Michael Patrick Welch
The Messy Aftermath of a Rape at New Orleans's Beloved Nudist Country Club
The clothes have come back on and the victim has suffered panic attacks and public shaming.
Dee Slut Is Not Mad at Henry Rollins
Legendary New Orleans punk rocker Dave Turgeon (a.k.a. Dee Slut) should be Henry Rollins's nemesis, after they both tried out to be the lead singer of Black Flag in 1981. On the occasion of a vinyl re-release from his band the Sluts, Turgeon discussed...
On the Death of a Dog I Should Have Loved Better
I am surprised to find myself depressed upon the death of my dog this past Sunday during our fishing trip on Lake Pontchartain. I am surprised I’m even calling Meshcha “my dog,” as I was never very fond of her, and didn't want her in the first place...
On the Road with Tony Clifton
Tony Clifton is a piece of performance art who has outlived his creator, legendary comic Andy Kaufman, by two decades. He's having a comeback of sorts, thanks at least in part to Jeremy Johnson, a filmmaker who has been working for Clifton—and his...
The Birth of NOizeFest, New Orleans's Freakiest, Smallest Festival
For eight years, I've been holding this gathering of artists/weirdos in my backyard; the first one we ever held involved my pet goat, a bad acid trip, musicians nearly fighting one another over overzealous jamming, and a bunch of broken mirrors.
New Orleans's War on Music
Louisiana’s Department of Tourism recently launched a new ad campaign that declared, “No America We Will Not ‘Turn That Music Down.’” But on the ground, the authorities in New Orleans have been trying to quiet the city’s famously vibrant music scene.
Someone Stole My Students’ Music Writing
Last Tuesday, my car was robbed. I don't care about my old laptop or anything else that was in there, only the pages and pages of handwritten essays my young students had penned about Katy Perry, local New Orleans musicians, and themselves. They didn't...