August 28

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efforts for new stormwater utility and equitable approach to New Orleans drainage

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Over the past several months, The Water sae et am aut quasiti debitatis ipisimpore, Nam enim rem utemquibus exped quod mi, Collaborative has been working with both local coreriori atia sincium etur seres nonsereperi nonet rem. Et aspis aturepelit untotatiis magcitizens and experts from across country ipsam quia quiscil itiorro tota doluptate num nihil ma que name volorporibus alibusthe atem quae in et mil ma volum es as molenditas to develop ideas and learn from other cities. aliquodit faccusci quibearum ut rent veruptur In quosaep eliquame laccatur ad que nobisita particular, Baltimore and Philadelphia haveconprovided sit, id utatur, quas eatiamusanto dolum quistet faccuptas dolorisquia cum eicta non models foraut a comprehensive reworking of plans sequia nim ma quo quiatusant. cullab illamus, consere maiorep rehendit et to meet New Orleans’ drainage needs.

“One of the main aspects of our solution is that we are advocating that drainage at the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans is separated with SPONSORED CONTENT different oversight, similar to how it is done in other states,” said Jessica Dandridge, executive director of The Water Collaborative. “We also want to be innovative in that most funding would go to neighborhood-scale improvements. Instead of more pumping stations and gray infrastructure, said. “Everything else has changed and yet we are we are pushing for programs like a reforestation still using the same structures for drainage. We plan, workforce development expansion in this have to adapt to our changing city and climate. space, pocket parks and community gardens, as We also feel that having a separate entity that well as right-of-way improvements.” is solely focused on drainage will make our city Dandridge said another key part of the proposed more prepared for storms and allow for a more solution is to democratize the nancing structure. rapid response when weather events do happen.”

Currently, the organization’s research shows that In addition, Dandridge said The Water Collaborative at least half of the city’s entities and residents is committed to educating residents and business don’t pay for drainage, including some churches, owners about how drainage works in their areas hospitals, schools and businesses that put the and steps that they can take to make smaller scale most stress on the system because of their improvements, such as using rain barrels and infrastructure. planting trees to develop a stronger tree canopy “We are not looking for people who are currently throughout New Orleans. paying to pay more. But, we feel it is only right “People always think their neighborhood oods that everyone pays their fair share,” she said. because of the pumping system, but that’s not always “On the nancing side, we also want to see more the case,” she pointed out. “It’s usually because accountability and transparency. We envision of the watershed and the way the neighborhood a new stormwater utility whose members are is shaped. With climate change and rain events democratically elected, who determine how that can produce four or ve inches of rain in a funding is spent, and who are clear in describing couple of hours, there’s no system that can keep how money is being used.” up with that. That’s why the focus needs to be Dandridge emphasized that the solutions on how to move, store and slow water with green plan isn’t intended to criticize the current S&WB infrastructure and stormwater management.” operations, but instead create new systems and Now that the multi-pronged solution has been structures that make more sense for the city. nalized, Dandridge said The Water Collaborative “So much of the drainage infrastructure in New plans to spend the next several months in a period of community education and engagement. Dandridge Orleans has not changed in over 100 years,” she This article is brough to you by xxxxxxxx xxxx.

SPONSORED CONTENT

PH OTO PROVID ED BY X X X

said the organization hopes that these can be in-depth conversations since many longtime New Orleans residents have a complicated relationship with how water affects the city.

“We want to create different ways for people to engage and let them know that we will go where they are because this is a big topic,” she said. “If there’s a church congregation, a community group or a Mardi Gras krewe that wants to talk to us, we will be there. We know this conversation is not just about pumping stations. It’s about family history, Katrina, other hurricanes, climate change. This isn’t a one-stop conversation.”

For more information, visit waterjusticeneworleans.org or www.nolawater.org.

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Corinne Robin Fox “CoCo”

AUGUST 28 — SEPTEMBER 3, 2023 VOLUME 44 || NUMBER 35

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5

Decadent company

Glamorous

Southern Decadence is a massive LGBTQ+ party on Labor Day weekend | by Will Coviello THE SITCOM “THREE’S COMPANY” HELPED MAKE STARS out of Suzanne

Somers and John Ritter in the late 1970s. Audra Lindley’s Helen Roper, who usually wore a flowing caftan and curly hair, was a supporting character.

But when Bud Moore wanted to organize a group costume for Southern Decadence in 2013, Mrs. Roper was the icon.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, that’s perfect,’” Moore says. “Everyone can dress how they want, but it’s a recognizable character.”

Although Moore’s group only did it once, Roper groups sprung up everywhere, and the Facebook group Moore created has blown up. On the 10th anniversary, he’s organizing an even bigger group for the 2023 Southern Decadence parade. It’s one of many events in what organizers expect will be one of the biggest ever Decadence weekends, officially running Aug. 31-Sept. 4.

When Moore put together the original group among friends and patrons at the Golden Lantern bar, he wanted to keep it simple and affordable. He decided he’d buy wigs for everybody who wanted to join.

“I found it on Amazon,” he says. “It was this $7 wig. It worked out, because the next year we did Richard Simmons for the parade, and we just used the same wig.”

He also thought he’d sew a caftan for everyone who bought their own fabric, but it got to be too many people.

Since that group of approximately 55 Mrs. Ropers marched in the Decadence parade, groups have popped up across the country. His Facebook page grew from 250 to nearly 7,000 members, and he counted almost 60 scheduled Roper events in recent and coming months, including in Canada and London. For Decadence, he’s expecting 100 Mrs. Ropers, and this time he is making fans for them.

The Ropers are among 60 groups that have signed up to march in the parade, says Jimmy Gale, one of the event’s grand marshals. Many of the costuming groups are started by friend groups at LGBTQ+ bars in the French Quarter and Marigny. There also are groups like Lords of Leather and a contingent from New Orleans Advocates for LGBTQ+ Elders (NOAGE). Other participants include Carnival dance troupes like the Sassyracs and The Merry Antoinettes and a contingent from the

Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus, Gale says.

The parade begins at 2 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 3, at the Golden Lantern on the edge of the French Quarter.

The route crosses the Quarter on Royal Street and then turns on St. Louis and loops back around and ends on Bourbon and St. Ann streets.

The parade has been the central event of Southern Decadence from the early events more than 50 years ago. But the weekend fills with countless events, block parties, drag brunches and more, and it fills the streets of the French Quarter and Marigny, especially on blocks filled with LGBTQ+ bars and businesses.

Another big traditional event is the drag show on Friday night at the Golden Lantern. The Mr. Louisiana Leather competition is Saturday at Siberia. The Phoenix bar hosts block parties on Friday and Saturday night. DJs provide music, and leather and fetishwear is encouraged. Some community groups also will set up tables and offer information about their activities or services, Gale says.

Gale is sharing grand marshal duties with drag performers Nicole DuBois and Monica Synclaire-Kennedy. The grand marshals lead the parade, but their official duties include raising funds throughout the year to pay for parade costs. Remaining funds are donated to the official charity, which this year is NOAGE. They’ve held 40 fundraisers so far this year, Gale says.

DuBois is a regular performer at the Bourbon Pub & Parade, which is in the epicenter of Bourbon Street revelry during Decadence. He usually hosts entertainment at the two bars during the weekend, but this year, he’s juggling those and grand marshal duties. He’s also a former Miss Gay America and has performed on tour.

Synclaire-Kennedy performs regularly in New Orleans and is a past grand marshal of the New Orleans’ Gay Easter Parade.

The grand marshals pick the year’s theme, which is “Wicked, Wild & Wet”

New Orleans house music artist Kynt headlines Glamorous, a rave night filled with DJ sets, guest musicians, dancers and a fashion show. The lineup includes DJs Hollagraham & Dingus, Doc Hayman, Pablo Zaldivar, KarbiNation and Tom Harvey and guest artists Micaela Paule, Brandon Garrett, Jasmine White and Kirkland Green & Matt Kruft. New Orleans modeling group Chic Nouvelle will present a runway fashion show. Glamorous starts at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, at The Building, 1427 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. Tickets are $15 advance via eventbrite.com and $20 at the door.

Mermaid Parade

A group of Mrs. Ropers marched in the 2013 Southern Decadence parade.

PHOTO BY WILL COVIELLO / GAMBIT

for 2023. The official colors are kelly green, blue and black. A parade website was introduced last year for participants and volunteers to register. This year, the grand marshals added an online shop, including Decadence T-shirts with images created by local drag artist Eureeka Starfish.

Gale moved to New Orleans almost four years ago. He first visited the city six years ago for a public health conference. He fell in love with it and started visiting every other month from his native San Francisco, he says.

Then he relocated and started attending Decadence.

“I was standing at the corner of the Golden Lantern and watching everybody lining up and all of the insane costumes and thinking how amazing would it be to have an entire parade surrounded by all your friends and family,” Gale says. “I didn’t think in a million years it would happen to me, so I am honored for this opportunity.”

He plans to make the most of it.

“By Decadence weekend, I will be surviving on pure spite,” he says. “I am going to stay as hydrated as possible and hopefully get some sleep because I don’t want to miss a moment.”

For information, visit southerndecadenceparade.com and southerndecadence.com.

There’s now a parade for all you New Orleans mermaids, mermen, pirates and exotic sea creatures out there.

Krewe Du Fool — which hosts an annual April Fools’ Day parade — is organizing the first Mermaid Parade, scheduled to roll on Saturday, Sept. 2. Participants that can find their fins or sea legs will start at 6 p.m. along the river at St. Philip Street and parade through Woldenberg Park to the Audubon Aquarium for a costume contest to crown the parade’s king and queen.

The parade will then head back to St. Philip. It is $15 to walk in the parade and free for landlubbers to watch. Proceeds will benefit the Audubon Nature Institute’s education department.

Find more info at krewedufool.com.

A mermaid parade takes place Saturday, Sept. 2, with a costume contest at Audubon Aquarium.

PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Sugar Bowl Country Kickoff

Country legend Garth Brooks brings his multi-platinum act to the Caesars Superdome for the first Sugar Bowl Country Kickoff at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2. The event celebrates the start of the 2023 college football season and showcases rising country star and Louisiana native Lainey Wilson along with the Grammy-winning Nitty Gritty PAGE 35

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NEW ORLEANS NEWS + VIEWS

Maybe when Jeff Landry’s lux mansion burns down during the August wildfire season he’ll finally admit climate change is real

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T H U M B S U P/ THUMBS DOWN

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WWNO and WRKF have won a prestigious National Edward R. Murrow Award for their reporting on reproductive rights in the Deep South. The public radio stations in New Orleans and Baton Rouge have a collaborative newsroom and share in the award. Led by reporter Rosemary Westwood, the stations’ reporting focused on the impact the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has had on reproductive health care in the region.

This is the joint newsroom’s first National Murrow Award.

THE AMOUNT, IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL SAYS JOE JAEGER, OWNER OF THE ABANDONED PLAZA TOWER, OWES THE CITY IN FINES The IG said Mayor LaToya Cantrell and previous administrations have a history of “leniency” in dealing with Jaeger, while the downtown skyscraper has long been a safety hazard and a crime hotspot. Jaeger told The Times-Picayune he’s trying to sell the building. A code violation hearing will take place this fall.

GOP Attorney General candidate Liz Murrill.

PHOTO BY TRAVIS SPRADLING / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Landry protégé and AG hopeful Liz Murrill has some thoughts on drugs and abortion Entergy Louisiana says it will not disconnect power to homes due to non-payment during Gov. John Bel Edwards’ declared heat emergency, which now runs through Sept. 9. It’s a needed move as Louisiana — and most of the South — grapples with brutal summer heat.

The Sewerage & Water Board has not permanently fixed a malfunctioning turbine at its Carrollton plant that occasionally sprays dime-sized drops of oil onto nearby homes and vehicles, The Lens recently reported.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has documented six occasions in just this year and more occurrences in 2022. Further, the Uptown Messenger wrote about the problem in 2013.

REPUBLICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL HOPEFUL AND CURRENT SOLICITOR GENERAL LIZ MURRILL Aug. 17

dropped the collab of the summer nobody asked for or expected when she mixed two classic Republican strawmen — the drug war and abortion — into a single, unexpected and wholly unsubstantiated talking point: Nefarious drug pushers are lacing online abortion pills with fentanyl.

Appearing on Mornings with Brian Haldane, Murrill talked at length about the opioid addiction crisis that has gripped much of the state, and country, for years. A clip of her appearance is below.

Murrill’s comments started off standard enough. For instance, she worried over a lack of funding for drug courts, which she argued “has the lowest recidivism rate and the highest success rate because there’s so much supervision and accountability built into it with a hard consequence.”

Murrill also pointed to the difficulty traditional 30-day addiction treatment programs have, particularly for patients using opioids, noting that

her godson, who had struggled with crack addiction, was killed by a drug overdose.

Murrill also repeated the classic — and largely discredited — claim that cannabis is a gateway drug, said the smell of marijuana is ruining American communities, took a random shot at New Orleans and issued an unprompted warning she won’t be using elevators in hotels that smell like weed.

“It just starts with pot. That’s why I’m not a fan of recreational use of pot. I think everywhere we go, we see these communities that are just being destroyed by the smell and it is bad. The people are sleeping on the streets. One thing leads to the other.

It is not a great environment. If you go to Portland, you can’t even walk downtown. Go to Washington, D.C., walk around Vegas, it’s horrible,” she said.

“New Orleans is bad enough, and it’s really effectively legalized in New Orleans because nobody enforces the law … I’m not going to go into a hotel and the elevator smells no good for what it’s worth,” she added.

PAGE 9

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Edwards warns of ‘tragic’ results from wildfires

Hundreds of wildfires continue to burn across Louisiana, fueled partly by residents who appear to be ignoring a burn ban enacted in response to scorching temperatures, high winds and unusually dry air, Gov. John Bel Edwards said.

Edwards warned of “potentially tragic” outcomes if residents don’t start taking greater care under a record-setting heatwave. They can do so by following the statewide burn ban, properly disposing of cigarettes, securing tow chains and avoiding outdoor activities that involve lighting fires, he said.

“Unfortunately, many of these fires could have been prevented if Louisianans were adhering to the

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That’s when things took a turn.

Murrill claimed cannabis legalization has somehow been a boon for illegal fentanyl sales.

“The fact is that that also creates a great black market, and that’s what actually creates a great avenue for more fentanyl,” she said. “And they do put fentanyl in pot a lot.”

Then Murrill pivoted to, of all things, abortion pills. “It is also a problem, frankly, with abortion pills online.”

It appears that Murrill is connecting two distinctly separate dots here: the problem of people selling illegal counterfeit drugs online that may contain fentanyl and the fact that it is illegal in Louisiana to deliver or distribute abortion pills, online or otherwise. “You can’t buy anything online that’s illegal and not consider it to be a problem potentially with fentanyl in it,” she told Haldane.

Of course, there is no evidence that abortion pills are being mixed with fentanyl and they remain perfectly safe — and legal in most states.

It should also be noted there is no public safety or health rationale for online sales of the pills to be illegal in Louisiana.

Rather, that law is part of the Republican Party’s broader anti-women’s health platform.

Ironically, Republicans have created a de facto gray market for abortion pills. As a result, even if Murrill’s random musings about fentanyl and abortion pills were true, it would mean that anti-choice politicians in the state like herself are responsible for any hypothetical exposures since they made the pills illegal in the first place. — John Stanton

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statewide burn ban and practicing fire safety,” Edwards said in a news release.

An unusual number of wildfires have ignited in Louisiana in recent weeks, particularly in the state’s rural areas, as much of the globe is gripped by dry heat that recently contributed to the spread of destructive, deadly fires in Hawaii and Canada.

The mostly small fires in Louisiana have not caused nearly as much damage. But they have destroyed some homes and other structures and have taken at least one life. Last week, authorities found the body of a Franklinton man in the wreckage of a home consumed by a brush fire.

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A wildfire burns a forest in Beauregard Parish in August 2023.

BEAUREGARD FIRE DISTRICT 2

Mandatory evacuations were ordered in Beauregard Parish because of a wildfire in the Singer and Merryville area that moved north overnight. The Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office said the fire was less than a mile away from the area of the evacuation.

That fire is one of “hundreds” of blazes currently burning statewide, and more are likely to ignite in the days ahead, Edwards said.

Edwards declared a state of emergency due to extreme heat and drought. He activated the State Emergency Operations Center in response to those conditions and announced a press conference at 4 p.m. with officials from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

On his monthly call-in radio show, Edwards said the heat has made work difficult for firefighters battling the blazes.

“It is extremely hard for them to put on all their gear and fight a fire,” Edwards said. “They have to get pulled off the line for IVs.” — James Finn / The Times-Picayune

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A mother’s love is a lifetime of sacrifice for her children and grandkids HOW DO YOU MEASURE A MOTHER’S LOVE?

Is it in words of encouragement when we needed them most, or cups of chicken soup when we were feeling ill?

Or Sunday afternoons spent cheering us from the bleachers during Little League games?

Perhaps it was all those nights helping us with homework, making sure we were prepared for quizzes and tests, or helping us gather all the things we needed for science projects.

Or all the early mornings she spent cooking breakfast for a large family, then hurriedly picking up neighborhood kids to carpool us across town to school.

Or all the nights she stayed up late sewing Halloween costumes or outfits for the school play — or making dresses for her daughters’ first dates or dance recitals.

As we grew into adolescence, it included chaperoning a houseful of rambunctious teenagers gathered for birthdays, king cakes or impromptu sock hops in the family game room.

Margo and Miss Dottie PROVIDED PHOTO

All those images and memories come to mind when I think of my mother, who died on the morning of Aug. 22 after a long, slow decline. In the end, her passing was peaceful, and hopefully painless. She had endured enough in in her 97-plus years. She earned a quiet crossing over.

Born Dorothy May Nunez in February 1926, she was one of 11 children of Joe and Cecilia Nunez. I never knew my maternal grandfather, but mom told many stories about him. A true Isleño, he

spoke the Spanish dialect of his Canary Island forebears and made his living as a fur trapper in lower St. Bernard Parish.

Mom often used Spanish idioms for various household items, such as “la punta” for the end of a loaf of French bread — her father’s favorite portion, she said.

Like my dad, Clarence DuBos Jr., mom

Miss Dottie and her late husband, Clarence DuBos PROVIDED PHOTO

was part of that greatest generation immortalized by Tom Brokaw after the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Brokaw observed, quite accurately, that the defining characteristic of that generation was a willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. They came of age during The Great Depression, when doing without was all they knew. Sacrifice was not a decision; it was an imperative.

And then, on the brink of adulthood, young men went off to fight a war against Nazis, fascists and imperialists while many young women went to work — Mom among them.

That was likely the first of many great sacrifices that she made, though it was thrust upon her.

When she graduated at the top of her class from John McDonogh High School, Mom received a full scholarship to Newcomb College. Going to college was her dream, but her mother told her she had to go to work instead, to help pay for a younger sister’s private school tuition.

She obeyed, but it was a bitter pill.

When she told Newcomb officials she was going to work as a secretary in a local office of the U.S. Navy, they offered to hold the scholarship for a year — a generous gesture that, unfortunately, Mom was not able to accept.

She grew to love working for the Navy, but she always regretted that she didn’t get to attend college. I think that’s what made her so determined

to see all her nine children get good grades in school and go to college, which we did.

Her many sacrifices continued after she married my dad. She put up her life savings, which they had used to buy their first home, to provide the capital he needed to start his furniture refinishing company. She even helped him strip, sand and refinish furniture in the early days.

By the time I came along — the fourth child but the first boy — she was a full-time mom and homemaker, part-time Brownie troop leader, seamstress, cook and nursemaid.

My earliest memories are of a tiny, two-bedroom, one-bathroom home into which my parents squeezed eight kids by converting a den into a third bedroom.

How 10 people shared one bathroom I’ve never figured out. I mostly remember Christmases and birthdays, occasional tough love from Dad, and Mom spending all her time cooking, cleaning and sewing.

