Gambit Digital Edition: October 7, 2024

October 7 - 13, 2024 | Volume 45 | Number 41

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Different types of Joy

Oktoberfest at Deutsches Haus

New Orleans singer-songwriter Joy Clark releases debut album ‘Tell it to the Wind’ | by Jake Clapp JOY CLARK DOES A LOT OF THINGS.

The New Orleans singer-songwriter has been the first call for gigs. earlier this year, she led her own band at French Quarter Fest. A couple of weeks later she joined Allison russell, who clark regularly tours with, for a show at Jazz Fest. And currently, she might be found on Frenchmen Street playing reggae one night and funk another night. Then she might head out of town for an acoustic set at a coffee shop.

So for her first full-length album, “Tell it to the Wind,” clark wanted to pull all of those strings together.

She wanted to “tell it how I see it,” she says.

“This album has taken me my whole life to write,” clark says. “It takes a while for life to give you the experiences, and it takes time for you to be brave enough to stand in your own story.”

“Tell it to the Wind” was released Oct. 4 on Ani DiFranco’s righteous Babe records.

The release of “Tell it to the Wind” comes at a time of growth and positive change for clark, she told Gambit. clark, who recently turned 40, has had a lot of exciting career moments over the last few years, like touring with russell, playing with Brandi carlile, singing a song she wrote alongside DiFranco and paying tribute to Tracy chapman at the Folk Alliance International awards.

But amid all it, she says, she also was coming into her own not only as a solo musician but also as a person.

“The period of transition is really coming to peace with the disparate parts of myself: my christian upbringing, my queerness,” clark says. “coming to peace with those things and really bringing them all together and presenting Joy clark’s artistry. It’s coming into my own and realizing what my story can offer people.” clark was born in Harvey as the youngest of five in a family that went to church multiple times a week. And it was in church that clark started to learn the guitar, especially by studying christian artists like Margaret Becker and Jennifer Knapp — along with musicians like chapman, roberta Flack and Lalah Hathaway.

But playing in a church meant she had to hide her true self.

“I’m a queer Black woman who grew up playing music in church, and you quickly learn to compartmentalize life,” clark says. “There’s just a risk of you being your full self, which is hard.

It wore on me a lot.”

When she started college at the University of New Orleans, clark started writing more of her own music and performing at open mics around town — and learning to be her full self.

Those open mics quickly led her to joining Soulkestra and cyril Neville’s band along with playing with pianist Lilli Lewis and many others. clark ultimately met Becker and asked her to produce “Tell it to the Wind.” Becker co-wrote six of the nine tracks on the album, when clark would happen to be in Nashville in late 2022 and early 2023 or during FaceTime calls.

“Being able to work with Margaret, who was very associated in my church time ... it feels a little like being vindicated,” clark says. “The fact that I’m gay doesn’t mean those songs didn’t have power or that feeling didn’t [have power]. It means even more now that we were able to find each other and put together this body of work. It makes it even more powerful.”

To be clear, despite clark’s history with the church and Becker’s

New Orleans singersongwriter Joy Clark

There’s German beer, food, music and more at Deutsches Haus’s annual fall festival along Bayou St. John.

Festivities include beer stein-holding contests, chicken dancing, a costumed dog parade and more. For food, there’s schnitzel, sauerbraten, goulash, sausages, pretzels and more. The beer roster features 20 German and Austrian brews, as well as Germanstyle beers from local breweries, plus wines and schnapps. The festival is open 4-11 p.m. Fridays and 1-11 p.m.

Saturdays from Oct. 11-26. Admission is $10, and children under 12 get in free. Visit oktoberfestnola.com for details.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

PROVIDED PHOTO BY STEVE RAPPORT

Gentilly Festival

involvement, “Tell it to the Wind” is definitively not a christian album.

It’s an Americana record showcasing clark’s musical range.

“Tell it to the Wind” includes blues, like on “Lesson,” which clark dedicates to her grandmother, and r&B, like the soulful “Shimmering.”

The song “Shine” is an energetic funk tune clark wrote as a nod to a night on Frenchmen Street. And the album closes with the poignant, string-filled title track.

Throughout the album, clark carries a warm, empowering message.

There is a lot of positivity on “Tell it to the Wind” and encouraging words for listeners also learning more about themselves.

“There are a lot of ways you could make an album. I could have said, ‘Hey, let’s just put up a mic in a room, and I’ll just have my acoustic (guitar),’” clark says. “But I really wanted to show all the different types of Joy.” Find “Tell it to the Wind” at joyclarkmusic.com.

The festival’s music lineup includes cupid, Hot Boy ronald, T-ray the Violinist and the Trendsetters, rechell cook and ree Generation, Jeff Floyd, violinist Michael Ward performing with his sons and more. A gospel tent featuring local groups is open Saturday and Sunday. The fest also has a kids’ village, crafts, health information and more. Festival hours are 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, at Pontchartrain Park. Find information at gentillyfestival.com.

Khruangbin

Houston trio Khruangbin’s name is Thai for “flying engine” or plane, and if not an atmospheric cruise, the band’s music often slips into a psychedelic groove fusing soul, rock and funk sounds. The group released the album “A La Sala” in April. Singer Arooj Aftab became the first Pakistani artist to win a Grammy in 2022 for Best Global Music Performance for the PAGE 23

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Enjoying the cool weather but bracing for Summer 2024 2: Swampbutt Boogaloo

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T H U M B S U P/ THUMBS DOWN

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the annual spirits festival, will distribute $75,000 in grants to three organizations working to support hospitality industry workers.

Arizona-based Another round Another rally will receive $30,000 to expand its hospitality mentorship program. Focus on Health, which works to bolster health and wellness in the industry, will receive $27,500. Another $15,000 will go to Safe Bars to support bystander intervention and de-escalation training for industry workers. A $2,500 scholarship grant also went to Jess Morales of Puerto rico to attend Tales of the cocktail.

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THE APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF UNIONIZED NEW ORLEANS DOCK WORKERS NOW ON STRIKE. Mayor LaToya Cantrell talks to the New Orleans City Council while presenting her budget at City Hall on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Silent for months, LaToya Cantrell responds after she’s accused of taking gifts from inspector DAYS AFTER PROSECUTORS ACCUSED A NEW ORLEANS-AREA ELECTRICAL INSPECTOR of showering her with

Together Louisiana’s Community Lighthouses, a project outfitting community hubs with solar panels and back-up batteries, passed its first real test during Hurricane Francine. While most of New Orleans lost power, all 10 of the project sites (9 in New Orleans and 1 in LaPlace) remained up and running. About 500 people visited a Lighthouse site after Francine to cool off, recharge devices and find supplies, the Louisiana Illuminator reported.

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, r-Lafayette, last month posted a racist rant on X against Haitians, repeating lies about the immigrant community in Springfield, Ohio.

There was an immediate backlash against Higgins’ post, including from other members of congress, and he eventually deleted it.

gifts as part of a sweeping fraud scheme, Mayor LaToya cantrell fired back Tuesday in her first direct acknowledgement in months of a widening federal probe that has plunged her office under legal scrutiny and cast doubt on her political future.

For a moment as her voice rose, she seemed again like the LaToya cantrell of old.

“How I came in seems to be how I’m going out,” cantrell, who built a fiery brand as a neighborhood activist after Hurricane Katrina and shocked the political establishment with her first mayoral election victory, but has fallen silent amid the federal probe, said to begin a briefing on her office’s 2025 city budget proposal.

“Accusation after accusation after accusation,” cantrell continued. “But also a track record of delivering results.”

She left the city council chambers swiftly without taking questions.

Her second-in-command, Gilbert Montaño, who is also implicated in the indictment of inspection firm owner randy Farrell, remained to finish the presentation.

cantrell and Montaño are grappling with the fallout of a grand jury indictment handed up at the Hale Boggs federal building on Friday that charged Farrell and his firm, IecI, with 25 fraud counts. Farrell is accused of taking bribes from unlicensed electrical inspectors over several years and obtaining them hundreds of fraudulent city inspection licenses in exchange. He allegedly gifted cantrell about $10,000 worth of football game tickets, an iPhone and a steak dinner in efforts to avoid scrutiny over the scheme.

At Farrell’s urging, cantrell is accused in 2019 of firing a high-ranking city official who had been scrutinizing Farrell’s business practices.

The allegations in the indictment will no doubt further erode New Orleanians’ faith in their local government, which many already blame for quality of their roads, water and electrical service, said ed chervenak, a political scientist at the University of New Orleans and director of UNO’s Survey research center.

“This administration has pretty much established a reputation of being more concerned with getting benefits out of their position than they are with running the city,” chervenak said. “It fits in with the

They are among the 45,000 workers at 36 ports from Texas to Maine who began striking Oct. 1 after a contract with United States Maritime Alliance expired. The workers have been fighting for higher wages and against the use of automation. Between 2020 and 2023, the industry topped $400 billion in profits — more than it made, in total, between 1957 and 2020.

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larger picture — the first class travel, the use of the city’s apartments.”

The indictment has again stirred frenzied speculation about cantrell’s legal future. By describing cantrell again and again, Farrell’s indictment sent a signal that the feds’ two-year probe of the mayor’s affairs could soon yield charges against cantrell herself.

It’s the second criminal indictment filed in federal court to prominently involve cantrell in as many months.Naming Montaño in the indictment could signal prosecutors plan to charge him, too — or it could show they hope to flip him as a witness against his boss, legal experts said. Montaño has defended himself in repeated public statements in recent days.

“This second indictment represents a certain level of momentum pointing towards Mayor cantrell as opposed to any other individual at this point,” said Matt coman, a onetime assistant U.S. attorney who led the corruption prosecution of former New Orleans Mayor ray Nagin in the mid-2010s.

Scope of the scheme

The quantity of gifts cantrell is described taking from Farrell is much

Mayor LaToya Cantrell, right, turns from the podium to talk to the room filled with staff and city officials while presenting her budget at City Hall on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

less than other recent high-profile public corruption cases. In their indictment last week of New York of Mayor eric Adams, for instance, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York alleged Adams took gifts amounting to at least $100,000 from Turkish interests in exchange for favorable treatment.

