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Hail to the Queen
“AUDIENCE WITH THE QUEEN,” THE NOTEWORTHY NEW ALBUM by Irma Thomas and Galactic, came about after two separate conversations collided.
Over their 30-year-career, New Orleans funk band Galactic has always worked with powerful vocalists, including early member Theryl DeClouet and, in recent years, collaborators Erica Falls and Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph. And each of their more recent albums have featured a mix of guest singers, from David Shaw and Maggie Koerner to Boots Riley and Mavis Staples.
But as the band — saxophonist and harmonic player Ben Ellman, bassist Robert Mercurio, drummer Stanton Moore, guitarist Jeff Raines and keys player Rich Vogel — started discussing their next release, they thought they’d change things up and collaborate with one vocalist, Mercurio told Gambit.
Meanwhile, Mercurio and Ellman were shooting around ideas for the Tipitina’s Record Club, which the two founded in 2021. The record club issues exclusive vinyl releases of rare live recordings or reissues of unique New Orleans albums, but Mercurio and Ellman — who are both producers — also want to use the club to release new projects by notable musicians. Thomas, the celebrated soul queen of New Orleans, came to mind.
“We were having these two conversations separately, but also kind of together. I think on a phone call with our manager one time, it was just like, ‘Oh, why don’t we do the Irma record as the Galactic record? Galactic could be the band,’ ” Mercurio says. Galactic and Thomas release “Audience With the Queen” on Friday, April 11, on Galactic’s Tchoup-Zilla Records. The new album will be widely available on vinyl, CD and digital streaming platforms, and the Tipitina’s Record Club will have a unique color variant for record club subscribers.
Although a joint Thomas and Galactic show hasn’t been announced, there are opportunities to see both in the coming weeks. Thomas performs at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at French Quarter Fest on the Abita Beer Stage. Galactic with Jelly Joseph plays Tipitina’s on April 26. And both Thomas and Galactic have dates at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
by Jake Clapp |
Thomas after finding an old interview between Thomas and Dick Clark on “American Bandstand” where she expressed a love for Wilson.
‘Hamilton’
In Lin-Manuel Miranda’s stunning musical, young Alexander Hamilton rises to power, becoming a Revolutionary War leader, assisting George Washington and writing much of the Federalist Papers. He also marries the wealthy Eliza Schuyler. And while he was once a colleague of Aaron Burr’s, they become rivals in the young republic. The rapped and sung musical features a breakneck first act. The touring production returns to Saenger Theatre for a two-week run, April 8-20. Showtimes vary. Tickets $81-$219 via saengernola.com.
Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival
The nine-track “Audience With the Queen” is full of tight New Orleans funk, soul and rhythm and blues, and both Thomas and Galactic are in top shape on the album.
“We didn’t want to go full-on retro, but we didn’t want to be loopy and modern,” Mercurio says. “I think we landed somewhere in an authentic Galactic sound that would match with [Thomas].”
There aren’t a ton of similarities, but the band looked to “Locked Down,” Dr. John’s 2012 album produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. It was an example of how a producer or band could work with a legendary artist and strike a balance between classic and modern sounds.
“There is a little bit of grit. It’s not super clean. There’s a little roughness to it,” Mercurio says.
As they began writing what would become “Audience With the Queen,” the band worked with a few songwriters, including Boyfriend and Princess Shaw for the song “Puppet on Your String.” They also found a strong connection with songwriter Sean Carey, who has worked with The Soul Rebels. The album opens with its only cover, a reworking of Nancy Wilson’s “How Glad I Am.” Ellman had always loved the song and decided to present it to
“We tried different approaches, but hearing Irma’s voice stripped down when we were rehearsing it steered us into letting her voice drive the whole song,” Ellman says in notes about the track.
The remaining songs on “Audience With the Queen” are originals. The energetic “Where I Belong” finds Thomas celebrating her “love affair with the sound of music in the air” and being able to sing for global audiences. There are love songs and ballads, and the track “Lady Liberty” is a powerful reflection on the continuing fight for social justice.
“The fact that I’m sounding better now than I did when I was 20, that is definitely suprising me,” Thomas says in the album notes. “But I think that has a lot to do with the fact that I’ve been singing a long time and I’ve learned what I can and cannot do with my voice.”
For Galactic, the album feels like “a huge culmination of a lot of the work that we’ve done as a band over the years,” Mercurio told Gambit. “I think we’re all really proud of it and happy to accomplish something like this with such a legend.”
Find “Audience With the Queen” at galacticfunk.com.
The state’s strawberry capital celebrates the season with live music, amusement rides, a parade, local farmers selling strawberries and more. The music lineup includes PaperChase, Peyton Falgoust Band, Tyler Kinchen & the Right Pieces, Thomas Cain, Kings of Neon, Mixed Nuts, Yeah You Right, Drunk Uncles and more on two stages in Ponchatoula Memorial Park in downtown Ponchatoula. There also is a strawberry eating contest, an egg toss and food and drink vendors. The fest runs noon to 10 p.m. Friday, April 11, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, April 12, and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, April 13. Visit lastrawberryfestival.com for details.
St. Vincent
Art rock musician and guitar shredder extraordinaire St. Vincent took home three Grammy Awards earlier this year, including the award for Best Alternative Music Album for her seventh studio album, “All Born Screaming.” Her North American tour stops at the Orpheum Theater at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 10, with Wallice. Tickets start at $45 via orpheumnola.net.
Taylor Tomlinson
Taylor Tomlinson had only been doing comedy for a few years when she got noticed on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2015. Lately, her career’s
Irma Thomas and Galactic release collaborative album
PROVIDED PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS
Irma Thomas with the band Galactic PROVIDED PHOTO BY KATIE SIKORA
THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN
The Louisiana Abortion Fund, which provides resources to people seeking abortion care, pledged more than $1.5 million to 2,699 people in 2024, the organization recently reported. Funds went to help people cover procedure costs and travel to states where clinics provide abortion care as well as for grants to LAF partners. While LAF’s work mostly serves people in Louisiana and the Gulf South, the group in 2024 helped people in 615 cities across 21 states, Washington, D.C. and Portugal.
OPENING GAMBIT
Gov. Jeff Landry, instead of realizing he has an unpopular agenda and should do better, blamed George Soros and “far left liberals” after Louisianans voted down four constitutional amendments on March 29. Each amendment failed with at least 64% of no votes, and people across the political spectrum voted against the amendments.
New Orleans ends contract of worker after she accused department head of sexual assault
NEW ORLEANS MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL’S ADMINISTRATION HAS ABRUPTLY CANCELED the contract of a woman who the city has acknowledged was sexually assaulted by a senior city official who oversaw the contract.
The Trump administration’s bull-in-a-china-shop approach to cutting federal spending means Louisiana will lose about $70 million in EPA funding. The cuts are among the latest cuts in DOGE’s fast and haphazard slashing of federal spending, some of which have had to be retracted. The canceled grants for Louisiana agencies and nonprofits would have supported air quality monitoring, disaster response and environmental education.
According to a source familiar with the situation, the contract between the Office of Homeless Services and Strategy and Civix will end on April 20. That will affect two employees, including Mary Bonney, who filed the sexual assault complaint against the office’s director Nate Fields.
It is unclear if Fields, who would normally be involved in the process, canceled the contract with Civix, or whether it was out of retaliation. The decision, however, appears to predate the city’s admission that Fields sexually assaulted Bonney.
The source said the move came unexpectedly, as the employees had previously been told they could continue their work with the city at least through the end of the year.
Civix declined to comment.
On Jan. 13, Bonney reported Fields to the city for sexual assault and creating a hostile work environment, alleging that he forcibly kissed her twice while they were working a night shift on Jan. 6 and repeatedly called her in the week after.
In a March 28 letter to Bonney, chief operations manager of the Employee Relations Division Rene Hollins wrote, “The Employee Relations Division was able to substantiate your allegation that on January 6, 2025, Mr. Nathaniel Fields kissed you while you were performing work for OHSS under Mr. Fields’ direct supervision.”
In the letter to Bonney, the Cantrell administration did not say what if any disciplinary actions they would take against Fields or when that may happen.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MUSICAL ACTS, DANCE LESSONS AND OTHER PROGRAMMING AT THIS YEAR’S FRENCH QUARTER FESTIVAL.
The annual free festival showcases local musicians and performers in a wide variety of genres. Stages are spread throughout the French Quarter and Riverfront, and the fest runs April 10-13 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
C’EST WHAT ?
What kind of musicians do you seek out at French Quarter Fest?
REALLY GO FOR THE FOOD
“Pursuant to CAO Policy Memorandum No. 141 (R), the Appointing Authority will make a determination regarding the appropriate 18.4%
Nathaniel Fields, director of the city’s Office of Homeless Services and Strategy.
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
resolution, including possible disciplinary action,” Hollins wrote.
Bonney previously said she was told not to go to the office days after she filed her complaint but that Fields has continued to work at City Hall. She said she has been working but technically taking paid time off through Civix ever since.
With the end of the contract, Bonney said she will be able to keep her job at Civix but won’t be able to continue her work with the city unless the city hires her.
Bonney has raised concerns about how the city has handled its investigation into her complaint, alleging that she was recorded without explanation and never got an answer on if Fields was listening into her interview with Cantrell administration officials Rene Hollins and Bonita Robinson.
She has also brought up other issues with the way Fields has run the office.
The city has declined to provide comment on the investigation, only putting out a vague statement on Tuesday saying, “While we cannot comment further on this personnel matter, we will continue to enforce our policies consistently to maintain the integrity of our workplace.”
The administration refused to comment on an inquiry from Gambit asking about the contract and why the city canceled it until after the story came out.
”Civix has successfully fulfilled their contractual obligations with the Office of Homeless Services and Strategy (OHSS),” the administration wrote in a statement.
“While the original contract was set to conclude in December, it was extended on a month-to-month basis to accommodate additional work requested by OHSS. With that work now complete, the contract with Civix can officially be concluded.
The March 28 letter is the first update Bonney said the city has given her on the investigation into the complaint she filed against Fields.
It comes after the administration extended its 60-day timeframe for completing its investigation “to allow for the collection of additional evidence and information that was identified late in the original sixty-day period,” according to a statement from the city’s Law Department to Gambit.
Bonney has also filed criminal charges against Fields for the alleged assault. — Kaylee Poche
Louisiana voters reject the Clownfish’s terrible set of constitutional amendments, give guv
the sads
LOUISIANA VOTERS TURNED OUT
IN DROVES to overwhelmingly reject Gov. Jeff Landry’s plan to create kangaroo courts, send children to Angola and other adult prisons and tax the poor and middle class while reducing them for rich people March 29 in one of the sharpest rebukes of his radical agenda imaginable.
Specifically, the amendments would have allowed Landry and Republicans in the legislature to create “special” courts to cover anything from the insurance industry to abortion which could be stacked with judges; make drastic changes to how the state taxes and spends that wildly favored the wealthy; potentially force children to serve time in adult jails and prisons for nearly any criminal offense; and modify the election cycles for
Treat Yourself
Gov. Jeff Landry seen here in happier times with Mayor LaToya Cantrell PROVIDED PHOTO
SPE CI AL EXHIBIT
DISC OV ER THE ON LY WW II CA MPAIGN FO UGHT ON NORTH AM ERIC AN SO IL
This newexhibit examines the often-overlooked Japaneseinvasion of theAleutian Islands in Alaskaand the subsequent efforts to repulsethe only seizureofNorth American soil that occurred during World WarII.
judges in a way that could allow governors to stack those courts with friendly jurists.
L andry had hoped that by holding a vote on the four constitutional amendments in March only 12% of eligible voters would show up, drastically increasing his chances of sneaking in the sweeping changes.
But despite the absolute disappearance of the state Democratic Party during the process and little formal organizing happening, nearly double the number of eligible voters, 21%, turned out, with especially high numbers of Black and Democratic voters hitting the polls.
In the end, Landry’s proposals were opposed by nearly two thirds of voters in an overwhelming majority of parishes, with voters of all parties, races and affiliations making it clear they opposed them.
Following the vote, L andry tried to shift the blame onto “far-left” forces and George Soros. Soros is a Jewish Holocaust survivor, businessman and capitalist who donates money to non-profits and is used by fascists and antisemitic politicians and groups as boogeyman to scare voters.
