New Orleans: Big City Energy Is Not For Me
Great history, music, and food, but some questionable wildlife
Welcome to the Second Sunday Sip of Spring!! I just wanted to write that as it was fun to say in my head. I’ve got some thoughts to share on a recent trip to New Orleans. Then I’ll give you a giant list of events happening over the next two weeks, share with you my substack restacks, examine what’s been on the turntable, and wrap it up with your moment of zen!
New Orleans Is Fine, But I Won’t Be Back
We recently returned from a week in New Orleans, and I don’t plan on returning. Don’t get me wrong, other than a couple of unsettling moments (more later), the trip was great. It is just that I keep finding time and time again that the energy of a big city is not for me. In fact, I can name only a few cities that I’ve actually enjoyed visiting. Those would be Edinburgh, Florence, and Boston. While I’ve yet to travel to some other major cities such as London, Tokyo, or Los Angeles, I’m probably not going to dig them. Well, maybe parts of London.
Our time in New Orleans was, for the most part, great. The history, music, and food are exceptional. I loved the morning walks to brunch and taking in the history that seemed to bubble up out of the streets. Getting around on the bus or street car via the Jazzy Pass was easy. However, the streetcars get sort of packed. We did all the touristy things and more during our week-long trip, and I figured I would share some highlights with you.
A Wealth of History
Historic New Orleans Collection
The Historic New Orleans Collection on Royal in the French Quarter was the best museum. One of the docents offered a short yet excellent history lesson on New Orleans. A lagniappe, if you will. I learned that creole and cajun are much more than food styles. If this is new information for you, creole is mixing languages and their associated cultures for the people (immigrants and natives) who founded New Orleans. The term cajun refers to the French-speaking people of Acadia (now the Canadian Maritimes province, which includes Nova Scotia).
While the French founded New Orleans, the Spanish had a major influence on the look and feel of the city today. When you walk around the French Quarter during the quiet of the morning, you almost feel like you are in Europe as opposed to the United States. As I mentioned earlier, there is a deep sense of history in this space that is uncommon in much of our country.
World War II Museum
We walked into the National World War II Museum and were immediately overwhelmed. It is a huge complex of seven buildings, and each section is brimming with information and stories. We barely scratched the surface in the three hours we spent there. While we didn’t experience the longer movie theater experiences, the shorter video and audio pieces woven through the exhibits provide excellent stories as well as some first-person perspectives.
Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture
To kill some time before going to see a performance at Preservation Hall, we stopped at the Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture. Man, am I glad we did. This place is awesome, and we learned so much about Mardi Gras and the costumes from the staff, including the owner, Carl Mack. The costumes are only used once. To save them from the dumpster, Carl Mack started to collect them. Now, there are hundreds of costumes. Not only are the costumes on display, but they have some you can try on.
Carl provided a one-hour show that gave you some history of Mardi Gras and explained some of the traditions and themes related to Carnivale. He made the experience entertaining as well as educational.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
Of course, a trip to New Orleans isn’t complete without a visit to a cemetery. We toured St. Louis Cemetery No.1, which is supposed to be the oldest in the city. Our guide was great. I had no idea that they reused the vaults for generations of a family. This means the cemetery (which covers a city block) could be the resting place for 10,000 people (estimated by our guide). I won’t get into how they reuse the vaults unless you want to know (you can drop me a line).
There are plenty of old and noteworthy tombs, including that of Marie Leveau, also known as the “Voodoo Queen.” Evidently, she looked young throughout her life. However, our guide suggested that perhaps one of her many daughters may have been posing as their mother.
We also saw the tomb of Nicholas Cage, which apparently cost 1.5 million. While Nicholas isn’t dead, our guide joked that the tomb contains the remains of his acting career.
A Bounty of Music
The birthplace of jazz, there is literally music around every corner of New Orleans. We experienced bands busking in the streets, some blues in a couple of bars, and a phenomenal brass band at Preservation Hall.
The gig at Preservation Hall was phenomenal. As I watched these gifted musicians play, I couldn’t help but smile and feel a touch emotional. In addition to the regulars in the Preservation Hall band, they had a special guest on clarinet. I believe his name was Uli and he was in town from Munich, Germany. The band seemed happy, which added to the sweet tunes they played.
