Halloween/Voodoo Fest Issue

Halloween 2014

WhereYat.com

Halloween @ WhereYat.com VoodooFest

Vampires

KreweofBoo

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4 | Halloween 2014 | Where Y'at Magazine

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CONTENTS Features 8 New Orleans' Vampires 10 Voodoo Fest Previews 44 Fitness Fashion

Music & Events 20 Lakeside 2 Riverside 26 Music Reviews 28 Ones to Watch 29 Voodoo Fest Schedule 34 Music Calendar

Dining 46 $15 and Under 47 Food News 48 Conscious Palate 49 Restaurant Guide

Extras 44 Bar Guide 52 Film Reviews 54 Tales from the Quarter

Halloween 2014 Vol. 18 No. 02 Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Josh Danzig Creative Director: Greg Roques Music/Assistant Editor: Emily Hingle Movie Editor: David Vicari Copy Editor: Susan Broadhurst Contributing Writers: Kathy Bradshaw, Matt Boudreaux, Chris DiBenedetto, Fritz Esker, Emily Hingle, Telle Ink, Phil LaMancusa, Debbie Lindsey, Craig Magraff Jr., Nora McGunnigle, Andrew Marin, Julie MItchell, Jhesika Menes, Kim Ranjbar, Chris Romaguera, Celeste Turner Kimmie Tubre, David Vicari Director of Sales: Jeremie Ertle Cover by Jorge Menes Cover model Jhesika Menes Photographers: Jonathan Bachman, Scott Chernis, Gus Escanelle, Jason Hall, Gary LoVerde, Romney, Greg Roques Interns: Johnathan Cummings, Eric Layer, Kelsey Nibert, Taylor Schoen, Lauren Smith Subscribe: Receive 1 year (14 issues) for $30 and get a FREE Where Y’at CD. Subscribe today at WhereYat.com.

Logo © 2014 All rights reserved Bruce Betzer, Legal Counsel: (504) 304-9952 Where Y’at Magazine 5500 Prytania St., #133 New Orleans, LA 70115 (504) 891-0144 info@whereyat.com | WhereYat.com

55 Po-Boy Views 56 Where Y'at Chat 58 Where Ya' Been?

Halloween is here, and this special issue has the 411 on the spookiest events. If you haven’t visited WhereYat.com yet, go check it out today to see our compelling new site with web exclusive info on Halloween parties, concerts, and more!

Find cover artist Jorge Menes’ vampire photo a little scary? Then you may want to skip Emily Hingle’s piece on New Orleans vampires. Emily digs up all the dirt on the underground vampire scene…so just be sure to watch your back!

For you Voodoo Festers, this issue has all that you need with complete schedules, maps, and previews. Don’t miss our exclusive interviews with many artists like Gogol Bordello and Peelander-Z…and come see us at our booth!

AMC’s Walking Dead has returned, and Kim Ranjibar’s “$15 & Under” column takes you to some of the city’s best spots for eating “off the bone!” Check it out for some great restaurants to hit this Halloween season, and don’t forget that all this and more can be found in your pocket via the new WhereYat.com! —Josh Danzig, Publisher

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For Vampires, It’s Strictly Business

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By Emily Hingle

ampire legend and lore has been around for centuries.

These sultry, deadly creatures have captured the fancy of their prey, and in our city, the undead not only walk freely in the daylight, but are the proprietors of businesses. You can get a saucy, vampy haircut at the Vamp Salon then take a ghostly tour of the French Quarter with Lord Chaz as your guide, for instance.

And that’s not all the undead can do here.

The most visible vampire business is the Boutique de Vampyre, a shop located at 709 St. Ann Street in the French Quarter.

Owner Marita Jaeger became enamored of the city while visiting and felt compelled to be a part of it and its storied history. “When I first came here, I fell in love with the city, and I never left. I didn’t believe in ghosts before I moved here, and now I absolutely do. There’s something here. I think it’s because of the history of the city and the culture with the pirates, brothels, prisoners and all the strange ways people died here – things like that don’t just happen anywhere.

People come here to disappear. People want to be here for a reason: the food, the music, the camaraderie, family. But there’s still that underlying element.”

Jaegar’s store is the only vampire shop in the country and one of only three in the world. “It really is a special shop; you can’t find things in our shop anywhere else. Little by little, our shop is becoming more of a destination. We have a map of the French Quarter with all of the Gothic shops in it.

Even if people aren’t coming here just for vampires, voodoo and ghosts, it’s at least part of their trip,” explains Jaeger. Boutique

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de Vampyre has an emphasis on local and/ or artisan.

Jaeger describes some of her products: “Almost everything here is made locally; we have 130 artists that make things for us.

Almost all of our books are signed by the author, including Anne Rice; she signs books for me for our dog rescue organization.

We make our own candles here; they have a pewter charm in them. Our chainmail artist had one of his necklaces featured in the movie Twilight. We have hot sauce from Transylvania, Louisiana. We have leather journals with handmade paper.

Our perfume is really neat; it’s made by Huvé, the oldest perfumer in New Orleans.

It comes with a scroll about vampires’ attraction to roses. That’s what makes our shop so special: it’s either local artists or artists that come to our shop and make things that we don’t have.”

A newer item that the Boutique carries will last you a lifetime, and if you’re a real vampire, it can last your never-ending lifetime. “Vampire Lesson Boxes: you can buy one as a gift or for yourself, but it can never be regifted,” explains Jaeger.

“You learn the lessons that vampires have

learned over the centuries – how to build wealth, the gift of patience, the gift of giving – and you add something to the box every year. You register the box with us, and each year something new happens. At the end of your life, you can will it to someone.”

Boutique de Vampyre has a new employee who will draw people in with fortunes and gifts, a fortune teller named Saint Germaine who sits in his glass box and will give you a prize upon giving him a token of your appreciation.

You can’t be a vampire without a great set of fangs, and Maven Lore has been crafting them locally for years. Maven Lore hails from New York City and never left New Orleans after attending a convention here. He creates custom fangs in a variety of styles and is the producer of the biggest vamp bashes the South has ever seen.

“There’s no one type of person who gets fangs. Most of my clients are ordinary people: business people, factory workers, exotic dancers, people who just want something to wear on Halloween. Everyone seems to be into the genre these days,” says Lore.

One party that Lore puts on is the Bad Things Ball, a multi-faceted dark party with music, other acts and, of course, lots of vampy goodness. This year, the Bad Things Ball will take place on Halloween night on Bourbon Street at Lucky Pierre’s.

“The idea behind the Bad Things Ball is local talent and local organizers. We’re keeping the money within the city,” Lore says. “We had issues with outsiders not

paying local talent and leaving town. We want to heal the hurt that’s been going on for a decade and a half. You can learn more about the Ball and purchase tickets at badthingsnation.com. It’s going to be a dark carnival with trapeze artists, stilt walkers, illusionists, belly dancers and high-wire acts. Our special VIP room is called the Caligula Room.

They’ll have a full absinthe bar and private performances.

It’s going to be a massive event.”

Lore has joined forces with Boutique de Vampyre to strengthen the vampire’s hold on the French Quarter.

“Right now, as far as I can see, we’re the only ones actively trying to create an economic system within the French Quarter," explains Lore excitedly.

“Vamp Salon, fangsmithing, Boutique de Vampyre: they’re the only vampire-related businesses. We hope to grow that. When I lived in New York, every kind of ethnic group had its own economic system, which is one of the reasons why New York prospers economically. Why not have vampires have their own businesses? We’re a small group trying to create businesses around what we love,” states Lore.

The big question surrounding these fascinating niche businesses, their proprietors and their customers is: Are vampires real? “There is a real vampire culture. But are you going to turn into a bat? Probably not. My personal belief is that it’s a philosophy and culture rather than a physical state of being,” answers Lore.

“Things have changed so much over the centuries that if vampires were real, they wouldn’t be dangerous like they used to be because there are ways to get around that stuff with technology.

People want them to be real so badly. You can’t get away from vampire mythology.

People want to escape from reality, and vampires are sexy and dangerous,” says Jaeger. Whether or not blood-sucking, non-aging creatures of the night really exist, the industries that their legend has created are indeed real and open for business.

Boutique de Vampyre's custom journals @Emily_Hingle

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Desires, a remarkably solid album that manages to take all the musical cues that made fun. a smash, while removing all the bits that soured audiences upon repeat listens. When Antonoff brings his better, stronger, faster brand of fun. to City Park, you’d best not miss out. –Alex Galbraith

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Complete stage and performance times at the all new WhereYat.com.

Friday, October 31 Royal Teeth 3 p.m. ~ Ritual Stage No band wants to be defined by a single musical moment.

But if Royal Teeth must be remembered this way, it’ll be one hell of a moment. The joyous, wordless yelping-out-ofa-sunroof-on-a-cross-country-road-trip chorus of Teeth’s “Wild” is a moment so wonderful and universal that even my notoriously indie-averse girlfriend can’t help but sing along.

The throngs of Voodoo Festival-geauxers screaming “whoo hoo HOO whoo hoo HOO” at the heavens will be more than worth the price of admission (oh, and the next 30 minutes of their set should be great as well). –Alex Galbraith Soul Rebels Brass Band 3;30 p.m. ~ Flambeau Stage The Soul Rebels Brass Band has been playing around 250 shows yearly for 23 years straight. The result: they are one of the New Orleans’ best brass bands. After all, you don’t get called “the missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong” by the Village Voice for nothing. Seamlessly blending jazz, funk, hip-hop, soul and R&B in their original songs like “504” and “No Place Like Home” make the Soul Rebels a must see for any festival. If you prefer pop music, the Soul Rebels play that too. Their covers of artists such as Kanye West, Drake, Bruno Mars and Daft Punk provide a bridge between the present state of pop music and traditional brass music. Although they play every Thursday night at Le Bon Temps Roule in Uptown (when not on tour), Voodoo Fest offers you the chance to see them outside the club.

–Jack Mccallion Wild Cub 4:15 p.m. ~ Carnival Stage Youth is the perfect title for this

Nashville quintet’s debut album. The album is full of lyrics and riff s that are effervescent and completely earnest, coming across like the musical equivalent of embarrassingly sincere LiveJournal posts that you’ve stumbled upon years after the fact. Their first single, “Thunder Clatter,” has the strange effect of washing away that shame, transporting you back to before the moment that you became too cool to dance. In a few years, you may decide to leave out the fact that you were stageside for Wild Cub when you tell people about this year’s Voodoo Festival. But, much like that anchor tattoo from when you were 16, I guarantee you won’t regret it in the moment.

–Alex Galbraith

Awolnation Nov. 2, 3:15 p.m. – Ritual Stage

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Fishbone 6:30 p.m. ~ Flambeau Stage This unique blend of characters has time and time again wowed their audiences with their creative and edgy style that can’t be described as anything else except Fishbone.

Getting their start back in 1979 when the original members were only in junior high school, this tight group honed a craft that inspired many artists of recent years. Their first full length album came about in 1987 entitled In Your Face, which launched the group’s career as they toured heavily bringing their super funk, reggae, and rock sound to international crowds. Having hits such as “Sunless Saturday” and “Everyday Sunshine” in the early 1990’s, the band continues to record, perform, and expand their craft till this day. Their most recent endeavor was the making of their very own film, Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone. Still, most fans say to experience Fishbone is to see their high energy, impactful live performance. – Chris DiBenedetto

Action Bronson 7 p.m. ~ Carnival Stage Action Bronson has an insane amount of cultural clout for someone with only a single studio album to his name.

While I wouldn’t give him the coveted “favorite rapper’s favorite rapper” designation, Bam Bam’s distinctive Queens bark can be found on an insane amount of tracks whose primary artists read like a laundry list of who’s hot for Bleachers hip-hop heads in the know. And The Givers Nov 5:45 p.m. ~ you can believe a massive, red-headed e g . 1, 7 p. m . – F l a m b e a u S t a Carnival Stage former chef didn’t stumble into those It would be spots by accident. Bronsolino’s Blue Chips easy to dislike Jack Antonoff ’s series of mixtapes have vaulted him from “guy who sounds new band. The entire like Ghostface” to “guy who deserves to be mentioned in the universe collectively same breath as Ghostface.” Don’t miss out. –Alex Galbraith burned out on fun.’s “We Are Young” one Zedd movie trailer at a time and 8:30 p.m. ~ Le Plur Stage we all could be forgiven Anton Zaslavski, better known by his stage name Zedd, for approaching his new is taking over the world with his infectious electronic project with overly cynical dance music. The DJ was born in Russia, but then later ears. All that hostility moved and spent his formative years in Germany. He has was blown away in already scored international success with hits in both his a single chorus. hometown and the States. Best known for his feel-good The triumphantly hit "Clarity," Zedd has already scored a top 10 spot on sad refrain on Billboard's Hot 100 as well as picking up a Grammy Award Bleachers’ first for Best Dance Recording. At the age of 25, the up and single, “I Wanna comer doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon.

Get Better” –Taylor Schoen sounded like Morrissey delivered OutKast through a space-age marching band at the 9:20 p.m. ~ Ritual Stage Interstellar Classic. The band delivered on It's been a wild ride for OutKast. The Atlanta-based rap/ the promise of the first single with Strange hip-hop duo has been on the scene since 1992 — before

either member graduated high school. The two teenagers, Antwan “Big Boi” Patton and André “3000″ Benjamin, slowly climbed the music ladder and built up a reputation. In 2003, OutKast released a double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which received critical acclaim and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2004. Despite their success, the pair couldn't stay together and went on a musical hiatus in 2007. André 3000 and Big Boi both promoted their solo careers and projects. Fortunately, OutKast decided to perform 40 music festivals together to commemorate the band's 20 th anniversary. –Taylor Schoen.

Saturday, November 1 Naughty Professor 12:15 p.m. ~ Carnival Stage This instrumental funk band hailing out of the Crescent City has proven their worth in recent years by providing music fans across the nation with a high-energy funk throw down that embodies the jazz, party culture of their home town. The six-piece crew of passionate young musicians has truly taken an unique approach to the funk genre by installing a hard-hitting, soulful rhythm section that is blasted away by compelling guitar solos and funk face riff s.

The impeccably tight three-piece horn section holds it down with their rhythmic stabs, catchy melodic lines, and their own wailing solos. Starting in 2011, Naughty Professor has constantly evolved their original material to give their fans a new, hip sound with every show. Having come off a heavy summer of touring, the band is now tighter than ever and ready to get the people dancing, smiling and having a good time. –Chris DiBenedetto Tysson 1:45 p.m. ~ Carnival Stage One of the latest fresh, hip bands to come out of New Orleans, Tysson is a culmination of influences defined as an alternative pop band with hints of R&B. A tasty combination of local musicians John Michael Rouchell, Alvin Ford Jr., Joe Shirley, Max Moran, and Joe Dyson Jr., the group has excelled at creating a contemporary tone with their released singles such as “Lost” and “Bigger.” The tracks capture the essence of any relationship and not only lyrically move the listener, but are fully captured by passionate vocal work.

The influence of the group’s hometown can certainly be heard in the beats and pure musicianship of the band. They strive to create a sound that is “to the left of pop,” an alternative version of the genre inspired by acts such as Prince, Michael Jackson, and David Bowie. The innovative music of Tysson will make you feel the moment.

–Chris DiBenedetto The Wild Feathers 5:30 p.m. ~ Flambeau Stage This Nashville-based rock band describes their music as “Led Zeppelin and The Band had a baby

Skrillex Nov. 1, 9 p.m. – Le Plur Stage in the Joshua Tree that grew up listening to Ryan Adams covering the Stones 70’s influenced cover songs.” The Wild Feathers is a quintet boasting four singers, each taking turns singing and harmonizing, blending country, folk, rock and blues. Songs like “The Ceiling” and “Left My Woman” take rich harmonies, sing-a-long choruses and slow building crescendos that lead to a state of southern-rock mixed with country-pop in genre-bending bliss. But don’t be fooled, songs like “Backwoods Company” are moonshinefueled barnburners from the heart of Appalachia.

Voodoo Fest is The Wild Feather’s last stop on their 2014 tour. –Jack Mccallion

Foo Fighters

Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m. – Ritual Stage

Rise Against 6:30 p.m. ~ Ritual Stage Post-hardcore band Rise Against has been in the mix since 1999.

Hailing from Chi town, the band's front man, Tim Mcllarth, has listed Black Flag, Decedents, Against Me!, Bad Religion, and Social Distortion as influences in their melodically-driven punk rock, hardcore fusion. The Black Market (their 7th studio album) was released on July 15, and has continued to get rave reviews from loyal fans. In addition to the band’s experience in the studio, Rise Against is known for advocacy with Amnesty International, PETA, and the It Gets Better project. To top it off, these guys are known for their festival performances and have shared the stage with The Foo Fighters and Flogging Molly among others. Look forward to the

Flux Pavillion Nov. 1, 7:45 p.m. – Le Plur Stage performance of their new single, “I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore,” at Voodoo Fest – but cross your fingers they play some old favorites too. I’m personally holding out for the track off 2005’s Punk Goes Acoustic “Swing Life Away.”

–Lauren Adam Givers 7 p.m. ~ Flambeau Stage Forming in their hometown of Lafayette, LA, in 2008 the members of Givers came together for an impromptu gig at a local pub. Just the start of the beautiful product that has become the band's distinct sound, the gig was based on pure improvisation but was enough to encourage the band to continue their craft. Playing together part time for a few years, the group gained a spot touring with the Dirty Projectors, which allowed them to finally tour full time and record their debut album. In Light was released in 2011 to great acclaim and fans internationally yearning Continued on page 15

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VoodooInterview

similar-sounding name to that. If people hear our name and then listen to what we sound like, I’m sure they wouldn’t expect that at all.

WYAT: How does it work to play in a band with two drummers?

Crover: It’s not as hard as it sounds. I’ve done it; before the Melvins did it, we had done it with Fantômas. We do this combination of the Melvins and Fantômas and came up with the Fantômas Melvins Big Band and did a live record and a bunch of touring. I was playing with Dave Lombardo, who was the former drummer in Slayer. And that was awesome. It worked right away; there wasn’t too much that we had to do. It wasn’t like, “You’re messing up my part.” It was, “Oh, this is really cool!” It wasn’t too different from playing with maybe another guitar player. It’s like, “Here, I’m going to play this and you play around it, or play something else.” A lot of times we’ll do that, or we’ll be playing the exact same thing and now that we’ve played together for this long, it’s really comfortable and easy, we don’t really have to talk too much about it at all and it works. I mean, if there’s something that sounds a little weird: “Ahh, what are you doing right there?” But, certainly, we work really hard on all of our drum parts, but it’s comfortable and easy and we know each other really well, and it’s fun.

Melvins Drummer, Dave Crover By Kanne Kombol WYAT: What led to you guys being called the Melvins?

Dale Crover: Our guitar player used to work at this grocery store called Thrift Way back in our hometown area. And there was a guy there who wasn’t the boss but he liked to pretend that he was, and tell the younger people what to do. He went by Pete but his real name was Melvin, and he would call his son, who also worked there, Melvin when he’d get mad at him. So I think our guitar player was probably joking around with one of his friends, thinking of names and said, “What about the Melvins?”

WYAT: Almost like a tribute?

Crover: They kind of laughed about it, and then the more they thought about it, they thought, “You know, that’s actually a really good name.” When the band started, it was certainly influenced by punk stuff like The Ramones and The Stooges, so it was a very

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WYAT: What do you do to get ready to go on stage?

Crover: Well, if it’s Cody and me, we usually say, “Okay, now how much coffee did you drink? How much Red Bull did you drink?” Because we have to be even-keeled, otherwise somebody’s going to be playing too fast. Usually I’ll just stretch a little bit, do some warmups with some practice sticks and then go. Sometimes I watch [vocalist/guitarist] Buzz. He likes pacing back and forth before we go on. I guess he’s just getting in his headspace, but nothing too weird. No group hugs or a prayer or anything like that!

WYAT: What are you looking forward to about performing at Voodoo Fest?

