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March 23-29 2026
Volume 47 Number 12
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Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Lit Fest turns 40
THE TENNESSEE WILLIAMS & NEW ORLEANS LITERARY
FESTIVAL HAS always been a forum for a large contingent of participating writers, but on its 40th anniversary, Williams is being celebrated with an array of special productions and events. Williams often described New Orleans as his spiritual home, and the city figures in many of his best known plays. He served as an inspiration for the festival, which began in 1986, three years after his death.
Some festival events have already happened, like the popular Stella Shouting Contest, which now falls on the prior Saturday and serves as a harbinger of coming events. The rest of the festival runs March 25-29, mainly at venues in and around the French Quarter, and there are TV and Broadway stars, author and tribute readings, theater productions, panel discussions, parties, walking tours and more.
by Will Coviello |
portion of proceeds benefit Blue Roses Project, a local nonprofit that supports queer artists. The event is at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Hotel Monteleone.
Among the writers in attendance are Robert Olen Butler, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his short story collection “A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain,” Michael Cunningham, who won a Pulitzer for his novel “The Hours,” and Justin Torres, whose novel “Blackouts” won the 2023 National Book Award for Fiction. They’ll participate in a group reading titled Thrumming to the Work of Art at 4 p.m. Friday at the Hotel Monteleone. Butler also will participate in the Williams tribute reading, focusing on the playwright’s women characters, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. They all will lead writing workshops during the week.
Playwright Martin Sherman, known for his Broadway show “Bent” and an adaptation of Williams’ “The Roman Summer of Mrs. Stone,” will be interviewed by NPR’s Maureen Corrigan, and he’ll participate in a tribute reading and panels as well.
Comedian and actor Billy Eichner headlines the Last Bohemia Soiree. Eichner is known for hosting his game show “Billy on the Street,” TV roles on “Parks and Recreation” and “Difficult People,” and voice work on Lion King movies and more. Eichner will preview his memoir, “Billy on Billy,” and be interviewed by playwright Jamie Wax. There’s also music by Chloe Marie. A
The fest opens with Williams in his own words. Los Angeles-based actor and producer Rick Simone-Friedland adapted Williams’ memoir to create “Kind Stranger … A Memory Play,” a one-man biopic show. The drama reveals Williams’ reflections on his own work, his personal life and relationships and more. The show is at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Le Petit Theatre. Scenes from “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Orpheus Descending” and “Sweet Bird of Youth” will be presented by a host of Broadway veterans in an immersive show spread throughout the historic BK House and gardens titled “We Have Not Long to Love: A Celebration of Tennessee Williams.” Michael Cerveris, Christine Ebersole, Leslie Castay and more are directed by Tony- and Emmy-winner Rob Ashford at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Several full productions of Williams’ work run concurrently with the festival. The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans is presenting “Small Craft Warnings” at Loyola University’s Lower Depths Theater. The drama premiered in 1972 and is set in a run-down seaside bar in Southern California. An odd assortment of characters, including a doctor who’s lost his license, bored neighbors and a gay couple that’s wandered in, drink away the night, slowly revealing themselves.
“A Streetcar Named Desire” is being presented by the Irene Collective at Big Couch in Bywater. One of Williams’ best known works, it captures the tortured soul of Blanche DuBois, who leaves the family estate behind in Mississippi and visits her sister Stella and her brutish husband Stanley Kowalski in New Orleans. Other productions include “Tennessee with the Tea,” a drag performance led by Debbie with a D and featuring Laveau Contraire, Zephyr, Kozmic, Muffy Vanderbuilt III and more. The Mudlark Puppeteers present Williams’ “The Gnadiges Fraulein,” an absurd and humorous one-act play about three failed Southern belles set in a Florida boarding house, at the Mudlark Public Theatre. Writing workshops are led by local writers including Maurice Carlos Ruffin, poet Skye Jackson, speculative fiction writer Marguerite Sheffer and more. A panel on debut novels and novelists features Addie Citchens, author of “Dominion.” Panel discussions and workshops focus on writing memoirs, researching a book, graphic novels, pitching a book to publishers and other topics.
The Historic New Orleans Collection hosts a scholarly conference on Friday, and sessions touch on Williams’ influence on playwrights, writers and filmmakers, including John Waters. There’s also a staged reading of a Williams short story, “Fin du Monde,” about a gay couple living in the French Quarter during World War II. Sessions are at the Williams Research Center.
Running concurrently with the festival is Saints & Sinners, an LGBTQ+ literary festival that formerly was part of Tennessee Williams Festival programming. It takes place March 27-29, mainly at the Hotel Monteleone, and some Williams Fest passes are good for Saints & Sinners panel discussions and workshops. Other Williams Fest events include the annual writing marathon, the Pinkley Prizes for Crime Fiction, historic walking tours in the French Quarter and more.
For a schedule and information, visit tennesseewilliams.net.
Congo Square Rhythms Festival
There’s music, African dance and a Black Masking Indian battle and more at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s free festival in Armstrong Park. The music lineup features the Zigaboo Modeliste Funk Revue, Kyle Roussel’s Church of New Orleans, New Breed Brass Band, Preservation Brass and more on Saturday, March 28. Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Tonya Boyd-Cannon, Juice and more perform on Sunday, March 29. Sunday also has dance groups including Kumbuka Dance Ensemble, N’Kafu n Culu, N’Fungola Sibo and more. There’s also a market as well as food and drink vendors. From 10:45 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. both days. Visit jazzandheritagefest.org for information.
NOLA Funk Fest reveal
The next NOLA Funk Fest is in October, but the lineup will be revealed this Saturday at a show featuring the Lost Bayou Ramblers, New Orleans Suspects and an all-star lineup of Irma Thomas, Ivan Neville, Cyril Neville, Jon Cleary, Erica Falls and more. At 7 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at Tipitina’s. Tickets $39.63 at tipitinas.com.
The Lumineers
The indie folk band The Lumineers built a following on songs like “Hey Ho,” “Ophelia,” “Stubborn Love” and more, with rousing chants and harmonies. The band’s latest release is last year’s “Automatic.” Shovels & Rope also performs. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26, at Smoothie King Center. Tickets $44.50 and up at ticketmaster.com.
PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
‘Small Craft Warnings’ PROVIDED PHOTO BY BRITTNEY WERNER
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The New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures, also called Nous, will use a $100,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to launch Archives Funèbres, a new program collecting, preserving and digitizing regional funeral materials such as obituaries, photographs and second-line programs. Kim Vaz-Deville, a scholar on Black Carnival traditions and the chief of staff at Dillard University, will lead the initiative’s fieldwork.
Audubon Aquarium Rescue, the Audubon Nature Institute’s program focused on helping injured and stranded marine mammals and sea turtles, recently released 29 rehabilitated sea turtles into the Gulf. Twenty-seven of the turtles came from the coast of Massachusetts, where they had been cold-stunned in the water during a freeze last fall, and another two turtles had been found near Port Fourchon following a similar dip in temperatures. The turtles had been sent to Audubon for care and recovery before their release back into warmer waters.
LA congressional candidate wants more people carrying concealed guns in state capitol
LOUISIANA STATE SEN. RICK
EDMONDS IS PUSHING TO ALLOW
STAFF FROM a host of executive branch offices — ranging from the governor to the state’s insurance commissioner — to carry concealed guns in the state capitol building.
Existing law already allows a slew of officials to do so if they complete annual firearms training, including the governor, state lawmakers, judges, Louisiana congressional members, parish presidents and many others.
office to be allowed to conceal carry at the capitol.
The amendment also would ban designated assistants from carrying in the House and Senate chambers and legislative committee rooms.
It is unclear why other departmental staff — like Attorney General Liz Murrill’s — were left off the list. Current law appears to only allow Murrill and her security detail to carry concealed weapons in the capitol building.
THE NUMBER OF STRAY KITTENS THE LASPCA NORMALLY TAKES IN DURING THE SPRING
SEASON.
The organization has traditionally received some funding from the city because it helps with animal control. But due to the city’s budget crisis, LASPCA’s budget has been reduced by 38%. Meanwhile, the city is looking to slightly increase the rabies fee — a tag and proof of vaccination required for most owners of common pets in Orleans Parish — to help bridge the funding gap.
C’EST WHAT ?
What topic are you keeping a close eye on during this year’s legislative session?
REDISTRICTING
Several riders in the St. Patrick Parade of Jefferson performed Nazi salutes from the top of a float during the recent Metairie parade. The group was caught on video, and parade organizers issued a public apology and said the riders had been banned. Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng also said the parish would investigate.
But the Baton Rouge Republican and Southern Baptist pastor’s Senate Bill 277 drastically increases that list to a “designated assistant” of the governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, commissioner of agriculture and forestry and commissioner of insurance.
The Senate Judiciary C Committee passed the bill with little discussion and no objection on March 17. Edmonds did change the wording of the bill from the original “designated assistants” to “designated assistant,” intending one from each
Edmonds is running for 5th District Congressional seat to replace U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, who is running for Senate against U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy. It is not the only bill aimed at expanding who can carry guns and where. State Rep. Danny McCormick, an Oil City Republican, has a bill that would allow people 18 or older to carry guns on college campuses at both public schools and private schools that receive any state funding.
McCormick’s HB 94 has not been scheduled for a committee hearing as of press time. — Kaylee Poche
33.3%
State Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge
PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS / THE ADVOCATE
CAPTURE THE FLAG is back!
JOHN STANTON
Louisiana Legislature
THE 2026 SESSION OF THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE KICKED OFF AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH, and unlike the last several times they met, there isn’t a big bad bill that’s dominating discussion and threatening widespread negative changes to life in Louisiana — instead, there are a lot of small ones.
On its face, a quiet session of the legislature may seem like a good thing, or at least a chance for regular folks to not focus too much attention on the antics of their elected officials in Baton Rouge. That, however, would be a major mistake.
As of the writing of this column, there were 1,522 bills and resolutions filed in the state House and Senate. While most of those aren’t likely to become law or are duplicative measures, many, many of these bills will either pass outright or end up being added as amendments to bigger must pass bills.
And a lot of these bills are very bad. Sen. Valarie Hodges, a Denham Springs Republican, has a bill to give the state the right to seize the property of some immigrants from countries like China, Iran and Cuba. It smacks of the sort of racist measures states used in the 1940s to take the property of Japanese residents after they were sent to concentration camps across the country.
Rosepine Republican Rep. harles Owen’s HB 566 would bar the use of state funds to support net-zero greenhouse gas emissions policies — a key part of efforts to reduce climate change.
And Houma Rep. Beryl Amedee’s HB 737 would put thousands of children at risk of serious illness and death in the state by eliminating meningitis vaccine rules.
At the same time, though, there are several good bills before the legislature. New Orleans Democratic Rep. Delisha Boyd is again trying to push through an exemption for rape and incest to the state’s retrograde abortion ban law. Her Democratic colleague, New Orleans Rep. Mandie Landry is proposing a number of key affordability
measures, including some to help reduce or offset insurance costs.
And New Orleans Democratic Sen. Royce Duplessis has introduced a strong voting rights bill that would help protect all voters in the state and combat efforts to introduce backdoor Jim Crow style restrictions.
While politics, and in particular the politics at play during a legislative session, can feel like an overwhelming, rigged game, the truth is that public scrutiny and protest can — and have — made a difference.
Two years ago, Gov. Jeff Landry tried to push through a measure to allow him and a small cadre of conservative activists and business lobbyists to rewrite the state constitution. Public scrutiny of the constitutional convention process and Landry’s broader authoritarian agenda helped give enough Republicans the cover they needed to kill the plan.
A 2024 special session ended with a much more modest set of reforms than Landry had hoped to send to voters for approval, thanks to a combination of public opposition and parochial interests of some Republicans. Interest in the plan didn’t end with the session. In fact, voters would eventually go on to defeat the package in a stunning upset in March 2025 thanks to a grassroots education campaign. None of that would have happened if the public had let its guard down, even for a moment. For years, bad actors have waged relentless war to gut environmental laws, access to abortion and civil and human rights. Don’t make their job any easier by not paying attention this spring.
Gov. Jeff Landry addressing a joint session of the legislature POOL PHOTO BY JOHN BALLANCE
@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com
Hey Blake,
My parents’ wedding reception was held at the Walnut Room in Lakefront Airport. When did it open and what can you tell me about its history?
Dear reader,
THE WALNUT ROOM, NAMED FOR ITS STRIKING WALNUT WOOD WALLS, opened in 1940, six years after the opening of Lakefront Airport (originally called Shushan Airport).
Located in the airport’s Art Deco terminal building, the Walnut Room was initially a night club with live entertainment. Herbie Pell and his orchestra were the club’s opening night act, according to a Sept. 11, 1940, New Orleans States article.
A 1941 New Orleans States article mentioned nightly entertainment from the Rhythmaires, led by singer Virginia Emmons. A onetime finalist in the Miss New Orleans competition, Emmons was among the “seven very shapely young ladies,” according to the article, who waited on patrons of the Walnut Room while dressed as stewardesses.
“The girls go from table to table seeing that all is well with every customer and all is usually well when they show
BLAKE VIEW
up,” according to the States article. “‘We hire them for their curves,’ Mrs. Helen Rizan admits frankly.”
A 1965 New Orleans States-Item ad promoted the Walnut Room as a discotheque, calling it “the fun spot of New Orleans.” Musical acts such as Irma Thomas, Smiley Lewis, Tommy Ridgley and Willie Tee performed there. The venue also became well known for hosting meetings, dances and wedding receptions.
Following Hurricane Katrina’s federal levee failures, the airport underwent a $17 million renovation. The Walnut Room is now home to Messina’s Runway Cafe, serving breakfast and lunch.