Still, Farrell’s indictment details a sprawling, years-long scheme that could have ramifications for homeowners,

businesspeople and prospective homebuyers whom the feds allege Farrell deprived of proper electrical inspections on their homes and businesses, potentially threatening the safety and sticker prices of those buildings.

Perhaps more importantly, Farrell’s indictment is the second returned by a federal grand jury on Poydras Street in as many months that directly outlines cantrell’s role in accusations of public corruption.

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The double-punch of indictments mentioning cantrell illustrates a hallmark of federal public corruption investigations. Prosecutors often prefer to build multi-faceted cases against public officials because, if a jury can see a pattern of behavior, it’s harder for a defendant to claim a one-time lapse in judgment. And if the individual gifts or gratuities the government focuses on are small — such as Saints tickets — they have more power when grouped together.

In July, a grand jury charged the mayor’s former New Orleans Police Department bodyguard and alleged paramour, Jeffrey Vappie, with wire fraud for allegedly lying about his work hours in order to conceal his PAGE 8

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OPENING GAMBIT PAGE 7

GREAT WINES from

CALIFORNIA New Orleans Councilmembers-at-Large, Jean Paul “JP” Morrell, top left, and Helena Moreno, top right, listen to Mayor LaToya Cantrell, center, make opening remarks about her budget as she stands behind New Orleans Chief Administrative Officer Gilbert Montano, seated left, on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

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relationship with the mayor. That indictment accuses cantrell and Vappie of communicating about how to hide that scheme.

Vappie has pleaded not guilty. At an initial court appearance, his attorneys accused prosecutors of charging him with federal crimes over what amounts to a personal matter.

Federal prosecutors rarely reference prominent public officials gratuitously in another person’s charging document, said coman, the former assistant U.S. attorney.

To do so in two separate indictments in a brief period raises the potential for charges to be filed against cantrell, who’s identified in those documents as “Public Official 1,” he said.

“These two indictments that both specifically name Public Official No. 1 certainly seem to represent a trajectory that exposes the mayor to a potential indictment, alleging multiple schemes involving various individuals across a variety of departments under her control,” coman said.

At least one other aspect of the probe has become public: In late 2022, news outlets reported that prosecutors were scrutinizing purchases made by cantrell’s image consultant, Tanya Blunt Haynes, at high-end boutiques.clarence roby, Haynes’ lawyer, has defended all of his client’s dealings as above board and said that she has been “totally transparent” with prosecutors.

He said Tuesday the feds have not contacted his client recently but that she would continue to cooperate if they do so.

Cantrell, Montaño fire back

At Tuesday’s budget presentation, cantrell said she stands behind Montaño and thanked city employees for continuing to work despite accusations swirling around her administration. even referencing the accusations publicly marked a major shift for the second-term mayor, who stayed quiet after Vappie faced charges.

Montaño, too, addressed his role in Farrell’s indictment in a meeting with The Times-Picayune editorial board Monday and again spoke out at Tuesday’s presentation. He has defended the acceptance of sporting tickets as part of politics, telling WWL-TV, “I typically go and… I represent the city in some ways and then I socialize and have all these different places.”The indictment will surely affect morale at city Hall, said Karen carvin, a longtime political consultant who helped run cantrell’s first mayoral campaign.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that this sends shockwaves from the top down,” carvin said.

New Orleanians will likely be demoralized by news of the mayor’s alleged involvement in a fraud and bribery scheme, added Silas Lee, a veteran pollster and political analyst.

But Lee said voters should withhold judgement for the time being, noting that cantrell herself has been accused of no crimes.

“Where this leads, we don’t know,” Lee said. “The dollar amount (of the scheme) is not that high. But it’s about perceptions.” — James Finn

9

on the hunt!

Amid scandals, LaToya Cantrell’s ‘results’ a mixed bag at best NEW ORLEANS’ INCREASINGLY RECLUSIVE CHIEF EXECUTIVE , Mayor LaToya

cantrell, made a rare public appearance Sept. 30 when she presented her administration’s proposed 2025 budget to the city council.

Despite the forward-looking nature of the annual event, cantrell chose to look backward by treating herself to a rambling airing of grievances against her critics.

“How I came in seems to be how I’m going out,” she told the council. “Accusation after accusation after accusation — but also a track record of delivering results.”

Putting aside cantrell’s efforts to paint two ongoing federal investigations that have implicated her in dozens of alleged crimes as merely “accusations,” her statement raises an interesting question: How many significant results has she delivered for the city?

The answer, perhaps predictably, is far less than she’d have the public believe. cantrell does have some key accomplishments, of course. Most notably, she guided the city through the early months of the covid pandemic, courageously shutting down major economic sectors amid harsh criticism but averting the catastrophic losses public health experts had predicted.

Her efforts clearly saved many lives. cantrell also has overseen what could become the beginning of the end of the federal consent decree governing the New Orleans Police Department. After more than a decade of Justice Department supervision, the city and DOJ last month jointly asked a federal judge to let NOPD enter the decree’s “sustainability” phase.

U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan is expected to rule on that request in the next two months — amid lingering questions about how successfully NOPD has ended police misconduct. even in her success, however, cantrell was her own worst enemy.

Since coming into office, she has railed against the decree, blaming it for a mass exodus of cops during her tenure despite clear evidence to the contrary — and evidence of backsliding rather than making progress on other decree-related metrics.

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C O M M E N TA R Y

$74

Mayor LaToya Cantrell PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

She also, according to the federal indictment of her former bodyguard and accused paramour Jeffrey Vappie, decided to not nominate former Interim Police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork for the permanent position because Woodfork refused to kill an NOPD investigation into Vappie.

That isn’t the only instance of cantrell claiming credit for something when, in fact, she had impeded progress.

For example, cantrell has begun taking credit for progress toward redeveloping Lincoln Beach. Most of the credit should go to members of the community — notably reggie Ford, who has worked with the city council to get things moving.

Likewise, cantrell has made a cottage industry out of travelling the globe and touting city efforts to combat climate change, even as her administration dropped the ball on projects aimed at reducing climate-related flooding. She also has ignored ordinances requiring the city to purchase clean-fueled vehicles.

And of course, she’s let the Sewerage & Waterboard languish with no serious effort at reform.

Meanwhile, cantrell’s record of problematic decisions includes her opposition to a fair settlement for Gordon Plaza families, misappropriating funds for an anti-recall mailer, and abandoning much of the city to the short-term rental industry — to name just a few.

In her remaining 15 months as mayor, we hope she notches one more success: doing no more harm until her successor takes office.

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CL ANCY DUBOS @clancygambit

Tax reform is a Sisyphean task; Landry deserves credit for taking it on GOV. JEFF LANDRY’S PROPOSED OVERHAUL OF LOUISIANA’S TAX CODE

probably has the best chance of passage since Buddy roemer’s failed attempt at fiscal reform in 1989. Unlike most previous governors, Landry has a super-majority of allies in both legislative chambers.

It also helps that Landry’s plan, as initially outlined in broad strokes Oct. 1, would balance two competing goals: lowering and flattening the state’s personal and corporate income tax rates; and avoiding drastic cuts to higher education, health care and other critical services.

But, as roemer learned 35 years ago, tax reform is a Sisyphean task — even when a powerful governor pushes the rock uphill. Landry deserves credit for taking on that challenge.

Landry wants to call lawmakers into a special session next month to enact his proposals, most if not all of which would require a two-thirds supermajority in each legislative chamber. Some would also require voter approval in a statewide referendum next year.

The governor’s plan is a work in progress, but the broad strokes are clear.

• It would make permanent the 0.45-cent temporary sales tax set to expire next June 30 — and remove a host of sales tax exemptions and exclusions. However, it would retain the sales tax exemption on prescription drugs and groceries — and expand it to exclude local sales taxes.

• It would replace the state’s three income tax rates — 1.85% for the first $12,500 of income, 3.5% on incomes between $12,500 and $50,000, and 4.25% for income over $50,000 — with a single 3% rate.

• It would raise Louisiana’s standard income tax deduction from $4,500 to $12,500 — a break for the state’s poorest families — and double the retirement income exemption for seniors.

• For businesses, Landry wants to repeal the corporate franchise tax, reduce the corporate income tax rate from 7.5% to 3.5%, and give local

Gov. Jeff Landry PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

governments the option to create exemptions from Louisiana’s onerous inventory tax.

The plan reflects work by administration officials as well as years of studies by outside think tanks. Still, lawmakers need time to digest it, which is why Landry sent them drafts of proposed legislation more than a month before the session would convene.

The gallimaufry of exemptions, exclusions and credits that permeate Louisiana’s tax code didn’t get there by accident. each was pushed by an organized, politically connected special interest that now represents a vocal constituency. even those interests that backed Landry for governor will turn up the heat on lawmakers if his plan reduces or eliminates their most-favored-nation tax status.

“My phone is already ringing off the hook,” one veteran lawmaker told me the day after Landry unveiled the outlines of his plan. “The new folks up here have no idea what’s in store for them.”

That reflects what the late Jim carvin, a legendary political media consultant, once told me: “In Louisiana, reform means cutting out someone else’s piece of the pie.”

We’ll learn soon if enough lawmakers warm to Landry’s plan, but he at least has made a serious start to a long-overdue process.

11 G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E W O R L E A N S . C O M > O c TO B e r 7 - 1 3 > 2 0 2 4

BL AKE PONTCHARTR AIN™ @GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

Hey Blake,

During Hurricane Francine, news anchors reported on the city offering sandbags at the Arthur Monday Center in Algiers. That got us wondering: who was he?

Dear reader,

REV. DR. ARTHUR MONDAY JR. WAS A LOCAL PASTOR and

community leader. A New Orleans native, he graduated from McDonogh 35 Senior High School. According to his 1980 Times-Picayune/States-Item obituary, he was the first AfricanAmerican to receive a Bachelor of Divinity degree from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He went on to receive a Master of Theology degree and taught at Southern University and in local public schools. rev. Monday was pastor of St. Stephen Baptist church and Pure Light Missionary Baptist church.

In the 1970s, he led a group of West Bank ministers who advocated for a multi-purpose center to serve Algiers’ poor and elderly residents.

They brought the idea to Mayor Moon Landrieu’s administration and lobbied for a federal community development grant for the project.

