Now I would like to talk about the entertainment in New Orleans. Clearly, this
is where the city shines. We went to so many places it is impossible to talk

about them all. Here are some places that really stood out for us:

Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bourbon Street (Way down)

We loved this place and will definitely be going back. Other then the necessary
lights (exit, emergency, etc..) the entire place is lit with candles. In the
main room, there is a baby grand piano with a large wooden bar on top of it
where you can sit around the piano and listen to the musician. It is not a very
large place, but this is the definition of cozy.

Our first night there we met J.B. Davis, the piano player who knew many tunes.
We even got a “Go Yankees” out of him!

The next night, we met Mr. Johnny Gordon, a New Orleans legend. He has been
playing in the Quarter for over fifty years. His play is starting to fall off a
bit, but part of me wonders if it is just too dark in there for him to see. The
candle motif from what I understand is something Katrina inspired and not an old
tradition.

John was extremely nice to us and once he found out we were newlyweds and
honeymooning in New Orleans, he gave us an autographed copy of his CD “Johnny
Gordon: Blacksmith Blues.

He tried for a while to find our wedding song Someone to watch over me in his
stack of music to no avail, but still played us some great music. The old man
can still hit it, and it comes as no surprise to me when I found out that Mr.
Gordon had recently had a heart attack and when all the musicians in New Orleans
found out, they got together and had a huge benefit for him. Many big name stars
were there for him and they paid all his hospital bills.

If your going to New Orleans, stopping at the Blacksmith Shop is a must!