Payin' the Cost

Joss Stone

I've had a lot of non-training fun the last couple of weeks. First was a tip to New Orleans for Voodoo fest. The pictures are from the trip. More can be found *HERE* if you're interested. Certainly, a weekend of eating, imbibing, and staying up very late did no favors to my body. But doG damm it was fun! I ran into a friend that... well... I figured I'd never see again. But in a huge crowd we made contact! Luck was on my side for once. That alone made the entire weekend worthwhile!

My legs, lungs, and heart have felt the lingering effect of my self-induced abuse. The legs especially felt like crap all week. They are coming around though. Still a ways to go. Will I feel good enough for the RHR race? I donno. I will be traveling this week and that's not helping. But it is my last opportunity to race until the spring... On the fence, for now.

Big Sam's Funky Nation

Leo Nocentelli!!

Bonearama

Ivan Neville

LA Weekend

Started my Friday and Sunday here. Highland Coffees - one of the best!

No better to start out the day... a rich cup of coffee and time to relax.

I came over to Baton Rouge to visit two old friends. Hmm... I don't mean they are old! Just that we've been friends for a very long time. T'was good to catch up, and enjoy some fun together. Friday/Saturday was a trip to NOLA for a show at the Maple Leaf and some cycling.

It's been a while since I've been back to BR. Some things remain wonderfully unchanged!

But others... well... I was pretty horrified to find this at the North Gates along Nicholson. *click* on the photo to get more pix...

Voodoo Music Experience Wrapup

We got a late start on Sunday. Waking up late, we scrambled off to breakfast. Well, we had breakfast food - but it was really lunch time. I was recalling an earlier conversation with Jane about my affinity for bacon. Seriously, I have problem when it comes to bacon. I love the stuff. If I could eat bacon and pizza every day I'd be OK with that!

TROMBONE SHORTY

Trombone Shorty is a badazz. During his JazzFest set last April, he lept off the stage into the crowd, breaking his leg. Ouch. He got back on to the stage and finished the set, broken leg and all! Needless to say, I was not going to miss his Voodoo set.

Because we arrived late, this was our view of the stage.

This was not necessarily a bad thing, since it was out the mud. I only had one clean pair of shoes left! The show didn't disappoint. In typical TS fashion, the show was very energetic. When you tell people you are going to see a horn band this is NOT what they are thinking of!

I turned and noticed these guys boogy-ing down next to me...(rememeber it's Halloween weekend)

Bacon, egg, toast, and cereal (hiding in the back)!! So there I was listening to Trombone Shorty, bacon had found me! We acutally saw them again downtown that evening. They were pretty hard to miss.

TO SUMMARIZE

The weekend was spectacular. The weather could not have possibly been better. Perfect temperatures, bright sunshine, and an gentle breeze. The music was great, and New Orleans is coming back. Smiles all around...from me, my friend Amanda, and her husband Mason (who's behind the camera)

UPDATED POSTS

I updated several of my earlier Voodoo Fest post with pics and clips.

NEW ORLEANS TODAY

Every time I've been back to New Orleans since Katrina everyone always asks "what's it like now?" In a word - healthy.

NOLA is starting to felt like the old pre-K NOLA. JazzFest 2006 was an emotional roller coaster. You could look everywhere and see reminders of what had happend just a few months before. One place would be open (happy) another closed (sad). In early 2007 things were much better. Many more businesses were open. Still you could see water lines, and a few closed businesses.

But now, just over two years since that b*tch of storm rolled through the city looks better than ever. The water lines have faded. Nearly everything is open again. And the crowds were large downtown. Much larger than they were my last trip down here four months ago.

There are still subtle reminders. Things like this placard on an Oak St. business...

Or a headline in the paper railing against those that are compairing the government reaction in the California fires to Katrina

But let's face it... New Orleans has never been perfect. NOLA is filled with some of the most beautiful architecture, personalites, and cultures of any place in the country. At the same time, there are problems in this city that exist in every other major city in the US.

NOLA is a city on it's way back. As we have read and watched news stories of how little the government is doing for New Orleans, the people here have been making their way back. That doesn't make a very sexy news story... but it is good news.

Electronics outta juice but not me

Probably my last post of the day. BBerry battery very close to dead. My batteries however have been recharged!

Haven't felt this free and relaxed in a long while.

Theme for today; work like you don't need the money, love like you never been hurt, DANCE like nobody is watching!

UPDATED:

The theme above came to mind because of the mud. As the evening went on the mud got worse. It's tough to dance when you're shoes stick in the mud. So, like those with flip flops before me, I abandoned my shoes...

You can't really worry about how you look at times like this. Mud sure feels good when squished between your toes!



After this show it was back to the hotel room to clean up, obviously. Then we made downtown to peoplewatch the Halloween revelers.

Just when you thought it couldnt get...

Any funkier...




Ivan Neville's DUMPSTAFUNK has hit the groove.. Clips on Monday stay tuned.

UPDATED:

Inevitably when you mention Ivan Neville's name people think of Aaron Neville. That's natural, because it's his son. However, Ivan is not the falsetto voiced ballad carooner his father is. Far from it. Ivan's got a rich soulful voice that's kinda like Barry White meets John Lee Hooker. Like his father, though, he's got a great and unique voice.

Here's a really short low quality sample from the show...

Here's Tony Hall gettin' after it...

Update from City Park #2

P-B-S brought the noise that separates the men from the boys! Go figure, the stage with the funk music was muddy as hell!! I'll illustrate with pix later. Heading to see Ben Harper, then Dumpstafunk.


UPDATED:
As I noted the stage was a bit muddy...



How many abandoned flip-flops can you find?



the mud didn't stop George Porter, Jr. from getting down though...



so I didn't let it stop me from getting a spot up close to dance!



You can't be afraid of a little mud if you want to groove to the music...

And what groovy music it was! P-B-S put on a great set. For a three-peice act these guys have such a full sound. George Porter's voice certainly helps. You couldn't want a better foundation that Russell Batiste on the drums. I *think* this was only the second time I've seen these guys live. Of course, I've seen them with their respective bands many times.

This was the best show saw to this point...

Update from City Park

GOOD-Scored a super cheap ticket from a scalper!

BAD-Coheed and Cambria is not very entertaining. Most of the music is dubbed in. WEAK. I didn't come here to see recorded music. I came to see real LIVE musicians winging it! I've heard much about this band, but they sound like any number of late 80's heavy metal bands. Not my cup of tea. When the mosh pit broke out in front of me...



... it was time to go.

Going to see live music. P-B-S!

Beautiful Morning in Carrollton

Day 2 in NOLA finds me at Rue de la Course coffee house. I'm doing well so far. I managed to get about 3-hours of sleep last night. The coffee and sunshine are helping tremendously. I like to think of NOLA trips as endurance events. The challenge - pack in as much fun as possible!



I'm sitting outside of the coffee shop, by the sidewalk, waiting for my buddies to wake up an meet me. A guy came walking down the sidewalk just a moment ago pushing a stroller and doggy in tow. He walks up says "good morning,man!", and gives me a high-five. That's something you don't see outside of this city! In fact, almost every passer by greets me, or comments about the weather.

Its hard to beat the friendliness of this place.