Live at Bele Chere

David Wax Museum

While the masses were watching Brandi Carlile, a lucky group were treated to some amazing Mexican-infused folk rock by David Wax Museum at the Coxe stage.

More photos after the jump!

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A gaggle of GIFs

Well, kinfolk, you’d better stop walking in the middle of the road because Bele Chere is over. It seems like a yearlong black hole until the next one, I know. But there’s still the Olympics, the presidential election, Christmas and 52 issues of Mountain Xpress. 

Let’s cut to the chase. Here are some more animated gifs. The gif that keeps on giffing.

It’s hard to determine what is weirder — the rubber duckies, the naked man, the nauseating pace of the jarring gif or the presence of Rep. Susan Fisher in this second-story Haywood Street-balcony bathtub. 

This scene may seem placid; perhaps it lacks drama. This gif is in fact composed of 40 photographs. Those are some long notes.

The Children’s Area — a nebulous name for such a treacherous place. We used to play tether ball, but this is riddiculous!

David Wax Museum, in flip-book. The band mixed folk and blues idioms from a variety of cultures. Instruments included a donkey’s jaw bone and some other stuff that wasn’t an animal’s jaw.

• #belechere

Dumpster or Digest: Fried Oreos

Let’s face it: Oreo cookies are delicious. That creamy center, crispy chocolate sandwich and pure nostalgia make it one of America’s favorite snacks.

So what happens when this lunch box staple is covered in batter and fried? Pure heaven. The batter straddled the line between sweet and savory (leaning heavily towards the sweet). The heat of the frier melted the center to just the right consistency, not too viscus and not to runny.

Every serving comes with seven Oreos, perfectly suited for a group of friends. My three dining companions scarfed them down before I could have a third (yes, three). Only a plate of powdered sugar made it to the trash.

Verdict: Digest

Dumpster or Digest: Fried moon pie

Everybody loves a moon pie, right? Two round graham cracker cookies, filled with marshmallow dipped in chocolate. What could go wrong?

These moon pies, made especially for Bele Chere, were freshly fried, with great care taken to preserve the cohesiveness of the sandwich. The batter was thick and creamy, a good sign for any fried food.

Maybe I don’t like moon pies (blasphemy in the South, I know), but the fried moon pie just didn’t do it for me. My dining companion, local writer Miles Britton, agreed. He liked everything about the moon pie, except the marshmallow.

The cake was reminded me of sweetened saw dust, but the batter saved the day. It was far tastier than the alligator, successfully clearing the palate for my next gastronomical adventure.

Verdict: Digest

Dumpster or Digest: Alligator on a stick

Alligators don’t belong on sticks. They should be lurking in the bayou while dodging cypress trees, living happy, batter-free lives. At Bele Chere, however, alligators are deep fried and shoved on sticks, ready for hungry festival-goers looking for a cheap Cajun delicacy.

Despite some initial trepidation, the first bite tasted like well-battered chicken. The meat was tender and light in color with enough grease to mask any specific flavors. Then came the grizzle. A squishy ball of fat was nestled next to the meat, completely covered in batter.

That grizzle sealed this alligator’s fate. After a few bland, chewy bites, it was doomed for the dumpster.

Verdict: Dumpster