Who’s watching it? Whaddya think? i am particularly interested in the opinions of those of our tribe who have spent considerable time down there. In that city. I’m liking it so far. It’s waayyyy more meander-y than “The Wire,” but that’s befitting the subject, I think. Seems like it would be nothing but confusing for people who are unfamiliar with the musical culture of the area, but “The Wire” just kind of dumped viewers into the middle of a largely unfamiliar mileu and let the writing and characterizations help you get your bearings, too.
Now you go.
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Yes.
It is exactly how it is. A lot of segregation of sorts that’s more class/cultural based. Don’t send the tourists to establishments outside the Quarter!
I am lovin’ me some Treme.
Digginit
I’m hooked! Love seeing my old buddies from The Wire popping up.
“Slim Charles“ showed up last night!
bon vivant douche bag -- my new name
We can’t go see live brass playing to strippers?? I was hoping we could. Culture!
And...
I looked up the real Bullets. It’s a fairly short drive from our host’s house. And they seem to be friendly to naive Midwesterners.
HA!
I THOUGHT that was Slim! That’s not DaMo, though, him.
Yeah, the Indian Chief thing is one of the main things that I think will just confuse the shit out of people unfamiliar with the concept, but I sort of love the fact that there’s no obvious backgrounding given, you’re just thrown into it. And since I’m all into the Indians, I’m tickled to damned death that “Lester” is a CHIEF! I loved loved loved Lester on the Wire, so I’m delighted that the actor’s being given such a big role in this series. And yeah…..$20 cab fare, $30 gig, no horn case, constantly tootlin’ on his mouthpiece. As Ike Turner recently said on facebook “I could watch Wendell Pearce tie his shoelaces and be happy.”
Yeah, I want to like the Davis character more, but he’s chappin my ass a bit.
And YAH! it’s slaying me to see Kermit in a starring role, and Batistte’s girlfriend is the lady from “When the Levees Broke” who stole the whole damned movie! So glad to see her alive, seemingly well and thriving, and landing a role in a big fucking TV show!
“There’s pride on Bourbon Street!”
I only wish....
it was on earlier. Because I rarely stay up until 11 p.m. on a school night anymore, since I need to be back in the office so early. I’m enjoying the pace, and the atmosphere. But I’m having a hard time “getting” the characters. No one behaves in a way that makes sense to me. I probably need to give it more time, though. Which I plan to…. OnDemand.
Indians
I thought the Indians were just an old tradition, paraded out for the tourists. But they are bad mutharfukkers. Look at this guy and tell me he wouldn’t beat a guy to death for stealing his wires:
www.flickr.com/photos/bmj/3512768049/in/set-72157617873937550/
wiz!
I have to admit that I was just whining that I wish it was on earlier, too! I have been TUCKERED OUT the past two weeks by the time it came on! I dozed through a good chunk of the first one and had to rewatch on demand….managed to JUST stay awake last night. Sleeeeeeeeepy. I am gonna be SO SCREWED when I actually find a job and have to get up in the morning again! EEEP!
is this on the DuMont network?
I’m sad not to have the fancy cable now, but summer’s coming, and I can cram a season’s viewing in during a free preview weekend using the on-demand option, like I did with season 3 of Big Love. I get a sense the results will be way more satisfying.
The boss has been watching, and he thinks we need to do a big N’awlins jazz order in response. Suggestions? You know that stuff’s out of my league.
I want...
…the damned out-of-print Dave Bartholomew box set that one of the dudes was lordin’ the first episode!
N.O. jazz? Is he talking current, or historically-speaking? I assume you guys have Louie Armstrong up the wazoo? I should hope? What you should get in response to this show is both volumes of SoulJazz’s “New Orleans Funk.” Some of those cuts have already got some play on the show. Seriously amazing stuff. Git it. Uh uh. And if you do, burn me volume 2, because I haven’t found the scratch to pick it up yet!
Do you guys have much of the street brass stuff? Rebirth Brass Band, any of that? They’re totally reliable.
Pick BMJ’s mind—she’s already mentioned Kermit and the BBQ Swingers. Do they have any albums out? I’d assume so!
Also, does the library have a copy of “When the Levees Broke”? The DVD I mean?
blahblahblah!
I need to go to BED!
Kap’n: please be aware that Elvis Costello is in “Treme.” Playing himself. WOrking with Allan Touissant.
that Satchmo is SO played out
Yeah, we got plenty of the usual suspects. I’m glad to see BMJ’s list, pretty unfamiliar with much of it, and that’s what I need to know. Gettin’ more NO R&B (like Bartholomew) would really be up my alley. Getting the SoulJazz sets is a sweet recommend. Thanks all!
