Jazz Fest: Thursday's Best at the Fest and Clubs
Our highlights for "Locals Thursday" include Terrace Martin and Trombone Shorty's Shorty Fest.
The second weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell starts today with Locals Thursday. For the first time, locals actually get a discount on tickets—$50 down from $80 at the gate with no fees. Festgoers can get up to two locals tickets at ticket booths at the Fair Grounds with a Louisiana driver’s license, a Louisiana ID card, or college ID from a Louisiana institution if it has a photo on it. If you’re buying two tickets, the second person needs to be at the ticket window as well with his or her valid ID.
Thursday looks like a more typical Jazz Fest day than the beautifully mild first weekend, but the day’s lineup has a lot to offer, though it’s not necessarily urgent. Most of the closers are well-known to fest regulars—Lionel Richie, Lyle Lovett, Toots and the Maytals, Blind Boys of Alabama—while Archie Shepp closes the Jazz Tent. The Lagniappe Stage features New Orleans rock band Bantam Foxes, who’ll play their Jazz Fest debut and last gig at the same time since one member, former My Spilt Milk intern Colin McCabe, now lives in St. Louis. The one show I’ve built my day around is Terrace Martin, who Raphael Helfand previewed yesterday.
As I said last week, see something in the Economy Hall Tent and something in the Gospel Tent. There’s a world of music at the festival that you don’t see or hear the other 50 weekends of the year, so hear it while you can. I also believe in seeing world music when you can because again, the odds are good that this is your chance.
Finally, here’s our downloadable schedule with our highlights marked that you can keep on your phone.
The Rayo Brothers (Sheraton New Orleans Fats Do Do Stage, 12:25 p.m.)
Telmary y Habana Sana (Acura Stage, 1:55 p.m.)
The Revelers (Sheraton New Orleans Fats Do Do Stage, 3 p.m.)
Susan Cowsill (Lagniappe Stage, 3:05 p.m.)
Terrace Martin (WWOZ Jazz Tent, 4:15 p.m.)
Archie Shepp (WWOZ Jazz Tent, 5:45 p.m.)
In the clubs, Trombone Shorty’s Shorty Fest benefits the Trombone Shorty Foundation, and he’s got a strong lineup at the House of Blues. Shorty & Orleans Avenue top a bill that also includes Tank and the Bangas, The Soul Rebels, Water Seed, New Breed Brass Band, Darcy Malone & the Tangle, Khris Royal & Dark Matter, Big Chief Juan Pardo & the Golden Commanches, and the Trombone Shorty Academy students.
Shorty Fest at the House of Blues