Gambit Holiday Events Issue 2025

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Roots music

Maggie Koerner releases ‘Upstate’

MAGGIE KOERNER KNEW SHE WANTED TO BE IN CONTROL when she began working on her new album. In the past, the New Orleans singer-songwriter says, she had often shifted the power over to the producers she was working with.

It wasn’t that things in the past had necessarily gone wrong, but for her fourth full-length album, full of personal, resonant songs, Koerner wanted to trust herself.

“I just had a pattern of going to the studio, letting somebody else steer my ship and feeling like something got lost in translation,” Koerner says. “I felt as if maybe the producers were putting their sound as a filter on top of my sound, which is natural.”

Still, Koerner couldn’t do it alone and turned to a group of New Orleans friends to help, including Ajai Combelic, who co-produced the album, The Revivalists’ frontman David Shaw, bassist Gina Leslie, drummers Howe Pearson and Aaron Boudreaux, keys player Andriu Yanovski and more.

The result, the remarkable “Upstate,” took Koerner back to the feeling of when she first started performing in her hometown of Shreveport, before moving to New Orleans, performing with Galactic, touring widely and carving out a place in the music community as a powerful vocalist and songwriter.

“Upstate” is now available, and Koerner celebrates its release with a show at 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, at Tipitina’s. People Museum opens.

“I got back to my roots of where I come from and what I sounded like before I ever started recording music,” Koerner says. That was “almost 15, 20 years ago, right? I know who I am now as a woman, who I am as an artist, and so I was ready to get back to that pure place of making music for music’s sake, the way I was doing in Shreveport.”

With a blend of folk, country, indie rock and some truly grand moments, “Upstate” feels raw and relatable. There are a lot of deep emotions on the record, but it isn’t a sad album. There’s a recognizable bittersweetness as Koerner reflects on the high highs and low lows of past relationships, memories of friends and her knotted roots in Louisiana.

Koerner wanted to “get back to that sound of just making music for the joy of making music,” she says. “Making something you want to listen to, before you get any industry or people in your ear.”

by Jake Clapp |

Several songs on “Upstate” center moments from past romantic relationships, including the singles “Sarah’s Farm,” which Koerner says is about her “favorite ex-boyfriend,” and “Oaxaca,” about an abusive relationship. On “Mississippi,” which features pedal-steel guitar by Jonny Campos, Koerner weaves in her mother and grandmother for a song touching on the ways women have been viewed and controlled in Southern society.

Shaw appears on the song “Way Down,” which he helped co-write along with Suzannah Powell, the pop artist Boyfriend. Powell also co-wrote the swelling, string-backed folk song “They Say.”

And on the track “DMT,” featuring Americana singer-songwriter Hans Williams, Koerner speaks to a friend about the time they smoked DMT — “You saw death / I saw music dance right outta me,” she sings — and builds into surreal, poetic associations. There also are a couple of instrumental tracks, like Yanovski’s “Andriu’s Reprise” and “Keep Your Heroes Handsome,” a voice memo Koerner recorded with other musicians in 2013.

“I sometimes like songs that are just drops in a moment,” Koerner says. “Just an indie film, a moment of your life.”

Koerner grew up with a mom who was a school teacher and a father who was a mechanic and business owner. She loved to sing but aside from a brief stint performing in a church youth band, she didn’t pursue her own music until her early 20s.

After graduating from LSU Shreveport with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Koerner was considering working toward her master’s when she met an actor who “convinced me that I was talented enough to give [music] a damn try for a year.”

While working as a waitress at her dad’s restaurant, Koerner started playing singer-songwriter nights around Shreveport and meeting other musicians. Around the time she was 23, Koerner caught the attention of drummer Brady Blade, a Shreveport native, and worked with him to produce her debut “Quarter Life” in 2011.

Things moved quickly. In the same year as her first album, Koerner met Shaw and The Revivalists at a bar in Shreveport, and soon, Shaw asked her to contribute to the song “Hey Na Na” for Galactic, putting her into the funk band’s orbit.

At 24, Koerner moved to New Orleans and began performing around town. A year later, she recorded her second album, 2013’s “Neutral Ground,” and was invited to be Galactic’s vocalist.

“It’s like going to get your PhD in performing,” Koerner says about her time with the veteran band. “These guys have been doing it for 20 years.”

Koerner performed and toured with Galactic for close to two years before she decided to again focus on her solo music. She still occasionally appears with the band, including recently at the NOLA Funk Fest during a set that also featured Irma Thomas, Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph and Erica Falls.

Along with her solo music, including her 2022 full-length, “The Bartholomew Songs,” Koerner has co-written songs with Jessica Simpson, Shaw, Powell, John Shirley and others.

As Koerner began to feel ready to record what would become “Upstate,” she took some time to consider who she wanted to work with but found a lot of inspiration in the singer-songwriter scene happening around the 9th Ward. She also launched a GoFundMe to help create the record.

“I did not have any fucking idea how I was going to do any of this. And then a year later, I was doing it, and now a year after that, it’s released,” Koerner says. “I’m really proud we all came together to make this beautiful piece of art. I’ve never been more proud to talk about an album.” Tickets for Koerner’s release show are $31.02 via tipitinas.com. Find the music at maggiekoerner.com.

Human Horse Races

At the Thanksgiving Day event, attendees can sign up to race as either jockeys or horses, such as Benny Lava of the Patchouli Dusters stable or Panikan Skytrotter of the Star Scufflers stable. There are heats for adults, parent-kid team races and kids on hobby horses. The day also features live music by the Dapper Dandies, a halftime show by the Jamettes, a costume contest, carnival games, a vendor village, a kids’ craft tent, raffles and more. Proceeds benefit Greeno Equine Sanctuary. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27, in Easton Park. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the gate, and kids under 13 get in free. Find information at humanhorseraces.com.

Celebration in the Oaks

Celebration in the Oaks is home to Mr. Bingle, holiday displays featuring Christmas and more. There are more than one million lights strung on City Park’s live oaks and in the Botanical Gardens and Storyland Amusement Park. Displays also include dinosaurs, alligators, a unicorn and fleur-de-lis, and new this year are 12-foot angels at the entrance to the walking tour. Visitors can explore the holiday attraction via walking or driving tours and special bike nights on Dec. 1-4. Admission starts at $20 per person or $25 per vehicle on value nights. Celebration in the Oaks is open Nov. 28 through Jan. 1. For tickets and information, visit celebrationintheoaks.com.

Violet Chachki vs. Gottmik

Violet Chachki took home the crown on the seventh season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and has continued to be a fan favorite from the show. Gottmik

THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN

Detroit Brooks has won the 2025 Danny Barker Award from the New Orleans Jazz Museum in recognition of his work to preserve New Orleans’ musical heritage. A guitarist and banjoist, Brooks started the Danny Barker Banjo & Guitar Festival in 2015. The museum will present the award to Brooks at its annual gala in December.

OPENING GAMBIT

Gobble gobble y’all

Five local foundations have partnered to donate $285,000 to area food banks that have experienced higher activity due to the recent government shutdown. Baptist Community Ministries, Greater New Orleans Foundation, Jefferson Community Foundation, Methodist Health System Foundation and United Way of Southeast Louisiana each contributed funds to support organizations like Second Harvest Food Bank, Our Daily Bread, Sankofa and more.

Inside New Orleans’ new strategic plan to support the city’s nighttime economy

NEW ORLEANS NIGHTLIFE IS ONE OF THE CITY’S BIGGEST economic drivers. The bars, restaurants and entertainment venues that make up the nightlife industry — and all of the music, arts and culture that goes with it — are a large part of why people want to live in New Orleans and the reason tourists flock to the city by the millions.

Yet, city government has rarely taken a wholistic approach to the local nightlife economy and workers — and even less of a forward-looking one.

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, who represents the Lafayette area in Congress, was the lone “no” vote when it came to releasing the Epstein files. The House recently held a longcalled-for vote to release the Justice Department’s files on convicted sex offender (and Donald Trump’s friend) Jeffrey Epstein. It was nearly unanimous, except for Higgins. The Senate later unanimously approved the bill. Higgins said on social media he felt the release would hurt witnesses, family members and other innocent people.

“New Orleans can’t afford to keep reacting after the damage is done,” said Julia Heath, policy and outreach manager for the city’s Office of Nighttime Economy (ONE).

Now, city government has a proposal to help grow New Orleans’ after-dark economy and support the businesses and workers that make their living at night. In late October, ONE released New Orleans’ first nighttime economy strategic plan, outlining actions and ideas to support the nightlife industry at a time when businesses, service industry workers, musicians, artists and culture bearers are being economically squeezed.

“Our culture is priceless, but it isn’t self-sustaining,” said Heath,

the strategic plan’s lead author. “This strategy is about being proactive: investing in the systems that protect our people, our venues and our creative economy before they’re priced out or erased.”

According to ONE, the plan was developed over the last year using community input, data including the recent music census, and collaborations with other city departments.

The strategic plan is built around five priority pillars: Supporting nightlife businesses and their visibility through campaigns, financial incentives and technical assistance.

Easing the effects of the harsh summer months on businesses and workers with targeted programming and policy changes.

Improving late-night transportation, access to affordable commercial spaces and ADA accessibility in venues and event spaces.

Focusing on public safety and quality of life programs, like harm reduction courses, better coordination with enforcement agencies and public education.

Building up New Orleans’ music industry through workforce programs, access to creative spaces and economic support.

THE PERCENTAGE BY WHICH HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS COULD INCREASE FOR SOME PEOPLE IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA.

Others could see theirs doubling. That’s according to the non-partisan research group the Center on Budget and Policy priorities, which examined each Congressional district’s projected costs. If the Republicancontrolled Congress allows Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire without agreeing on solutions to help policyholders, more than 280,000 Louisianans reliant on marketplace insurance could be sent into financial crisis or forced to abandon coverage altogether.

Which New Orleans event are you most looking forward to this holiday season?

23.9%

The report further breaks down those pillars into more specific programs, financial incentives and workshops that could be created. There’s also a roadmap, setting out short-term, mid-term and long-term goals for the plan.

“It’s ambitious. It’s very wellthought [out],” says Ashlye Keaton, co-founder of The Ella Project, which offers business and legal services to the cultural community. “I appreciate this is actually in response to the Music Census, to the challenges identified in it.”

New Orleans has a lot of strengths, the report says, including its deep cultural identity, creative workforce and national visibility. There also are opportunities in the city for nighttime economy policy innovation and collaboration among city agencies.

But the report also lays out many of the pressures the cultural community has been feeling recently. The city’s summers are brutal for the nightlife industry. There’s inconsistent and burdensome permitting, parking and sound enforcement. And rising

building and insurance costs are pushing small venues further into the margins.

Meanwhile, gentrification and displacement threaten the city’s cultural community, corporate consolidation is pushing out independent venues and promoters,

and “over-commercialization and economic inaccessibility could erode the authenticity and diversity of New Orleans nightlife,” the analysis says.

“I speak with musicians and culture bearers every week who are leaving,” Keaton says. “Forget Houston and Atlanta. They’re going

to Mobile and Arkansas. There are places like that that have developed core cultural centers. It’s not like it was 10 years ago: You can go to Birmingham and have a good time, and you can afford your schools there and make a better living wage.”

The plan recommends ideas like a cultural property tax rebate, new financial incentives for nightlife businesses and an annual summit for hospitality workers. To boost summer activity, grant funding could be used for large-scale events and the city could organize regular nighttime events at the French Market. There are suggestions to improve nighttime parking enforcement, develop a shuttle for workers between RTA’s hub and downtown parking lots, and expand access to

childcare options for hospitality, health and emergency workers.

To address public safety, ONE recommends providing free drink test strips to bars and venues and expanding free trainings for hospitality works on de-escalation tactics, Narcan use and other life-saving measures. It also suggests starting a nightlife advisory board to advise local officials on policy and program priorities.

The report’s longest section focuses on strengthening the local music industry through ideas like mentorship programs, university collaborations and establishing a music industry fund using money from large events to support workforce programs and local venues and artists.

There’s a concept to explore a venue cultural land trust to protect small independent venues from displacement. The plan also recommends a music ecosystem study occur every three to five years.

