Watching Treme

Treme Life

2012-02-09T09:12:00.000-08:00

An independent film directed by James Demaria and Executive Produced by Kermit Ruffins. Find it here.

New single from Galactic-Carnival Time

2012-02-08T09:35:00.001-08:00

It's gutsy to take on a classic like Carnival Time, but if anyone can get away with it, it's Galactic. Hear it at Offbeat.

Something Else for Sunday

2012-02-03T14:05:00.001-08:00

Treme Sidewalk Steppers starting at noon. Info at Gambit.

Gorgeous-Trombone Shorty in the Treme poster

2012-02-01T14:06:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of links to share with you all, but I couldn't delay this one of the 2012 Jazz Fest poster.

UPDATE: Ooh, and lookit Shamar Allen!

...and now the bad news

2012-01-19T14:00:00.001-08:00

Also from Dave Walker, it looks like Season 3 is delayed until the Fall.
Sheeyut.

Treme Nominated for 5 NAACP Image Awards

2012-01-19T13:41:00.000-08:00

Now that's what I'm talking about! Dave Walker has it at NOLA.com.

The biggie is Outstanding Drama, but there are also noms for Lolis Eric Elie, Ernest Dickerson, Wendell Pierce, and Khandi Alexander.

Heritage: A Brass Band Celebration

2012-01-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

Hosted by Treme actor Tony Frederick, and supporting Trumpets NOT Guns, Glen David Andrews' project, this looks crazy! Friday, Jan 20.

Click here for link

2011 in Music

2012-01-03T14:07:00.000-08:00

An interesting little run-down of New Orleans music in 2011. I personally was glad to see Trombone Shorty get more national cred, even if we had to look at Ashton in Shorty's camera commercial.

Louisiana Weekly

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks for your support of this blog and HBO's Treme. Can't wait until Season 3 begins sometime in April! Here's a classic for this Sunday afternoon...

Tom Piazza on Writing for HBO's Treme

2011-12-20T11:15:00.000-08:00

Fantastic piece up at Levees Not War. Tons of links to inform the content.

One thing I’ve thought a lot about since starting with screenwriting for Treme is that in fiction there is always the question of what you dramatize and what you want to explain by way of exposition. In other words, do you show something happening, or do you tell about it as having happened at more of a distance? In film, where everything is dramatized, there is no equivalent to exposition except for the voice-over (such as something like having a narrator say, ‘It was a bleak winter of homes and entire neighborhoods nearly leveled, and determined residents struggling to get by and start over . . .’). This experience of writing for the screen where virtually everything is dramatized sharpened the questions I asked about what to dramatize when I turned back to fiction.

and...

When asked which characters he most enjoys writing for, Piazza replied that “you have to love writing about all the characters—and this is true of fiction too—but I especially have fun writing for the character Davis McAlary (Steve Zahn), who comes from this Uptown Garden District family, but he’s bohemian, a would-be musician who hangs out with all these musicians and artists. He switches modes of diction very flexibly, depending on the setting he’s in. Also, it’s wonderful writing for actors as good as the ones in the Treme cast, because whatever you write, you know they’re going to get it and be able to play it.

I highly recommend reading the whole thing. Here's a link to Piazza's Devil Sent the Rain.

For Fun

2011-12-16T13:08:00.000-08:00

The New Orleans spirit infects everyone!

(from a number of Facebook friends)

Eric Overmyer on Coco Robicheaux

2011-12-10T12:02:00.001-08:00

By Dave Walker

RIP Coco Robicheaux

2011-11-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

Coco Robicheaux, he of the chicken in WWOZ in Treme Season 1, passed away tonight. He collapsed at the Apple Barrel, and was rushed to Tulane Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The world has lost a true great blues man.

I hate that this blog has an RIP tag.

UPDATE: A lovely tribute from Sam Jasper

Larry Nichols, Armstrong Park, and Bourdain

2011-11-22T10:59:00.000-08:00

I'll "let" Dave Walker do the leg work and link to his "Today in Treme."

Armstrong Park Reopens

2011-11-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

Closed for more than a year.

For an interesting description of the historical, political and social forces around the creation of Armstrong Park, see Michael Crutcher's book Treme: Race and Place in a New Orleans Neighborhood.

Concert Event

2011-11-18T09:42:00.000-08:00

From Davi Jay's (Robinette) Facebook page:

We are doing our Hair of the Dawg style party in New Orleans on December 9th - get your tickets now and I will see you in New Orleans on December the 9th!!! Come join me, Bourbon Street the Band, Glen David Andrews, Sandy Hickey, Norman W. Davis, Andrew P.Jackson, an unbeleivable line up of New Orleans top musicians, members of the cast of TREME and many more! TRUST ME you don't want to miss this one!!! ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT TRUMPETS NOT GUNS. Sponsored by www.nolasangels.org

Big Name Chef Reportage

2011-11-07T10:38:00.001-08:00

from NolaDefender

David Simon Clarifies the 4 Season Thing

2011-11-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

It seems that HBO hasn't signed off on the plan. The upshot is that it could be three, could be five, Simon's aiming for four.
At What Alan's Watching

Also, "Treme Song" is on a list of favorite TV show themes. Scroll toward the bottom.
AV Club

Casting News: Chris Coy

2011-10-31T15:08:00.000-07:00

Playing a reporter, Chris Coy is leaving the True Blood Louisiana for the Treme Louisiana.

Happy Halloween and First Day of Filming!

2011-10-31T13:09:00.001-07:00

Today is the first day of filming Treme Season 3! Break legs, everybody!!

Also, Dave Walker reports David Simon has plotted Treme through a fourth season. Odds are that HBO will go along with that plan.

New Details in Death of Treme Actor

2011-09-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

This doesn't make the situation a whole lot clearer, and has some "gossipy" aspects, but it seems some surveillance video has been found that shows Michael Showers on the night he died.

He's Everywhere

2011-09-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

Trombone Shorty's new album is streaming free on Facebook! "Like" this page, and listen before the release on Sept. 13th.

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews & Orleans Avenue For True Stream

Trombone Shorty in the KEXP Music Lounge

2011-09-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

I scored some super secret passes to this live on air event during Bumbershoot. Enjoy!

Body Found In River Was Treme Actor, Police Say

2011-08-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

Michael Showers, who played Captain John Guidry. So sad.
WDSU News

UPDATE 8/25 David Simon reacts, interview with Dave Walker

Tom Piazza on NPR and more

2011-08-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

If you missed it, Treme writer Tom Piazza was on NPR talking about his new book, Devil Sent the Rain

And here's the playlist to go along with it!

An art form that doesn't get enough attention in NOLA--dance

More on The Big Uneasy

Neglected Jewel of Treme-Armstrong Park

The Sazerac

Rising Tide VI THIS WEEKEND. If you're not registered yet, WHY NOT? DAVID SIMON is speaking!

Old Links:

Simon and "watchdog fiction"

More on Spider Stacy ("Slim Jim")

UK love for Trombone Shorty

Blog Post: It Matters a Difference on living and/or leaving

....and with that, I think I'm finally caught up! If anyone sees any egregious omissions, feel free to let me know, email is at the bottom of the blog.

David Simon with Bill Moyer (and more)

2011-08-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

A new David Simon interview.

Wendell Pierce on "The Help"

Dave Walker's "Today in Treme" for Aug. 16

Today Tom Piazza is at Octavia Books with "Devil Sent the Rain"

More on Tom's collection

Indian suit maker dies

Photos of the Satchmo Jazz Mass

Older links:
Interview with chef Susan Spicer

A counter argument at The Atlantic

Another one at Grantland

Interview with producer Nina Kostroff Noble

Season 3 and Onward

2011-08-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

Open ended order for additional seasons

Still working on more catch up links, but here are a few thoughts on more seasons and "the numbers." People these days seem to be watching more and more television, or at least seem to be more passionate about the shows that they do watch. This can be attributed to the fact that with expansive cable packages from services such as Direct TV, and special channels like HBO with unique, high quality offers, people are simply gaining access to a higher number of really good, artistic shows. We know that HBO watchers have really come to enjoy Treme. Many people who do not have HBO have never heard of this series, and they are missing out on one of television’s most compelling dramas.

New Orleans has always been one of the most culturally unique cities in the United States. It's a city with rich and significant history that has been affected by multiple nationalities, New Orleans has rich traditions in everything from music, to food, to lifestyle, and boasts one of the nation’s proudest populations. This is why it is really no surprise that as the city struggled with rebuilding itself after a disastrous hurricane and resulting floods, a popular television drama was born. It just took the right auteur-David Simon-with the vision and the pull to get it started.

The show’s creators wanted to accurately depict the reconstruction process of the city from many different angles, including the approaches of different cultures within the city, as well as factors like the cultural consequences of devastation. Even though viewer numbers never got close to even marginally successful network shows, it was seen as an immediate critical success, and it was very quickly renewed for its second season. It's currently on track to produce a third.

Treme is just one example of the type of show available on special television packages. The dramas on such channels are simply done in a different way than your average television show. They are produced less frequently, and thus can be done a bit more carefully. The result of this is usually shorter seasons, but longer and more complex episodes. It's worth it to me to put my entertainment dollars behind quality work like Treme, or even more broadly behind HBO, so that they keep greenlighting quality work like Treme.

I suppose I'm a little worried about what happens after S3 because of what David Simon said in an interview with Dave Walker.

...We have to figure out is, is three-and-out right?" he said. "Is four-and-out right? What should we plan for? How would this work? What is the best storytelling? And then we'll take that to HBO. Ideally, they'll make a decision on the merits, and we'll talk to them about that.
What I did promise HBO is that I'm not the kind of showrunner that keeps asking for seasons because you have a show up and you want to run it to the end. I've come to believe that's not the way to make anything that stands.

Eek. What do I think about that? Get HBO. Watch Treme.

Still More Catch Up Links

2011-08-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

We continue our journey back in time through the Emmy's race and toward the Season 2 finale...

Emmy longshot Lucia Micarelli

Dave Walker's Season 2 most memorable moments

Profile of Trombone Shorty in advance of the Edinburgh Jazz Festival

How Treme Found Greatness in Ordinary People

David Simon Explains Treme (long Salon interview)

Jazz Beyond Jazz

Interview with Ntare Mwine (Jacques)

New Music and More Catch Up Links

2011-08-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

New downloads from My Name Is John Michael. New Orleans with a tinge of alt/indie pop flavor. I like it.

Red Cotton has the Satchmo Second Line at the Gambit.

More at the T-P

Wendell Pierce to speak Aug. 20 in Pensacola at a regional prosperity summit.

Dave Walker's Today In Treme for July 20, including some John Goodman vid, Emmy snark, and a link to the Prez Hall's performance on Letterman with Del McCoury.

The oft quoted AP article on the Emmy "snubs."

"Does Treme Hate Modern Jazz?" at PopMatters. Anthropomorphize much?

Catch-Up Link Roundup

2011-08-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

I learned a new word: celebvocacy. Wendell Pierce to open grocery stores in "food deserts" in New Orleans.
Washington Post

Dave Walker's "Today in Treme" for Aug. 5, including Hugh Laurie's New Orleans music project.

Another preservation push in the neighborhood

More about the houses

The Emmy's and race (if you think the Emmy's are worth caring about)

Interview with Big Sam Williams. I went to his Seattle show and it was nuclear. Completely rockingly devastating. If you ever have a chance to see him and the Funky Nation, DO IT!

A little bit about Allen Toussaint

Rising Tide VI

2011-08-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

Rising Tide is coming up again soon, and this time the blogging community will be graced by two keynoters: David Simon, of this eponymous show and The Wire, The Corner, Homicide, and Richard Campanella, geographer and author of 6 books on New Orleans. I'm disappointed to have to miss it myself because it is one of those events that is both worthwhile and loads of fun.
Full details here.

Blogger Round Table at Offbeat

2011-07-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

In a shame-spiral, I haven't been posting because I've missed so many end-of-season links. I keep telling myself to hunker down and just get caught up. Anyway, this is a can't miss, so up it goes. Offbeat hosted a round table of bloggers to take a crack at the overview of Season 2.
Offbeat

S2 Episode 21 Recaps and Reviews

2011-07-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

Alan Sepinwall

AV Club

Back of Town Open Thread

A Blog Supreme

Dark Brown Waffles

Dave Walker's Explainer

Edward Copeland (Part 1. Link at the bottom for Part 2 and then Part 3)

Karen Dalton-Beninato

Music of Treme

Offbeat

Happy Endings

2011-07-07T22:31:00.000-07:00

So I'm back in civilization and I finally saw the finale. Don't even know what to say, but I loved it. I hope to have some posts up over the weekend. Again, apologies for being out of pocket.

