With Mardi Gras reaching its climax, one of the biggest parades prepared for one of the biggest celebrations in the city. The Krewe of Bacchus, rising from its beginnings in 1968 up to becoming one of the pre-eminent events of the New Orleans Mardi Gras, hosted its annual Bacchus Rendezvous to round out the parade. A small Mr. Bingle hitched on the side of a rolling ice cooler as ticketed, black-tie guests processed beside massive court jester display into one of Carnival's most coveted parties, the live procession of Bacchus through the Ernest Morial Convention Center.
For many visitors, this was their first time experiencing this side of Mardi Gras. For others, Bacchus is a family tradition. On the Captain's Platform, former riders recount decades of riding and the satisfaction of seeing their sons and grandsons take up spots on the parade. After riding for 29 previous Bacchus parades, one guest says that a year watching the Rendezvous makes him want to return to riding again.
Waiting for the parade to arrive at the convention center, the strictly-formal affair began with crowds being treated to live musical performances from the Wise Guys, who played several local hits, including his interpretation of Trombone Shorty's modern New Orleans standard "Hurricane Season." Afterwards, Louie Prima Jr. took the stage to perform songs ranging from his original album work to covers of his father's iconic hits "Sing Sing Sing," as well as "I Wanna Be Like You" as immortalized in his father's performance in Disney's The Jungle Book.
As the parade entered the convention center, the guests had condensed along each side to see this year's King of Bacchus, actor and comedian Adam Devine. As the star of the hit comedy series Workaholics, the voice lead of Netflix's animated Green Eggs and Ham, and a renowned comedian, Adam brought a sense of Hollywood style to Bacchus, with his trip to New Orleans starting several days earlier for a visit to help bring Carnival to the patients at Children's Hospital in Uptown.
As the parade began to roll through Hall H, each float included specialty throws to the theme of "Throw Me Something Mister." With a lineup of larger-than-life displays honoring famous "Misters" ranging from Mr. T to Mr. Bingle, the 32 floats of Bacchus unloaded some of the most coveted throws of the Mardi Gras season. Accompanied by marching band performances, military pageantry and live music, Bacchus knew how to put on a bash for its guests.
Once the parade had concluded, there was no better way for the event to end than with a performance by one of the most iconic musical acts of all-time. Set against an opening montage of the band's history and its overtaking of the Beatles as the most popular musical group in the world, none other than the Beach Boys arrived on the main stage with their iconic Fender guitars. For an hour-long performance, the legendary rock group performed several of their most iconic hits, including "Surfin' USA," "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "Little Honda," "Help Me Rhonda," and God Only Knows." With the floor of the convention center cleared from the parade, the guests and riders gathered in front of the stage to watch the performance, bouncing beach balls across the crowd and singing lyrics to the held-out microphone of Brian Wilson.
The music continued as the satin-shirted riders and black-tie guests mingled freely through the convention hall. On the raised captain's platform, Adam Devine mixes with the guests. When asked if this was his first experience at Mardi Gras, he affirms that indeed it is, giving a smile that says everything about how enjoyable the efforts of the krewe turned out.
The Bacchus Rendezvous occurred the night of February 19, 2023 at the Ernest Morial Convention Center.