“There’s a lot in it,” says Ethan Ellestad, executive director of the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans. “I appreciate the idea of, ‘let’s not constrain ourselves with what we think is possible via capacity.’ That’s inherently limiting, and we know how long it takes to do some of these things, so it’s important to think big.”

Ellestad said he was glad to see several ideas in the plan, like a cultural land trust. But he also said he would have liked to have seen the report talk about equity, which isn’t mentioned.

“All these things could happen, but if they aren’t done correctly, it could actually increase that gap … whether that be differences between Blackowned venues and white-owned venues, men-owned businesses and women-owned businesses,” he said. “Access to opportunity can be stark.”

The Office of Nighttime Economy, which employs three staffers inside City Hall, started in 2022 as a way to connect city government and the nightlife industry. And some of the strategic plan’s concepts build on programs already in operation, like Narcan distribution and training, parking discounts for downtown hospitality workers and the Tune-Up Grants, which provide funding for music venues to improve their sound management.

Many of the concepts in the new strategic plan, though, would require cooperation from the city council, other city departments and nonprofits and universities in the city — and funding at a time when the city is facing a $160 million budget deficit. There haven’t yet been cuts made to the Office of Nighttime Economy or the Office of Cultural Economy, but city officials recently stopped its grant programs for local artists, musicians and organizations through the Office of Cultural Economy and the Recreation and Culture Fund.

The plan could only exist on paper if there isn’t an effort to follow through.

“It’s really contingent on [Mayorelect] Helena Moreno wanting this thing to exist or not and wanting the right people to be there,”

Keaton says. “It could be a huge difference maker.” — Jake Clapp

New Orleans finalizes terms of $125 million short-term emergency loan

THE NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL NOV. 19 APPROVED TERMS for a $125 million emergency loan to pay employees through the end of the year amid a cash flow crisis.

The city will be borrowing the money from JP Morgan Chase at an interest rate of 3.5%, a lower rate than some had worried.

The money should be available in the city’s emergency payroll fund starting Friday morning, said Jason Akers, an attorney with Foley & Judell who drafted the bond. In the meantime, officials were able to scrape enough cash together

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins and his close friends U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Governor Jeff Landry.

to cover pay for first responders this week without tapping into the rainy-day fund. However, it’s unclear if they’ll need to use the fund for next week’s pay.

The city must pay back the $125 million loan by June 30, 2026, but Akers said the city plans to do so by the end of May. The city should start getting money from property taxes by the beginning of 2026.

New Orleans is on track to spend $160 million more than it takes in for 2025. Even though the city didn’t budget for overtime, it will have spent around $50 million on it by the end of the year. Special events like the Super Bowl also didn’t bring in as much money as predicted.

This year’s budget woes will bleed into next year and beyond. Mayor LaToya Cantrell proposed a budget with $200 million in cuts. Mayorelect Helena Moreno is coming up with her own plan that will be even more stringent, considering the city now needs to pay back a loan and catch up on vendor payments.

The council must approve the 2026 budget by Dec. 1. — Kaylee Poche

Clay Higgins continues to be a terrible person in Congress

LOUISIANA REPUBLICAN REP. CLAY

HIGGINS MADE HISTORY LAST WEEK when in a rare break with his close friends Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise when cast the only vote against releasing files related to the investigation into Jeffery Epstein.

Epstein, who died in prison under questionable circumstances, ran a years long sex trafficking operation which preyed on children. President Donald Trump and a number of other regime are named throughout the documents that have already been made public. Other prominent figures include Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salaman, Noam Chomksy, disgraced Harvard pundit Larry Summers and others.

Higgins, who is well known for being an openly racist, insurrectionist who can’t pay his child support, put out a statement about his vote that made no sense. His reason for voting against the release is likely tied to his disturbingly cloying fealty to Trump, who adamantly opposed releasing the files. — John Stanton

DECEMBER

5- 7

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@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com

Hey Blake,

While rereading one of my favorite local novels, “A Confederacy of Dunces,” I came across a reference to Eads Plaza. Where is or was that? What can you tell me about it?

Dear reader, YOU WILL LIKELY RECOGNIZE EADS PLAZA by the name it was given in the 1960s: Spanish Plaza. For more than 40 years before that, its name honored James Buchanan Eads, an engineer credited with improving the navigability of the Mississippi River.

In 1875, Eads introduced the idea of building a series of jetties to narrow the river, speed up its flow and cut a deeper channel, allowing for year-round navigation. According to The Times-Picayune, the project was so successful that within a year of its completion, the port of New Orleans had grown from the ninth largest in the nation to second largest. “New Orleans owes Capt. Eads a debt of gratitude,” wrote The Daily Picayune in his 1887 obituary.

In 1932, city leaders introduced the idea of honoring Eads with a riverfront plaza at the foot of Canal Street. “When completed, the project is expected to be one of the beauty spots of the city,” wrote the August 1932 New Orleans Item-Tribune. “It will consist of a large memorial

fountain directly in front of the present concrete plaza erected on the river levee by the Dock Board. Surrounding the fountain will be an oval park, filled with trees and shrubbery and intersected by walks and pathways.”

In “A Confederacy of Dunces,” author John Kennedy Toole places the irascible protagonist Ignatius J. Reilly “at Eads Plaza watching the harbor traffic and jotting some notes about the history of shipping and Marco Polo in a Big Chief tablet.”

By the 1960s, after the International Trade Mart (later called the World Trade Center) had been constructed nearby, the city began renovating Eads Plaza. In 1978, it officially became Spanish Plaza after the Spanish government donated money for a plaza and fountain.

In 2021, the city spent $7.5 million to refurbish the fountain, improve the landscaping and lay down bricks.

THIS WEEK, WE CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND DELICIOUS LEGACY of legendary restaurateur Ella Brennan. The Commander’s Palace matriarch was born in New Orleans on Nov. 27, 1925 — 100 years ago this week.

Although best known for her four decades at Commander’s Palace, her career began in Brennan’s, the French Quarter restaurant founded by her brother Owen. Among other innovations there, she developed the iconic dessert, bananas Foster, patterning the dish after one her mother made.

When Owen Brennan died suddenly in 1955, Ella found herself forging her own career, first at Brennan’s and, after a family split, at Commander’s Palace. Beginning there in the 1970s, she became nationally known for popularizing haute Creole cuisine and superior service while mentoring some of the biggest names in the food world: Commander’s Palace icons Paul Prudhomme, Emeril Lagasse, Frank Brigtsen, Jamie Shannon, Tory McPhail and current executive chef Meg Bickford.

In 2009, Brennan was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the James Beard Foundation. She wrote a 2016 memoir with her daughter and current Commander’s co-proprietor Ti Adelaide Martin. Brennan was also the subject of an award-winning film, “Ella Brennan: Commanding the Table,” which will be broadcast on WYES on Nov. 27 at 4 p.m. and Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. Brennan died in 2018. To celebrate her centennial, all this month Commander’s Palace is featuring a special five-course dinner tasting menu, served nightly alongside the regular menu.

Holiday Hideaway

2025

HOLIDAY EVENTS PREVIEW

‘Nutcracker

THE HOLIDAY SEASON kicks into high gear with Thanksgiving weekend, and there are plenty of special events in New Orleans through New Year’s Eve.

This week, there’s the Bayou Classic between Grambling State University and Southern University, horse racing at the Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots, and the alternative Human Horse Races in Easton Park. Celebration in the Oaks also opens for the season in City Park.

In December, there’s everything from traditional productions of “The Nutcracker” and caroling in Jackson Square to holiday spirited burlesque shows, the Krampus NOLAuf parade and the Amazing Acro-Cats feline circus show, “Meowy Catmas.”

This events preview also includes non-holiday events, like the PhotoNOLA photography festival, the Black Film Festival of New Orleans, comedy shows by Whitney Cummings and Todd Barry, and more. There’s also a concert calendar on page 20.

NOV. 25

Tree lighting at Riverwalk

A 30-foot tree will be lit for the holidays at Spanish Plaza, and there’s music by Alicia Renee and photo opportunities with Santa Claus. At 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday. Find information on eventbrite.com.

NOV. 27

Human Horse Races

Attendees can sign up to race as either horses or jockeys in the Thanksgiving Day event in Easton Park. There are heats for adults, parent-kid team races and kids on hobby horses. The day also features a halftime show by the Jamettes, a costume contest, carnival games, a vendor village, a kids’ craft tent, raffles and more. Proceeds benefit Greeno Equine Sanctuary. Tickets

$10 in advance, $15 at the gate, and kids under 13 get in free. Find information at humanhorseraces.com.

NOV. 27-29

Bayou Classic

The Bayou Classic features a series of events around the annual football game between the Grambling State Tigers and the Southern University Jaguars. There’s a Thanksgiving Day parade in the French Quarter starting at 3 p.m. Thursday. Wild Wayne and Kool DJ Supamike host the Greek Show and Battle of the Bands at 6 p.m. Friday in the Caesars Superdome. The game is at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Superdome, and there also is a pregame fan fest and more events. Visit mybayouclassic.com for tickets and details.

NOV.

28

Violet vs. Gottmik

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” veterans Violet Chachki and Gottmik present a show of lip-syncing, burlesque, aerialists, dance and more. At 8 p.m. Friday at The Joy Theater. Tickets $21.80 and up at ticketmaster.com.

NOV. 28-JAN. 1

Celebration in the Oaks

New Orleans City Park’s annual holiday celebration features one million lights in displays with Santa Claus, Cajun Christmas, a menorah, dinosaurs, flamingos, a pirate ship and more. New displays this year include 12-foot angels at the walking tour entrance, trees wrapped with lights on the Goldring/Woldenberg Great Lawn and displays highlighting Louisiana birds. There are both driving and walking tours as well as events in the Botanical Garden. Ticket prices start at $20 per person and $25 per vehicle and up. Visit celebrationintheoaks.com for tickets and information.

NOV. 29

St. Andrew’s Day

Inspired by Poland’s Andrzejki, or St. Andrews Day, the celebration features live music, belly dancing, DJs, kielbasa from chef Stephen Stryjewski, tarot card readings and more. Organized by the creators of the Running of the NOLA Bulls. Starting at 4 p.m. Saturday at The Little House in Algiers Point. Tickets $12 in advance via nola-bulls-ticketing-portal.square.site, $15 at the door.

DEC. 2

Balourdet Quartet

The award-winning string quartet performs works by Sohn, Ravel and Brahms. Presented by Friends of Music at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Tulane University’s Dixon Hall. Tickets $10 and up, and free for students with ID. Find information at friendsofmusic.org.

DEC. 3

Nurse Blake Blake Lynch, aka Nurse Blake, wanted to go into nursing from an early age and

parlayed stories about his work into online humor, podcasts and comedy tours. At 8 p.m. Wednesday at Orpheum Theater. Find tickets and information via nurseblake.com.

DEC. 4

Tunes for Toys

The Trombone Shorty Foundation and Gia Maione Prima Foundation present the benefit concert featuring the Dirty Dozen Brass Band with Trombone Shorty and John “JoJo” Hermann of Widespread Panic. Free admission with donation of a new toy. (Toys will be distributed to area children on Dec. 6 at Warren Easton Charter High School.) Doors open at 7 p.m. Thursday at Tipitina’s. Find information at tromboneshortyfoundation.org.

DEC. 4-5

LPO: ‘Messiah’

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra presents a holiday program with selections from Handel’s “Messiah,” compositions by Corelli and other holiday music. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Fuhrmann Auditorium in Covington and 7:30 p.m. Friday at Orpheum Theater in New Orleans. Find tickets and information at lpomusic.com.

DEC. 4-21

‘Meowy Catmas’

The Amazing Acro-Cats return to New Orleans for their annual run of holiday shows at the AllWays Lounge & Cabaret. The feline troupe performs circus-like tricks of jumping through wreaths, walking tightropes, riding skateboards and more. The Rock Cats band plays holiday tunes, including “Have Yourself a Meowy Little Catmas.” There are meet and greets after every show. Tickets are $48.74 and up. Visit rockcatsrescue.org for tickets and information.