If it wasn’t for the blow-hard to the left of me yelling, “Yeah, man Yeah!!” the experience would have been pure magic. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all into folks digging the jams and grooving with the music. It was just this guy gave off a huge “I’m too sexy for my shirt” vibe. Thankfully, the music won the day. Brenda snagged a couple of shots, with me grinning with a couple of them. I’ve also got some Preservation Brass Band vinyl being shipped to my house.
Fantastic Food
The bus driver/tour guide on our Cajun Encounters swamp tour was all about the food. He was adamant that everyone should get outside of the French Quarter if they wanted good food. There were only a couple he recommended, and one was Deanie’s Seafood, which actually was pretty tasty. I’m not sure if our driver would approve, but we did have a fine sandwich at the Vampire Apothecary Restaurant and Bar (right across from Preservation Hall)
I’d have to say the best dinners we had were at Atchafalaya in the Garden District and The Country Club out in the Bywater District. Both were comfortable spaces with delicious food and attentive service.
While dinners were, for the most part, great, I have to say that brunch was by far the best. We had a couple less than stellar meals, but you couldn’t go wrong at Wakin Bakin and Two Chicks Cafe.
Tasty Beers
Our friend Brian Tennis shared a long list of local breweries to try. We made it to two: Parleaux Beer Lab and Brieux Carré Brewing Co. The beers at each of these breweries were exceptional. Brieux Carré is near Frenchmen Street. They have a super cozy lounge with a nice beer garden out back. In addition to a couple of fine IPAs, these guys rock the lagers.
Parleaux Beer Lab is over in the Bywater. Pretty much all their seating is outside in a big beer garden. Here, the focus was on saisons, farmhouses, and sours. They had a pop-up serving oysters and charcuterie boards.
Speaking of beers and beverages, we also stopped by Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar, and Molly's Irish Pub. They each had their own unique vibe. Lafitte’s claims to be one of the oldest bars in New Orleans. The inside is definitely rustic and funky. They had some local beers as well as plenty of cocktails. Before the show at Preservation Hall, we dropped into Molly’s Irish Pub. It was early afternoon on a Monday, so it was very chilled and laid back. Given their location, I suspect it gets a little crazy at night and on the weekends. My favorite bar (the breweries were the best) was Bacchanal. Located out in the Bywater, this place had tons of space and an awesome beer garden with a stage. On top of plenty of great wine and cocktails, they had an excellent selection of local beers.
Wildlife
The weather was sunny and warmish for our tour of the swamp with Cajun Encounters. We boarded a huge bus that took us out to the swamp. This place was full of folks. At first, I thought it was going to be assholes and elbows, but once we got on the boat and down the river into the swamp, it was pretty laid back. Our boat captain was a character, and when we passed another boat, he went into backwater Cajun mode, which was great for some laughs. During our nearly two-hour tour, we saw it all: giant swamp rats (nutria), osprey, blue heron, snakes, wild pigs, raccoons, and, of course, alligators.
Not So Great Wildlife
So you may be thinking, “Chuck! Sounds like the New Orleans trip was a blast. So why don’t you want to go back?” Well, my friends, as I mentioned earlier, the big city vibe isn’t for me. In particular, the insanity of this city on the weekend. The streets are just crawling with a lot of fucked up folks. One deranged woman pushed our friend to the ground just for glancing at her. Another drunk dude on the bus wanted to be sure that I knew he was king of shit mountain by getting into my face.
Each of these incidents, full of dark energy, left a bad taste. While overall, the visit was good, the drunken buffoonery and general negative vibe of the weekend do not warrant another visit. Besides, there are plenty of places I need to experience.
If you want to see more photos from our trip to New Orleans, hit up the gallery on Life In Michigan.
Upcoming Events You Won't Want to Miss
There is so much to share every week. If you have events to share, drop a note on Substack or email me at chuck@lifeinmichigan.com.
