Friday, February 1, 2008
Every year I make a new suit
Posted by Alison Fensterstock on Fri, Feb 1, 2008 at 9:57 PM
Photo By: Thom Henkel
Everyone knows Mardi Gras isn't just about champagne with Rex and beads and boobies on Bourbon; one of the best parts of the greatest free show on Earth is catching up with the city's Mardi Gras Indian tribes as they hit the streets, guerrilla-style, to show off the pretty they've been working on all year. Here's a partial guide on how to meet the boys on the battlefront this weekend.From noon until 6 p.m. on Lundi Gras, the Mohawk Hunters present Indian practice and a showdown, with the Mohawk Hunters, the Black Eagles, the Creole Wild West and the Wild Magnolias, who'll also throw down with a funky musical set led by Big Chief Bo Dollis. Located at the Canal Street Ferry landing on the Algiers side, the powwow will also feature a full Indian village with arts and crafts and food and beverage booths. On Mardi Gras morning, the Downtown tribe Young Guardians of the Flame take to the streets in honor of the late Big Chief Donald Harrison, Sr., starting at 7 a.m. at 3632 N. Johnson St. in the Ninth Ward, and visiting local music royalty along a route that includes stops at the homes of jazz drummers Bob French and Smokey Johnson (in the Habitat for Humanity Musicians' Village) and A.F.O. Records founding member Chuck Badie. They'll also hit Congo Square and St. Louis Cemetery #3 before winding up at Bayou St. John at 9 a.m.
Throw Me Some Beads, Pasta and a Touchdown!
Posted by Ian McNulty on Fri, Feb 1, 2008 at 12:33 AM
This year's exceptionally early Mardi Gras has put the biggest contest in football, the Super Bowl, right up against one of the biggest parades of Carnival, the celebrity-studded superkrewe Bacchus.
If you can't decide whether to holler for beads or cheer for your favored team, the French Quarter Italian restaurant Café Giovanni is offering one potential work-around.
Chef Duke LoCicero will hold a Super Sunday Celebration at the restaurant , beginning at 3 p.m. on Feb. 3. Guests can catch the parade as it passes along Canal Street just a block away and duck back into the restaurant to see the game on several large televisions. There are drink specials at the bar and a special Super Sunday menu of pastas, salads and appetizers. Day-long admission is $20 per person.