The boss definitely mentioned Elvis’s Treme appearance, but failed to mention Toussaint! (We have River in Reverse and Bright Mississippi - I also notice our donated Sundazed comp of mid-‘60’s Toussaint productions, Get Low Down, is going out more lately.)
Liberry definitely has When the Levees Broke DVD - I frequently mention to patrons it’s Spike Lee’s best work.
Wild Magnolias
Find some Wild Magnolias recordings.www.wildmagnolias.net/music/ Any damn brass band — Rebirth Brass Band, Dirty Dozen, probably others. They got a big thing for Louis Prima. The guy who does that kind of stuff now is Deacon John. Saw him last year at the Jazz Fest, he was swell — not the cheezy retro swing thing you might think: www.youtube.com/watch and www.youtube.com/watch
And then there's Henry Butler
Dude’s going to play at noon Tuesday at the Civic Theatre, part of Gilmore. Kapn, I got an extra ticket, if you’d like to be my mandate. My lady got a thing.
He’ll seem like Prof. Longhair then go off into freaky improvs.
henrybutler.com/ Watch the videos! henrybutler.com/music_01.html
Ha
Everybody’s lady got a thing.
man....Treme!
It’s still kind of meandering and such, but i really do love the show. The last week’s show with the unified tribes singing “Indian Red” in front of the devastated house for the man they lost just about did me in. And THEN the “Katrina tour” bus showed up. Lord.
I’m even starting to hate the Davis character a little less.
The whole things just got a nice sweet subtlety to it. I don’t know how much viewership it’s gaining because of that fact, but I like it.
GODDAMIT!
Where IS everyone?! I know you’re not THAT into facebook! *snort*
Still here, just busy…
Oh, lordy lordy, Treme has me spellbound! The storylines have got me totally hooked, but it’s all the little stuff that’s completely killing me: The Krewe du Vieux meeting at K-Doe’s – Antoinette (god bless her Mardi Gras Day dyin’ soul) used to haul that replica all over town!!! Chief Lambreaux and daughter eatin’ po’ boys and Zapp’s then haulin’ across town to ask some fools about Calliope (don’t mess with the Big Chief)!!! The real life Davis McAlary inspiration suckin’ crawfish at Slim Goodie’s Diner on Magazine Street and later playin’ piano at the recording session (he’s still pretty much a douche bag, so my friend Nicholas is gonna be PISSED when he sees that)!!! Tim Reid cameo!!! A recreation of the all-star second line under the I-10 bridge!!! And, OH MY GOD, Irma Thomas’ “It’s Raining” over the end credits – I’m in heaven!!!!
Only two complaints: 1) I have to wait a week between episodes (we were totally spoiled with the box sets of The Wire), and 2) I get so excited watching that I find it hard to sleep Sunday nights – I’ve been dragging every Monday at work since episode 1.
Flyer from NOLA -- they're serious...
YESS!
Tim Reid cameo! I saw him and yelled “VENUS!” because I blanked on his real name. Dusty ahd to help me out.
I am really loving the show for all the littel subtleties, too, and I’m not even eyeball-familiar with the NOLA scene.
I am also really loving that flyer. RIGHT ON, MAAAAN!
Did you guys pick up that Irma Thomas semi-legal reissue that came out on vinyl a year or so ago? Beauty!
http://cosmicjams.blogspot.com/2009/02/irma-thomas-sings-lp.html
Krewe du Vieux
Do they include sperm every year? The one we were at, I thought had sperm. I was really drunk. It was February, and we were camped out at that bar, the parade came, we were caught in a downpour (not sperm, rain) and it was a WARM RAIN! Having lived here in the frigid northlands, that freaked me out. And then we went back into a bar and had a Girls Gone Mild photo shoot. Someone took someone’s shoes because they were too drunk to something something.
Spermes!
Yes, dar-link, the Mystic Krewe of Spermes is an official sub-krewe of Krewe du Vieux. Made up of mostly people with some sort of University connection, the Krewe of Spermes shows up every year.
And for the record, I got my shoes back…
I like where this thread has wandered to...
That’s all!
Still Killing Me
Antoine’s relationship with Deacon John – could that have tugged more on my heartstrings?!? I’m not sure how I’m going to handle not having a weekly NOLA fix when this season ends – the summer is going to seem sooooo boring. Fingers crossed for renewal and season two!
Man....
This past week’s episode was HARD, man.
Univited guest
Whose house can I invade for the On Demand watching of?
Treme party/ies
We should arrange Treme parties. Maybe even we could do one tonight. There are a number of one hour episodes, so this will take time.
Jass DEMANDS it be ON.
I have the On Demands, Jassy! (and anyone else..)
We can set a time when you want to come watch some and I’ll just busy myself sweeping up cat sheddings and mowing the lawn. I’d give you a key to catch a couple on the weeknights, if you like. I don’t get home until about 8 or later.
