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New Orleans Story - Audio Version

Hey, y'all. I've had the great good fortune to be able to work with a couple of groups here in Minneapolis over the last 8 or so months. Over yonder you can find the Rockstar Storytellers. The Rockstars have a super mega show coming up on July 15th (and the scheduling Gods willing I'll be able to be in town that night and join 'em).

The other group is the Radio All-Stars. This group, headed up by Dave Mondy, Allan Staples, and Melissa LaCasse, is moving toward creating a kinda Prairie Home Companion but updated...cooler, hipper, and really, really good. Back in April I got to do one of their shows and told a story about New Orleans I'd never gotten to do in front of an audience before. Turned out pretty good. It's a big ass file. Like, 10 meg or so. But I think, or hope, you'll find it worth the wait. And, you know, thanks to the Radio All-Stars for doin' what they do.

Coming Down

Back in September, Anders Osborne released a new album. Last weekend, rehearsing Glorious Noise and missing the Jazz Fest, I got my act together and finally grabbed that puppy on iTunes.

In Noise I have a line about Anders' music...

...he writes plenty of things that make you want to get up and shake it. But he's got these other tunes that are so sad they break your heart, but there's such a sweetness to 'em you'll find yourself smiling through your tears.

Coming Down, the new album, delivers on that. Stupid, stupid, stupid good.

Here's a (lyrical) taste from a sweet little bluesy thaing...

 

My Old Heart

When the rain falls

When the rain falls and the thunder hits

When the rain falls and the thunder hits and lightning strikes

Yeah, that’s when my old heart kicks

 

When the suns shines

When the sun shines and the clouds have gone

When the sun shines and the clouds have gone and the day is bright

My old heart is feeling strong

 
Yeah my old heart is doing okay

Keeps going, going, going, going, going

Each and every day

 
Between the heartaches and the hurricanes

My old heart is doing okay

 
At the break of dawn

At the break of dawn when the darkness leaves

At the break of dawn when the darkness leaves with all of my sins

My old heart is born again

 
I was a bad man

I’m a bad man down on my knees

I’m a bad man down on my knees something had ahold of me

I think my heart is finally free

 
Yeah my old heart is doing okay

Keeps going, going, going, going, going

Each and every day

 
Between the heartaches and the hurricanes

My old heart is doing okay

Between the heartaches and the hurricanes

My old heart is doing okay
-Anders Osborne from the album “Coming Down”

Buy it here or grab it on iTunes.

 

The Rain

I know I've prattled about the Benjy Davis Project before. Bunch of youngsters (early 20's) from down Baton Rouge way. Along with a couple of albums from Jazzfestlive I went out and grabbed their most recent CD effort, "Dust". Damn fine album. Can't figure out just yet if I like the studio release better than our little live recording. Predictably, the sound quality is better and the band is tighter on the studio gig. But live they have such an unbridled joy that it's hard not to get caught up in it.

One of the things I so enjoy about this band is the a generally mainstream rock kinda thing with some wonderful Louisiana inspired touches like fiddles and bluesy piano riffs, etc. And, lyrically, I think they're brilliant. On Dust is a song called The Rain that has one of the most subtly beautiful Katrina references I've ever heard. To wit...

Here come the home
  Here come the kids
  There goes the money you were fronted
  Here come the wave
  It’s headed straight at everything that you just bought
  And now you’re standing on what just became your FEMA parking lot
  He said “Baby I don’t think that I could make good on that promise this time.
  Oh, that diamond’s out of reach.”
  She said, “Honey I don’t need a ring, just you more than anything.
  Now that we’ve lost everything lets just lie on this beach together.
I know you love me, you’re just saving it for better weather”

We’ll get around to it when the sky turns blue, but
  ‘Til then it’s gonna have to wait
  We’ll do it; oh, we’ll do it all
  But we can’t turn off the rain
  And it’s hard to be patient when you’re waiting at the station
  Worrying never did anything
  We’ll do it, baby, oh we’ll do it
  Yeah we’ll do it all
  But we can’t turn off the rain

Can’t turn off the rain

Nowhere Else Is Here

I was sitting in a small bar/restaurant in the French Quarter. It's a door or two down from Johnny White's, for those of you hip to New Orleans landmarks.

I was killing time on Monday before heading to the airport to go back to the world. I had work to do while waiting and because I'm me and am easily amused I decided to take my laptop and wireless card up to Yo Mama's and have some lunch and get some things done. I can hang out and work in an airport or a fruffy lobby of a fruffy hotel anywhere. But the Quarter is only available in one town and I was in it.

