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The House of Dance and Feathers

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on May 26, 2009 2:21 PM | Comments (0)

The corrugated tin roof of the House of Dance and Feathers slopes up like a jaunty cap over the glass-paneled building in Ronald K. Lewis' backyard. "Everything in this building has a story," says Lewis, as he pushed open the door to the museum he curates behind his Lower Ninth Ward home. Inside, the walls, ceiling, tables and floor are all lined with relics from the Mardi Gras Indian "tribes" that live in the area. There are intricately-beaded panels from Indian costumes, and huge fans and plumes of feathers dangling from the rafters. Photographs cover almost every available inch of wall space, and piles of books are stacked on the tables. You begin asking questions, and patiently, Lewis takes the time to share the stories inside.

House of Dance and Feathers has been Lewis' passion since 2000, when is started as a shed where he taught local children about the area's culture. A retired streetcar conductor, today Lewis is the president of the Big Nine Social and Pleasure Club and the former Council Chief of the Choctaw Hunters. His museum celebrates the history of the Mardi Gras Indians in the Lower Ninth Ward, and since Katrina, has become a small ray of hope within a community that is still struggling to recover. (When I arrived during my visit, the home next door to Lewis' was empty, and still bore the telltale cross that signified whether a body had been found by rescue crews).

"When Katrina came, I wanted to rebuild and become a beacon within my community," says Lewis. "It gave me a venue to tell the world what happened to us. Three and a half years later we're pushing forward. We're trying to do anything we can do to keep the glue within our community."

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Mardi Gras Moments: The Bead Greed Gallery

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IT Blog

on March 3, 2009 5:20 PM | Comments (0)

Here at IT, we're still on a high from our time in New Orleans last week, so we have a few additional Mardi Gras Moments to share before moving onto our next project. Enjoy!

Associate Photo Editor Krista Rossow took some time on Bourbon Street to document the "Bead Greed" phenomenon that we described in an earlier post. Note: these beads were earned in many different ways; the photographer earned hers by catching them in one hand by holding the camera in the other...fully clothed.

Photos: Associate Photo Editor Krista Rossow

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Mardi Gras Moments: Irrational Geographic

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Janelle Nanos

on March 2, 2009 4:35 PM | Comments (2)

IT Editor Janelle Nanos has been blogging about her behind-the-scenes Mardi Gras Moments for the past few weeks, and she and a few other Traveler staffers went down to New Orleans to document the celebration.

While wandering the streets of New Orleans with the Societé de Sainte Anne parade, we National Geographic folk stumbled upon Danielle King, a photographer who was costumed as... a National Geographic photographer. Wearing a thick blonde mustache and a pith hat and vest, she carried around our iconic yellow border (cut from the pages of an actual magazine). Her project was called "Irrational Geographic," and she attempted to photograph both the wildlife, and the wild life, of the Mardi Gras experience. She snapped my portrait and I passed her my card, and lo and behold, a gallery of images arrived in my inbox a few days later. I loved them so much I just had to share them here, and asked King to explain the project in her own words.

Her e-mail after the jump.

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Mardi Gras Moments: The Societé de Sainte Anne

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Janelle Nanos

on February 27, 2009 5:10 PM | Comments (3)

IT Editor Janelle Nanos has been blogging about her behind-the-scenes Mardi Gras Moments for the past few weeks, and this past weekend, she and a few other Traveler staffers went down to New Orleans to document the celebration.

After weeks of blogging about Mardi Gras, I set off to see it for myself, along with fellow Traveler staffers photo editor Krista Rossow and our business manager and resident videographer Susanne Hackett. Even though I'd done a fair share of reporting before I arrived, I still wasn't sure what to expect when we got there. I realized this was in part because of the pre-conceived notions so many people had when we talked to them about our trip. There is a stereotypical way to go to New Orleans and experience Mardi Gras, and it involves a lot of beads and booze, so when you tell people you're going, there is an almost knee-jerk reaction to roll eyes. But what we saw and experienced was, at the risk of sounding cliché, actually quite magical.