My most vivid memory of Mom is the three months she spent home schooling me when a sports injury

Miss Dottie and her grandson, Will PROVIDED PHOTO

— a broken femur — put me in a body cast early in my eighth-grade year. She tutored me in math, science, French (which she didn’t speak) and various other subjects. Thanks to her — and several of my Holy Cross teachers who visited weekly — I didn’t have to repeat eighth grade.

Years later, when I became a single dad, she was a constant help with my older son Brandin. Without “Mamere,” as the grandkids call her, I don’t know how I would have made it through that

Dorothy Nunez DuBos PROVIDED PHOTO

time in my life. She was a tireless mom, and an even more devoted grandmother.

When Margo and I had our son Will, Mom insisted we move in with her and my dad because our new home was still under renovation. I reluctantly agreed.

I was pretty stressed out during those days. I had just graduated from law school and was studying for the bar exam while also contracting a home renovation that was way over budget.

Margo has happier memories of that time.

“Mamere was the greatest,” she still says. “She took Will as soon as he woke up, which allowed me to rest.

She pampered me and enjoyed taking care of Will with me — and she always knew exactly what to do, no matter what happened.”

Margo still fusses at me for moving us out of my parents’ house too soon.

These and other memories flood my mind as I think about life without Mamere. My siblings and I have often talked about how she showed her love for us with her actions — her sacrifices — but not so much with her words.

I feel lucky that, in her final months, when I told her, “I love you,” at the end of my visits with her, she would often smile and say, “I love you, too.”

How do you measure a mother’s love?

You can’t. A mother’s love is boundless. It cannot be measured. It can only be appreciated.

Thank you, Mamere, for all your sacrifices. We all love you — and we know you loved us.

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BLAKEVIEW

@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

Hey Blake,

SEPTEMBER MARKS THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OPENING OF TWO HISTORIC DOWNTOWN THEATERS, the Tulane and the

I’m curious about a building at 3320 S. Carrollton Ave. It takes up the whole block, but there is no name on it.

Can you tell me the name of the building, what it’s used for and its history?

— Larry

Dear Larry,

BEGINNING IN THE 1920S, THAT BUILDING ON S. CARROLLTON AVENUE served as a home for orphans and at-risk

or disadvantaged youth. It is known as the Waldo Burton Memorial Home.

Its roots date to 1824 and an organization called the Society for the Relief of Destitute Orphan Boys.

That group was established with $100,000 from the estate of John McDonogh.

Originally the society’s headquarters were at Jackson Avenue and St. Thomas Street in the Lower Garden District. Over the years its facilities had several different names, including the Orphan Boys’ Asylum, Asylum for the Relief of Destitute Orphan Boys, and the Male Orphan Asylum. In 1861, it moved to St. Charles Avenue at the present

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site of De La Salle High School. The Carrollton Avenue facility was built in 1918.

It was named in honor of William Waldo Burton, a New Orleanian who died in 1914 at age 38. His father, William Burton, was a wealthy philanthropist who had earned his fortune in the cypress lumbering industry. He and his wife donated the money to build the facility on Carrollton Avenue in honor of their son.

Originally the home only served white, Protestant orphans but was integrated in the 1960s. It is still in operation today as a residential care facility.

ushi rest nt!

S / e anes aur a

Crescent. Known as the “Twin Theaters,” they were lost to demolition decades ago, but for nearly 40 years at the turn of the 20th century, they were important venues for vaudeville, silent films and theatrical productions.

The theaters, both of which were designed by architect Thomas Sully, opened in September 1898 at Baronne and Common, the original site of the college which would become Tulane University — hence the Tulane’s name.

The theaters are remembered for the massive arcade that connected the two showplaces, whose front entrances faced Baronne Street. Inside, the theaters had a seating capacity of about 1,800.

According to a 1963 LSU doctoral dissertation by Sadie Faye Edwards Head, the theaters were built at a cost of $200,000. The Crescent, which featured vaudeville shows and later “talking pictures,” was the first to open on Sept.

26, 1898. The Tulane opened one month later, on Oct. 17, 1898. “It was packed to the doors, with as fine an audience as ever assembled within the walls of a playhouse,” reported The Picayune. Among the stars who appeared in shows at the Tulane were Ethel, Lionel and John Barrymore, comic actor W.C. Fields and famed French actress Sarah Bernhardt.

The Crescent became part of the Loew’s movie theater chain in 1926, while The Tulane continued staging theatrical productions. Both theaters closed in 1935, and the buildings were demolished in 1937.

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R ACE, PL ACE, AND LIVING WITH THE TAR RIVER STORY A ND PHOTOS BY JUS TIN COOK

This week Gambit is publishing the second part of Justin Cook’s remarkable Homecoming series, part of a broader project Cook has undertaken exploring issues of race, climate disasters, mental health and recovery. With backing from Gambit’s partner the Solutions Journalism Network, and The Pulitzer Center Connected Coastlines Initiative, Cook’s story examines how these issues intersect, the long-term damage they can cause and ways one Black community in North Carolina has found to address the problems associated with climate disasters.

To read more of Cook’s Origins work, head to originsclimatestories.com.

W

HEN HURRICANE FLOYD HIT IN 1999, Bobbie Jones was living at his mother’s house just outside the Princeville, North Carolina town limits. He didn’t think the house would flood, but he awoke to ankle-deep water in his yard, and his sister’s call warning him to evacuate.

Soon the water rose to the first doorstep, then to the second. A rescue helicopter passed by and he waved. Eventually it dropped a harness and lifted him to safety. The water filled the house, stopping just shy of the ceiling.

Jones, 62, is the son of sharecroppers who farmed until 1975. He grew up in a small house in a field between Mildred and Conetoe (pronounced Coe-neeta) not far from Princeville.

He left home, served in the Marines in Turkey, and graduated from Howard University with an MBA. He worked at a Fortune 500 company but was laid off.

In 2022, the water line from the highest extent of flooding is still visible on the wall in the mold-covered bedroom of a Princeville home that was flooded by Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

Initially, Jones had no desire to move back to Edgecombe County, but he did. He is a retired high school principal and has been mayor of Princeville since 2014.

On a spring day in 2022, he stands at the top of the levee that has failed to keep the Tar River out of his town. He can’t swim but doesn’t fear the water.

He looks out across the trees toward the Tar and he sees possibility.

In 1967, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a 2.5-mile earthen levee

system on the south side of the Tar River meant to flood-proof Princeville.

When a second phase of U.S. Highway 64 was constructed through Princeville and Tarboro in the 1990s, sections of the elevated road “dam” with underlying culverts replaced the south portion of the levee.

But the levee system has repeatedly failed.

Floyd submerged Princeville under 15 to 20 feet of water for nearly two weeks, and destroyed most of the

town, causing more than $250 million in damage.

After Hurricane Floyd, the USACE began the levee improvement study and finished it in July 2016. It was a celebration, Jones says, and the town only needed to wait for the plan to be funded.

“And, of course, Matthew came in [October] 2016, right after the meeting,” Jones says.

During those historic storms, water circumvented the levee to the north at

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During Princeville’s Founders Week in February 2023, Frankie D and the Majestic Spirit Line Dance crew from nearby Rocky Mount assembled in their matching uniforms and two-stepped to pounding hip hop at the Rodeo Dance at Tru Vegas Events Center.

Shiloh Landing, rushed over the levee near the railroad bridge, or inundated the town from the south through levee culverts along U.S. 64 where no floodgates were installed.

As a result, the levee and highway trapped the water in Princeville “like a fishbowl,” Stanley Riggs, a retired East Carolina University coastal geology professor says.

Hurricane Matthew drowned the town under 10 feet of water and destroyed 450 homes. A 2017 flood assessment by a Raleigh engineering firm hired by the town, shows that the levees were built several feet lower than designed, and the highway “dam” was built too low to act as a levee.

The levee’s southern section was abandoned, as recommended by the USACE and the rest of it was neglected. An NC State study shows that repeated flooding weakens the Princeville levee in ways “invisible to the naked eye,” which increases its likelihood of failure, while more frequent flooding due to climate change poses a great risk to its integrity.

In January 2020, the USACE received $39.6 million to elevate U.S. 64, extend the levees and add flap gates to seven ungated highway culverts. But after a review in February 2022 by the USACE, the levee improvements have been postponed.

According to USACE Chief of Public Affairs Dave Connolly, the northern levee extension could cause flood water to back up and increase flooding upstream, including in

Tarboro. Forcing more water through the 90-degree river bend northwest of town would increase flooding in communities downstream, he says.

The USACE is reworking the plans to create “an engineering solution that works for everybody” but there is no timeline for when the upgrades will happen.

Former Mayor Delia Perkins says the difference in the recovery and support between Floyd and Matthew has been stark. When Floyd hit, “people did not realize that Princeville was the oldest town incorporated

by Blacks in the United States.”

That brought a lot of support to the town, Perkins says. “Everyone was on one accord.”

The town almost fully recovered, and most folks moved back. But once the houses were back up and the town returned to normal, that energy fizzled. She warned people that if there was another hurricane, recovery would be different.

PROGRESS AND DELAYS

RICK LUETTICH IS AN EXPERT ON HURRICANES and storm surge, and director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Center for Natural Hazards Resilience. He says that a warming climate allows hurricanes to hold more moisture and release more rain.

HOMECOMING PART II “We are over 150 years old, and we have two gas stations, no grocery stores, one convenience store, one restaurant, no hotels, so if we tell people to come, where are they going to stay? Tarboro. They get all the tax benefits. So that’s why it’s important for us to put a hotel on that 53 acres, a gas station on that 53, a grocery store on that 53 acres, everything that we need,” says Jones.

Delia Perkins recognizes the town’s plan is daunting. “If you got Pinto money and Cadillac ideas, it’s very hard,” she says.

To jumpstart Princeville’s economy and increase its tax base to fund town services, the plan sets several goals promoting town businesses.

To reduce blight, vacant, boughtout and town-owned land will be cultivated for gardening, including a permanent community garden and a farmers market where vendors can sell healthy produce.

