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Second Nature Japanese Rinpa Paintings from the Gitter-Yelen Collection

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6 GAMBIT > BESTOFNEWORLE ANS.COM > November 2 - 8 > 2026

CONTENTS

NOV 2 — NOV 8, 2026 VOLUME 47 || NUMBER 44

NEWS Opening Gambit ............... 8 Stanton ......................... 10 Blake Pontchartrain.......... 11 PULLOUT The Pearl........................... F E AT U R E S Arts & Entertainment ........ 7 Eat & Drink .....................17 Music Listings ................. 22 Comedy ........................ 24 Going Out ...................... 25

BOOK YOUR

PRIVATE PARTY!!

And We Handle The Rest!

P R OV I D E D P H O TO BY ELI EISENSTEIN

No Boundaries

New Orleans Fringe Fest

Puzzles ......................... 27 C OV E R P H O TO P R OV I D E D BY NEW ORLEANS FRINGE FEST C OV E R D E S I G N BY D O R A S I S O N

@The_Gambit @gambitneworleans

S TA F F

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Oak Street Po-boy Festival

Throughline Dusky Waters looks to family history on ‘Mother Magnolia’ A FEW YEARS BACK, NEW ORLEANS-BASED MUSICIAN DUSKY WATERS was sitting with

family around her parents’ kitchen table in Arkansas. Extended family had gathered near Little Rock for her grandmother’s funeral, and before long, the cousins and aunts sitting at the table began sharing family stories. “I took out my phone and started recording because the stories were really, really interesting and I hadn’t heard them before,” Waters says. One was about the time the Ku Klux Klan showed up to Waters’ great-grandparents’ house in Pine Bluff. Waters’ great-grandfather was a prominent Black pastor in the town just south of Little Rock, and after a man had been lynched, the white supremacist group threatened the pastor that he needed to keep the peace in the local Black community, Waters says. It was a “really heavy story,” Water says. But the day spent storytelling sent her on a path of wanting to learn more about her family’s history. “I think what’s true for a lot of Black Americans who are like me — meaning, I’m a direct descendant of enslaved people in the South … our record keeping can only go back so far,” Waters says. “But there are all of these stories. This is family history and lore, and I want to capture it.” Family is a central part of Waters’ new album, “Mother Magnolia,” the second full-length release from the Americana singer-songwriter. Rooted in blues, folk and gospel and with Southern soul and rock ’n’ roll influences, the songs on “Mother Magnolia” glide along the line of foremothers between past and present, from a deep ancestor to Waters’ modern life. “Mother Magnolia” will be released Friday, Nov. 6, and Waters and her band play an album release show with Leyla McCalla at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Pitot House along Bayou St. John. Waters was thinking a lot about the cyclical nature of time when she was writing “Mother Magnolia” and “more broadly about our country and … what are the experiences that we’re all having right now that maybe our ancestors already had,” she says. “There’s a lot of stuff that feels like it’s coming back around in the United States, and in a way that feels scary a lot of times,” Waters adds. Waters grew up in Little Rock, and her grandmother, great aunts and uncles were all public school teachers during the

Dusky Waters PROVIDED PHOTO BY ANALIESE DE SAW

era of school desegregation. She also became an educator and worked in North Louisiana near the Mississippi Delta region before moving to New Orleans a little over a decade ago. Many people in her family also were singers and musicians, and Waters learned to play the guitar and piano growing up. She picked up the banjo after seeing the Carolina Chocolate Drops perform when she was 20 years old and learned about the Black history of the instrument. The banjo is now Waters’ go-to instrument, along with the accordion and guitar, and she co-founded the BlackAmericana Fest in 2024 to celebrate the Black artists working in folk, country, blues and other genres rooted in African-American musical traditions. Waters recorded “Mother Magnolia” at Dockside Studios with pianist and trumpeter Hannah Kreiger-Benson; violist and guitarist Analiese De Saw; bassist Nelson Williams; and percussionist and guitarist Conner McCreadey, who also produced the album. Zydeco musician Jeffery Broussard Jr. also appears on the album on washboard. Before her grandmother passed away, Waters used her phone to record a video clip of her grandmother, great-aunts and mother singing together. The audio opens the album, fading into a short organ-backed rendition of the hymn “Pass Me Not.”

by Jake Clapp The intro leads into another gospel tune, Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s “Rock Me,” and there are small moments in the song for each player in Waters’ band to shine. “I love [‘Rock Me’] as an introduction, and … it’s like our kind of New Orleans R&B take on Sister Rosetta Tharpe,” Waters says. “Also, Sister Rosetta Tharpe is my hero and someone I consider an ancestor, so it just felt like a fun, perfect way to start the album.” On the beautiful, lively title track, Waters gives the name Magnolia to the ancestor whose life wasn’t recorded but “turned the soil into a place where we could sprout,” Waters sings. A couple of interludes feature other members of Waters’ family. Her aunt gives a dramatic retelling of the KKK’s visit to Waters’ great-grandfather, and Waters’ mother talks about the old family home on King Street in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The song “A House on King Street” was the first written for “Mother Magnolia.” “This was a place that was full of love, and my great-grandma, my mom talks about her as someone who fed the neighborhood,” Waters says. Other songs follow Waters to New Orleans and her life in 2026, like the R&B tune “It’s Cosmic Baby,” her Mardi Gras love story about meeting her now-husband. The song “Trouble Never Need No Rest” is a kind of letter reminding Waters it’s possible to overcome hard things. The album closer, “250 Years,” explores the dissonance around the United States’ 250th anniversary, while incorporating Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday.” Waters thinks of “Mother Magnolia” as a concept album, exploring family history to learn how to handle love and loss today, she says. “It’s a letter of love and hope,” Waters says. “It’s here to honor the past.” Admission to the Nov. 7 show is $21.40 in advance. Find the music and more info at duskywaters.com.

The festival fills Oak Street with live music and plenty of creative and traditional po-boy sandwiches. The music lineup features George Porter Jr. and Runnin’ Pardners, the River Eckert Band, Egg Yolk Jubilee, keyboardists on the Piano on a Truck and more. Roughly 50 vendors offer a variety of po-boys and there are several music stages. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, on Oak Street from S. Carrollton Avenue to Eagle Street. General admission wristbands are required to buy food from vendors. Wristbands are $8 in advance, For more information, visit poboyfest.com.

PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Laney Jones and The Spirits Vocalist-guitarist Laney Jones and her Nashville-based band The Spirits have a big garage rock sound that’s gritty, a little blues-y, psychedelic and driven by Jones’ 1960s Silvertone guitar. Following a couple of full-length albums, Jones and The Spirits last year released their self-titled album and are working on the follow-up. They come through New Orleans for a show at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Gasa Gasa with Tasche de la Rocha and Felix Rabito. Tickets are $15.31 via gasagasanola.com.

Cuffing Season Mississippi-based musician Chandler Monroe’s band Cuffing Season blends soulful blues and R&B with hip-hop beats, but it’s his deep, gospel-tinged voice that will catch your attention. Monroe cites Black Pumas and Earth, Wind & Fire as inspirations, and fans of Aloe Blacc and New Orleans’ David Shaw should check out the up-and-coming musician. Cuffing Season performs with Sarah Mootz and ISSY at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, at The Porch at Howlin’ Wolf. Tickets are $13.29 via thehowlinwolf.com and $19.09 day of the show.

Thundercat The Grammy-winning, idiosyncratic bassist and songwriter Thundercat earlier this year released his fifth studio album, “Distracted,” another cosmic fusion of funk, hip-hop, jazz, soul and PAGE 21

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

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OPENING GAMBIT NEW ORLEANS NEWS + VIEWS

We made it to November, everybody! Congratulations!

# THE COUNT

THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN

520,942 The local National Council of Jewish Women chapter recently brought a successful challenge against the Trump administration’s ban on nonprofits helping newly naturalized citizens register to vote at citizenship ceremonies. The NCJW Greater New Orleans Section worked with the Elias Law Group to file suit last November against the ban, and a federal court recently struck down Trump’s order. The federal government agreed to the final judgment and waived its appeal.

The number of early ballots cast by Louisiana voters ahead of the Nov. 3 mid-term election.

Mayor Helena Moreno and her team deliver their 2027 budget proposal to the New Orleans City Council in September.

According to the Secretary of State, that figure includes 448,525 in-person votes and 72,417 absentee votes. Of those voters, 221,066 were registered Democrats and 205,085 were registered Republicans, while over 92,000 were registered with no party affiliation. Election day turnout is expected to be higher than usual across Louisiana and the U.S. as a whole, amid sinking support for Republicans.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Polo Silk, the New Orleans photographer who has documented decades of local Black culture, music and traditions, was recently honored by the state during the Ashe Cultural Arts Center’s Rooftop Festival. State Sen. Royce Duplessis presented Polo with the recognition, which noted his contributions to photography and the inclusion of his work at the Historic New Orleans Collection.

Father Ron & Friends, the New Orleans band led by Ron Glingenpeel, an Episcopal priest, recently raised more than $4,000 during a benefit concert for programs feeding people in need. Father Ron was joined by Daphne Parker Powell, Mikayla Braun, the St. George’s Episcopal Church choir and more during the show. The funds went to St. George’s volunteer-run Dragon Cafe, which serves hot breakfasts on Sunday mornings, and its Morning Call outreach program.

Here’s what New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno wants to save from 2027 budget cuts NEW ORLEANS MAYOR HELENA MORENO’S ADMINISTRATION Oct. 22 outlined their

priorities for planned cuts to the city’s 2027 budget the council should restore if they decide to raise property taxes. Moreno’s list matched many of items the council has said they want to fund. The biggest ticket items were $8.5 million for the Fire Department, $5.6 million for New Orleans Police Department civilian staffing and traffic accident response, $5 million for the low-barrier homeless shelter and $2.5 million for the Right to Counsel program providing free legal representation to renters facing eviction. Fully funding sanitation services and Mardi Gras cleanup would cost an additional $2.4 million and $1.75 million respectively. All in all, the programs on the mayor’s list, which Budget Committee Chair Lesli Harris requested from the administration, total $27.4 million. What did not make the list was more funding for Criminal District Court, Orleans Public Defenders or the District Attorney’s Office, despite warnings from heads of those agencies would cause delays in trials and worsen overcrowding at the city jail.

