Gambit Digital Edition: April 14, 2025 by Gambit New Orleans

April 14-20 2025 Volume 46 Number 15

Meet Ou rKrewe

ManningFamilyChildren’s

DR .E RN ESTO MEJIA

PE DIATRICI NTE RVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGIST

Meet Dr.Ernesto Mejia

Ih ol dtinyh ea rtsi nmyh an ds .It’sa profou nd fe el in g, kn owin gIc an ma ke area ld iferen ce Th at ’s howIthi nk ab ou tmywor ka sa pe di atri c inte rventi on al ca rd io lo gi st at Ma nn in gFam il y Ch il dren’s .For me,i t’sa bo ut gi vi ng ch il dren a ch an ce at ah ea lthy life

My jo ur neytothi sp oi nt ha sb ee nal on ga nd f ul fil li ng on e. Ie ar ne dmym ed ic al de gree at th eA me ri ca nU ni ve rs it yofthe Ca ri bb ea n, an d th en we nt on to co mp lete my re si de nc ya tS UN Y Down statei nN ew Yo rk .Later,Is pe ci al ized in my fie ld,throu gh fe ll owsh ipsa tRai nb ow Ba bi es &Chi ld re n’sH os pi ta l, an dthe Un iver si ty of Co lo ra do.Ia mb oa rd-c er ti fie di np ed ia tr ic ca rd io lo gy,a nd it ’s an ho no rtod othi swor k.

Wh at tr ul yd ri ve sm ei sthe ab il it ytoh el p ch il dren bo rn wi th co ng en ital he ar td is ea se It ’s au ni qu eﬁ el d, be ca us eI getto ca re fo r th es ea mazi ng ki ds from befo re th ey ’reeve n bo rn ,a ll th eway th ro ug hthe ir ad ul tl ives .It’s an in cred ib le pr iv il eg e, an dIn ever ta ke th at re sp on si bi li ty li ghtl y.

Wh at brou ghtm etoN ew Or le an s, sp ec iﬁ ca ll y Ma nn in gFam il yChi ld re n’s, wa sthe ir co mm itme nt.Is aw th at th ey ared ed ic ated to ta ki ng on th em os tc om pl ex ca se s, an de ns ur in g th at ever yc hi ld,reg ardle ss of th ei rb ac kg ro un d, re ce ives th ec aretheyn eed .T he te am he re is fa ntas ti c. We em brac ei nn ovatio na nd co mp as si on ,a nd th at ma ke smywor k in cred ib ly rewa rd in g.

Ou ts id eofthe hosp ital,myfam il ya nd Ia re lovi ng ou rn ew life in NewO rl ea ns .T he cu lture, th efoo d, th em us ic—i t’sa ll so vi brant. Th is ci ty ha ss om uc h he ar t, an dI ’m tr ul yh on ored to be ap ar tofi t.

Tell us aboutManning Fa mily Children’s He artCenter

Th eH ea rt Ce nter at Ma nn in gFam il yChi ld re n’s p rovi de sc om preh en si ve eval ua ti on an d trea tm entofp atie ntswithc on ge ni ta l ca rd iova sc ular di so rd er s, from befo re th ey are b or n, th ro ugh ch il dh ood an di ntothe ir ad ul t ye ar s. Ou ra cc om pl is he da nd de di ca te dtea mof sp ec ia li stsi nc lu de sp hysi ci an s, su rg eo ns,n ur se s an ds up po rt staf wh oa re trai ne dtoc arefor th eu ni qu en eed sofc hi ld re nwithh ea rt di se as e as we ll as th ei rfam il ie s. Th eg oa lofT he He ar t Ce nter is to en ha nc ethe qu al it yofl ifefor eve ry ch il d.

Th eH ea rt Ce nter ofer sthe be neﬁtsofa fu llse rv ic ep ed ia tr ic hosp ital de di ca te do nl ytothe ca re of ki ds .C om pl ex pe di atri ch ea rt co nd itio ns of te nreq ui re ca re ti ed to othe rexi stin gm ed ic al co nd itio ns .Wea re prou dtob ethe on ly fa ci li ty in th es ta te ofer in gaf ul la rray of pe di atri c sp ec ia li stsa nd su b-sp ec ia li ststoc arefor yo ur wh ol ec hi ld,f ro mh ea rt to to e.

Questions&Answers

What ’s afun fact aboutyou?

Ia mo ri gi na ll yf ro mC ol om bi aa nd ha ve li ve di n ma ny pl aces .Ie nj oyed my ti me in me dsch oo li n th eC arib be an on th eisl an dofSt. Ma rtin .The re Ip la ye dsem i-profes si on al so cce rwhi le in me d sc ho ol an dm et aton of inte restin gp eo pl e. Iwas al so asal sa da nc in gi ns tr uc to ratthattim e.

What ’s onething that shockedyou when youmoved to NewOrleans?

Ba ds ho ck wa sthe poth ol es .G ood sh oc kwas th e pe op le,the ir wa rmth,a nd th ei rg ratitu de.Il oveh ow th is city alwa ys ﬁn ds area so ntocel eb rate

What festival areyou most looking forwardtoattending this Spring?

Deﬁn itel yJ azzfes t, alth ou gh we ha da na mazi ng ﬁrst Ma rd is Gras .Mykid s, Va le ntin aa nd Ju li eta, se em to ha ve be en bo rn to be in Ma rd is Gras

Do youhaveany pets?

Yes, Ih avethree do gs:D oc is aS hi ba In u, Bl ue is an Au stra li an Cattle Do g, Mi aisa mi ni do od le

What made youexcited to join the team at ManningFamilyChildren’s?

Th em is si on of th eh os pita liswhatd rewm ea nd wifetoM an ni ng Fa mi ly Ch il dren’s .The sa y“yes” cu lturetotakin gcareofkid sreg ardl es sofsoc ia l, cu ltural,o re co no mi cb ac kg ro un dreson ates with me.Takin go nthe ch al le ng in gcases th at no on ee lsewil la nd gi vi ng ch il dren with co mp lex co ng en ital he ar td isea se ac ha ncefor an orma ll ife with su ch as up po rtiveg ro up of physic ia ns as wh at anyyou ng proced ural is tl oo ks fo r.

What ’s oneofthe most rewarding aspectsofyourjob?

To me,see in gthe dife re nceas uccessf ul proced urecan ha ve noto nl yfor th ep atie nt th at fe el sb et te r, buta lsothe stress re li ef on th efam il y wh en th ey kn ow ap ro bl em ha sb ee nﬁxe d. Wh at ke epsm eg oi ng ever yd ay is se ei ng th ej oy an d

re li ef in pati ents’faces af te rtheys ud de nl yfee l better be ca usetheyn ever even kn ew th ey we re fe el in gb ad

Whydid youwanttobecomea pediatriccardiologist?

Ifel li nl ovewithcon ge nita lh ea rt dise asef ro m th eﬁ rs tsem es te rofm ed ical sc ho ol.I orig in al ly wa nted to be acon ge nita lh ea rt su rg eo n. On am is si on trip to Pa na ma,Iwas ab le to sp en d so me ti me in th ecathete rizati on la b, wh ic hwas th eﬁ rs ttim eIh ad be en expose dtocon ge nita l inte rventi on al ca rd io lo gy.Fro mthatd ay on,I fe lt I ha dfou nd my pl acei nl ifea nd kn ew th at th is wa s wh at Iwas me anttod o.

What ’s onething youwishthe communityknewabout the hospital’s HeartCenter?

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What ’s onememoryofyourtimeas acardiologistthatstandsout?

Notj us to ne me mo ry,b ut alwa ys se ei ng th e si ckes tofp atie nts, wh os pe nd al on gtim ei n th eh os pita l, ﬁn al ly ab le to be disc ha rg ed is so meth in grea ll ys pe ci al.B ut th en even mo re wh en yo ug et pi ctures an dv id eosf ro mthe fa mi li es se ei ng howthatl it tl e6-m onth-o ld wh o ha dtro ub le growin gisn ow aﬂ ou rish in g4-yea rol d. Ever ytim ethish ap pe ns;weknowweh ave gi ve na si ck ch il dthe ir ch an ce at life ba ck

EMMA DA VIA

Graphic Designer | GAVIN DONA L DSON

Contributing Graphic Designers | TIANA WATTS, SCOTT FO R SYTHE, JASMYNE WHITE, JEFF MENDE L

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

New suits

African masquerade society ensembles debut at NOMA

AFTER CARNIVAL SEASON AND THE BLACK MASKING INDIANS’ SUPER SUNDAY display of their new suits, there’s another wave of elaborately constructed ensembles and vibrant cultural traditions on view in New Orleans. The New Orleans Museum of Art just opened “New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations,” presenting the work of four artists who create ensembles for masquerading societies in West Africa.

If one were looking for similarities to local Black Masking Indian suits, Sierra Leonean artist Sheku “Goldenfinger” Fofanah’s Woman Tote Man is a good place to start.

The towering tan, red and gold ensemble’s front has many panels sewn with cowry shells, sequins, fabric patches and rings of woven twine. Like some Indian suits’ aprons, there are geometric panels in front, and it has long red flame-like extensions on the sides and a wide flaring collar.

The colors of the American and Siera Leonean flag are worked into the front of the suit and on the pants below the apron panels. It’s topped by the intricately carved wooden figure of a man sitting on the shoulders of a bare-breasted woman, which illustrates the suit’s theme of men depending on the strength of women, and them needing to work together.

There are masquerade societies across Africa, and the organizations and their purposes and traditions vary greatly. Some follow religious and cultural practices, and the masks and ensembles often are meant to represent spirits. The person wearing it is usually not the artist, and instead the wearer’s identity is concealed.

Other societies provide entertainment, which spurs the need to innovate and create new looks. Many ensembles are used in public processions and performances, and some societies are secretive, so only members see the ensembles. The suits also vary greatly depending on the artist, who may work for several different societies.

In the case of Fofanah’s Women Tote Man, there are several contributors. Fofanah is an artist by profession, called a “kotu” in his community. But he is not a wood carver and hired someone else to make the headpiece. A couple other craftsmen also worked on the ensemble. His, like many of the masquerade ensembles, are called “devils.” The expo has versions of his work showing the “fancy and fierce aesthetics” of

by Will Coviello |

ensembles preferred by the societies he works for. Next to Woman Tote Man, another ensemble has the fang-baring head of an animal in the wooden carving serving as its headpiece.

Sierra Leone adapted many masquerading traditions from Ghana in the 1960s and ’70s, and Fofanah is often commissioned by groups outside the country. He primarily works with the Gladiators Power Ordehlay Society, as well as the Tourist Ojeh and Omo Jessah Hunting societies.

Woman Tote Man was created for a social event for an Ordehlay society in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital. The Gladiators usually host events on Christmas, Boxing Day and the country’s Independence Day, April 27. Sometimes the events also have a fundraising purpose, like for a funeral. The expo has 13 ensembles, including four from Fofanah. There’s also work by Herve Youmbi from Douala, Cameroon, and Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa from Calabar, Nigeria. David Sanou is from Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, and he co-credits his work to his father, Andre Sanou, who taught him the wood carving skills at the center of their ensembles. Sanou’s carved masks can feature realistic human faces or more figurative designs, like Kimi masks with hornbill bird beaks on the face of the piece and tall fin-like carvings on top. At NOMA, some of the top extensions are inset with carved elephants, hippos and other animals. The bodies of the ensemble feature long hanging strands of fabric, so when the wearer spins and dances, they whip about and accentuate the size of the figure and fast dancing.

Sanou’s practice is essentially commercial, and patrons commission masks for a masquerade society’s public celebrations for harvest season festivals, national holidays and elaborate funerals. Developing new styles is part of the expectations of his audience.

