Treme (2010–2013): Season 2, Episode 2 - Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky - full transcript

( Drill buzzing,
hammer banging )

( Jazz music playing on radio )

Woman: Y'all have really
made a lot of progress.

And I appreciate you working
nights and weekends

to get this done
before the holidays.

Man: Well, that was
our promised date.

Can you get to
the outbuildings?

No reason not to.

Woman: We haven't done
anything in the back

for, I don't know, 10 years.

Jeffy Jeff on radio:
That's good stuff, really.



I mean, it reminds me of
Woody Shaw a bit, you know,

"escape velocity,"
that kind of stuff.

Yeah, well, Woody's bringing his
head to Coltrane on "velocity."

Us modern jazz cats gotta
come to 'Trane eventually.

Yeah, no doubt, no doubt.
I'm in the studio

with New Orleans's own
Delmond Lambreaux.

We're playing tracks
from his new CD "Walk-up"

from Quartal records.

Uh, any sense
of how it's selling?

Selling?

( Chuckles ) It's jazz, man.

Yeah, true that,

but I'm hoping
it's finding an audience.

I know a couple of smart,
beautiful women who got a copy.



And I sent one to my father.

So that's, like, three or
four copies I know about.

Yeah, man, modern jazz
is a lonely road.

Speaking of your dad,

who is of course big chief
Lambreaux of the guardians,

I know he made it back for the
last Saint Joseph's night,

made that walk,

but is he home to stay?
How's he doing?

He's hanging in there. Hopefully I'll
get to see him tomorrow morning.

I came straight from the airport
to catch the show, man.

So your father's
back in his house?

Well, like most folks he's still
waiting on the insurance check.

And now, I suppose, he's gonna be
waiting on the road home money too.

Yeah, I heard that.

Well, we got time
for one more track.

Anything you want to send out
to anyone before you roll?

Well, since you brought him up,

I wouldn't mind blowing a
few notes for my father

on the off chance
he might be catching this.

All right, all day
long, pop, ya heard?

Yeah, brah.

From the tradition, you know.

Uh...

This here is the first thing
my daddy taught me to play.

( Playing "second line" )

( Distant siren wailing )

( Jazz music playing )

♪ hanging in the Treme ♪

♪ watching people sashay ♪

♪ past my steps ♪

♪ by my porch ♪

♪ in front of my door ♪

♪ church bells are ringing ♪

♪ choirs are singing ♪

♪ while the preachers groan ♪

♪ and the sisters moan ♪

♪ in a blessed tone ♪

- ♪ mm-hmm ♪
- ♪ Yeah ♪

♪ down in the Treme ♪

♪ just me and my baby ♪

♪ we're all going crazy ♪

♪ while jamming
and having fun ♪

♪ trumpet bells ringing ♪

♪ bass drum is swinging ♪

♪ as the trombone groans ♪

♪ and the big horn moans ♪

♪ and there's a saxophone ♪

♪ down in the Treme ♪

♪ it's me and my baby ♪

♪ we're all going crazy ♪

♪ while jamming
and having fun ♪

♪ down in the Treme ♪

♪ it's me and my baby ♪

♪ we're all going crazy ♪

- ♪ while jamming and having fun. ♪
- Man: Whoo!

Colson: Lastly, I want to refresh
your memory as to what it is

- that New Orleans police are
justifiably famous for. - Uh-oh.

I said famous, not infamous.

This is a good thing.
This is something that we do right.

Cool.
Bring it, boss.

Every day, every night,

every minute in the life
of this city

some asshat undergraduate

from shitforbrains
state college

or some polyblend-wearing
conventioneer from Des Moines

staggers out
into the French quarter

looking for rum and happiness.

Three hours later

they're wearing their own
puke on bourbon street

and waving beads
at some topless progeny

from an Arkansas trailer park.

Let bourbon street
be bourbon street,

ladies and gentlemen.

Because there is nothing there

that requires our reform,

short of, say, actual sex

or human sacrifice
in the street.

His pants were
at his fucking ankles.

Understood, officer Landry.

And while the general
rule of thumb

is that topless walks and
bottomless gets the cuffs,

I note from the incident report

that the arrestee was
still wearing undershorts.

You could see the crack of his ass though.
They were slipping.

Yes, and yet

that tells me that our suspect,

while he may have lost his
pants amid his misadventure,

was not truly attempting
an act of fornication

or self-pleasure
on the street.

In any other city
of christendom

this man was
indecently exposed,

but in our bailiwick

he was, I will argue,
momentarily underdressed.

( Policemen chuckling )

I say again, let bourbon street

be bourbon street.

And by all means avoid taking
yourself off the street

with an arrest that
you can possibly duck.

Got it, boss.

Anything else, sergeant?

You about covered it, sir.

Have a safe shift.

Policemen:
All right.

You hear about Mike hunter?

Headquarters' rumor mill
has a grand jury

going after him and the others

like he's lying about Danziger.

Pshh.

Yeah, Eddie Jordan's
on the hunt, ain't he?

Can't bring a damn
murder case to court,

but on this Danziger mess
he's right up our ass.

Well, it's either him
or a runaway grand jury.

For christ sakes,
I was right there

when the shoot-to-kill-looters order
came down to district commanders.

