Ahh, here it is mid-August in New Orleans. Perhaps it’s just because I have A.C. for the first time ever (having recently given up on the Bohemian, warehouse-dweller lifestyle and moved into a regular house with like, an actual lease and stuff) and I work nights, but it really feels like everyone around me is kicking this summer’s ass, as opposed to having their asses kicked by it, which is how I normally feel about this time of year. The weather has been more tolerable here, from what I gather, than in, say, New York (which is where normally everyone around here would be fleeing to). Folks have stayed somewhat creative and productive, with cool shows, outdoor generator parties, new projects.
And so I’m excited about this show, happening the week that the colleges get back in. It seems like the perfect way to head out of summer and look towards fall, the most alive and exciting time around these parts. I’ve been a fan of Shunda K and Yo! Majesty for a long time, and am excited she’s coming and doing it right in New Orleans, with queer bounce originator Katey Red, electro party rockers Jean Eric (first show back from tour) and me spinning electro and hip-hop all night long. This is gonna be big y’all, see you there.
It’s been a loooooong time coming, but the new book from 10th Ward Buck and Garrett County Press is finally done! It’s a huge coffee table book of photos and writing about Buck, New Orleans Bounce, growing up here, block parties, booty shaking, and all that good stuff. Contributions from Buck, Lucky Johnson, music writer Alison Fensterstock and myself. Go get it.
So, google the Krewe of Eris and you’ll quickly learn that the walking parade, which has been happening for seven years, had a terrible run-in with the NOPD this year, with several people being arrested, lots being pepper sprayed and tazed, one having his cheekbone broken with a billy club. There’s been tons of debate and internet bickering over who is right and wrong in the situation, and as a rule I don’t argue about shit on the internet, but I’ve been involved with Krewe of Eris since the jump (this is probably going to go into my FBI file now) and I’m pretty much in the center of this shit-storm, so I guess I have to voice an opinion. Which is this: There’ve always been people who got carried away, or got too drunk, or got too excited, and walked around on cars, or smashed stuff, or broke things. But THIS IS NOT WHAT THE PARADE IS ABOUT. The parade is a celebration of life and creativity and community, and we need to do a better job of spreading this message and policing ourselves and not letting things get out of hand. Shit, my car got damaged this year in front of my house. That said, I am appalled and disgusted by how the 5th District police reacted this year. Seriously, in a town that thrives on public events, gatherings, festivals and parades, do the 5th District cops really not have any training in crowd control? They didn’t de-escalate anything, they just turned into a total cluster-fuck, and hurt a LOT of innocent people. Is that what they train you to do here? Hit people’s cameras out of their hands? It’s obscene and disgusting, and it’s no wonder they’ve got the lowest approval rate of any police district in the city. SO anyhoo, that’s my opinion.
Whether you agree or not, some of those arrested are facing serious charges, and no one should go to prison for being in the wrong place at the wrong time (at best) or even for being young and stupid (at worst), so if you want to help the arrestees with a donation, go here.
On Thursday, March 31st, I’ll be ganging up with photographer Nicola Krebill to show my drawings and his photos from our recent tour with bounce artist Vockah Redu, as well as other pieces of New Orleans related art. I’ll be releasing my new mixtape, “Bounce to Bmore” and we’ll be selling prints and artwork related to the Krewe of Eris to raise money for the legal funds of those arrested in last month’s Krewe of Eris debacle. If you haven’t been following the whole Krewe of Eris mess, google that shit. The show is at Byrdie’s Gallery, 2422 St. Claude Avenue in New Orleans, at 7pm.
Well, Mardi Gras has been bonkers in many amazing and terrible ways coinciding with each other, but while I’m still sorting through it all in my brains, here’s a video of the What Cheer? Brigade, who I believe is my spirit animal.
DJ Chicken is my favorite DJ in New Orleans. Whether it’s one of his artfully mixed power throwback lunches on power 102.9, or his morning Chicken and Waffles mix, his wit and stoked-to-be-DJ Chicken attitude mixes with his insane knowledge of hip-hop from New Orleans and beyond and if I’m at home or driving around listening to it, makes me feel like we’re all in this shit together in New Orleans, all really part of something. Check out this guest mixtape he made for Offbeat magazine.
If you’ve never seen What Cheer? Brigade, prepare thyself! I’ve gotten to do all kinds of stuff with the 16 person Providence marching band over the last couple of years–DJ with them, remix their songs (Check my soundcloud page) and most recently tour with them and a bunch of other crazy performers on B. Dolan’s Church of Love and Ruin tour. Now they’re coming to visit, performing at the Hi-Ho with me and New York’s incredible Apocalypse Five and Dime (Check out their adorable video here). All of this following the Krewe of Eris parade, the highlight of Carnival! This is gonna be bucknanas…
