week4paug.net

Quote from: alcoholandcoffeebeans on July 18, 2018, 05:06:44 PM
I turn 40 in 4 years.

this was my request to celebrate; Jazz fest 2020.

see you there <3

Quote from: PIE-GUY on July 18, 2018, 09:47:02 PM

Quote from: alcoholandcoffeebeans on July 18, 2018, 05:06:44 PM
I turn 40 in 4 years.

this was my request to celebrate; Jazz fest 2020.

see you there <3

You better come in 2019 just to suss out the whole thing for the big four-oh.

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 13, 2018, 03:42:13 PM
JRAD just announced their 2019 touring plans - 2 nights at Mardi Gras World first weekend - also, looks like SCI will be taking over that same space for 2nd weekend... glad to know something will get the hippies out of my hair weekend 2!!

Also, details on the Brass Pass for 2019. Brass Passes will get you in 7 of the 8 days at the Fairgrounds. The one day not included will be the 2nd Thursday - officially billed as "Locals Day" with discounted tickets for NOLA residents.

Quote from: emay on November 13, 2018, 03:54:11 PM
Also disco biscuits late nights first weekend **cough cough** ill see myself out.

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 16, 2018, 01:16:21 AM
So, the JF rumor mill is on high alert regarding the Stones. The rumor is that 2nd Thursday will be the Stones in the headlining spot... and that tickets will be capped for the first time ever and they expect it to sell out... AND that tickets for that single day will be $150+ while every other JF day will remain its usual $80-90...

Explains why a Brass Pass is 7 days and the one day not included is 2nd Thurs.

WTF, Quint?

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 16, 2018, 01:16:21 AM
So, the JF rumor mill is on high alert regarding the Stones. The rumor is that 2nd Thursday will be the Stones in the headlining spot... and that tickets will be capped for the first time ever and they expect it to sell out... AND that tickets for that single day will be $150+ while every other JF day will remain its usual $80-90...

Explains why a Brass Pass is 7 days and the one day not included is 2nd Thurs.

WTF, Quint?

Quote from: emay on November 16, 2018, 10:17:13 AM
heard the Phish rumor too. Would like to get back there this year since I couldnt make it last year!
Heard some rumors of Vida Blue and Duo w/ Mike late nights the first weekend too.

Quote from: postjack on November 16, 2018, 04:19:46 PM

Quote from: emay on November 16, 2018, 10:17:13 AM
heard the Phish rumor too. Would like to get back there this year since I couldnt make it last year!
Heard some rumors of Vida Blue and Duo w/ Mike late nights the first weekend too.

in addition to those i'm also hearing rumor of Bob Weir and Wolf Bros late night. and string cheese announced three shows for second weekend.

throw in karl d and it's basically an early 00's jazzfest, plus the rolling stones.

Quote
Tipitina's could be purchased by local funk band Galactic

Several sources associated with the club have said they hope Galactic buys Tipitina's to keep it alive as a cultural touchstone on the New Orleans live music scene.

New Orleans funk band Galactic has been working on a deal to purchase the fabled Tipitina's music club from its embattled owner, according to several sources close to the negotiations.

The current owner of Tipitina's, Roland Von Kurnatowski, has faced a firestorm of controversy this week after The New Orleans Advocate reported on several lawsuits alleging he bilked investors and stiffed lenders out of more than $2.8 million.

WWL-TV broke the story Friday that Von Kurnatowski was in negotiations to sell the venerable club, which he purchased in 1996. The station also found that Von Kurnatowski's venues, including Tipitina's and the Orpheum Theater, which he has since sold to his partner, had bounced several performance checks to music acts.

Galactic's relationship with Tipitina's dates back to the 1990s, when the band was called Galactic Prophylactic. The group was started by students at Tulane and Loyola universities who ended up settling in the Uptown area around the club, including Stanton Moore, Robert Mercurio, Ben Ellman, Jeff Raines and Rich Vogel. Their mentor Theryl DeClouet became lead vocalist and the band started selling out shows at Tips, especially special marathon appearances that became must-see for music lovers each Lundi Gras, Halloween, Jazz Fest and New Year's.

The band has teamed with R&B, funk and hip-hop luminaries, including Macy Gray, Juvenille, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, George Porter Jr. and the brass bands Soul Rebels and Hot 8.

After DeClouet left the band for health reasons in 2002, Galactic played major fundraising shows at Tipitina's for him. Moore and other band members were also heavily involved in the Tipitina's Foundation started by Von Kurnatowski and his wife, Mary, helping teach music to kids in New Orleans.

