Double Dose of New Orleans Next Week: Treme & Galactic
By Staff in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 3, 2010 5:45PM
Despite having one of the world’s most unique local cultures, New Orleans has always been plagued by a simplified cartoon image. Bourbon Street is no more indicative to the broader city than Rush Street is to Chicago. Hopefully, HBO is getting ready to give the world a good look at a more realistic post-Katrina New Orleans with the debut of the new show Treme next Sunday. The new series from the creators of “The Wire” follows a cast of characters trying to rebuild one of the city’s oldest black neighborhoods and promises a heavy dose of Crescent City culture---especially the lives of musicians playing traditional second line New Orleans brass.
For a very different view of contemporary New Orleans, there’s Galactic. Once labeled a jam band (in the Meters and Medeski, Martin & Woods vein), jazz-funk sextet embraced underground hip-hop in their forced sojourn to San Francisco after the hurricane. The time away from home has clearly changed their sound, but not their love of the city that molded them. They’ve just released a new album reflecting the grit and pride they found upon returning to Louisiana. Sure, Ya-Ka-May ejects any semblance of acid jazz from their previous sound, replacing it with an updated embrace of their town’s tradition with appearances by Rebirth Brass Band, Irma Thomas, Big Chief Bo Dollis, and Allen Toussaint---all locked down by Stanton Moore’s straight-jacket tight drumming and one of the funkiest rhythm sections on the planet. But it’s the young guns of New Orleans that give the album its dark gritty genius. Galactic brings a new level of musicianship to the uniquely local Bounce hip-hop. And the album’s highlight is a riotous collaboration with a 6’2” dancehall free-styling transvestite named Katey Red. One can only hope she will be on hand when Galactic brings the Preservation Hall-funk party madness to the Vic next Saturday night. Now THAT would be a great lead-in for Treme.
Galactic plays next Saturday, April 10, 18+, 8:30 p.m, The Vic Theater, 3145 N. Sheffield Avenue, $25 via Ticketmaster
Treme debuts on HBO next Sunday, April 11 at 8:00
Post by: Josh Mogerman