Chief Public Defender Danny Engelberg said at a budget hearing Oct. 21 that the proposed cuts would “put our entire criminal legal system at risk.” It also didn’t include $1.2 million for the additional 27 deputies Sheriff Michelle Woodfork said she needed for Phase III, a new medical and mental health wing at the jail set to open in November. Council President JP Morrell said he believed that funding wasn’t optional. Andrew Tuozzolo, special counsel to the mayor, said the administration was unaware Woodfork needed these positions until this week. The city is currently facing a $77 million budget shortfall in its general fund for 2027. By December, officials must decide how to both raise revenue and cut spending to close that gap and finalize the city budget. If the council rolls forward all the tax millages affecting the city’s general fund, it will bring in an additional $21.5 million. About half of that ($11.4 million) would have to be spent on specific items, specifically including police protection, fire protection, Parks and Parkways and the recreation department.

C’EST WHAT

What will Mayor Helena Moreno bring back from Paris?

28.6%

A SANITATION WORKER STRIKE

23.8%

A DEAL TO BUILD THE LARGEST FRENCH BREAD FACTORY IN THE WORLD

28.5%

THE REST OF THE EIFFEL TOWER FOR ST. CHARLES

19.1%

A FRENCH ACCENT, WHICH SHE’LL USE FOR THE REST OF THE FALL SEMESTER

Vote on “C’est What?” at www.bestofneworleans.com

Other millages if rolled forward wouldn’t go to the city’s general fund but would provide money for other city services. A millage for early childhood education would raise $3.4 million, which officials said could pay for up to 200 more childcare seats. If Audubon Commission’s millage is rolled forward, they’d receive $1.3 million. Council President JP Morrell said Audubon Institute CEO Michael Sawaya has said Audubon could take over Crescent Park operations in that case, potentially saving the city money, though they do not have a written agreement yet. Other millages would bring in $11.2 million more for the library, $4.4 million for Police and Fire Platoon and roughly $413,000 for City Park improvements. The roll forward plan doesn’t include millages for the Sheriff’s Office, Sewerage & Water Board, Orleans Parish Schools who are in charge of their own millages. The city has an online tool for residents to calculate how much the council rolling certain millages forward would affect their property tax bills. For example, a full roll forward would raise property taxes by nearly $104 for a $200,000 home on the East Bank. Both Tuozzolo and council members agreed that they need to look at how much agencies have in their reserves since money is so tight. “Agencies sit on cash and then ask us to write them checks, and I think we are long past a position that we could do that,” Tuozzolo said. Morrell again brought up Clerk of Court Chelsey Richard Napoleon, whose office he said is sitting on a surplus of $20-25 million. He said he planned to have Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack look into that office. “The city will meet its obligations. But like with the sheriff, we need a clean bill of health on making sure that the courts are doing everything possible to make ends meet with the money they have,” he said. “The city’s role is to supplement that, not to give them money we don’t have while they’re running surpluses.” — Kaylee Poche

statement pieces...

The 200 block of Decatur Street PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

City planning commission opposes STR French Quarter expansion THE NEW ORLEANS CITY PLANNING COMMISSION Oct. 27 rejected a

proposal to expand legal short-term rentals in the French Quarter in a major win for local residents and small businesses in the neighborhood. On a 7 – 1 vote, the commission also approved a recommendation that the City Council implement new updated rules governing commercial STRs, bed and breakfasts, hotels and hospitals in other parts of the city. The City Council could still approve an expansion of STRs in the quarter, though the CPC’s rejection significantly hurts those chances. The proposal would have allowed STRs in an area around the House of Blues, in addition to those STRs currently operating legally on part of Bourbon Street. The plan has the backing of a number of well connected wealthy New Orleanians. At least one influential political operatives with deep connections to local elected officials, including members of the City Council, was also privately pushing the plan. But actual residents of the quarter and small business owners were unified in their opposition. They argued that while the planned expansion may appear relatively small, it would eventually open the flood gates to STRs across the neighborhood, which would inevitably drive up rents and drive the remaining residents out of the neighborhood. As more cities look to reverse the economic and cultural damage caused by STRs through the use of bans and other regulations, the industry has adapted its strategy. Rather than flood communities with STRs, it has begun chipping away at restrictions in an effort to slowly claw-back controls and re-open areas. — John Stanton

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By John Stanton | Gambit Editor and cheerleader of a GOP win in this fall’s midterm elections James Carville has been chosen as Krewe du Vieux’s 2027 royalty, according to multiple krewe sources. Carville, who is a squarely pro-establishment figure, is an odd choice for a Carnival krewe that has long fancied itself as contrarian and anti-authority. The satirical krewe has long made a mockery of politicians and their ilk — and has typically not honored them as royalty. Each of the organization’s subkrewes are known for taking their own approach to a theme open to interpretation, and in the past have lampooned the Trump regime for its anti-immigrant and anti-science policies — as well as former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu for removing monuments to white supremacy. The annual parade is well-known for adult, subversive themes. Also, lots of penises. Indeed, floats often endorse cannabis or feature large-scale references to genitalia as much as they skewer City Hall and the White House. The krewe’s monarch is usually a popular local figure, like a musician, chef, artist and other performer — even a sex worker. The closest it’s come to honoring a political figure was its choice of Jennifer Avegno, an unelected health care professional and city health director who guided New Orleans through the Covid-19 pandemic and whose leadership helped save thousands of lives. Carville is, however, a well-known and well-liked figure among elderly, politically inclined members of Louisiana’s wealthy elite. Outside of Louisiana, his folksy speaking manner has made him a darling of the mainstream media, not unlike Louisiana’s longtime GOP Sen. John Kennedy. Outside that cohort, he’s probably best known for his work for former President Bill Clinton in the 1990s. Since then, Carville — who goes by the moniker “Ragin’ Cajun” despite his relatively diminutive frame — has been a reliably right-leaning “Democratic” talking head on cable news. He’s a proponent of conventional political wisdom and is generally risk-adverse. His consulting firm Greenberg, Carville and Shrum, did help re-install Bolivian strongman Gonzalo Daniel Sánchez de Lozada Sánchez Bustamante, aka “Goni,” into power in 2002. Goni ended up fleeing the country after sparking civil unrest and widespread protests.

James Carville PHOTO BY MATTHEW PERSCHALL / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Carville has most recently been yelling at proverbial clouds, seemingly upset by a younger generation of more aggressive Democrats who draw hard lines in the proverbial policy sands. In recent weeks, he’s emerged as a cheerleader for Republicans retaining enough power in the U.S. House to thwart his own political party’s efforts. Earlier this month Carville also told podcaster Bill Kristol “I’d rather Republicans keep the house by five than Dems win by five … because then they’re hostage to [the Democratic Socialists of America],” a group of largely young, progressive Americans that advocates for worker’s rights, affordable housing and health care, environmental protections and other issues. In 2024 Carville also bitterly complained about “preachy females” ruining the Democratic Party. Of course, Krewe du Vieux has had its own share of problems over the years, particularly during the Cantrell administration when some of its subkrewes were accused of deploying racist and sexist tropes in their floats. And the krewe has always had a contrarian streak to it. That said, Carville isn’t a contrarian choice. He’s not even a particularly interesting figure, culturally speaking, especially in Louisiana. His “folksy” shtick may titillate Midwestern moms and patrician Northeastern country clubbers, sure. But not in New Orleans. For a krewe that’s honored truly interesting figures from Ernie K. Doe to Bunny Matthews, its a remarkably boring choice.

11 GAMBIT > BESTOFNEWORLE ANS.COM > November 2 - 8 > 2026

B L AKE PONTCHARTR AIN™ @GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

Hey Blake, A friend and I were sharing memories of Cucos Mexican restaurant, a favorite of ours in the 1990s. Was it a local or national chain and why the name? My friend remembered it also had some connection to Liuzza’s restaurant?

Dear Reader, CUCOS WAS A CHAIN OF MEXICAN RESTAURANTS which originated in Metairie and

expanded across the southeast to more than a dozen restaurants. It was founded by Vincent Liuzza Sr. and his family, founders of the Bienville Street restaurant which bears their name and first opened in 1939. The Mid-City restaurant was sold to different owners in 1959. In 1969, according to The TimesPicayune, Liuzza Sr., his brothers and his sons Vincent Jr. and Dave became franchise operators of Sizzler Family Steakhouses. Amid changing customer tastes and rising food costs, budget steakhouses became difficult to run. In 1981, the Liuzzas created the Cucos Mexican concept and opened their first restaurant on Veterans Memorial

Cuco’s Inc. President Vincent J. Liuzza, Jr. at the company’s Veterans Blvd. location. FILE PHOTO BY MATT ROSE / THE TMES-PICAYUNE

Boulevard near Transcontinental Drive. Vincent Liuzza Jr. told The Times-Picayune that the name was a colloquial term that in Mexico means a “lighthearted, happy-go-lucky person.” In 1983, the Liuzzas took their company, Cucos Inc., public, raising approximately $3 million in an initial public offering, according to a 1995 Times-Picayune article. In 2002, there were 14 restaurants across the south when financial struggles led creditors to foreclose on the Cucos chain. A Dallas company bought the company’s assets and kept some of the locations open while closing others. There are no longer any local outlets, but there are two remaining restaurants in Alabama.

ALL ABOUT AN OYSTER

B L AKEVIE W IN HONOR OF THE 18TH ANNUAL OAK STREET PO-BOY FESTIVAL this weekend, we remember some po-boy purveyors of the past. One of them, Acy’s Pool Hall, had a sign over its bar that advertised its sandwiches as the best in the world, according to restaurant reviewer Tom Fitzmorris. In his book “Lost Restaurants of New Orleans,” co-written with Peggy Scott Laborde, Fitzmorris wrote that the statement “may have been going a little far – but only a little.” He wrote that the restaurant at 1925 Sophie B. Wright Place featured one of the city’s best roast beef sandwiches. It did indeed feature pool tables and was open from the 1960s through the 1980s. The Home Plate Inn operated at 4033 Tulane Ave. from 1906 until 2005, when Hurricane Katrina’s federal levee failures flooded the place. Offering both po-boys and plate lunches, its name was inspired by Pelican Stadium, the minor league baseball stadium which was located across the street for many years. “The Home Plate’s roast beef poor boy was a bit pepperier and garlickier than most, had just the right amount of gravy and was very generous,” wrote Fitzmorris. Finally, Teddy’s Grill at 5325 Franklin Ave. was a popular po-boy spot for decades. It opened in 1961 next to Teddy’s Meat Market, which was owned and operated by Teddy Gabb. That history explained the life-sized cow sculpture which looked out onto the street from a pole some 15 feet in the air. The restaurant’s menu featured 17 kinds of sandwiches, according to a 2000 Times-Picayune article, from roast beef and hot sausage to shrimp, oyster and fried ham and cheese. The restaurant was sold to Vincent Bologna, who worked there as a high schooler. He and his family operated Teddy’s Grill until the Original Fiorella’s Café opened on the spot in 2016.

