NJ Crawfish Fest 2012

Boiled crawfish, Curley Taylor, Dr. John, Jon Cleary, Terrance Simien, Glen David Andrews and Bonerama..not a bad way to spend June afternoon in New Jersey.

NJ Crawfish Fest

That's me at 2009 Fest

This weekend there is a BIG New Orleans Louisiana event here on East Coast. Its the 23rd Annual Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest in Augusta, NJ. I've been twice before and had a good ol time- not Jazzfest but pretty close if you can't get to the real thing. There is a Main outdoor stage, a smaller Pavillion stage and then an indoor stage that features a hardwood dance floor and features Cajun and Zydeco bands and dancers. Food is just OK; boiled crawfish are real good but everything else I've had there is pretty mediocre in my opinion and cannot hold a candle to food at Fest. BUT, the music lineup is looking really good- especially on Saturday, June 2nd. Performers include Curley Taylor, Terrance Simien, Johnny Sketch, Bonerama and 2 of my NO favorites Glen David Andrews and Dr. John...Not too bad for New Jersey. Go HERE for the deets.

Live Webcast Tonight at Tipitinas.com

Tune in tonight around 10pm EST for the Soul and Blues review featuring Otis Clay and one of my favorites, Glen David Andrews. Should be a great show.

Krewe Me?..Krewe You...

..So, as I mentioned in my previous post, I am all in for Mardi Gras and will be riding as a member of a New Orleans Mardi Gras Krewe. Anyway- a little bit of a back story is in order to explain how this came to be....Anybody that knows me knows I am a bit nuts about New Orleans and Louisiana- the food, music, culture-doesn’t matter. If it's New Orleans or Louisiana related, I'm gonna be there-NYC, Philly or even New Jersey (sorry, couldn't resist). That’s how I ended up in a krewe.  A few years ago, I started going to New Orleans music related events primarily up in NYC and on more than one occasion dragged my wife and kids to Central Park or Lincoln Center to see a brass band or, one year, the Mardi Gras Indians; I’ve secondlined with the Soul Rebels Brass Band and Glen David Andrews in Manhattan as well as going to numerous New Orleans/Louisiana music events here in Philly (including monthly Cajun dances at a local Polish club dance hall) . I have even-more than once- traveled across the Delaware to see New Orleans and Louisiana musicians perform in- of all places- Camden, NJ (which believe it or not has a very nice waterfront park set up across the Delaware River looking back at the city of Philadelphia)..Over time, I began to realize that there was a group of like minded people-especially at the NYC events- when it came to New Orleans and its music and culture. Two years ago, I participated in a secondline across the Brooklyn Bridge and I was really hooked. Then, last year, I read that the same group of folks who had put on the Brooklyn Bridge secondline were organizing a New Orleans style jazz funeral to celebrate the demise and-hopefully- the eventual re-birth of the Coney Island waterfront. Well, thats all I needed to know- I drove up to NYC, jumped the subway to Coney Island and there I was-hanging out and then marching with the NYC/New Orleans contingent. The event featured a NYC based brass band, Dancing Man 504 straight out of New Orleans and a mermaid in a coffin (see NY Times article and slideshow here or see my pix/slideshow over to the right of this post)…Anyway, after the event, I got to talking to one of the guys-Arthur- who was a pallbearer in the parade. He mentioned that altho he lived in New Jersey he was part of a New Orleans Mardi Gras krewe and had been parading down there for the past few years. Huh?.. you mean you can live in NJ but also be a member of a New Orleans parade krewe?... I always thought that this was a “locals only” kind of thing...As we talked, tho, it started to make sense..it turns out that since the Federal Flood (aka Katrina) a lot of the New Orleans Krewes lost local membership and so they started to turn to out-of-towners as one way to fill out their ranks.. so as we continued to talk-and down a couple more Coney Island beers-I continued to quiz him on the details..at one point he suggested that I consider joining up-I was officially being recruited… The rest, as they say is history …so in a couple weeks- Sunday February 19^th at around 11:45am CST to be exact- I will be on a float, in mask and costume rolling down the Uptown New Orleans parade route …stay tuned.....

