Well, my problem isn't money -- it's timing. I had really REALLY wanted to go, but unfortunately, as I think I'd said elsewhere, my wife and I have a previous engagement that I just can't break -- we're hosting a retreat that entire weekend. We do this maybe twice a year ... and it just happened we'd set up for that weekend months ago, before I even knew about ALFEST 2009.
*sigh* 
So ... poop. Ah well ...
In all seriousness, however, I did think of another venue that might be fun to consider for a future ALFEST. Yes, prepare for yet
another Dr Dad epistle.
I'd love to see Al come down for an annual local event called "Family Gras". It's a suburban Mardi Gras event that started after Katrina in 2006, and it occurs on the weekend before the weekend before Mardi Gras Day [meaning roughly 9-11 days before Mardi Gras Day]. It was begun ostensibly to lure people looking for a more "family friendly" Mardi Gras away from New Orleans proper and into the suburbs ... and have folks spend more money in the 'burbs too. It has however tried to promote more family-oriented activities seen in Mardi Gras of old [read: when
*I* was a kid ... back when dinosaurs ruled the earth]. So, they encourage dressing in costume and bring in family acts for concerts [last year, N'Awlins' own Imagination Movers were the big hit -- now they're on Disney!]
Now, I won't get into the whole "Mardi Gras IS family friendly Uptown, it's only kinky in the French Quarter" arguments that locals get into with each other as a result of this event, so let's bypass all that -- though both sides frankly have valid points.
However, as you can see by this list of performers for the 2009 weekend, Al would fit right in with the whole "family" aspect of the weekend. Plus there are several Mardi Gras parades that march that very same weekend to partake in. And most importantly, the entire outdoor concert is
FREE!!! [It's SRO ... but it IS free ...]
I think Al would be willing to do it -- I mean, after all, he's come down for Mardi Gras before, and he's always loved coming to New Orleans. He even served as Grand Marshall of a local parade once [the Krewe of Caesar in Metairie on February 18, 1995 ... I know -- I saw him there and got him to throw me a Go-Cup, which I got Al to autograph in 2003!! So it wouldn't be the first time he'd be here!]. The primary issues would be getting his booking agent interested in Family Gras, and getting Jefferson Parish interested in Weird Al.
But think of it -- all WAY fans dressing up in costume as Al video characters or UHF characters ... chowing down on authentic N'Awlins food ... catching beads, cups, and doubloons ... and watching a FREE Al concert ... doesn't that just sound like nirvana? [Smells like it too ...
]
So, does the concept of Mardi Gras parades and a
FREE Al concert on a weekend in February [in 2010 or a future year] sound like something you WOWAYers might be interested in??
Should I look more into this?
Or give it up as a pipe dream?
