Here they are: the winners of the ninth annual OffBeat Best Of The Beat Music Awards. I sort of hesitate to call them “winners” because that implies that the other nominees, selected by the local music community, are somehow “losers.”

Not true.

Anyone who knows me (especially the writers and editors at OffBeat) knows that I love all the musicians in this area, some more than others, of course—and I count a lot of them as my friends—so I wouldn’t want anyone to feel like a loser. Think of it as an honor bestowed upon you by your peers and the general public, and celebrate your day.

The Best Of The Beat Awards is an idea conceived as a public thank-you to all the musicians and music businesses in New Orleans and Louisiana who put their heart, soul, talent, emotion and hard work into making music such an important part of New Orleans’ cultural identity and who contribute so strongly to the local economy. You ladies and gentlemen rarely get thanks for everything that you do, and the Best Of The Beat Awards is our gift to you!

I am especially happy to be able to bestow the Lifetime Achievement in music to Mr. Edward Bocage, a.k.a. Eddie Bo to his fans. He is a wonderful musician, a soulful human being, and a healing spirit. Thank you, Eddie! And congratulations to all the recipients of our 2003 Best Of The Beat Music and Music Business Awards. You are so deserving of recognition!

Thank you to the very hard-working OffBeat staff, event producers (Renaissance World), publicists (Infectious Publicity), staging and sound crew (Propaganda Group) and Generations Hall, as well as our other sponsors, including Abita Beer, Basin Street Records, Tipitina’s, Hpnotiq, WWOZ, Louisiana Jukebox, Clear Channel and Citadel for their help in promoting the event.

We also thank New Orleans Music Events and Chez Vodun who hosted the Music Business Awards ceremony on Tuesday, January 27, for their help in honoring the behind-the-scenes music business folks who help keep music alive and kicking in the city.

Our thanks go out especially to Hibernia Bank, the major underwriter of this event, WWL-TV and Eric Paulsen for their participation, and the City Of New Orleans for their support.

MY TWO CENTS

Before anyone under 30 starts accusing OffBeat of being involved in only “old and/or dead musicians”—I’ve heard that refrain around town—let me try to explain to you why the coverage we provide to the more “traditional” types of music is important: right now you’re young and think you’re hot shit, but as time goes by you’ll realize you’re really not a lot different from your parents, your grandparents and the rest of your human ancestors in terms of what’s important in your mortal life. It starts to sink in about the time you’ve hit your early thirties and you can’t party as hearty as you used to; then in a few years, when the music you listened to when you were 19 is played on some crappy “oldies” commercial station, you’ll wonder why you ever listened to it at all.

If you read OffBeat, you’ll see we focus on Louisiana music (of course), and that we rarely cover pop culture. You see, we think that New Orleans and Louisiana music is not only uniquely different from anything else you’ll find anywhere in the universe, but it’s also provides the vibe of New Orleans, literally and figuratively. All this music, all this culture, springs from someplace. It oozes from the earth and the water here, and it permeates our consciousness. It’s the basis for your past and molds your future. That’s why it’s important. You need to know where you came from before you can fix on where you’re going.

I know I sound like an old fart here, but I too was once a young, cocky (so to speak) twenty-something. I’ve learned to respect the rich musical heritage that we have, and the people who create it, nurture it, develop it and expand it. It’s precious. And it’s one of the few real, true things you’ll ever be able to hold onto in your life. That’s why we do it. It’s important, and it’s important that you revere it and treat it with respect. Music and tastes change, but history does not. What it does do is give you a firm footing to grow on.

WHITHER BOURBON STREET?

With the previous lecture out of my system, let me throw an idea out there. Yeah, Mardi Gras and its crazy partying is coming soon. Isn’t that what New Orleans is all about—a pawty?

We’ve always been a partying culture: eating, drinking, dancing, screwing, uh, what else is there? It seems though that the party we’ve enjoyed all these years may be in danger of self-destructing. Mardi Gras used to be more fun when there were less people in the French Quarter puking and peeing on their (and my) shoes. People came to New Orleans because it was different. Now the only difference a lot of people can see on Bourbon Street is that the cops are more lax than they are in other cities, you sure can see a lot of naked tits, and you can drink all day and all night and no one will bust you with a last call.

Trust me—I’ve nothing against partying. I know though, that there are a lot of local musicians who’ve played Bourbon Street for a long time—and have made pretty good money doing it—who are being axed because revelers don’t listen to live music anymore, because the clubs don’t play it! I think the city has an obligation to propagate a law (remember, I’m radical when it comes to music!) requiring clubs on Bourbon Street to only employ local musicians who play local music. If everybody had to do it, then the partyers would all learn to like it, and Bourbon Street would start to become a better place. Unless live music is to become obsolete on Bourbon Street, then something needs to be done NOW to preserve it.

OF NOTE…

It’s been called the “only thing better than Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day.” Well, that’s pretty good hype, but in this case it’s true: that’s the CAC’s Sweet Arts Ball (with a theme of “The Birds & the Bees”—patrons are encouraged to dress as birdily as possible) that takes place on February 6. Music is by Henry Butler and Invisible Cowboy and there’s “copious cuisine” by local restaurants.

Proceeds from this year’s event help the nonprofit CAC continue its mission of bringing multi-disciplinary programming that celebrates the art of our time to the Greater New Orleans community. Tickets, ranging from $50 for CAC members up to $175, are available from the Contemporary Arts Center.

Several ticket levels are available and tickets can be purchased by visiting the CAC Cyber Bar & Café, 900 Camp Street, seven days a week from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., by visiting www.cacno.org or by calling the CAC Box Office at (504) 528-3800.

He’s big, he’s bad (in the best kind of way): Big Daddy O presents his new release Deranged Covers at the Howlin’ Wolf, Saturday, February 14, at 9 p.m. Sitting in will be Theresa Andersson, Cherie & Milo Mannino, John Autin and John Gros along with Big Daddy O’s crack 16-piece band featuring a mandolin, harmonica and upright bass.