Northshore Soundtrack Fall '25-Winter '26

Spirits & Revelry – From Haunted Halls to Carnival Calls.

BY ROBERTA CARROW JACKSON

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, a 24-mile stretch of concrete and anticipation, offers one of the most unusual drives in the country — the world’s longest continuous bridge across open water — with only the horizon in view. For many, it’s a daily commute. For others, it’s the start of a weekend escape. Either way, the drive deserves a soundtrack. That’s why we’ve curated Northshore Soundtracks, a rotating series of playlists featuring artists who have lived or performed in St. Tammany Parish.

This time, we’re embracing both the mystery and the madness that define the cooler half of the year with Spirits & Revelry, a playlist that echoes the shift from the haunted hallways of fall to the glitter and brass of Carnival. The first selections are shadowy and otherworldly — perfect for early sunsets and winding backroads. Then the energy lifts with tracks that celebrate movement, community and the joy of Mardi Gras.

We open with Bag of Donuts’ “Fire on the Bayou,” a riff-heavy re-imagining of the classic track, filtered through the band’s signature brass-rock bombast. Often seen on Northshore stages like Covington’s Whiskey Tavern and Slidell bars, their take on swampy rhythms is moody yet driving. From there, we slip into darker territory. Slide guitar master Sonny Landreth contributes “Dust My Broom,” a Robert Johnson standard rendered with Landreth’s swamp-born phrasing and rhythmic grit. Landreth, who performed at the Landing Bar & Grill in Slidell during the Louisiana Calling tour, conjures the region’s spectral mood.

Dr. John’s “I Walk on Guilded Splinters,” from his 1968 debut Gris-Gris, pulses with voodoo mysticism and layered percussion. The New Orleans icon’s funk-infused psychedelic blues have reached local stages like Ruby’s Roadhouse and Mandeville’s Dew Drop Jazz Hall—the oldest unaltered rural jazz hall in the world.

That same storied hall hosted both Chris Thomas King and Marc Stone. King’s haunting “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues,” recorded for the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, bridges Delta roots and modern interpretation. Stone follows with “The Truth (Is What I Wanna Know),” a soulful, mid-tempo track that carries emotional weight and road-worthy momentum.

The playlist closes with a triple-shot of Carnival spirit. “Keep on Smilin’” by Rockin’ Dopsie & The Zydeco Twisters adds zydeco fire to a joyful anthem, heard at Slidell’s Bayou Jam and Covington's Rockin' the Rails. “Chocolate Cake” by Honey Island Swamp Band blends funk and roots with a laid-back groove, making them favorites at Wild Bush Farm’s Jazz’n the Vines. We wrap with Terrance Simien’s “Creole Mardi Gras Run,” which channels rural Carnival traditions onto Northshore stages like the Abita Springs Opry.

From haunted halls to Carnival calls, this season’s soundtrack is a drive-time invitation to the soul of St. Tammany Parish. Whether you're chasing ghosts or catching beads, turn it up and take the long way home.

Playlist:

"Fire on the Bayou" from Superpop by Bag of Donuts (2016)

"Dust My Broom" from Bound by the Blues by Sonny Landreth (2015)

"I Walk on Guilded Splinters" from Gris-Gris by Dr. John Creaux (Mac Rebennack) (1968)

“Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” from O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Chris Thomas King

"The Truth (Is What I Wanna Know)" from Shining Like a Diamond by Marc Stone (2024)

“Keep on Smilin’” from Zydeco Gone Wild by Rockin’ Dopsie & The Zydeco Twisters (2009)

"Chocolate Cake" from Good to You by Honey Island Swamp Band (2010)

"Creole Mardi Gras Run" from Creole for Kidz & The History of Zydeco by Terrance Simien (2004)