DEC. 5

Funnyman Gaitlin

Alabama comedian Gaitlin Roberson has attracted more than 2 million followers on social media. He performs at 8 p.m. Friday at The Howlin’ Wolf. Tickets $24.50 and up via laughlife.standuptix.com.

DEC. 5

‘Nutcracker Erotique: An Absinthe Drenched Tale’

Vivacious Miss Audacious spices up “The Nutcracker” with some absinthe, burlesque, circus acts and more. She is joined by Mamie Dame, Eddie Lockwood, The Great Dane, Lolly Romps, Millie Macabre, Miss Angie Z, Miss Tigerlily, Laccaria, Santana Cam and Truffle. At 9 p.m. Friday at the Joy Theater. Tickets $28-$51 via audaciousnola.com/nutcracker.

DEC. 5-6

Laura Peek

Originally from Nashville, Laura Peek loves to talk about her Southern roots. She has appeared on late-night TV and Comedy Central’s “Roast Battle.” She’s in town for two nights of shows at Sports Drink. Tickets $29.69 at sportsdrink.org.

DEC. 5-14

‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’

The musical tells the story of Rudolph, adapted from the animated TV special, and features Hermey the Elf and Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster. It features songs like “A Holly Jolly Christmas” and more. Jefferson Performing Arts Society presents the show at Jefferson Performing Arts Center. Tickets $28.75 and up via ticketmaster.com.

DEC. 5-14

‘Winterlight’

Christian Denice returns to New Orleans to choreograph the new holiday show by the Marigny Opera Ballet. The show uses traditional Nordic folk music arranged by the Danish String Quartet. At Marigny Opera House. Tickets $44.43 and up via marignyoperahouse.org.

DEC. 5-14

‘Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas’

Based on Jane O’Connor’s popular children’s books, the musical show for young audiences follows Nancy as she prepares sparkly outfits and her Christmas tree for a big holiday. Matinee shows are at Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts. Tickets $20 via rivertowntheaters.com.

DEC. 5-20

‘It’s a Wonderful Life, Y’all’ Ricky Graham gives the holiday classic a New Orleans look and a y’atty accent. At Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts. Tickets $43-$57 via rivertowntheaters.com.

DEC. 6

Algiers Bonfire

The annual celebration features a massive bonfire of a 30-foot installation on the

Algiers Point levee, plus music, craft and food vendors and more. At 4-8:30 p.m. Saturday at 200 Morgan St. Admission is free. Visit algierseconomic.com/algiersbonfire for details.

DEC. 6

Ananda: The Joy of Music in Motion

The concert of Hindustani music features violinist Biplab Samadder, Prashant Minocha on tabla and vocals, Andrew Mclean on sarod and Joyce VargheseSohi performing traditional Bharatanatyam dancing. At 6:30 p.m. Saturday at New Marigny Theatre. Tickets $25 at newmarignytheatre.com.

DEC. 6

Exotic animal races

There’s horse racing at the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots, plus some exotic animal races. Past editions have featured camels and ostriches. Post time is 12:45 p.m. Saturday. Visit fairgroundsracecourse.com for details.

DEC. 6

Home for the Holidays

The annual fundraiser for the Daniel Price Memorial Fund features music by Kermit Ruffins, Cha Wa and Big Freedia, and Irma Thomas performs at the patron pre-party. Proceeds support scholarships at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). Tickets are $55 and up. At 6:30 p.m. Saturday at House of Blues. Find information at danielpricememorial.org/ home-for-the-holidays.

DEC. 6

Krampus NOLAuf

The gruesome Alpine half-demon Krampus arrives to scare naughty children before the holidays, and in the Krewe of Krampus parade, he’s accompanied by a host of holiday characters and spirits. The parade features more than 200 costumed marchers, throws, a Toys for Tots float collecting donations and more. There’s also an Accessibility Row for spectators with special needs. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday on Royal Street in Bywater. Visit kreweofkrampus.com for map and details.

DEC. 6

Improvisations Gala

The gala benefit party for the New Orleans Jazz Museum’s educational programs has a Storyville theme and entertainment by Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kermit Ruffins, James Andrews and the Crescent City All-Stars, Tuba Skinny, Detroit Brooks and the New Orleans Jazz Museum Band with Rechell Cook, Dane Ruffins, Naydja CoJoe and Sharon Martin. There’s also burlesque performances, gaming and more. The gala will happen outdoors on the 400 block of Esplanade Avenue. Tickets $150 via nolajazzmuseum.org/gala.

DEC. 6

New Orleans Holiday Parade

The Carnival-style parade features floats, helium balloons, marching groups, marching bands and more. The procession crosses the French Quarter on Decatur Street, makes a loop on Canal Street and follows Tchoupitoulas Street through the Warehouse District. At 11 a.m. Saturday. Visit nolaholidayparade.com for information.

DEC. 6

Sammy Obeid

Lebanese-Palestinian comic Sammy Obeid has appeared on “Last Comic Standing” and “America’s Got Talent.” He performs at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at The Howlin’ Wolf. Tickets $33 and up via laughlife.standuptix.com.

DEC. 6

Whitney Cummings

Whitney Cummings created the sitcom “Two Broke Girls” and her namesake show “Whitney.” She’s also released several comedy specials for Comedy Central, Netflix and OnlyFans TV, including “Mouthy” and “The Roast of Whitney Cummings” in 2023. She performs stand-up at 7 p.m. Saturday at The Joy Theater. Tickets $51.95 and up via ticketmaster.com.

DEC. 6-14

Black Film Festival of New Orleans

The festival screens feature films including “The Skin You’re In,” “What Somalia Wants,” “Georgia Peach” and more, and there are slates of short films. Some festival events highlight locally made films and up-and-coming filmmakers. There are screening events across the city and an awards ceremony with Tarriona “Tank” Ball. Many films also are available online

through Jan. 4, 2026. Visit bffno.com for information.

DEC. 7

Hanukkah Family Day

The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience hosts a free celebration with Hanukkah-themed snacks, crafts, music, storytelling and more. Museum galleries are open as well. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Registration available but not required. Visit msje.org for details.

DEC. 9

The Moth

The open-mic storytelling event hits the holiday season with the theme “family matters.” People can sign up to tell their stories of familial joys and disappointments. Stories begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Cafe Istanbul. Tickets $12.50-$17.50 via themoth.org.

DEC. 9-14

‘Back to the Future: The Musical’

In the musical adaptation of the popular movie, Marty McFly travels back in time with the help of scientist Doc Brown and his converted DeLorean. McFly meets his parents and changes history. The touring Broadway production comes to Saenger Theatre. Showtimes vary. Find tickets via saengernola.com.

DEC. 10

‘Carnival of Time’

Art Span Nola presents the operetta by Andrei Codrescu about Napoleon Bonaparte’s return, along with other time-traveling figures, in a plot to make him Emperor of America. The show features music by W8ing4UFOs and projections by Monica Rose Kelly. At 7 p.m. Wednesday at Marigny Opera House. Suggested donation $25. Find information at artspannola.org.

HOLIDAY EVENTS PREVIEW

DEC. 10-14

PhotoNOLA

The New Orleans Photo Alliance’s festival features dozens of exhibitions at galleries and museums across the city, plus portfolio reviews, workshops, a book fair and more. Acclaimed South African contemporary art photographer Zanele Muholi delivers the keynote address. Visit photonola.org for details.

DEC. 11

‘A Christmas Carol’ Crescent City Stage presents a staged reading of Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” The event is a benefit for the theater featuring small bites and a cash bar. At 6 p.m. Thursday at The Josephine. Find information at crescentcitystage.com.

DEC. 11, 14, 19 & 21

Christmastime in New Orleans with The Big Easy Boys

The local vocal group sings popular holiday tunes. At Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts. Tickets $43-$57 via rivertowntheaters.com.

DEC. 12

‘The Muppet Christmas Carol Live’

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra provides a live score to the Muppet holiday movie, in which Kermit the Frog plays Bob Cratchit, Michael Caine is Ebeneezer Scrooge and Fozzie Bear runs a rubber chicken factory. At 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. Tickets $41.48-$63.44 via mahaliajacksontheater.com.

DEC. 12

Todd Barry

Todd Barry is known for his deadpan delivery, and the comedian has released several specials and appeared on TV in “Flight of the Conchords” and “Chappelle’s Show.” He also has voiced characters on “Bob’s Burgers” and more. At 8 p.m. Friday at The Howlin’ Wolf. Tickets $24 and up via laughlife.standuptix.com.

DEC. 12-13

David Gborie

three wise men, King Balthazar, a darkskinned Arabian king. There is a children’s tea and visits with King Balthazar following the performance. At 2 p.m. Saturday at New Marigny Theatre. Find tickets and information at newmarignytheatre.com.

DEC. 13

Compete 4 Cause Classic

The college basketball doubleheader features the LSU women’s team facing the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters and the LSU men’s team versus the SMU Mustangs. The first game is at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Smoothie King Center. Tickets $36.30 and up via ticketmaster.com.

DEC. 13

King and Queen

The pageant crowns a King and Queen and is open to all genders and body types. At 7 p.m. Saturday at Civic Theatre. Tickets $62.10 via ticketmaster.com.

DEC. 13-14

Handel’s ‘Messiah’

New Orleans Symphony Chorus presents the holiday classic with performances at 7 p.m. Saturday at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Lakeview and at 3 p.m. Sunday at St. Mary’s Assumption Catholic Church in the Lower Garden District. Visit symphonychorus.com for information.

DEC. 13-23

‘The Nutcracker’

New Orleans Ballet Theatre presents the classic ballet with a cast of more than 120 local children performers. At Orpheum Theater. Showtimes vary. Tickets $51.55 and up at ticketmaster.com.

DEC. 14

Trendafilka

Trendafilka is a women-led vocal group exploring Eastern European music of the Balkans, Baltics and beyond. This winter concert has holiday touches. At 7 p.m. Sunday at New Marigny Theatre. Find tickets and information via trendafilka.com.

DEC. 16

Comedian and “All Fantasy Everything” podcast co-host David Gborie returns to New Orleans for two nights of shows at Sports Drink. Tickets $29.69 at sportsdrink.org.

DEC. 13

‘Ballad of the Brown King’ OperaCreole presents Margaret Bonds’ Christmas cantata “Ballad of the Brown King,” with lyrics by Langston Hughes. The piece tells the story of one of the

Christmas Without Tears

Actor and comedian Harry Shearer and singer Judith Owen host their 20th anniversary holiday celebration and sing-along with a host of musical guests. At 8 p.m. Tuesday at Orpheum Theater. Tickets $47.45 and up via ticketmaster.com.

DEC. 16-18, 20-21

‘Dixie’s Holiday Bar’ Reality TV star Marguerite Perrin stars

as legendary New Orleans bar owner Yvonne Fasnacht, aka Miss Dixie, in the musical show “Dixie’s Holiday Bar.” In the show, Miss Dixie organizes a holiday variety show at her Bourbon Street bar, hoping to raise money to repair some damages and avoid another police raid at the LGBTQ-friendly space. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. at Cafe Istanbul. Tickets $30-$65 via dixiesholidaybar.com.

DEC.

17

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Trans-Siberian Orchestra presents a sort of rock opera holiday show with light displays and more. This performance includes a new version of “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” and a salute to Beethoven. At 7 p.m. at Smoothie King Center. Tickets are $54.70 and up at ticketmaster.com.

DEC.

18

LPO: Holiday Spectacular

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is joined by vocalist Alexis Marceaux for a holiday program including Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time is Here,” “March of the Toys” from “Babes in Toyland,” James Stephenson’s “Holiday Fanfare Medley No. 1,” Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” and more. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Orpheum Theater. Tickets $35-$69 and $13 for children at lpomusic.com.

DEC. 19

Lavelle Dontae

Comedian Lavelle Dontae broke out on social media. He performs at 8 p.m. Friday at The Howlin’ Wolf. Tickets $41.41-$56.79 via thehowlinwolf.com.

DEC. 19-21 & 24

Jingle all the Gay!

Kitten N’ Lou present their annual holiday show full of music, burlesque, dancing, holiday sparkles and more. The variety show features a mash-up of holiday characters and traditions and saucy twists on holiday songs. Guest performers include Tito Bonito, Kylie Mooncakes, Cherdonna, Jeez Loueez, Lola Van Ella and more Dec. 19-21 & 24 at New Marigny Theatre. General admission $35. Find tickets on kittenandlou.com.