Malik Rahim poses in front of the declining Arthur Monday Jr. Multi-Service Center where he was once a board member when it first opened in 1983.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

construction on what would become the Arthur Monday Jr. Multi-Service center began in 1980. The building at 1111 Newton St. was dedicated in August 1983. Mayor ernest “Dutch” Morial called it “perhaps the most attractive…and perhaps the best-designed” of the city’s multi-service centers, according to news reports.

The $2.4 million building originally housed six nonprofit agencies, including the council on Aging, the city Welfare Department and the Ida Hymel Health center. Although some of the offices located there have changed, it remains an important resource for West Bank residents.

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IT WAS KNOWN AS THE LADY BIRD SPECIAL AND 60 YEARS AGO this month the train

carrying First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson made its way to New Orleans, the final stop in her four-day campaign tour through eight Southern states.

The First Lady’s whistle-stop campaign trip came less than a month before her husband, President Lyndon B. Johnson, faced republican Sen. Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election. Johnson was seeking his first full term in office, having assumed the presidency one year before following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

In July 1964, Johnson signed into law the civil rights Act. While the legislation was celebrated by many, it alienated others, particularly white Southern voters. A campaign tour featuring Mrs. Johnson — whose genteel Southern charm contrasted with her husband’s blunt style — was conceived as a way to boost support for LBJ’s re-election.

“I want to go because I am proud of the South and I am proud that I am part of the South,” Mrs. Johnson said. According to the White House Historical Association, it was the first time a First Lady hit the campaign trail without her husband. The move came with risks and safety concerns.

Johnson’s 19-car train left Washington’s Union Station on Oct. 6, 1964. Louisiana rep. Hale Boggs and his wife Lindy, close Johnson allies, were aboard the train. Lindy co-chaired the tour and Hale served as one of the emcees along the way. With stops in Virginia, North carolina, Georgia and five other states, Johnson and her daughters Lynda Bird and Luci encountered supporters but also angry protestors.

When the Lady Bird Special ended its tour by arriving at New Orleans’ Union Passenger Terminal on Oct. 9, President Johnson spoke there, thanking his wife for her efforts. The couple then traveled to the Jung Hotel where the president spoke at a fundraising dinner.

One month later, he won re-election in a landslide, although Goldwater won Louisiana’s 10 electoral votes.

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MASCOTS THE NEW ORLEANS PELICANS HAVE HAD TWO OF THE CREEPIEST MASCOTS IN ALL OF SPORTS

BY K AYLEE POCH E

Herein lies the Tale of Two Mascots.

A CHILD IS BORN

Pierre T. Pelican and King Cake Baby in 2019.

PHOTO BY MA X BECH ERER / TH E TI M ES-PICAYU N E

KING CAKE BABY ACTUALLY ARRIVED ON THE SCENE FIRST, wearing nothing but an ill-fitting diaper, bib and a crown denoting his royal status.

Despite being a baby, he predates the Pelicans moniker itself. He started appearing at games during the Hornets’ 2009-2010 season, alongside two other Carnival time mascots: a king and a jester.

To clarify, King Cake Baby was never the mascot for the minor league baseball team the New Orleans Baby Cakes, which is what the Zephyrs renamed their team in 2017 before relocating to Wichita, Kansas a few years later. That title belonged to beloved nutria couple Boudreaux and Clotile.

Jonathan Bertuccelli, Mardi Gras float and prop maker, designed and created the Carnival mascot trio for the Pelicans. But he says from the first time he tried on that oversized plastic head, it was clear King Cake Baby would be the star.

At rehearsals for the Carnival mascots’ game day debut, there were just a few people, but King Cake Baby stole the show and had them all laughing.

“It was obvious that King Cake Baby was going to be very popular, but I had no idea it was going to be this popular,” says Bertuccelli, owner of Studio 3.

In many ways, King Cake Baby is to Bertuccelli as David is to Michelangelo. But while it took Michelangelo PAGE 14

The original Pierre PHOTO BY ELIOT KAMENITZ / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

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A TALE OF TWO

OVER THEIR LAST 11 SEASONS as The New Orleans Pelicans, the Pels have won 412 regular season games, made the playoffs four times and have been led by star players like Jrue Holiday, Anthony Davis, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.

But that all pales in comparison to their most legendary achievement: The team has had not one, but two of the most spine-chilling mascots in all of sports.

What do we mean, you might ask? After all, that Pierre T. Pelican looks like a nice enough fella, with his relatively normal color scheme and largely non-threatening demeanor.

But unlike Lady Gaga, Pierre wasn’t born that way. Instead, he originally sported a blood-red beak, an exposed tongue and an unnervingly blank yet beady stare before undergoing a dramatic makeover just a few short months after his debut.

And then there’s the mascot who only comes out during Carnival but inspires year-round nightmares.

With a bald head, piercing (in the most derogatory sense imaginable) blue eyes and a mouth open wide enough to reveal two rounded teeth, it’s the infant, the myth, the legend himself ... King Cake Baby.

Despite both cheering on the same team and their controversial appearances, their paths couldn’t be more divergent.

While the Pelicans have embraced the King Cake Baby’s creep, they’ve tried their mightiest to let Pierre’s original form fade into oblivion.

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A TALE OF TWO MASCOTS PAGE 13

years to sculpt David, Bertuccelli made King Cake Baby and the other two Carnival mascots in about a month.

Once he got a loose sketch approved, he sculpted the baby out of clay over several days, then made a master mold out of that with fiberglass. From the master mold, he made one copy, which is the costume everybody sees today.

“I’ve been using the same method my whole life,” Bertuccelli says. “It came out first shot. Boom.”

And thus, the King Cake Baby was born.

EXTREME MAKEOVER: PIERRE T. PELICAN EDITION WHEN TOM BENSON BOUGHT THE NEW ORLEANS HORNETS basketball team in 2012, he immediately pledged to change the name, which came from the team’s former home in Charlotte, North Carolina.

On Oct. 30, 2013, the team played its first game as the Pelicans. To help roll out the new name and team colors, they sent out the new mascot, Pierre T. Pelican, to greet fans: a yellow bird with a blue and red mohawk, ginormous pupils, with brows that appeared penciled in and an open red beak baring an equally red tongue.

Needless to say, it was quite the introduction.

When the Pelicans first posted a photo of Pierre on Facebook, the comments were brutal in the unique way only internet commenters can be.

They called into question Pierre’s very species, calling him a chicken and more frequently, a cross between a chicken and clown.

Another commenter compared Pierre to Gene Simmons from Kiss, given his prominent tongue.

Many were frightened, with one commenter asking, “Who designed this?

Steven (sic) King?”

“I’ve seen better looking pelicans dead crossing on the Causeway!!” another remarked.

“When Pierre initially came out, I would say that the reactions were not as favorable as one would hope,” says Dr. Matthew McQueen, the Pelicans’ team doctor at the time, putting it politely. “I think Pierre’s original look was a little bit more angular and a little bit more fearsome or scary, maybe.”

Pierre 1.0 would only last a few months. Instead of embracing his freak, like they did with the King Cake Baby, the Pelicans decided to go back to the drawing board, or perhaps more accurately, the surgical theater.

In February 2014, the team announced he’d successfully undergone surgery after he suffered a broken beak and concussion during “an intense pickup game” and put out a video chronicling Pierre’s recovery.

Gambit can neither confirm nor deny fowl play.

McQueen says they used “some rather unconventional surgical equipment like a chainsaw and some large mallets” a la “The Three Stooges” to fix Pierre’s beak.

But he acknowledges they also seized the opportunity to make some cosmetic changes and give Pierre a more “pleasant” and “family-friendly” look.

They replaced his red beak with a yellow one propped open significantly less wide — his tongue nowhere in sight.

“We ended up with the large, yellow, friendly beak with a good smile to it,” McQueen says.

Following the surgery and an improbably short recovery period, Pierre debuted his new look Feb. 12 during the 2014 All-Star game.

Pierre T. Pelican before and after surgery.

PHOTOS BY JOH N MCCUSKER AN D BR AD BOWI E / TH E TI M ES-PICAYU N E

Post-surgery, Pierre is not nearly so ominous looking. In addition to the changes to his beak and removal of his tongue, his eyes are no longer beady, and his feathers are a more standard golden-brown hue. He’s even a bit cuddly, thanks to his newly rounded features.

His mohawk lives on though.

Suddenly, the new Pierre was booked and busy for a whirlwind of a year. He was a constant presence at games, of course, with props to play with during halftime shows. The team also started booking celebrity appearances for him, including on the coveted elementary school visit circuit. They even gave him time to pose for photos during the team’s “media day” that fall.

Ever since, the franchise has engaged in a bit of not-so-light Pierre 1.0 erasure, hoping fans will put the entire, presumably bloody affair behind them.

Yet somehow, despite the fact that McQueen took a chainsaw to Pierre’s

beak, Bertuccelli says he doesn’t see much difference between Pierre before and after the surgery. Either way, he says the pelican is “second chair” to the King Cake Baby. He then proceeds to engage in further mascot trash talking.

Pierre “just didn’t make a mark one way or the other ... He’s not memorable,” Bertuccelli says. “King Cake Baby kicked his ass. That’s what happened.”

But then again, what do you expect from someone whose Instagram handle is @king_cake_baby_daddy?

BABY BOOM WHILE OG PIERRE has dissolved into more of a deep cut in mascot lore, King Cake Baby has become an institution.

“If he was cuddly and cute, he would not be famous,” Bertuccelli says. “He’s

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15

controversial. He’s a freak. And that’s what makes him famous.”

King Cake Baby rose to fame nationally in 2014, around the time of Pierre’s redesign.

Louisiana’s film industry was thriving then, bringing some big names to watch the Pelicans — and the King Cake Baby — courtside. It also coincided with the popularity of Twitter and other social media platforms.

“Dear New Orleans, the King Cake Baby is the greatest thing to ever happen to the NBA,” Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers tweeted on Feb. 25, 2014.

On the same day, SportsNation tweeted, “The Pelicans new ‘King Cake Baby’ mascot looks like a Rugrat exposed to radiation.”

The following day, USA Today did a video package on him, “King Cake Baby is sure to haunt your dreams,” asking people for their baby takes.