"If you can sleep on it,
you can do it"--

That's what they told us.

I know they put that out there
even if they won't admit it now.

If it was a bad shoot,
then why lie?

All those guys have to do
is tell the grand jury

we received that order

and they followed that order.

Anything happened
after that--

It might be bad police work,
but it ain't illegal.

The storm was a mess, you know?

And I don't doubt that some
bad shit happened. I just--

But was there bad intent?

We can't look back.

We need to deal with
the here and now.

We have dupes--
"The Wild Tchoupitoulas."

Mine's newer.

We ditch yours.

Negative.
We ditch neither.

See, this is you not believing
in the relationship.

It's a telltale, Davis.
If you don't get rid of dupes,

it means you're worried
we're gonna split.

See, this is where
you are exactly wrong.

Every household in New Orleans should have
two copies of "the wild Tchoupitoulas."

- What if one gets scratched up?
- We buy another.

And go without it for how long?

What if it's the middle of the night?
What if we're having a party,

it's 2:00 AM
and we need to hear "meet de boys"?

Are you willing
to take that risk?

Didn't think so.

Why is Kermit Ruffins
in the R&B pile?

Shouldn't it be
with the jazz stuff?

That's not the R&B pile.
That is musicians

who I don't like
or don't get along with.

You love Kermit.

Derrick Freeman
has been a dick to me.

So 'cause you don't get along
with Kermit's drummer

you're gonna file
Kermit's stuff

under musicians you don't like?

Okay.

So if I want to find
your advanced copy

of Kermit Ruffins and the barbeque
swingers, "live at Vaughan's,"

I have to first remember that you and
Derrick are pissy with each other?

Yeah.

( Laughs )
You--

What?

You are such a freak.

You are.

( Laughing ) You are.

Who's out there?

A walk-in.
A man had your name.

I told you no new clients.

It's not like he asked for
an appointment or anything.

It looks worse.

It is worse.
I've been working for three days,

and now this place
is officially unusable.

I need a new office to get
away from my new office.

Hi. I'm Toni Bernette.

Vincent Abreu.

Look, I'm not sure what I
can do for you right now,

given that we're just
getting situated

and I'm really in no position to
take on new clients right now.

I saw your name
in the paper--

The shootings on the bridge.

The Danziger bridge, right.

You're the lawyer in that?

I represent one of the
victims' families, yes.

Did you have something to
do with the Danziger case?

No no, my son.

Your son?

Joseph. Joey.

He's dead--
In the storm.

I'm very sorry to hear that.

Everybody says
something different,

which is the reason
I came down here.

And now that I'm here

everyone wants to send me
somewhere else.

Give me a few minutes
to clear off my desk

and we'll go back
in the office.

( Quiet song playing
on jukebox )

( Men chattering )

Hey Delmond.

Poke.

Taxi!

Shit.

Damn.

Well, first we got a call
from Louisiana Police

saying that he was dead.

Nothing el really,

just they found Joey dead
after the storm.

And they told you when?

September last year.

I call the number they gave
me for the mortuary people.

They tell me how to handle
Joey-- What's left of him--

Because turns out

he was kind of left
on the ground for a while.

Um, so we do
what we have to do,

bring him home--
Massachusetts.

When did your son
come down here?

He came down here with friends

four years ago

for a festival or something.

They came back.
He stayed--

A shame.

( Myers talking on phone )

You know, Mr. Abreu,

there was so much not accounted
for after the storm.

It's entirely possible,
even understandable,

that no one knows what
happened to your son.

Mm-hmm, well,
so they tell me a year ago.

But that didn't
sit right with us--

Well, my wife really.
She wanted to know more.

So a month ago
I call back the mortuary,

get his name
as the cop to talk to.

Detective Dennis Prioleau.

Yeah, or however
you pronounce it.

I call him five, six times.
He don't call back.

Finally a sergeant calls--
I forgot the name.

He says,
"we don't know anything."

Joey's body was found on
the street and that's it."

Detective Prioleau's
one of the better guys

in homicide, as far as I know.

But here's the thing:
I call the sergeant

and I-- I say, "what's the
street that Joey died on?"

And he can't even give--
He won't even give me it.

I mean, come on,
you can't tell me

where my son died,
for Christ sake?

I keep calling.
I ask to speak to the supervisor.

Then this Prioleau guy--
He calls.

He says Marais or Moreau street

was where Joey was found.

Oh, and hey,
your son was killed

- by the other looters.
- ( Phone rings )

Myers: Law office.
How may I help you?

That's what he says to me.

Myers: I'll need
to check on that.

"Killed by other looters"?
He said that?

"Mr. Abreu, your son was
killed by other looters

and we're never gonna
find out who did it."

Look, if Joey was doing stuff
that he wasn't supposed to

and something happened
that shouldn't've,

it is what it is.

Just give me the whole story.

Now when were you thinking
you were gonna tell me

poke came back and
put y'all out the bar?

Nice to see you too.

You staying here?

Nowhere else to hang my hat.

We got the house
pretty well cleaned out,

tarp over the bad part
of the roof.

This is crazy.

The bar was one thing, but
this went from bad to worse.

Oh, don't fret none.

Now that the insurance
money's landed

we'll have this place
fixed in no time.