Vacation Announcement

2011-06-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

In a case of spectacularly bad timing, I will be spending the evening of the finale in a cabin in the woods of Wisconsin. No HBO, no internet, nada. The bright side is, it's the family vacation. Of course the downside is that I won't be able to post a timely recap or review roundup for you. In fact, I should get a link roundup posted tonight, but I'm packing the suitcase...
Be sure to look to the right to links for other sources, and I'll be right back with ya'll, as soon as I get back from visiting my mominem.

Season 2 Finale Promo

2011-06-29T10:40:00.001-07:00

The City: Season Finale Promo

S2 Episode 20 Recaps and Reviews

2011-06-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

Alan Sepinwall

A/V Club

Back of Town open thread

A Blog Supreme

Dark Brown Waffles

Dave Walker's Explainer

Edward Copeland

Music of Treme

Offbeat

Salon (Matt Zoller Seitz)

Sound of Treme

Episode 20 "That's What Lovers Do"

2011-06-26T23:15:00.000-07:00

After the catharsis, we have what’s left over. We have to deal with what’s left after the emotional release. Appearances are stripped away, and only the truth is left-even when truth is that the truth is hidden. This week’s episode, written by Eric Overmyer and directed by the Season 1 premiere’s Emmy nominated director, Agnieszka Holland, has the characters left to deal with what remains.

Harley’s memorial was a sweet gathering of musicians, but not the “venue” musicians, save Susan Cowgill and Coco Robicheaux. Annie talks about how little is known about Harley, which proves to be prophetic as she deals with his belongings and talks with a sister she never knew he had. He wasn’t even from Waco as he led her to believe, but rather Bellingham, Washington. She moves through her duties as informal “executor” with a strained poise. Davis is concerned about her, but she keeps her head up throughout. Although a lot about what Annie may be going through internally is a mystery, Lucia Micarelli does a good job of showing the fatigue of grief-her light is just a little dimmer, and I think that’s what Davis is sensing. She finds a lot of half written music, and promptly plays through it. I think that's about the best way to, if not understand Harley, to be close to him.

Antoine is not dealing with being a front man too well. After his stunt with Kermit Ruffins last week, he pulls another with his own celebrity bandmate, Wanda Rouzan. He interrupts her phrasing by interjecting catcalls or boasts, and just after I felt the vibe had switched from funny to “is he going to let her sing?” she quits the song, lights into him with a righteous fury, jumps off the stage, and quits the band. That throwdown was a thing of beauty, Ms. Wanda. Antoine thinks he can take over the song, and promptly makes a hash of it. Lucky for him Cornell is dating Toni’s assistant, who is played by Latoya Luckett, so we get to hear her sing. Fortunately and unfortunately for Antoine, she’s a knockout singer and looker, so Desiree gets her hackles up.

Speaking of Antoine getting an earful, he visits LaDonna just after her meeting with the realtor about the bar. That would be a painful step for her, and she projects that pain onto him, leaving him at a loss as to why she’s so furious and “irrational.” But this is par for the course for her because she also has an outburst at the dinner table, and resuming “relations” with her husband proves to be difficult. Khandi Alexander proves yet again why she gets the accolades she does because she makes it evident that LaDonna is not just enraged, but rather that the rage comes from a place of deep pain. At least she’s seeing that counselor. I could totally see her accidentally on purpose not having the time to make the appointments or something.

Colson must deal with the effects of his move to Homicide, and begins to see that part of the problem is that the detectives take a ton of “detail” work to supplement their incomes. One detective is working “15-20 hours” of detail work, ostensibly on top of his 40 hour week as a detective. Detective work is clearly not a 9-5 kind of gig. Sure enough, Toni comes by with a new request to follow up on the potential cover-up that she’s discovering, just as he’s “barely in the door.” He says he won’t make any promises, but he does his own digging, and although he finds the same anomalies with the cases that Toni did, a conversation with his former colleague shows that there’s always two ways to look at any situation.

I don’t want to say I called it, but I called it. Albert maneuvered Delmond’s project back down to New Orleans, and he’s so happy he could bust. I don’t know if it’s the music, or the presence of his new lady, or both, but the sound of Big Chief laughing--priceless. I hope Del thinks that the sound is worth taking a financial bath on the album.

Speaking of albums, Davis is getting one of his tracks bumped from the sampler. It makes sense, he’s got two, and it would be folly not to include Lil Calliope’s blistering hot track, but it was his dream and his baby. In another scene that I felt was a bit on the nose, a better guitar player heard the Brassy Knoll rehearsing and dropped by to sit in, so Davis was pushed out of his own rehearsal. This is bound to be resolved one way or another, either by Davis dropping Brassy Knoll and picking up a new project with people he can push around, or by Davis finally realizing that he’s just not the one to be playing/vocalizing/rapping. Ever.

Moments

Writers sighting! Caught a glimpse of Lolis Eric Elie and Tom Piazza at Dooky Chase’s
Big Chief saying “yes ma’am” to Leah Chase in the same scene like a little boy caught running in church.
All of Dr. John. Again. “New Orleans infect music. It reconstitutionalizes it.”
Toni fixing her hair in the background before she opens the door for Terry.
I really wanted to try Janette’s grits & shrimp and chicken & waffles.
“YOU have to ask him.”
Robert (Bear) is just too adorable for words, and probably too old to want to be called adorable.
LaDonna’s profile in darkness against a white background at the counselor’s office.

Normally in a penultimate episode we would see the set up for what will be resolved by the end. We have just one more hour in the season, so how could anything really be resolved? LaDonna surely won’t get her resolution, nor Toni. Antoine’s just beginning to get back in trouble even though he can pay the cabbies now, and Sonny’s going to have a harder time winning his new lady love than working 2 days a work on his manual labor oystering job job. This is the point where it’s enjoyable to just give in to what the storytellers have to offer up rather than try to predict what might happen.

Episode 20 Preview

2011-06-25T19:53:00.001-07:00

Finally! Preview for tomorrow night.

Ep. 20 – Preview

S2 Link Roundup for June 21

2011-06-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

The Band Kids

St. Claude Street renamed

Phillis Wheatley School demolished

Rebirth Brass Band celebrated 28 years

Donald Harrison Jr. and Indian heritage at the Village Voice

Trombone Shorty kicks off Edmonton Jazz Fest

S2 Episode 19 Recaps and Reviews

2011-06-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

Alan Sepinwall

A/V Club

Back of Town Open Thread

A Blog Supreme

Dark Brown Waffles

Dave Walker's Explainer

Edward Copeland

Karen Dalton-Beninato

Music of Treme

Offbeat

Sound of Treme

Episode 19 "What Is New Orleans?"

2011-06-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

Dammit, Pelecanos. Many, if not most, of Treme fans are familiar with “The Wire,” David Simon’s seminal series set in Baltimore. They will also be familiar with the famous penultimate episodes, usually penned by George Pelecanos, in which something tragic and unexpected happens. So all I need to write here is “written by George Pelecanos.”

The screws get tightened down on many of the characters. Sofia’s court case progresses and she is not helping her own defense very much. However, she gets two separate come-to-Jesus meetings, one with her juvenile defense attorney, and one with her internship supervisor, Oliver Thomas. These two speeches touch on a very real aspect of life in that we often do not hear a message when it comes from someone close to us. It takes someone outside our circle to make the situation plain. There’s also hope for Sofia in that she’ll be required to see a counselor. The difficulty of course is that she’s got to make it through the justice system, and in Jefferson Parish things are not as stacked toward the defense as in Orleans.

Antoine tries to figure out how to make the jump to bigger, higher-paying gigs, so that he can keep a more regular set of players. He’s frustrated by all the details, saying that his straw boss is not “riding herd” the way he should. In a hilarious game of one-up-manship, he steals an audience from Kermit Ruffins, just to have them stolen back. He’ll have to be careful because it’s really a small town, as evidenced by the taxi drivers speeding up rather than stopping for him. He’s getting into his job job, and even bragged to his band about it, but he’s got quite a bit to learn. It’s educating the whole student, as well as encouraging the whole band, not just the prodigies.

Davis. Poor Davis. He’s got some flex behind the Brassy Knoll, but the cream always rises to the top. Don B and Lil Calliope recorded a dance track, if not behind his back, without his knowledge, and it quickly eclipses not only “Road Home” but the whole sampler. In fact, Davis is physically pushed into the background at a live show by Don B when the crowd screams for the new single. This is the most subdued we’ve ever seen him. He finally, really, irrevocably gets it now. He says he’s happy for Lil Calliope, but it’s clear that it’s complicated.

Delmond. Poor Delmond. He’s got his daddy fronting his project, but that means he’s got his daddy fronting his project. Nothing’s good enough for him—in fact, the studio doesn’t even smell right. A trip to a museum shows that 100 years before documentation of New Orleans Indians , African artisans were copying Albert’s designs. Albert gave the documentarian a big wink, though, so I’m wondering what he’s playing at. Del’s trying to run interference to keep on the other musicians on their good sides, and just get a track laid down. Of course Big Chief figures the whole project should be moved to New Orleans—maybe that’s his game. Perhaps if he makes things too difficult for Del, he’ll move everything to New Orleans just to save the project.

LaDonna and Larry are having a rough go of it as well. Larry tries some tough love on her, saying she needs to get up off her ass and needs to think of her boys. All true, but it’s clear that it’s too soon for her and she needs other kinds of help. Backed into a corner, she says she’s going to go back to working at the bar. Another meeting with the Assistant DA goes poorly as she must identify her attackers yet again, and she learns that the victim in the other case will not testify, so the burden is squarely on her shoulders. She’s hypervigilant in her hotel room and when she gets to the bar, she can’t go through with it. Back in Baton Rouge, she agrees to sell the bar.

Nelson is working in fast-forward, going door-to-door to buy up properties on Liguori’s advice. Recovery zones are later announced, and those who wished they had some money to buy property are already too late. Arnie shows some disgust at the fact that houses he reroofed are under the axe to be torn down.

Terry is thrown into the lion’s den when he is transferred to Homicide with the very men who despise him. Not only is he buddy-buddy with a bleeding heart defense attorney, he kicked the hornets’ nest by going outside the chain of command. On a date (I KNEW IT!) with Toni, he outlines the likely plan. He and Guidry will devour each other, saving the NOPD from having to choose one over the other. Whoever is left standing is the one to back.

And then George “Death Pen” Pelecanos really lets loose. Walking back to St. Claude by Washington Square Park, Harley and Annie are mugged. They give up their instruments and money, and the assailants begin their escape. Oh good. But wait. Harley says, “You’re making a bad choice, son,” and gets shot point blank in the head. Then two characters answer the titular question. As drunken St. Patrick’s Day revelers walk by Sonny and Antoine, Sonny says, “That’s New Orleans,” and then the police cars roar by with lights and sirens going. “That’s New Orleans, too” responds Antoine.

Moments:

"I hate you on that couch even more!"
“Sit up!”
Again, every moment of Dr. John
"Oh Lord, take me now..."
“Fancy a pint?”
“How many children you GOT?”

Like a human character, New Orleans has existentialist dilemmas in Treme: what is its nature? What is its meaning? What is its purpose? The answers to those questions drive the choices that the characters make. Go or stay? Fight or give in? Those answers also drive the positions they hold on change, for example, from Big Chief on one end of the spectrum to Nelson Hidalgo on the other. Those answers finally drive the willingness and ability of those characters to adapt to the context as established by the city. What other city has such a dilemma?

Interview with Glen David Andrews

2011-06-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, I brushed up against a force of nature and what a wild time it was. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Glen David Andrews by phone about Treme and his participation in it. I had set up an “interview,” but it seems that one doesn’t interview Glen. You put on your seat belt and hold on tight as he talks music, performing, his neighborhood, his city, and everything in between. It turns out that I was not able to record our conversation due to the fact that it degraded the call. “You sound like you’re in Ver-MONT!” said Glen. Here are my notes, with actual quotes when I could jot them down.

Glen was taking a brief break in Houston after the craziness of Jazz Fest. He had performed 35 gigs in 30 days, and finished everything up with the epic set on the final day. According to him it was the best year ever because he’s moved from seeing the pick of the day to being the pick of the day. “For me, it’s a national stage, and an opportunity.”