Crover: New Orleans has always been a really great place for the Melvins, even since our first time there, which was in 1986. We did a tour really early on; all we had out was a seven-inch and, just style-wise, the music we were doing, not a lot of people liked it. But New Orleans is always a really great place for us. That very first time, I remember the crowd being really into it, and really liking us. Pretty much anytime we’ve been back since it’s been a good show. And New Orleans on Halloween, I’m sure, will be awesome. I couldn’t think of another place that would be as good…certainly not in the U.S. Catch the Melvins at 8:30 p.m. at the Carnival Stage, Fri., Oct. 31.

VoodooInterview

Catch Luxley at 11:45 a.m. at the Flambeau Stage, Sat., Nov. 1

Luxley By Lauren Adam

N

ew Orleans is music, and the yearround festivals are proof of that.

This year’s Voodoo Music & Arts Experience includes a host of incredible artists, but what’s a local festival without our own emerging national acts? Luxley is the indie electronic rock project headed up by bornand-bred NOLA natives Ryan Gray and Sky McElroy. Formed in 2012, Luxley has played all over town and is getting ready to hit the road this fall with Bombay Bicycle Club and Milo Green. I sat down with Gray, who shared the meaning of “wildfire dance rock” and talked about leaving medical school at Tulane and recording with Ayad Al Adhamy of Passion Pit. WYAT: What kind of music is Luxley?

Your Facebook page says “wildfire dance rock”?

Ryan Gray: I would say “wildfire” is a good term for it. Luxley means light in Latin. We kind of adopted that definition to the color palate of the music. A lot of the songs do their own thing. There’s a dance factor – always an underlying groove. Another way to put it would be indie electronica. It has a wildfire personality to it.

WYAT: Would you compare Luxley to anyone?

Gray: I would compare Luxley to some of the band’s influences: Friendly Fires is the first one that comes to mind. Guitar-wise, Two Door Cinema Club, The Fold, vocally driven bands like Jimmy Eat World.

WYAT: How did Luxley come together?

Gray: I was living in Nashville, where I was doing medical research. [After having a band in college], I resparked my interest for music there. I started going to see a lot of local musicians play, which was inspiring, and I had this epiphany that I wanted to

start a band again. Simultaneously, I was applying for med school, so when I got into Tulane I came back home to New Orleans. I couldn’t shake my passion for music during med school, so I had to dismiss myself. The program at Tulane was eight years plus residency, and there was a lot of struggle during that process to make the decision to leave. But I knew I was making the right decision to pursue my passion for music.

WYAT: Luxley has an EP coming out?

Gray: In June I was in New York recording a fi ve-song EP called Spirit, which we are aiming to release in late winter or early spring. The process was great. We were at Black Bell Studios, which is owned by Ayad Al Adhamy, who was the original synthesist for Passion Pit. Our mixing guy was fantastic to work with. He worked on Vampire Weekend’s first two albums, one of which won a Grammy. He’s worked with D’Angelo; he had some pretty interesting stories about that experience. He also mixed one of my favorite high school records for a band called Brand New. I am very fortunate to be a part of the recording and mixing cast for this EP. WYAT: Has Luxley played a lot of shows around town?

Gray: Yeah, we’ve been at House of Blues, Tipitina’s, One Eyed Jacks and Gasa Gasa. My favorite show was probably at Tipitina’s. We played with our friends Royal Teeth and actually Joshua Wells, their bass player, will be playing with us on tour and at Voodoo Fest.

WYAT: Why should we go see Luxley at Voodoo?

Gray: To have fun – shake your hips if you feel like it. Get contemplative if you want to.

Free your spirit, smile and groove.

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VoodooInterview

Peelander-Z P

by Leith Tigges

eelander-Z, a Japanese punk band known for its crazy costumes and stage antics, sets a different note for the punk scene. With a vivid imagination and extravagant performances, Peelander-Z refers to themselves as a “Japanese Action Comic Punk band hailing from the Z area of Planet Peelander.”

Peelander Yellow, who plays guitar and sings lead vocals, reveals exactly what makes Peelander-Z so unique.

Between painting murals and fl yfishing, Yellow offers the same happy energy in interviews as he does during his crazy shows.

WYAT: What does Peelander-Z mean?

Peelander Yellow: It’s just the name of the product; the meaning is not only the name, though. The meaning behind Peelander-Z is just trying to make human beings smile.

WYAT: Tell me about Planet Peelander.

Yellow: Everybody is happy and smiling on Planet Peelander. It’s where the whole band is from and we came to Planet Earth because Earth needs smiles, to be more like Planet Peelander.

WYAT: What’s the significance behind the color of each band member?

Yellow: Each member of the band is a different color of their choice, and their life corresponds with that color. I’m Peelander Yellow; I have yellow hair and yellow eyes, and I eat yellow foods like bananas, pineapple and mustard. Another example is Peelander Green, who travels in forests and eats salads.

WYAT: The band is known for its crazy audience participation. Why wrestling?

Yellow: We just like to make people happy at our shows and do crazy things like human bowling, jumping rope and fishing. The things we do are similar to what kindergarten students might do.

WYAT: What sets Peelander-Z apart from other punk bands that wear extravagant wigs and colors?

Yellow: There are lots of great, talented punk bands out there, but I think

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Peelander-Z brings more action, some happy energy. We have crazy costumes and we’re like an entertainment team, something totally different from anything else.

WYAT: What has been the inspiration behind your murals?

Yellow: I like painting murals on walls and trucks, painting things like crazy animals. I only just started about three weeks ago and now I’m working on painting a food trailer.

It’s one of the things I love to do: music, fishing and painting.

WYAT: What has been the most memorable show?

Yellow: All of our shows are memorable and crazy, but for me I think it would be the show where I broke my foot during some stage wrestling. It hurt but I just kept playing.

WYAT: This is Peelander-Z’s second time performing at Voodoo Fest. What are you most looking forward to?

Yellow: We love New Orleans and its food. I can’t wait to eat gumbo, jambalaya and crawfish. I’m also looking forward to seeing all of the different bands play.

Catch Peelander-Z at 6 p.m. at the Carnival Stage on Sat., Nov.1.

for the Givers sound. They have since toured, spreading the sweet harmonies, endless energy, and unique instrumentation that crafts their well-written, moving material. The indie pop-rock band is balanced by dual vocalists, multi-instrumentalists and a host of influences rooted in their Lafayette upbringing and keen vision of inspiring new music.

–Chris DiBenedetto City and Colour 7:30 p.m. ~ Carnival Stage City and Colour is the performing pseudonym for musician Dallas Green. The Canadian solo artist began making tunes under the name City and Colour nearly a decade ago in 2005. He decided to use an alter ego because the idea of releasing an album under his real name made him squirm; however, it does derive from his given name Dallas/City and Green/Colour. Perhaps it also was to create some distance from his other projects. City and Colour's soft, melodic sound is a far cry from Green's now defunct post-hardcore group, Alexisonfire. This well-rounded musical veteran is sure to put on a heartfelt show this year. –Taylor Schoen

Quintron & Miss Pussycat Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m. – Flambeau Stage

Big Freedia 9 p.m. ~ Carnival Stage All hail the queen of bounce! New Orleans' own Big Freedia will be taking the stage yet again for one of his larger-than-life performances. Born as Freddie Ross, Big Freedia has been shaking up the New Orleans club music scene since the dawn of the new millennium. Over the past few years he has garnered success and fame and is always keeping his fans guessing what he'll do next. Last year alone, he unexpectedly opened for indie rockers The Postal Service and scored his own reality show on the music-centered channel Fuse. To promote the show, he did what any bounce music aficionado would — he gathered NYC residents to break the Guinness World Record for twerking. –Taylor Schoen Continued on page 16

Big Freedia

Nov. 1, 9 p.m. – Carnival Stage

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Arctic Monkeys 9:40 p.m. ~ Ritual Stage As a music fan, you want your favorite bands to grow as people and musicians—except for when you don’t. Before the release of last year’s AM, the Arctic Monkeys fell firmly in the latter category, alienating many fans with strange and skuzzy side trips after the runaway success of Whatever People Say I Am… and Favourite Worst Nightmare. That latest album, however, proved that the band can incorporate their freakout fixation and love of ‘90s R&B harmonies into some decidedly Alex Turner-ish stories. AM revels in the glossed-over sticky bits of your favorite nights on the town, peeling back the curtain to show how ugly the nightlife can be and celebrating it regardless. –Alex Galbraith

Sunday, November 2 AWOLNATION 3:15 p.m. ~ Ritual Stage AWOLNATION hails from the City of Angels and will be bringing their signature sound of alternative electro rock to the Crescent City for Voodoo. Front man Aaron Bruno is no stranger to the music scene. Before the birth of AWOLNATION, he played with the likes of Home Town Hero and then later on Under the Influence of Giants. In 2011 the group released their first full-length studio album Megalithic Symphony, which contained the radio hit behemoth "Sail."

"Sail" climbed the music charts and has been featured in countless commercials, movies and television programs.

Known for their wide appeal and catchy brand of alt music, AWOLNATION will return to Voodoo Fest for another year of debauchery. –Taylor Schoen Trombone Shorty 4:45 p.m. ~ Ritual Stage Considered by many the prodigal son of the Treme neighborhood, Trombone Shorty has been leading bands since the age of six. Shorty, who performs with his band Orleans Avenue, has been gaining critical acclaim and building a loyal fan base throughout his career. His nine studio albums uniquely blur the lines of jazz, funk and

hip-hop; however, these polished studio albums do not display Shorty’s true gift for improvisation and his ability to get every member of the crowd on their feet. When seeing Trombone Shorty, be prepared to be blown away by his charisma, endless energy, and virtuoso musical ability.

–Jack Mccallion Manchester Orchestra 5 p.m. ~ Flambeau Stage Indie rock – Oooh yeahh! Manchester Orchestra comes to Voodoo from the land of suburban Atlanta where they

began in 2004 at the hands of then 17 year old Andy Hull. Going back to their roots, the band recorded their latest in an ATL home that they gutted themselves and converted into a studio. Cope, which critics have dubbed “radio-friendly rock,” features singles “Top Notch,” “Every Stone,” and the title track, “Cope.” The record is also available on vinyl. While it’s hard to say whether the tracks are truly alternative, does it really matter? There is no doubt that across the Manchester Orchestra records, Hull delivers haunting, anguished vocals alongside hard-hitting, heavy bass. He has mentioned that this album aims to be brutal, pounding, relenting and unapologetic. Come see for yourself what Manchester Orchestra has cooked up in Cope and join fellow rockers in worshipping the music.

–Lauren Adam The Tontons Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m. ~ Flambeau Stage A soulful blend of blues and indie rock, The Tontons have been working hard ever since their beginning in 2007. The band first came to the scene with the release of their 2008 EP Sea and Stars, launching their career into the international realm they enjoy today. The Houston, Texas, quartet has since released one other EP and two full-length albums, culminating in the signature sound their fans have come to adore. They have an unmistakable raw energy that emanates from the groove and is gently caressed by lead vocalist, Asli Omar’s touching voice. The sound has a hip to it, a funk that gets the body moving, while the beat goes on and the melody glides right over. The Tontons' latest release was their 2014 album Make Out King and Other Stories of Love, a passionate record that is littered with diversity, while upholding the bands authentic flavor. –Chris DiBenedetto Photos by Chase Dennies, Gus Escanelle, Jason Hall, and Greg Roques

The Revivalists Nov. 2, 3:30 p.m. – Flambeau Stage 16 | Halloween 2014 | Voodoo Music + Arts Experience

WhereYat.com | Halloween 2014 | 17

VoodooInterview

Dirty Bourbon River Show By Marsa Carlos

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live performance by New Orleans’ own Dirty Bourbon River Show will guarantee you two things: a fiery brass sound and driving, swingy pulse that’ll get you off your feet and a contagious energy to keep you wanting more. Since 2009, DBRS has cranked out two albums per year, but where they really shine is on the stage; their sound and stage presence are raw and exhilarating, uninhibited yet refined and, most of all, genuine.

The boys took a break from their current tour to answer my questions about performing, recording and their upcoming appearance at this year’s Voodoo Fest.

WYAT: One of your biggest strengths in live performances is your energy. I got the chance to see you at Jazz Fest this year and everyone’s stage presence was electrifying. Can you tell me about your backgrounds in other arts besides music?

Charlie “Big Charlie” Skinner: First off, thanks for noticing! We pride ourselves on our ability to work a room. I personally think it is a responsibility of any performer or musician

18 | Halloween 2014 | Voodoo Music + Arts Experience

to also be an entertainer: to entertain you have to be having fun, so we make sure that we have fun on stage and keep ourselves entertained with new songs and sets.

I grew up with a dad who had a blues band and a grandpa who had a big band. I also did musical theater for most of my education, including some opera in college. Spending that much time on the stage will give you a real advantage in the world of rock and roll clubs. I use the skills I learned as a kid every night on stage with DBRS. WYAT: Two albums per year in your first four years as a band is a real accomplishment, especially since there are just five of you producing such a big, full sound. What is your songwriting process like?

Matt “Slyfox” Thomas: It’s a little different for every tune, honestly. More often than not, Noah Adams brings us the song with some specific ideas and we play through it a few times. Every time we play it, the pieces start to form and solidify. Sometimes a song doesn’t feel really finished for weeks or months, but we take it to the stage as soon as possible to get the creative juices flowing. At some point or another, we’ve all started to get our hands dirty with songwriting, especially recently. When it comes to the finished product, a lot of times it’s just each of us trying things out and fine-tuning until it feels right.

WYAT: Are you shooting for two albums again this year?

Dane “Bootsy” Schindler: No, we’ve decided to wait till next spring to release the next one. We did release Accordion Anthology in January and we’ve been selling it on vinyl like hot cakes, but we’re taking our time with this next one.

WYAT: I can’t help but wonder: what is DBRS’ favorite whiskey?

Thomas: That’s a tough one! If I can afford the fancy stuff, I’m inclined toward an aged Knob Creek, but I’ve really been digging on Bulleit Bourbon as an inexpensive and tasty option.

WYAT: Who are you most excited to play with at Voodoo Fest this year?

Schindler: Outkast, Fishbone and Gogol Bordello for sure. I do want to see the crowd for Foo Fighters and Slayer as well. One time, Noah, Charlie and I saw Peelander-Z at Blue Nile; Noah and I were thrown on stage and ended up playing with them! And, of course, I’m gonna see Dr. John’s set and other locals; we have to stay in touch with what's happening at home!

Catch Dirty Bourbon River Show at 12:15 p.m. at the Ritual Stage on Sun., Nov. 2.

VoodooInterview

Gogol Bordello

By Leith Tigges

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ogol Bordello, a Gypsy-punk band hailing from Manhattan, is known for its theatrical shows and unique sound. With a violin incorporated into a punk band, you know you’re in for something pretty great. All the more reason to see this band live at this year’s Voodoo Fest, where the band will be playing tracks from their eight successful albums.

The band’s lead singer, Eugene Hutz, uses his creative energy on stage, on film and in DJ booths. Originally from Ukraine, Hutz received English lessons as he listened to his favorite rock musicians, which would later influence his own musical career. Where Y’at sat down with Hutz to talk about his upcoming Voodoo performance.

WYAT: How would you describe Gypsy music? What does it mean to you?

Some background, for those who are unfamiliar: how would you describe it?

Eugene Hutz: Absolutely not reflected toward traditional gypsy music. It’s a more adventurous kind of music; it can be confusing, but it’s a combination of gypsy, punk, rock. It can’t be fit into any box.

WYAT: I read that your background has largely influenced the band’s music.

What song would you say reflects your background the most?

Hutz: It would depend on my mood, mainly. All of my songs reflect my background, and I don’t have one that I look forward to the most. We have full emotional range at each show.

WYAT: You met some of the band’s members in New York. How did the band come together from there?

Hutz: It was more of a cumulative process, over the course of a few years, just gaining more members and meeting more people.

It happened gradually. We came through evolutions of our own and as a band, and it will only keep forming.

WYAT: Your stage presence has brought about some interesting shows. What has been your favorite performance so far?

Hutz: On stage, you become a whole new version of yourself, so it’s hard to pick just one specific show. I have a lot of kinship with Latin culture, so South America (Argentina, Brazil and Colombia) have had some pretty memorable shows.

WYAT: What can the audience expect from Gogol Bordello at this year’s Voodoo Fest?

Hutz: Nothing is pre-planned; it’s like mixed musical/martial arts, and you can’t have a scenario for a show. Any scenario is a failure already. Going to New Orleans is already a good feeling, and it gives its own special spin on anything.

Catch Gogol Bordello at 5:30 p.m. at the Carnival Stage on Sun., Nov. 2.

WhereYat.com | Halloween 2014 | 19

Lakeside2Riverside

Festival & Event Previews

Arts and Performance Musical of the Living Dead Oct. 17; Times Vary The Shadowbox Theatre, 2400 St. Claude Ave. theshadowboxtheatre.com The Chicago-based theater production will make its debut in New Orleans this year. The musical parodies hit zombie movies through choreography and show tunes.

The show centers on 10 survivors of a recent zombie apocalypse and their attempts to not become fodder for the undead. Featuring original songs, Musical of the Living Dead breathes fresh life into an overdone genre. This interactive play warns those sitting in the front rows are likely to get hit with a little blood and brains.

This is NOLA Oct. 17; 8:30 p.m.

Joy Theater, 1200 Canal St. thisisnola.org Joy Theater hosts a free monthly event that combines music, food, art and, of course, booze. The event is called This is NOLA, and it seeks to give attendees a glimpse of what's new in the city. This month, This is NOLA will feature musical performances by local folk groups Hurray for the Riff Raff and The Deslondes and more. Nola Girl Food Truck and St. Clair Pizza will provide grub for the crowd.

The Rocky Horror Show Oct. 24—Nov 1; Times Vary Cutting Edge Theater, 747 Robert Blvd, Slidell, LA cuttingedgetheater.com The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a Halloween time classic.

While screenings of the cult classic are always a blast, a live rendition of the misadventures of Brad and Janet sounds wickedly delightful. The Slidell-based Cutting Edge Theater is a one-of-a-kind theater. By day the space is Attractions

American Heist screens during the New Orleans Film Festival Oct. 16 – 23 20 | Halloween 2014 | Lakeside 2 Riverside

Coyotes perform during This is NOLA Friday, Oct. 17 Salon, and at night it transforms into a place where drama comes to life. This month it will present a stage production of Dr. Frank-N-Furter and crew's bizarre antics.

Festivals New Orleans Film Festival Oct. 16-23; Times Vary Various locations neworleansfilmsociety.org/ Since Louisiana has been dubbed Hollywood South, it's only appropriate the New Orleans Film Fest has flourished in recent years. Celebrating 25 years of film screening, NOFF proudly screens more than 200 local and national films each festival to an audience of about 22,000. With big premieres like Black Swan and Melancholia in past years, the fest is sure to unleash more critically acclaimed films.

Be sure not to miss the debut of the New Orleans-shot film Black and White, starring Kevin Costner.

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headliners such as Ana Popovic, Los Lobos, Joe Louis Walker, Bobby Rush and Mel Waiters. Between catching the tunes and munching on finger-licking foods, check out the arts market with 35 local and regional art makers.

SPCA Mega Match-a-thon Various locations Oct 18, times vary by location louisianamegamatch.com Wagging tails and purring kittens will be some of the sights and sounds during the ASPCA's Mega Match-a-thon.

The animal welfare group will be offering a special day of adoptions for only $25.

According to the ASPCA, adoptions are generally about a $400 value. Over the course of the day, the 4 participating Louisiana shelters seek to have 175 adoptions. The Mega Matcha-thon takes place at the Companion Animal Alliance of Baton Rouge, Jefferson SPCA, Louisiana SPCA, Plaquemines Animal Welfare Society as well as l various Petco stores. va

Fe i r l it o n

st i

lay M Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival The Mirliton Festival S a t u rd a y c t . 2 5 Oct. 17-19; Times Vary Saturday, Oct 25 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. ,O New Orleans’ Lafayette Square Park Mickey Markey Park, jazzandheritage.org/blues-fest corner of Piety & Royal St. Pairing smooth jazz sounds and smoked cuisine, bywatermirlitonfestival.com Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival has become a muchThe Mirliton Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary anticipated tradition. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage this year. The Bywater bazaar began in 1989 as a tongueFestival and Foundation, Inc. presents a weekend-long in-cheek parody of New Orleans' avid love of festivals. bash of food, music and art. This celebration boasts Mary Cooper, one of the founders of the fest and longtime

WhereYat.com | Halloween 2014 | 21

Bywater resident, said the idea came from thinking that the Big Easy celebrated just about everything, so why not mirlitons — edible, pear-shaped gourds. This year features performances by Daria & The Hip Drops, One Love Brass Band and Strange Roux.