Visitors can see the ensembles and societies in action in an immersive room, where nearly 360-degree videos are projected on three walls. Men wearing Sanou’s masks spin and dance furiously in a circle of spectators.

There’s also video of a parade-like walk of figures in outfits by Bassey Nsa in a neighborhood in Calabar. The brightly colored ensembles have bulging rings covering the chest and neck, and similar bracelets and anklets. He also followed his father’s footsteps into the craft, but he’s modernized the styles used by the longstanding and prestigious Ekpe secret society. Bassey Nsa uses the society’s preferred materials and specific symbols and references its traditions in ensembles for the group.

Youmbi’s work also offers commentary on contemporary issues. He’s bridged the worlds of traditional and contemporary art, and one of his ensembles has a mask designed to look like the horrific figure in the horror comedy “Scream.” In his work, Youmbi also questions the way African traditions are portrayed, as well as the legacy of colonialism. He is both a contributing artist and a member of the curatorial team.

Almost all of the ensembles were commissioned for the show. While creating the expo, an emphasis was made in gaining consent of all parties, including the artists and their associated masquerade societies.

The expo features recently made ensembles and details their creation and use. More information is available at masquerades.noma.org, and the expo catalogue has much more detail on the artists and the masquerade societies.

The expo is debuting at NOMA and will tour several U.S. museums. There also will be a tour in Africa, starting in Dakar, Senegal.

John Waters’ Naked Truth

John Waters’s more popular projects, like the film and Broadway versions of “Hairspray” or the darker “Serial Mom,” starring Kathleen Turner, may obscure the earlier cult classics that earned him the title of Pope of Trash. To some Waters fans, there’s nothing better than the seedy excesses of “Pink Flamingos” or “Desperate Living.” In addition to his filmmaking, Waters is somewhat of a storyteller, and this live show could do for Easter what “Female Trouble” does for Christmas. At 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 20, at Civic Theater. Find information at civicnola.com.

Curren$y

Prolific New Orleans rapper Curren$y is about to kick off his 4:20 tour through April and May, and gets things rolling with a hometown show Saturday, April 19, at The Fillmore. Tickets start at $44.50 via thefillmorenola.com.

Luke Null

As a “Saturday Night Live” cast member, Luke Null starred in skits like the reality TV parody Floribama Shore, when a bunch of drunk and horny housemates got wiped out by a hurricane. But in his stand-up comedy, every joke is a song, as he strums a guitar throughout. During his last appearance at Sports Drink, that included a guided meditation that led to imagining one’s parents’ gratuitous sex life. He’s back at Sports Drink at 7 & 9 p.m. Friday, April 18, and Saturday, April 19. Tickets $25 via sportsdrink.org.

Filmmaker and author John Waters is at Civic Theatre on April 20.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY GREG GORMAN

Sheku “Goldfinger’ Fofanah created this ensemble for a masquerade society in Sierra Leone.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY AMANDA MAPLES

OPENING GAMBIT

NEW ORLEANS NEWS + VIEWS

Brace yourselves y’all, the Louisiana state legislature is about to act a fool again

THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN

Plaquemines Parish won a landmark lawsuit against oil and gas giant Chevron over its company Texaco’s damages to coastal land in Breton Sound. Chevron has been ordered to pay $745 million in damages, which will go to coastal restoration work. The verdict also could have an impact on about 40 other parish lawsuits against oil companies over their damages to Louisiana’s rapidly disappearing coastline.

The Trump administration’s freeze on some U.S. Department of Agriculture grant programs could mean Louisiana farmers will miss out on around $363 million in support over the next few years. Hundreds of Louisiana farmers each year receive grants through the USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program and other programs to make improvements to their land. But Trump ordered all current and future contracts on hold to make sure those grants aren’t “DEIA programs or far-left climate programs,” said USDA secretary Brooke Rollins.

Louisiana is fnally close to clearing its rape kit backlog

LOUISIANA IS ON TRACK TO CLEAR A BACKLOG OF SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS, among other forensic evidence kits previously piled up in the state’s crime lab, said New Orleans Council Member Lesli Harris on Tuesday.

Harris, chair of the city’s Quality of Life committee, pointed to “interagency collaboration” and $4.3 million in city and state funding to tackle a problem that had persisted for years.

At one point in 2022, the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab in Baton Rouge had a backlog of approximately 4,600 DNA kits, many of which came from New Orleans, and desperately needed outside help.

backlog of sexual assault kits that the NOPD has committed to Louisiana State Police for processing.”

Lt. Scott Davis, deputy director of the lab, said a large portion of the state’s DNA kits come from the New Orleans Police Department, and the state agency had been overwhelmed without these investments.

The city allocated $3 million to tackle the issue, and State Rep. Mandie Landry successfully pushed for an additional $1.3 million from the state, allowing law enforcement officials to outsource DNA testing on a larger scale.

The Trump administration has ended a FEMA program to help storm damage recovery, halting more than $720 million in funding for Louisiana projects including levee improvements, home elevations, pumping stations and other mitigation projects. FEMA has stopped accepting applications, canceled projects from 2020 to 2023 and may recall more than $280 million in already paid out funding to the state.

According to Harris, thousands of kits have been processed in recent months, with only 187 remaining. Of those, 49 are linked to sexual assaults.

“Clearing this backlog has been one of my top priorities because every untested kit represents a delayed opportunity for justice,” she said in a written statement prior to a committee hearing on the issue.

“Thanks to the strong collaboration with NOPD, the LSP Crime Lab and city leadership we are seeing real results,” Harris said. “We’ve successfully cleared a vast majority of the

Outsourcing the kits to private labs is costly, but it provides faster turnaround times and eases the workload of the state’s in-house analysts who are dealing with evidence from all across Louisiana.

“There’s a real need for efficient sexual assault victim case resolution,” Davis said.

Meanwhile, five additional DNA analysts are completing training and will eventually be a part of the New Orleans Police Department’s own crime lab, which is expected to be completed in 2027.

COUNT #

1.083

THE NUMBER, IN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, LOUISIANA HAS RECENTLY LOST IN FEDERAL FUNDING FROM JUST TWO PROGRAMS BEING CUT.

The Trump administration recently ended a FEMA program to help storm damage recovery worth $720 million, and then froze $363 million previously earmarked toward U.S. Department of Agriculture grant programs dedicated to Louisiana farmers.

C’EST WHAT ?

How are you dealing with the tarifs news?

11.2%

Forensic scientist Caitlin Traylor, pictured in 2017, screens evidence during DNA testing in the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab in Baton Rouge

PHOTO BY BILL FEIG / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams said “real investments and commitment” are helping his office seek justice for survivors. Hundreds of tests have been turned over to his office to be used as evidence in criminal trials.

“I believe we are able to move away from a triage (situation),” he said.

One survivor at the meeting, however, said she was still waiting on a rescheduled court date for an alleged assault that took place four years ago.

Williams said allowing DNA kits to be tested on a larger scale would help make the courts more efficient, given the overall accuracy of results. He also said he wants to see this type of testing used not just for violent crimes, but for other offenses like property theft.

“It’s not good enough to sit on the laurels of our success,” he said. “I think we can all do better and build a modern, proactive, survivor-focused DNA strategy that puts New Orleans on the map nationally as a model for forensic justice.”

He added, “This will be a sea change if we can get this right.” — Sarah Ravits

Louisiana Democratic Party tries to claim credit for defeat of Landry amendments

BATON ROUGE — LOUISIANA

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR RANDAL

GAINES Thursday called voters’ defeat of all four constitutional amendments backed by Gov. Jeff Landry “a defining moment in Louisiana politics” and attempted to take credit for the display of bipartisan opposition.

“What was determinative was, in my opinion, the messaging of the party,” Gaines told Gambit following a press conference at the party’s headquarters. “Because the activist groups don’t have those relationships.”

Gaines went on to claim that’s because “they’re not necessarily within a circle of trust of our Louisiana voters. The party is.”

It’s unclear what Gaines’ belief is based on. Democrats have had increasing difficulty in even fielding a candidate in local and state level races for the last decade, leaving many Republican state legislators to run unopposed for years. The party also

lost the statewide election in 2023 badly, handing control of all levels of government to Republicans and leading many Democrats to call for totally rebuilding the party.

Other Democrats were less bullish on the party’s role in the defeat of Landry’s agenda. Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, a Baton Rouge Democrat, argued during the press conference that defeat was a joint effort, noting that many majority-Republican parishes voted against them as well.

“The Democratic Party by themselves can’t take credit for it,” she said. “But it was every citizen in Louisiana that stood up to say that these amendments were wrong for Louisiana.”

Although Gaines insisted Democrats “led the charge” against the amendments, the movement against them was far more diverse. The amendments lost by wide margins in an overwhelming majority of parishes, including many which have little to no Democratic Party presence. Republicans and independents also voted no in significant numbers. For instance, data analyst Jeff Asher noted that in Beauregard Parish, which

broke for Trump last year by 85% and is generally hostile territory for Democrats, voted against Landry’s amendment to give the wealthy more tax breaks 51% to 49%.

Community organization against the amendments was noticeably strong, with more than a dozen groups in the environmental, housing, civil rights, criminal justice reforms and other spheres all coming together. Graphics urging people to vote down the amendments spread across social media.

Criminal justice reform groups like the First 72+, Voice of the Experienced and Families, Vera Institute of Justice and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children, especially rallied against Amendment 3, which would have let legislators expand the list of crimes for which teenagers could be tried as adults.

Gaines did say the party sent text messages to some voters, posted messages on social media and did a week of phone banking against it. He pointed in particular to the local party’s efforts in Orleans Parish as a major

You’re free to live your lifeout loud! Becauseyou’ve gotthe compassion of the cross, the securityofthe shield, and the comfortofBlue behind you.

FL AG IS BACK

factor. The parish had about 31% turnout, notably higher than the 21% turnout statewide, and voted 90% or more against all four measures.

But Baton Rouge and New Orleans aside, voters in the majority of parishes opposed all the amendments. Nevertheless, while Gaines gave some credit to community and activist groups for helping educate voters, he insisted it was “supportive” rather than “determinative.”

A year of new leadership

The Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee selected Gaines as chair in April 2024 after a wave of new faces and party veterans teamed up and ran for positions on the committee with the goal of electing a new party chair. There was momentum to replace controversial former party head Katie Bernhardt following a disastrous showing for Democrats in the 2023 governor’s race and other elections.

For all the talk of rebuilding the party, progress has been slow moving. Gaines previously told Gambit the party would have a strategic long-term plan by the end of January. Now, he said, he’s hoping to have the plan finished by the end of May. He added that the planning committee is meeting about every two weeks and involving voters, donors and other stakeholders in the process.

At the press conference, Gaines did introduce the party’s new executive director, East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Dadrius Lanus.

A Baton Rouge native, Lanus spent four years as the executive director of the nonprofit 100 Black Men of Baton

Rouge. Gaines called him a “young and up and coming Democrat with a bright future.”

With the legislature set to convene in less than two weeks, Lanus will have to hit the ground running if Democrats hope to have any sort of unified front against Landry and Republican lawmakers.

Meanwhile, internal fighting has continued.

The party has been cash-strapped, as made evident by the top of their podium collapsing under the weight of a few microphones at the beginning of the press conference.

Gaines told Gambit that Lanus’ first priority as executive director will be fundraising. The party previously had no communications director, but Gaines said they recently contracted with Lauren Loisel, who also does communications for the Young Democrats of Louisiana.

Following the defeat of the amendments, Landry claimed without evidence that national Democratic donor George Soros and “far left liberals poured millions into Louisiana with propaganda and outright lies about Amendment 2,” adding “We realize how hard positive change can be to implement in a State that is conditioned for failure.”

Democratic leaders laughed off the idea of funding from national donors deciding the race.

