News and information from the New Orleans area
Krewe du Vieux
Mardi Gras 2017 and Donald Trump!!
07 years
President Trump was made for Mardi Gras. He’s a caricature of a man in many respects. He’s the biggest cry baby to ever occupy the White House. Like a five year old he cannot control his temper, therefore he loses his temper a lot. He’s mad at a lot of powerful and not so powerful people. And his skin is orange!
There is no doubt in my mind that Carnival 2017 will be chock full of satirical stabs at our President. His intolerance, inconsistent policy pronunciations, use of Twitter to discuss/set policy, his crazy shock of blond hair, these are targets made for Mardi Gras parodies.
The first real parade of the season, the ribald and risque Krewe du Vieux rolls this Saturday in the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny, and downtown. Among the Trump floats are our President as Jabba the Hutt; a tentacled, fondling Trump creature; and a homage to an unholy alliance between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bottles of Trumpoff vodka will be handed out along with I Voted stickers starring Putin mimicking the George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog voting stickers that voters in Louisiana received after voting.
I cannot wait to see how the other satirical krewes like Muses, Tucks, NYX, etc. will mess with our president. This should be a very fun Mardi Gras season.
Here is the Donald at Carnival 2016!
The Donald at Carnival 2016!
Protester Tom Moran wears a paper mache head of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as he demonstrated outside Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York
Donald Trump being razzed by Lady Liberty in a German Parade
Krewe du Vieux Rolls February 11!
07 years
How exciting! Krewe du Vieux time, almost. I’m a longtime escort for the Krewe of Underwear, one of the many sub-krewes that make up KdV. Marching in a parade is one of the most fun, most unique experiences a New Orleanian can experience.
As an escort, I have four main duties. 1. Stay relatively sober. 2. Make sure no one or no group joins the parade during the parade. 3. Make sure the float is moving down the parade route at an even keel. 4. If some incident occurs, blow the whistle to attract quick help. An incident can be a float problem, or someone gets injured by the float, etc.
I’m not the big drinker a lot of other krewe members are. I like to drink now and again, but I generally don’t have an urge to overdo it. There are three drinking opportunities during parade day. There’s the pre-party before the parade, there’s the 2.5 mile parade itself, and there’s the ball after the parade.
I usually drink for the third event, the ball. If I start drinking hours earlier, I won’t be in very good shape by the time the ball comes around. The krewe of Underwear is responsible for feeding and providing drink for the escorts. That doesn’t always work out that well. I generally bring my own food and drink into the ball. That way I am assured of eating and drinking well.
KdV is the only krewe in all of the New Orleans Mardi Gras that is allowed to roll in the Marigny and French Quarter. That’s because the krewe is a marching krewe, and the floats, pulled by mules, are far smaller than floats that carry riders. It’s real treat to march through these historic parts of town at night during the parade.
The musical acts provided for the ball is top tier New Orleans, like the Radiators, Walter Washington and the Roadmasters, John Cleary, etc. The crowd is incredible- the entire KdV and guests, dressed in awesome costumes. It’s a sight to behold.
2017 New Orleans Mardi Gras Forecast!!
07 years
Saw this basket while in the Broad Street Whole Foods today.
It’s January 16, 2017, which means the it’s Carnival Time in New Orleans! The season officially begins on January 6, also known as Twelfth Night. My own krewe, Krewe du Vieux (KdV), rolls Saturday, February 11. I’m an escort for the Krewe of Underwear, one of the many sub krewes that make up KdV. Mardi Gras is fun for everyone, but rolling with a parade krewe is a big step up in fun.
Joan of Arc already rolled downtown, and was a small, floatless affair. Fun nonetheless.
Joan of Arc parade 2017
Mardi Gras Day, aka Fat Tuesday, is rather late, February 28. That often means a warm Fat Tuesday. I love Fat Tuesday regardless of the weather but a warm day means a skimpy costume choice. Less is always more during Carnival time.
