We are going to try and double back for BOW, but like I said?  it just depends on my energy level.  six miles to parade?  is the longest parade I’ve ever done, and I haven’t done it yet.  HAH…   however, I’m sure that it will all be fun, and exhausting.   I look forward to Wani, and Howard being with me, and can’t wait to see how we are received.

Come Monday?  sleep, rest, and then come tuesday?  we are up and out the door at five am, to wake up friends, and clang, and do a tradition, thats been around since the 1700′s…   for us?  our first time.  http://www.chrisbickford.com/wp/2010/02/24/the-bone-gang/

look for me and my bonez

wiccan and bone queen

laissez les bonez tempz rouler

Yes, it sounds a bit strange, but when it comes to mardigras?  there’s always a surprize, and then some.  I just joined this krewe, with Skinz N Bonez, we will be marching with them come Feb 19th, first parade of the day!   Joining us will be maracatu from NY, and look for us with a colorful mayan theme.

Now lets get to the gras!  Skinz N Bonez will roll in krewedelusion on february fourth, right behind krewe du vieux.  the ball this year?  is at the “four corners” of st claude, respectfully, hi ho lounge, siberia, allways and kajuns pub.  one cover charge gets you into all four clubs, and the hi ho lounge will be featuring ratty scurvix and oops da clown on trapeze.  this is a show you won’t soon forget, so get dressed in costume, and join the fun.

skinz n bonez will be all over the place this gras, watching parades, and flash mob’n clubs.  we roll again with kids, in Okeanos parade uptown on feb 19th!   parade start time is 11am!   look for us with a fabulous addition of a drum core band in town for big chief donald harrison.   us bonez be stylin with this new groove!

We will be out and about for muses, krewe d’etat, 610 stompers parade with chewbacchus, and then taking lundi gras off, to wake up early for mardigras morning.  We are picking TEN only to wake up, and if your chosen, or would like to be chosen?  you need to talk to us now!   those chosen will get special throws, and a gift, created by skinz n bonez!

later in the day?  we’ll cross over with st ann, krewe of pyrates, backstreet cultural museum, the baby dolls, and big chief of the northside skull and bonez, bruce “sunpie” barnes.   see you out there!

come st pats?  we are rolling in an irish wedding parade!  then look for us between jazzfest weekends, as we roll with the one and only darryl dancingman young, our 504bone as we bring a childrens heal to toe workshop to the streets!

get out there and support live local secondlines!

a very scary christmas to all

it was a wonderful weekend, with the Big Nine SA and PC coming out of the hi ho lounge on sunday.  followed by skinz n bonez, and then followed by a skinz n bonez christmas party and saints game.

The secret santa skellie gift swap was down and dirty, and some of the gifts were beyond expectations.   we had the bottle of pyrat rum, the silver drum, the skull head, the bracelets, the ornaments, hats, and all kinda goodness.   Breakfast was just as fantastic, as everyone brought out all kinds of good foods to munch upon.

We then mosey’d over to the christmas caroling in jackson square, and then on to nog and log at the allways lounge.   it was a long day, but one filled with all kinds of boney love.

here’s to skinz n bonez…

titled “its yours take it”, reaches another year, where you donate toys, and walk away with art.  hundreds of artists donate to this, and to boot?  celebrity bartender lou lou the muse is in the house, Razor of Complexity as the DJ, and many local artists have booths so you can xmas shop.   it begins at noon, address is 2239 st claude avenue.  I’ll be there, just like last year, to watch the smiles as we collect toys for tots.

december 18th?  is a great day too, as Big Nine Social Aid and Pleasure club come out of the hi ho lounge for their yearly parade.  this year?  Skinz N Bonez sponsers with a potluck breakfast party, and xmas gig to boot.   be there early, as this parade rolls round ten am, then returns later in the day for some holiday fun.   secret santa skellie as well, you make it, wrap it, and we then exchange gifts.  all welcome.

then of course there’s Surrey’s on magazine street, and a fabulous showing of local artists, including myself, crystal shelton and elsie semmes, and will smith jr.  get to surrey’s, both locations this holiday season, and support local artists.

and here’s to coco robicheaux… may you rest in peace lovely soul.

then, I’d like to thank skinz n bonez for doing anba dlo this year.  again, we always seem to be the center of attention.

skinz n bonez

here’s to crystal shelton photography.  she just is the best.  To Darryl?  thanks my love, to Wildman?  thanks my wild…  to my skinz n bonez?  fabulous.   and theres more…