“You show me a George Soros check ... then we can have a conversation,” Lanus said. — Kaylee Poche

Randal Gaines, Louisiana Democratic Party chair PHOTO BY KAYLEE POCHE

@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

Hey Blake,

A building on Howard Avenue near Harmony Circle and the WDSU studios has the word “Motorworks” on the façade. What can you tell me about it?

Dear reader,

THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY, THE BUILDING AT 822-24

HOWARd Ave. has served as a home to many car dealerships and showrooms.

It was built in 1916 for the Jeffery Automobile Co., which sold cars under the brand name Rambler. A September 1916 article in The Times-Picayune explained the land was previously home to a three-story brick boarding house.

“The new building will afford the Jeffery Sales Company adequate sales rooms, garage and service station facilities for the large stock of Jeffery cars and parts it expects to handle,” the paper reported.

Before long, it became the showroom for the Bernstein-Glenny Motors Co. and later the Clay-Dutton Co., Hughes Motor Co., United Motors Service, Merchants’ Motor Co. and Howard Motors Inc. selling Buicks, DeSotos, Plymouths and other cars.

According to the website of the current owners, for part of its history, the

BLAKE VIEW

Motorworks Building was also known as the Daylight Factory due to the natural light shining through its warehouse windows which circle three sides of the building. The original building also contained a large elevator used to move cars up and down between maintenance and the showroom floors.

In the mid-1940s the building housed the Bango and Salzer Furniture Co.

In its current incarnation as condos, the building retains some of its earlier history in the car business, including gears from the former elevator incorporated into the bike rack sculpture out front. Two logos of a wheel with an attached wing are embossed on the front of the building.

SUNDAY WILL MARK THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY of a beloved tradition: the French Quarter Easter parade that for many years was led by iconic entertainer Chris Owens.

The parade built on a tradition established in 1956 by Germaine Wells, the flamboyant proprietress of Arnaud’s Restaurant, which was founded by her father, Count Arnaud de Cazenave. Wells died in 1983, but a parade in her memory continued after that, including in 1985 when parade captain Sammy Steele organized a second parade featuring Owens as Grand Duchess.

The inaugural Chris Owens parade on April 7, 1985, featured 75 riders in white convertibles which took them from the French Quarter and a party at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel to St. Charles Avenue for Mass at Holy Name of Jesus Church.

The parade “had a Carnival flair,” reported the next day’s Times-Picayune. “Riders began the day drinking champagne in the hotel room filled with plastic bunnies and Easter egg balloons. A 6-foot-tall pink plastic bunny stood at the head of the room, as if presiding over the party.”

The event featured an Easter hat contest and Owens in a show-stopping outfit. “The Bourbon Street entertainer wore a sheath dress of antique lace with handmade yellowy silk flowers over silk crepe with a V neckline and long puffed sleeves. She also wore a white wide-brimmed hat with yellow ribbons and tulle,” reported the next day’s Times-Picayune.

The parade grew to become an Easter Sunday favorite for decades, even after Owens died in 2022. This year’s festivities begin at 11 a.m. Sunday with music, a silent auction and hat contest at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel. Beginning at 1 p.m., the parade rolls through the French Quarter, followed by a brunch at the hotel. For more information, visit frenchquartereasterparade.com.

l shop @ gaetanasnol a

THIS EASTER

The building at 822-24 Howard Ave. has been home to many car dealerships over its history.

PHOTO BY JAKE CLAPP / GAMBIT

BY JOHN STANTON Gambit editor

WITH JAZZ FEST COMING UP NEXT WEEK, we’re entering the homestretch of festival season here in New Orleans. Whether you’re a music fan or service industry worker who needs an infusion of cash before summer, that also happens to be the best part of the season.

But don’t sleep on the other major festival coming up next week: Lafayette’s Festival International de Louisiane. This year’s packed line-up includes music from not only across the globe but genres as well, ranging from bhangra to Zydeco.

Now in its 39th year, Festival International runs during the first weekend of Jazz Fest, starting on the evening of Wednesday, April 23, and ending Sunday, April 27. While Lafayette is only a two-hour drive from New Orleans, it’s often overlooked by folks hoping to avoid the Jazz Fest fuss. That’s a shame because Festival International is one of the most unique music events in the country.

It’s also the perfect option for anybody who might not want to stick around town throughout the entire two-week run of Jazz Fest.

First off, it’s free, which given its size is a true rarity in the era of late-stage capitalism, Live Nation-driven festivals. Because it’s spread-out through Lafayette’s downtown, you can pack a lunch and beers, which is particularly clutch for anybody on a budget.

But it’s also incredibly diverse. As this year’s lineup demonstrates, organizers go out of their way to make it an eclectic music experience.

There’s a ton of music during the festival itself, and, as the name suggests, many of the artists are coming to Louisiana from countries across the globe, including many who will go on to play week two of Jazz Fest. And, of course, the festival brings out some of Louisiana’s legends. Festival International is family-friendly, with kids’ activities and areas available. The festival’s food vendors also are top notch, representing some of our region’s best cuisine. Plus, there’s a host of local restaurants and bars in and around the festival site that represent Lafayette’s comparatively small but very impressive food culture.

For a full lineup of music, vendors, times and more information, check festivalinternational. org. Here’s a few highlights from the festival — and Lafayette — to give you a little taste of what’s in store.

aT our doorstep

Lafayette’s Festival International brings the music of the world to South Louisiana

Music

A BIG PART OF THE FUN OF FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL is exploring the world’s soundscape and discovering new genres and bands you’d never dream of otherwise, while still getting to enjoy some of the greats of Louisiana music.

And this year’s lineup is incredibly diverse, with performers from at least five continents playing a dizzying array of musical styles, genres and crossovers.

Want to know what happens when a First Nations singer-songwriter blends their traditional music with reggae and pop influences? Canada’s amazing Shauit will be on hand to show you. Got a hankering for a psychedelic spin on classic Cajun music? The Lost Bayou Ramblers will be there. Or perhaps you’re a little

reggae-curious? Well, you’re in luck because Jamaica’s legendary Black Uhuru is playing as well.

Here’s a few standouts from this year’s lineup:

Yagody

April 25, 8:45 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Scene Lus Internationale

April 26, 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

Scene Wellcare Lafayette Ukranian band Yagody is the brainchild of Zoriana Dybovska. Founded in 2016, Dybovska brought together a group of women she’d taught in acting classes to form Yagody. Those theatrical roots are front and center in the band’s takes on Ukrainian folk music and styles, incorporating harmonies and complex rhythms using traditional instruments, with an occasional dash of electronic sensibilities.

PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

PHOTO BY BRAD KEMP / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

The result is an incredibly high-energy, danceable sound.

Red Baraat

April 26, 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

Scene Wellcare Lafayette

April 27, 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Scene Lus Internationale

Based out of Brooklyn, Red Baraat combines the sounds of North Indian bhangra with hip-hop, EDM, brass band and even some punk to create a unique, danceable style. Their 2013 album “Shruggy Ji” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s World Music charts, and the band has developed a huge following not only in the Desi community but across the globe, performing at major

festivals like Jazz Fest, Germany’s Rudolstadt-Festival and Bonnaroo.

JigJam

April 26, 2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Scene Ochsner Lafayette General Fais Do Do

April 27, 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Scene Wellcare Lafayette

April 27, 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Scene Des Jeunes

For decades, American roots country and bluegrass music has been popular in Ireland, which makes sense given those genres have deep roots in the Scottish and Irish diaspora in the United States. Hailing from Offaly and Tipperary, JigJam is what happens

when a bunch of Irish try their hands at bluegrass. The band blends traditional Irish music and bluegrass into a unique, fresh sound and brings some new energy to two genres that can get a bit stuck in their lanes.

Fermin Ceballos + Merengue4Four

April 26, 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Scene Wellcare Lafayette

New Orleans is the northern most city of the Carribean, so it’s the perfect place to give birth to the unique sound of Fermin Ceballos + Merengue4Four. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the United States, the band blends the various sounds that have emerged from the Gulf of Mexico in-

cluding merengue, bachata, vellenato and even zydeco. Ceballos, the founder and front man of the band, has been a fixture in New Orleans’ growing Latin music scene since moving here more than a decade ago. Listen to “Zydeco Star,” which Ceballos recorded with zydeco legend Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., for a taste of what you can expect.

Zar Electrik

April 24, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Scene Lus Internationale

April 25, 5:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m.

Scene Ochsner Lafayette General Fais Do Do

Founded in France, Zar Electrik combines electric dance music with Morocco’s traditional Gnawa style.

Dating from the 16th century, Gnawa is itself a blend of Moroccan folk music and the music of West Africa, which was brought to the region originally by enslaved peoples.

Zar Electrik’s sound is hard to describe, at least for an American audience. The band combines this traditional style of music with elements of trace, house and other styles of EDM to create an often dreamy yet upbeat sound all its own. The band is truly one of the most interesting and innovative on the world music scene.

Check out their recent Tiny Desk performance to see for yourself.

Son de Madera

April 24, 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

Scene Lus Internationale

April 25, 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Scene Wellcare Lafayette

Based in Veracruz, Mexico, Son de Madera perform son jarocho music, a style from Mexico’s western coast. It’s a perfect encapsulation of the culture and history of the central coast region of the Gulf of Mexico, mixing Indigenous, baroque and West African

PHOTO BY BRAD BOWIE / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Festival International 2025

sounds into a unique genre. Founded in the early ’90s by Ramón Gutiérrez Hernández and Laura Rebolloso, the band has been a major part of the son jarocho music scene for more than three decades.

Tif Lamson and Kelli Jones

April 26, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. (performing as Double Dare) Pavillon De Cuisine

April 26, 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. (performing with Tommy McLain and C.C. Adcock)

La Galerie

You’ll get not one but two chances to catch Tif Lamson (a Gambit 40 Under 40 honoree) and Kelli Jones at Festival International this year. They will play a set as Double Dare, which the duo created during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Their style is rooted in folk, Americana and country and is a great showcase of two of South Louisiana’s best young musicians. They’ll

also perform with swamp pop king Tommy McLain and C.C. Adcock, a show that is always a great time and highlights a classic Louisiana sound.

The Figs

April 26, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

La Galerie

Lafayette roots rock band The Figs will play a reunion show at Festival International in honor of their late band member Jillian Johnson (and will play a matinee show at Chickie Wah Wah on April 19). In addition to singing in The Figs, Johnson also owned several small businesses, including Parish Ink in Lafayette and Red Arrow Workshop, which both had locations in Lafayette and New Orleans. Johnson was murdered in 2015 when a gunman opened fire in the Grand 16 movie theater in Lafayette. There will also be a special panel about Johnson’s life and influence on the community on April 26 from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the La Galerie stage.

Festival International 2025

Festing After Dark

AND THEN THERE’S THE POST-FESTIVAL PARTIES AND SHOWS, which unlike the super-secret, crazy expensive after fest “experiences” being offered around Jazz Fest, are still accessible to regular music fans. They often feature some truly unexpected combos, like musicians from Niger sitting in with a bunch of rowdy Cajun players. Since a lot of these shows are spontaneous, it’s hard to know who will show up where. But there’s already a handful of shows scheduled, including these that are not to be missed. For specific tines, tickets and information, check out the venues’ websites.

Blue Moon bluemoonpresents.com

On Friday, April 25, Blue Moon is hosting the Lost Bayou Ramblers with Niger’s Etran de L’Air, as well as a midnight show featuring Zach Edwards and The Medicine.

On Saturday, April 26, they’ll have Jourdan Thibodeaux et les Rodailleurs with Bab L’Bluz out of France and Morocco. Zach Edwards and The Medicine will play a second midnight show as well.

And on Sunday, April 27, Blue Moon will host the Festival International Appreciation Party and International Jam, featuring The Bluerunners and The Revelers, who will be joined by musicians from around the world who played the festival.

