A Pictorial: The Last Few Days (non-Jazzfest)

After a few "happy hour" drinks at Kingpin, I finally made it to the Brothers Three Lounge on Magazine on Thursday night. I had never been there before, but I knew of the Brothers Three fixtures such as "Cowboy." Unfortunately, Cowboy, his poetry, and the other regulars are gone having never returned to New Orleans after KTMB. The bartender has no idea where they all went other than "up north." Yet another loss of the funk of this place. The subject of the mayor's race came up with one of my old college-days friends--let's call her Red. Red voted for Couhig--and in fact actually lives in the one of the few precincts Couhig won outright (in Lower Algiers) in the primary. She was telling me the reasons she could not vote for Mitch Landrieu (i.e. "he's too much of a politician," and "I just don't like the Landrieus") and is leaning towards not voting at all. TBNO contributor (currently internet-deprived due to a computer virus) Hollis P. Wood then chimed in with the perfect reason why she should vote for Landrieu: perception. He argued that Nagin has become an embarrassment and a liability to New Orleans and that the rest of the county is watching to see what we do. Can they take New Orleans seriously if we re-elect Nagin? Landrieu projects a progressive, competent, untarnished image as our mayor. Oyster has expressed similar sentiments--of which I am in complete agreement. To the Couhig/Forman supporters like Red: Christ, this isn't a David Duke/Edwin Edwards-like choice circa 1991. Nagin is a ridiculously easy target for the Republican Party to go medieval on for the next four years--thus the Couhig endorsement as well as their behind the scenes maneuvering pro-Nagin. Divide and conquer: the name of the political game. So one question remains: will Jindal join Couhig doing the inconceivable?

After B3L, we made it over to Carrollton Station for the Anders Osborne, John "Papa" Gros, and Theresa Andersson show. Damn good stuff there causing a late night with lots of beverages consumed. Opening act was Woodenhead guitarist Jimmy Robinson.

Vote Emperor Ernie K-Doe for Mayor--purchased at Kingpin for 20 bucks. Proceeds go to New Orleans Musician Clinic. I was going to get one for myself but the above friend grabbed the last one the right size.

Friday evening the Fair Family headed over to the re-opened Five Happiness. They are currently operating in the Imperial Room which in non-KTMB times acts as party/reception room. As of now, the main building isn't slated to be open for business until the end of the year and remains gutted down to the stud. The furnishings in the Imperial Room are of course all new and the interior in my opinion resembles a casino. Mirrors are everywhere. The menu was streamlined compared to normal times, bit still presented a large selection. The food lived up to the 5H standard.

After dinner at 5H, we drove over to the new Lowe's on Jefferson Highway (Friday was it's first day open). It will of course provide another opportunity for tax revenue to be siphoned from the City of New Orleans to Jefferson Parish. This is already happening of course between the Elmwood and Veterans boxes, but this location literally sits on the Jefferson/Orleans border making it that much easier. Between Lowe's and the parish/city boundary is a dedicated right-of-way for a to-be-constructed interchange between Jefferson Highway/Monticello and Earhart Expressway which I am sure made this site selection even that more attractive to the suits. Look for more such future development on Jefferson Highway.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Nagin, Louisiana, Landrieu