He also talked about Treme as an opportunity, an opportunity to show “the powers that be” that New Orleans “is the gem of the South for a reason.” I asked him how he felt about switching it up from rocking people’s faces off on stage to being an actor. “It doesn’t faze me at all,” he said, mentioning that he’s a musician and entertainer, and entertaining is what he does, in whatever form. He also talked about his friendships with Wendell Pierce and Khandi Alexander and how he talks to them all the time. It’s a chance to learn.

Then the conversation turned more emotional as we discussed Dinneral Shavers. “It was one of the most tragic days of my life,” he said, because they were together the day before the murder and Dinneral said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Glen and his friends looked up to Dinneral, and Dinneral never looked down on them. When Glen was having hard times, “Dinneral used to pick me up and take me to the washer and tell me when I’d fucked up.” Dinneral’s funeral scene was hard to watch and hard to recreate, but he said it also was a blessing to see Dinneral’s family and how well they had endured. It was also reassuring to know that Dinneral didn’t die in vain, that there are kids playing in band because of him. But of course, he’d rather have Dinneral back if he could.

New Orleans has had its problems with violence, but it doesn’t have to be exploited. Glen said he’s glad that HBO “makes it in a positive way” that respects the musicians in a way that other shows and documentaries have not. He’s got a savvy business perspective too. “You couldn’t pay for the free publicity” that you get by being on HBO. I told him that it works the other way around too, that there’s a whole new audience that gets their minds blown by the music each week, music that they may never have otherwise run across. He’s pleased with how the show is going, saying he could talk for hours about the positives, and “ten seconds” on the negatives. He’s glad so many locals are working on it, at all levels, and name checked Lolis Eric Elie, who lives in Treme. “Lolis Eric Elie IS Treme!” he said, mentioning the store his family opened 70 years ago.

I asked him if he was looking forward to the “A Night in Treme” tour, and he said that he just likes to perform, so he looks forward to just getting up and performing, whatever the purpose. “If I was to play in your front room, I’d look forward to playing in your front room.” I said I’d look forward to it if he were to play in my front room too!

I wanted to be respectful of his time because he was on a vacation of sorts, and he told me that next time I make it to New Orleans we could sit down and “continue this conversation.” That would be the way to do it, with plenty of time, because there’s plenty to talk about, especially with this man so passionate about his music and his neighborhood.

Edward Interviews Kim Dickens

2011-06-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Edward Copeland has 14 questions for Kim Dickens. (Janette)

Announcement

2011-06-16T21:01:00.001-07:00

It seems that David Simon will be speaking at the Rising Tide 6 conference!

S2 Link Roundup for June 16

2011-06-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, Dave Walker has a ton of new stuff this week, including interviews, so I'm just going to link to the "Treme" header and that will take you to all the new content. (The first few are reader comments, so scroll down a little to find Dave's articles.)

A Night in Treme at Offbeat

New Segment of National Jazz Park Opens at Armstrong Park (article and video)

Midwestern students (remember S1?) still volunteer in New Orleans

Shows elevate when ensembles gel at Variety. The Treme stuff is toward the middle/end.

Treme #3 in the Hollywood Reporter Power Rankings

WaPo review of A Night in Treme at the Kennedy Center

TV Guide "Cheers" for Wendell Pierce

Karen Dalton-Beninato has more on Susan Cowsill

David Simon tells A. G. Holder to end the drug war and he'll make a 6th season of "The Wire."

Short interview with David Simon at LA Times.

Preservation Hall celebrated 50 years

No Depression takes on S1 DVDs

and don't forget to check the Inside Treme Blog

S2 Episode 18 Recaps and Reviews

2011-06-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

Alan Sepinwall

A/V Club

Back of Town Open Thread

A Blog Supreme

Dark Brown Waffles

Dave Walker's Explainer

Edward Copeland

Music of Treme

Offbeat

Sound of Treme

Episode 18 "Can I Change My Mind"

2011-06-12T23:19:00.000-07:00

It all comes out in the open. Catharsis is the release of pent up emotion, and this episode provides that in a number of the storylines-from Toni and Sofia, to Antoine and Desiree, to Annie and Harley, and most importantly to LaDonna and Larry. This is not to say that after the initial release there won’t be ripple effects, but now it’s all out there. Written by James Yoshimura.

Sofia hasn’t fallen in with a bad element, she is the bad element. After egging on her classmate and hooking up with some older guys with a car, Sofia gets arrested and detained in a juvenile center. Toni is put in a weird betwixt and between position as she tries to maneuver the situation as both mother and attorney. After Sofia’s release, they finally have their confrontation over Creighton. Toni does about the only thing she could do to get Sofia to really relate to her, and it’s totally against her will. She very nearly breaks down. It’s a double edged sword, because while Sofia now knows her mother is at a loss, she now knows her mother is at a loss. That battle may be over, but the war is far from done.

Antoine finds he has not only some skill at working with those kids, he has a passion for it. He works with Robert a little bit, complimenting him where he can. He’s also managing the Soul Apostles better, now that he has a straw boss doing the actual managing. Desiree comes to see him perform, and they’re both enjoying themselves. The trouble is that they’re still in Jefferson Parish, and to get out, Antoine’s going to have to agree to settle down and keep his job. He’s starting to see it as a penance of sorts for not being the right kind of father to his older boys. The long line of Batiste musicians may end with him. (I’ve got hopes for Honoree, myself, seeing that red haired female trombonist at the Palm Café.)

Annie has finally got a decent song, all her own except for Harley’s help, but she’s too shy to perform it. Her lyrics of lost love still remind me of Sonny, which just be my reading and have nothing to do with anything, but when Sonny is completely taken by another tiny dark haired woman, I can’t help but think there’s something to it. Finally, after a reprise of “This City,” while busking Annie finally performs the new song. On stage, we call it “puking out” the performance the first time, usually for a preview or dress rehearsal, because that’s sort of what it feels like. After that first release, you usually feel a little better and not like you’re going to die.

LaDonna is not able to keep up her subterfuge. Larry insists on coming with her to meet the new assistant DA, and of course it comes out that she was gang raped. The DA at least had the sensitivity to see that Larry was thunderstruck, and gave them some time. At least now they can confront this issue, although Larry confesses he feels like an idiot for not picking up on it and LaDonna confesses she would have done what she needed to in order to make sure Larry never knew. The fact that Larry pushed her to get rid of the bar also came out. Although it’s out in the open, they have no earthly idea how to deal with it.

I’ll confess I’m a bit baffled by Janette’s storyline at this point. I suppose it’s about being where you can “express yourself” as Ripert says, and it runs parallel to Del’s journey, but it just seems so lucky and impossible that she gets all these opportunities. Now she's at the Lucky Peach with David Chang, because the job Ripert could offer was beneath her. Maybe once you’re a chef all doors are open, and certainly Janette paid her dues in season 1, but Janette’s scenes are starting to take me out of the story.

The who-dun-it of the Abreu case gets some more juice as Toni hires an investigator to help her, and she’s shocked that other people can get more information than she can. Nelson has tipped over the knife edge into downright corruption, and it seems that in another case of fact/fiction double vision, Oliver Thomas is willing to go there. There’s ostensibly plot in both of those story lines, but I simply find that less interesting than what’s going to happen with Toni and Sofia, LaDonna and Larry, and Antoine and the Soul Apostles.

Moments

All of Dr. John-Mac Rebennack. All of it. I’ve never encouraged ripping content but that scene needs to be posted somewhere for repeated viewing. (You didn’t hear that from me.)
The transition between Del oiling valves and the classroom exhortation to care for your instrument
Davis listening to Annie from down the street.
Sonny made it to the gig-early.
Del has now learned how to maneuver his dad. “I’ll get someone else to do it.”
Herman Jackson’s culinary drum kit.

Another Chance to Screw Up

2011-06-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

Cornell, the bass player who says he's been there and wants Antoine to give Sonny another chance to screw up, is interviewed by Lolis Eric Elie.

When we were putting the Soul Apostles together, Matt Coby, our assistant music supervisor/editor asked Cornell to audition for the part of the bass player. Not only did he sound good at the audition, he seemed at ease speaking lines. Thus a mere music gig became an acting one as well. “It's a whole new world, but I'm loving it. I love challenges,” he said.

Episode 17 Recaps and Reviews

2011-06-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

Alan Sepinwall

AV Club

Back of Town Open Thread

A Blog Supreme

Dark Brown Waffles

Dave Walker's Explainer

Edward Copeland part 1

Edward Copeland part 2

Karen Dalton Beninato

Offbeat

Sound of Treme

Episode 17 "Carnival Time"

2011-06-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

Home cookin’ is right. David Simon and Eric Overmyer got to helm the keyboards for this episode, and they created a feast for the senses. It’s Mardi Gras, which means the sights, like Big Chief Lambreaux revealing Del’s patch proudly affixed to his chest; the sounds, as when Del hears trad jazz superimposed onto the Indian drums and just may have found the sound he’s been chasing; the tastes, as in Nick’s description of King Cake as “cloying to the point of retardation,” and the tactile, you feel like you could reach out to your TV screen and touch the maribou, the glitter, and even the crab shells and corn cobs at the marina.

The next layer down is our ongoing Mardi Gras education. There is the French Quarter, everyone knows about that, and we were introduced to the Indians last season. This year, Annie goes with Harley to a Cajun Mardi Gras, which has its own costuming traditions and rules as esoteric as any you’d find in the city, perhaps more so. She catches up with Wilson Savoy from The Pine Leaf Boys. She auditioned for them last year, and was asked if she “had trouble in her heart.” It landed with a bit of a thud, so this year she asks him if that line usually works. Wilson remarks that for city girls it gives him a “magical Cajun” mystique. I love moments like that because they reward attentive viewers. Here’s a link to the musician behind the name on the gravestone.

We also learn about the inner workings of Zulu. Nelson gets introduced to another set of very powerful players, and his checkbook gets him a place on a float with Oliver Thomas. To an outsider, the blackface of Zulu can appear downright offensive, but it’s an honored tradition. Louis Armstrong famously wore blackface when he was King of Zulu and was criticized for it. Nelson not only gets an important business card, he also gets a working phone number.

The third layer deep is the forward momentum of our characters. Colson participates in Mardi Gras from a completely different perspective than everyone else—needing to keep the violence (because there will be violence) locked down. He informs an eager young lady where her talents would be appreciated, not at Muses, which is for families. It ended up being a 1 murder Mardi Gras, and the NOPD can’t believe their good luck. Antoine makes numerous appointments for assignations but when given the responsibilities of listening to marching bands with his students and caring for his teenage boys, he rises, reluctantly, to the occasion. Antoine and Larry in doing the kid hand off have a heart-to-heart about LaDonna, and I’m glad that Larry headed back to Baton Rouge. He’s not blind to LaDonna’s suffering, as a lesser show would have it.

A lesser show would also have Annie jump to conclusions, as Davis assumes she will, when she sees Sofia at his place. We knew that without Creigh, Mardi Gras would be a wringer for both Toni and Sofia, and sure enough, Sofia disappears right from her mother’s side. There’s another great acting moment for Melissa Leo as she prepares to scatter Creigh’s ashes and say goodbye but is simultaneously in a panic about her missing daughter, as well pained that Sofia would miss that moment. Who ever thought we’d say “Thank God for Davis!” but he sees Sofia in Tipitina’s, knows how young she is, respects her agency to do wrong, but sees she’s in a bad way with that monstrous huge guy rubbing up on her. Last year, would he have even seen what was happening through the haze of his own hedonism, much less done the right thing? It also shows the strength of Annie and Davis’ relationship that they can spend Mardi Gras apart, have a great time, and come together afterwards.

Moments:

Bear (the young trumpeter) is always dialed in to the music. I love to watch his face as he listens.
Del in the hallway trying to explain what he just saw.
Cornell tormenting Sonny about his Mardi Gras in exile.
Arnie going long for a coconut.
Davis trying to ensure Toni doesn’t come down too hard on Sofia and getting an unexpected confession.
“This your problem or you a dope fiend?” “Dope fiend.”
We didn't see anybody else, but you know Big Chief Lambreaux had to be the prettiest.

This episode was so packed with detail, and with such cultural richness, that a recap could just go on and on. Already I’m headed down the internet rabbit hole with research. But you know, I don’t think that was the spirit with which it was intended. Maybe it’s like Del who works so hard nail down that sound that’s running around in his head, but he keeps missing it. He discovers it by not trying and just letting life, his genuine life of heritage, wash over him. This episode of Treme might be best experienced by allowing the feast of the senses work its magic without trying too hard.

