Gambit: August 23, 2022

August 23-29 2022 Volume 43 Number 34

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5

House Calls

Urban Bush Women develops a ‘Haint Blu’ site-specific performance in New Orleans DANCERS FROM NEW YORK-BASED URBAN BUSH WOMEN EXPLORED THE SPACE

outside the Andre Cailloux Center, formerly the St. Rose de Lima church on Bayou Road, last week.

On Thursday afternoon, they were on the side loading dock, which for that exercise was standing in for a porch. During the first week of their residency in New Orleans, they were exploring the converted theater space inside and out to work up a site-specific version of “Haint Blu,” which in concept is grounded by a home in the South.

The piece takes its name from a color often used on the ceilings of porches. The shade of blue resembles water and is meant to trick unwanted spirits. Seeing their reflection scares them off and they leave the home and its occupants alone.

“Haint Blu” explores holism and frames the work in the context of a home. UBW developed a stage version of “Haint Blu” that’s part of its touring “Legacy + Lineage + Liberation” presentation. During the pandemic, “Haint Blu” co-artistic directors Chanon Judson and Mame Diarra Samantha Speis are expanding its ideas by creating site-specific workshop versions in four successive residencies. The New Orleans phase concludes Friday with a workshop performance at the Cailloux Center. A more final version will be presented when UBW returns in January.

The residency is in conjunction with Junebug Productions, a longtime collaborating organization, and the Ashe Cultural Arts Center.

Junebug coordinated the participation of local artists and organizations in the residency, and Junebug members contributed to an early pandemic video collaboration, “Wading in the Wobble,” which helped inspire some of the ideas for the “Haint Blu” site-specific iterations.

The last time UBW performed in New Orleans also was in collaboration with Junebug as a presenter.

In 2018, they brought “Hair & Other Stories” to the CAC. That piece updated UBW founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s original “HairStories.”

That work and “Haint Blu” are led

by Speis and Judson. The two co-artistic directors represent a new generation of leadership at UBW. In many ways, “Haint Blu” expands on “Hair & Other Stories.”

“One of the spaces that came out of ‘Hair & Other Stories’ is the

kitchen and conversations that happen in the kitchen,” Speis says. “As a young Black girl growing up, there were a lot of conversations that were happening in the kitchen that were not happening in the living room. That became about real talk. The conversations were from the gut.”

Judson and Speis’ thinking about “HairStories” and their updated work spurred them to expand on it, particularly the presence and perspectives of Black women at the center of the piece. “Haint Blu” also is focused on healing and reckoning.

“It’s looking at our familial lines, tapping into memory, stories, experiences and looking at what it is we have inherited, what has been shared or passed on to us,” Speis says. “What do we want to continue passing on? What cycles we would like to break or redirect. In order to do this, we are looking at it from the vantage point or thinking of a house. What does this house hold that can support holism?”

The work’s concepts, movement and design also are being informed

by New Orleans and its history. The collaborating performers and artists planned visits to the Backstreet Cultural Museum, Congo Square and Whitney Plantation and met with Hidden History Tours’ Leon Waters. Musicians Dr. Michael White and Jackie Harris spoke to them about jazz and the city’s musical traditions.

“The history of New Orleans jazz and the African retention as a form reflects their practice as dancers — ideas of play, improvisation, ensemble and call and response,” says Junebug Productions director Stephanie McKee-Anderson, who’s been participating in the residency.

The two organizations have a long history together. John O’Neal, the founder of Junebug, and UBW founder Zollar shared personal and professional relationships. Junebug is celebrating its 40th anniversary this season, which is belated because of the pandemic.

When Zollar founded UBW, it operated in a more grassroots fashion. It

|

by Will Coviello

PHOTO BY LARRY GLICK / COURTESY OF URBAN BUSH WOMEN

Urban Bush Women’s ‘Haint Blu’ is being developed in a series of residencies. often performed in alternative spaces and reached out to community organizations. “Hair Parties” featuring talks and community engagement often preceded performances.

The “Haint Blu” residencies are returning to some of the company’s early practices. Community engagements and networking with local organizations are part of the design. The performances also won’t necessarily be in theaters. At the Cailloux center, the workshop production will be immersive and move throughout the space, possibly including outdoors areas. It will incorporate video and lighting technology and other contributions. It likely will also return to the practice of performing to live music.

Speis is excited about the way the New Orleans residency is echoing the organizations’ history and the sense of place.

“I can’t remember the first time I came here, but I was like, ‘This is different,’” Speis says. “It’s like past, present, future all simultaneously moving together. That’s what we’re trying to do with ‘Haint Blu.’ We’re in the past, the present, the future and they’re all moving in time and out of time. That’s magical.”

Find information about Urban Bush Women at urbanbushwomen.org and Junebug at junebugproductions.org. RSVP for the workshop performance on Friday, Aug. 26, via Junebug’s site.

Lil Weezyana

THE LATEST FESTIVAL TO RETURN AFTER TWO-YEAR PANDEMIC HIATUS, Lil Weezyana brings Lil

Wayne and a roster of rap stars to Champions Square. The Hollygrove native and former Cash Money artist and Hot Boy is the mogul behind Young Money Entertainment, and he founded the festival as a homecoming celebration in 2015. He stood atop the rap world more than 15 years ago with a series of albums named “Tha Carter,” and the sixth edition is due out soon. Also on the bill is Moneybagg Yo, who topped the Billboard 200 last year with “A Gangsta’s Pain.” Coi Leray released her first studio album in April and has grabbed attention for “Blick Blick,” a collaboration with Nicki Minaj. Rob49 also performs. At 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at Champions Square. Tickets $65 on ticketmaster.com.

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Lil Wayne returns to New Orleans for Lil Weezyana on Saturday, Aug. 27, at Champions Square.

Krewe of OAK Midsummer Mardi Gras

THE KREWE OF OAK HOLDS ITS SWEATY AND SULTRY Midsummer Mardi

Gras celebration on Saturday, Aug. 27. This iteration will include a short march on Carrollton Avenue and a block party on the 8300 block of Oak Street with a band. The party starts at 6 p.m. and the parade begins at 8 p.m.

Costumes encouraged.

Alex Isley

THE DAUGHTER OF ERNIE ISLEY OF THE LEGENDARY ISLEY BROTHERS, Alex

Isley had a good introduction to making music. Her debut, 2012’s “Love/Art Memoirs,” showed off PAGE 41

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T H U M B S U P/ THUMBS DOWN

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THE MONETARY AMOUNT, IN MILLIONS, THAT BRAD PITT’S MAKE IT RIGHT FOUNDATION WILL PAY TO HOMEOWNERS IN THE LOWER 9TH WARD.

AnneSkoreckiLevy, a Holocaust

survivor and activist, on Aug. 12 received an honorary doctorate from Loyola University New Orleans for her work as an “educator, humanitarian and truth-teller,” the citation read.

Born in Poland, Levy was a child when Nazi Germany invaded her homeland, forcing her Jewish family into the Lodz Ghetto and later into the Warsaw Ghetto.

Her family escaped Poland and settled in New Orleans. As an adult, Levy has spoken often against anti-Semitism and discrimination, and she famously confronted neo-Nazi David Duke in the late ‘80s and early ’90s.

The Descendants Project, a Lou-

isiana group that fights for environmental justice in the River Parishes, traveled last week to Geneva, Switzerland, to speak to the United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The group testified about fragile burial sites of enslaved people in St. John the Baptist Parish and the threat that nearby communities face from encroaching industrial sites, particularly a proposed grain elevator near the town of Wallace.

Louisiana charter schools are failing to meet admission rules that require enrolling children from low-income families, according to a new report by Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack.

Approximately 1 in 5 charter schools failed to enroll enough children from economically disadvantaged homes at least once during the last six years.

THE COUNT

Pitt formed Make It Right in 2008 to build more than 100 affordable houses with environmentally friendly designs for those who had lost theirs during Hurricane Katrina. But four years ago, residents sued the foundation for defective design, use of shoddy materials and fraud. According to The Times-Picayune, residents agreed on a class action settlement, and each of the 107 Make It Right homeowners will be eligible to receive $25,000 as reimbursement for repairs.

The rest of the money will be divided according to the conditions of the damaged structures.

P H O T O B Y M A X B E C H E R E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, right, talks with New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson, left, and Lt. Ernest Luster after a public hearing on the Police Department’s progress earlier this year.

Federal judge brushes of Cantrell’s plea to end consent decree A FEDERAL JUDGE AUGUST 17 DESCRIBED THE NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT’S STAFFING SHORTAGE

as a crisis that has shoved the agency off the path to leaving court oversight, and she slammed Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s assertion that a decade-old Justice Department consent decree is endangering officers.

Without naming the mayor, District Judge Susie Morgan called that allegation false at a packed court hearing and blamed City Hall for what she said was a failure to develop a “holistic plan to deal with the current emergency.” That, she said, “virtually ensures the NOPD will not be able to sustain its achievements.”

A day after Cantrell’s administration filed court papers to terminate the consent decree, arguing that the Police Department has cleared all its hurdles, Morgan begged to differ. She ordered up a raft of new audits and in-depth monitoring of the depleted force, saying she fears an exodus of officers has left the agency lagging in areas that she’d long ago checked off as fixed.

Among other concerns, including criminal investigations of several officers accused of abusing the off-duty security guard system, Morgan pointed to officer complaints of rundown equipment and to lurching efforts to employ civilians to relieve the burden on sworn officers. Fewer than 1,000 officers remain on a force that was much larger when then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu agreed to federal oversight in 2012.

“The progress the city has made in these areas has been tragically low,” Morgan said.

“The city is facing an emergency.

The NOPD can’t continue to police the way it did when it had 1,300 officers.”