Perhaps it was a sign that our friend, who hosted us this weekend, has a costume closet in his basement. I'm not sure if this is a normal occurrence in other cities, but was perfectly natural in New Orleans, where the entire city seems to suspend reality and recreate itself over the course of the Carnival season. So within moments of dropping off our bags, we were whisked away to a costume party on the evening we arrived. The following day, as we stood on the sidelines of Sunday's parades, we came to coin the term "bead greed" as we stretched our hands up at the masked krewe-members on the floats, hoping to snatch another bauble. Between breaks in the parades, we wandered to the side streets to watch a smaller gaggle of people celebrate the arrival of the krewe of Bacchus, named for the god of wine, by having their own costumed Box of Wine parade. It was a vino-spectacle. When Bacchus began to actually roll, our necks quickly grew to ache as we collected our treasures (what to do with them now is the bigger question), but by night's end we and fellow Traveler researcher Rachael Dunlap were at Le Bon Temps Roule listening to the fantastic brass band Soul Rebels, who worked the crowd into a frenzy under the watchful gaze of an alligator portrait. One day of Mardi Gras can feel like it has chapters, and you start to forget where and when you began in the first place.

But that wasn't even the beginning.

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Mardi Gras Moments: Lundi Gras

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Janelle Nanos

on February 25, 2009 5:20 PM | Comments (2)

IT Editor Janelle Nanos has been blogging about her behind-the-scenes Mardi Gras Moments for the past few weeks, and this weekend, she and a few other Traveler staffers went down to New Orleans to document the celebration. We're busy downloading photos and videos to give you a glimpse of the Carnival spirit, but today offer a snippet from Lundi Gras, the Monday before Fat Tuesday.

If there's one thing I learned this weekend, it's that Mardi Gras is a marathon, not a sprint. That applies both literally--in the fact that sneakers are a must, and the ground we covered could easily be close to 26 miles--and figuratively, as there is so much happening that trying to do it all could result in exhaustion. But while the party is in a slow boil over the course of the last few days, the night of Lundi Gras, or the Monday before Mardi Gras, is when the party officially begins. At 6 p.m. on the city's Riverfront, there is an annual event to announce who will be Rex, the King of Carnival. This ceremonial position is often bestowed to a local businessman or bigwig within the community, and the mayor actually cedes control of the city to Rex for the day. Rex and the king of Zulu then have a ceremonial meeting, and the two men and their queens stir up the crowd as they announce the official start to Mardi Gras. Here's a glimpse of Mayor Ray Nagin handing over control to Rex.

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Mardi Gras Moments: Handa Wanda's

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Janelle Nanos

on February 23, 2009 4:30 PM | Comments (2)

Last month, IT Editor Janelle Nanos traveled to New Orleans to explore the culture and traditions of Mardi Gras. For four days, she spoke with the people behind the masks -- the ones who help make the celebration happen -- to get their stories and insider tips. She's been blogging about her experiences throughout the month, and is there now experiencing the celebration firsthand. You can read through all of the Mardi Gras Moments featured so far.

I've been talking a lot about the Mardi Gras Indians, and now that I'm actually down here, I'm really excited to see them tomorrow live and in person. But I did get a sneak peek while I was here in January, by visiting the Indian practice at Handa Wanda's. Located in Central City, the club (and the nearby Yia Cafe, where the practice was held the night we visited) is not the safest part of town. But if you're smart and don't wander too far away from the club, it's a terrific opportunity to get a glimpse of the Indian experience, particularly for anyone who comes down to New Orleans when it's not in the full throes of the Carnival season.

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Mardi Gras Moments: The Mother-in-Law Lounge

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Janelle Nanos

on February 20, 2009 5:15 PM | Comments (3)

The other day, I wrote about the glorious Mardi Gras Indian costumes on display at the Backstreet Cultural Museum. But while it's great to see them up close (where you're able to oogle the beadwork) I'd have to think that it's even better to watch the Indians live and in person. And there's perhaps no more perfect place to do it on Mardi Gras than at the Mother-in-Law Lounge, in the company of the lovely Miss Antoinette K-Doe.