You got the insurance check?

$495.

And no cents.

Even after you wrote
that appeal?

Even after you took it to
the insurance commissioner?

They're paying
for the carport only--

Wind damage.

Are you gonna cash that?

I feel like if I do,

I'm saying it's all right
what they're doing.

- Linda.
- Desiree.

( Both laugh )

Girl, you working here?

Since August.
You back in Fortier?

Girl, please.
You know they let everybody go.

They didn't even try to
sort the good from the bad,

- just put us all on the street.
- I know it.

Every damn public school
teacher in Orleans parish.

- Uh-huh.
- I'll tell you something though--

They ain't chasing me away.

I came back to vote,
made sure of that.

- Amen.
- Wasn't teachers taking that money.

- School board.
- Then bust the damn school board.

That's what the f.B.I.'S
looking at,

not the teachers' union.

But why hire one of me when you get
two of them for the same price?

Are they any good?

Bright-eyed
and bushy-tailed.

Are you coming back
to teach here?

Gotta take a test.
Can you believe that?

13 years in the classroom,
teacher of the year twice,

and I gotta take a goddamn test
to come back and start over.

Tell me about it.
Lt all my seniority too.

Gotta scoot, girl,
go take this damn thing.

How's your baby?

Good when I see her.
She's with my mom all day while I'm here.

At least you got that.
Bye.

Bye, Linda.
Hope you end up here.

( Sirens wailing )

Hey, you were
in New Orleans, right?

New Orleans, yeah.

Right, well, you're gonna
read this and go batshit.

This guy leveled your town.

He's ripping the chefs,
the food-- Everything.

Alan Richman?
He ripped us?

Grill man: He's like the
Dean of food writing.

The fucker's got, like,
six million beard awards.

Holy shit.

I can't believe it.
He's not just ripping the food.

Check it out.
"New Orleans was always

a three-day stubble
of a city.

I'm not certain
the cuisine was ever

as good as its reputation
in part because the people

who consumed,
evaluated and admired it

likely weren't sober enough
at the time of ingestion

"to know what
they were eating."

- Whoa.
- Fuck me.

"Supposedly creoles
can be found"

in and around New Orleans.
I have never met one

"and suspect they're a fairy
folk like leprechauns."

- Man: Fairy folk-- That's some funny shit.
- That's kind of harsh.

Richman is a serious guy.
That's gonna get a lot of play.

Oh great. Now he goes on
to trash Susan Spicer

and Donald link?

Donald link is a fucking hero.

Donald link was, like,
one of the first guys back

standing there serving
free food in the street.

I mean, holy shit.

The town's just
barely on its feet

and this son of a bitch
has got to come down

and reevaluate whether
we were ever any good,

make fucking batter-as-entree jokes?
Yeah, we heard 'em.

Grill man: The guy's got a point
about the cooking down there.

I mean, last time I was in
New Orleans, it was like--

Fine, fine.

He doesn't like the food.
He thinks it's heavy

or he thinks it's shit.
I don't care.

But for fuck's sake,
it's a service economy.

They're fucking hurting.

He's got to write this now,

tell people to stay away
from New Orleans,

don't come down,

don't spend your money
in restaurants?

Do not cry.

We're gonna be together
for Thanksgiving dinner.

I miss you too, jelly roll.

Okay okay,
you stop crying--

I'll stop calling you
jelly roll.

I'ma see you soon.

Thank you.

Gonna be a dead night again.

Mm.

Too many dead nights in here.

Not enough people home.

Barbecue on Thursday
is bringing in some folks.

Turkey necks on Tuesday
sure ain't.

I'm thinking maybe

live music.

Upside and a downside
to it though.

What's the downside?

Musicians.

♪ Well, I saw my baby walking ♪

♪ with another man today ♪

♪ yeah, I saw my baby walking ♪

♪ with another man today ♪

♪ when I asked her,
"what's the matter, baby?" ♪

♪ this is what she got to say ♪

♪ see you later, alligator ♪

♪ after a while, crocodile ♪

♪ see you later,
alligator, yeah... ♪

Hey, brah, put it back.

Put it back.

Woman: Hey.

Hey!

After a while, crocodile!

Hey!

Gotta get off
the fucking streets, man.

( Playing "when I die" )

How did you hear about him?

I asked where to hear
some good music--

A simple question.

He's fucking great.
When he does that thing with that one eye--

Man, that kiss me.

All this time you've
been here, coz,

and you ain't never been here?

I'm working.

♪ You'd better second line ♪

♪ second line ♪

♪ you'd better strike up the
band every day of the week ♪

♪ parade my soul
up and down these streets ♪

♪ when I die ♪

♪ you'd better second line ♪

- ♪ you'd better second line ♪
- ♪ You'd better second line ♪

♪ you'd better second line ♪

♪ you'd better second line ♪

- ♪ you'd better second line ♪
- ♪ You'd better second line ♪

♪ you'd better
second line. ♪

( Cheering and applause )

Thank you, music lovers.
Thank you.

Now we've got a brief message

from one of our
elected officials--

Congressman Jefferson
in the house!

Thank you, Kermit.
Thank you, Kermit.

I'll just be a moment
to thank you

for your support
in the general election

and to remind all of you we have
a runoff coming up next month.

