let the good times roll

Mardis Gras! Galveston opening weekend kicks of with concerts, parades, and bountiful beads

A perennial draw, Mardis Gras! Galveston is one of the oldest continuous celebrations in the continental United States, starting just 10 years after New Orleans. Naturally, the event is one of main highlights of the island calendar year.

Galveston's massive, always popular event is expected to draw hundreds of thousands this year, many who'll pack the island during carnival season for concerts, parades, balcony parties, elegant balls, and of course, beads from Friday, February 2 through Fat Tuesday, February 13.

The fun runs from The Strand to Seawall Boulevard and parts in between; those planning their trip can check out this handy map. To up the ante, the popular “Golden Bead” contest is back; lucky fans who manage to grab a golden bead will be treated exclusive prizes. Read more here.

Here’s what’s happening across the opening three-day weekend, from Friday, February 2 through Sunday, February 4.

Photo courtesy of Mardi Gras! Galveston

Friday – Umbrellas and Hayden Baker

Parades are the soul of Mardis Gras, and few do it better on the island than the Funky Uptown Umbrella Brigade. The group is known for their rainbow of meticulously decorated umbrellas that weave through the streets, sometimes breaking into “The Hokey Pokey.”

Mardi Gras! Galveston Funky Uptown Umbrella Brigade. Thousands pack the streets Friday for the opening night Funky Uptown Umbrella Brigade. Photo courtesy of Mardi Gras! Galveston

Mardi Gras! Galveston umbrellas Funky Uptown Umbrella Brigade Show off your best umbrella for fun — and free admission.Photo courtesy of Mardi Gras! Galveston

It’s also one of the few parades people can join free of charge, provided they bring their own decorated umbrella, of course. This year’s parade honors the memory of Mary Pegler, a Galveston night-life entrepreneur and philanthropist who filled many dance floors and raised money for numerous good causes.

Other parades include the Party Gras! Procession, the George P. Mitchell Mardi Gras Award Honoree Parade, and the Mardi Gras! Galveston Parade with Grand Marshal Trey from the Fe.

On the Corona Extra Stage at the Tremont House (2300 Strand), there will be several concerts. In addition to Mid Life Crisis and The Line Up, country star Hayden Baker will take the headline spot at 10 p.m. Baker started out his career doing covers and how-to tutorials on YouTube before being discovered by country superstar Brad Paisely. Since then, he has been a rising star on the country scene.

Hayden Baker performs Friday.Photo via Hayden Baker/Facebook

For those who wants a quieter experience during the day before the party gets rolling, historical sites like Moody Mansion and the Trinity Episcopal Cemetery are running tours while the sun is up.

Saturday – Golf Carts, 5K, and Gin Blossoms

Saturday is the big show! Several more themed parades are set to wow visitors, including the Mystic Krewe of Aquarius. Galveston’s second-oldest krewe, it features a whopping 12 flats, 15 marching bands, and walking units and more. When it comes to the quintessential Mardis Gras parade experience, accept no substitutes.

Mardi Gras! Galveston Mystic Krewe parade float The Mystic Krewe of Aquarius is Galveston’s second-oldest krewe.Photo courtesy of Mardi Gras! Galveston

Earlier in the day is the Jolly Jester Jaunt, a 5k marathon with a Mardis Gras flair. Not only is it a fun way to get some exercise, participants will receive passes to balcony parties, concerts, and drinks afterwards. It’s one of the best ways to get right in the thick of the celebrations.

Or if walking isn’t your speed, how about the Zaniest Golf Cart Parade? Locals outfit their carts with a wild collection of decorations.

Music-wise, the night belongs to the Gin Blossoms. One of the 1990s’ best alt-rock acts, they had major hits with “Hey Jealousy” and “Til I Hear it From You.” Now on the nostalgia circuit but still releasing records, the band’s southwestern sound mixes well with the frontier nature of Texas Mardis Gras.

Photo via Gin Blossoms/Facebook

Sunday – All Things Latin at Fiesta Gras!

