Blogs
Howie Kaplan Takes Over the Helm for Nighttime Economy Office
In 2017, OffBeat’s Publisher/Editor-In-Chief Jan Ramsey wrote a feature in Mojo Mouth urging New Orleans to consider establishing a new “cabinet level” position of “Night Mayor” after learning that these positions were being created in cities worldwide, like New York, London, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Seattle, Portland, Orlando and many more. Most of these cities do not have anywhere near the so-called “nighttime economy” of New Orleans. Things don’t move fast in New Orleans, but under Mayor LaToya Cantrell, this position—so crucial to the development and maintenance of our city as a hub of hospitality, entertainment and music—has finally been established. The city advertised for a qualified person to fill the position and lucky for us, the person selected for the job is not a politician with no experience in the business, but someone who has been in the trenches in the New Orleans music and culture scene for over 25 years.
Howie Kaplan Talks Back
In 2017, OffBeat’s Publisher/Editor-In-Chief Jan Ramsey wrote a feature in Mojo Mouth urging New Orleans to consider establishing a new “cabinet level” position of “Night Mayor” after learning that these […]
Noise ordinance on the table, again
Noise ordinance on the table, again? Here we go again…one of the frustrations with having been in this business for almost 35 years is that I’ve seen things happen over […]
Back Where We Belong
Welcome to Jazz Fest! Finally, I can say that, after three canceled dates. We’re back where we belong, still here and still loving local music. I always thank our subscribers, […]
Jim McCormick Takes On Music Publishing in New Orleans
I met Jim McCormick many years ago, when the very accomplished singer-songwriter was performing locally with the band the Bingemen, and teaching a class in English at the University of […]
New Orleans Nightlife Office Funding Approved and Coming Soon
The City Council today approved funding for a “Nightlife Office” within the Mayor’s Office. The responsibilities and duties of the office are yet to be determined however, pending input from the public and stakeholders., But there is funding to dire a director, staff and for operations, which is pretty much a guarantee that this is definitely going to happen.
Kurt Elling and Adonis Rose talk back
Grammy-winning vocalist Kurt Elling, one of the most acclaimed jazz vocalists in the world, will release his latest album, SuperBlue on October 8 on Edition Records. Elling, born in Chicago […]
Hurricane Ida—More Trauma For Louisiana
More trauma to Louisiana and New Orleans—on top of the COVID crisis—was laid on the backs of Louisiana last week with Hurricane Ida.
Hurricane Katrina Chronicles
To commemorate the hurricane that almost destroyed New Orleans, we present a collection of OffBeat ‘s Hurricane Katrina Chronicles articles we’ve run over the years. All of these stories are […]
The Light At The End of The Tunnel is Fading
A few weeks ago, it appeared that we might be able to squelch the spread of COVID and get back to normal. The Delta variant has changed all that, and its proliferation is squarely on the shoulders of those who refused to get vaccinated.
