Marie Lovejoy just got back in town from braiding hair in Minneapolis.

She also braids hair at Renaissance Festivals and fairs across the country, which she did for a decade before settling down in New Orleans a few years ago. Hair braiding is, according to Marie, not as simple as it might sound: it involves an exchange of energy and personal conversation which – make no mistake – is NOT therapy.

If Marie’s exchange with Grant about braiding is anything to go by, Marie would make a fabulous tough-love therapist! She’s a talented storyteller and has some insightful tales about life on the road in the circus family style of Renaissance Fair(e) gypsies.

Jonathan Freilich just got back in town too.

Jonathan’s been in California, in school studying opera. After he banged out a couple of operas in New Orleans – in between his gigs with his Naked Orchestra and 40,000 other commitments from live gigging to writing TV and film scores – Jonathan decided he needed to know more about what he perceives is a new trend in presenting live music in different formats.

If you have any interest in the current state of the music industry – as a musician or just plain music lover – this conversation between Jonathan and Andrew Duhon about the state of affairs and where the music industry is headed is as informed as anything you’ll find anywhere. It’s not all that encouraging but once we quit talking about it and listen to some music the optimism quickly returns.

Optimism is the coin of the realm over at Loco Productions, the home of film maker Russell Blanchard.

Russell is a New Orleanian who has come home via Hawaii where he worked on ABC’s Lost. Russell’s latest project is The Lot, a movie based on the true story of the optimism of a Westbank good guy trying to improve the lives of local kids by building a park on an empty lot, who gets screwed by over zealous city officials and local thieves. It’s a riveting and instructive story.

The photos on this page were taken at Wayfare by the now bipedal but one-eyed Douglas Engel.