S2 Link Roundup for June 3

2011-06-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

So yes, I'm a #LOFNOTC-Losers on Friday Night on the Computer, but there's a lot out there, so let's get to it.
David Simon commented on this Back of Town post, and Maitri's satire is here.

And there was a bit of back and forth at Dark Brown Waffles as well. Sam's original post, (David Simon commented) and then here's Sam's response to the comment. (And BTW, kudos on the new design, Sam, I find it more legible.)

Alex Rawls at Offbeat on the same general topic-how to view a fictional work that includes a level of veracity.

Costumes.

The answer came through a call to a nurse who deals with sexual assault victims.
“Her clothes would have gone to evidence,” said Ann Walters, assistant costume designer for the HBO series.
So LaDonna went home from the hospital in a lumpy gray sweatshirt that added a fleecy layer of vulnerability to her battered reserve.

A reposting of a PRI interview with David Simon from April of 2010. (audio)

David Simon on Studio 360. (audio)

Oliver Thomas on Oliver Thomas

Davis Rogan on Davis McAlary

Behind the scenes this season, Rogan is writing the songs that McAlary composes and performs in the HBO drama, including earlier-episodes songs about Teach for America and a slow-jam love song that baffles producer Don Bartholomew. Rogan also wrote episode six’s “Road Home” rap.

Treme and food at the NYT.

But how to recreate some of Manhattan’s starriest dining establishments on a soundstage in New Orleans?
Cue Chester Kaczenski, the production designer for the series and the mastermind behind its painstakingly accurate scenes of hurricane-induced destruction.

Poniwozik has stopped weekly recaps, but here he checks in.

More accurately about The Wire, but Wendell Pierce talks about his visit to the White House.

Tom Piazza schools Lolis Eric Elie on "neglected R&B."

Happy clicking! As always, if I've missed something awesome, let me know.

Marathon

2011-06-02T14:56:00.001-07:00

The last 3 episodes of Treme air back-to-back tonight, starting at 8/7C. HBO.

Episode 16 Recaps and Reviews

2011-05-30T08:50:00.000-07:00

Alan Sepinwall

Dave Walker's Explainer

AV Club

Dark Brown Waffles Sam and I are in total agreement on this:

Such is life liking this show, in which enormous occurrences are rare, and the slowly accumulating ones are commonplace. It’s like life in that regard. I understand all of the critics who bemoan it for being a show in which little seems to occur, but I am not sympathetic to their complaint. What occurs is smaller albeit often just as poignant. There’s something attractive about recognizing those moments too.

Edward Copeland on Film

Sound of Treme

Back of Town Open Thread

Offbeat

Salon (Matt Zoller Seitz)

A Blog Supreme

Episode 16 "Feels Like Rain"

2011-05-29T23:19:00.000-07:00

... written by Tom Piazza and directed by Roxann Dawson.

How great was it to hear and see Creighton again? We all have those dreams we just don’t want to wake from. He reminds Toni she hasn’t told Sofia about the thingamahoojie. Sofia’s smiling and takes Toni’s hands, and they all run out the door into the blinding light of Mardi Gras. But Toni awakes, and realizes that she must awaken and face another day.

Albert continues to sew, just because he finishes what he starts. He insists he’s no longer Big Chief, and sees right through Del’s sally that he’ll mask if Albert does. But he does convince Albert to come visit him in New York.

There’s a big difference in resources at the schools-one band is uniformed and instrumented up, whereas Antoine’s school band is still without either. Desiree tries to make a case at her school for her cousin’s kid, but the principal says that they’re overenrolled as it is, and perhaps Houston is better. There was a brilliant transition from the loud marching band to the silence of Antoine’s classroom. Antoine gives a sermon on jazz, improvisation, music, and New Orleans as the seat of it all.

Sofia finds out that everyone knew about her dad’s suicide but her, and she calls Toni “Mama Liar.” Things have just gotten worse by a factor of 10. Annie’s struggling, too, in her way, to write a song, and gets advice along the way from Harley and Tom McDermott. Davis changes tack abruptly and decides to go political with his band rather than dance. That seemed a bit off, because didn’t Aunt Mimi just score Manny Fresh? And what’s going to happen to that awesome Katey Red track now? Colson finally gets explicit about his disdain for the shoddy police work.

Then comes the bombshell. Jacques has been arrested, and when Janette asks for time off, it’s a completely different experience from Brulard. Ripert encourages her to go, because your sous chef is a relationship that lasts a lifetime. Janette finds that it was a traffic stop, but Jacques is undocumented. She’s going to post bail and run down an immigration attorney for him.

Poor Antoine. Things were going so well, but he can’t handle Sonny’s flakiness or the myriad minutiae required for keeping a working band together. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. He finally fobs of half of the job, and promptly gets fined himself for not giving 24 hours notice that he would miss a gig. However, his last act was to tell Sonny he’s done. Antoine is deeply mistrustful of him and his addiction, and has no patience for it. Plus he's got a nibble for an international tour as a player.

Speaking of simmering relationships, it was a riot to watch Davis preemptively bribe his neighbors due to the upcoming rehearsals. Both sides of last year’s war felt the other side was beneath contempt at the beginning of Season 1, but over time we’ve come to a place where Davis not only knows a gesture is warranted, but it is accepted. The group isn’t half bad, now that Davis doesn’t get all the “flow.” (Hi Real Davis!)

Hidalgo does indeed start to see how things work. The real estate deals going on at the million dollar level in a way are like topping off The Pigentown Steppers fund. It’s a matter of who needs what at what time, who knows it, and who can provide it. Now Thomas is in hock to Hidalgo. That theme runs through Toni and Colson’s work to a certain extent as well. They both have to see who has the influence, the “flex” in Antoine’s parlance, to get things done. The law clinic coming back to Toni was somewhat predictable—in my mind it was just a matter of time. She’s got to have that bone to gnaw on, and she’s the one with the flex to work the case, even if she doesn’t have the time. Everyone knows she won’t give up on it, and that’s one of her biggest assets in going up against a stonewall. Everyone knows she’s an irresistible force.

It’s the second time in as many weeks that I’ve teared up at this show, but this time it was not in mourning. Rather, it was the beautiful scene between Albert and Delmond when they finally connect. It’s over masking Indian, of course. Throughout his visit, Albert has been pushing every button, “you call that a bathtub? They got everything, huh.” But Delmond doesn’t rise to it. He presents his patch to his dad, and I called it! It IS Albert, along with his house, and an external representation of all that Albert is going through—those tears. Albert accepts the gift, and finally lets his pride for his son show. Wow and wow again. That scene came just at the right time for these characters. It wasn’t forced in too early, and their conflict wasn’t drawn out too long. Delmond has matured into his identity, and Albert has finally recognized that there are things that he cannot control. It was beautifully written and even more beautifully played.

This is what this show does. It rewards the loyal viewer with payoffs that aren’t really tied to plot—we aren’t following a who-dun-it. Instead the payoff is that conversation between Albert and Delmond, Davis’ please-don’t-call-the-cops offering, or the Pigeontown Steppers making it out there with Rebirth due to a last minute “angel.” You can describe these in words, and it seems like no big deal. The joy of Treme is that there is so much more packed into those little payoffs than can be described in a few sentences.

John Hiatt. Henry Butler. Nuff said. Next week is Mardi Gras!!

Moments:

Antoine telling the kid to “watch your language”
Shamarr Allen using a plastic go cup as a mute
“Guys, forgive me my trespasses”
“Takes a young man’s bladder to walk around all day in an Indian suit!”
Jacques putting down the receiver just to stare at Jeanette
Toni inviting Colson to the second line, and him showing up. I still think there’s something brewing there…
“I think he just called you a motherfucker in Dutch!”
“That’s what makes it a great song.”
Thomas can MOVE!
End credits played off by Rebirth (playing in Seattle June 8-who’s going to be there? ME!)

P. S. Where's Arnie? Hidalgo left him in the dust so fast we never even see him any more!

S2 Link Roundup for May 25

2011-05-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

Lots to see!

Bart Everson's take on the last episode. He was seen in the news footage of the march on the TV in the bar. "You have failed us."

Nola Defender with the Pfister Sisters break it down.

Hits and Fits
(lots of pictures)

Although I had traveled to New Orleans before, I was really inspired to re-discover the city and all its cultural offerings by Treme. (I even told David Simon this while he signed my poster, and he seemed happy to hear that, thanking me for my interest.) And it’s amazing that a tv show could do that, while portraying a location accurately and without fantastical embellishments. My hats off to everyone who is a part of making Treme.

Rob Brown and his trumpet at Offbeat

Wendell Pierce and Phillis Wheatley Elementary School

"...admitted that they did not take into account the architectural merit..."

Tom Colicchio in Esquire

More on writer Mari Kornhauser

Several new posts from Lolis Eric Elie at Inside Treme Blog, including a crab boil, an interview with Khandi Alexander, and Part II of Eric Overmyer's music list.

An interview with Nakita Shavers, Dinerral's sister.

Her foundation, the Dinerral Shavers Educational Foundation, is working on the web site, but donations can be sent to P.O Box 6832 NOLA 70174

Video of E. L. Vanison who plays Memphis Ronnie, about Indian Suits. (The section with the suits starts about minute 3:30.)

A very personal post from Sam Jasper at Back of Town.

Toni Bernette is in for it. Boy oh boy is she in for it. The look on Sofia’s face when Oliver Thomas explains that he may say one thing to one person and another to someone else but that in the end he’ll achieve his goal is subtle, but intelligent. She is clearly realizing that truth can be a very flexible thing in the hands of adults, while she at age 16 is an idealistic purist. Weren’t we all? At some point, weren’t we all? While everyone was noticing her ferocious “that’s the truth” line to her mother, I was more interested in her realization that adults have agendas.

Down on Rampart Preview

2011-05-25T11:20:00.001-07:00

Ep. 16 - Preview

S2 Episode 15 Recaps and Reviews

2011-05-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

Alan Sepinwall

Dark Brown Waffles

Dave Walker's Explainer

Back of Town Open Thread

Salon (Matt Zoller Seitz)

Edward Copeland

A Blog Supreme

Offbeat

A/V Club

Sound of Treme

Karen Dalton-Beninato

Episode 15 "Slip Away"

2011-05-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

LaDonna’s had it with her bar and she flees to Baton Rouge. Albert’s had it with red tape and he’s packing for Houston. Delmond’s had it with antiseptic music and he plays Jelly Roll Morton at The Blue Note. Toni’s had it with pro bono work and she’s going to only work her paid cases. The whole damn city has had it with the violence and they take to the streets. Janette, it seems, was just the first of many who decide that enough is enough. This episode was written by Mari Kornhauser and directed by Rob Bailey.

The cold open was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen on TV. Dinerral’s funeral, with his family there, community members, and musicians like Kermit Ruffins, Uncle Lionel, John Boutte, and Glen David Andrews was just heartbreaking. Details like someone calling out, “take your time,” to Dinerral’s sister as she breaks down during the eulogy make a scene like that so specific. Of course it was specific, because there really was a Dinerral who was shot and killed, and that knowledge makes it that much more devastating. (I had the opportunity to speak with Glen David Andrews by phone, and I’ll post that interview later. But here I want to mention that he said that the funeral scene is hard to watch and was hard to recreate because of what the family had to endure to do it. But he said that doing the funeral scene was also a blessing because he didn’t die in vain. “I’d rather be with Dinerral, though,” he said. The scene was capped off by Glen raising his trombone, followed by all the other musicians raising their instruments as the casket was put in the hearse. It was sad, triumphant, despairing, and beautiful all at the same time. This episode was the first where I felt jarred by that bouncy theme song kicking in.

Sofia has to endure one of those assemblies where an administrator tells everyone to go talk to someone if they need help because of the recent teacher’s suicide, but nobody’s going to go to a school counselor or teacher. When she exits and a teacher expresses sympathy because it must be “especially hard” for her, she’s confused and then intrigued. Her hair is messy and her affect flat.

Albert gets busted because the repairs he’s done are considered “new work” and he doesn’t have the correct permits. He’s understandably livid, because he’d have to pay a plumber to inspect his work when it’s clear it’s just fine. Later on, he finds out that his Road Home application was bounced because his wife Lorraine was on the deed. He shouts that he had written on the application that she was deceased. Classic bureaucracy.

