could stop this
team on a regular basis.
The Saints defense has been, at best, hit or miss all season. What do you think are some reasons the
defense hasn’t been as consistent as expected?
There aren’t a lot of playmakers on defense, and you go back to injuries there. The guys who are your
playmakers defensively, Mike McKenzie and Tracy Porter, who showed some ball skills, are both on injured
reserve. Not many teams in the NFL can afford to lose both their starting corners. The linebackers are not
playmakers, though Jonathan Vilma certainly helped them, and they’re not getting production from the
people they’re paying the most money to, Will Smith and Charles Grant.
It seems if they don’t either score early or the defense doesn’t get a stop early, they have problems.
Their first quarter’s been the worst quarter all year long. I think they’re 1-10 under Sean Payton if they’re
trailing at the end of the first quarter. They’ve had a hard time getting on track offensively and defensively as
well, and when you’re playing from behind that limits what you can do.
Do you think it was a mistake for the Saints to “go all in” this past offseason, with the trades for Vilma
and Shockey, giving up all those draft picks?
Not for Vilma. He’s made a great difference. Shockey looks to be a mistake. Vilma was an excellent addition,
the most active middle linebacker, as far as being a sideline-to-sideline performer and a good open field
tackler—the Saints have had in a long, long time. Vilma’s been durable all year long, Shockey looks like a
suspect addition, one they probably didn’t need and who hasn’t been that productive. Now, if he’s at full
strength, and he’s got a few more games to prove he can be, that can change. But right now it looks like a
mistake.
You recently said that for Pierre Thomas to get playing time over Deuce McAllister, Sean Payton must
believe Thomas gives the Saints the best chance to win. Do you think Deuce has gotten a raw deal this
season, seeing limited playing time and sitting out a few games at the beginning of the season?
We don’t see what Sean (Payton) sees in practice all the time. While Deuce is a really popular player, you’d
have to acknowledge he’s probably in the final throes of his career. Early in the season, there was a great
frustration in those 3rd and 1 calls when Deuce was watching from the sideline. You hear things like, “He’s
in Sean’s doghouse,” or, “Sean doesn’t like him.” I don’t think many coaches in the NFL can afford to sit
Continued on Page 16...
15
homefieldneworleans.com_
HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGESPORTS
a guy who’s a better performer than someone else just due to a like or dislike—and I don’t think Sean
dislikes him. I think he feels Pierre Thomas gives them the best chance to win. Deuce doesn’t have the
explosion anymore, or the quick first step. When they line Thomas up at fullback he’s converting on
short yardage because he’s got that burst.
Even above a defensive player?
Yep. Depending on who’s out there. Look at the difference Michael Turner’s made for the Falcons, and
they were a pretty good rushing team before he got there. The Saints don’t have that guy right now, and
it’s hurt them in a number of losses. Those narrow losses to Washington and Denver early in the season
and the loss against Minnesota. In all three of those games, had they been able to run the ball late they
would’ve been in a very good position to win, but they couldn’t run the ball when they had to. It almost
cost them in London, against the Chargers, where they ran three plays very ineffectually, punted the
ball back and luckily got a break with the Hail Mary being knocked down in the end zone. To me, the
biggest need on this football team is a big, powerful running back. I think Pierre’s going to be a good
role player, but he’s more of a slasher who gives you what he’s got. Over the course of a season I don’t
think he can hold up to the pounding a really quality number one back would command.
Will Drew Brees go down as the best Saints QB of all time?
Well, it’s a fairly narrow field. You’ve got Archie, you’ve got Bobby (Hebert), and Archie would have
to rank above Bobby. Aaron Brooks is the only other quarterback who took them to a playoff game,
and he’s certainly not in that category. I think you’d have to say Drew’s the best quarterback, even
though he’s only been here three years. At this point, you’ve got to consider him the best quarterback
in Saints history, and he’s hopefully got three or four more years at the top of his game. I’ve made this
point repeatedly to anyone who’ll listen—all through the years I’ve been here, and it’s been thirty, so
often Saints fans could point to somebody the Saints let go who performed well elsewhere. Well, Drew
Brees is the best free agent pickup in the history of free agency, and I’ll make that argument against
anybody. I was on the phone with the Packer people before the Monday night game. I made that
statement and they said, “Oh, no, no, no.” I’m sure they’re thinking of Reggie White, but you can’t
possibly equate a defensive end to a Pro Bowl quarterback. All the things Drew has meant to this team,
this city and this franchise, he’s the best pickup in the history of free agency in the NFL.
Who is your all-time favorite Saints player?
That’s hard to say. I would say I’ve liked certain people for certain reasons. Archie, because I admired him
so much when I got here and later worked with him and remain good friends with him to this day, is one.
I don’t know that I could give you one player, but a handful come to mind. When I first got here, Archie
Manning and Tommie Meyers. Later on, during the Mora years, Sam Mills. Brett Maxie was a very good
guy. On this team, obviously Drew. I’m a lot older than these guys, and when I first came in they were all
older, or at least my contemporaries. Now they’re younger than my children, so you kind of look at them in
a different way. I think you don’t have the relationship off the field you maybe had earlier.
What is your favorite Saints moment?
Before the home opener in 2006, I would’ve said the playoff win against the Rams, and probably
that moment is my all-time favorite in my association with the franchise. It was so cathartic, Hakim
dropped the ball and you knew the Saints were finally going to win their first playoff game when it
looked like it was going to be another typical Saints failure in the playoffs—blowing a big lead, failure
to hold it late in the game, another heartbreaking defeat, and how that ended, when it ended, and the
fact it ended the drought that existed the entire history of the franchise, that’s probably the greatest
moment. Overall, though, it’s obviously the opener against the Falcons on Monday Night Football. It
was so much more than a football game. It might be one of the worst broadcasts I’ve ever done, because
it was so emotional. I felt like I was going to lose it from beginning to end. I remember walking into that
place with Hokie—it still chokes me up to this moment—he had tears in his eyes, and it just brought
so many things to the forefront. What everybody had gone through, the agony of the city, obviously,
the agony of the organization. That year we spent in San Antonio was the most miserable year of my
professional career. That opener was so much more than a football game, it symbolized the rebirth of
the city, the rebirth of the franchise, you saw people you hadn’t seen in over a year. There were so many
levels of emotion in that game, apart from just being a win.
I remember having to hold my hands over my headphones and press them against my head to hear
anything, it was so loud during that game. It really was a new era.
Katrina really saved the Saints for New Orleans. Without Katrina, we’re a shrinking city with shrinking
corporate sponsors, a shrinking fanbase—I think they’d sold only 25,000 season tickets at the time—
you’re going to have another .500 football team with Aaron Brooks as the quarterback and Jim Haslett
as the coach, and most fans had made up their minds about both those guys. It really swept out all
the old and brought in the new. People decided at that time, and there are a few in this building, “I’ve
always wanted to be a Saints season ticket holder, what am I waiting for?” People decided this is what
they love about the city, and there certainly were no assurances on what tomorrow was to bring after
Katrina. Now look at it—they’ve got a season ticket waiting list, corporate sponsors, great players,
they’re one of the most exciting teams in the NFL, they’ve got a refurbished Superdome, and all these
things only happened because of Katrina.
What do you think creates the special connection New Orleanians have with the Saints?
They’ve been the only professional sports organization here for quite some time. There was the Jazz,
and now the Hornets, but for the most part they’ve been the only major league franchise here since
1967. In most cities, it’s like a pyramid—it starts at the top with the major league franchise and filters
down through colleges, down to high schools and so on. There’s only been one team at that pinnacle
here, and that’s the Saints. What really makes New Orleans special is that generations grow up here.
It’s a great place of family and there’s a tradition here, and traditions are very hard to start and very
hard to stop. Your parents took you to Saints games, you’ll take your kids, you’ll take your grandkids,
that sort of thing. It’s a bond that exists through generations. I worked in Atlanta before I came here,
and you almost can’t meet a native Atlantan. They go there with allegiances to college teams in the
SEC and other professional teams. Yeah, the Falcons are going to play well, it’s a thing to do, they’ll
show up, but let the Falcons go bad and their interests go elsewhere. That’s not true here. These people
have been here through many more bad times than good, and even though they’ll say for awhile, “Oh,
I won’t follow the Saints any longer,” you can’t because it’s part of the fabric of New Orleans, and one
of the big threads in that fabric.
How many times do you think you’ve heard “Hakim drops the ball” in the past eight years?
[Laughs] I hear it a lot. When I hear it replayed it brings goosebumps to me, not because I made the
call, I’m just along for the ride. Anyone would have that opportunity if they sat in my seat. But what it
meant, seeing people hugging each other, crying—the absolute joy that moment provided. If I’m ever
going to be immortal for anything, I guess it’s going to be that, but it was just my good fortune to be in
that seat when that happened.
16_homefield advantage: the sports supplement to antigravity magazine
HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGEGAME PREVIEWS
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7TH (NOON ON FOX)
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11TH (7:15 ON NFL)
NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS
VS. Atlanta
at
CHICAGO
F
I
Saints Players to Watch: RB Pierre Thomas actually led the Saints in rushing attempts in the
last game against the Falcons, with a whopping six. The Saints ran for just 75 yards if you don’t
factor in Devery Henderson’s 30-yard wide receiver reverse. Thomas will need to shoulder more
of a load in this game, as the Saints will need a power running game to take some pressure off
Drew Brees, who threw three INTs to the Falcons back in Week 10.
will be able to come back from a big deficit. The key will be for the Saints to score early
and take away the running game with Forte, and then force Orton into some mistakes.
or the Saints, December starts much the same way November did—with a game versus
t’s about time we win one against Chicago. The Saints lost 33-25 in Chicago last
the division rival Falcons. The Saints have some redeeming to do in this one, as the
year and 39-14 in the NFC Championship game during the ’06 season’s playoffs.
teams’ last meeting in Atlanta ended in a 34-20 loss for the black and gold, and the fourteen- The time to notch one in the W column, especially since their offense seems so inept,
point loss wasn’t even that close. If the Saints are to have any chance of finishing the season except for RB Matt Forte. In four games after their Week 8 bye, QB Kyle Orton threw
with a winning record, this game is a must-have.
for 108, was knocked out of the game, 133 and 132 yards—not exactly an offense that
Saints Players to Watch: WR Lance Moore should be in line for another big day, this
time in the cold of Soldier Field in Chicago. Short, quick passes are one of the best
ways to beat the Bears at home, and Moore has constantly shown ability to pick up
yards after the catch. The Saints will need as many of those as possible, as they need
to score early and can’t afford to fall behind by a big margin against a defense that can
play great in spots.
