History of the Boston Mardi Gras Ball

Ensconced somewhere in the Baseball Hall of Fame is a CD by 1990’s Boston band Slide. The recording, “Forgiving Buckner”, was the opening volley by the quirky band who’d release two more CDs before disbanding in 2000. Otherwise long gone, their annual Mardi Gras Ball continues on. Shaun Wolf Wortis and the Legendary Vudu Krewe are a sprawling band of grizzled Boston musicians, and super fans of oddball Rhythm & Blues music of mid-century New Orleans. They've been playing together for over a quarter century, a good run. When it comes to ‘balling’, you might not think Boston is in the same league as New Orleans, but we put up a good fight each year at the Mardi Gras Ball, an exuberant soirée. Indeed, regulars of Boston's Annual Mardi Gras Ball could very well be the only folks outside of New Orleans who are thoroughly familiar with Oliver Morgan's "Who Shot the La La," the Pelicans' "Drunk Drunk Drunk", and four hours' more, for anyone still standing at night's end...

(Photo: Slide ca. 1998 at a Mardi Gras Ball. Photo: Corinne Schippert)