OT: What would you do in New Orleans?

[Tusker]

So I am about to enjoy a dad's treat in New Orleans this weekend. I get to spoil my son who used to be very serious playing his tenor but is now focusing on other things. He's still in love with everybody from Coleman Hawkins to Chris Potter. But he loves all kinds of music.

 

He kinda knows the NOLA musical history as well as how recent events have changed the city. I used to visit quite a bit and have told him that things have changed.

 

Are there bands you would try to catch? (any genre) Any open jam sessions?

 

Thanks in advance.

[ksoper]

Find Jon Cleary. See if Josh Paxton is playing anywhere.  

[TommyRude]

non-music:  enjoy great food, i.e. blackened redfish

[Rodan88]

 

Well, the two previous replies kinda stole my thunder, but.....

 

Eat.  Listen To Music.  Repeat frequently in any order desired!

 

ENJOY!!

[Tusker]

40 minutes ago, ksoper said:

Find Jon Cleary. See if Josh Paxton is playing anywhere.  

 

Great ideas thanks Ken! Brother Josh Paxton would be fun to see (respect). New Orleans.com seems like a good general source but more about established acts than musicians' musicians' events? A lot of bands are out touring for the summer, so we'll take what we can get ...

 

 

[Lou_NC]

Your question *seems* to be focused on music, which is cool.  Unfortunately I can't help you much there, as I've only visited New Orleans once, it was a graduation trip for my daughter who wanted to visit the WW2 museum there.  (My family has a significant history regarding WW2).  If you can spare the time, I would absolutely put the WW2 museum on my agenda. 

 

Safe travels,

Lou

[Zydecat]

The Bayou Club on Bourbon St has traditional Cajun music, worth at least a quick stop to get your toes tappin'.

 

[Docbop]

The joint I hear about for Blues and Funk side of things is the Maple Leaf Bar.   Johnny Vidacovich great Second Line drummer plays there a lot.   

 

https://www.mapleleafbar.com/

[Adan]

Definitely try to get to the Maple Leaf.  Doesn't matter who's playing, it's bound to be good, but the main point is to soak in the vibe.

 

By now it should be common knowledge to avoid Bourbon St., check out Frenchman St.  The Spotted Cat on Frenchman is another place to go just for the unique vibe.

 

Looks like highs in the 90's, probably super humid.  Not for the faint of heart!

[El Lobo]

Repeat: Josh Paxton. Frenchmen St. Maple Leaf.

Add WWOZ radio https://www.wwoz.org

[Tusker]

1 hour ago, Docbop said:

The joint I hear about for Blues and Funk side of things is the Maple Leaf Bar.   Johnny Vidacovich great Second Line drummer plays there a lot.   

 

https://www.mapleleafbar.com/

 

Very good to hear, Docbop. Yes, I was googling Johnny Vidacovich and Stanton Moore to find out where they are playing (SM is on tour at the moment). Thanks for the tip!

[Tusker]

22 minutes ago, Adan said:

Definitely try to get to the Maple Leaf.  Doesn't matter who's playing, it's bound to be good, but the main point is to soak in the vibe.

 

By now it should be common knowledge to avoid Bourbon St., check out Frenchman St.  The Spotted Cat on Frenchman is another place to go just for the unique vibe.

 

 

Amen and Amen! 😅 Will check out the Spotted Cat. Thanks!

[Tusker]

2 hours ago, Lou_NC said:

Your question *seems* to be focused on music, which is cool.  Unfortunately I can't help you much there, as I've only visited New Orleans once, it was a graduation trip for my daughter who wanted to visit the WW2 museum there.  (My family has a significant history regarding WW2).  If you can spare the time, I would absolutely put the WW2 museum on my agenda. 

 

Safe travels,

Lou

 

Lou, I am deeply interested in all things history (and WW2) so I would go there but not sure about my son. I'll ask him. Did you have family who served?

 

For me, music and history are intertwined. Work songs are connected to gospel jazz and blues in such a deep way. The general NOLA history and the peoples are of great interest. I had the privilege of playing with a Cajun drummer for a few years and I totally dig the cultural history of the area.

 

Are there any other museums you would suggest?