Several sources associated with the club have said they hope Galactic buys Tipitina's to keep it alive as a cultural touchstone on the New Orleans live music scene. Members of the band declined to confirm that the deal was in the works, but people with direct knowledge of the negotiations said it has been for some time and could be finalized soon.

Von Kurnatowski declined to confirm a deal was imminent or to say if Galactic is involved, but did tell WWL-TV that selling Tips was "an open question."

Sources tell the station that several potential buyers have expressed an interest in purchasing Tipitina's, which opened in 1977 as a place for the legendary Professor Longhair to play during the last three years of his life. The club honors the blues legend with a bust and massive portrait inside the club.

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 02:57:32 PM
Gordo at the Joy on May 3rd confirmed...

https://www.jambase.com/article/mike-gordon-new-orleans-jazz-fest-2019? (https://www.jambase.com/article/mike-gordon-new-orleans-jazz-fest-2019?)

Quote from: gah on November 27, 2018, 03:55:52 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 02:57:32 PM
Gordo at the Joy on May 3rd confirmed...

https://www.jambase.com/article/mike-gordon-new-orleans-jazz-fest-2019? (https://www.jambase.com/article/mike-gordon-new-orleans-jazz-fest-2019?)

I don't know what to make of this. That's a prime JF slot....do I want to spend it with Mike? At the same time if you wait, it'll be sold out. Decisions. I hate having to make them 6 months in advance.

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 03:58:44 PM

Quote from: gah on November 27, 2018, 03:55:52 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 02:57:32 PM
Gordo at the Joy on May 3rd confirmed...

https://www.jambase.com/article/mike-gordon-new-orleans-jazz-fest-2019? (https://www.jambase.com/article/mike-gordon-new-orleans-jazz-fest-2019?)

I don't know what to make of this. That's a prime JF slot....do I want to spend it with Mike? At the same time if you wait, it'll be sold out. Decisions. I hate having to make them 6 months in advance.

I can tell you right now I am not likely going to hit this show.

Quote from: gah on November 27, 2018, 04:04:15 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 03:58:44 PM

Quote from: gah on November 27, 2018, 03:55:52 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 02:57:32 PM
Gordo at the Joy on May 3rd confirmed...

https://www.jambase.com/article/mike-gordon-new-orleans-jazz-fest-2019? (https://www.jambase.com/article/mike-gordon-new-orleans-jazz-fest-2019?)

I don't know what to make of this. That's a prime JF slot....do I want to spend it with Mike? At the same time if you wait, it'll be sold out. Decisions. I hate having to make them 6 months in advance.

I can tell you right now I am not likely going to hit this show.

That's the way I'm leaning, but I don't want to commit one way or the other. I'm still a little pissed JRAD is first weekend. Kind of hoping they sell out, and decide to add in the second weekend. Not likely, but still...hoping.

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 04:13:02 PM

Quote from: gah on November 27, 2018, 04:04:15 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 03:58:44 PM

Quote from: gah on November 27, 2018, 03:55:52 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 02:57:32 PM
Gordo at the Joy on May 3rd confirmed...

https://www.jambase.com/article/mike-gordon-new-orleans-jazz-fest-2019? (https://www.jambase.com/article/mike-gordon-new-orleans-jazz-fest-2019?)

I don't know what to make of this. That's a prime JF slot....do I want to spend it with Mike? At the same time if you wait, it'll be sold out. Decisions. I hate having to make them 6 months in advance.

I can tell you right now I am not likely going to hit this show.

That's the way I'm leaning, but I don't want to commit one way or the other. I'm still a little pissed JRAD is first weekend. Kind of hoping they sell out, and decide to add in the second weekend. Not likely, but still...hoping.

Not happening - after JRAD's success at Mardi Gras World last year SCI's mouths started watering - they have booked it 2nd weekend.

Quote from: gah on November 27, 2018, 04:27:23 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 04:13:02 PM

Quote from: gah on November 27, 2018, 04:04:15 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 03:58:44 PM

Quote from: gah on November 27, 2018, 03:55:52 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 02:57:32 PM
Gordo at the Joy on May 3rd confirmed...

https://www.jambase.com/article/mike-gordon-new-orleans-jazz-fest-2019? (https://www.jambase.com/article/mike-gordon-new-orleans-jazz-fest-2019?)

I don't know what to make of this. That's a prime JF slot....do I want to spend it with Mike? At the same time if you wait, it'll be sold out. Decisions. I hate having to make them 6 months in advance.

I can tell you right now I am not likely going to hit this show.

That's the way I'm leaning, but I don't want to commit one way or the other. I'm still a little pissed JRAD is first weekend. Kind of hoping they sell out, and decide to add in the second weekend. Not likely, but still...hoping.