Andy Fox, director of N.C. State University’s Coastal Design Lab, worked with the Conservation Trust for North Carolina to design and install rain gardens at Princeville Elementary School to catch stormwater runoff. His lab and CTNC are working to turn boughtout vacant FEMA property back into wetlands, which absorb nuisance flood water from everyday storms.

Fox calls Princeville’s plan an “adapt in place, micro migration” strategy, where people essentially move to the end of the block where land is higher, which he says is more realistic in a place like Princeville where emotional attachment to place is strong.

“Princeville is a model for climate resilience solutions that we can scale,” Fox says. If successful, he believes the plans can be applied elsewhere.

Under the plan, Princeville will be transformed into a cultural and recreational tourism destination with greenways and trails that connect historical sites like Freedom Hill, the town museum, and the town’s first church, Mt. Zion Baptist, and the untapped natural splendor, like the Tar River.

Community festivals will draw tourists to historic Princeville — like Freedom Org’s 2022 inaugural Princeville Homecoming celebration.

It drew hundreds of people with its cycling tour of Black farms, kayaking excursions, dinners and events around the county that celebrated Princeville’s past and future.

The levee delays won’t affect the recovery and redevelopment plan, according to Jones, who says the 53acre project is in its final stages, with committed developers.

PAGE 23

Mayor Bobbie Jones poses with Princeville firefighters during a ceremony at Heritage Park after the town received a $50,000 grant from T-Mobile’s Hometown Grant program to fund the construction of a farmers market at the park.

A massive cypress tree with deep roots in the Tar River at Shiloh Landing, near Princeville, N.C. where the first enslaved Africans were brought ashore and sold into bondage in Tarboro.

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On average, this warming is likely causing the storms to grow larger, stay stronger for longer, and move more slowly, so they linger and cause more flooding.

“We should expect more storms that look like Florence, that look like Matthew,” Luettich says. When they will occur is a “crapshoot,” he says, “But it’s likely to have the types of impacts that Floyd had.”

Princeville has a plan to adapt, and a coalition of partners including universities, nonprofits, churches and government agencies to help.

The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says climate adaptations and solutions should have a long-term focus, address multiple issues simultaneously, and be tailored to the needs of local communities and ecosystems.

In some ways, the Princeville Comprehensive Plan does just that.

It preserves historic Princeville as the “cultural heart” of the town, while making it more self-sufficient and resistant to flooding compounded by climate change. It also aims to jumpstart its economy and strengthen its connection to the land and water.

The plan was shaped by community feedback and previous incarnations— including one Freedom Org contributed to — and can be adapted as the needs of the town change.

Flooding is still the main concern for all local residents, who want flood-resistant housing, as well as businesses that serve their daily needs, according to surveys that shaped the plan.

With the help of the state and a FEMA grant, the town is relocating essential services—such as the fire department and public works—to a 53-acre parcel located about two miles out of the floodplain south of town near U.S. 64.

The land will have multi-family homes where people can relocate, and businesses with easy access to U.S. 64. Parks and open green space would connect the community to historic Princeville.

A subdivision of single-family homes, small businesses, green space, and community gardens are planned on another 88-acre parcel at the southeast edge of town along Shiloh Farm Road and Greenwood Boulevard. (The town hall was rebuilt to be more flood-resistant, Jones says, and will remain in the floodplain.)

Though Princeville’s relationship with Tarboro is different than it was 100 years ago, Jones stressed the importance of having all the services the town needs within its boundaries, of not having “to be beholden to anybody; not have to beg for anything.”

17

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best?

P O W E R E D

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Vote for your local favorites in Gambit’s Best of New Orleans 2023 Readers’ Poll

2023 C ATEGORIES:

DRINKS Best bar for craft cocktails Best bar to watch sports Best beer selection Best dive bar Best dog-friendly bar Best happy hour

Best festival

Best fine dining restaurant

Best place to get a po-boy

Best live music venue (large | over 350 capacity)

Best French restaurant

Best place to get a sandwich

Best fried chicken

Best live music venue (small | under 350 capacity)

Best place to get boiled seafood

Best gumbo

Best place to get breakfast / brunch

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Best place to get frozen desserts

Best Italian restaurant

Best place to get lunch

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Best place to get poke

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FOOD

Best neighborhood restaurant

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Best bakery

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Best Northshore bar or brewery Best place to buy wine

Best Kenner restaurant Best king cake Best Latin American restaurant

Best New Orleans restaurant

Best place to get tacos Best pop-up vendor / food truck Best restaurant for a date night

Best sno-ball stand Best St. Bernard Parish restaurant Best steakhouse

Best barbecue restaurant

Best new restaurant (opened September 2022 or later)

Best beignet

ENTERTAINMENT

Best Northshore restaurant

Best burger restaurant

Best outdoor dining

Best traditional New Orleans restaurant

Best casino

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Best Vietnamese restaurant

Best escape room

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Best locally owned Carnival supply store (not costumes)

Best florist

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Best locally owned women’s boutique Best med spa Best New Orleans neighborhood grocery Best Northshore neighborhood grocery Best pet boarding /day care business

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Best place to buy adult toys

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Best place to buy CBD

Best day spa

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PAGE 17

He doesn’t want upstream or downstream communities to be flooded because of Princeville’s levee, but the recovery, levee improvements, and town redevelopment processes are moving too slowly, Jones says. He is frustrated but optimistic. “[The USACE can come up with a plan] if they so desire. If they choose not to, we will continue to do what we normally do — we are gonna stay there and mitigate as much as possible, and God forbid if another storm comes, we will have to reach back out to all of our partners as we have done in the past.”

Bureaucracy prevents FEMA grants from reaching locals scattered by Hurricane Matthew, and mismanagement with ReBuild NC — funded by $800 million in federal tax money—keeps them from moving back into new or repaired homes.

Four floodgates damaged by Hurricane Matthew and selected by the town for repair have been approved by the USACE. Jones says the contractor will begin bidding this month; repairs should be done by the end of the year.

But June is the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season, and the town will be at risk until the gates are fixed.

A lot of elderly people still live in the floodplain. Many are renters, so landlords, even those who don’t live in Princeville, would receive the buyout money. Jones worries that if most of the houses are bought out, the town could lose the levee improvement money. That’s because the funding agencies could say there aren’t enough people living in the floodplain to justify the investment — one of the reasons Jones has opposed the buyouts.

With rising home prices, those who own their homes or are close to paying them off can’t justify moving. Or they have other reasons to stay put.

Delia Perkins recalls several elderly people who fled their homes flooded

by Hurricane Matthew and settled in Tarboro. Some have passed away from the grief of missing home, she says.

“They thought they were going to be happy going somewhere else. But then a lot of them realized that they wanted to come back home, but they didn’t have the necessary funds to come back home and there was nobody to help them,” she says.

‘DON’T LOSE THE HOUSE’

ANN CARNEY ADAMS, 71, whose home was damaged by Hurricane Matthew, is choosing to stay in Princeville, on the land that has been in her family for generations. When she was grow-

23

Ann Carney Adams in her uninhabitable home.

ing up she could stand in the front yard and holler at relatives living across and down the street. There were so many good times, she says, even though when it rained her parents worried the next flood would come.

Adams has been through a lot in this house — at least three floods she can remember, including Floyd and Matthew.

After Matthew, Adams, a former town commissioner, enrolled in the ReBuild NC program to help with minor repairs. In 2018, ReBuild NC, also known as the state Office of Recovery and Resiliency, offered to tear down her house and construct a new one, according to state records.

Instead of having her home bulldozed and its materials go to waste, Adams let locals salvage the house for parts: interior wood paneling, exterior siding, doors, windows and the new air conditioning unit. The home became uninhabitable.

It was supposed to be demolished and rebuilt in six months. Instead, the

home sat for two years before it was torn down.

The stress and uncertainty of navigating the aid system after a flood is worse than the disaster itself, she says.

Adams works part-time at the Edgecombe Public Library in Tarboro. Based on her income, she didn’t qualify for temporary relocation assistance, so she is stuck paying a mortgage on a house that she can’t live in. Her rent in Tarboro is double her mortgage, she says.

She battles depression and anxiety.

She worries about filing for bankruptcy, about becoming homeless. She finally turned to her church for prayer.

People came up and put money in her hand and walked away. Others paid for some of her housing bills. She’s gone through several case managers at ReBuild NC, who have been just as frustrated with the system as she is.

She stayed on the phone for two hours with an aid organization before someone answered the phone because she didn’t want to lose her place in line. When she could leave her phone

number, it sometimes took nearly a week to get a call back. Other times, she received contradictory updates from ReBuild NC. She says a lack of faith in elected officials at all levels, and a lack of time prevents many elderly residents from attending meetings or becoming involved with the town recovery process.

“Through the stress of all that, when you are a senior citizen, you’re just trying to figure out what your next step is and if you’re going to have enough money to do what you’ve got to do. By the time you actually get back in your home, it’s ruined your health, your mental state,” she says.

Beyond a chain-link fence in her backyard is a one-acre private cemetery where her mother sold plots.

It’s full and connects to the historic community cemetery down the street.

Adams’ mother and father, younger brother, and her ex-husband are burPAGE 25

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N.C. State’s School of Landscape and Architecture helped the town build a mobile museum of Princeville’s history that is parked in front of the flood-damaged town museum. The mobile museum can be towed anywhere to tell Princeville’s story, and can be driven to a safe location out of the floodplain before a hurricane.

ied right behind her house, and she has a plot waiting for her, too.

“I know exactly where I’m going.

That’s one reason I tell people I don’t have any desire to leave. This is where I’m coming back to anyway,” she says.

She visits the house often to tend to the cemetery.

“Just touching this soil calms me, grounds me,” she says.

When she looks at her 18-monthold granddaughter, Phoenix, she wonders about what her grandfather, Jolly, must have done to even be able to purchase the land that was passed down to her.

She thinks about her ancestors: “How on earth did they do what they did? Slaves trying to get to freedom had to take their kids and their families and their [elderly] and go through the woods and through the swamps and did what they had to do to get where they thought they needed to be,” she says. “And I promised that baby we’re going to get there. I don’t know how, but we are going to get there. Giving up is not an option. Too many people went through too much to get me where I am today.”