DEC. 19-21

‘The Nutcracker’ Jefferson Ballet Theatre and Jefferson Performing Arts Society present the holiday show based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” At 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Jefferson Performing Arts Center. Tickets $28.75 and up via ticketmaster.com.

DEC. 20

Jingle on the Boulevard

The parade features Santa Claus and holiday characters, dance teams, marching bands, riding groups, throws and more. The parade starts at noon at 8400 Morrison Road and proceeds on Crowder, Hanye, Read and Lake Forest boulevards. Saturday, Dec. 20. Visit jingleontheboulevard.com for details.

DEC. 20-21

‘The Nutcracker’

Delta Festival Ballet presents the holiday classic with guest principal dancer Chun Wai Chan and music by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. At 6 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. Tickets $54.90-$115.90 via mahaliajacksontheater.com.

DEC. 21

Caroling in Jackson Square

Patio Planters provides songbooks and candles for the annual gathering to sing Christmas carols in the French Quarter. At 7 p.m. Sunday in Jackson Square. Find information via patioplanters.net.

DEC. 23

New Orleans Bowl

The New Orleans Bowl features teams from the Sunbelt Conference and Conference USA. The game starts at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Caesars Superdome. Visit neworleansbowl.org for information.

DEC. 26

‘Nutcracker! Magical

Christmas Ballet’

The touring company of international dancers presents a traditional ballet version of the story with lavish costumes, puppets and more. At 3 & 7 p.m. Friday at Saenger Theatre. Tickets $42.70$220 via saengernola.com.

DEC. 26-27

Sean Patton

Comedian Sean Patton is based in New York, but he’s in his hometown of New Orleans for two nights of shows at Sports Drink. Tickets $29.69 at sportsdrink.org.

DEC. 28

Mannheim Steamroller

The new age classical ensemble is best known for its holiday music and has sold more than 28 million albums. At 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Saenger Theatre. Tickets $48.19-$96.99 via saengernola.com

DEC. 28

Gary Owen

Military veteran and comedian Gary Owen has released numerous comedy

PHOTOS WITH THE BIG GUY

Whether it involves a terrified toddler, a couple of goofy teens or a gaggle of grown adults doin’ it for the ’gram, pictures with Santa are an integral part of the holiday season. Here are some dates to get your Santa pics.

THROUGH DEC. 24

SANTA PHOTOS AT LAKESIDE SHOPPING CENTER

specials and appeared in films including “Daddy Day Care,” “College” and “Meet the Blacks.” He performs at 8 p.m. Sunday at Orpheum Theater. Tickets $52.60 and up via ticketmaster.com.

DEC. 30-31

The Revivalists

The Revivalists do two nights of events at the Orpheum Theater. The Revheads Ball on Dec. 30 is an intimate in-theround performance. The New Year’s Eve ball follows on Dec. 31. Find tickets via orpheumnola.com.

DEC. 30-JAN. 4

‘Hell’s Kitchen’

The jukebox musical is based on the life of singer Alicia Keys and her growing up in New York. The touring Broadway production comes to Saenger Theatre. Showtimes vary. Find tickets at saengernola.com.

DEC. 31

Fete du Nouvel An

The Misi at Jax Brewery hosts a New Year’s Eve celebration with music by the Top Cats, DJs and a silent disco by Dohm Collective. The event includes food and drinks, with a Champagne toast at midnight. Tickets $200 via eventbrite.com.

DEC. 31

New Year’s Eve fireworks

There will be fireworks over the Mississippi River at the French Quarter. Details are forthcoming. Visit crescentcitycountdown.com.

JAN. 1

Allstate Sugar Bowl

The annual Sugar Bowl is part of the 12-team College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The playoff bracket will be released Dec. 7. The game is at 7 p.m. New Year’s Day. Visit allstatesugarbowl. org for details about the game and surrounding events.

Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sundays noon to 6 p.m.

For prices and more information, check lakesideshopping.com/ santa-photos.

DEC. 4 & 18

HAPPY HOUR WITH HUNKY SANTA Pontchartrain Yacht Club, 140 Jackson Ave., Mandeville

For times and prices, check eventbrite.com.

DEC. 6

SELFIES WITH SANTA Canal Place Shopping Center noon to 3 p.m.

Visit canalplacestyle.com for information.

DEC. 13

FREE PHOTOS WITH SANTA AT EXCEPTIONAL DENTAL OF KENNER

Exceptional Dental of Kenner, 1305 West Esplanade Ave., Kenner 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Find information on eventbrite.com.

DEC. 13

PHOTOS WITH CREEPY SANTA AT R BAR R Bar, 1431 Royal St. 6 to 9 p.m.-ish | $20

DEC. 14, 20 & 22

PHOTOS WITH GENTILLY SANTA

Dec. 14 from noon to 3 p.m. at SMGlam Bar, 4901 Chef Menteur Highway

Dec. 20 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Dec. 22 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Backatown Coffee Parlour, 300 Basin St.

To reserve a spot and for more information, check Instagram: @gentillysanta.

DEC. 16, 18-21

PHOTOS WITH SANTA AT PONTCHARTRAIN YACHT CLUB

Pontchartrain Yacht Club, 140 Jackson Ave., Mandeville

For times and prices, check eventbrite.com.

DEC. 19-21

SANTA PHOTOS AT AUDUBON AQUARIUM

Audubon Aquarium, 1 Canal St.

At 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 12:45 to 2:30 p.m., and 2:45 to 4 p.m.

For pricing and more information, check audubonnatureinstitute.org/santa.

Look for Penguin Claus with the African penguins at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 19-21, and Scuba Claus in the Great Maya Reef at 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 21.

HOLIDAY EVENTS PREVIEW

CONCERT CALENDAR

Here’s a preview of some of the concerts by touring acts and local shows during the holiday season.

NOV. 26

Zebra, Orpheum Theater

NOV. 28

Lost Bayou Ramblers, Chaparelle, Tipitina’s

NOV. 28

PJ Morton, Orpheum Theater

NOV. 29

Joe Bonamassa, Saenger Theatre

NOV. 30

David J and guests, New Marigny Theatre

DEC. 1

Ariel Pink, Southport Hall

DEC. 2

98 Degrees, O-Town, Saenger Theatre

DEC. 3

American Aquarium, Chickie Wah Wah

DEC. 4

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

Bo ok Your Holiday Event

PR IVAT ED ININ GR OO MS Sea ting 10 -2 00 RE V EILLO NM ENU No ve mber 28- December 23

HOL ID AY PR IX FIXE MENU Chr ist ma sE ve &N ew Ye ar sE ve LIV EP IAN OM US IC Sa tu rd ay Ev enings, Chr ist mas Ev e &N ew Ye ar’ sE ve

156/Silence, Gasa Gasa

DEC. 4

Kirk Whalum, Jazz & Blues Market

DEC. 4

The Black Keys (DJ set), Saturn Bar

DEC. 4

The Unlikely Candidates, No Dice

DEC. 5

Brandy & Monica, Smoothie King Center

DEC. 5

Pigeon Pit, Broadside

DEC. 6

Jonas Brothers, Smoothie King Center

DEC. 6

Southern Avenue, Jazz & Blues Market

DEC. 7

Andrew Duhon, Kristin Diable, Tipitina’s

DEC. 7

Jane Monheit, Jazz & Blues Market

DEC. 7

Son Little, Chickie Wah Wah

DEC. 7

Mary Mortem, No Dice

DEC. 9

Sevendust, The Fillmore

DEC. 9

Glyders, Gasa Gasa

DEC. 9

Dean Johnson & Esther Rose, Chickie Wah Wah

DEC. 10

Primitive Man, Buffalo Nichols, Gasa Gasa

DEC. 10

Andy Frasco & The U.N., Tipitina’s

DEC. 10

Beats Antique, The Joy Theater

DEC. 11

Shovels & Rope, Chickie Wah Wah

DEC. 12

Kenny Garrett, Jazz & Blues Market

DEC. 12

Tank and the Bangas, Dawn Richard, Tipitina’s

DEC. 12

Trivium, The Fillmore

DEC. 13

Maurice “Mobetta” Brown, Jazz & Blues Market

DEC. 15

Patterson Hood, Chickie Wah Wah

DEC. 16

Robert Earl Keen, House of Blues

DEC. 17

Leslie Odom Jr., Orpheum Theater

DEC. 17

Weedeater, Southport Hall

DEC. 18

Catbite, Gasa Gasa

DEC. 19

Jagged Edge, Saenger Theatre

DEC. 19

Brubeck Brothers Quartet, Jazz & Blues Market

DEC. 19

Marc Broussard, Tipitina’s

DEC. 20

Anders Osborne, Tipitina’s

DEC. 20

Steel Panther, House of Blues

DEC. 20

Ghost-Note, Jazz & Blues Market

DEC. 20

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, The Joy Theater

DEC. 21

Lindsey Webster, Jazz & Blues Market

DEC. 23

Jose James, Jazz & Blues Market

DEC. 27

Kandace Springs, Jazz & Blues Market

DEC. 31

Galactic, Tipitina’s

Réveilon DINNERS

Annunciation

NOVEMBER 28 & DECEMBER 23

$69 - Five Courses

1016 Annunciation St. (504) 568-0245

Annunciationrestaurant.com

Audubon Clubhouse

DECEMBER 1-24

$65 – Four Courses

6975 Magazine St. (504) 558-1200

Audubonclubhouse.com

Bourbon House

DECEMBER 1-24

$68 – Four Courses 144 Bourbon St. (504) 522-0111 bourbonhouse.com

Cafe Normandie

NOVEMBER 29 - JANUARY 6

$68 – Four Courses

480 Andrew Higgins Blvd. (504) 528-1941 higginshotelnola.com/new-orleans-restaurants/cafe-normandie

Copper Vine

DECEMBER 1-25

$75 – Five Courses 1001 Poydras St. (504) 208-9535 Coppervine.com

The Country Club

DECEMBER 1-30

$60 – Four Courses 634 Louisa St. (504) 945-0742 Thecountryclubneworleans.com

Court of Two Sisters

DECEMBER 1- 24

$65 – Four Courses 613 Royal St. (504) 522-7261 Courtofwosisters.com

Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse

DECEMBER 1 – 24

$85 – 4 courses 716 Iberville St (504) 522-2467

Dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com

Dickie Brennan’s Tableau

DECEMBER 1-24

$70 – Four Courses

616 St. Peter St. (504) 934-3463 Tableaufrenchquarter.com

Legacy Kitchen’s Craf Tavern

DECEMBER 1-24

$65 – Four Courses 700 Tchoupitoulas St. (504) 613-2350 legacykitchen.com

Legacy Kitchen’s Steak and Chop

DECEMBER 1-24

$65 – Four Courses 91 Westbank Expy #51 (504) 513-2606 Legacykitchen.com

Legacy Kitchen’s Tacklebox

DECEMBER 1-24

$65 – Four Courses 817 Common St. (504) 827-1651 Legacykitchen.com

Pascal’s Manale Restaurant

DECEMBER 1-24

$65 – Four Courses 1838 Napoleon Ave. (504) 895-4877 Pascalsmanale.com

Restaurant R’evolution

NOVEMBER 21 – JANUARY 7

$90 – Five Courses 777 Bienville St (504) 553-2277 revolutionnola.com

GiftingLocal

ALLIGATOR BOTTLE OPENER

$45.95 from Forever New Orleans (700 Royal St, 606 Royal St., & 311 Chartres St, New Orleans, 504-586-3536; shopforeverneworleans.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY FOREVER NEW ORLEANS

THE JULIETTE BOOT

KANTHA TANDEM NECKLACE BY WOLDFINDS

$40.00 from The Shop at the Collection (520 Royal St, New Orleans, 504-598-7147; shophnoc.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SHOP AT THE COLLECTION

BRÜMATE TOGOSA CARRY CASE

$29.99 from NOLA Boo (517 Metairie Road Suite 200, Metairie, 504-5104655; nolaboo.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOLA BOO

ST. JOHNS CANEEL SPRAY (4OZ)