Not happening - after JRAD's success at Mardi Gras World last year SCI's mouths started watering - they have booked it 2nd weekend.

fuck string cheese.

Quote from: gah on November 27, 2018, 04:42:36 PM
with pigeons playing ping pong?!?!? WTF is going on here?!  :shakehead: :shakehead: :shakehead: :shakehead: :shakehead: :shakehead: :shakehead: :shakehead:

Quote from: PIE-GUY on November 27, 2018, 04:47:57 PM

Quote from: gah on November 27, 2018, 04:42:36 PM
with pigeons playing ping pong?!?!? WTF is going on here?!  :shakehead: :shakehead: :shakehead: :shakehead: :shakehead: :shakehead: :shakehead: :shakehead:

and you can only purchase the Orpheum ticket as part of a 3-day pass with both nights at MGW. Who's going to 3 ANY nights of Cheese during the 50th Jazzfest??

Quote from: emay on November 27, 2018, 05:18:49 PM
Agreed. I don't even see them when they play 15 mins from my house

Quote from: emay on November 27, 2018, 05:18:49 PM
Agreed. I don't even see them when they play 15 mins from my house

Quote from: mistercharlie on November 27, 2018, 05:24:20 PM

Quote from: emay on November 27, 2018, 05:18:49 PM
Agreed. I don't even see them when they play 15 mins from my house

I last saw them in 2005 and there was just too much 'untz' for me.

Quote from: gah on November 27, 2018, 05:26:24 PM

Quote from: emay on November 27, 2018, 05:18:49 PM
Agreed. I don't even see them when they play 15 mins from my house

Well, full disclosure, I did see them when they played 15 mins from my place, at nTelos Pavilion with YMSB, but it had been a slow summer for me. REALLY! I SWEAR!!! AND it had been about 15 years since I'd last seen them.

Quote from: emay on November 27, 2018, 05:34:25 PM

Quote from: mistercharlie on November 27, 2018, 05:24:20 PM

Quote from: emay on November 27, 2018, 05:18:49 PM
Agreed. I don't even see them when they play 15 mins from my house

I last saw them in 2005 and there was just too much 'untz' for me.

Last time I saw them in like 2015-2016 I think, they have changed their sound back to the more organic Jam-Grass type but still have a couple untz songs you mentioned from that era. Still not my cup of tea. Esp as a Jazzfest late night.

Looking at hitting the first weekend so would def hit one of those Phil shows if I do.

Quote
Tipitina's bought by members of New Orleans funk-band Galactic, sources say

Tipitina's, one of New Orleans' flagship music clubs, has new owners: the five members of local funk band Galactic.

The musicians bought the club from Roland Von Kurnatowski, the embattled local businessman and real estate developer who has owned it since the 1990s, according to sources with direct knowledge of the sale. The deal reportedly closed Friday afternoon.

The band declined to comment.

A popular New Orleans funk band is negotiating with Tipitina's owner Ronald Von Kurnatowski to buy the popular live music venue in the midst o...
A bohemian alliance of local music fans founded Tipitina's in 1977 as a neighborhood bar devoted to piano wizard Professor Longhair — the club is named after one of his signature songs — and other living legends.

Tip's has sometimes thrived, sometimes barely survived — it closed for more than a year in mid-1980s — during four occasionally turbulent decades. The Neville Brothers, the Meters, the Radiators and Galactic, among many other bands, all cut their teeth at Tipitina's.

Galactic's purchase puts one of the city's best-known clubs in the hands of musicians who have performed there for 20 years. Galactic's New Year's Eve, Mardi Gras and Halloween weekend shows inside the yellow two-story venue at Tchoupitoulas Street and Napoleon Avenue are annual traditions.

The deal with Galactic includes the purchase of the music club as well as the Tipitina's business, according to a source familiar with the transaction. It does not involve a change of control of the non-profit Tipitina's Foundation, which provides musical instruments to local schools and was founded by Von Kurnatowski, the source said.

Von Kurnatowski did not respond to requests for comment.

The sale comes as Von Kurnatowski faces multiple lawsuits related to one of his other business ventures.

Two recent lawsuits filed against Roland Von Kurnatowski, an owner of Tipitina's and the Orpheum Theater, accuse the New Orleans businessman o...
Facing a raft of accusations that he defrauded investors of hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions of dollars, real estate developer and T...
In recent months, according to several bands, Von Kurnatowski has had difficulty paying performers at Tipitina's and the Orpheum Theater, which he redeveloped with a business partner and recently sold.

The Radiators' association with Tipitina's dates back more than 30 years. But the legendary band endured three weeks of delays before finally being paid for three nights of reunion concerts at Tipitina's in January — even though tickets had sold out well in advance, according to Radiators bassist Reggie Scanlan.