Music
Live in Concert: Mary McGuire & Carolyn Striho at the Ann Arbor District Library - Downtown Library on Mar 30 - Music is in the air at the library
The Wholesome Boys with Cracked and Hooked and Bren n’ Co at Ziggy’s in Ypsilanti on Mar 30 - Sunday Funday featuring an evening of Americana and more
May Erlewine All Over Michigan on Apr 2 - 8- Check out May’s What It Takes album release tour across Michigan as she does two nights in Grand Rapids (Apr 2-3 at Midtown), Kalamazoo (Apr 4-5 at Bell’s), Ann Arbor (Apr 6 at The Ark), and Traverse City (Apr 8 at Alluvion)
Timothy Monger and The Springtails at the Chelsea Depot in Chelsea on Apr 2 - On The Tracks Songwriter Showcase is back with more swinging acoustic music.
Hinky, Blood At Ease, Spectral Snake and Colt Snuffer and The Dead Horsemen at Shakespeares in Kalamazoo on Apr 4 - A genre-bending mix of music touching on folk, blues, country, and more
The Creepos w/ Matt Smith at Bowlero Lanes and Lounge in Royal Oak on Apr 4 - Alt rock with a twist in Royal Oak
Ghost Pipe / Team Hoss / Black Sunrise at Mulligan’s Pub in Grand Rapids on Apr 4 - Stoner rock rages in the Rapids.
Sons of Arrakis | Cleen | Angel of Mars | Suede Brain at Outer Limits Lounge in Detroit on Apr 5 - Heavy doom and rock will set you on fire.
Oigs Fest 8 - Oigs Take Kalamazoo at Papa Pete’s in Kalamazoo on Apr 5 - One of the best heavy fests in the state, featuring a diverse mix of heavy music.
DIRK KROLL BAND at the Alley Cat Cafe in Pontiac on Apr 5 - Prepare for an outstanding night of rock music.
Hinky, Blood At Ease, Spectral Snake and Colt Snuffer and The Dead Horsemen at Tip Top Deluxe in Grand Rapids on Apr 5 - If you missed this show on Apr 4, you can catch it again on Apr 5
Winds of Neptune w/ Warhorses at Bowlero Lanes and Lounge in Royal Oak on Apr 5 - Heavy rock with psychedelic tones hits Royal Oak
The Macpodz with Hiawatha Bailey at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on Apr 5 - Groove with the legends at this post-Hash Bash afterglow.
The Weeping Willows (AUS) USA Spring Tour with Lost Mary and Fern Whale at Ziggy’s in Ypsilanti on Apr 9 - A night of acoustic music featuring Australia’s Weeping Willows stopping in town.
Music Econ Summit at Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation on Apr 11-13 - The Michigan Music Alliance presents the Music Econ Summit 2025 at the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation, in partnership with Monk Recordings, LLC, Push the City Cypher and Triumph Music Academy.
Frontier Ruckus at the Ypsilanti Freighthouse on Apr 11 - Plenty of alt-country goodness
Tiberius, Cleen and Cullossus at the New Dodge Lounge in Hamtramck on Apr 11 - It will be loud, and it will be heavy.
Damage Control at the Outer Limits Lounge in Detroit on Apr 11 - Metal, Hardcore, and Grind with Archimime, Darkeater, Snugglebunzzz & Fenrot.
Electric Frankenstein, Slumlord Radio, Mazinga, Von Werewolves + Art Show by Jim Madison and SickNik at Tip Top Deluxe in Grand Rapids on Apr 11 - Punk rock fury and super cool art
Duende, The Codgers, The Slouches, and Mange at the Corktown Tavern in Detroit on Apr 11 - A fun and eclectic evening is in store.
Ladyship Warship w/ Ficus at Bowlero Lanes and Lounge in Royal Oak on Apr 11 - A dynamic duo of roots rock and progressive music.
Beers
The Ann Arbor Oddities Bazaar at Homes Campus in Ann Arbor on Mar 30 - One Stop Soul Shop is bringing a Unique Market featuring a wide selection of vendors, artists and illustrators, oddity makers, curiosity enthusiasts, musicians, and more, drawing a crowd passionate about the dark art community
Disc Golf Indoor Spring Putting League at Barrel + Beam in Marquette on Apr 2 - Get your putting game in shape with beers
Hops & Hash: A Post-Hash Bash Party at Hear.say Brewing in Ann Arbor on Apr 5 - Did you know marijuana and hops are related? Yep, they are cousins. After an afternoon of cannabis bliss, head over for some suds.