Voodoo on the Bayou Saturday, Oct 25; 8:30 p.m. – midnight Pitot House, 1440 Moss fsjna.org This year marks the 25th anniversary for Voodoo on the Bayou. The annual soirée is presented by the Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association to support and fundraise for one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. Approximately two-dozen local restaurants will provide food for the event. There will also be a silent auction featuring works of art by locals. Attendees can also jam out with bands Lips and the Trips and Walter "Wolfman" Washington. Don't forget to wear a costume.

Fundraisers Century Club Gala “Rollin' on the River” Oct. 16, 6 p.m.

The Crazy Lobster Bar and Grill, 500 Port of New Orleans Pl. Ozanaminn.org The Ozanam Inn is hosting its 34th annual Century Club Gala "Rollin' on the River." This event is a benefit for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Ozanam Inn, which are community efforts to fight homelessness and provide resources for those in need. This year's event promises dinner, dancing and live entertainment by Mixed Nuts Band. Located on the scenic riverfront of downtown New Orleans, this event is not to be missed.

James Andrews performs at Krewe de Cure Friday, Oct. 17

22 | Halloween 2014 | Lakeside 2 Riverside

Krewe de Cure Oct. 17; 6:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Harrah’s Theatre, 228 Poydras St. alcopelandfoundation.org/events/event/2nd-annual-krewe-du-cure The Al Copeland Foundation's Krewe de Cure event aims to entertain as well as raise

GREAT FOOD, FRESH BEER GOOD TIMES & LIVE SPORTS

$5 COCKTAILS & APPETIZER SPECIALS AT HAPPY HOUR MON-FRI 4-6:30 PM

200 Poydras Street • 504-552-2739 • gordonbierschrestaurants.com

The Mortuary Weekends during October, and Oct. 26 – Nov. 2 money for local cancer research. Louisiana ranks in the top 10 for both cancer diagnosis and cancer deaths, so research and prevention efforts are greatly needed in The Boot.

The funds raised from Krewe de Cure will benefit LSU Health Sciences Center. The event promises a musical performance by James Andrews and cuisine with "cancer-fighting" ingredients from local chefs.

Halloween Happenings Mortuary Weekends in October, and every day Oct. 26 – Nov. 2; 7 p.m.

4800 Canal St. www.themortuary.net Featured on paranormal programs on The Learning Channel and The Discovery Channel, Mortuary claims the title of an authentically haunted haunted house. This year’s new installment is “City of the Dead,” an apocalyptic dystopia of technologically altered zombies, called Zcyborgs, battling it out with both the living and the undead.

House of Shock Weekends in October, and every day Oct. 29 – Nov. 1; 8 p.m.

319 Butterworth St. houseofshock.com New Orleans’ haunted house legacy the House of Shock will be celebrating its final year after more than two decades of horrifying patrons. House of Shock is one of the top-rated

WhereYat.com | Halloween 2014 | 23

House of Shock Weekends during October, and Oct. 29 – Nov. 2 haunted attractions in the nation, but also includes live music, pyrotechnics, piercing troupes, a full-service bar and food.

Boo at the Zoo Oct. 17, 18, 24 & 25; 5 – 9 p.m.

Audubon Zoo, 6500 Magazine St. auduboninstitute.org/zoo/events/boo-at-the-zoo Little mischief-makers are invited to celebrate an ongoing tradition at Boo at the Zoo. These special nights, benefitting Children’s Hospital, have something for ghouls of all ages. Kids can check out haunted houses, trick-or-treat, ride the ghost train, explore the haunted maze and much more. Ticket price also includes access to games, treats and live entertainment.

Anba Dlo Halloween Festival Oct. 18; 6 p.m.

New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St. Claude Ave. anbadlofestival.org The Anba Dlo Halloween Festival seeks not only to celebrate New Orleans’ diverse, rich culture, but also to raise awareness and provide health care, therapy and education to the city’s low-income residents. The fest features a costumed parade, more than 14 live music acts, burlesque, food, art and much more.

Krewe of Boo Oct. 30; 6:30 p.m.

Starts at Elysian Fields; ends at Mardi Gras World www.kreweofboo.com Krewe of Boo celebrates its seventh year as New Orleans’ official Halloween parade by going green. To reduce the waste that plastic beads inevitably bring, Krewe of Boo has opted to feature unique local and handmade throws. These spooky treats include candy, voodoo dolls and doubloons redeemable for food.

Jim Monaghan's 18th Annual Halloween Parade Oct. 31; 6pm Begins at 1107 Decatur St. The 19th annual Halloween Parade departs from Molly’s at the Market and will be the start of a night of fun. Join their Annual Killer Costume Contest that takes place at Erin Rose, located along the parade route. Tickets to ride in the parade are available online through PayPal. Undead Convention Oct. 30 – Nov. 2; Times Vary Various locations, Downtown New Orleans arvlfc.com/undeadcon The Anne Rice Vampire Lestat Fan Club will celebrate its 26th anniversary and all things macabre with a Halloween weekend soiree. The unconventional convention includes panels about the supernatural, literature and pop culture. It also features book signings, a vampire ball, a cemetery picnic and even Anne Rice herself.

24 | Halloween 2014 | Lakeside 2 Riverside

WhereYat.com | Halloween 2014 | 25

AlbumReviews

Submit your new CD releases for review to 5500 Prytania St., #133, NOLA 70115

Denton Hatcher Eucalyptus Independent Denton Hatcher crafts music that can only come from the heart of the South.

Hatcher, the frontman of the group, hails from Vicksburg, Ms., but spends most of his time traveling between The Big Easy and The Red Stick playing shows and cultivating his sound.

Eucalyptus combines sorrow-drenched vocals, Dixieland blues roots, funky bass lines and, at some points, a lilting surfrock vibe ("Fool"). However, the album could best be described as blues-heavy Americana.

The tracks are slow and soulful, often blending into one another. This creates a chimerical, hazy atmosphere for the listener to easily get lost in. However, the lack of variety can become a little monotonous and the album doesn't necessarily have a track that stands out from the rest.

If I did have to pick a breakout song, it would be "You So Sweet." It's a southernfried love song complete with full-bodied crooning and 60s-era blues rock instrumentals. – Taylor Schoen

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers The Devil You Know Alligator Records Although he's from San Jose, Ca., Tommy Castro's music sounds like it crawled straight out of the swamp. The blues guitarist and vocalist captures the essence of delta rhythm with moody guitars and gritty riff s.

He has been making a name for himself since the mid-1990s. With decades of experience and some prestigious awards under his belt, his newest album is some of his strongest work.

Accompanied by the four-piece group The Painkillers, Castro and his band take turns showing off their musical prowess. Castro's soulful voice holds its own even when lightening-fast guitar licks demand attention.

The album oscillates from contemporary blues with the eponymous track "The Devil You Know" (think The Black Keys) to more

26 | Halloween 2014 | Music Reviews

poppy numbers like "Center of Attention" without ever losing its heartfelt style.

The record hits its stride with musical guests like vocal powerhouse Tasha Taylor ("The Whale Have Swallowed Me") and Louisiana's own Tab Benoit ("When I Cross the Mississippi"), who adds some Zydeco zest to the track.

Overall, Castro is able to shine on his own and create some killer collaborations on "The Devil You Know." – Taylor Schoen

New Orleans Suspects Ouroboros Independent In the ancient world, the ouroboros symbol was used to represent a cycle, and the New Orleans Suspects use it for their latest album for that reason; though the band formed just fi ve years ago, the long-running and accomplished local musicians, including Mean Willie Green, Jake Eckert, Jeff Watkins, Reggie Scanlan, and CR Gruver from bands such as the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The James Brown Band, and the Neville Brothers band, have come full circle with their third release. The ten tunes are groovy, happy, and contain a lot of soul. I love the way “Cigarette Smile” begins; Scanlan’s funky bass line sets the tone that the horns played on the keys by Gruver follow and complement. Jake Eckert uses a devious and decadent distortion on his vocals to help characterize the seductive lady he’s singing about. His guitar wails during the bridge exemplify his rollercoaster of emotions. “Magdalena” is a sultry piece with some fantastic organ and piano work, and the quiet but gritty guitar adds just a little more Southern flair.

The entire album is Southern-identified, of course, and that’s certainly obvious with “Pocketful of Grit,” which is a multipercussion-driven instrumental piece that uses the sax, guitar, and organ as its vocalists. The New Orleans Suspects have collectively come a long way in their careers, but I believe that they are right where they need to be because their sound is tight and just right. – Emily Hingle @Emily_Hingle

Generationals Alix Independent When one thinks of New Orleans music, brassy horns, wild jazz tempos and maybe even hip-hop stars come to mind. Indie rock ranks pretty low on the list of what's synonymous with music in the Big Easy.

However, Generationals definitely break from this mold.

The hometown duo debuted its 2nd full-length, studio album Alix on Sept.

12. The record begins with warm, sunny synth beats as the opening to "Black Lemon." Smooth and harmonious vocals complement the track without overpowering the danceable guitars. As with many indie acts, the blissful demeanor of the song can be deceiving. Lyrically, "Black Lemon" tells a story of betrayal and watching relationships fade away.

Alix continues its strategy of feel-good instrumentals coupled with troubled lyrical confessions. Falsetto male vocals swirl beautifully with the electronic cadences à la Passion Pit. However, Generationals stick to its rock roots with tracks like "Heart in Two," which features thumping, reverberating chords and bellowing kick drums.

One stand-out song from the record is "Charlemagne." The tune deals with themes of letting go and moving on from toxic people and situations. These easily relatable attitudes are presented with toetapping melodies and über-catchy hand claps. "Charlemagne" is one of those songs that's guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser at live shows.

Although it's clear to see Generationals haven't completely abandoned the scene it emerged from in 2009, the two-piece show off some growth since the debut album, Con Law. Overall, the group traded fledgling, chaotic experimentation for a more consistent and confident style of music. – Taylor Schoen

Trance Farmers Dixie Crystals Leaving Records I’m a fan of the creepy. The kind that starts serene and ends scary, the get underyour-skin type scary. Think The Shining over Saw. Or, better yet, think Blue Velvet.

Trance Farmers' Dixie Crystals invokes desolate landscapes. This could be a soundtrack to a future Lynchian road movie, featuring rundown shacks, dusty

roadside bars, and dark clouds rolling over barren landscapes.

Songs sound like a bad trip at the sock hop —50s doo-wop grooves suffused with delayed guitar lines, heavily distant drumming, and semi-comatose singing that still remains heartfelt.

“Friends” and “Dream Train” bring in Britpop melodies. “Fume” sounds ethereally backwoods. Dayve Saymek’s vocals are chameleonic throughout: on “Betty Bop” he adopts a Cramps-like warble, while on “Whiteout” he resembles Nick Cave’s demonic cousin.

I hope Trance Farmers' relocation heralds a leap forward in the new New Orleans sound—creepy, like this town can be, but ultimately uplifting. – Eric Layer

The Melvins Hold It In Ipecac Records The long-running avant-garde outfit, the Melvins, has always had the ability to surprise not just their fans, but music listeners in general. Each album they’ve released has its own character and voice, each very different than the last. Their latest album entitled Hold It In does not stray from that notion. For instance, opening song “Bride of Crankenstein” is dark, disjointed, and disconcerting, yet the following song, “You Can Make Me Wait,” is totally different; it’s a saccharine-sounding ballad with very distorted vocals that sound rather heavenly; it’s soothing and bubbly.

The mood flows back into the darker side in the psychedelic mostly-instrumental “Barcelonian Horseshoe Pit” as sounds and voices swirl around in a haze; the only clear instrument is the drums. When you’re thoroughly disoriented, you’re thrust into the hard rock stylings of “Onions Make the Milk Taste Bad.” This song features an interesting vocal trick that you’ve got to listen carefully for; as Buzz Osbourne croons, there’s an almost indistinguishable distorted screaming mirroring his singing.

This is just an example of one of the many Easter Eggs planted for the acute listener.

Try to find them all throughout the twelve dizzying songs if you dare! Listening to Hold It In is like walking through a psychedelic maze; you twist and turn, never knowing where you’re going or what you’ll see, becoming totally lost before simply walking out through the exit, not knowing at all how you arrived there. – Emily Hingle Catch the Melvins at Voodoo Fest Friday, October 31 on the Carnival Stage at 8:30 p.m.; read WYAT's interview on page 12.

WhereYat.com | Halloween 2014 | 27

OnesToWatch

NAUGHTY PROFESSOR

join us on about half the songs we would play at shows.

The vocal tunes were all covers, except for one original that she and I wrote together called “Now & Never,” which we recorded and released on our 2011 EP, theep. As the band started writing more original tunes we realized that’s the direction we wanted to take. We’re certainly open to collaboration of any kind, but we’re also really excited with where we’re at right now.

WYAT: What is your favorite memory from a New Orleans show?

Ellman: A show that stands out was in September 2013 at the Howlin’ Wolf opening up for Snarky Puppy. Snarky is one of my favorite groups right now and is a big influence on us as a band. Not only did a lot of our people come out but we also saw a ton of new faces in the crowd and everyone seemed very receptive to our set. We’re so grateful to have a hometown crowd that continues to support us and come to our shows. It makes New Orleans feel even more like home and that particular show was a great reminder of that.

BY CHRISTOPHER DIBENEDETTO

N

ew Orleans has a way of bringing people together. Hosting an array of attitudes, artists, and entrepreneurs, the city has always been a natural hub for unique blends of creative spirits to grow together sharing in something all their own. In 2010, a handful of Loyola students from all different backgrounds and walks of life came together to form the instrumental party powerhouse that is Naughty Professor. Since the release of their debut album, Until the Next Time, the Big Easybased band has shared the stage with many of their heroes, plan on starting their next album, and have been touring, spreading the good word of the city they love, call home, and that inspires them every day. Where Y’at talks with alto and baritone saxophonist Nick Ellman to get the nitty-gritty on Naughty Professor.

WYAT: How did the band come together?

Nick Ellman: Most of us met the very first week we moved to New Orleans in August 2010. Sam Shahin, our drummer and aptly named “Big Papa,” had lived here previously and joined the band in 2012 after our close friend and drummer at the time decided to pursue life as a farmer. The six of us came to know each other through the jazz program at Loyola University. After a few casual jam sessions on campus during orientation week, we promptly formed a band and booked our first show. I remember playing almost all covers at that gig but being mostly excited about performing the first song we wrote together, “Chef’s Special,” which we recorded on our album in 2013 and still play today.

WYAT: To me, Naughty Professor is its own blend of styles. Did this naturally occur or was it something the band kind of had a vision for at the beginning?

Ellman: It was definitely natural for us to blend styles because we were coming from a lot of different places musically. There was plenty of common ground, but we were especially interested in what each other was doing that was unique to the rest of us. I think we’ve always been comfortable listening first before playing, and that’s one thing that has helped shape our sound. It’s always been a collaborative group and, even from the start, each person had something to say. Sometimes there were Coltrane

28 | Halloween 2014 | Ones to Watch

influences next to Zeppelin and, somehow, that felt right to us. At least it never seemed like something we should question or even talk about and maybe that’s why it worked for us.

WYAT: Y’all sound very comfortable, tightly-loose, and excited to play together. How do you feel the relationships within the group affect the way you play on stage?

Ellman: I think it has a lot to do with all of us being equally excited about creating something new together as much as we are inspired by what each individual brings to the group. Ideally the energy of our personal relationships is reflected in our music at our shows, and that personal dynamic only gets stronger on stage. It also helps that we’re good friends off the stage as well and we all love doing what we do.

WYAT: How do you feel being based in New Orleans has shaped your sound, attitudes, and influence as a band?

Ellman: We’re crazy about this city and couldn’t be happier to call it home. There’s so much inspiration to draw from the people, culture, and music community and it’s readily available whenever you want it. Since we first started playing together, our mentors and peers couldn’t have been more welcoming and encouraging towards the band.

That has only motivated each of us to work harder while we enjoy everything else that comes with living here.

WYAT: What’s the most exciting thing about being on the road?

Ellman: There’s a certain kind of adventure in not knowing what’s happening next besides the date and time of the next show. Sometimes we don’t know where we’re sleeping after the gig, and we might play a little better because of it. It’s about as unsettling as it is exciting but we’ve grown closer as a band because of it, and I personally wouldn’t trade that for comfort. It’s also really rewarding to play for new faces and to connect with people that like what we’re doing. We’re looking to have that experience in as many places as possible.

WYAT: Any plans to record a new album any time soon? Music videos?

Ellman: Oh yes! We have a new batch of songs we’re really excited about and just now starting to turn the wheels to put the next record into motion. We’re also planning on recording live audio/video at our next show in New Orleans at the Blue Nile.

WYAT: Where do you see yourselves next?

Ellman: The next move for us is to be on the road playing as much as possible. We’re hoping to start hitting the festival circuit harder and definitely going to keep writing music that we’re excited about. New Orleans is no doubt our home outside of our van for the foreseeable future. We like it too much here to go anywhere else.

Catch Naughty Professor at Voodoo Fest on Nov.1 at 12:15 p.m. on the Carnival Stage.

“There’s a certain kind of adventure in not knowing what’s happening next besides the date and time of the next show.”

WYAT: Being an instrumental band, do you ever have plans to work with guest vocalists or have you worked with a guest vocalist before?

Ellman: We worked with a vocalist early on named Mahoganee Medlock. She is a fantastic singer and used to

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30 | Halloween 2014 | Voodoo Music + Arts Experience Schedule

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Maple Leaf- New Orleans Suspects Palm Court Jazz Cafe- James Evans and Palm Court Jazz Band Rock n Bowl- On Naftaly, 61 South Siberia- VHSSS with Dj Gris Gris, Mountain of Wizard 7" Release, Heavy Lids, Ossacrux Snug Harbor- Jason Marsalis Steamboat Natchez- Duke Heitger's Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Three Muses- Royal Roses, Glen David Andrews Tipitina's- Soul Asylum

MUSICCALENDAR

Complete listings @ WhereYat.com

Monday, October 13 Apple Barrel – Sam Cammarata, Mumbles Buff a’s – Antoine Diel Trio Banks Street Bar & Grill – Bathrobe Banditos Café Beignet on Bourbon – Steamboat Willie & Friends Café Negril – Noggin Checkpoint Charlie – Wendy Darling Chickie Wah Wah – Alexis & the Samurai Circle Bar – Jamie St. Pierre + Dave Freeson, Cassius Claye & the Youngbloods + Kill Baby Kill Columns Hotel – David Doucet Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a – Luke Winslow King, Glen David Andrews Funky Pirate – Lynn Drury Gasa Gasa – Panorama Jazz Band Howlin Wolf – Rose Windows + HAWN Kerry Irish Pub – Tim Robertson Old Point Bar – The Romy Kaye Jazz Trio Palm Court Jazz Café – Lars Edegran + Shannon Powell Preservation Hall – The Preservation Hall Jazz Masters Republic New Orleans – Chromeo + Wave Racer Richard Fiske’s – Monty Banks Siberia – The Hobo Govvelins + Bruce Salmon Snug Harbor – Charmaine Neville Band Spotted Cat Music Club – Sarah McCoy & The Oopsie Daisies, Dominick Grillo & The Frenchmen St. All-Stars, Kristina Morales & The Bayou Shufflers Steamboat Natchez – Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Tropical Isle Bayou Club – Cajun Drifters Tropical Isle Bourbon – Rhythm & Rain, Way Too Early Tropical Isle Original – Whiskey Bay Twist of Lime – Cerebral Drama + Jonathan Brown Band Tuesday, October 14 Alvar Street Library – Greg Schatz feat. Alex McMurray Apple Barrel – Deltaphonic Bamboula’s – Dana & the Boneshakers Blue Nile – Dave Cappello- Open Ears Music Series Café Beignet on Bourbon – Steamboat Willie & Friends Checkpoint Charlie – Stephanie Mills, Shotgun House Chickie Wah Wah – Jon Cleary, Smoke & Bones R&B All-Stars feat.