“I think anything that large with one, single facial expression should not be able to run around. It’s just super weird,” Michael Watson of the Pelicans band told USA Today.

Meanwhile, spectator Alexandra Arlington was instantly a fan. “I like how small his legs are,” she said.

The costume itself is pretty small, Bertuccelli explains, so they get small-statured people to wear it. Seeing the giant plaster head, body and diaper next to skinny human arms and legs adds to the creep factor.

“The mix of fake sort of doll looking thing with some human elements, that’s what really makes it extra crazy,” he says.

“That’s what freaks people out.”

In 2016, a GQ writer with a general aversion to mascots penned a piece titled “The New Orleans Pelicans King Cake Baby Mascot Is Basically a War Crime.”

In 2017, SportsNation had a more enlightened take with their article “You have to get past King Cake

King Cake Baby along the Uptown parade route in 2022.

PHOTO BY SOPH IA GERM ER / TH E TI M ES-PICAYU N E

The King Cake Baby bares his chest at a game in 2022.

PHOTO BY SOPH IA GERM ER / TH E TI M ES-PICAYU N E

He’s watching.

PHOTO BY DAVI D GRU N FELD / TH E TI M ES-PICAYU N E)

Baby’s terrifying exterior to realize he’s really lovable.”

“People started making jokes about it, obviously,” Bertuccelli says, “and that just hasn’t stopped.”

Indeed, 2017 was a big year for King Cake Baby. He surprised legendary sports commentator and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley with a king cake for Barkley’s birthday during “Inside the NBA.” But it wasn’t the king cake that had the commentators cracking up.

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King Cake Baby had 7’1” Shaquille O’Neal calling for his mother in no time. “Mommy, help me!” he cried. “I’ll clean my room! I’ll do my chores! Just get him away!”

Then it was King Cake Baby’s time for the big screen. Kinda. “Happy Death Day,” a horror movie filmed partially at Tulane University, starred a villain in a mask eerily similar to King Cake Baby.

Bertuccelli sued Universal Studios, and they settled out of court.

Universal came out with a sequel in 2019, and a third movie is apparently in the works.

King Cake Baby also had a similar small screen debut in 2019. Netflix’s popular animated series “BoJack Horseman” introduced a mascot bearing a striking resemblance to the King Cake Baby. He was the mascot for the fictional Chicago Baby Humans in a show where the characters are talking animals.

PAGE 16

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A TALE OF TWO MASCOTS

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A TALE OF TWO MASCOTS PAGE 15

Pierre 2.0 as a Rubik’s Cube.

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Bertuccelli said he was “tickled” by the character and thought it was “great because they actually show the King Cake Baby in cartoon form.”

King Cake Baby himself has also gotten in on the conversation. He joined Twitter, now named X, in January 2017, and has used the account in the years since to post hot takes, interact with fans, taunt journalists and make thinly veiled threats.

Next stop: world domination?

MATCHING NEW ORLEANS’ FREAK BERTUCCELLI SAYS that King Cake Baby has thrived in New Orleans because the city champions “everything that’s offbeat, weird, different, unpredictable,” especially when it comes to Mardi Gras.

“I think that’s why it worked, because it’s not a traditional all-American town,” Bertuccelli says. “You almost need a passport to come to New Orleans if you live in America because it’s just a very different culture.”

So why didn’t the original Pierre get the same treatment? Nobody knows for sure, since The Pelicans’ communications team is staying mum on the issue.

In King Cake Baby’s case, Bertuccelli designed him to be off-kilter, inspired in part by his homeland of Italy and the medieval Gothic look of the Carnival floats there. He comes from a family of float builders, which is how they ended up in New Orleans when they moved to the United States.

Plus, Bertuccelli is just a silly, goofy guy.

PHOTO BY M ICHAEL DEMOCKER / TH E TI M ES-PICAYU N E

“If you let me have it my way, I like to do things that are kind of wacky and crazy,” he says.

As for whoever designed the original Pierre? The Pelicans are protecting their identity. When asked, Pelicans’ Corporate Communications Manager Sam Shannon told Gambit they’d “be shying away from discussing the original Pierre mascot,” adopting an “He Who Must Not Be Named” public relations approach.

Perhaps it’s the fact that Pierre is full time and the Pelicans’ namesake, while King Cake Baby hibernates most of the year. Or maybe they figured two freaky mascots was too many.

WDSU sports reporter Fletcher Mackel says Pelicans leadership is sensitive about Pierre’s past because they saw the backlash to his original form as a “misstep” in their rollout of the rebranded team.

Meanwhile, Bertuccelli gets a kick out of the hate King Cake Baby gets, even sharing screenshots of the negative comments to his Instagram with the caption, “People sharing the love.”

“They call him creepy, and people love to rag on it and just beat him up verbally,” Bertuccelli says. “I just think that’s extra funny. I love it.”

One time Bertuccelli was at a bar chatting with a friend about King Cake Baby and saw the bartender was listening.

“I turned to the bartender, I said, ‘I mean, who do you think would ever design such a thing?’” he says. “And he goes, ‘I don’t know. That thing is creepy.’ He went off on it.”

It didn’t offend Bertuccelli. After all, it was all in good fun.

“I didn’t tell him I’m the guy that designed it,” he adds, “but we were all laughing together.”

17

Crepe expectations

FORK + CENTER

Commander’s Palace’s casual cafe | by Beth D’Addono

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

HOW MANY RESTAURANTS have their

own paint color? commander’s Palace’s trademark teal blue is called “commander’s Palace Teal” at Helm Paint, extending the iconic restaurant’s reach from culinary landmark into home decor. That same custom blue also represents the casually inviting Le Petit Bleu, the come-as-you-are French-style cafe that opened earlier this year right next door to the main restaurant.

With executive chef Meg Bickford overseeing the kitchen and chef Joanna Hayes serving as chef de cuisine, Le Petit Bleu delivers all the flavor and panache a guest would expect from a commander’s Palace sibling, but with no dress code.

“I’d see so many people walking by in shorts and T-shirts and want to feed them,” says Ti Martin, who along with her cousin Lally Brennan runs commander’s Palace. “That was the idea: to invite neighbors and folks just touring the neighborhood to come by anytime, no jackets required.”

The jewel-box space, with its wall of vintage commander’s photos, was formerly home to the company’s accounting offices. Now it’s perfectly suited to feeding the neighborhood, with options to dine in and take food to go. Although it initially focused on crepes, Le Petit Bleu has expanded its menu dramatically.

The Supper Before Sunset is an early bird special that offers two courses from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. starting at $14.99. Options might include the same gumbo and turtle soup served next door, a chow chow chicken salad and a gooey grilled cheese starring brie, Gruyere and pimiento cheeses.

Bickford’s culinary roots embrace both cajun traditions from her dad’s side and creole cuisine from her New Orleans-born mom.

“Gumbo at my house wasn’t one thing,” says Bickford, who grew up in cut Off in Lafourche Parish. “We had three different kinds, depending on who was cooking.”

Bickford created bites like pimiento cheese with crispy hog crackling, spicy hog’s head cheese and her take on

More Lagniappe

THE TOFFEE SESAME COOKIE LOOKED LIKE A SIMPLE TREAT, though there

PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER / GAMBIT

cassoulet, made with andouille sausage and smoky tasso. The creoletta is her version of a muffuletta, a sandwich piled high with thinly shaved tasso, andouille sausage, pepper jack and provolone cheeses and trinitymirliton relish adding tangy crunch.

“Meg is the first chef since Paul (Prudhomme) whose taste memories are our taste memories,” Martin says.

“I hadn’t really thought about it, but it makes it a little easier.”

She recalled one chef, “I won’t say who, who said to me, ‘I just don’t get pimiento cheese.’ really?”

As a creperie, Le Petit Bleu sets the bar high. The feather-light thin pancakes are made to order on a crepe grill and filled with savory or sweet ingredients. The ham and Gruyere is a popular savory version, along with The cajun, made with charred chili pork boudin and chicken liver mousse.

Vegetarians can order Sassy Greens, stuffed with local sassafras, creole cream cheese creamed collards and roasted portobello mushrooms.

On the sweet side, the crepe with strawberries and Bavarian cream is a hands-down favorite. Bananas Faster is a riff on bananas Foster, and there are crepes with lemon curd and blueberries, chocolate ganache and ice

Chef Meg Bickford (left), owner Ti Martin and chef Joanna Hayes of Le Petit Bleu. cream and, simply, butter and sugar.

Diners also can get crepes in a paper cone to go.

Neighbors looking for a taste of commander’s at home can choose a lacquered quail dinner for two ($43), a 14-ounce veal chop ($35) and a quart of turtle soup or seafood gumbo to serve at home ($44).

Besides a full coffee program, the cafe offers wine by the glass and an outstanding frozen bellini.

There also are gifts galore, from a Le Jacquard Français cotton tea towel woven with an image of the commander’s menu illustration to roux spoons, aprons and cookbooks.

While most people associate white tablecloth service and milestone celebrations with commander’s Palace, Martin’s mother, the late ella Brennan, wanted more than that for the restaurant.

“One of the things we say at commander’s, ‘If we can be the best neighborhood restaurant in the world, everything else works out,’” Martin says. “Our locals, our neighbors, are our most important customers.”

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Le Petit Bleu

1427 Washington Ave., (504) 8998221; Instagram: @lepetitbleucafe

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Dine-in, takeout and delivery

crepes and casual dining from commander’s Palace

was a buttery complexity of flavor and a pleasing pull to its texture. It was a cookie that called for attention.

Next to it in the bakery case was a pastry that made an impression right from its name — the “Vaucroissant.”

That would be a lattice croissant filled with creole hot sausage from Vaucresson Sausage co., a legacy family business in the 7th Ward and the longest-running food vendor at Jazz Fest.

The connection between these two treats is a baker’s precise and artistic approach, and now a new bakery cafe in central city continues a story of exploration, collaboration and delicious creations that go way beyond sweet.

Lagniappe Bakehouse opened in September in an old townhouse at 1825 euterpe St., just off Oretha castle Haley Boulevard. From the outside, it still looks much more like a home than a bakery. Inside, it tells the story of a

Kaitlin Guerin and Lino Asana opened Lagniappe Bakehouse as a bakery cafe in Central City PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

couple applying their creative energies to turn a business that started as a pop-up into a new neighborhood space.

