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The New Orleans Thread


Rock Historian

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Many people lost everything in Katrina, including myself. For a long time, I never thought I'd get over it. To this day it is fresh on my mind-but life does go on. I know people who suffer from depression from this. For me, I made alot of new friends, met new people and live in an area that I would have never resided in unless this tragedy happened, and for that I have things to look forward too. I know people (close friends who died in this storm) Too many stories to telll about here. My mother and father had 17 ft. of water in their house (basically to the top of the roof). They lost everything they ever owned. Their neighbors around the corner stayed on their roof for 4 days and rode out the storm...you wanna talk about horror stories. When it was all over and they let people back inside the city to see what was left of their belongings , it looked like WW3. I can honestly say, that it looked like something out of a movie. Total destruction-everywhere. Cars and giant shrimp boats on top of houses. Houses completely moved off of the slab foundation and pushed down the street. Goes to show you the power and force of mother nature. Strange,strange things happened.

My sofa (couch) had just enough room to squeeze outside my door and float 3 blocks down the street and around the corner (where i found it), yet my toothbrush was still sitting in it's holder....? Weird. I was lucky enough to recover a few things, like my Star Wars (Darth Vader and Stormtrooper) from when I was a kid. I had to dig them out of about 2 ft of sludge with a shovel. I just got lucky digging around and found them by accident. Those items are like gold to me now, because they are of sentimental value. I also found my Led Zeppelin 2 album in a pile of rubble. I stilll have it to this day. Just the record itself-on my new turntable, although it doesn't play. What fucks you up the most is when you go back years later to where you used to live, grew up, had childhood friends, places you hung out-and none of it is there anymore. All that's left of those times are the memories in your head, because they physically don't exist anymore. But life goes on and you get strong and you get up enough courage to realize that there is nobody to help you but yourself and the stories of those that share your same experience. We were resiliant people to get through this.

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Of course you knew I would love this thread. I spent my first 29 years of my life in this city and then moved back September 2004, then Katrina hit August 29, 2005. I lived in the Marigny just outside the quarter. This video was the neighborhood I lived in. I do miss the food and the music. There is not a coffee shop or restaurant in this video that I have not been to.

I remember coming back the first week in November 2005 after the storm and sitting on my stoop (as we call it) and thinking this is what a 3rd world country must look like. The devastation was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I could not smell the coffee from The Community Coffee warehouse or the smell of the food, the music, there wasn't even any birds around, nothing but silence. My home was just three blocks from the quarter and this was so strange (the silence). My home did not flood but was broken into twice!!

I felt for the elderly as some of them had no means to leave, but I will admit I was furious at the amount of younger people who were on rooftops as IMHO they were just to lazy to pack up and leave, so while they were being rescued a lot of our homes were broken into as the focus was on getting people off of the roof tops.

The hurricane is not what brought the water in the city but the shabby way the levees were built was the true cause. The politicians of Louisiana have to be some of the worst. This city was the greatest city to grow up in and until about the late 80's I would not have wanted to live anywhere else. Growing up in the 70's you could not have lived in a more fun place to grow up IMHO.Like anyone where you grow up holds special memories and you always thought that no matter what, you can always go back home. Home was not home anymore after Katrina and to me the city had forever changed and it broke my heart.

I also had a condo on Dauphine Street (and still own that) in the quarter. It was fine, no flooding or anything as for the most part the quarter was protected.The quarter today actually looks better than it did prior to the storm in my opinion.

My family still lives in New Orleans and I love to visit. I will always treasure my life growing up there. I remember the Mob controlled the city during the 70's and as crazy as this may sound, as the Mob more or less lost control of the city and the gangs took over in the late 80's it allowed the crime to move in full force. Not that I am a supporter of any crime, but at least with the Mob it was organized crime and for the most part you had to do something to them for a personal crime to happen, the gangs will just shoot/kill you for no reason.

With all it's flaws I hold on to the best memories and when I go home to visit my family I have a blast!

A Run Through The Marigny

More to come:-)

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As one who has been to NOLA a dozen or so times, I would say it merits bucket listing if you're into the non mundane.

