Play it Again, Satch’
August 4 would be the 110th birthday of Louis Armstrong, and though he may be long gone, his legacy is seen, heard and celebrated at the annual Satchmo SummerFest, held downtown from Aug. 4-7. Showcasing dozens of our city’s talented musicians, the lineup for the weekend includes The Palmetto Bug Stompers, Shamarr Allen, Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Hot 8 Brass Band and Soul Rebels. Other special events include a birthday party, art show, kids activities, a Sunday morning Jazz Mass at the Treme’s St. Augustine Church and vendors on-site include Plum Street Snoballs, local restaurants and Abita. Information, FQFI.org.
Art Parties
Aug. 6 is the 17th annual Whitney White Linen Night, an art party that expands over five blocks on Julia Street and the surrounding Arts District.
You are encouraged to wear white linen to keep cool and stroll through galleries, many of which will be hosting new exhibits and offering wine and light refreshments. The party continues after dark at the Contemporary Arts Center with live music. Information, CACNO.org.
The following week, on Aug. 13, is the French Quarter’s tongue-in-cheek response, Dirty Linen Night, when you’re encouraged to wear your rumpled, “dirty” white linen from the week before. This Royal Street annual event features body painters, street performers and art of all media.
Red Runners
Going for a run during the hottest month of the year might sound dreadful, but if you combine it with costuming, socializing, beer drinking and charity, your Saturday jog suddenly becomes a grand soirée. The Red Dress Run, held Aug. 13, takes place throughout Marigny and French Quarter, starting at Washington Square Park. This popular yearly event is organized by the New Orleans Hash House Harriers who enforce two simple rules: Wear a red dress and have a good time. Several bars participate; the entrance fee gets you unlimited beer (though we encourage you to also stay hydrated), swag, food and benefits multiple charitable organizations.
Information, NOH3.com.
José Torres-Tama and The Cone of Uncertainty
José Torres-Tama, a writer and visual/performance artist, will bring his multimedia performance of The Cone of Uncertainty this month to the Shadowbox Theatre on St. Claude Avenue (Aug. 25-28, Sept. 1-4 and 8-11), commemorating the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
What is your medium? Generally, my work is multi-layered and thrives on a hybrid fusion of bilingual texts and spoken word, personal stories, historical research, exaggerated characters, film projections and visually dynamic rituals. The Cone also thrives on comedic and satirical observations that balance the drama. I like to create stage works that are visually engaging, where the audience is transported to a heightened dream reality with primary stage colors of deep reds, dramatic blues, and greens. I describe the look and feel of The Cone of Uncertainty as illustrating a magical-realist Latino voodoo aesthetic.
How long have you been working on it? I began working on the script for the piece while I was in exile from September through early November after the storm and the first draft was performed in Los Angeles in November 20005. This version will offer some new additions to the script that I developed further this year when it was mounted at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque for the Revolutions International Theater Festival.
What do you hope your audience gets from it? I offer my story and that of other Latinos whose lives were transformed by the events that followed. We all know that immediately after the storm thousands of Latino immigrants were on the ground here rebuilding the city at an incredible pace. They descended upon the fragile city and restored the engines of the tourist industry by salvaging the many flooded hotels. They put up roof after roof that allowed residents to return home. The greatest untold story of the post-Katrina rebuilding is that immigrant workers were responsible for bringing the Big Easy back from the dead, and I bring forth that story to offer another truth about a storm and the people it affected.
Information, 298-8676, TheShadowboxTheatre.com
Through Sept. 25. “Drip: The Music of Water in New Orleans”; Contemporary Arts Center. Information, cacno.org.
August 3, 10. Wednesdays on the Point concert series; Algiers Ferry Terminal. Information, AlgiersEconomic.com.
August 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28. NOMA & The Nola Project present Yazmina Reza’s Art; New Orleans Museum of Art. Information, noma.org, NolaProject.com.
August 5, 12, 19, 26. Tipitina’s Foundation presents Free Fridays concerts; Tipitina’s Uptown. Information, Tipitinas.com.
August 11. Gillian Welch concert; Tipitina’s Uptown. Information, Tipitinas.com.
August 12-19, 24-31. New Orleans Zephyrs home games; Zephyr Field. Information, MinorLeagueBaseball.com.
August 12. Death Cab for Cutie; UNO Lakefront Arena. Information, ArenaNewOrleans.com.
August 12, Sept. 1. New Orleans Saints preseason home games; Louisiana Superdome. Information, NewOrleansSaints.com.
August 12-14, 19-21, 26-28. La Sirena; AllWays Lounge. Information, TheAllWaysLounge.com.
August 21. Matisyahu plus Trevor Hall; House of Blues. Information,
HouseofBlues.com.
August 27. Krewe of Oak presents Midsummer Mardi Gras parade and ball; starts at Maple Leaf Bar. Information, MapleLeafBar.com.
August 31-Sept. 5. Southern Decadence; downtown. Information, SouthernDecadence.net.
