Carnival New Orleans News
News and information from the New Orleans area
BLAINE AND BARRY KERN KISS AND MAKE UP
015 years
Barry & Blaine Kern
It was a short public feud, less than 1 month. There’s so much money for the Kerns at stake, some of the major krewe captains, notably Owen ‘Pip’ Brennan (Bacchus Captain) and Ed Muniz (Endymion Captain) got the Kerns to sit down by inviting the father and son to a meeting without telling each other. It was a classic usage of the Take Away Sale- If you don’t kiss and make up, we’ll take away Bacchus and other key krewes.
Blaine Kern
This is a hollow threat, there’s no other float builder around to take up the slack if the Kerns don’t build the major krewes. Carnival is less than 6 months away, and that’s go time in the float building business. Only Blaine Kern Artists have the size to build Bacchus, Rex, Endymion, Muses, Alla, Orpheus, and many more parades at once.
It’s very ironic that a Brennan was called to settle this family feud, since the Brennans have a large family and have been feuding in and out of the newspapers for decades
The family survived a rift that left the children of the late Owen Sr. about as disposed toward their aunts and uncles — Adelaide, John, Ella, Dick and Dottie — and their 11 children as the Hatfields were disposed toward the McCoys. Since 1974, when the feud split the business, Owen’s children — Pip, Jimmy and Ted — have run the family’s original restaurant, Brennan’s, on Royal Street.
At the same time, Ella, Dick, Adelaide, Dottie and John took over Commander’s Palace in the Garden District and built it into one of the 10 top grossing restaurants in the United States. Adelaide, who did not have children, died in 1983. Ella, Dick, Dottie and John continued to run Commander’s and built five other restaurants — Mr. B’s, Palace Cafe and Ristorante Bacco in New Orleans, Brennan’s and Third Coast in Houston.
BARRY KERN SUES TO GAIN CONTROL OF BLAINE KERN ARTISTS
015 years
Blaine & Holly
I know Barry, Blaine Sr, Blaine Jr, and Holly Brown from many dealings. In 2006, I was asked to put together a Mardi Gras Music Compilation, and Blaine and Barry agreed to sponsor it. The next day, I’m called to a meeting at Mardi Gras World, and I’m told the CD won’t feature Professor Longhair and Al Carnival Time Johnson, but none other than Ms. Holly Brown.
Vince Vance from Vince Vance & the Valiants was called to produce the CD, and was asked to add a few of his excellent Mardi Gras tunes to the mix. Blaine sells the CD from a little stand for 5 years in his Gift Shops, so it probably sells fairly well. Holly was the new girlfriend at the time, and when she exerted complete control of the situation and Blaine, I knew she was a keeper.
Now, 5 years later, Blaine and Holly marry. Blaine fires Barry as Company President on August 31. Barry sues Blaine a month later, claiming Holly has been interfering with the business for years. Where was Kern Artists Executive Secretary Pixie Naquin in all this? Unfortunately, Pixie passed away recently, leaving the Kern men to their own devices, and that resulted in the lawsuit. You can see the huge role Pixie played as a peacemaker within the family now that she’s gone.
SAINTS PARADE KICKS OFF SAINTS SEASON
015 years
Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints
Thursday is the season home opener for the World Champion New Orleans Saints. They take on the Minnesota Vikings at 7:30 pm at the Superdome.
The NFL Play 60 Youth Football Festival is underway today at Woldenberg Park from 10:00 am to 2:45 pm It continues Thursday from 10:00 am – 11:50 am
The NFL Fan Zone is set up at the Jax Brewery parking lot. It goes from 10:00 am – 7:00 pm Wednesday and Thursday.
The Who Dat nation will get pumped up Thursday with a concert at 6:30 pm in Jackson Square. The kickoff concert features Dave Matthews and Taylor Swift.
The last Saints Parade, after they came home Superbowl Champs, was the highest rated parade of the season last Mardi Gras season. Only because the parade took place within the Carnival parade season could it be counted. Otherwise, it would have been a Special Event Parade.
The Krewe of NFL parade starts at 5:00 pm on Thursday. It leaves from Esplanade Avenue and North Peters Street, it continues down Tchoupitoulas Street ending on Julia Street. The parade includes ex-NFL Players, New Orleans chefs, actors and musicians. The parade is produced by Blaine Kern Studios and will feature seven floats and eight marching bands.
The New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 to win Super Bowl XLIV. Drew Brees, who was named Super Bowl 2010 MVP, tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions, hitting 32 of 39 for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
The Super Bowl was the highest rated TV program ever. I wonder how the ratings will be tonight? I would guess they will be quite high.