The Information Super-Frog

Our second instalment has more local color.

The Krewe of OAK parades in my neighborhood of New Orleans(Carrollton) the Friday night before Mardi Gras. I love the small neighborhood celebrations with home-made floats and costumes. This is part of the Mardi Gras season celebrations that the tourists don't get to. OAK starts and ends on Oak Street, but the Krewe name stands for "Outrageous And Kinky". OAK parades around this mixed residential/commercial neighborhood for several hours with watering stops at various local bars.

Some medium-risque costumes; may not be suitible for viewing by John Ashcroft.
( Read more... )

Yesterday I found the Bywater Neighborhood Association website at http://bywater.org/.

Bywater is the furtherest downriver neighborhood of old New Orleans (below the Faubourg Marigny which is below the French Quarter). I'm upriver in Uptown, but I generally start my Mardi Gras morning down in Bywater, as it has some of the best costumes, early parties, and jamming with the great Storyville Stompers band with the Society of Saint Anne Krewe. Well, the website has some fine photos of Bywater Mardi Gras Mornings 2000 through 2004 (and some low-res digital pix of '98 and '99).

( Sample. Can you spot Froggy? )

A couple of not very good pix of a neighborhood party/parade

( look anyway )

2004 was another wonderful Mardi Gras here in New Orleans... not surprising, as IMO they generally tend to be wonderful or better.

( Froggy's last few days of Carnival )

The jazz band gig Sunday went well. We had invited two trumpet players to play with the band; both had given us "maybes", but both showed up for part of the time-- three trumpets wailing out punched some numbers in fine style.

The band was on the raised front porch of a Victorian house facing St. Charles Avenue; the bulk of the party was in the house next door. We were there pretty much from 1:30 to 8:30-- not playing all the time; we played in the gaps and between the daytime parades, then for a long stretch from the end of the daytime parades until the start of Baccus parade at night.

We did play a few numbers more than once, but those were mostly Mardi Gras standards. You out of town readers may not know that the Carnival season has a number specific tunes (like Christmas elsewhere) that area as familiar to locals as "Jingle Bells". Yes, I got to whistle Professor Longhair's solo on "Go to the Mardi Gras".

One enthusiastic older guy insisted he wanted to sing one with us. We launched into Paul Barbarin's "Second Line". After the instrumental chorus, the fellow took the mike and sang "Bourbon Street Parade". Right composer; wrong song. We went into Bourbon Street Parade behind him, then at then end of the vocal went right back into Barbarin's Second Line. Hey, an unplanned medley done without a hitch; I was proud of us.

Especially during the time leading up to Baccus we had a large crowd dancing on the sidewalk and street in front of us whooping and hollering enthusiastically. They didn't want to let us stop, and the tip jar got hot use. We got many compliments, including a college age fellow who told us "You're kickin', you're better than the Rolling Stones!". I'd settle for being half as good as them if I could be half as rich.

Happy Lundi Gras!

I'm trying to think of ideas for my costume in the Krewe du Vieux Carre parade on the night of 15 Feb. I want an anti-war satire or protest theme.

My sub-Krewe has the theme of Bayou Off, combining the news events of mosquito control and political corruption. Half the krewe will be dressed as mosquitos, the other half (including me) will be Pest Control people in white jumpsuits.

We get to customize our costumes. Some of the exterminaters are going with "Off" based themes like "Jack Off" and "Smirn Off". I'm trying to think of some theme satirizing or protesting the Bush regeme's plans for never ending war. I'm Peace'd Off? Wear a top hat, lable myself as "Arms Industry" and spray Peace-Away? War'ned Off? Suggestions?


Back During Gulf War Episode I, my sub-krewe were wearing giant foam rubber penis hats (Don't ask. Well, okay, the theme was "Genitalia of the Rich & Famous"). Two guys masked as Saddam and Bush the Elder, the World's Leading Dickheads. I customized my phallic hat with stabilzer fins and labled it "Screws Missle - A million bucks a bang".