Falcons Players to Watch: RB Jerious Norwood burned the Saints with 88 yard and a TD
on just two catches out of the backfield, and that can’t happen again. The Saints defense
needs to mirror their play from the Kansas City and Green Bay games, where the defensive
backs had multiple pass breakups—it would allow the linebackers and linemen to keep their
focus in front of them and on Norwood and Atlanta’s other burner running back, Michael
Bears Players to Watch: New Orleanians know Matt Forte from his days at Tulane,
Turner.
Ex-Saints to Watch: LT Wayne Gandy will likely again start for the Falcons in place of Sam
Baker, who hasn’t played since having back surgery in October. Saints fans know Gandy’s
failings well, and they need to put better pressure on QB Matt Ryan than they did in Week
10, when Ryan threw for 248 yards and 2 TDs with no interceptions. DL Grady Jackson
gets an honorable mention here too, but he’s got just one sack on the season and seems to be
doing what he does best—take up space.
and who doesn’t want a local product to do well? The Saints can’t afford to let Forte
run all over them, which he very well could. Screen plays and dumpoffs can go for
big yardage with Forte, and while the Saints have shown the ability to stuff the run, a
versatile running back could still cause them problems.
Ex-Saints to Watch: None this week.
HA’s Prediction: The Saints actually play better at home than they do on the road, which
HA’s Prediction: We’ve got to get one out of three in Chicago, right? Saints win, 27makes me think they’ll get their first win over Ryan and rookie coach Mike Smith. Saints
20.
win, 31-17.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21ST (NOON ON FOX)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28TH (NOON ON FOX)
I
T
Saints Players to Watch: Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Deuce and whoever else
could be running the ball. The Titans ran for nearly 300 yards against the Lions on
Thanksgiving Day, and while the Saints probably can’t match that output, New
Orleans running backs should encounter one of their easiest games of the season.
Saints Players to Watch: MLB Jonathan Vilma. He’s been dynamic this season
in displaying an ability to hunt down ballcarriers from sideline to sideline, and for
a Panthers offense that, besides the deep threat of WR Steve Smith, is based on the
running game and short passes, Vilma should be even busier than normal. Look for
Vilma to get his hands on the ball in this game.
NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS
AT DETROIT
VS. CAROLINA
his is the big one. Depending on how things shake out, the stakes could be huge.
s it possible the Lions are a better team than the Saints? Absolutely not, and this
Could it be for first place in the NFC South? Could it be for a wildcard slot in
one should be a laugher, but if you’re an oh-fer team looking to break the W
barrier, there’s no team in the NFL you’d rather see than the Saints. It always feels the playoffs? Of course, if the Saints lose a few before this one, it becomes a funeral
like the Saints are any team’s slump-buster, and you have to worry about this being for a season gone awry. We always hope the Saints are playing for something in late
December, so we’ll have to see.
a trap game if the Saints come in on a winning streak.
Lions Players to Watch: There’s only one worth watching, and that’s WR Calvin
Johnson. He’s shown the ability to catch the ball from anyone who could possibly
throw it to him, and that’s a good thing because, as of press time, the Lions were
on their fifth quarterback of the year.
Panthers Players to Watch: RB DeAngelo Williams. The aforementioned running game
is keyed behind the veteran Williams, whose blend of speed and power has him nearing
1,000 yards at press time. Rookie RB Jonathan Stewart isn’t far behind him, though he’s
taken a back seat to Williams as of late. If Williams can get into the Saints secondary on
a regular basis, look for the Vilma matchups we talked about earlier to drastically change,
Ex-Saints to Watch: FB Moran Norris, OL Andy McCollum and TE John as the linebackers will be forced to play more of the run than the short pass.
Owens are all on the Lions roster, but all passed through New Orleans fairly
unceremoniously and shouldn’t contribute much to this game.
Ex-Saints to Watch: QBs Jake Delhomme and Matt Moore are the only ones, and Moore
will only get into the game if Delhomme, who we all know so well already, gets injured.
HA’s Prediction: The Saints should smash this one wide open. They’ll win 45HA’s Prediction: Why stop now? If the Saints get far enough to make this a winnable
17.
game, there’s no reason this season’s homefield advantage shouldn’t continue. Saints
37, Panthers 24.
Saint Nick, Continued from Page 15...
IF I WERE THE HEAD OF NEW ORLEANS SPORTS…
I’d dump the Saintsations. What a worthless addition to the gameday experience. They
dance—barely—to horrible songs that were horrible ten years ago while exuding very little
of the…let’s say “qualities”…of better troupes. The Hornets’ Honeybees beat this bunch
into the ground, no question about it.
So who would get Saints fans all fired up during the fifteenth TV timeout, you ask? Well,
I’ve got a question for you—what always constitutes the best halftime shows at Saints
games? (Besides the little kids playing football in both end zones—that is always fun.) The
answer we’re looking for is “marching band performances,” and the Saints need their own.
With the sheer amount of musicians in this city, it’d be easy to put together a great group
of players, and it’d be another unique peg for the Saints to hang their hat on. In fact, I’ll
volunteer to do put it together. Just call me, Tom Benson. The black and gold uniforms,
the bass drums with a fleur-di-lis on each side…Heck, I’ll even figure out a way to include
Sir Saint in it.
Think about it—after every touchdown, instead of the recorded theme song we always
hear, we’ll have a live version with the band going crazy. During TV timeouts, when
nothing is happening on the field, the band can play an array of New Orleans songs that
can—gasp!—change from week to week. After victories, the band can lead fans out of the
stadium onto Poydras. The musicians could even run out onto the field, ushering in the
Saints players!
Really, this is too easy of a concept to let it lie. Let’s do it for ’09!
17
homefieldneworleans.com_
FEATUREMUSIC
MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS WITH
WHY ARE WE BUILDING SUCH A BIG SHIP?
by dan fox
photo by shannon brinkman
18_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
FEATUREMUSIC
I
t’s not right to ask questions of a band that asks them of you, and sitting down with Walt McClements,
the eye of the Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship? storm, and dissecting their hardly definable sound
felt like flipping the switch on a new particle accelerator. Amid the discarded descriptions of the Big Ship
(French music? Funeral dirges?) I arrive at anarchy. Not Anarchy, Ltd. or some kind of video game or
ass patch, but what we will sound like when we’re only left with those immediately around us, after some
really fucked up, apocalyptic thing happens. Accordions, horns, candles, voices, drums—whatever we will find
in the rubble—will be the soundtrack for the next age, and thankfully we have the document to prepare us for
it: No Blood No Blooms, the Big Ship’s first album, which recently came out on Matt Knowles’ Domino Sound
Records. Despite the ramifications to our very existence, ANTIGRAVITY posed the following to McClements,
and it seems as though we’re all still standing.
There’s a lot about the Big Ship that feels very
communal; it’s in the name and the sound is so big and
involved. At the same time, the sound and the structure
are somewhat focused. How does that happen?
I write the songs, the lyrics for everything we play
right now. [But] it gets confusing—what is a song,
exactly? I never tell the bass player [Aubrey Freeman]
what to play or Aurora [Nealand], who plays soprano
sax; I generally love whatever she’s playing. But it is
composed; most of it’s written out. And it changes and
people add their own things.
What was it like working with Don Godwin? What
role did he play in the recording?
If I could only record with one person for the rest of my
life, it would probably be Don Godwin. He recorded the
first thing I ever did in New Orleans, Crooks & Nannies.
He knows what he’s doing so well but also understands an
aesthetic of things being live and kind of dirty. I feel like
he’s so versatile, a musician I respect a lot. I try and think
of all the projects that Don was involved with (drummer
for Impractical Cockpit, playing horn in these
Balkan Brass Bands, doing his own stuff...). He
does so many different styles and he does them
all so well... Don did some percussion stuff; on
the last song he did lots of percussion things at
the end of it. He pieced stuff together, but most
of it was recorded live.
was it just seemed ridiculous. I don’t think our whole
band had ever played together before our first show.
I was practicing with the horns and the percussionists
separately. I think Aubrey came to one practice. Or our
friends were in town and hadn’t played the sousaphone
ever but we were like, “Of course you can play it!”
The phrase was in my mind as my fortune. To me it
meant more, like you don’t have to have so much on
your plate. Focus on a couple of things! I think we
had named a song “Why Are We Building Such a
Big Ship?” and we thought it sounded slightly lengthy
and awkward but also appropriate. And I like people’s
different interpretations of it. I met some kids who were
pretty positive that it was a comment on the building of
the USS New Orleans. I think it was the year after the
storm and the military’s way of honoring New Orleans
was to build a five billion dollar warship. Obviously it
seems like, “We could probably use some of that five
billion dollars to rebuild the city and not to go kill
people... just sayin’.” I remember meeting people who
were like “Is your name about that?” Nooo...
There’s definitely a melancholy, blue feel to your
music but at the same time it’s not. There’s sadness
but it’s not sad. Would you agree with that?
I consider our music to be joyous and hopeful, and that,
I would say, is what I’m going for. It is also very dark.
I feel like...shit’s fucked up and it’s easy to...when you
have to deal with things that make you think that the
world is a horrible place, I am a horrible person. There
are certainly truths in that. I wish there was a less coarse
way of saying it, but man, things are amazing. People
are so amazing and there’s so much beauty and great
things happening at the same time.
You guys are leaving for tour soon. Is there anything
in particular you’re looking forward to?
It’s daunting and always fun, going to play for
strangers. Last time we went on tour, it was great. We
barely played any bars, which was fun. Not that I have
anything against bars, but it was a nice mix of houses,
record stores and weird warehouse spaces. I may be
totally lying about this, but I think in Pittsburgh we’re
playing in some sort of old cathedral connected
to a Waldorf school with a band of eleven-yearolds, which should be pretty fun.
What about the space you recorded in? On
the record it’s credited as “Rose’s Room.”
It was just Rose McBurney’s room; she was
very kind and gracious to let us invade her
room for three days. She’s Matt Knowles’
roommate. She’s a very nice person, a great
painter... The room sounded good. It’s like
a double-sized room so there was space, and
when Matt was talking he said he wanted the
process to be comfortable for everybody. He
cooked us food every day; that was sweet.
I noticed this is Domino Sound release #22
but the first twenty-one releases I think are
mostly dub mixes and mix tapes. Is there
something to that number? Are you the first
original band on his label?
Matt can put whatever number he wants to.
[Laughs] You’ll have to ask him about that one.
I’ll just ask you one question about the name
of your band. One thing I get is a little bit
of a biblical/Noah’s Ark theme to it. Is that
something you would welcome or not?
