Monday, April 28, 2014

New Orleans Jazz Fest 2014...

Not able to make it this year for the first time in ten, but do not worry, you will have a great time anyway!  I will miss the Pool Hall Studs (kinda), the Shoe Ladies' entourage, the Mark/Lisa Jersey Shore contingent, Marshall's Krewe, the late, almost-great Johnny Gumbo, etc.  Hope to be back in 2015.

Have a Bloody Mary at Lucy's on me (Mark/Barry will cover)!  Enjoy!

All of the parties cited above really know their music and need no help from me, but I'm going to throw out my favorites for 2014 Jazz Fest Weekend#2:
  • Hurray For the Riff Raff- Okay, at the risk of overselling, you must see them for at least one of the three opportunities you will be afforded: 1) Thursday night at One-Eyed Jack's, 2) Friday at the Fest (2PM at Samsung Galaxy) and Friday night at First Presbyterian Church (can you byob?)
  • Alabama Shakes- I wanted to see them the most! Closing Samsung Galaxy on Friday (so keep your spot from HFTRR).  Tough choices because The Iguanas (new album, Juarez, very good), Chaka Khan and the Lost Bayou Ramblers also close.
  • Mia Borders- Also on Friday, but you'd have to get out to the Fairgrounds early (leaves out the PHS) because she and her band go on at noon! Worth it.
  • Alejandro Escovedo and the Sensitive Boys- Also on Friday, catch them after HFTRR and before Alabama Shakes at the Fais Do Do Stage
  • Johnny Winter- Saturday.  Yeah, go see Bruce, always cool, but he's on for about 5 hours so you owe it to yourself to check out Johnny at Blues Tent at 5:30
  • Chick Corea- Very sorry to miss one of my all-time jazz favorites!  Sunday at 4PM at the Jazz Tent. 
  • The Deslondes- Who? Yeah, I just stumbled across them myself, but these local guys are pretty damn good.  A couple are from HRFTRR and they've opened for Alabama Shakes. Catch them on Sunday at 1PM at Lagniappe Stage.
  • Shorty is now The Man to close Jazz Fest (and I love him), but other very fine options are John Fogerty at Samsung, Aaron Neville at Blues Tent, and Terrance Blanchard at Jazz Tent.
 
Oh, nevermind, just disregard the above and do whatever the hell you want, 'cause you cannot lose (except maybe Christina Aguilera).

Finally, a handy little money-saving tip that Johnny Gumbo passed along to us a few years ago: "Always eat your dinner at the bar; that way, you do not have to tip."  Gumbo was chock full of those little nuggets of wisdom (and thrift)!  So, have fun, play hard and gulp down a cold Abita Amber on me; The Studs have it.  Wink.

Send me pics, video, comments, etc on Twitter, Facebook.  I'll post.


2 comments:

Bartender @ Nola said...

I kinda remember that Gumbo guy from years ago. Good guy, but bad tipper.

Used to be with the band kind of chick said...

I bought the Pool Hall Studs album after seeing them live at some dive in New Orleans with Johnny Gumbo sitting in on sax. They sucked that night, but I was drunk. I gave it to my paperboy. Do they still tour?