And what's at stake
is whether we get

to come home
to our New Orleans.

You know, my opponent
supports the green-dot plan

- to get rid of some of our communities.
- ( Crowd jeering )

You know where I stand.

- So I need you all to come out to the polls--
- Man: I'm not going anywhere.

On December 9th
and make Orleans parish heard.

- Thank you.
- ( Cheering and applause )

- Kermit: You think Jefferson gonna win?
- Oh yeah, brah.

I don't know, brah.

What, because of the feds?
Please.

Like you never forgot about
$90,000 in your fucking freezer.

( Both laugh )

Can I do this one
right here, brah?

Yeah, you want to do it?
Go ahead.

- ♪ I got a woman ♪
- Oh!

♪ Way across town ♪

♪ that's good to me ♪

♪ oh yeah ♪

♪ I got a woman ♪

♪ way across town ♪

♪ that's good to me ♪

♪ oh yeah... ♪

( Train wheels clacking )

Announcer: 9th street station,
the final stop for the g train.

Transfer available for the
coney island's final f train.

- This is the last station stop.
- Fuck fuck fuck.

♪ I got a woman
way across town ♪

♪ that's good to me... ♪

You blaspheming
ray Charles now?

Oh, baby, you should have seen me last night.
I killed them dead.

I fronted that one
and a couple of others--

Lee Dorsey, James Brown even.

You doing James Brown?
I'm actually sorry I missed that.

Last night it really started getting good to me.
I got enough flex

I can start my own
band, you know.

You?

Antoine Batiste
and his soul apostles.

- Soul apostles?
- Mm-hmm.

I'm out.
I got groceries to make.

I might meet you downtown with the baby.
Gonna go see some people.

You ain't meeting me.

Why not?
You ain't got school today.

No school, but tonight is
parents' night, remember?

Aw hell, desiree.

I don't like it
any more than you--

A bunch of bake sales
and teacher conferences

for a bunch of parents who
never bother to show up.

Bye-bye, Pookie.

And later for the not-so-hardest-working
man in show business.

That's sex machine
to you, girl.

- I'm sure.
- Mm-hmm.

( Keyboard playing )

( Keyboard riffs playing )

I'm told it's not
even a homicide.

D-mort pended it.

Fine if they did,
but here's the problem.

This guy is sitting
up in Massachusetts

getting different information
from different people

who probably don't know
what they're talking about.

The guy's bouncing
off the walls.

So he drives down here

just looking for someone
to talk to him.

So talk to him, okay?

Who was the detective on it?

Prioleau.

I'll give him a call.

I appreciate it.

You know, the horn section
is gonna be moving together.

And they're gonna be
in powder-blue tuxes,

you know, shawl collar,
like this--

( Huing a tune )

( Plays the tune )

Yeah.

I like that shit right there.

I'm talking old school, man,

- the kind of shit that'd make Johnnie Taylor proud...
- Yeah.

- ...Make Solomon Burke give praise.
- Yeah.

- Yeah, you feel me?
- I feel you.

( Mimics trombone )

Music that don't get
played no more,

but people wish they did, because
you can shake your ass to it.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Ow! Girl!

With a band like this I think we can
hold down a couple of weeklies.

That many?

Yeah, that many.

Oh, I don't know, Batiste.

You know I got my own gigs now.

And you can keep those.

But I can't do a gig like
this without a woman's voice.

I mean, you can't do a full-out revue
and fill it with just Otis and pickett.

Gotta have
Carla Thomas too, right?

Gotta get a woman's voice
up in there for balance.

How much?

Oh, Wanda, come on.

( Laughing )

I don't get it.
What's in Baton Rouge?

A joint field office
for f.E.M.A.

- Who do you know at f.E.M.A.?
- A friend of a friend.

I should be out on a job with
my crew on a roof somewhere.

That's why I called you.

I thought you were gonna come here
and back me on my roofing gig.

Big picture, coz, big picture.

I don't take no money from my children.
You know this.

It's a loan, daddy.
You'll pay me back.

I got money coming in
from the new c.D.

I got tour dates lined up.

You selling jazz now, huh?

All right, so between
my sisters and me--

No, I'm doing this right here

so that we can have
dinner like you want.

Like I want?

If it was like I want, we'd
be in Houston at Davina's

or in Atlanta
with cheri and the kids.

You think I want to be having
Thanksgiving out in the damn driveway?

You ever meet a man
so stubborn?

We'll get his water
turned back up,

providing we can ass-kiss some
inspector to give the okay.

I know you're tired of me coming
over to your house to clean up.

Turn my soap all grey,

ue up all my damn towels--
Why would I be tired of that?

( "Mary Ann" playing
on jukebox )

Acting all sweetness and light
now that you're with your mother

but they fought like cats
and dogs in the back seat

the whole way down.

I thought about leaving one of
them at a gas station in laplace.

Couldn't decide which though.

Alcide, don't be hiding
them Greens under the rice.

I know that trick.

Ma, is this gonna be the last
Thanksgiving at grandma's for real?

I can't imagine grandma
in any other house.

Not a lot of traffic.

I'm thinking about getting
some live music up in here,

bring out more folks
on the weekdays.