As the Louisiana Illuminator pointed out, “could have broader political implications for the rest of L andry’s term.” The broad, bipartisan rejection from all corners of the state significantly undercuts L andry’s claim to have a strong mandate from Louisianans.
Combined with the legislature’s embarrassing defeat of his constitutional rewrite last year – which would have centralized nearly all power in his hands – the March 29 vote could give Republicans uncomfortable with L andry’s authoritarian streak cover to oppose him.
That said, the notable absence of the Democratic Party could temper any real resistance. Despite its reach in the state, and its position as the only opposition party with any real power in Louisiana, the party essentially sat out the March 29 vote. Why is unclear, though the promised changes to the party after members cleaned house last year have not materialized.
— John Stanton
OPENING GAMBIT
Mayor Cantrell can’t leave well enough alone, resumes war against French Quarter resident and her camera phone
NEW ORLEANS MAYOR LATOYA
CANTRELL April 2nd asked a state appeals court to reinstate a bizarre restraining order against a woman for taking Cantrell’s picture while she dined on a public balcony with her alleged paramour Jefferey Vappie.
After the restraining order was initially granted, it was eventually thrown out and Cantrell was ordered to pay the woman, Anne Breaud, $15,000 in legal fees.
Given Cantrell’s position as a wellknown figure in New Orleans and the fact that she was in public, the restraining order was odd to begin with.
But the inclusion of specific personal details about Breaud in Cantrell’s filing, which a private citizen would be unlikely to obtain, raised significantly bigger red flags about whether Cantrell, Vappie, who worked for NOPD on Cantrell’s security detail, or some other city official improperly used their access to personal data to craft the filing.
Breaud eventually filed a federal lawsuit against Cantrell for defamation and for publishing private information about her.
The whole embarrassing incident had disappeared from the public consciousness by the summer, and its unclear why Cantrell has decided to appeal now.
However, according to WWL Cantrell has accused Breaud of collecting 800 hours in video recordings of the mayor –- a claim, WWL says, the appeals court has asked Cantrell to “clarify.”
Vappie has since retired from NOPD and has also been indicted by the DOJ in a separate case also involving Cantrell, though she herself has not yet been charged. — John Stanton
Mayor LaToya Cantrell dines on a French Quarter balcony with NOPD officer Jeffrey Vappie.
PHOTO VIA CIVIL DISTRICT COURT DOCUMENTS
@GambitBlake | askblake@gambitweekly.com
Hey Blake, I love vintage signs, and I am wondering about the one for the Orleans Steel Products Company on Bienville Street in the French Quarter. What do you know about it?
Dear reader,
THE ORLEANS STEEL PRODUCTS COMPANY — whose sign remains outside its former home at 1025 Bienville — and its parent company, Holzer Sheet Metal Works, were located in the French Quarter for nearly 125 years.
Swiss tinsmith Rudolph G. Holzer immigrated to the U.S. in 1871, setting up shop on N. Rampart Street. His early work included manufacturing metal ice buckets and milk jugs. By 1900 he had moved to 317 Burgundy Street. Its sister company, Orleans Steel Products, opened around the corner on Bienville Street in 1919. Holzer died in 1924 and his wife Magdalene and four sons carried on the business.
Times-Picayune reporter Elizabeth Mullener visited the business in 1990, then being run by Rudy Holzer, great-grandson of the founder. “(It is) one of the last remaining bits of industry in the French Quarter, where everything from gutters to pipes, flashing to junction boxes, is fabricated in a
cavernous shop that sprawls across most of a city block,” she wrote. “It is a world of wheels and gears and levers and hooks and chains and belts and bushings. And machines that have been around since the streets outside were made of cobblestones and paddleboats plied the river.”
A 1977 advertisement explained that while the founder worked in tin, sheet iron, zinc and copper, the company branched out into aluminum and stainless steel. Two high-profile projects were the Piazza d’Italia and the lead-coated copper roof on St. Pius X Church in Lake Vista.
Both businesses have since left the French Quarter and their former homes are now a mix of other businesses and residences.
BLAKE VIEW
THIS WEEK WE STEP BACK IN TIME 200 YEARS to the Marquis de Lafayette’s visit to New Orleans. On April 10, the Cabildo will open a new exhibit, called Bienvenue Lafayette, inside the building which hosted the French hero of the American Revolution when he visited the city.
During the Revolutionary War, the Frenchman — born into aristocracy as Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier — joined the Americans’ cause, fighting alongside the colonists against the British and earning a place in General George Washington’s inner circle.
That’s why in 1825 it was a national celebration when Lafayette, the last surviving major general of the revolution, made a yearlong tour of the 24 U.S. states then in the union. New Orleans would occupy five days of his tour, with the general visiting here from April 10-15, 1825.
The city offices then housed inside the Cabildo were transformed into a residence and reception hall for him. A 58-foot-tall triumphal arch was erected in Jackson Square, then known as Place D’Armes.
According to historian Patricia Brady, Lafayette and his entourage came up the Mississippi River from Mobile aboard the steamboat Natchez. They were welcomed with a ceremony at the Chalmette battlefield. In his remarks, Lafayette said, “In this state, daily evidence is given of the fitness of a French population for a wise use of free institutions and for self-government.”
His visit here was met with parades, banquets, plays and music written in his honor, ceremonies and military reviews. According to Brady, after his five-day visit, some 10,000 people assembled at the riverfront on April 15 to bid him farewell.
PHOTO BY SARAH RAVITS / GAMBIT
ALL FOR FEST
FRENCH QUARTER FESTIVAL RETURNS WITH MORE THAN 300 PERFORMANCES AND 22 STAGES
ACROSS ITS FIRST 40 YEARS, the French Quarter Festival had already grown to be one of Louisiana’s largest annual events. The fest still decided to go even bigger for its 40th anniversary in 2024, expanding its footprint along the riverfront and adding new features, like a dedicated DJ stage.
Those additions weren’t a one off, and French Quarter Fest will be a similarly big event during its 41st edition with more than 300 performances running Thursday, April 10, through Sunday, April 14. The free festival will again feature 21 stages of music, including the return of the DJ stage (see page 26), and there will be New Orleans and Louisiana artists playing a range of genres, from funk, soul, jazz and blues to zydeco and Cajun music to hip-hop and electronica.
There also will be a culinary stage, where chef and TV host Kevin Belton will interview local chefs. And speaking of food, this year’s festival will have more than 70 vendors serving up all kinds of dishes (see page 27). Plus, there will be vendors pouring beer, wine, soft drinks, iced tea and coffee and specialty drinks.
Along with the music, French Quarter Fest has several special events. The annual second-line parade will kick off the festival on Thursday, starting at 10 a.m. at the 200 block of Bourbon Street and heading to Jackson Square for the opening day ceremony. The FQF After Dark series will see nightly performances at local venues (see page 29). There are daily dance lessons at some stages, a STEM Zone with kids’ activities on Saturday and Sunday, events marking the 50th anniversary of the Steamboat Natchez, and a celebration on Saturday of the Marquis de Lafayette’s 1825 visit to New Orleans. The fest this year has expanded its wellness and accessibility offerings, including with the Benny’s Sensory Activation Vehicle, a quiet space at the Aquarium Plaza at Woldenberg Riverfront Park. And there will be American
Sign Language interpretation at select performances (more info can be found at frenchquarterfest.org/access).
French Quarter Fest is free to attend, and there are VIP tickets available with access to lounges, elevated viewing stands and other amenities. The festival is cashless.
Gambit’s preview of the 2025 festival has recommendations for can’t-miss musicians and a few curated lineups to make things a little easier for festivalgoers. There also is information about this year’s DJ stage, the food offerings and events happening after the fest. And the festival’s official program, which includes a schedule, is included as a pull out section. More information can be found at frenchquarterfest.org and via a festival app.
CONTENTS
Jackson Square is one of the busy stage sites during French Quarter Fest.
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
THURSDAY at French Quarter Fest
FRENCH QUARTER FEST OPENS
THURSDAY, APRIL 10, with a second-line parade starting at 10 a.m. at the 200 block of Bourbon Street and making its way to Jackson Square for an opening ceremony. Music then starts up at 11 a.m. on six stages spread along the Riverfront and at Jackson Square and the Jax Brewery Parking lot. Here are some music highlights for Thursday.
PRESERVATION BRASS
11:15 A.M.-12:25 P.M., NEWORLEANS.COM STAGE
Preservation Hall introduced Preservation Brass in 2015 as an outlet for traditional-style New Orleans brass band music, and the group has been holding down Monday nights at the Hall for the last several years. Under the leadership of trumpeter Mark Braud, the band plays classic New Orleans songs, second-line spirituals and marching tunes in the vein of Harold Dejan’s Olympia Brass Band.
In January, the group released “For Fat Man,” its first album, and dedicated it to the late Kerry “Fatman” Hunter, who played bass drum in the band and was an established, beloved presence in the brass band community.
— JAKE CLAPP
COLE WILLIAMS
1:50-2:50 P.M., TROPICAL ISLE HAND GRENADE STAGE
Cole Williams always has a message in her music. The R&B and soul musician focuses on social justice and the importance of caring for one another in order to make a better world. Her 2024 album, “How We Care For Humanity,” is a percussive soul record that combines her roots
Funky Nation. Joseph’s shows are always high energy and impressive affairs, and she shines on festival stages where her larger-than-life personality and performance can really stretch their legs. Her show is always a high point of any festival, and this year will be a perfect way to get things started Thursday — just be sure to bring your dancing shoes.
— JOHN STANTON
DIRTY DOZEN
BRASS
BAND
6:40-8 P.M., ABITA BEER STAGE
in Brooklyn, New York, her Jamaican heritage and the sounds of her home in New Orleans. Williams also is a WWOZ DJ and an advocate for the unhoused community.
— JAKE CLAPP
TUBA SKINNY
2:20-3:30 P.M., NEWORLEANS.COM STAGE
Tuba Skinny is an eclectic band of talented musicians, many of whom honed their skills as street buskers. The ensemble now carries on the musical traditions of the Jazz Age, namely hot jazz, swing, blues and ragtime. The group is known to pack local clubs and get people of all ages on their feet.
Tuba Skinny performs a lot of its own original material and covers old classics as well as lesser-known traditional jazz tunes. The band has been together for over 15 years in various incarnations and has released 10 albums. While they are beloved locally, the band also has an international reach — people come from all over the world to see them in New Orleans, and they’ve also toured extensively overseas.
— SARAH RAVITS
ANJELIKA
‘JELLY’ JOSEPH
5-6:20 P.M., JACK DANIEL’S STAGE
While Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph may have gained attention as a vocalist with other groups, like Tank and the Bangas and Galactic, she’s become a musical force in her own right over the last several years. A powerful singer, Joseph has worked with some of the greatest musicians in the city, including bounce empresario HaSizzle and Big Sam’s
Formed in 1977, the original members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band came up under one of the city’s most influential musicians, the legendary Danny Barker. In the nearly five decades since, the band — still led by original members Roger Lewis, Gregory Davis and Kirk Joseph — has become legendary themselves, helping shape the sound and style of brass band music not only in New Orleans but around the world.
With nearly two dozen recordings under their belt, the Dirty Dozen also had an enormous impact on the broader world of music and have played with everyone from Norah Jones to Modest Mouse. Despite lineup changes over the years, the band continues to bring the sort of high energy and musicality to their shows that helped launch their career in the ’80s. — JOHN STANTON
CHAPEL HART
6:45-8 P.M., CHEVRON STAGE
Since finishing fifth on “America’s Got Talent” in 2022, the harmonizing country trio Chapel Hart has spent more time in the spotlight, including making its debut at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.
Sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and their cousin Trea Swindle grew up singing in church in Poplarville, Mississippi, and there’s a gospel foundation to their sound. They’re taking their own approach and bringing more attention to Black voices in country music. They’re also now collaborating with country stars, like Vince Gill and Darius Rucker, who appeared on their November album, “Hartfelt Family Christmas.” It featured four originals and some covers, including “Spirit of Christmas,” originally released by Ray Charles. They’ve been talking about doing more collaborations on their next album, and they released the single, “Perfect for Me,” in February.
— WILL COVIELLO
FRIDAY at French Quarter Fest
FRENCH QUARTER FEST EXPANDS to 14 stages on Friday, including three stages at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, two stages at the French Market and locations at the House of Blues Voodoo Garden, the Royal Sonesta New Orleans and the Moon Walk. Below are artists to see on Friday.
