Rhythm Meets Roses at the Historic BK House
Erica Falls at the Rhythm & Roses concert series at the Historic BK House
March 2024A music-loving French Quarter newcomer becomes the ultimate good neighbor when he sponsors a new concert series for the house museum next door.
– by Ellis Anderson
photos by Ellis Anderson It’s a French Quarter sort of love story: An Australian-born butter baron moves into the neighborhood and falls hard for the small museum next door – the Historic BK House on Chartres. During his first months as a resident, James Douglas Hislop often relaxes on the balcony of his home’s dependency building “frequently with a drink” admiring his elegant neighbor.
The vantage point gives Hislop a bird’s eye view of the BK House’s formal rose garden, the Parterre. It’s shielded from the street by a formidable brick wall, with only two iron-grilled openings that passing tourists can peer through. While the garden is used for wedding receptions and the occasional special event, it seems a shame to Hislop that not more people can admire its beauty.
The Quarter newcomer is an idea man, whose butter manufacturing company in North Carolina supplies national grocery chains with their store brands. He often jokes it’s a good business to be in – “selling fat to Americans” – and luckily, it now allows him to work remotely. But the pandemic shutdowns found him trapped in New York City, dreaming of New Orleans, a city he visited often. He came South during the “zombie winter” of 2020 and when a Quarter cottage came on the market, he made an offer the following day.
“I’d always had this dream of [living in] New Orleans, but I never thought it’d be actualized,” Hislop said. Soon he settled in, sometimes throwing large parties in the new historic digs, ones where the champagne flowed and dancers in risque mermaid costumes swam in the pool.
“As soon as I found out that you could have parties with mermaids in the pool without anyone raising an eyebrow, I knew it was the town for me,” he quipped.
James Douglas Hislop
The parties are just a fun sidebar: he also began reaching out and providing pivotal support to several local organizations. For instance, he’s a patron of the New Orleans Jazz Museum – at their December 2023 benefit gala, special guest “Mr. P. Funk” George Clinton performed courtesy of Hislop.
James Hislop with a mermaid at a recent Rhythm & Roses concert in the rose garden.
But since the BK House museum was next door to Hislop’s new home, it was the first to capture his attention. During his balcony musings, a concept started to take shape.
“I love New Orleans jazz music and I love the garden,” Hislop said. “Why not combine them?”
BK House director, Annie Irvin, said the new neighbor first came into BK House for a tour and then attended the museum’s 2022 fund-raising soiree.
“We got to know James pretty well over that winter. Then, in January 2023, he approached us with the idea of a concert series,” said Irvin. The small museum already hosted musical offerings in the intimate venue, mostly catering to members. Adding an entirely new series of events seemed “daunting at first,” yet Hislop pledged his help to pull it off.
BK House director Annie Irvin in the Parterre Garden, photo by Ellis Anderson
The inaugural series in 2023 offered six shows in the garden. This year, Hislop is donating enough to pay for seven shows, including all the musicians, the staffing and the marketing. He is also stocking the bar for the evenings, so all proceeds from the concerts benefit the museum. Funds from ticket sales are earmarked for operations, while money from the bar supports ongoing maintenance of the garden.
Attendance for the 2023 Rhythm and Roses concert series “started out slowly,” according to Irvin, “but the last shows were sell-outs.”
“We’re still feeling the ripple effect of those concerts,” she said. “A lot of the neighbors and locals attended – and many of them became members of BK house.”
Erica Falls performed in March for the 2024 Rhythm & Roses concert series at the Historic BK House,
Irvin says the 2024 Rhythm & Roses series is building on the success of last year and is targeted to both visitors and locals. The line-up features seven top local acts, starting with Amanda Shaw and ending up with Marcia Ball.
2024 Rhythm & Roses Concert Schedule
(click here to purchase tickets now)March 14: Amanda Shaw
March 21: New Orleans Nightcrawlers
March 28: Erica Falls
April 4: The Rumble
April 18: James Andrews
April 25: George Porter Trio
May 2: Marcia Ball
This year’s line-up was put together by Joseph Makkos, the museum’s program manager. Hislop has seen most of the musicians, so he’s very enthusiastic about them all - including the Rumble, which allows out-of-town visitors to experience the Mardi Gras tradition. Amanda Shaw, who played last year to a sell-out crowd, was invited on the spot to return this year. She accepted and is opening the 2024 series.
Historic BK House director, Annie Irvin and program director, Joseph Makkos. photo by Ellis Anderson
“So many of these performers usually play to large crowds, and it's rare to see them in such an intimate setting,” said Hislop.
Hislop notes that Marcia Ball “will be competing with a small act out of Britain” the night of her performance – referring to the Rolling Stones’ slated Jazz Fest performance the same day.
“Hopefully, she’ll beat out Mick Jagger,” he said.
Marcia’s not likely to find Mick much of a competitor. Tickets to the Rhythm and Roses concerts are extremely limited because of space considerations in the garden. Irwin calls the concerts a “very small-scale festival for the Lower Quarter.”
She explained that while people flow in and out over the three-hour events, presales are limited to only 150. An additional 50 tickets will be made available at the door (purchase tickets to individual shows now).
Erica Falls performs at a recent Rhythm & Roses concert at the Historic BK House.
In the event of rain, the concerts are moved inside the Historic BK House. The Grammy-winning New Orleans Nightcrawlers perform inside during a recent Rhythm & Roses concert.
Fox Monroe, from Jewel of the South, is creating a special cocktail menu for the concerts. Guests will also be able to purchase champagne, white wine and rosé.
“They just delivered 100 cases of wine to the BK House. And they won’t let me have any of it,” Hislop said, laughing.
“That’s not true,” Irvin protested. “He can come over for a glass whenever he wants.”
James Hislop at the Erica Falls concert in March
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