A turbulent beginning..

Garland w/ PHS Mark

No, not the new dynamic with Peter and the Pool Hall Studs, but in our 2nd leg of the plane trip to the Big Easy, Barry almost having to choose between his scotch and his winning card hand; I rescued the drink in time. A bit late on the arrival, Garland waiting for us with the traditional chicken and beer for the ride into town.    Garland tells us he just picked up Dr. Lonnie Smith prior to picking us up.We make a quick stop at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to get Jazz Fest tickets at a discount (saved $40), then over to Decatur to our hotel.  Hmmmm.  We are led through some courtyards and alleys just to get to our rooms!  Our room is small, windowless, but it's all good. We meet the Studs in the lobby and catch a cab Uptown, while Mark misremembers the initial pool match, trying to say that the Studs beat Gumbo and me at Polynesian Joe's back in the day.  Sorry, boys, those red asses were from the Gumbo and me.

It's raining some as our cab pulls up to Delachaise, a trendy little wine bar with a noticeably younger clientele.  We order up several small plates of food - beans, rice and pork chops; stuffed frogs legs (really good); I forget the rest (note to ask Barry and update).  Cool poster of the Rat Pack in the men's room, prompting Mark to declare that ours (meaning his) generation is the last to know who the hell the Rat Pack was).  Then off to Oak Street Bar for a forgettable stop, then over to the Maple Leaf to possibly see George Porter Jr.'s late show.  First, we pop into Jacques-Imo's, which bustles with activity inside and out.  Drawings of Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp on the back wall, you walk through the kitchen to get to the dining room.  Peter and I down one Abita, then decide to call it a first night.

Up at six-thirty to walk around, needing to locate a wi-fi spot, since the hotel literature says it has none.  However, they do!  In the lobby, so I'm sitting here at the concierge table (no, buddy, I won't call you a damn cab).  Got to go.  Thursday at the Fest coming up - Esperanza Spalding, James Cotton, Florence + the Machine, Iguanas. Hoping Peter enjoys.  Later.