The crowd really didn’t seem to want to leave, and I didn’t either, but all good things must come to an end. I was facing a six hour drive back to Memphis that I could not postpone due to jury duty, and some of the bands, like the Hot 8, incredibly had only a brief rest period before having to be at another engagement. But I came away from the second-line experience with a feeling of exhiliration more than one of fatigue. Somehow, as I stopped in rather ordinary Metairie for coffee and food on the way out of town, it seemed as if I had passed between worlds. With I-10 gridlocked for some reason (perhaps the Saints game), I headed north across the Causeway instead, and back to Memphis, my mind replaying the day’s amazing scenes.
second-line
The crowd really didn’t seem to want to leave, and I didn’t either, but all good things must come to an end. I was facing a six hour drive back to Memphis that I could not postpone due to jury duty, and some of the bands, like the Hot 8, incredibly had only a brief rest period before having to be at another engagement. But I came away from the second-line experience with a feeling of exhiliration more than one of fatigue. Somehow, as I stopped in rather ordinary Metairie for coffee and food on the way out of town, it seemed as if I had passed between worlds. With I-10 gridlocked for some reason (perhaps the Saints game), I headed north across the Causeway instead, and back to Memphis, my mind replaying the day’s amazing scenes.
All too soon, we were suddenly back on Liberty Street at the Young Men Olympian Hall. People were everywhere, and it was hard to move, but the spirit of joy was evident, even amongst the tired musicians. The members of the Furious Five climbed up to the railing of their annex behind the hall, so that their pictures could be taken in their costumes. People had run into relatives or friends that they hadn’t seen in months, and their laughter filled the streets. Even the police, uniformed and on horseback. were laughing and interacting with neighborhood people they knew.
All too soon, we were suddenly back on Liberty Street at the Young Men Olympian Hall. People were everywhere, and it was hard to move, but the spirit of joy was evident, even amongst the tired musicians. The members of the Furious Five climbed up to the railing of their annex behind the hall, so that their pictures could be taken in their costumes. People had run into relatives or friends that they hadn’t seen in months, and their laughter filled the streets. Even the police, uniformed and on horseback. were laughing and interacting with neighborhood people they knew.
All too soon, we were suddenly back on Liberty Street at the Young Men Olympian Hall. People were everywhere, and it was hard to move, but the spirit of joy was evident, even amongst the tired musicians. The members of the Furious Five climbed up to the railing of their annex behind the hall, so that their pictures could be taken in their costumes. People had run into relatives or friends that they hadn’t seen in months, and their laughter filled the streets. Even the police, uniformed and on horseback. were laughing and interacting with neighborhood people they knew.
Further down MLK, we passed the Project Food Store, across the street from a new townhome development that must have once been the site of the Melpomene Project. The crowds were thick along the street, and even the sidestreets all the way down to St. Charles, where we turned to head southwest.
Further down MLK, we passed the Project Food Store, across the street from a new townhome development that must have once been the site of the Melpomene Project. The crowds were thick along the street, and even the sidestreets all the way down to St. Charles, where we turned to head southwest.
Further down MLK, we passed the Project Food Store, across the street from a new townhome development that must have once been the site of the Melpomene Project. The crowds were thick along the street, and even the sidestreets all the way down to St. Charles, where we turned to head southwest.
I had moved between bands and divisions during the second-line, but from Claiborne Avenue on I decided to stay behind the Hot 8 Brass Band, who were keeping the groove with an intensity that belied how hot and tired they had to be. Past a Church’s Fried Chicken, we swung around onto Martin Luther King, a divided thoroughfare that used to be called Melpomene. The street wasn’t as wide as Claiborne, and the crowds were thick on both sides. Some had parked in the neutral ground, or set up folding chairs there, and one man had set up a barbecue grill and was selling food. The smell drifted invitingly over the parade route.
I had moved between bands and divisions during the second-line, but from Claiborne Avenue on I decided to stay behind the Hot 8 Brass Band, who were keeping the groove with an intensity that belied how hot and tired they had to be. Past a Church’s Fried Chicken, we swung around onto Martin Luther King, a divided thoroughfare that used to be called Melpomene. The street wasn’t as wide as Claiborne, and the crowds were thick on both sides. Some had parked in the neutral ground, or set up folding chairs there, and one man had set up a barbecue grill and was selling food. The smell drifted invitingly over the parade route.