Yes, it’s Carnival time and Big Freedia reigns over Krewe de Vieux

19th January 2016   ·   0 Comments

By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer

On Saturday, January 23, 2016, the Krewe du Vieux parade will celebrate its 30th roll as it winds through the Faubourg Marigny, French Quarter and CBD. This year’s theme is “XXX” that relates to both its three decades of hilarity and also to the rather naughty nature of some of its topics and floats that certainly earn a triple X rating.

This year some 20 brass bands will keep the members of the 17 marching sub-krewes like Craps, Chaos, the Krewe of Underwear and the Krewe of Mama Roux dancing in the street. There will be tons of twerking too with Big Freedia, the Queen of Bounce, reigning as the Queen of the Krewe du Vieux. The Free Agents Brass Band has been named the “Royalty Brass Band” of the event and will lead off the parade and give the Queen reason and opportunity to bring on the bounce.

It’s interesting to consider just how many brass bands have played the parade in the last three decades. Some like the Treme and Paulin Brothers have been on the route every, or at least almost every, year. Some groups like the Rebirth Brass Band and the Soul Rebels no longer participate in the Krewe du Vieux festivities, opting, instead to play mostly at clubs and festivals. While we continue to miss their talents and energy, as has long been the brass band tradition, new groups step up to continue the street culture and keep New Orleans the lively place that it is. So at the Krewe du Vieux parade up-and-coming groups like the New Breed Brass Band led by snare drummer Jenard Andrews, the son of trumpeter James Andrews, and the Young Pinstripe get a chance to strut their stuff.

Making its second appearance at the event is the Most Wanted Brass Band. It’s a special case as the members are veterans of the brass band tradition though the group was formed recently in 2013. Most of the guys, including leader, trombonist Ersel “Garfield” Bogan, were previously with the Stooges Brass Band.

“We’re still Stooges at heart,” Bogan is quick to say before explaining how the Most Wanted came to be. “The Stooges were traveling and became a stage band and a lot of us still wanted to stay home and play brass band music. The Stooges is like a school of brass. A lot of people come in and learn and venture off.”

With so many young bands coming onto the scene, it’s almost like one needs a scorecard to keep up with them all. Bogan, 34, says he feels that the Most Wanted stands apart because while it’s a newly organized group, it boasts a lot of experience. Also, rather than just riffing on a rhythm and melody as, it seems, many of the young bands have a tendency to do, they know the importance of crowd participation.

“We distinguish ourselves by the fact that we’re older guys that kinda know the blueprint of how it goes rather than a new band full of new guys who are trying to figure it out.”

“We’re a singing/playing band,” explains Bogan. “We believe in entertaining rather than just standing and playing music. We like to get the crowd into what we’re doing. We do a lot of old school songs and we make originals. So whatever the crowd is listening to at the time – whatever is hot on the radio – we try to put it into the music.”

Bogan, who began playing with the Stooges 20 years ago, relates his concern about the state of the brass band scene today. “There’s not as much love in it as there used to be,” he bemoans. “It’s more about ‘let’s get a gig and make some money’ rather than ‘let’s make the kind of music that sounds good and people will book us and we’ll make some money.’”

Many would agree that the name Most Wanted Brass Band, given to the group by Bogan, is both edgy and catchy.

“It means that we’re the most wanted on the streets, the most wanted to be heard and the most wanted to be challenged by other brass bands,” Bogan declares.

The Most Wanted will hit the streets at the Krewe du Vieux parade with seven pieces and will be easy to identify as the members all wear band T-shirts. That’s especially important these days when people are still getting to know who’s who on the brass scene.

“I love the Krewe du Vieux because it’s all brass bands,” says Bogan, who like many of the other members of Most Wanted played in the parade for many years with the Stooges. “It’s a very different thing as far as the visual – it’s very French Quarter. It’s not floats and people on floats throwing beads. It’s people walking with floats and enjoying themselves.”

If you miss the Most Wanted Brass Band at the Krewe du Vieux parade it will hit the streets with the C.T.C. Steppers Social & Pleasure Club (Cross the Canal) 16th annual parade on February 28, 2016.

The Krewe du Vieux parade starts at 6 p.m. at Press and Royal streets and ends at the Civic Theatre, 501 O’Keefe Avenue. The Krewe du Vieux Ball follows with music by George Porter & the Runnin’ Pardners with special guest, vocalist and guitarist Walter “Wolfman” Washington. For more information, go to www.kreweduvieux.org.

This article originally published in the January 18, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.