As recently as April, Morgan projected the Police Department would clear its final two hurdles this summer and head into a two-year “sustainment” period, with stepped-down monitoring. She projected a longer trajectory on Wednesday, saying she will schedule monthly public hearings to report on City Hall’s progress.

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Morgan did not directly address the Cantrell administration’s motion to exit the decree, saying she would wait for a response from Justice Department attorneys. But her comments, along with orders for a fresh round of audits and embedded monitors, seemed to throw cold water on Cantrell’s bid to end the consent decree.

In the legal filing, the administration argued that the monitors and Justice Department attorneys are playing Lucy to City Hall’s Charlie Brown, repeatedly lining up the Police Department to gain full compliance, then pulling the ball.

Morgan praised police brass, the Justice Department and the monitors. But while she noted similar staffing struggles at police agencies nationwide, she also pointed to a clause in the New Orleans consent decree that requires City Hall to provide enough resources to comply with it.

“Everyone involved in this project is concerned that there are simply too few people responsible for doing too many things,” she said. “These deficiencies are inconsistent with the city’s obligation to support the NOPD.” Federal monitors said the Police Department hadn’t yet proven compliance in the final areas of “bias-free policing” and “stops, searches and arrests.” Meanwhile, Morgan ordered new audits of crime reporting data, downgrading of calls for service, the effect of lengthy response times and a “reduction in innovative and targeted crime fighting.”

The judge, whom President Barack Obama nominated to the court, added that she’s taking a hands-on approach to the department’s hiring and retention struggles, meeting regularly with Cantrell’s chief administrative officer, Gilbert Montano. She said monitors will provide technical assistance to help with recruiting and retention.

After the hearing, Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said he took issue with Morgan’s assessment that the department doesn’t have a plan for operating with fewer police officers.

“I think we’ve done a phenomenal job of being in compliance with the consent decree and what is asked of us as a department,” Ferguson said. “In any organization, you want to do more. You

want to do better. That’s what she’s expecting of us.”

Cantrell’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Morgan’s directives.

City Council member Eugene Green was taking the long view, however.

“I think we need to be realistic about our ability to be released from the consent decree immediately,” Green said.

Council member Helena Moreno, who also attended the hearing, said Morgan was speaking her language in pushing for a “civilianization” of lower-level Police Department positions to ease the law enforcement burden on an overstretched agency. But she said the broader message was a disappointment.

“It’s never good to hear that some of the issues we were compliant with, now she feels we could potentially be backsliding,” Moreno said.

Cantrell’s move to end to the consent decree comes as the mayor faces a rising chorus of criticism over a shrinking police force while homicides and shootings surge across the city.

At a news conference this month, the mayor blamed the consent decree for flagging morale and an exodus of officers from the Police Department.

Complaints from departing officers of unfair discipline meted out by the police internal affairs arm, the Public Integrity Bureau, are a symptom of strangling federal oversight, the mayor argued.

But Jonathan Aronie, the lead federal monitor, said that a review of disciplinary actions found “no systematic pattern of overdiscipline. Nevertheless, we are well aware of the perception among officers.”

Like Cantrell, Morgan purported to have the officers’ backs, saying she would push to beef up the ranks and ensure that the administration’s promises of new equipment come through.

“While I’m frustrated by the recent concerns I had in some areas, and the lack of progress I’ve seen in others, I do not say this to criticize the men and women who continue to toil in the NOPD trenches,” Morgan said. “I will make sure you get what you need to continue this job.” — JOHN SIMERMAN / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

9

Wisner trust fraught with political, legal sleight of hand

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FEW SUBJECTS ARE AS INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO LAY PERSONS — AND TO A GOOD MANY LAWYERS

and judges as well — as Louisiana’s Trust Code, unless one attempts to plumb the depths of Louisiana’s Mineral Code. Both bodies of law come into play in the New Orleans City Council’s recent lawsuit against Mayor LaToya Cantrell in her capacity as CEO of the Edward Wisner Donation, a mineral-rich land trust encompassing more than 40,000 acres in Lafourche, Jefferson and St. John the Baptist parishes. The trust owns much of the land beneath Port Fourchon, the energy industry’s busy gateway to vast offshore oil and gas leases.

The trust’s history would make great fodder for a John Grisham novel, for it is fraught with legal and political legerdemain beginning more than nine decades ago and continuing today.

Philanthropist Edward Wisner created the trust in 1914, a year before his death. He gave the City of New Orleans all the land and named the city as trustee but gave Tulane and Charity Hospital (now LSU Health Sciences Center) 20% each of the land’s revenues and the Salvation Army another 2%. That left the city with a 58% share of the revenues. Wisner also decreed that the trust would expire in 100 years.

Those and other provisions seem straightforward enough, but for the greed of heirs and the malleable principles of local politicians.

For example, in 1929 then-Mayor T. Semmes Walmsley bowed to the pressures of Wisner’s widow and two daughters, giving them 40% — the largest share — of the trust’s revenues. Walmsley reduced the city’s take to 34.8% and Tulane and Charity’s share to 12% each; the Salvation Army’s already meager portion fell to 1.2%. It should surprise no one that a state court okayed that arrangement, even though it violated Wisner’s express wishes.

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PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

The contested Edward Wisner Donation owns much of the land beneath Port Fourchon.

The political and legal machinations didn’t end there. The Widow Wisner and her daughters gave their attorneys a piece of the pie, and even though the trust specifically bars payments to “successors,” the modern-day Wisner heirs — and their attorneys — continued to receive royalties through the years.

All that should be of no moment today, given that Wisner set the trust to expire in 2014. Indeed, the Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeal held that the trust did, in fact, expire on August 4, 2014. That should have made the City of New Orleans sole owner of the Wisner land and all its revenues.

Yet, for reasons that remain imperceptible, then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu “temporarily” extended the trust multiple times, and in 2020 Cantrell quietly — and unilaterally — made it permanent.

Both mayoral actions appear to violate not only the original terms of the trust but also an appellate court ruling.

The council suit says Cantrell also violated several city laws as well as Louisiana’s Constitution and Trust Code. A 2013 appraisal pegged the trust’s value at $114 million. Its leases generate up to $9 million a year, making it well worth fighting for. Hopefully, the courts will honor the 4th Circuit’s precedent — and Edward Wisner’s wishes — and declare the city sole owner and sole beneficiary of Wisner’s donation.

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Cantrell, Hutson mess with bulls, get horns MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL NO DOUBT BELIEVED SHE WAS TAKING THE BULL

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when she recently blamed a federal consent decree for the recent spike in cops leaving NOPD — and then filed a motion asking U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to terminate the decree.

On Aug. 17, Cantrell learned what happens when you mess with the bull.

A day later, Sheriff Susan Hutson likewise “got the horns” from U.S. Magistrate Michael North over her efforts to work around his repeated demands, beginning almost two years ago under a separate federal consent decree, that the city and the sheriff immediately begin building a stand-alone healthcare facility as part of the local jail that Hutson runs. There’s scant evidence of any progress on that front.

Cantrell and Hutson inherited their respective consent decrees, and both have promised to comply in order to end them. Hutson, however, also pledged to try to “retrofit” the existing jail rather than build a separate healthcare facility.

During her campaign, she gave no specifics as to how she would get around the court’s order to build a stand-alone facility, proving Mario Cuomo’s famous quip that politicians campaign in poetry but govern in prose.

Neither Cantrell nor Hutson appeared at federal court hearings on their respective consent decrees last week, which the judge and magistrate, respectively, doubtless took as a lack of respect.

The jurists’ comments and rulings offer a pair of master classes in judicial woodshedding.

Only months ago, Morgan praised NOPD’s progress in meeting the decree’s requirements and dangled the possibility that the department might soon become eligible for a two-year “sustainment” period with reduced monitoring. Morgan struck a different note this/last week.

PHOTO BY MA X BECHERER / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Sheriff Susan Hutson Without mentioning the city’s motion to lift the decree, and without calling out Cantrell by name, Morgan deftly turned the tables on Heronner, saying the administration had failed to implement a “holistic plan to deal with the current emergency.”

To drive home her point, Morgan ordered extra audits, monthly hearings to track NOPD’s progress, and more intense monitoring of the department. She added that NOPD has backslid in areas that she previously considered satisfied, but she made a point of adding, “I do not say this to criticize the men and women who continue to toil in the NOPD trenches. I will make sure you get what you need to continue this job.”

North took a more in-yourface approach with Hutson. He accused the new sheriff of trying to circumvent a court order to build the new medical facility at the jail and of operating in secrecy after she failed to notify him of recent violence, deaths and a three-day protest at the jail. “Not a word. Silence. Crickets,” North said during a special conference he called in response to Hutson’s alleged secrecy.

North also fumed that the sheriff, herself an attorney, failed to attend the hearing. “What we need is a course correction, and we needed it yesterday,” he said.

The lesson to both Cantrell and Hutson couldn’t be plainer: Don’t mess with the bulls.

11

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@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

Hey Blake,

On the side of a building in the 800 block of Canal Street are the markings “A. Shwartz and Son.” It looks like an advertisement, but I can’t make out too much else. What can you tell me about it?

Dear reader,

ABRAHAM SHWARTZ WAS BORN IN GERMANY IN 1820. According to his

1892 obituary, he came to America as a young man and opened his first business in Liberty, Mississippi.

He then moved to New Orleans and operated a dry goods store near Canal and Bourbon and another store across the street, at 814-16 Canal. That store, with the fading sign you noticed, opened in 1876.

His three sons, all of whom worked in the business, were Nathan, Leon and Simon. “The Messrs. Shwartz never do anything by halves,” reported The Daily Picayune. “They have long been noted for their great enterprise and excellent taste in catering to the cultured and refined people of New Orleans.”

According to advertisements, Shwartz’ dry goods emporium sold everything from dresses,

P H O T O B Y S A R A H R AV I T S

A now-faded sign on the 800 block of Canal Street once promoted Arthur Shwartz’ dry goods store, which closed in 1910 after a few relocations. linens and shoes to hosiery, laces, underwear and ladies’ corsets.