WITH THE BROADWAY MUSICAL VERSION OF “THE GREAT GATSBY” PLAYING THIS WEEK AT THE SAENGER THEATRE, we take a closer look at author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s connection to New Orleans. The city’s place in literary history is wellknown, as a home and inspiration to greats such as Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, William Faulkner, Sherwood Anderson, Anne Rice and more. However, Fitzgerald’s time here was brief and is likely not as well-known.
“For 40 days, F. Scott Fitzgerald, the extravagant party thrower and literary king of the Jazz Age, lived in New Orleans, unknown and unmarried. It was the last time he was either,” wrote James Hodge in a March 1981 Times-Picayune article. Fitzgerald stayed here for just over a month in January 1920, residing at 2900 Prytania St., in what was then a boarding house.
In a published collection of his letters, Fitzgerald wrote that he came to New Orleans for health reasons. In the 1981 article, biographer Arthur Mizener said that Fitzgerald started writing a novel in New Orleans called “Darling Hart.” But he decided to break it up and instead sell it as three smaller character stories.
Twice during his stay in the city, Fitzgerald took the train from New Orleans to Montgomery, Alabama, to visit Zelda Sayre, who would famously later become his wife. “On the second of those trips, there was a sample of the exuberant lifestyle for which the Fitzgeralds would soon become famous,” explained a 1974 TimesPicayune story.
In “F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Short Autobiography,” edited by James L.W. West III, Fitzgerald recalls “the Sazerac Cocktails brought up from New Orleans to Montgomery to celebrate an important occasion.” It was the couple’s engagement.
A month after Fitzgerald left the city, his debut novel, “This Side of Paradise,” was published. It became a cultural sensation and propelled him to stardom. Two months later, he married Zelda. The Great Gatsby, his third novel, was published in 1925. Fitzgerald died in 1940.
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The ceiling murals and neon signs point the way to the Walnut Room.
PHOTO BY TED JACKSON / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
WEL CO ME TO TH E
LEGISLATING BY A THOUSAND
Lacking a single focus, the Louisiana Legislature takes a scatter shot approach
BY JOHN STANTON
THE 2026 GENERAL SESSION OF THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE kicked off March 9, and while lawmakers are already busy working on a variety of issues ranging from climate change to changes to New Orleans’ court system, one thing it’s not doing this year is pursuing a signature piece of legislation.
It’s a marked change from the last two years, which saw Republicans advancing — and in some cases fighting over — Gov. Jeff Landry’s big ticket legislative agenda items. In 2024, Landry sought to use whatever political capital he had following his election to fundamentally reshape the state.
First, he called a special session of the legislature, during which he rolled back key criminal justice reforms. It was a major victory for Landry and conservatives, and Landry entered the regular session feeling his oats.
Landry dreamed of a more authoritarian style of government in which the governor has significantly more power than the other two branches — and more than is currently allowed under the state’s constitution. So when the legislature came in that spring, Landry pushed hard for a measure to set up a constitutional convention to rewrite the rules.
But Landry overestimated just how much sway he had with lawmakers, even conservatives in his own party. Despite massive pressure from the governor and his allies, the convention bill ultimately died.
Landry then set his sights on a seemingly more attainable goal: rewriting the state’s tax laws. But once again, Landry over estimated his sway, this time with voters. While the legislature would pass much of his plan, when it went to voters for final approval, it lost — badly.
And while lawmakers last spring used its spending-focused session pushing through smaller parts of Landry’s plan, it was far from the victory one would have expected from a legislature dominated by conservatives. It has become clear the legislature isn’t interested in big swings, particularly the Senate, which under
President Cameron Henry’s leadership has acted as a significant counterbalance to Landry’s desires.
That’s not to say Landry hasn’t been successful. Far from it, in fact. The legislature has handed Landry a host of wins on issues like government transparency, election reform, changes to the state’s insurance laws and more. In fact, this year’s lack of a centerpiece agenda item is due to the successes the GOP had in the last several sessions in pushing through their regressive policy agenda. Past sessions have been used to enact extreme restrictions on abortion and women’s health policy, legalize discrimination against transgender people and gut the state’s educational system and environmental protections.
Still, the 2026 session sees a host of bills being worked on that will have massive effects on the lives of Louisianans.
Landry is pushing for a major expansion of school vouchers, which if successful could further undermine public education in Louisiana. And, depending on what happens in the Supreme Court this spring, the legislature could pursue a new round of redistricting, potentially erasing the recently added second majority Black congressional district.
The New Orleans legislative delegation is pushing for a host of measures, including reforms to the Sewerage & Water Board and changes to tax collection fees affecting the city’s schools, among others.
Lawmakers in Baton Rouge are also considering a series of bills to reign in big tech. With more than two dozen bills filed, the legislature seems intent on implementing some guardrails to the growing data center and artificial intelligence industries. Additional changes to state insurance laws are also likely.
And while they’ve already done plenty of damage to the environment and human and civil rights over the last five years, Republicans still have a host of regressive measures before the legislature, including an anti-trans bill, bills to curtail climate change mitigation efforts sand even a bill to allow the state to seize the property of immigrants from certain countries.
There’s also measures honoring the late radical rightwing figure Charlie Kirk, a bill to name a bridge after convicted felon President Donald Trump, anti-sex worker legislation and a host of other so-called “culture war” bills that could have serious effects on peoples’ lives. Meanwhile, New Orleans Democrats are pushing a number of their own measures, including a rape and incest carve out in the state’s abortion ban authored by Rep. Delisha Boyd, a massive voting rights bill by Sen. Royce Duplessis and key insurance reforms from Rep. Mandie Landry.
How much of all this will ultimately pass remains to be seen, but between now and June its a sure bet the legislature will be busy poking around in nearly every aspect of life in Louisiana, for better or worse.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
Changes to S&WB, Orleans Parish courts and more could be coming in 2026 lege session
BY JOHN STANTON AND KAYLEE POCHE
NEW ORLEANS’ LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION heads back to Baton Rouge March 9 for the state legislature’s annual session armed with a host of proposals key to the city, ranging from reforms to the Sewerage & Water Board and tax collection fees to new rules governing the unhoused and help for residents’ insurance bills.
Some, but not all, of the bills are part of Mayor Helena Moreno’s legislative agenda, which Moreno argued is designed to stabilize “our city budget and build new pathways to deliver on better services for all New Orleanians.”
A top priority is HB 573 by Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, a Republican representing parts of New Orleans and Metairie. That bill would give the city more authority over S&WB, which is a state agency, specifically when it comes to establishing rate approval and billing policies, including waiving late fees or interest.
HB 795 by New Orleans Democrat Rep. Mandie Landry, addresses the ongoing dispute between the city and the Orleans Parish School Board over the fees the city has charged the school board for tax collection. The bill would cap such tax collection fees to no more than 5% of tax collections.
Landry also has introduced HB 813, which would change the swearing-in date for the Orleans sheriff. Currently, the sheriff takes office the first Monday of May following their election. Landry’s measure would move up that date to January beginning with the 2029 election.
As the city deals with financial woes, leaders are pushing a bill to avoid the city having to pay $38 million in Police Retirement Fund penalities. During a March 2 town hall hosted by Landry, Andrew Tuozzolo, special counsel to Moreno, said the penalties are a result of the number of police officers decreasing over the years. The administration is also looking to avoid paying $3 million to pensions on the $12 million in retention bonuses it just paid.
Tuozzolo also said the administration is also working on a bill to raise a cap on a fee on cell phone bills last set in 2011 to help cover the cost of the city’s $25 million a year 911 system.
HB 463 by Rep. Dixon McMakin, a Baton Rouge Republican, would raise
the cap from $1.25 to $2. Currently, the fee brings in around $6 million annually to the city.
Tuozzolo also said the administration was working on a bill to move around some city revenue, comparing it to a 2018 “fair share” deal by Mayor LaToya Cantrell which redirected some money into the infrastructure fund.
“We are going to seek some rearrangement of current revenues, potentially from some of our friends in hospitality, because there’s some deeper needs,” he said.
Two lawmakers outside of New Orleans are hoping to make major changes to the Orleans Parish court system.
McMakin’s HB 911 would completely remake the city’s judicial system. It would consolidate the civil and criminal courts into the 41st Judicial District Court and establish only one clerk of court for the parish, instead of one for civil court and one for criminal.
Senate Bill 256 by Sen. Jay Morris, a West Monroe Republican, also would have one clerk of court in Orleans Parish, and his SB 217 would decrease the number of civil district court judges from 14 to 12.
In addition to items tailored specifically to the city, the New Orleans’ delegation has a host of other measures aimed at addressing key issues to the region.
Homelessness
ALSO ON BEHALF of the Moreno administration, Rep. Alonzo Knox, a New Orleans Democrat, is carrying HB 864 to ban the storage and use of flammable materials underneath bridges and overpasses owned by the state and operated by the city. If convicted, a person could face a fine of up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment up to six months per violation.
Tuozzolo said the bill is to prevent interstate fires, but it’s unclear how it would affect unhoused people or even grilling under the interstate during second lines. The bill does allow a city to allow the use of “flammable, explosive or combustible materials” for city-permitted events.
Another bill by Knox, HB 823, would create a homeless diversion pilot program in Orleans Parish. The district
attorney could refer an unhoused person in the legal system to the program and provide them with a path to avoid charges.
HB 211 by Rep. Debbie Villio, a Kenner Republican, would go as far as to create the crime of “unauthorized camping on public property.” For a first offense, the fine is up to $500 and/or six months in prison. Any conviction after that, there’s a minimum year in prison and the max fine doubles.
The bill, which is not part of the Moreno administration’s package, would also give district courts the option to create a Homeless Court program. And it lets local governments use their property to essentially set up temporary city-run encampments that meet certain standards.
Rep. Delisha Boyd, a New Orleans Democrat, has filed HB 712 to waive state ID fees for unhoused people.
New Orleans is working to find permanent housing for its unhoused population. City officials have previously complained that surrounding parishes are sending unhoused people to the city instead of using resources to help them.
Jeff Landry talks to lawmakers at the Louisiana State Capitol.
PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK / THE ADVOCATE
Affordability
LANDRY SAID AT HER TOWN HALL she will bring a bill to let local governments require new builds to have fortified roofs, which fare better during storms. So far, fortifying roofs has been the only proven strategy for lowering sky-high insurance rates in an area.
The hope would be that New Orleans would opt in and that areas would reach enough fortified roofs to bring everyone’s insurance costs down.
“That’s a very big deal because trying to do that statewide is very difficult,” Landry said.
Freeman’s HB 467 takes a statewide approach and would require new residential builds to have fortified roofs “for the entirety of a parish that is located, in whole or in part, in the coastal zone boundary” starting in 2027.
New Orleans Democrat Sen. Royce Duplessis’ SB 355 would create a mandatory 20% reduction in insurance premiums for properties with fortified roofs, and his SB 299 would give nonprofits greater flexibility in helping residents pay for roof fortifications.
Boyd is also carrying HB 293, which bars employment discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation, and HB 950, which would strengthen protections against deceptive business practices for the elderly.
Reproductive care
Those measures are part of a broader consumer protection, affordability and insurance reform package of bills Duplessis has introduced.
Other legislative items in Duplessis’ agenda include measures barring companies from using people’s credit score or ZIP code in setting car insurance rates, prohibiting insurance companies from increasing rates to cover advertising and marketing costs, and requiring greater transparency in how rates are set.
Both Duplessis and Boyd have similar bills aimed at making it easier for surplus public property to be sold for affordable housing.
Knox also has a couple of bills aimed at making living in New Orleans more affordable, including HB 472, which would let local governments pass laws to stabilize rents.
For years, Democrats have tried to set a state minimum wage, instead of defaulting to the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which Congress hasn’t increased since 2009. HB 209 would set Louisiana’s minimum wage at $10 per hour starting in 2027 with increases to $12 in 2029 and $14 in 2031. After that, it would be tied to inflation.
BOYD IS ONCE AGAIN attempting to carve out exceptions to Louisiana’s near total abortion ban. For multiple years, she’s proposed allowing children under 17 whose pregnancies were the result of rape or incest get an abortion, citing her own mother’s experience. Her bill would create rape and incest exceptions for all ages.
Freeman also has a bill aimed at addressing crisis pregnancy centers, anti-abortion centers which often pose as health centers but don’t have to have licensed medical staff and sometimes give misleading information. Her HB 611 would require “pregnancy help centers” to be licensed by the state health department.
Meanwhile, Landry’s HB 931 bars contractors working under the Louisiana Pregnancy and Baby Care Initiative from discriminating on the basis of religion.
Guns
HB 99 BY FAR-RIGHT REP. DANNY MCCORMICK of Oil City would let people 18 or older carry guns on college campuses, both public universities and those that receive any public funding. In 2025, 100 people were injured or killed in college and university shootings in the United States, the highest in a decade, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
New Orleans alone is home to 13 colleges and universities.
Meanwhile, Landry is trying to create a “Louisiana Voluntary Do Not Sell List” for firearms. Under HB 563, a person would be able to submit a form to be added to the list, which would then ban them from receiving or possessing a firearm.
If a person illegally transfers a firearm to someone on the list, they could face a fine of up to $2,500 and a sentence of up to a year in prison. The consequence for a person on the list obtaining a firearm would be no more than $100 or four hours of community service.
Cannabis
REP. CANDACE NEWELL, a New Orleans Democrat, is proposing a Louisiana Cannabis Pilot Program. HB 373 would let current licensed medical marijuana retailers also sell recreational marijuana to adults and puts the Louisiana Department of Health in charge of the program.
Under the bill, the state health department would assess a 3.5% fee on sales.
