The Benefits of the Super Bowl
A look ahead to the week in live music, including The Roots, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Toro Y Moi and more.
The Saints don't get to play football's biggest game, but New Orleans gets a lot of high profile talent in the clubs this weekend.
Friday: Drew Brees' Hurricane Sandy Relief Concert with Nelly and Swizz Beats, 9 p.m., House of Blues: Rapper Nelly was last here to play Voodoo; now he returns to help Drew Brees raise money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy since Congress is dragging its feet. (tickets) Also on Friday: Lost Bayou Ramblers, T-kette, 10 p.m., One Eyed Jacks: (tickets); Ludacris, 10 p.m., Tipitina's (tickets); Steve Aoki, Nervo, 10 p.m., The Metropolitan (tickets)
Saturday: Blowfly, Guitar Lightnin' Lee and His Thunder Band, Super Nice Bros., DJ's D. Lefty Parker & Benny Divine, 10 p.m., Siberia: Blowfly has made his reputation singing sex-obsessed funk at its rudest, and that shtick has only become more disturbing and fascinating as he ages. (tickets): Also on Saturday: Snoop Dogg, midnight, House of Blues (tickets); George Porter Jr. & His Runnin' Pardners, Shamarr Allen & The Underdawgs, 10 p.m., Tipitina's (tickets); Star & Micey, Gold & The Rush, Archanimals, 10 p.m., The Circle Bar; Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars, 10 p.m., Chickie Wah Wah; Afrojack, Doc Martin, 10 p.m., Ampersand (tickets); Red Hot NOLA with Hot 8 Brass Band, Partners-n-Crime with the Big Easy Bounce Band, 9 p.m., One Eyed Jacks (tickets)
Sunday: The Roots, ?uestlove, noon, The Metropolitan: The house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon remain a great live funk/hip-hop band that is capable of surprising. They play this pre-Super Bowl party with ?uestlove playing DJ sets before and after as well. (tickets) Also on Sunday: My Spilt Milk Presents The Hot 8 Brass Band, 10 p.m., The Howlin' Wolf (tickets); 2 Chainz, 10:30 p.m., Ampersand (tickets)
Tuesday: Toro Y Moi, Wild Belle, 10 p.m., One Eyed Jacks: Toro Y Moi sounds more assertive with each release of his pop electronic funky chill-out R&B. He comes to town in support of his new album, Anything in Return. (tickets)
Thursday: Bounce XXIII: Partners-n-Crime, DJ Jubilee, Ricky B and more, 10 p.m., The Republic: After the weekend, Roman numerals seem awfully common if not actually readable by anyone five years out of the sixth grade, but XXIII looks like a lot of bounce parties, this time leaning old school. I just heard that "Shake Fa Ya Hood" Ricky B has a new album coming out soon. (tickets) Also on Thursday: The Revivalists, 10 p.m., The Howlin' Wolf (free); Hot Boys Mardi Gras Takeover feat. Turk and Juvenile, 11 p.m., House of Blues (tickets); The Old 97s, The O's, 10 p.m., Tipitina's (tickets); Gaslamp Killer, 10 p.m., Ampersand (tickets); Chubby Carrier, 8:30 p.m., Rock & Bowl
Other Events
While many of the Super Bowl's events take place in venues isolated from the average New Orleanian, Verizon's Super Bowl Boulevard in Woldenberg Park is a mini-Jazz Fest with area music on four stages, along with 17 of the festival's food booth favorites. It continues Friday, Saturday, and into the early afternoon Sunday.
Also, starting Wednesday we can get back to Mardi Gras. About time. Right now, eating king cake lacks context and simply feels indulgent.
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