Has it been only a year since I met one of my closest friends, Alexis Stahl? It feels like we’ve known each other since youth while the past 365 days flew by. I remember Loki introducing me to his lovely wife-to-be at last year’s Freret Street Festival, outside the newly-opened Zeus’s Place and former site of Eve’s Market (owned by Claudia Dumestre, Lex’s good friend).
To get an idea of how things have changed in the last year, friends and I walked along Freret yesterday, from Napoleon to Friar Tuck’s (which was sadly closed) and marveled at the long way the street has come since 2006 Sure enough, some homes and businesses are yet untouched, much less gutted, and parts of the street still smell like dead refrigerator, but progress is evident.
The festival hosted a lot more food and tchotchke vendors this time around, and I’m thrilled to report that the musical attractions are still top quality. We caught the Wild Mohicans Mardi Gras Indian tribe, VaVaVoom, the Zydepunks, the Hot 8 Brass Band and one of my favorites, Trombone Shorty with Orleans Avenue (especially James Martin … owww on the sax!)
Blogger run-ins: Schroeder who had to run somewhere, Oyster and his family (including brand new precious thing whom I witnessed in peaceful and all-out-bawl modes, and visiting family), G-Bitch and her man, and Jack Ware (with cute puppy Scout).
What I love about New Orleans street festivals, besides the amazing food, music and crafts, is running into friends unseen in a long time. There are few things more satisfying than exchanging the latest with these folks while the music plays and people sway. It’s just delightful.
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Today, I spent a few hours lending Lisa a hand moving furniture out as she prepares to gut her house … finally! Ms. Lisa is damned excited, to say the least. Schroeder, who organized the moving party, Mark Folse, Ray and Renard were there being all macho (sliding the giant computer table over the balcony railing, down a shaky ladder and onto the front lawn was a ballsy move, let me tell you).
And, now, with the weekend and Tropical Depression Barry gone, I rest.