Landry’s HB 460 would extend employment protections for state employees who use medical marijuana outside of work to more employees and let the State Civil Service Commission enforce them.
Currently, state employers can’t discriminate against current or potential employees solely because they test positive for marijuana if they have been “clinically diagnosed as suffering from a debilitating medical condition and a licensed physician has recommended marijuana for therapeutic use.”
Rep. Debbie Villio’s bill would criminalize public camping.
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
Rep. Delisha Boyd, a New Orleans Democrat
PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK / THE ADVOCATE
Tooth decay with a side of bacterial meningitis: Louisiana GOP rages against public health
BY SARAH RAVITS
DESPITE A SLEW OF HEALTHRELATED PROBLEMS facing Louisianans — like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, reduced access to medical care, and high maternal and infant mortality rates — some GOP lawmakers are pushing back against longstanding, successful public health measures, in lockstep with the Trump administration.
Vaccines, of course, are once again in Republicans’ crosshairs.
Houma Rep. Beryl Amedee, a strong proponent of homeschooling, is sponsoring House Bill 737, which seeks to remove a state requirement for kids to get vaccinated against meningococcal disease.
HB 926, meanwhile, filed by Chalmette Republican Rep. Mike Bayham, would prohibit the use of vaccine status to determine admission to public buildings and events.
The bill prevents “healthy individuals or alleged asymptomatic individuals” from being excluded from public activities based upon the individual declining medical intervention during an outbreak or public health emergency.
This is most certainly a response to many Covid-era emergency measures, when private businesses and other entities were strongly encouraged by local governments to turn people away from gathering spaces if they couldn’t show proof of vaccination, in order to prevent further spread of the virus.
The current law requires students to receive two shots before entering 6th grade and again in 11th grade. Like all state vaccination requirements, there are wide-ranging exemptions — including for personal or religious reasons and for students who are homeschooled.
Meningococcal disease is a severe, highly contagious bacterial illness that causes rashes, fevers, brain swelling (meningitis), diarrhea, confusion, body aches and even death in up 15% of cases — even with treatments.
Like numerous other preventable, contagious sicknesses that are spreading in the U.S. thanks to the anti-vax movement, meningococcal disease can have long-lasting impacts even after medical intervention and treatment, and it can continue to cause major health problems years after a person is first infected, that is, if they survive.
Another bill by Amedee, HB 452, “prohibits financial incentives or penalties to encourage health care providers to administer vaccinations.”
Ostensibly, this would prevent providers from receiving compensation from insurance companies for vaccinating patients. It also prevents them from being punished by companies if they choose not to. But it’s worth noting that the bill is rooted in a falsehood.
There is a widely circulated yet false claim that health care providers receive six-figure bonuses from insurance and pharmaceutical companies to meet vaccine “quotas” — which is simply not the case.
There are no emergency restrictions in place currently.
SEN. MIKE FESI HAS SPONSORED A BILL to prohibit mRNA vaccines from being administered through food.
This is also rooted in misinformation, as several social media accounts and blogs have circulated the false claim that these types of vaccines are going to be distributed to the masses, without their consent, through genetically engineered livestock, among other foods.
There is, however, some research being done that measures the effectiveness of mRNA treatments in pill capsule form, though it is not yet available to the public — nor would people be “dosed” against their will with it by the government.
Fesi, who has a background in oil and gas, has also returned with another anti-fluoride bill after failing to pass similar legislation last year.
Under his original version of SB 4, the Houma senator pushed for a complete fluoride ban. The only way people could receive fluoride in their drinking water would be if 15% of registered voters in local municipalities or other jurisdictions were to call for a special election to add it.
Democratic state Sen. Gerald Boudreaux of Lafayette ultimately convinced Fesi in the Senate Health & Welfare committee meeting to
change the measure to so that in areas that already have fluoride added to their drinking water, it could only be ended if it was put to a vote by residents served by a specific water system. That vote could be triggered if 15% of those residents signed a petition to call a vote.
Fesi has framed the issue of fluoridating water as a matter of people getting “medicated without their consent.” But removing fluoride from public drinking water could have devastating effects on dental health, public health experts say.
Dentist Suzanne Fournier, who addressed lawmakers at the committee meeting, said she recently treated a child from Mississippi who lived in an area without fluoridation and suffered from severe tooth decay and access to dental care, like many children in Louisiana.
“My concern is if we pass this bill, is it will be irresponsible legislation that can have catastrophic results,” she said.
Angela Adkins, the executive director of the women and children’s policy nonprofit, 10,000 Women Louisiana, said the bill would “make poor children even sicker. We already know we don’t have appropriate health care in Louisiana.”
Homelessness issues
HOUSING INSTABILITY AND HOMELESSNESS remain hot topics at the legislature, as Louisiana, one of the poorest states in the country, continues to grapple with an affordable housing crisis, exacerbated by skyrocketing insurance rates and a lack of jobs that pay standard living wages.
Kenner Republican Rep. Debbie Villio’s solution is to essentially punish people for not having a roof over their heads.
Her bill, HB 211 would criminalize “public camping” in areas that aren’t designated camp sites.
The punishment for first-time offenders includes slapping them with a $500 fine and up to six months of prison time. A subsequent violation could warrant even harsher punishments: fines up to $1,000 and a potential two-year prison sentence with hard labor.
The bill would allow local governments to use their property to set up temporary city-run encampments that meet certain standards, and it also gives district courts the option to create a Homeless Court program.
HB 457 by Rep. Alonzo Knox, a New Orleans Democrat, wants to establish minimum housing standards for individuals experiencing homelessness and is pushing legislation that requires the state fire marshal to conduct inspections of facilities to oversee safety and sanitation.
New Orleans area homeless shelters faced scrutiny in recent years, with at least one low-barrier shelter reportedly being thrown into chaos amid staffing shortages, rampant drug use and other safety and sanitation concerns.
Knox’s bill also requires the health department to seek federal waivers to obtain funding for health care and housing services.
A related bill, HB 616, also by Knox, calls for greater oversight of publicly funded homeless service providers.
State Rep. Beryl Amedée, R-Houma, left, hopes to remove vaccine requirements that were previously put in place to mitigate the risk of meningococcal disease, a deadly bacterial infection
PHOTO BY TRAVIS SPRADLING / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
State lawmakers playing catch-up on guardrails as AI, big tech pushes into Louisiana
BY KAYLEE POCHE
WITH SEVERAL MASSIVE DATA CENTERS COMING TO LOUISIANA, artificial intelligence is on many lawmakers’ minds.
As of press time, they’d brought two dozen bills, most trying to carve out some protections for people as the technology rapidly proliferates and changes life as we know it.
House Bill 922 by Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn, a Hornbeck Republican, addresses concerns over data centers potentially raising residential utility bills. His bill says those costs can’t be passed onto household customers, only data center customers or customers contracting with them.
Meanwhile, HB 734 by Josh Carlson, a Lafayette Republican, would create an “AI consumer bill of rights” that would require AI programs, chatbots and political materials to identify themselves as such and notify users if they are collecting data on them.
Carlson’s bill also states parents have the right to control their children’s use of AI, and that a person can sue in civil court if AI is used to “appropriate their name, image or likeness for commercial purposes without their consent,” like in HB 157 by Rep. Vincent Cox III, or to “slander, libel or defame them.”
Parts of Carlson’s bill are similar to New Orleans Democrat Rep. Mandie Landry’s HB 425 and HB 459, the latter which requires labeling for AI in political materials and increases the criminal fine for violations from $2,000 to $10,000. And New Orleans Democrat Rep. Delisha Boyd’s HB 791 also mandates chatbot disclosure and puts privacy protections around chat logs.
Marrero Democrat Rep. Kyle Green’s HB 295 would have companies who use AI chatbots verify user’s ages, suggesting government IDs. That would force users to hand over identifying documents like drivers’ licenses to tech companies or a third party. Meanwhile, HB 230 by Rep. Mike Bayham, a Chalmette Republican,
would require AI systems to label photos, videos and other content they create as AI-generated or face an up to $10,000 fine per violation.
Senate Bill 347 by Sen. Regina Barrow, a Baton Rouge Democrat, adds “unlawful deepfakes,” — videos altered to realistically depict a person saying or doing something they didn’t do — to the definition of “power-based violence” under the Campus Accountability and Safety Act. It includes exceptions for a “work of political, public interest, or newsworthy value” as well as satire and parody.
And both SB 42 by Sen. Rick Edmonds, a Baton Rouge Republican, and SB 110 by Sen. Heather Cloud, a Turkey Creek Republican, ban AI from creating child sexual abuse materials.
AI in industries
HOUMA REPUBLICAN REP. JESSICA
DOMANGUE’S HB 197 lets health care providers use AI to help with “an analytic or administrative task” but not to “independently treat, diagnose, or communicate directly with a patient.” The fine would be $10,000 per violation.
Sen. Bob Hensgens, an Abbeville Republican, has a similar bill dealing with mental health chatbots.
Alexandria Democrat Jay Luneau’s SB 246 would require health insurance companies to have a human review a claim “based on medical necessity or a procedure requiring prior authorization” before denying it.
HB 880 by Rep. Edmond Jordan, a Baton Rouge Democrat, would regulate insurance companies’ use of AI and algorithms. The bill would prohibit companies from using systems that “intentionally consider protected class characteristics, rely on proxy variables that produce disparate impact without actuarial necessity, or generate arbitrary or capricious decisions.”
It would also ban homeowners’ insurance companies from using
“credit scores, protected class characteristics, social media data, and consumer purchasing data” to determine rates.
HB 241 by Rep. Vincent Cox, a Gretna Republican, would require companies to tell applicants if they’re using AI to make automatic decisions in the job hiring process and what factors they’re having it consider. It also says they can’t use them on their own to make “discipline, termination, or deactivation decisions.”
The bill also clarifies AI systems still have to follow employment nondiscrimination laws.
Pricing and other consumer bills
SOME ONLINE RETAILERS have already started using AI to offer a product to different people for different prices — using personal data it has collected on them, like their age and location, to determine the highest price they’ll pay for something.
Both New Orleans Democrat Sen. Royce Duplessis’ SB 362 and Baton Rouge Democrat Rep. Edmond Jordan’s HB 471 ban this practice, known as “surveillance-based pricing,” with Duplessis’ bill determining it to be “an unfair or deceptive trade practice.”
Aimed at keeping prices fair for grocerers, HB 800 by Rep. Alonzo Knox, a New Orleans Democrat, says suppliers have to give the same deals to all retailers who purchase the same goods in the same volume.
Landry also has two bills trying to get rid of hidden fees. HB 580 would require hidden fees or conditions to be disclosed in real estate transactions. HB 617 mandates companies to clearly display the total price of goods or services, including mandatory fees or any other additional charges.
HB 750 by Cox would require companies to have an easy way to cancel an automatic subscription — or at least as easy as accepting automatic renewal terms.
It is not clear how easiness would be measured.
Dr. Michael Bernard, section head of electrophysiology at Ochsner Hospital, uses AI to help with surgery in 2025.
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
Machinery drive over the future site of Meta’s $10 billion dollar AI data center in Holly Ridge, La., in July 2025.
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
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Louisiana lawmakers eye bills to limit climate change mitigation, carbon capture operations
BY JOHN STANTON
REPUBLICANS AND PRO-POLLUTING INDUSTRY DEMOCRATS at the state and federal level have spent the last decade working as hard as possible to undermine or outright eliminate key environmental laws and regulatory systems.
While wholesale elimination of laws or drastic changes to them aren’t in the offing this year, lawmakers are still looking to make some key changes that will likely have significant impacts on life here in Louisiana.
This year Louisiana lawmakers once again have set their sights on climate issues. Rep. Brett Geymann, a Lake Charles Republican, has introduced HB 804, which would create new limits on liability for climate-related damages.
Meanwhile, HB 566 by Rep. Charles Owen, a Rosepine Republican, would bar the use of state funds to support net-zero greenhouse gas emissions policies. Lawmakers are once again this year also looking to limit or completely ban carbon capture in the state. HB 5, authored by Pineville Republican Rep. Mike Johnson, would give parishes the ability to determine if they want to allow Class VI injection wells, carbon dioxide sequestration and carbon
dioxide pipelines. Johnson’s HB 6 would do the same, though it would only apply to Rapides Parish.
Oil City Republican Rep. Danny McCormick’s bill HB 507 would eliminate liability limits related to carbon dioxide sequestration and transmission. Under current law, “compensatory damages recoverable for noneconomic loss cannot exceed $250,000 per person except for instances of wrongful death or for permanent life-altering disfigurement or injury, which cannot exceed $500,000 per person.”
Greensburg Democrat Rep. Robby Carter’s HB 79 would also eliminate those liability caps. Additionally, Carter’s HB 80 would impose new “strict liability” rules on carbon storage and transportation companies, meaning they would be liable for any damages resulting from the activities regardless of fault or intent.
HB 510, one of a number of carbon-related bills by Hornbeck Republican Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn, prohibits the importation of captured carbon dioxide into Louisiana for sequestration, while HB 589 by Rep. Les Farnum, a Sulphur Republican would require a 500-foot setback for carbon dioxide pipelines.
Republicans in the Louisiana legislature are trying to make it harder to combat climate change despite escalating damage from massive hurricanes, tornadoes and other climate related disasters.
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
Centerpiece Bunnies
Louisiana could take property of immigrants from China, four other countries under bill
BY KAYLEE POCHE
A BILL ALLOWING THE STATE TO SEIZE THE PROPERTY of some Cuban, Chinese, Iranian, North Korean and Russian immigrants living in Louisiana legally but without permanent legal status sailed through the state Senate Judiciary C Committee March 17.
