Dispatch: JazzFest Eve

Posted: April 22nd, 2010 | Filed under: Community, Culture, Music | No Comments »

Dateline New Orleans 4/22/10.

My new main man is Jonathan at the Alamo Rental Car Rental counter.

I shopped for prices renting MiniVans — I got me a big krewe — and Avis tried harder. Until I got to MSY where there was a long line at only one company’s counter. That’s right, Avis.

So I asked the Film Babe to check at the empty Alamo counter to see what they charged? $350 more than We Use To Try Harder. As we walked away, my man Jonathan saw I had a reservation in hand.

“What daya got there?”

“If you can match this number, it’s your deal.”

Not only that, he beat We Try Harder by $50, saving the Cultcha Maven Krewe four hundred.

Thanks to my new main man Jonathan, I can say without fear of contradiction: On this day in the Crescent City, Alamo Tries Harder.

Plus we got that great ride over to the lot with the ever loquacious Felisha, who regaled us with her tale of driving Art Neville to Cooter Brown’s.

While I’m handing out props, let’s hear it for Continental. No delays. No lost luggage. It’s a good thing.

None of which of course has anything whatsoever to do with JazzFest, but hey these folks deserve a shout out for a job well done.

A quick stop at Frankie & Johnny’s on Arabella uptown, let us sate ourselves just enough — Love those onion rings and oysters — to hold us until our Galatoire’s reservation, which is less than two hours away.

* * * * *

While I’ve only been here a few hours, one thing is immediately apparent about The City Time Forgot.

It is alive and kicking.

Lots more traffic than even last year. Lots more people on the streets. Just more action. Considering what this city was like after Katrina, it is the truest testament to the will of New Orleanians.

The Westin Canal Place is jammed to the gills with folks in for JazzFest, and the unfortunates who are here for a Dermatology convention and seem, for the most part, clueless as to what’s really happenin’ here for the next ten days.

So too the guys riding in the van to rental car lot, who are in town for 12 hours just to go to a Crawfish Boil of a big customer.

“Must be a really good customer,” I opined.

“Yes, yes, yes he is.”

* * * * *

Just checked in with charter Krewe member Bill, who can’t make it down this year.

“Who are your big acts tomorrow?”

Baaba Maal. Dr. John. Chocolate Milk. Steel Pulse. New Orleans Nightcrawlers. Lost Bayou Ramblers.

Maybe a little “Sea Cruise” with Frankie Ford. Some Atomic Doggy with G. Clinton & P-Funk. (Just learned on the flight here that the first appearance of the Mothership at one of their shows was here in New Orleans in ’76.)

And I’ll have to check out some Mas Mamones.

Surely there will be a pleasant surprise or two. After all, there are fifty acts I didn’t mention.

Which is to say, rain or shine on the morrow, there will be good times rollin’.

Later, kids.

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