Pensacola, September 1, 1:00PM CDT, by Shane Rogers: Although the street festival was pre-cancelled and other bars along Bourbon Street closed a day early when the crowds didn't come, OZ Nightclub remained open until 4:00AM Sunday morning to an appreciative full house dancing the "last dance" of Southern Decadence. When the lights came on, the crowd filed back to their hotel rooms along a deserted Bourbon Street to prepare for the 12 noon mandatory evacuation, complete with free transportation to the Louis Armstrong airport and other exit points. National guard troups were positioned along the street in preparation for duty in protecting the vacated city from looters.
On Saturday evening, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin made it clear to everyone in the city that the city of New Orleans was better prepared to protect against the widespread crime and looting that followed Hurricane Katrina three years ago. "Looters will go straignt to Angola (prison)" the Mayor warned. His ominous, simple warning to "GET OUT" created an exit from the city never seen before in its history. The city, including residents and visitors, got the message and the highways were packed as the evacuation began.
The storm approaches New Orleans on Sunday
The JustCircuit team joined Circuit promoter Johnny Chisholm in a caravan of OZ Nightclub employees in evacuating the city, using a series of detours and back roads to avoid the stand-still I-10 East, jammed with traffic from New Orleans to Mobile. In the vehicle were JustCircuit's Shane and Victor, along with Johnny Chisholm and partner Cy Whitney and famed video star Lukas Ridgeton, who stated himself to be "a big fan" of JustCircuit.com. Ridgeton, who had performed at OZ during the early weekend, eventually began his journey home back to his country of Slovenia at 7:00AM from Pensacola. The JustCircuit team remains in a Pensacola Beach hotel with a picturesque view of the churning Gulf of Mexico and tornados flying overhead at various intervals.
Decadence Evacuees
Shane, Charlie, Victor, Lukas, Johnny and Cy
A vacated Pensacola Beach, 1:00PM CDT Monday, Waves = 10 feet
As New Orleans appear to have missed the worst of Hurricane Gustav, Chisholm and company have already begun plans for Halloweens in New Orleans, perhaps one of the most popular Halloween Circuit events in the world. This years 25th anniversary weekend features DJ Roland Belmares and others. Stay tuned to JustCircuit for more information on Halloween 2008.
