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Show Reviews
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 Col. Bruce Hampton & The Quark Alliance
The Maple Leaf 11.15.08
Amazing musicians do amazing shows. On Saturday, November 15th, Col. Bruce Hampton proved this to be the case. The last time I saw him play was at Tipitina's quite a few years ago, and that show was good, but nothing on the order of this tight, funky scorcher. Col. Bruce has had a long and fascinating career. With his bands, the Aquarium Rescue Unit, the Code Talkers, The Fiji Mariners, and The Late Bronze Age, Col, Bruce has always been different, ahead of the crowd, and in a class by himself. (More) |
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 Groovesect
Blue Nile 11.01.08
Late night funk insanity is the
best way to describe Groovesect for this Halloween weekend finale. The
band had the entire Frenchman St. crowd rocking out to the funkiest
licks in town 'til the sun came up. Groovesect, who first
appeared on the New Orleans music scene in 2006, has quickly evolved
into something just shy of a funk superpower. (More)
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 Kenny Neal
Tipitina's 10.28.08
Presenting a powerhouse blues band from Baton Rouge, Kenny Neal came to town and threw down on the Tipitina's stage. Mr. Neal was in rare form on Saturday night, singing and playing incredible guitar all night on the down home blues that his fans have come to expect. He brought out quite a few guest stars including the notorious Troy Turner, who, with his lightning fast guitar licks, brought fire to the stage. (More) |
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 Russell Batiste, George Porter Jr, and Ivan Neville
Maple Leaf Bar 10.2.08
Funktastic is the only word that can be used to describe these three legendary musicians on stage together. With Ivan Neville pounding on his Hammond B3 organ while singing funk classics, backed up by one of the most talented bass players to walk this earth, George Porter, and the masterful sounds of Russell Batiste keeping the groove with the drums, this was one for the record books. (More) |
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 NOLA Indie Rock Fest Day 3
The Revivalists at One Eyed Jack's 10.4.08
Despite the fact that the boys have only been a band for a year (almost to the day), The Revivalists have some mighty fine chemistry and possess, as a group, lots of on-stage energy. Complimenting Zack Feinberg's guitar riffs that are warmly reminiscent of traditional New Orleans music, lead singer Dave Shaw has an unexpectedly powerful voice - that reminds me more than a bit of Incubus' Brandon Boyd - and the two combine to form songs strongly influenced by jazz and blues, but not penned in by them.(More) |
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 Delta Spirit - The Republic 9/10/08 I first heard of Delta Spirit a few months ago on NPR's All Songs Considered. Immediately toe-tapping along with the jangly, joyous music, I swore I would remember to check them out on iTunes when I got home. I promptly forgot. There is a distinct possibility that, if not for their show at The Republic last Wednesday, Delta Spirit would have been lost to my consciousness forever. And that would have been a sad thing indeed! (More) |
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 Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave - Tipitinas 9/12/08 Featuring DJ Soul Sister Troy Andrews is a presence on stage, especially when playing in his hometown for the first time in 4 months, never mind at Tipitinas. The 23-year-old horn player leads his band, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave, with trombone, trumpet, vocals and, occasionally, guitar. It had been a while since I've seen the band play and I was looking forward to it, the night being a marked event. (More) |
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 White Denim - The Republic, 8/27/08
After discovering that Los Angeles-based music blog Aquarium Drunkard had struck some sort of promotional deal with The Republic, I checked the venue's online calendar and, sure enough, the site is presenting some really cool new bands there over the next few months. White Denim, hailing from Austin, Texas, is one of these Aquarium Drunkard sponsorees, so even though my knowledge of them was fairly limited (I listened to two of their songs online before I left my house), I figured I would give them a try. After all, Aquarium Drunkard and I are often simpatico when it comes to taste. (More) |