Paint & Pints with Courtney at Ogma Brewing in Jackson on Apr 6 - Release your inner Van Gogh
Stumblebum Brewing Open House Thanks for Support in March Draftness in Troy on Apr 6 - Celebrating making it to the elite 8 in the Better On Draft’s beer bracket.
Tart Strawberry M-43 Prerelease Party at Old Nation Brewing in Williamston on Apr 7 - A sure sign of spring is the release of this beautiful hazy IPA.
Various Intrigues
Geoff and Jon’s Spring Record Show at Ore Dock Brewing in Marquette on Mar 27-30 - The last day is today!! Geoff and Jon are awesome, and they have tons (literally) of albums, cds, and collectibles to hunt for your next piece of treasure.
Film Maker Mixer at Art 634 in Jackson on Mar 30 - Join us from noon to 4 pm on the last Sunday of the month for a gathering of Michigan-based filmmakers and anyone interested in the art of filmmaking.
FoolMoon in downtown Ann Arbor on Apr 4 - The 15th annual pre-Festive Fools event lights up the night with a street party featuring community-built illuminated sculptures and music.
Get To Know Black Art Library Ferndale Area District Library on Apr 6 - Asmaa Walton, the creator and curator of Black Art Library, will share the story of this living archive during a moderated discussion and Q&A
Kalamazoo Comic Con at the Kalamazoo Expo Event Center on Apr 11 - Explore many worlds on the page and in person.
GIG Skate Fundraiser at Allskate Fun Center in Jackson on April 17 - Join us from 6-8p for an evening of fun at Allskate Fun Center. You can skate, play video games, laser tag, or just hang out. A portion of the proceeds help us fund GIG - The Art of Michigan Music 2025. We’ll head over to Ogma Brewing afterward to share laughs and a beer.
Can’t make it? Share this and donate online.
Record Store Day is April 12!!
The day after my birthday is a vinyl festival across the country. I like to think of it as an extended celebration of my birthday with records 🙂. You may know this as Record Store Day. Whatever you call it, it is an excuse to celebrate vinyl records and spend too much money on limited releases. Over the past few years, I’ve been trying to document some of the great stores in Michigan. I’m missing a lot of them, but here are a few (less the Detroit list, which I’m working on now) that we’ve covered on Life In Michigan:
https://lifeinmichigan.com/record-store-day-in-michigan/
https://lifeinmichigan.com/rocking-out-at-flipside-records-in-berkley/
https://lifeinmichigan.com/the-ultimate-beer-adventure-a-day-with-jay-in-grand-rapids/
https://lifeinmichigan.com/marquette-vinyl-and-beer-adventure/
https://lifeinmichigan.com/traverse-city-vinyl-and-beer-adventure/
Here are a few more that sound fun:
Village Vinyl in Sterling Heights celebrates 8 years and Record Store Day
Ann Arbor District Library (Downtown) has a pop-up Record Story Day sale
Third Coast Vinyl in Muskegon
Rock City Music in Livonia has a huge Record Store Day party planned
Big Me Records in Livonia is a new one that I need to check out
In Other News
Recent adventures on Life In Michigan took us to Chelsea for their curling fest. We also joined the in-person portion of the Save The Speakeasy Streamathon that was held at the Old Town Tavern in Ann Arbor.
Over on UpWord, there is a cool article by Paula McCambridge about a new autonomous boat that is mapping the Great Lakes and also searching for shipwrecks of the past. On Metromode, I learned from MJ Galbraith about a new guitar manufacturing company in Hazel Park called Clay Avenue Guitar Company. Finally, this story on 20 years of the Kalamazoo Promise by Al Jones was inspiring.
Life In Michigan Podcast
It was a pleasure talking with Breeda Miller about her book and one-woman play, Mrs. Kelly’s Journey. Be sure to check out the show notes, as there is a link to her PBS special, which is a must-see.