Toni’s going to have plenty to do with her civil suit now that the “Danziger 7” have turned themselves in, so she’s going to stop working on the Abreu case so she has time for cases that pay. She finally confronts Sofia about going AWOL, but Sofia responds that she’s not doing anything she’s not supposed to and, “I’m not lying to you!” Which of course is exactly what Toni has done by not telling her the full story of her father’s death.

Janette finds that she’s the talk of the town when she goes to Tom Colicchio to apologize for what she did to Alan Richman (evidently he was the one who vouched for her to Brulard) and is surprised to find that he recommends she go talk to Eric Ripert because he's Buddhist and into forgiveness. She does, and she’ll start at the bottom and work her way up, but she’s glad just not to be persona non grata, and she’s warmly welcomed on her first day. Word has gotten all the way to New Orleans, and Davis sends her all the Sazerac ingredients she might want for the forseeable future—on Aunt Mimi’s credit card against future profits on the sampler.

Speaking of, Don tells them they have nothing that can go national, and they have a bizarre encounter with Mannie Fresh in a phone interview. He agrees to give them a track. Hidalgo and Liguori get even more blatant about their insider dealing in the corner office, and Sonny must have made it back to the second half of that Christmas gig because he’s still in the band. He’s even finding a groove.

Annie finds that songwriting is hard; “that’s why the world is full of players,” says Harley. She writes a lovely tune and the lyrics could be about Sonny. There’s something about it, and Davis won’t let Red tell her what it is. Harley will, though, and drops the bomb that it’s Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice.” “At least you’re stealin big,” he says.

LaDonna gets freaked out by the crush of young men in her bar (anyone who’s run that kind of gauntlet before can immediately recognize that gross, panicky feeling, but it’s to the Nth degree for LaDonna) and she self medicates with alcohol. She tries to keep that smile on, but she has to run to the bathroom to throw up. She leaves Johnny in charge and bolts. In Baton Rouge later, she tells her mother, “the bar can mind itself.” She can’t get out of bed in the morning.

There’s a beautiful, beautiful scene in which Janette goes to Del’s set at The Blue Note, and he goes all Jelly Roll on everybody. She breaks out her white napkin and dances, to the chagrin and then delight of Del’s NY girlfriend. Rob Brown is now trying on some vocals for size! Del’s still looking for that sound that “got mud all over it,” and it’s a huge step to take that search public. The thing is, this type of scene shows that at this point in time it’s easy to love New Orleans—from far away. It’s much harder for those right in it. My heart broke to see Albert packing up that U-Haul. Big Chief, of all people.

We’re given an entry point to Helen Hill’s murder through Colson. He has long moments walking in and looking around. Homicide thinks it was the husband, but Colson knows better, and even shows them that not far away there was a burglary call for the police less than 20 minutes before. For “not carrying water” for Toni anymore, he sure looked like her as he went around trying to convince his higher ups to investigate properly.

This murder, along with Dinerral’s, was the final straw leading to a march against violence. The last time there was one, it was a couple of hundred white activists. This time it was both white and black marchers, and the numbers were much larger. I felt the filming was a bit cheesy, setting the marches up as if there’s going to be a conflict, but then they merged. It felt kind of “Sharks vs. Jets” to me. But clearly at the time no one really knew what was going to happen. Colson is tickled pink.

Moments are a collection of quotes this week:

“There’s nothing TO say.”
“The drink AND the glass, or just the drink?”
“It felt right.”
“It’s the MUSIC business.”
“…a 9 piece band with 54 fucking pieces!”
“Follow me or die tryin’, fellas.”
“I don’t like Atlanta, I LOVE New Orleans!”
Okay, one that’s not a quote--Wendell Pierce’s smile as Antoine works the females in the crowd.

We knew that some of these threads would be handled this year, but to be honest, I expected them to be toward the end of the season. To have the march in the 5^th episode of Season 2 follows the strict chronology that’s been set up, but it makes me anticipate the second half even more. It seems like all the balls are in the air now (or all the chess pieces in position, choose your metaphor), it's just a matter of how they fall. Given the lyrics of Annie's song, and her discovery that Sonny was telling the truth, is Davis' heart going to get broken again if she goes back to Sonny? I'm starting to wonder about this and a host of other things. I'm SO afraid something awful is going to happen to Antoine Batiste and the Soul Apostles. There are still some surprises yet to spring on us, of that I'm certain.

S2 Link Roundup for May 19

2011-05-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

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"

2011-05-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Preview of "Treme Life"

Executive Produced by Kermit Ruffins and Tom Thompson

Preview for Sunday May 21

2011-05-18T12:33:00.001-07:00

Ep. 15 - Preview

Episode 14 Recaps and Reviews

2011-05-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

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"

2011-05-15T23:15:00.000-07:00

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.

Antoine finally makes it inside the school where he tries to talk his way out of a job job. It goes from bad to worse when he discovers that the band has no uniforms and the instruments from the Tipitina's Foundation haven’t arrived yet, so band rehearsal is just clapping out rhythms written on the chalkboard. Later on, a thunderstorm freaks out the children completely, and it’s clear that Antoine sympathizes. Who knows what those kids went through? Were they in the Dome? On a roof? Who have they lost?

Toni doggedly goes around interviewing about the Robideaux’s incident. She finds however that nobody-from eyewitnesses to the police involved are willing to talk. The eyewitness fears reprisals because the police don’t seem to be held accountable. (But take a look at this from a month ago-Overmyer and Elie wouldn’t have known this verdict when the episode was written.)

Albert has attracted the attention of an attractive documentarian, but he’s not willing to let her into his process. “The process don’t matter if you don’t have no result! The process is just a lot of damn hard work!” Perhaps that’s our thesis statement for the episode. At any rate, part of it is tradition because he doesn’t reveal himself until Mardi Gras. Later on, he meets her again with Sylvester at the Backstreet Cultural Museum, because he doesn’t want her to think New Orleans people are rude. “I am, but I’m not typical,” he says. Turns out, she’s from New Orleans, but she just doesn’t know about the Indians because her parents didn’t “approve.” I’m choosing to take this as a subtle dig toward the haters who complained that the show overemphasized the Indians. One of the main characters is a big chief; the show doesn’t expect that everyone knows everything about the Indians. He says she HAS to film him on Mardi Gras because he’s going to be the prettiest. There’s our Albert!

Delmond’s baby steps toward that Indian heritage are becoming more evident as he plays vinyl trying to capture the elements of the old school music-“this was popular music.” He is also sewing—is that Indian a representation of his dad? It kind of looks like him. Delmond also runs into Janette at a NOLA bar in NYC during a playoff game. (I can vouch that those Who Dat shouts are just as loud in real life.) Delmond has made up with Woodrow, and he pitches him his new album idea. Woodrow reminds him that he asked him a year ago to make a NOLA album. (Look how far Delmond has come!) This is after Janette has taken her last insult from Brulard and orders a Sazerac to throw in Alan Richman’s face. Talk about catharsis! She’s afraid, though, because she’ll never work again, although her partner on the line says she’s a hero and all over the internet. She’s done what everyone wants to do, but is afraid to. Good for Richman for being a sport, and his line, “Nobody throws a Sazerac!” is funny but still in character. What would an upscale Manhattanite throw? A Manhattan?

Davis ropes in Aunt Mimi to bankroll his new idea, a sampler where “Galactic has its way with the Hot 8’s front line before sleeping around with Lil’ Wayne.” You know, I think I know what that would sound like. In the studio, it doesn’t go so well. Davis’ “flow” was earlier demonstrated to be, let’s say, problematic, and the music itself isn’t holding up. It isn’t until Katey Red decides to let loose a string of invective on Davis that something real comes out. “Imma tellya when I’m ready, when I’m ready Imma tellya!” At least ug-uh-ly Davis can take it when it’s dished out.

Hidalgo’s still doing his thing. Although the schools that are up and running are short of materials and books, he tells Robinette to pitch perfectly useable items from the 2^nd floor of a condemned one because the city said the 2^nd floor flooded, when it didn’t. He gives Robinette money for the Brazilian workers to get lunch, and he goes around with expensive Christmas gifts for all his new friends. Liguori gets a pearl rosary, and Oliver Thomas gets unobtainable playoff tickets. Thomas has come around now that he’s made inquiries about Hidalgo. But Hidalgo has already cleared half a million dollars so Liguori advises him to slow down. Hidalgo is actively breaking from his culture and his family, and is convinced that this is what makes him rich. His family’s ways weren’t “working for me.”

Annie plays with Shawn Colvin at the House of Blues, which is a huge venue and a huge step for her, but when she meets a manager, he tells her the right one will come along when she’s ready. When she plays a classical tune for Davis as his Christmas present, her talent is clear, but what’s missing is her “voice.” What is it that’s uniquely Annie? Right now she’s a performing artist (and she can do everything from classical to roots to Cajun to everything in between), but she’s not a creative artist. Yet.

Toni and Sofia almost have a conversation when Sofia’s phone rings with a text informing her that one of the teachers at her school committed suicide. Toni is of course horrified, and is concerned that it doesn’t seem to affect Sofia much. She explains she didn’t know him because he wasn’t one of her teachers, and of course Toni should realize that she’s hidden the truth from her daughter, so there’s not that closeness to the situation that she herself feels.

A lot happens with Antoine and the Soul Apostles. They audition Sonny, who does well. He’s better on guitar than keys, but he doesn’t exactly tear it up. I loved his hair in his face making him the quintessential “long haired white boy” from last week. Who does tear it up is June Yamagishi, who “would be honored” to play with them. I LOVED the camera work and the slow reveal-he’s good, who is it, where is his face, he’s JAPANESE! That was great. They finally play a gig with Wanda, and they’re really good and have a lot of fun. Antoine has Christmas Eve and Christmas gigs lined up, but June is booked. They end up calling Sonny, who misses the first rehearsal entirely. That’s our boy. In the middle of their gig, he goes out to cop, and Antoine sends out the bass player to talk to him. This was handled so humanely-it was great how he first said, “I know what you’re dealing with.” It’s probably from experience. But he also says that Sonny’s “in no danger of being like no great musician,” to which Sonny replies that he knows that. So then he’s told that it’s a small town and he needs to do well at this gig because nobody’s going to be beating down his door. Sonny’s later seen at home with a girl with an ugly bruise on her arm or the ugliest tattoo in the state of Louisiana, I couldn’t tell which. Did Sonny get high or did he finish the gig? I’m not sure.

Delmond finally confronts Albert about his depression, but Albert responds that he’s not depressed, he’s so mad he can’t see straight. Even after being told he’s all set with Road Home, he read in the newspaper that 82 of 90,000 claims have been processed. They bond later over a blunt, and Del actually apologizes to his dad. Those two may eventually be able to talk to each other rather than past each other.

Speaking of confrontation, we have to confront LaDonna’s situation. Desiree asks Antoine, “how’s SHE doing,” so word has gotten around. Antoine goes to see her, and she’s missing teeth. She puts on a brave face for him, but earlier she couldn’t face the door when was time to go. Johnny’s there to walk her to her car. She tells Antoine she’s not going to let this stop her, but her actions don’t match her words. She stays up until all hours in Baton Rouge drinking and jumping at noises in the dark.

And then the end. Terrell breaks the news to Antoine that Bennie called to say that Dinneral had been shot and killed. He wasn’t even the intended target. This was so hard to hear because this was really real. As soon as you start keeping your head above water-boom-the next wave comes. Even though you may already know the Dinneral story, it was so hard to watch Terrell recounting the phone conversation, and Wendell Pierce plays Antoine as completely gobsmacked.

Moments:

Desiree sincerely telling Antoine he “can do this” because she believes in him and is not just being a harpy
La Donna: “Apostles? Modest as usual.”
Brulard is obsessed with fish-“this is a Big Tuna”
Antoine and his band are so enthralled with June they look like they’re in pain
Antoine’s (Wendell’s) vocals on “Love and Happiness”
Decorating the halo with tinsel. “More around the ears.”
Woodrow trashed. “Invite her to the gig, you dope.” Strong language, my friend.

There was indirect catharsis in that the episode gave us the performances and humor that were missing from last week, and direct catharsis in the completed pass that Janette threw to Richman. So where do we go from here? Sofia is still shut down, Toni’s chasing ghosts, Sonny may still be chasing the dragon, and we know that we’re on a tough road with LaDonna. The Saints are winning games, and even Aunt Mimi wears her Saints cap with pride. At least there’s that, and it’s no small thing. Who Dat?!

