Location:
Faubourg Marigny / French Quarter
Date: January 27, 2024 - Time: 6:30 p.m.
Year Founded: 1987
Krewe Website:
Krewe du Vieux PHOTO LIBRARY - - - -
The Krewe du Vieux
The Krewe du Vieux was founded in 1987 from the ashes
of the storied Krewe of Clones. This wild, satirical Carnival parade,
which first marched in 1978, was based out of New Orleans' Contemporary
Arts Center.Unfortunately, in 1986, infighting among the Krewe/CAC
leadership, combined with pressures from the City due to the parade
occurring the night before the Super Bowl was to be played in New
Orleans, caused the untimely demise of the Krewe of Clones. Not
wishing to be denied a good time or any excuse for wild excess,
two Clones sub-krewes -- the Krewe of Underwear and the Krewe of
Mama Roux -- held a "Clone Funeral". An anatomically correct
(and erect) clone was created and placed on a funeral cart, and
a short march to a party site was planned.
At the last minute, the individual most responsible for the entire
problem got word of the plans, and called the police on the unauthorized
march. Informed by New Orleans' finest that they could not march
in the street, since that would block traffic, the costumed mourners
marched on the sidewalk, while eleven police cars rolled along next
to them, blocking the street far more effectively than the marchers
ever could have.
That same year, two other Clones sub-krewes, the Seeds of Decline
and the Krewe of C.R.U.D.E., held their own informal march on Mardi
Gras itself, in the French Quarter, with the theme of "The
Stupor Bowl". |
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After Carnival was over that year, the two groups got together,
established an official parade date (three Saturdays before Mardi
Gras, the old Clones date), and received permission to march in
the French Quarter. Thus was born the Krewe du Vieux Carre (the
old, French name for the Quarter), now shortened to Krewe du Vieux.
The first Captain of Krewe du Vieux was Underwear's own Craig "Spoons"
Johnson.
The following year, Susan Gibeault assisted Spoons as Co-Captain.
In 1989, the third year of the parade, Ray "Plaine" Kern
debuted as Captain, a post he would hold for ten years. Under Ray's
watch the Krewe grew from about 150 drunks stumbling through the
French Quarter in search of a bar, to become a relatively well-organized
group of about 600 (most of them still drunk), with an actual parade
route. Traditions such as the hand-made, hand- or mule-drawn floats
and showcasing of the city's incredible brass bands became firmly
established. The crowds watching the spectacle grew larger than
Clones had experienced even in its heyday, and the annual Krewe
du Vieux Doo, the ball after the parade, became one of the more
storied parties of the year.
For the 1999 parade, the Captain's mantle fell on Keith Twitchell,
who formed a committee of volunteers, known as the official Krewe
du Vieux CABAL (or in some people's minds, the dirty dozen). Having
burned out Captain "Plaine", we decided to make him King
that year! And, in 2002, Katherine Cargo took on the leadership
role as Captain Inertia. Membership capped out at 900 in 2003, the
Krewe's 17th year; but the crowds continue to grow, and care is
taken to make sure that Krewe du Vieux remains faithful to its satirical,
outrageous and inebriated roots.
Krewe du Vieux Sub-Krewes
Rue du Bourbon, Comatose, Krewe de Craps, C.R.U.D.E., Drips and
Discharges, Inane, K.A.O.S., Krewe of Space Age Love, L.E.W.D, Mama
Roux, Krewe du Mishigas, Mondu, Mystic Krewe of Pan, Seeds of Decline,
Mystic Krewe of Sperms, T.O.K.I.N., Underwear
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