As I said, New Orleans
kicked it back to us,

we kicked it to
the corps of engineers

and they kicked on to the contractors.
What you need

comes directly from the
contractors or one of their subs.

The money is the lowest
at this point.

Understood,

but I was told
to introduce myself he

and that a call might be
made on my behalf

to one of the contractors.

A phone call's no problem.

That's good.

I suppose it is.

Look, give me a day or two
on my end,

call this fellow in Florida.

There shouldn't be
any issue going forward.

It'll all flow through them.

And...

Give my best wishes
to your friend.

- Thank you.
- Yeah.

We're subcontractors.

Under Riley's license,
we're already that.

Oh, would you fuck the nickel-and-dime
roofing jobs already?

I just pulled
a $200,000 contract

for demolition
and debris removal.

We're gonna need
four crews with trucks

to do three, maybe three-and-a-half
city blocks a week.

Fuck you know about demolition
and debris removal?

I know p&j incorporated
out of Florida.

I call this number, tell
them we got the trucks--

We're ready to roll.
They're my hookup.

We don't got trucks,
crews either.

Rocky, do you believe

America is a land
of opportunity?

( Mimics rocky ) Yeah.

Man: That we're still having
trouble with our bus routes

is frustrating, I know.

Man #2: In September it was frustrating,
but now it's just ridiculous.

And are you gonna tell us that
this school is having a hard time

securing hand soap and
toilet paper in November?

Man: It has not been perfect--
Not at this school

or any of the other charters,

and certainly not in the
recovery school district.

Everyone is dealing
with the same issues.

Yes, ma'am.

My concern is the classroom.

It's my understanding
that your geometry classes

still are not giving out
any homework

'cause there aren't enough
take-home textbooks.

- Man: Thank you, baby, thank you.
- ( Applause )

They thought
it was gonna be cake

when they laid off the
whole damn school system?

Look at them now, wondering
why everything is messed up.

Yeah, there's one thing
different though.

You ever seen this many parents

at a parents' night--
I mean ever?

( Distant siren wailing )

Sof?

Sweetie?

Sofia?

( Cell phone ringing )

I want to do it.
You know I love

that muscle shoals-stax
stuff, man.

I'd love to be a part of it.

Well, cool then.

When I told bennie,
he bucked on me, you know.

Got mad having someone to fill for
me while I'm gigging with y'all.

It's been hard on bennie trying
to hold the band together.

And I'd hate to add to that.
You feel me?

- Okay, well, I'll talk to bennie.
- Cool.

Man on microphone: Ladies and
gentlemen, Mem Shannon.

- You gonna sit in?
- No, I just come to hear Mem do his set.

- You know I love his stuff.
- All right, well, I'm gonna roll home, me.

- Be cool.
- Be safe.

♪ They say if I eat right,
ride my bike ♪

♪ I'll be just the right size ♪

- ♪ for my height ♪
- ( Cell phone ringing )

♪ They say,
"get yourself an education ♪

♪ that will help improve
your situation"... ♪

( Chefs chattering )

Woman:
Table 7, chef--

They're getting up to leave.

Let them go.

I'm thinking.

Saucier: You got
duck for me, right?

Grill man:
Yeah, I have two.

Please, not me, not me.

Man: All right, I need
more rectangle plates.

Man #2: Rectangle
plates going out.

( Chefs chattering )

You know,

the salmon

can be a beautiful animal,

wild, free.

Honor his death.

Listen to him.

You rush him
to the pan--

You're destroying him.

You're squeezing out
proteins, flavor--

Everything,

the vital substance
that makes him what he is.

You don't want
to do that, do you?

Of course not.

Of course not.

Slow down.

Listen to your fish.

( Phone bleeps )

( Phone ringing )

( Chefs chattering )

Man:
Coming down the line.

Pick up table 12.

They're gone, chef.

I'll bet I could get cheeky.

Cheeky Blakk?

Is this for the latest
incarnation?

D.J. Davis and his
bounce brass funkateers.

No boundaries, no limits,
no quarter given.

( Chuckles )

Are you on guitar or keyboards?

A little of both-- An all-purpose
svengali, if you will.

He was evil, you know.

- Who?
- Svengali.

In the novel he was evil.

He manipulated trilby.

There is a novel?

Who's trilby?

For Thanksgiving tonight
we should go to Popeye's,

get the deep-fried turkey.

I can't help it. I gotta know
if it's as good as people say.

What do you mean?

I'm due at my parents' house.

It's a yearly ritual.

So I'm on my own
for Thanksgiving.

No, it's not like that.

You don't want me at your
folks' house, just say so.

Annie, my family is

dystopic--
That's the word.

They-- They're--

They can't be that bad.

I introduced a girl
to them once

and only once.

How'd that go?

She now resides out of state.

How far out of state?

( Alarm buzzing )

Good morning.

Ohh, I gotta pull it together.

I gotta get to work.

There's probably coffee set up.

Just push the button.

Bullwinkle!

Bullwinkle.

Bullwinkle!
( Laughing )

Hey, he's a pilot.

Look at his hat.

Hey, I'm Rick--
Rick the pilot.

I ride on a giant moose.

( Both laugh )

- Hey, check it out.
- Because he floats.

I'm like Amelia earhart
on this moose

with my weird
fucking goggles and...