That is if you don’t mind watching while I’m not there. Help yourself to the green Tobasco, saltines and soy sauce packets in the fridge!
I’d host a viewing party, but I don’t have much in the way of seating. Lawn chairs would work!
— Cave-dwelling Cookie
We gots it.
I called Charter the other day to add HBO. In a fortuitous twist of bizarro cable conglomerate fate, it turns out that we were able to add ALL of the movie channels, AND DVR and chop 15 bones off of our monthly rate.
God is not dead.
Thanks for the offer, Cooks. I’ll fire it right back atcha. Y’all can come round any time and hunker down at the Jassquarters and dig on some Treme.
Oh, premium channels....
…you glorious time-suckers. We have been wasting vast amounts of time catching up on every season of WEEDS because of our newfound access to Showtime. Same with “United States of Tara.” Keep your eyes peeled on the “on demand” stuff. They show the Wire and such. I think they’re in Season 3 right now. MAN what a good show.
HBO is currently showing “Eastbound and Down” again on demand, too. I think it’s an hilarious show, but I know that some folks are a bit…troubled by it. Watch for “Bored to Death” too. I don’t think they’re showing it right now, but I got very fond of that during it’s initial season.
I watch too much TV.
GODDAMMIT!
Seriously? I won’t give anything away for those who haven’t watched everything yet, but goddamit. I could smell what was coming, but didn’t want to believe it.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the stupid Sonny character will just OD or something. THE weak link for me, that whole story line. Feh. The relationship makes me have no regard for Annie.
See, this is why you need to come to dinner on Fridays...
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!!
DANG! I knew that train was going off the tracks as soon as he assigned “The Awakening” in which the protagonist commits suicide in the Gulf… Think cigarette lendin’ dude knew what was up and just let it be? The real video ranting dude that he’s based off of died a couple of years ago from (I believe) a medical issue, but I’m glad there was some nod to the epidemic levels of clinical depression in Post K NOLA. Also, the gumbo he ordered at Liuzza’s By The Track makes me drool just thinking about it – my friend Jay says it tastes just like his meemaw’s.
Agreed on Sonny – he’s a douche and Annie needs to grow a pair to kick him to the curb for good – she should just move in with Steve Earle (mostly because I like seeing him). There was a story in the last year or two in the Times Picayune about the tragic demise of a vagabond musician couple - he hacked her up and kept her in a trunk in his apartment for some time before being found out – hope this isn’t where the Sonny/Annie thing his headed.
And, GOD DAMN, why isn’t Irma Thomas recognized as a national treasure?!? “Wish Someone Would Care” was the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation song of the week this past week AND they just had an evening meet-and-greet cocktail hour with her. I am soooo stalking me some Irma when we go down in September.
I am really hoping that next week we get to see some St. Joseph’s Day awesomeness – Big Chief Tootie Montana (THE Biggest of the Big Chiefs) died AT a city council defending the Indians’ right to gather, so I believe Big Chief Lambreaux when he says he will be heard!!
Also, I saw over the weekend Treme was renewed for season two, so YAY!!!
Yes, spoiler...
It’s like “The Wire,” where death seems inevitable and takes your favorite characters suddenly.
I want Liuzza’s gumbo before I die. But I will struggle to stay alive to eat more Liuzza’s gumbo.
Please read this Comic Book Man voice:
I do have 2 continuity issues. They both have to do with fashion.
1. The Irma-singing blond in the last episode had a bump-it style hairdo. These were not hot or popular in 2005-6, just weird.
2. Same with the the air-brush over folded fabric pattern on a top of an acquaintance that someone ran into on the Mardi Gras episode.
I don’t know why I noticed those things, but I did. It’s my curse.
Do the bump do.
Wiz, may I offer a theory for your item #1?
That blonde (whom I found annoying…especially with her “I must move my hand to indicate each note I sing” gestures) may have been sporting a retro-bump, akin to the hair accessories worn by the Gore Gore Girls, for example. Maybe she’s just a scenester with a 60s flair.
Just a theory. Like all good theories, it raises more questions than it answers.
indeed...
…including the question WHY the hand gestures? Whitney, what hath thou wrought? Does the hand somehow keep one from toppling from such forceful exhalation?
Talk to my hand.