Shwartz’ store in the 700 block of Canal was hit by fire in 1890. It reopened, before being destroyed again by fire in 1892. The store at 814 Canal closed in 1910.

Abraham Shwartz died in March 1892. His youngest son Simon established S.J. Shwartz & Co., an importer of “dry and fancy goods.”

He also became one of the founders of Maison Blanche, the department store which opened in 1897 in the 900 block of Canal Street (now The Ritz-Carlton hotel). Maison Blanche operated there and at locations throughout the area until 1998.

BL AKEVIE W ONE OF LOUISIANA’S MOST POWERFUL, COLORFUL AND SOMETIMES CONTROVERSIAL POLITICIANS, the late Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee, was born 90

years ago this week.

The son of Chinese immigrants, Lee was born in the back room of his family’s Carondelet Street laundry on Aug. 27, 1932. He and his seven siblings worked in the family business. Lee graduated from LSU and served in the U.S. Air Force in Texas, where he met his wife, Lai. He returned to Louisiana and helped run his family’s Chinese restaurant, House of Lee in Metairie.

There, he met U.S. Rep. Hale Boggs, who would become his political mentor. Lee became Boggs’ driver and assistant. Later, he enrolled at Loyola University and earned a law degree. After working in private practice with his law school study partner, Marion Edwards (now a Jefferson Parish councilman), Lee was appointed as federal magistrate. In 1976, he became parish attorney for Jefferson.

In 1979, Lee ran for sheriff, defeating embattled incumbent Al Cronvich.

Lee would become the second-longest-serving sheriff in Jefferson Parish history. He was re-elected regularly by huge margins even as he often engendered controversy with his comments on race and racial profiling.

After a series of robberies in 1986, he made national headlines when he said, “If there are some young blacks driving a car late at night in a predominantly white area, they will be stopped.”

Still, his “shoot from the hip” approach endeared him to many voters, and he was credited with modernizing the sheriff’s office and maintaining Jefferson’s low crime rate.

A Democrat, Lee announced his candidacy for governor in 1995 but dropped out before the primary, saying he preferred the power that came with being Jefferson’s top lawman and tax collector. “Why would I want to be governor when I can be king?” he quipped.

He died of leukemia in 2007 after qualifying to run for an eighth term.

His only child, Cynthia Lee Sheng, has served as Jefferson Parish president since 2020.

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Legendary swamp pop star Tommy McLain gets a second shot at fame

BY JAKE CL APP Tommy McLain is enjoying the attention.

Ever since his new album, “I Ran Down Every Dream,” was announced in April, the 82-year-old Louisiana musician has been fielding interviews with both local and national media outlets to talk about his first solo LP in more than 40 years. Rolling Stone featured McLain in April, and each new single has brought more interest from listeners.

He’s also been busier than ever on stage. McLain played several sets during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, including joining Elvis Costello during his headlining set and opening for Lucinda Williams for her two-night stint at the House of Blues after festival hours. When Gambit recently called him up at his home in Oakdale, Louisiana, McLain had just returned from supporting Nick Lowe and surf rockers Los Straitjackets on a dozen shows and was preparing to fly to Chicago and Michigan for a couple more gigs.

“It’s unreal, brother. That’s what I live for,” McLain says. “When I can get to the audience and see that they’re really listening, they’ll give you that applause. I don’t get in no trouble when I’m on stage.

It’s when I’m off the stage that I get into trouble. The minute I’m up there, something comes over me, you take on a different glamour.”

Now, in the homestretch to the album’s release on Aug. 26, McLain is happy to talk about his long career and recent resurgence.

“I don’t mind at all. It’s just part of the business. I don’t mind telling people about my life and about what I did,” McLain says.

McLain broke out in 1966 when his version of Don Gibson’s “Sweet Dreams” reached No. 15 on the U.S. Billboard charts. The success of the record put him on the road, and in those years, McLain shared stages with acts like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and The Yardbirds.

While his other tunes never matched the same Billboard success, McLain became an important father of Louisiana swamp pop with songs like “Before I Grow Too Old,” “Try to Find Another Man” and “No Tomorrows Now.” And for a time, McLain lived the rock ‘n’ roll life — until he decided he needed to put down the bottle and drugs and turned to Jesus as a Catholic evangelist.

McLain has been a consistent presence on stages in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi for more than six decades and a popular player to other musicians in-the-know, from Lafayette-born singer-guitarist C.C. Adcock to British rockers like Costello and Lowe.

He’s even been inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, twice. But the wider music industry left him behind after “Sweet Dreams” faded into memory.

With “I Ran Down Every Dream,” though, McLain is getting a late-career second act. And even the road to the new album has been fraught — with a heart attack, an arson, hurricanes, a pandemic and a label change.

So McLain is taking advantage of the opportunity.

PROVIDED PHOTO BY DAN BURN-FORTI

“This time, it’s a lot better.

There’s more wisdom,” he says. “I know where I’m going and what I’m doing. In the ’60s, man, you were just like running through the wind. This time, it’s not a bottle of whiskey and a line of cocaine. It’s all about business and doing the right thing for your audience.”

THERE ARE NUMEROUS bittersweet moments on “I Ran Down Every Dream.” The 13-track album finds McLain often looking back on his life, sometimes with regrets but also fondness for the life he’s lived. Maybe there are some things McLain would have done differently, now that he’s older and wiser, but he knows it’s been a good ride.

“But that’s my life / Hey, how about you? / Do you find yourself forgiven? / When I wake up with a brand new tune / That’s how I know I’m still living,” he sings on the title track, a song co-written with Costello and Adcock.

“With Tommy, you are going to hear a man singing from his soul, a beautiful man,” Costello has said.

“He’s one of the great unsung heroes of American vocalizing, and he still sounds as good as he did when he cut ‘Sweet Dreams’ in 1966.”

A pianist and singer, McLain became instantly recognized for his smooth, tenor voice which gives a glimpse of the sincere personality underneath. His voice is a little raspier these days, but the underlying sweetness is as present as ever on “I Ran Down Every Dream.”

Produced by Adcock, McLain’s close friend and frequent collaborator, the new album features 10 originals written or co-written

by McLain. Adcock, Costello and Lowe also have co-writer credits on several tunes.

Along with new material, McLain decided to re-record “Before I Grow Too Old” — a Fats Domino original written with Dave Bartholomew and Bobby Charles — and “No Tomorrows

G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > AU G U ST 2 3 - 2 9 > 2 02 2

16 Now.” And McLain sings Charles’ “I Hope” in tribute to the late swamp pop pioneer.

There are touching, subtle remembrances of lost musicians on the album. McLain dedicated the upbeat song “Somebody” to Texas singer-songwriter Doug Sahm, an old friend McLain met in the late ’60s.

Adcock and Texas Tornados founder (and Sahm musical partner) Augie Meyers are featured on the song.

And blues guitarist Denny Freeman and drummer Warren Storm both play on the record in some of their last recording sessions.

“I Ran Down Every Dream” also features numerous guest musicians: Ivan Neville, Steve Riley, Jon Cleary, Mike Dillon, Tif “Teddy” Lamson, Julie Odell, Dave Ranson, Van Dyke Parks and more.

“I was telling someone, it starts out with me and my life, these songs that I write, and then halfway through, the audience starts going, ‘Oh! That’s me he’s singing about. I did the same things he did,’” McLain says. “I lived that life already, and it leaves me, and if it gets [the listener]

thinking, then I’ve accomplished my mission.”

MCLAIN WAS BORN IN 1940 in small town Jonesville and in his teens fell in love with the rock ‘n’ roll of Fats Domino and Little Richard. He got his start playing in bands like The Boogie Kings and The Vel-Tones through the late ’50s and ’60s.

Adcock semi-jokes that his father judged any new music by The Boogie Kings.

“The Boogie Kings were just the standard,” Adcock says, “and they were kind of right. I never got to see the Boogie Kings in their heyday and great golden years when it was Clint West … who was Tommy’s great singing partner. We live in the center of the swamp pop universe.”

So growing up in Lafayette, learning to play guitar, Adcock of course knew McLain’s music. After school in the ’80s, he and his friends would go to the Yesterday’s Lounge and catch matinees of McLain, Warren Storm and the house band.

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17 Louisiana swamp pop and rhythm and blues, and front and center was McLain and his version of “Before I Grow Too Old.” The compilation was a cult hit in the U.K. — and made a number of English musicians, including Costello and Lowe, Tommy McLain fans. Demonstrating the popularity of “Another Saturday Night,” English singer Lily Allen in 2011 hired McLain, Adcock and the Lil’ Band o’ Gold to play her wedding and danced to “Before I Grow Too Old.” Costello and McLain met in 2010 at a tribute for Bobby Charles, and the two kept in contact. So when he began working on a new album, McLain reached out to Costello, who co-wrote the title song as well as the track “My Hidden Heart.”

“Tommy in a way is an Irish tenor, and his voice resonates” with the Brits, Adcock says.

McLain and Adcock were knee deep in working on the record when life started throwing up roadblocks in late 2019. That fall, McLain suffered a severe heart attack, requiring open-heart surgery and weeks of recovery in the hospital. Adcock

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Tommy McLain and CC Adcock perform at the 2019 South Louisiana Songwriters Festival in Lafayette.

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Over the years, Adcock — as his own music career started to boom — got to know McLain better and the two became close friends.

In 2018, Adcock was near McLain’s home in Oakdale and decided to stop in. Although McLain hadn’t released a solo full-length album in decades, he was constantly writing, and he sat down at a piano to show Adcock a few pieces he’d been working on. The pieces stuck in Adcock’s head, and he knew McLain needed to put them on tape.