It wasn’t really thought through. Band names
are silly things. The reason why it seemed
appropriate, while we were all practicing
together and getting ready for our first show,
You do have a lot of options since you’re
mostly acoustic. Do you guys have one thing
that you plug in?
It is better to have a microphone. Screaming over
five horns and drums is totally doable, but it’s
not necessary. If too many shows in a row have
no microphone, my vocal chords start to yell at
me a little bit. But yes, we can be totally acoustic
and sometimes it works great. Playing outside is
awesome. We played a fun show in Atlanta that
was on the sidewalk. It was a beautiful night; the
stars were out. And, God, not to have to carry
amps around! That’s the whole reason I started
playing acoustic music in the first place. I was
in high school playing in all these garage rock
bands and I got sick of carrying amps around and
dealing with broken electronics. I thought, “I’m
going to buy a banjo.”
How do you travel as a six-to-nine piece band?
I’ve got a big van. I actually bought it from Bryan
Funck! Everybody knows the van. It’s so funny,
driving around. People tell me things like “Oh,
I remember when the brakes failed in this thing
going into New York.” Someone else told me
“Man, I stashed some hash in here last tour.” I
won’t say who that was.
Big Ship recording in Rose’s living room, courtesy the band’s MySpace page.
For more information on Why Are We Building Such
a Big Ship?, go to myspace.com/whyarewebuildingsu
chabigship or head over to the Domino Sound Record
Shack at 2557 Bayou Road in New Orleans.
19
antigravitymagazine.com_
FEATURE REVIEWMUSIC
FIVE YEARS LATER, FATTER THAN
ALBERT IS STILL FATTER THAN YOU
by brett schwaner
I
t was a dreary day in late 2003, during that week between Christmas and New Year’s when the
sky always seems mired in perpetual shades of gray, when I first crossed paths with a couple
of guys who called themselves Skycopter 4. I was doing some research for an article on ska
music for some magazine whose name I can’t even remember and I’d decided to start off by
tracking down whatever unknown ska bands were lurking out there in the New Orleans area. This
was back in the days before MySpace had wrapped its tentacles around every corner of the music
world and information on local underground music was still sketchy and fragmented at best. The
day I contacted Skycopter 4 was a week before they called it quits, and I was a bit bummed out.
My article hit a brick wall and never went anywhere, but the guys from Skycopter 4 were far from
finished. Within a month, Fatter Than Albert was born. Within two months, the group was drawing
crowds of over 300 fans per show. It was a pretty incredible sight to see, especially considering
how unfashionable third wave ska had become at the time. Fatter Than Albert released their debut
album, Most Poets Do, in 2004, followed by Erin’s Runaway Imagination in 2006. This December,
Fatter Than Albert plans to mark their fifth anniversary with a new album, The Last Minute, and the
release of some additional goodies through Community Records, a label founded by several of the
band’s members. ANTIGRAVITY corralled all six members of Fatter Than Albert, including John
Bourgeois, Charlie McInnis, Hunter Miller, Greg Rodrigue, Michael Volpi and the man known as
D-Ray, for a look back at the past and a preview of things to come.
Comparing The Last Minute to what you recorded in 2004,
it barely sounds like the same band. Even compared to
Erin’s Runaway Imagination, the sound seems to have
diverged a bit. What was different about recording The
Last Minute, as compared to your first two releases?
Hunter Miller: I think we’re all really proud of this one,
more so than any of the records we’ve put out in the past.
With this record, it feels like we’re all on the same page for
once. It sounds more complete.
Charlie McInnis: There was a lot of influence from bands
like MU330 at the time we recorded Most Poets Do. Link 80
was, and still is, a big influence for us.
Michael Volpi: It definitely doesn’t feel as clownish as some
of the earlier stuff we recorded. We’re not writing songs about
20_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
ninjas anymore. Back then, we were kind of just going with
it and recording in the moment. When we recorded Most
Poets Do in 2004, we were in a position where we felt like
we needed to get something released. I distinctly remember
recording Most Poets. There was a definite feeling of urgency
to get that album out. We were rushing through the motions
of recording it because we all knew that most bands don’t stay
around for very long and we felt like it might be our only shot
to release something. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case; but it
certainly felt like it at the time. Recording The Last Minute was
a more “real” experience for us. I feel like it’s the end result of
all the growth we’ve gone through.
D-Ray: Like Volpi said, we’re not writing songs about ninjas
anymore. There’s nothing wrong with writing goofy music
about goofy things, but there are just other things that we’re
interested in exploring these days.
How supportive have your fans been through all the
changes you’ve gone through over the years?
MV: Back when we were in high school, the case was that
all of our high school friends would come see us. We’d
see the same faces over and over again. These days, some
of them are still around but we also get a lot of complete
strangers who come to our shows and dance and then tell us
how much fun they had. That always surprises me.
Greg Rodrigue: As kids get older, they tend to move on to
other things and sometimes they lose interest. There have
been people who have stuck with us throughout the years
and we’re grateful for each and every one of them.
FEATURE REVIEWMUSIC
“Back when we first put Fatter Than
Albert together, we really didn’t think
that it was something that anyone
would care about for very long, if at
all.” —John Bourgeois
What’s been the most rewarding part of the past five years for you guys?
MV: I think that finding the kind of chemistry that we all have together has been very
rewarding. That’s not something that you can just force. Having that kind of connection is
something that you have to grow into over time.
DR: Watching this band grow and turn into what it is today has been the best part. Keeping
a group like this together and creatively potent is kind of a rare thing.
John Bourgeois: Seeing kids still coming out to shows and dancing in front of the stage after all
this time has been really great. Back when we first put Fatter Than Albert together, we really
didn’t think that it was something that anyone would care about for very long, if at all.
Having been out on tour a half dozen times now, what’s your opinion on the state of ska
in America? Do you think the genre really is dead?
JB: I think the problem with a lot of ska is that it comes off as being candy-coated. There’s
nothing serious about it. There are so many ska bands that sound the same and they’re all
singing about fluff.
MV: I think that a lot of people are more interested in just “having a band” than actually
writing creative music. They get together with the idea that it’ll be really cool to start a ska
band and then they don’t know what to do with it.
CM: There just aren’t a lot of new ska bands out there that I personally want to see. Stuck
Lucky is a pretty great band and there are a few others on the east coast. Otherwise, there
hasn’t been much lately.
In the last year, you guys launched a label called Community Records as a collective effort
with a few other bands from across the country. What’s coming up with that?
GR: Community Records really isn’t a “record label” in the traditional sense. We’re not into
signing bands. What I envisioned was a place where bands and their fans can come together.
Fatter Than Albert was our first release. Stuck Lucky will probably be the next. We have
“download days” every couple of weeks where people can log onto our site and download
music for no charge. The way we look at it, downloading and filesharing are out there. If
people are going to download music, then they’re going to find it and download it, legally
or not. That’s just the truth, so we’re not interested in fighting people who want to hear new
music. The next free download day that we’re having will be December 11th. We’ll have full
albums from The Supaflies and The Ghostwood posted for free.
DR: And if anyone wants a copy on CD or vinyl or they’d like to support bands by ordering
t-shirts, that’s all there too. We understand that a lot of people still like owning an actual CD
or vinyl record. We try to have something for everyone.
What’s in store for Fatter Than Albert as we head into 2009?
HM: I’m moving out to California for a while, so Fatter Than Albert will be on hiatus for
about five months. I’m just
finishing up college and I’m
basically going out there, not
knowing anyone and having
nowhere to stay. I’m sure I’ll be
living in my car for a while. I’m
looking forward to it.
JB: Practice, man. Just because
we’re not playing shows doesn’t
mean that I’m going to stop
drumming.
GR: We have our big, official
vinyl release party on December
6th. After that, we’re going to
do a tour of the East Coast,
Florida and the Midwest. We’re
going to do one more show in
New Orleans in January before
Hunter leaves for California.
After that, we’re going to start
planning a tour of the U.S. and
Europe for next summer.
CM: I’m just going to retire
from everything, man. I need a
nap.
Fatter Than Albert will mark the
vinyl release of The Last Minute
on December 6th at Vintage
Uptown, 4523 Magazine Street.
Preview the album at myspace.
com/fatterthanalbert or visit
communityrecords.org for more
music and downloads.
21
antigravitymagazine.com_
REVIEWSFILM
JASON
AFFOLDER
SUN DOGS
(GARGANTUAN)
L
et me say this right
off the bat, Sun Dogs
is better than I believed
it had any chance of
being. More often than
not, local productions
carry around the burden of limited budgets and community theater
actors and fall flat regardless of the maker’s best intentions. Sun
Dogs succeeds because it’s shot well, presents an interesting story
and compiles enough actors and competent crews together to pull
the whole thing off. The film relays the story of Michael, a public
school teacher who has apparently fallen into a depression, and his
relationships with an emotionally wounded woman and a fifteen-yearold pyromaniac in desperate need of a father figure. The film is at its
best when it’s leisurely documenting the life of Michael. Everything
about his life smacks of the real New Orleans that I’ve come to know.
His house is falling apart, always waiting for that coat of paint, new
ceiling or reinforced foundation it so badly needs. He spends his
nights drinking away his regrets and his days either haphazardly
mentoring young Andy or using a plasma donation clinic as his Zen
temple. The set pieces of the blood bank are among the movie’s best,
contradicting the scratchy, peeling façade of the rest of the movie
with a cold, sterile environment of reds, blacks and whites. It’s this
contemplative side of the movie that truly shows off the director’s
eye for gorgeous and thoughtful shots. Before the introduction of love
interest Ashley, Sun Dogs holds a nebulous pace, pausing on shots
to let their intrinsic beauty soak into the lens, and it’s this languid,
studied approach I prefer. Once the story steps into the driver’s seat,
the film becomes more focused but loses some of its lazy charm.
Both Andy and Ashley are well-drawn characters, but their stories
seem to be only half finished. We get to see some of the pain and
anguish that Ashley, a struggling waitress/art student, experiences,
but when a twist revelation comes near the end of the film it leaves
you wanting more from her story. Michael’s relationship with her
is presented in fast-forward, and though it is believable, the pacing
just seems to push the point too quickly. Likewise with Andy, whose
slightly dysfunctional past and home life is exposed just enough to
detract time from the main story but not enough to provide serious
closure or a fully realized subplot. However, it is a testament to the
quality of Sun Dog’s writing that we want to know more about these
characters. The structure and conclusion of the film does mirror the
fleeting reality of relationships: students and friends come and go with
no real “three point arc” to it, but I can appreciate its adherence to
reality without being fully satisfied by it. I came away from the film
feeling as if I had finally seen a movie that portrayed the real New
Orleans, a place not of Mardi Gras beads and jazz trumpets, but one
of bars populated by douche bags or old salts and Victorian houses left
dilapidated and marred. There’s far more character and artistry in the
way Sun Dogs lets its camera gaze out on the Mississippi as fireworks
pop beneath its surface than in any postcard-perfect Bourbon St.
scene. —Mike Rodgers
OUT IN THE SUN: A CHAT WITH
JASON AFFOLDER
by mike rodgers
One thing I was struck by during Sun Dogs was that it felt
like the NOLA I see every day. Which came first, the story
or the idea of making a movie in New Orleans that felt like
the “real” New Orleans?
