Direct from Rupaul's Drag. The Krewe of Amon-Ra's Bunny Reject contest came to a hilarious

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1 Easter Grand Marshals XIII Rhonda Roget and Darwin Reed receive official mayoral proclamations from EGM II and New Orleans Human Relations Commission Executive Director Larry Bagneris at the 13th Purple Party Easter Grand Marshals Reception. Hosted at The Double Play, the annual event raised $8, for the 13th Gay Easter Parade benefiting Food For Friends in New Orleans. Direct from Rupaul's Drag Race, Sharon Needles performs at B-Bob's in downtown Mobile to an enthusiastic crowd. New Mr. Phoenix Leather 2012 Lance is joined by judge Troy Powell following stiff competition at the Phoenix in New Orleans. Gay Easter Parade Boards Tittie Toulouse and Electra City received an official city proclamation from EGM II and New Orleans Human Relations Commission Executive Director Larry Bagneris celebrating the 10th Spring Fever Extravaganza hosted at Chef Ron's Gumbo Stop and Club LAX in Metairie. Benefiting the Gay Easter Parade/Food For Friends, the event raised $7,502. (Photo: GEP Boards Tittie Toulouse, Electra City, Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain with Larry Bagneris, GEP Boards Opal Masters & Tony Leggio) The Krewe of Amon-Ra's Bunny Reject contest came to a hilarious close with 1st runner-up Miss January Eva Lena Doucher, 2nd runnerup Miss June Willamena Boucher and winner Miss April Frankie Fierce announced by MC and Queen Amon-Ra XLVII Barry Rutherford at Oz in New Orleans. Frankie won a carriage for two in the 13th Gay Easter Parade. Friends gathered at The Friendly Bar celebrating the life of legendary bar owner Alice Brady. A commemorative brick was installed outside the Friendly by Yanette, Don and Marty in memory of Alice L. Brady. celebrazzi Cathy Fox premiered her new show Tres Femme at JohnPaul's in New Orleans with Miss Gay Pride Monica Sinclaire-Kennedy, Summer Rayne, Josie Mae Cotton, Voice of Pride Derrick Stevens, Persana Shoulders and Raven Kennedy. 6 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM April 10-23, 2012 Official ficial Gay Easter Parade Guide GayEasterParade.COM

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3 the "official" dish...from 4 Traditional Jazz Stage at the French Market: 10:30 am Swing dance lesson / 12: s Charleston dance lesson / 3:00 Balboa Swing dance lesson Author and Artists at French Quarter Festival Festival-goers can enjoy the Pirates Alley Juried Art Show presented by the New Orleans Art Association, open Saturday and Sunday of the festival from 8am to 6pm with over 100 artists displaying original fine art on Pirates Alley, Pere Antoine Alley, Cabildo Alley, and Royal Street. French Quarter Festival Artist and Author Signings, featuring Brandon Delles, official poster artist for the 2012 French Quarter Festival and Kit Wohl, author of New Orleans Classic Brunches-French Quarter Festival edition - Jackson Square near the merchandise tent Poster Artist Brandon Delles will sign every day from 11am to 7pm, and Saturday from 11am. to 5pm. Kit Wohl will sign her book on Friday and Saturday from noon to 5pm and on Sunday from noon to 3pm. French Quarter Festival Artist Poster Signing and Reception, featuring 2012 French Quarter Festival poster artist Brandon Delles Vincent Art Gallery, 631 Decatur; hors d oeuvres and refreshments will be served 5pm to 9pm. Musical Special Events at French Quarter Festival (All events are free and open to the public) French Quarter Festival Second- Line Kickoff Parade led by New Birth Brass Band 100 block of Bourbon Street to Jackson Square Friday, April 13th at 10am. Opera at Dusk operatic performances with musical accompaniment from a beautiful French Quarter Balcony. Sponsored by La Belle Galerie; 300 block of Chartres Saturday, April 14th at 6pm. Battle of the Bands Traditional Jazz bands compete in a rousing playoff on the steps of the Supreme Court building on Royal Street. This year s bands include Cori Walters and the Universe Jazz Band, Andrew Hall s Memories of New Orleans and Bob Walters Good Time Jazz Band 400 block of Royal Street Saturday, April 14th from 5:30pm to 7pm. New Orleans Jazz Orchestra Concert at St. Louis Cathedral - Grammy Award-winner Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra will perform original Jazz arrangements of Negro spirituals and sacred music St. Louis Cathedral Saturday, April 14th at 6pm. Dancing at Dusk Audiences will be In the Mood for a Sentimental Journey with the sounds of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Count