New Orleans Bad Ass Bitch Experience is actually a band. Of 16 women. The band is the brainchild of Positive Vibration’s Monique Pyle who was putting the NOBABEs on stage at Bayou Boogaloo on the opening Friday. But that idea got rained out by a vicious storm, so NOBABE is back in action for a make-up gig at Preservation Hall.

The Music Director of NOBABE is Hannah Kreiger-Benson. Among her many personas Hannah is one of the permanent staff of piano players at world famous Pat O’Brien’s, playing copper-covered dueling pianos 3 nights a week. She’s also the Program Coordinator of MACCNO, the music and culture coalition of New Orleans, and was 2015’s City Business Woman of the Year. And if you’re looking, you never know which dating app you might find her on.

Sophie Lafayette first heard Happy Hour when she was living in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Since then she has had a love affair with New Orleans which she has recently re-consummated, moving back here from a year in Scotland. if all that sounds pretty exotic, see if you can mimic Sophie’s accent. 

Shane Mutter knows a thing or two about love affairs as well. He’s managed to keep one going with the same person since the age of 15. Shane might be the most stable guy you’ve ever met: not only is he still married to his high school sweetheart, he works in his 80 year old family firm, Doerr Furniture. If you’re looking for a gig in retail, working at Doerr sounds about as cool as it gets. One day you might find yourself on the showroom floor, the next you might be in Destin.

Photos at Wayfare by Jill Lafleur.