Under Senate Bill 200 by Sen. Valarie Hodges, a Denham Springs Republican, the state government could take any property within 50 miles of a military base “under the control of a foreign adversary” or an “agent of a foreign adversary” — if it can show that “the ownership poses a threat to the public health and safety of Louisiana citizens.”
The U.S. government currently lists China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as foreign adversaries.
During World War II, in addition to being placed in concentration camps, states often permanently seized the property of Japanese Americans and immigrants. For instance, the government took the Yamato Colony in Florida (what is now Boca Raton) and destroyed it to build an air base. Last year, a federal court refused to block a racist anti-immigrant law in Florida which restricts property ownership by immigrants from seven countries, including China. However, that law is much narrower than Hodges’ bill.
Jason Li, who said he was born in China and is working for a Louisiana university through an H1-B visa, told the committee he was concerned about the bill’s broad definition of “agent of a foreign adversary,” which
includes “any individual person who is a citizen of a foreign adversary.”
“According to this bill, according to the definition, [I ‘m] considered an agent of a foreign adversary,” he said. “And my family, my wife, my one-year-old daughter, owning a home to live here [could be] considered a threat to public health and security. For what reason I just don’t understand. What did my family do to deserve such a judgment?”
Hodges said the state would have to prove to a judge that taking the property would alleviate a threat to public health and safety, and that a person could appeal the decision.
But an exchange between committee Chair Jay Morris, a West Monroe Republican, and Li showed that some Louisiana elected officials are inherently suspicious of people from countries such as China.
After asking Li if he had permanent legal status in the U.S., Morris said, “I don’t know whether this bill will pass in its current form all the way, but we have this process where we as elected representatives get passed the laws that the people typically want us to pass, but in China, you can’t do that, can you? The people don’t have the right to vote in China, do they?”
Li replied, “It’s complicated. People have the right, but it’s not like here in the United States.”
“It’s an oligarchy and a dictatorship, is it not?” Morris said.
“It is not my position to say that,” Li said.
Morris then repeatedly asked if Li was afraid to call China an oligarchy or dictatorship. Li said he was there
to talk about there to discuss the bill and didn’t see where the question came from.
“So you won’t say that,” Morris said. “So do you have a social score from China?”
Li said he was not familiar with the term. That make sense given that Morris was alluding to the myth that China gives everyone social scores based on their behaviors. Some Chinese cities and companies have tried out rating systems, but they have turned into more of incentive programs and aren’t widely used.
Morris started to explain what he meant but stopped. “OK, well, thank you,” he said. “You’ve answered my question somewhat indirectly.”
Li also said he was worried about the 50-mile radius the bill sets, pointing out that with bases in the New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport and other areas, that would include much of the state.
“This bill is not talking about just some critical areas. It’s talking about
the entire land of Louisiana,” he said, adding “That’s every Asian market, every Chinese restaurant, every home of professors, university staff, students, realtors, as long as they were born in the countries we don’t like.”
To this point, Hodges said, “Well, how much of our critical infrastructure are we comfortable with allowing foreign adversaries who have threatened, who want, have stated their policy is to kill America, to take over America, to destroy America?”
A 2023 law already forbids a “foreign adversary or person connected with a foreign adversary” from purchasing, leasing or acquiring property in Louisiana. But the bill would let the government seize property already purchased, leased or acquired.
The bill is in direct contrast to an idea that’s long been a pillar of conservative movement: that the government should not be able to take property away from people.
The committee passed it without any objections.
The Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
Sen. Valarie Hodges
PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS / THE TIMES - PICAYUNE
EAT + DRINK
Raw talent
WALK INTO TACOS DEL CARTEL IN THE CBD, AND A WALL OF SOUND AWAITS: a gaggle of bachelorettes here, a group of bros meeting up after work there. Add in some obvious date nights, and this elaborately festooned Mexican restaurant is proudly loud and celebratory.
That makes the backdoor portal to Sushi By Us that much more dramatic. Diners tell the host they’re dining there and are whisked to the back of Tacos Del Cartel and through a sliding wooden door.
Once that door closes, the noise recedes, and diners find themselves in a 30-seat, windowless space designed like an undersea jewel box, with stylized renditions of coral fans, sea grass and shiny fish scales.
This is another bold concept from Veho Hospitality, powered by the jet-setting couple Danny Cruz and his wife and business partner Vilexys Salas. Sushi By Us may just be the crown jewel in the portfolio as well as a strong addition to the New Orleans sushi scene that manages to both impress and stand alone.
The menu is strongly influenced by Nikkei, the Japanese-expat cuisine born in Peru, but Sushi By Us also serves a few dishes influenced by the owners’ native Mexico.
The first iteration of this restaurant opened in Madrid. Cruz is a soccer fanatic who traveled frequently to cheer on his favorite team, Real Madrid. While there, he met chef Johan Pereira, whose resume included working at Salvaje, a high-style Japanese fusion restaurant with locations in cities including Barcelona and Dubai. They opened Sushi By Us together.
“We were flying too much to Madrid, so we decided to sell that location,” says Salas, a real estate agent who handles acquisitions, leases and operations while her husband focuses on construction. They conceived the concepts as a team.
“We decided to focus on the U.S., first in New Orleans, where our
restaurant dreams are born and then in West Palm Beach,” she says.
With chef Pereira still in a consulting role, the emphasis is on high-quality fish, sourced both locally and from Japan. Warm, knowledgeable service is relaxed and not formal.
Although this is not an omakasestyle tasting experience, diners should expect to pay about $100 a person to try a few menu categories and have a cocktail or sake.
From the cocktail menu, an old-fashioned is made from Japanese whiskey washed with shiitakes and a hint of truffle and has a garnish of raw mushrooms capping the drink.
Deftly presented with traditional Japanese precision, the menu features a stellar lineup of raw and cured fish. Tiraditos are uniformly excellent, with silky slices of salmon, tuna and hamachi flavored with the likes of miso powder, yuzu vinaigrette or soy-garlic-habanero sauce. Rolls are equally solid, and ingredients like snow crab and hamachi are paired with avocado and flashfried tempura shrimp. The Dinamita roll is a revelation, a crab roll that might as well be on Route 6 in Cape Cod, thanks to the accompaniment
of clarified butter that pushes it squarely into lobster roll territory.
Chubby steamed bao buns encase a bite of soy-spiced fried alligator or short rib paired with coleslaw and black garlic puree.
The servers suggest that each diner order two items per category, but that’s way too much food. Two can easily share a handful of the raw dishes and split a main course, which includes cooked options like teriyaki lamb, grilled salmon and a personal favorite, fried rice topped with either duck or pork belly. The laminated rice is on the verge of crispy, delivering an incredible mouthfeel along with the raft of flavors powered by aromatics like garlic and shallots.
Although it just opened about a month ago, the restaurant has caught on, and reservations are already booked a few weeks out.
“Our idea was to take dining experiences we’ve had in places like Mexico City, Dubai and Miami and introduce them to New Orleans,” Salas says. “These are not like other restaurants here in New Orleans. We want them to be places for celebrations, to offer locals something really different.”
Fresh water
IN NEW YORK CITY, BROTHERS ALEX AND MILES PINCUS HAVE BUILT A RESTAURANT group called Crew. It’s known for beautiful settings, including on historic sailing vessels, and for a fixation on oysters.
The brothers came to love oysters naturally while growing up in New Orleans, where they also learned about hospitality from close family in the business.
Soon, they will open a new restaurant in the French Quarter that draws a full circle back home and brings new life to a storied building.
Holywater is taking shape at 622 Conti St., with renovations underway for a planned opening this spring.
The three-story building has been dormant since 2019, with the demise of the dessert shop and restaurant Salon by Sucre.
To lead the kitchen, Alex Pincus recruited a highly regarded name in local dining, Alex Harrell, previously of Sylvain, his own Angeline, the Elysian Bar and, most recently, The Gloriette in Covington.
The new restaurant will share some DNA with another place called Holywater, which Crew runs in New York. That one is in a subterranean space and has been hailed for its impressive design and robust take on oysters and seafood. It also has a strong undercurrent of New Orleans flavor, from Sazeracs to gumbo.
The New Orleans Holywater will have a similar menu with fruits de mer towers, caviar, burgers, fried chicken,
Veho Hospitality opens boutique CBD sushi spot by Beth D’Addono |
Chef Johan Pereira at Sushi By Us PHOTO BY MADDIE SPINNER / GAMBIT
Oysters at Holywater in New York
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lobster rolls, charbroiled lobster fries and gumbo among the options.
Oysters will feature prominently, with a selection from the East, West and Gulf coasts, and an oyster called Sailor Baby, which Crew developed to spec with a farm off Long Island.
Crew runs a half-dozen concepts in New York. It started in 2014 with Grand Banks, which turned a 1940s-vintage sailing ship into a floating oyster bar on the Hudson River.
Crew culinary director Kerry Heffernan, who Alex Pincus describes as the group’s “spiritual guide,” was previously executive chef at Eleven Madison Park, where he worked with Danny Meyer developing his Shake Shack burger concept.
In New Orleans, the building itself will be a defining feature of Holywater. It dates to 1837 and began as a chandlery, outfitting ships working the Mississippi River. In the 1970s and ’80s, it was Melius Bar, a name that lives on with a bar and grill in Bucktown. The history and texture of the building are what drew Crew to this French Quarter spot.
“It couldn’t fit into what we do any better,” Alex Pincus says.
Holywater is designed to be a casual, social space. A set of French doors will open from the street to an oyster and cocktail bar on the first floor. The second floor will have the main dining room with balcony seating, and a small lounge in the back that can be a private dining room. Eventually, the owners plan to open the third floor as a lounge and event space, possibly with live music.
This new Holywater is located at what Alex Pincus calls “the epicenter” of his formative years.
His first family home was around the corner on Royal Street. His father, Ronald Pincus, managed nearby hotels, first the Royal Orleans Hotel (now the Omni Royal Orleans) and later the Hotel Monteleone; his mother, Anne Pincus, operated a praline brand in the Quarter (they serve her pralines at the New York Holywater).
“I’m glad we waited and had an opportunity to do the test run in New York,” Alex Pincus says of Holywater. “What’s missing (in New York) is whatever is on the air in New Orleans that makes people act the way they do and feel the way they do. That’s the one thing I couldn’t bring to New York.” — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune
A bar with a view
A COCKTAIL BAR AND ROOFTOP TERRACE INSPIRED BY A FICTIONAL NEW ORLEANS ROMANCE is coming to the Hotel Perle in the CBD this spring.
Charles & Julia, at 757 St. Charles Ave., will be operated by Latter Hospitality, the restaurant group that also runs Tujague’s, The Bower and its Bower Bar, and brunch spot Birdy’s.
The space will have a downstairs wine and cocktail bar, intended to feel homey and inviting, and will feature a seasonal menu of small plates crafted by chefs Marcus Woodham and Ubolratana “Aum” Wipop.
The upstairs portion will be a rooftop terrace with a European-style garden and a skyline view. The restaurant group says the new bar was inspired by the lives and travels of the bar’s namesakes, a fictional couple named after the intersection of St. Charles Avenue and Julia Street where the hotel sits. The couple’s imagined story starts with them meeting in New Orleans and later traveling to Europe, according to Latter Hospitality’s news release.
The Hotel Perle opened last year as a high-end hotel offering a hybrid model, serving as a hotel and short-term rental lodging. The three-story property features 10 multi-bedroom suites.
This isn’t the first venture for the brothers in their hometown. In fact, Alex Pincus thinks of Holywater as a prequel to the New York edition, in the style of “Star Wars” movies looping back to origin stories.
That’s because he had initially planned to open it in New Orleans. Instead, he and his brother partnered with the Ace Hotel brand and the result was Seaworthy, the downtown oyster bar and restaurant that’s now operated by the Barnett Hotel. The Pincus brothers have recently resumed consulting on the operation of Seaworthy.
“When Hotel Perle approached us in 2025 and asked us to helm the food and beverage program for the hotel, we immediately saw an opportunity to create something that felt deeply personal to New Orleans, a space centered around storytelling, hospitality, and the kind of experiences that invite people to linger and connect,” Mark Latter, founder and CEO of Latter Hospitality, said in a statement. — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune
The Hotel Perle will have rooftop terrace.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW PERSCHALL / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Andre Fowles
Chef by Will Coviello
ANDRE FOWLES LEARNED TO COOK AT HOME WHILE GROWING UP IN KINGSTON, Jamaica. He later pursued culinary training and went on to work at some of the country’s top restaurants and resorts. Fowles brought his Jamaican cooking to New York and the restaurant Miss Lily’s and then competed on the TV cooking competition “Chopped,” winning three times. Fowles just released “My Jamaican Table,” and he’s coming to New Orleans to do a collaborative Caribbean dinner and book signing at Compere Lapin with chef Nina Compton on April 1. For reservations, go to comperelapin.com. For more information about Fowles, visit cheffowles.com.
How did you become a chef?
ANDRE FOWLES: I was getting trained without knowing so as a young child. Jamaica and most of the Caribbean islands, I consider us a cooking culture, and especially how I grew up. Ninety percent-plus of what we ate we cooked at home. It doesn’t matter, your parents, your siblings, everyone cooked in that culture. I got exposed at a young age by my mom, and eventually my grandmother. Each experience I had was different. I went to the local culinary school (in Kingston) and after that I started to get a more global concept of cuisine. Growing up in my home, we only ate Jamaican food, but as I went to culinary school, we started learning about French cuisine, Italian cuisine, global cuisine. As I started working in professional kitchens, like Mac’s Chop House, that’s when I started seeing ingredients I didn’t grow up with, like rib-eye steaks, scallops, caviar, foie gras and all these international ingredients. As I got older, I started working at Round Hill (resort), and that’s when it got big for me. Round Hill is prestigious and caters to highend clients, and they use nothing but the best ingredients, so that’s where my cooking chops got sharpened. I worked with great chefs.