Hideaway on Lee hideawayonlee.com

On Friday, April 25, the Hideaway will have Max Baca and Los Texmaniacs.

Then on Sunday, April 27, Luke Winslow-King will perform. The Hideaway is also a great spot to just get a drink and has a full menu for after fest noshing, which really makes it a one-stop shop for all your post-festival needs.

Warehouse 535 warehouse535.com

On Saturday, April 26, there will be a special double reunion show with The Bluerunners and The Figs performing.

Eating and drinking in Lafayette

LAFAYETTE HAS A LOT TO OFFER, especially when it comes to food and drink (though nobody we’re not vouching for that weird practice of putting boil spice on after crawfish are boiled). Here are just a couple of recommendations:

If you’re looking for something a bit fancy, check out the Vestal Restaurant (555 Jefferson St.), which features steaks, seafood and cocktails.

Pamplona Tapas Bar (631 Jefferson St.) is, as the name suggests, small plates type joint that features that classic Spanish tapas place atmosphere and food.

Since 1940, Borden’s Ice Cream Shoppe (1103 Jefferson St.) has been an institution in Lafayette. A classic soda jerk shop, it’s perfect for a cold treat during the day or after dinner.

Reve Coffee is a Lafayette chain of coffee shops. Their location downtown at 200 Jefferson St. is the perfect spot to get the caffeine levels up to snuff after a long night of post-festival dancing and drinking.

And if you’re looking for a solid neighborhood style watering hole, you can’t go wrong with The Greenroom (229 Jefferson St.). There are pool tables, it’s sufficiently dark and the drinks won’t come near breaking the bank. Plus, they’ll have a post-festival show Saturday night featuring a lineup of local bands.

April 11-13

Lunch -fried catﬁsh with crawﬁsh étoufée

Dinner -Shrimpburger with spring mix andold bayaioli

Blackenedredﬁsh over oyster mushroom goatcheesepolenta Friedoysters over spinachartichokepasta

Stuﬀed redﬁsh with veggiesand seafoodcream

Seared scallops overcreamy summer succotash

Brunch pork loin in grilladesgravy over grits

PHOTO BY BRAD KEMP / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

BR OC AT OL AW FIRM, PL C

UNCHARTED WATERS WATERS

Xavier

University becomes ﬁrst HBCU to have a co-ed varsity rowing team

ARSHAY COOPER REMEMBERS an interesting object sitting in his school lunchroom in Chicago’s West Side during the ’90s: a white boat. He had no idea what it was for.

“I remember this white lady walking up to me and saying, ‘You want to join a crew team?’ ” Cooper said.

The word crew had a different meaning to him at the time.

“I was like, I don’t know what that is, but I know my uncle told me if someone asked me to join a crew, run the other way as fast as I can,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh, Lord, there’s so many crews and gangs. Now this white lady is starting a gang in my school.’ ”

The woman then showed him footage of rowing, also called crew, at the Olympic Games. Enticed by free pizza, he ended up joining the Manley High team, the first all-Black high school rowing team in the country. It changed his life.

Cooper has since written a book about his experience titled “A Most Beautiful Thing” and started a foundation under the same name.

“To go from seeing dirt and concrete to water and grass changed everything for me,” he told a group of students from Xavier University of Louisiana, at an event to debut the rowing team’s new varsity status.

Rowing has been a club sport at Xavier in New Orleans since 2023, but it will become an official university sport in the fall — making it the first historically Black university in the U.S. to have a co-ed varsity rowing team.

It’s another milestone in the attempts to diversify the sport, which is largely associated with upper-class white people and is less popular in the Gulf South.

Gathered at the Black-owned Backatown Coffee Parlour in New Orleans one evening in February to celebrate becoming a varsity team, club co-captain Kamryn Days noted that the group achieved this feat despite not having a previous background in rowing.

“We have made history with no prior knowledge in rowing,” she said.

And most of all, they’ve been enjoying the ride.

“We get to wake up every day and get in the boat with what I call them, our boat besties, and have fun making history,” Days said.

BY KAYLEE POCHE

ANOTHER BARRIER BROKEN

ROWING HAS LONG BEEN A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE — and wealthy — sport, despite some barriers having been broken over the last two centuries. A 2021 study of the National Collegiate Athletic Association found that only 2% of its women athletes who participated in rowing were Black.

A history of racism has affected the relationship Black people have had with water over the years.

As mentioned in a 2018 article for the African American Intellectual History Society, “Slavery at Sea” author Sowande Mustakeem said that Africans originally had positive associations with water, but being transported across the Atlantic Ocean, the water began to represent “a repository of bodies, death, pain and suffering.”

Then segregation and discrimination meant many Black people didn’t have access to public pools or even beaches.

For instance, throughout the Jim Crow era, the only beach

the Gulf Coast available to Black Americans was Gulfside, a resort and Methodist religious retreat run by a Black minister in Waveland, Mississippi. Even after desegregation, pools that served Black communities were — and often continue to be — underfunded and staffed, making it hard for families to access swimming lessons for their kids.

Meanwhile, spaces like Gulfside and New Orleans’ Lincoln Beach along Lake Pontchartrain, which were historically for Black people, fell into disrepair and were

along

Xavier’s rowing team

PHOTO PROVIDED BY XAVIER ROWING

UNCHARTED WATERS

eventually abandoned after the Supreme Court ostensibly barred segregation, removing what little opportunities to learn to swim that did exist.

The sport is also expensive, requiring a lot of equipment, including boats, oars and indoor rowing machines. Because public schools are funded through local tax dollars, many with mostly Black students don’t have those kinds of resources.

Nevertheless, in 1867, two years after the Civil War ended, Frenchy Johnson, a former enslaved person, moved to Boston, where he and a few friends formed the first African American rowing club. Johnson became a rowing phenom, taking on some of the top rowers of the time.

In the early ’60s, Howard University became the first all-Black crew team in the United States, thanks to the efforts of alum and real estate broker Howland Ware. The university couldn’t afford it, so he spent more than $10,000 of his own money and nine years forming a private club there. The students had little to no experience with rowing and were competing with Ivy League students, many of whom had started in high school.

Aquil Abdullah became the first African American man to win a rowing national championship in 1996 and the first African American man to qualify for the Summer Olympics in rowing in 2004.

Abdullah rowed in high school and was the only Black person on his rowing team in college. He was the first African American to compete in the Olympics on Team USA in 1996, and only a handful of other Black people have done so since.

In 2022, North Carolina’s Saint Augustine University became the first HBCU women’s rowing team, joining Howard as the second HBCU to form a rowing team, according to the school.

“If you’re doing anything well, it’s hard,” Kevin Harris, who’s coached rowing at the University of Tulsa for more than two decades, told Xavier students at the event. “If you’re the first to do it, it’s harder.”

‘MY FRIEND DARED ME TO’

COACH CHLOE JOBIN AND A FEW STUDENTS formed Xavier’s rowing club in the fall of 2023, with support from the New Orleans Rowing Club.

Their first task was getting people to sign up for a sport they probably didn’t know much about.

Word of mouth, including in parent groups, lead to more people hearing about the team.

Days’ mother told her she should join as a way to get back into organized sports and get some structure in her life. At first, she was hesitant, but her mom insisted she try.

“She said, ‘Go do it,’ ” Days says. “And I loved it.”

Similarly, Taylor Kentish’s mom and her friend’s mom told them about the team. But she didn’t decide to do it until her friend dared her to.

“We were both like, ‘Oh no, we won’t do that.’ My friend dared me to do it, and I actually stuck with it, and I really ended up enjoying it,” Kentish says. “I love trying new things. So it was like, why not?”

Victoria Duffey was another Xavier student who signed up in those early days. Her middle school in Jacksonville, Florida, had a rowing team, but she didn’t join — too busy with other sports. She was also familiar with some of the workout equipment from growing up doing CrossFit.

She still wasn’t sure if she could make rowing work in her schedule, but because the club was new, she felt less intimidated knowing they’d all be learning together.

And that’s exactly what happened, starting with introductory sessions to teach students the basics, including how to row on an erg machine, which simulates rowing without water. Regular practices followed.

“As my friends say, ‘You’re always doing side quests.’ I’m like, let me do a little side quest and start on the rowing team,” Duffey says. “I didn’t realize it was gonna turn into something so big.”

PRACTICE

MAKES PERFECT

NOW, IN ITS SECOND YEAR AS A CLUB SPORT, teammates estimate that 15 to 16 students show up to the water practices on Bayou St. John at the crack of dawn, with 13 attending consistently.

The team is made up of mostly women, with around five men. But that is to be expected given that Xavier’s student body is about three-fourths female, which is not unusual for an HBCU.

Xavier students row on Bayou St. John.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY XAVIER ROWING

PHOTO BY TARA KLINE

UNCHARTED WATERS

Athletes have at least five practices a week, three on the bayou and at least two indoors. Those practices on the water are an early wake-up call, running from 5:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. And taking the bus to practice means getting up even earlier.

It’s a hard sell for many college students who prefer to go out at night, but teammates say — despite this author’s skepticism — that there are upsides to the early start time.

For one, it’s an exercise in selfdiscipline.

“Just being able to tell myself the day before, like, OK, you have to go to bed on time so you can wake up and make sure you set your alarms and everything, that has definitely translated into other parts of my life,” Kentish says.

And when the time comes, Kentish feels at peace watching the sun rise on the still bayou.

“You take a deep breath, and it’s like, I kind of like this,” she says.

The switch will mean the team will rely on university funding rather than funding from the New Orleans Rowing Club. They’ll also get a full-time coach who will spend time recruiting from high schools. Plus, there will be six scholarships available for athletes.

“That would also really broaden the pool of athletes ... that want to attend an HBCU and also want to continue rowing in college,” Jobin says. “That’s not really something that they can do and perform at the varsity level until this program becomes a varsity sport.”

Getting university funding also means there will be more resources available for athletes to go to regattas, aka rowing races and tournaments, whether that’s transportation, hotel stays or other costs.

“It just shows that the university, the institution as it is, wants to invest in the program and thinks that the program is worthwhile and worth investing in,” Jobin says.

There are two rowing seasons, one in the fall and the other in the spring. So far, the fall season has consisted of more scrimmages, aka practice or informal competitions, on Bayou St. John. The spring season is more timebased and fast-paced. There are also indoor races, where participants are set up on a bunch of rowing machines in a big gym and have to row a certain number of meters.

here looking at what I never had,” Abdullah told students at the Backatown event. “I was the only, Kevin (Harris) was the only, Manley crew was the only when they showed up at regattas.”

‘I CAN DO HARD THINGS’

MEMBERS OF THE XAVIER ROWING TEAM SAY the sport has taught them lessons that go far beyond rowing.

For one, it’s taught them teamwork and given them strong friendships with their teammates. They see each other most days and often carpool together.

They went to Waco, Texas, together for a week during their winter break. Training together twice a day and sharing a cabin, they got to know each other on a more personal level.

Part of that is the nature of rowing itself. Jobin and Days say that unlike some other sports, which may require high-intensity practices, improving in rowing is all about consistency.

“Rowing is a sport where you have to slow it down in order to go fast, as the great Coach Kevin (Harris of the University of Tulsa) once said,” Days says. “You have to control your breathing. You have to control your movement. Everything is a controlled piece, and you have to do everything with purpose, which means that you have to slow down and think about every single movement you make before you make it.”

VARSITY STATUS

BUT SOMETHING THAT HASN’T HAPPENED SLOWLY is the team’s upgrade from club sport to an official varsity sport starting in the fall.

They’re used to racing against the New Orleans Rowing Club but will start racing the rowing teams at Tulane and LSU, including at the Intercollegiate Louisiana State Championships this season.

Rowing was able to go from a club sport to a varsity sport in a few short years at Xavier thanks to a collective effort from the coaches, athletes, higher-ups at Xavier and national rowing advocates, like Cooper and Harris.