Billy Franklin & Mykia Jovan & Friends Circle Bar – Laura Dyer Columns Hotel – John Rankin Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. – The Treme Brass Band Dos Jefes – Big Joe Kennedy Dragons Den- Punk Night, Upstairs Nyctophilia Ellis Marsalis Center for Music – Sunpie Barnes First Unitarian Universalist Church – Musaica Chamber Enseble features A Tribute to Pete Seeger Funky Pirate – The Blues Masters Gasa Gasa – Colony House + Knox Hamilton Hi-Ho lounge; Pueblo Mutando Howlin Wolf (the Den)- Comedy Beast Kerry Irish Pub – Patrick Cooper The Little Gem Saloon – Jon Roniger Maison - Gregory Agid, Swamp Donkeys Maple Leaf- Rebirth Brass Band Marigny Brasserie – Alexandra Scott Old Opera House – Chicken on the Bone Old Point Bar – Isla ola Preservation Hall – The Preservation HallStars feat. Shannon Powell Ralph’s on the Park – Joe Krown Richard Fiske’s – Lucas Davenport Rock and Bowl- Bayou Rum Blues Jam Competition Round 2 Saint Roch Tavern – Jerry Giddens Siberia – The Toasters + The Attack Snug Harbor – Brian Prunka Spotted Cat Music Club – Andy Forest, James Martin, Shotgun Jazz Band Steamboat Natchez – Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Trinity Episcopal Church – Albinas Prizgintas Tropical Isle Bayou Club – Cajun Drifters Tropical Isle Bourbon – BC & Company, Jezebels Chill’n Tropical Isle Original – The Hangovers, Jay B. Elston Band Wednesday, October 15 Apple Barrel – Smoking Time Gypsies, TW Quartet Buff a’s – Open Mike Night The BEATnik – Heavenly Beat Café Beignet – Steamboat Willie & Friends feat. Antoine Diel & Daniel Schroeder

34 | Halloween 2014 | Music Calendar

Saturday, October 18 Buff a's Lounge- Nancy Staggs and Company Chickie Wah Wah- Susan Cowsill Covered in Vinyl Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. – John Boutte, George Porter Jr Dragon's Den- Hazy Ray, the Social Set Hip Hop Lounge- Hustle feat. Dj soul sister Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse- Glen David Andrews Jazz Trio Kerry Irish PUb- call club, invisible cowboy band Maison-Smoking Time Jazz club, Chegadao New Orleans Healing Center- Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, Anba Dlo Halloween Festival One Eyed Jacks- Eric Lindell Palm Court Jazz Cafe'- Palm Court Jazz Band with Brian O' Cibbekkm Chuck Badie and Wendell Eugene Rock and Bowl-Harvey Jesus and Fire Siberia- Eve Ladlin and Keith Terry Duo, Bassbin Safari feat. Dj Swamp, Dj Proppabear, Dj tom Be ill, Cassie Cuts, Trademark, Dj Logan Ricketts Snug Harbor- Chris Thomas King Steamboat Natchez- duke Heitger's Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Three Muses- Hot Club of New Orleans Tipitinas- Ok Go

OkGo Known for their intricate, Grammy award–winning music videos and chipper brand of power pop, OK Go is sure to stir up a dance party in mid-October. Sat., Oct. 18. $16 Advance Tickets, 9 p.m., Tipitina's, tipitinas.com.

Café Negril – Arsene DeLay & Matt Clark Trio Candlelight Lounge – Treme Brass Band Checkpoint Charlie – T Bone Stone & the Happy Monsters, Jamie St Pierre & the Honey Creepers Chickie Wah Wah – Meschiya Lake & Tom McDermott Circle Bar – Zeahorse Columns Hotel – Andy Rogers Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. – Tin Men, Waler Wolfman Washington Does Jefes – Nayo Jones Funky Pirate – John Lisi & The Delta Funk Gasa Gasa – Marc Stone The Green Room – Acoustic Open Mic Night Hi Ho Lounge- Ruby Ross House of Blues – Get Yours Soul Right Howlin Wolf – Buckcherry + Otherwise + Southern Arrow & More Irvan Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse- Dana Abbot, Irvan Mayfield's NOJO jam performing the music of James Black Julius Kimbrough’s “The Prime Example” – Jesse McBride & Next Generation Kerry Irish Pub- Tim Robertson The Little Gem Saloon – Kyle Cripps, Meghan Stewart Jazz Maison-The Messy Cookers, Smoke N Bones Maple Leaf- Yojimbo Mid-City Lanes Rock ‘n’ Bowl – Creole Stringbeans Old Opera House – Chicken on the Bone Old Point Bar- Bob Green & the Green River Band Old U.S. Mint – Joshua Paxton Palm Court Jazz Café – Lars Edegran + Topsy Chapman + Palm Court Jazz Band & More Preservation Hall – The Joint Chiefs of Jazz feat.

Frank Oxley Ralph’s on the Park – Joe Krown Richard Fiske’s – Tony Seville Sandbar at UNO- Jazz at Sandbar Siberia – The Vibrators + The Bills Snug Harbor – Uptown Jazz Orchestra Spotted Cat Music Club – Sarah McCoy, Orleans 6, Antoine Diel & the Misfi t Power Three Muses – Leslie Martin, Schatzy Tropical Isle Bayou – La Maniere des Cadiens Tropical Isle Bourbon – Jezebels Chill’n, Debi & the Deacons Tropical Isle Original – Debi & the Deacons, Late as Usual UNO Sandbar – Jason Mingledorf Yuki Izakaya – Kana de Soul feat. Detroit Brooks

Thursday, October 16 Armstrong Park- Jazz in the Park feat. Corey Henry's Treme Funktet, Erica Falls Buff a's Lounge-Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand Chickie Wah Wah- Phil DeGruy Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a.- Jon Cleary, St Cecekua's Asylum Chorus Dragon's Den- Adventures of the instellar B-Boy with Dh Housefl y and friends Hi-Ho Lounge- Trivia Night Soundclash Howlin Wolf (the Den)- Comedy gumbeaux Irvin Mayfields Jazz Playhouse- Kris Tokarski Kermit's Mother-in-Law Lounge- Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers Kerry Irish Pub- Chip Wilson Maison- Jon Roniger, Kristina Morales, Rue Fiya Maple Leaf- the Trio feat. Johnny Vidacovich, George Porter Jr. and Mike Dillon Ogden Museum of Southern Art- After Hours feat. Lonnie Holley, the Rat at Tulane- Tribute to Idris Muhammad feat. Big Sam Williams and others Rock and Bowl- Lil Nathan and the Zydeco Big Tymers Siberia- Colossal Heads, Those Crosstown Rivals, Jermey Porterand the Tucos Snug Harbor- Leah Chase Quartet Steamboat Natchez-Duke Heitger's Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Three Muses- Tom McDermott, Luke Winslow King Tipitina's- Who's Bad- the Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band Friday, October 17 Buff a's Lounge- St. Cecella's Asylum Chorus Chickie Wah Wah- Michael Pearce Paul Sanchez Kalu James Civic Theatre- Brand New, Cymbals Eat Guitars, the Xcerts Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. Hot Blub of New Orleans, Riverend John Wilkins Dragon's Den- Hustle Hounds, The Switchers, Upstairs Buena Vista Social Latin Dance Night Harrah's Casino- Kurt Brunus Hi-Ho Lounge- Stellar's Jay, Prom Date, Deathless Historic New Orleans Collection- Original Pinettes Brass BAnd Howlin Wolf- Rebirth Brass Band Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse- Piano Professor Series feat. Joe Krown, Leon "Kidd Chocolate" Brown , burlesque ball room feat.

Trixie Minx and Romy Kaye Kerry Irish Pub- Vincent Marini and the One Tailed Three Maison- Bayou Saints, Blair Crimmins, Barry Stephensons Pocke, Jessie Smith Project

Sunday, October 19 Buff a's Lounge- Some Like it Hot Chickie Wah Wah- Gal Holiday and the Honkey Tonk Revue Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a.- Palmetto Bugs Stompers, Marc Stone's All-Stars Dragon's Den- church feat. Dj Unicorn Fukr Hip Hop Lounge- Nola comedy Hour open mic House of Blues- The Wailers Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse- Lu and Charlies Revisited feat.

Germaine Bazzle and Peter Harris Kerry Irish Pub- Irish Session, Patrick Cooper Maison- Nickel A dance too darn hott, soul project Maple Leaf- New Orleans Healing CenterSaenger Theatre- Dru Hill and SWV feat. Mannie Fresh Siberia- the peculiar Preetzelmen, Dirty Rotten Snake in the Grass Snug Harbor- Scott Albert Johnson Quartet Steamboat Natchez- Duke Heitger's Steamboat Stompers Three Muses- Raphael Bas and Norbert Slama Tipitinas- Cajun Fais Do Do feat. Bruce Daigrepont Monday, October 20 Buff a's Lounge- Antoine Diel Chickie Wah Wah- Alexis and Samurai Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. – Luke Winslow King, Glen David Andrws Hip Hop Lounge-Bluegrass Pickin Party Howlin Wolf- Paint night Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse- Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band Kerry Irish Pub- Tim Robertson Maison- Chicken and Waffle Maple Leaf- John Cleary Siberia- Ice Cold Comedy Snug Harbor- Charmaine Neville Band Three Muses-Joe Cabral Tuesday, October 21 Chickie Wah Wah- Jon Cleary, Joe Fly Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a.- Treme Brass Band Dragon's Den- Punk Rock Night Hi-Ho Lounge- Pueblo Mutando House of Blues- Ziggy Marley Howlin Wolf- Comedy Beast Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse- Tribute to Nirvana Kerry Irish Pub- Jason Bishop Maison- Gregory Agid, the Billionares Maple Leaf- Tommy Castro and the Painkillers, Rebirth Brass BAnd Rock and Bowl- Bayou Rum blues Jam Competion Round 3 Siberia- Trivia Tuesday with Ricardo, Topday is the Day Lord Mantis Snug Harbor - Laurent Coq Trio from France Steamboat Natchez- Duke Heitger's Steamboat Stompers Wednesday, October 22 Buff a's Lounge- Open Mic Night Chickie Wah Wah- Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. – Tin Men, Walter " Wolfman" Washington and Roadmasters Dragon's Den- Dancehall classics with Dj T-Roy and Bayou International Sound Hip Hop Lounge-Hill Country Hounds Howlin Wolf-Crobot Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse- Dana Abbott, Irvin Mayfields NOJO

Jam performing the music of James Black Kerry Irish PUb- Chip Wilson Maison-Jass Vipers, the UPstarts Maple Leaf- Yojimbo Sandbar of UNO- Jazz at the Sandbar feat. Badal Roy Siberia-Kali's Babinet of Curiosities, Unknown to God, Silent Order Snug Harbor-Uptown Jazz Orchestra Steamboat Natchez- Duke Heitger's Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Three Muses-Leslie Martin, Sarah McCoy Tipitinas- Macy Gray Thursday, October 23 Armstrong Park- Jazz in the Park feat. Los Hombres Callientes, Stephanie Jordan Buff a's Lounge- Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand Chickie Wah Wah- Phil Degruy, Gayson Capps Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. Lynn Drury, Arsene Delay and Jamie Lynn Vessels Dragon's Den- Adventures of the Instellar B-Boy Hip Hop Lounge-Trivia Night, Cirque D' Licious Howlin Wolf- comedy Gumbeaux Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse- Kris Tokarski, James Rivers Movement Kermit's Mother-in-Law Lounge- Kermit Ruffins Kerry Irish Pub- Dave James Maison-Jon Roniger, Bon Bon Vivant, the Nth Power Maple Leaf- the Trio feat. Johnny Vidacovich Odgen Musuem- After Hours feat. Fais Do Do Old U.S. Mint- Leroy Jones Rock and Bowl- Horace Trahan and the Ossun Express Siberia-Big Deal Burlesque Snug Harbor-Badal Roy Steamboat Natchez- Duke Heitger's Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Three Muses- Tom McDermott, Luke Winslow King Friday, October 24 Buff a's Lounge- Davis Rogan Chickie Wah Wah- Michael France Civic Theatre- Gino Vannelli Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. Linnzi Zaorski, Honey Island Swamp Band Dragon's Den- Dj Sir Real and friends, Upstairs- Buena Vista Social Latin Dance Night

Harrah's Casino-Sheryl Diane Hip Hop Lounge-Myq Kaplan, BateBunda House of Blues- GWAR, Decapitated, American Sharks Howlin Wolf- Of Montreal, Pillar Point Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse- Piano Professor Series feat. Joe Krown, Leon "Kid Chocolate" Brown, Burlesque Ballroom feat. Kristina Morales and the Burlesque Beauties Kerry Irish Pub - Dave James, Hurricane Refugees Maison-Leah Rucker, Shotgun Jzz Band, Opposite Box, Jesse Smith Project Maple Leaf-Roland Guerin Band Old U.S. Mint- UNO Student Jazz Ensemble One Eyed Jacks- Cardinal Sons, the Kid Carsons, Coyotes Rock and Bowl- the Top Cats Siberia- Psych Out Djs Snug Harbor-Wessell Anderson Quintet Steamboat-Duke Heitger's Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Three Muses-Matt Johnson Trio Tipitinas- ZoSo Saturday, October 25 Apple Barrel – Ruby Moon, Louisiana Hellbenders Audubon Charter School – Little Freddie King Backroom at Buff a’s – Jerry Jumonville & the Jump City Band, Arsene DeLay, Roamin’ Jasmine Bamboula’s – Abby Diamond, Caesar Brothers, Smoky Greenwell Blues Banks Street Bar & Grill – Gal Holiday BMC – Andrew Wiseman & Friends, Johnny Mastro & Mama’s Boys, Tyler Kinchen & The Right Pieces, Pocket Aces Brass Band Café Beignet on Bourbon – Steamboat Willie & Friends Café Negril – Jamey St. Pierre & The Honeycreepers, Gene’s Music Machine Carrollton Station – John Mooney Checkpoint Charlie – The Olivia DeHavilland Mosquitoes, Men in Bibs, Ben Joseph & Friends Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat Circle Bar – Eva LoVullo & The Clements Brothers d.b.a. – John Boutte Dos Jefes – Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots Fritzel’s Jazz Pub – Mike Fulton & Orange Kellin Funky Pirate – Marc Stone Duo, Mark & The Pentones, The Blues Masters featuring Big Al Carson Gasa Gasa – Mike Doughty, Lil Current Harrah’s Casino (Masquerade) – Little Freddie King

NewPolitics Indie-rockers New Politics have garnered fame this past year for their smash hit "Harlem."

Catch them with operners Bad Suns on Wed., Oct. 22. $18.50 Advance Tickets, 5:30 p.m., House of Blues, houseofblues.com/neworleans.

Kerry Irish Pub - Speed the Mule The Irish House – Patie O’Sullivan The Little Gem Saloon – Meschiya Lake Louisiana Music Factory – Louisiana Hellbenders Marigny Brasserie – Jimmy Sweetwater & Friends Marigny Opera House - Marigny Opera House Dance Company featuring Young Fellaz Brass Band Mid-City Lanes Rock ‘n’ Bowl – Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr Morning Call in The Oaks – Hector Gallardo’s Jazz Trio New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park – Mahalia Jackson Birthday Celebration Oak Wine Bar – Jenn Howard Old Opera House – Chicken on the Bone Old Point Bar – Isla Nola One Eyed Jacks – Sexual Thunder Record Release Show

Palm Court Jazz Café – Brian O’Connell & Palm Court Jazz Band + Tom Sancton Preservation Hall – The New Orleans Serenaders Richard Fiske’s Martini Bar and Restaurant – Lucas Davenport, Davis Rogan The Roosevelt Hotel (Fountain Lounge) – Antoine Diel Trio Shamrock- Fiver Finger Discount Snug Harbor – Christian Scott Quintet Spotted Cat Music Club – Barry Stephenson, Panorama Jazz Band, Dominick Grillo & The Frenchmen St. All-Stars Steamboat Natchez – Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Three Muses – Debbie Davis, Shotgun Jazz Band Tipitina’s – Tank & The Bangas + Saint Bell Tropical Isle Bayou Club – La Maniere des Cadiens, Louisiana

331 Decatur 527-5954 Best Guinness In New Orleans Live Music Nightly NO COVER www.kerryirishpub.com Every Tues. Honky Tonk Open Mic w/Jason Bishop 9 pm Wed. 10/15 Thurs. 10/16 Fri. 10/17

Sat. 10/18 Sun. 10/19

Wed. 10/22 Thurs. 10/23 Fri. 10/24 Sat. 10/25 Sun. 10/26 Wed. 10/29 Thurs. 10/30

Fri. 10/31

Tim Robertson 9 pm Chip Wilson 9 pm Vincent Marini & The One Tailed Three 5 pm Foot & Friends 9 pm Dave Hickey 5 pm Invisible Cowboy Band 9 pm Irish Session 5 pm Patrick Cooper 8 pm Chip Wilson 9 pm Dave James 9 pm Dave James 5 pm Hurricane Refugees 9 pm Speed The Mule 5 pm Whiskey Tango 9 pm Patrick Cooper 8 pm Tim Robertson 9 pm Vincent Marini & The One Tailed Three 9 pm Happy Halloween!!

Vincent Marini & The One Tailed Three 5 pm Moe, Larry, & Shirley 9 pm

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Inferno, T’Canaille Tropical Isle Bourbon – Way Too Early, Rhythm & Rain Tropical Isle Original – The Krawdads, The Hangovers Union Station Pub & Grill – Eye for an Eye Yuki Izakaya – Nobert Slama Sunday, October 26 Apple Barrel – Vic Shepard & More Reverb Backroom at Buff a’s – Some Like It Hot Jazz Brunch Bamboula’s – Jamey St. Pierre, Bamboula’s Hot 3 BMC – Revival!, Hit It & Quit, Soul Project Café Beignet on Bourbon – Steamboat Willie & Friends Candlelight Lounge – The Abney Effect Checkpoint Charlie’s – Open Mic with Jim Smith Chickie Wah Wah – Gal Holiday & The Honky Tonk Revue Circle Bar – Micah McKee & Little Maker + Blind Texas Columns Hotel – Chip Wilson Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. – Smoker’s World Fritzel’s Jazz Pub – Mike Fulton & John Royen Funky Pirate – Lynn Drury, The Pentones Howlin’ Wolf (The Den) – Hot 8 Brass Band Kerry Irish Pub – Patrick Cooper The Little Gem Saloon – Bounce Back Quartet The Maison – Palm Court Jazz Band Marigny Opera House - Marigny Opera House Dance Company featuring Young Fellaz Brass Band Miss Jean’s Famous Corner Courtyard – Bobby Love & Friends Morning Call in The Oaks – Hector Gallardo’ Old Point Bar – Amanda Walker, Tom Witek Jazz Quartet One Eyed Jacks – il songo del marinaio featuring Mike Watt Palm Court Jazz Café – Sunday Night Swingsters + Gerald French + Tom Fischer & More Preservation Hall – The St. Peter Street All-Stars Ralph’s On the Park – Joe Krown Richard Fiske’s Martini Bar and Restaurant – Tony Seville Snug Harbor – Jesse Boyd Trio Spotted Cat Music Club – Shotgun Jazz Band, Ben Polcer & The Grinders, Pat Casey & The New Sound Steamboat Natchez – Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Three Muses – Raphael and Norbert, Linnzi Zaorski

36 | Halloween 2014 | Music Calendar

Trinity Episcopal Church – New Orleans Concert Band Tropical Isle Bayou Club – Louisiana Inferno Tropical Isle Bourbon – Rhythm & Rain, Debi & the Deacons Tropical Isle Original – The Hangovers, Late As Usual Monday, October 27 Backroom at Buff a’s – Antoine Diel Trio Bamboula’s – Bowie Kin Folk Banks Street Bar & Grill – Bathrobe Banditos The BEATnik – Pup BMC – Mark Appleford, Lil Red & Big Bad, Smokys Blues Jam Café Beignet on Bourbon – Steamboat Willie & Friends Café Negril – Noggin, New Orleans Super Jam Checkpoint Charlie’s – Sleepwalker Pulp Deception Chickie Wah Wah – Alexis & the Samurai Circle Bar – Jamey St. Pierre + Dave Freeson, Author & Punisher plus Child Bite Columns Hotel – David Doucet Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. – Luke Winslow King, Glen David Andrews Dos Jefes – John Fohl Fritzel’s Jazz Pub – Charlie Fardella & Tom Hook Funky Pirate – Lynn Drury Gasa Gasa – Panorama Jazz Band House of Blues (The Parish) – Amaranthe Howlin’ Wolf (The Den) – Laurie Lehner Denisia & More Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse – Gerald French & The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band Kerry Irish Pub – Dave James Old Point Bar – The Romy Kaye Jazz Trio One Eyed Jacks – Sinkane + Helado Negro Preservation Hall – The Preservation Hall Jazz Masters featuring Leroy Jones Richard Fiske’s – Monty Banks Saenger Theatre – Ray LaMontagne Siberia – Easy Leaves + Gregory Good Snug Harbor – Charmaine Neville Band Spotted Cat Music Club – Sarah McCoy & The Oopsie Daisies, Dominick Grillo & The Frenchmen St. All-Stars, Kristina Morales & The Bayou Shufflers Steamboat Natchez – Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Three Muses – Washboard Rodeo Trinity Episcopal Church – Orchestra of the Universidad del Bolivar de Cartagena Tropical Isle Bayou Club – Cajun Drifters

OfMontreal Of Montreal's sound is a mix of ethereal groove, psychedelic ambience and dance pop.