$125.00 from C Collection (3424 Magazine St, New Orleans, 504-861-5002; ccollection.net)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY C COLLECTION

BEEKMAN 1802 PURE WHIPPED BODY CREAM

$38.00 from Alice and Amelia (4432 Magazine St, New Orleans, 504-502-6206; shopaliceandamelia.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ALICE AND AMELIA

$60.00 from Ted and George (2727 Prytania Street, New Orleans, 504-418-1999; tedandgeorgenola.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TED AND GEORGE

ROSE VASE WRAPS

$20.00 from Maisonette (2727 Prytania Street, New Orleans, 504-437-1850; maisonetteshop.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MAISONETTE

JOLLY POTHOLE SOCKS

$19.00 from Bonfolk (3425 Magazine St, New Orleans, 504-259-7907; bonkfolk.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY BONFOLK

FIELDBAR HARDCASE COOLER DRINKS BOX

$225.00 from Eclectic Home (8211 Oak St, New Orleans, 504-866-6654; eclectichome.net)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ECLECTIC HOME

DR. JOHN - LIVE AT THE VILLAGE GATE DOUBLE CD

$27.68 from omnivorerecordings.com/ shop/live-at-the-village-gate

PHOTO PROVIDED BY DR JOHN

GiftingLocal

ALLIGATOR CHIP & DIP TRAY

$239.00 from Forever New Orleans (700 Royal St, 606 Royal St., & 311 Chartres St, New Orleans, 504-586-3536; shopforeverneworleans.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY FOREVER NEW ORLEANS

CHAMONIX SHERPA BOMBER JACKET

$148.00 from tasc Performance (3913 Magazine St, New Orleans, 504-304-5030; tascperformance.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TASC PERFORMANCE

LOUIE SAUCE

$7.99 from NOLA Gifts & Decor (5101 W Esplanade Ave #1, Metairie, 504-407-3532; nolagiftsanddecoronline.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NOLA GIFTS AND DECOR

DUCKS UNLIMITED UTILITY BAG

$415.00 from Iron Horse (523 Metairie Road, Metairie, 504-644-4800; ironhorseclothier.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY IRON HORSE

YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN STEAMERS (SET OF 8)

$27.00 from Judy at The Rink (2727 Prytania Street, New Orleans, 504-891-7018; judyattherink.com)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JUDY AT THE RINK

EAT + DRINK

Mexico City style

AT LEAST 3,000 TORTILLAS A DAY. THAT’S HOW MANY NIXTAMALIZED corn tortillas the kitchen makes at Tacos del Cartel in Metairie. About 500 of those tortillas, prepared the same way the Mayans did more than 3,000 years ago, fuel the taco menu at the new Taquerias Carnalito on Poydras Street.

The Mexico City-style taqueria is the latest restaurant from Danny Cruz and Vilexys Cruz, founders of VEHO Hospitality Group. The company is expanding, with fast casual to fine dining restaurants at all stages of development in New Orleans, Metairie, Baton Rouge and West Palm Beach, Florida. Beyond Mexican cuisine, the company has sushi, American and Venezuelan concepts in the works through 2026.

Unlike its upscale cousin, the nearby Tacos del Cartel on Girod Street, with its immersive tropical vibe and Instagram-ready, high-concept presentation, Taquerias Carnalito is a basic, street taco spot that’s fun and perfect for grabbing a tasty bite on the run. Everything on the menu is made fresh daily, but the service is quick and there’s a counter to stand or sit by. Diners just need to lean in so all the tasty juices land on the plate instead of their shirt.

The kitchen is headed by chef Oscar Sandoval, a native El Salvadoran who spent 13 years learning his way around Mexican cuisine in Houston. (He also oversees the kitchen at Tacos del Cartel in Baton Rouge.)

Although the taqueria is located right next door to Johnny Sanchez, this place couldn’t be more different than that polished, sit-down Mexican restaurant from celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez. This spot isn’t going for fancy, just tasty food and casual vibes. So it makes sense that the name comes from an affectionate Spanish term for little friend or buddy.

The space has a DayGlo orange backdrop, complete with disco balls and Mexican music videos. There’s seating at a scattering of tables on

D’Addono

Ella Brennan tribute

THERE’S AN ASPECT OF TRULY GRATIFYING NEW ORLEANS FOOD that doesn’t come via a specific dish or kitchen technique. It’s a communication between the past and the present, with a glint of the future, a continuity that takes cues from an enduring taste of place but also brings something new.

This truth is imbued across a five-course special dinner menu at Commander’s Palace, and even in a shotsized dram of strong spirits in the middle of the meal.

Ella Brennan, the matriarch of the Commander’s Palace branch of the Brennan restaurant family, would have been 100 on Nov. 27. Her death in 2018, at age 92, brought an outpouring of appreciation for the impact she made well beyond her landmark restaurant.

the front patio, inside at high-top tables and along the counters. There’s also a seating nook with a neon affirmation, in this case spelling out “A Family Recipe” in glowing letters. A grab-and-go case offers agua frescas, beers and batched margaritas, with two frozen flavored margaritas also in rotation.

The menu is all about the mouthwatering meat sliced off the rotisserie trompos, or stacks of marinated meats on vertical spits, with options of marinated pork butt and shoulder for tacos al pastor, or Black Angus sirloin and picanha served on handmade flour tortillas. All of the meat gets at least a day of marination, then it’s thinly sliced and pressed onto the skewers, with juices dripping and edges crisping from the nearby flame.

Most tacos come in pairs, dressed with lime, cilantro and raw or pickled onion. The salsa bar is epic, with its fiery yogurt-based habanero sauce and fresh salsas made from chilies registering at all points on the Scoville heat scale. There are “gringas,” a cross between a taco and quesadilla, with melted cheese and al pastor pork between the tortillas. Volcanes have many of the same fillings served tostada style on crisp tortillas.

Sides are good, too, from the guac and chips to an excellent cup of elote, the popular street corn slathered with mayo and queso and here topped with crushed Doritos. There’s even the option of topping french fries with slices of al pastor or sirloin.

Taquerias Carnalito stays open late on weekends — until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays — which makes it a good last stop.

She mentored chefs and hospitality pros who would go on to greatness — Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse principal among a very deep bench. She pioneered countless innovations in restaurant service and management. She championed the idea of “nouvelle Creole” cuisine, helping lift New Orleans from a nostalgic time capsule to a modern foodie destination.

To mark her centennial, Commander’s Palace Executive Chef Meg Bickford created an Ella Brennan tasting menu, served nightly through Nov. 26. Brennan was a master of hospitality, but also blunt in her appraisals. Her daughter Ti Martin, co-proprietor of the restaurant, is sure she’d scoff at a menu drawn up for someone who has passed on to the “saloon in the sky,” Brennan’s own vision for the afterlife.

CELEBR AT ET HE NE WY EA R ON THE RIVER !

DE CEMBER 31 ST ,2 025 9P M - 1A M

FIRE WO RK S ENTE RT AINMENT BY THE TO PC AT S AW ARD - WINNING CUISINE

brunch with

Join us in the elegant Bijouxballroom,transformedintoa sparklingWinter Wonderland,where guests canenjoy agourmetholidaybrunch,visitswith Santa, andfestivetreatsfor all ages

Every Saturday in December 10 AM -12PM

• Full BuffetBrunch

• Free Flowing Mimosas

• HotCocoa Bar& Holiday CocktailsfromBar 1803

• Meet &Greet with Santa

• Teddy Bear Keepsakefor Each Child

• ProfessionalHoliday Photography- 4x6 photo included

RESERVE YOUR TABLE TODAY

“Mom would hate this,” Martin said of the big to-do over her birthday. But what Bickford has created is not simply a collection of Brennan’s favorite things. This menu is an appreciation for her way of thinking, her passions and her enduring influence.

It starts with crabmeat cheesecake. This was a signature dish of Palace Cafe, which the Brennan family opened in 1990 as a more casual, downtown counterpoint to the flagship Commander’s Palace. Ella Brennan proposed the dish as a challenge to her nephew Dickie Brennan, then a young chef, and he ran with it.

Bickford’s 2025 version is less cheesecake and more fresh crabmeat, bound with Creole cream cheese, finished with the brown butter of meuniere spun into a taut bubble of sabayon (meanwhile, though Palace Café has closed, its original crabmeat cheesecake lives on at the Dickie Brennan restaurants Tableau and Audubon Clubhouse, and the cakes are sold whole at the Commissary).

The pompano pommes Anna is topped with a delicately crunchy tiara of potatoes cut thin as chips. Underlying it are artichokes and Herbsaint-basil cream, inspired by one of Brennan’s favorite flavors. Bickford likens it to the oyster and absinthe dome, a longtime Commander’s standard and the first dish she learned to prepare at the restaurant.

The “saloon in the sky” comes up as the name for the coup de milieu, a drink served in the middle of the meal, in this case a shot of bourbon abetted by brandy and Grand Marnier, playing the same role as a sorbet palate cleanser but much more stimulating (and feeling much more Ella Brennan too).

There’s a dish based on veal daube glace, a beefy cousin to hogshead cheese with a place on the Creole table that is mostly memory today. But Bickford brought it back, in recognition of Brennan’s generation, and also modernized it, in recognition of how Brennan herself was always moving (and often pushing) things forward.

On this menu, it’s tempered down to something like a rich gravy of veal and mirepoix over roasted mushrooms and a five-hour egg, with a custard-like yolk, from a technique that Brennan found captivating back when sous vide cooking acquired new cachet.

Apple cobbler with a trace of miso and a sticky back beat of savory caramel with a dash of foie gras finishes the meal. But first there were herb-crusted lamb chops, based on a dish that Brennan collaborated with Lagasse in creating in the 1980s, when the soon-to-be-famous chef was at Commander’s.

And that brings us to the next table.

Carnivale du Vin is the charity gala and wine auction benefiting the Emeril

of New Orleans’ most popular restaurants.

Lagasse Foundation, which funds local programs for youth. It recently held its annual dinner.

Bickford was part of an all-star cast assembled for the event, including the “Top Chef” judge Gail Simmons and celebrity chefs Kristen Kish and Ashley Christensen as well as local stars Ana Castro of Acamaya and Emilie Van Dyke from Emeril’s.

They each served a specialty dish at the beginning of the event, while the seated dinner brought a menu created by high school students in the culinary program at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (a beneficiary of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation).

The students worked with professional chefs on everything from concept and portion size to wine pairings (based on aroma, since the high schoolers are too young to drink).

Two of these students work at Commander’s Palace as part of their training. When they were introduced on stage at the event, Bickford and her chef de cuisine Nat Carrier leapt from their table in full-throttled applause, like a two-person cheer squad in chef’s whites right in the middle of the blacktie gala crowd.

The chefs boiled over with praise for the students’ diligence and creativity. Then, while the crowd was focused on the high-dollar auction bids and the star power in the room, Bickford started writing on a printed menu provided at the table. Soon it was covered with tasting notes and feedback she would later give the students to urge them on further.

Ella Brennan would’ve been proud. Maybe she was even lifting a special toast up there at the saloon in the sky.

— Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune

Weekend Specials

November 21-23

Stuffed Flounder over veggies with SeafoodCream

JumboFried Softshell over SeafoodPenne

CrawfishÉtoufée with FriedCatfish(Morning) With BlackenedRedfish(Night)

SeafoodRavioli with FriedEggplant

BlueberryPancakes with BACON

FriedSoftshell over SeafoodGrits with SeafoodCream

Alyx Abreu

Pastry chef by Will Coviello

AFTER 11 YEARS AS A PASTRY CHEF IN BOSTON, Alyx Abreu came to New Orleans to work at the St. Vincent Hotel and currently is the pastry chef at Arnaud’s. She’s also on the current season of Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship,” where she’s prepared local favorites including bread pudding and baked Alaska. She also used a recipe that’s similar to one of her desserts on the restaurant’s special Reveillon menu, available through Dec. 23. For more information about the show, visit foodnetwork.com. For information about Arnaud’s, go to arnaudsrestaurant.com.

How did you get interested in pastry and baking?