Miss Antoinette is the wife of the late Ernie K-Doe, a singer who parlayed his hit song, "Mother-in-Law," into a lifelong singing career, and was treated as a local celebrity in the city. White leather couches and a huge television greet you when you step inside, as does a life-sized effigy of Ernie, who is decked out in a costume and available, as always, for pictures. The back room has a stage where for performers, and there's a side garden decorated with toilet-bowl and tub planters. It's a hoot and a huge hub for the celebration known to the locals as the "Under the Bridge" or "neighborhood" Mardi Gras.

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Mardi Gras Moments: What Not to Do

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IT Blog

on February 19, 2009 5:30 PM | Comments (15)

Over the past few weeks, we've been featuring Mardi Gras Moments showing some of the highlights from New Orleans throughout the carnivale season. But today we change gears a bit as our resident expert Jenn Blatty offers a quick list of ways to stay out of trouble on Fat Tuesday.

Top 10 Things NOT To Do During Mardi Gras

1.   Do not stray from the crowds! Even if someone who seems perfectly cordial and trustworthy invites you to a party "around the corner," or offers up his or her bathroom -- or you think you know a shortcut through a dark alley or dimly lit and empty street. If you are not surrounded by tourists, you are a perfect target for the New Orleans predators. Stay where the action is.

2.    Arrange a meeting point with your friends and family immediately upon arriving to the scene. It's easy to be separated from your group during the festivities, whether you're wandering through the zoo of people, or distractedly following the hot trail of a passing float for a pair of Mardi Gras underwear that you just HAVE to have. Do yourself a favor and pick out a rally point before this happens.

3.    Do not carry your money, credit cards, or anything important tucked away in your back pocket, especially if you brave it up enough to hit Bourbon Street! This is the perfect opportunity to fall victim to the Mardi Gras pickpockets.

4.    Be wary of the scam artists! If someone approaches you with the question, "I bet you $100 I know where you got your shoes" or any question along those lines, do yourself a favor and do not wager! Even if you purchased your shoes on Mars, they will get you every time with the infamous answer: "on your feet." And at that point you may feel obliged to pay, because technically they are correct, aren't they? Sometimes it's even common to be forced into a service, such as someone offering a shoeshine, and before you know it they are shining your shoes and demand immediate payment (even if you said "no thanks" loud and clear). Avoid these folks as much as possible. The more you stall, the higher the chance of being pushed into a bad situation. Just keep on moving.

5.     Petting the police officer's horse is a serious no-no, unless you want to risk spending the night behind bars. The New Orleans cops are already more than likely irritated with the out of control and drunk tourists, especially the one who thinks it would be funny to slap and startle a horse. So even if you are just an animal lover wanting to reach out, keep your hands to yourself! It is not uncommon to be arrested for touching a cop's horse in any shape or form, so just don't do it.

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Mardi Gras Moments: The Little Shop of Fantasy

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Janelle Nanos

on February 18, 2009 4:50 PM | Comments (3)

Last month, IT Editor Janelle Nanos traveled to New Orleans to explore the culture and traditions of Mardi Gras. For four days, she spoke with the people behind the masks -- the ones who help make the celebration happen -- to get their stories and insider tips. She'll be blogging about her experiences through February 24th, when the party culminates. Check back for more Mardi Gras Moments.

It's hard not to feel like you're being watched when you enter the home and workshop of sisters Laura and Ann Guccione. Push open the two wooden doors to their 1830s-era Creole cottage, and you'll find yourself in a room covered floor-to-ceiling in gorgeous, intricate, dazzingly delicate masks, depicting the likes of Marie Antoinette, jesters, cats, clowns, and other facades made from leather, wire, feathers, papier-mâché and even silverware. And they're watching your every move.

The two sisters got started in mask-making when their mother, a nurse, cared for a local merchant Mark Stark, who was renowned in the French Quarter for his feathered masks. They began working with him in his shop, The Little Shop of Fantasy, while he recovered, and eventually they came to help run the store, taking it over in 1998 when he died. Growing up in the city, they had always wanted to have a shop in the Quarter, but after Katrina, their overhead costs grew too steep, so now the two sisters make and sell their masks, alongside a collection of amazing masks from over 35 artists, out of their home. The mask-making community is a small one, and the sisters believe they are the only remaining mask-makers who still live in the city.