Finding Joy and Legacy in Caregiving: A Conversation with Breeda Miller
In this episode of Life in Michigan, we sat down with Breeda Miller – storyteller, author, performer, and, as she calls herself, “a recovering caregiver.” Breeda opens up about her deeply personal experience of caring for her mother — a journey that ultimately inspired her one-woman play and the moving memoir
Substack Restack Attack
Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:
While I’m not a film person, I do enjoy
’s explorations with film and photography in general. does it again with this great article on the mysteries of our memories
We’ve gotten very, very intrigued with zines over here at Life In Michigan headquarters. Thanks to
for some practical tips
I’m a huge
fan, and I love how he makes a sketchy part of the city look cool, thanks to the early morning fog.
Adventures Yet To Print
I saw Forge The Sun and True Devil rock out in Wyandotte. We also made a stop at the brand new Manchester Brewing for beer and tacos.
Detroit Vinyl and Beer status: I’m on it and hope to have it out next week!
What Are You Reading?
I’m reading Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim for book club. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it, but so far so good. I’ll give you a run down on that next time.
The book I had been reading prior to this is The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild by Thomas D. Seeley. I was curious about honey bees and thought this book by a Cornell University professor and researcher would fit the bill. Holy Cow, I’ve learned a lot about bees. The only problem is the book has a heavy dose of detailed research findings.
All the various plants are given their common and Latin names. All the measurements are given in metric and imperial units. It can make for slow going when you are just curious about how honey bees live in the wild. Despite all the facts and figures, this book provides some insights into these fascinating little creatures.
For example, I had no idea that during the winter, the bees regulate the temperature of their hive to around 50 degrees and then, in early spring, crank the temp up to 95 when the queen has laid her brood. Or that the pollen stores in the hive are the bees’ source of amino acids and fats, while the honey provides their carbs. Just like a sleeping bear, the hive’s weight drops over the winter as the bees use their supply. Then, in the spring, it is time to get busy building back up their larder.
If you aren’t afraid of a good deal of hard science, this book is great. Although, I will say that I still have questions about bees, such as how do they coordinate their activities? How is one bee selected as a nurse, another as a pollen and nectar gatherer, and yet another as the worker in the hive unloading other bees of their finds? Sounds like I’ll need to keep reading about honey bees.
What Are You Spinning?
This week’s featured spin is Mazinga’s new one called Chinese Democracy Manifest - Greatest Hits Vol 2. The title is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the music is seriously awesome. I had a chance to talk with Chris “Box” Taylor (guitars), Tony Fero (bass - and an amazing graphic artist who created the cover art,” and Marc McFinn (vocals) on Fans With Bands (drummer Donny Blum couldn’t make it). You can get the details on the title when that episode comes out on Wednesday (Apr 2).
Mazinga is pure Ann Arbor punk rock. Using the Ramones and The Stooges as their guides, Mazinga blasts out what they have called “Maximum Cosmic Punk.” Every tune on their new album rips. From the super-charged riffs on “Nandeyo” to the driving drums and pummeling bass on “Super Karate Monkey Death Car” to the full-bore rocking liturgy of “Rock ‘N’ Roll Jihad,” Mazinga is high-octane fun. Marc’s vocals and lyrical panache give each song a zestful zing.
On top of the killer music, the packaging is top-notch. Included in the album is a booklet with more awesome artwork by Tony Fero, along with lyrics and photos. If you don’t have a copy of this album, you need to rectify that situation pronto.
That’s A Wrap
As my buddy Sturgill once said:
“Keep your head out of the clouds
And remember to be kind
And just stay in school
Stay off the drugs
And keep between the lines.”
Thank you for reading. I hope your week is awesome! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!
Now, here is your moment of zen:
Thanks for the mention, Chuck! I appreciate it.
Talk about sketchy parts of the city, I assume I'd be right at home in New Orleans! I sat in my car outside the city limits on a solo trip from Orlando to Arkansas once. I wanted so much to taste the city, but i decided I needed someone to share it with, so I drove away. I'm big on Springsteen, and one of his all time greatest shows happened at Jazz Fest after Katrina. If you can find the New Orleans Picayune review of the show, you'll see what I mean. Someday I'll try to make Cajun sketch look cool. Thank you for your mention. and one last thing, where does your energy come from? You cover a book-load of info in each post. Just sayin...envious.