9th WARD MARCHING BAND - 2007 PARADE SCHEDULE
Thursday 2/15: MUSES PARADE. Uptown route. Rolls at 7pm
Saturday 2/17: SPELLCASTER LODGE late night parade. Rolls from Lodge at around 4am after Maritime Ball. Post-parade party Sunday morning at Mimis Bar.
Lundi-Gras night: PROTEUS PARADE. Uptown route. Rolls at 5pm.
Songs will remain secret this year until the night before our first parade.
Proteus is very special to us because they share our colors (red and white) and they are one of the oldest parading crews in New Orleans. To be asked to join this beautiful historic parade is a great honor. This will be our second year parading with these distinguished City Elders.
9TH WARD MARCHING BAND the memories
(click on any image to open hi-res version)
The 9th Ward Marching Band are a local New Orleans who celebrated their 10 year anniversary this Mardi Gras season. The band was originally started by a group of friends living and playing in the 9th ward music scene including organist / inventor Mr. Quintron, Miss Pussycat, Elizabeth Macey, Judy Bolton, Jon Henry Kelly (Detonations), Lefty Parker (part owner of the Circle Bar), Strangebone (inventor of the Organ Car), Julien Fried (The Black Dwarf), MC Trachiotomy, Matt Vis (Kid Calculator), Jamie Kallel (Sex Hunter), and many more. Quintron directs the band and takes the role of drum major. Miss Pussycat (puppeteer / creator of NORTH POLE NUTRIAS), Judy Bolton, and Elizabeth Macey head up the "Gun Girl" team and also oversee most of the band members outfits. The 9th Ward Marching Band's colors are red, white, and silver.
After the first few years, The 9th Ward Marching Band hooked up with a bunch of horn players from local jazz band EGG YOLK JUBILEE. These guys - most of whom played together at Rummel high school - brought serious brass chops and marching discipline to the group. Now, years later the 9th ward Marching band is a well oiled 65 member machine who have developed a style to be reckoned with.
The 9th Ward Marching Band sections include: Drums, Brass, Glockenspiels, Cymbal Core, Rifle Girls, Cheerleaders, Batons, Flags, Cowgirls (a special thank you to Houston), and "team gong".
The songs for the 2006 year were: "Love is Like Oxygen" by the Sweet, "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by the Scorpions, and "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals This song was done in both Oom-pah, and slow walk style.
Though based on a traditional high school / military style of parading, the 9th Ward Marching Band have added many touches of their own which distinguish them from any marching band you will ever see. One example is the band's use of a giant gong in their musical arrangements. The gong is carried on a huge yoke by two gong bearers and is only struck a few times throughout an entire parade. The 2006 gong master was none other than Jude Matthews for two parades and special guest PEACHES for one parade. The band rehearses 3 times per week for at least two months before Mardi Gras. This was quite a feat considering many members were either homeless or very busy fixing up their moldy lives.
The 2006 parade season was especially important and anybody who said that there shouldn't have been Mardi-Gras that year did not understand how much this celebration will meant to the people of New Orleans, not to mention that tourism was all the city had economically post hurricane. The 9th Ward Marching Band is PROUD to perform at the greatest free show on earth!!
THE CHEER LEADERS. This year they will be coached by a real Saintsation! Her name is Brandi. Thank you Brandi!
THE CYMBAL CORE. Lefty (with glasses) is the leader. He is a very good leader. Thank you Lefty!
9th WARD GORRILLA. Nobody knows the identity of this mysterious reveler but he certainly did love the 9th Ward Marching band. Thank you Gorilla man! The girl in the orange in front is Ann Marie Coviello...supreme mistress of Box of Wine and an instrumental part of getting the 9th Ward marching band onto St. Charles Avenue. Thank you Ann Marie!
The flags look very different now from this old picture. They are like silver camel Ninjas now! Thank you Karen!!
This is the whole gosh darned band! (except for the elusive Strangebone) Notice our official security sqad in the back. Thank you Mardi-Gras!
WASHING THE UNIFORMS. This is Miss Pussycat caring for the band uniforms just days after Katrina. All of the uniforms and many band instruments were flooded at the lodge. By a miracle Miss P was able to save most of the outfits. Thank you Miss Pussycat!
THE GUN GIRLS WITH QUINTRON. Quintron loves the gun girls. So does Matt Vis who taught them so many of their moves. Thank you Matt!
THE HORN PLAYERS. We would sound like a terrible drum jam without these musical geniuses! Eric from Egg Yolk Jubilee (drinking a beer) is in charge of all horn arrangements. Thank you Eric!
THE PRINCESS. Our Princess is from Chalmette and her name is Michelle. Her Grandmother helped to make this incredible outfit. The 1st official parade for the 9th ward marching band was in Chalmette as part of the Krewe of Shangrila. Thank you Chalmette!
THE GUN GIRLS. These are our gun girls. They can twirl and they can march and they can also help the band with their rhythm by baking cookies. Thank you Judy!
STRANGEBONE AT THE ORGAN CAR. The Organ Car is our guiding light. Our beacon to lead us through the foggy nights. For reasons unexplained this photo cannot be linked to a hi-res version. Thank you Jeff!
