N.O. Jazzfest

[Luckylies]

I've been going to Jazzfest for my entire life (to me it's a foodfest with great music) and I know it's a roaming ground for hardcore food lovers as well as jazzheads. So, who's gonna be there?

[suzilightning]

just found out my father-in-law and mother-in-law #3 are down there

johnnybird said "they went down to some music thing for the week". since the fil will eat only meat, potatoes and maybe clams this should be interesting. so lucky if you see a fairly distinguised guy with a pretty blond wandering around asking for where the best steak is.... say hi

[TAPrice]

I will certainly be there. Not sure which days. Probably one day the first weekend and 2-3 the second.

Perhaps we should move this to the ISO Dining Friends on the Louisiana board and plan to all meet, greet and eat?

[Toliver]

I just found out my niece and nephew will be traveling from Austin on a class trip with their high school band to attend the JazzFest.

I am so freakin' jealous and look forward to reading about the event in the Louisiana forum!

[tanabutler]

Mmmmmm, Jazz and Heritage Festival out at the fairgrounds. Nothing' better than an oyster po' boy and some gospel music. Dear God, what a great way to spend a weekend. I went for my birthday back in 1982 -- it's always right around my birthday, how sweet of them is that?

[Jambalyle]

Mmmmmm, Jazz and Heritage Festival out at the fairgrounds. Nothing' better than an oyster po' boy and some gospel music. Dear God, what a great way to spend a weekend. I went for my birthday back in 1982 -- it's always right around my birthday, how sweet of them is that?

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Ditto... was there in '93. I couldn't get enough of the Crawfish Monica and the Gospel tent. What a way to spend TWO weekends!

[Mayhaw Man]

Here is what Brett Anderson, Picayune Food Guy, eats.

And here's where to get the stuff.

And some tips and hints from the guys who make this stuff

And here is what a whole krewe of freeloading eaters thinks

I was a food taster back in the 80's and a "music taster" (hard to explain, but a good gig, trust me) after that. While there are certainly food items that are better than others, there is almost nothing that is bad. Trust your instincts. After all, what you really need to deal with something as overstimulating as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is very simple-Motion, Rhythm, and Instinct. When you manage to get them all synched at the same time, and it's not as easy as it sounds-it just kind of happens-you'll be in a groove that cannot be beat on this plane.

I'll be out of touch except for the very early morning hours for the next couple of days. There's fun to be had, music to be heard, and food to be eaten. It's a hell of thing, this Jazz Festival, and not a funnel cake or corn dog in sight (not that they are bad or anything, but I'm just saying).

Happy Jazz Festival!

[Mayhaw Man]

It's raining. Alot. Thunder, tornado warning, some hail this morning, not looking good til late afternoon. The radio guys are in full "parade weather reporting mode" In New Orleans you can, literally, be standing in driving rain and the radio guys will be saying something like, "We can see a clear spot over Boutte and it should be over the city shortly. It will be sunny and warm out on the route. Lots of folks out enjoying the atmosphere! Come on out!"

Well, I am gathering up the chirrens and heading for the Fairgrounds shortly. As far as I am concerned a little rain just keeps the amateurs in the Quarter and leaves the Fairgrounds to the pros and the idiots ( I like to think that I am both).

Today, I will be trying the new Papusa's over by the jazz tent. Enjoying a little Jama Jama over by Congo Square and some strawberry lemonade . Somewhere in there I will squeeze in a bag of hot, fresh cracklins and a canoli or two (frozen canolis are the bomb-you should try this at home!). For the late afternoon I will enjoy a couchon de lait poboy and then walk out of the Fairgrounds with a softshell crab poboy (sorry Brett, but you just got a bad one).

Coincidentally, while I was typing this I am listening to WWOZ (you can listen to some of the music at the Fairgrounds live, all day, with this link) and a tornado warning came on (you know the one-"if this were a real emergency" etc. ) and after the Weather Service guy started talking about tornado sightings they actually cut it off, turned on the Neville Brothers (a fabulous version of Bob Dylan's "God on their Side") and then later came on and announced that "The Fair is Open! The Fair is Open! Stop calling us and call your friends and tell them that the fair is open! Get off your rusty dusty and head on out!"

See you there! Bring some shoes you can leave in the mud and some clothes that

you don't like.