WOODENHEAD
11:10 A.M.-12:10 P.M.,
TROPICAL ISLE HAND GRENADE STAGE
While studying classical guitar at Loyola University in 1975, Jimmy Robinson co-founded Woodenhead with influences from prog-rock and jazz fusion groups, like The Mahavishnu Orchestra and the Dixie Dregs, and a little New Orleans funk woven in. Fifty years on — including a remarkable 30 with a stable four-member lineup — Woodenhead released its most recent album, “Live at Chickie Wah Wah,” in 2019 and still convenes on special occasions. Woodenhead celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with special sets at French Quarter Fest and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and it is re-releasing its catalog to streaming platforms.
— JAKE CLAPP
GRACE GIBSON
2:10-3:10 P.M.,
ABITA BEER STAGE
Musician, producer and actor Grace Gibson started her artistic journey at an early age, growing up in the
Robin Barnes & The Fiya Birds returns to French Quarter Fest a 5:20 p.m. Friday on the NewOrleans.com Stage.
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Chapel Hart headlines the Chevron Stage at 6:45 p.m. Thursday at French Quarter Fest.
PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
performance world as the daughter of actor Lynn Whitfield and late film director Brian Gibson. Her debut single, “Steampunk Blues,” gives a peek at her upcoming four-part film and musical project, “River Queen.” With her soulful Delta blues-style vocals and electrifying stage presence, Gibson’s work honors the deep-rooted influence of Black musicians in rock and roll. In 2020, she founded the collective Rock Noire to honor the Black pioneers of rock music and amplify young musicians of color, ensuring African American legacies continue to influence and transform the genre.
— MADDIE SPINNER
INDYS BLU
2:10-3:10 P.M., JACK DANIEL’S STAGE
Vocalist Indys Blu is as comfortable using her rich voice alongside the Preservation Hall All-Stars as she is with rapper La Reezy. The rising star released her debut album, “Same Conversations,” in 2022 and has a number of compelling singles that sway from neo-soul on “Marry Yo Mamma” to tender jazz, like on her latest “Saddest Song.” Blu has played French Quarter Fest, Gentilly Fest and Tipitina’s in the past, and last year made her Jazz Fest debut and backed Usher at the Essence Festival of Culture. — JAKE CLAPP
PELL
4:30-5:30 P.M., LOYOLA ESPLANADE IN THE SHADE STAGE
ROBIN BARNES & THE FIYA BIRDS
5:20-6:45 P.M., NEWORLEANS.COM STAGE
The contemporary R&B and jazz vocalist known as “The Songbird of New Orleans” can hold impressive notes. Robin Barnes got an early start performing music in a family band and in church growing up, and now her husband, Pat Casey, is her bassist.
Barnes’ 2016 EP “Songbird Sessions” reached No. 5 on Billboard’s Traditional Jazz chart, and in recent years, she has made appearances on shows like “Queer as Folk” and “Daisy Jones & The Six.” Earlier this year, Barnes released a cover of “Iko Iko” with Big Freedia and HaSizzle, and stay tuned for her new single, “In God We Trust,” out April 10. Her first full-length album is slated for 2026. — KAYLEE POCHE
THE NEW ORLEANS KLEZMER ALL STARS
5:30-7 P.M., PAN-AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE GROUP STAGE
If you’ve ever been to a Jewish wedding, think about the most fun part: the horah, where everyone gets in on the celebration. Then amplify that uplifting energy tenfold. That’s what happens during a set by the New Orleans Klezmer All Stars, a super group founded by seasoned musicians Jonathan Freilich and Glenn Hartman, who are often joined by other notable artists like Aurora Nealand, Dan Oestreicher, Joe Cabral, Doug Garrison and Galactic’s Ben Ellman.
COFFEEFESTING
New Orleans-born rapper Pell gained national attention with his 2014 debut album “Floating While Dreaming.” Five projects and multiple tours later, he co-founded glbl wrmng, the New Orleans-based artist collective that promotes local artists as we all sustainability efforts in New Orleans. In a city that’s disproportionately affected by climate change, glbl wrmng implements ongoing sustainability projects such as collaborations with Glass Half Full to rebuild Louisiana’s coastline and For the Horticulture to build community gardens across the city.
Pell has amassed more than 200 million streams on Spotify and worked alongside musicians such as Tank and the Bangas, PJ Morton and Young Franco. One of his most recent projects, “The Pellarious Pursuit,” is a playful hip-hop musical chronicling his journey as an artist. — MADDIE SPINNER
The group has been together for almost three decades, and audiences have come to rely on the band to put on a high-energy mix of jazz, funk and the traditions of Ashkenazi Jewish music from Eastern and Central Europe. Essentially, it’s too fun to miss out on. The band put out its latest record, “Tipish,” last year. — SARAH RAVITS
NEW ORLEANS NIGHTCRAWLERS
5:45-7 P.M., LOUISIANA FISH FRY STAGE
For three decades, trombonist Craig Klein, sousaphonist Matt Perrine, saxophonist Jason Mingledorff and the rest of the New Orleans Nightcrawlers have put their stamp on brass band music. Their Grammy Award for 2020’s “Atmosphere” was a welcome recognition of their work.
The band is known for its originals and arrangements, including “Funky Liza,” their version of “Little Liza Jane.” They expanded their sounds on 2023’s “Too Much To Hold,” with Latin grooves and guest vocalist Yusa on The Iguanas’ “Para Donde Vas.”
The album also featured rappers Pell and Alfred Banks, bounce artist HaSizzle and more on their New Orleans Pelicans tribute, “Smooth Like a Pelican.” The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album. — WILL COVIELLO
THE ORIGINAL PINETTES BRASS BAND
WITH MIA X
6:40-8 P.M.,
CHEVRON STAGE
It’s hard to come up with a more perfect or obvious collaboration between a New Orleans brass band and an emcee than the Original Pinettes and Mia X. The Pinettes are the undisputed First Ladies of the brass band world, boasting some of the city’s best musicians. Mia X, meanwhile, is the Godmother of Southern Rap and has been rockin’ the mic for more than 30 years. Her energy and charisma has shaped generations of rappers and helped define New Orleans hip-hop. The Pinettes and Mia X have been performing together on and off for a bit now, and if their previous performances are any indication, this will be a highlight of the festival. — JOHN STANTON
ANDERS OSBORNE
6:40-8 P.M., ABITA BEER STAGE
On his 17th album, “Picasso’s Villa,” released last April, Anders Osborne reflects on tumultuous times. The song “Bewildered” is a chronicle of shocking news across his decades in the U.S., leading him to the lamenting chorus, “Nothing changes, yet nothing stays the same.”
It’s been nearly four decades since the Swedish Osborne arrived in New Orleans as a teen and decided to stay. He’s been a prolific songwriter, both for his own projects and penning hits for Tim McGraw, Keb Mo and others. He’s delved into blues, roots music, collaborations with Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and the rich tones of southern California rock recordings of the ’60s and ’70s on 2019’s “Buddha and the Blues.” On stage, he’s jammed with metal guitarist Pepper Keenan, sousaphonist Kirk Joseph, and Grateful Dead salutes. His festival sets often draw on his latest work and a mix of the rock and roots sounds. — WILL COVIELLO
SATURDAY
at French Quarter Fest
THE FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY expands to all of its 21 stages, including locations on Royal and Bourbon streets, a courtyard kids stage on Decatur Street and a stage at the Historic BK House and Garden. Here are some music highlights for the day.
JUICE
12:50-1:50 P.M., ABITA BEER STAGE
Trumpeter and vocalist Julian Gosin has been a member of The Soul Rebels since 2010, but in recent years, he has been exploring his own music under the name Juice. His debut solo album, “Be Intentional,” released in 2024, blends hip-hop, alternative R&B, electronica and a range of other genres and features contributions by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Nigel Hall, Nicholas Payton and more. Gosin grew up in the 7th Ward, and along with his music, he’s an educator at Warren Easton Charter School and an instructor with the Trombone Shorty Academy.
— JAKE CLAPP
ÌFÉ
3:30-4:40 P.M., JACK DANIEL’S STAGE
Percussionist and producer Otura Mun’s electronic music project, ÌFÉ, explores the African diaspora through the fusion of Afro-Caribbean religious folklore and Afro-futurist electronica.
ÌFÉ’s 2022 sophomore album “0000+0000” was the companion piece follow-up to the groundbreaking 2017 debut “1111+1111.” Rooted in the practice of the Ifá religion, both albums combine to tell a story of night and day, femininity and masculinity, and death and birth.
— MADDIE SPINNER
ANAÏS ST. JOHN
3:45-5 P.M., PAN-AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE GROUP STAGE
The daughter of jazz saxophonist Marion Brown, Anaïs St. John got her start in the New Orleans Opera and now performs jazz and R&B throughout the city with a smooth,
identifiable tone. She has spent years performing cabaret locally and has paid tribute, including through stage shows, to a number of women entertainers, like Donna Summers, Tina Turner, Josephine Baker and Storyville madam Lulu White.
St. John has two albums available on streaming platforms, a 2012 self-titled album of covers and a 2019 Christmas album titled “Navidad Jazz con Anaïs St. John.” — KAYLEE POCHE
SAXKIXAVE
3:45-5:10 P.M., LOYOLA ESPLANADE IN THE SHADE STAGE
SaxKixAve is one of the most unique and engaging acts in hip-hop. Made up of multi-instrumentalist (and short shorts enthusiast) Albert Allenback and the lyrically dangerous Alfred Banks, SaxKixAve have blown up in part because of their unique and often hilarious use of social media. But if you only know them from their TikTok and Instagram videos, you’re only getting a small part of what makes the duo so great. Their live shows feature their musical and lyrical skills — and often their
friends — as well as social commentary and an almost vaudevillian style mix of banter, deadpan dad jokes and charisma that’s infectious. From originals like “White People (In Mostly Black Spaces)” to their amazing cover of Paul Simon’s “Call Me Al,” SaxKixAve are truly at their best on stage. — JOHN STANTON
CHARMAINE NEVILLE
3:50-5 P.M., NEWORLEANS.COM STAGE
Charmaine Neville may keep a bit of a lower profile than some of her fellow members of the renowned Neville family of musicians, but the immensely talented vocalist has always shined on her own as an artist. After all, she has six solo albums under her belt, in addition to countless contributions to other recordings, including those by other Neville family members. (Charmaine is the daughter of the late Charles Neville.) Her live sets showcase a blend of New Orleans blues, gospel, rock, funk and soul, and to catch one of her shows live is to see another living legend. — SARAH RAVITS
Jon Cleary headlines the Jack Daniels Stage at 6:40 p.m. Saturday.
PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
SHAMARR ALLEN
6:40-8 P.M.,
ABITA BEER STAGE
Trumpeter and vocalist Shamarr Allen mixes up R&B, funk, jazz, hip-hop and any number of other genres that have helped shape the sound of New Orleans. It’s why he titled two of his albums “True Orleans” — they’re love letters to his hometown and the music he grew up with in the 9th Ward. Allen picked up the trumpet at an early age and played as a street musician in the French Quarter with Tuba Fats. Over the years, he also played with Rebirth Brass Band, Hot 8, Lil’ Rascals and other groups, as well as with musicians like Harry Connick Jr. and Leo Nocentelli. He also leads his own band, The Underdawgs. —
JAKE CLAPP
JON CLEARY
6:40-8 P.M.,
JACK DANIELS STAGE
Keyboardist Jon Cleary will release his new album, “The Bywater Sessions,” on April 25. The album sounds like a New Orleans funk and R&B party, featuring the core of his Absolute Monster Gentleman band: bassist Cornell Williams and drummer A.J. Hall. Cleary’s been experimenting with larger lineups, and this project adds Nigel Hall on keys, Pedro Segundo on percussion and others. They recorded it playing together in the studio to get a live feel. Since emigrating from England, Cleary has put his stamp on New Orleans sounds, releasing his own albums, including the Grammy-winning 2015 record “Go Go Juice,” and touring with Bonnie Raitt. After a host of local festival dates, the band hits the road for dates in the U.S. and U.K., including many with Raitt. — WILL COVIELLO
LITTLE FREDDIE KING
6:30-8 P.M., CHEVRON STAGE
Little Freddie King isn’t just a bluesman. He is the blues. King grew up on his parents’ farm in the Mississippi Delta and jumped a freight train to New Orleans as a young teenager. He’s been married and divorced a couple times, shot and stabbed on occasion and even rode his 10-speed through Hurricane Katrina, all the while playing his gut bucket blues on nearly every stage in the city. Led by drummer “Wacko” Wade, King’s band remains incredibly tight and boasts Bobby Louis on harmonica and Robert Snow on bass. Fast approaching his 85th birthday, the dapper King is one of the last members of his generation of electric blues guitar players left, so you’ll definitely want to check out this set. — JOHN STANTON
SUNDAY
at French Quarter Fest
Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters headline the Chevron Stage at 6:40 p.m. Sunday.
