News and information from the New Orleans area
Mardi Gras parade
What Happened to Sparta??
015 years
Sparta Crest in Tiles at Mardi Gras Fountain
Saw Sparta last night on St. Charles Avenue. It was a cold and windy night, and I was counting on warming myself up at the Lighting of the Flambeaux that DIDN’T take place last night.
Flambeaux Lighting 2009 photo by neworleansmusicman
Where were the flambeaux? Where was the lighting?
What’s up with Sparta? Inquiring Mardi Gras Bloggers want to know….
After the first few traditional floats, such as the Captain’s Float, the floats were attractive but they didn’t have the usual old time look and there were fewer bands. The whole parade passed in well under one hour, which is remarkably fast for any parade down St. Charles Avenue, even Sparta, which always hurtles down the Avenue.
Here’s a passage from the official web site for the Knights of Sparta
A spectacular signature float, a mule-drawn king’s float, traditional flambeaux, and mounted officers are just a few of the wonderful features of the Knights of Sparta street parade each year.
Photo by David Gladow
Alice in Wonderland Float, Knights of Sparta 2010
Election Day, Parades, Super Bowl Eve
015 years
New Orleans is an old town, with a wild and varied history. New Orleans is old enough to have survived French & Spanish rule, the Battle of New Orleans, Northern Occupation under the despot Butler, carpetbaggers, Jim Crow Hurricane Katrina, etc. Now comes the Eve before the Super Bowl, the first time the franchise has ever reached the NFL Pinnacle Game. Post Katrina, New Orleans has again remade itself via the Who Dat Nation, the wildest group of NFL fans in the history of the NFL bar none. Now it’s the whole nation, thanks to Good Morning America, CNN, and other national media picking up this Who Dat Story. New Orleans is the birthplace of the Who Dat Nation, but America is making the Who Dat Saints their team. Here’s a picture from the Who Dat Super Bowl Kick Off Parade honoring the late Buddy Diliberto, who claimed when the Saints make the Super Bowl, he’ll put on a dress. Buddy didn’t make it, but 1,000’s of New Orleanians did it for Buddy! Who Dat!! Who Dat!! Go Saints!! Happy Mardi Gras!!
Who Dat Super Bowl Kick Off Parade
Biggest Weekend Since….
015 years
This weekend features 3 major events: the Super Bowl featuring our own long suffering New Orleans Saints; the end of a horrible, terrible political era- the primary election to get rid of Mayor Ray Nagin; the beginning of the 10 big days of Carnival- Major parades commence mostly every day right through Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday, February 16.
WHO DAT!! NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Enough’s been written about New Orleans Saints first appearance in the Super Bowl. It’s been 43 years since the Saints were formed, and the Crescent City has suffered through decades of bad teams, starting with the original owner, John Mecum, Jr., who never understood the game of professional football very well. Finally Tom Benson, who made his money in San Antonio, Texas selling cars, bought the team from Mecum. A new era began, but the Saints still took a couple of decades to reach 2010, the year the Saints shook off shackles, real or imagined, and made it to the Big Game in Miami.
Mayor Ray Nagin has been the worst mayor in decades. He was the mayor of record when Hurricane Katrina hit on August 30, 2005. His actions over the last few years have retarded New Orleans recovery. Good riddance to Mayor Ray Nagin. The election on Saturday will start the process of getting rid of this miserable politician.
Horrible NOLA Mayor Ray Nagin
Last but not least, it’s the first big weekend of Carnival 2010. Parades roll throughout the New Orleans Metro Area. Due to the Super Bowl, some parades have changed starting times, one has cancelled, and at least one has switched days.
Krewe of Bacchus' Bacchusaurus passes Gallier Hall
New Orleans, Not Miami, Filling Up for Super Bowl
015 years
Hotels in the French Quarter report an upswing in bookings of around 15% as New Orleans Saints fans from around the globe head to New Orleans instead of Miami, site of Super Bowl 44. According to some of the major bar owners in the Quarter, win or lose, they expect Quarter traffic to mirror the crowd the last few days before Fat Tuesday. That would just about fill up all rooms by Fat Tuesday.
The French Quarter streets are heavily decorated in the team colors, and Saints fever has struck region wide. Everyone downtown is wearing black & gold beads.
Police will increase their coverage in the French Quarter this weekend, adding approximately 600 officers, police spokesman Bob Young said. That’s about the number the city would deploy if New Orleans were hosting the game.
Saints Mania throughout New Orleans is at an all time high, crossing every economic strata. After 43 years of marching around the desert, we finally have arrived at the promised land- the Super Bowl. Win or lose, there will be big party in New Orleans Super Bowl night to celebrate our Saints Super Bowl Appearance.