Basie and other favorites from the 30 s, 40 s and 50 s. Dance and swing on picturesque Royal Street at this festival favorite. This year s big band is Rocky s Hot Fox Trot Orchestra 400 Block of Royal Street Sunday, April 15th from 6pm 7:15pm. The St. Louis Cathedral Annual Spring Concert Under the direction of Dreux Montegut, the Saint Louis Cathedral Concert Choir and Orchestra, joined by Loyola University Chamber Singers and New Orleans Vocal Arts Chorale, will perform at the St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square. The combined ensembles will perform the Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K 339 by W. A. Mozart and the Missa Kenya by Paul Basler St. Louis Cathedral - Sunday, April 15th at 7pm. Rouses World Championship Crawfish Eating Contest Hosted by the IFEA (International Federation of Eating) Professional and celebrity eaters battle to eat the most crawfish by the pound. The professional eaters round will be preceded by a media round Old U.S. Mint, 400 Barracks Street Saturday, April 14th at 12noon. Fireworks are back! Sponsored by Tropical Isle 2012 brings the return of the fireworks show presented by Pyrotecnico and sponsored by Tropical Isle. Fireworks are scheduled for Saturday, April 14th at 9pm over the Mississippi River. Fireworks were last seen at French Quarter Festival in April 2005 (pre- Hurricane Katrina). New series! Let Them Talk: Conversations on Louisiana Music Louisiana State Museum s Old U.S. Mint, 3rd Floor Esplanade Sponsored and presented by French Quarter Festivals, Inc. and the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park, with support from the University of New Orleans Midlo Center, Hogan Jazz Archives at Tulane University, and the Louisiana State Museum. Saturday, April 14 12pm The Many Sides Of Sunpie Bruce Sunpie Barnes is a multifaceted exponent of New Orleans and Louisiana music and culture who does distinguished work as a Ranger for the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park and crowd-pleasing turns 8 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM April 10-23, 2012 Official ficial Gay Easter Parade Guide GayEasterParade.COM as the multi-instrumentalist (harmonica, piano, accordion) leader of Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots. Meet Bruce Barnes in this interview with Fred Kasten. 1pm Super Sousaphone New Orleans sousaphone virtuoso Matt Perrine is also a big time performer on acoustic and electric bass and that versatility keeps Matt in demand with an eclectic range of bands including the New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Tin Men and John Ellis s Double Wide. Find out more about the life and career of Matt Perrine in this interview with [continued on 10]

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5 the "official" dish... from 8 Fred Kasten. 2pm Groove Interrupted Longtime Times-Picayune music writer Keith Spera s recent book Groove Interrupted: Loss, Renewal, and the Music of New Orleans includes a chapter about the recording of jazz trumpeter Jeremy Davenport s 2009 album, We ll Dance Til Dawn. The scenes capture the wise-cracking camaraderie of a cast of characters that includes trumpeter Kermit Ruffins. For Let Them Talk, Keith Spera and Jeremy Davenport discuss the behind-the-scenes reality of making a jazz album in the modern era. 3pm Funkify Your Life Electric bass master George Porter, Jr. laid down the super funky bass lines that helped form the foundation of the deep grooves created by legendary New Orleans band The Meters, whose innovative, irresistible and highly influential music remains a powerful force in the funk, jam band and hip-hop genres. George Porter, Jr. has gone on to become an award-winning bandleader with his Runnin Pardners and first-call sideman of international renown and talks about these many aspects of his life in music with interviewer Fred Kasten. 4pm Clyde Kerr, Sr. Award Winners Shirley Chatters Bloom and Jonathan Bloom The Clyde Kerr, Sr. Award honors outstanding achievement in music education. This year s award winners are Shirley Chatters Bloom and her son, Jonathan Bloom. Shirley Chatters Bloom is a soon-to-be 91 year-old violinist and vocalist who sang with Paul Robeson and taught at the Grunewald School of Music with Clyde Kerr, Sr. Jonathan Bloom is a noted percussionist and a dedicated music educator in New Orleans for over three decades. For Let Them Talk, Jonathan and Shirley Chatters Bloom discuss their lives in music and music education with New Orleans historian Al Kennedy. Sunday, April 15 1pm In the Pocket with Johnny V. Drummer and composer Johnny Vidacovich is a New Orleans rhythm master. From second line street beats to trad jazz cadences, contemporary jazz polyrhythms to big band swing, and hard-hitting funk to jam band explorations, Johnny Vidacovich has the rhythm covered and music colored in exciting and innovative ways. For Let Them Talk, Johnny V. discusses his life in music with interviewer Fred Kasten, and takes to the trap set to demonstrate some essential New Orleans rhythms. 