The concept sprouted after I landed here, but I had no idea if
or when I might be able to make it real, so as things evolved
I did not tie the story specifically to New Orleans. In fact,
a couple locations mentioned in the movie (Lake Lawrence
and Greg Park) are actually from where I grew up in Indiana.
Because the script was not intrinsically attached to NOLA,
it helped us make the settings more casual than films that
parade out clichéd images of the city (although I did scrap a
fight scene set on the St. Charles streetcar).
How long has this film been bouncing around, from idea
to completion?
The earliest elements emerged after I quit teaching public
school in 2001 (it was too dangerous a gig, so I joined the
Fire Department) but the project was really galvanized after
Katrina. Working as a firefighter non-stop through that
debacle gave me the funds necessary to produce a movie,
and by that point I had rounded up enough cohorts to make
a larger-scale project happen. I wrote the script in Spring/
Summer 2007, we shot it that Summer/Fall while I was
on leave from the NOFD with a broken hand (don’t ask). I
edited Winter/Spring of this year, and I worked on the sound
design with my composer Tom McLaughlin all summer and
into the fall.
Are there any unique challenges in making a film in NOLA?
Is the city, from city permits and the like to the film’s
participants, receptive to filmmakers?
Despite the fact that we committed a few slightly criminal
acts during production, we only had the police called on us
once, and that was in Jefferson Parish. Actually, here it is
exceptionally easy to dodge the legalities that make filming
in cities like New York or Los Angeles difficult. Few
people know what kinds of permits you need; instead they
are more intrigued that you are doing something on your
own. Also, even if the personnel you recruit locally are not
as “professional” as the big city actors and crews, they are
also not as roboticized in their manner. I reckon the biggest
difficulty is battling the “Big-Easy-Going Attitude” people
have about life around here, which can make rallying the
troops tough sometimes… Especially for early calls on
Saturday and Sunday mornings.
The blood donor sequences are very different, tonally as
well as visually, from the rest of the movie. They’re so
much brighter and cleaner than the rest of the film—is there
any special significance to that aesthetic?
The process of Plasma Apheresis (that’s the fancy medical
terminology) is the main character’s sort of Zen meditation,
almost a cleansing ritual, so I wanted these scenes to stand
out and be a bit ethereal and strange. The facility we found
in Baton Rouge was amazing, with blood-red floors and
black leather chairs, and it added more to those moments in
the movie than I could have ever imagined. Like Scorsese’s
boxing scenes in Raging Bull, we tried to make each visit to the
clinic unique; they also act as chapter breaks in the narrative.
22_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
I feel like there’s very little closure to any of the characters’
stories at the end of the movie, but with Andy’s in particular.
Why was his story left so ambiguous?
Andy is much younger than the other characters; he has his
whole life before him, but whether the smarts he exhibits
or his more anarchic side will dictate his fate is something
I intentionally left fuzzy. The students I taught (that he is
based on) were similar; one day they would be inquisitive
and motivated, then something bad would happen at home
and possibly derail their future. I don’t know what became
of many of them, especially after Katrina, and so I mimicked
that scenario in the movie.
There are some beautiful, meditative shots throughout the
movie, especially in the first act before the story really takes
off. What was the collaboration between cinematographer
Randy Perez and yourself like?
Randy and I have colluded on numerous shorter movies
and music videos in the past, so he knows what I am after.
Furthermore, he also directs and I also shoot, so we can meet
in the middle on many aspects of production. Sometimes I
would have shots or whole scenes specifically mapped out,
and in other instances I just let Randy improvise, knowing
that there is a natural rhythm in his footage I can edit together.
The fact that he can work loosely and light situations with
minimal equipment so they look natural is also a tremendous
boon for a project as “No Budget” as ours.
What were/are your goals for this film? Did you achieve
what you set out to achieve with Sun Dogs? Where do you
hope the film goes from here?
I just wanted to make a feature-length motion picture
incorporating all the talented people I know and all the cool
locations I’ve discovered in my time here. My previous work
has been much shorter, often quite abstract, so I challenged
myself to make something more character driven, with
emotions and situations an audience could empathize with.
Despite what limitations or flaws the final product may have,
I think we succeeded beyond my expectations. We have a
couple of New Orleans screenings, then one in my hometown
of Vincennes, Indiana (center of the known universe, and I
can prove it). After that I will send it to various festivals, and
I was even toying with the idea of taking it on tour, getting a
Greyhound Pass and visiting my friends all over the country
and screening it in their cities, whether at a house or a gallery
or a theatre. If nothing else, I hope Sun Dogs helps me run
across other yahoos with ideas that need bringing to life.
How different is moviemaking than still photography for
you? Are there any rewards that are exclusive to either
medium?
Making photographs feels more improvisational to me. I most
often shoot stills while I am traveling, and my work in that
medium has a journalistic aesthetic. My films are much more
preconceived and often distanced from reality (although Sun
Dogs is the most grounded). Obviously, it is tough to beat the
feeling of a theatre full of folks watching your movie, but still
photographs allow time for contemplation at your own pace,
like reading a book rather than listening to it on disc. As far
as my work goes, the films are more elaborate and polished,
while the stills are pure and candid.
Sun Dogs screens at Canal Place’s Landmark Cinema on
Thursday, December 4th at 9:30pm. For more information on
Sun Dogs and Jason Affolder, go to gargantuanthings.com.
REVIEWSCOMICS
MITCH CLEM
NOTHING NICE TO SAY
(DARK HORSE COMICS)
by brett schwaner
I
t’s been quite awhile since
cartoonist Mitch Clem has
had anything nice to say.
And his readers wouldn’t have
it any other way. In 2002, Clem debuted Nothing Nice To Say,
dubbed “The World’s First Online Punk Comic,” and drew an
immediate and loyal fan-following on the web. The strip follows
the sardonic misadventures of Blake and Fletcher, two punk
rockers trapped in the upper Midwest. Sharp-witted, biting, and
occasionally controversial, Clem’s strip lambastes the hot topics
of punk rock culture, leaving no band or record label unscathed.
And yes, that probably includes some of your favorites. After
relocating from Minnesota to San Antonio a few years back,
Clem launched his second web comic, San Antonio Rock City,
which eventually gave way to his current, autobiographical
work, My Stupid Life. In 2007, Clem also formed a band called
The Tigermilks, whose name references the group’s singular
focus on creating punk rock covers based on the songs of folkpop duo Belle & Sebastian. The Tigermilks’ first record is due
out in December. To top it all off, Clem recently marked six
years of Nothing Nice To Say on the web with the release of the
strip’s first printed collection through Dark Horse Comics.
ANTIGRAVITY got in touch with Mitch Clem for a brief
chat on some of the finer things in life, namely: punk rock and
comics. —Brett Schwaner
When you started Nothing Nice To Say back in 2002, did you
think that it would last this long?
My experience with self-publishing up to that point had been
publishing a ’zine called Summer’s Over for a few years. When you
do a ’zine, generally the response is one of apathy from everyone
around you. Like, my friends would read it, but it’s not like I had
fans or anything. I got okay reviews in Maximum Rock N’ Roll.
I probably mailed out five copies ever. It did sort of take me by
surprise when Nothing Nice To Say took off so fast. Keep in mind
I hadn’t been doing Nothing Nice To Say for a month even by the
time it blew up. It got really popular really fast. Or, I mean “really
popular,” relatively speaking. I wasn’t getting PVP numbers or
anything, but there were a lot of readers right off the bat, and that
was a surprise. And I suppose if you’d have asked me back then
if I’d have expected to still be doing the comic six years later, I
probably wouldn’t have said yes. I started Nothing Nice To Say
when I was nineteen years old, and at that age you’re too young
to really fully comprehend the concept of the rest of your life,
or judge what is and isn’t realistic. There are nineteen year-olds
who are learning to play the guitar and think their band is going
to make it big and they’re going to be big rock stars. You don’t
know shit when you’re that young. So what I did or did not see
for myself in my future at that point is almost irrelevant, I didn’t
have the wherewithal to know any better.
How did the Nothing Nice To Say collection end up with Dark
Horse, as opposed to, say, Image Comics, Oni Press, or
another book publisher?
Well, in short, Dark Horse approached me, Image and Oni
didn’t. I wasn’t trying to pitch the book to anyone at any point.
Honestly, I didn’t think anyone would care about it. Then I got
an email from Dark Horse saying, “Hey, let’s do a Nothing Nice
To Say collection!” So I said, “Awesome, yeah!” And that was
that.
How much of your web content ended up going into the first
collection? The foreword mentions that the book is actually
“Volume 2,” but “Volume 1” hasn’t seen print yet.
The Dark Horse book is all the Nothing Nice To Say comics
from 2006 through 2007. As far as strips from that era, no, I
did not leave anything out. What I left out was the four years
worth of Nothing Nice To Say leading up to the strips in the
book, specifically because, for those strips, I’d thrown away
the originals and I didn’t save any high resolution files. Which
means the 72 dpi versions on the web site are the only copies of
those comics that exist. Putting those into a book would look
kind of ugly. I mean, if you were to print a comic from your
computer off of my web site, that’s what it would look like. All
fuzzy and shitty and with artifacts and stuff. And I wanted my
first book to look nice, so I skipped those really old ones and
went straight to when I started figuring out what I was doing...
I’m more excited at the prospect of doing “Volume 3,” really.
What’s the current status of Nothing Nice To Say on the web? I
noticed that the strip took a lengthy hiatus throughout much
of 2008.
I’ve done lots of series online up to this point and it’s basically
standard policy for me that if I don’t feel like working on a
particular series at any given time, I take a break from it until
I feel like going back to it. Otherwise, I notice that my work
gets forced and stale, and I’d rather not produce comics than
produce bad comics. But, there is always something else for me
to work on, so I am always creating something. For instance,
during the most recent break from Nothing Nice, I was working
on My Stupid Life, which is an autobiographical comedy series
about my fiancée and I. Nothing Nice To Say is officially back
with a new format with updates every Monday for right now.
How long have The Tigermilks been in the works? It seems
like you’ve spent so much time over the past few years
exploring punk culture with your comic strips that it would
seem natural for you to have a band.
