S2 Link Roundup for May 19

Rooted in real life, Treme helps illuminate it.

A flood and its aftermath is what "Treme" is about, though no one would call it a disaster drama. Instead, it focuses on a wide swath of locals and their stubborn insistence on returning to normal life, which is to say, to the distinctive, sassy good life of New Orleans that has always outlived one disaster after another.

 A message to the haters.

So, if you don't like the show - that's your choice - tune out no one is forcing you to watch. If you think that the show doesn't accurately portray New Orleans - that's fair - everyone is entitled to an opinion.

 NOLA hip-hop explained

Today in Treme for Tuesday

Clarke Peters in Offbeat

Alyssa Rosenberg on LaDonna

Kid Ory's daughter commenting at the T-P

Connecting the Wal-Mart viral video and Treme

Opinion on Alan Richman

Wendell Pierce to play BB King

"Stop Gentrificatin"

Preview of "Treme Life"



 Executive Produced by Kermit Ruffins and Tom Thompson

Preview for Sunday May 21

Ep. 15 - Preview

Episode 14 Recaps and Reviews

Alan Sepinwall

Dark Brown Waffles

Back of Town Open Thread

Dave Walker's Explainer

Edward Copeland

Karen Dalton Beninato at Huffington Post

A/V Club

Sound of Treme 

A Blog Supreme 

Offbeat 

Eater.com (not so much a recap as a play by play of the Richman/Desautel bout)

Screengrab

Episode 14 "Santa Claus Do You Ever Get the Blues"

It’s Christmastime, and in some ways everything’s the same, but of course everything’s different.  Written by Lolis Eric Elie and Directed by Alex Zakrzewski, “Santa Claus, Do You Ever Get the Blues” offers a little catharsis, both direct and indirect, but also offers a punch to the gut no less sickening for knowing it’s coming. This episode, with longer scenes and musical performances, was a welcome return after last week's jittery structure.

S2 Link Roundup for May 15

Sorry to be away for so long.  I just decided to stay out of the Blogger fray and wait until everything seemed to be working again.  Here are a few things to keep you entertained until Treme time tonight.

Last day of Honk Fest West at the Seattle Center.  But it's raining.  But that's Seattle.

Wendell Pierce at Offbeat about moving from trombone to vocalist.

It’s terrifying for me. We work so fast that I have a short amount of time to get comfortable with a song, then David (Simon) and the guys put in two or three [laughs]. Then I’m with real musicians too: “Hey, let’s play a pick-up basketball game with Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul.” It’s very nerve-wracking to be singing this year.

Dave Walker's tidbits from Thursday.

More on Jon Seda as Nelson Hidalgo

Steve Earle did a live in-studio performance at KEXP, which can be streamed here.  Includes "This City."

And Lolis Eric Elie has a behind the scenes look at Brulard's kitchen.

The Atlantic:  Post-Katrina New Orleans and the Modern American City