I've been to three conventions, spent two New Years, been to college bowl games and one NFL game, experienced one Jazz Fest, and visited just because I needed to get it out of my system and then into my system. Never did a Mardi Gras, though.

Most of what interests my wife and me can be found in easy walking distance if your hotel is in or near the French Quarter. Unbelievable food, world class aquarium, cool shops, casino, and most excellent people watching.

As it turns out, my wife and her sister are headed to New Orleans early January to witness Alabama beat LSU in the BCS National Chamionship game, an excursion I unfortunately will not make.

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:hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: Gotta Love it!! We could go on like this forever, ya know.......Check out the Al Scramuzza vids" or the Frankie and Johnny's (below)? Guess what-they ain't dere no more!!!!

I'm lovin' the old Warehose vid's you put up...I've heard all the stories about that place!

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:hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: Gotta Love it!! We could go on like this forever, ya know.......Check out the Al Scramuzza vids" or the Frankie and Johnny's (below)? Guess what-they ain't dere no more!!!!

I'm lovin' the old Warehose vid's you put up...I've heard all the stories about that place!

^^What a place that was!!!! Remember this, big supporters of Led Zeppelin:-)

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AHHH YES!!!! I can't count how many times I stayed up way past my bedtime for school, etc. and listened to album hour at midnight on WRNO . I was so devoted to Rock N Roll and music in general - back then. I lived it, breathed it, went to sleep with it on and woke up singing a song........crazy. They were the best station around for a long time. 92.3 WCKW was in the same class as them at the tail end of it all -and there was kind of a rivalry between the two stations. I used to call in to WRNO for request and I've won tickets and CD's a few times from the trivia questions they used to have-around 7pm each night. Remember that? Some of those DJ's are still around, scattered about working for different stations around the area. I think they are all owned by an organization called "Clear Channel" or something like that. I stilll have my JP 1988 interview from Rockline that was broadcast on WRNO a few days before his show at The Municipal Auditorium. Man, I feel old-talking about this.

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The parade of souls is marching across the sky

Their heat and their light bathed in blue as they march by

The All Stars play "When the Saints Go Marching In"

A second line forms and they wave white hankies in the wind

Satchmo takes a solo, and he flashes his million dollar smile

Marie Laveau promenades with Oscar Wilde

Big Funky Stella twirls her little red umbrella to the beat

As the soul parade winds its way down Eternity Street

Souls ain't born, souls don't die

Soul ain't made of earth, ain't made of water, ain't made of sky

So, ride the flaming circle, wind the golden reel

And roll on, brother, in the wheel inside the wheel

Mardi Gras Indians chant in the streets at sundown

Spyboy meets Spyboy, and Big Chief meets Big Chief uptown

They circle and sway in their rainbow colored feathers and beads

They prance like peacocks, children of slavery freed

Souls ain't born, souls don't die

Soul ain't made of earth, ain't made of water, ain't made of sky

Ride the flaming circle, wind the golden reel

Roll on, brother, in the wheel inside the wheel

The Krewe of the Crossbones parades into the midnight sun

They march through the fire and come out beating homemade drums

While the French Quarter Queens in their high-heeled drag disguise

Sing "Over the Rainbow" 'til Judy Garland quivers and sighs

Souls ain't born, souls don't die

Soul ain't made of earth, ain't made of water, ain't made of sky

Ride the flaming circle, wind the golden reel

And roll on, brother, in the wheel inside the wheel

Flambeau dancers light the walkway to Jean Pierre's

There's a party tonight and all the girls are gonna be there

Sipping wormwood concoctions, drinking absinthe and talking trash

It's a red carpet, black tie, all night, celestial bash

Souls ain't born, souls don't die

Soul ain't made of earth, ain't made of water, ain't made of sky

Ride the flaming circle, wind the golden reel

And roll on, brother, in the wheel inside the wheel

I said roll on, brother, in the wheel inside the wheel

Yeah, roll on, brother, in the wheel inside the wheel

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