"The costume starts with the mask," Ann explains of the Mardi Gras tradition, which stems from the belief that in the final hours before the Lenten season begins, the mask allows for you to become more uninhibited and fully enjoy the last moments of fun. She says that people will often email them with their costume ideas and make requests for orders months before the celebration begins. Prices range from $35-$200 for a mask, with the average being about $80. You can visit their shop by appointment, where you can see the confluence of glitter and feathers and industrial glue guns and bizarre face-shaped molds they use for their creations. When I visited them in January, they had about 50 masks to make by Mardi Gras. "We're pretty much covered in glitter" throughout the season, said Laura.

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The Mardi Gras Moments Map

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IT Blog

on February 17, 2009 2:10 PM | Comments (0)

Those of you who have been enjoying our Mardi Gras Moments, or who are planning a trip to the Big Easy for Fat Tuesday, check out our new interactive map highlighting the ways the locals celebrate in New Orleans.

Have your own recommendations? Let us know in the comments, below.

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Mardi Gras Moments: Locals Know Best

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IT Blog

on February 13, 2009 3:45 PM | Comments (0)

For the past few days, IT editor Janelle Nanos has been blogging about her Mardi Gras Moments. But today she cedes the floor to our photo intern Jenn Blatty, a New Orleans native who has been to more celebrations that she can count. Here's her take on where to catch the festivities -- and stay tuned for her list of things NOT to do on the big day.

While Mardi Gras is a once in a lifetime "must do," it can be quite the overwhelming experience for everyone, even the New Orleans locals. If you want to avoid the standard chaos of the tourists, avoid the French Quarter altogether. The place to be is in uptown New Orleans, on St. Charles Street in the Garden District area. It offers a little more of the easygoing "laissez les bon temps roulez" (let the good times roll) temperament of the natives without the pushing and shoving that you are more likely to experience downtown. The corner of Napoleon and St. Charles is a perfect starting point: from there you can walk to plenty of local hangouts and good eats (Parasol's, Fat Harry's, Igor's, Superior Grill), and even explore the historic Garden District homes or one of the famous New Orleans cemeteries, Lafayette Cemetery #1. And if you like making new friends, you may even find yourself joining a local house party and catching beads above the crowds from a St. Charles Street balcony.

But for those of you who are tempted to stick your toe in the madness without taking the full plunge, ensure you hit Frenchmen Street in the Marigny. It's a perfect blend of the tourists who stumble over on foot from Bourbon Street, and the locals who just point blank love to go there for the live music and good times.

Photo: Jenn Blatty

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Mardi Gras Moments: The Backstreet Cultural Museum

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Janelle Nanos

on February 12, 2009 5:45 PM | Comments (1)

Last month, IT Editor Janelle Nanos traveled to New Orleans to explore the culture and traditions of Mardi Gras. For four days, she spoke with the people behind the masks -- the ones who help make the celebration happen -- to get their stories and insider tips. She'll be blogging about her experiences through February 24th, when the party culminates. Check back for more Mardi Gras Moments throughout the coming weeks.

The Backstreet Cultural Museum deceives upon first glance - its rather plain-looking appearance from the street belies a rainbow of colors that peacock inside. Step through the doors of this eclectic museum and you'll find some of the most fascinating glimpses into the African-American Mardi Gras traditions, from the dazzling feathered costumes of the Mardi Gras Indians, to a detailed photographic history of Jazz Funerals, Second Lines, and the area's Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs. The entire museum has been the life's work of Sylvester Francis, who has devoted most of his adult life to taking photos of the Mardi Gras celebrations.

A bit of a backstory: There is no single event during Mardi Gras, and no single place to take part in the revelry. In the Tremé section of town, you'll find the historically black, "Under the Bridge" Mardi Gras celebration, and this is where you'll also come across one of the biggest spectacles around - the Mardi Gras Indians.

