Tarts and Tramps and Pirates and Wenches In former times, residents of Bay-Waveland closed the lids of their costume boxes after Halloween and stored them in the closet until the beginning of Carnival season. No more. Last November, The Arts, Hancock County rocked the event scene in Bay St. Louis with a Vaudeville-themed costume ball. Organizers were pleasantly surprised when more than 150 patrons - mostly in costume - attended the 2013 Tarts and Tramps Ball to benefit the non-profit. The event was the talk of the town for weeks after. The grand finale included choreographed dance numbers by a group of local women who perform under the name “Big Sleazy Burlesque.” Although their show was “G” rated and a far cry from “sleazy,” it brought down the house with cheers and laughter. “People are still talking about the ball a year later,” says Arts president, Cynthia Mahner. “How many times does that happen?” ![]() After hearing accounts of the first annual ball, those who missed it swore they’d catch it next year. Fortunately, next year has arrived. The Second Annual Tarts and Tramps Ball Benefit will take place on Saturday, November 15th, from 7pm – 11pm at the historic 100 Men Hall in Bay St. Louis. But this time, there’s a new spin. That Saturday also happens to be “Pirate Day in the Bay.” Pirate Day is a warm-up event for the 200th anniversary of the battle of the Bay of St. Louis, which is slated for December 13th. Pirate Day features several activities, including a costume contest in the afternoon. “Two costume events taking place in the middle of November? Only in Hancock County,” says Mahner, laughing. “So we opted for a pirate spin too this year. Mixing vaudeville and buccaneers is over-the-top silly, but that way people can wear the same costumes all day, swaggering around town in the afternoon and dancing with us in the evening. We look at it as a creative opportunity.” The Tarts and Tramps/Pirates and Wenches Ball will feature food by the Silver Slipper Casino, beer from Lazy Magnolia Brewery, a cash bar and a vaudeville-style variety show. The entertainment line-up includes (of course!) the Big Sleazy Burlesque, The House Katz band, Ivory Bill – “rare, rockin’ Americana” - and more local favorites. Tickets for the benefit are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. To make it easy, patrons can purchase advance tickets on-line. They’re also available at The French Potager and Bay Books in Old Town. Tickets will be available at the door. This year, the Arts is inviting local businesses to participate by sponsoring tables at the event. A 22-top is $100, a 12-top table is $60 and a 4-top is $20. Businesses can decorate them according to the Pirate or Vaudeville theme using advertising and promotional materials (contact The Arts for details!) Favored costumed are vampy attire for women, trampy attire for men and of course, anything that might be found in a buccaneer's sea chest. Mixing up the two themes is encouraged. All proceeds support various programs of The Arts, like the popular Imagination Station for children and the annual Arts Alive! event, which will take place in March of 2015. Mahner is enthusiastic about the early community response to the 2014 event. “As our main fund-raiser for the year, the ball is a financial force for ArtsAlive!,” says Mahner. “But it’s also a fun way for The Arts to connect with members of the community - while partnering with other nonprofits, businesses, and community organizations.”
by Pat SaikA Community Treasure “I’m just overwhelmed with joy – and this joy comes from seeing the 100 Men Hall rise like the Phoenix from the years of neglect, and the ravages of hurricanes and storms, to become the shining star of the Gulf Coast . . .”
Deacon John, June 17, 2011 Dedication Ceremony for 100 Men Hall historic marker. On June 16, Bay St. Louis own’s 100 Men Hall celebrated its First Anniversary of the unveiling of its Mississippi Blues Trail marker. It was one year ago, on June 17, 2011, that the informative marker was placed in front of the 100 Men Hall at 303 Union Street. (The Mississippi Blues Trail consists of a series of historical markers throughout the state that tell the stories of bluesmen and women, and how the places where they lived influenced their music.) As you can learn from the marker itself, the One Hundred Members D.B.A. (Debating Benevolent Association) was formed in 1894 by a group of African-American residents from Bay St. Louis. The group was a social organization whose primary purpose was to “assist its members when sick, bury its dead in a respectable manner and knit friendship.” Despite its name, the association was founded by twelve men, and the nature of its “debates” remains unclear. (In other organizations, the initials D.B.A. often stood for Death and Burial Association.) Its charter stipulated that “the association may from time to time give entertainments for the purpose of replenishing the treasury.” In 1922, the One Hundred Members DBA constructed an open air, screened meeting hall at 303 Union Street in Bay St. Louis. The building was later completely enclosed and became the center of the African American social scene in Bay St. Louis, hosting social events and fundraisers of all sorts. Over the years the hall came to be known as the One Hundred Men Hall. After World War II, the 100 Men D.B.A. Hall became a stop on the “chitlin circuit,” a network of African American clubs, with many of the acts booked out of New Orleans. During the 1940′s, 50′s and 60′s, many of the region’s greatest blues and R&B artists performed at The One Hundred Men Hall, including Etta James, Big Joe Turner, Guitar Slim, James Booker, Professor Longhair, Irma Thomas, Deacon John, Ernie K-Doe, Earl King, and Mississippi Gulf Coast favorites like Carl Gates & the Decks, and Guitar Bo and Miss Dee. The Disabled American Veterans acquired the 100 Men D.B.A Hall in the mid-1970s. After several incarnations, including life as a bingo hall in the 1980s, the building was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It was rescued from demolition and restored to its original state by Jesse and Kerrie Loya, with the help of a grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). The Loyas restored it with the intent of creating a nonprofit community center and venue. Last year’s marker dedication was also a bluesy neighborhood bash, and featured a moving speech by New Orleans bandleader Deacon John, one of the greats who used to play at 100 Men Hall in its heyday. The Homemade Jamz Blues Band gave a free concert to a crowd of hundreds of BSL blues fans. Check out the Cleaver calendar for monthly shows at 100 Men Hall - they're always amazing events! by Pat Saik
photo by Allen Reed Mr. Bo Darensbourg, known to his friends and fans as Guitar Bo, was born with the hands to play the guitar, large hands with long flexible fingers and enough dexterity to make one guitar sound like two. He becomes a one-man band when he wants to shape his mouth into making sounds you’d swear was a slide trombone. He may add to the fun by playing his guitar upside down or behind his back. Born November 19, 1937 in Bay St. Louis, Mr. Bo has lived his entire life in and around Ballentine Street, where he and his beloved wife Dee, an accomplished blues singer, now reside in a cottage built by volunteers post-Katrina. Like everyone in the first block of Ballentine, Katrina’s surge caused houses to tumble and cars to float. |
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