Lagniappe is the product of one of those pandemic pivots that have brought many new concepts into the local food world.

Kaitlin Guerin is a New Orleans native who studied dance in high school and pursued a performing arts career in San Francisco. Working in restaurants at the same time, she found mentors and discovered a passion for pastry and baking arts. This took her to culinary school and to Michelin-starred restaurants in copenhagen and back in the Bay Area.

PAGE 19

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PAGE 17

“I found a lot of similarities of artistic expression,” says Guerin, who also continues in contemporary dance today.

She was back in New Orleans for what was supposed to be a short stint when the pandemic hit. She stayed and created Lagniappe as a homebased business.

She sold bakery boxes in which you’d find textbook French pastries next to surprises — maybe a miso caramel apple galette or thumbprint cookies with pickled peaches.

Fermentation and umami have their place in Guerin’s pastry playbook, as do balance of flavor and aesthetic beauty.

Through the undulating phases of the pandemic, Lagniappe’s following kept growing. Guerin collaborated broadly through farmers markets, at restaurants and for special dinners. What she created would not just be a pandemic flex; Lagniappe was laying roots.

“The industry in New Orleans is very supportive of each other, and that’s not the same read everywhere else,” Guerin says.

In September, she and her partner Lino Asana, a filmmaker, opened Lagniappe Bakehouse as the next step of the business.

As the couple looked for locations, they were drawn to central city and the Oretha castle Haley corridor for its historical significance in the Black community and as a place where their new business can make a difference.

“We asked what do we have to offer and can bring to this neighborhood,” Asana says.

It’s a small space rich with detail and personality, both homey and modern, with a few seats inside and a brick patio under an oak tree upfront. Patrons could come for a bakery box for home, or a pastry and coffee to catch up with a friend under that tree. More people have started doing just that as word of Lagniappe has spread.

“We looked at how you build community in a neighborhood, and I think introducing a cafe is a way to do that,” Guerin says. “We’re bringing our voices and art into it.”

Lagniappe is a Black-owned business that is putting African ingredients in the spotlight. For instance, those toffee sesame cookies are made with benne, the West African ancestor of modern sesame seeds, with its own nutty, buttery flavor.

That goes for the espresso bar program too, which uses African beans.

One special drink on the menu called the Africano is made with coffee but tastes akin to chai with a spice box worth of flavor behind its caffeinated pulse, including notes of cardamom, anise and black pepper.

collaboration remains a cornerstone of Lagniappe. Piety & Desire, the bean-to-bar chocolatier on Magazine Street, is making specialty chocolate for Guerin. Produce from farmers market vendors turn up in her creations.

And the Vaucresson sausage gives the Vaucroissant all the makings of a signature item. Biting in takes you into the crisp laminated top and through flaky layers forming that pastry lattice to reach the juicy, pepper-shot beef and pork sausage within.

Lagniappe is starting with an emphasis on classics and a sampling of Guerin’s creative work, and that repertoire will be expanding, especially with more savory items.

For the holidays, Guerin will again make her pies (including a fermented sweet potato pie), and for carnival her sourdough brioche king cake will be back as well.

The cafe will add additional days to its weekly schedule as it progresses.

— Ian McNulty / The Times- Picayune

James Beard tasting

THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION PRESENTS ANNUAL CULINARY AWARDS, and

local winners of national honors this year include Dakar NOLA for best new restaurant and Jewel of the South for outstanding bar.

The foundation hosts seven Taste America events around the nation in fall, and there is one in New Orleans on Oct. 10 at Sazerac House.

Guests can sample food from local chefs including Dakar NOLA founder Serigne Mbaye, charly Pierre of Fritai,

UPCOMING EVENTS Chef Serigne Mbaye of Dakar NOLA will cook at Taste America. eJ Lagasse of emeril’s, Sophina Uong of Mister Mao, Nikki cabrera Mills (just named one of Food & Wine’s best new chefs) of Peche Seafood Grill, edgar caro of Brasa, Arvinder Vilkhu of Saffron NOLA, Tom Branighan of MaMou and more. There also are drinks from chris Hannah of Jewel of the South and Hadi Ktiri of the Four Seasons.

Tickets are $150 via the Beard Foundation website, jamesbeard.org.

— Will Coviello

OCT 26-27 Fall Fest DEC 7 St. Nick Celebration 6 BLOCKS

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Pedro Lucero

OF THE

chef

WEEK

by Will Coviello PEDRO LUCERO HAS SPENT 30 YEARS IN THE FILM INDUSTRY, 20 years

managing clubs on Bourbon Street, and since the pandemic, he’s been cooking for others via Potluck Tacos.

His film career included small parts onscreen to his current work directing and producing. He was a producer of “Off ramp,” the Juggalo adventure released last year, and he’s currently working on a couple of documentary projects, including one about first generation immigrants. He shares stories from Bourbon Street via the podcast Those Guys from Bourbon Street.

His Potluck Tacos pops up at places like Old Alker Distillery on Friday nights and late on weekend nights at Snake and Jake’s. For a schedule and information, visit his Instagram page, @potlucktacos.

How did you learn to cook?

PEDRO LUCERO: My mom jokes that I didn’t get it from her. I learned on my own as a kid. My mom would come home and I’d be 5 or 6 years old and I’d have a burner on trying to cook eggs.

She was like, “What are you doing?”

And I’m like, “I’m cooking.” She’s like, “You’re gonna burn the house down.” I was like, “No, I’ve got this.”

It was trial and error. My ethnicity is pretty mixed. My mom is from Honduras. My dad was born in Italy and raised in Venezuela. My grandparents are Italian and Moroccan. When I was a little kid, my grandmother was the one who taught me all the Italian and Moroccan staples. She was a big influence on me when it came to cooking things other than what I saw my mom cooking.

I grew up boiling crawfish and doing all the typical stuff. I am more self-taught than anything else. I was the nerdy kid that would go get culinary books. When Anthony Bourdain was rolling around, I read his stuff. It’s something fun that I really enjoy.

I went to college in Tulsa. Living away, I didn’t have all the things I needed. I had to learn how to make jambalaya myself. Or red beans and rice with whatever ingredients I could find in Tulsa. Then all my friends said you should work in a restaurant. I never delved into it completely, but I learned the back of the house and the front of the house.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY PEDRO LUCERO

How did you start your pop-up?

L: During the pandemic, a lot of people said, “Man, I wish I could have your cooking.” I was like, I tell you what, I’ll put on Facebook what I am serving for the week. Then on Wednesday, people would come pick it up from my porch. everybody would mask up and come pick up their food. It was just once a week and it was just for fun.

I am all over the place when I cook.

Tacos just happened to stick. I would take cuisines from all over the world and make them into tacos. The first round was a Brazilian churrasco. I would also do a vegetarian option. I started experimenting with smoked watermelon and cauliflower and stuff like that. It became an adventure in cooking vegetarian.

It also depended on the time of year.

At Jazz Fest, even though we didn’t have one that year, I would take crawfish bread and deconstruct that into a taco. In October, I would do a chopped brat taco with a peach schnapps salsa.

I would make the tortillas out of pretzel dough. I would do Korean barbecue and tikka masala tacos. I did what I called fake Baja tacos. They were eggplant fillets deep fried, and I would make a green Baja sauce with avocado, cilantro and lime.

When things got back to normal, I was working in film full time again, and I would only do food every now and then. Then Will Wilson from carrollton Station contacted me about taking a couple of days there.

Then the strike happened. I was in the Writers Guild and I couldn’t work.

So I doubled down on (the pop-up) and was doing it in different places. I had

my own following from before, so the word spread.

I like doing pop-ups. Working in a bigger kitchen, you don’t get to see people eat.

What is on your regular menu?

L: Pork tacos became the standard.

I have my own version of carnitas.

People usually make them with condensed milk and that tends to dry the meat out, so I am not a fan of that. carnitas is Mexican. My mother is from Honduras, and we would make the pork with lime juice instead of dairy.

It’s a completely different taste.

One of my friend’s signature dishes was elote ribs. You grill your corn on the cob. When it’s browning, you dip it in mayo or some binder. Then you coat with cotija cheese and toppings. I call it uncooked nachos. She would cut the cobs into quarters that look like riblets.

She would deep fry them for about a minute. Then she’d dust them with cheese. She had a delicious chipotle aioli that people would dip them in. I would do all that but I would change the aioli.

I also make my own tajin. I would put cilantro on top. I would take Takis, the little corn chips, and crumble those and garnish with them. That turned into my elote sushi. I would cut the corn into little wheels. I would grill them instead of frying them and put everything on top.

I change the menu depending on what’s requested. I am catering a couple of films right now. They’re getting everything that I cook. And realtors when they are doing open houses are starting to bring in people to cook. It’s fun.

Benvolio Prosecco

This is a true expression of Italian prosecco with hints of fresh citrus and honey on the nose. It’s vibrant, crisp acidity acts as a counterpoint to the flavors of ripe citrus, fresh peaches, lemon, green apples and grapefruit resulting in a light, refreshing, and crisp finish.

DISTRIBUTED BY

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WINE

3 COURSE INTERVIEW

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O U T T O E AT

Out to eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are for New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — This Mid-city sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ices, cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and more. There also are coffee drinks. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $ Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant. com — Gulf Drum Yvonne is served with brown butter sauce with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. There also are seafood pasta dishes, steaks, lamb chops and more. reservations recommended.

Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$ Bamboula’s — 514 Frenchmen St.; bamboulasmusic.com — The live music venue’s kitchen offers a menu of traditional and creative creole dishes, such as creole crawfish crepes with goat cheese and chardonnay sauce. reservations accepted. Lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$ The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 118 Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985) 315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com — Basin barbecue shrimp are served with rosemary garlic butter sauce over cheese grits with a cheese biscuit. The menu includes po-poys, fried seafood platters, raw and char-grilled oysters, boiled seafood in season, and more.

Outdoor seating available. No reservations.

Lakeview: Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Slidell: Lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$ Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 5813866; broussards.com — rainbow trout amandine is served with tasso and corn macque choux and creole meuniere sauce.

Brunch includes Benedicts, chicken and waffles and more. reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ Cafe Normandie — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The menu combines classic French dishes and Louisiana items like crab beignets with herb aioli.

