A New Orleans style send-off: For Michael (and me)

For my last week in New Orleans before spending the summer in Central America, I thought I should take advantage of all those same-old-thing weekly parties that go down regularly in New Orleans: Up here, Uptown, every Tuesday night it's Rebirth Brass Band at The Maple Leaf, down on Frenchman street, Thursday night is reggae night with T-Roy at Blue Nile, and way down at Mimi's in the Marigny DJ Soul Sister spins rare funk and groove records every Saturday night. I don't know if it's the impending departure date, the heat wave or what, but for some reason this week they were all more fun than ever.
In honor of Michael Jackson, Soul Sister did an extra special, all Michael night. New Orleans is not my home town but I've spent 4 summers here (entering the 5th) and I have never sweat so much. Not running on the neutral ground in the sun in August, not at a Tuesday night Rebirth show, not at Dragon's Den reggae night post-"closed balcony rule," not at Krewe of OAK Mid-Summer Mardi Gras, not waiting tables in a restaurant with a busted A/C, and not today, at the Michael Jackson 7th ward second line on a record-breaking hot Sunday in late June. What a week, though. The week of three showers a day.

Second Line for Michael Jackson
Sunday, June 28, 2009
St. Bernard Avenue, New Orleans, La.