What was your vision for the cookbook?
F: I always wanted to write a cookbook. As a very young chef, I wanted to share my cuisine and my culture and how I grew up as a chef. I always said, if I get to do a book, the very
first book I want to write is a Jamaican cookbook. It’s an homage to Jamaica and my family and how we grew up. The book is premised on Jamaican cuisine and some of the most authentic, most culturally central dishes. With food and recipes, it’s so subjective. Everyone has a personal story of how their family cooks a dish. My friends and I all grew up in Jamaica, but their parents cook rice and peas a certain way, and my grandmother would cook it a certain way. That’s why the title is “My Jamaican Table.” I am speaking from how I grew up. I did a lot of research. I am a big historian. I love to research where my food comes from, and not just in Jamaica but in general. We wanted to educate people with the book. A lot of people don’t know the influences on Jamaican cuisine. A lot of people are surprised about the Indian and Chinese influence. They know about British and Spanish, but they don’t know the details about everyone else who comes after. That’s why I painted a picture of the migration in the book. As you are cooking, you’re learning more about these recipes. Often there are misconceptions with some (Caribbean) dishes and some islands. In the book, there’s a dish called pepper pot. We have our version in Jamaica, and also there is a Guyanese version. They’re very different. And we want everyone to have their own identity and respect in terms of their cuisine. Jamaica gets the lion’s share of attention because our dishes
are so popular. When you think of Caribbean food, some of the first dishes are jerk chicken and oxtails. But in the Caribbean, everyone has their own take on the dishes.
I also am an American, so I wanted to put some of my personal stories in it. And some of the dishes are some of the things I like to eat as well. I love cheeseburgers, and I love pasta. You find inspirations throughout the book that put a little spin on things. It’s a different approach, but the (Jamaican) flavors are all there. In terms of the recipes, I really wanted to simplify them. I believe often with Caribbean cuisine it seems like there’s too many ingredients or it takes too long, because we do so many braises and marinate things overnight. Everyone wants instant cooking these days. I want to let people know, that if you want a great plate of food, you’ve got to put some work into it. But I made it very straightforward. And I give guidelines on substitutions, so if you can’t find this kind of pepper, you can use that pepper. But delicious food takes time, and it’s amazing. I like to cook oxtails and sometimes curry goat, and that’s a low-and-slow, one-pot dish. Once you invest a couple hours in it, it’s the best thing you can eat.
What are you doing at the dinner at Compere Lapin?
F: The dinner is a collaboration. Nina is from St. Lucia, so our styles of cooking are similar. We want to take inspiration from the book and her style and make it a unique experience. On the menu, you will see oxtails and goat. We use a lot of Caribbean ingredients, like Scotch bonnet (peppers). We’ll make fresh gnocchi, we’ll make pepper shrimp. We’ll make a few of the classics, but presented in a fine way that’s true to chef Nina and myself.
PROVIDED PHOTO BY MICHAEL CONDRAN
NEWWAYS TO EXPLORE
Whetheryou have twohoursor an entire day, experiencethe best of what theMuseumhas to offer with our guided Highlights Tour or aself-guided itinerary.
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.
(504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream.
com — This Mid-City sweet shop serves its own gelato in flavors like praline, salted caramel and tiramisu, as well as Italian ices in flavors like lemon, strawberry and mango. There also are cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and 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 oysters, 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. $$
Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 581-3866; broussards.com — The menu of contemporary Creole dishes includes bronzed redfish with jumbo lump crabmeat, lemon beurre blanc and vegetables. Brunch includes Benedicts, avocado toast, chicken and waffles, turtle soup and more. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available in the courtyard. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$
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. $$ The Commissary — 634 Orange St., (504) 274-1850; thecommissarynola.com — Dickie Brennan’s Commissary supplies his other restaurant kitchens and also has a dine-in menu and prepared foods to go. A smoked turkey sandwich is served with bacon, tomato jam, herbed cream cheese, arugula and herb vinaigrette on honey oat bread. The menu includes dips, salads, sandwiches, boudin balls, fried oysters and more. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Sat. $$
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. Outdoor
$ — average dinner entrée under $10
$$ $11-$20
$$$ — $20-up
seating available on balcony. 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 oysters served raw on the half-shell or char-broiled with with Parmesan, garlic and herbs. The menu also includes po-boys, po-boys, gumbo, blackened fish, fried seafood platters and more. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House — 144 Bourbon St., (504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse. com — There’s a seafood raw bar with raw and char-broiled oysters, fish dip, crab fingers, shrimp and more. Redfish on the Half-shell is cooked skin-on and served with crab-boiled potatoes, frisee and lemon buerre blanc. The bar offers a wide selection of bourbon and whiskies. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$
Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse — 716 Iberville St., (504) 522-2467; dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com — The menu includes a variety of steaks, plus seared Gulf fish, lobster pasta, barbecue shrimp and more. A 6-ounce filet mignon is served with fried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes and bearnaise. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.Sat. $$$
El Pavo Real — 4401 S. Broad Ave., (504) 266-2022; elpavorealnola.com — The menu includes tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, ceviche. tamales and more. Pescado Vera Cruz features sauteed Gulf fish topped with tomatoes, olives, onion and capers, served with rice and string beans. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and early dinner Tue.-Sat. $$
Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; 8140 Oak St., (504) 897-4800; juansflyingburrito.com — The Flying Burrito includes steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar jack cheese, black beans, rice, guacamole and salsa. The menu also includes tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, nachos, salads, rice and bean bowls with various toppings and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$
Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — The Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. The eclectic menu also includes char-grilled oysters, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, fried seafood platters, pasta, salads and more. Delivery available. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Kilroy’s Bar — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The all-day bar menu includes sandwiches, soups, salads, flatbreads and a couple entrees. A muffuletta
flatbread is topped with salami, mortadella, capicola, mozzarella and olive salad. No reservations. Lunch Fri.-Mon., dinner daily. $$ Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, salads and sharable plates like NOLA Tot Debris. A slow-cooked pulled pork barbecue sandwich is served with coleslaw on a brioche bun. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, (504) 513-2606; legacykitchen.com — The selection of steak and chops includes filet mignon, bone-in rib-eye, top sirloin and double pork chops and a la carte toppings include bernaise, blue cheese and sauteed crabmeat. There also are burgers, salads, pasta, seafood entrees, char-broiled oysters and more. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The menu of Japanese cuisine includes sushi, signature rolls, tempura items, udon noodle dishes, teriyaki, salads and more.The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado, snow crab, green onion and wasabi roe. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$ Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves Italian dishes and specialties including shrimp Mosca, baked oysters Mosca and spaghetti Bordelaise and chicken cacciatore. Chicken a la grands is sauteed with garlic, rosemary, Italian herbs and white wine. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net — This counter-service spot serves po-boys dressed with sliced cabbage like the Famous Ferdi filled with ham, roast beef and debris. Creole favorites include jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more. Breakfast is available all day. Delivery available. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
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. $$
Parish Grill — 4650 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 100, Metairie, (504) 345-2878; parishgrill. com — The menu includes a variety of burgers, sandwiches, wraps, pizza and salads. For an appetizer, sauteed andouille is served with fig preserves, blue cheese and toast points. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
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. The dinner menu has oysters, salads, pasta, shrimp and grits, a burger, cheese plates and more. 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) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza.com — A Marilynn Pota Supreme pie is topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. There also are salads, sandwiches, wings, breadsticks and more. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $
The Vintage — 3121 Magazine St., (504) 324-7144; thevintagenola.com — There’s a full coffee drinks menu and baked goods and beignets, as well as a full bar. The menu has flatbreads, cheese boards, small plates and a pressed veggie sandwich with avocado, onions, arugula, red pepper and pepper jack cheese. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
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SCAN TO
APRIL23
People Museum “Dusk”Album release featuring SabineMcCalla with special guestsOcean Boyfriendand LauraFischer
APRIL24
Gabrielle Cavassawith guest JamesMcClaskey
APRIL25
Headhunters 3rdAnnualBembé Celebration featuring Gitkin ,Herlin ,Riley,DJC’est Funk
Doors: 7PM /Shows:8PM
Nate Bargatze
With his slow, deadpan delivery, comedian Nate Bargatze mines humor from the most mundane moments of his daily life, but that has made him one of the most popular touring comics. His 2025 album “Your Friend, Nate Bargatze” won a Grammy Award, and he starred in his first feature film, “The Breadwinner,” last year. He performs at 7 p.m. Friday, March 27, at Smoothie King Center. Tickets $42.38 and up at ticketmaster.com.
Danny Barker Guitar and Banjo Festival
The festival celebrates New Orleans musician and preservationist Danny Barker with three days of music (March 27-29) at the New Orleans Jazz Museum and other concerts and events beginning with the patron party on Tuesday, March 24. There are two music stages and an interview stage at the Jazz Museum, and the lineup features the Dirty Dozen, Kermit Ruffins, Yusa, Chris Thomas King, Charmaine Neville, John Boutte, Dixie Cups, Leroy Jones, Herlin Riley, Don Vappie and Creole Jazz and more. Music goes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on those days. Visit dannybarkerfestival.com for a full schedule and information.
Louisiana Crawfsh Festival
The music lineup includes Category 6, NOLA Rouge Band, Petty Betty, Nonc Nu & Da Wild Matous and more. There also are amusement rides, a pageant, plenty of boiled crawfish and other seafood dishes and more. March 26-29 at the Frederick Sigur Center in Chalmette. Visit louisianacrawfishfestival.com for information.
Vaudeville Revival
LadyBEAST produces and performs in the narrative-driven show featuring circus arts, trapeze and aerial acts, cowboy tricks, burlesque and more. Performers include Kitten N’ Lou, Aria Delanoche, Ayaa, Gigi Marx, Simone del Mar, Sweet Tooth Simone, Anya Sapozhnikova, Chris McDaniel, Angie Z and Rebecca Ostroff. At 9 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at The Joy Theater. Tickets $41 and up at ticketmaster.com.
Urban South 10th Anniversary
Urban South Brewery celebrates its 10th anniversary with a concert and block party. The Lost Bayou Ramblers and Sweet Crude perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 27. On Saturday, the
street in front of the brewery will be closed for a block party with carnival rides, live music, a vendor market, boiled crawfish and other food and more. The free festival runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Urban South is offering throwback releases of Delta Momma and Triple Spilled. Concert tickets are $44.61 via urbansouth.com.
Better New Orleans
Block Party
The block party includes music from the Righteous Wrong Band and DJ Raj Smoove, a craft market and flea market, information booths from 30 community organizations and more. Presented by the Committee for a Better New Orleans on the 12001400 blocks of St. Roch Avenue. At 1-6 p.m. Saturday, March 28. Visit cbno.org for information.
Peaches
Once an underground act, electro-punk musician and performance artist Peaches has reveled in sexually candid and transgressive subjects and performance spectacles. She drew wide attention with her 2000 album “The Teaches of Peaches.” She’s still at it in her first new album in 10 years, “No Lube So Rude,” an energetic collection of filthy lyrics. Pixel Grip also performs at 10 p.m. Sunday, March 29, at Republic NOLA. Tickets $26-$141 via republicnola.com.
The Wood Brothers
Folk rock band The Wood Brothers last year released its ninth studio album, “Puff of Smoke,” which brings in touches of Latin styles, jazz and some Dr. John-like rhythm and blues. The trio of Oliver and Chris Wood and Jano Rix are touring on the album this spring as well as marking the 20th anniversary of the band’s debut album, “Ways Not to Lose.” They play Tipitina’s at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 26, with Margo Cilker. Tickets are $49.10 via tipitinas.com.
HUMP Film Festival
Dan Savage’s touring home porn film festival is back with another installment at the Broad Theater. The slate of short films features a diverse array of sexualities, kinks, body types and more. There are sexy antifa protesters, erotic video poems and an animated piece about praying mantis courtships. At 7 & 9:30 p.m. Friday, March 27, and Saturday, March 28. Find tickets and information via humpfilmfest.com.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
‘Pill’
New Orleans Ballet Theatre presents an evening highlighting new works. Donald Jones Jr.’s “A Suite Named Desire” explores desire in a high-energy piece inspired by jazz rhythms. Oliver Halkowich’s “Sporting House & Naked Dance” is a dream ballet with the nine Greek muses set in Storyville. Company founders Gregory and Marjorie Schramel’s “Pill” is about the social revolutions and freedoms begun in 1960 with the introduction of the birth control pill. At 8 p.m. Friday, March 27, and Saturday, March 28, at Civic Theatre. Tickets are $50.75 and up via neworleansballettheatre.com.
Big Bass Fishing Rodeo
The annual City Park event is highlighted by the 77-year-old bass fishing rodeo, but there are several competitions and events, including a fishing competition for high school students. The bass rodeo is a bank fishing competition, and there also is competition for kayakers and non-motorized boats on Bayou St. John. The free “Fishtival” features games, activities, wildlife exhibits and DJs near Popp Bandstand. The bass rodeo starts at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, March 28. Competition registration fees vary. For information, go to neworleanscitypark.org.
Bonerama
Brass-fueled funk rock band Bonerama recently released its first new album in seven years, “So Much Love,” with help from Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Ivan Neville, Stanton Moore and others. You can next catch them live at the free Wednesday at the Square concert on March 25 at Lafayette Square. Bon Bon Vivant kicks things off at 5 p.m. Find more info at ylcwats.com.