I had taken a short walk up to the levee prior to grabbing some lunch. My feet were dotted with blisters from walking around the fairgrounds at Jazz Fest. Still, I took the time to buy a flower and hobbled over to leave it on a special bench along the edge of the Mississippi. A college age couple laughed and asked me what I was doing. So, I told 'em a story about a very special man who used to sit on that bench. They stopped laughing.

Misty works the bar and serves as the only waitress in the small joint. She's a talker, with a voice just a little too loud and a stoner laugh. But she's nice. Occupying booths are the tourists. Sitting at the bar, at high noon, knocking 'em back slow and steady, are the locals. They also talk loudly having what appears to be conversations they've had before. It's an eclectic blend of long time residents and more recent arrivals. A mix of long gray hair and younger folks, mostly women, adorned with badly drawn tattoos and a whole lotta miles of hard living. Gravely Nawlins voices offset by harsher accents. And nothing much to do for anyone. Folks are surprised that Jazz Fest ended just the night before and already it's dead. Misty comments on that repeatedly saying, "I was hoping it'd be busier today. I needed a little shot from this shift."

There's great excitement as a big new pickup truck gets towed.

I asked Misty if the festival had been good to her. "Better than last year," she said. "Last year sucked. No one was here. I didn't make shit." The locals agree that this year there were more people in town, spending more much needed money. But nowhere near enough to make up for the rest of the year.

"Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest. They picked up this year," an aging hippie named Bill told me. "But I saw alot more kids this year...no money. Just walking around looking thrilled to have a drink in their hands."

The other locals agree.

Misty is thinking about leaving. Something she swore she'd never do. But she can't make ends meet. Even though the big events are a little slow, at least she makes something from them. The rest of the time it's dead. Which, of course, makes sense. It's still a city that is half as large as it used to be. Half as many people spending money as before Katrina.

"I'm hurting, baby," she tells me. "I have to think about moving. But every time I really look into it I get depressed. Nowhere else is here."

Katrina

Earlier this week I watched, back-to-back, two excellent expose's about the failures involved in Hurricane Katrina and the response the the storm.

The Frontline piece (second link above) was most revealing when it came to analyzing what went wrong and what are we doing about it.

We. Are. In. Trouble.

One of the most crippling aspects of the post-storm response was the lack of viable, interoperable communications. Interoperability means that all the first responders have compatible communications systems. To be sure, interoperability is not easy. It is expensive. You have to agree on standards. You have to implement the systems. You have to then match up all the details of sytem A (say local firefighters) with the details of system B (state national guard). New Orleans didn't have them. In fact, Frontline says that only Michigan, North Carolina, and Delaware do have interoperable systems (I think they left out Utah which had a major interoperability initiative prior to the 2002 Olympics that has been hailed as a success). Past and present Administration officials, Tom Ridge foremost among them, did a whole lot of dancing when confronted with this. The need for interoperable communications was one of the key lessons from 9/11 and is supposed to be a high priority for the Administration and for Congress. Listening to Bush cronies, the answer to when a national system will be ready is "Dunno. Maybe someday. But we're pleased with the progress."

Four years after 9/11. Whether it's a natural disaster or a terrorist attack we know we need interoperable, wireless communications. And it appears that nothing is being done at the federal level to bring it about.

Warren Rudman was kind enough to cut through the crap. Yes, this is the same Warren Rudman who is a former Republican Senator.

Don't Know Why This Tweaked Me So Much

Update: Okay...so I totally blew it on this one. I saw some soundbite snippets and concluded the press were wimps. Actually, Matt Lauer clearly irked the President during this interview. Crooks and Liars has the video. I'm leaving the post up because I think the discussion in the Comments regarding politicians and their non-answers might prove interesting.

I am embarking on a new project that I'll post on later. I was working on that when I saw some press coverage that got under my skin and felt the need to pop off.

I really don't know why the coverage of the President's current trip to the Gulf Coast is pissing me off so much. Maybe it's because after the spinelessness of the press for nearly five years I got all happy when they momentarily remembered they were vertebrates and now that they're going back to spineless it makes me sad. Don't know.

The President and the First Lady went to a Habitat For Humanity site and posed for a bunch of pictures and answered a few questions. One reporter asked the First Lady if she thought the opposition from the Right to Harriet Miers was due to sexism. She responded, "I think that might be possible".