At some point, I’m driving around listening to Belle & Sebastian
and the song “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying” came on
and it just struck me, “Holy crap, this is a punk song begging to
happen!” Then I said the same thing about the next track, and
then the next tracks, and so forth. It took a long time for me to
organize an actual band because I live in San Antonio, which
doesn’t have a lot in the way of a punk scene—not a lot of band
potential, at least not right now—and I’m too shy to meet new
people. So, at some point I told my friend Jeff about the idea,
and he thought I was insane because of how much he hated
Belle & Sebastian, but he agreed to it anyway and I drove out to
Houston for the weekend and we pretty much learned the songs
right there in the studio and recorded them. And now he secretly
realizes he likes Belle & Sebastian. Hah!
For more info on Mitch Clem, go to mitchclem.com and myspace.
com/thetigermilks.
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antigravitymagazine.com_
REVIEWSMUSIC
CRYSTAL STILTS
ALIGHT OF NIGHT
(SLUMBERLAND)
It becomes apparent within
fifteen seconds of listening to
“The Dazzled,” the opening
track on Alight of Night, the
debut album of Brooklyn’s
Crystal Stilts, that they
have no shame in wearing their influences on their sleeve.
The Mo Tucker tambourine simplicity of Frankie Rose’s
percussion, the Joy Division dichotomy between the reverbworshipping guitar of JB Townsend, the sure-handed bass
plods of Andy Adler, and the Seeds-like organ and key
signatures all sound familiar, to say the least. But the Crystal
Stilts’ detached, mopey, cerebral super-cool does not suffer
at the hands of their influences, in large part because of the
vocal effort from group leader Brad Hargett, whose ramblecroon is as gloomy and murky as you might envision an Ian
Curtis/Peter Murphy hybrid sounding. Listening to Hargett
warble darkly about and trying to make sense of his rantings
is nearly impossible without a lyric sheet, and herein lies one
of the major successes of this record; the listener can choose
to blindly shuffle about in a shoe-gaze fashion, reflecting the
overall feel of the album and his approach on the surface, or
try to make sense of his surrealist doom imagery, a challenge
especially given his elusive tone and inflection. Hargett’s style
has been designated post-industrial, what with talk of “city’s
madness” and so forth, but his urbane utterances fall more in
line with the John Berryman devotee Nick Cave; “Chattering
chasms chortle fountains of hymns/ Spew mangled scenes
that sear mountains of skin/ We’re courting dreams for
distorting time/ To disturb the procession preserved in our
mind.” This tidbit off highlight track “Crystal Stilts” is just
about indiscernible amidst the echoic distortion, hidden
intentionally and awaiting arrogation. The tracks range from
down-tempo sepulchral numbers like “Graveyard Orbit”
and “Spiral Transit,” straight up Lou Reed-circa-eponymous
Velvets strumming on “Verdant Gaze” and “The City in the
Sea” to more jittery punk numbers like “Crystal Stilts” and
“Bright Night.” Though devoid of great variance, the Crystal
Stilts gloomy and hypnotic debut is as successful an effort as
any new rock outfit this year. —Dan Mitchell
CRADLE OF FILTH
GODSPEED ON THE
DEVIL’S THUNDER
(ROADRUNNER)
L
et’s clear this up right
away—Cradle of Filth
isn’t black metal, and it
never has been. The trouble
has always been one of geography. Dani Filth is just too
damn British to make something as stripped, spartan and
claustrophobic as black metal. Instead, he’s become the
Oscar Wilde of heavy music—a decadent provocateur who
flirts with the mainstream as much as the underground.
Unfortunately, for the past several records Cradle has moved
even further to the center. Its lackluster culmination was last
year’s well below par Thornography, an album culled more
from some kind of mall musical survey than real artistic
inspiration. Thankfully Godspeed… is somewhat of a return
to form for the band, managing to combine the broad scope
and thick production of later Cradle albums with the energy
and aggression of their early work. Let’s get the negatives
out of the way first: there are a few orchestral interludes, and
though they do contribute to the gothic trappings of the CD
they also can come across as overindulgent (but I guess no
one is accusing Cradle of Filth of being minimalists). In all
actuality, the band isn’t branching out to any new methods
either—even the best execution can’t hide that this is the same
thing we’ve heard from the band in the past. There are also
remnants of their mid-tempo, tween-baiting Thornography
balladry not yet shed, with “The Death of Love” an obvious
culprit. Its chugging alt-rock guitars and Evanescence-esque
chorus send more shivers up my spine than any ghoul or
ghost. Even with those easy targets, Godspeed… delivers on
some good old-fashioned rock, and by old I mean Victorian.
Heroic leads get tossed around and chewed apart by
ferocious drumming. A song like “The 13th Caesar” shifts
gears relentlessly—galloping rhythms that sound like warring
cavalry, double bass punctuations like gunfire and a haze of
cathedral-sized choral voices and symphonic sound all build
atop each other to form some kind of malevolent Gothic
spire. Dragging around a laborious concept about historic
bogeyman Gilles de Rais, the record embraces its underlying
story instead of letting the “big idea” wag the dog. Cradle
of Filth was once hailed as the spiritual successors to Iron
Maiden, and this album reaffirms that moniker. As easy as
it would be to glowingly praise the record, its handful of
problems keeps it a length away from greatness and instead
plants Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder square in the “solid”
category. —Mike Rodgers
DARKTHRONE
DARK THRONES
AND BLACK FLAGS/
F.O.A.D.
(PEACEVILLE)
H
ow do you distance
yourself from a wealth
of heavy metal wannabes
pushing their version of “heavy” metal at the local Hot Topic?
Darkthrone, veterans of the metal world, has been marching
along for decades now and their twin releases F.O.A.D. and
Dark Thrones and Black Flags is the band’s way of bringing it
all back to square one. More a punk record than the black
metal opus, this is the sound of a band with nothing to prove
playing what they love. The production is grimy and mimics
the sound of those old cassettes we used to trade around—
the muffled drums and audible hiss on “Canadian Metal”
remind of nothing more than the first time I heard The Dead
Kennedys or Black Flag on tape. Speaking of “Canadian
Metal,” one of the odd quirks of this double album is how
specific the songs are. As the names might imply, “Canadian
Metal” is about cool Canadian metal bands, “Hiking Metal
Punks” is about the collision of heavy music and a love for
nature (something readily apparent in almost all Norwegian
black metal), and “Raised on Rock” extols the virtues of
classic ’70s and ’80s rock while sounding like a throwback
to those same years. The album reminds me of the partying
of Andrew W.K. or the dancing of Junior Senior and, in
that respect, almost all of the songs on these two collections
are about the same thing—Darkthrone’s vision of true rock.
That’s not to say the records are entirely steeped in retro
wishful thinking. “The Winds They Called the Dungeon
Shaker” is a lyrically nebulous ode to the spirit of real metal
(and dungeons!) and its mix of primitive metal and clean,
chorus vocals calls to mind Fenriz’s solo work as Isengard.
“Witch Ghetto” sounds like black metal run through a rusted
meat grinder—the guitar roars half distorted, the drums
pound with dusty pops and Fenriz’s vocals snarl like a dried
up corpse. The albums seem born dirty from the same vile
cesspool that produced crust punks and thrash metal. Both
records are short affairs, and though designed this way their
brevity and relative lack of diversity holds them back from
greatness. But for any of their flaws, Darkthrone’s homages
to old school rock are rewarding. The records are simple,
primal and sound like shit, but sometimes a little extra layer
of grit adds the character you’ve been missing from your
music. —Mike Rodgers
OF MONTREAL
SKELETAL LAMPING
(POLYVINYL)
I
f I were a doctor, I might
diagnose Of Montreal
frontman Kevin Barnes with
schizophrenia, but since I
have no PhD I can only call
it a clear-cut case of “Bubblegum Psychosis.” I dare you
to think of a more apropos title for the kind of disjointed,
caustic, contradictory and infinitely pleasurable pop music
Of Montreal continues to cultivate. If Hissing Fauna, Are
You the Destroyer? sounded like something sewn together,
then Skeletal Lamping is a haphazardly glued pastiche of
disco, indie rock and oddity. Each track is like a montage
breezing through all the various styles the group is capable
of aping. Where kick-off point “Nonpareil of Favor” skits
through electro pop, discordant noise jams and an exalted,
angelic finale, a song like “Death is Not a Parallel Move”
might sway from echoey, 808 hip-hop to subdued western
balladry. Throughout, the only consistency is the strength of
the songs. Melodies intertwine, drop out of sight entirely or
slowly morph into something completely different, and each
song is surprising because there’s no telling where it might be
headed. I’ve always found music without boundaries to be
intensely interesting—there’s so much drama to be had from
a track like “For Our Elegant Caste” that its Oxford disco
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REVIEWSMUSIC
might not relay if the song could take a 180-degree turn at any moment. Too much of modern
music relies on formula; the best pop music historically has always pushed artistic boundaries
(The Beatles, David Bowie) and shifted shape, so it’s only natural that Of Montreal take that
concept to a post-modern degree. Lyrically, the record stays to comfortable themes. Kevin
Barnes laments the sad sack state of his life and loves and, if it weren’t for the unexpected
bouts of surreal humor or even more surreal bits of off the wall imagery, that theme might have
played as tired. Yet, in essence, here is a relationship album that rarely—if ever—strays into
cliché. Again, Skeletal Lamping presents itself as a masterful pop album with all the signifiers of
a dissociative disorder, and it’s this juxtaposition of the insane with the mundane that makes
the record for me. —Mike Rodgers
SATYRICON
THE AGE OF NERO
(ROADRUNNER)
S
atyricon, who were once stalwarts of the Norwegian metal
scene, have been shifting towards the mainstream for years.