WWOZ to talk about 6t’9, WWOZ to talk about the fire on spain, WGNO for talking about anba dlo, and thanks to sallie ann glassman for giving me the opportunity to be the poster artist this year.  Thanks to Stella Mayfair season of the witch, for the opportunity to donate to habitat, and sell art at the auction.  thanks to soundgarden… for a fabulous show last night.  still bone crushing and intense, and still one of my favorite all time bands.  nice score from matt!

here’s to schuyler who is here to finish the documentary on sallie, that I got to participate in, here’s to cherie, for her new book I’m in, here’s to the hi ho lounge for supporting my boney adventures, here’s to skinz n bonez for making boney dreams come true, and if your looking for more mardiclaw art?  hi ho lounge, crossroads art bazaar, and jimmy j’s cafe here real soon.

loves to y’alls.  see ya out there over the weekend.

Firefighters climb into a home containing five apartments at the corner of Spain Street and Dauphine Street while responding to a Sunday-night blaze.

No one was injured in the blaze but seven tenants who live in the complex at the corner of Spain Street and Dauphine Street were left homeless. The apartments, part of a converted home that was two stories on Spain Street and a single story on Dauphine Street, were left badly damaged, with siding burned away and little remaining unscathed inside.

The fire started at the wall between two of the units on Dauphine Street about 9:40 p.m., though the exact cause of the blaze was under investigation Sunday night, Acting Deputy Chief Chris Mickal said.

Madison Chomsky said she saw the fire as she was walking by the apartments. Chomsky called 9-1-1 and knocked on doors of apartments in the area to warn residents, she said.

Six fire engines, three ladder trucks and several chiefs and special units from the Third District responded to the blaze and had it under control by 10:30 p.m., Mickal said. Dauphine remained clogged with trucks and firefighters who were spraying the house from both inside and from the road until past 11 p.m.

here’s more info…

on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107589052686254

and the benefit… is nov 13th at the hi ho lounge.

2239 st claude avenue.
Featuring Lagniappe Brass Band and Dancingman504
wild tcoupatoulas and more
7th ward Creole hunters
stomach pump
Amanda Hickey and the Bruises
Skinz N Bonez
burlesque
HBO giveaways for raffle, lots of promo
art and gift certificates donated
and the list is growing.
if you would like to help us with raffle, donate prizes, clothing and more? we’d like to hear from you. mardiclaw@gmail.com also, if your a musician, and want to play…

in the next day or so? a bank account will open up for cash donations. we have five apartments now displaced, two of which lost everything. some pets are also missing, and we don’t know where. Also, clothing, anything. as this list grows, I’ll add more entertainment to it.

in the meantime, please pay attention to the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107589052686254

skinz n bonez at festigals

great evening had by all, big shout out to dancingman504 and my bonez…  ladies, you were fabulous…

dancingman504 and skinz n bonez

and a big thank you to crystal shelton.  !!

skinz n bonez at pynk spandex oak street

skellie brellies for sale

these gems are secondline umbrellas and are sale at the hi ho lounge.  the money directly goes to skinz n bonez, and the 6t9 parade.  also of note, there are tshirts available… all these things can be purchased by sending me a message through this website, and I’ll return with the details.  tshirts are $15, and secondline umbrellas are $30.  each are hand sewn, glued, painted, and blessed by skinz n bonez.

skinz n bonez tshirt desizn

that would be white on black.  these are also at the hi ho lounge, located at 2239 st claude avenue, new orleans, la.

you can also sign up for 6t’9 social aid and pleasure club.

throw me sumtin mistah

lucky’s bar 1625 st charles avenue

avenue pub 1725 st charles avenue

surrey’s uptown 4807 magazine street

we entered our 504DM and wildman got to be a judge, so the contestants got on stage, then danced round the room collecting money.  I gave dollar after dollar to 504DM, some to buccaneer rick, and to irish, and when they got on the stage?  the cheers for 504DM were obviously loud, and he got into the finals, then of course?  he won.   He surrendered the title to Buccaneer Rick of the krewe of pirates and wenches, because afterall?  its talk like a pyrate day, and a pyrate should win the crown.

the money was raised, and still more needs to happen so we can send our kid to disneyland with his family.  it was a magical night, then we headed to decatur, where we crashed the balcony bar, then crashed vaso, then DBA.  we ended our evening at the hi ho lounge.  fun was had all the way around.  I can’t wait to do it again.

stay tuned for more info, or join them on facebook.

wildman john and mardiclaw / skinz n bonez gang

the previous day was midsummer mardigras.  the debut of one gang of lady bones, aka  skinz n bonez.   these ladies and wildman, and the soul sweeper, rolled through uptown with all kinds of noiz.   joining them was one 504dancingman  darryl young.   watch for more updates on this page about these ladies.   they meet each sunday at the hi ho lounge at six, for practice.   WITH dancing man teachin the moves.

happy midsummer mardigras!