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51 Former & Current Jeﬀerson Parish Elected Oﬃcials 150 A�orneys . 5 Retired Judges . 15 Law Enforcement Leaders

Election Day: November 3, 2026

Law Enforcement Leaders

are Supporting Sal Brocato for Judge Sal brought honor to both the badge and the briefcase. He will bring a grounded understanding of law and justice to the bench. Joe Lopinto, Jeﬀerson Parish Sheriﬀ

His command of both civil and criminal law is rare and impressive.

Sal Brocato’s years as a police oﬃcer and lawyer give him a rare perspective that’s deeply valuable.

Sal Brocato is highly qualiﬁed to serve as First Parish Court Judge.

Ed Lepre

Bre� Lawson

Keith Conley

Harahan Chief of Police

Gretna Chief of Police

Kenner Chief of Police

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GAMBIT > BESTOFNEWORLE ANS.COM > November 2 - 8 > 2026

Jeﬀerson Parish’s

GAMBIT > BESTOFNEWORLE ANS.COM > November 2 - 8 > 2026

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FRINGES ON THE

New Orleans gets a new Fringe Festival full of circus arts, burlesque and alternative theater BY W I L L C OV I E L LO

David Chervony created ‘DAM.’ PROVIDED PHOTO BY ELI EISENSTEIN

DAVID CHERVONY has been a professional

juggler for 15 years and has tossed everything from balls and pins to more eyecatching objects, like mannequin limbs. For his latest work, he’s figured out ways to juggle water. Part of the act uses a hoop and glass, a 200-year-old technique that involves a wooden hoop, an unattached glass of liquid and centrifugal force to keep the liquid in place. “It’s a combination of traditional juggling techniques developed in the 1800s, as well as more strange objects,” Chervony says. “I am using a tube to contain water, pouring it from cups. I am using a kettle. I am using a lot of things to move water around.” But what’s different than most of his work is that instead of a five-to-eight-minute act, he’s created his own solo show around the explorations with water. “I performed in the Edinburgh Fringe as part of a larger company,” Chervony says. “That experience showed me what was possible. I saw so many shows of so many varieties. I was like, I want to make a show, and I want to bring it here.” He started working on water juggling last year at a residency at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Missouri. Then it was announced that a new iteration of the New Orleans Fringe Festival would open in November. “I jumped on the opportunity,” he says. “I have been workshopping the idea for a year. This was a perfect opportunity to start the creation process. The goal is to tour the show. I am looking at this as a jumping off point.” His show “DAM” will run Friday, Nov. 13, though Sunday, Nov. 15, at New Marigny Theatre as part of the New Orleans Fringe Festival.

AFTER YEARS WITHOUT a fringe-type

festival in the city, a group of performers and producers are restarting the New Orleans Fringe Festival. It’s a four-day spectacle of circus arts, burlesque, alternative theater, dance, puppetry, unique solo shows and more. Shows run Nov. 12-15 at venues concentrated mostly in Marigny and Bywater, like New Marigny Theatre, AllWays Lounge & Cabaret and Siberia. “We wanted for everybody in all these different art forms to have an outlet for their experimental stuff, or to highlight the experimental things we were seeing around town,” says co-producer Riley Elise. “Our idea of fringe — and the community that has put it together with us — is seeing it as every weird and unusual, nontraditional form of performance, and genre blending, too. There are shows that are puppetry and burlesque. There’s film combined with theater in interesting ways.” Burlesque performer and producer Gia Vaughna is another organizer for the new fringe festival. She lives in New Orleans and presents shows here and in New York and Houston. She tours an Edward Scissorhands burlesque ballet and hosts Ficheras, a burlesque show with a live Latin Band, at AllWays Lounge & Cabaret every second Saturday of the month.

While it’s not hard to get an audience for burlesque shows, a fringe festival is a good event for some of the more experimental or art-driven acts that don’t fit into regular shows, she says. “What people think of with burlesque is this big Vegas showgirl, classic ostrich feather vibes,” she says. “That has no issue drawing in an audience. But more niche burlesque acts that have more performance art in them, those definitely need a stage. You might shock audiences that are expecting the classic vibe.” For the New Orleans Fringe, Vaughna is curating “It’s Alive: Fringe After Dark,” a dark cabaret with film noir themes and some circus elements. Performers include Sailem from Hell, Eddie Lockwood, Aurora, Bimbo Yaga and Miss Aubrey Jean. Sailem from Hell is doing a signature balloon act, creatively blowing up balloons. The show also has a film, some fire stunts, pole dancing and more. It runs at 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday at New Marigny Theatre. Puppeteer and performance artist Playdoh Kolo works in all sorts of puppetry, from marionettes and rod puppets to toy and object theater. At the New Orleans Fringe Fest, he’s presenting a new version of his found object piece “Riperion,” which was introduced at the New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival. It uses piano parts and objects recovered from the banks of the Mississippi River to explore the fluid zone between the land and the river. It harkens back to the batture communities created by people who lived on and along the river on boats and houses on stilts. Though it doesn’t follow a traditional narrative, it’s about “life on the other side of the levee,” Playdoh says. New York-based Japanese performer Izumi Ashizawa manipulates elements of bunraku puppetry and kabuki theater in her show “Kurogo Me, Together.” In the two forms of theater, “kurogo” refers to the puppeteers or stagehands who are dressed in black and presumed invisible while putting on the show. In this participatory show, the audience helps Ashizawa become the invisible figure, which also invokes a sort of video game avatar, and explores their role in making art. She also changes the context as traditionally the roles were always performed by men. The NOLA Project has produced theater in New Orleans for two decades, from Shakespeare plays in the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden to original versions of adventure tales and horror shows, like the recent “The Curse of the Mummy.” It’s presenting “Flying Dreams” in the Fringe. Company member James Bartelle and Zarah Hokule’a Spalding created their version of the ancient Greek Icarus and Daedalus myth, in which a father and son build wings and learn to fly to escape imprisonment in the labyrinth designed to hold the Minotaur. Accounts of the story and the escape vary, but it’s typically cited as a cautionary tale. “Part of what we are looking at is what is the caution really about?” Bartelle says. “There is something innate in humans that you want to try to push your boundaries. You want to look

15 PHOTO PROVIDED BY NEW ORLEANS FRINGE FESTIVAL

James Bartelle and Zarah Hokule’a Spalding created ‘Flying Dreams.’ PROVIDED PHOTO BY BRUCE FRANCE

at what can’t be done and what hasn’t been done. There are huge pitfalls with that, too.” The two actors play four roles, including Icarus, Daedalus, the Minotaur and Ariadne, the Minotaur’s half-sister. It’s minimalist in relying on some props and costumes with a very spare set and small cast. “We had created this show to be able to do it at any fringe fest in general,” Bartelle says “We were like, it would be nice to be able to travel with a piece of theater. We were looking at places around the country to take it to, and then the New Orleans Fringe was announced and we were like, oh, well that seems like an obvious launching point.” The show also is well suited to fringe festivals as its style is more interdisciplinary and fluid. It’s comedic, and also a bit offbeat, Bartelle says. “It’s a pretty straightforward story, but it does a pretty good job of blending classical and contemporary storytelling, physical theater, choreographed dancing, commedia dell’arte mask work and some elements of vaudeville and theater of the absurd,” Bartelle says. The first edition of the new New Orleans Fringe Fest has a good mix of shows, and there is a lot of unconventional theater, including some that generate content live and some adaptions of novels and other texts. There also are circus arts-based shows, burlesque, puppetry and music. Seven shows were selected for the Fringe-managed portion of the festival, meaning they’re at the main venues and received more production and technical support from the festival. Fringe festivals often also have what are called “bring your own venue” or BYOV shows. Show producers apply to be part of the festival, but they handle their own production, including finding venues. There are 35 BYOV shows in this festival, and a few of the venues are in Uptown and Mid-City. Most shows are about an hour long, and the festival has four or more showtimes a

day, generally starting every odd hour, but BYOV showtimes can vary. With densely clustered venues, binge watching is part of the festival experience. There’s also an art installation event from HOPLA, a sort of traveling pop-up expo. New York artists Max Herrlander and Bilal Amjad combine elements of traditional hand-knotted rugs and meme culture visuals in the expo. Titled “Every Second Counts, Yet Nothing Matters,” the expo is at Bywater Wonderland at 6-9 p.m. Saturday. Other events include karaoke for kids, and Artivism Dance Theatre presents “Gumbo Cypher,” an immersive event exploring street dance styles, at New Marigny Theatre at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The festival box office is in a converted van that will be parked at New Marigny Theatre. It will have tickets, T-shirts and some other merch and more. There also is a market at New Marigny Theatre Friday through Sunday. THE DEFINITIVE FRINGE FESTIVAL is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, founded in 1947. The annual August event runs for almost a month and features a few thousand productions of just about any type. The popularity of the type of festival spread across Europe, North America and Australia, and the U.S. Association of Fringe Festivals lists 32 festivals in the country in 2026, stretching from San Diego to Boston to Orlando. In 2008, founders Kristen Evans, Dennis Monn and Ben Moren launched the original New Orleans Fringe Festival with roughly 40 shows at 15 venues clustered in Marigny and Bywater over a long weekend. It grew into an annual November event with more than 80 shows and hundreds of performances at its final iteration in 2014. The festival transformed into the Faux Real Festival in 2015, and its format changed, spreading out over three weeks with fewer shows each night. It lasted a couple of years, and in the time since, there

have been a few efforts to relaunch a fringe festival, including the Infringe Festival. The pandemic effectively put an end to the festival. But interest in there being a fringe, or alternative performance festival, never went away. In the same span, the New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival has continued to grow and serve as a home to many visiting and local productions and proved there are local audiences for DIY and less conventional work. In the last two years, interest in a fringe became more focused, and roughly a year ago, a group of four producers coalesced to launch this New Orleans Fringe Festival. They include Elise, Vaughna, Jayla Roberts and Grace Batz. Elise has a background in stage managing and was in water ballet troupe Aqua Mob’s adaptation of “The Shining.” Roberts studied dance while growing up in Virginia, but since moving here to attend college, she’s focused more on music and her band The Cicadas. Batz is a visual artist with a background in film and theater. A host of performers and producers with experience from prior festivals serve on the festival board, led by Monica Harris and Pam Roberts, and an advisory board including Cameron-Mitchell Ware, who ran one of the short-lived fringe festivals, New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival founder Pandora Gastelum, and playwright Lisa D’Amour and more. Actor Ian Hoch and past festival producer Jon Broder are consulting producers. As the producers held community meetings to get feedback and see what the com-

munity wanted in a fringe, they have shaped the event like the original local fringe. The organizers have focused on accessibility and accommodations, particularly relating to affordability, neurodivergence and sobriety. They’ve gotten grant funding from the Jazz & Heritage Foundation and support from Glass Half Full and Every Can Counts. The New Marigny Theatre helped by providing the festival with an artist residency. Goat in the Road also provided early advice and organizational support. The organizers also have sponsored fundraisers that helped build interest and spread the word in the community, including movie nights at Big Couch and a Mini-Fringe showcase in December. There also was a live-action role playing game/performance at the Fred Hampton Free Store. Dubbed “Ye Olde Natchez Trail,” the game combined Louisiana folklore and Dungeons & Dragons fantasy, Roberts says. Since April, they’ve been accepting show applications and building toward opening. Visiting and touring artists are coming from New York, the West Coast, Dallas and elsewhere, but the producers leaned into local shows and producers for the first festival. “We’re excited to see people come away from it feeling revitalized and excited about experimental art forms, and for our art community to have another outlet,” Elise says. “And to see that the seedling is planted and beginning to grow.” PAGE 16

GAMBIT > BESTOFNEWORLE ANS.COM > November 2 - 8 > 2026

‘Butter Woman’

GAMBIT > BESTOFNEWORLE ANS.COM > November 2 - 8 > 2026

PAGE 15

New Orleans Fringe Fest shows

Here are some of the shows in the New Orleans Fringe Festival.