The two men started working on the new record, but a chance encounter in early 2019 at South

by Southwest with a representative from Decca Records gave the project momentum. McLain and Adcock were playing some of the new tunes at the Austin, Texas, festival and the rep “had a visceral reaction to Tommy. He started crying,” Adcock says.

The label was interested in picking up the new album.

Costello also gave the new album a boost.

Back in 1974, U.K. label Oval Records released “Another Saturday Night,” a compilation of south

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Elvis Costello, left, plays with Tommy McLain, right, on the Gentilly Stage at the 2022 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. called McLain a few nights before his surgery to talk.

“He was really fragile, and he goes, ‘This may be it brother,’” Adcock says. “And we had the talk — ‘Get the record out, get these songs out somehow if something happens to me.’ And he goes, ‘C.C., be careful. I know you think you’ve got to live all sorts of shit, so you can write them songs, but it don’t work that way, son. It’s the other way around. You end up livin’ the songs you wrote.”

But McLain recovered well and even wrote some new tunes while in the hospital, Adcock says. But right as he was starting to get back on his feet, the pandemic shutdowns in spring 2020 made recording — and everything in general — more difficult. Then, hurricanes Laura and Delta devastated southwest Louisiana that fall.

Things started to look up in 2021. Pandemic restrictions were lifted, and McLain and Adcock were able to nearly finish the new record as well as do some touring. But the beginning of 2022 threw in two last knife-turns: First, a serial arsonist burned down McLain’s house, and within a matter of days, the deal with Decca fell through, Adcock says.

Luckily, Adcock says, they were able to pivot quickly and found a new home with independent label Yep Roc Records. And barring a plague of locusts, “I Ran Down Every Dream” finally will be released Friday.

“Tommy is a star. He has an incredible talent as a songwriter and as a vocalist and as a guy who can transfer his soul to every person,” Adcock says. “When he sings, people stop and look, sit down and start listening. He’s really thriving now.”

moment McLain is now having.

And it’s true, to an extent — new people are learning about McLain’s long career. But Louisiana music lovers know where McLain has been. He never stopped writing music and gigging across Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi, although he readily admits to having got burnt out playing casinos.

“But I wanted to expand, I wanted people up north, west, all over the world to hear my music,” McLain says. “And now all that’s coming to fruition.”

McLain is widely seen as a cornerstone of swamp pop — the uniquely south Louisiana blend of rhythm and blues, country and western and Cajun influences — but when he cut “Sweet Dreams” back in 1966, he wasn’t thinking about any genre descriptions.

“When I heard they were calling the music in Louisiana swamp pop, I didn’t like that at first, but then it grew on me,” McLain says.

“But this album here, I wanted to keep creating. I didn’t want to stay just one thing. I’m Tommy McLain, I want to be ‘swamp popular.’ Let’s take it to another level.

I just want to climb the ladder. I want to get a little bit further up. I wanna get closer to Heaven, my brother.”

Find “I Ran Down Every Dream” at tommymclain.bandcamp.com and yeproc.com.

Tommy McLain and C.C. Adcock’s “I Ran Down Every (Sweet) Dream” tour (all shows at 7:30 p.m.):

WED., SEPT. 7, AND THU., SEPT. 8: Hotel Peter and

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FRI., SEPT. 9: Vermilionville,

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S D R A D STAN How to survive the sting te ry to a d n a m f o m a e str TERSON

BY JENNY PE

IF YOU WERE TO PLACE THE QUESTION “name something related to school” on a “Family Feud” board, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn’t guess “tests.”

While school and tests have always gone hand-in-hand, testing for students goes well beyond the quizzes personally created by teachers.

Standardized tests have become a regular part of students’ lives at school. Louisiana public school students take day-long standardized tests every year in every grade from kindergarten through high school.

These tests come in a variety of acronyms depending on the grade level — DIBELS, STEEP, STEP, LEAP — all versions of Louisiana’s interpretation of a federal mandate to test proficiency. Add in the ACT and SAT tests for those who are college-bound, and you’ll find students are sharpening their No. 2 pencils multiple times every year.

Michelle Douglas, who runs several K-8 schools as the CEO of Hynes Charter School Corp., says assessment tests shouldn’t be a stressful time. Instead, it should merely be a continuation of the curriculum students are already learning and preparing for every day.

“You can’t change something the morning they’re getting assessed or cram for it,” Douglas says. “This creates panic. If your school has a curriculum that helps teach those standards day in and day out, and teachers are well trained and supported, kids will do fine on the LEAP. That’s why it’s essential from the moment students walk in the door, even

from a very young age, to teach these skills.”

There are many ways to measure academic performance, and annual state tests are only one of them. Even within an assessment test, there’s an absolute performance score and growth performance score that measures how much a student has improved, which is often a more useful metric. Together, these measures can give families and schools a more complete picture of a student’s performance so they can better support learning at home.

“We are constantly looking at data. Each quarter, we give an assessment, and if a student isn’t progressing, we watch them and

work with them and their parents to help them. We’re able to do more things early on to get them on track,” Douglas says. “Do they need glasses? Do they need more support? Are they attending school every day?”

Douglas says the state recently mandated K-3 teachers take 48 hours of professional development on the science of reading, which helps teachers better understand how students learn through explicit instruction. First, children learn to read; then, they read to learn or interact with the world.

“You hear a lot about what’s shifted in math with a lot of ‘explain your answer and tell why.’

You have to be a good communicator,” Douglas says.

She offers some tips for caregivers to help their child master important skills that can help on standardized tests:

ENCOURAGE COMPLETE SENTENCES IN CONVERSATIONS “Complete sentences lead to written complete thoughts, and a thoughtful, articulate young person will be able express their answers on assessments,” she says.

PLAY CARD GAMES Cards are a great way to teach math, especially battle, where you each throw a card down and the higher card takes both cards on the table.

INVOLVE READING AT EVERY CHANCE In addition to reading books at home, encourage young students to read street signs and business store names while in the car.

WORK EVERYDAY MATH INTO CONVERSATIONS “If you’re going to the grocery store, involve your child,” Douglas says. “Maybe say, ‘We need to make enough red beans and rice for three families. How many cups of water will we need?’”

WIDEN YOUR PERSPECTIVE Douglas says another perspective is to view standardized tests not so much as a “test,” but as an important benchmark for everyone to learn and grow from. It’s the school’s opportunity to get its own report card and learn its students’ proficiency to better equip teachers.

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SETTING

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PHOTO BY DANIEL DE L A HOZ / GETT Y IMAGES

With some assessment tests, there’s an absolute performance score and growth performance score that measures how much a student has improved.

Younger students preparing for SAT and ACT tests taking the landmark act and sat tests can be stressful, with scores determining admission and merit-based scholarships for colleges and universities.

Stewart Rowe is the Southeast market director with The Princeton Review, an education services company that provides tutoring, test preparation and admission resources. He says there have been more requests from parents of middle schoolers to

begin prepping for the ACT and SAT tests.

“The No. 1 thing that we hear is the stress and the competitiveness for the ‘right school,’” Rowe says. “We see lots of families start to work with their children in middle school to set them up for success once they enter high school. We have middle schoolers who will join us to take a practice test of the SAT and ACT to start getting a feel for it.”

The Princeton Review holds many courses to learn curriculum and testing strategies.

Area high schools also offer test prep for their high school students to gain an edge.

Jesuit High School, for example, offers ACT

and SAT prep classes to all Catholic high school students three times a year.

“We do need (SAT and ACT tests) or some constant metric by which all students can fall onto a continuum, because GPAs are so different and course requirements at high schools are so different.

However, I don’t think that these tests are predictive of a student’s success in high school, nor are they predictive of their college experience, nor do they tell the whole story of a student,” Rowe says. “They measure how well that student takes that test on that day. It’s all about strategy.”

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SCHOOL

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Well prepared

FORK + CENTER

The Commissary offers a cafe menu, produce and more

|

by Beth D’Addono

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

GET READY TO BE SURPRISED WHEN TURNING ONTO ORANGE STREET, a

quiet little strip in the Lower Garden District tucked off Tchoupitoulas.

There sits The Commissary, Dickie Brennan’s central kitchen. While it was conceived to supply everything from stocks to charcuterie and desserts to Brennan’s restaurants, it’s offering much more than that.

Beyond delivering the likes of turtle soup and bread pudding to Palace Cafe, Tableau, Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, Bourbon House and Acorn Cafe in City Park, The Commissary offers graband-go prepared dishes, sweets, a full butcher case of prime meats, gourmet staples and farm produce for diners and home cooks.

But patrons may be tempted not to go home to eat. The Commissary offers an all-day menu for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday and brunch on Sunday. It has become its own destination.

There are booths and tables inside, a full bar and a spacious covered patio in front that’s kidand dog-friendly. There’s also live music on Thursday evenings and midday Sunday, featuring performers from blues guitarist John Fohl to the bluegrass group the Tanglers. It’s also adjacent to Wetlands Sake, the local sake brewery headed by Nan Wallis and Brennan’s niece, Lindsey Beard.

Her brother Geordie Brower is another fourth generation Brennan. After managing Acorn’s development, he spearheaded the Commissary project. The trained chef designed the kitchen with plenty of bells and whistles. “When I come to work, whether I’m pulling meat out of the smoker or making pasta, I feel like a kid in a candy store,” he says. “The joke is that my favorite color is stainless steel.”

Brower, whose last job for his uncle was running the company’s catering division, is excited about The Commissary’s potential. “My uncle, Dickie, always wanted to open a commissary since I was a kid,” he says.

French press

FOR CLOSE TO 40 YEARS, CAFE DEGAS HAS BEEN A MAINSTAY for French

PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER

Brower has been back in New Orleans for seven years after attending Johnson & Wales University and working for a James Beard Foundation award-winning chef in Denver.