Known for wacky stage antics, they and openers Pillar Point can be expected to delight on Fri., Oct. 24. $15, 10 p.m., The Howlin' Wolf, thehowlinwolf.com.

Tropical Isle Bourbon – Rhythm & Rain, Way Too Early Tropical Isle Original – Whiskey Bay

GWAR The sci-fi inspired shredders of GWAR will bring their thematic thrash metal for an early Halloween treat. The shock rockers play with Decapitated and American Sharks, Fri., Oct. 24. $23 Advance Tickets, 8:30 p.m., House of Blues, houseofblues.com/neworleans.

Tuesday, October 28 Apple Barrel – WEB3 Bamboula’s – Jon Roniger, Vivaz, Dana & The Boneshakers Blue Nile (Balcony Room) – Ricio Fruge BMC – Troy Turner, Eudora & Deep Soul, LC Smoove Café Beignet on Bourbon – Steamboat Willie & Friends Checkpoint Charlie’s – Jeff Chaz, Sapphire Rebellion Chickie Wah Wah – Smoke & Bones R&B All-Stars featuring Billy Franklin, Mykia Jovan & Friends Circle Bar – Laura Dyer, All Eyes West + Typestter + We Need to Talk Columns Hotel – John Rankin Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. – The Treme Brass Band Dos Jefes – Tom Hook & Wendell Brunious Ellis Marsalis Center for Music – Sharon Martin Fritzel’s Jazz Pub – Tom Fischer & Friends Funky Pirate – The Blues Masters featuring Patrick Williams Gasa Gasa – Progression Kerry Irish Pub – Paul Tobin The Little Gem Saloon – Jon Roniger, Messy Cookers Mahalia Jackson Theater – Straight No Chaser Maple Leaf – Rebirth Brass Band Marigny Brasserie – Alexandra Scott & Tom McDermott New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park – Richard Scott Old Opera House – Chicken on the Bone Old Point Bar – Isla Nola Old U.S. Mint – Bruce Barnes & Friends One Eyed Jacks – Mojave Lords + Star & Dagger Preservation Hall – The Preservation Hall-Stars Ralph’s On the Park – Joe Krown Richard Fiske’s Martini Bar and Restaurant – Lucas Davenport Saint Roch Tavern – Jerry Giddens Siberia – Shock Patina Snug Harbor – Jorge Luis Pacheco Quartet Spotted Cat Music Club – Andy Forest, Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns, Shotgun Jazz Band Steamboat Natchez – Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Sweet Lorraine’s – Jazz & Poetry hosted by Shakespeare Trinity Episcopal Church – Albinas Prizgintas

Tropical Isle Bayou Club – Cajun Drifters Tropical Isle Bourbon – BC & Company, Jezebels Chill’n Tropical Isle Original – Jay B. Elston Band Wednesday, October 29 Apple Barrel – Kenny Claiborne Backroom at Buff a’s – Open Mike Night Bamboula’s – Justin Donovan, Messy Cookers Jazz, BMC – Big Soul, Ed Wills & Blues 4 Sale, The Business Café Beignet on Bourbon – Steamboat Willie & Friends featuring Antoine Diel & Daniel Schroeder Café Negril – Arsene DeLay & Matt Clark Trio Candlelight Lounge – Treme Brass Band Checkpoint Charlie’s – T Bone Stone & the Happy Monsters, Common Tongue Chickie Wah Wah – Meschiya Lake & Tom McDermott Circle Bar – Zoom Columns Hotel – Andy Rogers Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. – Tin Men, Walter Wolfman Washington & The Road Masters Dos Jefes – Meryl Zimmerman Fritzel’s Jazz Pub – Mike Fulton & Barry Foulon Funky Pirate – John Lisi & The Delta Funk The Green Room – Acoustic Open Mic Night Kerry Irish Pub – Tim Robertson The Little Gem Saloon – Kyle Cripps, Meghan Stewart Jazz Maple Leaf – YOJIMBO, Oteil Burbridge + Ivan Neville Mid-City Lanes Rock ‘n’ Bowl – The BoogieMen Old Opera House – Chicken on the Bone Old U.S. Mint – Joe Krown One Eyed Jacks – Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash Palm Court Jazz Café – Lars Edegran + Topsy Chapman + Palm Court Jazz Band Richard Fiske’s Martini Bar and Restaurant – Tony Seville Siberia – Miss Martha & the Goodtime Gang Snug Harbor – Uptown Jazz Orchestra Spotted Cat Music Club – Sarah McCoy, Orleans 6, Antoine Diel & the Misfi t Power Steamboat Natchez – Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Three Muses – Leslie Martin, Alexis and the Samurai Tropical Isle Bayou Club – La Maniere des Cadiens Tropical Isle Bourbon – Jezebels Chill’n, Debi & the Deacons Tropical Isle Original – Debi & the Deacons, Late as Usual University of New Orleans – Jorge Pacheco

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Yuki Izakaya – Kana de Soul featuring Detroit Brooks Thursday, October 30 Apple Barrel – Hillary & Miles, Getting’ it Armstrong Park – Rebirth Brass Band + Kermit Ruffins Backroom at Buff a’s – Tom McDermott & Aurora Nealand Bamboula’s – Deltaphonic Duo, Carl LeBlanc Banks Street Bar & Grill – Lachlan Bryan & the Wildes BMC – The Brats, The Upstarts, Caesar Brothers Café Beignet on Bourbon – Steamboat Willie & Friends Carousel Lounge – Antoine Diel Quartet Checkpoint Charlie’s – Dominic, Viva La Concini Chickie Wah Wah – Phil DeGruy, Grayson Capps Circle Bar – The Kentucky Sister, Wooden Wings Columns Hotel – Naydja Cojoe & The Jazz Experience Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. – Star & Dagger + The Quaalords Fritzel’s Jazz Pub – Tom Fischer & Friends Funky Pirate – Marc Stone Duo, The Blues Masters featuring Big Al Carson Gasa Gasa – Knower House of Blues – Moon Taxi Howlin’ Wolf (The Den) – Ben Miller Band Kerry Irish Pub – Vince Marini and the One Tailed Three Le Bon Temps Roulé – Soul Rebels Brass Band The Little Gem Saloon – Viper Mad Trio Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts – The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra presents Brahms & Bartok Marigny Opera House – Fleur de Lys Chamber Orchestra Mid-City Lanes Rock ‘n’ Bowl – Geno Delafose Ogden Museum – Rumba Buena Old Opera House – Chicken on the Bone Old U.S. Mint – Bruce Barnes & Matt Hampsey Palm Court Jazz Café – Leroy Jones + Crescent City Joymakers Preservation Hall – The Preservation Hall-Stars Ralph’s On the Park – Joe Krown Richard Fiske’s Martini Bar and Restaurant – Mississippi Hyperfl y Siberia – Timmy’s Organism + Thing + Heavy Lids & More Snug Harbor - David Torkanowsky Trio Spotted Cat Music Club – Sarah McCoy & The Oopsie Daisies, Miss Sophie Lee, Jumbo Shrimp Steamboat Natchez – Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers, Dukes of Dixieland Three Muses – Luke Winslow King

38 | Halloween 2014 | Music Calendar

Tropical Isle Bayou Club – Cajun Drifters Tropical Isle Bourbon – Miss Maggie Trio, Debi & the Deacons Tropical Isle Original – Way Too Early, Late as Usual Vaughan’s Lounge – Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet Yuki Izakaya – Norbert Slama Friday, October 31 Apple Barrel – Deltaphonic Backroom at Buff a’s – Doyle Cooper & The Red Hot Jazz Band, Dr. Sick & his Stunted Sextet Bamboula’s – Christopher Johnson Trio Blue Nile – Big Sam’s Funky Nation BMC – Lefty Keith & True Blues, Whiskey Hickon Boys, Pocket Aces Brass Band, Soul Project Café Beignet on Bourbon – Steamboat Willie & Friends Checkpoint Charlie’s – Dirty Mouth, The Unnaturals Chickie Wah Wah – Michael Pearce, Chegadoa, Soul Creole Circle Bar – John Cico, Wampire + Tops + DiNola Columns Hotel – Ted Long Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat d.b.a. – Tuba Skinny, Happy Talk Band Deanie’s Seafood Restaurant - Vince Vance & The Valiants Dos Jefes – Joe Krown Dragon’s Den – The Black Troubadour Fremin’s Restaurant – Charlie Miller The Frenchmen Theatre – Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe + The Soul Rebels Fritzel’s Jazz Pub – Kevin Clark & Collin Myers Funky Pirate – Marc Stone Duo, Mark & The Pentones, The Blues Masters Gasa Gasa – Flow Tribe Howlin’ Wolf – Reverend Horton Heat + Suplecs The Irish House – Patrick Cooper Joy Theater – Fishbone & MarchFourth Kerry Irish Pub – Moe, Larry and Shirley Le Bon Temps Roulé – Joe Krown The Little Gem Saloon – Erin Demastes Louisiana Music Factory – Hill Country Hounds Mid-City Lanes Rock ‘n’ Bowl – Bucktown Allstars Molly’s at the Market – The Storyville Stompers, The Kazoozie Floozies & More Morning Call in The Oaks – Hector Gallardo’s Jazz Trio New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park – Bruce Barners & Matt Hampsey, The Treme Brass Band Old Opera House – Chicken on the Bone Old Point Bar – Rick Trolsen, Hill Country Hounds

One Eyed Jacks – Quintron & Miss Pussycat, Ballzack, Manatees Palm Court Jazz Café – Lucien Barbarin Pat O’Brien’s Bar & Courtyard Restaurant – Emelie Guidry Pearl Wine Co. – The Sarah Gromko Trio The Roosevelt Hotel – Antoine Diel & Bill Malchow Siberia – OBN III’s, Datadrums, Trampoline Team, Leftover Crack, Potato Pirates, Juicy Karkass Snug Harbor – Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters Spotted Cat Music Club – Jazz Band Ballers, Andy Forest’s Band, Washboard Chaz Trio, Cottonmouth Kings Steamboat Natchez – Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers Three Muses – Glen Davis Andrews Tipitina’s – Galactic Special Halloween Show Tropical Isle Bayou Club – La Maniere des Cadiens Tropical Isle Bourbon – Way Too Early, Jay B. Elston, Tropical Isle Original – The Hangovers, Late As Usual Twist of Lime – Mrz Crowley Winos & Tacos – The Groove Orient

Bauuer EDM-newcomer Bauuer was able to stand out from the masses of new age DJs with his hit "Harlem Shake" and its ubiquitous viral videos.

See him Thurs., Oct. 30. $25, 10 p.m., Republic New Orleans, republicnola.com.

Saturday, November 1 Blue Nile – Dumpstaphunk featuring Ivan Neville Blue Nile Balcony Room – Strange Roux BMC – The Groove Orient Burgundy Bar (Saint Hotel) – Gypsy Elise & The Royal Blues Café Negril – Gene’s Music Machine The Carver Theater – David Starfire, Thriftworks, TBC Brass Band Circle Bar – Beth Israel & more Crescent City Brew House – New Orleans Steamboat Evangeline French Quarter – Lil Josephine & Rhodes Spedale The Frenchmen Theatre – Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe featuring Roosevelt Collier + Earphunk Mahalia Jackson Theater- La Triste Historia Mid-City Lanes Rock ‘n’ Bowl – WiseGuys Old Opera House – Chicken on the Bone One Eyed Jacks – Pitchfork Nightcap feat. Thundercat Republic – Jonn Roniger & His Dixieland band + Linnzi Zaorski Shamrock- Shamar Allen & the Underdawgs Spotted Cat Music Club – Jon Roninger Tipitina’s – The Revivalists, Naughty Professor Tropical Isle Bayou Club – Louisiana Inferno Tropical Isle Original – The Krawdads, The Hangovers Vaso – R N R Jazz Group, Terrence West Band, New Creations Brass Band, Soul Company Band Sunday, November 2 AllWays Lounge – The Jumbo Shrimp Jazz Band Columns Hotel – Chip Wilson Howlin’ Wolf – Hot 8 Brass Band Miss Jean’s – Bobby Love & Friends

WhereYat.com | Halloween 2014 | 39

Each time one of the wrestlers is thrown down, I wince. They slap, stomp, and shove.

There are even handcuff s brought out at one point, quite possibly the most violent part of the show. It’s clear early on that WildKat definitely knows what it takes to get a crowd worked up.

“[It's] the hardest thing in the world.”

- Luke Hawx, on training with WildKat Sports and Entertainment

If It Ain't WildKat, It Ain't Wrestling

By Leith Tigges

“

I

f It Ain’t WildKat It Ain’t Wrestling,” is covered on nearly every T-shirt in the gym of Metairie’s Grace King High School. “Another One Bites the Dust” is blaring from the speakers. From the front row seat I can see toddlers flexing their muscles, students making last minute touches on signs, and families and hardcore fans yelling from every direction, anxious for the WildKat Sports Wrestling match to begin.

A pair of enthusiastic announcers begins to tease the crowd with the idea of wrestling rivalry, a concept I have only seen on television as I walked by my brother’s room in high school. It occurs to me immediately that this is quite the event with a huge following of loyal fans.

New Orleans-based WildKat Sports and Entertainment is the area’s most popular wrestling training program. Founded in 2011 by wrestling professional Luke Hawx, the program works hard to create the next generation of pro wrestlers. From what I can gather, Hawx isn’t messing around, and the training proves to be vigorous and successful as a number of wrestlers make their way to the stage in the middle of the auditorium. Each intro is more entertaining than the last, with rap music playing, chanting and clapping, and lines of fans waiting to get their hands slapped.

It occurs to me immediately that these fans are serious fans. Not only that, but they will start a chant about anything and everything. In the middle of one of the first matches of the night, the crowd erupts

40 | Halloween 2014 | WildKat Wrestling

into a collective cheer of “El-bow! El-bow!

El-Bow! El-bow!” Maybe that’s the norm at wrestling matches, but for me, it was the beginning of a very entertaining evening.

The show begins with Bu Ku Dao, a WildKat extraordinaire preparing to make his big exit from the program, thanks to an opportunity with WWE NXT. After a spirited goodbye, the real magic begins.

A triple-threat match is quick to follow, featuring men in glittery costumes with embroidered words such as “The Stud” and, simply, “Better.” While wrestling has been argued time and time again as being choreographed and nearly painless, my up close seat gives full access to all the fights and action. Wrestling is certainly a form of entertainment, but that stage floor is not made up of mattresses and marshmallows.

During intermission I get some time with founder, Hawx, and he easily explains to me that wrestling is so much more than entertainment, and for him, is a long-time passion since the age of three. I’ve always been curious about how the wrestlers “get in the zone” for a match, and upon asking Hawx this, he says, “I’m a nut. I’m always into it.” This, I believe, as Hawx repeatedly made his way around the auditorium to chat with fans and high-fi ve the little ones.

He’s clearly passionate about his fellow wrestlers as well, the people he has pushed and trained to perform the best shows in Louisiana.

As I watched each wrestler perform flips and moves against each other, it occurred to me more than once that the training must be extreme. Luke Hawx describes it as, “The hardest thing in the world.” With threehour sessions three times per week, it’s no wonder that many of these wrestlers make it to the big time.

With wrestlers making their way onto the stage, a new persona seems to overcome them. Different dialogue, attitude, and moves get the crowd going wild. Wrestler Bu Ku Dao, a longtime wrestler from a very young age, describes his wrestling persona as his normal personality turned up to level 100. Even as an observer it’s easy to see that these guys don’t hold back once they’re inside the ring. Whether it’s a hobby or a career path, most of them recall having a slightly different wrestling personality compared to their everyday attitude, a sort of alter ego. Danny Flamingo is one who clearly displays this behavior. Prior to his own match, Danny was easy-going and talkative, and upon his introduction, this attitude turned into an extreme one. It’s as if the capes and masks turn these men into characters other than themselves; into characters they can easily play and have fun with, entertaining huge, adoring crowds.

The night brought forth the tremendous goodbye of Bu Ku Dao, with the event of “Bu Ku Dao or Die,” as well as unbelievable (and truly unexpected) wrestling antics.

Whether you’re a fan or a fellow wrestler, WildKat offers exactly what it promises – sports and pure entertainment. @LeithTigges

No Tricks, Just Treats Krewe of BOO! Revamps The Throw Tradition

W

By Maria Carlos

alk down any street in New Orleans and you’re likely to find strings of beads dangling from telephone lines, peeking from treetops or strewn across iron-wrought fences. While these colorful ornaments that decorate our streets are iconic for The Big Easy and Mardi Gras celebrations, in recent years a lot of New Orleanians are finding the tradition a little – to put it lightly – “excessive.”

That budding disapproval is shared by Brian Kern, ringmaster of the Krewe of BOO! – New Orleans’ official Halloween parade that got its start in 2008, rolled for three years, and took a short hiatus until Kern took over the group in 2013. After he saw front-loading trucks hauling the wasted necklaces from street gutters along parade routes, an idea struck Kern like a giant package of beads barreling towards the head: What if parade throws were local or Louisianamade products, things that people actually want?

Kern calls his concept “not anti-China but pro-New Orleans.” He collaborates with local businesses who sponsor the parade and supply a number of eco-friendly, locally-made products. Parade attendees this year might catch Aunt Sally’s famous pralinettes, packets of coffee from PJ’s, Zydeco Sweet Potato Nutrition Bars, cups made of over 50% post-recycled plastic from Giacona Container Company, recycled toys and more. Recently added to this year’s list of throws are doubloons, coupons redeemable at local restaurants in the city.

Crafty krewe members are also invited to make their own throws – literally, whatever they want; last year, members made magnets, voodoo pins and candy corn necklaces. Kern hopes that, as Krewe of BOO! grows in the coming years, he can hold workshops during the off-season for making more handmade throws.

As for the floats themselves: Kern’s goal is to have a fleet of classic Halloween characters – like Frankenstein and Dracula standing at a thundering 25 feet, or the Devil with wings that open and close – on double-decker, Mardi Gras-style floats. Krewe members, dressed in their

own costumes, will have their make-up done by hired professionals. The whole shebang will also include retired running back for the Saints, Deuce McAllister, the Whistle Monster and Coach Sean Payton riding on these impeccably sculpted and wildly decorated vehicles, as well as 20-25 marching groups including the 610 Stompers and the Pussyfooters.