The history of the Indians is said to have developed from the time when African-American slaves ran away from their owners and were helped by the American Indians who lived in the region. To pay tribute to their support, families would create tribes of their own, and assign members to different roles. If you attend the parade today, you'll see the Chief, who's often the head of the family, and the Wildman, who's there to protect the chief (they typically wear horns). Then there's the trail or "second" who walks behind the chief to protect his back. There are Spyman, Queens and even children that participate as Little Chiefs and Wildmen. If you watch the crowd, you'll probably see a stroller or two decked out in feathers.

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Mardi Gras Moments: Traipsing Through Tremé

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Janelle Nanos

on February 9, 2009 5:00 PM | Comments (3)

Last month, IT Editor Janelle Nanos traveled to New Orleans to explore the culture and traditions of Mardi Gras. For four days, she spoke with the people behind the masks -- the ones who help make the celebration happen -- to get their stories and insider tips. She'll be blogging about her experiences through February 24th, when the party culminates. Check back for more Mardi Gras Moments throughout the coming weeks.

On my first full day in town, I set out with a friend to wander the streets where different Mardi Gras celebrations take place. We headed first to the Tremé neighborhood, which is home to many of the city's musicians, and is considered the major hub for the African-American festivities throughout the Mardi Gras season. (It's also the location of the new HBO series currently in development, which is directed by David Simon of The Wire, that will focus on post-Katrina life in the city). Today the neighborhood feels very much in flux, and there are signs that is becoming increasingly gentrified. The mix of Creole and English homes that line the streets appear somewhat incongruous: some are brightly painted, while others remain blighted, cross-riddled, and left gutted by the hurricane. Sotheby's signs are cropping up like mushrooms.

Tremé is historically known as the place where the Creole and Africans met, and there is a park in the center of the neighborhood that became known as Congo Square. It's considered the ground zero of jazz, and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

In the 18th century, Congo Square was the place where African slaves would meet on Sundays - the one day that they were not required to work - to reconvene with family and friends and celebrate through music and dancing. At the time, visitors would gather to watch the performances, which were unlike anything that anyone had seen. Today Congo Square is just one section of Louis Armstrong Park, a large stretch of land that abuts the French Quarter, which also houses the Municipal Auditorium, and the recently reopened Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts. Debuting with an all-star celebration this January after being damaged in the storm, the theater will now host the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Orleans Ballet Association, and the New Orleans Opera Association.

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Mardi Gras Moments: The Krewe of Zulu

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Janelle Nanos

on February 4, 2009 2:20 PM | Comments (4)

Last month, IT Editor Janelle Nanos traveled to New Orleans to explore the culture and traditions of Mardi Gras. For four days, she spoke with the people behind the masks -- the ones who help make the celebration happen -- to get their stories and insider tips. She'll be blogging about her experiences through February 24th, when the official party begins. Check back for more Mardi Gras Moments throughout the coming weeks.

Larry Roy, the Minister of Fun for the Krewe of Zulu, at the official opening of the "Tramps to Kings" exhibit.

A few weeks ago, I went down to New Orleans to scope out the start to the Mardi Gras season. It was just a few days after Twelfth Night, when the season officially begins, and the city was already beginning to buzz. After arriving at the airport, I explained to my cabbie that it was my first visit to NOLA, and as he drove me into town he mentioned that the "only thing this city is serious about is having fun."

So I wasn't all that surprised to meet my two friends waiting for me in my hotel lobby, who urged me to hustle and get dressed - we had partying to do. I happened to arrive on the night of the opening of the new "Tramps to Kings" Zulu exhibit at the Louisiana State Museum, and so we hurried to the center of the French Quarter, where a celebration was in progress in Jackson Square. By the times we arrived, a jazz band had the audience swinging their hips, the warm night air had people spilling into the streets, and I'd already met a half-dozen locals who had welcomed me to town - and I'd only been in town for all of 20 minutes. I felt a little bit like when Annie arrives at Daddy Warbucks's mansion, and hummed a few lines of, "I think I'm going to like it here."

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