The Commissary opened in spring 2020 to improve consistency and efficiency in Brennan’s restaurants, and the business adapted to pandemic times by using its industrial-sized kitchen to feed employees and the community, a role it returned to after major hurricanes hit Louisiana, including Ida last year. It officially opened for onsite service in the spring, with its expanded marketplace and meal service finally meeting Brennan’s dream.

The menu reflects the breadth of The Commissary’s reach and a connection with local purveyors.

Pork lonza fills a sandwich built on a Bellegarde baguette, dressed with brie, pecan pesto and tomato jam. The lonza and all the charcuterie come from a substantial curing room under the direction of Kristopher Doll, who previously ran his own Shank Charcuterie in the Marigny. The Creole Cuban features his tasso, along with Creole seasoned pork debris, white cheddar and house pickles.

The chefs and staff at The Commissary in the Lower Garden District.

There’s a two-patty smash burger with patties ground inhouse with rib-eye scraps — the beef sourced from Louisiana ranchers. The fried chicken sandwich, a cousin to the fried chicken biscuit on the brunch menu, is topped with pickled squash and oozes tangy green goddess dressing.

Salads use produce from farms including Covey Rise Farms in Husser. A baby kale Caesar is topped with sliced almonds, and a beet and farro salad has arugula, apples and pecans. Diners can add either rotisserie chicken or shrimp on top.

Brunch service began a few weeks ago. Besides the biscuit, there’s a pork debris grits bowl, smoked salmon toast, a breakfast burrito and bread pudding bites with syrup and jam.

Patrons can also dine and shop, grabbing a bottle of wine, veal demiglace or fixings for the next dinner at the end of a meal. The Commissary also is adding options. There will be outside TVs and space heaters for New Orleans Saints games, and during the holidays, patrons can pick-up packaged feasts.

?

WHAT

The Commissary

WHERE

634 Orange St., (504) 274-1850; thecommissarynola.com

WHEN

Lunch and dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sun.

HOW

Dine-in, takeout and outdoor seating available

CHECK IT OUT

A cafe with gourmetto-go meals, produce and more

cuisine in New Orleans. Soon, the Faubourg St. John restaurant will have a new way to showcase those flavors.

Co-owner Jacques Soulas confirmed plans to take over the former home of the Fair Grinds Coffeehouse just across the street, at 3133 Ponce de Leon St. The move will serve two purposes.

First, it will expand the kitchen capacity for Cafe Degas itself, which right now operates from a shoe boxsized galley kitchen.

The next phase will add a casual cafe with a counter service deli.

The focus will be on French-style sandwiches and pastries with coffee drinks.

Soulas says many of the particulars of the new concept are still in development, including the name.

Soulas says breakfast is a possibility at the new cafe, depending on

P H O T O B Y I A N M C N U LT Y / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Cafe Degas will takeover Fair Grinds Coffeehouse. staffing. The lunch menu will bring sandwiches filled with pate, French salami, and ham and Brie.

“We’re delighted that Cafe Degas is taking it on and excited to see what they’ll do there,” says Wade Rathke, who ran Fair Grinds from 2011 until the coffee shop closed this spring.

Soulas and business partner Jerry Edgar started Cafe Degas in 1986 in the tiny confines of a one-time barbershop on Esplanade Avenue. It has grown progressively and become an essential neighborhood restaurant.

But its kitchen space has not expanded much. From a seat at the bar or one of the outdoor tables, it’s common to see cooks PAGE 30

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E AT + D R I N K

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WINE OF THE

WEEK

FORK & CENTER PAGE 29

ferrying supplies across Ponce de Leon Street from a tucked-away storage pantry.

The home of Fair Grinds Coffeehouse had long been a cafe, going back to at least the 1970s, when it was the original location for True Brew Coffee.

It became Fair Grinds in 2000, originally opened by Robert Thompson and Elizabeth Herod.

Rathke, who leads activist group Acorn International, took over in 2011.

The coffee house, and especially its second-floor room, had been used for many years for art shows, meditation groups and other community group events.

The coffee shop shut down after Jazz Fest, and soon the property was on the market.

A second location of Fair Grinds at 2221 St. Claude Ave. closed during the pandemic. Rathke says it’s possible this second location could return sometime in the future but there are no immediate plans to reopen. — IAN McNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Welty’s finds a new place

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DONALD WELTY KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT RUNNING A RESTAURANT

in harrowing times. He started Welty’s Deli in downtown New Orleans in the fall of 2005, while much of the city still sat in empty ruins, just months after Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures.

“We just got to work, and we did well because so few other places were open,” Welty says.

In the years since, Welty’s Deli built a loyal following for its hearty salads and its Reubens, French dips and towering deli sandwiches.

But downtown New Orleans changed drastically during the pandemic, when offices cleared out overnight. Welty says the rise of short-term rentals has impacted the workday lunch business too.

So, he decided his deli needed to change as well.

Aug. 12 was the last day for Welty’s Deli at its original home at 336 Camp St. It will soon reopen in a smaller format as part of the food court in the Place St. Charles building two blocks away. Welty expects to open there after Labor Day weekend, pending a renovation of his future space.

“A lot of our clientele comes from that building, and the folks at the building welcomed us with open arms,” Welty says.

The food court dates to 1985, when the skyscraper first opened,

and it has long been a haven for quick workday meals. It is different from the typical mall or airport food court.

Instead of chain restaurants, it is composed of independent, mom-andpop style stands, which have walk-up counters and shared dining areas.

The Food Court at Place St. Charles (as it is formally known) was revamped in 2019 and had a fresh infusion of new restaurant stands.

But the pandemic’s workplace dynamic hit this office tower property hard, and many closed.

Welty’s Deli joins the five remaining stands here, which include Baba Ganuj Cafe, Vintage Garden Kitchen, Steve’s Diner, Purple Cactus and Rick’s Grille.

Welty says he will serve mostly the same menu at the new location. That includes the deli’s biggest sandwich, dubbed New Orleans AK (for “after Katrina”), which packs half a deli’s worth of sliced meats and cheeses onto a muffuletta loaf. — IAN McNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Commander’s collaborations

LAST YEAR, COMMANDER’S PALACE INTRODUCED A NEW DINNER SERIES

pairing executive chef Meg Bickford with other culinary talent from around the community.

That series, called Chef Meg & Company, is back again, starting this month.

The first installment is on Tuesday, Aug. 23, and features Serigne Mbaye, a Commander’s Palace alum whose pop-up Dakar Nola showcases the flavors and culinary energy of his Senegalese heritage. Early in his career, he worked with Bickford at Cafe Adelaide, when she was executive chef.

The next edition is Sept. 13 with Michael Gulotta, chef and co-owner of Maypop, MoPho and the forthcoming TANA, who is known for both Asian fusion and deep dives into regional Italian cooking. — IAN McNULTY / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

P H O T O B Y I A N M C N U LT Y / T H E T I M E S - P I C AY U N E

Welty’s New Orleans AK (for “after Katrina”) is a mass of meats and cheese on a muffuletta loaf.

Open Hall

THE HALL ON MAG, A NEW FOOD HALL, IS NOW OPEN in the Warehouse

District, taking over the space formerly home to Auction House Market at 801 Magazine St. The Hall has six vendors, a bar and space available for private events. It offers reservations and table service, or patrons can order takeout from vendors.

The vendors cover a variety of cuisines. South & Common serves Southern dishes and local items including an oyster po-boy.

Amato Italian serves creative Italian-inspired dishes. Ja Nai offers Japanese street food. Itzayana Fluffy Tacos focuses on Mexican cuisine. El Greco serves Mediterranean seafood dishes, and American Culture mixes soul food, Americana favorites, Asian items and more.

Jamal Wilson opened The Hall on Mag. He also owns a food hall in Orlando, Florida, called The Hall on the Yard. He opened his first food hall in Tampa in 2017 but shuttered it during the pandemic. He is looking for a new space in Tampa and has plans to open two food halls in Atlanta, he says.

The Hall on Mag is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. — WILL COVIELLO

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Why did you open a bakery?

HYEMIN TORROLL: I wanted to be a savory chef. But the only cooking position I could find was a bakery position. So I started baking and I liked it.

I have been in hotels in the pastry department for 16 years.

I have a family, and I was always missing weekends and holidays and whenever there were big events. My ultimate goal was having my own shop, but I was thinking I’d do that in 10 years.

When Covid happened, I was home for a while, and it was scary timing. Nobody wanted to open during the lockdown, but I opened the shop and we’ve done pretty good.

What do you like to make at Eblouir?

T: At a hotel, you can get pretty much everything. There are desserts, cakes, bread and pastry.

It’s hard to get everything in one bakery, especially fine desserts.

But my plan was to open a onestop-shop where you can get coffee, dessert, slices of cake, bread and even wedding cakes and party catering. That’s what I did. We’re a coffee shop too.

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get coffee beans roasted by a local vendor. We have sweet and savory pastries. We do wedding cakes. It’s kind of unique. I don’t think many places do everything.

I spend a lot of my time making wedding cakes. I usually give people options to choose two or three flavors. Strawberry shortcake is the most popular flavor. We call it chiffon cake. I also make matcha and Earl Grey flavored cakes.

We also do tiramisu and cheesecake. Choux are like cream puffs, but with cookie dough on top, so it’s soft and crunchy at the same time.

I love making macarons. It’s almost therapeutic to make them. You can make them in rainbow colors. We have a lot of flavors. There are six to eight flavors every week and many are seasonal. Right now, we’re doing cotton candy and pistachio. I am about to start making pumpkin pie (macarons). You can special order them in shapes like little pigs or bears.

I am trying to do more savory options, like salads and sandwiches. We have quiches and savory croissants like ham and cheese croissants and egg and cheese croissants.

What is bingsu?

T: Bingsu is Korean shaved ice.

It’s like a snowball, but milk based.

Then we add fresh fruit on top, like mango, watermelon or strawberry. In New Orleans, everyone likes snowballs. I do the Korean version. I have a special machine.