Shell-A-Bration
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s annual Shell-A-Bration party features Louisiana oysters, seafood dishes, drinks and live music to raise funds for its oyster shell recycling program, which uses oyster shells from area restaurants to help strengthen our wetlands and shoreline. This year’s party includes music by T Marie and Bayou Juju, dishes from Dickie Brennan & Co. and regional oyster farmers and shuckers. There’s also a silent auction. Shell-A-Bration starts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26, at Audubon Zoo’s Cajun Ballroom. Tickets are $85 general admission and $125 VIP via crcl.org.
BOURBON
MUSIC
FO R C OMPLETE MUSI C LISTINGS AND MO R E EVENTS TAKING PLA C E IN T H E NEW O R LEANS A R EA, VISIT CALENDAR.GAMBITWEEKLY.COM
To learn more about adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com
MONDAY 23
30/90 — Margie Perez, 6 pm; Piano Man ‘G’, 9 pm
ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Betsy Propane & The Accessories, 7 pm
APPLE BARREL Mark Appleford, 6 pm; Decaturadio, 10:30 pm
BACCHANAL Byron Asher, 6 pm
BAMBOULA’S — The New Orleans Rug Cutters, 12 pm; Jon Roniger Band & The Good for Nothin’ Band, 4:30 pm; Ted Hefko & The Thousandaires, 9 pm
BJ’S LOUNGE Red Beans & Blues with The Leopard Hounds, 9 pm
BUFFA’S Marty Christian, 8 pm
CHICKIE WAH WAH — HaSizzle + TBC Brass Band, 8 pm
COLUMNS HOTEL — Stanton Moore Trio, 6:30 pm
DBA — Secret Six Jazz Band, 6 pm; Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet, 9:30 pm
DOS JEFES — John Fohl, 8:30 pm
HOLY DIVER Feyleux + Missing + DJ EveHill, 10 pm
LOWPOINT Robin Rapuzzi Solo Mandolin, Italian Serenade, 6 pm
THE MAISON — Aurora Nealand, 5 pm; Gene’s Music Machine, 8:30 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR — George Porter Jr. Trio, 7 pm; 10 pm
MAYFIELD’S 208 — Kermit Rufns ft. Irvin Mayfeld: Red Bean Mondays, 6 pm
NO DICE — Bay Faction Year of the Dog Tour with NUFFER, 9 pm
NOLA BREWING & PIZZA CO — Bluegrass Pickin' Party, 7 pm
OKAY BAR Western Swing Jam + Red Beans, 8 pm
POORBOYS Gumbolaya, 9 pm
SATURN BAR — BC Coogan, 8:30 pm
SIBERIA — Robert Lester Folsom + Rambler Kane, 9 pm
SNUG HARBOR Charmaine Neville Band, 7:30 pm; 9:30 pm
SPOTTED CAT Jenavieve & The Winding Boys, 2 pm; Dominick Grillo & The Frenchmen Street All-Stars, 6 pm
TUESDAY 24
30/90 — Sugar & The Daddies, 6 pm; Higher Heights, 9 pm
APPLE BARREL — Bubbles Brown, 6 pm; Jackson’s Flying Circus ft. Mike Doussan & Chris Roberts, 10:30 pm
BACCHANAL — Tangiers Combo, 6 pm
BAMBOULA’S — F K-rrera Music Group, 12 pm; Giselle Anguizola Quartet, 4:30
pm; Caitie B. & The Hand Me Downs, 9 pm
BJ'S LOUNGE BYWATER — Bruisey's Bottoms Up Open Mic, 9 pm
BLUE NILE — Juice, 7 pm
BUFFA’S Alex McMurray, 7 pm
CAFÉ NEGRIL The-Super-MostFantastic-Blues-N-Such-Jam, 7 pm
DBA — T Marie & Bayou Juju, 6 pm
DOS JEFES — Tom Hook, 8:30 pm
GASA GASA The Dead Spies + The Nancies + STGMA, 9 pm
HOLY DIVER Annelida + Chesticle, 10 pm
IRENE’S — Monty Banks, 6 pm
THE MAISON Jacky Blaire & The Hot Biscuits, 5 pm; Paradise Jazz Band, 8 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR Very Good Tuesdays, 8 pm
MAYFIELD’S 208 Irvin Mayfeld ft. Cyril
Neville & Kermit Rufns, 6 pm
MRB — DJ Mr. Bubble, 7 pm
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS — The Inaugural
New Orleans Opera Festival, 12 am
NO DICE WINYAH + Edgehill, 9 pm
PITOT HOUSE Spring on the Bayou ft.
Teena May, 6 pm
THE RABBIT HOLE — Rebirth Brass Band, 10 pm
SALON SALON — Vincent Schmidt, 7 pm
SATURN BAR MICHELIN STARS: A Service Industry Beauty Pageant, 7 pm
SIBERIA Everyfeather + Bodyroom + Walmart2, 9 pm
SNUG HARBOR — Don Vappie Jazz Creole, 7:30 pm; 9:30 pm
SPOTTED CAT Chris Christy Band, 2 pm; Sweetie Pies of New Orleans, 6 pm; Smoking Time Jazz Band, 9:30 pm
WEDNESDAY 25
30/90 — Dapper Dandies, 6 pm; The Budz, 9 pm
APPLE BARREL Hobo Gadget, 6 pm; Joey Houck, 10:30 pm
BACCHANAL — Jesse Morrow, 6 pm
BAMBOULA’S — Jacky Blaire & The Hot Biscuits, 12 pm; Swingin’ With John Saavedra, 4:30 pm; Laura Doyle Quartet, 9 pm
BANKS STREET BAR — Gregg Hill, 7 pm
BJ’S LOUNGE — Soft Opening ft. Anna Laura Quinn & Christin Bradford, 9 pm
BLUE NILE New Breed Brass Band, 9 pm
BRATZ Y’ALL — Joey Houck & Matt Hughes, 5 pm
BUFFA’S Daniel Beaudoin, 7 pm
CAFÉ NEGRIL — The Silver Lining Serenaders, 6:30 pm; Jam-ilton, 9 pm
CHICKIE WAH WAH Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock, 8 pm
CIVIC THEATRE — New Orleans Opera Festival presents Golda Schultz: Dark Matter(s) with Jonathan Ware, 6 pm
DBA Stephen Walker n’em, 6 pm; The Next Level Band, 9:30 pm
DOS JEFES — Gloria & Ricardo, 8:30 pm
HOLY DIVER Ritual Fog + Swampgrave + Penetration, 9 pm
JAZZ PLAYHOUSE Funkin’ It Up with Big Sam, 7:30 pm
LAFAYETTE SQUARE — WATS: Bonerama + Bon Bon Vivant, 5 pm THE MAISON — Gene’s Music Machine, 6 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR — Happy Organ Hour, 7 pm
LAFAYETTE SQUARE — Wednesdays at The Square: Bonerama , 5 pm
MARIGNY BRASSERIE Legacy Jazz Band, 7 pm
MARQUETTE THEATER AT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY — Little Shop of Horrors, 7:30 pm
MAYFIELD’S 208 BOURBON — Irvin Mayfeld ft. Kermit Rufns, 6 pm
MRB Lynn Drury, 7 pm
NO DICE — Very Cherry, 9 pm
SANTOS BAR — Chambre Noir with Paco, 10 pm
SATURN BAR — Tatsuya Nakatani, Ratty Scurvics, Stoo Odom & More!, 9 pm
SNUG HARBOR — JFA presents Seva Venet, 5 pm
SPOTTED CAT Chris Christy Band, 2 pm; Shotgun Jazz Band, 6 pm; Marty Peters & The Party Meters, 9:30 pm
Psychedelic guitarist Gitkin performs at Gasa Gasa Friday, March 27 at 9 p.m.
PHOTO BY MADDIE SPINNER / GAMBIT
THURSDAY 26
30/90 — Organami, 6 pm; Kayla Jasmine, 9 pm
APPLE BARREL — Bubbles Brown, 6 pm
BACCHANAL Raphael Bas, 6 pm
BAMBOULA’S JJ & The A-Ok’s, 12 pm; Cristina Kaminis & The Mix, 4:30 pm; Wolfe John’s Band, 9 pm
BJ’S LOUNGE — Santas by Amazilia, 9 pm
BLUE NILE Irvin Mayfeld’s Music Church, 9 pm
BMC — Better Late Than Jake, 6 pm; Maurice Cade & ESS, 9 pm
BRATZ Y’ALL — Margie Perez & Phil Vanderyken, 5 pm
BROADSIDE — Mahmoud Chouki, Will Thompson & Alex Canales + Phil Degriy & Sasha Elliahna Durta Duo, 7 pm
BUFFA’S Tom McDermott & Aurora Nealand, 7 pm
CAFE NEGRIL — Mother Ruckus, 6 pm; Armani Smith & Soul Ties, 10 pm
CARROLLTON STATION — Peter Holsapple & Friends, 8 pm
CHICKIE WAH WAH — Grayson Capps, 8 pm
DBA — Palmetto Bug Stompers, 6 pm; Vegas Cola Band, 10 pm
DOS JEFES Tangiers Combo, 8:30 pm
DOUBLE DEALER — Tifany Pollack, 9 pm; Eric Johanson, 9:30 pm
FREDERICK J. SIGUR CIVIC CENTER — Louisiana Crawfsh Festival, 5 pm
GASA GASA Ben Kweller, 9 pm
HOUSE OF BLUES — Andy Forest, 5:30 pm; Nancy Zee, 7 pm
AZZ PLAYHOUSE Brass-AHolics, 7:30 pm
LE BON TEMPS ROULE Tiago Guy, 11 pm
THE MAISON — The Champagniacs, 4:30 pm; SingleMaltPlease, 8:30 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR Booker & Beyond with Oscar Rossignoli, 6 pm
MARQUETTE THEATER AT LOYOLA
UNIVERSITY Little Shop of Horrors, 7:30 pm
MRB — Micah McKee & Friends, 7 pm
NO DICE The Junior League + The SelfHelp Tapes + Chill Buddy, 9 pm
PEACOCK ROOM, HOTEL FONTENOT —
Da Lovebirds with Robin Barnes and Pat Casey , 7 pm
ROCK 'N' BOWL — Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble , 8 pm
SALON SALON John Maestas, 7 pm
SANTOS BAR — Tainted Love 80’s Night with DJ Shane Love, 10 pm
SATURN BAR Hashtronaut + Anareta + Fen Magus, 9 pm
SMOOTHIE KING CENTER — The Lumineers + Shovels & Rope, 7:30 pm
SNUG HARBOR Danny Barker Tribute Band, 7:30 pm; 9:30 pm
TIPITINA’S The Wood Brothers, 8 pm
VAUGHAN’S — Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet, 10:30 pm
FRIDAY 27
30/90 Al’s Hwy 50, 2 pm; Richard Rourke & The Easy, 5 pm; Dana Abbott, 8 pm; Strange Roux, 11 pm
THE ALLWAYS LOUNGE & CABARET —
The New Orleans High Society Hour - Live Jazz and Burlesque, 8 pm
APPLE BARREL — Bubbles Brown, 6 pm; Michael Darby & The Rockers, 10:30 pm
BACCHANAL David Sigler, 1 pm; Willie Green, 7 pm
BAMBOULA’S — The New Orleans Rug Cutters, 11 am; Felipe Antonio Quintet, 2:15 pm; Les Getrex & Creole Cooking, 6:30 pm; Bettis & The 3rd Degree Brass Band, 10 pm
BAR REDUX — Whip Appeal + Mirth Snow, 9 pm
BJ’S LOUNGE The Big Diamonds + Jenna McSwain Band, 9 pm
BLUE NILE — The Caesar Brothers’ FunkBox, 7:30 pm; Kermit Rufns & The BBQ Swingers, 10 pm; DJ WestBankRed (upstairs), 10 pm
BRATZ Y’ALL — Paul Niehaus & Will Repholz, 5 pm
BUFFA’S Washboard Chaz, 8 pm
CAFE NEGRIL — Blackdog, 2 pm; Jamey St. Pierre & The Honeycreepers, 6 pm; Higher Heights Reggae, 10 pm
CARROLLTON STATION Davis & The Love + Michael Mullins Band, 9 pm
CHICKIE WAH WAH Flow Tribe, 9 pm
DBA Mia Borders, 6 pm
DOS JEFES — The Afrodiziac’s Jazz, 9 pm
DOUBLE DEALER BAR — Eric Johanson, 7 pm
GASA GASA — Bab L’ Bluz (Morocco) + Gitkin + Carol C, 9 pm
HOLY DIVER — Those Monsters + Neznum + Konstricted, 9 pm
HOUSE OF BLUES Juan Tigre, 7 pm; DJ T Roy, 10 pm
HOWLIN’ WOLF Brad Kofman, 8 pm
LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ Side Piece, 11 pm
MAHALIA JACKSON THEATER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Der Rosenkavalier, 7:30 pm
THE MAISON Nola Sweethearts, 3 pm; Shotgun Jazz Band, 5 pm; Feral House Cats, 8 pm; DJ Dot Dunnie, 11 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR — John “Papa” Gros Band, 8 pm; Sage Against The Machine, 11 pm
MARQUETTE THEATER AT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY — Little Shop of Horrors, 7:30 pm
MRB — Bogue Chitto Band, 7 pm
NO DICE — Vienna Notaranni, Amelie Cecile, Lynda Lee & Wishbone, 8 pm; New Orleans Electric Spring Afterparty, 12 am
NOLA BREWING & PIZZA CO — "17 Years of Beers" Anniversary Show featuring Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes, 7 pm
OKAY BAR — The Lodestones + Dawn Riding + Lumer, 8 pm
ROCK 'N' BOWL The Rouge Krewe, 8:30 pm
SATURN BAR Sprang Flang with Chore Boys and Brookiecita, 10 pm
SIBERIA — Dusky Waters + Paul Faith & The Barstool Prophets + Special Guest Lisa Mae O’Neill, 9 pm
SNUG HARBOR John Ellis & DoubleWide Record Release, 7:30 pm; 9:30 pm
SPOTTED CAT Paradise Jazz Band, 2 pm; New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings, 6 pm; James Martin Band, 10 pm
TOULOUSE THEATRE #BAILEDURO ft. CRRDR, Jon Liston, Notscaredtocry & More!, 10 pm
TWELVE MILE LIMIT — DJ Derrick Smoker, 9 pm
URBAN SOUTH BREWERY — 10th
