GOATs of 2011

It was a good year to be a GOAT:

ARCHITECT: Andrew Maynard

Andrew Maynard Architects has managed to stretch their impact beyond their native Australia by exploiting the same 21^st century resources that we are trying to employ.  No one has done more with less traditional capital than AMA.
Honorable Mention: CEBRA

BUILDING: Blue Tube Bar by DOSE


The project’s bold affect, DIY materials, high web visibility, diminutive stature and DOSE’s shameless promotion make the Blue Tube Bar the epitome of 2011’s architectural trends.
Honorable Mention: Reindeer Pavilion by Snøhetta

FASHION DESIGNER: Alexander McQueen

The impact of this year’s Savage Beauty at the Met make this much more than a lifetime achievement award.
Honorable Mention: Andrew Schnemaximoider

FURNITURE DESIGNER: Maximo Riera


Too much was taken too seriously in 2011; a nice Walrus Chair should be enough to counteract that.
Honorable Mention: William Lee

ARTIST[s]: Swoon

Swoon was everywhere in 2011 but that creative fertility was no detriment to her work’s quality, much of which was right here in NOLA.
Honorable Mention: Good Wives and Warriors

MUSICIAN: Ice Cube


We don’t care if his 2010 album was terrible and he hasn’t been musically relevant since the early 90s, the dude looks good in an Eames Chair.
Honorable Mention[s]: Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, Mastodon

ALBUM: Bright Lights EP by Gary Clark, Jr.


Saying an EP is the best album of the year might seem wrong, but that is how good Bright Lights is.  Look for a BIG 2012 from Gary.
Honorable Mention: Wild Flag by Wild Flag, For True by Trombone Shorty

SONG: “Otis” by Jay-Z & Kanye West


The industry’s biggest egos make the year’s biggest album, go on the decade’s biggest tour, and produce the year’s biggest single.  All is well in the world of hip-hop.
Honorable Mention: “Make Some Noise” by the Beastie Boys

MOVIE: Rango

The critical negativity surrounding Rango completely shocked us here at GOAT. It had the year’s most likable character, despicable villain, and perhaps the most vivid animation ever put to film.  The opening sequence’s Fear and Loathing nod pushes it over the top.
Honorable Mention[s]: The Descendants, Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II

BOOK: Don’t Shoot: One Man, a Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America by David Kennedy


Nearly twice as many people were lost to violent crime in New Orleans in the last year than American soldiers in Iraq the last 2 years combined. The first murder of 2012 took just a few hours.  Note to Mayor Landrieu: No one has come closer to curing this plague than David Kennedy.
Honorable Mention: 3DD Deluxe

ATHLETE: Drew Brees

As if being the most prolific quarterback in the history of football weren’t enough, the work he does in and around the city of New Orleans has made an immeasurable impact.
Honorable Mention: Justin Verlander, Ndamukong Suh