Sandwiches include po-boys, a muffuletta on flatbread and a burger. No reservations.

Breakfast and lunch daily. $$ The Commissary — 634 Orange St., (504) 274-1850; thecommissarynola.com — A smoked turkey sandwich is served with bacon, tomato jam, herbed cream cheese, arugula and herb vinaigrette on honey oat bread. The menu includes dips, salads, sandwiches, boudin balls, fried oysters and more. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Sat. $$ Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken and andouille jambalaya.

There also are crab cakes, shrimp and grits, crawfish etouffee, po-boys and more. reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Dahla — 611 O’Keefe Ave., (504) 7666602; dahlarestaurant.com — The menu includes popular Thai dishes like pad thai, drunken noodles, curries and fried rice. crispy skinned duck basil is prepared with

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11-$20 $$$ — $20-up vegetables and Thai basil. Delivery available. reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 5860300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — A menu full of Gulf seafood includes chargrilled oysters topped with Parmesan and herbs. The menu also includes po-boys, po-boys, gumbo, blackened fish, fried seafood platters and more. reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House — 144 Bourbon St., (504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse.com — There’s a seafood raw bar with raw and char-broiled oysters, fish dip, crab fingers, shrimp and more. redfish on the Half-shell is cooked skin-on and served with crab-boiled potatoes, frisee and lemon buerre blanc. reservations accepted.

Lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse — 716 Iberville St., (504) 522-2467; dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com — The menu includes a variety of steaks, plus seared Gulf fish, lobster pasta, barbecue shrimp and more. A 6-ounce filet mignon is served with fried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes and bearnaise. reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$ El Pavo Real — 4401 S. Broad Ave., (504) 266-2022; elpavorealnola.com — The menu includes tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, ceviche. tamales and more. Pescado Vera cruz features sauteed Gulf fish topped with tomatoes, olives, onion and capers, served with rice and string beans. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and early dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; 8140 Oak St., (504) 897-4800; juansflyingburrito.com — The Flying Burrito includes steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar jack cheese, black beans, rice, guacamole and salsa. The menu also includes tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, nachos, salads and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — The cajun cuban with roasted pork, ham, cheese and pickles. The eclectic menu also includes char-grilled oysters, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, fried seafood platters, pasta, salads and more. Delivery available. reservations accepted for large parties.

Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Kilroy’s Bar — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The bar menu includes sandwiches, salads and flatbreads, including one topped with peach, prosciutto, stracciatella cheese, arugula and pecans. No reservations. Dinner Wed.-Sat. $$ Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches,

salads and a NOLA Style Grits Bowl topped with bacon, cheddar and a poached egg. reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, (504) 513-2606; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes filets mignons and bone-in ribeyes, as well as burgers, salads and seafood dishes. reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Luzianne Cafe — 481 Girod St., (504) 2651972; luziannecafe.com — Boudin Benedict features two poached eggs over boudin and an english muffin, served with green tomato chow chow and hollandaise. No reservations. Delivery available. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sun. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. The menu also has noodle dishes, teriyaki and more. reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.Fri., dinner daily. $$ Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves Italian dishes and specialties including chicken a la grande, shrimp Mosca, baked oysters Mosca and chicken cacciatore. reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Sat. cash only. $$$ Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net — This counter-service spot serves po-boys dressed with sliced cabbage and creole favorites like jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more. Breakfast is available all day. Delivery available.

No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes red beans and rice with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as shrimp creole, seafood platters, po-boys, char-grilled and raw oysters, salads and more. Side items include carrot souffle, mac and cheese, cornbread dressing, sweet potato tots and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Nice Guys Bar & Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola. com — char-grilled oysters are topped with cheese and garlic butter, and other options include oysters rockefeller and loaded oysters. The creative menu also includes seafood bread, a cajun-lobster potato, wings, quesadillas, burgers, salads, sandwiches, seafood pasta, loaded fries and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$ Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro — 720 Orleans Ave., (504) 523-1930; orleansgrapevine.com — The wine bar offers cheese boards and appetizers to nosh with wines. The menu includes creole pasta with shrimp and andouille in tomato cream sauce. reservations accepted for large parties. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$ Palace Cafe — 605 Canal St., (504) 523-1661; palacecafe.com — The contemporary creole menu includes crabmeat cheesecake with mushrooms and creole meuniere sauce. Outdoor seating available.

reservations recommended. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$ Parish Grill — 4650 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 100, Metairie, (504) 345-2878; parishgrill.com — The menu includes burgers, sandwiches, pizza and sauteed andouille with fig dip, blue cheese and toast points. reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com — At brunch, braised short rib grillades are served over grits with mushrooms, a poached egg and shaved truffle. reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunch Sun. $$ Rosie’s on the Roof — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The rooftop bar has a menu of sandwiches, burgers and small plates. crab beignets are made with Gulf crabmeat and mascarpone and served with herb aioli. No reservations.

Dinner daily. $$ Tableau — 616 St. Peter St., (504) 9343463; tableaufrenchquarter.com — The menu features traditional and creative creole dishes. Pasta bouillabaisse features squid ink mafaldine, littleneck clams, Gulf shrimp, squid, seafood broth, rouille and herbed breadcrumbs. Outdoor seating available on the balcony. reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Thu.-Sun. $$$ Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 827-1651; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes raw and char-broiled oysters, seafood platters, po-boys, fried chicken, crab and corn bisque and more. redfish St. charles is served with garlic-herb butter, asparagus, mushrooms and crawfish cornbread. reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza.com — A Marilynn Pota Supreme pie is topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. There also are salads, sandwiches, wings, breadsticks and more. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $ Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 1433 St. Charles Ave., (504) 354-1342; 5015 Magazine St., (504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com — The Peruvian menu includes several types of ceviche, as well as steak and seafood dishes.

Traditional lomo saltado features sauteed beef tenderloin tips, onions, tomatoes, soy sauce and pisco, served with potatoes and rice. Outdoor seating available on Magazine Street. Delivery available. reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ The Vintage — 3121 Magazine St., (504) 324-7144; thevintagenola.com — There’s a full coffee drinks menu and baked goods and beignets, as well as a full bar. The menu has flatbreads, cheese boards, small plates and a pressed veggie sandwich with avocado, onions, arugula, red pepper and pepper jack cheese. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

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song “Mohabbat.” She opens at 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 10, at Saenger Theatre. Find tickets via saengernola.com.

Nola Nite Market

At 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, at Toulouse Theatre. Tickets $25 in advance via toulousetheatre.com.

Crescent City Chamber Music Festival

The Nite Market features an array of food vendors offering Vietnamese, chinese, Korean, Indian and other Asian dishes. Plus, there’s live entertainment and a market. The food lineup includes Get Your Mom & Dim Sum, Namaste Nola, K-Town BBQ & Tofu, The Nori Guys, Sushi Iku, Oppa, Wishing Town Bakery, Atti Nola, Hue Haus, LUFU NOLA and more. Performers include randy Tran, Vinlisa, Miika, K-pop dancers and more. Hours are 5-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, at the Westwego Farmers Market. Visit nolanitemarket.com for details.

The festival presents a series of free performances, starting with the Manhattan chamber Players and members of the LPO playing Bach’s Brandenburg concertos on Thursday, Oct. 10, at Trinity episcopal church.

The Gryphon Trio will perform at several events. Programs include compositions by Mozart, Shostakovich, camille Saint-Saens and more.

Venues range from churches to Tulane University’s Dixon Hall and Urban South Brewery. concerts run Oct. 10-20. Visit crescentcitychambermusicfestival.com for schedule and details.

Ashe Rooftop Festival & Gala

Cyril Neville, The Wild Tchoupitoulas and a host of special guests celebrate his birthday with two nights of shows at chickie Wah Wah. Guests include Ivan Neville, erica Falls, Shamarr Allen, Omari Neville and The Fuel, Jason Neville, Big Sam Williams, James Andrews, Damion Neville and more. At 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, and Saturday, Oct. 12. Tickets $30.06 (including fees) via chickiewahwah.com.

Ashe Cultural Arts Center holds its rooftop festival in partnership with Broad community connections at 300 N. Broad St. on Saturday, Oct. 12. The entertainment lineup includes Flagboy Giz, Partners-N-crime, Hot Boy ronald, choppa, 504icygrl, Sunni Patterson and more. The annual rooftop Gala is Friday, Oct. 11, and it features erica Falls, Kings of Brass, T-ray the Violinist, DJ rakimbeau and more. Visit ashenola.org for other weekend wellness and social justice-focused events, tickets and details.

Dulce Sloan

As a correspondent for “The Daily Show,” Dulce Sloan dug into stories about companies microchipping employees, police officer trading cards and the lack of statues of women. But she’s best known as a stand-up comedian, and in recent years has been a panelist on NPr’s news quiz show, “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me.” She performs stand-up at 7 and 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, and Saturday, Oct. 12, at Sports Drink.

Tickets $25 via eventbrite.com.

Bob Mould

After years with influential punk outfit Husker Du and alt rockers Sugar, guitarist and singer Bob Mould has had a lengthy solo career, which he documented in 2020 with a 24 cD box set. It’s just him and his guitar on stage on this Solo electric tour date, but former Sugar bandmate (and Drive-by Truckers producer) David Barbe opens.

Cyril Neville’s Birthday Bash

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

Country music star and crooner Lyle Lovett is touring with his big band, sharing dates with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and The War and Treaty. He’s bringing his Large Band to Tipitina’s and dipping into Americana, swing, blues and more. Hayes carll opens. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Thurdsay, Oct. 10. Tickets $69 via tipitinas.com.

Mermaid Lounge reunion

The Mermaid Lounge opened 30 years ago (and closed 20 years ago) on the edge of the Warehouse District, in a space now occupied by the rusty Nail. Fans and bands that played there reunite for an anniversary celebration and fundraiser for the New Orleans Musicians’ clinic and Assistance Foundation. There are three stages, and the lineup includes Thousand Dollar car, All That, Bipolaroid, egg Yolk Jubilee, Micah McKee, Naked on the Floor, Norco Lapalco, rob cambre & Friends and more. At 3-11 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 13, at the Broadside.

Tickets $25 via broadsidenola.com.