Their particular brand of metal, dubbed “black ’n’ roll” by
some detractors, focuses the blast beats and growls of extreme
metal into a more rhythmic mold. Instead of relying wholly on
lightning playing, Satyr’s riffs are allowed room to breath and flow effortlessly between intense
and groovy. Songs like album opener “Commando” jump back and forth, playing both sides
of the metal fence. And if the band has sacrificed some scene cred for their style, the gains far
outweigh the losses. The Age of Nero is so laden with increasingly complex, interesting and
unusual riffs that it’s impossible not to be at least intrigued. The opening half of the record
is an irresistible force with the one-two combo of “The Wolfpack” and “Black Crow on a
Tombstone” as crown jewels. “Black Crow…” especially pulls ahead of the pack—its opening
salvo of double bass and a mighty, loping riff segue so easily into the anthemic chorus that
it’s nigh impossible to imagine blackened metal coming any closer to radio friendly. Up to the
midway point, the album is all about building momentum, bouncing from one strange but
strong guitar line to another, but from “The Sign of the Trident” on the album stops marching
and digs in for the finish. “…Trident” applies the tried and true Satyricon technique of lacing
a creeping, mid-tempo melody over blistering drums, and once again Frost proves more than
up to the challenge. For every time change, monstrous chord or growl Satyr throws his way
Frost has an answer- switching gears between bluesy 4x4 time to impossibly fast blasts, Frost
once again proves himself the best drummer working in heavy metal. The album comes to a
close with the funereal “Den Siste.” Massive and black as midnight, “Den Siste” drags with it
mighty riffs and machine gun bass hits like a shambling beast. With The Age of Nero, Satyricon
has delivered a metal masterwork; a record complex enough to encompass the span between
extreme and mainstream without sacrificing the power of true metal. Easily a contender for
best metal record of the year. —Mike Rodgers
WILDERNESS
(K)NO(W)WHERE
(JAGJAGUWAR)
I
n 2005, Wilderness, a four-piece rock outfit from Baltimore,
released their self-titled album and introduced the rock
community to a beast of a band steeped in a post-rock/
experimentalist sentiment with a lead singer, James Johnson,
who possessed a voice that was initially compared to John
Lydon’s meandering wail. Now, in 2008, with the release of (K)No(W)Here, Johnson’s
voice has evolved into what could be described as equal-parts Mark Hollis, David Yow,
Jamie Stewart and Ian Mckaye—basically a damn monster, and, after a two year hiatus,
the band sounds more in tune with each other than ever before. This newest album is
best approached as a whole, with tracks bleeding into each other, rising and falling in the
abyss that is neither here nor anywhere and trans-morphing mid-song into a new animal
all together. This is a meditation into determinate human outcome within an ahistorical,
individualistic framework whose collective resignation to authority stems from confusion
and gullibility. But this meditation, seemingly woeful and desolate, could also be hopeful
in that recognition of the history may well lead to remediable action; it may, conversely,
be the last pained gasp of a creature rendered immobile from the morphine of modernity,
and “you are the evidence.” Opening deliberately with pangs of delay followed by delicate
cymbal washes and sympathetic reverbed guitar, “High Nero” coaxes the listener into
the ensuing entanglement, providing a momentary breath of fresh air before tightening
the noose on “Strand the Test of Time,” a certain peak on this album just as “Arkless”
stood out on the debut. Bolstered by the inclusion of superb complimentary backing vocals
throughout by guitarist Colin McCann, Wilderness succeeds in scope where many others
have failed this year (See: British Sea Power). “Soft Cage,” with its John McEntire-like
drum intro and aggressively primal utterances from Johnson, is the most laborious track
on the record and in turn the most rewarding; catharsis momentarily attained before more
“pain” and “doubt.” Few bands compete on the level of Wilderness, a band composed
yet ethereal, and no one howls like James Johnson; this is an album to experience. —Dan
Mitchell
25
antigravitymagazine.com_
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Nowe Miasto, 223 Jane Pl., (504) 821-6721
The Blue Nile, 534 Frenchmen St., (504) 948-2583
One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St., (504) 5698361, www.oneeyedjacks.net
Broadmoor House, 4127 Walmsley, (504) 8212434
Cafe Brasil, 2100 Chartres St., (504) 947-9386
Candle Factory, 4537 N. Robertson St.
Carrollton Station, 8140 Willow St., (504) 8659190, 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
Coach’s Haus, 616 N. Solomon
The Country Club, 634 Louisa St., (504) 9450742, www.countryclubneworleans.com
d.b.a., 618 Frenchmen St., (504) 942-373, www.
drinkgoodstuff.com/no
Ogden Museum, 925 Camp St., (504) 539-9600
Outer Banks, 2401 Palmyra (at S. Tonti),
(504) 628-5976, www.myspace.com/
outerbanksmidcity
Republic, 828 S. Peters St., (504) 528-8282,
www.republicnola.com
Rusty Nail, 1100 Constance Street (504) 5255515, 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) 8352903, www.newsouthport.com
The Spellcaster Lodge, 3052 St. Claude
Avenue, www.quintonandmisspussycat.com/
tourdates.html
St. Roch Taverne, 1200 St. Roch Ave., (504)
945-0194
Der Rathskeller (Tulane’s Campus), McAlister
Dr., http://wtul.fm
Tipitina’s, (Uptown) 501 Napoleon Ave., (504)
895-8477 (Downtown) 233 N. Peters, www.
tipitinas.com
Dragon’s Den, 435 Esplanade Ave., http://
myspace.com/dragonsdennola
The Zeitgeist, 1618 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.,
(504) 827-5858, www.zeitgeistinc.net
Eldon’s House, 3055 Royal Street,
[email protected]
Vintage Uptown, 4523 Magazine St.,
[email protected]
Ernie K-Doe’s Mother-in-Law Lounge, 1500
N. Claiborne Ave.
METAIRIE VENUES
Fair Grinds Coffee House, 3133 Ponce de
Leon, (504) 913-9072, www.fairgrinds.com
Airline Lion’s Home, 3110 Division St.
Fuel Coffee House, 4807 Magazine St. (504)
895-5757
The Bar, 3224 Edenborn
Hammerhead’s, 1300 N Causeway Blvd, (504)
834-6474
The Green Space, 2831 Marais Street (504) 9450240, www.thegreenproject.org
The High Ground, 3612 Hessmer
Ave., Metairie, (504) 525-0377, www.
thehighgroundvenue.com
Hi-Ho Lounge, 2239 St. Claude Ave. (504) 9454446, www.myspace.com/hiholounge
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) 522WOLF, www.thehowlinwolf.com
Kajun’s Pub, 2256 St. Claude Avenue (504) 9473735, www.myspace.com/kajunspub
Kim’s 940, 940 Elysian Fields, (504) 844-4888
The Kingpin, 1307 Lyons St., (504) 891-2373
Le Bon Temps Roule, 4801 Magazine St., (504)
895-8117
Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave., (504) 5815812, www.cabaretlechatnoir.com
Lyceum Central, 618 City Park Ave., (410) 5234182, http://lyceumproject.com
Lyon’s Club, 2920 Arlington St.
Mama’s Blues, 616 N. Rampart St., (504) 453-9290
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
Bourbon Cowboys, Circle Bar
MC Lars, MC Frontalot, G-Eazy, YT Cracker,
Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Misfits, Rock City Morgue, Scott H. Biram, House
Of Blues
MySpace Music Presents: 3oh!3,
Innerpartysystem, Chain Gang of 1974, The Parish
@ House Of Blues
Rex Gregory, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs), 10pm
Rich Vogel Organ Trio, d.b.a., 10pm
TUESDAY 12/2
Jake Saslow, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs), 10pm
Johnny Vidacovich Duo, d.b.a., 10pm
Mosquitosopaghus, The Sarah Quintana Band,
Circle Bar
Schatzy, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
WEDNESDAY 12/3
Golden Animals, Glorybee, Circle Bar
THURSDAY 12/4
The New Orleans Photo Alliance Presents:
PhotoGALA, New Orleans Museum of Art, 7pm10pm, $20; neworleansphotoalliance.org; photonola.
org. The New Orleans Photo Alliance celebrates the
2008 edition of PhotoNOLA with a silent auction
benefiting the organization, performances by The
Preservation Hall-Stars Band and Fleur de Tease
and refreshments from Dante’s Kitchen, NOLA
Bean, Abita Brewery, Cork & Bottle and Old New
Orleans Rum. The 3rd annual PhotoNOLA runs
through December at several locations around New
Orleans, including the Contemporary Arts Center,
The Mint, The McKenna Museum of African
American Art and the Ogden Museum of Southern
Art. With portfolio reviews, gallery talks, workshops
and lectures, PhotoNOLA is a unique event for any
photo enthusiast, so what better way to support the
local non-profit that makes it all happen than to
party at NOMA? You never know, you might end
up in a photo yourself. —Leo McGovern
Badabing’s, 3515 Hessmer, (504) 454-1120
Goldmine Saloon, 701 Dauphine St., (504) 5860745, www.goldminesaloon.net
Handsome Willy’s, 218 S. Robertson St., (504)
525-0377, http://handsomewillys.com
MONDAY 12/1
Keystone’s Lounge, 3408 28th Street, www.
myspace.com/keystoneslounge
Stitches, 3941 Houma Blvd., www.myspace.
com/stitchesbar
BATON ROUGE VENUES
The Caterie, 3617 Perkins Rd., www.thecaterie.com
Chelsea’s Café, 2857 Perkins Rd., (225) 3873679, www.chelseascafe.com
Dragonfly’s, 124 West Chimes
The Darkroom, 10450 Florida Blvd., (225) 2741111, www.darkroombatonrouge.com
Government St., 3864 Government St., www.
myspace.com/rcpzine
Junkyard House, 3299 Ivanhoe St.
North Gate Tavern, 136 W. Chimes St.
(225)346-6784, www.northgatetavern.com
Red Star Bar, 222 Laurel St., (225) 346-8454,
www.redstarbar.com
Rotolos, 1125 Bob Pettit Blvd. (225) 761-1999,
www.myspace.com/rotolosallages
The Spanish Moon, 1109 Highland Rd., (225)
383-MOON, www.thespanishmoon.com
The Varsity, 3353 Highland Rd., (225)383-7018,
www.varsitytheatre.com
Melvin’s, 2112 St. Claude Ave.
26_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
Sweet Home New Orleans Benefit w/ Bonnie Prince Billy,
Nicole Atkins, Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit, Papa Moussa
Lo, Tipitina’s, 9pm, $12; sweethomeneworleans.com.
Will Oldham, the singer-songwriter from Louisville
responsible for some of the most poignant, aching,
intense and liberating music ever set to record,
including 1999’s impassioned masterpiece I See A
Darkness and this year’s Lie Down in the Light, both
under the moniker Bonnie “Prince” Billy, will be
gracing New Orleans with his presence and voice.