( Men continue chattering )

You gotta go?

Yeah, got something I gotta do.

- I love a parade.
- I know.

Look at his teeth.
He still looks stupid.

I know, man.
It's 'cause he's a beaver.

How can you not be happy
if you're a fucking beaver?

Let me guess:
Out of papers?

Yeah.

But it's good this way.

Do you know what's cool
about this dish?

It's interactive.

Like when you're really stoned,

is that light pink color
in the milk

from food coloring
on the crunchberries

or is it your own blood
from the crunch itself

cutting the shit out of
the roof of your mouth?

What's cool about that
though is that your blood

is like a basic component
of this dish,

part of the basic flavor,

like Ortolan--
You know,

when the tiny bones
prick your gums.

In that way, one would say

that the cap'n falls into
a classic tradition

going back to the romans.

Toni, it's not like I won't
help you out when I can,

but when did I become
the go-to guy

whenever you can't pry a report
out of an n.O.P.D. Unit?

I don't even need a report.

I don't need anything
from anybody

but to call this guy and tell him
where his son was found dead

and what's known.
That's all he wants.

And you went
to the p.I.O., right?

Yeah, and they came back
with a no-comment,

saying the case
is still pending.

But that's bullshit.
No one's working this.

If prioleau finds out
that I asked into this case,

he gonna know I'm your bitch.

( Laughs )

( Trumpet plays )

I'll be damned. I saw that same
guy play trumpet the other night

at this little club way out
from the French quarter.

You're learning
the town, I see.

Oh, I'm loving the town,
what's left of it anyway.

A lot needs to be done still.

Your man in Baton Rouge
made it easy.

I'm hooked into one of the big
contractors-- The one in Florida.

Well, thank your right back
for sponsoring

the stained-glass repairs
at Saint Alphonsus.

And thank you, I assume, for
banking whatever comes to you

at southeast Louisiana
bank and trust.

You don't even need
to bring it up.

I was putting a good work for
someone on a gaming license

and the son of a bitch set up his
corporate accounts at chase.

Well, ingratitude
is not among my faults.

So second race--
Who do you like?

- Oh, I never gamble.
- No?

- Huh-uh.
- I imagine you don't.

What's next?

I raised as much as I could in
Dallas for your girl Carter,

though I'm not sure
it's gonna do much good.

What do you mean?

In that club the other night
listening to Kermit--

Bill Jefferson came in
and worked the crowd,

tarred your girl
with supporting Greendot.

( Announcer speaking over PA )

Yeah, even with
a federal investigation

dollar bill might pull it out

remarkable.

Yeah.

So looking ahead,

what else might I do
to bring us some good?

Well, statewide
everybody could see

Blanco's numbers have
tumbled since the storm.

And the guy who might be
our best option

is Bobby Jindal--
Indian fellow.

Indian like...
( Mimics Indian call )

Indian like the country.

He's Indian-American.

You got an Indian-American
congressman in Louisiana?

First Cubans,
then the Mexicans,

now Indians.

Who says we're the party
of white folk?

Jindal reps the first
congressional district.

He is really young.

But he jumped into the
governor's race three years ago

and he showed pretty well.

He got a committee up?

Not yet.
He's gonna announce in January.

Well, you know I'm in.
Better than that,

I can make me calls in Dallas,
bring some real rain.

Bless you, my son.

Hey, you show me a ring
and I'll kiss it.

No problem.

- ( Announcer speaking )
- ( Crowd cheering )

♪ Cheeky Blakk, cheeky Blakk ♪

♪ and rebirth, and rebirth ♪

♪ cheeky Blakk,
cheeky Blakk... ♪

Hey, what are you
doing here this early?

I switched shifts with David.

He hates Thanksgiving
as a concept.

So do I actually,

but I need to post
at my parents'

for turkey.

No more bounce, Davis,
not this early.

Go somewhere else with it.

I'm fucking serious.

Okay.

♪ Pop goes da pussy,
pussy goes pop ♪

♪ yeah, pop da pussy ♪

♪ somebody say pop da pop
da pop, pop dat pussy ♪

♪ pop da pop
da pop, pop dat pussy ♪

♪ pop da pop da pop,
pop dat pussy... ♪

- What's your system?
- Oh, no system.

I just try to wheel the
favorite for an exacta.

Well, at least you know
what you don't know.

Some people have a certain
misplaced faith.

You see that fellow
down by the rail--

Black fellow, glasses,

purple shirt, dark jacket?

Oliver Thomas,

president of the city council,

probably the next mayor
if he wants it.

Yeah?

Oliver loves the ponies.

He's a decent guy,

certainly an improvement
over nagin for sure.

A democrat, I'm guessing?

Well, somebody's got to be.

Hey, this is a purple state.

Orleans parish is blue.

Makes sense to work
both sides of the aisle.

Go ahead, make a new friend.

♪ Acting like I'm really hard,
don't make me bite you ♪

♪ 'cause I would invite you ♪

♪ I'm a chief, boy,
I ain't scared to fight you ♪

♪ come on now, baby, you
ain't getting in for free ♪

♪ you know
the routine... ♪

( Song muffled )

( Inaudible )

Turn around.
Bounce your ass.