A non-question followed artfully by a non-answer. Nice double qualifier (think, might) in the response which gives her political cover if anyone gets pissed off. I'm not sure what has me more jacked up, the ridiculous nature of such a leading question or the lack of a followup. "Do you think the opposition to Harriet Miers is due to sexism?" Jesus. How's about asking her what she thinks is causing the opposition. Make her think on her feet. But if you're going to lob that kind of softball don't allow that kind of non-response.

It was just so sloppy. And wimpy.

Then, the President was asked about grumblings from some Democrats (Republicans, where are you on this one?) that Iraqi's will not be asked to pay back any portion of the rebuilding in Iraq, Congress passed and the President signed a bill that would require Gulf Coast Hurricane victims to do just that.

"What Congress has said is, you'll have five years to repay plus an additional five years to repay. And so I think it's the kind of package that Congress was comfortable with giving and I was happy to sign it," Bush said.

So...do they have ten years to repay, or what? But, really, he didn't answer the question. Why does Iraq not have to repay any of the reconstruction costs and Hurricane Katrina victims do? I can come up with my own answer but that's putting words into his mouth. I want to know his answer.

No one followed-up.

Let me be clear on this. I don't begrudge President Bush or the First Lady their non-responses. If I were them I'd try to do a little ducking, too. They gave safe, politically savvy answers. I view it as the responsibility of journalists to force the issue.

I know, I know, I know...reporters don't want to risk the wrath of the Administration. They will lose their access. I've been hearing it for five years. Off-the record and unattributed, journalists and editors saying if they press too hard they lose their access.

So what? Hasn't that access resulted only in canned and obviously evasive responses that regurgitate the press releases you can pick up off the White House web site? For the life of me I can't figure out why members of the press are fearful of losing access to this administration.

MusiCares Hurricane Relief Benefit

“Man, I ain’t even had time to grab my guitar”
-Interview on CNN with New Orleans resident talking about the speed with which the flood waters rose

“If there’s a Mecca, a sacred city for the musically devout, that’s found in New Orleans”
-From the hit Fringe show, Glorious Noise

Mecca is underwater and the music has, for now, stopped. Among the many devastated by Hurricane Katrina is the large community of musicians that supplies New Orleans with an integral part of its identity…the sound of the Big Easy. This community will now be a critical part of the rebuilding of that magic city. But most no longer have their instruments. Most no longer even have homes. Rik Reppe and Jake Endres will be bringing back a revised version of the hit Fringe show Glorious Noise for a special performance on Sunday, September 25th in conjunction with the Minnesota Fringe Festival, the American History Theatre, the Park Square Theatre. All proceeds from this performance will go to MusicCares Hurricane Relief Fund, a fund specially created to provide financial, medical, and lodging assistance for musicians along the Gulf Coast.

"Glorious Noise" by Rik Reppe
Performed by Rik Reppe and Jake Endres
Directed by Leah Cooper
All proceeds benefit MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund
Co-presented by Minnesota Fringe, Great American History Theatre and Park Square Theatre
With support from Joe's Garage
Sunday September 25 at 7:00 pm
Great American History Theatre
30 East 10th Street, Saint Paul
(651) 292-4323  or historytheatre.com for directions
Tickets available at the door, cash or check only

Ticket prices:
Starving artist $12, general seating
Headliner $18, general seating plus free glass of wine or beverage
Rock Star $25, preferred seating plus free glass of wine or beverage

More on MusiCares

Established in 1989 by The Recording Academy, MusiCares has been helping people across the country cope with personal, medical and financial hardships. MusiCares provides totally confidential crisis intervention, health care referrals and financial assistance. MusiCares' confidential and caring approach allows those in need to seek help with dignity and confidence. Throughout the year, MusiCares makes a difference in our music community by providing a safety net of critical financial assistance and services for music people in times of need.

The MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund has been set up so music people impacted by Hurricane Katrina can get help. Assistance includes basic living expenses such as shelter, food, utilities, transportation; medical expenses including doctor, dentist and hospital bills, medications; clothing; instrument and recording equipment replacement; relocation costs; school supplies for students; insurance payments and more.

More info on MusiCares: http://www.grammys.com/musicares/index.aspx

Filibuster

I'm sure the blogosphere has already addressed this but I've been too wrapped up in the news to surf.

Just in case, though...

Democrats are pushing for an independent commission to investigate the response to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath...to investigate (I hope) the response from all levels of government in the three states hit (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama). Republicans (read Bush) want a "bipartisan" commission. This is a less than credible offer since Frist and Hastert announced this bipartisan commission without consulting, or even informing, a single Democrat. As the majority party in both houses this panel would be entirely under the control of the administration via their flunkies in the House and Senate and unlike the 9/11 commission would not have subpeona power.

