The Ocean Krewe at the Takoma Park Mardi Gras Pub Crawl

On Tuesday night March 8, Bob and I participated in the first annual Takoma Park Mardi Gras Pub Crawl.  We went out with Jennifer Cutting (whose idea it was) and her friends to celebrate Mardi Gras in Takoma Park.  The week before, Jennifer had given us a song to learn, called “Vive L’Amour,” or “Mon Aimable Brune.”  It’s a traditional Cajun tune.  We went over to her house the Sunday before to rehearse and to get our costumes.  I brought a triangle and my banjo ukulele.  I didn’t think that the triangle fit the music well, so I learned the chords to the song.  Bob brought his shaky egg.  We worked on the song so much that it was stuck in our heads for days after.  Even now, I’m afraid to listen to the song again.

Jennifer had gone to a going-out-of-business sale at a costume shop (Oh, how I wish I’d known about it!) and we had some interesting pieces to pick from.  Bob put on an enormous turban covered with fake pearls and jewels, and a Turkish military vest.  I got a colorful sequined jacket that she had found at a thrift store.  Riki Schneyer, our lead singer, brought feathered masks, and I got one with peacock feathers, red feathers, and sequins.  I put on a bright red fez, and wore some of my Mardi Gras beads over everything, and believe it or not, it was not too much…for Mardi Gras, that is.  Almost nothing is over the top for Mardi Gras.

On Tuesday night, Bob and I drove to the parking lot for the Olive Lounge and left our car there, because that was supposed to be our last stop.  We walked from there to our first destination, Cedar Crossing.  It was a several block walk, and we were in our finery at the time.  No one said anything, which doesn’t surprise me anymore.  I once rode the Metro wearing a purple wig, and no one said anything about that, either.  We got to Cedar Crossing, and Jennifer wasn’t there, so I called her on her cell, and she was on her way.

In the meantime, a guy with a fiddle case showed up, and we figured that he was with us, and so did he.  He came over and waited with us…a friendly guy named Bruce Lebovitz (he turned out to be  good fiddler, too).  Jennifer came over, wearing a long bluish-green wig, and a matching dress, and knee-high silver sequin boots.  And she was carrying a bright red accordion, which she played throughout the evening.  We sang our song once, and handed out throw beads.  The owner, Singh, made us all drinks, Bourbon Street martinis.  Steve Smith showed up, and I handed him the camera and asked him to take a video of us singing, which he did, so we have three videos to remember this by.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLy4Hv7WuwY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36abfJvHsE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUvG9kbvHYg
Still photographs:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tackyjulie/sets/72157626228099140/

We went on to Roscoe’s Pizzeria where we we paraded through the dining room, singing our song and handing out beads (throwing them wouldn’t do in a restaurant).  We stayed a while and had drinks.  Bob and I ordered the apple pie, which was apple slices, nutella, and white chocolate on a pizza crust.  It was yummy.  After that we went over to the Olive Lounge and we were well received there, too.  By that time, I was wishing that we knew more than one song.

Bob was in great form that night.  He really got into being in costume…even Jennifer noticed a transformation in him as soon as he put on his mask.  After all isn’t that what Mardi Gras is all about?