Anniversary Party with Live Music Concert, 5 pm
SATURDAY 28
30/90 — Jef Chaz Blues Band, 2 pm; Tetrad, 5 pm; Tyler Kinchen & The Right Pieces, 8 pm; Gumbo Funk, 11 pm
APPLE BARREL — Smoky Greenwell Blues Band,10:30 pm
BACCHANAL — Miles Berry, 1 pm; Pete Olynciw, 7 pm
BAMBOULA’S — Aaron Levinson & Friends, 11 am; James McClaskey & The Rhythm Band, 2:15 pm; Johnny Mastro Blues, 6:30 pm; Paggy Prine & Southern Soul, 10 pm
BEANLANDIA — Les Femmes Farouches, 6 pm
BJ’S LOUNGE — Happy Talk Band + The Bottoms, 9 pm
BLUE NILE — The Next Level Band, 7 pm; Afrobeat NOLA, 10 pm
BMC Abe Thompson & Drs. of Funk, 3 pm; Deej and Mothr Ruckus, 6 pm; Sierra Green, 9 pm PAGE 32
MUSIC
FESTIVAL ISSUES
FRENCH QUARTER FEST
ISSUE DATE:
APRIL 13 [RESERVE SPACE BY APRIL 3]
JAZZ FEST ISSUE DATES:
APRIL 20 [RESERVE SPACE BY APRIL 10]
APRIL 27 [RESERVE SPACE BY APRIL 17]
3 FEST ISSUES
BRATZ Y’ALL — Johnny Sansone & Jef Bridges, 5 pm
BUFFA’S — The Freudian Slips, 8 pm
CAFE NEGRIL The Rumpshakers, 2 pm; Bon Bon Vivant, 6 pm; Zena Moses & The Rue Fiya Allstars, 10 pm
CARROLLTON STATION — CajunZydeco Dance Workshop + T Marie & Bayou Juju + MawMaw, 8 pm
CHICKIE WAH WAH — Papa Mali’s Record Release Party with Eric Bolivar, Cass Faulconer, Jenn Howard & More!, 9 pm
DBA — Dana Abbott, 6 pm
DOS JEFES — Betty Shirley, 9 pm
THE FILLMORE Somebody Loves Me, 8 pm
GASA GASA Gatsu + Hiraeth + Brethren Hogg, 9 pm
HOLY DIVER — Underneath the Underground IX Presents: Bullshit Detector, The King’s Cannon, Mugger, Cosh Boyz, 9 pm
HOUSE OF BLUES Jamey St. Pierre, 4 pm; Shawan Rice, 7 pm; Kiss the Goat - Tribute to Ghost, 8 pm
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF New Orleans Synth Cult Presents: Modulation Sessions with Oscillation Communications, Free-U & Glassy Eye, 10 pm
JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Nayo Jones Experience, 7:30 pm; 9 pm
JOY THEATRE — Ladybeast’s Vaudeville Revival, 9 pm
LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Cam (CamIAm) Watson, 11 pm
THE MAISON — Giselle Anguizola, 1 pm; Smoking Time Jazz Club, 4 pm; Big Easy Brass Walker, 8 pm; DJ Gerado, 11 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR — Pocket Chocolate, 10 pm
MARQUETTE THEATER AT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY Little Shop of Horrors, 7:30 pm
MRB — Wolfe Johns Blues Band, 7 pm
NO DICE — New Orleans Electric Spring Afterparty, 11 pm
NOLA BREWING & PIZZA CO Al's
HWY50 featuring Special Guest Jon Roniger & The Good For Nothin' Band, 7 pm
OKAY BAR — “Heatwave!” Soul + R&B Dance Party w. DJ Ann, 9 pm
PUBLIC BELT AT HILTON NEW ORLEANS RIVERSIDE — Phil Melancon, 8 pm
ROCK 'N' BOWL — Few Blue, 8:30 pm
SANTOS BAR — Duck N Moose Showcase Dance Party, 10 pm
SATURN BAR temples with d1me, eden, and the forist, 10 pm
SIBERIA — My Beloved + Swining Astrid, 9 pm
SMOOTHIE KING CENTER — Journey, 7:30 pm
TIPITINA’S NOLA Funk Fest Lineup Reveal Show ft. Irma Thomas and more, 7 pm
TOULOUSE THEATRE The Last Bohemia Soiree: Tim Murray is Witches!, 7 pm
SUNDAY 29
30/90 Funhouse 3 pm; Andre Lovett, 6 pm; Manic Mixtape, 9 pm
ALLWAYS LOUNGE Sunday Swing with The Sunshine Special, 8 pm
BACCHANAL — Juan Tigre, 1 pm; Noah Young, 7 pm
BAMBOULA’S — Them Jaywalkers, 11 am; Laura Doyle Quartet, 2:15 pm; Midnight Brawlers, 5:30 pm; Kat Kiley, 9 pm
BJ’S LOUNGE — James McClaskey & the Rhythm Band, 9 pm
BLUE NILE Gumbo Funk, 7 pm; Street Legends Brass Band, 9:30 pm
BUFFA’S T Marie & Bayou JuJu, 8 pm
CAFÉ NEGRIL — Decaturadio, 12 pm; John Lisi & Delta Funk, 5 pm; The Next Level Band, 9 pm
CHICKIE WAH WAH — The New Orleans Jazz Vipers, 7 pm
DBA — Paradise Jazz Band, 6 pm; The Jump Hounds, 9:30 pm
DOS JEFES Javier Gutierrez, 8 pm
GASA GASA — Die Spitz with Birthday Girl, 9 pm
HOWLIN’ WOLF — Hot 8 Brass Band, 10:30 pm
JOY THEATRE WATCHHOUSE + Paper Wings, 8 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR Joe Krown Trio with Papa Mali, 9 pm
NO DICE — Redd Kross + Conan Neutron & The Secret Friends, 9 pm
OKAY BAR — Mango + Grape Candy + The Knife Kickers, 7 pm
SALON SALON DJ Madspinnz, 7 pm
SATURN BAR — Othello ft. Aurora Nealand, Sabine McCalla & More!, 9 pm
TIGERMEN DEN — Lioness at the Tigermen Den ft. J. Mix, Maddy Kirgo & Queen Bonobo, 7:30 pm
TIPITINA’S — Obituary + Castrator + Intoxicated, 8 pm
FOR
MUSIC
Electronic Dance Village
by Sarah Ravits
WITHOUT ELECTRONICA
-HEAVY MUSIC FESTIVALS
LIKE BUKU, New Orleans dance music DJs and artists have kept the local scene alive year-round at bars, music clubs and underground parties.
Artists are highly collaborative in the tight-knit community, and they tend to hype each other’s work, says Brooke Paulus, who spins a blend of ’70s rock, disco, world beats and pop music at local clubs as DJ Brookiecita.
“Everybody builds each other up, and we all promote each other’s parties and work together to bring good energy,” she says. “There’s not a whole lot of weird shade, or a competitive nature in our scene. People love and respect and enjoy each other.”
It’s that collaboration and energy that festival producers and music industry veterans Peter Jackson and Big Chief Juan Pardo are expecting to unleash at the inaugural Electric Spring Festival, held Friday, March 27, and Saturday, March 28, at the Music Box Village.
More than 20 acts are scheduled to perform across three stages that weekend.
With the exception of visiting French DJ Electrianz, a longtime friend of Pardo, all of the artists have roots in New Orleans.
“The state of the local underground scene of dance music was so fertile and robust that we didn’t need to look any further than New Orleans itself to host a two-day event,” Jackson says. “We wanted to give credence to and pay respects to the people who have built this scene.”
Otura Mun, who performs under the moniker ÌFÉ, will kick off the festival with an opening ceremony at 5 p.m. Friday.
The producer and artist combines Afro-Cuban sounds and Yoruban religious elements into his sets, which also draw inspiration from Jamaican dancehall beats. He also performs on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Other Friday evening sets are by Brookiecita, Chore Boys and DJ Krewe on the main stage, with RQ Away, Funke and Kilabaudd on the Warehouse Stage, which is indoors. Memory Machine plays at 8 p.m. at the Under the Oaks Stage. On Saturday, music starts at noon, and there are early sets by R!llo,
Electrianz, Nokerfu, Elliot From Earth and Zevi, among others.
Legatron Prime, who largely focuses on music by Black women and gender fluid musicians as well as local bounce and hip-hop artists, is scheduled to perform at 6:30 p.m.
Headliner Bouffant Bouffant, a veteran producer and DJ who has long been a fixture on the late-night and queer-centric scene, closes the main stage at 8 p.m. Saturday.
There are lots of other sensory components to Electric Spring Fest, and there will be some surprise “elements of frivolity,” Jackson says.
In addition to the permanent, interactive art installations at the Music Box Village, there will be pop-up art installations, stilt-walkers, face-painting artists and hair braiders. The organizers are also expecting some local dance troupes to make appearances. Food and drinks are also for sale.
The festival shuts down at 10 p.m. because of the city’s outdoor noise ordinance.
There are official after-parties both nights at No Dice on nearby St. Claude Avenue.
Paulus says she can’t wait to be among fellow dance party enthusiasts.
“It’s the best and brightest of New Orleans nightlife,” she says. “And there’s room for everyone.”
The festival is all ages, but participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by a guardian. For more information visit electricspringfestival.com.
Bouffant Bouffant
PHOTO BY MADDIE SPINNER / GAMBIT
UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
In re The Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of Ne w Orleans, Chapter 11 Case No. 20 -10846
PLEASE TA KE NOTICE, that on Ma rc h 13 , 20 26 , Do nald C. Ma ss ey, in his cap acity as th e se ttlement tr us te e (th e “ Se tt le me nt Tr uste e”) of the Se ttlement Tr ust (the “Trust ”) in the matter of the Roman Ca tholic Church of th e A rc hd io ce se of New Orle ans, as debtor and deb tor-in-p os se ssi on an d as re or ga nize d pu rsu an t to and under the Jo int
P l an (the “D ebtor ”) in this chapter 11 ca se (t he “C hapter 11 Ca se ”) by an d throu g h his cou n se l, fi le d th e Mo tion for Entr y of an Orde r to Enforce the Te rm s of Conf ir matio n Orde r of th e Se ve nth Ame nde d Mo dif ied Jo int Chapt er 11 Plan of Re organizatio n Approv ing Se ttle me nt A gr ee me nt and Po lic y Bu y- Ba cks wi th Un ited St ates Fi del it y & Guaranty Company and Granting Re lated Re li ef (th e “ Se ttlem ent Mo tio n” ) with the Un ite d State s Ba nkruptcy C ourt for the Ea stern Di stri ct of Lo uisi ana (the “Cou rt ”) 1
Capitalize d terms us ed but not other wis e def ine d herein have the me an i n gs as crib ed to them n the Se ttl em en t Mo ti on PLE AS E TA KE FURTHER NOTICE, that pursuant to the Se ttlement Mo tio n, th e Se ttlemen t Tr uste e is se eki ng en try of an order approv ing the prop ose d se ttlement ag re ement (th e “ Se ttlement Ag re emen t”) wit h Un ite d St ate s Fi delity & Guaranty Comp any (“ USF&G”), pu rsuant to wh ich US F& G will (i) purcha se all ri ght s, ti tle and in te re st s (i nc lu di ng Su b j ec t Interes ts) in and to the Tr avelers Po licie s and the Re late d Insurance Claims and Cove rag e Cla ims (colle ctively, the “Purcha se d Prop erty ”) (other than for Pres erved Claims with re sp ec t to Pres er ve d Cove ra ge relating to claims for Abus e against the Dio ce se of Ho um a-Thi bo daux SD, as prov id ed in th e Se ttle m e nt Ag re ement ), a nd/or all or sub stantially all cove rage unde r such Tr avelers Po licie s in exchange fo r a se ttlement paymen t in the a ggregate amount of $75,0 00 ,0 00 .0 0 and (ii) be come a Se ttli ng I nsurer unde r th e co nf irme d Se ve nt h Ame nd ed
Mo dif ied Jo int Chapte r 11 Plan of Re organizati on fo r The Ro ma n Cath oli c Ch urch of th e Ar chdio cese of Ne w Or le ans a nd Ad ditional De btor s, Dated as of De ce mb er 8, 20 25 [E CF 47 62] ( the “Joint Plan”) .
