Saturday, March 03, 2007

This Just In: Partner Dancing Has Not Swept Country

Last night in the Faubourg Marigny went to the Spotted Cat for some punk polka (very fun) followed by the Jazz Vipers (yawn). Then across the street to d.b.a for Mem Shannon and the Membership. Blues, good. People move a bit, careful not to spill their drink, that's about it. It's almost painful not to dance, but must not be Crazy Girl at the Bar so just swayed a little like the rest of the tourists.

The R Bar had really bad reggae. The two spots mentioned above were what it was all about.

Today I signed up for the 3-hr hurricane tour but missed it because I was sitting on the curb waiting for the bus, completely engrossed in a book about New Orleans, so did not hear the tour lady call everbody to the bus. Classic. To console myself, I went back to the bookshop I'd just bought the book in, bought another book about New Orleans, and heard a little bit from the store owner about customers Andrei Codrescu (whose book I just bought) and Elizabeth McCracken. No mention whatsoever of Brad and Angelina.

Just some desultory pics. In the one with the checked performing square, check out the musician just hanging out behind the scene on the left. He's the one to watch, not the dancers.





Friday, March 02, 2007

To New Orleans

Long day driving, so not much in the visuals department quite yet . . .

Roamed the Quarter for an hour before settling on some jambalaya. Spring is on its way here, the wetlands as I drove in on I-10 were a stunning mix of light green and dark reddish-pinks. Not much opportunity to stop for pics as you get shuttled over marsh. Lake Pontchartrain quite a sight as you come upon it of a sudden.


Mississippi parking lot

My room

The accursed Superdome





Thursday, March 01, 2007

Sun Studio, Memphis

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Our tour guide, quite the character, and member of Eldorado and the Ruckus, which has a song called "Mr. Oblivion" playing in one of the early bar scenes in Black Snake Moan, opening on Friday. Also, his girlfriend, who works behind the soda shop counter at the Sun Studio, is an extra in the film, who encourages the Christina Ricci character to get even badder than she's already being.

Sun

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Sun Studio

Sun Phonograph

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RCA 73-B Lathe Recorder, 1950. This is how Elvis made a record.

Sun Gibson

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Gibson prototype, 1948. Serial #3. The real guitar wasn't made until 1952. Back at Sun Studio after 6 years being restored.

Trivia about early Gibsons: they were built with a metal spike at the bottom, so if you set them down hard the guitar would be split in two from inside. It took some years for them to phase this "feature" out of the design.

Sun Set

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You can use the studio and play any of these starting at 6:30 in the evening for $75/hr.

Graceland

Two monkey suits. One a tasteful centerpiece in the living room, the other for getting married to Priscilla. 




Miscellaneous other bits from Graceland.





























Office out back -- warning from Elvis' dad. Copyeditors who follow Chicago Manual style will note that I have used the possessive apostrophe style normally reserved for Biblical names.




Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Open Most Days 11-10

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I ate here tonight. Red Snapper with red beans and rice and veggies. Excellent.

Just took a quick stroll around Beale, which is somewhat quiet midweek. A couple of snaps below. Also checked out the Peabody Hotel and plotted the likely course of the ducks.

Blues Hall Juke Joint

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Memphis Flash

Official

Arrived Memphis

Survived 8 hours from Asheville to Memphis. Gotta find me some ribs.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Sights around Asheville, NC




















Thomas Wolfe's digs in Asheville, NC




Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC

Fitzgerald stayed here in 1935 and 1936 while visiting wife Zelda in a nearby sanitarium. Cozy, isn't it?






Princess Anne Hotel, Asheville, NC

The writer R. Kidd is staying here.

Princess Anne

Princess Anne

Monday, February 26, 2007