( Laughing )

Do it, come on.

( Laughing ) No no.

( Turns off music ) This is d.
J. Davis. I'm out.

Gentilly junior
is right behind me.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all.

This next one is for
my station manager.

( Slower tune playing )

- Later, gent.
- Okay, I'll see you later, baby.

♪ Everything I do ♪

♪ gonh be funky ♪

♪ from now on... ♪

( Song continues )

♪ I said everything I do ♪

♪ gonh be funky ♪

♪ from now on ♪

♪ everything I do ♪

♪ gonh be funky ♪

♪ from now on ♪

♪ I have to be myself ♪

♪ and do my thing ♪

♪ a little soul
can't do no harm ♪

♪ everything I do ♪

♪ gonh be funky ♪

♪ from now on ♪

♪ everything I do ♪

♪ gonh be funky ♪

♪ everything I do ♪

♪ gonh be funky ♪

♪ some may say
that I got no class ♪

♪ but I'm doing
what I wanna do ♪

♪ so groove with me
if you can ♪

♪ just do what you wanna do ♪

♪ aw shucks,
why you whining? ♪

♪ I'm on fire... ♪

( Boys laughing )

♪ Never before
have I felt so good ♪

♪ just being natural me ♪

♪ minor hang-ups
and minor times ♪

♪ but deep inside I'm free ♪

♪ let your hair down,
get down with it ♪

♪ who's to say
what's right or wrong? ♪

♪ 'cause everything I do ♪

♪ gonh be funky ♪

♪ from now on... ♪

( Giggling )

So, Brandy, you guys met when?

Last Mardi Gras at a party.

Oh, are you from down here?

Born and raised.

Oh, I guess I musta
got confused.

Robinette:
Ain't no oven,

but warming up on the grill.

Ooh, I'm on it.

So that's your
down-here girlfriend?

Be nice.
Be quiet.

I'm just trying
to keep proper score.

Speaking of which, whatever
happened to daddy's thing--

Lula, was it?

My guess--
She had an opinion.

( Laughs )

I don't know if he put her down or
if it's part of something bigger.

He seems tired.

He seems more than tired.

He call a practice yet?

I don't think so.

All right, call George,
tell him to ask big chief

if we can call practice
on Sunday.

Then let slip I'ma
stay down here for it.

Let my daddy hear I'm thinking
about masking Indian this year.

- Boy, you're devious.
- ( Laughing )

Yeah.

- Look at this haircut-- The bowl cut.
- Look at the ears.

- What's wrong with his ears? They're
beautiful. - No, they're beautiful.

- Oh good. I'm teasing, darling.
- What's that?

Oh, that--
That was a musical.

- ( Annie laughing )
- Mother: Yeah, look at him.

Davis, did I ever tell you

how I could drive

my 1958 Mercury Monterey

from the l.S.U. Campus

to the corner
of Dumaine and Dauphine

in 42 minutes flat
on a Saturday night?

Oh, I surely could.

I'll bet you were
a hellion in college,

as cruel as you were beautiful.

Listen, the song had it right
about those LSU boys--

Go in dumb, come out dumb too.

Now an Auburn man--

- ( Mouths )
- Mother: Stop it, Mimi.

You're just saying that
to make Roger angry.

I believe my father has passed
the possibility of anger.

He had fun.
Leave him alone.

How did you get him
to wear that?

You know,
with a little bribery.

Not to eat and flee,

but Annie and I want
to catch this bounce show

on the west bank,
so we gotta go.

No, Davis, this is so great.

- Yeah, we're having fun.
- Can we stay a minute?

Well, I could just
take a cab then.

While I go to the club alone,

you're gonna stay here
with my mother?

This is the plan?

Well, Davis,
if you really require

an escort for this affair,

I am more than game.

Mimi, act your age.

Well, why in God's name

would I ever want to do
anything of that sort?

You and me at a bounce show?

♪ Everybody everybody ♪

♪ I got that gin in my system ♪

♪ somebody gon' be my victim ♪

♪ do it for ya, third ward,
shake it for ya, fourth ward ♪

♪ work it for ya, fifth ward,
clap it for the sixth ward ♪

♪ bounce it for the seventh ward,
clap it for that eighth ward ♪

♪ and if you bounce uptown
and bounce like this ♪

♪ 'cause I ain't never seen
a shaker shake like this ♪

♪ and if you bounce uptown
and bounce like this ♪

♪ 'cause I ain't never seen
a shaker shake like this ♪

♪ gimme extra
gimme extra-tra ♪

♪ gimme extra,
gimme extra again ♪

♪ get on it, back on it,
get on it, there you go... ♪

D.J. Davis.

Not for long, I fear.

What?

Oh hey, aunt Mimi--
Katey Red.

- Hi.
- Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.

You too.
My God,

I would kill for those shoes.

Oh, you like?

Oh, darling,
they are to die for.

I tell you what-- I'ma
take you to meet Charles.

He owns this shop uptown.

And he has a pair of
blue pumps on tonight

that put my shit to shame.

You just lead on, girlfriend.

- Come on, girl.
- Bye.

Bye.

Ladonna:
Slide over, baby.

It was a good Thanksgiving, ma.

That's 25 thou each

per 7500 cubic yards cleared.

