Lenny Kravitz, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint Headline 'Gulf Aid' to Fishermen

NEW ORLEANS -- Sunday's Gulf Aid concert here demonstrated the city's staunch support for commercial fishermen from the region whose livelihoods are threatened by the disastrous BP oil spill. Although few in attendance at the 12-hour fundraiser for the fishing industry appeared to be fishermen themselves, the word "we" was frequently used in discussing the catastrophe's potential effects, the vast anxiety caused by its still-unresolved status, and a determined sense of optimism in the face of adversity.

"We are ready to tackle this," Allen Toussaint, the pianist, songwriter, producer and singer who has shaped the city's unique R&B sound since the early 1960s, said at a press conference prior to his performance. "This is New Orleans," he stated, implying both super-human pluck and resilience -- and even a certain sense of utopia.

Morning rain likely limited attendance, which was estimated at several thousand. By late afternoon, however, gorgeous weather prevailed.

When the Saints won the Super Bowl on Feb. 7, the day after Mitch Landrieu was elected mayor, the convergence of victories was perceived by many as nothing less than New Orleans' new beginning. This redemptive notion sometimes bordered on magical thinking, especially in view of the post-Katrina era's many continuing problems. But it was inspiring, just the same, to experience such unified jubilation. Months later, an upbeat mood still prevails, and local response to the oil disaster is widely infused by such optimism, despite the daunting circumstances.

Asked if New Orleans had gone from one crisis to the next - from Katrina to the Deepwater Horizon – Toussaint replied, "Let me put that in order – first Katrina, and then the big football game, and then this. I don't feel that we are plagued; things happen. The optimism of the past few months is definitely going help us pull through. Katrina was a tragedy but it taught us many things, and it gave us muscles to flex that we didn't know we had. We are more ready now to take on anything that comes."

The importance of the nearby gulf waters to New Orleans is symbolized, Toussaint said, by "a shrimp po' boy sandwich and plate of oysters on the half shell." Referring to the possible death of the local seafood industry, he commented, " I am not concerned that the shrimp po' boys may run out." Toussaint's song "Shrimp Po' Boy Dressed" ("dressed" refers to a garnish of lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and pickles) celebrates this regional delicacy: "Give me a shrimp po' boy dressed, and a cold root beer. . . . It's been too long since my lips had a visit, it doesn't take long for my chops to miss it." (Pointedly, Gulf Aid featured local seafood from top line restaurants at its concession stands.)

Toussaint performed that song during a spirited set that also included his own "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further" and, surprisingly, Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans," which prompted an audience sing-along. Equally unexpected, from a man with such an extensive body of original work, was Toussaint's poignant version of Paul Simon's "American Tune."

Humorist Harry Shearer, who emceed at the two-stage event's larger venue, echoed Toussaint's positive attitude. "We've been experiencing a rebirth," Shearer said before bringing on the eco-advocacy band The Voice of the Wetlands All Stars. "Let's use that energy. This thing is not going to stop us. We have things to do, fun to have." But Shearer also acknowledged the gravity of the problem: "No one knows how big it [the spill] is -- it's 10 times bigger than they thought. And no one knows the impact this will have." Shearer, a part-time resident of New Orleans and a staunch advocate of the city, is currently at work on a documentary titled "The Big Uneasy," which explores the man-made causes of Hurricane Katrina's flooding and the possibility of a re-occurrence.

The musical performances at Gulf Aid emphasized the multi-cultural, cross-pollination that typifies the music of New Orleans and South Louisiana. The Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars seamlessly blended Cajun two-steps with blues, funk, rock and Mardi Gras "Indian" chants. Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, a band best known for Cajun music, brought up R&B pianist Jon Cleary as a special guest, and then met in the stylistic middle with several Fats Domino songs. Rocker Lenny Kravitz, the concert's headliner and one of its organizers, featured jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard as one of several special guests.

A buoyant mood seemed to prevail, along with significant gallows humor. One food vendor offer a swirling chocolate dessert called "oil slick pie." Even so, the parade of gasoline barges and tanker ships past the Gulf Aid's site along the Mississippi River underscored this region's status -- and vulnerability -- as a hub of the petro-chemical industry. And while good music and fun flowed, so too, did the spill. Some 20 percent of the oil is now being captured, as of Sunday night by a newly inserted pipe, but considerable damage has been done since the Deepwater Horizon exploded almost a month ago. Optimism notwithstanding, the New Orleans area – and much of the Gulf Coast -- still has a quite a fight on its hands.