‘The Bacchae’

Quinn Bishop adapted Euripides’ account of the god Dionysus punishing the people of Thebes for rejecting his followers. There’s spiced wine, food and a DJ prior to the performance. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 12-15 & 19-22, at Music Box Village.

‘Butter Woman’

Tuere T.S. Ganges and Samille Ganges reclaim from colonial distortion an African folk tale about a mother trying to shield her daughter from the harshness of the world in this life-size puppet production. At New Marigny Theatre at 7 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.

‘Falsettos and Sunsets’

In a slapstick comedy with audience participation, Richard and George fall in love and explore polyamory. George is played by clown and musician Luz Gaxiola, and Richard is clown and aerialist Marlo Winter. Both are based in Olympia, Washington. At AllWays Lounge & Cabaret at 7 p.m. Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday.

‘Riperion’

Playdoh Kolo presents a found object theater piece exploring life between the levee and the river. At Bywater Games at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

‘Shaktalkoh’

Jeffrey U. Darensbourg is a member of the Atakapa-Ishak Nation of Indians and also has Creole ancestry. He is joined by Jenny Mercein and Joseph B. Darensbourg in a work exploring ethnicity, mental illness and genocide. At Mudlark Public Theater at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.

‘Unwinding the Universe’

Art and science meet in the exploration of sensory stimulus and neurodivergence in a show featuring performance, sculpture, film and sound. Malcolm McClay stars in the show he created with Jeff Becker. At Catapult at 7 p.m. Wednesday; 3 & 9 p.m. Thursday; 3 p.m. Friday; 7 & 11 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday; and 7 p.m. Monday.

‘work.txt’

In Nathan Ellis’ participatory theatrical piece about labor, an employee doesn’t show up for a shift, and the audience is tasked with helping get the work done and explaining the problem with work culture. At Catapult at 7 p.m. Thursday; 9 p.m. Friday; 1 & 3 p.m. Saturday; and 7 p.m. Sunday.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NEW ORLEANS FRINGE FEST

‘Flying Dreams’

NOLA Project veterans James Bartelle and Zarah Hokule’a Spalding wrote and perform a comedic drama exploring the myth of Icarus and Daedalus escaping the labyrinth and flying too close to the sun. At the Temple House at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

‘Kurogo Me, Together’

Japanese performer Izumi Ashizawa explores the invisible figure manipulating the characters in bunraku puppetry and kabuki theater in this interactive piece. At New Marigny Theatre at 3 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday.

‘The Pros and Cons of Killing Your Cult Leader’

Audience members are inducted into The One True Way, and may participate or observe, as Bobbi Twiggs’ show explores life inside a cult. The nature of the group unravels among the Elder Women’s Chamber in the dark comedy touching on religious trauma and coercion. At the New Orleans Healing Center at 7 p.m. Friday, 3 & 7 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY SAM CASHELL

New Orleans Fringe Festival | Nov. 12-15 | nolafringe.org | Tickets $10-$20, day passes $30, festival passes $100

Homecoming

FOR K + CE NTE R

The Pincus brothers open Holywater in the French Quarter THE NEW FRENCH QUARTER OYSTER BAR

and restaurant Holywater is such a good fit for the neighborhood that it’s no surprise the owners have New Orleans in their DNA. Alec and Miles Pincus grew up in the Quarter before their family moved to Lakeview. Their dad managed the Royal Orleans and Monteleone hotels while they were growing up, and their mom started New Orleans Famous Praline Co. They founded their restaurant company Crew in New York, and now they’ve brought it back to New Orleans. “So many of my formative experiences happened within a three-block radius of this spot,” Alex Pincus says. “Our older brother knew this place from his years as a police officer in the Quarter. When he called us about it, we were busy, didn’t pay attention. But he was persistent. Once we saw it, we felt like we had to make this happen.” Crew has seven bars and restaurants in New York, including the original Holywater, a speakeasy they opened in Tribeca in 2021. “My brother and I have talked about this for more than 20 years,” Pincus says. “We’ve always wanted to have a French Quarter place. I think now is just the right time to do it.” The brothers originally had a sailing business, and maritime imagery looms large in some of their restaurants, including their other New Orleans property, Seaworthy, opened as part of what was then the Ace Hotel a decade ago. Choosing a local to head the kitchen was always part of the plan. Hiring chef Alex Harrell as executive chef adds another layer of homecoming to the opening. “When we started asking around, Alex was on everybody’s short list,” Pincus says. Harrell came back to the south shore after working at The Gloriette in the Southern Hotel in Covington. Harrell originally moved to New Orleans in 1998 from Alabama and worked as a pantry chef at Bayona under chef Susan Spicer. He was the opening chef at Sylvain before launching his own spot, Angeline,

Chef Alex Harrell PHOTO BY MADDIE SPINNER / GAMBIT

a contemporary Southern bistro on Chartres Street. His stints at hotels include running the kitchen at Hotel Peter & Paul and opening Virgin Hotels New Orleans. “I loved working at Southern, but I started feeling homesick,” Harrell says. “The New Orleans restaurant community is special. I was feeling isolated on the Northshore. I missed hanging out with chefs at events, the camaraderie. Ultimately, I’m a restaurant chef at heart.” The 175-seat Holywater also affords him the opportunity to focus on one kitchen and one menu. Harrell says that about 60% of the dishes come from the original Holywater in Tribeca. The rest of the dishes are primarily powered by Gulf seafood. His swordfish schnitzel is served with smoked trout roe, and there’s a daily Gulf fish with Marsh Hen Mill grits and braised collards. Crab maison salad is made with Louisiana blue crab, Creole tomatoes and buttermilk consommé. The oyster program spotlights local oysters, along with bivalves from the West Coast and a strain farmed specially in New York for Crew restaurants. Raw

by Beth D’Addono oysters are served with Harrell’s take on traditional mignonette made with fire-roasted shishito peppers and champagne vinegar. Mussels from Blue Bay in Prince Edward Island are poached with white wine and herbs and served with house-made chili crunch. The gumbo recipe is Harrell’s, and instead of boudin balls, there are file croquettes with nibs of andouille and arborio rice. Bread pudding is made with challah and topped with rum sauce and orange Chantilly cream. The drink list is overseen by Neal Bodenheimer, founder of Cure. Playful riffs on New Orleans classics include a mezcal hurricane and the Tequila 75. There also are New Orleans deep cuts with lesser-known cocktails like Old Hickory, mixing vermouths, and St. Charles Punch, combining port and cognac. The restaurant currently serves lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday, with plans to expand to seven days a week in the coming month. The restaurant’s walls combine family photos, old signs, retro posters and reminders of local places that “ain’t dere no more.” Two of the building’s three floors are in use, with the lively oyster bar downstairs and an upstairs dining room with exposed brick and mismatched wooden tables and chairs. Lighting is ambient and rosy. The relaxed vibe is meant to feel like a neighborhood spot. “The French Quarter is first a neighborhood,” Pincus says. “This is our idea of what a neighborhood restaurant looks like.”

? WHAT

WHERE

WHEN

HOW

CHECK IT OUT

Holywater

622 Conti St.; crew.fun/ holywater-nola

Lunch and dinner Wed.-Sun., late-night Fri.-Sat.

Dine-in

A new French Quarter oyster bar and seafood spot

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

Road tested MICHELIN RELEASED ITS 2026 GUIDE Oct.

28 during an event in Nashville, doling out its coveted stars and a larger selection of lower-tier recognition, including “recommended restaurants” and Bib Gourmand restaurants, rated for good value. The regional guide now includes 265 restaurants over a six-state area, including Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Michelin updates its picks annually. More restaurants can win stars, or possibly lose them, and more restaurants can be included in the overall Michelin umbrella with other honors. For New Orleans, all the restaurants picked last year were back on the list — except for Emeril Lagasse’s 34 Restaurant & Bar, a recommended pick that has since closed. Overall, from 32 restaurants across all categories in 2025, New Orleans now has 38 listed, and the additions increase the guide’s mix of diverse restaurant styles.

Dakar NOLA PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

The biggest move was Dakar NOLA advancing to a one-star rating from the recommended list last year. It joins Saint-Germain and Zasu returning at the one-star level and Emeril’s Restaurant, the lone restaurant in the American South regional guide with two stars. Dakar NOLA’s ascent wasn’t a surprise. The Senegalese restaurant from chef Serigne Mbaye and business partner Effie Richardson is unique and has been a magnet for national and international accolades practically since opening. It made a big step this year with a new location to rise to the next level. Michelin took note. While the lux Emeril’s and more casual Saint-Germain are very different, both are the kind of high-end, tasting menu restaurants the Michelin Star designation typically conjures. The upscale Mid-City PAGE 18

GAMBIT > BESTOFNEWORLE ANS.COM > November 2 - 8 > 2026

E AT + D R I N K

GAMBIT > BESTOFNEWORLE ANS.COM > November 2 - 8 > 2026

3 COURSE INTE RVIE W

FORK & CENTER PAGE 16

Kenya Johnson

With festivals, I try to keep my menus different. So if you see me at Blues & BBQ, you won’t see the same things I had at Congo Square Festival. I have people follow me for specific things. For Congo Square, I do caramelized turkey wings and vegan collard greens. It’s a down-home kind of thing.