ALYX ABREU: It really started in high school. I was given the option to bake a dessert for some sort of school project. People really enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the process of doing it, so that became my process in high school. Any time I could bake cookies or something like that for a grade, I would do that. My mom had a fit. She was like couldn’t you do some kind of project? But teachers like cake.

The school I went to also had a great relationship with the local technical school, Cumberland County Technical Education Center. I was able to go there during my final year of high school and start learning about culinary arts, hospitality and all of that. I went from there to trying to do savory, which wasn’t for me. But once I got my foot in the door at various places pastry-wise, I got my footing. Then I moved to Boston and my career started moving in the direction it is now.

(In Boston) I was all over the place. I started working in a small bakery. I worked at a couple cupcake shops. I went to culinary school. I worked at a brewery and made pretzels. I jumped around a lot. I worked at a wine and cheese shop and got to make really cute rustic-style pies and tarts.

I got my foot in the door at a corporate caterer called Milk Street Cafe and met my first mentor there. She really gave me the resources and training to take the next steps both in pastry and management.

On a whim, I put in an application at the St. Vincent Hotel. They flew me down to do a tasting, and within a

month I moved down here. It’s been a real joy because New Orleans was a place I wanted to live my whole life.

What drew you to the TV competition?

A: In Boston, a restaurant group I worked with had a few chefs who had been on some other shows. The PR team asked me if I was interested. I had done T V interviews for our pastry program, and a lot of PR training went with that. It was something that I liked.

There were circumstances that kept me from participating, like it didn’t fit my work schedule. When I moved down here, in a brand new city, my focus was on getting acclimated. But when I transitioned from the hotel to Arnaud’s, there was more flexibility.

I had done a few news segments where I prepared things. It’s not the same thing, but you get used to the camera being on you.

In terms of preparation, a lot of it was watching previous seasons of the show and studying my own recipes and just believing in yourself. Just go in there with the mindset that I am going to do the best I can and that’s all you can do. What’s great about the show is that everything we bake is our choice. There’s no one telling you what to bake.

(My team) did bread pudding. Bread pudding is a Louisiana staple, everybody has a recipe they say is the best. I thought it was going to be a safe bet. But one thing that is real about the

competition is the time. You really are only given two hours. Bread pudding usually needs a lot of time to soak. The one we make at Arnaud’s is made with banana bread, so it’s literally a cake that’s soaked in custard. I tried to condense that into two hours.

For the bread pudding on the show, I used challah bread because it’s an enriched bread that will soak up that custard. I added spices and rum. I also added bananas in there. I made a caramel sauce. I wanted it to get that bananas Foster feel. Not totally traditional, but a love letter to New Orleans.

The second episode, I won the episode for our team with baked Alaska, one of our signature desserts at Arnaud’s. I made home-made chocolate ice cream with chocolate stracciatella throughout the ice cream. I did chocolate cake, and then the entire thing is coated in toasted meringue. Technically a difficult dessert, but something I make all the time.

Normally you make a yellow cake or something that complements the ice cream. I went with chocolate on chocolate.

What desserts are you making at Arnaud’s for the holidays?

A: We have our Reveillon menu. On a recent episode, I did a Black Forest mille feuille. (At Arnaud’s) we’re going to be serving little individualized versions during Reveillon. Some of the proceeds go toward the Teddy Bear program (which distributes Teddy bears to children in need).

We’re also doing a chocolate chip panettone. Panettone is one of my favorite things to make during the holidays. It’s an Italian bread cake situation. It’s usually an enriched bread that’s studded with pistachios, orange and candy and fruits. This is a miniaturized version. It’s going to have chocolate chips in it. It’s going to be served with a little sidecar espresso mousse. Nice for the end of the meal.

WI NE OF THE WEEK

Maddalena Chardonnay

Brightcitrus and delicate aromas are complementedbysubtle oak undertones of this beautiful wine. Fruitforwardonthe palate while offering acrisp and refreshing profile. Atouch of butter on the finish adds richness, balanced by natural acidity fora clean, lastingimpression.

DISTRIBUTED BY

Out to Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are for New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream.

com — This Mid-City sweet shop serves its own gelato in flavors like praline, salted caramel and tiramisu, as well as Italian ices in flavors like lemon, strawberry and mango. There also are cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and coffee drinks. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $

Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant. com — Gulf Drum Yvonne is served with brown butter sauce with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. There also are oysters, seafood pasta dishes, steaks, lamb chops and more. Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$

Bamboula’s — 514 Frenchmen St.; bamboulasmusic.com — The live music v enue’s kitchen offers a menu of traditional and creative Creole dishes, such as Creole crawfish crepes with goat cheese and chardonnay sauce. Reservations accepted. Lunch, dinner and latenight daily. $$

The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 118 Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985) 315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com — Basin barbecue shrimp are served with rosemary garlic butter sauce over cheese grits with a cheese biscuit. The menu includes po-poys, fried seafood platters, raw and char-grilled oysters, boiled seafood in season, and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lakeview: Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Slidell: Lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$

Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 5813866; broussards.com — The menu of contemporary Creole dishes includes bronzed redfish with jumbo lump crabmeat, lemon beurre blanc and vegetables. Brunch includes Benedicts, avocado toast, chicken and waffles, turtle soup and more. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available in the courtyard. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

Cafe Normandie — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The menu combines classic French dishes and Louisiana items like crab beignets with herb aioli. Sandwiches include po-boys, a muffuletta on flatbread and a burger. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch Mon.-Sat., dinner Fri.-Mon. $$

The Commissary — 634 Orange St., (504) 274-1850; thecommissarynola.com — Dickie Brennan’s Commissary supplies his other restaurant kitchens and also has a dine-in menu and prepared foods to go. A smoked turkey sandwich is served with bacon, tomato jam, herbed cream cheese, arugula and herb vinaigrette on honey oat bread. The menu includes dips, salads, sandwiches, boudin balls, fried oysters and more. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Sat. $$

Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative Creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with

$ — average dinner entrée under $10

$$ $11-$20

$$$ — $20-up

chicken and andouille jambalaya. There also are crab cakes, shrimp and grits, crawfish etouffee, po-boys and more. Outdoor seating available on balcony. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

Dahla — 611 O’Keefe Ave., (504) 7666602; dahlarestaurant.com — The menu includes popular Thai dishes like pad thai, drunken noodles, curries and fried rice. Crispy skinned duck basil is prepared with vegetables and Thai basil. Delivery available. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$

Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — A menu full of Gulf seafood includes oysters served raw on the half-shell or char-broiled with with Parmesan, garlic and herbs. The menu also includes po-boys, po-boys, gumbo, blackened fish, fried seafood platters and more. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House — 144 Bourbon St., (504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse.com — There’s a seafood raw bar with raw and char-broiled oysters, fish dip, crab fingers, shrimp and more. Redfish on the Half-shell is cooked skin-on and served with crab-boiled potatoes, frisee and lemon buerre blanc. The bar offers a wide selection of bourbon and whiskies. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$

Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse — 716 Iberville St., (504) 522-2467; dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com — The menu includes a variety of steaks, plus seared Gulf fish, lobster pasta, barbecue shrimp and more. A 6-ounce filet mignon is served with fried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes and bearnaise. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$

El Pavo Real — 4401 S. Broad Ave., (504) 266-2022; elpavorealnola.com — The menu includes tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, ceviche. tamales and more. Pescado Vera Cruz features sauteed Gulf fish topped with tomatoes, olives, onion and capers, served with rice and string beans. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and early dinner Tue.-Sat. $$

Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; 8140 Oak St., (504) 897-4800; juansflyingburrito.com — The Flying Burrito includes steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar jack cheese, black beans, rice, guacamole and salsa. The menu also includes tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, nachos, salads, rice and bean bowls with various toppings and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — The Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. The eclectic menu also includes char-grilled oysters, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, fried seafood platters, pasta, salads and more. Delivery available. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

Kilroy’s Bar — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The all-day bar menu includes sandwiches, soups, salads, flatbreads and a couple entrees. A muffuletta flatbread is topped with salami, mortadella, capicola, mozzarella and olive salad. No reservations. Lunch Fri.-Mon., dinner daily. $$

Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, salads and sharable plates like NOLA Tot Debris. A slow-cooked pulled pork barbecue sandwich is served with coleslaw on a brioche bun. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, (504) 513-2606; legacykitchen.com — The selection of steak and chops includes filet mignon, bone-in rib-eye, top sirloin and double pork chops and a la carte toppings include bernaise, blue cheese and sauteed crabmeat. There also are burgers, salads, pasta, seafood entrees, char-broiled oysters and more. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$

Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The menu of Japanese cuisine includes sushi, signature rolls, tempura items, udon noodle dishes, teriyaki, salads and more.The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado, snow crab, green onion and wasabi roe. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$ Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves Italian dishes and specialties including shrimp Mosca, baked oysters Mosca and spaghetti Bordelaise and chicken cacciatore. Chicken a la grands is sauteed with garlic, rosemary, Italian herbs and white wine. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$

Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net — This counter-service spot serves po-boys dressed with sliced cabbage like the Famous Ferdi filled with ham, roast beef and debris. Creole favorites include jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more. Breakfast is available all day. Delivery available. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes red beans and rice with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as shrimp Creole, seafood platters, po-boys, chargrilled and raw oysters, salads and more. Side items include carrot souffle, mac and cheese, cornbread dressing, sweet potato tots and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$

Nice Guys Bar & Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola. com — Char-grilled oysters are topped with cheese and garlic butter, and other options include oysters Rockefeller and loaded oysters. The creative menu also includes seafood bread, a Cajun-lobster potato, wings, quesadillas, burgers, salads, sandwiches, seafood pasta, loaded fries and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$

Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro — 720 Orleans Ave., (504) 523-1930; orleansgrapevine.com — The wine bar offers cheese boards and appetizers to nosh with wines. The menu includes Creole pasta with shrimp and andouille in tomato cream sauce. Reservations accepted for large parties. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$

Parish Grill — 4650 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 100, Metairie, (504) 345-2878; parishgrill.com — The menu includes a variety of burgers, sandwiches, wraps, pizza and salads. For an appetizer, sauteed andouille is served with fig preserves, blue cheese and toast points. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$

Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com — At brunch, braised short rib grillades are served over grits with mushrooms, a poached egg and shaved truffle. The dinner menu has oysters, salads, pasta, shrimp and grits, a burger, cheese plates and more. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunch Sun. $$

Rosie’s on the Roof — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The rooftop bar has a menu of sandwiches, burgers and small plates. Crab beignets are made with Gulf crabmeat and mascarpone and served with herb aioli. No reservations. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$

Tableau — 616 St. Peter St., (504) 9343463; tableaufrenchquarter.com — The menu features traditional and creative Creole dishes. Pasta bouillabaisse features squid ink mafaldine, littleneck clams, Gulf shrimp, squid, seafood broth, rouille and herbed breadcrumbs. Outdoor seating available on the balcony. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Thu.-Sun. $$$

Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 827-1651; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes raw and char-broiled oysters, seafood platters, po-boys, fried chicken, crab and corn bisque and more. Redfish St. Charles is served with garlic-herb butter, asparagus, mushrooms and crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza.com — A Marilynn Pota Supreme pie is topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. There also are salads, sandwiches, wings, breadsticks and more. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $

The Vintage — 3121 Magazine St., (504) 324-7144; thevintagenola.com — There’s a full coffee drinks menu and baked goods and beignets, as well as a full bar. The menu has flatbreads, cheese boards, small plates and a pressed veggie sandwich with avocado, onions, arugula, red pepper and pepper jack cheese. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

became the first trans man to compete on “Drag Race” — “It’s time to crash the cis-tem,” he said — and returned to compete on “Drag Race All Stars.” The two drag titans are now on the campy boxing-themed Knockout Tour together, facing off in lip-sync battles, performing original music and with burlesque and striptease numbers. The duo go toe-to-toe in New Orleans at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, at The Joy Theater. Tickets start at $27.85 via thejoytheater.com.

Lost Bayou Ramblers

The Lost Bayou Ramblers recently released a digital album of their set from last year’s Festivals Acadiens et Creole in Lafayette. The band is in town for a double bill with Chaparelle, an Austin, Texas, band that mixes country, folk and honky tonk with strains of indie pop from vocalist Zella Day. The group released the album “Western Pleasure” in April. At 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, at Tipitina’s. Tickets $31.02 via tipitinas.com.