As a result, the Radiators decided to perform at the Civic Theatre instead of Tipitina's during the 2019 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

Scanlan says he's open to returning to Tipitina's under Galactic's ownership.

Tipitina's "is ground zero for New Orleans music," Scanlan said. "It will be wonderful for it to be back in the hands of people who appreciate what it is and what it has to offer."

Howie Kaplan owns the Howlin' Wolf in the Warehouse District and also manages the Rebirth and Hot 8 brass bands, Big Sam's Funky Nation and Naughty Professor, all of whom have performed at Tiptina's. He believes the Galactic purchase can only help to rebuild the club's goodwill.

"If anyone can put the luster back and take away some of the negativity that's out there, they might be the guys to do that," Kaplan said. "You won't find people that care more about New Orleans music. I can't imagine they would do anything other than take good care of the bands."

Having owned a music club himself for more than 20 years, Kaplan is also well-versed in all the risks the Galactic camp faces.

"I hope they know what they're getting into." Kaplan said. "I wish them the best of luck."

Quote from: emay on December 07, 2018, 01:23:09 PM
ill be patient for that line up.

Quote from: gah on December 07, 2018, 01:25:19 PM

Quote from: emay on December 07, 2018, 01:23:09 PM
ill be patient for that line up.

oh patient bear will be patient alright. I'm just saying, this is all the Stones fault. And Trump. And Putin. Collusion if I ever saw it.

Quote from: emay on December 07, 2018, 01:26:53 PM

Quote from: gah on December 07, 2018, 01:25:19 PM

Quote from: emay on December 07, 2018, 01:23:09 PM
ill be patient for that line up.

oh patient bear will be patient alright. I'm just saying, this is all the Stones fault. And Trump. And Putin. Collusion if I ever saw it.

yeah Thanks Obama! ::waves fist in air::

Quote from: gah on December 07, 2018, 01:17:06 PM
I blame the stones.

QuoteLegendary keyboardist Art Neville announced his retirement from music after a 65-year career. The New Orleans-bred Neville is a founding member of influential funk acts The Meters and The Neville Brothers and more recently focused his efforts on the funky METERS.

Art, who recently turned 81, has been battling health issues in recent years and hasn't performed publicly since 2017. "Poppa Funk" issued a statement announcing his decision in which he thanks "the fans for all the wonderful years of support and for letting us share our music with the world." The Meters celebrated their 50th anniversary aboard Jam Cruise 15 in 2017 after a career filled with such memorable classics as "Cissy Strut," "Just Kissed My Baby," and "Hey Pocky A-Way." Earlier this year, the group was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy. Art did not attend or perform at the ceremony, which was held in Los Angeles.

Neville's voice and playing were at the heart of songs from both The Meters and The Neville Brothers. Art was an important part of The Neville Brothers from the group's founding in 1977 through their 1980's hey day and 2004 comeback album Walkin' In The Shadow Of Life. The funky METERS expect to continue with the keyboardist's nephew, Ivan Neville, sitting in Art's chair as he has for a number of gigs in recent years. Look for that band to celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2019.

QuoteFoundation Of Funk featuring The Meters' bassist George Porter Jr. and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste will team with guitarist Eric Krasno, keyboardist John Medeski and the Lettuce Horns (Eric 'Benny' Bloom and Ryan Zoidis) for a show in New Orleans. The performance will take place at the Crescent City's House Of Blues on April 27.

Porter Jr., Modeliste, Krasno, Medeski and the horns' concert is a late-night gig during the first weekend of next year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Tickets for the show are on sale now via Live Nation.

Quote from: PIE-GUY on January 07, 2019, 12:57:31 PM
Last year my buddy Stack was dating the woman who does all the marketing for Crawfish King - so we had VIP all three days for free. Gonna be tough to beat that shit! Alas, they are no longer dating.

Quote from: PIE-GUY on January 07, 2019, 02:46:12 PM
Latest rumor is line-up this Friday.

Quote from: emay on January 08, 2019, 11:24:32 AM
What day is the Phish rumor?

Quote from: gah on January 08, 2019, 12:32:59 PM

Quote from: emay on January 08, 2019, 11:24:32 AM
What day is the Phish rumor?

My guess would be the first weekend.

Quote from: emay on January 08, 2019, 12:35:32 PM

Quote from: gah on January 08, 2019, 12:32:59 PM

Quote from: emay on January 08, 2019, 11:24:32 AM
What day is the Phish rumor?

My guess would be the first weekend.

They did Saturday last time. I was looking at the rumored dates with Benevento Russo & Gordon on Thursday night, Vida Blue on Saturday night, so maybe they'll play Friday this time.