Mardis Gras’s roots are in Carnival, which exploded in popularity in Latin America and the Caribbean. It’s only fitting that Mardis Gras! Galveston have a day-long celebration of Latin America, which is the theme for Sunday’s events — dubbed Fiesta Gras!

The afternoon opens with the Univision Houston Parade, a massive collection of various Hispanic floats, bands, and dance troupes. It continues with the Los Locos Vaqueros & Jeeps Parade.

Karina Gonzalez Houston Ballet Photo via Karina Gonzalez/Instagram/Jeff Busby

The Grand Marshal is Houston Ballet principal ballerina Karina Gonzalez. The Venezuela-born dancer has starred in productions like Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella, Andre Prokovsy’s The Great Gatsby, and Justin Peck's Reflections.

Music-wise, Sunday caps off with the Duelo. The norteño band from Roma mixes traditional Mexican music with a more dance-ready, romantic style that is sure to get people swaying. They’re sure to play their hit “Desde Hoy,” a slow jam with an incredible accordion line that is an instant earworm.

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For more information, schedules, and tickets, visit the official Mardi Gras! Galveston site.

Movie Review

Denzel Washington brings new spectacle to the Colosseum in Gladiator II

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Paul Mescal in Gladiator II.

There are some films for which making a sequel is natural, and others where a follow-up is wholly unnecessary. Gladiator, which made both tons of money and was named Best Picture at the Oscars, told an impactful stand-alone story that ended with the protagonist dead and no real loose ends. And yet because there’s always more money to be made, here we are 24 years later with Gladiator II.

The lead character this time around is Lucius (Paul Mescal), a general in a North African army who becomes a prisoner of war when the Roman army led by Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) bests him and his troops in battle. Taken back to Rome, he is put in the pool of captured men forced to fight at the Colosseum for the amusement of twin emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracella (Fred Hechinger).

Lucius is controlled by Macrinus (Denzel Washington), an ambitious schemer who bets liberally on his prized fighter and always has an eye to move up in the world. Meanwhile, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), the sister of Emperor Commodus from the first film, is now married to Marcus Acacius and has a unique connection with Lucius that is fairly obvious from the get-go.

Directed once again by Ridley Scott and written by David Scarpa, the film commits a number of sins throughout its 150-minute running time, the most blatant of which is that, aside from a few embellishments, it essentially tells the same story as the first film. Lucius, like Maximus, is a deposed military leader who’s out for revenge on the person who killed his family. Instead of one obnoxious emperor, there are now two. And the only way for Lucius to earn his freedom is to fight his way out.

Stories told in the same world can echo each other and, if done well, overcome those similarities. But Gladiator II is shockingly boring for a purported sword-and-sandals epic. Scott and his team try to introduce new elements to the fights, like a gladiator riding a rhinoceros or a ship battle inside the Colosseum (with sharks!), but most of the sequences are inert with no propulsion to them.

The action fails because none of the relationships in the film amount to much. There are stand-out characters like Macrinus and the twin emperors, but instead of creating antipathy or strong feelings of triumph or defeat, the story just kind of happens without any sense of excitement or importance. Much of that issue lies at the feet of Lucius, who simply doesn’t inspire in the same way that Russell Crowe’s Maximus did.

Mescal is a fine actor who’s done good work in more intimate roles, but he’s not up to the task of being an action star, at least not in this film. Any bombast he shows with the character feels forced, and the story doesn’t give him enough opportunities to counteract that lack. Washington, however, fills up the screen with his charisma, and it’s during his scenes that the film comes closest to being rousing. Quinn and Hechinger are a lot of fun as the twin emperors, but in the end they feel like retreads of Joaquin Phoenix from the original.

Any sequel should have a purpose that sets it apart from what came before, but Scott, Scarpa, and the rest of their team fail in that respect in Gladiator II. It’s a mostly lifeless film that delivers scenes that would be exciting if they had any kind of good story to back them up.

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Gladiator II opens in theaters on November 22.

movies film

let the good times roll

Mardis Gras! Galveston opening weekend kicks of with concerts, parades, and bountiful beads

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