Quiet Conversations The Upstairs Lounge Arson Attack
My name is Arthur Severio, and welcome to Quiet Conversations: The Upstairs Lounge Fire.
I left home with a suitcase filled with dreams, a pack of brand-new Fruit of the Loom underwear, two pairs of 501s, and some shirts that weren’t exactly made for a fat kid like me. My mama had stuffed a twenty-dollar bill in my pocket just in case I wanted a snack and a Diet Coke from the vending machine for my ride into the Crescent City.
My brother met me at the downtown Greyhound bus terminal to take a United Cab back to his French Quarter apartment. It was 1983, and I was only 17. I was so happy because I had finally reached the place that I had dreamed about to get me through those endless days of doing little more than surviving. Soon I met Marcy Marcelle who was scheduled to perform that night at the Upstairs Lounge.
In these Quiet Conversations, I talk to people whose lives were touched either in their personal experience or using their artistic talents to describe that night.
Quiet Conversations The Upstairs Lounge Arson Attack
The Changing Chiaroscuro of the French Quarter
In this episode, we discover the culture of the French Quarter in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. We first hear from historians and authors Johnny Townsend, ” “Let the Faggots Burn,” Frank Perez, a"Ambush Magazine "and "French Quarter Journal’. and Robert Fiesler “Tinderbox: the Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation.”
We also meet Regina Adams, French Quarter legend Regina Adams who grew up in a mormon, upper suburban middle class neighborhood in New Orleans. As Regina was discovering her sexuality, she discovered her sexual identity. She also met the “love of her life,” a man of color and a Jesuit preist, Reggie Adams.
Historian Frank Perez explains the mission of the LGBT+ Archives of Louisiana and a welcome to Quiet Conversations.
Art Span NOLA’s mission is to do just that. It is a non-profit 501 c3 designed especially for contemporary artists just like You and me. Art span Nola extends across the globe, sponsoring programs like creative mentorship, exposure visibility, and project development through collaboration and community.
Please visit Artspannola.org to make your contribution.
with Rio Riggen