She adds, “One of the last things my mother says to me before she died… she says, ‘don’t lose the house.’” Her voice broke, and she teared up.

In late April, after NC Newsline contacted ReBuild NC, officials and Rescue Construction Solutions finally met with Adams about demolishing her home.

ReBuild NC director Laura Hogshead said that the case has been escalated to high priority. Her

Bobbie Jones, mayor of Princeville, stands on the levee. Of Princeville’s future, “racism cannot stop this,” he said. home should be rebuilt and elevated — higher than FEMA standards — in four months, give or take reasonable weather delays and unforeseen issues.

Adams said that communication from ReBuild NC suddenly got better, and they also later approved rental assistance for her until her home was complete.

Then at 9:25 a.m. on May 9, she texted: “(Good morning) the house is already halfway down.

No one notified me but to God be the glory.”

Demolition had begun.

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That’s Italian

FORK + CENTER

The new Uptown deli Francolini’s serves Italian sandwiches | by Beth D’Addono

TARA FRANCOLINI KNOWS THE SECRET

to the perfect sandwich.

Of course, the bread must be right.

In this case, Ayu Bakehouse supplies crisp sub rolls, and dense focaccia is made in-house. The ingredients need to be stellar, from mounds of thinly sliced imported Italian cured meats and cheeses to stacks of fried chicken cutlets, spicy schmears of Calabrian chili and the garlicky zing of the house vinaigrette.

But the real secret is that all those ingredients, textures and flavors need to come together in every single bite, end to end, until the last morsel is devoured. No flavor gaps, thank you very much.

That’s one reason for the lines out the door at Francolini’s, the Italian deli she opened at 3987 Tchoupitoulas St. in mid-July. The other reason, as far as Francolini can tell, is nostalgia.

“There are a lot of transplants here from the Northeast,” says the New Jersey native, whose family has roots in Brooklyn, Long Island and Queens.

“They are so excited to finally get the Italian-style sandwiches they used to eat back home. I was tired of having to go to Jersey to get my favorite sandwiches.”

Her business tagline says it all: “Not everything from Jersey sucks.” The state with the inferiority complex happens to make great sandwiches.

Although she studied history and film, it was the restaurant business that called to her. She bartended and worked in restaurants in Boston, L.A., Australia, New Zealand and now New Orleans. The city had been her happy place, and her parents took the family to Jazz Fest annually.

Hospitality is in Francolini’s blood.

Her great grandparents owned a bar called Anselmo’s in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. She grew up with her father’s great cooking, feeding scores of relatives every holiday.

“I have 26 first cousins,” she says.

“The table was always full of baked ziti, lasagna, meatballs and sausage.

It’s how we grew up. My sister asked for prosciutto when she was three.”

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

Summer of Sushi

PERIODICALLY, A CHORUS OF EXCLAMATIONS AND LAUGHTER ROSE FROM THE HIBACHI tables as the presiding

The deli is papered with vintage family photos that tell a familiar Italian-American story.

Francolini considered opening an Italian deli in 2010 in Melbourne.

“Amazing food scene there, but no Italian sandwiches,” she says.

She talked about the idea with her friend, chef Cesar Nunez, when they worked together at Longway Tavern. When Covid hit, however, he moved to Texas with his family. For Francolini, the pandemic upped the ante for her dream.

“I was either going to open my own place or leave the industry,” she says.

So she sent Nunez a text, asking if he’d consider moving back and helping her. He’d just accepted a job with Performance Foodservice and was moving back to the city. He agreed to help her open.

“I couldn’t have done it without Cesar,” she says. “I’m intense with a strong personality, and he’s mellow and chill. It’s a perfect yin and yang.”

She’d signed the lease in February with plans to open in March, the permitting delays dragged on and she needed an interim plan. “We started the pop-up at the Rabbit’s Foot to help pay the rent,” she says.

The sandwiches routinely sold out, and it was apparent there was a hunger for what she was doing. “We were busier than I expected then,” she says.

Cesar Nunez and Tara Francolini at Francolini’s.

PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER / GAMBIT

“When we finally opened, people just kept coming.”

The names of her Jersey-style subs tell a story. Her favorite is the Dima, named for her grandfather Sam Dima, and it has chicken cutlets, fresh mozzarella and hot sopressata. The Freddie Freeman has grilled chicken, roasted peppers, fontina and pesto, and is named for her favorite baseball player.

The Gandolfini, made with hot sopressata, fresh mozzarella, spicy olive salad, arugula and chili vinaigrette, pays homage to the star of “The Sopranos,” the award-winning mob drama filmed in Jersey. “The final episode had a scene from the ice cream shop in my hometown,” she says.

The trickiest part of opening her deli was sourcing the imported meats.

“That took so long,” she says. “I had a list of 50 things which were almost impossible to find down here. Long hots, broccoli rabe, mortadella, escarole, forget it. I’d get prosciutto crudo (cured) instead of prosciutto cotto (cooked). I had to really educate the reps.”

It took months to make a connection with Boar’s Head and get product beyond the usual ham and turkey breast. “These Italian deli meats are just not a thing in the South,” she says.

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chefs completed some stunt over the grills. But across the room, at the corner of the sushi bar, there was a more hushed but consistent swoon going down.

We had stopped at Shogun (2325 Veterans Blvd., 504-833-7477), the long-running Japanese restaurant in Metairie, for lunch on a sweltering Saturday. We focused on the specials board. The more we tasted, the more we wanted. A full-scale feast was soon underway.

Sushi chef Tammy Mai runs the bar with a precise hand and a curatorial eye.

Salmon belly nigiri had the color and fat ratio of bacon cut off the slab, with a luscious texture, accentuated by bits of spicy chili crunch.

Tammy Mai prepares nigiri at Shogun’s sushi bar in Metairie.

PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

A single raw oyster was augmented by a curl of sea urchin and a ridge of salmon roe, a three-part harmony of varying salty, briny, umami goodness that was a flavor bombshell on the half shell.

Shogun has been this good for a while, provided you order the best the sushi chefs recommend on any given day.

On the surface it is the picture of the large, something-for-everyone Japanese restaurant. It’s been around since the 1980s, seemingly unchanged as much in the local sushi scene has changed around it.

PAGE 30

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These are glorious days for sushi around New Orleans and I’ve been on a bit of a sushi safari this summer.

When it’s hot like this, raw fish and slightly sour sushi rice is the elemental answer. Plus, the sushi scene has been changing and vastly improving of late.

New players have created captivating niches for raw seafood enthusiasts, bringing in delights previously unattainable here.

Go to Sukeban (8126 Oak St., 504-345-2367) for a distillation of this idea. This 16-seat izakaya (or tavern) focuses on hand rolls, which are fantastic. But chef Jacqueline Blanchard regularly has specials rolling through that have made me scramble my calendar to get a taste.

The specials board at Origami (5130 Freret St., 504-899-6532) has essentially made this old reliable into an all-new restaurant under the same name.

On the North Shore, if you’re at Aki (510 N. Florida St., Covington, 985-302-5166) you can put yourself in chef Oui’s hands for dependable excellence (try the one-of-a-kind “seafood ceviche salad,” more of a sashimi-meetstomato salad than ceviche).

There are dedicated omakase parlors for chef-guided meals, namely Nagomi (3214 Burgundy St., 504-259-2676), that notoriously elusive reservation in the Bywater. Japanese scallops with wasabi-infused flying fish roe and a mango peach sauce were a recent highlight.

There’s the more accessible and upscale Yo Nashi (419 Carondelet St., 504-345-2155) in the CBD, where the meal likely will have a mix of composed dishes, cooked dishes and nigiri.

The latest in that category is Seiji’s Omakase (2300 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, 504236-0176), part of Little Tokyo.

And that brings us to Metairie, now especially rich grounds for great sushi.

Kanno (3517 20th St., 504455-5730), the long-running sushi den from Hidetoshi “Elvis” Suzuki, continues to roll with its dedicated regulars in Fat City. Daiwa (4100 Veterans Blvd., Metairie 504-2814646), now a separate entity from the original under the same name in Marrero, is another show place with

Ken Wong bringing in Japanese fish market finds.

Yakuza House (2740 Severn Ave., 504-345-2031), which started off as a small handroll bar and moved to a bigger location last year, is making some of the best sushi I’ve ever had here. Chef Huy Pham does offer an omakase, though his menu has become so broad and reliably good, it’s rewarding to chart your own journey.

Maybe it’s a piece of madai, a creamy-rich sea bream, finished with a dot of yuzu koshu, a blend of citrus tang and chile heat, or the smoky trout roe popping over an umami-rich spoonful of sea urchin, or a splay of generously-cut Ora king salmon, or pads of ankimo with shiso leaf to cut through the richness of this monkfish liver, the pâté of the sea.

But it was the Seiji’s connection that brought us to Shogun one deliciously fateful day.

Seiji is Seiji Nakano, who was head sushi chef at Shogun for years before getting his own space at Little Tokyo.

With Seiji now off on his own, I was curious how Shogun would hold up. As those first tastes demonstrated, the answer is: “just fine, thanks!”

One cut of fish after the next were finished “chef style,” dressed in a way that is elevated nigiri here and other top spots.

Mackerel, its silvery surface scored for a softer chew, dotted with chili sauce and a ruffle of scallion; halibut, torched so just the edged crinkly with a toasty darkness; Japanese snapper carrying the shreds of just-grated horseradish; amaebi (sweet prawn) served raw with a line of roe and its head fried to crunchy chip-like crispness at the side.

The fish remains the prime element, but the way a bit of miso paste and bit of oil accentuate them are grand additions.

Not all meals at Shogun are equal.

If you want big fat rolls and the big show at the hibachi tables, that is all yours. I will be the sushi bar with an unfussy glass of house white and an eye on what might be next from the specials board. — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune

Alex Shabo Chef

by WIll Coviello WHILE GROWING UP IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA , Alex Shabo’s

family often ate the food of her father’s native Israel. After moving to New Orleans several years ago and getting involved in the culinary scene, she launched Lulu’s Mediterranean pop-up. She mixes traditional and creative dishes at events at local bars and breweries, including Miel Brewery & Taproom, where she previously worked as the taproom manager. The next pop-up is at Miel Brewery on Sept. 6. For more information, visit @lulus.nola on Instagram.

