KEEP-N-IT REAL SOCIAL AID & PLEASURE CLUB 6TH ANNUAL PARADE
SUNDAY, MARCH 14, 2010 – 1-5PM

Start: 2901 Conti. Out N. Dupre to Bienville. Left on Bienville to N. Broad. Left on N. Broad to Lapeyrous. Back to N. Broad.

Stop: 1551 N. Broad, Avenue Barber Shop. U-Turn on N. Broad to St. Bernard Ave. Right on St. Bernard to N. Galvez. Left on N. Galvez to Aubrey St.

Stop: Seal’s Class Act (Dumaine Gang S&P). Down St. Bernard to Marais St.

Stop: Justina’s Next Stop. Down St. Bernard to N. Rampart. Right on N. Rampart to Esplanade Ave. Right on Esplanade to N. Claiborne. Left on N. Claiborne to Dumaine St.

Stop: (Revolution S&P). Proceed down N. Claiborne to Bienville. Right on Bienville to N. Dupre. Right on N. Dupre to Conti.

Disband: 2901 Conti Street – Home of Keep-N-It-Real S&P

Queen: Rose Madison Franklin

President: Perry “Icebird” Franklin

VIP LADIES & KIDS SOCIAL AID & PLEASURE CLUB 7TH ANNUAL PARADE SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 2010 – 12:00 P.M.

Start: Dorothy’s Lounge, 1528 S. Liberty. Proceed out S. Liberty to Felicity St. Turn left on Felicity St. Out Felicity St. to Simon Bolivar Blvd. Turn right on Simon Bolivar Blvd. Out Simon Bolivar to Jackson Ave. Turn left on Jackson. Proceed out Jackson Ave. to Baronne St. Turn right on Baronne St. Continue out Baronne to Second St. Right turn on Second St. Out Second St. to Dryades St.

Stop: Sportsman Corner, 2433 Dryades St. Out Dryades St. to Danneel St. Turn left on Danneel St. Out Danneel St. to Washington Ave. Turn right on Washington Ave. Out Washington Ave. to S. Saratoga.

Stop: Purple Rain. Continue out Washington Ave. to Loyola. Turn left on Loyola to Foucher St. Left turn on Foucher St. Out Foucher St. to S. Saratoga.

Stop: The Other Place. Turn left on S. Saratoga. Out S. Saratoga to Louisiana Ave. Turn left on Louisiana Ave. Continue out Louisiana Ave. to Feret St. Make a left turn on Feret St. Continue out Feret St. to General Taylor St. Turn right on Gen. Taylor. Continue out Gen Taylor to Magnolia St.

Stop: Silky’s Lounge. Continue out Gen. Taylor to S. Claiborne Ave. Turn right on S. Claiborne Ave. Continue out S. Claiborne Ave. to Washington Ave. Make a left turn onto Washington Ave. Continue out Washington Ave. to S. Rocheblave.

Stop: Tapps II/Foxx Lounge. Continue out Washington Ave.

Disband: Stanley U, 4300 Washington Ave.

ahhh… Bounce. That soul-stirring street poetry set to triggaman beats that speak candidly to real life situations such as “It must be the pu*#&y cause it aint your face”. Right? Like how often have you seen a rough-on-the-eyes woman walking arm in arm with a fine ass brother and thought ‘wtf is going on with that??’ And then there’s my personal favorite, the Rampart Street Boys anthem coined by Sissy Bounce pioneer Katie Red, “I’m a punk under pressure. When you’re finished leave the money on the dresser.” Katie deserves her own postal stamp with the words ‘REAL TALK’ underneath it for that one. And her colleague Sissy Nobby’s bounce supplement, the how-to P-Pop video ‘Spinning Top’, an absolute must have for every girlfriend looking to give her ‘wifey-for-life’ act that little something special.

Well if da truth!, meth-amped beats and core-building exercises like the ones shown above get you all loose and open then you’re in for a treat because the good folks at P-Pop Central have organized New Orleans First Annual Bounce Festival which takes place tomorrow from Noon to 9pm. 800 Jackson Avenue at Annunciation. Tickets $7 in advance, $10 at the gate.

To see the line-up, go here or contact Lucky at (504) 913-5153 for more info.

The Saints parade is so two weeks ago. You need to get ready to stand up and get crunk at tomorrow’s parade: THE TREME SIDEWALK STEPPERS (route below). TSS gets my nomination for best parade of the year. Their noteworthy accomplishments include the having the hypest brass band performances of the second line season, working tailor-made leather suits like no other ghetto superstar can, yawning at awe-struck paraders and throwing them the ‘don’t try this at home’ side-eye while dancing with fairy feet afire and tumbling head first under bridges and over potholes, and finishing off with the most FIYAH! finale in the history of second lines - TSS president Charlie Brown climbing atop the roof of Sydney’s Saloon and shredding his $2,000+ designer suit with a razor blade, making soft leather raindrops shower over the crowd. Basically they provide more entertainment in one parade than all the music award shows on TV in the month of January. This commendation is well-earned.

You need not take my word for it though - check out these clips of last year’s parade and see for yourself. Seriously, watching these clips make me wanna grab a trumpet and a blunt, hit it and split it with one of the groupies outside the Blue Nile, then run up to the set of David Simon’s HBO show ‘Treme’ and school those extras on how to sing the second line neighborhood anthem: “6th WARD! 7th WARD, 8th WARD, 9th WARD - THAT’S DOWNTOWN!”