Quote from: PIE-GUY on January 08, 2019, 01:49:38 PM
don't hold your breath - Phish plays one festival per year and Bonnaroo is it this year. That's all.

Quote from: PIE-GUY on January 08, 2019, 04:03:08 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/9PT0Ilp.png)

Quote from: emay on January 15, 2019, 10:29:42 AM
sick poster!
stoked to see the line up!

Quote from: mattstick on January 15, 2019, 03:57:16 PM
Love the 2019 poster.

Quote from: Buffalo Budd on January 15, 2019, 06:57:24 PM
That poster is amazing, I would love to own it.

Quote from: mattstick on January 15, 2019, 07:02:02 PM

Quote from: Buffalo Budd on January 15, 2019, 06:57:24 PM
That poster is amazing, I would love to own it.

On-sale soon -
https://art4now.com/products/2019-jazz-fest-poster

Quote from: gah on January 18, 2019, 11:42:22 AM
Only 2K+ people in front of me in line for tickets....  :shakehead:

(for the last 45 mins!!!)

Quote from: PIE-GUY on January 18, 2019, 01:00:20 PM

Quote from: gah on January 18, 2019, 11:42:22 AM
Only 2K+ people in front of me in line for tickets....  :shakehead:

(for the last 45 mins!!!)

...and it's sold out for Rolling Stones day

Quote from: gah on January 18, 2019, 01:58:18 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on January 18, 2019, 01:00:20 PM

Quote from: gah on January 18, 2019, 11:42:22 AM
Only 2K+ people in front of me in line for tickets....  :shakehead:

(for the last 45 mins!!!)

...and it's sold out for Rolling Stones day

yes. yes it is.  :cry:

how much you think these things are gonna run on the secondary market?  :shakehead:

Quote from: PIE-GUY on January 18, 2019, 02:06:56 PM

Quote from: gah on January 18, 2019, 01:58:18 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on January 18, 2019, 01:00:20 PM

Quote from: gah on January 18, 2019, 11:42:22 AM
Only 2K+ people in front of me in line for tickets....  :shakehead:

(for the last 45 mins!!!)

...and it's sold out for Rolling Stones day

yes. yes it is.  :cry:

how much you think these things are gonna run on the secondary market?  :shakehead:

No idea - I'm so happy I jumped on the Brass Pass when I did or I'd be fucked. We get a special code for a Stones Day ticket - 1 per Brass Pass - so I'm stress free.

Quote from: gah on January 18, 2019, 02:15:00 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on January 18, 2019, 02:06:56 PM

Quote from: gah on January 18, 2019, 01:58:18 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on January 18, 2019, 01:00:20 PM

Quote from: gah on January 18, 2019, 11:42:22 AM
Only 2K+ people in front of me in line for tickets....  :shakehead:

(for the last 45 mins!!!)

...and it's sold out for Rolling Stones day

yes. yes it is.  :cry:

how much you think these things are gonna run on the secondary market?  :shakehead:

No idea - I'm so happy I jumped on the Brass Pass when I did or I'd be fucked. We get a special code for a Stones Day ticket - 1 per Brass Pass - so I'm stress free.

brass pass sold out, stones day sold out...this year is going to be nutso.

QuoteFew music festivals are as rich, profound, and joyous as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, now entering its 50th year. With 50 tracks recorded live, Jazz Fest captures the festival's ecstatic spontaneity, which defines the essence and vitality of American popular music. Ever since its inception a half century ago, Jazz Fest has exuberantly expressed the unique confluence in New Orleans of Native American, African, Caribbean, European, Hispanic, and Asian communities. With essays and annotations by Keith Spera, Karen Celestan, Robert Cataliotti, Jeff Place, Rachel Lyons, and Jon Pareles, plus photos spanning the festival's history, this box set delivers the sights and sounds of being at Jazz Fest for those who have not yet been there, and rekindles memories for the hundreds of thousands who return to New Orleans year after year. 5 discs, over 300 minutes of music, 136-page book.

Quote from: gah on March 16, 2019, 09:56:32 AM
THIS is one of the coolest Jazzfest geekery things I have ever seen. LOVE IT!

https://www.jambase.com/article/new-orleans-jazz-fest-after-dark-deep-dive

The satellite clusters is my favorite.

Quote from: birdman on March 27, 2019, 11:36:47 AM
I'm eating two of everything

Quote from: gah on March 28, 2019, 04:53:34 PM
It's getting to crunch time for me on this. I haven't booked anything yet. This is the latest I've ever gone. But with 4 weddings between March and August, and having to travel for three of them, and being in two of them, this just wasn't looking possible for me this year. But I never decided one way or the other. Looking at flights, they're pricey but doable. And the airbnb I stayed at last year is still available. And quite reasonable actually. UGH! I'm torn right now. It doesn't make sense financially, or in terms of time away from the office, with everything else I have going on, and if it was any other year, I probably would've skipped, but being the 50th anniversary, is making this decision a lot harder.