It’s not shaved ice. It’s a texture like snow. It’s very fluffy. The base to make the snow is milk and condensed milk or matcha flavored.

I don’t think anyone else in New Orleans has bingsu.

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O U T T O E AT C O M P L E T E L I S T I N G S A T W W W. B E S T O F N E W O R L E A N S . C O M Out 2 Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are for New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; andreasrestaurant.com — Chef Andrea Apuzzo’s speckled trout royale is topped with crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce. Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in cream sauce. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. $$$ Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream.com — This sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and other treats. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $ Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant.com — The menu highlights Gulf seafood in Creole, Cajun and Southern dishes. Gulf Drum Yvonne is served with brown butter sauce with mushrooms and artichoke hearts.

Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$ The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 118 Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985) 315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898; thebluecrabnola. com — The menu includes sandwiches, fried seafood platters, boiled seafood and more. Basin barbecue shrimp and grits features jumbo shrimp over cheese grits and a cheese biscuit.

Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lakeview: lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Slidell: lunch Fri.-Sat., dinner Wed.-Sun. $$ Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 581-3866; broussards.com — The menu includes Creole and creative contemporary dishes. Rainbow trout amandine is served with tasso and corn macque choux, Creole meuniere sauce and fried almonds. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available.

Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ Cafe Normandie — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The menu combines classic French dishes and Louisiana cuisine. Crab beignets are served with herb aioli. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$ Common Interest — Hotel Indigo, 705 Common St., (504) 595-5605; commoninterestnola.com — Shrimp remoulade Cobb salad comes with avocado, blue cheese, tomatoes, bacon, egg and corn relish. Debris grits features slow-roasted, beef served over goat cheese and thyme grits. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$ Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative Creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken and andouille jambalaya. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — The menu features Gulf seafood and shellfish in traditional and contemporary Creole dishes. Char-grilled oysters are topped with Parmesan, herbs and butter. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11-$20 $$$ — $20-up

Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar — 739 Iberville St., (504) 522-4440; 7400 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 304-4125; felixs. com — The oyster bar serves raw Louisiana oysters, and char-grilled oysters are topped with butter, garlic, Parmesan and breadcrumbs. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Frey Smoked Meat Co. — 4141 Bienville St., Suite 110, (504) 488-7427; freysmokedmeat.com — The barbecue restaurant serves pulled pork, St. Louis ribs, brisket, sausages and more. Fried pork belly poppers are tossed in pepper jelly glaze. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. $$ Froot Orleans — 2438 Bell St., Suite B, (504) 233-3346; frootorleans.com — The shop serves fresh fruit in platters, smoothie bowls such as a strawberry shortcake smoothie and more using pineapple, various berries, citrus and more. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$ Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 891-0997; joeyksrestaurant.com — The menu includes fried seafood platters, salads, sandwiches and red beans and rice. Sauteed trout Tchoupitoulas is topped with shrimp and crabmeat.

Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; juansflyingburrito.com — The Flying Burrito includes grilled steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar-jack cheese, black beans, yellow rice, guacamole and salsa. The menu also has tacos, quesadillas, nachos and more. Outdoor seating available.

No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity. com — A Cajun Cuban has roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles pressed on buttered bread. The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach and red onions.

Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Kilroy’s Bar — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The bar menu includes sandwiches, flatbreads, salads and more. A Louisiana peach flatbread has prosciutto, stracciatella cheese, arugula and pecans. No reservations. Dinner Wed.-Sat. $$ Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, salads and more. A NOLA Style Grits Bowl is topped with bacon, cheddar and a poached egg.

Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, (504) 513-2606; legacykitchen.com — There steaks such as filets mignons, rib-eyes and top sirloins, as well as burgers, salads, seafood and more. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available.

Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Martin Wine Cellar — 714 Elmeer Ave., Metairie, (504) 896-7350; 3827 Baronne

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Nice Guys Bar & Grill (7910 Earhart Blvd., 504-302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola.com) serves char-grilled oysters on French bread. forest mushrooms and basmati rice.

Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.Mon., brunch Sun. $$ Rosie’s on the Roof — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 5281941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The hotel’s rooftop bar has a small menu of sandwiches, burgers and small plates.

No reservations. Dinner daily. $$ Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 827-1651; legacykitchen.com — The seafood restaurant serves raw and char-grilled oysters, seafood, burgers, salads and more. Redfish St. Charles is served with garlic herb butter, asparagus, mushrooms and crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Tavolino Pizza & Lounge — 141 Delaronde St., (504) 605-3365; tavolinonola.com — The menu features thin-crust pizzas as well as salads, pepperoni chips, meatballs and more.

A Behrman Hwy. pizza is topped with pork belly, caramel, marinated carrots and radishes and jalapeno. No reservations. Outdoor seating available.

Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza. com — There is a wide variety of specialty pies and toppings to build your own pizza. The menu also includes salads and sandwiches. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $ Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 5015 Magazine St., (504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com — Peruvian lomo saltado features beef sauteed with onions, tomatoes, soy sauce and pisco, and served with potatoes and rice. Outdoor seating and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ Zhang Bistro — 1141 Decatur St., (504) 826-8888; zhangbistronola. com — The menu includes Chinese and Thai dishes. The Szechuan Hot Wok offers chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu with onions, bell peppers, cauliflower, jalapenos, garlic and Szechuan sauce.

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

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St., (504) 894-7444; martinwine.com — The deli at the wine and spirit shop serves sandwiches, salads and more. The Sena salad includes roasted chicken, golden raisins, blue cheese, pecans and greens with Tabasco pepperjelly vinaigrette. No reservations. Lunch daily. $$ Mid City Pizza — 6307 S. Miro St., (504) 509-6224; 4400 Banks St., (504) 483-8609; midcitypizza. com — The pizza joint serves New York-style pies, calzones, sandwiches and salads.

Shrimp remoulade pizza includes spinach, red onion and basil on an olive oil brushed curst. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab.

The menu also has sushi, sashimi, rolls, noodle dishes, teriyaki and more.

Takeout and 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. Baked oysters Mosca is made with breadcrumbs and Italian seasonings.

Curbside pickup available. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net —The counter-service spot is known for po-boys dressed with cabbage and Creole favorites, such as jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and red beans and rice. No reservations.

Delivery available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Nephew’s Ristorante — 4445 W. Metairie Ave., Metairie, (504) 533-9998; nephewsristorante.com — Chef Frank Catalanotto is the namesake “nephew” who ran the kitchen at Tony Angello’s restaurant. The Creole-Italian menu features dishes like veal, eggplant or chicken parmigiana. Reservations required. Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes New Orleans favorites such as red beans with fried chicken or pork chops, seafood platters, po-boys, char-grilled oysters, pasta, salads and more. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Nice Guys Bar & Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola.com — Char-grilled oysters are topped with cheese. The menu also includes wings, quesadillas, burgers, sandwiches, salads, seafood pasta and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$ Nonno’s Cajun Cuisine and Pastries — 1940 Dauphine St., (504) 354-1364; nonnoscajuncuisineandpastries.com — The menu includes home-style Cajun and Creole dishes with some vegan options. Sauteed shrimp are topped with cheese and served with two eggs and toast. Reservations accepted.

Delivery available. Breakfast and lunch daily. $$ Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola. com — Black lentil vadouvan curry comes with roasted tomatoes,

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FOR COMPLETE MUSIC LISTINGS A N D M O R E E V E N T S TA K I N G P L AC 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

TUESDAY 23 BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Quartet, 7 pm DOS JEFES — Wendell Brunious, 8:30 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Collin Myers Band, 5 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm KITCHEN TABLE CAFÉ — Belinda Moody's Kitchen Table Cafe Trio, 7 pm SANTOS — Death Bells, Smirk, Missing, 8 & 9 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Where Ya Head @, 7 pm ZONY MASH BEER PROJECT — Rebirth Brass Band, 8 pm

WEDNESDAY 24 BAMBOULAS — The Ragweeds, 1:15 pm; Swingin’ with John Saavedra, 5:30 pm; Paggy Prine, 9 pm BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Trio, 7 pm BLUE NILE — New Breed Brass Band, 5 pm DOS JEFES — Joe Krown, 8:30 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard "Piano" Scott, 12:30 pm; Bourbon Street All Stars, 5 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm GASA GASA — Sloth Racer, Balla Stella, Nova Junctions, 9 pm HARD ROCK CAFE NEW ORLEANS — Sam Mooney, 7 pm NEW ORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM — Brian Quezergue R&B Revue - Tribute to Wardell Quezergue, 2 pm POUR HOUSE SALOON — Open Jam Night, 8 pm SANTOS — DarkLounge Ministries, 7 pm; Russell Welch Swamp Moves Trio, 9 pm ST. PAUL'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST — Electric Yat Quartet, 7 pm THE BOMBAY CLUB — Harry Mayronne and Nanci Zee, 9 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Big Sam, 7:30 pm

THURSDAY 25 BAMBOULAS — Sigrid and the Zig Zags, 1:15 pm; Law Jazz Band, 5:30 pm; Wolfe John's Blues Band, 9 pm BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Quartet, 8 pm BLUE NILE — Where Y'at Brass Band, 9 pm CAFE NEGRIL — Sierra Green and the Soul Machine, 10 pm DOS JEFES — Mark Coleman Band, 8:30 pm GASA GASA — Donzii, Lucia Honey, 9 pm KITCHEN TABLE CAFÉ — Dr. Mark St. Cyr Traditional Jazz Band, 7 pm LE BON TEMPS ROULE — Soul Rebels, 11 pm NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEE HOUSE — Friend Machine, 9 pm PAVILION OF THE TWO SISTERS — Little Freddie King, 6 pm PEACOCK ROOM, HOTEL FONTENOT — Da Lovebirds with Robin Barnes and Pat Casey , 8 pm ROCK 'N' BOWL — Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners, 8 pm

SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Phillip Manuel Quartet, 8 & 10 pm ST. ANNA'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH — John Rankin, 7 pm THE HARBOR CENTER — Ellisa Sun, 7 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Brass-AHolics, 7:30 pm

FRIDAY 26 BAMBOULAS — Fully Dressed Po’Boys, 2 pm; Les Getrex N Creole Cooking, 6:30 pm; Paggy Prine, 10 pm BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Peter Harris Trio, 8 pm BLUE NILE — The Caesar Brothers, 7 pm; Brass Flavor, 10 pm; Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers, 11 pm BUFFA'S — Cast Iron Cactus, 7 pm DOS JEFES — Afrodiziac's Jazz, 9 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Richard “Piano” Scott and Friends, 2:30 pm; Lee Floyd and Thunderbolt Trio, 6 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 9 pm GASA GASA — Shutups, Cashier, 9 pm MAPLE STREET CAFE — Valerie Sassyfras, 7 pm NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEE HOUSE — Mars Cooper, 7:30 pm NOLA BREWING COMPANY — "Name Dat Tune" trivia night, 6 pm ONE EYED JACKS — A Tribute to King Louie Bankston, 9 pm POUR HOUSE SALOON — The Aden Paul Trio, 9 pm PUBLIC BELT AT HILTON RIVERSIDE — Phil Melancon, 8 pm ROCK 'N' BOWL — Category 6, 8:30 pm SIBERIA — Kay Weathers, Student Driver, Eva LoVullo, Big Leather, 9 pm SIDNEY'S SALOON — The Great Twenty-Eights, 9 pm SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Germaine Bazzle with the Larry Sieberth Trio, 8 & 10 pm THE HIDEAWAY DEN & ARCADE — Chad Wesley Band, Todd Lemoine, Dominic DeLaney, 8 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Chef Boyarbeatz, Leet, 11:30 pm THREE KEYS (ACE HOTEL) — John Michael Bradford, The Vibe, 9 pm TIPITINA'S — New Orleans Nightcrawlers Brass Band, Quarx, 9 pm ZONY MASH BEER PROJECT — Dana Ives with Midriff, LeTrainiump, 8 pm

SATURDAY 27 BAMBOULAS — The Swingin’ Gypsies, 2 pm; Johnny Mastro Blues, 6:30 pm; Crawdaddy T's Cajun/Zydeo Review, 10 pm BAYOU BAR AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL — Jordan Anderson, 8 pm BB'S STAGE DOOR CANTEEN, NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM — The Victory Belles Vignette, 1 pm BLUE NILE — George Brown Band, 7 pm; The Marigny Street Brass Band, 10 pm; Chris Cotton and Trap Orchestra, 11 pm CHAMPIONS SQUARE — Lil Weezyana Fest, 3 pm DOS JEFES — Sunpie & The Louisiana Sunspots, 9 pm FAUBOURG BREWING CO. — The Soul Rebels, Big in the ‘90s, 6 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard "Piano" Scott, 12:30 pm; Richard “Piano” Scott and Friends, 2:30 pm; Lee Floyd and Thunderbolt Trio, 6 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 9 pm

GASA GASA — Archers, Daemon Grimm, Among You, Brave New World, 8 pm KERRY IRISH PUB — Patrick Cooper, 5 pm KITCHEN TABLE CAFÉ — The High Standards, 7 pm NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEE HOUSE — Raph, 9 pm NOLA BREWING TAPROOM — Honey Island Swamp Band, 6 pm ONE EYED JACKS — Goatwhore, Incantation, Bewitcher, 10 pm POUR HOUSE SALOON — Stumpgrinders, 9 pm PUBLIC BELT AT HILTON RIVERSIDE — Phil Melancon, 8 pm ROCK 'N' BOWL — The Boogie Men, 8:30 pm RUBY'S ROADHOUSE — The Mo'Jelly Band, 8 pm SANTOS — Dang Bruh Y?, 9 pm SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band, 8 & 10 pm THE BLUE CRAB — Glory Rhodes, 12 pm THE BOMBAY CLUB — Anais St. John, 8 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — The Nayo Jones Experience, 6:30 pm WHISKEY COWBOY SALOON — Mrz Crowley, 9 pm ZONY MASH BEER PROJECT — French Horn Collective, 8 pm

SUNDAY 28 BAMBOULAS — The Ragweeds, 1:15 pm; Hot Club of New Orleans, 5:30 pm; Ed Wills Blues 4 Sale, 9 pm BLUE NILE — The Baked Potatoes, 7 pm; Street Legends Brass Band, 10 pm DOS JEFES — Dale Spalding, 8 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Richard “Piano” Scott, 12:30 pm; Matt Johnson, 2:30 pm; Marla Dixon Band, 6 pm; Fritzel's All Star Band, 8 pm GASA GASA — Mia Day, Aidan Ashland, Rocky Leonard, 9 pm NOLA BREWING TAPROOM — The Tanglers, 2 pm PEACOCK ROOM, HOTEL FONTENOT — Jelani Bauman , 11 am ROCK 'N' BOWL — Paul Varisco and the Milestones, 4:30 pm SANTOS — Hans Condor, Sunrise:Sunset, The Nancies, 9 pm SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO — Jason Stewart Quartet, 8 & 10 pm THE JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Chucky C and Band, 7:30 pm THE RABBIT HOLE — Flyway, 7 pm

MONDAY 29 DOS JEFES — John Fohl, 8:30 pm FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — Lee Floyd and Thunderbolt Trio, 5 pm; Richard "Piano" Scott and Friends, 8 pm GASA GASA — Flasher, Stef Chura, 9 pm SIDNEY'S SALOON — The Amazing Henrietta, 6 pm; DarkLounge Ministries, 8 pm

SCAN FOR THE COMPLETE GAMBIT CALENDAR

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she uses her music and art to help her heal from trauma and empower others to do the same.

On stage, Hampton performs as The High Heal Doula, focusing on themes of freedom from trauma and the sense of liberation that comes with self-love.

Her intention is to “bring people to a higher state of consciousness for themselves,” she says. “I primarily sing and rap about freedom and getting us to a place of self-discovery, where we are all walking in our power, walking in our strength.”

Hampton, who also plays drums and is learning piano, continues this mission off-stage as well. As a doula, school administrator, yoga teacher and mother, she says, “I want to give the tools to help uplift others.”

Hampton grew up in a musical family. She is the niece of local jazz artists Joseph Lastie and Herlin Riley, and she sang at church and started songwriting at an early age.

Other influences include Lauryn Hill and Kanye West, along with New Orleans indie artists, like her friends Jaelox and Yamali San. The 28-year-old New Orleans native was raised by a disabled single mother and is no stranger to overcoming adversity.

She was 11 years old when Hurricane Katrina hit, and the storm forced her to grow up “within a matter of minutes.” As water seeped into the family home, Hampton remembers a role reversal as she became a caregiver and frantically helped her mother rush to the attic to be rescued.

While temporarily living in Houston, she and her siblings dealt with post-traumatic stress in different ways. Some of her siblings resorted to violence. Hampton, though, turned inward and wrote prolifically. For a time, what she felt was unspeakable and could only be expressed through writing.

“I really sunk within myself,” she says. “I started writing, and I was silent for a long time.”

Hampton succeeded in school and became the first member of her family to attend college.

While studying radio, TV and film at Howard University, Hampton

PHOTO BY 504OTO / PROVIDED

BY THE HIGH HEAL DOUL A

Delise Hampton aka The High Heal Doula says she started to “open back up” and became more confident in expressing herself through music, writing and poetry. After graduating, she returned to New Orleans, to share her newfound knowledge with her community.

Then, in early 2020, her twomonth old daughter Asahli Noelle died. Hampton again coped by turning inward and expressing her sorrow through writing. On what would have been the baby’s first birthday, she released an 11-track album called “State of the Creator,” which she says is “about the process of letting go, and grief, and letting your heart heal.” She also wrote and dedicated a book of poetry to her daughter.

Helping others through childbirth also has been a part of the healing process, Hampton says.

When she gave birth to her now 5-year-old son, she did so with the aid of a doula who stuck by her side during 25 hours of labor. She found the experience moving and she decided to become one herself and incorporate her music while doing so.

“I sing to my mothers,” she says.

“One of the things I tell them is to choose a song they would like to play while the baby is coming out.

Some of them choose my songs.”

Now, Hampton is working on a new body of work and focusing more on singing instead of rapping.

The EP, called “Forgive,” is due out next summer.

Catch High Heal Doula at Soul Lit Sundays at St. Roch Market and on August 27 at The Half Shell on Bayou Road.

For more information, follow @highhealdoula on Instagram.

By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by Audubon Nature Institute Even though the official shark week observations have come to an end, the Audubon Aquarium celebrates all year long by sharing with everyone the importance of shark conservation and the crucial roles sharks play in the ocean ecosystems.

“Sharks play a vital role in top-down maintenance of ocean ecosystems around the world,” said Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Audubon Aquarium of the Americas Rich Toth. “Globally, shark and ray species are threatened with extinction largely due to overfishing and other unsustainable human practices.”

Despite their importance to the ocean ecosystems, sharks today face many threats and populations are in trouble. It is estimated that 100 million sharks are killed by fisheries every year. This includes sharks that are harvested only for their fins, but also are the product of by catch and accidentally getting caught in nets and long line fishing setups. Although you are more likely to be struck by lightning than to be bitten by a shark, hunting and culling shark populations is practiced around the globe due to fear of these often-misunderstood animals.

As a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Audubon Aquarium has partnered with fellow member organizations to help the Shark and Ray SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program. AZA SAFE programs provide a

new approach for collaborative conservation with a Conservation Action Plan that includes specific projects, goals, and actions to address the needs of each species, including sharks and rays. The overarching goal as stated from the SAFE shark and ray’s program “…is to enable evidence-based support for conservation action, engage action among key public and stakeholder groups, support science-based shark conservation communication, and create opportunities for partners to provide direct, impactful, and collaborative support for the conservation of this taxa.”

