Jazz Fest producer Quint Davis on booking some of the biggest names in music and his thoughts on a third festival weekend

What does it take to book the Rolling Stones? A lot of patience and persistence according to Quint Davis. He’s the producer of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and has been pursuing the Rolling Stones for quite some time. Every year, over two weekends in the spring, the New Orleans Fairgr…

The size of cargo ships has grown, our infrastructure is trying to catch up

It was a massive cargo ship striking a portion of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore that caused the catastrophic bridge collapse which captured the attention of the nation. Video of that collision showed how quickly the bridge buckled after the cargo ship named Dali struck one of the bridge…

Heavenly Hash or bust: Why the Gulf South has its own Easter candy culture

What’s your favorite Easter candy? Your answer may say a lot about where you live and what kind of candy and chocolate you ate during your childhood. Of course, Easter is a religious holiday for Christians, and along the Gulf South there seems to be quite a religious following for treats like the G…

A grand ole time at the Abita Springs Opry as it enters its 22nd season

You’ve heard of the Grand Ole Opry, but how about the Abita Spring Opry? There’s one stop light in the town of Abita Springs, Louisiana. It’s nestled in the piney woods about 40 minutes north of New Orleans. Abita Springs is probably best known for being the place where Abita Beer originated. But, …

Who sets the prices for crawfish in Louisiana? It’s a true mystery

Crawfish, culture and cash. It’s crawfish season in Louisiana, and normally the supply of the crustacean would be plentiful, but not this year. Heat and drought are being blamed for an abnormal crawfish season where crawfish farmers/producers are seeing fewer “mudbugs”, and consumers are seeing out…

Cancer is particularly deadly in Louisiana, the “Pirate Oncologist” discusses why and shares his personal cancer journey

The “Pirate Oncologist” and his personal journey with cancer. Dr. Jack Saux has been working to help cancer patients in Southeast Louisiana for more than 25 years. He knows how serious the issue is throughout the state. Louisiana is ranked 7th worst in the U.S. for cancer outcomes. It’s some heavy …

Faith and finances, how one Catholic church in New Orleans is trying to keep its doors open

Faith vs. finances, a church in New Orleans is desperately trying to get itself off a list of closures and consolidation. There are only a few months left before more than a dozen Catholic churches in the greater New Orleans area will close their doors or be absorbed into another parish. Last year,…

If for-profit news is struggling, how can a nonprofit newsroom compete?

Nonprofit newsroom carves out niche in NOLA’s market. Whether it’s for print, radio, tv or digital, newsrooms across the nation are shrinking. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Times announced it would be laying off 20% of its newsroom and Sports Illustrated planned to cut a significant number of …

Endymion’s parade will feature special tribute to Krewe founder and Mardi Gras legend, Ed Muniz

The show must go on. When one of the biggest, if not the biggest parade of Mardi Gras rolls in New Orleans this year, there will be a mix of emotions. This year the “super” Krewe of Endymion will hold its first parade since the death of its founder, Ed Muniz. In this episode, I visit the Krewe’s de…

How do you write a book about King Cake? One cake at a time

King Cake fever is spreading across NOLA. With a shorter Mardi Gras season this year, people in New Orleans seem to be even more fixated on the parties, parades and everything else that comes with this unique celebration. That includes King Cake. With their blend of cinnamon, butter icing and a see…