GDA & SRBB kick-off Camden Concert series

My wife and I traveled via public transportation (SEPTA to PATCO) across the Delaware River last nite to catch 2 of our favorite New Orleans acts - Glen David Andrews & The Soul Rebels Brass Band- for FREE at Wiggins Park on the NJ waterfront . With Popeye's Chicken, Shrimp, Biscuits and Red Beans and Rice in hand- along with an ice cold Abita Amber beer given to me by a fellow New Orleaniophile - we settled on the grass for some NO food and music.

Another FREE show and Live Radio Broadcast: Glenn David Andrews & Soul Rebels BB

Wow...another great FREE New Orleans music show coming up in Philadelphia area. On Tuesday 6/28/11 at 8pm you can see 2 of the biggest music acts from New Orleans: Glenn David Andrews and the Soul Rebels Brass Band for FREE @ Camden's Wiggins Waterfront Park which is across the Delaware River from Downtown Philadelphia. If for some reason you can't make to the show, Philadelphia's Jazz and Classical station WRTI will also be broadcasting the show which kicks off the summer's Sunset Jazz Concert Series. Free world class music, beautiful outdoor riverfront setting- what are you waiting for- as they say on 'Oz, Get out and see some LIVE LOCAL MUSIC!

Glen David Andrews.....1st Sunday at Fest

...sis went to see Glen David Andrews- a personal favorite of mine- at Blues Tent.. Among others had Amanda Shaw, Marcia Ball & Trombone Shorty on stage during show...and also GDA did his signature Superman crowd surf across the Jazzfest tent crowd...only in New Orleans & only at Jazzfest ...wow..

Heading West and Tipitina's Live Webcast Alert

Gonna be away for a week or so..Heading to West Coast for my brother's wedding. This Saturday nite, go to Tipitina's website to watch or listen to live Webcast of Glen David Andrews Trumpets Not Guns Benefit Concert ...looks like a great lineup including but not limited to Kermit Ruffins, Jon Cleary, Irvin Mayfield, Pfister Sisters, Ingrid Lucia, Baby Boyz Brass Band and the Black Feather Mardi Gras Indians.

No mo' N.O. Eats in NYC?

Well..that explains it. My wife and I were in NYC earlier this week for the Glen David Andrews show at Sullivan Hall and thought we'd get some New Orleans inspired food for dinner so we headed down to the Acme Bar & Grill on Great Jones Street. Lo and behold we got there and did a double take because it was shut down- not closed for the day shut down but metal shutters rolled down and really closed shut down. No signage or any other indication why or when. So, on to  plan B. I had a few months before eaten at another New Orleans type restaurant-Mara's Homemade- not too far away so we walked over and I'll be darned if they weren't closed as well- altho at least they had a sign on door saying they were closed on Tuesdays. So unbelievably we had been shut out at 2 New Orleans themed restaurants. Unbelievable...settled on some good old NYC pizza at Rays in the Village. Not too shabby of a Plan C. Anyway, it turns out that both the Acme Grill and Mara's Homemade have run into trouble and very recently Acme announced they were closing- initially it appeared for good but now more recently- just for a long needed renovation (see articles here and here); While Mara's Homemade is apparently closing for good at the end of April - see their story here. It's a shame -I had eaten at both a couple times over past couple years and food was good- not New Orleans good but pretty darn good for not being in New Orleans. Oh well, hopefully Acme will re-open with the same N.O. inspired menu and maybe someone else will come along and open another N.O. themed place to take Mara's place..Here's hopin...

Glen David Andrews Rocks NYC

I was at last nite's show at Sullivan Hall in NYC. Mr. Andrews knows how to get the party started where ever he is at. Almost felt like his standing Monday nite gig at d.b.a. in New Orleans- urging the crowd in close as he works up a sweat onstage. If you have never seen him perform live and up close keep an eye out for the next time he comes around. He is one of New Orleans' top entertainers and also one of the city's top ambassadors for it's musical heritage and traditions.