[D. Gauss]

my friend, and recent transplant from NYC to NOLA,  Jerry Dugger and the rusty rainbow play often at the 21st amendment  as well as some other places in the quarter. he's a great bass player and a fantastic blues singer.

 

The free Friday shows at Tipatina's are  a good stop.

 

also, if you like cowpunk, Dash Rip Rock are New Orleans legends. Always a good show. 

 

If you wanna see a fun brass band, look for Hot 8 brass band.  Ever wonder what Joy Division would sound like done by a brass band?  wonder no more:

 

 

[hurricane hugo]

A friend of mine moved down there a couple of months before Covid hit. I'd just go hang with her and her husband and let them show me around.

[HSS]

I lived in N.O. during the 80's so my knowledge might be dated.  Besides the usual suspects, (e.g. Maple Leaf, Tipitina's, etc.), there used to be a joint I frequented on Frenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny called "Snug Harbor" that had good live music.  I used to catch Walter Wolfman Washington and Charmaine Neville there on a fairly regular basis.  I remember one night Dr. John came and sat in with the Wolfman for pretty much the entire show.  There was another fun place in Mid City called "Rock 'n Bowl" which was a bowling alley with live bands. 

[Adan]

Speaking of Rock n' Bowl, another place that's beyond walking distance but worth visiting is Vaughn's in the 9th Ward.  Vaughn's can make you feel very down home.

 

The stories I could tell about my pre-married life visits to New Orleans.  But I can't tell them . . . never know what your wife might end up reading someday.

[D. Gauss]

2 hours ago, HSS said:

 fun place in Mid City called "Rock 'n Bowl" which was a bowling alley with live bands. 

 

rock n bowl is always fun. saw jon cleary last time i was there.

[Spider76]

I have nice memories of the Blue Nile and Café Negril, but I LOVED the Preservation Hall and most of all the Candlelight Lounge.

 

Also, look out for the best gospel churches.

[Tusker]

13 minutes ago, Spider76 said:

Also, look out for the best gospel churches.

 

I have a lot of respect for people like Fred Hammond in gospel. Do you have any recommendations on gospel churches in New Orleans which push the envelope in similar ways?

[Joe Muscara]

19 hours ago, Tusker said:

Are there any other museums you would suggest?

New Orleans Jazz Museum last time I was there they had Fess' RMI Electric Piano, Louis Armstrong's first cornet, Dr. John's piano, and Fat Domino's piano among many other things.

 

I've not been to the museums on Jackson Square on opposite sides of the church, but I plan to.

 

It's not a museum but Congo Square at Louis Armstrong Park is the deep roots of the music, where it all started.

 

Intermittent forumite @smanzella plays around town sometimes, I've met up with him a couple of times. I'd also look for John Boutte,  Tom McDermott, Antoine Diel (who you might catch with @Josh Paxton accompanying him).

 

Here's something Josh wrote about visiting back in 2019, I don't know how much still holds true but it probably still has some useful info.

 

Quote

Recommending Frenchmen Street isn't as automatic or as simple as it used to be. That scene has become something of a victim of its own success, and has started attracting a LOT more tourists than it used to, which has changed the dynamic pretty drastically. Where it was once a place you could go to get away from bachelorette parties, daiquiris and party buses, it has now become very much a home to such things. The "Bourbonization of Frenchmen Street" is how it's often described. There's still plenty of good music to be heard there, but the days of it having any kind of quiet, local neighborhood vibe are definitely in the past.

 

And there is good, non-cover-band music to be heard on or just off of Bourbon Street. Fritzel's, the Maison Bourbon, and Preservation Hall are great for trad jazz, and the Jazz Playhouse has good modern jazz. The Funky Pirate has some really good blues bands. The Bombay Club has pianists seven nights a week, of which I'm usually one when I'm in town. The Starlight is a cool new listening room with an eclectic variety of acts. The 21st Amendment books good bands, though it's frequently too crowded for my taste. And a little further toward the river, the Kerry Irish Pub has a regular roster of quality performers.

 

Also there's a stretch of St. Claude Avenue that's now home to several live music clubs, and it's being heralded by some as the "next Frenchmen Street." Siberia, the Hi-Ho and the AllWays are worth checking out.

