“Living in Houston, we’re halfway in between the best hotbeds for music and we will be coming in for French Quarter Festival for the first time.”
—Sandy Kuehl, Houston, TX
MORE ROCK
Did TwiRoPa get new owners (bookers) or something? Seems like they are booking way more “rock” acts (which is really cool to me!). I only been there once but will be going to TwiRoPa a lot more now I can see. What changed?
What’s the story on a new club-hall to open on Tchoupitoulas called “The Venue”? Is this true? When will it open? Any date of that Louisiana Music Jazz Museum to open on Canal Street?
Will be looking for answers in OffBeat!
—Randy Mandel, New Orleans, LA
TwiRoPa has acquired new talent bookers, Casey Phillips and Scott Simoneaux of Infectious Publicity, who previously were the talent bookers at the Howlin’ Wolf. “The Venue” will open at the end of March 2005 and will have a capacity of 3,000. Regarding the Louisiana Music Jazz Museum, we have no additional information since the museum is still in the planning stages.—Ed.
LOUISIANA’S PLIGHT
Kudos for your [Weekly Beat] item on the “Krewe of Estuarians!” I look forward to seeing the krewe at the parades and hope to catch a bracelet!
As a licensed tour guide here in New Orleans, I strive to make my tour patrons aware of Louisiana’s plight regarding coastal erosion. I always make the point in a “down to earth” (pardon the pun) manner, quoting an alarming statistic in laymen’s terms… along the Louisiana coastline, we loose approximately ONE FOOTBALL FIELD’S WORTH OF LAND MASS EVERY 45 MINUTES. By bringing it down to the lowest common denominator (almost everyone can approximate the size of a football field in their mind’s eye), it gets Louisiana’s dire situation across to the New Orleans visitor in a succinct and understandable manner.
Informing your readers of this easy-to-quote statistic will, perhaps, help spread the word!
—Alan Raphael, Metairie, LA
MAKE IT HAPPEN
When will Amanda Shaw (best new young talent), Dr. À Go-Go (best New Orleans rock band and they have go-go dancers!) and Vic and Nat’ly (best New Orleans couple) grace your cover in 2005? Let’s make it happen. Got an answer?
—Brad Thaller, Metairie, LA
HARD WORK
Just read your [Jan Ramsey] column [Mojo Mouth] online (can’t wait for the print copy to hit the mail box)—thanks for bringing some good Louisiana music to SXSW—I go to Austin just for fun now (not doing the official festival) but I will be at Thursday night’s showcase to hear the Basin Street Showcase and hopefully the party at the park. I really enjoy your magazine. Living in Houston, we’re halfway in between the best hotbeds for music and we will be coming in for French Quarter Festival for the first time and definitely looking forward to it. Thanks for y’all’s hard work.
—Sandy Kuehl, Houston, TX
WHAT’S UP DOC?
Where is Richard “Rabbit” Brown in your “Masters of Louisiana Music”? Although his life is as much rumor and mystery as fact, the six sides he cut for Victor in 1927 have an authenticity that no longer even seems possible. Rabbit Brown is deserving of a better legacy, especially in his own city among his own people. To borrow a line, “you oughta be buried alive” for not recognizing this songster, historian, bluesman, folklorist, and citizen of New Orleans.
—Justin Sullivan, Covington, LA
CORRECTION
Columnist Michael Hurtt is not, as reported by columnist Michael Jastroch, a native of Detroit. Hurtt hails from that other great automotive city, South Bend, Indiana, home of Studebaker, Packard, Bendix Brakes and the Oliver Chilled Plow Company.
