Gambit Weekly - New Orleans News and Entertainment, Gambit

City Planning Commission opens public comment on New Orleans short-term rental laws

Alex Woodward — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 19:45:00 -0500

The New Orleans City Planning Commission heard nearly three hours of public comment over possible changes to the city's one-year-old short-term rental (STR) laws — and how the proliferation of tourist housing and inconsistent enforcement of what's on the books have corroded neighborhoods and residents' quality of life.

After more than a year of debate over the consequences of the current rules governing STR platforms like Airbnb, the New Orleans City Council directed the CPC to study their impacts and whether those rules need to be amended. That could mean the CPC will offer new recommendations to the City Council over requirements for owner residency on STR properties as well as caps on the number of STRs per block or on the number of licenses a person can have.
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Louisiana Senate votes for 15-week abortion ban, with a catch

Kat Stromquist — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 18:27:00 -0500

A controversial ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy has passed the Louisiana state Senate, with a catch — if it becomes law, it won't go into effect unless a similar statute in Mississippi is upheld in federal court.

Senate Bill 181 by state Sen. John Milkovich (D-Shreveport) closely parallels the Mississippi law, which drew a legal challenge within 24 hours of being signed by that state's governor last month.…

Advocate report: Smoothie King HQ moving to Dallas

Gambit — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 15:28:00 -0500

Goodbye, Metairie; hello, Dallas. Smoothie King’s CEO Wan Kim told the Dallas Business Journal he's moving his company to Texas sometime this summer.…

Scalise to deliver commencement speeches at LSU

Kevin Allman — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 15:22:00 -0500

House Majority Whip — and LSU alumnus — Steve Scalise will deliver the the keynote address at LSU’s 295th commencement May 11 and the main address at the LSU Law Center’s commencement ceremony on June 1, the university announced today.

Details under the jump.
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Musicians and stage artists honored at 30th annual Big Easy Awards

Will Coviello — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 14:34:00 -0500

Tank & the Bangas and the theater productions Jelly's Last Jam, Hand to God and The Spider Queen all claimed multiple awards at the 30th annual Big Easy Awards gala Monday night at Orpheum Theater.

Varla Jean Merman hosted the ceremony and award presenters included Mayor-elect LaToya Cantrell, Bryan Batt, John Georges, owner of The Advocate and Gambit, Becky Allen and Big Freedia.

Special awards went to Entertainer of the Year Tank & the Bangas, Theater Person of the Year Emilie Whelan, Lifetime Achievement in Theater honoree David Raphel and Special Recognition winner Mark Cortale.…

RTA: Streetcar expansion to Press Street 'not a priority' at this time

Kat Stromquist — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 13:37:00 -0500

During a somewhat contentious exchange at New Orleans Regional Transit Authority's (RTA's) monthly Board of Commissioners meeting, officials pushed back on the notion that a St. Claude Avenue streetcar expansion to Press Street — a project currently under environmental study — is among the organization's top priorities.

Officials were responding to criticism from Alex Posorske, executive director of transit watchdog group Ride New Orleans, who noted that the study — once thought to be shelved — was back on.…

Louisiana House committee advances bill to call state constitutional convention in 2020

Tryfon Boukouvidis, Manship School News Service — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:31:00 -0500

The Louisiana House Appropriations Committee on Monday approved a bill that would call a limited state constitutional convention in 2020.

The proposal, which was sent without objection to the House floor, would limit the convention call to local government, financing and education matters.

Rep. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, who presented the bill, said the goal was to to change the financial and tax laws to give more flexibility to the Legislature and local governments on revenue issues.

Rep. Walt Leger, D-New Orleans, said there are major issues to be addressed when it comes to the funding of localities by state government.…

Jazz Fest 2018 cubes

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Print 'em or screenshot 'em

Jazz Fest 2018: week one

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Our daily picks, maps and the best cubes in town Jazz was born in New Orleans but many musical genres trace their roots to the city.…

Jazz Fest 2018 information: tickets, travel and more

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

What you need to know before you go New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 11 a.m.-7 p.m. April 27-29 & May 3-6 Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, 1751 Gentilly Blvd. www.nojazzfest.com…

Jazz Fest 2018: picks for Sunday, April 29

Will Coviello — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

David Byrne, Charlie Wilson, George Benson and Quiana Lynell Trout Fishing in AmericaKids' Tent1:50 p.m.-2:35 p.m. Lagniappe Stage 4:20 p.m.-5:15 p.m.…

Interview: Lukas Nelson gets 'real' at Jazz Fest

Frank Etheridge — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Promise of the Real follows in the footsteps of father Willie and mentor Neil Young Lukas Nelson explains that the size and scope of his extended Texas-spawned family gathered on Maui translates into Hawaiian as 'ohana. "We're having a blast — it's the good life here," Nelson says by phone from the island, where he was raised as much as he was in his hometown of Austin, Texas.…