S2 Link Roundup for May 15

2011-05-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

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

Season 3 Announcement

2011-05-13T14:29:00.001-07:00

Treme has been renewed for a third season. The viewing numbers are small, but mighty.

Press Release--NOLA in NYC

2011-05-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Here's the full spiel.

CEG AND NOLAFUNK.COM BRING THE MUSIC OF NEW ORLEANS TO NEW YORK CITY THIS SPRING AND SUMMER

CEG Presents and NolaFunk.com will bring an abundance of amazing New Orleans talent to New York City in the coming months. Anyone in withdrawal from time spent at New Orleans Jazz Fest, as well as those who are lamenting having missed the occasion, will be quickly satisfied by the NolaFunk.com calendar.

Things kick-off next week with one of the most featured artists of HBO’s “Treme”, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbeque Swingers. Also from New Orleans, Henry Butler will open one night, and Eric Lindell the other. Brother Joscephus & the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra have just announced a Sunday Bruch at Le Poisson Rouge on May 22. On June 2, Nolafunk.com will have their Summer Kick-Off Party on June 2 w/ The Meters’ George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners plus Los Angeles’s Orgone. The New Orleans Funk Explosion at Hiro Ballroom featuring Big Sam’s Funky Nation and The Meters’ Zigaboo Modeliste Band has just been announced as well on June 16^th. And the 2^nd Annual Nolafunk.com Summer Jazzfest has just been announced for July 13^th with New Orleans’ greatest brass band – Rebirth Brass Band. All show details can be found below as well as at www.nolafunk.com.

Highline Ballroom 431 W 16th St. New York, NY

* Tues May 17^th & Wed May 18^th
$35adv $40dos/$50 Reserved VIP $60 dos/ 7:30pm Show/ 16+

TWO NIGHTS!
Kermit Ruffins & The Barbecue Swingers
w/ Henry Butler (5/17)
w/ Eric Lindell - Album Release Party (5/18)
New Orleans is the only place on the planet that could have produced native son and trumpet legend Kermit Ruffins. Making regular appearances on the HBO original series "Treme,” Ruffins and his music embrace the true spirit of New Orleans. Ruffins’ music, like the city itself, swings hard with a big heart as it remembers tradition and the importance of good-time’ fun.

An eight-time W.C. Handy “Best Blues Instrumentalist - Piano” award nominee, Henry Butler knows no limitations. Although blinded by glaucoma since birth, Butler has been playing piano since the age of six and is a master of musical diversity. Combining the percussive jazz piano playing of McCoy Tyner and the New Orleans style playing of Professor Longhair through his classically trained wizardry, Butler continues to craft a sound uniquely his own. A rich amalgam of jazz, Caribbean, classical, pop, blues and R&B influences, his music is as excitingly eclectic as that of his New Orleans birthplace.

A New Orleans transplant, Eric Lindell is celebrated as a roots rocker creating a combination of sweet, blue-eyed soul with groove-laden R&B, swamp pop, funk and blues that has won him critical and popular acclaim. On May 18thLindell will be celebrating the release of his newest album, “Cazadero.”

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(le) poisson rouge 158 Bleecker St. New York, NY

* Sunday May 22^nd $15 / $10 for 12 & under / 1:00pm Show / all ages
A Soulful N’Awlins Sunday Brunch – Children Welcome!
Brother Joscephus & the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra

* Thurs June 2^nd $30adv $35dos / 7:30pm show / 21+
Nolafunk.com Summer Kick-Off Party
George Porter Jr. & Runnin' Pardners
w/ Orgone
Few bass players in the history of modern New Orleans music are as storied as George Porter Jr. During the course of a career spanning four decades, Porter has not only made a deep impression with his work in the Meters, but he’s notched sessions with artists as diverse as Paul McCartney, Jimmy Buffett, David Byrne, Patti LaBelle, Robbie Robertson and Tori Amos. Early in his career, Porter worked with seminal New Orleans artists like Allen Toussaint, Earl King, Lee Dorsey, and Johnny Adams. Back in 1965, Porter joined on with the Meters, considered by many to be the ultimate fusion of rock, funk and R&B, and gained recognition as one of the scene’s elite bass players.

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Brooklyn Bowl 61 Wythe Ave. Brooklyn, NY

* Friday June 3^rd $10 / 8pm Show
Tab Benoit / The Iguanas

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Sullivan Hall 214 Sullivan St. New York, NY

* Fri May 27^th $15adv $20dos / 8:00pm Show
Joe Krown Trio featuring Walter "Wolfman" Washington and Russell Batiste
w/ Outer Borough Brass Band
followed by MiloZ

* Fri. June 3^rd $10adv $12dos / 11:30pm Show
Radiators After Party
Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes

* Fri June 10^th & Sat June 11^th $20adv $25dos / 8pm Show
BONEROUX - 2 Nights of Bonerama and special guests!
w/ Papa Grows Funk (6/10)
w/ The Stooges Brass Band (6/11)
Even in a city that doesn’t play by the rules, New Orleans’ Bonerama is something different. They can evoke vintage funk, classic rock and free improvisation in the same set; maybe even the same song. Bonerama has been repeatedly recognized by Rolling Stone, hailed as “the ultimate in brass balls” (2005) and praised for their “…crushing ensemble riffing, human-feedback shrieks and wah-wah growls” (2007). Bonerama carries the brass-band concept to places unknown; what other brass band could snag an honor for “Best Rock Band” (Big Easy Awards 2007)? As cofounder Mark Mullins puts it, “We thought we could expand what a New Orleans brass band could do. Bands like Dirty Dozen started the “anything goes” concept, bringing in the guitars and the drum kit and using the sousaphone like a bass guitar. We thought we could push things a little further.”

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Hiro Ballroom @ The Maritime Hotel 88 9^th Ave. New York, NY

* Thursday June 16^th $20adv $25dos / $35 VIP Seats / 7:30pm show
New Orleans Funk Explosion
Big Sam’s Funky Nation / Zigaboo Modeliste Band

Big Sam's Funky Nation have established their presence on the forefront of the New Orleans music scene. Trombone powerhouse and band leader "Big Sam" Williams, formerly of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, has been celebrated as "the top man on the slide trombone in the birthplace of jazz" by the San Francisco. The Nation has had a recurring role in the HBO original series "Treme", and a busy US touring schedule including festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Bonnaroo Arts & Music Festival, South by Southwest, Doheney Blues Festival and Gathering of the Vibes. For 2011, BSFN does not intend to slow down. The momentum BSFN has recently accumulated will only continue to grow off of the successful release of their fourth and most prolific album to date, King Of The Party. Be on the lookout for BSFN's masterful blend of a rock, with an improv-style associated with jazz and a horn-heavy front section that's the hallmark of funk. The energy level is always high voltage when BSFN takes the stage.

Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste is a master drummer, rhythm innovator, percussionist, and New Orleans legend. The most highly acclaimed drummer ever to hail from the Crescent City, Ziggy’s creativity has been a wellspring of funk influence for three decades and inspired many Hip-Hop tracks. His innovative work as a member of the internationally acclaimed R&B group,The Meters, as well as his side work with artists like Keith Richards, Robert Palmer, and Dr. John, has garnered him an unparalleled level of respect among musicians and fans. Ziggy’s style is unique. He is a master of creating funk grooves and new concepts for funk drumming.

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Pier Garden (formerly South Street Sea Port @ Water Taxi Beach) Fulton & Spring Streets, North Side of Pier 17

2^nd Annual NOLAfunk.com Summer Jazzfest
Wednesday July 13^th $35adv $40dos / 7pm show
Rebirth Brass Band and more TBA

S2 Link Roundup for May 10

2011-05-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

Anthony Bourdain on Eater.com

I write those scenes, they go to some of the best writers in the history of the television medium to work over, who hire an ensemble cast of amazing people. All of the chefs seem to love the show because it was very easy for me to reach out to some of our better known New York chefs to help.

More Anthony Bourdain on Inside Treme Blog

Are there chefs who would, like Brulard, sweep an entire table full of plates and dinners onto the floor? Yes. I have seen it. Many times, and with different chefs. I know Ripert has seen similar behavior when he came up — as have many others.

Steve Earle in his own words (video)

Tuba Fats Tuesday in Treme

The Soul Apostles

2011-05-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

Short version

Episode 13 Recaps and Reviews

2011-05-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Alan Sepinwall

Back of Town Open Thread

Dave Walker's Explainer

Daemon's TV

Karen Dalton-Beninato

Salon (Matt Zoller Seitz)

Judy Berman's rebuttal to Matt Zoller Seitz

UPDATE: Dark Brown Waffles rebuttal to Matt Zoller Seitz

Edward Copeland

Dark Brown Waffles

AV Club

Sound of Treme

Offbeat

A Blog Supreme

Episode 13 "On Your Way Down"

2011-05-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

Shut down. Toni gets shut down by Colson, Nelson gets shut down by Councilman Thomas, Janette gets shut down by Road Home, and LaDonna…oh LaDonna. This episode, James Yoshimura’s last as executive producer, was written by him and directed by Simon Cellan Jones. It seems strangely disrespectful to LaDonna to review what happened with everybody else, but she has to go on, and so will we.

The episode opens with the gorgeous tones of a violin as the many characters go about their mundane daily lives. It’s Annie, of course, playing with David Torkanowsky at a Katrina photography exhibit. They finish their set, and as she peruses the pictures she sees that Sonny DID help with the rescue effort. Back in Season 1, the sketchy way he talked about it was either because he lied, or was uncomfortable talking about it. Now we, and she, know for sure.

Toni talks with the officer on the scene about Joey Abreu. It turns out he was killed in a store, not on the street, and evidence was collected, including casings and a report written on a paper plate. Antoine discovers how very hard it is to lead a band. He has to pay for the rehearsal space, and they can’t get anything done. Glen David Andrews has a brief cameo in Gigi’s talking with LaDonna and Dinneral about the NOPD and the outrageous parade fees, when Antoine comes in to drown his sorrows and hit up LaDonna for a gig for his new band. We find that Desiree’s pushing Antoine for a “job job” because gig money can’t be calculated as steady income for a mortgage. Davis goes by Janette’s to check her mail (the perfect task for his level of responsibility-he can let it go for a few days with no dire consequences) but he discovers her house has been broken into, and maybe the intruders are still there.

Then LaDonna gets raped in her own bar. The thing is, she does everything right. She keeps the door closed when the sketchy teen talks with her, and she calls the police. But she’s lulled into a false sense of security when some friends walk by and wave, and she leaves too early. The two guys push their way in, and don’t leave when they get her bag. This is intercut with Sonny hustling for gigs, and the NOPD raid on his house and takedown of his dealing roommates. It seems kind of strange to intercut LaDonna’s assault with Sonny, but there’s nothing else to use. At least the NOPD raid has a sense of urgency to it. You couldn’t intercut with Antoine’s band rehearsal. However, it still felt strange.

I applaud the choice to demonstrate everything a sexual assault victim has to go through even after getting help—waiting for relatives, the exam, the police interviews, the anti-STD medication. But they didn’t show LaDonna taking the Plan B pill, after having the camera right on her for everything else. She’s weak, hurt, and vulnerable, but I would think LaDonna would say “Yeah, give me the Plan B” and down it right there. I don’t want to get all political, but they blinked. (UPDATE: After great discussion, I've changed my view on this. See the comments below.)

Elsewhere, Colson tells Toni there's nothing more to be done in the Abreu case, which is gently letting her know he's not going to "carry water" for her any more. After seeing his quick work, Nelson promotes Robinette to “Associate VP” or some such inflated title for crew chief. He passed over Arnie, his own cousin, who perhaps doesn’t think big enough. Maybe he’s going for the local ties to solidify his own position. Delmond gets pissed at Woodrow for not being on the curve for social media and fires him, while Albert falls asleep at his beading. Nelson is finally shut down by Councilman Thomas who demands to know “who in town are you working with?” When Nelson starts talking about the long view, Thomas reminds him that he’s living in the here and now. Finally someone distrusts Nelson enough to say it out loud. But Nelson either has the innate manners or the savvy to offer Thomas condolences for his brother. Antoine does get in his suit and makes it to the steps of the school, but when he sees the pandemonium, he just gets right back in the taxi. Sonny pulls the “Soul Apostles” tab at the Music Exchange.