Chef

by Will Coviello KENYA JOHNSON GREW UP ON THE WEST BANK and learned to cook at home. A

change of career brought her to Atlanta and culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, and she launched her own catering company, Divine Cuisine. Now she does everything from private chef gigs to weekly pick-up menus. But she loves festivals, and she’ll be at Beignet Fest on Saturday, Nov. 7, at New Orleans City Park’s Festival Grounds. For information about Johnson, go to divinecuisine.org, and find menu updates via @divinecuisinellc on Instagram. For information about Beignet Fest, go to beignetfest.com.

What are you doing at Beignet Fest?

How did you learn to cook? KENYA JOHNSON: I learned to cook when I was little. The first thing I learned to cook was red beans and rice. My mom left me a recipe with step-bystep instructions. She used to own a bookstore, so when we were home on weekends, we would have chores. I would make red beans and rice, but I found out that she only had me make it because she hated to. My mom knew how to cook, but she didn’t like making red beans at all. By high school, we were making all kinds of stuff. I started experimenting in the kitchen. But cooking was not my first career. I worked as a secretary at Tulane for an associate dean. Then I moved to Atlanta, and I was like, I finally have time to go to culinary school, because it had come up a couple of times that I wanted to own an event business. I went to the Cordon Bleu culinary school when I got to Atlanta. It was the best decision I have made in my entire life. It was challenging, but it was so much fun. I graduated and did my internship at Emeril’s on Tchoupitoulas, and then from there I went to Superior Seafood when they were opening. I developed a pasta recipe, and it was great. By that time, I had two sons. I was like, I don’t have the schedule to be a line cook, and it doesn’t really pay any money, so I started a catering business. My first client was my high school roommate. She got married and had me cater her wedding reception.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY JADE BROWN

The best side of what I do now is personal chef stuff. I get to be more creative and travel more and see clients. It’s different all the time.

What kind of menus do you do for Divine Cuisine? J: This month has been very busy. I had a private event. I did (Crescent City) Blues and BBQ. I did a slider trio. There was a wagyu whiskey bacon slider, a pulled pork slider and a hickory black bean molasses slider, which was vegan. I also did vegan tacos and pulled pork tacos and loaded fries, so you could get them with chicken or pulled pork on them. We make everything from scratch. During Lent I will do whole fish plates. Now, I do a pick-up pop-up. I have a menu for the weekend, and people pre-order and pick it up. I am looking for a spot to have an onsite pop-up, because people have been on me for those sliders, but that’s not really a pack and travel kind of thing. You need them fresh off the grill. People also hire me to cook their holiday meals. I have had people call me to assess their pantry and cabinets and give them an idea how to properly stock them. Then I cook for them for a whole week and help them out. I offer cooking classes. I do have a passion for festivals. It is hard work, but seeing all the people and everybody enjoying your food is great.

J: This is my third time. The first time we did Beignet Fest there was a competition, and we won the award for Best Sweet Beignet for my bananas Foster beignet. I do it with whiskey sauce. I caramelize the bananas in butter with brown sugar and vanilla, and once that turns to syrup, we deglaze with whiskey and add a touch of cream to hold it together and make it smooth when we pour it. This year I’ll have a bananas Foster beignet, a candied sweet potato beignet and a cheesecake-stuffed beignet. I make cheesecake mousse, and when the beignets come out of the fryer, we pipe the inside with the cheesecake mousse, and you have a choice of toppings. This year, we are going to do strawberry, and I am also going to do cookie butter. I make the cookie butter from scratch. You drizzle it on top, and it’s kind of like a glazed beignet. All the sauces and toppings are made from scratch. Most of the time, I prep in advance, but I usually run out of one or two things, so you might get a cooking demo while I am out there making bananas Foster on the fly. I also do a savory dish. It’s called a crawfish roll. The first time I did it was at French Quarter Fest, and we sold out. It’s a cold crawfish salad. It’s got spices in it, kind of a boiled crawfish flavor. It’s on a lobster roll bun that’s buttered and toasted on both sides. It is served with house fried potato chips, so you get hot potato chips with a hot bun with cool crawfish salad. We fry the potato chips on-site and I make my own Creole seasoning. It has a nice kick to it, but not too spicy.

bistro Zasu was a surprise last year as the only star selection not following the tasting-menu model. Keeping their stars means Michelin has affirmed its ratings in year two for all of them. New recommended restaurants Casimiro, Crustacean Club and Feliciana all opened earlier this year. Evviva and Saint Claire opened in 2025. The oddest of the additions, Jewel of the South, changed direction with a new chef this year. Safta’s Table, the one addition to the Bib Gourmand list, also opened in 2026. But divining why certain restaurants fall into their recognition categories has only grown murkier this year. Saba and Safta’s Table, two restaurants from chef Alon Shaya, are both Bib Gourmand, even though Saba is a much more expensive restaurant than the fast/casual counter-service Safta’s Table. Acamaya, the excellent modern Mexican restaurant from chef Ana Castro, is back again this year as Bib Gourmand, even though it is also much more expensive and ambitious than Casimiro, the casual breakfast/ lunch cafe from the same chef that landed in the recommended category. People will find great meals at both, but they’ll find much different experiences at each. Michelin shows its math clearly when laying out the criteria its “inspectors” consider in star ratings. Per Michelin, there are five factors: “quality products; the harmony of flavors; the mastery of cooking techniques; the voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; consistency between each visit and throughout the menu.” Notably missing are service, decor and atmosphere. Michelin says these aren’t considered for star ratings. But they do contribute mightily to a restaurant experience, and that has a particular resonance in New Orleans. That is embodied at Commander’s Palace and Brennan’s Restaurant, which, along with every other restaurant in the extended Brennan family tree, got no mention at any level of the guide for the second year. New ideas, fresh perspectives and rising talent in New Orleans cuisine abound now. Look at MaMou, GW Fins, Gautreau’s or Palm & Pine, where New Orleans cooking is being brought into the next generation in distinctive expressions. None of these got a mention in the guide either. I’m eager to see what Michelin might discover next, even the restaurants the locals already know are stars. — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune

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. 3rd Block Depot — 316 Chartres St., (504) 552-

4095; 3rdblockdepot.com — The menu ranges from seafood and sausage gumbo and Gulf shrimp ceviche to smashburgers and steaks. Brunch brings crab cake Benedict with hollandaise on an English muffin. Reservations available. Breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Acropolis Cuisine — 3841 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 888-9046; acropoliscuisine.com — The menu of classic Greek dishes includes souvlaki, gyros and pita wraps, spanakopita, hummus and Greek salads. Moussaka has layers of eggplant, potatoes, zucchini, ground beef and bechamel. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (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 fish Capri includes artichokes, crawfish, tomatoes and capers. There also are oysters, seafood pasta dishes, salads, steaks, lamb chops and desserts like bananas Foster bread pudding and lemon icebox tart. Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$ Audubon Clubhouse — 6500 Magazine St., (504) 558-1200; audubonclubhouse.com — The menu by Dickie Brennan and Co. includes crabmeat cheesecake, shrimp remoulade, fried oysters, burgers, sandwiches and more. Shrimp Tchefuncte combines house-made andouille, mushrooms, popcorn rice and Creole meuniere sauce. Outdoor seating available. Reservations recommended. Brunch, lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Banana Blossom — 500 9th St., Gretna, (504) 500-0997; 504bananablossom.com — There are traditional Thai dishes like pad thai, green curry, pineapple fried rice, drunken noodles and coconut shrimp as well as original creations. Beef rib Chiang Mai features a slow-braised beef rib with yellow curry, egg noodles, pickled mustard greens, cilantro and chili oil. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Budsi’s Authentic Thai — 1760 N. Rampart St., (504) 381-4636; budsisthai.com — Chef Budsaba Mason prepares dishes from her native Issan region of Thailand and other popular Thai dishes like papaya salad, grilled pork shoulder, larb, khao soi, pad thai and red curry. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop — 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, (504) 835-2022; gumbostop. com — The Gumbo Stop has several gumbo varieties including chicken and sausage gumbo and seafood gumbo with shrimp, crab and crawfish. The menu also has boudin balls, Bayou shrimp scampi, crawfish etouffee and fried shrimp po-boys. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ 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

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11-$20 $$$ — $20-up 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. $$ The Country Club — 634 Louisa St., (504) 9450742; thecountryclubneworleans.com — The Bywater restaurant and pool has a menu of crab beignets, truffle mac and cheese, shrimp and grits, burgers and more. Seared redfish is served with kale, toasted chickpeas, sesame seeds, chili crisp and whipped tahini. Outdoor seating available. Reservations recommended. Lunch, brunch and dinner daily. $$$ Delacroix Restaurant — 1 Poydras St., (504) 655-9002; delacroixrestaurant.com — With views overlooking the Mississippi River, the restaurant serves a mix of South Louisiana dishes like smoked duck gumbo, crawfish bisque, shrimp Creole, blackened redfish and crawfish étouffée. Drum amandine is served with green beans and stewed potatoes. Reservations available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — A menu full of Gulf seafood includes oysters served raw on the halfshell or char-broiled with with Parmesan, garlic and herbs. The menu also includes po-boys, gumbo, blackened fish, fried seafood platters and more. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ 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. $$$ Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse — 716 Iberville St., (504) 522-2467; dickiebrennanssteakhouse. com — The menu includes a variety of steaks, plus seared Gulf fish, lobster pasta, barbecue shrimp and more. A 6-ounce filet mignon is served with fried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes and bearnaise. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$ Domenica — 123 Baronne St., (504) 648-6020; domenicarestaurant.com — The Italian restaurant offers a mix of wood-fired Napolitano-style pizzas and house-made pastas. Appetizers include various salumi and cheese boards, antipasti, roasted cauliflower and more. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Don’s Seafood — 4801 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 888-1555; donsseafoodonline.com — The seafood options range from char-broiled oysters to seafood gumbo, fried shrimp and catfish platters and stuffed flounder. The menu also has rib-eye steaks. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Elizabeth’s Restaurant — 601 Gallier St., (504) 944-9272; elizabethsrestaurantnola.com — Elizabeth’s is known for its signature praline bacon, and the menu also includes boudin balls, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles and eggs Florentine. Outdoor seating available. Reservations accepted for parties of 10 or more. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — The Cajun