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 The Whigs - The Republic 8.22.08 Back when I was in college at the University of Georgia, we used to go see The Whigs at local venues like Tasty World or the 40 Watt at least once a month. They were friends of friends of friends of everyone, and Athens, being so small and collegiate, made them famous in a way that only college bands can be. Needless to say, I was seriously pumped to see that "my band" was coming to play at The Republic on August 22, and I was curious to see how big the audience would be down here in NOLA, where indie-pop music is far from the forefront of the scene. (More) |
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 Brooke Fraser - The Parish 8.10.08 Brooke is a breath of fresh air. She is not your typical songstress. Her vocals and performance were nothing short of greats like Sarah McLaughlin, Fiona Apple, and Jonatha Brooke. She is witty and at times goofy and playful but put a guitar in her hand or sit her at a piano and she is the epitome of "original". Brooke's haunting vocals left us begging for more. (More) |
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 311 and Snoop Dogg - 7-29-08
Quite a few New Orleanians were in attendance tuesday night at the Baton Rouge River Center for the 311 Unity Tour Show. Snoop Dogg opened the show with a large band consisting of a DJ, Drummer, Bass Player, Guitarist, and a cast of characters on vocals. Snoop rocked the mic hard for his set, but unfortunately, either the mix or the acoustics or a combination of the two were such that the only things clearly audible were Snoop's vocals and the snare drum.(More) |
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 John Vidacovich, Anders Osborne, & Kirk Joseph - 7.17.08
John Vidacovich is the baddest drummer in the world. I love the fluidity of his playing. With Anders and Kirk last night, he was especially intense. He played at a low volume, often using the rims of the snare drum instead of the full on smack that most drummers tend use as their default setting. His solos were impeccable, always staying true to the structure of the tune and playing very melodically around the drumset. (More) |
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 Steven Segal: Mojo Priest - 7.10.08
Steven Segal, yes, the action hero of Hollywood fame, came to the House of Blues last week with an all star revue. He played guitar and sang. I had heard that he had a band, but this was the first time I had seen him do his thing. He had a backing band of Memphis studio musicians that were absolutely dead on and rock solid. (More) |
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 Tom Waits in Mobile, AL - 7.02.08
What would possess several hundred New Orleanians to drive to Mobile Al in the summer at a time when gas is guzzled at $4.00/gallon? Well this time it wasn't an evacuation, but a sold out Tom Waits show July 2 at the Saenger Theater. This was the closest he was to play N. O. on his current "Glitter and Doom" tour, and there were plenty of familiar, local faces in the house that made the pilgrimage. (More) |
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 Papa Grows Funk - 6.30.08
PGF rocked the Maple Leaf Monday Night, as they always do. June Yamagishi was killing on guitar, proving once again that he is one of the best in the world. Jeffery "Jellybean" Alexander was funky on the drums, spicing things up with some great latin rhythms throughout. He also used the double bass pedal sparingly and with great effect. Mark Pero on the Bass Guitar locked in with Jellybean all night and popped and slapped the bass with the energy of a madman. (More) |
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 Jealous Monk - 6.13.08
Kid Midi is a firecracker. While there were only about 5 people watching, they rocked the Dragon's Den with the energy worthy of a stadium show. The lead singer threw his hair everywhere, and sang in a sort of 80's pop style that fit the tracks perfectly. (More) |
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 Bob Andrews - 6.10.08
Bob Andrews is, when he is on a festival stage with someone like John Mooney, a raucous performer. He plays with a crazy energy that always gets the crowd worked up into a frenzy. I have seen him leap up, knock his bench over and play with his feet, elbows, and head. But in Dos Jefes Wednesday night, he played solo piano and sang to a small crowd a set of obscure Rhythm & Blues tunes that was compelling, intimate, and laid back. He played tunes by Pinetop Perkins, Professor Longhair, and Mose Allison among others. (More) |
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 Delfeayo Marsalis and Marlon Jordan Quintet - 6.10.08
New Orleans at night in the summer is an amazing thing. The sky is purple and the air is heavy with steam. Perfect conditions to hear some great jazz on Decatur street. Club 300 has a spacious and great sounding room for creating music with its high ceiling and upstairs balcony area. They also have an excellent restaurant, so patrons can have a fantastic meal as they watch and listen to the band. (More) |
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