 

What I like about New Orleans is that even if you do none of what I mentioned, I bet you'll find lots of great stuff to see, do, listen to, and eat anyway.

[Adan]

23 hours ago, Joe Muscara said:

 

What I like about New Orleans is that even if you do none of what I mentioned, I bet you'll find lots of great stuff to see, do, listen to, and eat anyway.

So true.  The tiniest corner of New Orleans is still going to be a super fun place to be.  The worst musical act in town is still going to be hugely entertaining.  

 

I've been there during festival times and also when nothing's happening.  I think by far I've had the most fun when nothing was happening, because then you can really blend in with the locals.  

[MAJUSCULE]

Not to Sven you, Jerry, but there are several of these threads over the years! Some info may be out of date but I'd say the recommendations are mostly the same overall. I've typed out a bunch in prior instances.

 

You'll have a great time regardless and will be lucky if you get to 10% of your plans.  Incredible city.

[Spider76]

On 6/22/2023 at 2:35 PM, Tusker said:

 

I have a lot of respect for people like Fred Hammond in gospel. Do you have any recommendations on gospel churches in New Orleans which push the envelope in similar ways?

No idea, I was just walking randomly around Treme and following my ears when I heard nice choirs and Hammonds

[Tusker]

20 minutes ago, MAJUSCULE said:

Not to Sven you, Jerry, but there are several of these threads over the years! Some info may be out of date but I'd say the recommendations are mostly the same overall. I've typed out a bunch in prior instances.

 

You'll have a great time regardless and will be lucky if you get to 10% of your plans.  Incredible city.

 

Nothing like a little helpful Svenning bro. 👍 ❤️ Does Sven know he has become a verb? 😅

[skipeb3]

First thing... Bowl of gumbo & fried oyster poorboy at Felix's. Then a stop at the Du Monde for beignets & cafe a lait.

Now you're ready to go and find some music...

[Adan]

2 hours ago, Tusker said:

 

Does Sven know he has become a verb? 😅

Sven knows all and is somewhere patting himself on the back right now, with both hands.

[pinkfloydcramer]

My friends and I were there for the 2022 and 2023 Crescent City Classic 10K (takes place on Easter weekend, very fun with brass bands and street musicians along the route, followed by a party in the park with a live band). We found some good Dixieland and Cajun-flavored, rootsy bands on Frenchman, one of which had a hellacious keyboard player getting it all done with a Hammond SK1. We also found a good Cajun band on Bourbon St, fronted by a fiddle player (I think it was at the aforementioned Bayou Club). 

 

Watch out for petty thieves and pick-pocketers. 

 

 

[David R]

I’m partial to Gumbo Shop & Lil Dizzy’s for my gumbo fix. Great music at the Maple Leaf, dba, and so many other places - I always check the WWOZ LiveWire listings. The old US Mint (jazz museum) is always a solid bet, and there’s a good hot sauce shop not far from there. 

[Lou_NC]

On 6/21/2023 at 2:49 PM, Tusker said:

 

Lou, I am deeply interested in all things history (and WW2) so I would go there but not sure about my son. I'll ask him. Did you have family who served?

 

For me, music and history are intertwined. Work songs are connected to gospel jazz and blues in such a deep way. The general NOLA history and the peoples are of great interest. I had the privilege of playing with a Cajun drummer for a few years and I totally dig the cultural history of the area.

 

Are there any other museums you would suggest?

I can't suggest any other museums, we were laser-focused on the WW2 museum and then took in some of the typical tourist sites......Cafe du Monde for the beignets, Central Grocery for a muffuletta, both of which I highly recommend!  Didn't even take in a music venue, sadly, but we had limited time and let our graduate set the itinerary. 

 

Since you asked, I had a cousin who was KIA on Okinawa in June 1944, just two months before the bomb was dropped.  If only those engineers and scientists could have completed the Manhattan project just a little bit sooner.........  Also, my Dad served as a B-17 engine mechanic in England in the 8th Air Force. He saw some awful sights on that airfield, some of the planes returned with significant damage and terrible casualties onboard from their daylight missions.  Until  the P-51 Mustang was deployed, those B-17 crews took a lot of casualties when their fighter escorts had to turn around or run out of gas.  Fortunately my Dad returned home else I would have never developed my affection for the Hammond organ!