Cuban is stuffed 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. $$ King Brasserie & Bar — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 3243000; kingbrasserieandbar.com — The restaurant’s menu is inspired by the cuisine of the Riviera and southern France. There are dishes like steak frites and bouillabaisse as well as blackened Gulf fish and barbecue shrimp and oysters. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$$ 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. $$ Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, (504) 513-2606; legacykitchen.com — The selection of steaks and chops includes filet mignon, bone-in rib-eye, top sirloin and double pork chops and a la carte toppings include bearnaise, blue cheese and sauteed crabmeat. There also are burgers, salads, pasta, seafood entrees, char-broiled oysters and more. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Luke — 333 St. Charles Ave., (504) 378-2840; lukeneworleans.com — The raw bar offers oysters, boiled shrimp, cured tuna, smoked trout dip and more. The menu has dishes like shrimp and grits, crab omelets, crawfish etouffee and steak frites. Reservations encouraged. Breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Lyons Corner — 537 Gravier St., (504) 5270006; lyonscornernola.com — The eclectic menu includes Cajun prawns, bang-bang fried oysters, chicken sandwiches, salads and more. In the morning, there are breakfast empanadas, muffins, croissants, scones, beignets and more. Delivery and takeout available. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The menu of Japanese cuisine includes sushi, signature rolls, tempura fried items, udon noodles, 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 PAGE 20

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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. $$ Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro — 720 Orleans Ave., (504) 523-1930; orleansgrapevine. com — The wine bar offers a selectoin of cheese boards and appetizers. Creole pasta combines shrimp and andouille in tomato cream sauce. Reservations accepted for large parties. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$ Pascal’s Manale — 1838 Napoleon Ave., (504) 895-4877; pascalsmanale.com — This Creole-Italian spot invented New Orleansstyle barbecue shrimp, and the menu also includes seafood gumbo, crab cakes, oysters and Italian-style pasta dishes. There’s also an oyster bar. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$$ Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com — At brunch, braised short rib grillades are served over grits with mushrooms, a poached egg and shaved truffle. The dinner menu has oysters, salads, pasta, shrimp and grits, a burger, cheese plates and more. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunch Sun. $$ Pizza Domenica — 4933 Magazine St., (504) 301-4978; pizzadomenica.com — Pizza is the focus of this offshoot of the Italian restaurant Domenica. There also are meatballs, roasted cauliflower and house-made pastas. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

Restaurant August — 301 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 299-9777; restaurantaugust.com — The fine dining restaurant serves Creole and contemporary dishes featuring foie gras, Gulf fish, duck and more. Gnocchi are served with crab, summer truffles and Parmesan. Reservations recommended. Dinner Sun.-Fri., lunch Fri. $$$ Rivershack Tavern — 3449 River Road, Jefferson, (504) 834-4938; rivershacktavern. com — This tavern along the levee offers a casual menu of roast beef po-boys, burgers, wraps, fried shrimp platters, catfish and gumbo. A country fried steak is served with brown gravy, mashed potatoes, vegetables and salad. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Shaya — 4213 Magazine St., (504) 891-4213; shayarestaurant.com — The Mediterranean and Middle Eastern menu includes dishes like hummus, falafel, kebabs, grilled chicken and wood-oven pita bread. A chicken schnitzel sandwich is dressed with little gem lettuce, pickles and harissa mayonnaise on sesame brioche bread. Outdoor seating available. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$ Stingray’s Restaurant & Bar — 1303 W. Esplanade Ave., Kenner, (504) 443-4040; stingraysseafoodrestaurant.com — Zydeco fish is stuffed with crabmeat dressing and topped with shrimp cream sauce. The menu also includes fried shrimp and oyster platters, grilled redfish, crabmeat jalapeños, and boudin egg rolls. Reservations available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$

Tableau — 616 St. Peter St., (504) 934-3463;

tableaufrenchquarter.com — The menu features traditional and creative Creole dishes. Pasta bouillabaisse features squid ink mafaldine, little neck clams, Gulf shrimp, squid, seafood broth, rouille and herbed breadcrumbs. Outdoor seating available on the balcony. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Thu.-Sun. $$$ Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 827-1651; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes raw and char-broiled oysters, seafood platters, po-boys, fried chicken, crab and corn bisque and more. Redfish St. Charles is served with garlic-herb butter, asparagus, mushrooms and crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Tavi — 330 N. New Hampshire St., (985) 200-2045; tavirestaurant.com — The menu combines dishes from the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean. There’s hummus, falafel, kebabs, flatbreads, grilled fish, lamb burgers and more. Reservations accepted. 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,

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breadsticks and more. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $ The Vintage — 3121 Magazine St., (504) 3247144; thevintagenola.com — There’s a full coffee drinks menu and baked goods and beignets, as well as a full bar. The menu has flatbreads, cheese boards, small plates and a pressed vegetable sandwich with avocado, onions, arugula, red pepper and pepper jack cheese. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Vyoone’s — 412 Girod St., (504) 381-4384; vyoone.com — The French-Creole menu includes dishes like escargot, crawfish beignets, crab cakes, shrimp pasta, duck a l’orange and lamb chops. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sun. $$$ Willa Jean — 611 O’Keefe Ave., (504) 509-7334; willajean.com — The bakery and cafe serves biscuits with honey butter, cookies, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, shrimp and grits and more. Avocado toasts are made with housebaked ciabatta topped with tomatillo, spiced pepitas, pickled onion, cilantro and chipotle aioli. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$ Yinzer’s Amazing Cheesesteaks — 1514 Delachaise St., (412) 860-6801; yinzersamazingcheesesteaks.com —There are classic and original cheesesteaks filled with steak, chicken and more. Diners can opt for toppings like provolone, house-made cheddar whiz, mushrooms, onions, banana peppers and more. Delivery available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Sun. $

PAGE 7

grooves. Although “Distracted” is again full of humor and lightness, the album finds Thundercat dealing with loss and some heavier topics. He’s now on tour and plays The Fillmore at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Tickets are $50 via thefillmorenola.com.

Beignet Fest The music lineup includes Dragon Smoke, Maggie Koerner, Amanda Shaw, the Imagination Movers and more. There will be more than 50 types of sweet and savory beignets, including new offerings like a crab rangoon beignet and versions with sweet potato and strawberry shortcake. The festival also has an art market. At 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at the New Orleans City Park Festival Grounds. Tickets $20 in advance via beignetfest.com, and $25 on the day of the fest. Kids under 11 get in free.

Anthony Jeselnik Comedian Anthony Jeselnik has a distinct style of dark humor, often using misdirection and deadpan delivery to set up shocking punchlines. It’s no surprise he stood out at the roasts of Donald Trump and

Charlie Sheen, or that his Comedy Central show was titled “The Jeselnik Offensive.” But in more recent years, he’s also become known for reviewing and making book recommendations. The Tulane University graduate is in town for a show at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at Mahalia Jackson Theater. Tickets $61-$109.80 via mahaliajacksontheater.com.

Pretty Lights New Orleans is no stranger to Pretty Lights. The electronic dance music project by Derek Vincent Smith is now hitting its 20th year, and New Orleans has been a regular stop over the years for multiple-night shows, and some local promoters plan after parties whenever he’s in town. Pretty Lights is back for a three-night run, Friday, Nov. 6, through Sunday, Nov. 8, at The Fillmore. Doors are at 8 p.m. each night. Tickets are $118.50 per night or $325.50 for all three via thefillmorenola.com.

Marigny Hemenway and will raise funds for ADF Haiti, a nonprofit working on economic development and reforestation in Fond-des-Blancs in South Haiti. The concert is presented by Green Tease, a new local record label. “Grooves for the Earth, Roots for Haiti” is at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Venusian Gardens. Tickets are $21.40 general admission and $62.20 VIP at 4dtee.com.

Dinosaur Jr. Outside of an eight-year break-up around the turn of the millennium, Dinosaur Jr. have been a loud, feedback-fueled force in alternative rock for more than 40 years. The trio recently released its 13th studio album, and first in five years, “There Near,” and are out on a U.S. tour. They play Tipitina’s at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, with Stef Chura. Tickets are $54.68 via tipitinas.com.

‘Grooves for the Earth, Roots for Haiti’

‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’

The benefit concert will feature music by Beach Angel, Melissa Virginia and

In Stephen Sondheim’s musical adaptation of the macabre tale,

Sweeney Todd returns to London from exile and seeks revenge in a murderous spree. Gary Rucker directs the musical for Jefferson Performing Arts Society. At 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 6-22, at Westwego Performing Arts Theatre. Tickets $42 via ticketmaster.com.

‘Life is a Cabaret’ event New Orleans-based author Brian Fairbanks has written books about the 1991 Louisiana governor’s race between Edwin Edwards and David Duke and about the rise of outlaw country. His latest work, “Life is a Cabaret,” tells the stories of the real people of 1930s Weimar Berlin who inspired the characters in the Broadway musical and film “Cabaret.” Fairbanks will discuss the book and sign copies at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Garden District Bookshop. Admission is free, and books can be reserved for $39.20 via gardendistrictbookshop.com.

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A R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T

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MUSIC

FOR COMPLETE MUSIC LISTINGS A N D M O R E E V E N T S TA K I N G P L A C E IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA, VISIT C A L E N D A R . G A M B I T W E E K LY. C O M

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

MONDAY ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Betsey Propane’s Smoke Show, 7 pm APPLE BARREL — Mark Appleford, 6 pm BACCHANAL — Byron Asher, 6 pm BAMBOULA’S — Ted Hefko & the Thousandaires, 9 pm BUFFA’S — David Doucet, 7 pm CARROLLTON STATION — Biscuits n’ Jam with Meryl Zimmerman & Friends, 10 pm DBA — Secret Six Jazz Band, 6 pm; Corey Henry & the Treme Funktet, 9:30 pm DOS JEFES — John Fohl, 8:30 pm FRITZEL’S JAZZ CLUB — Tin Men, 5 pm; Richard Scott & Friends, 8 pm HI HO LOUNGE — Dia de los Muertos: Krewe de Mayahuel After Party, 7 pm MAHOGANY JAZZ HALL — Tom Hook, 6 pm; The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, 8 pm THE MAISON — Gene’s Music Machine, 8 pm MAPLE LEAF BAR — George Porter Jr. Trio ft. Chris Adkins, 7 pm; 10 pm MARKEY PARK — Día de Muertos Fiesta & Procession, 4 pm OKAY BAR — Django Jazz Jam + Red Beans, 7:30 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Penelope Shriver + Izzy Chase + Delvin and the Shades, 8 pm REPUBLIC NEW ORLEANS — Freakshow New Orleans, 8 pm SATURN BAR — BC Coogan, 8:30 pm SIBERIA — Rock the Vote with Kate Fagan Band, Alex McMurray & Nail Club, 9 pm SPOTTED CAT — Jenavieve Cooke & the Winding Boys, 2 pm; Dominick Grillo & the Frenchmen Street All-Stars, 6 pm; Aurora Nealand & The Inquiry Quintet, 9:30 pm ST. ROCH TAVERN — Heather Littlefield & The Cobweb Dusters, 9 pm

