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.
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.
After the extended break at Big Man Lounge, the parade resumed, swinging onto Claiborne Avenue, which was the biggest thoroughfare of the route so far, and the crowd swelled to hundreds, lining every parking lot. By now, people in the crowd knew that the Saints had won their game at the Superdome, and that only added to the festive mood. As we approached a former Pizza Hut that was boarded up and closed, I suddenly realized that two very young boys were dancing up on its slanted roof. I immediately became worried, wondering if any responsible adult knew they were up there, and when they seemed to be considering climbing further up to the very top of the roof, I became more worried still. But just as we passed, they slid down to the gutter, where hands of nearby spectators reached up to grab them and pull them gently down.
After the extended break at Big Man Lounge, the parade resumed, swinging onto Claiborne Avenue, which was the biggest thoroughfare of the route so far, and the crowd swelled to hundreds, lining every parking lot. By now, people in the crowd knew that the Saints had won their game at the Superdome, and that only added to the festive mood. As we approached a former Pizza Hut that was boarded up and closed, I suddenly realized that two very young boys were dancing up on its slanted roof. I immediately became worried, wondering if any responsible adult knew they were up there, and when they seemed to be considering climbing further up to the very top of the roof, I became more worried still. But just as we passed, they slid down to the gutter, where hands of nearby spectators reached up to grab them and pull them gently down.