Sing Me Back Home
And the rains stayed away! Guess Mother Nature didn't want to mess with a bunch of Katrina survivors. Last night's concert was by the New Orleans Social Club (and friends). These musicians came together on an ad hoc basis shortly after Hurricane Katrina to record the CD, "Sing Me Back Home". Two years later, they are still in demand for concerts. They were joined last night by the Hot 8 Brass Band, Irma Thomas, John Boutté, and, from Chicago, The Legendary Koko Taylor and the Mucca Pazza Marching Band. The event was sponsored by the City of Chicago, along with Sweet Home New Orleans, Operation Playground and Habitat for Humanity.
The crowd was sparser than I'd have expected, though. I guess the dark clouds to the west, along with the pessimistic weather reports, kept some folks away. But plenty of people did come, and a lot of them brought umbrellas, which comes in handy when you get the urge to second line*! And they sure did get the urge:
Now, I have to say that you haven't lived until you've had the Queen of Soul (Thomas) and the Queen of the Blues (Taylor) on the same stage at the same time, knocking it out. This had to be one of the best concerts I've been to in a long time. The music was outstanding, the energy levels were high (pre-concert announcement: "Please keep the aisles clear. If you feel the urge to dance, please dance in your seat or at the open space at the back of the seating area"), and everyone was there because we love New Orleans! When Koko Taylor sang "Pitch a Wang-Dang-Doodle (All Night Long)", well, I think everyone was ready to do just that.
* It occurs to me that some may not be familiar with the term "second line". It means the funky walking/dancing part of a parade just behind the band, and waving handkerchiefs and twirling colorful umbrellas is standard. The tradition comes from jazz funerals, where the first line took the cortège to the cemetery with sad and mournful tunes, and the music became joyful and spirited on the way back, followed by dancing second-liners.
The crowd was sparser than I'd have expected, though. I guess the dark clouds to the west, along with the pessimistic weather reports, kept some folks away. But plenty of people did come, and a lot of them brought umbrellas, which comes in handy when you get the urge to second line*! And they sure did get the urge:
Now, I have to say that you haven't lived until you've had the Queen of Soul (Thomas) and the Queen of the Blues (Taylor) on the same stage at the same time, knocking it out. This had to be one of the best concerts I've been to in a long time. The music was outstanding, the energy levels were high (pre-concert announcement: "Please keep the aisles clear. If you feel the urge to dance, please dance in your seat or at the open space at the back of the seating area"), and everyone was there because we love New Orleans! When Koko Taylor sang "Pitch a Wang-Dang-Doodle (All Night Long)", well, I think everyone was ready to do just that.
* It occurs to me that some may not be familiar with the term "second line". It means the funky walking/dancing part of a parade just behind the band, and waving handkerchiefs and twirling colorful umbrellas is standard. The tradition comes from jazz funerals, where the first line took the cortège to the cemetery with sad and mournful tunes, and the music became joyful and spirited on the way back, followed by dancing second-liners.