Echoes from the Bayou

Cities - by definition - are all meant to be pretty much the same. A business core surrounded by pockets of wealth and poverty, in many directions. Usually, a city is either continually building up, like Montreal or New York, or continually building out, like Toronto or Los Angeles. New Orleans, which is where we, loyal readers, find bernice right now, is decidedly doing neither. Yet, it has become a beautiful, clean, inviting, rowdy, and exciting place. many streets there are people who stand full time with a broom and dustpan and sweep up litter as soon as they see it fall, in an apparent effort to keep the city clean. After the hurricane that destroyed sections of the city, focus has clearly shifted to rebuilding things that have been lost, which is a really interesting thing to see in a city which doesnt look like it has torn down or rebuilt a building since about 1910. On In fact, the hotel I'm staying in happens to be inside an old asbestos factory, although it is extremely welcoming and well-designed.



This is weirdly representative of almost everything here - both sinister and welcoming. To wit: Almost every corner has a street musician. This musician always looks like he just stepped out from under a train, and he is always supremely talented. On the way from the airport, there were billboards all over the highway advertising casinos and stripclubs. All of these ads have large boxes on them that say "If you or a friend has a gambling/drinking problem, help is available!". Also, if you look lost or confused, a giant black dude with grillz might come up to you, ask if you need any help, point you to the street or the trolley or the basketball arena that you're looking for, shake your hand, and thank you for coming to the city. I guess that's Voodoo.






Everyone is extremely glad that tourists are here. seriously, they are. The main reason i'm here is because my mother found out about something called Prospect 1, which has apparently become the largest city-wide art display in the world now, or something like that. Most of it is inspired by the hurricane, and most of it is absolutely incredible. Many exhibits are in the 9th ward, which is a neighborhood that was almost completely destroyed. Since, the area has become a cesspool of filth and crime, and one of the worst in the country. However, walking around it feels completely safe. All of the residents are extremely glad to see you, and would like to introduce themselves and talk to you for a while. A man named collins took me into his studio he just finished rebuilding and showed me some of the stained glass he was working on, and we watched his children paint. All I was staring at the mural on the wall of his house when he happened to walk outside. He was very nice. The most interesting thing is, it doesn't even look like a bad neighborhood. During the day, it looks more like farmland. It's harder to feel the danger, since things like run down houses and buildings arent derelict, there just gone.


In a half-standing house in the area, there has been set up the Lower 9th Center for the Arts, a small art gallery. Inside, the exhibit featured some of the best photography I'd ever seen. It took a few minutes of taking the entire thing in before I realised that the toothless fat man in a sleeveless t-shirt on the porch shouting obscenites in both french and english was the artist. Seriously though, each picture was better than the last. The whole experience is hard to describe over the internet, but if anyone wants to talk about it, please let me know. There's also a shit-ton more art I've seen, that is definately worth discussion.



Other things of interest:

I've now seen 4 works by Banksy. The first time, I got really excited and told everyone near me. They all seemed impressed. It was of a kid on a tire swing, and it was on the side of a partially destroyed house. Since then, I've seen one of a main losing his umbrella painted on the side of the leevee that broke, the pope on a warehouse on the other side of the city, and of a girl stuck in the rain in the french quarter. They've all been protected with a plastic sheet fastened to the wall on top of the work.



I went to a hornets basketball game. The slogan is "Geaux Hornets", and the cheerleaders are all senior citizens called the "Used to Bees". There was also a prayer before the game and a moment of silence led by a good-ol-boy white pastor with a crewcut at centre court. Louisiana can be a strange place.

The sign at the airport as soon as i got off the plane said "We're JAZZED to see you". I thought it was funny.

I went to a concert by a dude named Trombone Shorty. He was 22 (it was his birthday), looked alot like T.I., and was incredible. Also, the guitar player in his band was wicked, clearly jewish, and reminded me alot of another pudgy-cheeked jewish lead guitarist who plays a wood-couloured strat that my band used to open for. Rabbi, i'm talking to you, I hope you catch the reference.


People here have wicked names. we saw a sherrif the other morning whose nametag said "T.J. Montreaux. He was black, but had blue eyes. Cajun!


The food is great. there is gumbo, and lots of seafood, and here, they call a sub a po-boy! And they put fried shrimp in them! Weeeird!

Anyway, I should be heading off. the Dr. John concert isn't going to attend itself! ho ho, ha ha.
Also, I might be seeing Thug Wrangler in the next couple of days, since he's also hitting the Crescent City. I'm waiting to hear from him, I'll let y'all know (That's how they talk here!)

Bernice Out, from The Big (Un)Easy.


Just Kidding, this place rules.