Another version of Jazz Fest
Here are three little boys having themselves a good ole time at the muddy Fairgrounds during Jazz Fest 2008:
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Month: May 2008
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The alien in me
G reminded me of a funny scene from that sitcom 30 Something where the woman is pregnant and she says to herself, “I can’t drink, smoke, or do drugs. This isn’t a fetus inside me, it’s a probation officer!”
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Are you an American? Do you know an American?
Growing up as a first generation American since my father was Sepharadic, I never felt a true sense of belonging to the jingoistic version of the American family. My dad had a thick accent like Desi Arnez, my mother was from New Orleans (a city several steps out of pace with America), and my formative years were spent living in a hotel, ordering room service or poolside cafe con leche and pan dulce in Managua,…
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There’s Always Another Point of View
In the middle of a meadow of mud left over from one too many rainy Jazz Fest days, G and I stood listening to the Raconteurs pound their guitars and drums amongst twenty year olds raising their index and pinky fingers and shouting “Yeah” – but when we were walking away, I heard Jack White’s voice that is so marvelous singing, “There’s Always Another Point of View” and even though it was too hot to…
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Stevie Wonder – Santana – Give me that small time music
The Acura Stage at Jazz Fest is always about the big bill, the celebrity musicians, and that is why it is always the most crowded any day of the fest. I saw Lucinda Williams at the Acura Stage last year. I saw Bruce Springstein at the Acura Stage. But this year, the big acts were not that big. Well, except for Sheryl Crow, but even with her, I walked away to Buckwheat Zydeco and felt…
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The perfect thing to say
Last week, at an appointment with S, we got to chatting about a friend and the difficulties she is having. I told S I had let our friend down when the going got tough because my response to her difficulties was inappropriate and S said, “Well Rachel, sometimes people are thrown off by the situation and don’t respond correctly.” And she gave me an example of when one of her customers was in and was…
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Trans-species kindness
T read that the Dali Lama was asked how best to raise a child and his response: teach kindness to insects and the rest will follow. Once again, it was Jazz Fest and as happens every year at this time in New Orleans it’s love bug mating season. And the LaLa was filled with love bugs in media res – in the middle of life, death, mating – there are dead bugs everywhere and bugs…
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The last day of Jazz Fest makes up for all the rain days!
The weather outside is delightful and it is the last day of the Fest. I can hear the music and the crowds and I’m so happy that everyone gets to enjoy this last day. It’s been a trying Fest season with the rains dampening everyone’s good time and the poor vendors who depend on these weekends to make their year have been sad and blue. But TODAY will make up for all the other days.…
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The perfect storm
New Orleans knows how to throw a storm – brilliant lightning, roaring thunder, monsoon rain – darkness, wetness – perhaps we know how to do a storm so well we had the perfect storm – Katrina – but I don’t welcome that back into our universe. Yesterday, Terrence Blanchard talked about how he had evacuated and was looking for his mother and calling her cell for two weeks and when he finally reached her he…
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Mañana Por La Mañana
A lovely birthday, homecoming, Jazz Fest, and overall perfectly imperfect day yesterday – best summed up by this little ditty: Mañana por la mañana, llena tu casa de flores, que seguro te visita la Virgen de los Dolores. My interpretation was fill your house with flowers and sure enough you’ll get a visit from the virgin of pain, but T’s interpretation was that you welcome the virgin with the flowers, and A, a Puerto Rican,…