Po boy festival

Po boy festival. Yes it really is an entire celebration centered around a sandwich…welcome to New Orleans. Although the festival is fairly new the sandwich has been part of New Orleans culture for decades.

            People say that the name of the sandwich “Po Boy” came from “ Poor Boy” because it was considered the poor mans sandwich. Regardless it has transformed into the icon of New Orleans comfort food. The sandwich is not only made with the most amazing bread but it contains some of the most exotic and classic of New Orleans cuisine. 

            Being a freshman in college I was very reluctant to get out of bed to attend the celebration but somehow I made it to oak street hungry and ready to enjoy as many sandwiches as I could get my hands on, which proved to be a harder task then I had expected, for some of the lines would drag on for more then 2 blocks at a time. Clearly there’s a reason people enjoy this food so much.

            After walking up and down Oak Street twice I was finally ready to make a decision on which po boy I would be having. I went with an Asian inspired deep fried oyster po boy. Not only was it amazing but it was also an amazing deal.

            Po Boy festival unique in that it brings together the people of New Orleans rather then being over run by tourists like most things in the quarter usually are. It encourages small businesses and helps bring attention to the little hole in the wall places around New Orleans that may not have been found if it weren’t for the festival.  In addition if bring together many of the cultures we find in new Orleans, from creoles and Cajuns to people from all end of the world.

VOODOO

           Voodoo festival is an amazing experience. It brings  music from all different cultures together with the classic big easy atmosphere. Voodoo festival was first held on Halloween of 1999 in City Park, New Orleans. I attended voodoo festival for the first time this year and it was truly a unique experience. Although it is no longer held on Halloween weekend it still felt like Halloween. Everyone at voodoo fest has a chance to bring something personal and unique to to the group by having the opportunity to dress up and express themselves. 

         
             Voodoo festival is known for having high profile performers such as Green Day, Metallica, Justice, and The black keys as well as local artists such as Loyola’s own Coyotes, Trombone Shorty and Dr. John. The festival wasn’t always a 3 daylong event. During its humble beginnings in 1999 it was only a one-day event. The Festival gained much attention thanks to rapper Eminem who’s fame exploded right before his performance at Voodoo Fest in 2006 which lead to the expansion of the festival from 1 day to 3 days.

            My experience at Voodoo fest was like none other. It was the perfect representation of what life in New Orleans is like. People gather from all over the city to listen to all different forms of music. The festival welcomes people of all ages because of its variety of music. My favorite experience at voodoo festival was having the chance to interact with the crowd at both the electronic stage and the jazz stage because although each was drastically different in opinions but both still maintained the friendly big easy attitude. I am looking forward to going to many more voodoo fests to come because it is truly a unique experience. 

Funerals, Part Two

My great grandmother passed away in late October and her funeral was held at Lake Lawn Cemetery on October 29, 2012. I can't say whether or not this was a traditional New Orleans funeral in the sense that if you were to stumble into the more 'run down' cemeteries that this is what you would see; however, this funeral was, to me, a very traditional Catholic funeral, which are very common in New Orleans because of the amount of Catholics present here.
My grandmother was clothed in white and there was a crucifix hanging over her in the open casket. Present at the funeral was a nun as well as the pastor of St. Agnes, a Vietnamese man with a strong accent (there are a great many Vietnamese people in New Orleans as well--a topic for another post). Of course, there was a funeral mass complete with readings, a homily, and the Eucharist for those of the Catholic orientation.
The homily was beautiful. Catholics have a very interesting way of viewing death. The priest could not stress enough, it seemed, that we should be happy for her, as she is finally going to her eternal reward. He also pointed out that she and my great grandfather had been married for sixty eight years and attended church regularly and always together.
What does this have to do with New Orleans?
Just the flavor, if I may use the word, of the environment was one I have not experienced at other funerals, even within the state of Louisiana (of course, those were Mormon funerals, so there was that difference). A Vietnamese priest delivering the homily for a Creole Catholic woman? The fact that he wore flamboyant sunglasses while delivering the final words before they slid her into her above-ground grave? Perhaps I am just not experienced enough with other places and funerals, but to me it seems like there was something all together unique about this funeral, as well as all those which take place in New Orleans.

TIPITINA'S

Located at the corner of Napolean Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street in Uptown, Tipitina's is one of the most well-known music venues in New Orleans.  On Tuesday, November 13th, I was lucky enough to experience a show at Tipitina's for the first time!  The headliner that night was Dr. Dog, a favorite band of mine that is based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The venue had an amazing atmosphere.  The staff was very funny and friendly, the walls were covered in old posters and flyers, and the crowd was very enthusiastic about Dr. Dog and their opener, Cotton Jones.  I was lucky enough to get a spot right in front of the stage, but the venue is pretty small and intimate, so any spot was really a great one.  There was also a second level with a balcony where fans could stand and watch the performance.  Cotton Jones was a great opening act.  I had never heard of them before, but their mellow acoustics and harmonies paired with instruments such as the omnichord, organ, and tuba was a perfect warmup to get ready for the more rock n' roll stylings of Dr. Dog.  I was surprised to find out that Cotton Jones was from my home state of Maryland!  I thought that was pretty cool to see a Maryland band representing all the way down in New Orleans!  
The rest of the concert was fantastic!  Dr. Dog never ceases to amaze me, and I always have a blast dancing and screaming the words out in the crowd.  Their stage presence and energy is always through the roof!  If I remember correctly, the bass player even jumped in the trash can and performed a great chunk of a song from inside of it!  It was great to be able to experience a Dr. Dog live show at a venue as great, intimate, and fun as Tipitina's.  Tipitina's is one of the many small music venues that New Orleans boasts.  That is what I have come to love about New Orleans.  For the most part they could care less about the commercial, mainstream artists that need to play at huge venues.  New Orleans has a great amount of small clubs and venues that cater to artists and fans that are in it for the pure love of music!  It is an up close and personal experience and connection between the artist and the audience.  It almost felt like I was at a private concert in my home!  I hope New Orleans continues to foster these types of musical experiences for the locals and tourists for years and years to come!  I strongly encourage everyone to check out Tipitina's and the other great smaller music venues around the New Orleans area!