I have a hand gesture I sometimes use when someone is singing, or performing in some extravagant manner: I curve one hand’s fingers and thumb as if grasping a cylindrical object, and make a pumping motion in the area of my crotch.
just caught up + SPOILER
I been avoiding this discussion because I was a few episodes behind and was catching up ON DEMAND when I could, but the episodes they kept on piling up! Also, by the time I was almost to the current one, Dadmin had not seen any but the season premiere, so basically I been on hold. He finished all of the ones ON DEMAND in the past 2 days (kids are gone), and then we discovered that we were just in time to catch the next one — the finale — the next night! So everything was very fresh in our minds. Unfortunately. I WAS NOT HAPPY. Goddammit, I couldn’t even LOOK at the screen, it was so wrenching my heart. I knew he was gonna do it, but it was just literally unbelievable. I was a fucking wreck throughout the entire episode. Like pile-of-used-snotty-tissues-at-my-feet wreckage level. Dreadful. It’s just NOT FAIR.
Sonny can suck my dick. I went out with that fucking fuck in high school. I could smell the rank assholery on Sonny the minute he first spoke.
Me and Dadmin are still puzzled about one thing and hoping you all can enlighten us: What the hell was going on with the Texan dude who briefly stayed in the Sonny-Annie apartment? I know he copped dope from him or borrowed money from him, but why was Sonny giving him the doe eyes while holding Annie crying in bed? Were they gay for each other? And then, why did the Texan have to leave? It was right after the parade shooting, so I thought that was why Annie was sobbing, but was it because of something else, something to do with the Texan? Please help a lamer, here.
I still really love Davis.
And were chef and sous chef be gettin’ it on? Or is that just unrequited boning?
caught up also
I’m wif you Spangelina… Sonny can blow me. Greasy haired bastard.
Davis grew on me steadily. He won my heart completely when he told Jeannette that he was her friend “with or without” benefits.
Ms. Jass only watched the premiere with me. Now I have excuse to watch all of them over again to provide her with my insightful commentary.
Also.
A moment of praise for the always amazing, spectacular, mesmerizing, hard-ass bright shining star that is Ms. Khandi Alexander. Those shoulders could kill a man! God DANG!
Moment #2 is a heartfelt shoutout to the woefully underemployed Melissa Leo, who is squarely awesome and GOOOOOOOD.
Having these two actresses in the same show, in such prominent roles, is just like two goddamn scoops of ice cream. Now, where Karen Allen at?
And OHMIGAWD, Davis’s family! Aunt Mimi! More please!
"Sonny can suck my dick." -- Angie
I think Sonny was gay for the Texan’s drugs. I think that all was the least-developed of the storylines. It looked to be about how New Orleans can cause some to dive into their worst excesses. Note that, after snortting in the bathroom (Quintron’s “Swamp Buggy Baddass” playing), Sonny goes outside. An Indian in white passes him, and POOF Sonny has disappeared.
The most stressful for me was the funeral flashback. The ringing phone, the hurricane warnings, people evacuating or not. I remember trying to work the night before, looking on the internets and seeing a National Weather Service warning in ALL CAPS that basically said NEW ORLEANS WILL BE DESTROYED. But Katrina turned into a little cat. 3 storm, which broke some levies and flooded and sent corpses and houses floating around…
Don't play cards with Miz Irma
I also love how the musicians are just regular people dropped into the show. No one in the show is going “Fucking Lloyd Price — he’s still alive? — is fucking singing STAGGER LEE!!!!” They leave that up to the audience to do.
www.youtube.com/watch
Leo oui.
I love Melissa Leo. “Frozen River” got me good. I’ve had it for her since her “Homicide” days. I also hope they use the David Morse police lieutenant character more–very dignified and sad. I’m not quite sold on Jeanette. Her over use of “fuck ME!!!” wore a bit thin.
plus...
When Cray was at Liuzze’s ordering gumbo…. the cat next to him said “I hear this one is better than the one on Bienville…”, to which Cray replied: “ah yes… the Pope in Avignon…”
Fuck yeah.
NOLA examination
Read up on the details: www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2010/06/treme_explained_ill_fly_away.html
wait....
….wasn’t the Texan that left Sonny and Annie’s the one who wound up repairing Candi Alexander’s bar’s roof?
And yes. Watching that finale alone in a hotel room, sobbing. SOBBING. Not just getting teary. Sweet baby jebus.
I love to hear you call, my indian red.
wait....
….wasn’t the Texan that left Sonny and Annie’s the one who wound up repairing Candi Alexander’s bar’s roof?
And yes. Watching that finale alone in a hotel room, sobbing. SOBBING. Not just getting teary. Sweet baby jebus.
I love to hear you call, my indian red.
AND OMG!
Clarence FROGMAN Henry intoning “I ain’t got no HAND” at the poker game!
“Ain’t Got No Home” was a regular spin on the old Missias’ jukebox. I can sing like a frog, and I can sing like a girl.
Yes, same TEJANO dude on her roof.
I still feel like I’m missing something here with this guy’s storyline esp. in re Sonny-Suck-My-Dick.
Also, what the Tejan said about the fucked-up work ethic? Well-played!