TUESDAY BACCHANAL — Tangiers Combo, 6 pm BUFFA’S — Alex McMurray, 7 pm CAFÉ NEGRIL — The Super-MostFantastic-Blues-N-Such Jam, 7 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH — City of The Sun with Noa Jamir, 8 pm COLUMNS HOTEL — Brad Walker, Stanton Moore, Martin Masakowski & Joe Ashlar, 6:30 pm DBA — Bras Band Brass Band, 9 pm DOS JEFES — Tom Hook, 8:30 pm GASA GASA — The Brook & The Bluff + RYMAN, 7 pm HI HO LOUNGE — Taco Tuesday w/ Otto’s Gothic Cumbias, 9 pm MAHOGANY JAZZ HALL — Big Joe Kennedy, 6 pm; Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound, 8 pm THE MAISON — Paradise Jazz Band, 8 pm OKAY BAR — Big Easy Stompers Line Dancing & Lessons, 8 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Rebirth Brass Band, 10 pm SAENGER THEATRE — Disney’s The Lion King: The Musical, 7:30 pm SATURN BAR — Fluttermite and Banjovy, 9 pm SIBERIA — Foot E. & The Twinkle Toes with Ayla Ray and Scally, 9 pm SPOTTED CAT — Chris Christy Band, 2 pm; Sweetie Pies of New Orleans, 6 pm; Smoking Time Jazz Club, 9:30 pm VAUGHAN’S LOUNGE — Cuttin’ Up with Lil Prince & the Youngbloods, 10 pm

WEDNESDAY BACCHANAL — Jesse Morrow, 6 pm BAYOU BAR — Firm Roots, 8 pm; 10 pm BLUE NILE — Kota Dosa, 9 pm BUFFA’S — Dylan James, 7 pm CAFÉ NEGRIL — Jam-ilton, 7:30 pm CHICKIE WAH WAH — The Leroy Jones Quintet, 6 pm DBA — Jenavieve & The Winding Boys, 6 pm; The Next Level Band, 9 pm DOS JEFES — Kris Tokarski, 8:30 pm FRITZEL’S JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 1 pm; Fritzel’s All Star Band with Kevin Ray Clark, 8 pm GASA GASA — Laney Jones, Felix Rabito, and Tasche de la Rocha, 7 pm HOLY DIVER — Ngly / Max Rollins / Leisure Muffin / Interesting Results, 10 pm HOWLIN’ WOLF — Cuffing Season + Sarah Mootz + ISSY, 8 pm THE MAISON — Gene’s Music Machine, 6 pm MAPLE LEAF BAR — Happy Organ Hour, 8 pm OKAY BAR — Juliet McConkey + Lily Dabbs + Pete Fields, 7 pm SAENGER THEATRE — The Lion King, 8 pm

SANTOS BAR — Chambre Noir with Paco, 10 pm SATURN BAR — Dandelion Delivery Service/Hex Windham/Tashi Delay, 9 pm SIBERIA — Wax Monkey + Atom Cat, 9 pm TIPITINIA’S — Nick Shoulders, 8 pm TRUE SOUTH — Ugly Rumors, 7:30 pm VAUGHAN’S LOUNGE — Robin Rapuzzi’s Glo Worm Trio, 8:30 pm

THURSDAY ABITA NEW ORLEANS — Jazz Series ft. Tuba Skinny, 6 pm APPLE BARREL — Bubbles Brown, 6 pm; Johnny B, 9 pm BACCHANAL — Raphael Bas, 6 pm BEANLANDIA — Sweetie Pies of New Orleans, 7 pm BLUE NILE — Irvin Mayfield’s Music Church, 9 pm; DJ T-Roy (upstairs), 10 pm BROADSIDE — The Heartbeat, The Hammer Afterparty, 9 pm BUFFA’S — Tom McDermott with Aurora Nealand, 7 pm

New Orleans musician Mikayla Braun plays at Dos Jefes Sunday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. PROVIDED PHOTO BY DOMINIQUE RICHARD

CHICKIE WAH WAH — Gram Parsons’s Birthday Bash with The Sleepless Nights, 8 pm DBA — Ethan Santos, 6 pm; Vegas Cola Band, 9 pm DOS JEFES — Anna Laura Quinn, 8:30 pm DOUBLE DEALER — Shawn Williams, 9 pm THE FILLMORE — Thundercat, 7 pm GASA GASA — Louisiana Death Whistle, Neon 3D CD Party, b0nedata, 7 pm GOOD MEASURE — Helen Gillet, 8 pm HI HO LOUNGE — 80’s Night with DJ Shane Love, 9 pm HOLY DIVER — SKINMAN / FIEND / DAYS OF GRIEF, 9 pm LE BON TEMPS ROULE — The Soul Rebels, 11 pm THE MAISON — Single Malt Please, 8:30 pm

23 MUSIC GAMBIT > BESTOFNEWORLE ANS.COM > NOVEMBER 2-8 > 2026

PEACOCK ROOM — Da Lovebirds: Robin Barnes & Pat Casey, 8 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Clejan Live in New Orleans, 7 pm SATURN BAR — Valerie Sassyfras & Denton Hatcher, 9 pm SIBERIA — Transfusion with Social Daze and Jaded, 9 pm VAUGHAN’S LOUNGE — Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet, 10 pm

FRIDAY 3116 — Dimitri Hanafin Reyes Album Release Party, 7 pm BACCHANAL — David Sigler, 1 pm; Willie Green, 7 pm BAMBOULA’S — Les Getrex, 6:30 pm THE BLUE CRAWFISH — Free Agents Brass Band, 6:30 pm BLUE NILE — Caesar Brother’s Funk Box, 8 pm; Kermit Ruffins & the BBQ Swingers, 10 pm; DJ FTK (upstairs), 10 pm THE BROADSIDE —Neil Young Tribute, 8 pm BUFFA’S — T Marie & Bayou Juju, 8 pm CHICKIE WAH WAH — Eric Lindell, 7 pm; Kabaka Pyramid, 11:30 pm DBA — Michael Watson & The Alchemy, 6 pm; New Breed Brass Band, 10 pm DOS JEFES — BassX, 9 pm GASA GASA — Daikaiju with The Nancies and STGMA, 8 pm; Nite Sesh, 10 pm

GOOD MEASURE — Mahmoud Chouki, 8 pm HI HO LOUNGE — Shapeshifter + Tristian Dufrene, 10 pm HOLY DIVER — Badzy + Hey Thanks + Vallotton, 9 pm LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Captain Buckles, 11 pm MAPLE LEAF BAR — Honey Island Swamp Band, 10 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — The Late Night Show ft. DJs Neonautica, Two-Tone Merigold & More!, 10 pm SATURN BAR — Latin Night with La Tran-K, 10 pm SIBERIA — Crobot with Dark Chapel and Reptilian War Machine, 9 pm ST. ROCH TAVERN — Patsy Cline Tribute Show with Betsy Propane & The Accessories + Miss Martha & Her Good Time Gang, 9 pm TIPITINA’S — Bowling For Soup + Ballyhoo! + rosecoloredworld, 7:30 pm

SATURDAY BACCHANAL — Miles Berry, 1 pm; Nahum Zdybel, 7 pm BLUE NILE — Jonas Risin’ Double Reunion Extravaganza with Special Guests Cyril Neville, Ben Jaffe, Corey Henry & More!, 9 pm; Afrobeat NOLA, 10 pm BUFFA’S — Daniel Louis Fetauring Chad Oliver, 8 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH — David Nail: Down To The Studs, 9 pm DBA — Tuba Skinny, 6 pm DOS JEFES — THE AFRODIZIAC’S JAZZ, 9 pm DOUBLE DEALER — The Satin Strings, 9:30 pm GASA GASA — Them Ol’ Ghosts with War Bunnies, 10 pm GOOD MEASURE — Ado Soul & The Tribe, 8 pm HOLY DIVER — Devil Master + Ninth Circle + Pale Misery + Dracula, 9 pm KERMIT’S TREMÉ MOTHER-IN-LAW LOUNGE — Kermit Ruffins & The BBQ Swingers, 6 pm LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Jeremy Short, 11 pm MAPLE LEAF BAR — Soul Project, 8 pm; 11 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Après Ski with Sunday Scaries, 3 pm; The After Party, 10 pm THE REPUBLIC — Punchis Banda Rave, 10 pm SATURN BAR — Valparaiso Men’s Chorus, 10 pm TIPITINA’S — Dinosaur Jr. with Special Guest Stef Chura, 8 pm VENUSIAN GARDENS — Marigny Hemenway + Beach Angel + Melissa Virginia & Co., 7 pm

Dinosaur Jr. performs with special guest Stef Chura at Tipitina’s Saturday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m. PROVIDED PHOTO BY CARA TOTMAN

SUNDAY ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Sunday Swing, 8 pm BACCHANAL — Juan Tigre, 1 pm; Noah Young, 7 pm BLUE NILE — Juice presents Sypher Sundays, 9 pm BUFFA’S — Charlie Wooton, 7 pm CHICKIE WAH WAH — Rhett Miller + Paul Sanchez, 8 pm DBA — Paradise Jazz Band, 6 pm; The Jump Hounds, 9:30 pm DOS JEFES — Mikayla Braun, 8 pm HOUSE OF BLUES — Hawthorne Heights - 20th Anniversary of If Only You Were Lonely, 6 pm HOWLIN’ WOLF — Hot 8 Brass Band, 10:30 pm OAK STREET — Oak Street Po-Boy Festival, 10 am THE RABBIT HOLE — Sunday Service: Siisko + FTK, 9 pm

S C A N FO R THE COMPLETE GAMBIT C A L EN DA R

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First impressions by Will Coviello

COMEDIAN ZOLTAN KASZAS HASN’T BEEN to New Orleans

before, so locals may get a taste of his first impressions at his show Friday, Nov. 6, at Joy Theater. Many of Kaszas’ shows start with long riffs on whatever’s on his mind. In Seattle, he said the city seemed happy and sad at the same time, “like a crying bride.” At a recent show in Baltimore, he asked why the hotel rooms he gets there are always damp. In Milwaukee this summer, the audience corrected him on the name of the Milwaukee Brat House, and it spun into a riff on sausage, processed meats and medical studies’ links to dementia. “That’s the part of stand up I really like ... going up and talking about my day,” Kaszas says. “I always have a moment where I am like, ‘Well, I guess that was everything. Time to do my hour.’ I love to talk about new stuff.” He says that most audiences appreciate his observations, but he’s not necessarily trying to please. It can go wrong. “Medford, Oregon,” Kaszas says. “Usually when you work in a town where there are a lot of drug addicts around, it’s kind of run down, you can usually poke fun at it. In Medford, Oregon, I let some big cat out of the bag. “People were like ‘What? This town’s awesome!’ “I was like, ‘I stepped over a meth head to walk into your grocery store.’ ” The audience told him another town — Grants Pass, an hour north — was far worse. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I went up there,’ ” Kaszas says. “‘They suck, too. But you’re not better.’ ” Kaszas isn’t known for confrontational or insult comedy. He’s more in the vein of the clean comedy of some of his early favorite comics like Jim Gaffigan and Brian Regan. (He also liked the gruffer Dave Attell.) Kaszas broke through to wider audiences in 2017 with a clip comparing cats and dogs. He prefers cats to the unbridled enthusiasm of dogs. “A cat’s like an apathetic roommate that you hang out with sometimes,” he says in the clip, now viewed more than 68 million times.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY RUBEN NAVARRO

