NEW ORLEANS
The Big Easy is famous/infamous/notorious for great food, colorful characters, and booze. You bet your ass we got all three.
We rolled into town right around dinner time. Kyle’s dad lives in New Orleans, so we always get the posh hookup when we come to town. Within 2 minutes of walking in the door, we’ve got Abita Amber Ales in our hands and a pizza dip coming out of the oven. Greg & Suzie Sowash made a New Orleans buffet for us: jambalaya with andouille sausage, shrimp etouffee, and red beans & rice. I tried my hand at red beans before we left and I was more than happy to eat it again, this time in the right environment. And with Crystal hot sauce.
The show was an early one at the Hey! Cafe, a little coffee house that books the occasional show. Last times we played in NOLA, the venue (Circle Bar) was almost comically small, and the Hey! Cafe followed suit. Little rooms are really fun to play, though, especially when a bunch of kids are jammed in there raising the energy level along with the temperature.
Our friends Opposable Thumbs opened up and set the tone. Seems like the kids down here really get the whole post-punk thing. New Orleans doesn’t have the apparent rock pedigree of many other major cities, most likely because it’s heavily overshadowed by jazz. However, the underground scene seems to be thriving.
We set up second and put together a rockin’ set list: no sappy shit tonight. Before the show, this was the coolest room in the house, temperature-wise. Once we got in the swing, it felt about 25 degrees hotter. Lonn sweated so much, he left a puddle on the floor. It was totally worth it, but we were drained afterward.
We took turns drinking in the street and going in to watch the last two bands play: Baby Boy from Baton Rouge and The Lollies from NOLA.Really enjoyed them, but it was pretty intense in that crowded, hot room so we had to tap each other out.
The show ended relatively early and we had entertained the thought of going down to the French Quarter to party, but we were too whipped from the show and had a long drive to Austin ahead of us. More on that later…
Notes
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