I know I did, but I wasn’t in town, I was in st augustine, florida, enjoying surf and sand.

tonite is the follow up to white linen, with dirty linen.  The krewe of pyrates and wenches are out there tonite, in full force, as well as those who are participating in the red dress run.  the city is done painted red, and dirty.  LOL!

I am well rested, and ready to begin anew, with a whole new perspective on art.  so look for me, my booth, and my speech, at the grande opening of the new orleans healing center, august 28th.  I’m probably going to be a little under the weather, as the night before?  is midsummer mardigras.  come check out skinz n bonez debut.

see ya out there.

I got the honor of donating two pieces.

the opening is wed july 20th at PK Gallery, located at 938 Royal street, for one night only. whatever doesn’t sell? will go to burning man. five to 11pm. please stop in and support this event.

I also got asked by noomoon, to do a panel for their installation as well. I will start this sometime this week. I wish I could go to burning man, but I guess in an odd way I AM.

dropped off the ANBA DLO piece today, and Tom Harvey will be handling it from this point out.
great day for me. hope all is good for all of you, and see you tomorrow.

yes, I’m back. this time showing about 35 pieces for my summer sale, prior to OFF WHITE LINEN… off white will be in conjunction with WHITE LINEN august 6th, at camp and calliope. featuring over 10 artists, musicians, clothing, jewelry, good abita brew, and friends. this is the 7th year in a row for off white, see ya there.

also showing a few works at lucky’s on st charles avenue.
also just named the official artist for anba dlo.

see ya out there.
drums every sunday, at the hi ho lounge.

can I get a whodat?

black and gold reign a repost
December 16, 2010 by mardiclaw

I knew back a few weeks, when I decided to paint a giant Drew Brees, that something was different. Maybe it was sitting there watching each game, each week, being on the computer and sharing the plays with friends, or the entire city showing their faith, but I knew then, what I see now… A Black and Gold Supabeauxl.

From that first game after katrina that held us all together, to last nights victory, we’ve come from great tragedy to a great victory. The dome represents so many horrific things, right down to the fact that they painted it white shortly after, so as to not remind us of “Katrina”. I had friends at the dome that fateful night, and the stories were shameful. The people inside, and those at the convention center, all “Entertainment” for an America that sat and watched helpless as this city drowned. We were a tragedy unfolding, and becoming ONE giant reality TV show gone LIVE.

The Emotions of that first home game with U2 and green day seemed to set the tone for the victory we would wait four years for. A Victory that each one of us earned, even though sometimes, it was on a couch with a beer in hand. Victory was KEY, to a city that has been struggling to move forward. Drew Brees coming to the game, to represent and help us rebuild, not only our Faith, but our team.

That last game? When fans showed at the Superdome with family members ashes, and more… The time had come. Fans representin the black and gold, and the decibles inside reflected the amount of pride and energy that WHO DAT fans have. Team members couldn’t hear each other, and the black and gold grew louder.

Jokes with locals revolved around the fact that it was mardi gras, and we were all trained to scream for beads, therefore, screaming for a black and gold supabeauxl, had just crashed into the greatest gras since Katrina.

I remember being broken down in a car, somewhere in Alabama, driving back from a wedding we thought we’d never go to, but did, once forced to leave a drowned city. Car broken down, and a new friend arriving to bring us to his house, while we waited for a ride back. He turned on that game, and I became a puddle of tears seeing the Saints on the field, while we all were roaming the country for someplace not only to live, but to SEE that game.

Then the return to the dome, and U2, green day, september ending, and the beginning of the mass return to New Orleans herself. Coming home to no electricity, no heat, no hot water, and yet, proud to be home. Even if it meant racing from one red cross station to another for ice, one salvation army truck after another, or driving long distances to make groceries, or dealing with a forced curfew, that you NEVER thought possible in a city once 24/7. Katrina may have crushed us on television sets, but back home, we were finally rising up, and returning…. NO MATTER WHAT.

It became evident that something was happening. That Gras had no brass bands until we got to muses… and babylon and chaos… that night the music returned, and that night a white float passed by with no riders… symbolizing all those lost during that fateful night. The playing cards I scored that night spoke of all the politicians who had turned their backs on us, and left us to drown. An Entire country that saw us as less than human, like animals caged and set free to pillage a city that was left behind. NOT ONE GOOD story that happened, was put on tv to linger as long as the stories of looting, and shooting. AND as someone who DID stay and walk around, my anger inside was turning to rage.