On stage, Kaszas doesn’t necessarily look like a cat lover. His clothes are vaguely styled in his specials, including last year’s “London Fog,” “Honorary Jones” and “White Lies.” But most of the time, he wears metal band T-shirts, especially Motorhead and Metallica. He also has Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne and System of a Down T-shirts in the rotation, he says. Kaszas was born in Hungary and moved with his mother to the U.S. when he was 4. He grew up in a trailer park in San Diego and loved pro wrestling and heavy metal, which in no way matches his jovial and relaxed demeanor on stage. In his act, he’s recently joked about the financial signs that he’s finally made it professionally. “Bad hotels are motivating,” he says with wide eyes. He’s also joked about getting access to the meager luxuries of airport lounges, buying “barefoot shoes” and more. Success has changed him a little. “I just saw Metallica at the Sphere a couple of weeks ago,” he says of a trip to Las Vegas, where he also had a show. “It’s pretty crazy. Just to get tickets for the show, I had to ask my management to get me in with this other thing to get me in with this other thing — just so I could purchase tickets. I had to pull strings just to pay for the tickets I got.” But getting another Metallica shirt is part of the job. Zoltan Kaszas performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at The Joy Theater. Tickets are $45.65 at ticketmaster.com.

GOING OUT

Working out the kinks by Will Coviello

NIKI DAVIS-FAINBLOOM isn’t your average sex educator. Like many sex educators, the Canadian-born writer and researcher counsels folks in private, but she also holds workshops and more entertaining events. She’s set up a booth and offered erotic tarot card readings on Frenchmen Street, though they usually come with a disclaimer. “I have been reading tarot for two weeks,” Davis-Fainbloom says. “But I’ve been a sex educator for 10 years.” It’s an ice breaker, and Fainbloom is ready for anything. Years of providing counseling, education, research and hosting events has culminated in her first book, “Fetish: Smash Taboos and Celebrate What Turns You On,“ which is being released this week. Davis-Fainbloom is on a book tour, and she’s hosting a book release party complete with fetish demos and interactive stations at the Tigerman Den on Thursday, Nov. 5. She’s also holding a kissing workshop at AllWays Lounge & Cabaret on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and a sexual confidence workshop at Dynamo on Monday, Nov. 9. She’s provided professional counseling on a spectrum of sexual issues, but the book focuses on fetishes, and they range from the rarity of a man who likes to be rolled in carpet and stepped on to people turned on by sneezes or specific words. “People like the eye-grabbing stories,” she says. The book is less a research project than a guided exploration, complete with a self-assessment, and it’s designed to be of use to anyone. Her point is that many people feel shame around sex and desire and thus tend to feel isolated and alone. Whether a person is wildly uninhibited or simply has trouble orgasming and talking about their desires, it’s a path to understanding and improving their experiences. “Fetishes are extreme examples of what we all feel,” she says. Davis-Fainbloom also shares some of her own experiences with fetishism. “We’re all freakier than we think we are,” she says. The first section of the book sets out to define fetishism. She describes a fetish as an “enduring erotic fascination with a specific body part, body action or object … typically not regarded as sexual by most of the population.” The book also touches on the latest trends, including use of AI chatbots to explore sex and fetishism. She also notes some of the downsides to sex in the age of

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Niki Davis-Fainbloom PHOTO PROVIDED BY NIKI DAVIS-FAINBLOOM

the internet and what she sees as the cause of behaviors like ghosting. Much of the book is about gaining self-knowledge and acceptance and practical advice for negotiating and exploring. Davis-Fainbloom grew up in Toronto, and she went to New York University to get a master’s degree in psychology. She concentrated on sexuality and dysfunction. Her first job was as a sexual assault interventionist at Mt. Sinai Hospital. But after several years, she decided to change course and focus on desire and pleasure. She became a counselor. In addition to counseling, she holds events including kinky carnivals in New York, where she lives most of the year. Fainbloom wrote the book in New Orleans, where she spends several months every year. She’s in town for two weeks before continuing her book tour, and she has three events. The book release party features a brief reading, discussion, oysters, drinks, a goodie bag of sex toys, interactive demonstrations and activities, including a wax molding station, a shibari, or rope restraint, demo by Silk N Thread, and more (tickets are $17.85 via eventbrite.com). There’s also an afterparty with music and more. The kissing workshop at AllWays is a partnered — bring your own — event, and it’s a workshop about kissing techniques and communicating. It’s at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. The Sexual Confidence workshop is about building confidence for anything from flirting to communicating in intimate situations. It’s at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, at Dynamo. For more about Niki Davis-Fainbloom and her book, visit nikidavisf.com, and for links to the events, see @missbloomsexeducator on Instagram. Tickets are available on eventbrite.com.

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PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE PIECING TOGETHER A CLASSIC By Frank A. Longo

30 “I -- film today ...” (Beatles lyric) 31 Taxi-driving guys 33 Be 100% sure 38 Bel -- (Italian cheese) 40 Ivy League university in Philly 42 Comic’s joke 43 -- Haute 44 Snoozing 46 Gumbo, e.g. 48 German river 51 IRS payment 52 Existential question about humanity 55 Taco Bell menu item 57 “I’m off!” 58 Enunciation

61 Wallet bills 62 Epoch 65 Olympic prize 68 Muhammad Ali’s epithet 70 Major branch of Islam 72 Sugar in milk 74 Topic 75 2016 drama film with Kevin Sorbo 78 Blizzard, e.g. 81 Health resort 82 Epochs 83 Running after 85 Football throw 87 Wrestling duo 89 Spotting of a rare raptor, say

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29 Hazy stuff 32 Tapering stack of empty brew cans 33 Jabbed with a bent leg 34 E-I linkup 35 Bohemianism 36 Seals in a wooden box 37 Crude oil, in slang 38 Pet’s foot 39 Fire remnant 41 Utmost 45 Reds’ Rose 47 Added to the ballot, maybe 49 Helper in a monster film 50 Zilch 53 Small lump 54 Cavern effect 56 Periods 59 Dick Tracy’s Trueheart 60 “-- that a lot” 62 Strict self-deniers 63 Vince who scored “Peanuts” TV specials 64 Become occupied with 66 -- mater 67 Land west of Vietnam 69 Shoots for the stars 71 Tree home

73 Baby’s bed 76 Final Four org. 77 Resistance units 79 Nail polish brand 80 Indian music 84 Very dirty 86 Sieves 88 Sitcom units 90 Genetic ID 91 Reverses the progress of 92 Jaffa natives 93 Fish catcher 94 Frustrated cry 97 Pothole filler 98 Prattles on 102 Snub 104 Garden tool 106 Japanese noodle variety 109 “The Planets” composer Gustav 110 Ouzo flavorer 111 Gave a title to 113 Old TWA rival 116 Positive votes 118 Part on stage 119 Hullabaloo 120 Rx safety gp. 121 Permit to 122 Decide (to) 123 And not 125 Hatchet, e.g. 126 Transcript fig.

GARDEN DISTRICT OFFICE CELL: (504) 913-2872 2016, 2017, 2020 & 2022 EEMAIL: Michael.Zarou@Compass.com

95 Tahiti, par exemple 96 Pale-looking 99 Three squared 100 Like many offshore rescues 101 Roman 403 103 Hot tub sigh 105 Hair tangles 107 Country star Brooks 108 Adds to the melody, in a way 112 Loren of “Two Women” 114 12:00 p.m. 115 -- culpa 116 “Fernando” pop quartet 117 Brand of sponge balls 120 Maximum mark reached during a deluge 124 Author of the book revealed by reading the first words of seven long answers in this puzzle 127 Tongue -(ENT’s tool) 128 Corp. bigwig 129 They follow Marches 130 People certifying things 131 Dorm fixture 132 Hoi polloi, with “the” DOWN 1 -- alone (perform solo) 2 Worker welfare gp. 3 Barely 4 Reserve somebody’s parking spot? 5 Rage 6 Holy hymn 7 From Romeo and Juliet’s city 8 Seeing things 9 Lyricist Gershwin 10 Very sour fruit 11 Battle over a wiki page’s content 12 On Soc. Security, say 13 -- Viejo, California 14 Kuwaiti currency unit 15 Calorie-free cold drink 16 Wine bottle 17 Quick -- wink 18 99-Across plus one 19 NYC hrs. 24 Profound

ANSWERS LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P2 ANSWERS FOR TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE ON P4

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1 Tabloid dirt 7 Shroud 11 Do away with completely 20 Movie awards 21 Charlotte Brontë’s Jane 22 Display units for cold cuts and such 23 Statement from Martin Luther King Jr. 25 Like traveling salespeople 26 Weight without cargo 27 Many people born in July 28 Frequently, in poetry

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Local Sweet Potatoes

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If It’s Trending or If It’s New, It’s Probably Already On Our Shelves. Regional finds, specialty foods, and the brands that haven’t hit the big chains yet are items you will probably find at Rouses. Plus, we carry local products, including our own, that are made just for the Gulf Coast. Tillamook Shredded Cheese is a line of naturally aged, farmer-owned dairy products known for its signature thick-cut and fine-cut shreds. Made from high-quality milk with no artificial growth hormones (rBST-free) and anti-caking potato starch, it offers superior melt and rich, bold flavor straight from the block. Blue Runner Cream of Shrimp Soup was launched by Blue Runner Foods in Gonzales, Louisiana and made with premium Louisiana seafood, real dairy and traditional Cajun seasonings – great on its own or a rich base for casseroles, bisques, étouffées and pasta sauces. At Rouses, we’re also proud to partner with family-owned growers like Topashaw Farms and Louisiana’s own Garber Farms to bring Local Sweet Potatoes from their fields to your table.

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Holidays taste of the AT ALL STORES!

SAT | NOV 14 • 10am - 2pm

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