Tribute to Art Neville and Eddie Bo

George Porter Jr. directs a host of local musicians in a tribute to Art Neville and pianist Eddie Bo. Neville was a master of funk with both the Meters and the Neville Brothers. Eddie “Bo” Bocage was well versed in all styles of New Orleans music and released more singles, mostly R&B, than anyone other than Fats Domino. He also did it in an era when singles were promoted with special dances, so a Popeye dance was launched along with his early 1960s releases featuring “Check Mr. Popeye” and “Now Let’s Popeye.” Tribute performers include Cyril Neville, Ivan Neville, Deacon John, Jon Cleary, Kyle Roussel, Tony Hall, Ian Neville, Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph and more. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, at Tipitina’s. Tickets $74.96 via tipitinas.com.

The Bayou Classic

The Southern University Jaguars battle the Grambling State Tigers in the annual Bayou Classic. The football game is the center of a big weekend for both schools, and there’s a Thanksgiving Day parade in the French Quarter starting at 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27. Wild Wayne and Kool DJ Supamike host the Greek Show and Battle of the Bands at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, in the Caesars

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Superdome. The game is at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, in the Superdome, and there also is a pre-game fan fest and more events. Visit mybayouclassic.com for tickets and details.

Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa was a guitar prodigy who focused largely on the blues and rock. He’s released a slew of studio and live albums, and nearly 30 of them have hit No. 1 on Billboard’s blues chart. He performs at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, at Saenger Theatre. Tickets $62-$286 via saengernola.com.

Rushadicus

Eccentric might be too soft of a description for musician Rushad Eggleston, who calls himself “The Cello Goblin,” is training to be a wizard and plays an unpredictable mix of jazz, bluegrass and experimental string music. Eggleston’s project Rushadicus plays at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, at No Dice. Tickets are $18.70 via dice.fm.

David J

British bassist and producer David John Haskins, aka David J, was a member of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, and has continued with his solo career. He’ll perform his old and new work in a listening room environment at New Marigny Theatre. He’ll be joined by Vinsantos, Stanley Roy, Tsarina Hellfire, Ray Moose Jackson, Trevor Pink and more for an evening of music, spoken word and more. At 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30. Tickets $25$75 via newmarignytheatre.com.

Zebra

New Orleans’ hard rock band Zebra has spent the year celebrating its 50th anniversary. It’s also been writing and recording new music for an album to be released in early 2026. Vocalist Randy Jackson (not the “American Idol” judge) and the band perform at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, at Orpheum Theater. Tickets $74.95 and up via ticketmaster.com.

DVS

Vibraphonist and percussionist Mike Dillon, drummer Johnny Vidacovich and bassist James Singleton occasionally collaborate as the rhythmic, playful DVS. The trio recently opened for Vampire Weekend at the Saenger. Catch them next at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, at Gasa Gasa. Tickets are $19.29 via gasagasanola.com.

TheSewerage and WaterBoard of New Orleans announces aDeclared Vacancy, efectiveWednesday,November19, 2025,ofone (1)existing seat on itsBoard of Directors forCouncil DistrictB

Pursuant to La.R.S.33:4071,the Sewerage and WaterBoard of New Orleans hereby givesnoticethatitisaccepting applicationsfrompersons from Council DistrictB interestedinser ving on theBoard of Directors.

TheSewerage and WaterBoard of New Orleans is comprisedofelevenmembers, sevenofwhich are citizens appointed by the mayor with the adviceand consent of the City Council from alistofnominees submitted by the Sewerage and WaterBoard Selection Committee.

TheSewerage and WaterBoard Selection Committee is comprisedof representatives from the following organizations:DillardUniversity,LoyolaUniversity,TulaneUniversity,X avierUniversity,Delgado Community College,SouthernUniversity at NewOrleans,University of NewOrleans,New Orleans Chamber of Commerce,New Orleans RegionalBlack ChamberofCommerce, andthe UrbanLeague of GreaterNew Orleans.

ELIGIBILIT Y, PROFESSIONALQUALIFICATIONS ANDE XPERIENCEREQUIREMENTS

Thetermofofice formembersappointed to theSewerage and WaterBoard of New Orleans is four years. Additionally,amember shall ser ve no morethantwo consecutiveterms of ofice.

Each nomineeshall be aregisteredvoter in OrleansParishand shall have been adomiciliar yofOrleans Parish fortwo yearsprior to his/her appointment. Please note that nominees forthe Council District vacanciesmustreside in the City Council District forwhich he or sheapplied.Consumer/Community Advocacy nominees mayreside anywhere in OrleansParish.

Each nomineeshall have experienceinarchitecture, environmentalquality,finance,accounting, business administration,engineering, law, publichealth, urbanplanning, facilitiesmanagement,public administration,science, construction,business management, community or consumer advocacy, or other pertinent disciplines.

Allmembersofthe BoardofDirectors of theSewerage and WaterBoard of New Orleans must comply with all ethical requirementsofLouisianalaw,including butnot limitedtothe filing of financial statementspursuant to La.R.S.42, et .seq.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Formore information and to begin the application process, pleasevisit ourwebsite at:https:// www.swbno.org/Notices/VacancyDistrictB.Thedeadline toapplyisJanuary 2, 2026 by 5:00p.m. Contact504-585-2190 or ProspectiveBoardMemberApplications@swbno.org with anyquestions.

Hoiday

PET

PHOTO

MUSIC

To learn more about adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com

MONDAY 24

30/90 Dapper Dandies, 6 pm; Half Shell Boogie, 9 pm

ALLWAYS LOUNGE Betsy Propane & The Accessories, 7 pm

BACCHANAL Byron Asher, 6 pm

BAMBOULAS — The Rug Cutters, 12 pm; Jon Roniger Band, 4:30 pm; Ted Hefko & The Thousandaires, 9 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE Red Beans & Blues: Bubbles Brown, 9 pm

BUFFA’S David Doucet, 7 pm

CAFE NEGRIL — Vibe Tribe, 7:30 pm

CAPULET T Marie Trio, 6 pm

CARROLLTON STATION — Biscuits n’ Jam with Meryl Zimmerman & Friends, 10 pm

COLUMNS HOTEL — Stanton Moore Trio, 6:30 pm

DBA — Secret Six Jazz Band, 6 pm; The Jump Hounds, 9 pm

DOS JEFES — John Fohl, 8:30 pm

HOLY DIVER DJ Reverend Robert Sinewave, 10 pm

THE MAISON — The New Orleans Rug Cutters, 5 pm; Gene’s Music Machine, 8:30 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR — George Porter Jr. Trio, 7 pm; 10 pm

MRB — Ben Buchbinder, 7 pm

NO DICE Royal & Toulouse with T ony Testa, 9 pm

SATURN BAR BC Coogan, 8:30 pm

ST. ROCH TAVERN — The Big Deals, 9 pm

TUESDAY 25

30/90 Tajh & The Funky Soles, 6 pm; Neicy B & Kompani, 9 pm

APPLE BARREL — T Marie Duo with Remi, 6 pm

BACCHANAL — Tangiers Combo, 6 pm

BAMBOULAS FK-rrera Music Group, 12 pm; Giselle Anguizola Quartet, 4:30 pm ; Catie B and The Hand Me Downs, 9 pm

BJ'S LOUNGE BYWATER — Bruisey's Bottoms Up Open Mic, 9 pm

BUFFA’S Alex McMurray and Bill Malchow, 7 pm

CAPULET James Jordan, 6 pm

DOS JEFES — Tom Hook, 8:30 pm

HOLY DIVER The Amazing Henrietta, 8 pm

THE MAISON Jacky Blaire & The Hot Biscuits, 5 pm; Paradise Jazz Band, 8 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR A Very Good Band, 8 pm

NO DICE — Rushadicus the Cello Goblin, 9 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE — Rebirth Brass Band, 10 pm

SALON SALON — Coleman Akin Trio, 7 pm

SATURN BAR — Chris Acker + Mama’s Broke, 9 pm

VAUGHAN’S Lil Prince & The Youngbloods, 10 pm

WEDNESDAY 26

30/90 Danger, Barnes, & Wilson, 6 pm; Kayla Jasmine, 9 pm

BACCHANAL Jesse Morrow, 6 pm

BAMBOULA’S — Jacky Blaire & The Hot Biscuits, 12 pm; John Saavedra, 4:30 pm; Boardwalker & The 3 Finger Swingers, 9 pm

BLUE NILE — New Breed Brass Band, 9 pm

BUFFA’S — Black Dog, 7 pm

CAFÉ DEGAS Gizinti Trio, 6 pm

CAFÉ NEGRIL — Jam-ilton, 6 pm; Jason Neville Funky Soul Band, 10 pm

CAPULET — Washboard Chaz Trio, 6 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH — Gram Parsons Thanksgiving Eve Celebration, 8 pm

COMMONS CLUB AT VIRGIN HOTEL — Leaux Fye Tribe, 5 pm

DBA — Stephen Walker N’em, 6 pm; Lagniappe Brass Band, 9:30 pm

DOS JEFES Dem Jaywalkers, 8:30 pm

GASA GASA Full Circle, with Flamingeaux RTS, and Tchoupo, 8 pm

HOWLIN’ WOLF Cory Phillips + The Vibe Tribe + Analea, 7 pm

JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Funkin’ It Up with Big Sam, 7:30 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Steve Kelly, 11 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR — Cardboard Cowboy, 11 pm

MARIGNY BRASSERIE Legacy Jazz Band, 7 pm

MRB Lynn Drury, 7 pm

SATURN BAR — Yeah You Rite Karaoke with Nicky Diamonds, 9 pm

TIPITINA’S — A Tribute To Art Neville, 8 pm

THURSDAY 27

30/90 Organami, 6 pm; Big Mike & The R&B Kings, 9 pm

APPLE BARREL Bubbles Brown, 6 pm

ARORA CHMURA & DUFFREY, 10 pm

BACCHANAL — Raphael Bas, 6 pm

BAMBOULA’S JJ & the OK’s, 5:30 pm; Sugar N’ The Daddies, 9 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE Bruisey’s Food Drive with the Who’s in Town Allstars, 9 pm

BLUE NILE Reggae Night with DJ

T-Roy, 10 pm

BMC — Mark Appleford, 6 pm; Smoky Greenwell Blues, 8 pm

DOS JEFES — Kris Tokarski, 8:30 pm

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Live music at Chandelier Bar with David Torkanowsky, 6 pm

GASA GASA — Congress The Band, 9 pm

HOLY DIVER — Bobcat, Marion Black & Don Wayne, 9 pm

JAZZ PLAYHOUSE — Brass-AHolics, 7:30 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — The Soul Rebels, 11 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE

B2BGIVING, 10 pm

ROCK 'N' BOWL Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie , 8 pm

SANTOS BAR Tainted Love 80’s Night with DJ Shane Love, 10 pm

FRIDAY 28

30/90 — The Vibe Tribe, 2 pm; Andre Lovett, 5 pm; Kyle Sharamitaro Band, 8 pm; Brass Flavor, 11 pm

APPLE BARREL — Bubbles Brown, 6 pm

BACCHANAL — David Sigler, 1 pm; Bayou Manouche, 7 pm

BAMBOULAS — The Rug Cutters, 11 am; Felipe Antonio’s Quinteto, 2 :15 pm; Les Getrex and Creole Cooking, 6:30 pm; Bettis and 3rd Degree Brass Band, 10 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE Mike Dillon & The New F-Yeahs, 9 pm

BLUE NILE The Caesar Brothers’ FunkBox, 8 pm; Afrobeat NOLA, 10 pm

CAFE NEGRIL — Blackdog, 2 pm; Jamey St. Pierre & The Honeycreepers, 6 pm; Higher Heights, 10 pm

CARROLLTON STATION Marc Paradis & Mike Doussan, 9 pm

DBA Jayonna’s 50th Birthday in the Bayou hosted by Jai Brenai, 10:30 pm

DOS JEFES The Afrodiziac’s Jazz, 9 pm

DOUBLE DEALER Joey Houck, 9:30 pm

EUCLID RECORDS Pink Teddy Bear, 6 pm

GASA GASA LeTrainiump + 12Eleven, 9 pm

HOLY DIVER Rik Slave’s DarkLounge Ministries, 8 pm

HOUSE OF BLUES A Classic Encore with BJ So Cole, OnlyHeaven & Subtweet Shawn, 9 pm