It’s amazingly ironic that super native son Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Super Quarterback, scion of legendary Old Miss and Saints Quarterback Archie Manning and brother of New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning, is the Saint’s key adversary against our own Super Quarterback, Drew Brees. Peyton, like his two brothers Cooper and Eli, all attended Newman High School on Jefferson Avenue uptown. They all grew up uptown, as Archie remained in New Orleans after his football career ended. That’s as New Orleans as it gets. So it’s one Super New Orleanian, Drew Brees against another Super New Orleanian, Peyton Manning. Fireworks are expected! The Super Shoot Out of Super New Orleanians!!
Bobby Hebert in Drag at Who Dat Parade UPI
2010 Mardi Gras Throw Predictions & 2009 Round Up
015 years
2008 Muses Hand Decorated Shoe Throw
2009 Green Scull Float, Krewe d'Etat
Throws are getting more sophisticated every year. Throw variety stagnated for decades, but now, certain forward leaning Krewes are pushing the throw envelope in exciting new directions. Most novel throws are novelty in nature, but some are functional as well. The clear leaders in 2009 were Krewe of Muses and Krewe d’Etat. Muses had more depth and breath of new throws than any other krewe last year in MG history hands down. d’Etat had the number 1 overall throw, but no depth or breath to speak of.
The clear functional and fun winner last year, d’Etat’s crowning achievement, the 3D 360 lenticular, full color Super Cup. Obviously the most fun, functional MG cup ever! My hat’s off to d’Etat’s throw innovation. Here’s to 2010!
Now to the overall winner by a country mile, Muses. Egad, what an elegant krewe, cooler than cool, all New Orleans and all good things about New Orleans. Innovation across the board- more original, new throws than all the other krewes together! Keeping Mardi Gras Throws innovative and fresh into the new decade!!
Throw innovation is only one of the games of Muses, the largest and baddest of all the woman’s krewes. In their prime in the mid 1980s, Shangri La in Chalmette was a mighty all-female krewe, with over 1,000 members. However, their membership declined since Katrina, and chose not to parade in 2009.
Muses began parading as an all-female krewe in 2001. Staci Rosenberg is founder and captain of Muses. In just eight short years, Muses is at the absolute top of the New Orleans krewes in terms of creativity and numbers of throws. No other krewe comes close to matching the depth and breadth of their throws. They also are one of the largest krewes in terms of membership, with 1,500 members.
Muse’s personalized throws from 2008 (incomplete list): oversized logo powder puff, working lava lamp key chain, Muse comic book ( “SuperMuse”), full size decorated woman’s shoes, shoe medallion bracelets, roller skate medallions, Muses LED-Fan, Muses glitter stick-on fashion accessory, lighted shoe medallions, Muses Night Fever (parade theme), lighted medallion, plastic crystal lighted heart medallion, soft spear, headband, disco ball medallion, song spoofs and lyrics booklet, regular logo beads, and more. Here’s a link to a really cool U-Tube video we shot of a 2009 Muses LED-FAN throw Muses LED-Fan
At the 2010 Pussyfooter’s Ball at Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World on the East Bank, the centerpieces on each table were Muses shoes decorated in Pussyfooter themes and colors. Now the Pussyfooters march in Muses each year, so that was another cool aspect of that excellent ball, the Muses connection.
Pussyfooter having fun at her 2010 Ball
Onto predictions…
The easiest throw trend to follow merges the Saints success with Mardi Gras. At bead stores across the metro region, anything Saints is selling very fast. Tons of black & gold beads, Fleur de Lis Medallions, footballs,flags, pendants, bracelets, plush throws, etc. have flown off store shelves.
Muses, like most krewes, keep their new throws hidden from public view until the parade rolls. Muses has announced for their 10th anniversary ride, they have a lighted shoe bead with several flash settings, plus a plush birthday cake. No doubt that is just the tip of the iceberg, I’m confident that Muses is saving the best for the parade. They have more throws bearing their logo than any other krewe, numbering around 30. Their throw quality also breaks records- jewelry to be thrown by Muses for 2010 will the highest quality yet. None of this is cheap, throws are getting more expensive, which is surprising considering the recession.
I follow Minister DI from Le Krewe d’Etat on Twitter, here’s his post from July 09- Can our 3-D drinking vessel be topped? We are working on that and promise new fresh for KDE followers. Live to Ride. Ride to Live. I’m convinced that d’Etat will offer another ground breaking throw for 2010.
Rex King Greets His Subjects
Rex Jester Float
Rex, King of Carnival, throws a brilliant daytime parade on Mardi Gras Day. Their throws have always been behind the curve, as innovation has come very slowly to the School of Design’s (Rex’s organization) parade. 2010 changes all that, as Rex has gone GREEN!!! Their purple, green and gold cups will be biodegradable, and the bead string is biodegradable also. Now when Rex beads get stuck in Quercus Virginiana (the Live Oak Trees that line Rex’s St. Charles Ave. parade route) the strings will dissolve. I’m not sure how that helps the environment or lowers the carbon footprint of beads. Nevertheless, for their cup, Rex has broken new ground that lowers its carbon footprint.