The food list there really pushed me to the edge. Way to go.

Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 30, 2019, 10:10:38 AM
Quint owes a lot of people a lot of money!

Quote from: gah on March 30, 2019, 10:31:19 AM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 30, 2019, 10:10:38 AM
Quint owes a lot of people a lot of money!

He must've had SOME sort of back up plan, right? I mean, to have nothing scheduled for the entire day after 4, except the Stones?!?! He had to have some thing though tout that if they cancelled, or something happened to one of them health wise, or whatever, he had to have thought of something that could be done. Otherwise, that was one helluva gamble, and he just lost.

Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 30, 2019, 10:42:12 AM

Quote from: gah on March 30, 2019, 10:31:19 AM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 30, 2019, 10:10:38 AM
Quint owes a lot of people a lot of money!

He must've had SOME sort of back up plan, right? I mean, to have nothing scheduled for the entire day after 4, except the Stones?!?! He had to have some thing though tout that if they cancelled, or something happened to one of them health wise, or whatever, he had to have thought of something that could be done. Otherwise, that was one helluva gamble, and he just lost.

I think when you're booking a band that big and that old and that Keef Richards-y, your backup plan is just a huge insurance policy. I'm quite certain some insurance company is taking the biggest hit on this one. Quint will be fine.

Quote from: gah on March 30, 2019, 12:22:10 PM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 30, 2019, 10:42:12 AM

Quote from: gah on March 30, 2019, 10:31:19 AM

Quote from: PIE-GUY on March 30, 2019, 10:10:38 AM
Quint owes a lot of people a lot of money!

He must've had SOME sort of back up plan, right? I mean, to have nothing scheduled for the entire day after 4, except the Stones?!?! He had to have some thing though tout that if they cancelled, or something happened to one of them health wise, or whatever, he had to have thought of something that could be done. Otherwise, that was one helluva gamble, and he just lost.

I think when you're booking a band that big and that old and that Keef Richards-y, your backup plan is just a huge insurance policy. I'm quite certain some insurance company is taking the biggest hit on this one. Quint will be fine.

Oh, I don't even mean financially. I mean, like musically. WTF is his back up plan?!?!

Quote from: emay on April 04, 2019, 05:27:38 PM
Fleetwood Mac replacing the Stones.

Quote from: emay on April 08, 2019, 06:20:37 PM
Widespread Panic to fill in now...

Quote from: mistercharlie on April 09, 2019, 06:19:08 AM

Quote from: emay on April 08, 2019, 06:20:37 PM
Widespread Panic to fill in now...

Ouch. They are in no way comparable to The Stones or Fleetwood. Two bands that everybody knows > a third-rate jam band that a huge portion of the population have never heard of before.

Quote from: mehead on April 09, 2019, 08:51:51 AM

Quote from: mistercharlie on April 09, 2019, 06:19:08 AM

Quote from: emay on April 08, 2019, 06:20:37 PM
Widespread Panic to fill in now...

Ouch. They are in no way comparable to The Stones or Fleetwood. Two bands that everybody knows > a third-rate jam band that a huge portion of the population have never heard of before.

Even as a huge Panic fan, I find this totally hilarious. I literally thought it was a joke when I first heard about it.

Quote from: Caravan2001 on April 09, 2019, 10:57:45 AM
3rd string?  That's being generous.

QuoteIn its 50th year, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival both embodies and transcends its name.

This article is part of 50 Years of Jazz Fest celebration and appears in the special Collector's Edition April/May 2019 issue of Relix. Subscribe here using code NOLA50 and get 20% off.

Ivan Neville made his New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival debut in 1977, singing alongside his father, Aaron, and his uncles, Art, Cyril and Charles. He was already a high-school senior at the time, but his real education began that day.

"Jazz Fest is a learning ground, somewhere to grow over the years," says Neville, now a four-decade veteran of New Orleans' annual springtime extravaganza. "I'm always learning something different, not just from being part of it musically, but also seeing how other people coming in treasure the New Orleans thing."

For 50 years, Jazz Fest has celebrated that "New Orleans thing" in all its funky splendor.

What started in 1970 as a handmade local festival staged under the oak trees of a park near the city's historic French Quarter has grown into the still-spry granddaddy of American music festivals.