But you gotta make that number
in three weeks. Questions?

Yeah, why us four and not
some of the other haulers?

I don't even know you, brah.

Well, to tell you the truth,

I asked the sub
they put me under

for licensed guys that were
already getting f.E.M.A. Money

and had five or six trucks working.
He gave me you.

Now if he's wrong,
I'll ask for other names.

Is he wrong?

Call when you've made
the number,

and by then I might have
another piece of the pie.

Anyone has a problem--
I do not fucking care.

Just get it done in three
weeks and we're good.

Now make the holiday
and be thankful.

( Door lock chirps )

If we're pulling 25
for the work,

what do you think he's pulling?

Motherfucker.

Don't even think
about it, brah.

- ( Music playing )
- ( People chattering )

Man, I don't believe this shit.

What's up, brah?

- Man, I just got robbed.
- What?

Yeah yeah, man.
A boy-- He had a gun,

aimed it right at my face.

♪ Any other town ♪

♪ but every time I see,
every time I see ♪

♪ no place but the n.O.
That I'd rather be ♪

♪ said the city
still rebuilding ♪

♪ but there's food to eat ♪

♪ 'cause ain't no place
up in this world ♪

♪ like New Orleans ♪

♪ we've been down by the
river and under the lake ♪

♪ below sea level, that's
where I stay, hey hey ♪

♪ even though
we're always gone ♪

♪ there's no place like home ♪

- ♪ now we up in New Orleans ♪
- ♪ New Orleans ♪

- ♪ is where I want to be ♪
- ♪ Is where I want to be ♪

- ♪ still up in New Orleans ♪
- ♪ New Orleans ♪

- ♪ that's the place to be ♪
- ♪ That's the place to be ♪

- ♪ rebirth in New Orleans ♪
- ♪ New Orleans ♪

- ♪ it's where I want to be ♪
- ♪ It's where I want to be ♪

- ♪ still up in New Orleans ♪
- ♪ New Orleans ♪

♪ talkin' post-Katrina ♪

♪ hey ♪

♪ hey ♪

♪ hey ♪

♪ hey ♪

♪ hey ♪

♪ hey. ♪

♪ don't you feel
like crying? ♪

( Yelling )

♪ Here I am, honey ♪

♪ come on, come on,
cry to me... ♪

This is New Orleans!

Don't fucking tell me
what New Orleans--

Don't talk about New Orleans.
This is New Orleans.

♪ And there's
nothing but... ♪

( Song continues on radio )

♪ Don't you feel
like crying? ♪

♪ don't you
feel like crying? ♪

What's going on, y'all?

♪ Come on, come on,
cry to me... ♪

He knew, right?

I asked him if we could have
practice, he said yeah.

Told him you was coming
too, so he knows.

♪ Loneliness loneliness ♪

♪ is just a waste of time ♪

♪ baby, you don't have
to walk ♪

♪ walk all alone ♪

♪ if your lover ♪

♪ is gone ♪

♪ take my hand,
won't you, honey? ♪

♪ and come on
and walk with me ♪

♪ oh yeah. ♪

Man, I don't know why the hell I
blew off on you like that, man.

You need to use him for
your gigs, you can use him.

Nah, don't carry it
like that, bennie.

If you can't spare him
then that's all she wrote.

Man, to tell you the truth,
I'm about sick and tired

of this whole brass band
thing, man.

- I think I've had enough.
- Bennie.

Police killed Joe
like they did,

plus they lied on him.

That's the third guy we lost.

Then the storm hit.

We all scattered
all over this place.

Then the accident in Atlanta with
terrell losing both his legs, man.

I'm just tired.

Water.

- You heard about Jamal?
- No no. What happened?

- He got jacked.
- Oh man.

For real.
Parked around the corner

and this boy puts a gun in his face
before he gets halfway to the club.

That's crazy.
I saw him rig after.

Yeah, man, happened on Gravier.

Hurricane ain't enough to wake these
knuckleheads up, I don't know what is.

I mean, live your life, man.
Have fun.

But if you're from New Orleans, then
act like you're from New Orleans.

Shit's bad, man, real bad.

Your man on the snare--
He's tight.

Dinerral?
Yeah, he rock.

Look, y'all have come too
far to quit now, bennie.

I can find another trumpet
if it don't work, for real.

Nah nah nah, man.
You can use him.

It's all good, man.

Shit's never easy
around here though.

You know that.

Sofia.

Are you asleep, sweetie?

♪ ain't got no home ♪
♪ and no place to roam ♪

♪ ain't got no home ♪

♪ and no place to roam ♪

♪ I'm a lonely boy ♪

♪ I ain't got a home ♪

♪ I got a voice ♪

♪ I love to sing ♪

♪ I sing like a girl ♪

♪ and I sing like a frog ♪

♪ I'm a lonely boy ♪

♪ I ain't got a home ♪

♪ ooh ooh ooh ♪

♪ ooh ooh ooh ♪

♪ ooh ooh ooh ♪

♪ ooh ooh ooh ♪

♪ ooh ooh ooh ♪

♪ ooh ooh ooh ♪

♪ I ain't got a man ♪

♪ I ain't got a son ♪

♪ I ain't got a daughter ♪

♪ I ain't got... ♪