Parade route and more vids after the jump:

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This is how we close out Mardi Gras in the Treme. After Zulu, the Indians, and all the hip hop and R&B acts finish performing under the bridge at Orleans and Claiborne (aka Black Mardi Gras), Rebirth Brass Band convenes at the Treme Cultural Center on St. Philip and Villere and rolls thru the hood for a good ole fashioned second line. Hands down, best way to end Carnival season.

And the best way to start Fat Tuesday IMO: the Skeleton Krewe at the Backstreet Cultural Museum. Deets after the jump:

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We have this man to thank for the Rebirth Brass Band - Phil Frazier, a New Orleans original. Check out the 2:30 mark below for the funky tuba sounds.

If you STILL haven’t decided where to watch the game…

OR if the mere suggestion of crunk-azz brass band music before during and after the victory of the Saints Superbowl win is enough to curl your toes and make you chuck all other ill-plotted plans…

OR if you live downtown and wanna catch the the game close to home but not in the home and are looking to keep it hood simple…

OR all of the above…

Then the Goody’s on St. Claude at Louisa is what’s popping today, tonight and every Sunday night.

Opened last Thanksgiving weekend, Goody’s is the new jumping spot downtown. The restaurant bar, launched by Stooges Brass Band trombonist Garfield Bogan, features weekly performances by the Stooges and is home to the second line and brass band community as well and Bogan’s motorcycle club the Tru Riders’. The club also hosts regular poetry nights and has plans in the works to bring in other music acts such as the Baby Boys Brass Band. “New Orleans don’t really have live music on the strip,” says Bogan. “We’re about to bust the strip wide open.”

For the colossal WHO DAT! game today, Goody’s is serving free red beans and rice and fried chicken and featuring a Saint’s themed Black and Gold rum cocktail and music sets by the Stooges. The kitchen is also serving its full menu of creole soul food which has been characterized by regulars as “off the chain” (the crawfish pasta and the onion rings are the items customers were making the most noise over).

Above is a clip from a weekly set (now moved from Thursdays to Sundays at 9pm) by the house band known known for creating the most fun performances on the second line parade route. Stooges got the good good - now on the regular, stationed at Goody’s Restaurant and Bar 3200 St. Claude Ave. (504) 470-9000. Kitchen open 11am-9pm daily except for Tuesdays

Every Sunday in my fair hamlet, children from o’er the land come to play in the ramshakle streets of the town square and make a parade. Secret societies host these bacchanals where musical troupes perform and colorful characters dance in a herb-fueled, Hennessey- saturated fairytale dreamscape.

Below are scenes from the reverie, brought to you by the Province of ‘Only In New Orleans’. CAUTION: if you don’t reside here, you may experience episodes in which you wake up at night, run to your window with your laptop streaming parade clips and scream at your town: “BE MORE LIKE THIS!”

One-arm Kev. This dude does more before 6am with one arm than I do all day.

@ 4 minute mark: PETA has these fur coat wearing sistas on their ‘Do Not Disturb’ list.

FOUND: Bin Laden! Hiding (not really) in Bagdad, Louisiana

Lil’ Lion buckjump.

There’s also group calisthenics for burning off those three hot sausage sandwiches you bought off the back of the man’s truck. And for the advanced level workout, see the 2:30 mark for New Orleans-style pole dancing.

Second line downtown today. Come live the fantasy. Route and times here.

10TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARADE SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2010 – NOON

“When it comes 2 da best… we’re still on TOP!”

PARADE ROUTE

Start: Toni-B and Toot House, 1521 Forstall and N. Claiborne. Out Forstall to St. Claude. Right on St. Claude to “Cross the Canal”

Stop: Toddler’s University,, 4121 St. Claude Ave. Up St. Claude.

Stop: “Good Fellas,” Desire and St. Claude. Continue up St. Claude.

Stop: Sporty Barbershop, 2435 St. Claude Ave. Out St. Claude Ave. to Elysian Fields Ave. Right on Elysian Fields.

Stop: Sports Vue, 1701 Elysian Fields. Proceed down Elysian Fields to N. Miro. Left on N. Miro to Aubry St.

Stop: Seal’s Class Act, 2169 Aubry. Take a left onto St. Bernard Ave.

Disband: The Other Place, 1224 St. Bernard Avenue.

2010 Queen – “Mae-Mae”

2010 King – “Micie

My grandmomma Nina always stressed the power of dance. She’d say things like “I’m gonna dance on his grave” about someone she had beef with. Or “I’ll dance at your wedding if you go outside and bring the laundry in.” With her, dancing was always a power move, either a gift or a threat, never just rumpshaking for the sake of rumpshaking. I thought about her while watching the Ladies and Men of Unity dancing thru the New Orleans streets during Sunday’s pre-game second line parade. The club members, the crowd, the band - everyone was in Black and gold dancing furiously and chanting for the Saints. It was pure African motherland ritual, the Bamboula tradition our people maintained in the extraordinary face of 400+ years of forced labor, savage brutality, and emotional and mental abuse. If a whole race of people can come through intact after four centuries of hardship and dreams deferred, why not a team victory after a mere 47 years of patient waiting? These folks danced hard enough on Sunday to raise the dead, pound the imminent Saints victory into the street-paved primordial swampland and send the Viking’s season to its final resting place.

THIS, my people, is how you dance on someone’s grave. Nina Cotton would approve.