Hoping to double the Krewe of BOO! membership this year, Kern kept the dues down to $575 plus the cost of throws. Not a bad deal at all, especially since he’s also throwing in a catered lunch on the day of the parade, a 3-day general pass to Voodoo Fest and a VIP ticket to Spook Fest, the Krewe of BOO! after-party. The krewe will cap off at around 500 members.

The 2014 route is posted on the Krewe of BOO!’s website: at 6:30PM on October 30th the parade will kick off at Elysian Fields and Decatur, dip down N St. Peters and around the French Quarter, through the Warehouse District, and will end at Mardi Gras World for one hell of an after-party.

It’s a solid, 2-hour long, family-friendly route along busy areas of the city – plenty of food and drink options to satisfy spectators as well.

The Spook Fest after-party will feature live music, booze and, Kern assured me, “the Saints game will be on, of course.”

What really struck me about Kern’s project were the stories from closer to home, local businesses benefitting from the Krewe of BOO! The day after last year’s Halloween parade, Aunt Sally’s completely sold out of pralinettes; parade attendees apparently hadn’t had enough from the floats. Another great effect was the coffee-praline marriage between Aunt Sally’s and PJ’s: marketing representatives from both businesses, after introductions at krewe meetings, set up an exchange that resulted in a new coffee drink featuring Aunt Sally’s pralines.

The Krewe of BOO!’s commitment to local and Louisiana-based products is a fantastic reinforcement in our city, highlighting New Orleans culture and bolstering profitable relationships among small businesses.

“Halloween is about trick-or-treating,” Kern said, “and I want to give people treats.”

Krewe of Boo | Halloween 2014 | 41

Louisiana On Television

H

By Emily Hingle

ollywood South is booming, but it’s not just feature films in the spotlight; television shows are choosing our state as their longterm home and traveling reality shows have made visits to the area. The state is attractive to potential show makers for a variety of reasons.

Animal Planet's “Pitbulls and Parolees”

42 | Halloween 2014 | Showing Off New Orleans

The city itself is a character in “NCIS: New Orleans,” a spin-off series of CBS’s crime drama. Executive producer Jeff Lieber explains the appeal of the show: “There are so few cities in America that come with their own soul and culture. When you do a spin-off, you need two things: a set of characters you want to invest in and something that makes you understand why you’re doing the spinoff, and the city turned out to be that. We couldn’t do this show filming it somewhere else.” It can be difficult to create a show set in New Orleans without the culture seeming cartoonish, but the crew of “NCIS: New Orleans” is working hard to accurately show life here. “Now that we’re settled into a series, we can be more true to the emotional life of the city. We’re really able to get more into the daily life of New Orleans,” says Lieber. One way they achieve this is by using locals as much as possible to keep it authentic. For instance, they held

an advanced premier of the show for cast, crew, and some veterans at the World War II Museum before it aired nationally. “I’m totally thrilled to be shooting in a place that has as much character and life and has a populous that is devoted and protective of the city as it is. People really want us to try and get it right and for the most part I think we are.”

You can find a slice of the colonial northeast in Shreveport where the WGN series “Salem” is being filmed. The crew is tasked with making the country of Louisiana feel like the woods of colonial-era Massachusetts, and executive producer Brannon Braga has achieved that. “We needed a large piece of land to build the town that was situated between woods and water. The town is built to last; it’s a pretty special set,” explains Braga. The witches in “Salem” are spurring the witch hunt so that they can take control of the town. The dark show bewitched audiences during Season

WGN's “Salem” 1 and production has begun on Season 2 for release in the Spring. “At the end of Season 1, we had six cliff hangers, so we’re going to pick those up and broaden the world. We’ve only just begun,” says Braga.

Principal male actor Shane West certainly enjoys working on the show; the dramatic actor is originally from Baton Rouge. “Shane loves being back here. It worked out well for him because he can easily go see his family.” It’s more than just money for Brannon Braga, who had this parting sentiment for us: “There’s a great tax credit in Louisiana, but I want to comment on how great the people have been. Not just the crew, but the extras on the show and the people in town. They’ve been very welcoming, and we look forward to going back there.”

Reality TV also has a stronghold on the state either as a series or a few shows made in the state such as “Duck Dynasty,” “Swamp People,” and “Bayou Billionaires.” The ladies of “Gypsy Sisters” took a three-show vacation to New Orleans. Yet, other shows choose to be less exploitative and more helpful.

Since premiering in 2009, the A&E show “Hoarders” has visited Louisiana residents on three occasions in Gretna, Denham Springs, and Madisonville. Extreme cleaning specialist Matt Paxton has worked on many more local cleanups before the show began. He recently visited the local ServiceMaster Cleaning Service to spread the word on helping hoarders.

“I’m here raising awareness for hoarding. ServiceMaster is a national cleaning company and they brought me in to help clean hoarder homes. I’ve been doing this for nine years now, and I’ve had probably 10 to 15 cases in Louisiana. We’ve had some bad animal hoarding cases here,” says Paxton.

Hoarding can be triggered by traumatic events including national tragedies. “Hoarders” may be returning to Louisiana soon to deal with people still depressed by Hurricane Katrina. “I think we’re going to see the Katrina ones come in. It takes 10 to 20 years to see a super hoard,” says Paxton. New Orleans can travel far, as Paxton illustrates: “We had a guy who didn’t live near here, but was hoarding Jazz Festival prints from the seventies.

The collection ended up being about $20,000. You’ll see people from all over the country hoarding beads because it brings them back to a happy place. They had fun at Mardi Gras.”

While shows like “Hoarders” have exposed the mental condition to the masses, there’s more work to be done. “The American Psychiatric Association has deemed it a mental disorder as of this year which brings in money for research. I want people to understand that hoarders are cool, interesting, normal people, but they have a disorder.” Visit servicemaster.com for more information on hoard cleanups.

Animal Planet’s show “Pitbulls and Parolees” demonstrates the plight of pitbulls as well as recent parolees, and the parallels between the two. The show began in 2009 featuring the Villalobos Rescue Center located in California, but the non-profit moved to New Orleans in 2011. Caretaker Earl Moffett was released on parole in 2012 and learned about this opportunity through his parole officer. Working with the rescue center and the show has helped him immeasurably. “Villalobos totally turned my life around. I don’t know where I’d be at today without these people. You have no choice but to become a good person,” states Moffett. Earl Moffett is a native New Orleanian who witnessed dog fighting in his childhood.

“People just stereotype pitbulls breeds. I think it’s not the breed, it’s the owner. They’ll do whatever to please the owner, and if they want them to be crazy, they will.” Moffett has these words of hope for those who are heading down the wrong path or who will soon make the same difficult transition: “We are considered to be the place of second chances; you’re dealing with ex-offenders who are trying to adjust to society and you’re dealing with dogs that are being rehabilitated. For those who have experience being incarcerated, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel, so never give up. I’m a prime example of that.

Some of the kids that are doing wrong, there’s always room to change.”

Turn on and tune in to these locally-shot shows. @Emily_Hingle

WhereYat.com | Halloween 2014 | 43

Fitness Apparel for Function and Fashion

By Celeste Turner

F

rom running on the treadmill to running to a business meeting, fitness fashion has evolved into multi-functional active wear offering style, sophistication and comfort.

“A lot of people wear fitness apparel for fashion,” said Barry Smith, founder of First Team apparel, a local brand of athletic wear sold here in Metairie and nationwide. “Our clothing design can be worn to the gym and then dressed up to tackle everyday activities. ‘Gear Up’ is our slogan.”

Today, baggy grey sweat pants and old tattered t-shirts are rarely spotted in the health clubs or fitness centers unless, of course, you feel most comfortable exercising in them. Most fitness enthusiasts dress gym-ready for their workouts and then leave in the same outfit, still looking chic enough for everyday errands.

“Lululemon makes technical athletic apparel for yoga, running, dancing and most other sweaty pursuits,” said Renee Ascione, Marketing Director for Lululemon Athletica, a global fitness fashion clothing line, founded in Vancouver, BC., in 1998.

“We have a product that is great for super sweaty workouts and a product that will take our guest from studio to street.”

An integral component of the popular exercise fashion is the variety of fabric types and usages. For example, the wonder of moisture-wicking material adds a whole new level of comfort to those sweaty workouts. Both First Team and Lululemon brands have this type of fabric material, which wicks the sweat away from the body and blocks odor.

Another locally-owned fitness apparel, tasc Performance, developed a fabric blend of bamboo fibers and organic cotton that wicks moisture from skin without the chemical additives.

“I wanted to create a fabric that had softness and breathability of cotton but met all of the performance metrics of modern athletic gear,” said Todd Andrews, President of tasc Performance. “We do not use chemicals to enhance the properties of the fiber-nature has done the work; we have created a process to release it.”

Andrews noted that the unique quality of the bamboo fibers provides such performance features as moisture wicking, temperature regulation, quick dry, odor resistance, and UPF 50+ sun protection.

With the right fabric, the common thread in fitness fashion today permits more sweat and less worry about any embarrassing stink or skin irritation. And, not only will the right type of materials increase the comfort for your workouts, but many avid gym members

tasc Perfomance will admit that the fun exercise apparel can do wonders for boosting your confidence levels and participation in a wide assortment of activities.

“Lululemon hosts in-store events ranging from self-defense to goal-setting workshops, to yoga classes, all led by our community ambassadors,” said Ascione.

“Our ambassadors are the most influential, inspiring and motivating instructors in the community…we want to create components for people to live longer, healthier and fun lives.”

To assemble an entire outfit of fitness pieces, prices for Lululemon and tasc Performance tops range from $28 to $50 and $32 to $89 for bottoms. A sporty pullover for women by Lululemon may cost $68 to $120. Similarly, the price of a Tasc long-sleeved top made with the exclusive blend of bamboo and merino wool fabric are generally $60 to $90.

In addition to active wear, First Team also designs team uniforms and apparel for local road races and special events. First Team has several different choices of material: drifit, performance spandex, ring-spun cotton, poly/lycra blends and nylon fabric.

“We at First Team apparel try to design and appeal to everyone from professional athletes to people from all walks of life like runners, coaches, instructors, housewives, or whoever else has the drive to be FIRST,” said Smith, who is preparing to launch the latest line of First Team apparel after August 30.

So, as our fast-paced lifestyles demand adaptable clothing, you don’t have to spend a fortune to put together a fun and functional fitness wardrobe. These companies offer an array of affordable apparel that will easily transition your gym style to street attire.

Photo by Raven Eye Photography

44 | Halloween 2014 | Fitness Fashion/Bar Guide

BarGuide Backspace Bar & Kitchen 139 Chartres St., 522-2216 backspacenola.com

The unique literary theme and rare specialty cocktails featured at Backspace lend a sense of sophistication and class you won’t easily find elsewhere.

Bamboula's 514 Frenchmen St. 944-8461

There’s a new music venue shaking up Frenchmen Street. Home of three bars and two music stages, Bamboula’s is making their mark on New Orleans.

Balcony Bar 3201 Magazine St. 894-8888

Well-known for their balcony overlooking Magazine Street, this gem also has plenty of beers on tap and a late night kitchen offering delivery.

Barcadia 601 Tchoupitoulas St. 335-1740

Home of the life-sized Jenga, 80’s arcade games and giant Connect Four, Barcadia is where you go to enjoy yourself, not just the beer.

Bottomline Beach Club 3408 28th St. 324-5777

Metairie's Bottomline Beach Club gives you the ultimate beach experience with volleyball tournaments and your favorite drink specials.

Buffa’s Bar 1001 Esplanade Ave. 949-0038

Buffa’s is a great neighborhood bar with even greater food. Try the Buffa-Lo Wings or a Buffa Burger with a drink from the bar.

The Columns Hotel 3811 St. Charles Ave. 899-9308

The Columns Hotel is a favorite Uptown spot.

Add a little class to your night and enjoy a Sazerac inside at their Victorian Lounge Bar.

Known for the re-enactment of the movie, Coyote Coyote Ugly 225 N. Peters St., 561-0003 Ugly is a fantastic French Quarter bar with a bit of a fun and wild twist. coyoteuglysaloon.com Dino’s Bar & Grill 1128 Tchoupitoulas St. 558-0900

Offering great drink specials, burgers, and bartenders, Dino’s is great for any occasion. It is named after the “King of Cool,” Dean Martin, after all.

Erin Rose 811 Conti St. 522-3537, erinrosebar.com

A popular spot for locals and tourists, this bar offers some tunes from its stocked jukebox and amazing Killer Poboys in the back.

Fulton Alley 600 Fulton St. 208-5569, fultonalley.com

This fantastic bowling alley hotspot near Harrah’s features fantastic cuisine and some of the city’s finest cocktails. Check out their Happy Hour!

The Metropolitan is the premiere location for Generations Hall/Metro weekday private events and the place to dress up, 310 Andrew Higgins Dr. 568-1702, generationshall.com suit up, and drink up on the weekend.

J&J’s Sports Lounge 800 France St., 942-8877 jjssportslounge.com

J&J’s features a courtyard, pool table and jukebox adding to the low-key feel that makes locals and neighbors feel right at home.

Kerry Irish Pub 331 Decatur St. 527-5954

Kerry’s Irish Pub is known for having the best Guinness in the Quarter, and for featuring live music every night of the week.

Masquerade at Harrah’s 228 Poydras St., 533-6000 harrahsneworleans.com

Voted # 27 in Nightclub & Bar’s Magazine Top 100 Nightclubs, Masquerade is a hot spot featuring the nation’s top DJs, slots, and table games.

Mid-City Yacht Club 440 S. St. Patrick St. 483-2517

Mid-City Yacht Club is a gem amongst the plethora of Mid-City bars. Come in to enjoy a signature Bloody Mary or their house-infused vodkas.

Ohm Lounge 601 Tchoupitoulas St. 335-1760, ohm-lounge.com

This Asian-deco lounge carries a large selection of sake, gourmet Asian tapas, great music, and specialty cocktails made from scratch.

Pat O’Brien’s welcomes patrons with a cool Pat O’Brien's 718 St. Peters St., 525-4823 atmosphere, an open patio area, and an outside bar to enjoy while eating one of their Creole dishes. patobriens.com Rick’s Cabaret 315 Bourbon St. 524-4222, iknowrick.com

Located in the heart of all the action, this gentlemen’s club features some of the most beautiful women in New Orleans.

Shamrock offers up the fun with their extensive Shamrock Bar & Grille collection of games for everyone to enjoy, including 4133 S. Carrollton Ave. 307-4350, shamrockparty.com air hockey, ski-ball, and even mini bowling lanes.

Spirits on Bourbon 615 Bourbon St., 524-6014 spiritsonbourbon.com

Spirits brings specialty drinks and fun to Bourbon Street visitors. Its featured drinks include the Resurrection and Barber Beer.

Tracey’s 2604 Magazine St., 897-5413 traceysnola.com

Known as the Original Irish Channel Bar, Tracey’s is a great spot to enjoy the winning combination of beer, food, and sports.

Tropical Isle Original 721 Bourbon St. 529-4109

Home of the Hand Grenade, Tropical Isle is a must stop while in New Orleans, with multiple locations up and down Bourbon Street.

Wit’s Inn 141 N. Carrollton Ave. 486-1600, witsinn.com

Come by Wit's Inn for fresh pizza and specialty sandwiches or stop in for their three-for-one shots on Wednesday nights.

WhereYat.com | Halloween 2014 | 45

15 & Under

$

A Bone to Pick By Kim Ranjbar

E

asily one of the best television shows of all time, AMC's The Walking Dead recently aired the first episode of what is likely to be a stellar fifth season. It seems folks can't get enough of this gritty, wellwritten and well-produced show with an excellent cast and gruesome special effects.

Surprisingly enough, not only does this serial horror flick (at least, that's how I see it) have the uncanny ability to wildly entertain, it poses some serious questions about human nature and what a person would be forced to do in such a horrific, end-of-the-

Willie Mae's Fried Chicken

46 | Halloween 2014 | $15 and Under

world-type situation. gorging on their crispy, fried chicken wings coated in a spicy Thai There's no argument here, it's a fantastic show, but there's just Chili Glaze or a sweet Steen's Cane Honey BBQ. Oh and don't forget one thing I don't get. When the zombies finally pull a “live one” down, the NOLA Fried Frog Legs that are delicious on their own or with a why is it they always go for the guts? Yes, they're mindless eating tangy Garlic Butter Parmesan. It's so easy to suck off all the tender machines, but you'd think that base instinct they have would point meat till there's nothing left but Kermit's fragile bones. them in the right direction as to the best parts. They're always Over at Salu on Magazine Street, you can sink your choppers chewing on eyeballs, slurping on brains or playing with intestines into some really incredibly delectable meat like their popular like a child with a huge bowl of spaghetti. Why aren't they fighting Lamb Lollipops. These dainty chops that are cut from the ribs for the choicest bits? I could understand if they are perfectly seared and brought to the were chomping on the liver or heart, but what table while the shimmering heat is still rising about the rest? What about all of that delicious from the meat. Executive Chef Dustin Brien meat near the bones? I mean, if you were is constantly finding new ways to prepare eating a person, wouldn't you start around the the lamb, but whether they're smothered in thighs and work your way up? rosemary butter and served with a roasted Thighs, breasts, drumsticks – the best part tomato and lima bean ragout or simply of meat is the meat after all! Is it wrong that standing in a shallow pool of bright green talking about eating people is making me pesto, it's difficult not to gnaw every last piece hungry? Making me crave things like, say... all of of flesh from the bone. the bone-in goodness at Willie Mae's Scotch Is that your belly growling or did an House? Everyone who's anyone knows that unearthly moan just escape your lips? Perhaps Willie Mae's is where it's at when it comes to it's time to reach out and shuffle along Freret some serious fried chicken. Located on St. Ann Street till you bump into Mint Modern Bistro Street in the historic Treme neighborhood, & Bar for some excellent, Vietnamese, bone-in Willie Mae's has long been a place where folks grub. Sit down and try not to bite the other Salu's Lamb Lollipops could experience authentic, New Orleans-style diners while you're served a wondrous Crispy “soul food” like breaded pork chops, smothered Hen. Along with a pile of sticky rice (with a fried veal, collard greens, mac & cheese and let's not forget “America's egg on top if you ask for it nicely) and a fresh salad, you'll get almost Best Fried Chicken.” Feel the crunch as your teeth penetrate the half of a beautifully fried and very crispy hen served with a honey crisp, perfectly scalded skin only to sink into the spicy, juicy flesh of mustard sauce on the side. Although you may get some stares, feel a plump, bone-in chicken breast. For three pieces of chicken (breast, free to pick it up with your hands and dive in face-first, devouring thigh and wing) plus your choice of side like sweet potato fries, you every morsel of tender, juicy flesh and the flavorful, crunchy skin can partake of this bounty for only $10! keeping it all together. Try to remember to use your napkin from Now I'm salivating at the thought of cruising over to the strip time to time, after all, you're not a ogre...or a zombie! @SuckTheHeads mall at Claiborne and Calhoun, walking into Bayou Hot Wings and

Dog, recently opened his latest restaurant inside a shotgun single on Banks Street dubbed “Dis & Dat,” which touts itself mainly as a hamburger joint. Although the focus is their “100% Moo Cow” burgers, there are quite a few hot dogs on the menu – in fact, there appears to be more hot dogs than hamburgers – but who's counting? Dis & Dat is open every day from 11:30 am to 9 pm and features a daily happy hour (half-off all drinks) from 4-7pm. 909.0458 ~ 2540 Banks Street ~ disanddatnola.com

Mezze's Doner Sandwich

D

Food News

ía de Muertos New Orleansstyle … Mizado Cocina, the brand new and increasingly popular Mexican restaurant on Pontchartrain Boulevard, is hosting a month-long celebration this month in honor of Day of the Dead.

Beginning October 17th, the restaurant will be offering a special menu featuring a sampler with dishes like Baja Shrimp Ceviche, Chicken Mole Anticucho and Duck Enfrijolada. Diners can register to win a “Day of the Dead Experience” which includes a limo that will take you and a guest to a grand brunch at Mizado on Sunday, November 2nd. After brunch, you'll be whisked away again (by limousine) to the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans' City Park! On Halloween and the day after for their “Wake the Dead” party, Mizado will offer drink specials, a Day of the Dead altar and a DJ spinning on the patio.

