Happy Fat Tuesday 2012 from Amoeba Music where, in addition to the big, fun Fat Tuesday celebration at Amoeba Hollywood this afternoon from 3pm to 5pm where you are invited to bring your own instrument, all day today a portion of the proceeds from sales  at each of the three Amoeba stores will go directly to help musicians and New Orleans artists through the Tipitina's Foundation - a worthwhile cause rigorously supported by Amoeba since the Katrina Hurricane in 2005. Additionally, today through tomorrow (Feb. 22nd) you will receive 15% discount off all purchases made on the Amoeba online store. All you need to do is copy and paste the special promo code mardigras15 when you check out. And remember that music and movies purchases always ship free in the US!

Click the following link for full details on the fun Fat Tuesday celebration at Amoeba Hollywood today.
 
To further help celebrate this Fat Tuesday, I have included here (above and below) three music videos from some of my favorite brass bands whose infectious sounds just move my soul and hopefully yours too; the Rebirth Brass Band (of course), the Hypnotic Brass Band, and the Soul Rebels Brass Band. Happy Fat Tuesday!

Celebrate Mardi Gras at Amoeba Hollywood with our annual celebration of Fat Tuesday and New Orleans’ musical legacy on Tuesday, February 21!

Plus, shop at Amoeba Hollywood on Fat Tuesday to help musicians and New Orleans artists! A portion of the day’s proceeds will be donated to the Tipitina’s Foundation in New Orleans. So visit our New Orleans section on Amoeba.com  or pick up some new music and movies at Amoeba Hollywood and help keep the music playing! 

Fat Tuesday festivities will include:

• Amoeba DJs spinning New Orleans party music starting at 3pm
• A photo station on the stage to take a Fat Tuesday picture
• Mardi Gras Gift Bags for kids
• Our home grown parade at 4:30pm with beads and revelry
• Bring your instrument and play "When The Saints Go Marching In" with us
• AND enter to win our Fat Tuesday Grand Prize: 2 tickets to fly to NEW ORLEANS!

All are invited – bring your instrument and join us for the joyful cacophony! 

If you've never been to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, read a quick primer on the Mardis Gras Indians. If you've never been to Amoeba on Fat Tuesday, take a look at what you've been missing:

Text by Lauren
Images by Jessica Teller

When Amoeba’s natural tendencies to draw and congregate music and culture from the world over combine with live spectacles, partying, and silly hats, Mardi Gras is effectively in (dis)order. This is exactly what happened on Fat Tuesday! Need more convincing? Do you want more evidence of the fun that was had? Read on, fellow reveler.

The day began as usual, but with an extra fresh scent of king cake and King Terry in the air! DJ Humble Bee was spinning amazing jams ranging from marching band covers of “Sexual Healing” to classic dance joints made for movin’. Then, as the clock struck 4:30, the Amoeba House Band burst through the Jazz room and onto the rock floor, where golden trombones and wee, polished piccolo trumpets blared into the air. Guitars, mandolins, and banjos sang as the drums kept beat, and the clarinet went strolling through the whole march. Cats put on their dancin’ shoes and let the good times roll. Dozens of musicians joined in the parade, including guys and gals from Vaud and the Villians, who positively dazzled onstage later on in the day.

Hundreds watched and experienced the joyous gathering of merrymakers as the spirit of N’awlins was brought to Los Angeles. Out on Sunset Boulevard, people, masks, and floats abounded, all covered in beads and confetti! Friends past and present were celebrating and celebrated, and floats commemorating our friend Lee “Flash” Gordon and Captain Beefheart kept us all close at heart and in spirit. The classic Yellow Submarine made its annual jaunt ‘round the record store in high fashion, as always, and Karen even managed to give beads to passers-by--in the middle of the road, in their cars—naturally.

Since Mardi Gras is right around the corner, and we are talking about Black History---it seems fitting to talk a little about the Mardi Gras Indian tradition in New Orleans and Louisiana. Still thriving, the Mardi Gras Indians are an important part of the Mardi Gras tradition and are said to have originated from the alliance between runaway slaves and the American Indians who provided a safe haven. It is also said that the African and Indian cultures found a natural affinity for each other as oppressed minorities within the early American settlements. The "Indians" incorporated African and Native American traditions in dress and rituals. Later on when Caribbean influences came to New Orleans, that flavor was also added to the mix.

The tribes of "Black Indians" which grew in Southwest Louisiana were defined by region and neighborhood and they became very territorial. To protect their status as the "reigning" Tribe in the neighborhood very often meant violent showdowns. In the early days of the 20th century, the focus of the "tribes" became less about territory and "turf wars" and became more about status defined by the better and more colorful suits and headdresses, as well as the songs and dances. The "battles" that the various tribes would do in the neighborhoods were about garnering respect for the amazing costumes and the dancing.

It was an ominous thing to see a group of Indians outside about to do battle with each other, and generally folks ran away. But nowadays, people flock to see the colors and hear the chanting, and to watch the "Big Chiefs" do battle. A Mardi Gras Indian Chief's suit can weigh up to 150 pounds, and he makes his suit each year with the help of his family. The tribe works all year to create a BETTER suit than the year before.