FRENCH QUARTER FEST 2025
ENDS with a day full of music on all 21 stages.
GINA LESLIE
12:15-1:10 P.M.,
ENTERGY SONGWRITER STAGE
Singer-songwriter Gina Leslie blends country and jazz elements, singing in a soft voice that has a captivating sound when she goes into her upper register. She hails from a musical family in Colorado and plays with her family band The Bad, Bad Leslies as well as The Sam Doores Band, Esther Rose, Ric Robertson and others.
Leslie’s 2022 EP “No, You’re Crying” is aptly titled with slow songs of melancholy and heartbreak. “Wishbone” and “How Many Waltzes is Too Many Waltzes” both feature twangy guitar, and the latter shouts out Louisiana. She’s an artist to watch, for sure. — KAYLEE POCHE
NGOMA NUMU
12:20-1:20 P.M., WILLOW DJ STAGE
Ngoma Numu is a man of many hats. As a traveling drummer, DJ and jewelry designer, his name aptly translates to “blacksmith with rhythms.” The New Orleans native has worked with Tank and the Bangas, Pell, ÌFÉ and Alfred Banks, to name a few. Numu’s 2021 self-titled debut album features spiritual affirmations
backed by elements of African folklore and electronic rock. — MADDIE SPINNER
HARRY MAYRONNE & CHLOÉ MARIE
12:45-2 P.M., FRENCH MARKET
DUTCH ALLEY STAGE
Although decades apart in age, Harry Mayronne and Chloé Marie have a lot in common. Both are puppeteers and musicians who have worked with the National World War II Museum — Mayronne with the Victory Swing Orchestra and Marie with the Victory Belles.
Marie, a Baton Rouge-born singer-songwriter, released her third EP, “I Guess It’s Just Me Now,” in September, a personal indie blues record that talks about change, hope and becoming comfortable with crying. Mayronne is a longtime fixture in the city’s music and theater scenes and recently accompanied actress and singer Mink Stole at the opening night of the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival. — KAYLEE POCHE
SALLY BABY’S SILVER DOLLARS
3:30-4:45 P.M., KREWE EYEWEAR STAGE
Vocalist and guitarist Salvatore Geloso leads Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars, a group that’s been making waves in its home base of New Orleans and beyond. The band creates romantically tinged songs, heavily influenced by ’50s and ’60s New Orleans R&B, while also incorporating elements of flamenco, bluegrass and folk music. Geloso has a strong background in musical theater, opera and street performing, and his flamboyant stage presence is both captivating and disarming. The group also captured a national audience last year after being named finalists in NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert contest with the song “I Got No More Tears Left to Cry” and recently submitted another entry for 2025. — SARAH RAVITS
ARSÈNE DELAY & FRIENDS
5-7:30 P.M.,
JAZZ PLAYHOUSE AT THE ROYAL SONESTA NEW ORLEANS
Singer-songwriter Arsène Delay is a force to be reckoned with. Her rich, captivating voice reflects her inner strength as a Southern Black woman and an activist, and she uses her music not just to entertain, but to engage her audiences and inspire action. Her shows typically blend jazz, blues, and rock and roll. Audiences can expect to hear original music, including tracks from her latest album, “Come Back to New Orleans,” which was released in 2023. She will also be playing some familiar protest songs, joined by
Josh Paxton on keys, Charlie Wooton on tenor bass and Eddie Christmas on drums. — SARAH RAVITS
LOS GUIROS
5:30-7 P.M.,
PAN-AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE GROUP STAGE
This high-energy psychedelic cumbia band seamlessly blends Colombian folkloric rhythms and Peruvian chicha with modern electronica, a sound that has understandably earned Los Guiros a dedicated fanbase. Their monthly residencies at Saturn Bar and St. Roch Tavern consistently pack the dance floors, which feels like a rarity in live music nowadays.
— MADDIE SPINNER
NEW BREED BRASS BAND
5:45-7 P.M., LOUISIANA FISH FRY STAGE
The New Breed Brass Band’s first two albums have been nominated for Best Regional Roots Music Album Grammy awards. The second was a live recording from Jazz Fest last year, and Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, who is heavily involved with the band, appeared on the album. He has been a mentor to his nephew, New Breed founder and drummer Jenard Andrews, and the band shows the family’s unmistakable role in New Orleans music.
Jenard Andrews is the son of trumpeter James Andrews, and the band features cousins drummer Roger Andrews, trombonist Revon Andrews and sometimes drummer Tyreek Andrews. In other family connections, sousaphonist Mike Brooks is the grandson of Anthony “Tuba Fats” Lacen. Along with trombonist George Brown, trumpeters Chris Cotton and Emanuel Mitchell and saxophonist Yirma Yisrael, they’re leading the next generation of New Orleans brass bands.
—
WILL COVIELLO
ROCKIN’ DOPSIE JR. & THE ZYDECO TWISTERS
6:40-8 P.M., CHEVRON STAGE
Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. learned to play zydeco from his father, the legendary Rockin’ Dopsie, and has led his father’s band, The Twisters, since the ’90s. However, Dopsie Jr. is determined to put his own spin on zydeco, adding horns, keys and harmonica to get a big band sound and infusing rock and R&B. Dopsie Jr., who plays the accordion and the washboard, also brings his own energy and showmanship, including a few signature splits. Last August, he and his band released the upbeat “More Fun with Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters” with a dozen tracks, including some of his father’s originals.
— KAYLEE POCHE
PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
French
TROPICAL ISLE
11:10am-12:10pm
12:30pm -1:30pm
1:50pm- 2:50pm 3:10pm -4:10pm 4:30pm -5:45pm
Quarter Fest
TROPIC A LI SL EH AND GRENADE STAG E
THURSD AY 04/10/25
Mem Shannon& The Membership
Ben E. Hunter
Cole Williams
Serabee&The Roots RevivalBand
La Tran-k Band
6:15pm- 7:45pm
Bag of Donuts
FR ID AY 4/11/2 5
11:10am-12:10pm
12:30pm -1:30pm
1:50pm -2:50pm
3:10pm -4:10pm
4:30pm -5:45pm
6:15pm- 7:45pm
Woodenhead 50thAnniversary
Joe Lastie’s NewOrleans Sound
Al “Lil Fats“ Jackson
Susan Cowsil
It Ain't French Quarter FestUntil You'veHad a Hand Grenade!
Get an overview of Americana, hip-hop and more at the festival with these lineups
WITH MORE THAN 300 PERFORMANCES at French Quarter Fest this year, there’s a lot to choose from. The sheer number of bands and stages also can make your head spin and make it a little tough to find the sound you’re looking for.
Some stages have a dedicated style, like Cajun and zydeco music on the Chevron Stage or DJ sets to get you moving on the Willow DJ Stage. More often, though, you’ll have to hit up a few different locations if you want to get an overview of what New Orleans and Louisiana music has to offer.
To make things a little easier, Gambit has pulled together a few lineups to help festivalgoers looking for certain kinds of music. The lineups below will help you get a taste of the living legends, hip-hop artists, Americana musicians and more playing this year’s festival.
AMERICANA
New Orleans has a busy, bubbling scene of bands and singer-songwriters playing folk, country, blues and other genres that fall under the Americana umbrella. Get a taste with these performers.
⮞ Joy Clark (3:30-4:40 p.m. Thursday, Jack Daniel’s Stage)
⮞ Loose Cattle (11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Friday, Pan-American Life Insurance Group Stage)
⮞ Christian Serpas & Ghost Town (11:10 a.m.-12:10 p.m. Saturday, Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage)
⮞ Lilli Lewis Project (12:30-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage)
⮞ Ever More Nest (2:10-3:25 p.m. Saturday, Pan-American Life Insurance Group Stage)
⮞ Dusky Waters (3:45-5 p.m. Saturday, BK House Garden Stage)
New Orleans is known for its music, and so many of the legends who have helped shape the city’s many sounds are still performing. Go show some appreciation.
⮞ James Andrews (5:30-6:45 p.m. Thursday, New Orleans.com Stage)
⮞ The Dirty Dozen Brass Band (6:40-8 p.m. Thursday, Abita Beer Stage)
⮞ John Boutte (11:15 a.m.-12:25 p.m. Friday, NewOrleans.com Stage)
⮞ George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners (3:30-4:30 p.m. Friday, Abita Beer Stage)
⮞ Irma Thomas (5-6:20 p.m. Saturday, Abita Beer Stage)
⮞ Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & The Golden Eagles (3:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Abita Beer Stage)
⮞ DJ Jubilee (4:40-5:40 p.m. Sunday, Willow DJ Stage)
TORCH BEARERS
A younger generation of musicians are carrying forward the music and cultural traditions they grew up in. These musicians are honoring the past while putting their own stamp on the future.
⮞ Corey Ledet Zydeco & Black Magic (2:10-3:10 p.m. Thursday, Chevron Stage)
⮞ The Rumble (3:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Abita Beer Stage)
⮞ River Eckert Band (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sunday, Abita Beer Stage)
⮞ New Breed Brass Band (5:45-7 p.m. Sunday, Louisiana Fish Fry Stage)
POWERFUL VOICES
These vocalists not only have strong, dynamic voices, they also often wrap important messages into their music.
⮞ Cole Williams (1:50-2:50 p.m. Thursday, Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage)
⮞ Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph (5-6:20 p.m. Thursday, Jack Daniel’s Stage)
⮞ Mia Borders (1:55-2:50 p.m. Friday, Loyola Esplanade in the Shade Stage)
⮞ The Nayo Jones Experience (3:455 p.m. Friday, Pan-American Life Insurance Group Stage)
⮞ Robin Barnes & The Fiya Birds (5:20-6:45 p.m. Friday, NewOrleans.com Stage)
⮞ Vegas Cola Band (12:50-1:50 p.m. Saturday, Jack Daniel’s Stage)
⮞ Kelly Love Jones (2:15-3:25 p.m. Saturday, Loyola Esplanade in the Shade Stage)
⮞ Lisa Amos (6:15-7:45 p.m. Saturday, Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage)
⮞ Erica Falls (5-6:20 p.m. Sunday, Jack Daniel’s Stage)
⮞ Arsène Delay & Friends (5-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonesta)
HIP - HOP & BOUNCE
Hip-hop and bounce are cornerstone genres in New Orleans music — and the city’s sound has had a large impact on the culture at large. In recent years, the city’s festivals have started to include more of those artists in their lineup.
⮞ Pell (4:30-5:30 p.m. Friday, Loyola Esplanade in the Shade Stage)
⮞ Ryan Batiste & Raw Revolution (11:30-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Abita Beer Stage)
⮞ Juice (12:50-1:50 p.m. Saturday, Abita Beer Stage)
⮞ SaxKixAve (3:45-5:10 p.m. Saturday, Loyola Esplanade in the Shade Stage)
⮞ Gumbeaux Juice with $leazy EZ, 348 Brazy, The Adoni and Million$ (3:304:40 p.m. Sunday, Jack Daniel’s Stage)
⮞ Big Freedia (6:40-8 p.m. Sunday, Abita Beer Stage)
The Rumble and Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. is on the Abita Beer Stage at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
BY JAKE CLAPP
CULTURE SPIN
French Quarter Fest DJ stage returns with 32 artists
BY MADDIE SPINNER
LAST YEAR, French Quarter Fest introduced a DJ stage with support from New Orleans legend Raj Smoove. The stage was a hit, filling a gap in showcasing a cornerstone of New Orleans music that has historically been underappreciated in the city’s festival scene.
The Willow DJ Stage returns this year and will be located at Aquarium Plaza along the Riverfront, between the Jack Daniel’s Stage in Spanish Plaza and the Mike’s Amazing Culinary Stage. The lineup includes 32 of New Orleans’ brightest nightlife vibe curators, spanning genres anywhere from hip-hop and R&B, to global funk and techno. There’s a little something to get everyone moving.
