19 Aug 2020
Curse of the Commodore!
“I did not know that any man could suffer such pain!” cried the Commodore as he lay dying from wounds Bainbridge had delivered in their duel that fine March morning. It would become the second most famous duel in American history, and Commodore Steven Decatur. It would also become the origin of the Curse of the Commodore…
Carling and Woodmark stood watch on the door to Decatur’s study. They would later swear that they saw the Commodore, scourge of the Barbary pirates, deathmad and delirious, rise to one elbow, raising a blood-soaked hand toward heaven before whispering:
“Curse the pirates… may pox take them ev’ry century… upon this day, the day I d...”
…the day he died, March 22, 1820.
Two Hundred Years Later
We sail with the lightest of complements this year. The port of Decatur lies empty of tall ships, her pubs silent as graveyards – the streets empty as rum barrels. Few pirates to dance a reel upon the Commodore’s grave, nor sing shanties beneath the great grand elms of Decaturtown.
This is the best of Paloozas, this is the worst of Paloozas, this is:
PiratePalooza Skeleton Crew – Curse of the Commodore!
Scheduled for Saturday, September 19, this year’s event will take place almost entirely online and will feature a mix of live and pre-recorded performances during the day, and a live streaming event that evening – pirates and townsfolk are encouraged to attend in full regalia!
The 2020 Commemorative t-shirts will go on sale by the end of August and a full schedule of the day’s video and online programming will be published by early September. Stay tuned!
