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  • I'm a writer, journalist, and the editor of The Gambit, the alt-weekly newspaper in New Orleans.

    Journalism: My work has appeared in The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Globe & Mail (Canada), The Times- Picayune (New Orleans), The Oregonian, and Willamette Week, as well as in magazines including Details, Vogue, Publishers Weekly, and Portland Monthly.

    Publishing: Tight Shot, my first novel, was nominated for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America. Its sequel, Hot Shot, was roundly ignored by everyone, but was a far better book. I'm also a member of the National Book Critics Circle.

    Stage: I was a member of the Groundlings and Circle Repertory West in Los Angeles, and am a playwright (see "Stage" in the right-hand rail).

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« Great Titles, Part II | Main | Permissions »

September 25, 2006

The return of the Superdome, and Irma Thomas

Thomas_irma_afterther_101b Just watched the pregame show before the Saints/Falcons matchup.

Normally I think too much is made of the Saints in New Orleans (and of professional sports in America in general), but this is important on a variety of levels, not the least of which is the exorcism of some of the most horrible images after Hurricane Katrina. The Superdome looks great, even if I can't help but wonder what the city would be like if all those hundreds of millions of dollars and such concerted rebuilding had been put to use in the Ninth Ward and on the lakefront.

U2 and Green Day were fine, but what really made the preshow were the New Orleans musicians: the New Birth Brass Band, Trombone Shorty, and most especially Irma Thomas and Allen Touissant performing the national anthem. Miss Irma did it beautifully and simply, without trying to put five octaves into it or add that screechy melisma that passes for performance these days.

I interviewed Irma a couple of months ago when she was appearing at the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland. At the time I was feeling homesick and just hearing her voice on the phone lifted my spirits. When the interview was over, we just chatted for a while and I mentioned that I was having trouble finding Tony Chachere's spices here in town. "They don't have Tony's?" she said. "Oh, honey. Email me your address and I'll get you fixed up."

The lady is a class act. (You can read the interview here.)

08:15 PM in New Orleans |

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