Fresh off a benefit to raise awareness for plighted
indigenous Hemlock trees in Lexington, Kentucky,
Oldham will be turning his attention to musical
advocacy and activism in New Orleans. As part of
the fourth “Musicians Bringing Musicians Home”
benefit concert at Tipitina’s since November 6, 2006,
Oldham will be making a rare onstage appearance
with six other musical artists to benefit the nonprofit organization Sweet Home New Orleans, an
organization established post-Katrina dedicated to
providing assistance to displaced musicians and
local artists. This year’s guests also include the
legendary Bomb Squad (Public Enemy) producer
Hank Shocklee, Waterflow, member of Senegalese
hip-hop group Wageble, Alec Ounsworth of
EVENT LISTINGS
Brooklyn’s Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Jonny
5 and Brer Rabbit of the Flobots and the soulful
singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins. —Dan Mitchell
Torch Night, The Big Top, 7:30pm
I Set My Friends on Fire, Karate High School,
You Me and Everyone We Know, Further
Reasoning, High Ground, $10
Glasgow, Carrollton Station, 10pm, FREE
Jimmy Carpenter Album Release f/ John Gros,
John Fohl, Cass Faulkoner, Wayne Maureau and
Special Guests, d.b.a., 10pm, $5
Levi Weaver, Cohen and The Ghost, Circle Bar
The Randy Rogers Band, Sean McConnell, House
Of Blues
Sick Like Sinatra, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
Todd Duke, Germaine Bazzle, Eric Traub & Peter
Harris, d.b.a., 7pm
WYLD Presents: Anthony Hamilton, House Of
Blues
GWAR, Kingdom of Sorrow, Toxic Holocaust,
House Of Blues
Loose Marbles, One Eyed Jacks, 7pm
St. Louis Slim, d.b.a., 10pm
The Wind and The Flame, Circle Bar
Zydepunks, Special Ed & The Short Bus, Dragon’s
Den (Upstairs), 10pm
FRIDAY 12/5
MONDAY 12/8
TUESDAY 12/9
Cliff Hines Quartet, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs),
10pm
Deadbird, Zoroaster, Catholicon, A Hanging, HiHo Lounge, 10pm
I Love You, Circle Bar
Van Halen II: Rise of the Machines, Dragon’s Den
(Upstairs), 10pm
ActionActionReaction Indie Dance Party, Spring
Break Shark Attack, Circle Bar
Big Rock Candy Mountain, Direwood, Carrollton
Station
Bonerama, Eric Lindell, Tipitina’s, 10pm, $20
Dana Abott, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
Deerhunter, Nite Jewel, Times New Viking, One
Eyed Jacks, 9pm
Destined To Fall, Sustenance, Corvina, House Of
Blues
Groovesect, d.b.a., 10pm, $5
Hot Club of New Orleans, d.b.a., 6pm
The Howlin’ Wolf 20th Anniversary Series w/
Rebirth Brass Band, Soul Rebels, Hot 8 Brass
Band, Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Isabella, I, Octopus, Banks St. Bar & Grill, 10pm
Jak Locke, Black Snow, Aldrem Impaler, The Bar,
9pm
Meriwether, Oh Juliet, If I Were a Battleship,
Better Off Dead, High Ground, $10
Pure f/ Sio2, Paul B, Josh Sense, Dragon’s Den
(Downstairs), 10pm
The Revivalists, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs)
WEDNESDAY 12/10
SATURDAY 12/6
FRIDAY 12/12
ASCAP and Songfest Foundation Present: New
Orleans Songwriter’s Festival f/ Jimmy Webb,
Cassandra Wilson, Zachary Richard, House Of
Blues
The Bills, Terror Optics’ Peepshow Creep Film
Release and Screening, Banks St. Bar & Grill, 10pm
Clockwork Elvis, The Bruisers, The Saturn Bar,
10pm
Courtland Burke, Carrollton Station
Fatter Than Albert Album Release w/ We Are the
Union, Safety, Pumpkin, Vintage Uptown, 7pm, $5
The Final Rise, Tomorrow’s Goodbye, Embrace
the End, Hence the Name, High Ground, $7
DJ Frenzi, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs), 10pm
Freret Market, Freret St. @ Napoleon Ave., 12pm5pm, FREE
The Howlin’ Wolf 20th Anniversary Series
Presents: PBS, John Gros and Special Guests,
Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
John Boutte’, d.b.a., 7pm
Kings of Happy Hour, Circle Bar
Liber Diurnus, Zombie Killer, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
Little Freddie King, d.b.a., 11pm, $5
Mama’s Boy, One Eyed Jacks, 9pm
Me, Myself and I: Self Portrait Photography by
Tim Best, Karen Louise and Heather Weathers
Opening Reception, The Big Top, 6pm
The Music of Gatemouth Brown f/ Good Moon
w/ Luther Wamble, Coco Robicheaux, Mark
“Tex” Bell, Guitar Lightin’ Lee, Tipitina’s, 10pm,
$10
Severed Mass, Nothing Sacred, Gorgonopsian,
The Bar, 9pm
Truth Universal Presents Grass Roots, Dragon’s
Den (Upstairs), 10pm
April Hirsch’s Birthday Party w/ Die Rotzz, The
Bruisers, Guitar Lightning, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
Baak Gwai, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 8pm
Dubla Music’s Holladay Hop w/ Your Cuz’n I.T.,
1068B Magazine St., 9pm
Egg Yolk Jubilee, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10:30pm
The Happy Talk Band, The Saturn Bar, 10pm
The Howlin’ Wolf 20th Anniversary Series
Presents: MVVP f/ Stanton Moore, Rich Vogel,
Johnny Vidacovich, George Porter Jr., Russell
Batiste and Friends, Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Ingrid Lucia, d.b.a., 6pm
The Jason Isbell Duo, Circle Bar
Jenn Howard and Crazy McGee, Carrollton Station
Johnny J & The Hitmen, Banks St. Bar & Grill,
10:30pm
Lusher School Benefit w/ La Soiree Musicale f/
Stanton Moore Trio, George Porter Jr., The Dad’s
Band, The Bruisers, The Lusher Jazz Band w/
Kent Jordan, Tipitina’s, 8pm, $25
Papa Grows Funk, d.b.a., 10pm, $10
Slang Angus, 6 Pack Deep, BPM, One Eyed Jacks,
9pm
Sway w/ DJ Finger Prince, DJ Dub Insurgent, DJ
Tall Jamal, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs), 10pm
SUNDAY 12/7
Chris Mule’ Band, d.b.a., 10pm
Drive West, Black Andes South, Circle Bar
Elijah, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs), 10pm
Fleur de Tease, One Eyed Jacks, 8pm, 10pm
Mama’s Boy, The Saturn Bar, 10pm
Palmetto Bug Stompers, d.b.a., 6pm
The Dark Knights of Camelot, The Parasols, Circle
Bar
Homegrown Night, Tipitina’s, 8:30pm, FREE
Ice Cube, Trick Trick, House Of Blues
Psychostick, Retard-o-Bot, This is the Enemy,
High Ground, $10
THURSDAY 12/11
Big Chief Bo Dollis Benefit f/ Wild Magnolias
Mardi Gras Indians, Marva Wright, Rockin’
Dopsie, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Trombone
Shorty, Bo Dollis Jr., 101 Runners, Rebirth Brass
Band, Papa Grows Funk, Tipitina’s, 10pm, $20
The Bruisers, The New Dopey Singers, Circle Bar
CC Adcock & Lil’ Buck Senegal, d.b.a., 10pm, $5
E.O.E., Jealous Monk, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs),
10pm
Haste the Day, Skyeatsairplane, Emarosa, Inhale/
Exhale, High Ground, $12
Paul Sanchez, d.b.a., 7pm
SATURDAY 12/13
The Bad Off’s “The Good, The Bad and The
Handsome X-Mas Show” w/ Good Guys, The Pat
Sajak Assassins, One Eyed Jacks, 9pm
Black Snow, The Switchblade Combs, Banks St.
Bar & Grill, 10pm
Blue Eclipse, Menagerie, Atomic Pilot, The Bar,
9pm
Blue Mountain, d.b.a., 11pm, $5
Cajun Zydeco Dance Festival w/ Geno Delafose,
Zion Harmonizers, Lucky Playboys, Al Benard,
Curly Taylor, Atlanta Swamp Opera, Tipitina’s,
1pm, $10
The Good God Damn Show, Carrollton Station
House of Blues Tribute Series Tour Presents:
Back in Black—The Ultimate Tribute to AC/DC,
Appetite For Destruction—The Ultimate Tribute
27
antigravitymagazine.com_
EVENT LISTINGS
to Guns ’n’ Roses, House Of Blues
The Howlin’ Wolf 20th Anniversary Series
Presents: Zebra, Lillian Axe, Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Metronome The City, Magic Legs, Smiley With a
Knife, Circle Bar
N.O. Producer Soundclash: Round 3, The Blue Nile
(Upstairs), 8pm
The Other Planets, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
Paul Webb’s Birthday Party w/ Hawg Jaw,
Spickle, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
Pilaseca, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs), 10pm
Zydepunks, The Saturn Bar, 10pm
SUNDAY 12/14
Cajun Zydeco Dance Festival w/ Steve Riley and
The Mamou Playboys, Bruce Daigrepont, Leon
Chavez, Tipitina’s, 5pm, $10
Cree McCree’s Holidaze Art Bizaar, The Big Top,
12pm
Irene Sage, d.b.a., 10pm
Monstrous, Black Primer, Circle Bar
Palmetto Bug Stompers, d.b.a., 6pm
MONDAY 12/15
Diesel Combustion Orchestra, Dragon’s Den
(Upstairs), 10pm
ohGr, American Memory Project, House Of Blues
Loose Marbles, One Eyed Jacks, 7pm
Rich Vogel Organ Trio, d.b.a., 10pm
TUESDAY 12/16
Jeff Treffinger’s 50th Birthday Party w/ The
Geraniums, Circle Bar
Johnny Vidacovich Trio, d.b.a., 10pm
Martin Krusche, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs), 10pm
The Night the B Stole Christmas w/ Gavin
DeGraw, Lady GaGa, Metro Station,
Theresa Andersson’s One Woman Show, Le Chat
Noir, 8pm, $15
The Vettes, House Of Blues
WEDNESDAY 12/17
Coot, Tipitina’s, 10pm
Helen Gillet and Friends, Circle Bar
Libyan Hitsquad, Superaids, The Saturn Bar, 10pm
THURSDAY 12/18
Carrollton Station
Tin Men, d.b.a., 10pm, $5
Todd Duke, Germaine Bazzle, Eric Traub and
Peter Harris, d.b.a., 7pm
FRIDAY 12/19
Bad Pennies, The Unnaturals, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
Benjy Davis Project, Big Blue Marble, Howlin’
Wolf, 10pm
The Chilluns f/ Dave Malone, Johnny Malone,
Darcy Malone, Spencer Bohren, andre Bohren,
Cranston Clements, Annie Clements, Tipitina’s,
10pm, $15
Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue, Circle Bar
Garage A Trois, One Eyed Jacks, 9pm
Hot Club of New Orleans, d.b.a., 6pm
Kermit Ruffins’ Annual Birthday Bash, House Of
Blues
Love Zombie, Down II None, The Bar, 9pm
Mabel’s Parlor Band, Carrollton Station
Microphone Co-Rivalry, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs),
10pm
Pine Leaf Boys, d.b.a., 10pm, $5
The Round Pegs’ Christmas Pie Party, Banks St.