885.5555 ~ 5080 Ponchartrain Boulevard ~ mizadococina.com

By Kim Ranjbar

that briefl y housed Vida's Bistro, Courtyard Grill and, for a long while, Tee-Eva's pralines, is playing host to a new restaurant called Mezze Mediterranean. Not unlike Vida's and Courtyard, Mezze serves Middle Eastern cuisine with a focus on dishes from Turkey, owner Mustafa Yucesoy's country of origin.

The menu features familiar favorites like hummus, babaganush and stuffed grape leaves, but this Persian/Turkish girl is hoping for the best from their Eggplant Dolma (koresh de bademjan) and Kofte (Turkish-style meatloaf). 267.3696 ~ 4430 Magazine Street ~ mezzenola.com Dem and dose … Skip Murray, co-founder of the hugely successful Dat

Comfy pasta … Arabella Casa di Pasta has opened up inside its own digs on St. Claude Avenue in the Marigny, much to the pleasure of owners Mowgli & Amanda Pierlas. Located next to Kajuns Pub, this new eatery aims to be a family-style, neighborhood joint serving fresh, house made pasta and sauces that you can mix and match on a whim in a cozy, relaxed environment. Although the restaurant is currently open, the owners hope to upgrade a bit with better seating and sound quality funded by friends and fans through LocalLift.com. 267.6108 ~ 2258 St. Claude Avenue ~ arabellanola.com Northshore nirvana … Chef Jeffrey Hansell and his wife Amy recently opened Ox Lot 9, an upscale restaurant in Covington.

The restaurant features a “sophisticated approach to seasonal ingredients” offering dishes like Fried Frog Legs in hot sauce butter, Smoked Mullet “on the half shell,” Southern Bouillabaisse with grouper, mussels and shrimp, and Carrot Cake with cream cheese mousseline, compressed pineapple and walnut pralines. Located on E. Boston Street, right across from Del Porto Ristorante, Ox Lot 9 is open nightly Tuesday through Saturday, plus they offer brunch on Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm. 985.400.5663 ~ 428 E. Boston Street ~ oxlot9.com @SuckTheHeads

So long, farewell, sort of? … Instead of a short hiatus, Velvet Espresso Bar, the tiny cafe on the corner of Magazine and Arabella, is officially and permanently closed. Owner Tamara Muro posted a heartfelt Facebook status last month declaring that she's in the process of moving her whole family back to New Orleans from California and will not be able to re-open. It seems that her food truck, Velvet To Go, will be revving its engine up sometime this month, home made “Pop Tarts” included. 450.2129 ~ 5637 Magazine Street ~ throwacupcake.com More Mediterranean … The building

Dis & Dat's “100% Moo Cow” Burger Food News | Halloween 2014 | 47

Conscious Palate

Glucose and Brain Function By Jhesika Menes

T

he mammalian brain is composed of highly adaptable and influential neural circuitry that requires and demands twice as much energy as other organs. The self-regulating stability of a biological system, known as homeostasis, is an important part of brain physiology. Metabolic pathways, neuroendocrine outputs, and hormonal rhythms are all essential variables in the stabilization of internal conditions. One of the main sources of energy for the brain is glucose, and its role in brain function is critical.

Pancreatic function is sufficient in explaining glucose homeostasis. Beta cells in the pancreas produce and store insulin until needed. The insulin hormone maintains the balance of glucose (sugar) in the body. In the alpha cells it also produces glucagon when the body needs to utilize more blood glucose for energy.

Glucagon counteracts the effects of insulin proving the two hormones must work in a partnership to maintain balance.

A defective insulin secretion results in diabetes, a disease affecting 8.3% of the population in the United States. Those diagnosed with diabetes use insulin to combat the dangers of high blood sugar.

High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, causes blood thickening, resulting in lower oxygen levels reaching the brain. Since glucose keeps neurotransmitters in the brain at peak levels, this in turn causes unclear thinking, weakness, and blurred vision, as well as extreme thirst and frequent urination.

Major complications like blindness, kidney damage, and nerve damage can develop if left untreated.

That said, proper bodily functions depend on a steady, quality supply of glucose. This means no skipping meals or cheap candy bar and sugary drink fixes. While it's true that a candy snack or a coffee can grant a quick high, the following low can wear on the body just as much as those high levels of blood sugar. A sugar crash occurs when glucose levels plummet, causing foggy mind, inability to focus, and sudden sleepiness. To provide a steady stream of glucose, you should eat food that slowly releases carbs into the bloodstream.

Amino acid-rich foods like yogurt and salmon beef up neurotransmitter production, and the nutrient choline, found in soybeans and eggs, produces the beneficial neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

Low levels of acetylcholine have been found in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Also detrimental to brain health are free radicals, which are formed when glucose is converted to energy. Free radicals cause oxidative stress and hence destroy brain cells with which they come into contact.

Antioxidant-laced foods like red berries, blueberries, nuts, dark green veggies, whole grains, beans, and teas are a fine defense.

White, black, and green teas have the highest level of antioxidants.

The myth that vegetarians are more anemic than meat eaters is laid to rest by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition author W.J. Craig, who explains, “Although the iron stores of vegetarians may be reduced, the incidence of iron-deficiency anemia in vegetarians is not significantly different from that in omnivores. Restrictive vegetarian diets, like veganism and macrobiotic, are associated with more widespread iron-deficiency anemia.”

Since our bodies can turn proteins into glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis, a mechanism used to prevent hypoglycemia, it is imperative for vegetarians to advance complete protein absorption via milk and eggs. Vegan substitutes for these animal products should include beans, rice, and nuts with focus on iron-rich sources of B12 and folate.

Latin cuisine is high protein and utilizes beef, pork, and seafood in most dishes.

Plantains, cousin to the banana, are a common sidecar in South American, Caribbean and Southeast Asian dishes.

They are starchy and firm unlike the dessert bananas most commonly used in the States.

Because of this, plantains are treated much like the potato and therefore cooked, fried, or mashed prior to consumption. They have less natural sugar than regular bananas, but the safe starch will help boost immunity with high amounts of Vitamin C. Maïs Arepas in Central City serves plantain chips alongside most of their Colombian Creole-flavored plates. The Choriarepa; grilled chorizo, avocado

That said, proper bodily functions depend on a steady, quality supply of glucose.

48 | Halloween 2014 | Conscious Palate

Maïs Arepas' Ceviche de Camaron Valluno purée, melted mozzarella, and Ají Valluno, is paired with round golden discs of plantains perfect for mopping up sauce drippings. My personal favorite, the Ceviche de Camaron Valluno: Gulf shrimp, red onion, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and lime juice, just wouldn't be the same without the crunchy chips as a vehicle for scooping. Ceviche may be easy to make, but therein lies the challenge. To concoct one with creative oomph that doesn't overpower its authentic, simple sapidity es muy importante. Tacqueria Corona does not disappoint with their citrus cured fish, shrimp and clever bits of green apple, red onion, cilantro, and tomato. Beautifully presented with hand cut strips of fried tortillas, it arrives at the table like a floral bouquet. Order it with a side of Cebollitas, charbroiled green onions with seasoned salt, and you won't be disappointed.

They say, “The fancier the place, the smaller the portions,” and while my first time dining at Coquette left me to wonder if I should self-consciously sacrifice my reputation for gourmand satisfaction, I was pleasantly surprised. Thinly sliced Beef Carpaccio with thoughtful garnishes arrived tabletop followed by the Shrimp and Grits entrée of generous proportions. There was unfortunately no room for dessert afterwards!

All this mention of proteins and vegetables doesn't mean desserts are off limits. Being smart about your choice of sweets is what's important. The Orange Couch brought an existing treat to the spotlight and gave it a cozy home. The Bywater neighborhood coffee shop boasts a variety of caffeinated delights, including Vietnamese coffee, and the popular Asian snack Mochi. The Japanese confection is made from pounded sticky rice, molded into shape then dusted with potato or cornstarch. The soft textured material becomes almost gelatinous when in contact with warm fingertips, but serves its purpose protecting a gob of cold creamy ice cream in the center. Flavors like Banana Oreo and Tiramisu provide enough taste to satiate even the biggest sweet tooth while easing the sugar-fearing eater's conscience. @JhesikaMenes

AFRICAN

Ernst Café is a great place to come for delicious, locally inspired dishes––Boudin Balls, seafood plates, etc... Enjoy specialty cocktails and a wide selection of beers. 600 S Peters St. • 525-8544 • ernstcafe.net

Bennachin offers a taste of Africa in the Big Easy. Order the Sisay Singho—baked chicken, fried plantains and coconut rice. A BYOB policy is offered. 1212 Royal St. • 522-1230 • bennachinrestaurant.com

Gattuso’s has unbeatable appetizers, signature sweet potato fries, NOLA favorites and daily specials. Check out Trivia Tuesdays, Pint Night Thursdays and live music on the weekends. 435 Huey P. Long Ave. • 368-1114 • gattusos.net

AMERICAN

Gordon Biersch is the perfect pub-style hangout for a casual get-together. Pair homemade beers with delicious southwest egg rolls, fried calamari, and chicken wings. 200 Poydras St. • 522-2739 • gordonbiersch.com

RestaurantGuide

Cheesecake Bistro by Copeland's serves traditional New Orleans cuisine like blackened shrimp Alfredo, as well as the city’s best cheesecake. 2001 St. Charles Ave. • 593-9955 • copelandscheesecakebistro.com Crescent City Brewhouse, with four house brews, also offers New Orleans cuisine with a German twist. Try the Tuna Orleans with a Philners or Red Stallion. 527 Decatur St. • 5220571 • crescentcitybrewhouse.com Daisy Dukes has a great southern atmosphere making for the perfect 24/7 joint. It has great offerings like the Blackened Alligator Sausage Plate. French Quarter, CBD, Metairie • daisydukesrestaurant.com Dat Dog features a large menu of gourmet hot dogs to enjoy. This isn't the average hot dog place. Try the Crawfish Étouffée dog, featuring crawfish sausage. Uptown, Marigny • datdognola.com Dino’s Bar & Grill is a great pub to grab a burger like Dino’s Mushroom Jack. Stop by on Saturdays for the city’s best ladies’ night. 1128 Tchoupitoulas St. • 558-0900 • dinosnola.com

Ma Momma's House is the place for some delicious, southern soul food. Feast on the drunk love—fried chicken wings with a sweet waffle. 5741 Crowder Blvd. • 244-0021 • mamommashouse.com Manning's serves unique versions of classic tailgating dishes like the Manning Burger. With more than 30 flat-screen TVs and reclining chairs, Manning’s is ideal for sports watching. 519 Fulton St. • 593-8072 Phil’s Grill is the ultimate, family-run, spot for fresh-off-the-grill burgers. Build your own burger and order a side of classic fries. Metairie, Harahan, CBD • phils-grill.com Willie Mae's Scotch House boasts the best Fried Chicken in New Orleans. Enjoy delicious soul food and be sure arrive early to avoid the lines. 2401 St. Ann St. • 822-9503

ASIAN Five Happiness satisfies customers with its fantastic Chinese cuisine. Every visit or delivery leaves customers happy with their delicious, traditional dishes. 3605 S. Carrollton Ave. • 482-3935 • fi vehappiness.com Green Tea specializes in authentic Cantonese and Mandarin dishes and is known for its great prices and fast service. Green Tea offers many delicious options. 1116 Louisiana Ave. • 8998005 • greenteanola.com Jazmine Café lets you take a break from typical NOLA dishes with healthy Vietnamese cuisine. The space is perfect for enjoying veggie dishes with friends. 614 S. Carrollton Ave. • 866-9301 • jazminecafe.com

Marti's

Kyoto is a space boasting creative and playful takes on sushi rolls. Sip on sake while enjoying attentive service, a relaxed atmosphere, and delicious food. 4920 Prytania St. • 891-3644 • kyotonola.com Kyoto II offers great sushi in a relaxed space right by The Elmwood Palace movie theater. Feast on sushi rolls and traditional Japanese cuisine.

5608 Citrus Blvd. • 818-0228 La Thai offers the ultimate Thai experience in a modern space full of intoxicating aromas.

The curries and creative cocktails are a musttry here. 4938 Prytania St. • 899-8886 • lathaiuptown.com Miyako offers one the best cooking shows in the city, letting customers enjoy an unforgettable dining experience at this Japanese seafood and steakhouse restaurant. 1403 St. Charles Ave. • 410-9997 • japanesebistro.com Namese offers delicious Vietnamese cuisine in a refreshing, intimate atmosphere. Stop by if you’re in the mood for Vietnamese with a unique New Orleans twist. 4077 Tulane Ave. • 4838899 • namese.net OHM Lounge, located next to Barcadia, offers an intimate club space perfect for meeting friends. Try their artisanal cocktails, great sakes, and delicious tapas. 601 Tchoupitoulas St. #B • 335-1760 • ohm-lounge.com Origami features a dynamic trio of master New Orleans sushi chefs, making it a classic place to dine with cocktails, unique rolls and sashimi platters. 5130 Freret St. • 899-6532 • sushinola.com SOHO has an array of Asian dishes along with

Japanese Restaurant, Sushi & Such Mon – Thur 11:30 am – 10 pm Fri & Sat 11:30 am – 11 pm Sun 5 – 9 pm SushiNOLA.com | @OrigamiNola 899-6532| 5130 Freret St.

Restaurant Guide | Halloween 2014 | 49

a sushi bar. With excellent service, fresh cuisine, and intimate dining spaces, SOHO is must-try.

601 Veterans Blvd. • 301-2266

among locals and tourists. Find humbly priced drinks and good food in a relaxed environment.

141 Chartres St. • 524-0493 • thejimani.com

Viet Orleans Bistro, a New Orleans/ Southeast Asian bistro, is a CBD must with friends or colleagues. You don’t want to miss their happy hour. 300 Baronne St. • 333-6917

Mimi's in the Marigny offers cold and hot tapas late into the night. With dancing and DJs, this is the ultimate, low-key place. 2601 Royal St. • 872-9868

BARS WITH GREAT FOOD

Pat O’s Courtyard Restaurant, home of the Hurricane, is the place to go for music, eating Creole favorites, and hanging out by the piano lounge. 624 Bourbon St. • 588-2744 • patobriens.com

Backspace Bar & Kitchen is an elegant spot that offers an extensive and unique menu. Even get some waffles and pancakes at this ultimate cozy space. 139 Chartres St. • 322-2245 • backspacenola.com Bamboula's is more than just a music venue.

Try the delicious coconut shrimp & craw cakes and, after dining, check out the Festival Hall Theatre. 514 Frenchmen St. • 944-8461 • bamboulasnola.com Barcadia has something for everyone— whether you’re in the mood for games or craft beers. Eat, drink and play life-sized Jenga on the patio. 601 Tchoupitoulas St. • 335-1740 • barcadianeworleans.com Bourbon Heat offers seating at both the indoor and courtyard bars. Their Courtyard Grill is great for bar favorites and many American and Creole options. 711 Bourbon St. • 324-4669 • 711bourbonheat.com Buffa's Bar and Restaurant offers such greats as omelets, cheesecake french toast, and sandwiches. Visit their back room for live music and open mic nights. 1001 Esplanade Ave. • 949-0038 • buffasbar.com The Jimani, a fun-filled dive bar, is a favorite

50 | Halloween 2014 | Restaurant Guide

SHAMROCKBAR&GRILL

Poppy's Time Out Sports Bar, with 21 televisions, great food, and many beers on tap, is the ultimate game-day bar for cheering and celebrating. 500 Port of New Orleans Pl. • 247-9265 • poppystimeoutsportsbar.com Richard Fiske’s Martini Bar & Restaurant serves up more than just potent, delicious drinks.

Come to this romantic spot to enjoy shrimp and grits and Jazz. 301 Dauphine St. • 586-0972 Rivershack Tavern, located on River Road adjacent to the Mississippi, is a neighborhood tavern and honky-tonk that is great for live music and food. 3449 River Rd. • 834-4938 • therivershacktavern.com Shamrock Bar and Grill offers every game imaginable as well as karaoke, live music, and fantastic munchies until the wee morning hours. 4133 S. Carrollton Ave. • 301-0938 • shamrockparty.com Tracey's Irish Restaurant and Bar is one of the originals in the Irish Channel. Enjoy an assortment of po-boys along with great hospitality. 2604 Magazine St. • 897-5413 •

traceysnola.com Wit’s Inn is known as a neighborhood pizza kitchen and bar with quick service. Try their caprese salad, delicious pizza, and enjoy drink specials. 141 N. Carrollton Ave. • 486-1600 • witsinn.com

CAFÈ Another Broken Egg offers unique creations, from new twists on eggs benedict to amazing biscuit beignets. The huge menu also provides options for everyone. Uptown, Lakeview • 301-2771 • anotherbrokenegg.com Breads on Oak offers assorted breads, soups, sandwiches, and pastries. Breads on Oak has something for everyone, with many gluten-free and vegan options. 8640 Oak St. • 324-8271 • breadsonoak.com

Café Amelie is known for its beautiful courtyard which is perfect for al fresco dining.

Come for breakfast, shrimp and grits and refreshing cocktails. 912 Royal St. • 412-8965 • cafeamelie.com Café 821, in the CBD, offers good coffee and Belgian waffles with delicious housemade syrups.

Stop by for a Croque Monsieur and French pastries. 821 Baronne St. • 267-5456 Café Navarre is a casual, neighborhood place with great atmosphere and selections for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. 800 Navarre Ave. • 483-8828 • riccobonos.com/ cafe_navarre Carmo Tropical Cafe and Bar brings culinary influences from the Caribbean to West Africa and beyond, making this spot sure to excite the palate.

527 Julia St. • 875-4132 • cafecarmo.com

EAT, a farm-to-table style restaurant. offers a variety of Cajun, Creole and other famous NOLA dishes. Enjoy local favorites featuring fresh, local ingredients. 900 Dumaine St. • 522-7222 • eatnola.com

Venezia offers home-cooked Italian food at its best. Make memories with family and friends and be sure to enjoy the always-perfect pizza. 134 N. Carrollton Ave. • 488-7991 • venezianeworleans.com

Jimmy J’s Cafe is a great place to eat for both locals and tourists. Jimmy J’s offers a variety of breakfast and lunch options. 115 Chartres St. • 309-9360 • jimmyjscafe.com

LATIN

Orleans Grapevine allows you to indulge in casual fine dining and a glass of wine. Enjoy the shrimp remoulade indoors or in the cozy courtyard. 720 Orleans Ave. • 523-1930 • orleansgrapevine.com Riccobono’s Panola Street Cafe, located uptown near Tulane, is a wonderful spot for breakfast or lunch. The hearty breakfast plates can’t be missed here. 7801 Panola St. • 3141810 • riccobonos.com

Mizado Cocina is an exciting, bustling place with a ceviche bar and hand-crafted salsas.

Come to enjoy fresh Mexican food and strong drinks. 5080 Ponchartrain Blvd. • 885-5555 • mizadococina.com Nacho Mama's Mexican Grill serves unique mexican dishes loaded with creative seasoning combinations that you won’t find anywhere else. 1000 S. Clearview Pkwy. • 736-1188 • nachomamasmexicangrill.com

MIDDLE EASTERN

Copeland's of New Orleans combines New Orleans flavor and comfort in a casual dining atmosphere. Copeland’s is known for its premium ingredients, sauces and seasonings.

Covington, Metairie, Kenner, Slidell, West Bank • copelandsofneworleans.com Criollo Restaurant is great for enjoying creative food presentations and the revolving Carousel Bar. Choose from a selection of wonderful wine and classic cocktails. 214 Royal St. • 681-4444 • criollonola.com Marti’s is the ideal place for a small plate or cocktail Downtown. Enoy their happy hour Tuesday through Sunday with half-priced cocktails and wine. 1041 Dumaine St. 522-5478 martisnola.com

PIZZA AND MORE Dolce Vita Pizzeria specializes in delicious wood-fired pizzas and having a friendly staff. Enjoy

a daily happy hour from 2–5 p.m. 1205 St. Charles Ave. Unit C-3 • 324-7674 • dvpizzeria.com Mo’s Pizza offers more than just hand-tossed pizzas. Try the turnovers, Mo’s take on the calzone, and other options including muffalettas and meatball po-boys. Westwego • 341-9650 • mospizzanola.com

PO-BOYS AND MORE Domilise’s, though it has limited seating, is a great place to go for a delicious and simple fried shrimp, catfish, or roast beef po-boy. 5240 Annunciation St. • 899-9126 Parkway Bakery and Tavern is a casual, family dining restaurant that offers po-boys for the right prices. Enjoy eating out on the patio. 538 Hagan Ave. • 482-3047 • parkwaypoorboys.com Short Stop Poboys is committed to satisfying customers with great food and excellent service.

