chuck's drunk monk

New Orleans: Signs

my old neighborhood

mid city

treme

New Orleans: St Roch Cemetery

St Roch is the patron saint of: dogs, bachelors, diseased cattle, falsely accused people, invalids, surgeons, tile-makers; gravediggers, second-hand dealers, pilgrims, and invokes protection against cholera, epidemics, knee problems, plague, and skin diseases... I like this guy!
This is what you see at the end of the entrance inside of a little shrine that is locked with a metal gate:

New Orleans: St Louis Cemetery I & II

St Louis #1. Since 1789. St Louis #2 1873

New Orleans is below sea level, so if you have money you get a proper
"above ground" burial to avoid the embarrassment of your loved ones seeing your bones next to your grave.

New Orleans: Holt Cemetery

This is where the less fortunate go. Here you will find hand-made folk grave markers fashioned from wood scraps and paint; voodoo graves; and yes - bones.

But first, the rules:

A labor of love by a friend or family member:

Voodoo grave - chairs surround the dead.

Katrina still affects New Orleans. No one seems to give a shit.

New Orleans: on a happier note

I love the vegetable man. He has this awesome truck and a megaphone and drives all through the neighborhoods singing: "I got ruuta-baaga... I got waaater-meelooon... I got tomaaatoes..."
bonus: Dr Bob's signature paint job: "SHUT UP and Eat"

more folk art around the corner...

New Orleans: Domino Sound Record Shack

If you go to these cross streets, Not only can you find out where to get to some gold teeth, but you will also find the Domino Sound Record Shack. It's actually the sister store to Mississippi Records here in Portland. Both places carry an an amazing selection of vinyl from punk to gospel to afro-funk and dub. Go there - you won't be sorry.

Mardi Gras Indians

I don't have any pics of Mardi Gras Indians from this trip 'cause as much as I looked and hoped for some Super Sunday action, it wasn't happening that weekend. The downtown Indians don't announce it - they just show up on the Bayou and make their way down. It's amazing. Photos don't begin to do this event justice.... but I wanted Wade to at least see the work that goes into these amazing pieces of art, so we went to the Backstreet Cultural Museum in the Treme on St. Claude. We got an awesome oral history from one of the bead workers and he let us take a few photos: (*click on the image for details). To see photos of the actual event, click here

this was hanging above one of the doors on our way out.
LONG LIVE THE FUNK!

New Orleans : the Saturn Bar

O'Neil has passed on, but the Saturn Bar lives on! One of my favorite bars that didn't shut down post Katrina. His lack of presence is felt though. No more Porn channel and American Movie Classics. No more giving him a $20 and him saying "what do I look like, a fucking bank teller?" He hated making change AND people that only ordered water. What an amazing character. R.I.P. O'Niel.