Curtis Wright, Xavier’s vice president of student affairs, spoke to Harris and Cooper as well as others.

“Having them kind of discuss the meaning and the impact of the sport being at an HBCU, and how important that is for the sport as a whole and how important that would be for Xavier, I think that really kind of was a little bit like a light bulb moment,” Jobin says.

All of them showed up to February’s Rowing with a Purpose event along with Abdullah and fellow Black Olympian Alex Osborne.

“And just like that, we are standing in history, because just like that, I am

“I think the saying ‘You become the average of the five people that you spend the most time around’ really plays a big part here,” Days says. “We started in the beginning as complete strangers to one another, to now making sure each other is reaching our goals and that we are eating right and being there for each other and celebrating together.”

“There is nobody else in the world who I would rather wake up at five o’clock in the morning and spend the first part of my day with,” she adds.

At the same time, rowing has also shown the students their own individual strength.

Duffey says joining a sport by herself that she had no experience with wasn’t something that she would have done prior to attending Xavier.

“That’s taught me I can do hard things. I can do things alone. I can work as a team,” she says.

Days says the sport has increased her confidence and showed her the importance of celebrating successes, both big and small.

“What I’m most appreciative of is realizing the impact that self-confidence has on anything that you do,” she says. “You can’t do anything with determination, with purpose and perseverance, if you don’t have that voice inside your head telling you, ‘Do it again. You are supposed to be here. You are correct. You can do this.’ ”

The sun rises over Bayou St. John during an Xavier rowing practice.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY XAVIER ROWING

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EAT + DRINK

Dee-lightful

DEMOND “DEE” MATTHEWS NEVER WENT TO CULINARY SCHOOL or worked in restaurants previously. Yet here he is, the chef and owner of a thriving seafood restaurant, Dee’s Xquisite, in New Orleans East. And he’s about to open a second location in Baton Rouge.

The self-taught chef’s restaurant is known for boiled then char-grilled seafood, swabbed with deeply flavorful garlic butter. It’s a formula seven years in the making.

Matthews’ success is hard earned and collaborative. His team includes a core group of friends he’s had since his childhood growing up in the Florida housing projects in the 9th Ward. He says he’s been supported by family, neighbors, community and faith, a network that is at the heart of his accomplishments.

For nine years, Matthews worked in mental health, helping clients with schizophrenia, depression and addiction. After a long week, he’d hang with his friends at his brother Barry Matthews’ barber shop, X’quisite Stylez, on Louisa Street, close to his alma mater, George Washington Carver High School.

“Instead of buying seafood already boiled, we started boiling our own,” he says. “We were working out of one pot.”

Then one day he set a batch of leftover Dungeness crabs on the grill to defrost before watching a game. “My boys were like, ‘Hey Dee, these crabs are good!’ ” he said.

Parboiling the seafood and finishing with the smoky goodness of the grill became his thing.

Getting the garlic butter right was not easy, so a family friend, Mr. Dice, a long-time restaurant cook, helped.

“He mentored me,” Matthews says. He “said the flavor was good, but I was using the wrong butter. He helped me get the texture perfect. He passed a month later, and I’m forever grateful for his help.”

Word spread, and the weekly barbershop pop-ups drew long lines of customers. With family help, Matthews quit his job and jumped

named for Kobe Bryant, a feast for four to five people for $120.99.

FORK + CENTER

Hog wild

BACK IN 2009, TWO FRIENDS DECIDED TO HOST A PIG ROAST to raise money to help a family in need, and they were able to give $7,500. This year, the organization that grew from this benevolent impulse brought in $5.25 million.

The 17th annual Hogs for the Cause barbecue cook-off and festival drew sold-out crowds to its April 4-5 events. It also smashed its own fundraising record of a year before by nearly $1 million.

For two days, Hogs for the Cause turned the grounds at the UNO Lakefront Arena into a festive landscape of barbecue, music and New Orleans good times. It also was a showcase of determined generosity and service to others.

The organization supports families dealing with pediatric brain cancer, and since Becker Hall and Rene Louapre started it with that first pig roast, it has become the most important funder for this work nationally.

into the business full bore. His first location was on St. Bernard Avenue, but when he lost his lease, a customer with real estate in the East stepped in to assist.

“My guys were like, “We’re going to the East, wait what?’ ” Matthews says.

“But the East is the best thing that has happened to me since I’ve been doing this. We are supported by New Orleanians, the neighborhood.”

Dee’s Exquisite is in the old Club Whispers at 8700 Lake Forest Blvd.

It’s a large space with a big bar, a scattering of tables and an orange, white and green color scheme like his high school colors. Local muralist Ken Artz (@kenisart) painted a crab on one wall, which Matthews adopted as his logo.

The restaurant’s biggest sellers are the combo packages of Dungeness, snow and blue crabs, shrimp, lobster tail, oysters, corn, turkey necks and potatoes. Diners can add a rib-eye for surf-and-turf, or super-size with the Mambo,

Seafood is offered by the pound with sides. There are char-grilled oysters, blackened chicken pasta, fried and grilled shrimp, as well as po-boys and fried seafood platters.

“I learned how to do all of that on this journey,” Matthews says.

Matthews is planning to close for a few weeks to renovate when the Baton Rouge restaurant opens in May. With the addition of more tables and booths, Matthews will be able to take care of about 130 guests. The Baton Rouge location, which is off College Drive, close to both LSU and Southern University, is about the same size and has an oyster bar and outdoor patio.

Matthews admits that it hasn’t been easy learning the restaurant business. Hurricane Ida just about broke him.

“I had to recommit, to fall back in love,” he says. “I didn’t want to expand too soon. Now, I think we’re ready. I have a strong team. Next, we’re thinking about Houston. We did a pop-up and sold 900 plates in three days. But let’s see how Baton Rouge goes. Taking things one step at a time.”

The nearly 100 teams taking part fuel the giant charity cook-off with the food they serve through the weekend and the money they raise throughout the year. They also compete for awards across a range of categories. Here are the winning teams for 2025.

• Grand Champion: Hog Addiction

• Whole hog: Hog Addiction

• Ribs: Pork Illustrated

• Pork butt/shoulder: Fire & Spice

• Porkpourri (creative pork dish): Sir Pork-A-Lot

• Best sauce: Chew Forks Farms

• Best side dish: Team Stabbin

• Best bacon dish: House of Hogs

• Best chicken wings: Fire & Spice

• Fan favorite: Pork Belly Cartel

• Best Friday night party: The

Nest

Boar’s

Hog Addiction won top honors at Hogs for the Cause.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOGS FOR THE CAUSE

Boiled and char-grilled seafood at Dee’s Xquisite by Beth D’Addono |

Demond ‘Dee’ Matthews opened Dee’s Xquisite seafood restaurant.

CHERYL GERBER / GAMBIT

• Best booth: House of Hogs

• Best social media: 2nd Hand Smokers

• Top fundraising team: Fleur de Que ($750,000)

• More than $250,000: Hogwatch, The Boar’s Nest, March of the Pigs, Morten Anderson’s Mullets.

• More than $100,000: Bark & Bite BBQ, Devil Moon BBQ, Glazed & Confused, Deswine Intervention, Swine Krewe, River Pork Pilots, House of Hogs, Piggy Stardust, Hoggystyle, Mr. Pig Stuff and Mr. Pigglesworth

— Ian McNulty / The Times Picayune

Star power

NEW ORLEANS IS FAMOUS AROUND THE WORLD for food. Soon, the city’s restaurant scene will be getting new attention from a global brand that is a byword for culinary excellence.

The Michelin Guide recently announced it will begin assessing and ranking restaurants in New Orleans and around Louisiana for the first time. Rankings, including potentially its coveted Michelin Stars, are set to be doled out later this year.

Michelin says its reviewers, called inspectors, are already at work visiting restaurants for potential inclusion. Louisiana isn’t alone. It will be part of a regional guide called the Michelin Guide American South that takes in five more states: Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. This reflects a new approach from Michelin, which has previously turned its attention to individual cities or states as its guides expand in the U.S.

The new guide, which will be online, also will include restaurants in Michelin’s Atlanta Guide, which was started in 2023.

Michelin announced the new guide with the regional tourism marketing group Travel South USA at its conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

In New Orleans, the news comes after years of speculation over when the city might be up for inclusion in the Michelin Guide. Arguing over which restaurants would be likely contenders has long been a parlor sport of local dining aficionados.

Some restaurants set their sights on Michelin attention well before the announcement. After more than 30 years in business, Emeril’s Restaurant emerged in 2023 from a transformative renovation and with a tasting menu format clearly aligned with Michelin star-level standards. This new edition of Emeril’s has since drawn other global rankings.

Michelin deploys its inspectors to dine anonymously at restaurants in its

chosen markets and assess them based on the quality of food, service and atmosphere. Some will be awarded stars on a three-star system, the highest rankings Michelin offers. Fewer than 300 restaurants in the U.S. now have a star rating at any level, and just 14 have the highest three-star rank.

Others may get Bib Gourmand recognition, typically for more casual, less-costly restaurants giving good quality and value, and some may also be included as “recommended restaurants” in Michelin’s online guide, without a specific award status.

New Orleans & Co., the city’s tourism sales and marketing agency, and the Louisiana Office of Tourism are two of the local groups from the region that partnered with Michelin on the new guide, providing financial support for its entry in the market, a practice that’s become standard as Michelin has expanded in the U.S. The groups did not release financial terms of the partnership.

Walt Leger III, president and CEO of New Orleans & Co., called it a milestone in efforts to attract more international tourism and culinary tourism more broadly.

“New Orleans’ culinary scene is known and celebrated around the world as truly remarkable,” Leger said. “We look forward to aligning with one of the most well-respected travel brands in the world, Michelin, known the world over for excellence in culinary achievement. Michelin’s presence will showcase the incredible creativity of our local culinary professionals and demonstrate our restaurants’ ability to continue pushing the boundaries of cuisine through our own unique lens.”

Even before the guide announcement, New Orleans has increasingly been on Michelin’s radar. Last year, the

brand started a new rating system for U.S. hotels, called Michelin Keys, similar in concept to restaurant stars, awarding key symbols. Six New Orleans hotels made the list: Columns, The Celestine, Hotel Peter and Paul, Hotel Saint Vincent, Maison Metier and the Pontchartrain Hotel.

Earlier this year, Michelin released a French-language travel guide to New Orleans, part of a new guide division distinct from its restaurant rating system, aimed at overseas tourists coming to the Crescent City.

The city’s restaurants and culinary reputation are a big part of its draw for tourism and events, and lately it has been racking accolades. In March, Time Out named New Orleans the top food destination in the world.

Last year, the city was the first in North America to host an event for Bocuse d’Or, known as the World Cup of cuisine. Next year New Orleans will again hold the bi-annual qualifying round for countries in North America and South America vying to make it to the Bocuse d’Or and related Pastry World Cup finals in Lyon, France.

While Michelin Stars and reviews have been part of the dining world for more than a century, they were a European institution until relatively recently when a global expansion began.

The first U.S. guide, for New York, appeared in 2005, and since then its range has been gradually expanding, one state or group of cities at a time.

Texas was the latest addition, late in 2024, with 15 restaurants in cities around the state getting one-star reviews and more featured in the guide below star level.

Michelin guides now expand with financial backing from cities, tourism agencies and other associations and corporate sponsors, which underwrite the expenses of the group’s research and reviews. That practice has drawn some criticism in the industry, though Michelin has maintained that once it enters a market its culinary judgments and editorial decisions remain independent. — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune

Michelin recognition is posted outside Le Bouchon Sully in Lyon, France.

PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Nina Compton

Chef

by Will Coviello

CHEF NINA COMPTON OPENED HER FIRST RESTAURANT IN NEW ORLEANS after coming to the city to compete on a season of “Top Chef.” Now she’s got three restaurants, and she just released a cookbook, “Kweyol / Creole,” which traces her life and love of food, from her home in St. Lucia to other major stops in her career, including Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Miami, though there were many stops along the way, including British boarding school and top fine dining kitchens in New York. “Kweyol / Creole” is a personal account, and it shares experiences and dishes from the four major cities of her career. There are daily staples, some cocktails and signature dishes, like the goat curry with sweet potato gnocchi she serves at Compere Lapin. For more information, see @ninacompton on Instagram.

In the book, you say becoming a chef is about more than learning skills, it’s about finding your voice. How did that work for you?

NINA COMPTON: For me, becoming a chef started off taking care of my family, making my family happy by cooking. Then realizing that I could cook for other people and hopefully make them happy as well. That was the entry into cooking. But now, I remember when we got the opportunity to open the restaurant, Compere Lapin. People asked, “What kind of cuisine are you going to cook?” Nobody had ever asked me that because I had always worked under other chefs and cooked their food. Being on “Top Chef” there were no boundaries, and that made me more creative as a chef. Each step, I evolved. I was on TV cooking Caribbean food. I felt like we had a place at the table as well, as Caribbean people. It was: How do we show people the beauty of Creole cuisine, and my interpretation of Creole cuisine in St. Lucia and ending here in New Orleans? The book is a journey of the four different chapters of Creole cuisine in how it evolved and the influences in it.

How do you describe the variety of food in the Caribbean?

C: I always tell people the Caribbean has different influences from all over

the world. Each island is very different. When you look at who colonized each area, they each have a different influence. Let’s take Barbados. There isn’t a lot of Indian or East Indian influence there, whereas in St. Lucia we have a lot. And the same thing in Trinidad. So it’s about who came before us. Everybody wants to know where their family is from. How did mangos end up in St. Lucia? How did breadfruit end up there? You find all these things, and it’s really a huge history lesson. I think people are paying attention more. I think people have a huge sense of pride when they know their background. As the years have come along, we have more technology to find that information.

Caribbean food is not just about jerk chicken and rice and peas. It’s really about different influences. Talking about Cuban food, Haitian food, just the different influences all the islands have and showcasing the different elements.

The Miami chapter was instrumental. There’s a lot of Caribbean influence in Miami. I wanted to talk about that as well, because it switched into more of a Latin Afro-Caribbean lens. Talking about Cuban, Dominican, Puerto Rican food. Everybody is basically incorporated in this book. Everybody gets a shout-out about how beautiful their cuisine is.

In the Caribbean, everybody has plantains, everybody has mangos. But everybody treats them differently. For example, green plantains: We didn’t fry them. Now we do, because

everybody has caught on to how good they are. Seeing the different interpretations of how people treat them was eye-opening.

In the Caribbean, lots of people have a specialty. I talk about this guy Juicy Black, who does only cornmeal porridge. That’s all he does. It’s a thing that’s common: Somebody only makes one dish, and they’re great at it. So why do something else?

That’s a Caribbean mentality: Doing a small menu, and when they sell out, they sell out. I see a lot of these memes on Instagram. People say, “Oh, when we go to this Jamaican restaurant, they’re always out of the oxtails.”

But it’s like, “Hey, I made a really great batch, and that’s all we have.” In the Bahamas, there are places that only serve conch. There’s no chicken, there’s no snapper, it’s just that. When you see those kind of things, it makes it more special, because they’re putting all their heart, all their energy into that one dish.

What kinds of recipes did you want to include in the book?

C: I wanted to document the dishes that people know, say for example, jerk chicken and rice and peas, but also dishes that are more ‘if you know, you know.’ With the green fig (green banana) and saltfish, if you are from St. Lucia, you know that dish. I wanted to stay true to those things. There are a lot of people who go to the Caribbean and don’t eat like a local. I want people to come and be like, “Hey, I want to try this.” It’s encouraging people to go and try to get the saltfish, or the callaloo, something that is not the regular culprits. Cow heel soup is a dish that people request all of the time. The recipe for milk punch is the recipe that my dad made every Christmas. Having that and my mom’s soursop and my grandmother’s tea sandwiches and my sister’s cookies — those are recipes that when I go home, I want to make sure I get them every single time. I want people to have fun with it. And don’t make it a coffee table book. With the recipes in the book, I wanted them to be for the home cook. We wanted to have a beautiful book with vibrant colors that really grab people, but I want people to understand Caribbean culture. There’s a lot of depth in there. I really want people to enjoy our cuisine.

WI NE OF THE WEEK

Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon

Aseamless blend of crème de cassis, hazelnut, cocoa, andblackberry pie along with hintsofdark licorice, strawberry, spice and vanilla, with rich and satisfying ﬂavors of dark chocolate,molasses, brownsugar and rhubarb notespresentedinperfect balancewith higher-toned fruit emphasis in this Napa ValleyCabernet.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY DENNY CULBERT

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

Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — This Mid-City sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ices, cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and more. There also are coffee drinks. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $

Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant.com — Gulf Drum Yvonne is served with brown butter sauce with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. There also are seafood pasta dishes, steaks, lamb chops and more. Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$

Bamboula’s — 514 Frenchmen St.; bamboulasmusic.com — The live music venue’s kitchen offers a menu of traditional and creative Creole dishes, such as Creole crawfish crepes with goat cheese and chardonnay sauce. Reservations accepted. Lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$

The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 118 Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985) 315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com — Basin barbecue shrimp are served with rosemary garlic butter sauce over cheese grits with a cheese biscuit. The menu includes po-poys, fried seafood platters, raw and char-grilled oysters, boiled seafood in season, and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lakeview: Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Slidell: Lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$

Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 581-3866; broussards.com — Rainbow trout amandine is served with tasso and corn macque choux and Creole meuniere sauce. Brunch includes Benedicts, chicken and waffles and more. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ Cafe Normandie — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The menu combines classic French dishes and Louisiana items like crab beignets with herb aioli. Sandwiches include po-boys, a muffuletta on flatbread and a burger. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch Mon.-Sat., dinner Fri.-Mon. $$

The Commissary — 634 Orange St., (504) 2741850; thecommissarynola.com — A smoked turkey sandwich is served with bacon, tomato jam, herbed cream cheese, arugula and herb vinaigrette on honey oat bread. The menu includes dips, salads, sandwiches, boudin balls, fried oysters and more. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Sat. $$ Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative Creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken and andouille jambalaya. There also are crab cakes, shrimp and grits, crawfish etouffee, po-boys and more. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Dahla — 611 O’Keefe Ave., (504) 766-6602; dahlarestaurant.com — The menu includes popular Thai dishes like pad thai, drunken noodles, curries and fried rice. Crispy skinned duck basil is prepared with vegetables and Thai basil. Delivery available. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$

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. The menu also includes po-boys, po-boys, gumbo, blackened fish, fried

$ — average dinner entrée under $10

$$ $11-$20

$$$ — $20-up

seafood platters and more. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House — 144 Bourbon St., (504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse.com

There’s a seafood raw bar with raw and charbroiled oysters, fish dip, crab fingers, shrimp and more. Redfish on the Half-shell is cooked skin-on and served with crab-boiled potatoes, frisee and lemon buerre blanc. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$

Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse — 716 Iberville St., (504) 522-2467; dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com — The menu includes a variety of steaks, plus seared Gulf fish, lobster pasta, barbecue shrimp and more. A 6-ounce filet mignon is served with fried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes and bearnaise. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$

El Pavo Real — 4401 S. Broad Ave., (504) 2662022; elpavorealnola.com — The menu includes tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, ceviche. tamales and more. Pescado Vera Cruz features sauteed Gulf fish topped with tomatoes, olives, onion and capers, served with rice and string beans. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and early dinner Tue.-Sat. $$

Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; 8140 Oak St., (504) 897-4800; juansflyingburrito.com — The Flying Burrito includes steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar jack cheese, black beans, rice, guacamole and salsa. The menu also includes tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, nachos, salads and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — The Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, ham, cheese and pickles. The eclectic menu also includes chargrilled oysters, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, fried seafood platters, pasta, salads and more. Delivery available. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

Kilroy’s Bar — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The bar menu includes sandwiches, salads and flatbreads, including one topped with peach, prosciutto, stracciatella cheese, arugula and pecans. No reservations. Lunch Fri.-Mon., dinner daily. $$

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) 265-1972; luziannecafe.com — Boudin Benedict features two poached eggs over boudin and an English muffin, served with green tomato chow chow and hollandaise. No reservations. Delivery available. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sun. $$

Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 4881881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab.

The menu also has noodle dishes, teriyaki and more. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$

Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves Italian dishes and specialties including chicken a la grande, shrimp Mosca, baked oysters Mosca and chicken cacciatore. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$

Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net — This counter-service spot serves po-boys dressed with sliced cabbage and Creole favorites like jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more. Breakfast is available all day. Delivery available. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes red beans and rice with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as shrimp Creole, seafood platters, po-boys, char-grilled and raw oysters, salads and more. Side items include carrot souffle, mac and cheese, cornbread dressing, sweet potato tots and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Nice Guys Bar & Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola.com — Char-grilled oysters are topped with cheese and garlic butter, and other options include oysters Rockefeller and loaded oysters. The creative menu also includes seafood bread, a Cajun-lobster potato, wings, quesadillas, burgers, salads, sandwiches, seafood pasta, loaded fries and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$

Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro — 720 Orleans Ave., (504) 523-1930; orleansgrapevine.com — The wine bar offers cheese boards and appetizers to nosh with wines. The menu includes Creole pasta with shrimp and andouille in tomato cream sauce. Reservations accepted for large parties. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$

Palace Cafe — 605 Canal St., (504) 523-1661; palacecafe.com — The contemporary Creole menu includes crabmeat cheesecake with mushrooms and Creole meuniere sauce. Outdoor seating available. Reservations recommended. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$

Parish Grill — 4650 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 100, Metairie, (504) 345-2878; parishgrill. com — The menu includes burgers, sandwiches,

pizza and sauteed andouille with fig dip, blue cheese and toast points. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$

Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com — At brunch, braised short rib grillades are served over grits with mushrooms, a poached egg and shaved truffle. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunch Sun. $$ Rosie’s on the Roof — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The rooftop bar has a menu of sandwiches, burgers and small plates. Crab beignets are made with Gulf crabmeat and mascarpone and served with herb aioli. No reservations. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Tableau — 616 St. Peter St., (504) 934-3463; tableaufrenchquarter.com — The menu features traditional and creative Creole dishes. Pasta bouillabaisse features squid ink mafaldine, littleneck clams, Gulf shrimp, squid, seafood broth, rouille and herbed breadcrumbs. Outdoor seating available on the balcony. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Thu.-Sun. $$$

Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 827-1651; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes raw and char-broiled oysters, seafood platters, po-boys, fried chicken, crab and corn bisque and more. Redfish St. Charles is served with garlic-herb butter, asparagus, mushrooms and crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 5104282; 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza. com — A Marilynn Pota Supreme pie is topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. There also are salads, sandwiches, wings, breadsticks and more. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $ The Vintage — 3121 Magazine St., (504) 3247144; thevintagenola.com — There’s a full coffee drinks menu and baked goods and beignets, as well as a full bar. The menu has flatbreads, cheese boards, small plates and a pressed veggie sandwich with avocado, onions, arugula, red pepper and pepper jack cheese. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Dahla (611 O’Keefe Ave., 504-766-6602; dahla-restaurant.com) serves curry duck and more in the CBD.

PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

Bunarchy

Costumed participants hunt for cocktails instead of Easter eggs in this annual bunny-themed bar hop in the Marigny. Costumes range from the saccharine sweet to horrifying and anarchic, and either way, the event raises funds for the Louisiana SPCA. The festivities begin at Marie’s Bar at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 19. Find tickets and information at noomoon.net/nolabunarchy or @nolabunarchy on Instagram.