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MUSIC FO r cO M P L e T e M U S I c L I ST I N G S A N D M O r e e V e N T S TA K I N G P L A c e IN THe NeW OrLeANS AreA, VISIT C A L E N D A R . G A M B I T W E E K LY. C O M

To learn more about adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com

MONDAY 7 30/90 — Margie Perez, 6 pm; Piano Man ‘G’, 9 pm ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Betsey Propane & the Accessories, 7 pm BACCHANAL — Pete Olynciw, 6 pm BLUE NILE — Where Y'at Brass Band, 9 pm BOURBON O BAR — Kimchisoop, 4 pm; Tiffany Hall and The Jazz Masters, 8 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Matinee All Star Band, 1 pm; Tin Men, 5 pm; richard "Piano" Scott and Friends, 8 pm HOUSE OF BLUES — The Used + Plain White T’s, 8 pm HOWLIN' WOLF — Giulia coba, Brandon Johnas, Skii Wii, Sariyah Idan., 6:30 pm THE SPOTTED CAT — Amber rachelle and The Sweet Potatoes, 9:30 pm

TUESDAY 8 30/90 — Big Facts, 6 pm; Higher Heights, 9 pm BAMBOULAS — The Villians, 1:15 pm; Giselle Anguizola Quartet, 5:30 pm; caitie B. and The Hand Me Downs, 9 pm BAR MÉTIER — robin rapuzzi’s Firefly Duo, 7 pm BOURBON O BAR — John Autin, 4 pm; Ingrid Lucia, 8 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — richard “Piano” Scott, 1 pm; colin Myers Band, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Jamil Sharif, 8 pm MAPLE LEAF — Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes, 8 pm NEW ORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM — Treme Lafitte Brass Band, 5 pm THE REPUBLIC — Inayah, 8 pm THE SAENGER THEATRE — Jungle, 8 pm SATURN BAR — cumbia with Los Guiros and c’est Funk, 8 pm SMOOTHIE KING CENTER — Kirk Franklin, 7 pm SNUG HARBOR — Seth Finch Trio, 7 & 9 pm THE GOAT — Zanias, Destryur, Presentation, 9 pm TIPITINA’S — High on Fire and Weedeater, 8 pm

WEDNESDAY 9 BAMBOULAS — J.J. and the A-OKs, 1:15 pm; Boardwalker and the 3 Finger Swingers, 5:30 pm; The Queen and Friendz, 9 pm

BLUE NILE — New Breed Brass Band, 9:30 pm BOURBON O BAR — Jon cleary Solo, 8 pm CHICKIE WAH WAH — Big Facts, 6 pm; Higher Heights, 9 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Funkin’ It Up with Big Sam, 7:30 pm THE JOY — The Kills, 8 pm LONGUE VUE HOUSE & GARDENS — Twilight at Longue Vue, 5 pm MAPLE LEAF — Ari Teitel Band, 10 pm NEW MARIGNY THEATRE — Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, 6 pm THE SAENGER THEATRE — Khruangbin, 8 pm SATURN BAR — Tristan Gianola Quartet, The Saga continues and Zahria Sims, 8 pm TIPITINA’S —Lyle Lovett & His Large Band Night One, 7:30 pm VAUGHAN’S —robin rapuzzi’s Glo Worm Trio, 8 pm

THURSDAY 10 30/90 — Audrey & the crawzaddies, 6 pm; The Budz, 9 pm BACCHANAL — robin Sherman, 6 pm BAMBOULAS — caleb Nelson and His Hot 5, 1:15 pm; The Midnight Brawlers, 5:30 pm; Wolfe John's Blues Band, 9 pm BAR MÉTIER — Double Whisky, 7 pm BLUE NILE — Irvin Mayfield's Music church, 9 & 11 pm BOURBON O BAR — Kevin Hayes, 4 pm; Smitty & Friends , 8 pm CAPULET — Mia Borders Acoustic Trio, 6:30 pm HOLY DIVER NOLA — System exclusive, Drugstore Lipstick, Satan's Trash, 9 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — The Brass-AHolics, 7:30 pm LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — The Soul rebels, 11 pm MUSIC BOX VILLAGE — c’est Funk, 4 pm PEACOCK ROOM, HOTEL FONTENOT — Da Lovebirds plus Justin Garner , 8 pm THE SAENGER THEATRE — Khurangbin, 8 pm SANTOS BAR — Generationals Night One, 10 pm TIGERMEN DEN — Tuba Skinny, 6 pm TIPITINA’S — Lyle Lovett & His Large Band Night Two, 7:30 pm VAUGHAN'S LOUNGE — corey Henry & the Treme Funktet, 10:30 pm

FRIDAY 11 ABITA BREW PUB — Abita Fall Fest , 5 pm ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Psychedelic Speakeasy, 10:30 pm BAMBOULAS — The New Orleans rug cutters, 11 am; Felipe Antonio Quinteto, 2:15 pm; Les Getrex and creole cooking,

6:30 pm; Bettis and 3rd Degree Brass Band , 10 pm BLUE NILE — The caeser Brother’s Funk Box, 8 pm; Kermit ruffins & The BBQ Swingers, 11 pm BMC - BALCONY MUSIC CLUB — Kyanté & the Krü Live, 10 pm BOURBON O BAR — ellen Smith & April Spain, 4 pm; Mem Shannon Trio, 8 pm BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK — The Bad Sandys, 8 pm BROAD COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS — Ashé rooftop Gala, 7 pm CHICKIE WAH WAH — cyril Neville’s Birthday Bash Night One, 9 pm THE FILLMORE — Men At Work, 9 pm HOLY DIVER NOLA — Stgma w/Busy Weather, Shehehe, Twin Sugar, Bullshit Machine, 8 pm LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Lyla Dipaul, 9 pm; Quarx, 11 pm MAPLE LEAF — corey Henry and The Treme Funktet, 10 pm MARIGNY OPERA HOUSE — Old country Night, 7:30 pm NOLA BREWING — Sunpie & The Louisiana Sunspots, 7 pm OKAY BAR — Bruisey Peets, Mayberry and The Tangle, 8 pm THE ORPHEUM — Patti Labelle, 8 pm PONTCHARTRAIN PARK — Gentilly Fest, 12 am THE RABBIT HOLE — Witches Stew: Tristan Dufrene, Heelturn and elliot From earth, 10 pm SANTOS — Generationals Night Two, 10 pm SATURN BAR — Solid Gold, 9 pm TIPITINA’S — Le Petit Fête: Taylor Swift Dance Party, 9 pm TOULOUSE THEATRE — Bob Mould, 9 pm

SATURDAY 12 ABITA BREW PUB — Abita Fall Fest , 11 am BROAD COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS — Ashé cultural Arts center rooftop Gala, 11 am BAMBOULAS— The Jaywalkers, 11 am; Boardwalker and the 3 Finger Swingers, 2:15 pm; The New Orleans rug cutters, 6:30 pm; Paggy Prine and Southern Soul, 10 pm BLUE NILE — GeorgeBrownBand,7:30pm BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM — The Next Level Band, 10 pm BOURBON O BAR — Brian Wingard, 4 pm; The Blues Masters, 8 pm CHICKIE WAH WAH — cyril Neville’s Birthday Bash Night Two, 9 pm DOS JEFES — Sunpie and The Louisiana Sundrops, 9 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Steve Detroy Band, 2:30 pm; Bourbon Matinee

All Star Band w/chuck Brackman, 6 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Jamil Sharif, 9 pm HOLY DIVER NOLA — Zoom with Bruser Brouissard Trio, 9 pm HYATT CENTRIC — renee Gros and Tiago Guy, 6 pm MAPLE LEAF — Jon cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, 8 pm; Tony Hall Band, 11 pm NOLA BREWING — Marc Stone & John Mooney, 7 pm PIROGUE’S WHISKEY BAYOU — Bogue chitto, 8 pm SANTOS BAR — Generationals Night Three, 10 pm SATURN BAR — Mod Night, 10 pm SIBERIA — The Obsessed and restless Spirit, 9 pm TIPITINA’S — The Original Wailers ft. Al Anderson, 8:30 pm THE VIRGIN HOTEL — Kaytra club with DJ Legatron Prime, 9 pm

SUNDAY 13 30/90 — The Andre Lovett Band, 6 pm; Manic Mixtape, 9 pm BACCHANAL — Tangiers combo, 3:30 pm; Noah Young, 7 pm BAMBOULAS — Aaron Levinson and Friends, 10:30 am; Midnight Brawlers, 5:30 pm; Youse, 1:15 pm; ed Wills Blues 4 Sale, 9 pm BJ'S LOUNGE BYWATER — James Mcclaskey and the rhythm Band, 9 pm BLUE NILE — Street Legends Brass Band, 10:30 pm BMC - BALCONY MUSIC CLUB — Daphne Parker Powell, 5 pm BOURBON O BAR — Marc Stone, 4 pm; Kenny Brown & the KB express, 8 pm BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK — The Bad Sandys, 8 pm CHICKIE WAH WAH — Tommy Stinson and Karla rose, 8 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Doyle cooper Band, 12:30 pm; Sazerac Jazz Band, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/ Mike Fulton, 8 pm; THE GOAT — A Split-Second, Divtech, A Broken Dream, 9 pm THE SAENGER THEATRE — The Black crowes, 2 pm SATURN BAR — Jess Kerber, clay Parker, Will Orchard and Jodi James, 8 pm TIPITINA’S — Lotus, 8 pm

SCAN FOR THE COMPLETE GAMBIT CALENDAR

Blues crossroads

by Will Coviello

THE CRESCENT CITY BLUES & BBQ FESTIVAL FEATURES

stalwarts like Lil’ ed & the Blues Imperials, Baton rouge’s Kenny Neal and New Orleans own Little Freddie King, but the lineup also stretches to rock and soul singer Nikki Hill, Leyla Mccalla and more. The free festival is back in Lafayette Square Friday, Oct. 11, through Sunday, Oct. 13.

Lil’ ed Williams was inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame earlier this year. A chicago native, he is wellversed in the city’s blues sound. He learned to play slide guitar and developed his raucous style under the mentorship of his uncle, slide guitarist J.B. Hutto. Williams and his band have released nine albums on the city’s longtime blues and roots music label, Alligator records. The band headlines at 7-8:30 p.m. Saturday.

