Who Doesn't Love Puccinni?

La Boheme was grand. Who doesn't love Puccini? Aria after sweeping aria. A local girl sang the supporting role of the coquette, and totally stole the show from the international stars. She was pretty, funny, and had a clarion voice. My favorite moment: at intermission, a live brass band marched through the audience, onto the stage, and then the entire cast paraded out of the Latin Quarter. A decidedly New Orleans flourish.

Lost an entire day yesterday, recovering from the Big Easy Music awards. Damn fine party, but oy, I drank. A lot of drink on a mostly empty stomach. I heard the catering was awesome, but I hardly made my way over to that side of the venue. I was mostly greeting and shaking hands by the entrance. Irma Thomas is very nice. Dr John is a saint, of a sort. Got to talk to my current crush, Mark Mullins, the lead trombonist of Bonerama, an all-brass rock band with four trombones, a tuba, keys, and occasional guitar. Man, the way Mark Mullins plays trombone. It's sex. Bonerama rocks hard, won the Big Easy award for best rock band, and are performing for free today at the Louisiana Music Factory, our locally-owned record store that specializes in local music.

Then the theatre tonight! Rising Water. I did spend a good chunk of time at the music awards conversing with Cristine McMurdo-Wallis, the principle actress. Looking forward, very much, to this play. It's a local sensation. Jon Biguenet interviewed Katrina survivors all over the state and wrote this play about a couple trapped in their attic, working through their relationship issues as the water rises. It's been extended twice.

Tomorrow morning I leave for Short Mountain, Tennessee. It's my first Radical Faerie gathering. I'm told Short Mountain sanctuary is the epicenter of Faerie culture. So I expect a huge turnout by Tuesday, May Day, or Beltane. I want bonfires. A few friends from New Orleans are driving up over the next few days. I'm staying an entire week, Friday to Friday, to watch the folks arrive, the peak night of Beltane, and then watch folks filter out a few more days.

Be back in time for the end of Jazz Fest, plus a short performance I'm doing that Saturday.