PoBoy Views
By
Phil LaMancusa
Pete
Or
Repeat
“Well
now, I get low and I get high, if I can’t get either, I really try. Got wings
of heaven on my shoes; I’m a dancin’ man and I just can’t lose” (Bee Gees: Stayin’
Alive)
Second
week of Jazz Fest; ready, set, GO! By now you’ve been to the first week or not;
as a local you’ve been to the beast on a break or not; you’re here or sitting
it out or listening to it on WWOZ--or not. However, you cannot have missed the
magic in the air that has you able to know The
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (its local AKA--JAZZ FEST) is back
in full swing.
One
thing that gets chatter going around the campfires of pubs, watering holes,
coffee shops or bus stops here is the “Didja go? What was your first Fest who
have you/did you see and what was your favorite of all times yesterday, today
or tomorrow?” Also, “Is it gonna rain do you have your tickets sunscreen towel
and did you see how much stuff that guy was toting around?”
Any
Fester worth their salt has ‘Fest Mates’, folks that you see (maybe only at the
Fest) or stand in line with or meet up with afterwards to commiserate about the
day’s high points plusses and minuses; hits and misses; possibly a surprise or
two. Maybe you’ll plan something for the following day all the while meandering
the streets around the fest’s perimeter catching and tipping the pop up brass
bands, snagging a cold one from one of the many local entrepreneurs, possibly
buy a local craftsman’s offerings and do a little street shuffling. It’s Jazz
Fest outside the gates as well as in and you’re ready to “do a little dance,
make a little love and get down tonight; get down tonight”.
If
you’re really in with the happenings, you’ll have a family porch or two to
visit and sit a spell, pet the dog, watch kids play and smile and smile and
smile. You wish that it could go on
forever; you’re engaged, captivated, entertained and moved by the whole
experience.
Believe
it or don’t; there are some people that are not that thrilled, or as thrilled
as I am, about Jazz Fest “it’s too crowded, too noisy, too expensive, too hot,
too cold, too rainy, not my scene, etc” and that’s more than okay with me. And
there are people that really and simply cannot afford to go to the Fest and
that’s not okay with me.
The
reality is that the price of a ticket to Jazz Fest is sometimes a full day’s
wages for some people; add in food and drink and you can be talking about
someone’s grocery funds. For those folks on a budget there’s ‘Locals Days’
(April 24 and May 1 both Thursdays). Tickets are $50.00 with local ID and you
can get two per person and as you know, gates open at 11:00 and the action
happens until 7:00 PM; do the math, that’s eight full hours nonstop!
As
an out of towner, and if this is (heaven forbid) your first Fest…WELCOME!
Welcome to your new and everlasting NOLA family; your free to start a
conversation with anyone hereabouts, we’re a talkative group. We’ll answer most
any questions that you have regarding whatever it takes to make your stay worth
your being here.
There
are a couple of street conversations that you might want to avoid though:
People that want to give you beads and start a conversation; Carnival is over
and anyone wearing beads is a sure ‘Sucker on Sight’ beacon. If someone tells
you that they “know where you got them shoes, city and state” you can answer
with “yeah, I got them on my feet, in New
Orleans, Louisiana” and walk on. How many birthdays you have: “One, the rest are anniversaries”
Children that your mother had? “All of
them”. Etc.
There’s someone that will ‘spill’
toothpaste on your shoe (sneaker, sandal, bare foot) and then offer to clean it
off; and continue to press you for that ‘spare dollar’. These people usually
work in pairs, one to do the scamming and one standing surreptitiously hanging
in the shadows in case you’re resistant. Walk on by brother, they’re part of
living here and some folks believe that they’re charming, others don’t. As the
sign says “Beware of pickpockets and loose women”. AND don’t follow some guy up
a dark street so that he can ‘get you something’ so you can get high (or
higher).
One
mistake that newbies fall prey to is the fact that you can drink here 24 hours
a day and it’s legal to actually drink in the street; get knee walking drunk
and wind up stumbling around the corner to relieve your bladder or the contents
of your stomach. Although this seems to be a popular pastime with the younger
fools, both will get you in trouble.
Your
stay here should be (according to us) a memorable one and one way for that to
occur is for you to be able to remember it all. Remember, if you love music and
having a grand time, this city is able to give that to you 24 hours a day and
especially during Jazz Fest. There’s live music and fun all over town all day
and night (some shows don’t even start until dawn’s crack). Pace yourself, this
is a marathon not a sprint. Happy Festing.
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