Jazz Fest 2018: picks for Saturday, April 28

Jennifer Odell — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Bonnie Raitt, Charles Lloyd with Lucinda Williams and a Fats Domino tribute Trumpet Mafia WWOZ Jazz Tent 12:15 p.m.-1:05 p.m. Putting more than a dozen trumpet players onstage at once sounds gimmicky.…

Jazz Fest 2018: picks for Friday, April 27

Frank Etheridge — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Sturgill Stimpson, Ron Carter Trio, Samantha Fish and Bobby Rush perform The Deslondes 11:20 a.m.-12:10 p.m Gentilly Stage The Deslondes is a New Orleans band that doesn't sound like it's from New Orleans. Rising from the devastated landscape of the Lower 9th Ward following Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures, The Deslondes parlayed cheap rent into creative gold while developing a space-cowboy boogie that mines the Deep South's musical riches.…

Promo: #NOLA300 Dog Photo Gallery

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Meet the "lucky dogs" who call New Orleans home. Sorry, you are using an unsupported browser.…

Live music in New Orleans this week (April 24-30, 2018)

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Vulfpeck, Joey Bada$$, Queens of the Stone Age, Neon-Medeski, Piano Night VulfpeckTue.-Wed. April 24-25 | On the band's sixth album, 2017's Mr. Finish Line, the playful funk outfit applies a goofball veneer of warm, '80s-inspired grooves and squiggly synths to their AM radio soul and R&B arrangements.…

The Residents: reveling in obscurity

Will Coviello — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

The anonymous artists perform at the Music Box Village April 30 The Residents seem like a band as well designed for alternative culture weirdness in the 1970s, when surreal imagery on its album covers helped attract crate-digging fans in record stores, as for the age of the internet, conspiracies and fake news. Band members have managed to remain anonymous through nearly five decades as they've repeatedly embraced new technology to create a voluminous catalog of everything from bastardized and deconstructed pop to elaborate sound collages and haunting ambient experiences.…

V4 Dance Festival unites at the CAC April 25-26

Will Coviello — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Two nights of performances from emerging companies from Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary Named for the Visegrad Group, a political alliance between Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, this dance festival was curated by Contemporary Arts Center Performing Arts Curator Laurie Uprichard for performances in New York and New Orleans. Each of the four nations is represented by one of its emerging contemporary dance companies.…

Review: The Rent Is Too Damn High

D. Eric Bookhardt — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Art, ritual and neighborhood change at Crescent City Boxing Gym As a setting for an art event, the Crescent City Boxing Gym, located amid nondescript warehouses in an obscure part of Central City, seems unusual. Inside its well-lit expanse, Martin Payton's imposing steel sculptures and a wide array of smaller works by artists such as K.D. Lewis and Cecelia and Jose Fernandes provide a colorful contrast to the desolation outside.…

Review: SoBou's tribute to 'cocina criolla'

Helen Freund — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Chef Juan Carlos Gonzalez highlights a modern Creole menu with Latin influences Growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, chef Juan Carlos Gonzalez developed a fondness for chuletas can-can, a dish emblematic of the country's "cocina criolla." It's a massive pork chop including the rib, loin and belly with some skin attached.…

Rita Bernhardt moves to Domenica

Helen Freund — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Chef changes at Domenica, Curio and other restaurants Rita Bernhardt is now chef de cuisine at Domenica (123 Baronne St., 504-648-6020; www.domenicarestaurant.com), a modern Italian trattoria in the Roosevelt Hotel that's known for wood-fired pizzas, house-made pastas and a popular happy hour. BRG Hospitality (www.brg-hospitality.com), formerly called the Besh Restaurant Group, made the announcement in a press release touting it as the first major back-of-the-house hire since CEO Shannon White took over the company last fall.…

Renovated American Sector opens at National WWII Museum

Helen Freund — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Southern and regional dishes fill new menu Following an extensive renovation, The American Sector (945 Magazine St., 504-528-1940; www.ww2eats.com) at The National World War II Museum debuted an expanded restaurant space and a new menu. The dining room now extends to a large terrace overlooking Magazine Street.…

The count: Louisiana residents who think local news organizations are accurate

Kevin Allman — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

56 percent "Most Louisiana residents (56 percent) think that local news organizations are accurate in their reporting, which is much higher than the share who think national news organizations generally get the facts straight (32 percent)," according to the survey's summary. A whopping 93 percent of those who identified as Republicans thought the national media favored one side.…

Piece of Meat opens in Mid-City

Helen Freund — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Butcher and restaurant serves sandwiches, charcuterie and more Leighann Smith earned the nickname "Meat Mama" while running the charcuterie and butcher department at Cochon Butcher. For the past couple of years, Smith and her partner Daniel Jackson have been running the pop-up Piece of Meat at bars across the city, selling handmade sausages and smoked meats.…

Commentary: Gretna police and sewer millages

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Our recommendations for two important millage propositions in Gretna Gretna police and sewer millages: YES Among the items on the ballot Saturday, April 28, are two important millage propositions in the City of Gretna.…