Enjoy an assortment of po-boys and some amazing seafood gumbo. 119 Transcontinental Dr. • 855-4572 • shortstoppoboys.com

Vacherie has a variety of sandwiches and salads as part of their café menu. Stop by for dinner to enjoy drinks and appetizers bar menu. 827 Toulouse St. • 207-4532 • vacherierestaurant.com

Lebanon's Café offers some of the finest Middle Eastern dishes in New Orleans—creamy homemade hummus, amazing kabobs, rosemary lamb chop, and much more. 1500 S. Carrollton Ave. • 862-6200 • lebanonscafe.com

ITALIAN

NEW ORLEANS CUISINE

SEAFOOD

Pascal's Manale brings 100 years of rich recipes that have resulted in delicious specialties.

Try their Creole-Italian dishes, soups, pastas, veal and fantastic sides. 1838 Napoleon Ave. • 895-4877 • pascalmanale.com

Antoine's Restaurant continues to serve renowned French-Creole cuisine in its unique and historic atmosphere. It's a New Orleans staple you can't pass up. 713 St. Louis St. • 581-4422 • antoines.com

Crazy Lobster Bar & Grill offers great indoor and outdoor seating options, tasty, fresh seafood, classic New Orleans favorites and a variety of innovative cocktails. 500 Port of New Orleans Pl. • 569-3380 • thecrazylobster.com

Red Gravy, offering traditional and handmade pasta dishes and vegetarian options, invites you to indulge in home-cooked Italian food in the heart of NOLA. 125 Camp St. • 561-8844 • redgravycafe.com

Charlie’s Restaurant features a casual, family-friendly atmosphere here along with comfort foods. Charlie’s has an extensive menu, and it’s well worth the drive. Violet, Louisiana • 682-9057 • charliesrestaurantla.com

Don's Seafood Hut features delicious weeknight seafood specials. This casual and low-key spot offers delicious Cajun fare that will satisfy any seafood lover. 4801 Veterans Memorial Blvd. • 889-1550 • donsseafoodonline.com

MaMomma's

WhereYat.com | Halloween 2014 | 51

FilmReviews Kill The Messenger

Catch Where Y'at Movie Editor David Vicari and critic Fritz Esker's “Dueling Critics” blog at WhereYat.com.

By Fritz Esker

Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) plays a journalist out to uncover links between the CIA and drug dealers in Kill the Messenger, a film based on the work of real-life reporter Gary Webb.

Webb was a San Jose Mercury News journalist who received information indicating that, in the 1980s, the CIA used money from drugs sold in the United States to fund an illegal war against the Contras in Nicaragua.

After his initial story received accolades, the government and much of the national media launched a smear campaign against Webb, questioning his journalistic ethics, exposing an extramarital affair from earlier in his life, and turning him into a professional pariah.

Some elements of Webb’s arc plus the film’s focus on how editorial decisions in newspapers can be unduly influenced by outside pressure may remind viewers of Michael Mann’s excellent 1999 film The Insider. Kill the Messenger does not quite reach those heights despite a strong first hour devoted to Webb connecting the dots as he writes the initial story. Even though there’s little action other than conversation, this part of the narrative zips along and never seems too talky.

But as Webb is gradually left hung out to dry, the film loses some momentum and the third act fizzles a bit. Granted, stories based on reality don’t always have the most cinematic endings, but the finale here feels anticlimactic. Title cards at the end reveal some startling information (for those unfamiliar with the story) and it’s hard not to wonder if it would’ve been better for this information to be depicted in the body of the film.

The screenplay was written by Peter Landesman, the writer-director of last year’s Parkland, a film about the JFK assassination. Messenger is about on the same level as Parkland; it’s a solid, thoughtful film, but one that’s not quite good enough to stand out amongst awards season releases. @NOLAMOVIEBUFF

Annabelle

By David Vicari

The creepy doll featured in 2013's The Conjuring now has its own movie.

So, this is a spin-off and not a direct prequel, as the characters played

by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga do not appear. The doll, named Annabelle after the woman whose evil spirit inhabits it, is just used as a vessel and doesn't run around murdering people like Chucky in Child's Play (1988).

Satan worshipers intent on human sacrifices break into the home of nice, dull couple John and Mia (Ward Horton, Annabelle Wallis). Luckily, the fi ve-o show up and shoot the satanic disciples dead.

But, ha! The spirit of the female perpetrator slithers into a doll that, on its own, is prime nightmare fuel. So, the pregnant Mia is terrorized by strange happenings as John is at work.

Once their baby is born the haunting gets more intense.

The story is stretched pretty thin here. It's pretty much set up, scare, repeat. So, if that is all you are looking for in your horror, then you may have a good time with Annabelle.

I will admit, there are a few good jolts. And there is also some effective hair-raising imagery—like the devil creature at the bottom of a darkened stairwell! It's just too bad the filmmakers didn't take the same care with character and story that they did with setting up the scares.

52 | Halloween 2014 | Film Reviews

D

Dueling Critics: Gone Girl

By David Vicari and Fritz Esker

ueling Critics is a Where Y’at feature where movie critics David Vicari and Fritz Esker engage in some Siskel & Ebert-style banter about a new film. For this installment, they discuss the David Fincher directed mystery/thriller.

Fritz: With all great directors, there is a tendency to nitpick. I think David Fincher has made three genuinely great films: Seven, The Social Network, and Zodiac. His other films are all good or at least interesting misfires.

I would place Gone Girl in the good-but-notgreat category. How did you feel about it?

David: I think it's good-but-not-great Fincher. Still, a mystery/thriller from David Fincher is bounds and leaps better than the average cookie-cutter fare that we generally get. This is a riveting film for most of its two-and-a-half hour running time. Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, who becomes the prime suspect when his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), goes missing under suspicious circumstances. But that is just the first act of a thriller that has several twists and turns.

Fritz: I think Fincher does strong work as a director here, but I really think the film is anchored by the two leads, Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Affleck is always at his best when he's not playing traditional heroes, but rather guys who are either flat-out douchebags (Dazed and Confused) or, at the very least, morally compromised protagonists (Changing Lanes). Pike's received steady work over the years and always acquitted herself well, but I think this is a star-making turn for her. Talking about the big twist, which occurs midway through the film...did it surprise you? I've read the book (by Gillian Flynn, who also wrote the screenplay) and one complaint I had with it was that I figured out where it was headed a while before the twist. Did it catch you off guard? Have you read the book?

David: Now, I haven't read the book, but I saw the twist coming from the get-go. I had suspected it before I actually saw the movie. Yet, where it went from there was

fairly intriguing, balancing a character study with the thriller elements.

Yes, Affleck is very good here, and so is Pike. I agree, she has always been a solid actress and this is her star-making performance. I also think there are several other juicy female roles that are well played.

The underused Kim Dickens is fantastic as the lead detective on the case. She has good chemistry with Patrick Fugit, who plays her more reserved partner. And Carrie Coon, as Nick's sister who is a voice of reason, turns in a rich and emotional performance.

For me, what makes Gone Girl a good movie, but not a great movie is the final act. It feels protracted and dulls the overall effect. At the same time, the final scene is very abrupt. I get the point, but it just feels Fincher didn't quite know when and how to end it.

Fritz: The ending does just sort of peter out a bit, but so does the book (that doesn't mean the movie should get a free pass for the flaw, but it exists in both forms). I read an article recently that pointed out how romantic relationships in Fincher's films either end badly (Seven, Zodiac, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, even the Sigourney Weaver-Charles Dance liaison in Alien 3) or are profoundly messed up (Benjamin Button, Fight Club). In Panic Room and The Game, the main characters are divorced. Do you think the futility of romantic relationships is an intentional recurring theme in Fincher's work, or are auteurists reading more into it than is actually there?

David: I personally never gave it any thought. It's possible that the subject of broken relationships is something that Fincher has in his subconscious, but I don't think it's completely intentional. But then again, most art is about the search for love.

WhereYat.com | Halloween 2014 | 53

TalesFromTheQuarter

By Debbie Lindsay

H

Boo!

alloween—I am not that connected to this particular holiday but I get it. When I was a kid it was great fun but now I focus only on the candy corn—really love that stuff. And while orange is a fabulous color and I own enough black clothing to become a professional mourner, those two shades together just don’t work. And what’s with all the dreadful spiders and those fiberglass tacky webs? Jack-o-lanterns I do like but man, do they smell after a while.

Again, this is me and I do think any excuse to deviate from our everyday concerns and worries is healthy.

There is a part of me that loves to be frightened, yet I do not need Halloween to get my goose bumps roaring. Give me a Stephen King book and I am in escape-reality mode. I have spent many nights turning a blind eye to my woes and worries in the company of my favorite serial killer, Dexter.

Then when he left me I rode shot gun with a handsome U.S. Marshall and together we dealt with some nasty and dangerous nutcases, white supremacists, and gun-toting drug dealers. Oh those were happy times. Yes, from the comfort of my LazyBoy, armed with a glass of Chardonnay I could forget my job, love gone haywire, and all the realities I have no control over. Netflix and a good book beat Xanax every time.

For many, watching the evening news is just too overwhelming. However, somehow the everyday boogie men (work, money, sagging butt) that infest my well-being become so minor as Brian Williams walks me through the world’s wars and woes.

Every hurricane season Margaret Orr puts me in a tail spin over a little thunder storm and Bob Breck presents an approaching hurricane with high camp and did-hereally-just-say-that enthusiasm. And the off-the-chart antics of our local politicians and scofflaws are infuriating comedy. My tourists reading this certainly have their fair share of hometown bad guys and frightening weather alerts but it’s only

54 | Halloween 2014 | Tales from the Quarter

fun and games until someone gets hurt.

Because things that strike close to home feel too real to be simply an adrenaline rush and the distraction of breaking news can and often does become quite personal. But scary movies and sci-fi books can give us that healthy escape from the horrors of the mundane—like that sink full of dirty dishes that is just too terrifying to approach.

With all this said, Halloween should be right up my alley, yet it has become so contrived, commercialized, and consumerized that it has lost its eerie and stand-alone quality. It has become a “season” that begins in the sterile aisles of box stores everywhere. Thank goodness only a few Halloweenish songs exist or we’d be forced to tap our toes to The “Monster Mash” in elevators and grocery stores for a month.

Adults now celebrate Halloween more than the kids. It has become a “party” with New Orleans becoming a big time destination; a runway for the half-naked and creative with parties and parades. And all this is fine; however the magic seems to have been lost along the way.

This symbolic day of souls and spirits, witches and warlocks, tricks and treats is just that – one special day that should be indulged and feared on October 31st , All Souls Day, and not a month in advance. Kids used to take to the streets on Halloween night but now you might see these little goblins hamming it up for candy just about any night prior to the real night. And what about those daytime trick or treat costumed outings—now that’s just plain wrong. I understand safety but for god’s sake how can they ever understand or feel the mystery and magic that night brings to the ritual under the glare of florescent lights.

Okay, it’s not the way I remember it as a kid, but then very little else is. And maybe letting us adults jump in and share in the festivities is just what we need. We may botch it up a bit, forget its roots, put profit ahead of traditions yet still we take the time to escape, to act like kids and scare reality away for a moment.

So this year Boyfriend is trick or treating as an Entergy worker threatening to turn off power off and I will dress as a meter maid and walk the streets of the French Quarter.

Be scared, be very scared.

Happy Halloween.

Po-BoyViews By Phil LaMancusa How We Roll Or Proud To Call It

Y

ou know you’re from New Orleans when a joke about lawyers will bore you to tears but mention ‘the one about the nun and the horny monkey’ and your attention becomes as focused as a sniper….other indications abound.

New Orleans is neat because we can bike anywhere in the city and never consider that some bicycles have gears.

We can discuss gumbo at length, have at least ten ‘favorite places’ to eat, know going to Galatoire’s is not about the food and that a woman should never be expected to wear stockings unless she’s in a burlesque show. We know that the four seasons are food groups not weather patterns, alligator is ‘the other white meat’ and that we can get locally baked po boy bread, but baguettes and ciabatta have to be imported from California. We regard ‘Slow Food’ as something we’ve been doing here since 1718, start our red beans to soak on Sunday night, don’t consider eating beignets a special occasion and haven’t had a Lucky Dog since playing tour guide to inebriated relatives years ago.

We know that when you call 911 they might not respond unless you say “Shots Fired!” and maybe not even then with any alacrity. We know that if/when we call an ambulance it will be accompanied by a fire truck and a huge bill for the ride; which is why hurt citizens call a cab or have a friend drop them off at the emergency room… it’s cheaper.

None of us understand why Charity Hospital stayed closed, why the 610 overpass has not been torn down or

why we aren’t allowed to drink in our cars anymore. We don’t give money to tap dancers, know where we got our shoes and suspect that those folks with signs that say “Homeless/AnythingHelps/GodBless” are making more money than us.

We’re not surprised to see crops growing from potholes in our streets, roofers rubbing elbows with judges at art openings, men in red dresses, women dressed as pirates and/or painted gold or silver. We would rather get our health care from our veterinarian because we trust vets more than doctors. We’ll pin money on a birthday shirt or blouse, support WWOZ rather than PBS, feed stray cats,

brake for crossing chickens, consider going to Chalmette a road trip and avoid Bourbon St. We believe Paul Prudhomme and Susan Spicer are saints and we believe our Saints will pull it off this year.

We wonder why some people think that football pools are illegal. We don’t consider ourselves part of the American South, more like Caribbean North. We don’t drink Sweet Tea. We know what we mean when we say ”Lagniappe,” “Red Gravy,” “Making Groceries,” and “Ya Momma and

Dem.” We dance every day, on any occasion, for any reason or none at all. We dress our sandwiches.

We don’t give direction by compass points, everything to us is either Uptown, Downtown, River Side or Lake Side. We use our favorite bars as MapQuest.

We all have our own ways of dealing with fleas, ticks, roaches and termites. We’re stung by mosquitoes, caterpillars, spiders and insects here that have yet to be named. Our cats hunt palmetto bugs in our houses. We think monk parrots and cicadas make music not noise.

We’re not surprised to discover raccoons, possums or rats at our compost. There are alligators and snakes loose in our parks. We run the gamut of birdlife here. We have only one degree of separation. We have opinions about everything but know better than to discuss sex, politics or religion in bars.

We love the Krewe Du Vieux, Muses and the Society of Saint Anne. We know that a second line trumps traffic, there’s always some kind of festival going on and your bike is about to be stolen no matter what kind of lock you use. We only wear socks in winter and when we have to go to work.

We know when a friend is on a diet of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol they need commiseration and an intervention.

We ‘get’ Confederacy of Dunces. We all have worked in the service industry at some point, know musicians or are one (probably both) and find it funny that when the bridge toll was cut out, ferry prices cut in. We wonder why the streetcar tracks haven’t been finished in nine years and the Superdome was up and running in nine months.

We believe that it’s a blessed day when we wake up in the morning, more so because we haven’t missed a meal and especially so when the conversation at mealtime is centered on our plans for the next meal. Our city flower is a happy face balloon.

Po-Boy Views | Halloween 2014 | 55

Since 2007, Grand Isle has been serving the freshest local seafood available and beer from ice taps. It is located at 575 Convention Center Blvd. with validated parking in the Harrah’s parking garage.

Check out its daily cocktail specials and happy hour Monday-Friday from 4-7 p.m. Drop by seven days a week for the best seafood Louisiana has to offer!

Chat NIKKI REYES with

<< Jeff Hof Managing Partner, Grand Isle Restaurant

<<Hank Allen Chief Meteorologist, WGNO 26

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4.

5.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Ambulance chasers.

The pig in Amityville Horror.

Arrogant.

I went as a prick.

My wife, Sabrina.

5.

<< Bryan Anderson Chef, Grand Isle Restaurant 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Roaches.

The Exorcist.

Demented.

"Olaf," the Snowman from the movie Frozen.

My wife, Lisa. She's my VIP.

3.

4.

5.

Centipedes The little girl in The Ring.

Annoying.

A monk with poker chips glued on. Get it? CHIPMUNK! Haha.

A Saintsation.

Where Y’at Chat Questions: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

It's Halloween time! What "creepy" creature makes your skin crawl?

What scary movie character scares you the most?

What word best describes your not-so-nice/scary side?

What has been your most elaborate Halloween costume?

It's Voodoo Fest! You only have 2 V.I.P. tickets — one for you and guest. Who do you bring?

<< Marianne Gieger Assistant GM, Grand Isle Restaurant 1.

2.

The Nikki Reyes Show Thurs., 5 p.m.

WGSO 990am

Scary clowns — freaks me out.

Poltergeist! That FREAKY clown from beneath the bed.

Red Dragon. When I'm on fire? You can tell from across the room.

An Autumn fairy in the French Quarter.

Gene Simmons of KISS.

<< Ana Maria Cornejo Partner/Owner, Advantage Realty 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Whatever.

Hannibal of The Silence of the Lambs.

I don't know.

I am elaborate enough.

I will sell the tickets!

^^ Carolina Gallop Fashion Designer, Instructor 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Freddy Krueger.

The Exorcist.

"BRUJA." Spanish for "witch."

A pirate wench.

Heidi! She is my wild and crazy buddy.

<< Louis Marcotte Owner, Italy Direct Clothing

<< Virginia Saussy Marketing Consultant/ Carnival "Muse"

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2.

3.

4.

5.

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2.

3.

4.

5.

Freddy Krueger!

The Exorcist.

Intense.

The prowler.

Erin Ewing, my fiancé.

An orange vest. I'm living in construction HELL —Uptown!

Jack from The Shining. I think I dated him in my 20's.

If the humidity is bad enough? Medusa.

Karen Ann Quinlan... a.k.a. "New Jersey Vegetable."

A celebrity big enough to distract the crowds. So, I get the best spot.

<< John Durio Owner, D & E Vending

<< Marla Donovan Owner, Estudio M/ Philanthropist

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3.

4.

5.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Cockaroaches.

Damien of The Omen.

Angry.

A female gymnast...on steroids.

Nikki, your elementary school buddy, Gretchen Wagner.

56 | Halloween 2014 | Where Y'at Chat

Zombies.

Jack from The Shining.

Demanding.

The Black Widow! Nikki, remember?

YOU, Nikki! Let's V.I.P. at Voodoo Fest.

WhereYat.com | Halloween 2014 | 57

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Brought to you by:

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58 | Halloween 2014 | Where Ya' Been

Where Ya' Been?

7 1.

The Roux La La girls enjoyed volunteering at the LA-SPCA’s New Orleans on Tap.

2.

K’Cee Kreppein, Areme Kreppein Marks, and Shelly Lawrence dressed the part at “Stormin’ the Sazerac.”

the Sazerac.”

6.

The Bronies were out in full effect at DerpyCon South.

7.

Shelley Waguespack and Charlie Bateman enjoyed Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day at Pat O’Brien’s with friends.

3.

NOLA Brewing bartenders Rico, Nikki, and Angela served up the beers at Touro’s Pints for Prostates cancer awareness event.

8.

4.

Sailor Jerry’s Haley Waldner celebrated the Caps for Kids fundraiser at Tracey’s with Sara Valashinas and Mary Hulse.

Kristen Coffman and friends enjoyed “Stormin’ the Sazerac” at the Roosevelt Hotel.

9.

Pat O’Brien’s celebrated Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day with Hurricanes and Groovy 7.

5.

Amy DiGiovanni and Jaimee Carreras celebrate Jaimee’s birthday during “Stormin’

10. The Organ Grinders volunteered at New Orleans on Tap at City Park.

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