Jazz Fest's 50th anniversary celebration will take place April 25– 28 and May 2–5, 2019. Hundreds of thousands of music lovers will descend on the Fair Grounds Race Course while more than 600 acts, the vast majority indigenous to South Louisiana, showcase the depth and breadth of their talent on a dozen stages. Those locals are augmented by "visiting" musicians from across the spectrum of popular music, marquee names presented alongside authentic New Orleans street culture.

This year's visiting artists include The Rolling Stones [Ed. Note: Since the publishing of our April/May issue, The Rolling Stones have canceled their Jazz Fest appearance. Widespread Panic will now headline May 2], Dave Matthews Band, Chris Stapleton, Katy Perry, Jimmy Buffett, Van Morrison, Santana, Gary Clark Jr., John Fogerty, Bonnie Raitt, Pitbull, Leon Bridges, J. Balvin, Pitbull, Logic, The Head and the Heart, Kamasi Washington and many others.

They'll join a host of more exotic acts from around the globe that link to the roots of New Orleans music: Martinique's Chouval Bwa Traditionnel, South Africa's Crocodile Gumboot Dancers, Haiti's Boukman Eksperyans and Cuba's Septeto Santiaguero are among them.

"The festival has to be true to its history and honor people's experience here," says longtime Jazz Fest producer/director Quint Davis, who was still a college student when legendary festival impresario George Wein hired him for the very first Jazz Fest. "But it also has to be broad. This just can't be a festival where you call up an agent and book a band. We have to dig all the way into the roots."

But music accounts for only part of the festival's appeal. At Jazz Fest, what happens between the stages is just as enticing as what happens on them.

Dozens of food vendors serve up a cornucopia of culinary delights, from Crawfish Monica and cochon de lait—the former a creamy pasta dish, the latter a Cajun roast pig sandwich—to spicy meat pies and fried soft-shell crab po-boys.

For Galactic saxophonist and harmonica player Ben Ellman, "everything revolves around the pheasant, quail and andouille gumbo. I think that truly is the greatest gumbo I've ever had. I play a lot of festivals, and the food is never as good as it is at Jazz Fest. It's one of the great food festivals, too."

One of Ellman's signature moves is to buy crackling—essentially fried pork fat—and sprinkle it on the cochon de lait. "Or you can put it in the gumbo, of course. It kind of goes with everything, except the strawberry shortcake."

In defiance of the heat and rain that generally descend on south Louisiana each spring, the festival's sounds, sights, smells and tastes are immersive in a way that transcends the typical concert, or even festival, experience. Most major music festivals—Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza, even Austin City Limits—could be anywhere. But Jazz Fest is reflective of, and essential to, its host city.

Jazz Fest ranks second only to Mardi Gras in terms of economic and social impact. For the city's musicians, it's a seven-day Super Bowl that both celebrates New Orleans culture and serves as a catalyst for its continued vitality. After leaving the Fair Grounds when the event shuts down at 7 p.m., patrons pack New Orleans' music clubs for what amounts to an all-night encore.

The festival itself is a one-stop shop for all that makes New Orleans the most culturally rich city in North America. The brilliant plumage of the Mardi Gras Indians, the matching suits and choreographed steps of the second-line parades that roam the grounds, the potent kick of the brass bands, the flags and totems that flutter above the crowd, even the painted memorials that honor festival "Ancestors" who have passed on—Jazz Fest feels alive, with a celebratory spirit and sense of community all its own.

For the festival's duration, the Fair Grounds is its own planet with a gravitational field that pulls in all sorts of characters and spins off all sorts of traditions. At the Fais Do-Do Stage, with its Cajun, zydeco and Americana bands, fans host a ritualized "watermelon sacrifice." Participants in the decidedly unofficial "Jazz Fest Triathlon" bike to the Fair Grounds, jog around the racetrack and then swim across nearby Bayou St. John. These are tribes within the tribe.

Jazz Fest offers unique experiences regardless of status. A hoodoo dancer draped her albino snake across Eric Clapton's shoulders as Slowhand watched Crescent City legend Dr. John in 1992. (Clapton would headline the festival himself 22 years later.) U2 guitarist The Edge found himself singing "Stand by Me" with the New Birth Brass Band in 2006. Ed Bradley, the late 60 Minutes correspondent, was such a close friend of the fest that he merited his own golf cart and is now immortalized as an Ancestor.

It is not unheard of to encounter Jimmy Buffett in line for the same gumbo that Ellman relishes—Mr. Margaritaville frolics at the Fair Grounds even when he's not on the bill and has been known to make a surprise sit in. For years, John Fogerty roamed the grounds anonymously, sometimes in a white Jazz Fest baseball cap and a pink Jazz Fest shirt, before he finally agreed to make it a working vacation and perform.