The original super-krewe, Bacchus,has chosen TV’s Person of Interest’s Jim Caviezel as Bacchus 2017. The parade’s theme is Salute to the Saints. Bacchus was formed in 1967 by restaurateur Owen Brennan as the first modern super krewe, because of it’s size, celebrity kings, and spectacular super floats.
Bacchus parades the Sunday before Fat Tuesday. The 2009 Krewe included more than 1,350 members, and its parade featured 33 floats including its signature floats: the Bacchasaurus, a giant dinosaur; the Bacchawhoppa, an equally large whale; Bacchagator, an enormous alligator; and Baccatality, a 3-float procession made up of restaurateurs. The Baccamore’, a love themed float, was introduced in 2008. In keeping with tradition, “Bacchus beads” and doubloons are thrown to revelers from the floats.
Bacchus blazed the way for numerous other New Orleans Mardi Gras super krewes, including Endymion, Orpheus, and Muses. I credit Bacchus with a lot of innovation back in a day when all floats were small. HAIL BACCHUS 2017, February 27 2017!! Happy Mardi Gras to all!
30th EDITION OF KREWE DU VIEUX ROLLS!!
0
2016 KdV wristband and wooden doubloon featuring Queen Big Freedia!
The 2016 edition of Krewe du Vieux (KdV) rolled in the French Quarter, Marigny and Central Business District last Saturday night at 6 pm before a large and adoring crowd. Many of the parade viewers wore a costume piece or two, showing their Mardi Gras enthusiasm on a cold, somewhat blustery night. New Orleans’ own Queen of Bounce, Big Freedia, ruled as Krewe du Vieux Queen. Freedia is a hip-hop artist, reality TV star, and transgender rights advocate.
This year’s parade was dedicated to two fallen titans of New Orleans culture, chef Paul Prudhomme and singer Frankie Ford. The seventeen sub-krewes each presented their own versions of the XXX theme. The subkrewes- the Krewe of C.R.U.D.E, Krewe of Space Age Love, Krewe of Underwear, Seeds of Decline, Krewe of Mama Roux, Krewe of L.E.W.D., Krewe of Drips and Discharges, Krewe of K.A.O.S., Knights of Mondu, T.O.K.I.N., Krewe rue Bourbon, Krewe du C.R.A.P.S., Mystic Krewe of Spermes, Mystik Krewe of Comotose, Mystic Krewe of Inane, Krewe du Mishigas, and Krewe of SPANK.
KdV 2016 Float
Marching along with the Krewe of Underwear through the historic French Quarter and Marigny, with Egg Yolk Jubilee playing Mardi Gras tunes and other party classics like the Commodore’s Brick House, life couldn’t be finer. As I’ve written before, participating in a Mardi Gras parade as a rider/walker is a New Orleans experience not to be missed. Krewe du Vieux is unusual with all their mules and brass bands, no other krewe utilizes the roughly 20 mules and brass bands KdV does. Some floats (K.A.O.S) utilize a tricycle to move their float forward. What those krewes have against mules I don’t know. Maybe they love mules so much they don’t want to put them through the KdV experience. That’s a question for another entry.
No studio is hired to produce the 20 odd KdV floats; volunteers from each sub-krewe are responsible for building their own. Each sub-krewe is allowed to interpret the main theme as they see fit. Over time, amateur float builders gain serious float building experience, so the floats get better and better over time.
For most Mardi Gras krewes, the pre-parade party, the parade, and the ball are glorified drinking opportunities. Many but not all krewe members drink throughout the entire 8-10 hour process. It’s a daunting process but one of the most fun days of the year for most.
As an escort for Underwear, I’m not supposed to drink during the pre-parade party or the parade, and I don’t. I find as I’ve gotten older, I do better with 3 hours of drinking than 10. Even though a double gin and tonic at the Civic during the ball was $14 plus tip, I ended up having a couple and supplementing that with some vodka I purchased at a little store outside the Civic before going in.
George Porter Jr and his Runnin’ Pardners with special guests Walter Wolfman Washington and Billy Gibbons, guitarist and lead vocalist of ZZ Top, were somewhat generic in their song selection but still over the top fantastic.
