New Orleans Info
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 Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:50 am Post subject: NIGHTLIFE IN NEW ORLEANS / NEW ORLEANS NIGHTLIFE GUIDE |
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NIGHTLIFE IN NEW ORLEANS
This is a city of music and rhythm. It is impossible to imagine New Orleans without a soundtrack of jazz, blues, brass bands, Cajun, and zydeco. Music streams from every doorway, it seems, and barely had Katrina passed by than people were dancing down the street, celebrating their survival. (After all, this is the town that sends you to your grave with music and then dances back from the cemetery.) You walk down Bourbon, for all its trash and tacky shops, and yet with every step you hear music of all varieties. Maybe none of it is world-class, but that doesn't seem to matter. It's very infectious.
This is why there is so much concern over the future of neighbourhoods such as the Treme and Lower 9th Ward. The roots of New Orleans's precious musical legacy, the soundtrack of generations, are buried deep there. If the many musicians who lost everything do not return, what does that do to the soul of the city?
Still, something will go on. This remains the city of decadence and good times rolling, not to mention really loose liquor laws and drinks in "go" cups (plastic containers you can take with you; many bars and clubs even have walk-up windows for easy refills). And all this increases four-fold at night.
Most important is that, virtually every night, clubs all over town offer music that can range from average to extraordinary but is never less than danceable. Cover prices vary, of course, but rarely will you have to pay more than $10 -- and then only for more high-falutin' places like the House of Blues. When the clubs get too full, no matter; the crowd spills into the street, talking, drinking, and still dancing right there on the sidewalk. Sometimes the action outside is even more fun than inside.
While most clubs in flooded neighbourhoods are closed and face an uncertain future, and far too many local musicians remain, displaced by the hurricane, a heartening number of Quarter and other clubs were able to reopen and local musicians once again stand proudly on their stages. Their presence is all the more valuable for having been revealed to be so fragile. And yet, it may be a sign of normalcy when we once again begin to take it all for granted.
Club hopping is easy, and some of the better choices will require leaving the Quarter by cab or some other vehicle. Don't worry; most are a cheap cab ride away, if not in walking distance of each other. And only steps away from the Quarter is the scene in the Faubourg Marigny, where at least five clubs are going at once within 3 blocks of each other.
For information on what's happening around town, look for current editions of Gambit and Offbeat, both distributed for free in most hotels and all record stores. You can also check out Offbeat on the Internet (www.nola.com; once you get to the NOLA home page, go to the music and entertainment section). Other sources include the Times-Picayune's daily entertainment calendar and Friday's "Lagniappe" section of the newspaper. WWOZ (90.7 FM), the city's excellent public radio station, which should be nonstop on your hotel room radio, broadcasts the local music schedule several times throughout the day.
Strip Clubs
As if there weren't enough to Bourbon Street, what with the booze and the music and the booze, there is the sex industry -- kind of. In addition to numerous stores offering what we will euphemistically call marital aids, there are quite a few strip joints -- some topless, some bottomless, some offering "live sex acts." If you make a habit of such places, you'll be in heaven. If you are merely curious or are simply in the mood for a naughty evening, this might be the time and place to try one. But beware: The lack of cover charges means they'll insist you buy a few overpriced, watered-down drinks. Plus, if you are looking for true risqué thrills, you'll likely be disappointed. Those "live love acts" are at best simulated and at worst utterly tame (imagine nude aerobics done by not-half-bad dancers). A promising trend are the "burlesque shows" offered at several of the more upscale "gentlemen's" clubs, where true strip and tease is making a classy comeback. These shows are costly ($40 and up), but much more in line with the kind of erotic naughty fun you might want.
The Club & Music Scene
Most clubs in New Orleans feature an eclectic lineup that reflects the town's music scene; the ReBirth Brass Band, for example, attracts as many rock fans as it does brass band fans. Consequently, the bulk of the club scene escapes categorisation (and, of course, booking policies are often subject to change) -- even the local papers refer to club lineups as "mixed bags." Check listings night by night. Some places are generally good fun on their own regardless of who is playing; any night at the Maple Leaf is going to be a good one, while wandering from spot to spot in the Frenchmen section is a well-spent evening. Really, in New Orleans, you can't go too wrong going just about anywhere simply to hang out. And in the process, you might be exposed to a new, wonderful genre of music or an incredible band.
Elsewhere Around the City
It's not that there aren't worthwhile clubs in the Quarter or at the fringes. It's just that there are so many terrific (and, in some cases, outright better) ones elsewhere. And not only do they feature some of the best music in town, they aren't designed as tourist destinations, so your experience will be that much more legitimate.
The Bar Scene
You won't have any trouble finding a place to drink in New Orleans. Heck, thanks to "go" (or "geaux") cups, you won't have to spend a minute without a drink in your hand. (It's legal to have liquor outside as long as it's in a plastic cup. Actually, given the number of people who take advantage of this law, it almost seems illegal not to have such a cup in your hand.) Piano bars, in particular, have begun to pop up; they're everywhere. You can find a piano bar in almost every large hotel.
Many bars stay open all the time or have varying hours depending upon the night or the season. If you have your heart set on a particular place, it's always best to call and make sure what their hours will be for that day. Unless noted, none of the places listed below has a cover charge.
French Quarter & Faubourg Marigny
You might consider the clubby bar at Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse, once it reopens, at 716 Iberville St. (tel. 504/522-2467), a place where manly men go to drink strong drinks, smoke smelly cigars (they have a vast selection for sale), and chat up girlie girls. Or you could enjoy the low-key sophistication found at Beque's at the Royal Sonesta, 300 Bourbon St. (tel. 504/586-0300), where a jazz trio is usually playing.
Elsewhere in the City
Hang with the local beautiful people at any of the following: Loa, the bar at the International House hotel, 221 Camp St., in the Central Business District is a hip and happening hangout. Hot on its heels for hipness and with a slightly higher energy level is the bar at Loft 523, a gorgeous space that beautifully shows off the old timbers that hold up this former warehouse. Ray's Over the River, 2 Canal Place (in the World Trade Center; tel. 504/595-8900), doesn't have the views one would hope from the name, but it might be the number-one pickup spot in town.
The Gay & Lesbian Scene
For more information, check Ambush, 828-A Bourbon St. (tel. 504/522-8047; www.ambushmag.com), a great source for the gay community in New Orleans and for visitors. The magazine's website has a lot of handy-dandy links to other sites of gay interest, including info on local gay bars. Once you're in New Orleans, you can call the office or pick up a copy at Tower Records, 408 N. Peters St., in the French Quarter, or at Lenny's News, 5420 Magazine St., Uptown.
Bars
You might try the Golden Lantern, 1239 Royal St. (tel. 504/529-2860), a nice neighbourhood spot where the bartender knows the patrons by name. It's the second-oldest gay bar in town, and one longtime patron said that "it used to look like one half of Noah's Ark -- with one of everything, one drag queen, one leather boy, one guy in a suit." If Levi's and leather is your scene, the Rawhide 2010, 740 Burgundy St. (tel. 504/525-8106; www.rawhide2010.com), is your best bet; during Mardi Gras, it hosts a great gay costume contest that's not to be missed. The rest of the year, it's a hustler bar. |
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