My, how powerful and probing they are.

This isn't new. You'll recall that President Bush and his house and senate flunkies initially opposed, agressively, the creation of the 9/11 Commission.

Dems...you ain't gettin' an independent nothin' if you don't play as hard and, frankly, as smart as your brethren on the other side of the aisle. The reason you keep getting your asses handed to you by the Republicans is because they are better at strategy, operations, and marketing than you are. Truthfully, I don't think they're alot better at ops and marketing, just a little. But they absolutely kill you on strategy (see also: Mid-Census Gerrymandering in Texas).

Filibuster John Roberts. Trade it for an independent commission.

Personally, I think Roberts is as good as you're ever going to get from this President. He is nowhere near as scary as many of the prospects mentioned and even my fellow lefties are sort of limp in their attacks on him. Me? I'd save the money on those ads and put it toward a fight you actually care about and think you can win. The one thing I haven't heard from MoveOn et al, who they'd like to see in lieu of Roberts. The reason, I suspect, is because they know full well that Roberts is about as moderate (and, yes, that tortures the definition of moderate) a nominee as they'll ever get from President Bush.

BUT...

You don't get what you want in Washington based on the merit of your cause. You get it because you can get things done or keep something from being done. Block Roberts and make sure 41 of you have the cajones to support a filibuster and cut a back room deal agreeing to close debate in exchange for an independent commission on Katrina. Dictate the terms and parameters of that commission. Make sure that vote goes through first.

I'm not kidding. Unless Harry Reid is willing to throw the high heat he's just showing off in the bullpen.

A Billion Bucks A Day And They Still Don't Have A TV

Congress is currently debating an additional $51.8 billion for Hurricane Relief/Recovery. The $10 billion passed a week ago is nearly gone, though a significant chunk of that $10 billion went to expenses already incurred prior to Congress taking action. It's been ten days since Katrina hit so you're looking at a billion dollars a day.

I am not, in any way, questioning the validity of those expenditures. In any large scale operation, especially one that is thrown together quickly, there will be stupid expenditures and some degree of wasteful spending. It happens.

And I'm not entirely clear on what Congress is debating. Is it needed? Yup. Although, tuning into CSPAN there isn't much in the way of debate. Lots of grandstanding. Lots of recriminations. But, um...could we just pass the damn thing so the money starts flowing? Don't get me wrong. I happen to think now is the only appropriate time to play the blame game. I prefer to call it accountability but I don't really care too much which semantic convention we embrace. For politicians wanting to give speeches and get airtime it's pretty easy to get in front of a camera these days and get your footage. So, please, shutup and approve the funding.

There are, after all, people in houses in New Orleans in parts of town that rescue workers have yet to reach. There are, after all, smaller towns in Mississippi and Louisiana that no emergency aid has yet reached. So, since y'all know you're going to approve it could we go ahead and take care of that?

But, the one thing that's really getting under my ass today is the fact that with $1 billion a day you'd think FEMA and/or the Department Of Homeland Security could afford a television. We can only assume they don't have one. Last Thursday the Bumbling Mikes (Chertoff of DHS and Brown of FEMA) of this deadly keystone cops comedy called the federal relief effort, were labeling as rumors the reports of 20,000 people at the Convention Center in New Orleans even though the horrific video images had, by that point, been on every major broadcast and cable network for 36 hours. We also know that the Bumbling Mikes both claimed to be shocked by the severity of the storm even though I'd been hearing about it on the news for 48 hours prior to it making landfall. Hey, they're busy guys and I'm kinda glad they're not sitting around watching tube given the jobs they have to do. But you gotta figure, DC being DC, that if there was a TV anywhere in the joint someone in DHS would have been watching and made a call saying "um...do you guys know about the small town that's taken up residence at the convention center?"...or..."Hey...big storm comin'. Are we supposed to do anything when that happens?"

So...we know, or more accurately we can reasonably conclude that DHS and its subsidary didn't have a TV. FEMA I can understand, given how their budget has been jacked around the last four years but DHS, hey that's the party you want to be in. Those guys get all the good allocations since 9/11. You figure someone would have sprung for a cheap Sanyo or something.

But we'll go ahead and give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they didn't feel a TV was a reasonable and prudent expenditure and that they're really on top of cost management and all that crap.

Given, though, the heat the Bumbling Mikes have gotten in the last week for being in charge of the federal response while simultaneously being unaware of things that anyone with a TV was aware of, you'd think that with a billion bucks a day going out the door they would have bought a television.

I can't believe this...