On August 26, 2005, one of my friends and I attended the last event in the Louisiana Superdome before Katrina hit. We saw the Saints lose a pre-season game and left early. This coming Monday night, September 25, 2006, brings the return of the Dome. My Dad and I no longer have season tickets in order to express our solidarity with those who suffered for so long in the Dome (both the Katrina evacuees and the Saints season ticket holders), but with the season sold-out we should be able to watch the games on TV. \r\n\r\nUndefeated (with a 2 and 0 record against not very good teams), the Saints provide one of the few positive and unifying forces in the city, and people are grasping to the team with renewed fervor. \r\n\r\nThe circus part of the game will include appearances in and outside the Dome by Bono, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Green Day. These choices reflect the international aspect of this particular game, the whitebread demographic of NFL fans, and the general neglect the NFL maintains for fans of contemporary African-American music.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, if we’re going with a well-known UK-born musician, couldn’t we at least have Elvis Costello performing with Allen Toussaint? No offense against Bono, but in the recent past the Saints had attempted to spotlight local musicians for the games. An opportunity to remind the world of NO contributions to the music world may be squandered by trucking in talent. A friend mentioned that Bono is supposed to be performing a cover of the moldy oldie Scottish band The Skids\' \"Saints are Coming.\" I actually bought that album as a child; however, I would much prefer to hear Allen Toussaint and Elvis Costello performing “Yes, We Can.”\r\n

Citation

“[Untitled],” Hurricane Digital Memory Bank, accessed November 23, 2024, https://hurricanearchive.org./items/show/11420.