2pm Lionel Ferbos: on the Right Side of 100! New Orleans trumpeter Lionel Ferbos celebrated his 100th birthday in July of 2011 and continues to charm listeners with his heartfelt singing and playing at regular appearances around the Crescent City. He also had a long career as an accomplished craftsman in the building trades and talks about his life and times with award-winning photographer and jazz historian John McCusker. 3pm 21st Century Slidemen in a Tailgatin Town The trombone has played a primary role in New Orleans jazz and brass band music for over a century. Outstanding contemporary trombonists Craig Klein, Delfeayo Marsalis, and Mark Mullins remain deeply informed and respectful of the New Orleans trombone tradition, even while spending considerable time pursuing different approaches to music. For Let Them Talk, the three discuss their lives as trombonists and the instrument s evolving role in modern music. Interviewer Fred Kasten 4pm Dynamic Duo: Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott Top-notch New Orleans pianist and composer Tom McDermott and rising-star jazz vocalist Meschiya Lake have won a lot of fans with their series of intimate but powerful duo performances in the last few years. For Let Them Talk Tom McDermott, also an accomplished journalist, interviews Meschiya Lake about her life in music. The session concludes with a 15 minute miniconcert of jazz and blues classics. New this year! Children s Museum Activities and fun at the Hermann- Grima House The education departments of some of New Orleans great museums (Longue Vue House and Gardens, Hermann-Grima House, Beauregard Keyes House, New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, and more) will host activity booths in the beautiful courtyard gardens of the Hermann-Grima House, located at 820 St. Louis Street Saturday and Sunday from Noon to 6pm. Children and adults alike can also enjoy the family friendly activates at the riverfront plaza near the Audubon Aquarium. The riverfront Children s Headquarters is filled with fun educational activities, fun exercise offerings, and kid-friendly music and food. To view the full schedule of Special Events or for more information about the Children s Areas, visit or download the free app on your iphone or Android courtesy of Capital One Bank and Applitite. 10th Spring Fever Raises $7,502 at Gumbo Stop & Club LAX The 10th Spring Fever Extravaganza raised an astounding $7,502 benefiting the 13th Gay Easter Parade and Food For Friends. Under the direction of GEP Boards Electra City and Tittie Toulouse, the VIP Dinner Reception at Chef Ron s Gumbo Stop raised $2,170, while the Spring Fever show and auction at Club LAX brought in $3,632, and sponsorships another $1,700. Minus expenses of $1,040, the event netted $6,462. The breakdown includes: 2, VIP Dinner Reception Tickets $35 each VIP Tables $ Spring Fever Door Stage Performance Tips /50 Raffle-winner Leroy Auction 1 Absolut Basket/Misael Rubio Auction 2-Bear Trap 3-Night Stay/Earl Barrow Auction 3-Necklace/Purse Set/Daniel Auction 4-Hotel Storyville 2-Night Stay/ Marty Curtin & Koo Gaffney Auction 5-Bryce Landry Painting/Tony Leggio Auction 6-Bunny Basket Wine & Candy/ Little Ricky & Chad Auction 7-Saints Glasses/Ice Chest/ Safonda Peters Auction 8-Saints Jacket/Leroy Auction 9-Bryce Landry Painting/Tony Leggio Auction 10-Royal Blue Crown Egg/Chuck Turner Auction 11-Sex Toy Basket/VNO-NO Tennis-Jerry Auction 12-Big Yellow Bunny Basket/Josie Mae Cotton Auction 13-Easter Egg Cake/Rip & Marsha 5, Subtotal/Event: Sponsorships: Misael Rubio/Quartermaster Electra City & Tittie Toulouse James Stevens Marty Curtin & Koo Gaffney Laurie Aicklen/Spudly TJ Conrad Toby Lefort & Al Herrera/Club LAX Icons/LAX in Memory of Marcy Marcell Icons/LAX in Memory of Marcy Marcell 1, Sponsorship Subtotal 7, Grand Total VIP Dinner Expense /50 Raffle Expense 6, Spring Fever Total 10 The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM April 10-23, 2012 Official ficial Gay Easter Parade Guide GayEasterParade.COM Performances by some of New Orleans top enter- [continue on 12]