How did you get interested in cooking?

ALEX SHABO: I started off as a home cook. My father is from Israel.

My mother is from California. I was raised in California and food was always a huge part of life growing up.

My mother is an amazing cook. My father has this rich heritage full of delicious food. He cooked some, but my mom was the cook.

We ate a lot of the food his mother made for him growing up. One of the most common ones was kibbeh. It’s like a dumpling. It’s usually ground beef, cilantro, onion, cumin — very spice-forward. That was one he loved to make and to eat. When I was young, his mother came from Israel and stayed with us. She didn’t speak English, but I remember making them with her and we connected through food. That’s been a driving force for what I am doing and connecting me with my heritage.

Moving to New Orleans, I had no intentions of falling into the food scene, but it just kind of happened.

My first real job in a restaurant was at Paladar 511. They were so amazing and welcoming, hiring me knowing I had no experience as a cook. I was doing front of the house work at first, and they saw me working hard and knew I had an interest, so they threw me on the line.

It’s a pretty high-volume, fast-paced place. It was intense.

I started working the garde manger, a cold station, making salads. Then eventually I moved to pizza. That was my main station. I learned so much. I learned how to be a real line cook. My coworkers were like a family. They’re still some of my closest friends.

WINE

How did you start the pop-up?

S: I was the taproom manager at Miel Brewery. I left that to pursue Lulu’s.

Working there was great because I saw so many pop-ups come through, and that made it a tangible idea. I took a risk. For months I had been saying, “I am gonna do this. I am gonna do this.” Then I finally did it, and it’s been nothing but progression and community support.

I have been doing Lulu’s for a little over a year now. Miel was the first place I popped up.

I popped up there a lot because I was familiar with the lay of the land and everyone that works there. I already knew the clientele I was feeding.

For the first one, I had falafel. It was always my idea that it would be a falafel pop-up. In Israel, that’s their street food. On every corner, you’re going to see a falafel shop. I hadn’t really seen anyone here doing that. I had falafel and shawarma on my first menu, along with a hummus plate and whipped feta. I made my own bread and did everything on my own. It was a lot. I have grown, and it gets easier each time. It’s been a huge growth for me.

The falafel is pretty traditional. I go pretty heavy on the parsley and cilantro, so it’s super vibrant, green and fresh tasting. I think people think it’s more brown and dry. With mine, if you take a bite, you see green. A lot of fresh herbs go into it.

Everything else I build my sandwiches with is pretty traditional. I use purple cabbage salad. I’ll do an Israeli salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, especially now while those things are in season. I like to go heavy on salads.

You have all the different salads and pickles, and you pick what you want. I am going to try to focus more on letting people build their own, maybe have two options like falafel and chicken for sandwiches but have a variety of sides and dips. I think that’ll be fun.

I also like to pickle things like cauliflower. There’s also a pickled turnip that goes with falafel as well. I am going to play around with that one.

OF THE

WEEK

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BY ALEX SHABO

Are some of your dishes more creative than traditional?

S: Lamb merguez wontons was a weird brainchild. I cook a lot at home and play around. If I feel like it’s good enough to serve, I’ll try it at the pop-up. I shop at the farmers market and try to use local things. Aside from the falafel, I like to change up my menu.

I love Thai and Asian food. I love going to Hong Kong Market. I wanted to make something Thai inspired.

I had made merguez sausage at Paladar. So I bought myself the food processor attachment and started making my own sausage. I was trying to think of ways to do something with it, so I put it on wontons and then was like, why not stick with Asian? So what if I had a (harissa coconut) curry sauce and Asian fusion? It felt fun and kind of weird. I don’t do a lot of meat.

I typically have a vegetarian-focused menu, but that was one way to add a meat thing. I did it like an appetizer as a sharable dish.

That’s how Israeli food is. You eat with your hands and you share.

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C O M P L E T E L I S T I N G S AT W W W. B E S T O F N E W O R L E A N S . C O M

Out 2 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.

8 Fresh Food Assassin — 1900 N. Claiborne Ave., (504) 224-2628; Instagram, @8freshfoodassassin — Chef Manny January’s serves lamb chops, T-bone steaks, salmon, crab cakes, deep fried ribs, fried chicken and seafood-loaded oysters. No reservations.

Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Acorn — Louisiana Children’s Museum, 12 Henry Thomas Drive, (504) 218-5413; acornnola.com — Blackened shrimp tacos are topped with arugula, radish, pineapple-mango salsa and cilantro-lime sauce.

No reservations. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sun. $$ Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — This sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and more.

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. Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$ Banana Blossom — 500 9th St., Gretna, (504) 500-0997; 504bananablossom.com — Jimmy Cho’s Thai dishes include smoked pork belly and pork meatballs in lemon grass broth with egg, green onion, cilantro and garlic.

Reservations accepted for large parties except weekends. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Bamboula’s — 514 Frenchmen St., (504) 944-8461; bamboulasnola.com — The live music venue’s kitchen offers a menu of traditional and creative Creole dishes, such as Creole crawfish crepes with a goat cheese and chardonnay cream sauce.

Reservations accepted. Lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$ The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 118 Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985) 315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com — Basin barbecue shrimp are served over cheese grits with a cheese biscuit. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lakeview: lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Slidell: lunch Fri.-Sat., dinner Wed.-Sun. $$ Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 581-3866; broussards.com — Rainbow trout amandine is served with tasso and corn macque choux and Creole meuniere sauce. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available.

Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ Cafe Normandie — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The menu combines classic French dishes and Louisiana items like crab beignets with herb aioli. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$ The Commissary — 634 Orange St., (504) 274-1850; thecommissarynola.com — The central kitchen for Dickie Brennan restaurants has a dine-in menu with a smoked turkey sandwich with bacon, tomato jam, herbed cream cheese, arugula and herb vinaigrette on honey oat bread. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Sat. $$

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11-$20 $$$ — $20-up Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative Creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken and andouille jambalaya.

Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — A menu full of Gulf seafood includes char-grilled oysters topped with Parmesan and herbs.

Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House — 144 Bourbon St., (504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse.com — There’s a seafood raw bar and dishes like redfish with lemon buerre blanc. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse — 716 Iberville St., (504) 522-2467; dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com — A 6-ounce filet mignon is served with fried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes and bearnaise. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$ Down the Hatch — 817 St. Louis St., (504) 766-6007; 1921 Sophie Wright Place, (504) 220-7071; downthehatchnola.com — The Texan burger features a half-pound patty topped with caramelized onions, smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and a fried egg. No reservations. Lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$ Dragonfly Cafe — 530 Jackson Ave., (504) 544-9530; dragonflynola.com — The casual cafe offers breakfast plates, waffles, salads, coffee drinks and more. Delivery available.

Reservations accepted. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sat. $$ El Pavo Real — 4401 S. Broad Ave., (504) 266-2022; elpavorealnola.com — Sauteed Gulf fish is topped with tomatoes, olives, onion and capers and served with rice and string beans. The menu includes tacos, enchiladas and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and early dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar — 739 Iberville St., (504) 522-4440; 7400 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 304-4125; felixs.com — The menu includes raw and char-grilled oysters, seafood platters, po-boys and more.

No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Frey Smoked Meat Co. — 4141 Bienville St., Suite 110, (504) 488-7427; freysmokedmeat. com — The barbecue spot serves pulled pork, ribs, brisket, sausages and and items like fried pork belly tossed in pepperjelly glaze. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Froot Orleans — 2438 Bell St., Suite B, (504) 233-3346; frootorleans.com — There are fresh fruit platters and smoothie bowls such as a strawberry shortcake and more using pineapple, berries, citrus and more. No reservations. Outdoor seating available.

Breakfast and lunch daily. $$ 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. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — The eclectic menu includes a Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, ham, cheese and pickles. Delivery available. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ 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 rib-eyes, as well as burgers, salads and seafood dishes.

Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Luzianne Cafe — 481 Girod St., (504) 2651972; luziannecafe.com — Cajun Sunshine Beignets are stuffed with eggs, bacon, cheese and hot sauce. No reservations. Delivery available. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sun. $$ Martin Wine Cellar — 714 Elmeer Ave., Metairie, (504) 896-7350; 3827 Baronne St., (504) 894-7444; martinwine.com — The deli serves sandwiches and salads such as the Sena, with chicken, raisins, blue cheese, pecans and Tabasco pepperjelly vinaigrette.

No reservations. Lunch daily. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. The menu also has noodle dishes, teriyaki and more. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.Fri., dinner daily. $$ 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 and baked oysters Mosca.

Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net — This counter-service spot serves po-boys, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more. Delivery available. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes red beans with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as seafood platters, po-boys, grilled oysters, salads and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Nice Guys Bar & Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola. com — Char-grilled oysters are topped with cheese. The menu also includes wings, quesadillas, burgers, salads, seafood pasta and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$ The Original Italian Pie — 3629 Prytania St., (504) 766-8912; theoriginalitalianpieuptown.com — The Italian Pie combo

includes pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, onions, bell pepper, black olives, mozzarella and house-made tomato sauce. No reservations. Dinner and late-night Tue.-Sat. $$ Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro — 720 Orleans Ave., (504) 523-1930; orleansgrapevine.com — The wine bar’s 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. Lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$ Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com — Black lentil vadouvan curry comes with roasted tomatoes, mushrooms and basmati rice. 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.

No reservations. Dinner daily. $$ Tableau — 616 St. Peter St., (504) 934-3463; tableaufrenchquarter.com — Pasta bouillabaisse features squid ink mafaldine, littleneck clams, Gulf shrimp, squid, seafood broth, rouille and herbed breadcrumbs. Outdoor seating available. Reservations recommended.

Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Thu.-Sun. $$$ Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 8271651; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes oysters, and dishes like redfish St. Charles 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 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 — Peruvian lomo saltado features beef sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce and pisco, served with fried 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 — The menu includes beignets, flatbreads and a veggie sandwich with avocado, onions, arugula, red pepper and pepper jack cheese. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Zhang Bistro — 1141 Decatur St., (504) 8268888; zhangbistronola.com — The menu of Chinese and Thai dishes includes a Szechuan Hot Wok with a choice of chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu with onions, bell peppers, cauliflower, jalapenos and spicy sauce.

Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

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JULY 21 – NOVEMBER 26 Take a broad look at fashion history with an emphasis on the spirit of innovation and the diversity of the United States’ fashion heritage. The exhibition spotlights over 100 American designers and brands with garments from the 19th century to present day.

Jordan Casteel, 1989, Ourlando, 2018, Detail, Oil on canvas, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 2019.16

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JOURNALISM

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PAGE 5

Dirt Band. Tickets start at $87.70 via ticketmaster.com/garthbrooks.

Keep NOLA Queer

An eight-day celebration of New Orleans’ LGBTQ+ community, Keep NOLA Queer will host dance parties, live music, comedy, storytelling and “friendship networking” at eight venues around the city. Organized by dance party organizers Now That’s What I Call Queer, Keep NOLA Queer kicks off at 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, at Twelve Mile Limit. Following events include a pottery class; a Taylor Swift Dance Party; comedy showcase hosted by Ryan Rogers; a networking for friends event; “gayraoke”; a concert featuring The Light Set, The Chloe Marie Band and Lydia Persaud; an edition of “Greetings, From Queer Mountain” storytelling; and the Queer-De-Lis mini-fest. Some events have a suggested donation, and a portion of proceeds will go to House of Tulip. Find venue and event information at keepnolaqueer.com.

Naughty Professor

Funky six-piece ensemble Naughty Professor closes out Tipitina’s great Free Fridays series on Sept. 1. Indie pop band Daria & The Hip Drops open at 9 p.m. Find more info at tipitinas.com.

$uicideBoy$

New Orleans rap duo $uicideBoy$ started recording in 2013, and quickly built a cult following with a massive catalog of mixtapes and singles, released at break-neck speed, mixing trap, punk, and gothic fascination. Their third studio album, last year’s “Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation,” reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart. $uicideBoy$ headline a hometown show with Ghostemane, City Morgue, Sematary, and Ramirez at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, at the Smoothie King Center. Tickets start at $29 via smoothiekingcenter.com.

KevOnStage & Tony Baker

KevOnStage and Tony Baker are on a mission from God. The two stand-up comedians and viral video makers are touring together as The Bald Brothers and make a New Orleans stop at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, at The Fillmore. Tickets start at $39.75 via livenation.com.

Lust Filth

Prettie Boi Presents — the duo Eddie Lockwood and The Great Dane — is back with Lust Filth Part V, two nights of uncensored performance art, striptease, drag and depravity at The

AllWays Lounge & Cabaret. Night one, at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, will feature performances by “New Cummers” Ruby Lead, LaReina Besant, Elektra Cute, Tsarina Hellfire and more. And night two’s “Royal Court” will see Miss Angie Z, GoGo McGregor, Dick Jones and more return to Lust Filth at 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1. Tickets are $25 per event via prettieboi.com.

Grrlspot

What started as an informal meetup of lesbian friends at random bars has turned into a pop-up event series, with events specially aimed at lesbian women. The Decadence weekend event 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, at Toulouse Theatre will include music

by DJ KSquared and appearances by burlesque duo Kitten N’ Lou, burlesque performer Simone del Mar and acrobatics and contortion artists Duo Acrodite. General admission is $20 via toulousetheatre.com.

Coco Jones

Singer Coco Jones has been releasing her own music since 2010, when she was 12 years old, while also pursuing roles on The Disney Channel. But in early 2022, she signed with Def Jam Recordings and the music side of her career has been flourishing, with appearances at this year’s Essence Festival and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist. Last year Jones released her latest EP, the mature, poppy and soulful “What I Didn’t Tell You,” and she is now on tour. Jones returns to New Orleans for a show at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, at the House of Blues. For tickets, visit houseofblues.com.

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Yung Bleu

Alabama rapper Yung Bleu had a massive 2022, with best new artist awards at the BET, Soul Train and iHeartRadio awards and a Grammy nomination for his work on H.E.R.’s latest album. He has followed it up this year with his third studio album, “Love Scars II,” and a national tour, which stops at The Joy Theater at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2.

Tickets are $35 via thejoytheater.com.

VicJcom y La Timba Swamp

Cuban-born pianist VicJcom will be joined by musicians Victor Campbell, Yusa, Jafet Perez, Cesar Bacaro and more for a night of salsa, timba and rumba at 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, at the Rabbit Hole. The Brass-A-Holics also will perform. Tickets are $12 advance via rabbitholenola.com.

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MONDAY 28 BAMBOULAS — Jon Roniger Band, 1:15 pm; The Melataun’s , 5:30 pm; Ed Wills Blues 4 Sale, 9 pm BJS — Smoke House Brown and the Red Beans Blues Band, 9 pm BUFFAS — Doyle Cooper Trio, 7 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Matinee All Star Band, 12:30 pm; Lee Floyd and Thunderbolt Trio, 5 pm; Richard Scott and Friends, 8 pm

TUESDAY 29 BAMBOULAS — Doyle Cooper Jazz Band, 1:15 pm; Joe Gelini Band, 5:30 pm; Andy J Forest Blues, 9 pm BJS — Ratty’s Piano Happy Hour, 6-8 pm BUFFAS — Alex McMurray, 7 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard "Piano" Scott, 1 pm; Colin Myers, 5 pm; Fritzel’s All Star Band, 8 pm GASA GASA — Cold Turkeys with The Roland Guerin Band, 8 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Rebirth Brass Band, 10 pm

WEDNESDAY 30 BAMBOULAS — Walker and the 3 Finger Slingers, 1:15 pm; John Saavedra, 5:30 pm; Roule and the Queen, 9 pm BUFFAS — Wooton Wednesdays, 7 pm BLUE NILE — New Breed Brass Band, 9:30 pm CAFE NEGRIL — Colin Davis and Night People, 9 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 1 pm; Bourbon Street Stars, 5 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm GASA GASA — Night Cap Comedy — Free Open Mic Comedy, 8 pm NEW ORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM — Colliding Currents, 2 pm ROCK 'N' BOWL — Ryan Foret & Foret Tradition, 7:30 pm SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Phil DeGruy, 8 & 10 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Funkin' It Up with Big Sam , 7:30 pm

Hot 8 Brass Band plays the Howlin’ Wolf, Sunday Sept. 3

THURSDAY 31

FRIDAY 1

BAMBOULAS — Sigrid and Zig Zags, 1:15 pm; Cristina Kaminis and the Mix, 5:30 pm; Wolfe John’s Blues, 9 pm BUFFAS — Yvette Voelker and Harry Mayronne, 5 pm; Tom McDermott and Tim Laughlin, 8 pm BLUE NILE — Where Y'at Brass Band, 9 pm CAFE NEGRIL — Sierra Green and the Soul Machine, 10 pm FOUR SEASONS HOTEL — Branden Lewis Trio, 4 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Doyle Cooper, 2:30 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm; John Saavedra, 5 pm GASA GASA — Caly Pearse With DJ Jupiter, MPTY and Double EM, 8 pm PEACOCK ROOM, HOTEL FONTENOT — Da Lovebirds with Robin Barnes and Pat Casey , 8 pm ROCK 'N' BOWL — Horace Trahan & Ossun Express, 8 pm SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Brad Walker Quartet, 8 & 10 pm THE GOAT — Zookraught, B.A.G., Chimney Michell, Tweakhoney, 8 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Brass-AHolics, 7:30 pm

BJS — Ram de Haiti, 9 pm BLUENILE— The Caesar Brothers, 8 pm BUFFAS — Cole Williams, 8 pm CAFE NEGRIL — Higher Heights, 10 pm CHICKIE WAH WAH — Ed Volker’s Los Reyes de Los Lagartos ft. Coman, Garrison, Cabral, Hodges, 8 pm ROCK ‘N’ BOWL — Contraflow, 8:30 pm GASA GASA — The Hot Potato Show, 8 pm SMOOTHIE KING CENTER — $uicideboy$, 6:30 pm TIPITINA'S — Naughty Professor, Daria & The Hip-Drops, 9 pm

SATURDAY 2 BJS — Charlie Halloran and the Tropicales, 9 pm BLUE NILE — George Brown Band, 8 pm BUFFAS — Lynn Drury, 8 pm CHICKIE WAH WAH — Loyola Back to School! ft. Ethanol Merman + Planet Of Little Green Men + B.A.G + Deep Sleep Atlantic, 8 pm GASA GASA — Sid Jerr-Dan and The Ramblers with Quinn Pilgrim and Derek W Dooms, 8 pm

PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

ROCK 'N' BOWL — Few Blue, 8:30 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — The Nayo Jones Experience , 7:30 & 9 pm

SUNDAY 3 BLUE NILE — The Baked Potatoes, 8 pm; Street Legends Brass Band, 10:30 pm BUFFAS — Traditional Jazz Brunch w/Some Like It Hot!, 11 am to 2 pm; Pfister Sisters, 7 pm CAFE NEGRIL — Vegas Cola, 9 pm GASA GASA — Donner Party With Zach Quinn, James Rose, & Ghost Orchids, 8 pm HOWLIN' WOLF — Hot 8 Brass Band, 10:30 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Sierra Green, 6 pm

SCAN FOR THE COMPLETE GAMBIT CALENDAR

37

Deep roots

2023 NEW ORLEANS

SAINTS

byJake Clapp FOR ERIC JOHANSON, IT ALL GOES BACK TO THE BLUES. It’s there in the

New Orleans singer-guitarist’s music, underlying an edgy, cool style of roots rock, but it’s also the connecting tissue deep inside any genre he’d want to tap on stage, from garage rock and Americana to New Orleans-rooted sounds.

