Rock and roll can change your life. A hurricane can destroy it.
If you’re reading this site, it is because of your interest in rock and roll. As is well-known but not frequently considered, the roots of rock and roll come from a part of the world that has been more smashed and trashed than any hotel room in the history of touring. The blues players of the Mississippi Delta have long lived under conditions that many of us have only seen in the pictures of Walker Evans. Now even those most meager circumstances have been utterly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Those who were making their living by playing in clubs on Canal Street in New Orleans no longer have gigs—and aren’t likely to, there, anyway, for some time to come.
We all owe something to the people who are responsible for the music we love, the women and men who are now, if lucky, being helped out by people from the Salvation Army or the Red Cross. Donate.
Words by Stephen Macaulay. Sentiment shared by all of us at Glorious Noise. Personally, I’ve had some of the most mindblowing experiences of my entire life in the Crescent City. From seeing Tav Falco and His Panther Burns playing at a bar the size of your parents’ living room to barfing my guts out all over my shoes on Bourbon Street, New Orleans has always seemed too exotic and wild to be America. To see it shattered like this is truly heartbreaking. And it exposes something very, very wrong with our society. Let’s all try to do something to fix it…
I live in the north part of the Louisiana so we were not affected by the huricane. Our coliseums, arenas, gymnasiums, churches, homes, are full of evacuees all filled to capacity. I’ve been volunteering at one of the big shelters. I feel I must say that the evacuees are without exception extremely appreciative of what everyone is doing to help out. Make no mistake about it, these people are FUCKED. It’s not a matter of waiting a few days, letting things calm down and checking out the damage. There houses are not there. Most have nothing. Not a ten dollar bill.
It seems that everyone except the federal government agrees that the federal response has been deplorable. It’s almost as if they are being coached on how to be slow and indifferent and in the case of Dennis Hastert, just glaringly innappropriate (his comments are akin to asking people if their best friends were wearing seat belts when they died in a car wreck…Your mom has lung cancer? Tell me, did she smoke?” Not helpful.
That is not to say anything about the situation in New Orleans and the surrounding parishes which is unfathomable. A total disaster. People stranded with no water. Old people just dying. It is heartwrenching and mindboggling. I don’t know how something like this can happen in the United States.
I’ve rambled too long. Most shelters are run in conjunction with the Red Cross. They will need your support for several months.
If you don’t have a lot of money, you can donate items to Ebay with all profits going to Katrina victims.
Check out their auctions – guilt free shopping for you could mean water for them.
http://givingworks.ebay.com/
Everyone, give what you can. Even $5 will at least buy some water or gas for evacuation busses.
And make sure you donate to the Red Cross or Salvation Army directly – don’t donate to FEMA. Those jerks have included Pat Robertson’s church for donations. Don’t support faith-based relief efforts – support the real ones!
Does anyone know where there are more of the clothing drives for Katrina Victims in Chicago? I gave to drive at the Hideout, but have gathered 4 more big bags of clothing. The Hideout drive ended Saturday and I am anxious to get these clothes to somewhere they can some good.
My sister and I would like to help out the victims from the hurricane. We do not have money to give, but we can come down and physically help. I have searched for many organizations that are assisting, but none of them have anything about volunteering. If you could please contact me and we are more than willing to give help. We live in Seymour Indiana. My number is 812-524-9382.
Rachel,
You might consider doing a fund-raiser in your hometown and giving that money to a relief organization. I think that would be a very effective way to help out.
i have been gathering clothes,food,water and toys from the community here in s.c. i have a 15 foot van that i am heading out with sept.23 where can i take this to in miss. or la. thanks
Rachel, if you hear any helpful info, please let me know. I too would like to help.