The vibe was wonderful... the weather was warm and humid... the plethora of music and cajun cooking made up for the hotel check-in fiasco. I have always wanted to visit this city nicknamed the Bayou, with all its rich history and culture - more often than not swept under the rug of the novelty that is: The fabled beads of Bourbon Street.
New Orleans Jazz Fest in essence ran for 2 weeks, started April 22 through May 1st. New Orleans was buzzing with activity, although from what we were told, the city seldom rests. (Trust the deranged Bostonians to acknowledge the seasons with a high regard when it comes to bouts of activity/inactivity within a given year. Weather does not vary here much - similar to Manila. No use for those wool coats.) Just in February-March, Mardi Gras hit the town. I recall several years back when Kay* and I actually planned to check it out. However some time had passed, I sought the need for an atmosphere apart from one big college party. Lineup over the weekend was packed with performers ranging from local to international, singing gospel to (some derivation of...) rock, having a 1-2 performers to a full choir (See www.nojazzfest.com for 2005 photos and lineups). Just to give you an idea:
- Venue was at a local fair/racing grounds. Total area measurement not determined. (But believe me, it was huge.)
- There were three main stages with performers lined up on scheduled time slots from 11am through 7pm. Stages have the shows on simultaneously - therefore we had to choose acts we wanted to see and miss out on some. (Dave Matthews, Ike Turner and Elvis Costello - same time on 3 different stages somewhat equidistant from each other).
- Tons of food and drink.
- People actually line up for the food and drink as much as they do the porta-pottys.
- Good array of arts and crafts. Still hoped I got that poster....
One thing worthy of note about events such as this: The people that you meet and the friends you make along the way comprise half of the total experience. Sharing the same interest with the next person might have you end up sharing their blanket on the lawn and some beers for an afternoon show under the scorching sun..... A simple, "Excuse me, may I just get through to the bar for a drink," may have you talking to a wonderful person who frequents your town for business. Everybody talks to each other and connections are fostered - you don't know where small conversation may bring forth.
Case in point: Friday night - hungry, on a slight buzz... holding on to that receipt and waiting for our number to be called (scene is at a burger place, 3 am - So I suppose that's Saturday morning....) Everybody had already gotten their grub and I'm left cranky. Struck up a conversation with a friendly woman from Chicago named Cara* who was also wondering why the crazy guy in a pope hat and beads got his Triple burgers before we did. (Papal privileges, I said.) As we talked, her friends went ahead to their hotel leaving her with us.... we then walked her to the hotel. Before the end of the night, we exchanged numbers: She had VIP passes to one of the main stage areas - which happened to be where DMB was headlining Saturday night. Thanks to her and the writers of fate - we enjoyed the VIP tent with catered food all throughout the afternoon - had our own bar where we did not have to pay $7 for a brew, and all other perks not enjoyed beyond that barrier. We were so close to the stage that we saw the performers walk up at about 4 arms length.
I would go back next year if I could. Say, I wonder if they would beef up on security though... because all weekend I saw no more than 3 New Orleans police cars at the event. Even more amazing was - not that they ever had a reason to, at least not that I am aware of.
jam·ba·lay·a (jŭm'bə-lī'ə) n.
A Creole dish consisting of rice that has been cooked with shrimp, oysters, ham, or chicken and seasoned with spices and herbs.
How fitting. Just like the dish itself, New Orleans - from how I remember it that weekend, was a hodgepodge of people enjoying the music.
(I wonder - any similar fiestas in the Spanish regions that could be likened to Paella?)
1 comment:
You are so lucky! I've been wanting to go to that festival for years!
Post a Comment