The festival kicks off on Thursday with energetic DJ sets from FTK at 12:20-1:20 p.m., Lady Li at 2:30-3:30 p.m., creator of monthly queer nightlife event
Gimme a Reason Bouffant Bouffant at 4:40-5:40 p.m. and more. DJ FTK channels hip-hop and Afro-Latin musical elements into lively remixes for his set. Lady Li, a member of Domino Sound Record Shack’s monthly vinyl DJ event, is also an organizer of the music education summer camp Girls Rock New Orleans.
Friday brings a range of sounds, including from artists like Funké, C’est Funk and Legatron Prime. Funké is a self-identified “audio shaman” who takes audiences on a spiritually cleansing journey with a set featuring Afrobeat drums, deep-space synths and Indigenous chants. They perform 12:20-1:20 p.m. C’est Funk then takes over the stage from 1:25-2:25 p.m.
to offer a spiritual release with a set full of global funk and disco. Well-established hip-hop DJ Legatron Prime follows at 2:30-3:30 p.m. Legatron regularly organizes events across the city, including her monthly “Where My Girls At” event, which boasts an all-women DJ lineup.
On Saturday, DJ Rakimbeau plays a lively hip-hop set at 12:20-1:20 p.m. The night ends with DJ RQ Away at 6:50-7:50 p.m. RQ Away’s hands and ears in New Orleans’ DJ scene has helped shape the community into what it looks like today in many ways. His quarterly Lagniappe parties at Tipitina’s are thrown to highlight local artists, promote mutual aid and build community.
Sunday is a stacked final day, with performances from hip-hop and bounce music culture bearers, DJ Jess at 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., DJ Jubilee at 4:40-5:40 p.m. and Kilobauud at 5:45-6:45 p.m. DJ Jess, another “Where My Girls At” co-creator, performed when the stage debuted last year, and she returns for another groovy hip-hop set. DJ Jubilee is a true pioneer of New Orleans bounce music, with hit records such as “Get Ready, Ready” and “N.O. Block Party” to name a few. Kilobauud, formerly known as Lil Jodeci, helped put a spotlight on Black New Orleans artists in house and techno, giving it some much-needed recognition with his late-night event Set De Flo. Also look out for DJ sets by Raj Smoove, Kelly Green, Antwigadee!, Nesby Phips, Captain Charles and many others.
DJ Jubilee, seen here with Mr. Meana of Partners-N-Crime, will play the Willow DJ Stage on Sunday afternoon.
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
FEASTIN’ at the Fest
BY KAYLEE POCHE
French Quarter Fest will feature more than 70 food and drink vendors
AS ALWAYS, French Quarter Fest is offering plenty of Louisiana classics and seafood dishes this year. But with more than 70 vendors serving up everything from Vietnamese, Greek, Jamaican, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Haitian and Ethiopian items to burgers, tacos, fried chicken, barbecue and sushi, there’s almost certainly something to satisfy any craving.
Food will be spread out throughout Jackson Square, the Jax Brewery lot and the Jazz Museum at the Old Mint, as well as the Kohlmeyer Lawn, Palm Lawn, Spanish Plaza and Aquarium Plaza along the Riverfront.
Old favorites return to the festival, like Ethiopian restaurant Addis NOLA and Cafe Dauphine, which offers a sampler plate of a Cajun seafood egg roll, a deep-fried seafood stuffed bell pepper and fried baby back ribs. And Haitian restaurant Fritai is back with crab mac and cheese, barbecue passionfruit wings, shrimp pikliz and plantain chips.
The new kids on the block this year include Chubbie’s Famous Fried Chicken, Orleans Brothers, Thai Nola and Dingtea. Papa Ninety will be serving up stuffed turkey legs with seafood pasta, crawfish remoulade salad and firecracker salmon bites with roasted Brussels sprouts. Dingtea has shrimp tempura sandos and
katsu sandos with fried breaded pork and katsu sauce.
Some of the most iconic vendors from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival also will set up at French Quarter Fest. Patton’s Caterers will have their combo plate with an oyster patty, shrimp beignets and a crawfish sack. Vaucresson Sausage Co. will serve Creole hot sausage, crawfish sausage and jerk chicken sausage po-boys. And WWOZ will be selling its mango freezes.
Mango freezes aren’t the only option for sweet treats to cool off from the heat. Etalian Happy Ice has strawberry, mango, pina colada and blue raspberry Italian ice. Plus, there’s Plum St. Snoballs, Quintin’s Natural Ice Cream & Sorbet and ice cream vendor Lizzy’s Catering. Chef, author and TV host Kevin Belton will interview local chefs on Mike’s Amazing Culinary Stage on Woldenberg Riverfront Park’s Kohlmeyer Lawn, including those behind Nori Guys, Southerns, 14 Parishes, Smoke & Honey and Baroness. Interviews are 30 minutes and start on the hour between 12-5 p.m. Happy hour demonstrations will be from 4:454:55 p.m. daily.
BLUE PLATE WEEKLY LUNCH
A festival-goer peels crawfish during French Quarter Fest
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
A little NIGHT MUSIC
BY SARAH RAVITS
NEW ORLEANS MUSIC FESTIVALS tend to be fluid affairs, with the party spilling over into nearby neighborhoods and continuing long after the last notes ring out on stage. French Quarter Fest is no exception, and after the artists pack up and the stages shut down for the evening, there’s still plenty to see and do for those who aren’t ready to call it a night.
There are a few after-parties that are part of the French Quarter Festival After Dark programming. The Black & Loud Fest hosts Omari Neville and the Fuel, King Youngblood and other guests at the House of Blues Parish Room on Thursday starting at 9 p.m. And Big Sam’s Funky Nation performs at 8:30 p.m. Friday at Good Measure inside The Barnett Hotel.
Black & Loud Fest returns Saturday night to House of Blues Parish Room, this time with a lineup including Cyrille Neville, Shamarr Allen, Irvin Mayfield, King Youngblood and more. And to close out the fest on Sunday, there’s a jam session aboard the Steamboat Natchez as part of the steamboat’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Check frenchquarterfest.org/special-events for more information and tickets.
Plenty of other spots in and around the French Quarter have entertainment for festivalgoers. Mahogany Hall keeps its doors open late and consistently hosts some of New Orleans’ greatest living jazz artists
in an intimate setting. A particular highlight this weekend is its Midnight Burlesque Pop Up on Saturday, which goes until 1:30 a.m. with the Mahogany Jazz Hall All Stars featuring Kid Chocolate. Visit mhjnola.com for the full weekend lineup.
The Toulouse Theatre hosts a late-night DJ showcase and dance party on Saturday that goes until 3 a.m. Freewater x Trueclrs includes DJ DoesItAll, Payy, DJ FTK, Aliyhh and Maaly G. For more information, visit toulousetheatre.com.
Of course, nearby Frenchmen Street is an obvious choice for after-fest music. It’s jam-packed with clubs that are sure to be lively this weekend. Part of the fun is to just wander around and be spontaneous, and dart into whichever club calls to you — it’s hard to go wrong. And for those who are trying to wind down with a nightcap, the options are practically unlimited as there are numerous bars nearby that stay open late. Cosimo’s is always a hit. Plus, it’s a good spot for people-watching from the sidewalk, and it has pizza and other comfort food. Harry’s Corner is a go-to for those seeking a no-frills dive bar (it’s cash-only). For those wanting something a little more upscale, wrap up the night with a cocktail or mocktail at The Will and The Way, which also has a menu of late-night snacks.
AG IS BACK
How to keep the party going after the fest
Big Sam’s Funky Nation
PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Dickie Brennan& Co.
EAT + DRINK
Roast master
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TYPICAL SUPERMARKET ROTISSERIE CHICKEN and Here Today Rotisserie is beyond night and day.
Replacing the often saline-injected, dry-breasted, flabby-thighed bird is a chicken of beauty. This bird is something to squawk about, with its juicy, self-basted meat, an honest poultry flavor and skin that crackles with crispness.
And it’s no wonder. This bird is from chef Mike Stoltzfus, the creator of Coquette, the Southern-accented, globally minded white tablecloth restaurant on Magazine Street.
This hen is housed in the thriceconceived restaurant space at 1245 Constance St., formerly Thalia, Lengua Madre and, for just short of a year, Wild South. The latter was Stoltzfus’ fine-dining chef’s tasting restaurant, a concept he loved, but that was born at the wrong time, the chef says.
“It wasn’t oriented to the neighborhood, and the city just wasn’t busy enough to sustain it,” Stoltzfus says. Stoltzfus had been knocking around an idea for a rotisserie chicken place. Then his two-and-a-half-year-old son Sebastian came along.
“Now that he’s eating real food, we’re always trying to figure out something to feed him,” Stolzfus says. “We can’t always cook at home. Finding something that was delicious, good for you, reheats well and is affordable wasn’t easy.”
Here Today is meant to tick all those boxes. It’s certainly not in the fast-food or supermarket chicken price realm, but the quality is chef solid. The vegetables are from the same farms that supply Coquette. A half chicken with two house dipping sauces is $15, and a whole chicken is $25, available carved to make things easy. So far, of all the chickens he’s sold, only three were requested whole.
Chicken dinners are $28 for a half, and $40 for a whole bird, which is enough to feed four. Sauces include honey mustard and cilantro ranch.
There’s an ample little gem salad and a choice of two sides, including cabbage slaw, collards, chicken fat brown rice, crispy rotisserie potatoes or broccoli salad from a family recipe.
It took about two months of recipe testing and playing around with the oven to get the chicken perfect, Stoltzfus says. First, the birds are wet brined in a sugar and salt mixture, then marinaded with a blend of spices and liquid, including house Worcestershire sauce.
“We keep everything as glutenfree as possible,” he says.
For now, the casual menu is available to go or delivered by DoorDash. The plan is for the dining room to open sometime in May. The bar will offer beer, wine and batched cocktails.
The menu of staples includes all things bird, a chicken rice bowl and gumbo with extra flavor from rotisserie juices. It’s expanding
FORK + CENTER
with a handful of weekly specials like chicken Parmesan, meatballs, penne alla vodka and pot roast.
When he opened his other restaurants, Stoltzfus had a clear vision of how the space would flow and what would be on the menu. Here, he wanted to see what the community wanted in their neighborhood.
“We have great, communicative neighbors,” he says. “We sent out surveys about sides and sauces, and we listened to them.”
The oven is a compact hive of efficiency, turning out 20 chickens in 25 minutes. The chef thinks everything tastes better in a rotisserie, and soon ducks will be turning, along with other meats and vegetables.
For now, this kitchen is Stoltzfus’s domain. “We have such a solid chef and team at Coquette,” he says. “That allows me to focus on getting this off the ground.”
The name Here Today has a few meanings. It’s the name of the chef’s hospitality group, and it was the name of the pandemic pop-up he ran out of the space in 2021, in cooperation with Patron Saint wines and Lucy Boone Ice Cream. On weekends, the pop-up turned into an informal block party, filling the street with diners desperate for restaurant eats and company.
“We didn’t make any money, but it was so much fun,” he says.
Still, the name does convey a sense of impermanence. “Nothing lasts forever,” Stoltzfus says. “But I’m excited to see how the evolution goes.”
Alon Shaya to open new restaurant
THERE WILL BE ROASTED LAMB and falafel, pita, and of course, hummus. There will be familiar facets from the Uptown restaurant Saba at the next restaurant from Emily and Alon Shaya and their Pomegranate Hospitality company. But this new concept, now taking shape in Lakeview, has a different approach.
Safta’s Table will be a more casual restaurant, an all-day cafe, or as chef Alon Shaya puts it, “neighborhood Mediterranean.”
Safta’s Table will be at 129 Allen Toussaint Blvd., near the Lakefront, in a new mixed-use building that’s part of the West Lake Shore Shopping Center. It’s slated to open in the fall. It will serve food from breakfast time through dinner, with weekend brunch. People can come by for morning coffee, a quick lunch, or a spread of shared dishes, wine and cocktails.
The restaurant will be home base for catering and also have a retail section with grab-and-go packaged items, like hummus and salads, and dishes to heat up at home, like lasagnas, potpies and casseroles.
Though more casual than the upscale Saba, Safta’s Table draws on the same roots.
