“I remember one time right after Katrina we were playing across the street at the Spotted Cat. And this guy came in and grabbed the tip jar…”
– “Washboard” Chaz Leary (Musician)
[Photo Courtesy of Washboard Chaz.]
WC: … I got here in December 2000. And I sat in right around mid-December at Snug Harbor With the Phister Sisters. That was my introduction to playing on Frenchmen Street. Café Brasil was still happening with Adé. The Spotted Cat had just opened up. This place [d.b.a] had just opened up the year before, in ‘99.
Back then it was still kind of—it was scary, you know? Raymond Myles’ body had just been dumped out [in October, 1998], right out there in front of Café Brasil. I used to feel wary about it at night.
I remember one time right after Katrina we were playing across the street at the Spotted Cat. Like I was saying, it was kind of rough and tumble after the storm. And this guy came in and grabbed the tip jar and took off.
The door guy starts throwing bottles of beer at him and then takes off after him. And right then, this cop on a horse comes up and says “What’s up?” and we’re like, “That guy stole the tip jar!” and he takes off after him—cloppity cloppity clop down the street—and the guy turns around and sees the horse, he’s like “AHHH!” Throws all the money in the air and keeps running.
Eventually the cop got him. It was like the mounties, you know? Very impressive.
And then believe it or not, this guy came back like twenty minutes later and said, “Hey man, I picked up all your money.” And put it in the bucket!
So that was one of the many stories. There was also the time Stevie Wonder was onstage at d.b.a, and the time Tom Jones was at the Apple Barrel singing R’n’B songs til 5 in the morning. Buyin’ everybody drinks and stuff.
It was a nice little scene for friends and neighbors and locals. Saw a couple taxis, but it was just private car parking. And now, nothing but Ubers just sitting there in the middle of the street. Now I usually I get out of here as fast as possible. Maybe hang at the bar a little bit. Sometimes I go see a couple friends of mine up and down the street, but it’s just jam-packed with tourists. I like to get back to Markey’s. To the neighborhood bars.
Lots of the traditional-style bands—like the Cottonmouth Kings, the Jazz Vipers, and the Hot Club of New Orleans—formed on The Square [Jackson Square] when we were playing with Tuba Fats, John Rodli, Joe Braun, Robert Snow… And we kind of incubated that scene, believe it or not, at The Abbey. And then we brought it down here to Frenchmen.
I mean, it was so bizarre! We’d be at the Abbey, playing in the corner, and it’d be regular … you know, Abbey people. Back in 2000, 2001. And they dug it! Every now and then, you’d see a tourist come by and say, “Oh, what’s all of that?” They’d look in and say “I don’t know, what do you think honey?”
Then they’d come in and have a great time! They’d be buying drinks, asking each other “Wanna get tattoos?” and having a great ol’ time. And then at 2 o’clock, 2:30 the strippers would come dance on the bar.