PLEASE TA KE FURTHER NOTI CE, that in con ne ctio n wi th th e Se ttlem ent Mo tio n, the Se ttlement Tr us te e is s ee king approv al of the se ttlement and sa le of the Pu rc ha se d Prop erty, free an d cle ar of all liens, claims, interes t, c ha rg es an d e n c u mb r a nc es Th is “free and cle a r” sa l e of th e Purch as ed Pro pe rty con tain s certain rele as es, injunction s, and other protec ti ve prov isio ns in f avor of US F& G. The sal e pro po se s Inj unction s th at pe rmanen tly enjoin all pe rs on s wh o have held o r as se rted , or may in the f ut ure hold or ass ert, any Claim s from taking a ny ac tio n, direc tly or in d i re ct ly, fo r pu rp os es o f ass erting, enforcing, or attempting to as se rt o r enforce any Cl ai m aga in st US F& G or the In s u re r Re le as ed Parti es (as de fi ne d in the Se ttl emen t Ag re ement) or th e prop er ty or ass ets o f ea ch (all as def ine d in the Se ttlement Ag re ement). Th e Se ttlem ent Tr uste e is se eki ng to fu lly re le as e any Claims a gainst USF&G or the Insurer Rele as ed Partie s arisin g fro m o r re late d in any way to th e Tr aveler s Po licie s. There are additional prov isions in the Se ttlement A gree ment – be yo nd tho se se t fo rth in the prec ed ing se nt ence s – wh ich s hould be reviewe d to understand com pletel y the Se ttlemen t Ag re ement and its ef fe ct on yo ur right s.
PLEASE TA KE FURTHER NOTI CE, tha t the Se ttlement Ag re ement pres erves right s of cer tai n pa rtie s for Pres erved Claims with re sp ec t to Pres erved Cove rage, wh ich re late to claims fo r Abus e as se rte d ag ai nst the Dio ce se of Ho uma-Thib od aux SD (i.e. the Dio ce se of Ho uma-Th ib od au x as it ex iste d on and af te r Ju ne 5, 19 77) Sp ec if ically, t he Se ttlement Ag re ement prov ide s that Pres erved Claims include tho se claims fo r Abus e wh ich have be en as se rte d or in the future may be as se rte d so lely ag ainst the Dio ce se of Ho um a-Thi bo daux SD, for wh ich cove ra ge under the Tr avelers Po licie s is pres erved , subje ct to all limits, de clarations, terms and conditions of such po licie s.
P LEASE TA KE FURTHER NOTI CE, that Pres erved Claims als o include claims alleg ing Abu se as se rt ed in a proo f of claim fi le d in the Ba nkruptcy Ca se (such proo f of claim fi le d on or be fo re De ce mb er 2, 20 25) con taining all eg ation s of Abus e against the Dio ce se of Ho uma-Th ib od au x SD or imp licating a p rie st wit hin th e Dio ce se of Ho uma-Thib od aux SD I f any such claimant intends to mai n ta in th eir ri ght to fi le a cl aim or l aw su it ag ai ns t the Dio ces e of Ho uma-Thib od aux SD and/or US F& G (but so lely in its ca pa city as an in surer of, and only fo r Abus e alleged ly co m mi tted by, Ho uma-Thi bo daux SD) under any po licy in wh ich the Dio ces e of Ho uma-Thi bod aux SD is an addit io na l name d in sured , suc h claimant shall prov ide notice of intent to fi le such cla im or law suit no t later than Ap ril 16 , 202 6 in writing to the be low coun se l to the Se ttlem ent Tr ustee , ot herwi se suc h cl aim shal l be wa ived and ex tinguishe d.
Ia in A.W. Na sa tir
Pa chulsk i Stang Ze ihl & Jo nes LLP
10 10 0 Santa Mo nica Bl vd ., Ste. 1300 Los An ge les, CA 90067
Te le phone (310) 27 7- 69 10
Email: inasa tir@ps zjlaw.com
PLEASE TA KE FURTHER NOTI CE that a he aring on the Se ttlement Mo tio n wi ll be he ld be fore the Ho nor ab le Ju dge Me re dith S. Grabill of the Un ite d State s Ba nkru p tcy Court for th e Ea ste rn D i strict of Lo ui sian a , Se ction A, on A pril 23, 202 6, at 10 :0 0 a.m. CT
PLEASE TA KE FURTHER NOTI CE that, pursuant to Ge ne ra l Orde r 20 21-2, pa rtie s in int eres t and thei r cou ns el may attend the he aring eith er IN PER SO N, in Cou rtroo m B- 70 9, 50 0 Po yd ra s Stree t, New Orle ans, LA 70130, or VIA T ELEPHONE. The dial-in informati on fo r Se ct ion A is 1 -5 04 -5 17-138 5; Ac ce ss Co de 12 9611.
PLEASE TA KE FURTHER NOTICE that if yo u ob je ct to the re lief re qu es te d i n t he Se ttlement Mo ti on , yo u mu st f ile a writt en obje ction no later than April 16, 2 02 6 Yo u must se rve a copy of yo ur re sp ons e on the pe rs on wh o s ent yo u this notice. Otherwis e, th e Co urt may trea t th e Mo ti on as uno pp ose d and gr ant the re lief re que st ed
PLEASE TA KE FURTHER NOTI CE, that the Se ttlement Tr uste e may fi le supp lements to th e Se ttle ment Mo tion n ot include d in the initial fi ling of the Se ttlement Mo tio n, as we ll as any rev ision s or addit ions to th e Se ttl ement Ag re ement. No tice of any su pplem ents will be se rved on ly up on tho se pa rt ie s wh o have formal ly app ea re d in th is C hap t er 11 Ca se and re que ste d notice in accord an ce with Ru le 20 02 of the Fe dera l Ru le s of Ba nkr uptcy Proc ed ure.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that a copy of the Settlement Motion and any supplements may be obtained from the Clerk’s Office, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, via the Court’s electronic case management system at http s://ecf.laeb.us courts.gov, by visiting http s://b ankruptcy.angeiongroup.com/Clients/rcano/ Dockets, by calling (877) 476 -438 9, or by written request to undersigned couns el. P L EASE TA KE FURTHER NOTI CE, IF YO U HAVE (1) A CLAIM AG AINST THE SE TTLEMENT TRUSTE E OR AR CH DI OC ES E (AS APPLICABLE) AS TO WHICH INSURAN CE COVE R AG E IS OR MAY BE AVAILAB L E, (2 ) AN I NTEREST IN ANY OF THE USF&G INSURANCE POLICIE S, OR ( 3) ANY CL AIMS AG AINST USF&G RE L AT ING TO T HE FOREGOING, YOUR RIGHTS MAY BE AFFEC TE D.
Opera opening
by Jake Clapp
AT THE START OF THE OPERA “DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES,” Blanche de la Force, the daughter of a French nobleman, decides to become a nun and join the Carmelite sisters at Compiegne. The French Revolution is underway and it’s the beginning of the Reign of Terror, and Blanche’s decision is prompted by encountering a mob on her way home.
Although she feigns calm, she’s disturbed by the escalating violence and seeks refuge at the convent. Ultimately, though, the Terror comes for the Compiegne convent as revolutionaries demand the dissolution of religious orders around France.
In the true events, 16 members of the convent were executed for refusing to submit to the suppressive laws and became known as the Martyrs of Compiegne. Francis Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmelites” focuses on the tensions between faith and doubt, courage and fear, and the work has been highly regarded since its premiere in 1957.
Although the venue may be of a different religious order, the New Orleans Opera Association has found an appropriate place to stage “Dialogues des Carmelites” this week. The organization presents the opera at the Old Ursuline Convent Museum on Tuesday, March 24, Thursday, March 26, and Saturday, March 28, as part of the first New Orleans Opera Festival.
Directed by Valentina Ceschi and conducted by Joshua Anand Slater, the performance will feature Stephanie Doche as Blanche de la Force, Norman Garrett as Le Marquis de la Force, Phyllis Treigle as the convent prioress Madam de Croissy and a number of other visiting vocalists and opera professionals.
The New Orleans Opera Festival runs March 24-29 with performances around the French Quarter and Central Business District. It’s the first time the Opera Association, which was founded in 1943, has organized a festival.
“This is a transformative moment for the company,” NOOA General and Artistic Director Lila Palmer said in a press release. “We are raising the bar, expanding our vision, and building something that will resonate far beyond this season.”
Palmer, a librettist and vocalist, took on the NOOA leadership role ahead of the 2024 season.
Another performance with religious themes will bookend the opera festival. “Pilgrimage” on Sunday will blend American opera composer Carlisle
Floyd’s cantata of that name — which draws on Biblical texts — with the work “Vers toi qui es si loin” (“Towards you who are so far away”), a piece from Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. Co-directed by Palmer and Bennett Kirschner, the founding artistic director of New Orleans’ Intramural Theater, “Pilgrimage” begins at St. Louis Cathedral but will proceed to other undisclosed spaces around the Quarter. Soprano Leah Crocetto and baritones Darren Drone, Norman Garrett and Jorell Williams will perform. On Wednesday, celebrated South African soprano Golda Schultz will perform at the Civic Theatre. She’ll be joined by pianist Jonathan Ware for a recital including works by Florence Price, Richard Strauss and George Crumb. And on Saturday, the riverboat City of New Orleans will host another appropriate site-specific performance. Vocalists Cadie J. Bryan, Jonathan Bryan, Brittany Olivia Logan and Darren Drone will be joined by host and accompanist Gerald Steichen to perform pieces from “Show Boat.” The musical by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein is set on a Mississippi River show boat and produced several classics songs, including “Ol’ Man River.”
The festival kicks off Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. with an opening reception at The Cabildo. And there’s a closing party at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Later this fall, the Opera Association will stage “Der Rosenkavalier” at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. The opera by Strauss was originally planned for the festival, but it has been rescheduled to November.
Tickets for New Orleans Opera Festival productions are available individually via neworleansoperafestival.org.
Cast members for ‘Dialogues of the Carmelites,’ part of the New Orleans Opera Festival PROVIDED PHOTO BY DANIEL WELCH
MICH AELZ AROU
PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE
“CONTAIN YOURSELF!”
By Frank A. Longo
Like photographic
45 Used a toothed tool to draw a container closer? 50 Morning alarm heeder
62 Real eye-catchers 65 Org. with bag screeners 66 Once-popular MP3 player 67 Confidence that the container will arrive on time? 71 Pale grayish 73 Atop, in odes 74 Past the cutoff age
75 Unit equal to .0001 tesla
78 Chi preceder
79 Greek writer of fables
81 “Fee, fi, fo, --!”
82 Singer Keys
83 Settle a debt with
NE W TO MARKE T
Is a moocher 100 Just barely
Indifferent to ethics
Block-stacking game
Bury 108 Rae of “Barbie”
Trig function 110 Hit, as a fly
Unmannerly
Santa -- (some winds)
“The -- the limit!”
Architect Maya
Guided 118 Mil. missions
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Lot624:Large ItalianStyle OakParquetry Monaster yTable,20thc., with aparquetry & he xagonaltop,Estimates:$1,00 0- $2 ,0 00
Lot596:Aldro TompsonHibbard (American, 1886 -1972),“Fall Landscapewith Bridge over Water,”oil on canvas, Estimates: $5,0 00 -$8,00 0
Lot416:Maria Laredo (American/NewOrleans, b. 1948), “New OrleansJaz z&HeritageFestival PosterwithFatsHouston ,” 1976 ,color lithog raph on paper, Estimates: $2 ,0 00 -$3,00 0
Lot 420: JamesHussey(American / Louisiana, b. 1936 ), “U.S .Mail, Belle MemphisSteamboat (188 0-1897),”1982, oiloncanvas, Estimates: $1,0 00 -$2,000
Lot 552: Rock-Ola PeacockBubbler CD Jukebox, 21st c.,classic design basedonthe Wurlitzer1015, Estimates: $2 ,0 00 -$4,000
Selectionof Jewelr yitems,including diamonds,sapphires, rubies,yellowgol d, whitegol d, etc.
Lot497:R areAntebellum MississippiRiver Map, “CoastDirector y(AlgierstoSt. John Parish),”byCharles J. Pike,1847, lithog raph ribbon maponpaper, Estimates: $5,0 00 -$8,00 0 Lot 466: 14KYellowGol d DiamondWedding Set, Estimates: $15,000 -$20,0 00
Lot592:BillMack(American /Minnesota ,b.1949), “Fascination ,” bonded sand wall relief on wood panel, Estimates: $1,0 00 -$2,00 0
Lot 413: AlexanderJohnDrysdale(American / Louisiana, 1870 -1934),“OakAlong theBayou ,” oil wash on board, Estimates: $2 ,500 -$4,50 0
Lot4 42:Mardi Gras Ball Invitation , Re x, 1879,for theFebruar y25, 1879, ball at Washington Artiller y Hall (E xpositionPalace),f romthe theme“ Te Histor yofthe World,” Estimates: $500 -$1,00 0
Lot471:Louisiana CypressFullTesterChild ’s Bed, mid19thc., Estimates: $500 -$1,000
Lot418:MartinLaborde (American/ Louisiana, b. 1943), “HeSat Upon the Blue HorseUnder theBlueMoodand Waited forthe Tropical Breezes,”1995, oiloncanvas, Estimates: $1,0 00 -$2,00 0
Lot577:FrenchLouis XV IStyle Marble TopWalnutEnflade, mid20thc., Estimates: $1,200 -$1,80 0
Lot541:PeshawarGardenofParadiseCar pet, 9’ 2x12’ 3. Estimates: $1,500 -$2,50 0
Lot451:Niekvan derPlas(Dutch, b. 1954), “Saint LouisCathedral ,New Orleans,”oil on board, Estimates: $1,500 -$2,50 0
Lot603:R areAntiqueCoromandel Dressing Case,Jenner&Knewstub, London , 1884 ,withBetjemann Patent Mechanisms,
Lot504:GeorgeRodrigue (American/Louisiana, 1944 -2013), “Mardi Gras Blue Dog,”c.1992, silkscreenonpaper, Estimates: $1,500 -$2,50 0
Lot 50 8: DavidHarouni (Iranian / NewOrleans,b.1962),“Untitled: Face with Crown Portrait ,” oilon canvas,Estimates:$4,00 0- $6 ,0 00
Lot374:FrenchEmpireBleached Walnut Commode, Early19thc., Estimates: $600 -$1, 20 0