Albert gets set up with Road Home! And smiles! Hallelujah! No really-Albert’s affect and narcolepsy were concerning. But Janette doesn’t have an appointment at Road Home, so there’s nothing to be done for her. She stays with Jacques until her flight the next morning, and he has her favorite wine. Lotta ‘shippers liked that scene, I’m sure.

With Wanda Rouzan singing, the Soul Apostles finally get through a whole number! (Wonder how she is at poker?) And it’s smokin’-although they recognize at that rate, they won’t be ready for the clubs until summer. There’s a different sax player in this scene-it seems that Antoine fired the one who couldn’t transpose in his head. It’s tough holding a band together, as Bennie said last week. Listening to the new Recovery Czar on TV, Nelson shows he learns fast, “All politics is local!” and Sonny begs a guitar from Harley, who knows to make sure he’s not going to pawn it for drugs.

Similar to Davis’ comment to Janette, “Anything I can do?” Larry asks LaDonna if she wants another pillow or something. She agrees, and smiles for his benefit, but she can’t sustain it for long after he leaves the room.

Moments:

· Antoine gets flipped off by a taxi driver who’s been burned too many times
· Desiree: You want to live in this dump forever? Antoine: …dump your ass… Desiree: Please.
· Sonny saying he’ll take any gig—“kids' parties, Viking funerals, anything”
· Tattooed, pierced kid sees LaDonna on the floor, pants down, and helps her
· Antoine goes by Gigi’s and it’s closed
· Larry’s 100 mph on the I-10 is so different from Aunt Mimi’s of last week

This was a hard episode to watch, not only for LaDonna, but because of the switching back and forth. As I mentioned above, it seemed disrespectful, if that could be possible. It’s tricky to manage the tone in an episode like this, so I can’t suggest anything better, and the fact that it sits uncomfortably with the viewer is just fine in the case of violent sexual assault. The Twitter feed was all horrified reaction. I just hope she’s only shut down temporarily, and not extinguished forever.

For all those who wanted something to “happen,” well, be careful what you wish for. This episode has taken Treme beyond theme, beyond politics, beyond recovery efforts. This is a PERSON. Treme is about people, hurting people, who have small victories and the occasional large one, but who also have to get through day after day of aggravation, struggle, and tragedy. Is it any wonder that they burst into song just to remember what joy feels like? When the only thing to be done is to ask, “Anything I can do? or “Want a pillow or something?”

The answer is “not really,” but Treme shows that the question really means “I love you.”

S2 Link Roundup for May 8

2011-05-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

Lance E. Nichols (Larry) and Davi Jay (Robinette) (Personally, I think Davi Jay is one of the most natural actors I've ever seen. He adds to every scene he's in without pulling focus.)

The Whole Gritty City (the promo video is really compelling, features Bear from last week's ep)

LA Times

"Treme," the marvelous, musical New Orleans-set HBO drama whose second season began April 24, takes its form from the city's substance; it does not so much present a point of view as embody a perpetual argument. Created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer, who have "The Wire" in their shared past, it is romantic and naturalistic at once, as dreamy and earthy as the place in which it takes place — a place where when you die, they strike up the band. I love it as much as anything now on television.

Here It Is-A Night in Treme Official Tour

2011-05-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

Dates in NY, CA, all over. No Seattle though. Dimitriou's Jazz Alley needs to get on that ASAP.

Treme Cast in the Wild

2011-05-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

Photo by @lunanola at the DVD signing.

Also,
Steve Zahn, photo including, and provided by @tmruppert (Nice lid.)
Evidently Steve said that they were having fun at the Fest, even though they were working (filming.)

Sonny! Courtesy @CourtEdwards1 (Another nice lid.)

S2 Link Roundup for May 5

2011-05-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

Somehow it escaped my notice that WWOZ, the very real station where the fictional Davis played too much Bounce, blogs the show. Here's a link.

The DVD signing at Louisiana Music Factory. Lots of cute pictures.
UPDATE: another link.

Spoiler, gossip, or news? You decide. Or if you think anything's a potential spoiler, don't look.

Today in Treme: Brulard, ratings, and Boutte

Food for Thought

2011-05-05T15:52:00.001-07:00

Food in Treme.

Glen David Andrews at Jazz Fest

2011-05-04T09:12:00.001-07:00

...kicked ass and took names, apparently. BTW he's on twitter at @TremePrince

Meet the Cast and David Simon

2011-05-03T15:06:00.001-07:00

Okay, some of the cast. Weds, May 4, at Louisiana Music Factory 11am. S1 DVD signing.

S2 Link Roundup for May 3

2011-05-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

Eric Overmyer talks New Orleans, Treme, and Jazz Fest

Treme at Bullz-Eye

Before and After Production Design

Most of us follow Music of Treme on Facebook (linked right) but Mel is still doing his listing (in order) of all music in a given episode at a dedicated site.

Wendell Pierce will give Loyola's commencement address and receive an honorary degree.

The Voice of Treme

Today in Treme

Bury the Hatchet

Episode 12 Recaps and Reviews

2011-05-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

Dave Walker's Explainer

Alan Sepinwall

Edward Copeland on Film

Dark Brown Waffles

AV Club

Open Thread at Back of Town

A Blog Supreme

Sound of Treme

Offbeat

TV Guide

The Song-Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky

2011-05-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Episode 12 "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky"

2011-05-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

For those who needed some more “drive” to Treme, here we go. In a tightly written and beautifully directed episode, several of the characters are chasing their dreams, while others are stymied by the enormity of it all.

Albert Lambreaux is still finding renovation “gig” work, when his son Delmond’s radio interview comes on. Delmond reaches out to his dad, even playing a few notes for him, but for some reason Albert is beyond hearing. He leaves without hearing the end of Delmond’s spot, and the sound of the trumpet morphs into the sound of sirens as he exits the home. (It seems that renovating is no problem if you already have a huge home and the cash money to pay.)

Colson gives a morning briefing to his unit, exhorting them to “let Bourbon Street be Bourbon Street,” because last night’s arrestee was not indecently exposed but rather “momentarily underdressed.” After the briefing, Colson discusses the Danziger case and Mike Hunter in particular from the NOPD point of view. He points out that the PD was given the order to fire from higher ups, but now they won’t admit it. As he talks with his sergeant, it feels as though he’s trying to convince not her, but himself.

Dreams:

· Davis and Annie go through their CD collection to eliminate dupes as a sign of their confidence in the relationship, and Davis reluctantly decides to allow his family to inflict themselves on her for Thanksgiving. Also, Davis has a new project in mind (“no quarter given”) which, because he’s Davis, could be genius or trainwreck or a good helping of both.
· Antoine decides he has enough “flex” to lead his own band. It’s apropos that he’s calling them the “Soul Apostles,” because his recruitment process is more evangelism than recruitment.
· Nelson tells Arnie to think “big picture.” By namedropping Liguori, he gets in with FEMA, and nails an initial contract of $200,000.
· LaDonna is bound and determined to hold on to her bar. Although she’s moving her mother to Baton Rouge, she’s thinking about offering live music to increase the traffic. The only downside? “Musicians.”
· Speaking of, Sonny gets his Karma Kan ripped off, and he wants to get off the street. He puts an ad up in The Music Exchange, where, hearing a child prodigy, he sees yet again the difference between competence and talent. (Anybody see Mildred Pierce?-think Veda’s tantrum in her bedroom.)

Not exactly within the “dream” category, Toni takes a new case against her better judgment. Even though she’s busy representing one of the Danziger families, she agrees to help a father from Massachusetts investigate the death of his son Joey. He acknowledges that things were crazy right after the storm, but his radar is pinging because he keeps getting different information from the NOPD. Toni can’t help herself-the case has her name written on it.

Desiree is working at the school when she runs into an old friend, a teacher who has to take an exam to get her job back. In the name of reform, all the teachers were fired and must recertify to be hired again. Evidently, two Teach for America teachers could be hired for the same expense as one experienced local teacher. In addition, there is an FBI probe into the Orleans Parish School board. Later on, Desiree talks with another colleague at Parents’ Night where one father says about the myriad problems, “In September it’s frustrating but now it’s just ridiculous.” (This could probably serve as the thesis statement for Season 2.) At least parents are showing up to the meetings now. (The feds are also investigating Congressman Jefferson, who misplaced $90,000 in his freezer, as Antoine mentions to Kermit.)

Meanwhile, in New York, Janette has a morbidly fascinating (hilariously awful? Frighteningly funny?) encounter with Chef Brulard. While holding the sweating poissonier beside her by the neck, he tells her to “listen to your fish.” He then proceeds to demonstrate how he wants to prepare the dish, even though it stops the line and customers leave. What a contrast with Janette last season with a floor full of people telling Jaques to drizzle something on a Hubig’s to make a customer happy. In addition, it’s clear that she’s “acting out” rather than just being an independent woman, because she’s brought home another one night stand who steals money from her wallet. Before that even happens, “I’ve got to pull it together,” she says presciently.

Similarly, Sofia is acting out, staying out late at a bar and not answering her mother’s cell phone calls. She’s living almost entirely in her own head, and has cut Toni out nearly completely. This also reflects back and shows the flip side of the “let Bourbon Street be Bourbon Street,” where a young girl who needs help can be out at a bar instead of shuffled home as in “any other city in Christendom.”

There were several moments that reflected back on what had come before. For example, Nelson chastised Arnie for not having explored his new city, to which Arnie responds, “I was working.” Later on, when Nelson hires his crews, they clearly see that he’s getting paid much more to broker the deals than they will for actually doing the work. Nelson’s the kind of guy with plenty of time to shake hands and make deals because he’s not doing the actual work.

Moments:

· Antoine playing “bone” with his daughter’s hand
· Toni, waiting for the absent Sofia, the sirens accentuating her worry
· Colson to Toni, “…he’s gonna know I’m your bitch…”
· Desiree admits she would have liked to see Antoine perform James Brown
· I can personally vouch that deep fried turkey is as good as they say
· Larry to LaDonna, “…wanted to leave one at a gas station in LaPlace but I couldn’t decide which one” (this shows another spark that hints at why LaDonna would be attracted to Larry to begin with)
· DJ Jeffy Jeff blissing out while Davis gets fired
· Mimi admiring Katey Red’s shoes at a Big Freedia show

And the huge, enormous moment, when Delmond discovers that Albert did not show up for Indian practice. BIG CHIEF DID NOT SHOW UP FOR INDIAN PRACTICE! In what other show can someone not showing up for something be so enormous? Davina and Delmond thought something might be wrong when Albert fell asleep at the table, but this clinches it.

The direction-Robbins usually shows the characters in motion from Janette on the subway to Nelson going from place to place to make his deals, etc. except for the Thanksgiving meal. Nice contrast there. He also shows the characters rubbing elbows, as Nelson and Arnie walk by as Antoine is talking to Wanda Rouzan. Antoine talks to Terrell Batiste in the same bar where Sofia is ignoring her cell phone. (I wonder if that will become a technique he uses, like Clark Johnson using external cameras like security cameras in his episodes of The Wire.) Even in cutting, he keeps a strong sense of the through-line. Bennie Pete tells Antoine, “Shit never be easy around here, you know that,” and Robbins cuts directly to Sofia, awake in her bed, again ignoring her mother’s attempts to reach out. Devastating.

More about Joe from the Hot 8 in Antoine’s conversation-Shotgun Joe, the trombonist, who was killed by the NOPD.

More about the trumpet player Terrell “Burger” Batiste

Oh, and that drummer talking about "act like you're from New Orleans," and David Simon said in production they just killed someone off? I think I know who... :(

Whew. Strong episode. What did I miss?

S2 Link Roundup for May 1

2011-05-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

Q and A with the director of "Bury the Hatchet."

More about Congo Square

Interview with Treme Episode 202 director Tim Robbins

Jazz Fest vs. Treme (Rawls writes that 202 was written by Pelecanos, but I believe it's David Simon)

Can't wait to tune in tonight! See you tomorrow for my thoughts and the recap links!

Behind the Song

2011-04-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

From HBO's YouTube Channel. Ben Ellman-"It's just an honor to be involved in the series in any way."

S2 Link Roundup for April 29

2011-04-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

African American Museum Unveils Treme Walking Tours (important historical education or Disneyfication? Discuss.)

Melissa Leo-Playing Toni Grounded Me

Info about the "Bury the Hatchet" documentary.

AV Club complains about the Treme theme song as an earworm. (Scroll down.) BTW, Kyle Ryan it's "buck jumping," not "bug jumping."