Bar & Grill, 10pm
Shadow Gallery, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
SATURDAY 12/20
The 13th Hour, No Room for Saints, The Bar, 9pm
Bustout Burlesque, House Of Blues, 7pm, 9:30pm, $20
The Buttons, Circle Bar
Bywater Art Market, Markey Park (Royal St. @ Piety
St.), 8am-4pm, FREE
Fred LeBlanc, Carrollton Station
Good Enough for Good Times, d.b.a., 11pm, $5
John Boutte’, d.b.a., 7pm
Juice Holiday Blowout, Banks St. Bar & Grill, 11pm
Marcia Ball, Beausoleil Avec Michael Doucet,
Tipitina’s, 10pm, $20
Meadow Flow, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs), 10pm
Mod Dance Party, The Saturn Bar, 10pm
Reverend Spooky LaStrange’s Church of
Burlesque, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
Soul Rebels Brass Band, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs),
10pm
SUNDAY 12/21
Christmas With Aaron Neville and His Quintet f/
Charles Neville, House Of Blues
Coco Robicheaux, d.b.a., 10pm
Palmetto Bug Stompers, d.b.a., 6pm
The Vidrines, Circle Bar
MONDAY 12/22
Loose Marbles, One Eyed Jacks, 7pm
Paul Sanchez, d.b.a., 10pm
Private Pile, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
Simon Lott, Dragon’s Den (Downstairs), 10pm
TUESDAY 12/23
The New Orleans Craft Mafia’s Last Stop Shop, The
Big Top, 6pm-10pm, FREE; neworleanscraftmafia.
com. Local vendors? Check. Awesome-yetaffordable products? Double check. A chance to grab
a variety of gifts for the whole family, just a week
before Christmas? Triple check. The New Orleans
Craft Mafia is again providing the Crescent City’s
procrastinators a one-stop, last-minute shopping
opportunity that features crafts, artwork, clothes,
knickknacks and much more. Got your shopping
done already? Pop in for snacks, music, the cash bar
and the Handmade Holiday Ornament and Tree
Raffle, the proceeds of which go to another great
local organization, Recycle For the Arts. Whether
you’re frantic or making fun of the laggards, The
Last Stop Shop can be a cathartic experience for all.
—Leo McGovern
Brass Bed, The Amazing Nuns, Circle Bar
Don Dokken, Kelly Keeling, The Parish @ House
Of Blues
Flow Tribe, Gravy, Tipitina’s, 10pm, $8
Free Jazz, Brah!, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
Hate Eternal, Ritual Killer, Built to Destroy, The
Bar, 9pm
Songwriter Showcase w/ Andrew Duhon,
28_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
Home For the Holidays f/ Irma Thomas, House Of
Blues, 6pm, $125
Home For the Holidays f/ John Boutte, Jonathan
Batiste, Rebirth Brass Band, Trombone Shorty
and Orleans Ave., Kermit Ruffins and The BBQ
Swingers, plus Rockin’ Dopsie and Amanda
Shaw, House Of Blues, 7:30pm, $30
The Howlin’ Wolf 20th Anniversary Series
Presents: Meriwether, Pandemic, Sole Pursuit,
Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Joe Krown Organ Combo, d.b.a., 10pm
Spite, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
Wazozo, Circle Bar
THURSDAY 12/25
Holiday Sing-a-Long, Banks St. Bar & Grill, 9pm
Marva Wright’s Christmas Party w/ Kermit
Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr.,
Tipitina’s, 8pm, $15
Paul Sanchez, Carrollton Station
FRIDAY 12/26
DJ Soul Sister & DJ Real Present: I Luv James/I
Luv Fela—A Tribute to James Brown and Fela
Kuti, Dragon’s Den
EVENT LISTINGS
Dr. John and the Lower 911, Joe Krown, Walter
Wolfman Washington, Russell Batiste Jr., House
Of Blues
The Howlin’ Wolf 20th Anniversary Series
Presents: George Porter Jr.’s Birthday Bash, The
Runnin’ Pardners, Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Jo “Cool” Davis Gospel Extravaganza f/ Jo Cool
Davis Band, Zion Harmonizers, Tipitina’s, 8pm, $5
The Pallbearers, All Rise, Nothing Lost, Hi-Ho
Lounge, 10pm
The Rites of Swing, d.b.a., 6pm
Stanton Moore Trio, d.b.a., 10pm, $5
Static TV Presents: The Park The Van Holiday
Soiree, Circle Bar
SATURDAY 12/27
2 Floors of Drum N Bass, Dragon’s Den, 10pm
All Rise, Capital Offense, Molotov Compromise,
Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 7pm
Anders Osborne, d.b.a., 11pm, $10
Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Tipitina’s, 10pm, $15
John Boutte’, d.b.a., 7pm
Machine Made Slave, Latin Bullshit, The Bar,
9pm
Merry Go Drown Reunion, Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Neverset, Centerpunch, Allyria, The Parish @
House Of Blues
ReFried Confuzion, Carrollton Station
Sick Like Sinatra, Banks St. Bar & Grill, 10:30pm
SUNDAY 12/28
WEDNESDAYS
DJ T-Roy Presents: Dancehall Classics, Dragon’s
Den, $5
Gravity A, Banks St. Bar and Grill, 11pm
Jim O. and The No Shows, Circle Bar, 6pm
Kenny holiday and the Rolling Blackouts,
Checkpoint Charlie’s, 9pm
Mojotoro Tango Trio, Yuki (525 Frenchmen St.),
8pm
Walter Wolfman Washington, d.b.a., 10pm, $5
THURSDAYS
DJ Kemistry, Republic, 11pm
DJ Proppa Bear Presents: Bassbin Safari, Dragon’s
Den (Downstairs)
Fast Times ‘80s Dance Night, One Eyed Jacks
The Fens w/ Sneaky Pete, Checkpoint Charlie’s,
10pm
Ladies’ Nite w/ Cosmic Sweat Society, Banks
Street Bar & Grill, 10pm
Sam and Boone, Circle Bar, 6pm
Soul Rebels, Les Bon Temps Roule, 11pm
FRIDAYS
Friday Night Music Camp, The Big Top, 5pm;
12/5 w/ The Abita Stumps; 12/19 w/ The Pfister
Sisters’ Holiday Show
Tipitina’s Foundation Free Friday!, Tipitina’s,
10pm
Edwin McCain, Sun Domingo, House Of Blues
Palmetto Bug Stompers, d.b.a., 6pm
Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, d.b.a., 10pm
SATURDAYS
MONDAY 12/29
SUNDAYS
E.O.E., d.b.a., 10pm
The Green Genes, Circle Bar
Rev Youth, Chiaroscurio, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs),
7:30pm
Acoustic Open Mic w/ Jim Smith, Checkpoint
Charlie’s, 7pm
Cajun Fais Do Do f/ Bruce Danigerpoint,
Tipitina’s, 5:30pm, $7 (N/A on 12/14)
Corrosion, Dragon’s Den (Upstairs), 10pm
Linnzi Zaorski, d.b.a., 6pm
Music Workshop Series, Tipitina’s, 12:30pm; 12/7
w/ Chris Severin; 12/14 w/ Leslie Smith; 12/21 w/
Russell Batiste; 12/28 w/ Johnny Vidacovich Quartet
Latin Dance Nite w/ Los Pinginos, Banks St. Bar
and Grill
The Sunday Gospel Brunch, House Of Blues
TUESDAY 12/30
Anxious Sound’s 3rd Annual Holiday HoDown
w/ Guests TBA, Hi-Ho Lounge, 10pm
Better Than Ezra, House Of Blues
The Box Elders, The Saturn Bar, 10pm
Cassettes on Fire, Vessels of Energia,
Chiaroscuro, Revolutionary Youth, Party Time,
Neutral Ground, 7pm, $5
Joe Krown, Walter Wolfman Washington &
Russell Batiste Jr., d.b.a., 10pm, $5
WEDNESDAY 12/31
Better Than Ezra, House Of Blues
Galactic, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Tipitina’s,
10pm, $55
Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Papa Grows
Funk, Howlin’ Wolf, 10pm
Kidd Jordan/Brian Quezerque Duo, Cambre
and Cappello, The Zeitgeist, 8pm, $7 (General), $6
(Students/Seniors), $5 (Members)
Morning 40 Federation, Bobby Adams, One Eyed
Jacks, 9pm
New Years Eve Party, Banks St. Bar & Grill, 10pm
DANCE NIGHTS/WEEKLIES
DJ Damion Yancy, Republic, 11pm
COMEDY
WEDNESDAYS
Standup Comedy Open Mic, Carrollton Station,
9pm
THURSDAYS
Karaoke Fury, La Nuit Comedy Theater, 10pm
Rabbit Hole, La Nuit Comedy Theater, 8:30
FRIDAYS
God’s Been Drinking, La Nuit Comedy Theater,
8:30pm, $10
Open Mic Stand-Up, La Nuit Comedy Theater,
10pm, $5
SATURDAYS
MONDAYS
Beacoup Crasseaux w/ Free Jambalaya, Banks St.
Bar and Grill, 10pm
Blue Grass Pickin’ Party, Hi-Ho Lounge, 8pm
Justin Peake’s Acoustic Trio, Dragon’s Den
(Downstairs), 8pm, FREE
Mad Mike, Checkpoint Charlie’s, 8pm
Missy Meatlocker, Circle Bar, 5pm
TUESDAYS
Acoustic Open Mic, Carrollton Station, 9pm
Acoustic Open Mic w/ Jim Smith, Checkpoint
Charlie’s, 10pm
Jonathan Freilich and Alex McMurray, Circle Bar,
6pm
Open Mic w/ Whiskey T., Rusty Nail, 8pm
Reggae Jam with The Uppressors, Banks St. Bar
and Grill, 10pm
ComedySportz: All-Ages Comedy Show, La Nuit
Comedy Theater, 7pm, $10
Jonah’s Variety Hour, La Nuit Comedy Theater,
10pm
NOTABLE UPCOMING SHOWS
1/9: Outlaw Order Album Release, One Eyed
Jacks
1/13 & 1/14: Soul Sister Presents: The Rudy Ray
Moore Film Festival, One Eyed Jacks
1/15: The Pharmacy, The Saturn Bar
2/17: Dr. Dog, One Eyed Jacks
3/21: Alternative Media Expo ’09, The Warehouse
at the Contemporary Arts Center, 12pm-6pm, $5
See you in 2009!
29
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