The Civic had no food and a no outside food rule. That means one needed to find food somewhere off premises which wasn’t that easy in my estimation. While I’m on the topic of food, the food at the Underwear pre-parade party, except for the homemade dessert I made, was entirely store bought fried chicken fingers, finger sandwiches, some powdered doughnuts and some Zapp’s potato chips.
I personally took the time to make a beloved homemade dessert because I think the world of my krewe and want them to eat well and I was a bit disappointed at all the store bought food.
ZZ Top Guitarist and Lead Vocalist Billy Gibbons
KdV 2016 Float 1
KdV 2016 Float 2
KdV 2016 Float 3
KdV 2016 Float 4
KdV 2016 Float 5 Krewe of Underwear!
KdV 2016 Float 6
KdV 2016 Float 7
KdV 2016 Float 8
KdV 2016 Float 9
KdV 2016 Float 10
KdV 2016 Float 11
KdV 2016 Float 12
KdV 2016 Float 13
KAZOOZIE FLOOZIES!!
08 years
Kazoos purchased from Le Jouet for Kazoozie Floozies KdV 2016 March
Who are the Kazoozie Floozies? A group of New Orleans women who play the kazoo and create and sing risque lyrics to well known pop tunes. Formed in 1984 by the now deceased, legendary Ellen Abrams, the Floozies march in parades (Krewe du Vieux, Molly’s at the Market- Jim Monaghan’s- French Quarter Halloween Parade, and Molly’s at the Market Irish Parade), perform for store openings, and other notable events. Liz Scott Monaghan, Jim’s last wife, called the Floozies a rowdy song group, a fitting description.
Favorite Floozie ditties include- Getting It Up Is Hard To Do, Hey Quick Spender, Down On Decatur Street, Bye Bye Paycheck, Grand Old Fag, Hey Dock Booker, and Gen-U-Wine Floozie.
It a city full of so much over the top musical talent, you have to love a group that features the kazoo! Everyone can hum, therefore everyone can play the kazoo beautifully. The Floozies elevate the kazoo to great musical heights.
Among the epoch events the Floozies have participated in include legendary New Orleans philanthropist and party giver Mickey Easterling’s Birthday Party for none other than the amazing Robert Goulet and the Opening of the now closed Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum. They annually celebrate a woman’s right to drink on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, aka Bomb Your Mom Day. The Floozies made an appearance or two, courtesy of Jim Monaghan, at the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians annual Mardi Gras ball in Washington D.C.
Almost original Floozie Sue Rapasky recounts that sterling night at Easterling’s Party for Robert Goulet. Says Rapasky, Easterling made us use the service entrance and refused to feed us dinner, but Robert Goulet treated the Floozies like royalty. He was really sweet! Easterling’s house was memorable- the guest registry was in the bathroom!
Memorable Floozie themes include the Perve Patrol, the Douchettes, and the Spanking Team- a dollar for a spanking!
The following four photos are from another wordpress blogger, latonola. Thanks for the great photos!
Kazoozie Floozies
Kazoozie Floozies Banner
Kazoozie Floozies Parading
St. Patrick’s Day Floozies in Green!
A kazoo is a type of instrument known as a mirliton (not militon, or vegetable pear, or chayote), which uses a resonating membrane to amplify sound. It belongs in the percussion family of instruments and can be made in a number of ways. Derived from the ancient African mirliton, the kazoo was first manufactured during the 1800s. Today, it is primarily a plastic, toy instrument, which is fun and relatively easy to play.
Green Kazoo
The modern day kazoo was invented by Alabama Vest during the 1840s. He drew up the plans for the instrument and had it made by a clockmaker named Thaddeus Von Clegg. In 1852, they demonstrated their kazoo at the Georgia State Fair, and it became a popular instrument in that region. In the early 1900s, a method for large-scale kazoo manufacture was developed by Emil Sorg and Michael McIntyre. McIntyre later started selling kazoos in 1914 and received a patent on the process in 1923. He went on to found the Original American Kazoo Company which is still in operation today. Later, the plastic kazoo was developed and it is now the standard material from which most kazoos are made.