Over the decades, the festival has found room for everyone from Bon Jovi to Bongo Joe, a strapping Texan who beats on 55-gallon oil drums with homemade mallets.

To arrive at its 50th anniversary, Jazz Fest has survived fire and flood, wind and rain, politics and personality clashes, mud pools and the "Macarena." It remains relevant even though it predates cell phones, laptops, CDs and Spotify. It is older than hip-hop and has outlived many of its legendary performers, even as it has embraced—sometimes slowly—contemporary music. It changes when it needs to, but also remains the same.

Jazz Fest is owned by a nonprofit foundation that uses the proceeds to underwrite a series of free festivals and various cultural and educational initiatives. Since 2004, Davis has partnered with AEG Live, one of the world's largest producers of live entertainment, to co-produce Jazz Fest.

The AEG alliance has enabled Jazz Fest to book some of the biggest names in popular music, including Elton John, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Foo Fighters and Rod Stewart.

Indicative of the festival's growth, acts that previously appeared on the festival's three biggest stages now headline smaller tents. Legends like Boz Scaggs, Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples and Los Lobos will perform in the Blues Tent this year. Herbie Hancock will appear in the Jazz Tent, as will brothers Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis when they honor their father, pianist Ellis Marsalis, one of more than a dozen tributes to various New Orleans legends.

Some longtime fans of the festival believe that the type of mainstream rock and pop acts that headline arenas don't belong at Jazz Fest. Ivan Neville, however, sees the benefit.

"That just brings more people down here to appreciate what we have," he says. "If you're a New Orleans group playing that day, you're going to play for thousands of people that may have never seen you. I love it."

To maximize that exposure, Davis often schedules regional acts on the same stage as like-minded headliners. On this year's first Friday, he slotted South Louisiana guitarist Tab Benoit on the main Acura Stage ahead of Santana. "That, to me, is some of the magic of Jazz Fest," Davis said.

So, too, is the fact that the big acts perform without their usual production, or even lights—the festival closes before sundown. Mick Jagger and company will strut their stuff under the Acura Stage canopy on May 2 with the same amount of bells and whistles—none—as the local acts who precede them.

"The biggest band in the world has accepted playing Jazz Fest on Jazz Fest's terms, in the daytime, with no lights," Davis says. "That says something about them, but it also says a lot about the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival."

Ivan Neville's deep-funk/R&B band, Dumpstaphunk, is booked on the same day as The Rolling Stones, with whom he has collaborated. (Tickets for "Stones Thursday" are sold out.) Over the decades, Neville has joined his father and uncles in The Neville Brothers onstage at Jazz Fest and sat in with his uncle Art in pioneering funk band, The Meters. He is as much a fan of the festival as a participant.

"Some of the most fun musical times in my life have been during Jazz Fest, whether at the Fair Grounds or the surrounding scene," he says. "The city turns into one big festival. It's a big giant bowl of gumbo and we're all hanging out. It's like nothing else."

Ellman first performed at Jazz Fest in 1990 with the Lil' Rascals Brass Band. He's since graced stages with the New Orleans Klezmer All Stars, Lump, All That, the Midnite Disturbers and, most prominently, Galactic.

"I always tell people to wander the stages," he says. "Jazz Fest, from the beginning for me, was about discovering music that you'd never heard. Sure, you can go see The Rolling Stones. But at the Gospel Tent or the Fais Do-Do Stage, you're going to discover regional artists you weren't aware of. Not all festivals are like that.

"Jazz Fest exposes people to the culture in a way that they might not have another opportunity to otherwise," Ellman says. "On the Jazz & Heritage Stage alone, where else can you see all those Mardi Gras Indian bands and brass bands?"

Homegrown funk/rock hybrid Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews & Orleans Avenue have closed the Acura Stage on the festival's final Sunday since 2013. Andrews inherited the prestigious closing slot from the fabled Neville Brothers, who disbanded a few years ago.

For the 50th anniversary, the festival's final show is billed as "Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with Nevilles." Ivan and Aaron, among other members of the family, are slated to sit in with Orleans Avenue for a symbolic passing of the torch, one that showcases the living tradition of New Orleans music in general, and Jazz Fest specifically.

For Ivan, it will be one more in a lifetime of special moments at Jazz Fest. "When people ask me on the road, 'When is the best time to go to New Orleans?,' I always say, 'Go to Jazz Fest.' I've never heard anybody say they were disappointed. Never."

Keith Spera has covered every New Orleans Jazz Fest since 1990, most recently as a staff writer for the New Orleans Advocate. He is the author of Groove Interrupted: Loss, Renewal and the Music of New Orleans (2011, St. Martin's Press).