Last year, the Aquarium opened Shark Discovery, a 13,000-gallon shark and ray touch pool. The pool measures approximately 60-feet-long by 16-feet at its widest point--six times the size of the previous stingray touch pool at the Aquarium. A massive LED screen running the entire length of the pool features a variety

of sharks, rays, and fish to highlight the accidentally stepped on. diversity of the ocean. Guests who visit • Sharks and rays do not have any bones in their bodies, having a skeleton made up the aquarium can interact with different of cartilage instead. This cartilaginous species of stingrays and small sharks at the immersive Shark Discovery touch pool skeleton is strong and durable yet has including white spotted bamboo sharks, an the advantage of being lighter and more epaulette shark, southern stingrays, coral flexible than bone. This not only helps cat sharks, bullnose rays, a blue-spotted the shark to stay afloat, but also reduces stingray, and cownose stingrays. During the amount of energy that sharks need to move around. these interactions, the Audubon Aquarium is able to share fun facts and conser- • Sharks inhabit all the world’s oceans, and vation messages delivered directly by the some can even be found in freshwater aquarists and educators who care for the rivers and lakes. animals daily.

• Fossil evidence shows that sharks have been around for 450 million years. They By fostering a connection to marine life through hands-on interaction with sharks, have evolved into one of the top predators Audubon hopes to encourage an appreciain the ocean. Despite this they still have tion and a level of empathy for these often one threat out there that is greater than misunderstood, but essential, species. The anything, HUMANS. Over 30 percent goal of the newest experience is help guests of shark species and relatives that have realize that sharks have far more to fear been assessed by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) from humans than humans do from them. are currently threatened with extinction.

Shark and Ray Facts: Shark Discovery spans much of the • Sharks and rays are usually very wary of people and will swim away long before Aquarium’s second floor and, at the time, you see them. However, you should was the largest project at the Aquarium always be aware of your surroundings since the 2014 opening of the Great Maya when you are in the ocean and never Reef. The gallery is located between the harass or approach a shark or sting- penguin and sea otter habitats, across from ray you may see. To prevent accidental the seahorse gallery. stingray barb incidents, it is also recomToth added, “Our hope is that by reaching mended to practice the “stingray shuffle” into the touch pool creates a connection, when visiting the beach. Simply put this sparking action to protect marine life and practice involves shuffling your feet as the ocean.” you wade through the water instead of For more information, about the Aquartaking normal steps. The shuffle alerts ium’s Shark Discovery visit https://auduany rays hiding in the sand that you are bonnatureinstitute.org/explore-aquarium/ near so they can swim off instead of being shark-discovery-touchpool.

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Audubon’s Shark Discovery provides interaction and education on vital animals in the ocean ecosystem

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lush vocals on soulful songs like “In Orbit.” She collaborated with Jack Dine for her March release “Marigold.” Gwen Bunn also performs at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23, at House of Blues. Find tickets via houseofblues.com.

Peaches

CANADIAN ELECTROCLASH ARTIST PEACHES’ MUSIC AND PERFORMANCES were always a whirlwind

of punk energy and art rock.

Her sexual candor and love of taboo may have been the basis for her touring as the opening act for Marilyn Manson. She’s now celebrating the 20th anniversary of her landmark release “The Teaches of Peaches,” featuring “Fuck the Pain Away.”

Quintron & Miss Pussycat open at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at House of Blues. Find tickets via houseofblues.com.

King Louie Bankston tribute

FORMER BANDMATES, FRIENDS AND FANS WILL CELEBRATE the life

of prolific musician King Louie Bankston with a tribute show at One Eyed Jacks. A Harahan native, Bankston started and was a part of a ton of projects, from garage rock and punk to his own idiosyncratic one-manband. He died in February at the age of 49. Presented by Creepy Fest, the tribute will feature The Royal Pendletons (co-founded by Bankston) with Quintron along with Guitar Lightning Lee & His Thunder Band, The Unnaturals, DJ Pasta and more. There also will be shirts for sale to help fund the production of three unreleased albums. The tribute starts at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26. Tickets are $20 via oneeyedjacks.net.

‘Lysistrata’

THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR LASTED ALMOST THREE DECADES, which is a

blink of the eye compared to the battle of the sexes. The ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes conflated the two in “Lysistrata,” a comedy in which the women of several Greek city states attempt to end the Peloponnesian War by declining to have sex with their husbands or partners until peace is declared, and the namesake Lysistrata leads the women in a campaign against desperate men. The NOLA Project and What Now? Productions present a staged reading of a modern adaptation of the play by comedians Julia DeLois and E. Lynn. The

IT’S TIME FOR DICKEY’S

event is a benefit for the New Orleans Abortion Fund. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24, at the AllWays Lounge & Theatre.

Tickets $12 on nolaproject.com.

Southern Decadence talk EVENTS FOR THE 50TH ANNUAL SOUTHERN DECADENCE don’t get

going until closer to Labor Day weekend, but the Historic New Orleans Collection hosts a panel discussion on the history of what grew into a week of parties drawing nationally from the LGBTQ community. Historian and LGBT+ Archives Project director Frank Perez moderates the discussion with event founders Maureen Block, Charlie Block, Bruce Harris, Preston Hemmings and Robert Laurent. At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24, at the Williams Research Center.

A reception follows at Toulouse Theater. Admission is free, and the program also is available via a Zoom link on hnoc.org.

Rojo Perez

NEW YORK-BASED PUERTO RICAN COMEDIAN ROJO PEREZ released his

debut album “Words” last year, and it refers to some of his latenight TV performances, such as an appearance on Conan. Perez is a guest performer at Comedy Gumbeaux at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, at The Howlin’ Wolf.

Tickets $15 via thehowlinwolf.com.

Goatwhore

NEW ORLEANS DEATH AND THRASH METAL STALWART GOATWHORE is in

the middle of its Vile Ascension tour, sharing the top of the bill with the death metal purveyors Incantation. Goatwhore recently previewed its fall release “Angels Hung From the Arches of Heaven” with the speedy and punishing single “Born of Satan’s Flesh.” Bewitcher also performs.

At 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at One Eyed Jacks. Tickets $18 via oneeyedjacks.net.

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by Will Coviello

AN INGENUE BABYSITTER TRYING TO SEDUCE THE CHILD’S FATHER while mom’s away is

a ripe-for-Hollywood scene — or cliche. In the hands of director Lena Dunham (who also plays the mom), it gets turned into Josh, a pandemic stay-at-home father of a special needs child, being approached by Sarah Jo, a young woman who cares for the boy while the mother, who is pregnant, works outside the home. It’s awkward, tantalizingly slow in its bizarre arc, and one of the more riveting scenes in her latest film, “Sharp Stick.”

The drama is about Sarah Jo’s odd personal odyssey, and the offbeat film features an array of stars playing entertainingly quirky characters. Dunham has a knack for inverting Hollywood tropes, and though this story isn’t always workable, her unconventional perspectives and experiments are her trademark, for better or worse.

Sarah Jo, played by Kristine Froseth, lives with her sister and mother on the outskirts of Hollywood. They operate a small run-down apartment complex, where her mother holds court, sharing all the wisdom she’s acquired from numerous marriages/divorces and other liaisons.

Jennifer Jason Leigh is excellent as Marilyn, a hilariously jaded and world-weary woman who drinks white wine and downs antihistamines as she recounts stories about her daughters’ different fathers and other conquests. Marilyn holds back nothing, as when she talks about one man who she says had a penis wider than it was long, for which they all chime in the same slang term.

The sister, Treina (Taylor Paige), spends her days posting glamour shots and dancing videos online, lusting for more and more attention.

Sarah Jo chooses incredibly mousy outfits, with plenty of plaids, girlish looks and thick barrettes.

At first glance it might look like an ironic or retro style, but it’s a clumsy way of reflecting how naïve she can be. She’s a 26-year-old virgin, and it’s hard to make sense of that given how open and comfortable her mother and sister are about their sexuality. There are a couple of clunky jokes about slang Sarah Jo apparently doesn’t understand.

Sarah Jo is like a millennial Mary Poppins in her affection and skill with Zach, Josh’s son. That competence also makes her radiant innocence

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seem less believable, but it’s how she becomes attracted to Josh, who is a very attentive and playful father.

There is a reason why Sarah Jo’s sexual development has lagged.

Here, it’s the premise to have a young woman pursue her own sexual awakening in an unconventional way, as a mature woman who’s wildly inexperienced. When she turns to the porn industry for information, it echoes her mother’s candor and is somewhat clinical, though also absurd.

Dunham is best known for her award-winning TV comedy/drama series “Girls,” in which young women living in New York lurch from one mistake to another as they negotiate their desires and ambitions. Dunham starred in that, and it reflected her own experiences.

She did the same with her 2010 breakout movie “Tiny Furniture,” in which she played a young college graduate who returns home to live with her mother and sister.

“Sharp Stick” also draws its inspiration from Dunham’s own experiences. The film is funny at times but not really a comedy. As a drama about a young person determined to lose her virginity, it plays with Hollywood conventions, but with no boundaries, such as the unabashed plunge into the city’s adult movie scene. It’s amusing that the two most reasonable and grounded characters in the story both work in the porn industry.

Sarah Jo pursues her path beyond the point she seems to need to, but Dunham remains committed to the idea, which makes the project seem more allegorical than realistic. But the movie’s performances are very good, especially where the characters are not particularly likable.

It doesn’t offer the bigger laughs of Dunham’s best work. But she cleverly plays on familiar and tired movie schemes and doesn’t shy away from people’s awkwardness or restrain their impulses.

“Sharp Stick” is running at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge.

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