A nation that sat glued to a television set watching a third world country go through a MAN MADE disaster… (yes thats right, the levee failures) and a nation making social commentary on the fact that THEY didn’t think we should EVEN HAVE A GRAS! Well, I think that southern comfort billboard said it all…. NOTHING STOPS MARDI GRAS…. NOTHING.

We were all returning, home or no home, to bond as new orleanians at the mardi gras. Some for the first time since the storm. And now, the Black and Gold Mardi Gras begins… From what I saw out and about last night? This will be a gras to remember. One filled with as much Joy as that first one after katrina. People were in their cars headed to the french quarter last night… the entire gulf coast just took a deep collective sigh, and felt that release of grief, that relief of pride and glory, KNOWING that last nights television airing of the supabeauxl, was now showing america something heroic, and not a tragedy.

That fateful day, that brought us to our knees, was forever changed by one Drew Brees…. I can honestly say that I’ve never felt such emotion during a football game. We had a few who hadn’t seen a supabeauxl game, we had a few who knew nothing of the game, we had some who had a hard time watching because they had been such lifelong fans, and then there were those in the room so confident that they just smiled during those first few moments where we were behind.

Texts poured in from friends all over the country at the beginning of this game… a nationwide WHO DAT NATION rose to the occasion…. I mean, who doesn’t like to see the Underdog win? . I laughed at all the music that has risen up just FOR this occasion. WHO DATS everywhere were joyful, and we were ALL IN THAT NUMBER.

We were all marching in at that kickoff… I knew a voodoo priest who had blessed them, I knew fans with parents ashes at that game, I knew there were voodoo dolls with pins waiting to come out, I heard about the citywide prayer vigil, I knew that this religious city would bring out all the spirits, and those long gone, would be standing over us, and I knew it was going to be a victory.

The Spirits, the Sinners, and all the Saints, would make sure that the black and gold were no longer “Ain’ts”. Knew the second half would be when we made it OUR game. And there it was. the entire room rose up, and the city with it.

The deafening sound of victory in New Orleans was now rising, and we were there. I ran out the house with friends into the street… Cars were going by playing get crunk! Standing there in the middle of the street in the cold? was something I’ll remember for a lifetime. You could hear bourbon street, you could hear the neighborhood, and car horns, fireworks, who dats everywhere windows flew up and yelling WHO DAT WHO DAT WHO DAT WHO DAT… It was almost like a Dr Seuss dream… all the cindy lou who dats were out the BOX! I even got a text “WHO DA FUCK DAT”, and it was like the WHO DAT that went around the world.!!

I know for the next six months the “WHO DAT” will be the common greeting. I know that come tuesday, I will see history… the parade that we have waited for, will come out of the DOME SWEET DOME, and roll through this great city… a sea of black and gold, and JOY… sheer JOY. Looking about the room at that victorious moment? TEARS streaming, TEARS flowing… laughter, tears, joy and more…

Then seeing all the who dats in Miami, refusing to leave the stadium? BIG LAUGHTER all around. When I got home later? They were still sitting there WAITING for their team…

I ate so much food yesterday, because of the anxiety, because of all the energy I was expending just watching… waiting for it.. I felt I had played that game by the time it was over, I was exhausted. I got to watch it with some very close friends too, which made it even better…

Then the texts poured in again from all over the country. WHO FUCKIN DAT, seemed to be the resounding who dat pouring forth… The walk to the quarter, staring at that giant parking lot of fans, flags, screams, horns, high fives, sheer joy, and more… the party had officially started.. my thoughts of how great it would be, having america see us, ALL of us, showing our black and gold… WITH NO RIOTING…

An incredible thing to even think of going to miami? I don’t think so. I’m proud fans went there, I’m even prouder that folks are heading here right now… knowing that this mardi gras is gonna be the shit. Knowing that the amount of money pouring out of the pockets, and into the city? YEAH U RITE!

I can only believe what the quarter looks like RIGHT NOW. No one has slept, NO one… NO ONE WILL BE AT WORK TODAY… we have come back… we brought the hurricane brees to miami, we have a NEW MAYOR, and a NEW BEGINNING, and no more PITY PARTY… but a Pride that will glow for quite some time. LOMBARDI GRAS is ON!!! If you are thinking of coming here? get moving… this is history, and this time? I hope Americans who dissed us take note… We might be a third world country inside the US, but WE HERE… WE BACK… WE DAT! WHO DAT!