Treme: Too Real?

I really enjoyed the premiere of Treme last night, although it confirmed one of my mild apprehensions about the show:  People won’t believe how authentic it is.

It’s a weird contradiction that at the same time we don’t want people believing that there’s a parade every five minutes here, like a lot of pop culture would suggest, but at the same time, they’re pretty damn regular, and Treme captures that.

I can see people around the country simultaneously having their stereotypes of the city confirmed and yet not believing that what they’re seeing is real.  In fact, we do support a lot of their stereotypes on a superficial level, but not on a deeper level.  Yeah, second lines happen regularly, but they’re still a big deal that people make a point of catching.  Yeah, we cut loose a lot more than most folks, but the tit-flashing is for non-locals only.

I’m really happy with the job Treme did.  It’s tough to get real musicians to be real actors, and not all of them got it done, but it’s a blast to see some local heroes get into the spotlight.  I hope it doesn’t change them!

Chronology error?  Anyone remember when Jockamo IPA came out?  I actually wrote about it after first discovering it in late 2007, so I’m pretty sure that Vaughan’s neon sign is out of place.  Not that I really care, I’m just never the one to spot that stuff.

Hurry up with that next episode, HBO!

Cyril continues to be part of the problem, not the solution

Gary tipped me off to this interview with Austin’s own Cyril Neville.

A couple of choice bits:

Everybody who had obligations to help out didn’t.

Huh?  This kind of shit just reinforces the rest of the country’s perception that we’re just sitting here waiting for help to arrive.  And it’s an insult to all those who did so much.  Yeah, we’re all still pissed at a lot of people, but we’re also trying to take care of business.

My sister-in-law’s house, which I’ve been staying at off and on when I come back, it’s easier for her to drive across the lake [nearby] to go shopping than it is for her to drive all the way uptown to the one Walmart that they have there on Annunciation Street. It’s going to be a long time before the overall city itself is back to anywhere close that it used to be. Yes the French Quarter is there and they can build casinos anywhere they want now — they don’t have to go offshore.

Yeah, New Orleans sucks now that it’s so hard to get to the WalMart.

Look, I’m happy for what he’s doing for the wetlands, but he bashes the city whose allure pays his bills, and then he shortchanges the people who’ve dedicated the last 4 1/2 years to getting things going again.

We wore “Never Brothers” t-shirts to the first JazzFest after the levee failures, and Cyril makes it tempting to break those out again.

Saints school Cowboys

This is awesome:

I smell a nice rivalry cooking.

On Friday night, the Saints’ staff at the combine gathered in a private room at St. Elmo Steakhouse, an 108-year-old Indy landmark, for a final celebratory nod to the Super Bowl win over the Colts. This is a group that likes its wine, and likes to have fun.

At the restaurant, word passed that Dallas owner Jerry Jones would have his Dallas group in this exact room Saturday night for a team dinner. Jones had even phoned ahead, according to a waiter, to make sure a magnum of a wine he loved, Caymus Special Selection cabernet sauvignon, was ready to be served at dinner.

Sean Payton told the waiter he’d like to have that wine, too. The waiter told him: Sorry, sir. We have only one bottle left, and it’s reserved for Mr. Jones.

Payton said he’d like to have the bottle nonetheless. I assume there was much angst on the part of the wait staff at that point. My God! Who do we piss off? One of the most powerful owners in the NFL, or the coach who’s the toast of the NFL, the coach who just won the Super Bowl?

Here came the bottle of Caymus Special Selection, and the Saints’ party drained it.

But drinking Jones’ wine wasn’t enough. Payton gave the waiter some instructions, took out his pen … and, well, the Cowboys party found at the middle of their table the next evening an empty magnum of Caymus Special Selection cabernet sauvignon, with these words hand-written on the fancy label:

WHO DAT!
World Champions XLIV
Sean Payton

That’s the kind of thing Jones will get a big laugh out of. And remember.

What I learned as an extra on Treme’

1) Being an extra is extra-boring.

2) Parking in a lot with a security guard is no guarantee that your car won’t get broken into.

Best “Priceless” I’ve seen

Potato Chips for a quick snack on the airplane . . . $4

Aisle seat in 1st class from Miami to New Orleans . . .  $899

Falling asleep with the Lombardi Trophy in your lap . . . Priceless

Thanks, Stephanie

Hire Avery

I was glad when the Hornets fired Byron Scott, and I think Jeff Bower’s better, but he’s no long-term winner.

Avery Johnson, however, is a proven winner.  Plus, he’s local, he’s looking for a position, and he may have been the secret-weapon-motivational-speaker for the Saints this year.  Isn’t that what we need?

Just a thought.

Lombardi Gras aka Dat Tuesday

Eleven

This is why we can’t get spoiled, people.

Thanks, Gary.

Archbishop Hannan’s original Saints prayer

I can’t figure out how to insert this directly, but check the weathered link:

Saints_PrayerHannan

Damn! Hell of an article, Wright Thompson

Read and weep (and savor).  Thanks, Wright, for getting it right.

And I love it when a coach mixes his metaphors.  Thanks, Coach Wade.  Not sure if you meant “kowtow” or “bow down,” but either way, give it your best shot.

Fortunately for you, Roy Williams seems to think it won’t really be needed.  Hell, all they gotta do is pack??!!

Bring it, you and your similarly over-paid colleagues!