Caroline Rose

Though her first two albums leaned into country and folk, the singer-songwriter has crafted a broad indie pop sound on recent projects. She released “the year of the slug” in February. She performs at 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, at Gasa Gasa. Tickets $23.83 via gasagasanola.com.

Gay Easter Parade

The Gay Easter Parade will be led by Grand Marshals Malaysia Walker and Will Antill. Walker is a drag performer, advocate for trans rights and the reigning Miss Pride Tupelo. The parade of 20 carriages and marching groups circles the French Quarter starting at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 20. The event raises funds for Food for Friends. Visit gayeasterparade. com for information.

Grateful Shred

Hailing not from the Bay Area but Los Angeles’ Echo Park neighborhood, Grateful Shred started as musicians with other bands got together and grooved to Grateful Dead songs, with their own laid-back style of grooving, harmonizing and guitar noodling. As Dead offshoot and tribute bands took off in the last decade, Grateful Shred also jumped into the touring game. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, at Toulouse Theatre. Tickets $32.22 (including fees) via toulousetheatre.com.

The Sklar Brothers

Twin brothers Randy and Jason are comedians and actors who’ve appeared on “Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and have released several comedy albums and specials. But they may be best known for the sports commentary show they hosted on ESPN, “Cheap Seats,” a name they used in a more recently spun-off podcast. They perform comedy at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, at Sports Drink. Tickets $25 via sportsdrink.org.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

French Quarter Easter Parade

The Easter parade marks its 40th anniversary. The procession features floats, bands, throws, big Easter bonnets and more as it circles the French Quarter. There’s a hat contest before the parade. The parade begins at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 20, at Royal and St. Louis streets. Visit frenchquartereasterparade.com for details.

Bayou Fest

The Sankofa park dedicated to recreation and conservation hosts a festival celebrating Earth Day and Easter. Bayou Fest features an Easter egg hunt, a brass band, barbecue, nature activities, STEM activities, a fishing clinic and more. At 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Sankofa Wetlands Park and Nature Trail. Visit sankofanola.org for information.

Drivin N Cryin

Though he’s from Milwaukee, Kevin Kinney has been at the wheel of Georgia’s Southern rockers Drivn N Cryin for four decades. The band parks at Chickie Wah Wah for two nights of shows, at 9 p.m. Thursday, April 17, and Friday, April 18. Tickets $25 via chickiewahwah.com.

Crescent City Classic

The Crescent City Classic gathers thousands of runners to make a 10-kilometer trek from Poydras Street near the Superdome to the French Quarter and the finish line in City Park. There’s everyone from professional racers to people running in costumes, and there are prizes for the best costumes. Post-race festivities in the park include awards presentations, music, inflatables and games for kids and more. There’s a health and fitness expo at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans on Thursday, April 17, and Friday, April 18. The race starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 19. To register or find info, visit ccc10k.com.

Gabby Bryan

Comedian, actress and podcaster, Gabby Bryan released a crowd work special called “Girl Town Hall,” and she doesn’t hold back on the downsides of aging or the flaws of her least favorite generations. She performs stand-up at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at The Howlin’ Wolf. Tickets $25 via thehowlinwolf.com.

FO R COM PL ETE MUSIC L ISTINGS AND MO R E EVENTS TAKING PL ACE IN THE NEW O RL EANS A R EA, VISIT CALENDAR.GAMBITWEEKLY.COM

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

MONDAY 14

BAMBOULAS — The Rug Cutters, 12 pm; Jon Roniger Band, 5:30 pm; Sugar ‘n Blue, 9 pm

BJ’S — Red Beans & Blues with Alex McMurray and Luke Allen, 9 pm

BOURBON O BAR — Vince Henningfeld Duo, 4 pm; Blue Horn Jazz Band, 8 pm

BROADSIDE Lilli Lewis Birthday Bash, 7:30 pm

EAST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARY Spring Concert, 7 pm

FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

Matinee All Star Band, 1 pm; Tin Men, 5 pm; Richard "Piano" Scott and Friends, 8 pm

GASA GASA — John Maus, 9 pm

HOLY DIVER Stereodad Presents: Pressure Drop!, 10 pm

THE MAPLE LEAF George Porter Jr. Trio, 7 and 10 pm

SANTOS Karaoke with Sunshine Edae, 10 pm

SATURN BAR Piano Night with BC Coogan, 8 pm

TUESDAY 15

BAMBOULAS Swingin’ with John Saavedra, 12 pm; Giselle Anguizola Quartet, 4:30 pm; Caitie B. & The Hand Me Downs, 9 pm

BOURBON O BAR — Dr. Zach, 4 pm; Shawan Rice Trio, 8 pm

FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

— Richard "Piano" Scott , 1 pm; Colin Myers Band, 5 pm; ritzel's All Star Band with Kevin Ray Clark, 8 pm

GASA GASA — Caroline Rose, 9 pm

HOLY DIVER — Piano Happy Hour with Herietta, 8 pm

THE MAPLE LEAF The Boneshakers with John Papa Gros, 8 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE Rebirth Brass Band, 8:30 pm

SALON SALON IN MAISON MÉTIER Or Shovaly Plus, 7 pm

TIPITINA’S Soul Coughing, 7 pm

WEDNESDAY 16

BAMBOULAS — J.J. and the A-OKs, 12 pm; Boardwalker & The 3 Finger Swingers, 4:30 pm; The Queen & Friendz, 9 pm

BLUE NILE Yoshitaka “Z2” Tsuji, 8 pm; New Breed Brass Band, 10 pm

BOTANICAL GARDEN AT CITY PARK —

Evenings with Enrique , 5 pm

BOURBON O BAR — High Standards, 4 pm; Serabee, 8 pm

BROADSIDE — Lulu and the Broadsides, 7 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH Jon Cleary, 8 pm

FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard "Piano" Scott, 1 pm; Bourbon Street Stars, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Kevin Ray Clark and Gunhild Carling, 8 pm

GASA GASA Yung Senju with Tavi, Flow Mvnny, Joey Vesco, 8 pm

HOLY DIVER — Karaoke with Sunshine Edae, 10 pm

LASALLE RESTAURANT, HILTON

AIRPORT April Spain, 6 pm

THE MAPLE LEAF — Happy Organ Hour featuring Joe Ashlar, Stanton Moore and Chris Adkins, 9 pm

MARIGNY OPERA HOUSE Geovane Santos + Orkestra Maria Fumaça, 7 pm

NOPSI HOTEL — Nell SimmonsBradley, 6 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE — Dance Hall

Classics with DJ T-Roy, 10 pm

SATURN BAR Another Thought – The Arthur Russell Cover Show, 8 pm

THURSDAY 17

BAMBOULAS — F. k-rrera Music Group, 12 pm; Cristina Kaminis and the Mix, 5:30 pm; Wolfe Johns Blues, 9 pm

BJ’S — Woods on Fire, 9 pm

BLUE NILE Irvin Mayfeld, 9 & 11 pm

BOURBON O BAR Tifany Hall , 4 pm; Audrey & The CrawZaddies, 8 pm

BROADSIDE — Sonic Chambers Quarter with Helen Gillet and Doug Garrison & Byron Asher, 8 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH — Drivin n Cryin, 9 pm

DOUBLE DEALER BAR — John Saavedra, 9 pm

FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

Richard "Piano" Scott, 12 pm; Doyle Cooper Band, 2 pm; John Saavedra Band, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Kevin Ray Clark and Gunhild Carling, 8 pm

HISTORIC BK HOUSE & GARDENS

Amanda Shaw, 5:30 pm

HOLY DIVER Happy Talk, 8 pm

THE MAPLE LEAF — Richard “Piano” Scott: Booker Piano Sessions, 6 pm; Johnny Vidacovich, 8 pm

ORPHEUM THEATER — Mahler "Song of the Earth", 7:30 pm THE PRESS ROOM AT THE ELIZA JANE D’Batiste & Friends, 5 pm

SANTOS Tainted Love 80s Dance Night, 10 pm

SATURN BAR Keaton Schiller, Autumn Dominguez and Feeferella, 8 pm

FRIDAY 18

BAMBOULAS The Rug Cutters, 11 am; Felipe Antonio’s Quinteto, 2:15 pm; Les Getrex and Creole Cookin’, 6:30 pm; Bettis and the 3rd Degree Brass Band, 10 pm

BJ’S — Slow Motion Cowboy with Max & The Martians, 9 pm

BLUE NILE The Caesar Brothers' FunkBox, 8 pm

BLUE NILE Kermit Rufns and the BBQ Swingers, 11 pm

BOURBON O BAR — Ellen Smith & April Spain, 4 pm; Mem Shannon Trio, 8 pm

BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK The Bad Sandys, 8 pm

Bon Bon Vivant plays The Broadside April 19 at 12 pm

PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE

BROADSIDE — Susan Cowsill’s

Covered in Vinyl: Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue’ and ‘Court & Spark,’ 7:30 pm

CARROLLTON STATION Bon Bon Vivant, Sweet Magnolia, 9 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH — Drivin n Cryin, 9 pm

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS — Mia Borders, 6 pm

DOUBLE DEALER BAR — Jenavieve Cooke and the Winding Boys, 9 pm

FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

— Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Sam Friend Jazz Band, 2:30 pm; Sam Lobley Band, 6 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Kevin Ray Clark and Gunhild Carling, 9 pm

HOLY DIVER — Terrain with Across Phoenix, 8 pm

HOUSE OF BLUES NEW ORLEANS — Jacquees & Dej Loaf, 7 pm

THE MAPLE LEAF Jefery Broussard & The Nighttime Syndicate, 8 pm; GORF featuring Ari Teitel, 11 pm

THE PRESS ROOM AT THE ELIZA JANE — Or Shovaly Plus, 3 pm

SANTOS — Arco Latino with DJ Flav, 9 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE Badger, 10 pm

SEAWITCH OYSTER BAR & RESTAURANT Miss Sigrid and the Zigzags, 5 pm

TIPITINA’S The Soul Rebels and SaxKixAve, 8 pm

SATURDAY 19

BAMBOULAS The Jaywalkers, 11 am; Boardwalker & The 3 Finger Swingers, 1:30 pm; Johnny Mastro Blues, 6:30 pm; Paggy Prine and Southern Soul, 10 pm

BJ’S — Anna Moss and Bruisey Peets, 9 pm

BLUE NILE — George Brown Band, 8 pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM — The Next Level Band, 10 pm

BOURBON O BAR — Brian Wingard, 4 pm; The Blues Masters, 8 pm

BROADSIDE — Earth Day Fest

Presented by The Louisiana Bucket Brigade with Bon Bon Vivant, Yusa and Sally baby’s Silver Dollars, 12 pm; Big in the 90s Plays Weezer, 8 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH The Figs, 2 pm; Henri Hebert and Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars, 8:30 pm

FILLMORE Curren$y, 7 pm

FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

Steve Detroy Band, 1 pm; Bourbon Matinee All Star Band w/Chuck Brackman, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Jamil Sharif, 9 pm

GASA GASA — Pheiress, 11 pm

MUSIC

HOLY DIVER — Unnaturals album release show, 8 pm

THE MAPLE LEAF — South Austin Moonlighters, 8 pm; Zita featuring Mike Lemmler and Tucker Godbold, 11 pm

NOLA BREWING Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue, 7 pm

NOPSI HOTEL — Jazz Brunch, 9 am

ROCK 'N' BOWL — The Boogie Men, 8:30 pm

THE PRESS ROOM AT THE ELIZA

JANE Or Shovaly Plus, 4 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE — House Bliss, 10 pm

SATURN BAR — Alex McMurray Band, 6 pm

TIPITINA’S Lagniappe with DJ RQ Away, 10 pm

WILD BUSH FARM AND VINEYARD Mia Borders, 5 pm

SUNDAY 20

BAMBOULAS —Aaron Levinson & Friends, 11 am; Youse, 1:30 pm; Midnight Brawlers, 5:30 pm; Les Getrex and Creole Cookin’, 9 pm

BJ’S — James McClaskey and The Rythm Band, 9 pm

BLUE NILE Kayla Jasmine & the Experience, 6 pm; Street Legends Brass Band, 10 pm

BOURBON O BAR Queta Cavalier , 4 pm; Amber Rachelle & The Sweet Potatoes, 8 pm

BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK

— Doyle Cooper Band, 1 pm; Sazerac Jazz Band, 5 pm; The Bad Sandys, 8 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Mike Fulton, 8 pm

GASA GASA — Rare Seed with Low Hanging Fruit and Beach Angel, 9 pm

HOLY DIVER Head Cannon, Die with Nature and The Pause, 8 pm

THE MAPLE LEAF — Sketchy 420 with Best Buds Johnny Sketch and The DIrty Notes, 4:20 pm; James Jordan and the Situation, 8 pm

NOPSI HOTEL — Jazz Brunch, 9 am

SANTOS — Easter Egg C*unt, 6 pm

SATURN BAR — TV Pole Shine, The Bomb Pulse and Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars, 8 pm

SCAN FOR THE COMPLETE GAMBIT CALENDAR

Relaxonour TR OPIC AL CO UR TYAR D OR SI DE WA LK SE AT IN G with afresh cocktail, wine or dinner!