Ontario, canada, is not known for the blues, but Sue Foley got her start there as a teenager. She moved to Austin, Texas, where she released her first album, “Young Girl Blues,” in 1992 on that city’s blues label, Antone’s. She’s won a couple of Blues Music Awards (formerly known as the W.c. Handy Awards) since 2020. She performs at 4:30-5:45 p.m. Saturday.

Blues was the family business for chris Thomas King. The son of Tabby Thomas, he grew up in Tabby’s Blues Box in Baton rouge and has released numerous albums since the mid 1980s. He also gained wider recognition playing bluesmen on screen in “O Brother, Where Art Thou” and the ray charles biopic, “ray.” But in recent years, he’s become a champion of New Orleans’ place in the founding of blues, releasing the book “The Blues: The Authentic Narrative of My Music and culture” in 2021. He performs at 5:457:15 p.m. Saturday.

Singer Nikki Hill delivers a powerful blend of rock and soul. She’s from Durham, North carolina, and emerged in the area’s roots music scene before moving to Memphis and digging into soul and r&B roots. She performs at 3:15-4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Also Saturday is a tribute to the late Mississippi bluesman James cotton.

The harmonica player led his own band and performed with a long list of blues

25

EXPLORE ALASKA

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E W O R L E A N S . C O M > O c TO B e r 7 - 1 3 > 2 0 2 4

GOING OUT

FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

Alaskan cruises are a great way to explore Alaska from a new perspective. Viewing all its natural beauties and even some giants from the sea!

Little Freddie King will perform Sunday at the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

giants. The tribute features harmonica player Mark Hummel and guitarist Steve Freund. It’s at 2-3:15 p.m.

Friday night features Marcia Ball kicking off the festival at 5:30 p.m. and Irma Thomas and the Professionals performing from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Sunday’s lineup is heavy on local bluesmen, with Little Freddie King performing at 5:45-7 p.m. and Kenny Neal at 4:30-5:45 p.m. The day features Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes at 11 a.m. to noon, guitar-slinger Billy Iuso from noon to 1 p.m. and blue-eyed soul and Gulf coast rocker eric Lindell at 2-3:15 p.m.

Hailing from the West coast, Mitch Woods and his rocket 88s perform at 1-2 p.m. Sunday. The band is steeped in retro boogie-woogie sounds, and his “Gumbo Blues” album saluted Smiley Lewis and a host of New Orleans musicians. Leyla Mccalla, who is better known for her blend of folk and Haitian influences, closes the festival with the final set at 7-8:30 p.m.

The festival curates an array of barbecue styles. The 11 food vendors offer dishes from traditional brisket to Asianstyle pork ribs, char-grilled oysters, pulled-pork nachos and creative dishes like boudin sliders. The festival also has an art market.

The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival is organized by the Jazz & Heritage Foundation. Admission is free. See crescentcitybluesfest.com for more information.

Call Your Travel Experts at 504-834-7000 or Visit TravelCentralVacations.com to Learn More About the Seabourn Alaska Experience!

October 16-22 2023 Volume 44 Number 42

DINING

GUIDE

ISSUE DATE: OCT. 14

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26

GOING OUT

Tab Benoit headlines Abita Fall Fest

by WIll Coviello

BLUESMAN TAB BENOIT HAS BEEN BUSY SINCE HE FOUNDED his own label,

Whiskey Bayou records, with reuben Williams in 2017. But he only recorded and released music by other artists until this summer’s arrival of “I Hear Thunder.” It’s his first album of new work in more than a decade.

After its Aug. 30 release, Benoit hit the road for a tour that takes him across the U.S. through mid-December. But he’s in the area to headline the opening night of Abita Fall Fest at the Abita Springs Trailhead this week. He’s joined by Anders Osborne for many tour dates, including this show at 7:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11.

Benoit and Osborne have collaborated for years, including in the Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars, which featured artists from across the spectrum of South Louisiana music raising awareness about the loss of coastal wetlands. They also worked together on Benoit’s last album of new work, “Medicine,” in 2011.

“I Hear Thunder” continues the relationship. They wrote the album’s 10

tracks together, with input from George Porter Jr. on a couple of tracks.

The album leads off with muscly guitar work and showy solos on the title track, and it returns to that heavy blues rock mode on “Inner child” and other songs, including the strutting closer, “Bayou Man.” Porter brings his unmistakable New Orleans’ funk inflections to “Little Queenie” and also performs on “I’m A Write That Down.”

“The Ghost of Gatemouth Brown” settles into some retro blues sounds in an upbeat tribute to the Slidell bluesman. There’s more whimsey to “Watching the Gators roll in.”

The album also features Terence Higgins on drums and corey Duplechin on bass, who are touring with Benoit.

Friday night’s show is part of the festival’s opening Fall Fest After Dark.

The lineup features the No Limit Brass Band at 5:30-6 p.m. and the bluesy Pontchartrain Shakers at 6:30-7:15 p.m. There’s only music on Friday night.

Saturday brings three music stages and the festival’s full slate of activities and attractions.

The main stage lineup is highlighted by rising young Nashville country pop singer Alana Springsteen.

Last year, she released the album “Twenty Something,” featuring an appearance by chris Stapleton. She performed material from the album and other new work on an NPr Tiny Desk concert in August.

She performs at 6-7:15 p.m.

The main stage lineup also features John “Papa” Gros at 4:45-5:30 p.m., Dwayne Dopsie and The Zydeco Hellraisers at 3:30-4:15 p.m., Jared Daws & The Dusk Singers at 2:30-3 p.m. and the Sweet Magnolia Brass band and The Mo’ Jelly Band.

The Trail Stage features The Abita Stumps, The Scamp Walkers, Soundtrack era, Milk and The Honeys and the Leif Meche Band. The cuisine Stage features

Tab Benoit PROVIDED PHOTO BY KRISTINE SCHNACKE

Janya Morgan & The Sazerac Sunrise Jazz Band, The Spring chickens and The Boston Street ceili Band.

The festival has a kids’ area with its own entertainment stage, plus a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting and more.

For older kids, there’s a climbing wall, inflatables and games. A tailgating tent welcomes LSU football fans for pregame and game-time viewing.

The festival also has food and drink vendors and a wine garden in the festival grounds. There’s bike parking just outside the grounds.

Admission to Abita Fall Fest is $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the event or at the gate. Children under 11 get in free. Visit abitafallfest.com for tickets and information.

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PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE CHARGING JOE

By Frank A. Longo 30 Crafty plans 34 Arnaz of “I Love Lucy” 35 Have in mind 36 King, in Paris 37 Riddle, part 2 41 Unhappy 44 Almonds, e.g.

45 See 63-Across 46 Jamaican music genre 47 Alpine climber’s tool 49 Extra NFL periods 51 Actress Long of “Missing” 53 Nobelist Bohr 54 Riddle, part 3 60 “The Taking of -- 123” (2009 film)

61 Check casher, e.g.

62 Pre-2001 space station 63 With 45-Across, informed on the latest 67 Lacking living organisms 69 Shampoo brand 71 Vidal -- (shampoo brand) 73 Some till bills 74 Helium, e.g.

76 Dot in the ocean 78 Fife sound 79 Riddle, part 4 82 Pong producer 86 Tart’s cousin 87 Capote, to his pals

88 “The First 48” network 89 Ricky Martin’s old boy band 91 “Sir,” in colonial India 95 “Hey there, tiger!”

97 Wee child 98 End of the riddle 102 Yoga chants 103 Loosen up 104 Tolkien trilogy initials 105 To some degree 109 Popular rum brand 111 Swindling guy 113 Really ruin 114 Scraped (out) 115 Riddle’s answer 120 Give for a while 121 Determines the sum of 122 Thief’s activity 123 Uno + dos 124 Some tax cheats 125 Lays out for proofing DOWN 1 Cries loudly 2 Like a one-off c ommittee 3 Fail suddenly 4 Purring baby 5 Precept 6 “Warzone” singer Yoko 7 Wildebeest 8 Narcissist’s love 9 People crying loudly 10 Maple fluid 11 Greed for wealth 12 Russian-built fighter jets 13 Arafat’s gp., once 14 Formed a secret union?

15 Ginger’s trait 16 Scottish Celt 17 Suburb of Phoenix 18 Pertaining to time 19 Ocean coasts 24 “White Flag” singer of 2003 29 Have in mind 31 Tailless feline breed 32 Aussie bird 33 New Jersey’s -- Hall University 35 Smaller than large 38 Lens aperture setting

39 Russo of “The Intern” 82 Bandoleer, informally 40 Hi-tech movie effects 83 Drink infusing device 41 Hold to one’s decision 84 Cutoff cry from a 42 Novelist Chinua film director 43 Buy and sell 85 Long to undo 48 Eldest of the 90 Out with one’s sweetie Musketeers 92 Hint-providing colum50 Suddenly lose patience nist 52 Warts and all 93 “My thoughts exactly” 55 Pal, in Peru 94 Alternatives to GIFs 56 Song line or JPEGs 57 Kin of “Oy!” 96 Hulk Hogan’s 58 Beautiful, in Bologna 1980s org.

59 Poetic Muse 99 Isaac of sci-fi 63 Old Glory’s land, 100 Actress Drescher informally 101 Sings in the Alps, 64 Really strong perhaps 65 City in Spain or Ohio 66 A short round of tennis 106 Perez of film 107 Quaint reply 68 Al who drew the of denial Yokums 108 Canoodles, in 70 For fear that Cambridge 72 To the extent that 110 Determines the 75 Bern’s land, to the sum of French 111 Street rep 77 Australia Zoo 112 Hawk’s home owner Irwin 116 Plato’s “H” 79 Not as messy 117 Hog’s home 80 Harvest 81 “The Flight Attendant” 118 Vivacity 119 “Little” actress Issa star Kaley

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 2

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1 Reserves of stock 9 Person applying a mail stick-on 16 Understands 20 Actress Palicki of “Friday Night Lights” 21 Popcorn personage Redenbacher 22 Out of the wind, nautically 23 Start of a riddle 25 Watson of “Little Women” 26 Was bested 27 Rug threads 28 Emo of zany comedy

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