It's a beautiful day in New Orleans. Really. Just turn on the radio. They'll tell you.

[Mayhaw Man]

OK. I'll get to the food, but first a story (or two, this might take a minute).

Back in the mid 80's I used to frequent a serious dive of a Central City bar called The Glass House. The Glass House was basically a house that had been turned into a small bar. It was dark. Very dark. The only real lighting was a light over the cash register and a bunch of cheap Christmas tree lights. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the most influential brass band in the history of New Orleans Jazz, held crowds of primarily locals in their grasp, night after night, by laying down some of the most amazing musical sounds to ever come out of brass instruments and drums. The crowd consisted primarily of black brass fans and white hipsters (I once looked up and found myself dancing next to David Byrne-who was in a complete trance). Sometime in the mid 90's they started doing something else, with electronics, and became a big favorite of the Jam Band crowd.

So today, at the Jazz Festival, they reunited in their original form, to play all of the old stuff. They were on a very small stage, The Heritage Stage (whoever thought this up should get an award-it's a great new addition), and drew a crowd that knew the tunes and got it . They were in the middle of a blowout set, I was dancing in the mud like a whirling dervish on speed, and I looked up at the stage to see my 11 year old son, Graham (a cello and bass player with a fair degree of aptitude) in the middle of the stage playing a cowbell (right on time, I might proudly add) next to Roger Lewis, the great bari sax player for The Dozen. This kid not only scammed his way back stage, but he ended up on it with a cowbell playing rhythm with one of the most rhythmic bands on the face of the planet. It was a stunner. I was speechless. He was grinning his face off, having a great time. It was pretty much a wonderful moment for both of us.

Ok. Enough of that. Back to the food

Eating was kind of tough right off of the bat. The water was pretty amazing. We had a couple of inches of rain overnight and it was still raining a bit when I got there. I was damp and cool, so I first headed over and got a Cafe Au Lait and some white chocolate bread pudding. I went in and watched Kidd Jordan honk and screech his way through a set of avant garde jazz (I love this stuff, but it is a bit challenging for the average fan and you can always depend on plenty of seats being available after the first tune) and ate bread pudding and drank coffee. It was very pleasant.

After all that discordance, I needed to get right. I went and got a plate of smothered chicken with cabbage and rice and cornbread. This is one of the secret bargains at the Fairgrounds. It's a full on meal size portion and it is absolutely delicious. The chicken is nicely turned and the cabbage is just right-spicy, just a hair greasy, and roughly chopped. Plent of rice and a nicely sized piece of cornbread (sweet, the way that you find it here most of the time).

After a bit more music (Drink Small, Old Crowe Medicine Show, Madeline Peyroux) I needed some quick, cheap energy for a full on three stage blitz for the late afternoon. I had a mango freeze, and iced coffee, a strawberry shortcake (which was truly outstanding-if I had gotten it in a nice restaurant I would have been pleased) and then got a big rosemint tea with honey to follow me around for the evening dash. I started off at The Dozen and watched the whole set. The minute it was over, I grabbed cowbell boy and we ran down the track to Elvis Costello. I looked at the stage and there, along with Elvis, was David Hidalgo. That did it for me. I ended the day watching two of my all time musical heroes playing everything from The Dead (great version of Bertha) to Smokey Robinson to Elvis C's greatest hits. On the way out of the Fairgrounds Graham and I both got catfish po boys to eat in the car on the way home.

It's been a great day. I know that stomping around in the mud eating and dancing is not appealing to everybody, and a nice day is always nice, but today as I was walking out of the Fairgrounds I was very, very glad that I was alive.

Still life with beer cans.

It was just a touch wet this morning at the beginning of the festivities

But it ended up being a pretty decent day (this photo is from Thursday, but it is really about the signs-you will notice no corn dogs, caramel corn, or funnel cake)

And a gratuitous picture of most of my family, just because I can (she does have tea in her hand, so it could, broadly, be a food picture. (and I just noticed that she has a Montgomery Biscuits hat on!)

And as Scarlett famously said, " Tomorrow is another day"

And I can't wait.

[Mayhaw Man]

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. There's food to be eaten, music to be heard and danced to, and fun to be had.

Film at 11.

Brooks