Saba means grandfather in Hebrew, while Safta means grandmother. The Shayas have a restaurant called Safta in Denver. In 2024, they ran a residency at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel called Safta
Alon Shaya will serve hummus and more at his new Lakeview restaurant Safta’s table.
PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Chef Michael Stoltzfus’ new rotisserie concept by Beth D’Addono |
Chef Michael Stoltzfus opened Here Today Rotisserie.
PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER / GAMBIT
Festival
1964, a playful re-imagining of the Denver restaurant. That inspired new ways to think about the concept which then evolved into Safta’s Table, Alon Shaya says.
The inspiration remains his own grandmother, the late Matilda Gerassi, and dishes that she once cooked for him are central to the menu.
“It’s beautiful food inspired by her recipes, cooked with love,” Shaya says.
“I hope it’s a place people will feel really good coming to, family-friendly, neighborhood-oriented. We want to fit the food into people’s everyday lives.”
The restaurant will use a counter service, deli-style format, and the menu will have composed dishes and options for diners to build their own plate from an array of salads, sides, meats, fish, and vegetables.
There will be some connection to dishes served at Saba and Safta in Denver, though the new restaurant will take in a broader range of Mediterranean flavors. Influences from Greece, Morocco and Italy all are on the table, the chef says.
Bellegarde name and brand will continue under the restaurant group ownership.
Weekend Specials
April 4-6
Cheesy garlic crawfish bread with garlic buttersauce
Shepherdspie
Shrimpcreole with blackenedredfish 51 7M ETAI
Both Saba and Safta opened in 2018 as similar concepts with distinct personalities.
Pomegranate Hospitality also is expanding in Denver. This spring, it is set to open Ceci! Italian Lounge, with small plates and Italian cocktails in the Mile High City’s the Source Hotel, which is also home to Safta restaurant. Ceci, Italian for chickpea, is also the name of the Shayas’ longhaired dachshund.
“I think it will be more Bellegarde than Bellegarde has been in a while, our commitment is to maintain, if not increase, the artisan quality of what they’ve been doing,” says Steve Pettus, managing partner of Dickie Brennan & Co., which runs eight restaurants including Palace Cafe, Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse and Bourbon House. Bread production continues for wholesale distribution, and the company plans to resume pastries and other items soon.
and Bellegarde set a new standard by reaching into the past, using fresh milled flour from its own mill. By 2019 Bellegarde moved into a former events hall at 8300 Apple St., where it opened its own retail storefront for the first time.
In 2022, Gill departed and sold Bellegarde to his staff as the bakery became an employee-owned cooperative. The business has struggled recently. Baking days were reduced and in March the bakery announced it would temporarily shut down its storefront.
Blackenedredfish with apineapplesalsa yellow rice andveggies
Marinatedgrilledflanksteak with chimichurriyellowriceand veg
Seafoodstuffedjumbo Softshellcrab over seafoodjambalayawith seafoodcream
Pomegranate Hospitality also developed the restaurant Miss River and Chandelier Bar with Four Seasons hotel inside the luxury riverfront property in New Orleans, and last year, it opened the restaurant Silan in the Bahamas at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort.
This month the Shayas also picked up a local honor. The husband and wife are this year’s recipients of the Tulane Distinguished Entrepreneurs of the Year Award from Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business.
— Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune
Dickie bread company
FROM ITS EARLY DAYS, BELLEGARDE
BAKERY WAS A GAME CHANGER for New Orleans bread, bringing an old-world artisan style for crusty baguettes and rustic loaves. Now, a big name in the local restaurant business has made a move to keep it in the game.
The Dickie Brennan & Co. restaurant group has purchased Bellegarde Bakery. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The company hired Bellegarde’s staff and has hired back others who had worked at the bakery in the past. The
Bellegarde will be based at the Commissary Market + Kitchen (634 Orange St.), the market, restaurant and commissary kitchen the restaurant group developed in the Lower Garden District. In the weeks ahead, the company plans to move equipment, including deck ovens and stone flour mill, to the Commissary from Bellegarde’s current facility in the Leonidas neighborhood.
The Commissary will become Bellegarde’s new storefront location once the operation is up and running.
“Our hope and dream is to have Bellegarde keep being the Bellegarde it wants to be,” says Sara Brennan, general manager of the Commissary, who previously was a baker at the modern artisan bread pioneer Tartine in San Francisco.
“This is about how we make sure there’s a future for Bellegarde,” she said. “It’s their bakers, their ovens, their mills, and now they can just bake and do what they love.”
Bellegarde was founded in the 2000s by Graison Gill as a one-man operation with a stand at the Crescent City Farmers Market. He won a following with an insistence on age-old technique and transparent sourcing.
The business grew as artisan baking in general was rising in New Orleans,
“This is the best possible outcome,” Keira Watt, a longtime Bellegarde baker, said of the purchase. She’s confident Bellegarde will maintain its identity and with more support can bring back products it once produced, including a wider selection of flours and meals.
“We have a lot of faith in working with Sara Brennan with her bread baking experience,” Watt said. “I think people here are looking forward to the stability.”
Bellegarde products will be worked into the lineup of baked goods used at Dickie Brennan & Co. restaurants. The company already has its own in-house baking operation, and uses traditional New Orleans table bread, po-boy loaves and other products from Leidenheimer Baking Co., and that will be unchanged by the Bellegarde addition, Brennan says.
Pettus believes the Bellegarde baking operation will perform better with the management structure the company has in place, with departments for human resources, accounting, marketing and maintenance. The idea, he said, is to provide the larger business and support systems and allow staff to focus on their areas of expertise. They also will have access to the company’s benefits program. — Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune
PHOTO BY IAN MCNULTY / THE TIMES- PICAYUNE
Keishia Deverney
Italian ice maker
by Will Coviello
KEISHIA DEVERNEY HAS SPENT THREE DECADES TAKING CARE of people as a registered nurse. After the death of her son, Devin Esapdron, in 2019, she began running the business he started, Element Beverage Company. Intrigued by running a business, she started her own, Etalian Happy Ice. She brings her fruit-flavored Italian ice and ice cream to festivals, local hospitals and universities and private events. Etalian Happy Ice will be a vendor in Spanish Plaza during French Quarter Festival. For more information, visit etalianhappyice.com or frenchquarterfest.org.
Why did you start an Italian ice company?
KEISHIA DEVERNEY: It’s a sad beginning but a happy ending. I have been a registered nurse all my life. I actually started entrepreneurship with the loss of my son. My son was the owner and creator of Element Beverage Company. My son was tragically killed five years ago in Audubon Park. So his daddy and I for a brief moment took over the lemonade business.
what attracts people. And watermelon is popular.
I have always eaten Italian ice. I grew up on snowballs. But I used to visit Angelo Brocato’s. I love the Italian ice there. If I didn’t go to the shop on Carrollton, I’d get it at the store. Then I got my inspiration from a guy in California and thought I could do something creative.
One day I was online and scrolling on YouTube and ran across a guy who brought the Italian ice concept from Philadelphia to California, and he got a big contract with Disney and has all kinds of stores. I was like, I can do that. I was like, why am I not in business with something I enjoy eating? Italian ice was comforting to me after the loss of my son.
So I went to Florida and found the company that makes the batch machines. I went to their class to learn how to make the ice, and I invested in the batch machine.
We have a warehouse in Belle Chasse where we make the ice. I started figuring out what were the most sought-after flavors. It’s a lot of trial and error. Our most popular flavors are mango, strawberry, pina colada and, believe it or not, blue raspberry. The color is so beautiful. It’s like ocean water. I guess that’s
I launched at the Zulu Lundi Gras (festival). It was like a sold-out show. After that, a lot of festivals started requesting the ice at their festivals. I started doing a lot of events around here and in Baton Rouge. I am going to the Blues Festival in Baton Rouge.
We did Mardi Gras (this year). We stationed at St. Charles and St. Mary. We were at a fixed location for the whole season. We did gumbo and grilled cheese. That was a hot seller. We had jerk chicken nachos and the ice and the lemonade. We did every parade that was on St. Charles. It’s a small company, but it’s growing. We move around a lot.
We will be at the Black Pride Festival in June. We do the Essence Festival. And we’ll do Gretna Fest in fall, and the zydeco festival in November.
What do you serve at the different events?
D: It was growing fast, and I wanted to be accessible to my customers, so we decided to buy the Etalian Ice trailer. We launched the trailer in 2023 for Mardi Gras parades. We do Italian ice and a lot of grab-and-go foods. We do catering at hospitals and universities around the city. We’re mobile for a lot of outdoor events.
Making my own flavors gave me the opportunity to experiment with different fruits. So we came up with a lot of creative flavors. We have salted caramel. We have iced cappuccino. We can mix different flavors together, like pina colada, mango and strawberry together. We have what we call a Spiderman, which mixes the blue raspberry and watermelon together. The kids love cotton candy. We also do some ice cream flavors. It’s a hit at the hospital where I work. We came up with a homemade vanilla ice cream that’s a big hit right now.
eople have an option of different toppings. Some people like condensed milk poured on top. We have sour apple which is popular. We do caramel on top of that. When we do iced coffee, that goes well with the condensed milk or creamer on that. We have some creative variations.
(Italian ice) does contain sugar, but I am working on non-sugar flavors. We have a lot of diabetics in the city who can’t eat sugar. But if you’re lactose intolerant, which a lot of people are, it doesn’t contain dairy at all. There is no dairy in the Italian ice. There are cream flavors of ice cream. And the condensed milk is an option.
When we do catering, sometimes they just want Italian ice, and sometimes they want food. Some of the food that we do are jerk chicken nachos, seafood nachos, seafood gumbo, sliders. We may do fried chicken wings and fries or shrimp pasta. Twice a month, we go to different hospitals and do different specials. We’ll have the Italian ice, but we’ll have a food item for lunchtime, and we’ll switch it up with different options.
What will you serve at French Quarter Festival?
D: At French Quarter Festival, we’re just doing Italian ice. All of my flavors have funny names. There is Kiss My Strawberry. The mango is It Takes Two to Mango. The pina colada is Oh My God Pina Colada. The blue raspberry is Blew My Mind. The watermelon is Oh My God Watermelon Blast. I try to make it fun, so when customers come up, they laugh at the names.
WI NE OF THE WEEK
Boen Chardonnay
Aromas of nectarine, Meyerlemon custard, and toasted oak. This tropical Chardonnayhas flavors of crisp green apple, persimmon, and stonefruit while being well balanced with afinishof fresh lemon custardpie.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY KEISHIA DEVERNEY
Out to Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are for New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.
Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — This Mid-City sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ices, cannolis, biscotti, fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroons and more. There also are coffee drinks. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $
Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant. com — Gulf Drum Yvonne is served with brown butter sauce with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. There also are seafood pasta dishes, steaks, lamb chops and more. Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Mon. $$$
Bamboula’s — 514 Frenchmen St.; bamboulasmusic.com — The live music venue’s kitchen offers a menu of traditional and creative Creole dishes, such as Creole crawfish crepes with goat cheese and chardonnay sauce. Reservations accepted. Lunch, dinner and late-night daily. $$
The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 118 Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985) 315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com
Basin barbecue shrimp are served with rosemary garlic butter sauce over cheese grits with a cheese biscuit. The menu includes po-poys, fried seafood platters, raw and char-grilled oysters, boiled seafood in season, and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. L akeview: Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Slidell: Lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$
Broussard’s — 819 Conti St., (504) 5813866; broussards.com — Rainbow trout amandine is served with tasso and corn macque choux and Creole meuniere sauce. Brunch includes Benedicts, chicken and waffles and more. Reservations recommended. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$
Cafe Normandie — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The menu combines classic French dishes and Louisiana items like crab beignets with herb aioli. Sandwiches include po-boys, a muffuletta on flatbread and a burger. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch Mon.-Sat., dinner Fri.-Mon. $$
The Commissary — 634 Orange St., (504) 274-1850; thecommissarynola.com — A smoked turkey sandwich is served with bacon, tomato jam, herbed cream cheese, arugula and herb vinaigrette on honey oat bread. The menu includes dips, salads, sandwiches, boudin balls, fried oysters and more. No reservations. Outdoor seating available. Lunch Tue.-Sat. $$
Curio — 301 Royal St., (504) 717-4198; curionola.com — The creative Creole menu includes blackened Gulf shrimp served with chicken and andouille jambalaya. There also are crab cakes, shrimp and grits, crawfish etouffee, po-boys and more. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Dahla — 611 O’Keefe Ave., (504) 7666602; dahlarestaurant.com — The menu
$ — average dinner entrée under $10
$$ $11-$20
$$$ — $20-up
includes popular Thai dishes like pad thai, drunken noodles, curries and fried rice. Crispy skinned duck basil is prepared with vegetables and Thai basil. Delivery available. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 5860300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — A menu full of Gulf seafood includes chargrilled oysters topped with Parmesan and herbs. The menu also includes po-boys, po-boys, gumbo, blackened fish, fried seafood platters and more. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House — 144 Bourbon St., (504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse.com — There’s a seafood raw bar with raw and char-broiled oysters, fish dip, crab fingers, shrimp and more. Redfish on the Half-shell is cooked skin-on and served with crab-boiled potatoes, frisee and lemon buerre blanc. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. $$$
Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse — 716 Iberville St., (504) 522-2467; dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com — The menu includes a variety of steaks, plus seared Gulf fish, lobster pasta, barbecue shrimp and more. A 6-ounce filet mignon is served with fried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes and bearnaise. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$
El Pavo Real — 4401 S. Broad Ave., (504) 266-2022; elpavorealnola.com — The menu includes tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, ceviche. tamales and more. Pescado Vera Cruz features sauteed Gulf fish topped with tomatoes, olives, onion and capers, served with rice and string beans. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and early dinner Tue.-Sat. $$
Juan’s Flying Burrito — 515 Baronne St., (504) 529-5825; 2018 Magazine St., (504) 569-0000; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-9950; 8140 Oak St., (504) 897-4800; juansflyingburrito.com — The Flying Burrito includes steak, shrimp, chicken, cheddar jack cheese, black beans, rice, guacamole and salsa. The menu also includes tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, nachos, salads and more. Outdoor seating available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue. $$
Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — The Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, ham, cheese and pickles. The eclectic menu also includes char-grilled oysters, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, fried seafood platters, pasta, salads and more. Delivery available. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner daily. $$
Kilroy’s Bar — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The bar menu includes sandwiches, salads and flatbreads, including one topped with peach, prosciutto, stracciatella cheese, arugula and pecans. No reservations. Lunch Fri.Mon., dinner daily. $$
Legacy Kitchen’s Craft Tavern — 700 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 613-2350; l egacykitchen.com — The menu includes oysters, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, salads and a NOL A Style Grits Bowl topped with bacon, cheddar and a poached egg. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Legacy Kitchen Steak & Chop — 91 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, ( 504) 513-2606; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes filets mignons and bone-in rib-eyes, as well as burgers, salads and seafood dishes. Reservations accepted. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Luzianne Cafe — 481 Girod St., (504) 265-1972; luziannecafe.com — Boudin Benedict features two poached eggs over boudin and an English muffin, served with green tomato chow chow and hollandaise. No reservations. Delivery available. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sun. $$
Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. The menu also has noodle dishes, teriyaki and more. Reservations accepted. Delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$
Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves Italian dishes and specialties including chicken a la grande, shrimp Mosca, baked oysters Mosca and chicken cacciatore. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Mother’s Restaurant — 401 Poydras St., (504) 523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net — This counter-service spot serves po-boys dressed with sliced cabbage and Creole favorites like jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more. Breakfast is available all day. Delivery available. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes red beans and rice with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as shrimp Creole, seafood platters, po-boys, char-grilled and raw oysters, salads and more. Side items include carrot souffle, mac and cheese, cornbread dressing, sweet potato tots and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$
Nice Guys Bar & Grill — 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404; niceguysbarandgrillnola. com — Char-grilled oysters are topped with cheese and garlic butter, and other options include oysters Rockefeller and loaded oysters. The creative menu also includes seafood bread, a Cajun-lobster potato, wings, quesadillas, burgers, salads, sandwiches, seafood pasta, loaded fries and more. No reservations. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat. $$$
Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro — 720 Orleans Ave., (504) 523-1930; orleansgrapevine.com — The wine bar offers cheese boards and appetizers to nosh with wines. The menu includes Creole pasta with shrimp and andouille in tomato cream sauce. Reservations accepted for large parties. Outdoor seating available. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$
Palace Cafe — 605 Canal St., (504) 523-1661; palacecafe.com — The contemporary Creole menu includes crabmeat cheesecake with mushrooms and Creole meuniere sauce. Outdoor seating available. Reservations recommended. Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$
Parish Grill — 4650 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 100, Metairie, (504) 345-2878; parishgrill.com — The menu includes burgers, sandwiches, pizza and sauteed andouille with fig dip, blue cheese and toast points. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Peacock Room — Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, 501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com — At brunch, braised short rib grillades are served over grits with mushrooms, a poached egg and shaved truffle. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunch Sun. $$
Rosie’s on the Roof — Higgins Hotel, 480 Andrew Higgins Blvd., (504) 5281941; higginshotelnola.com/dining — The rooftop bar has a menu of sandwiches, burgers and small plates. Crab beignets are made with Gulf crabmeat and mascarpone and served with herb aioli. No reservations.
Dinner Mon.-Sat. $$
Tableau — 616 St. Peter St., (504) 934-3463; tableaufrenchquarter.com — The menu features traditional and creative Creole dishes. Pasta bouillabaisse features squid ink mafaldine, littleneck clams, Gulf shrimp, squid, seafood broth, rouille and herbed breadcrumbs. Outdoor seating available on the balcony. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Thu.Sun. $$$
Tacklebox — 817 Common St., (504) 827-1651; legacykitchen.com — The menu includes raw and char-broiled oysters, seafood platters, po-boys, fried chicken, crab and corn bisque and more. Redfish St. Charles is served with garlic-herb butter, asparagus, mushrooms and crawfish cornbread. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 733-3803; 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza. com — A Marilynn Pota Supreme pie is topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. There also are salads, sandwiches, wings, breadsticks and more. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $
The Vintage — 3121 Magazine St., (504) 324-7144; thevintagenola.com — There’s a full coffee drinks menu and baked goods and beignets, as well as a full bar. The menu has flatbreads, cheese boards, small plates and a pressed veggie sandwich with avocado, onions, arugula, red pepper and pepper jack cheese. No reservations. Delivery and outdoor seating available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$
been taking off. She released her third Netflix special, “Have It All,” last year. And she’s the snarking host of CBS’s “@fter Midnight,” a network TV reboot of Chris Hardwick’s “@ Midnight.” Tomlinson performs at 7 p.m. Friday, April 11, at Mahalia Jackson Theater. Find tickets via mahaliajacksontheater.com.
‘And That’s Why We Drink’
Em Schulz and Christine Schiefer explore true crime stories and paranormal happenings on their humorous podcast “And that’s Why We Drink.” They like to take the show to cities full of ghost stories and occult lore, and they return to New Orleans for a live show at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 10, at Joy Theater. Find tickets via ticketmaster.com.
Shannon and the Clams
Shannon and the Clams carved out their own niche in indie rock by fusing punk inspirations and retro surf and psychedelic garage rock. Their 2018 album “Onion” was the first release on Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound label, and he produced their latest, 2024’s “The Moon Is in the Wrong Place.” The album reflects Shannon Shaw and the band getting over the death of bassist Joe Haener after a car accident, in the weeks before he and Shaw were to be married. Being Dead and The Lostines open at 8 p.m. Monday, April 7, at Tipitina’s. Tickets $20 via tipitinas.com.
Jamie Baum, Helen Gillet and Monika Herzig
A former Guggenheim fellow and jazz critics’ favorite, New York musician Jamie Baum is one of the relatively few jazz flautists. At this Sound Sculpture show presented by Scatterjazz, she performs with cellist Helen Gillet and pianist Monika Herzig, the founder and leader of the jazz group Sheroes. At 8 p.m. Monday, April 7, at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge. Find information at zeitgeistnola.org.
ZZ Ward
While her first love has always been the blues, ZZ Ward’s music over the years has included indie rock, soul, pop and other genres. On her fourth studio album, the recently released “Liberation,” she gets back to her roots with a blues rock record that mixes up Chicago and Delta blues styles and horn-powered soul. Ward is on her Dirty Sun Tour with a stop at Chickie Wah Wah at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 8. Tickets are $36.24 via chickiewahwah.com.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Hovvdy
Indie pop band Hovvdy released its self-titled fifth studio album last year, a 19-track piece full of reflective, sometimes sweet, sometimes bittersweet music. The Austin, Texas, band comes through town for a show at 9 p.m. Friday, April 11, at Siberia with New Orleans indie pop band Video Age. Tickets are $24.92 via siberianola.com.
Songkran Festival
Songkran is a Thai new year festival celebrated in April. The festival at Wat Wimuttayaram Thai Temple on the West Bank features cultural demonstrations, Thai dishes from curries to mango sticky rice and cooking demonstrations. From 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 13, at the wat at 1601 Stanton Road. Find information on Instagram: @watwimuttayaram.
Yung Delirious
Rapper Yung Delirious has had a whirlwind of a few years: A stint in the military, his first national tour, a serious relationship, moving to New Orleans and starting school. And during his time in New Orleans, he’s worked on his songwriting and stage craft, taking notes from guys like Alfred Banks and G-Eazy. His next full-length album, “Eye on the Sky,” is a reflection on those hectic few years as well as a reminder to focus on one’s goals when things get tough. Yung Delirious plays an album release show with Meigs at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 13, at Gasa Gasa. Tickets are $13.63 via gasagasanola.com.
Lost Bayou Ramblers and Sweet Crude
It’s a double bill of francophile Louisiana music, with Cajun innovators the Lost Bayou Ramblers and roots and indie pop band, Sweet Crude. At 9 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at Tipitina’s. Tickets $22.50 via tipitinas.com.
Egg Scramble
The Easter egg hunt will scatter 13,000 eggs around the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park and Storyland, and some eggs include prizes such as tickets for City Park attractions. There’s also music, unlimited amusement rides and a visit from the Easter Bunny. The hunt is meant for children under 9 years old, and admission is $25 for anyone over 36 inches tall. At 9:30 a.m.-noon Sunday, April 13. Find information at neworleanscitypark.org.
Lounge with Legacy.