NOTICEOFVACANCYONTHE SEWERAGE &WATER BOARDOFNEW ORLEANS For Consumer/Community Advocate

The Sewerage and WaterBoardofNew Orleans announces aDeclared Vacanc y, efec tive Wedne sday,March 19,2025, of one (1)existingseatonits BoardofDirec tor sfor aC onsumer/Communit yAdvocate.

Pur suant to La.R .S .33:40 71,the Se wera ge a nd Water Boar do fNew Or lean sher eb ygiv es no tice that it is ac ce pt ing applicat ions fr om pe rs on si nter es te dins er vingo nthe Bo ar do fD ir ec tor sa saC onsumer/ Communit yA dv ocate.

The Sewerage and Water BoardofNew Orleans is comprisedofelevenmembers,seven of which arecitizensappointedbythe mayorwiththe adviceand consent of the City Council from alistofnominees submittedbythe Sewerage andWater BoardS election Committee

TheS ewerage and Water BoardS election Committeeiscomprisedofrepre sentatives from thefollowing organizations: DillardUniversit y, Loyola Univer sit y, Tulane Univer sit y, Xavier Univer sit y, Delgado Community College, Southern Univer sit yatNew Orleans,Universit yofNew Orleans,New Orleans Chamber of Commerce,New Orleans Regional BlackChamber of Commerce,and theUrban League of GreaterNew Orleans

ELIGIBILITY,PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

The term of oficefor member sappointedtothe Sewerage and WaterBoardofNew Orleans is four year s. Additionally, amembershall serveno morethant wo consecutiveterms of ofice.

Each nomineeshall be aregistered voter in Orleans Parish and shall have been adomiciliar yofOrleans Parish fort wo year sprior to his/her appointment. Please note that nominees forthe Council Distric tvacancie smustresideinthe City CouncilDistric tfor whichheorshe applied. Consumer/C ommunit yAdvocate nominees may re side anywhere in Orleans Parish

Each nomineeshall have experienceinarchitecture, environmental quality,finance,accounting,businessadministration,engineering,law, public health, urban planning,facilitie smanagement ,publicadministration, science, construc tion, businessmanagement ,community or consumer advocac y, or other pertinent discipline s.

Allmember softhe BoardofDirec tor softhe Sewerage and WaterBoardofNew Orleans must comply with alle thical requirement sof Louisianalaw,including butnot limitedtothe filing of financialstatements pursuanttoL a. R. S. 42 ,e t. seq.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Re sponses should include adetailedresume or curriculum vitae forthe prospectiveboardmember. Application re sponse sshall also contain an afidavit of the applicant verifying that he/she possesse sthe eligibilit yrequirement s, professionalqualifications ,and experienceasoutlined abovetoser ve as amember of the BoardofDirec tor softhe Sewerage andWater BoardofNew Orleans as aC onsumer/C ommunity Advocate. Ifyou areinterestedinser ving as the Consumer Advocate,you arewelcomedtovisit our websiteand initiate theapplication processat: https://www.swbno.org/Notice s/Vacanc yC onsumerAdvocate Allapplications must be submittedto: ProspectiveBoardMemberApplications@swbno.org

Thedeadlinefor receiving applications is the closeofbusine ss on Monday,April 21,2025, which is approximately 30 days after the Declaration of Vacanc y. If applicant shaveany que stions ,pleasecontac tthe BoardRelations oficeat504 -585-2 190orbyemail ProspectiveBoardMemberApplications@swbno.org

ForC ouncil District C

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MUSIC

Gut check

by Jake Clapp

NICK CORSON AND DUNCAN TROAST DIDN’T HAVE MUCH PLANNED when they started working on the songs that would make up “Like Cartoon Vampires,” their new album together as The Convenience. Really, there were no plans. The two New Orleans multi-instrumentalists were going in blind and seeing what happened.

“I think that’s always been kind of the way we work,” Corson says. “It’s most fun for us when we’re doing things that we don’t know [the result], when it’s kind of an experiment or a mystery to us how it’ll turn out.”

It was a similar process to how the duo made their first full-length album, “Accelerator,” a shiny, funky, synthdriven pop record. Corson and Troast play in the New Orleans indie pop band Video Age — as well as on the road with the Austin, Texas, band Hovvdy — and those influences can be heard on The Convenience’s 2021 record.

For “Like Cartoon Vampires,” though, Corson and Troast gave themselves more limitations. They stripped away the keys and layers of effects and focused on guitar work, resulting in a captivating post-punk record full of interesting textures and raucous turns.

The Convenience releases “Like Cartoon Vampires” on Friday, April 18, on Los Angeles label Winspear, and the band plays a release show on Friday, May 2, at No Dice with Pope and Grape Candy.

Corson, who’s from San Francisco, and Troast, from New Jersey, originally met while both were at Loyola University New Orleans. A few years later, they ended up playing together in singer-songwriter Grady Bell’s band Fishplate, and the band recorded an album with producer and engineer Ross Farbe. Soon after Corson and Troast began playing with Farbe and Ray Micarelli in their band Video Age. Meanwhile, Corson and Troast started to get together and record their own material, and in 2018 released a short EP of psychedelic pop. Recording “Accelerator” followed, and Winspear picked up the album for its 2021 release.

But during the pandemic and in the few years since, both Corson and Troast started to reflect on their musicmaking. Corson found time to listen to more music, reconnecting to a love for rock, punk and jazz, he says.

Meanwhile, Troast, who has mainly played piano and keys in the past, began turning more to the guitar and diving into albums by the English postpunk band The Fall and releases on the label ZE Records.

“We were getting together in our practice space, and we’d both be playing guitars and that was exciting,” Troast says. “Nick had the tape recorder, and we’d just record ourselves playing, free improvising. We’d put guitars into weird tunings, and it felt really visceral.”

So for close to a year and a half, Corson and Troast would meet up about once a week, hit record and see what happened. They’d follow the raw threads of things they liked, edit the recordings and add drums, bass and other instrumentation.

“I love the feeling of just coming up with something and then immediately jumping into recording and not having any idea of what the song should sound like yet,” Corson says. “It’s more of an exciting discovery process, rather than trying to reach some vision you have in your head.”

Similarly, Corson’s process of writing lyrics for “Like Cartoon Vampires” was more instinctual and improvisational than on past Convenience recordings, leading to songs reflecting on contemporary, consumerist culture and disillusionment with a world that’s steadily growing more dystopian.

“A lot of it was kind of automatic writing, but we couldn’t help but feel like the end of the world was happening as we were making the record,” Corson says. “I think that was just sort of unavoidable.”

Find The Convenience and links to “Like Cartoon Vampires” on Instagram: @theconvenienceband.

Duncan Troast and Nick Corson are The Convenience.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY PHILLIP THOMPSON

PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE

SEEING S-STARS

By Frank A. Longo

ACROSS

1 Spring bloom

7 Apple phone or tablet, e.g.

14 Emergency situations

20 Rat, for one

21 Capital of Tuscany, to Italians

22 “Don’t mention it,” in Spanish

23 Witty literary critic who started lots of fires?

25 Metal-on-metal sounds 26 Bullfight yells

Love letter “hugs”

U.S. org. with operatives

prison 40 Diamond arbiters 42 Female goats 43 “Pose” Emmy winner who flaunts his clothes? 45 Tin can compressors, e.g. 49 Low-pH 50 Certain antique auto

4x4 trucks, in brief

Farrow of film 53 Managed 54 Actor Nick

“Ben- --”

76 Rip- -- (swindles)

80 Country Music Hall of Famer who was bursting with pride?

84 Roman 1,053

5B DS ,2B AS ,2 ,5 30 SF

Char ming Historic al Double builtin1895. GreatInvestment Opportunity!!! Tenantspay all utilities. $3450RentalRevenue! 3913 hasa Living Room,3 Lrg Bdrms&anEat-inKitchen.3915 has Dble Parlor w/ aSideHallthatallowsfor Independent Bdrms. LrgUpdated Kitchen. Both unitshaveLotsof Closets. Roof replaced &exteriorpainted 3years ago. Neighborhood places include TheBywater Bakery,The Joint, Jack Dempsey’s, Bacchanal&Vaughan’s.Easily Accessible to FrenchmenSt&the Fr.Qtr $395,000

86 Meyers of “Kate & Allie”

B&B, e.g.

“Freeze!”

In a regular, even way

“To Kill a Mockingbird”

winner who had a tiny birthmark?

“Forget it!”

all of one’s dough

4BR, 4BAHomeonPrettyBlock 1stFlr hasHdwdFlrs& Lots of Natural Light&2Ensuite Bdrms. Kitchenhas Cool MidCentury Modern design.2nd Flrhas 2Lrg EnsuiteBdrms w/ Cathedral Ceilgs &Bamboo Flrs.Primary Bathroom has aClawfootTub & tiledwalkinShower.Bkydhas lovely Patiow/est Garden Bed. Rear Bldg previously rented has potentialasaGuest Cottageorrental. Convenient Location w/ access to Tulane &Loyola+Claiborne Ave, direct routetoDowntown&1-10. OffStreetPrkg! $595,000

2016, 2017,2020& 2022

loose lips are said to do

81 See 79-Down

82 Polish labor leader Lech

83 Bridge writer Culbertson

84 One of a pair of Armageddon nations

85 “Who’s there?” reply

89 Aquatic bird

91 Health facility

It may hold a doz. eggs

Nordstrom rival, in brief

Liable to offend some

Director Ang

Dollar parts

Spanish painter Joan

Place to vote

Sodium chloride 68 “Hey, check it out!” 69 Parisian “yes”

Expensive

Biathlon gear 72 “-- it the truth!”

73 -- Reader (digital digest)

77 Inked forehead image, e.g.

78 Some bone injurers

79 With 81-Down, what

93 Liven up

94 Times two

95 Part of the NSA’s URL

96 Baseball stat 97 Stinks

99 See 103-Down

101 Doorposts

102 German sub

103 With 99-Down, “Bonanza” star

104 Died down

106 Iota follower

108 In favor of the plan

111 Hacked down

112 Ear-related

114 Hosp. parts

116 Total up

117 Shih -- (dog)

118 Dungeons & Dragons beast

119 Suffix with Carol

120 Dungeons & Dragons beast