Call for Extras

2011-04-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Via The Gambit. Click to embiggen if necessary.

Cast DVD Signing, The State of Crime

2011-04-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

From Dave Walker:

Jazz Fest hot spot The Louisiana Music Factory has scheduled a "Treme" DVD signing for 11 a.m. May 4. Cast members expected to attend: Wendell Pierce (Antoine Batiste), Steve Zahn (Davis McAlary), Khandi Alexander (LaDonna Batiste-Williams), Clarke Peters (Albert Lambreaux), Rob Brown (Delmond Lambreaux) and Kermit Ruffins. The store's Jazz Fest schedule.

So this means Rob Brown is, or will be, in New Orleans...innnnterrrestingggg...

Lolis Eric Elie writing at Inside-Treme-Blog

In the fall of 2006, crime in New Orleans was on the rise, so much so that it made national news. In ‘Treme,’ Lt. Terry Colson (David Morse) alludes to several of these crimes during a phone interview with a reporter. Sonny (Michiel Huisman) witnesses a shooting much like a real one that took place in a French Quarter nightclub. D.J. Davis McAlary (Steve Zahn) ends the routine playing of the radio station’s concert listings with the advice that listeners go out, hear some live music and also: “Bring your gun.”

Tom Piazza with Brass Roots

2011-04-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

Tom Piazza is a writer for Treme as well as the author of the important work "Why New Orleans Matters."

Here's a newly posted video in which he speaks with the documentations of Brass Roots about brass band music.

S2 Link Roundup for April 27-Glen David Andrews

2011-04-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

Here is the timeline chart in the writer's room.

Glen David Andrews, heavily featured in Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke," will be showing up in Treme Season 2. Here's a re-link to a USA Today article with some quotes from him. See him at Jazz Fest in the Blues Tent (Sunday May 1, 3:55pm) and Gospel Tent (Sunday May 8, the closing set of the festival at 6:00pm).

And below, I'm pleased to post, is his latest single, a remix of Dr. John's "Gilded Splinters." Love it. I love his vocals-so glad we've got an old school shouter around. What's the saying, "How about some NEW oldies?"

Music to Clean To

2011-04-27T08:49:00.001-07:00

For Anonymous, here's the song Davis cleans his place to. Many thanks to Mel of Music of Treme for the get.

A Follow Up Question for Lolis Eric Elie

2011-04-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

During Rising Tide 5 last August, I had the opportunity to ask the Treme panel a question about their hopes for Season 2. Here's my take on writer (now Story Editor) Lolis Eric Elie's response at that time:

Lolis responded thoughtfully (as is his wont) that it's hard to explain to "folks from the rest of the country why we haven't been able to simply snap out of this and even people who were moderately patient will figure, well they had a whole year, so by the Fall of 2006, you should have been okay. My hope is that, we can among other things, help to give some sense of why even by the Fall of 2006 everything wasn't okay."

Now that we've started Season 2, I wondered if Lolis felt that this desire has been accomplished. Here's what he had to say:

"I can't really be the one to say we are 'there.' I can tell you where we are trying to get to, but the audiences have to be the judges. In this season, you're seeing different sides of all of our characters. That will become more apparent in coming weeks as Antoine Batiste (Wendell Pierce) and Sonny (Michiel Huisman) move into different worlds of their own.

"We're trying to make human connections. That's an ambition above and beyond the specifics of explaining post-Katrina recovery. Knowing what's to come in the season, I am confident that patient viewers will be rewarded and fans of good music will be doubly rewarded.

"There are aspects of this season--the return of crime, government and insurance company bureaucracy, mother-daughter tensions--that will ring true for lots of folks. I also think that this season is a bit easier to understand and appreciate in the earlier episodes. We don't have so much exposition to get out of the way. So people who may have been slow to embrace the show last season may enjoy the earlier episodes in ways that they came to enjoy the later episodes of last season."

What's interesting to me is that in the run up to the premiere, I had focused on some statements that the new season will address the return of crime, and will show more about the systems (like education) that indicated why "even by the Fall of 2006 everything wasn't okay." Lolis' statement reminds me that interpersonal relationships are another reason why. Already in the first episode, we see Toni and Sophia's struggle. I know I'll be keeping that in mind for later viewing. I suspect, however, that interpersonal relationships are also a reason for what might go right in Treme. Two sides of a coin.

Lolis Eric Elie's personal site

Lolis blogs at Inside-Treme-Blog

Housekeeping for Cross-Posts at the P. I.

2011-04-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

For those of you who read this blog at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, I've noticed a little interesting thing in the cross-posting. I often go back and update a published post, particularly when I'm doing link roundups and I find more to add. If the post has already been published at the P. I., then the updates do not seem to get moved over. I encourage you to come over to the main site to see the most updated posts, again, most especially the link roundups.

MR. GO

2011-04-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

No Antoine...

H/T @MusicofTreme

S2 Link Roundup for April 26

2011-04-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

How to download performance videos on iTunes

New Orleans is Back and So Is the Talent -USA Today

"Local music at the festival is stronger than ever," says producer/director Quint Davis, who sees Louisiana culture, and by extension the festival, entering a golden era. "New Orleans has more highly accomplished, nationally known talent than maybe ever, and it's continuing to grow in all areas. It used to be you'd come to Jazz Fest and not know who was on stage. In 2011, people know."

Steve Earle at Spinner

Which TV show has cast the most The Wire alumni? (video)

Where the Tuba Lives:...at A Blog Supreme

Dave Walker's Today in Treme

Kim Dickens on Random Rules

2011 Big Easy Awards

Steve Earle at Preservation Hall, playing "This City" from S1.

Episode 11 "Accentuate the Positive"

2011-04-24T23:30:00.000-07:00

Where we at?

It's All Saints' Day, November 1, 2006, 14 months after the storm. A boy plays the same five notes over and over again, until his mom sends him off the porch and down the street toward the cemetery, where LaDonna and her mother visit Daymo's grave. The boy's notes almost, sometimes, begin to sound like "Oh When the Saints..." and Antoine plays a tribute to Danny Nelson on his trombone. Sofia and Toni give tribute to Creighton by having that lemon ice at Brocato's that he was holding out for. And then John Boutte gives us that indelible theme song for the opening credits, slightly updated for 2006.

Written by Eric Overmyer, with the restaurant scenes handled by Anthony Bourdain, and directed by Anthony Hemingway, the Season 2 premiere checks us in with our cast of characters, and introduces one new major player. Sonny's on the street playing and railing against posers, Janette's in a NYC restaurant presided over by a tyrannical chef, Annie's on tour with the subdudes (busting out some solid vocals!), Sofia's ranting a la her father on YouTube, and Davis is playing too much Bounce on WWOZ.

If any major events in the episode should be pulled out for examination, it's Delmond's interaction with his intellectual NYC circle, who say that his new CD "transcends" New Orleans. They make the argument that the New Orleans musicians are "trapped in amber," and how Delmond gets so riled up is a clear indication of where his head is. He's become a defender of his city since S1, and although he has said the very same things before, he's in a "nobody picks on my family but me" mindset. Already it's evident that New Orleans has a pull on Delmond that he can't deny.

Secondly, Nelson Hidalgo's arrival to New Orleans to participate in the "unique opportunity" heralds an ominous new phase in the so-called recovery. He fits in about as well as Marvin the Martian, with his tailored suits, his leased Jag, his glad-handing and his slick, practiced charm. He relies on his cousin ("Cuz!") Arnie, the Best Little Bouncer in Texas turned roofer, for about 5 seconds, until he name-drops his way into the company of a major banker. Their conversation about "fixing" New Orleans into a "great, modern, 21st century city" sounds like a massive "clam" note in the song of the city.

(I suspect that there will be some who feel that Seda's performance is just as off-pitch, but I decided that it works for me. Hidalgo is a different creature, with a different rhythm and attack, to use some musical terms. He's meant to seem alien. Will he be the next step on the Davis-Sonny aggravation scale?)

Housing is something of a theme in this episode. Janette is rooming with two other restaurant workers, one of whom is played by James Ransone (Ziggy from "The Wire"), and Sonny's roomates are running drugs out of their house. Poke comes back and wants his bar from Albert, and Desiree and Antoine go back to her mother's house to remove a few things before selling. It's been in the family for generations, but they can't afford to fix it.

The performances, the true joy of Treme, were just as fantastic as we've come to expect. In addition to the subdudes, Annie played with John Boutte and Paul Sanchez, and Antoine picked up some vocals with Bonerama on "MR. GO." ** Juvenile performed "Corner to the Block," and we finished up on "I'll Fly Away" with Baby Boyz.

The references were coming fast and furious, including Colson talking about the tragedy of Zack and Addie, the Danziger Bridge shootings, the curfew, increases in second line fees due to "safety" issues, police harassment of musicians on Jackson Square, and Toni's "Harry Lee story." Oh, and let's not forget, LaDonna is cautiously optimistic about the Saints' new quarterback.

Moments: what New Orleans creates, and this production team is so good at capturing...

Janette's lonely drink at the NY bar
the passing of the torch from Sonny to Davis
Davis trashing his dishes rather than washing them
Lambreaux's entering his house again, reminiscent of the opening of S1
Lambreaux neck deep in his paperwork, and holding his $495 insurance check
Antoine and Desiree steeling themselves to enter her mother's house
Hidalgo's salsa dancing in Gigi's
passerby telling the new trumpet player "It'll get easier" symbolic of the larger hope

(Did Clarke Peters not speak a single word in the episode? Powerful presence, that face alone.)

Everything played as parts to a well integrated whole. Sofia's "state of the union" address worked better than her mother's new employee orientation in terms of exposition for the audience, but Melissa Leo's performance will always be one to watch. Toni's busy with her career, still in mourning for her husband, openly wounded that she can't soothe her daughter's pain-there is so much going on there.

Last season's tag was "Won't Bow, Don't Know How", and this season's is "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams." That's a lot less triumphant. I look forward to seeing what dreams may come for Treme's players to wrap their troubles in. Because those troubles are still there. Most of the city is "doped to cope," gunfire rings out, and the kids speak in monosyllables when they're not acting out sarcastically. Accentuate the positive, indeed.

**A lot of the flooding pushed backward up the MR. GO from the Gulf.

Episode 11 Recaps and Reviews

2011-04-24T22:25:00.000-07:00

Dave Walker's Explainer

Alan Sepinwall

TV Squad

Karen Dalton Beninato from the viewing party at the R Bar

Matt Zoller Seitz

"Treme" might be the first major American TV series that's mainly about how trauma messes with people's heads, and how hard it is to recover from it.

Entertainment Weekly's Pop Watch

Z on TV

Dark Brown Waffles

Television Without Pity

A Blog Supreme

Sound of Treme (more about the boy new to the trumpet)

The Root

Washington Post (refers to some plot lines in later episodes-beware)

Flavorwire

Slant

Offbeat

Season 2 Antoine

2011-04-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

HBO

Reader Questions Answered by Simon and Overmyer, Also Preview Season 2

2011-04-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

Reader Questions

Simon: I remember years ago when I went to work on “Homicide,” Jim Yoshimura (a writer/executive producer for “Treme’s” second season) handed me a copy of Chekov’s plays and said, “Look how they talk around each other. They never quite say what they mean to say. Or, they do for a moment, but then they veer away.”
Overmyer: They barely confront what they need to confront, and they suffer the consequences. Ain’t that life?
Simon: If at any point you’re starting to do that Clifford Odets (coming) right at it, then you’re in danger of cannibalizing what’s human about the story for your argument.
Overmyer: So that stuff will be in there, but we hope organically.

Season 2 according to the creators

The other thing about HBO is they let you tell a story and they try not to kill a story out. Is this a three-year arc? Is this a four-year arc? Is it a five-year arc? Eric and I really have to sit down after the season and make an argument for what we think, and it has to be an organic argument. I don’t want to go in there and argue for incremental seasons (by saying), ‘But we want to hear more music.’ That’s not a reason (to continue).

Profiles in Treme

2011-04-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dave Walker asked a few questions to a number of us who blog or professionally review Treme. Here's what we said.
Alan Sepinwall
Back of Town
A Blog Supreme
Inside-Treme-Blog (Lolis Eric Elie, Story Editor)
Music of Treme
NewOrleans.com
Sound of Treme
Watching Treme w00t!

Treme Viewing Parties!

2011-04-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

The Gambit has a run down of public viewing parties for tonight's premiere!