“I’ve gotten compared recently to some classic rock bands that I literally never listened to,” Johanson says, “but what those bands are doing is a synthesis of cranking up the blues and adding a few more chords — which is essentially what I’m sort of doing as well. I think there’s no real firm lines in a lot of these genres, even when it comes to heavy rock. All of that traces back to the blues in one way or another.”

Like any good blues act, Johanson’s music is best digested live. Often decked in black and a wide-brimmed hat, Johanson lights a fire on stage with his guitar, ripping a fuzzy solo or easing back into a slow-boil jam, a New Orleans groove always there. Johanson doesn’t need a lot: He often plays as a power trio, with drummer Terry Scott and bassist Myles Weeks usually on stage with him.

Johanson has spent a lot of time this year on the road supporting blues rockers Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton on their collaborative tour, but he returns to New Orleans for a show at 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, at the Maple Leaf. Tickets are $15 advance and $20 at the door.

Johanson sought to capture the energy of his show on “The Deep and The Dirty,” his third studio album released in July. Joined by drummer Terence Higgins and bassist Eric Vogel — both New Orleans musicians with extensive resumes — Johanson recorded 12 songs in two days. Dayton, who has worked with Rob Zombie and the Supersuckers, produced the album.

“The right way to have played [the song] is really the way you played it with other people at the time,” Johanson says. “I can sit there and go, ‘Oh, well I half missed that note on this riff,’ and it’s like, yeah, but you did that because you were leaning in to sing the next line.

And you feel that as a listener. There’s a connection between everything that’s going on.”

NFL PREVIEW ISSUE Eric Johanson plays the Maple Leaf on Sept. 2.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY KAYLIE MCCARTHY

Johanson was born in Alexandria, Louisiana, and taught himself to play the guitar at a young age. He took to it quickly, and as soon as he learned how to improvise in a blues scale, he would sit in and jam with older local musicians on a blues jam.

“That was so exciting to me, that moment of creating, improvisation. I really had a newfound way of listening to the blues,” he says.

He would take in guitar greats like Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray Vaughan, but he was also taking in Metallica, Tool, Ministry and Soundgarden. Listeners can get an idea of the range of Johanson’s musical interests on a pair of acoustic cover albums he released in 2021, with songs

by Nine Inch Nails, Chicago, The Neville Brothers and Fiona Apple.

He originally landed in New Orleans in 1999. After Hurricane Katrina, Johanson moved to New Zealand for a few years before returning to New Orleans in 2010.

Over the years, Johanson has played with Cyril Neville and filled in with Corey Henry, Brass-A-Holics and other brass and funk bands around the city. Those rhythms have soaked into his own music as well.

“I don’t often find a chance to give the proper credit to that stuff in what I do because people don’t hear it as much, but there is a level of groove and funk in what I do that is absolutely inspired by just being in New Orleans and hearing all the things that are going on around here,” he says.

Learn more about Eric Johanson and find “The Deep and The Dirty” at ericjohanson.com.

ISSUE DATE SEP 4

CALL ALL NOW! N W Ad Director Sandy Stein 504.483.3150 or sstein@gambitweekly.com

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38

GOING OUT

Naomi takes New Orleans

by WIll Coviello

JAPANESE COMEDIAN AND ACTRESS NAOMI WATANABE MAY HAVE TAKEN OVER JAPAN and parts of Asia. She’s

known as the “Japanese Beyonce” for lip-synching and dancing to “Crazy in Love,” “Dreamgirls” and other tunes. That helped catapult her onto the nightly Japanese TV variety show “Waratte Iitomo!” and other projects.

In the last decade, she’s amassed nearly 10 million followers on Instagram and launched her own clothing line, Punyus.

Then in 2021, she moved to New York, with her sights set on a big piece of the Big Apple.

“I came here in 2014 for a few months,” she says through an interpreter from her home in Manhattan. “I saw the city was full of fashion, Broadway and entertainment. It was always going to be New York.”

Besides focusing on fashion, including a modeling gig for Beyonce’s Ivy Park label, she’s launched a podcast, “Naomi Takes America,” which just started its third season. This summer, she’s embarking on a U.S. tour, based on the call-in exchanges on the podcast. She’ll be at Toulouse Theatre at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31.

In Japan and elsewhere in Asia, she’s done TV, film, dubbed voices for American film translations and

starred in anime-based projects.

Watanabe grew up in Ibaraki On the podcast, she’s talking prefecture, which is northeast about getting to know the U.S. and of Tokyo. But her mother is from Americans. What has she learned Taiwan, and she’s also spent time so far? living and working there. She’s also “There was one girl from Florida worked in Hong Kong and built a who came on and said that usually fanbase there and in China. when you see someone doing She still goes home to do some something weird on the news, projects in Japan. In 2020, she it’s usually someone from Florida starred as Tracy Turnblad in a producdoing it,” Watanabe says. “She tion of “Hairspray” that toured Japan. was explaining about how all the Watanabe also launched her own crazy people are usually in Florida. clothing line to offer body-positive I didn’t know there was a stereocasual wear to women of all sizes, type about that.” especially plus sizes. There’s a line Some other culture shock is with bright prints of food items more subtle. She’s learned to be PHOTO PROVIDED BY NAOMI WATANABE like gyoza and unagi that currently chatty in elevators and other social is popular. etiquette. “In Japan, you don’t talk Last year, Watanabe modeled for Beyonce’s Ivy to anyone on the elevator,” she says with a laugh. “You don’t even make eye contact.”

Park clothing line. They had met before in Japan, but In Japan, commuters sleep on subway trains. She has Watanabe wasn’t sure if Beyonce would remember her. yet to see that in New York.

Though they didn’t cross paths on the shoot, Beyonce The live show tour is about connecting with her came to visit her in her dressing room.

American fans and trying to make new ones. She’ll Now Watanabe is ready to meet more people as she share some of her experiences and there will be Q&A builds her U.S. appeal. with the audience and games.

Naomi Watanabe performs at Toulouse Theatre.

Japan doesn’t have stand-up comedy in the U.S. Tickets are $30 via toulousetheatre.com. For more style, but Watanabe is acclimating and hopes to do a about the podcast, visit naomitakesamerica.com. future tour that includes stand-up and lip-syncing.

New Orleans H O M E + S T Y L E + D E S I G N DON’T MISS THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE ISSUE DATE

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DISCRETE CHARACTERS NEW ORDER OF BIRDS

By Frank A. Longo

27 Me, in Marne 28 Take a chair 29 Spike for a rock climber 30 Icky food 33 Bird with a pronounced lower back?

36 Elite police unit 41 35mm camera type 42 Holy Week follower 43 Bird with an affliction?

48 Lead-in to lateral 49 It flows through Köln 50 Rocker Ocasek 51 “Ammonium” has three 52 Single’s first half 54 Response to “You weren’t!”

55 Jazz great Fitzgerald 58 Give a bird a monetary reward?

60 “God Love Us” rapper 61 Pecans and cashews 64 Eggs 65 Slow-moving reptile with a bird on its back?

73 Aussie critter 74 Outer surface 75 911 VIP 76 Waterway full of birds?

82 Billfold bills 83 Employee welfare agcy.

84 Daisy type 85 Daisy of “Li’l Abner” 86 Pull along

ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR, SRS

88 Old paper sections 39 That’s partner 81 “A mouse!”

89 Bub 40 Boatload 83 Circus cries 90 Share employment 41 — -fi movie 86 Feeling gratitude hours with a bird?

44 Tabriz native 87 Not ’neath 45 Stephen of “Utopia” 95 Actress Clarke or Fox 88 Post-Q string 46 Actress Irving 98 Boating blade 90 Baby’s cry 99 “Are we out of danger?” 47 Suffix with cartoon 91 “Little piggy” 52 Break off 100 Bird starring in 92 “— for Evidence” 53 — -Tass “The Birds”?

(Sue Grafton novel) 55 Slip-up 104 Wise — owl 93 “Hugo” star Butterfield 56 Allow to 105 Novelist Loos 94 Relative of a 57 Zodiac feline 106 Two times LI wood engraving 58 H.S. junior’s hurdle 107 Neighbor of Okla.

96 Petrol units 59 Hostess snack cakes 109 “You did not just 97 “Give — rest” 61 — degree or another say that!”

101 Gut bacterium 115 Will of “The Waltons” 62 Consumer 116 Jacket with bird hues? 63 Neighbor of Okla.

102 Radio knobs 66 Helen of — 120 Coastal eagle 103 Celebrity photogra67 Abbr. on a food carton 121 100% correct pher Herb 68 “Dr.” of rap 122 Overpraises 104 Even a hint of 69 It’s in bronze 123 Old booming jets, 108 Spy Aldrich 70 Greek goddess of in brief 110 Spanish greeting the hearth 124 Catholic prayer books 111 Shutter piece 71 Doug who is married to 125 Pre-release 112 Short letter Kamala Harris software trial 113 God of war 72 Just one bite 76 Websites’ “front covers” 114 “You ... over there ...”

DOWN 77 Ones taking a close look 116 Engine wheel 1 Central idea 117 Singer Rita 78 Awardee, say 2 Certain sax 118 Slap cuffs on 79 Texter’s “I think ...”

3 Skinny 119 Fruity quaff 80 Alternate wd. spelling 4 Cash drawer 5 Opposer 6 One who’s hardly saintly 7 Tool set, e.g.

8 Guyana-to-Bolivia dir.

9 “Money — object” 10 Escalade carmaker 11 Wood for dartboards 12 Certain belief in God 13 Impromptu 14 Country south of Sicily 15 — admin 16 Extra installations 17 Courage in adversity 18 Big surprise 19 Like the operas “Parsifal” and “Lohengrin” 24 Wee devil 29 Free TV ad 31 Thai tongue 32 Texter’s “Yowza!”

34 Website ID 35 Family mem.

36 Run very fast 37 Guitarist’s pedal effect 38 Resting

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 2

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1 They’re filled at filling stations 9 Causes of some winter roof leaks 16 Two or three 20 Its capital is Springfield 21 Good time to shop and save 22 1977 hit for Electric Light Orchestra 23 Bird hanging around power-generating structures?

25 Bottom-of-the-barrel bit 26 “Grace and Frankie” co-star Lily

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