THE MAISON — Nola Sweethearts, 3 pm; Shotgun Jazz Band, 5 pm; Street Lyfe 8 pm; Chan li DJ, 11 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, 8 pm; Alex McMurray & Friends, 11 pm

MARIGNY OPERA HOUSE — Alune Wade & Special Guests, 7 pm

ORPHEUM THEATRE — PJ Morton’s Annual Black Friday Show, 8 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE — Glitter Gobble Wobble – GLTTRAVE, 10 pm

ROCK 'N' BOWL Bucktown Allstars, 8:30 pm

THE STALLION BAR Late Night

Karaoke at The Stallion Bar , 9:30 pm

TIPITINA’S Lost Bayou Ramblers & Chaparelle, 9 pm

SATURDAY 29

30/90 — Jef Chaz Blues, 2 pm; Ed Wills & Blues4Sale, 5 pm; Ado Soul & The Tribe, 8 pm; Zena Moses & Rue Fiya, 11 pm

APPLE BARREL — Smoky Greenwell Blues Band, 10:30 pm

BACCHANAL — Miles Berry, 1 pm; Steve Lands, 7 pm

BAMBOULAS — Aaron Levinson and Friends, 11 am; James McClaskey and The Rhythm Band, 2:15 pm; Johnny Mastro Blues, 6:30 pm; Paggy Prine and Southern Soul, 10 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE — Cuba Heat, 9:30 pm

BLUE NILE — George Brown Band, 7:30 pm; Afrobeat, 10 pm

BMC — The New Orleans Rug Cutters, 5:30 pm; Sierra Green Band, 9 pm

CHICKIE WAH WAH — King Yellowman, 8 pm

ORPHEUM THEATER — Zebra50th Anniversary Tour, 8 pm

BROADSIDE — Brazilian Picnic ft. Cristina Kaminis + BrasiNola & More, 1 pm; Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars + Charlie & The Tropicales and Susan Cowsill, 8 pm F

DBA — No Big Deals, 6 pm; Kid Chocolate & The Free P.O.C, 9 pm

ROCK 'N' BOWL — Neutral Snap plus The Band Melrose, 8 pm

SANTOS

10 pm

BMC Jazz Band Ballers, 5:30 pm; John Lisi & Delta Funk, 9 pm

BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK The Bad Sandys, 8 pm

BUFFA’S — Washboard Chaz, 8 pm

CAFE NEGRIL — Decaturadio, 2 pm; Bon Bon Vivant, 6 pm; Higher Heights, 10 pm

CARROLLTON STATION — The Boondoggles + The Highway 78s, 8 pm

COURTYARD BREWERY —

Sariyah Idan, 5 pm

DBA — Young Lion Showcase, 2:30 pm; Michael Watson & The Alchemy, 6 pm; Dwayne Dopsie + The Zydeco Hellraisers, 10 pm

DOS JEFES — Yoshitaka Z2 Trio, 9 pm

GASA GASA — DVS: Mike Dillon, Johnny Vidacovich, James Singleton, 8 pm

HOLY DIVER — Norco Lapalco & Spaghetti Heist, 9 pm

HOUSE OF BLUES Jamey St. Pierre, 4 pm; Jake Landry, 7 pm

THE HOWLIN’ WOLF Making Space with Izzy Chase, 9:30 pm

LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ Killer Whale, 11 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR Turkey Jam with New Orleans Suspects, 9 pm

NOLA BREWING — Mia Borders, 7 pm

NOLA 'NACULAR Old Punks Gone Acoustic Vol. 3 - Lenny Zenith/Craig Cortello/Louis Maistros, 7 pm

OKAY BAR — “Heatwave!” Soul + R&B Dance Party with DJ Ann, 9 pm

PUBLIC BELT AT HILTON NEW ORLEANS RIVERSIDE — Phil Melancon, 8 pm

THE RABBIT HOLE Now That’s What I Call a Rave!!!, 10 pm

ROCK 'N' BOWL — Bag of Donuts, 8:30 pm

SAENGER THEATRE Joe Bonamassa, 8 pm

SANTOS BAR — DJ Sean Straynge, 10 pm

TIPITINA’S — Maggie Koerner: Upstate Album Release + People Museum, 9 pm

SUNDAY 30

30/90 The Saga Continues, 3 pm; Decaturadio, 6 pm; SingleMaltPlease, 9 pm

BACCHANAL — Pete Olynciw, 1 pm; Noah Young, 7 pm

BAMBOULA’S — The Jaywalkers, 11 am; Laura Doyle Quartet, 1:15 pm; Midnight Brawlers, 5:30 pm; Kat Kiley, 9 pm

BJ’S LOUNGE James McClaskey & The Rhythm Band, 3 pm

BLUE NILE Street Legends Brass Band, 9 pm

BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK The Bad Sandys, 8 pm

CAFE NEGRIL — Decaturadio, 1 pm; John Lisi & Delta Funk Football Watch Party, 4:30 pm; The Next Level Brass Band, 9 pm

DBA — Vegas Cola Band, 9 pm

THE DOG HOUSE Craig Cortello, The “Canine Crooner”, 5 pm

HOTEL SAINT VINCENT — Jazz at Chapel Club, 6 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR — June Yamagishi, Keiko Komaki & Donald MaGee, 8 pm

NEW MARIGNY THEATRE — Bauhaus and Love & Rockets musician David J with Special Guests, 7 pm

OLD ARABI LIGHTHOUSE

RECORDS AND BOOKS — Open Mic Night with Guest Host Jimmy Robinson of Woodenhead, 6 pm

PRYTANIA BAR — As Mason Howard & Soul Power, 8 pm

ROCK 'N' BOWL Metal Rose & the Mix Reunion, 4:30 pm

SATURN BAR — Louis Michot & Swamp Magic, 8 pm

VAUGHAN’S LOUNGE Domino Sound DJs, 8 pm

FOREVE R HERE

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MUSIC

Branching out

by Will

Coviello

SENEGALESE BASSIST ALUNE WADE HAS BEEN EXPLORING GLOBAL MUSICAL connections for more than a decade. He worked on Marcus Miller’s 2015 jazz album “Afrodeezia.” At the same time, he partnered with Cuban pianist Harold Lopez-Nussa on the album “Havana Paris Dakar.”

But when he wanted to do his own album about connections between African music and the many places the diaspora took Africans, he focused on New Orleans.

“The city that has this connection with Africa is New Orleans because of the music, the way they dress, the state of mind, the food, the spiritual, the Voodou,” Wade says.

The resulting album, “New African Orleans,” was released in May, and this week, he’s in town to perform and record again. The show on Friday, Nov. 28, at Marigny Opera House is presented by the Neighborhood Story Project, which worked with Wade on a documentary film.

Wade grew up in Dakar, and was introduced to music by his father, a musician and symphony conductor. At 18, Wade joined the Afro-pop and world beat band of Ismael Lo. He started to focus more on jazz, and he’s worked with musicians from Africa, the Caribbean and the U.S. to Europe, where he’s made a home in Paris.

As he saw many musicians do projects tracing musical roots to Africa, he had his own idea.

“Often it’s musicians from the diaspora coming to Africa looking for their roots,” he says. “Now maybe it’s time for the roots to go looking for the branches.

“I listened to a lot of jazz and American music in Senegal in the 1980s, because we have a lot of influences. We can say the foundation of jazz is from Africa with the rhythm and the blues, but jazz also influenced Africa a lot, like the music from Fela Kuti, the Afrobeat, or the music from Ghana, and the Calypso.”

As he focused on New Orleans, he connected with musicians including sousaphonist Kirk Joseph and pianist Kyle Roussel. He had known some New Orleans musicians from working in Europe, like Herlin Riley, who had been in Ahmad Jamal’s band.

Parts of the album were recorded in Senegal, Ghana, Lagos, Nigeria and New Orleans. Contributing musicians

came from everywhere. Some of his regular band members, who will perform at Marigny Opera House, include Nigerian trumpeter Victor Ademofe, drummer Alix Goffic from French Guiana, saxophonist Harry Ahonlonsou from Benin, and keyboardist Cedric Duchemann from Reunion Island off the east coast of Africa.

The concert also features Corey Henry, Kirk Joseph, David McKissick, St. Julian X, Sunni Patterson and more. Some songs on the album bridge sounds from across the Atlantic. “Boogie and Juju” is inspired by Little Richard’s take on boogie woogie and the juju music of Nigeria.

Wade also wanted to mix the origins of songs and styles.

“I wanted to play the Herbie Hancock classic ‘Watermelon Man,’” he says. he says. “But I didn’t want to do it with Americans. My goal was to play it with Nigerians and Ghanians, to have their style. And I wanted to play the music of Fela (Kuti) with Americans, not Nigerians.”

Wade recorded Kuti’s “Water No Get Enemy” for the album. It also has takes on Dr. John’s “Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child.” In some of the original compositions, he wanted New Orleans-style brass band horns over his rhythms and melodies.

The project also grew to include a documentary film, “Tukki, from the roots to the Bayou.” Wade is now working on a book, and he’s beginning to record a follow-up album.

“I can tell you the story of the tree,” Wade says. “We need 100 branches to have a tree. I still am discovering many branches on the same tree. But they all have the same roots.”

Alune Wade performs at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, at Marigny Opera House. Suggested donation $25. Find information at marignyoperahouse.org.

PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE

BEINGS AMONG THE BLOOMS

By Frank A. Longo

ACROSS

1 “The Breakfast Club” bunch 9 Successors of LPs 12 Chores, e.g. 16 Thurman of “Burnt”

Not too hard to construct 20 Oval portion

Sea east of Italy 23 Start of a riddle 26 Singer Yoko

Neighbor of an Ethiopian 28 Instrument with over 30 strings

95 Gun, slangily

Largest city in Scotland

End of the riddle

In the past

British noble, in brief

“Mrs.” with an infamous cow

“She’s the one”

Riddle’s answer

of a shaving slip

Delights in the flattery, maybe

dir.

host

e.g.

Wyoming range

Place in hock

“Peek- --!”

“McQ” actor Gulager

“That ‘70s Show” character Michael

Guy driving a taxi

45 Consequence 46 Two, in Chile 47 Toward a boat’s stern 48 Think deeply 50 It’s spun by hip gyration 51 River to the Caspian

-- majesty (treason)

53 Allows to go with no punishment

Accessory for Superman

Stadium level

Genetic helix

Near-eternity 61 Hi- -- (some stereos) 62 Trapped by habit

63 Show hosts, in brief

Tiger sound 66 Funny Fey

Roman 152 68 Cassini of fashion 69 Quitter’s statement 70 Vardalos of the screen 71 Catch on to

Bettors’ calculations 76 Savior

77 Clicked-on symbol 78 “-- done it!”

79 Gave grub to 80 Banknote

81 Peruvian ancient

83 Jack or hammer, e.g. 84 -- facto

85 -- to riches

90 ICU worker

91 Be indebted

93 Sets foot in 94 Pressure felt by a jet pilot

95 “Bonanza” star Lorne

96 Degraded

97 Actress Garr

99 Morally degraded

100 Colon’s meaning in an analogy

101 Vie for the affection of

102 Bull on a bottle of glue

103 Fractions of newtons

105 “-- -Ca-Dabra” (1974 song)

106 Not fictional

107 Chichén -(Mexican ruins)

109 Abhor

110 Irish Gaelic language

112 Stomach

113 Utmost

114 Hiatus

115 ALF et al.

116 Pencil remnant, e.g.

117 CIA type

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Ye tt ha ti s th eu nf ort una te re al it yf or man yr igh th er ei nN ew Orle ans .

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Save the Date forBubbles &Bubbly,benefiting the New Orleans Women &Children’s Shelter!OnSunday, March 29, 2026,from5-8 p.m. at The Arbor Room at CityPark, we will host ourfamily-friendly fundraisingevent with bubblesand fun forall ages!Early Birdticketsgoonsale December1.Scanthe code to learnmore.