NOT HIP

I have waited two weeks to see if this month’s cover [March 2013, Cheeky Blakk] still offended me. It does. “Bitch Get Off Me” are the words you hear just before the gun fire.

“Bitch, Get Off Me!” does not promote peace or tolerance. Printing “Bitch, Get Off Me!” on your cover does not make you hip. It makes you part of the violent plague that daily threatens to destroy our city. You should be ashamed to give this attitude your endorsement.

—David Roe, New Orleans, LA

Sex and violence share a similar vocabulary. Our intentions were simply to use the colorful language of our cover subject.—Ed.

WHERE ARE THE BLUES?

This is in response to Jan Ramsey’s Blog post “Where are the Blues?” questioning why New Orleans doesn’t have a blues club.—Ed.

Years ago you could count on Bryan Lee to be holding court at the Old Absinthe House. Outside of Big Al Carson, I don’t know of any tried and true blues acts featured around town on a regular schedule. One would think that someone would want to tap into the New Orleans/Blues connection and make some money while the boomers are spending it. The blues tent at Jazz Fest is always packed; maybe someone would open a joint to feature John Mooney et al on a monthly rotation.

—Bob Coffey, Oak Ridge, NJ

OVERWHELMED

This is in response to Jan Ramsey’s Blog post “Spur of the moment ideas” asking the city of New Orleans to create a Music and Entertainment Foundation.—Ed.

I can’t believe how frustrating it must be to be a New Orleans native and music fan and see how little is done by the city for this base. After years of hearing what a great music scene there was in New Orleans I finally took a trip from Hollywood/Sunset Strip and was just overwhelmed by all your options; from the streets to the festivals it was Mecca. For the last 31 years I have come 4 or 5 times a year and enjoyed every trip but get so disappointed when I hear how the city wants to stop or curtail music. I just can’t believe they still don’t get what a great marketing tool music is. Sure the shopping, architecture and friendly folks are nice but without the music I wouldn’t be there over and over again and I am sure that can be said of thousands of your visitors. Please continue to beat your head against the walls for all of us.

—Charlotte Robertson, Hollywood, CA

DEBT OF GRATITUDE

I was at the OffBeat awards [Best of the Beat] and as I stood there watching the incredible talent that came across the stage (not to mention the hilarious, spot on imitation of Mac that the lady from the musician’s health clinic did while accepting his awards) what struck me most was you [Jan Ramsey]. The fact that so many of these artists have genuine respect and love for you was obvious in the smiles, looks on their faces and their embraces. This was not politics. This was honest respect and friendship.

I have been a long time reader of OffBeat, and like the city of New Orleans itself, it is a never ending source of inspiration.

You obviously have a genuine love of music, and I would venture to say (from an outsider’s perspective) you, more than any single person, have done more to bring attention to the music of south Louisiana, not just New Orleans. I know personally your magazine has helped my career but more importantly, you have put the spotlight on legends that time may have forgotten. You have introduced the world to wonderful new artists. Kept us up to date on the landmark achievements of (literally) some of the world’s greatest musicians, as movers and shakers go, you are a force of nature.

I firmly believe that a music scene is held together by a thin thread of a few different elements—the artists, the fans, the venues and the coverage. Here in Lafayette, I witnessed firsthand the difference between a music community with and without coverage. And though we certainly have nothing compared to OffBeat, what we did have, now and then, made a tremendous difference.

I guess all of this is a long way of saying the New Orleans music community, as well as the City of New Orleans (sometimes politicians forget that they aren’t the only ones driving the machine) owes you a debt of gratitude. We are all richer because you are around.

—Michael Juan Nunez, Erath, LA