Sip, Savor, Step Back in Time
Saturday,April 12
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TheCabildo 701ChartresStreet
In April1825, GeneralLafayette stayed in The Cabildoduringhis GrandTourcelebrating the50th Anniversar yofUnitedStatesIndependence
To honorthe 200thAnniversary of Lafayette’sstay, enjoyExclusive Access to theExhibitsofThe Cabildo, including Bienvenue Lafayette,withfood,beverage, andalounge overlookingJackson Square during French QuarterFestival
SCAN TO PU RCHASE
FO R COM PL ETE MUSIC L ISTINGS AND MO R E EVENTS TAKING PL ACE IN THE NEW O RL EANS A R EA, VISIT CALENDAR.GAMBITWEEKLY.COM
To learn more about adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com
MONDAY 7
21ST AMENDMENT — Coyote Anderson Duo, 8 pm
30/90 — Margie Perez, 6 pm; Piano Man G, 9 pm
ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Betsy Propane’s Smokeshow, 7 pm
APPLE BARREL — Mark Appleford, 6 pm; Decaturadio, 10:30 pm
BAMBOULA’S — The Rug Cutters, 12 pm; Jon Roniger & The Good For Nothin’ Band, 5:30 pm; Sugar & The Daddies, 9 pm
BJ’S LOUNGE — Red Beans & Blues with Washboard Chaz & Jonathan Freilich, 9 pm
BOURBON O BAR Vince Henningfeld Duo, 4 pm; Blue Horn Jazz Band, 8 pm
BUFFA’S Tuba Skinny, 7 pm
CAFE NEGRIL — Gumbo Funk, 7 pm
CAPULET — Young Audiences, 6 pm
DOS JEFES John Fohl, 8:30 pm
FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB
Matinee All Star Band, 1 pm;Tin Men, 5 pm; Richard "Piano" Scott and Friends, 8 pm
HOLY DIVER — International and Irritational with DJ Chrischarge, 10 pm
LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Vet Jams, 7 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR George Porter Jr. Trio, 7 pm; 10 pm
NO DICE Young Widows + Cherubs + Porcelain, 9 pm
OKAY BAR Red Beans + Django Jazz, 7:30 pm
SATURN BAR BC Coogan, 8 pm
SIBERIA Cryogeyser + Starling, 9 pm
TIPITINA’S — Shannon & The Clams + Being Dead + The Lostines, 8 pm
CHICKIE WAH WAH — Bonerama ft. Special Guest Johnny Sansone, 9 pm
THE FILLMORE NEW ORLEANS — Wyatt Flores, 7 pm
FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB — St. Peter St. Jazz Band, 10 am; Thrown Together Jazz Band, 12 pm; Doyle Cooper Band, 2 pm; John Saavedra Band, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/ Kevin Ray Clark, 8 pm LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — The Soul Rebels, 11 pm
THE MAISON Kimchisoop Jazz Band, 4:30 pm; Sean Hobbes + The High Res, 8:30 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR — Keiko Komaki, 6 pm; Johnny Vidacovich Trio, 8 pm
MRB Jamey St. Pierre, 7 pm
OKAY BAR Mire Child + Bride + evrynightdaily, 9 pm
The Lost Bayou Ramblers play Tipitina’s April 12 at 10 pm
FILE PHOTO BY MATTHEW PERSCHALL
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ORPHEUM THEATRE St. Vincent + Wallice, 8 pm Salon Salon — Double Whisky, 7 pm
THE PRESS ROOM AT THE ELIZA
JANE — D’Batiste & Friends, 5 pm
SANTOS BAR — Tainted Love 80’s Night with DJ Shane Love, 10 pm
VAUGHAN’S LOUNGE — Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet, 10:30 pm
FRIDAY 11
30/90 — Jef Chaz Blues Band, 2 pm; Lil’ Red & Big Bad, 5 pm; The New Orleans Johnnys, 8 pm; T. Cherrelle, 11 pm
ARORA DUECEZ with Twisty, AHA, Dystnct & More, 10 pm
BAMBOULA’S The Rug Cutters, 11 am; Felipe Antonio Quintet, 2:15 pm; Les Getrex & Creole Cooking, 6:30 pm; Bettis + 3rd Degree Brass Band, 10 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR — Jason Ricci & The Bad Kind, 8 pm; Johnny & The Mongrels, 11 pm
MRB — Jenn Howard Band, 7 pm
NOLA BREWING — Sunpie & The Louisiana Sunspots, 7 pm
THE PRESS ROOM AT THE ELIZA
JANE Or Shovaly Plus, 3 pm
THE RABBIT HOLE — Corrupt Uk with Mardi Mayhem, Maximo & DJ Hndrcks, 11 pm
ROCK 'N' BOWL — La Roxx, 8:30 pm
SANTOS BAR — Prey For Neighbors + Fantasy Non Fiction + Malevitus, 8 pm; DJ Pretty Na$ty, 11 pm
SEAWITCH OYSTER BAR & RESTAURANT — Anne Elise and the Swamp Circus, 5 pm
SIBERIA Hovvdy + Video Age, 9 pm
TIPITINA’S — J & The Causeways, 9 pm
SATURDAY 12
30/90 Belle & The Garsongs, 2 pm; James Jordan & The Situation, 5 pm; Zena Moses & Rue Fiya, 8 pm; Bettis + 3rd Degree, 11 pm
ARORA — Loopy with KONKRD, 10 pm
BAMBOULA’S The Jaywalkers, 11 pm; Boardwalker & The 3 Finger Swingers, 2:15 pm; Johnny Mastro Blues, 6:30 pm; Paggy Prine & Southern Soul, 10 pm
BEANLANDIA La Louisiane Series ft. Les Amis du Teche, 6 pm
BJ’S LOUNGE Kumasi, 9 pm
BLUE NILE — George Brown Band, 8 pm
BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM
The Next Level Band, 10 pm
BOURBON O BAR The Blues Masters, 8 pm
BOURBON O BAR — Brian Wingard, 4 pm
BMC — French Quarter Pounders, 5 pm; John Lisi & Delta Funk, 9 pm
BUFFA’S Dayna Kurtz & Robert Maché, 5 pm; Johnny Sansone, 8 pm
CHICKIE WAH WAH Cheekface + Pacing, 8 pm
DEW DROP INN HOTEL & LOUNGE — Mia Borders & Joy Clark, 8 pm
DOS JEFES — Sunpie & The Louisiana Sunspots, 9 pm
FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB
— St. Peter St. Jazz Band, 10 am; Thrown Together Jazz Band, 12 pm; Steve Detroy Band, 2 pm; Bourbon Matinee All Star Band w/Chuck Brackman, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Jamil Sharif, 9 pm
HOUSE OF BLUES Hudson Westbrook, 7 pm
LE BON TEMPS ROULÉ — Johnny & The Mongrels, 11 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR — Zoomst, 8 pm; Funk Monkey ft. Arséne DeLay, 11 pm
MRB Mike Doussan & Rurik
Nunan, 7 pm
NOPSI HOTEL — Jazz Brunch, 9 am
MUSIC
THE RABBIT HOLE Wilds Things 4 ft. Dr. Romance, 10 pm
THE PRESS ROOM AT THE ELIZA JANE — Or Shovaly Plus, 4 pm
ROCK 'N' BOWL — New Orleans Mystics, Michael 'Soulman' Baptiste & The Just Right Band, 8:30 pm
SIBERIA Rwake with Mars and Fauns, 9 pm
TIPITINA’S — Lost Bayou Ramblers & Sweet Crude, 9 pm
TOULOUSE THEATRE — FREEWATER x TRUE CLRS, 10 pm
SUNDAY 13
30/90 Wolfe Johns Blues, 3 pm; The Andre Lovett Band, 6 pm; Manic Mixtape, 9 pm
ALLWAYS LOUNGE — Sunday Swing with Jacky Blaire & The Hot Biscuits, 8 pm
BJ’S LOUNGE — James McClaskey & The Rhythm Band, 9 pm
BLUE NILE — Kayla Jasmine & The Experience, 6 pm; Street Legends Brass Band, 9 pm
BOURBON O BAR — Amber Rachelle & The Sweet Potatoes, 8 pm
BOURBON STREET HONKY TONK — The Bad Sandys, 8 pm
BUFFA’S — Traditional Jazz Brunch with Some Like it Hot!, 11 am; Steve Pistorious & His Porch Pals, 7 pm
CAFE NEGRIL — John Lisi & Delta Funk, 4:30 pm; Zena Moses & Rue Fiya, 9 pm
DOS JEFES Jason Ricci, 8 pm
FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB St. Peter St. Jazz Band, 10 am; Thrown Together Jazz Band, 12 pm; Ellis Seiberling Band, 2 pm; Sazerac Jazz Band, 5 pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Kevin Ray Clark, 8 pm
GASA GASA — Yung Delirious Album Release Show, 8 pm
MAPLE LEAF BAR Joe Krown Trio +1 ft. Papa Mali, 9 pm
MRB And Then Came Humans, 7 pm
NOPSI HOTEL Jazz Brunch, 9 am
TIPITINA’S — Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, 8 pm
VAUGHAN’S LOUNGE Miki and Miko & The Swingers, 9:30 pm
SCAN FOR THE COMPLETE GAMBIT CALENDAR
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GOING OUT
what to do where to go
Journey in time
by Will Coviello
CITY PARK’S SCOUT ISLAND IS AN AREA ENCLOSED by the park’s bayous, bridged by Harrison Avenue and surrounded by other park attractions. It gets its name from when Boy Scout troops were allowed to camp overnight in the park, a then rare allowance for park guests.
But City Park was once home to many people. There were 13 sugar and indigo plantations on the land, and 300 enslaved people lived there. That’s the starting point for the new immersive theatrical show “Wonder Wander City Park,” which runs through April 13 as part of the We Will Dream: New Works Festival.
late Sybil Haydel Morial, who was friends with Young, shares similar stories about being forced to leave the park in her autobiography.
“It lets you hear from characters from the past,” says co-director Lisa Moraschi Shattuck. “And you can talk to them.”
“This is about endangered stories,” adds co-director Lauren Turner Hines. “Things that are at risk of being forgotten.”
Attendees gather in City Park near the entrance to Scout Island on Magnolia Drive. The group crosses to the island and begins a journey back in time. Via headphones, they hear the story being told live before they reach the actors. The show is scripted, but the group has some say in how it unfolds.
“There’s music, there’s dueling, there’s dancing, and you’re learning things you may not have heard before,” Shattuck says.
Early on, there’s Fannie, an enslaved woman living in the late 1700s. Her daughter Maria is about to turn 12, the age at which children could be sold away from their parents under the Code Noir, French laws governing slavery.
The woman who owns them has died, and her will states that the enslaved are to be freed. But executing and enforcing the will is not easy.
“It’s a story about this family’s struggle for freedom, and how that will to be free transcends generations,” Hines says.
The story’s characters and segments are inspired by true stories. A story about the Jim Crow era was inspired by stories shared by New Orleans native and former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew Young. When he was a child, Black people were not allowed to use the park, though they traversed it in cars or on bicycles. The
“Wonder Wander” brings several eras to life, and the ensemble includes April Louise, Owen Ever, Juniper Cassaway, Lorrin Dabon, Caldrick Williams and Matt Story.
The concept of doing a show as a moving outdoor journey with headphones came out of the pandemic and looking for ways to do theater while socially distant, says Shattuck, who conceived this show. Mondo Bizarro did a previous “Wonder Wander” that imagined traveling forward in time to see a future New Orleans under water.
Here, the show explores Scout Island, and the group moves together and encounters the characters.
It’s the main production of the second iteration of the We Will Dream festival. Upcoming festival events include hosting the HBCU theater summit at the Andre Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice, and a festival delegation will attend the International Black Theatre Summit in Ghana in late April.
Hines is the founding artistic director of the No Dream Deferred theater company and its We Will Dream festival. She likes how the “Wonder Wander” concept allows theater-makers to engage with historic spaces.
“As a vehicle for storytelling, this is a model that can help us uncover all of our cultural historical sites,” she says. “It is a beautiful way to experience history in a way that’s visceral: You feel like you belong to it, it’s not something that’s separate from you. You have a part of it.”
“Wonder Wander City Park” runs April 4-6 & 11-13. Find tickets via wonderwandercitypark.mystrikingly.com. Enter at 40 Magnolia Drive.
PROVIDED PHOTO BY THORN CHEN
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80 Material for slacks 82 Virtuosos 83 Fictional mariner and animated fish 85 Toss, to a soil scientist? 87 Boar’s mate 88 “Toodles!”
89 Rel. patron of France 91 57, in Roman numerals
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19 Street lingo 24 Baggage handler 29 Mad dogs’ sounds
Toss, to a group of actors? 25 Tebaldi or Scotto of opera
ascetic
Sign before Virgo
Perp nabbers
Japanese noodle
“-- see that coming!”
92 Early rival of Atari 94 Toothed tool 95 Start on again, as a word at a bee 97 Toss, to a butcher? 101 Ticks’ cousins 102 Day divisions 103 One of the Jackson 5
Free TV spot, for short 106 Arenas’ cousins
Really attack 112 Toss, to a bartender? 115 Irritate
Health program for seniors
Yankees ex-manager Joe
Evaluate
Classic Italian song
Playful aquatic critter
1 RSVP encl.
Any of 12 popes
Wee devils
Erased and replaced, as a recording
Athletic shoe brand
Concorde, e.g., in brief
At an angle
Wind direction indicator
38 Nero’s “Lo!” 39 Klutz’s cry
-- Little (kid-lit mouse) 44 Noun case in some languages
Move slightly
Chilled (out)
Skittish
Football great Gale
Unit of force
Goulash, e.g. 56 Steeple topper 58 Just slightly
61 See 16-Down
62 Tension
63 When it’s 12 p.m.
65 Papas
66 Sleek, in car lingo
67 Activation phrase for Apple’s virtual assistant
68 Performs like Jay-Z
69 Irish coin
70 Radiate
73 Italian cheese or river
74 Blacksmith’s block
75 Trompe -- (visual illusion)
77 Pick up on
79 Tea or coffee
81 Is really beneficial
84 Excessive show of virility
85 Rx safety gp.
86 African fly
88 Lumps in throats
90 “For shame!”
92 Oversee, as an art exhibit
93 Convex bellybuttons
96 Begins, as work
97 African nation
98 Wooing gifts
99 Evicts
100 Owned apartment
101 New Zealand native 104 Single step 105 Cyberjunk 107 Gossipers dish it
