This magazine requires a lot of hard work but it’s still the most gratifying job I’ve ever had. It allows me to work with New Orleans music and musicians, whom I dearly love and desire to promote to glory, and hopefully, a grand good living.
Last year was the first smashingly successful year for the LMNOP — Louisiana Music New Orleans Pride music conference in New Orleans. This year promises another great conference with speakers from around the U.S., workshops, a trade show and the “LMNOParty Showcases,” which showcase local bands and groups from literally around the world to audiences here in New Orleans. Wristbands can still be purchased for the showcases (wristbands are only $15 and are good at all LMNOParty events). Showcases start on Monday April 27 and run through April 29. Venues include Café Brasil, Checkpoint Charlie, Dragon’s Den, The Dream Palace, House of Blues, Howlin’ Wolf, Kerry Irish Pub, Loyola University, The Red Room and Tipitina’s French Quarter. Call 504-592-9800 for more info on the showcases and LMNOP music workshops.
If you’re a Jazz Fest music freak and wish you’d had your camera to record some of those great moments you’ve experienced, you can now have that opportunity — at least vicariously. Our first annual “OffBeat Jazz Fest FotoFest” is now being exhibited at the Contemporary Arts Center at 900 Camp Street (at St. Joseph) from April 24 through May 4. We received hundreds of photos from professionals and amateur shutterbugs from throughout the country. Some of the professional photographers who submitted materials include Herman Leonard, Michael P. Smith, Syndey Byrd, Brian Ashley White, Scott Saltzman, Clayton Call, Rick Olivier and many more. Some really great shots were captured by local club owner and music lover Donna Poniatowski. If you sent your pictures in — or if you love great music photos — be sure and check out the exhibit. This show has some of best New Orleans musical images we’ve seen — call the CAC at 523-1216 for more information.
The OffBeat Music Krewe is an old idea that’s been revived just in time for Jazz Fest by RNO Marketing: run a music club shuttle to the various clubs around town, that allows you to club hop easily in order to sample more music than you might ordinarily be able to squeeze in (no parking! no designated driver needed!). The OffBeat Music Krewe shuttle runs from 8 p.m. through 3 a.m., to clubs all around New Orleans, including Tipitina’s, Howlin’ Wolf, Donna’s, Carrollton Station, Dos Jefes, Rock ‘N’ Bowl, Margaritaville, The Maple Leaf, Vic’s Kangaroo Café and Le Bon Temps Roule. Pickup is also available from local hotels. Continuing membership in the Krewe gives you front of line privileges, discount tickets and more. Call RNO at 504-866-5214 for information and reservations.
Many of you who are coming back to New Orleans will be surprised by a new addition to the French Quarter: the 40,000 sq. ft. Virgin Megastore, at 620 Decatur at Jackson Square, is now open for business. The Megastore will host live in-stores beginning on April 17 and throughout Jazz Fest, as will Tower Records at 408 N. Peters and the Louisiana Music Factory at 210 Decatur. Musical in-stores are some of the greatest places I know to see your favorite musicians play in a relatively intimate setting. Apparently, the brouhaha the city raised in trying to stop these in-stores has calmed down somewhat — let’s hope we all get to enjoy these performances undisturbed by the “music police” during Jazz Fest. Check out OffBeat’s pages for info on in-stores at all local record stores, as well as autograph signing appearances by Jazz Fest performers during Jazz Fest days in the Blockbuster Music Tent.
Another new addition in the French Quarter is Tipitina’s at 233 N. Peters. The downtown version of the New Orleans music institution offers music seven nights a week, a musical brunch on Sundays featuring Kermit Ruffins, and Thursdays presented by Allen Toussaint, with Fridays presented by Cyril Neville.
For those readers who have been keeping up with the initiative to have the amusement tax eliminated in New Orleans: according to a speech given by Councilman Troy Carter at musicians’ union award ceremony I attended the day before this mag went to press: “We’re working to significantly reduce the amusement tax and possibly to eliminate it altogether.” Great! Also, for those interested, the Louisiana Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the case to eliminate the tax on May 18 at 2 p.m. at the courthouse at 301 Loyola Avenue. Those interested are encouraged to attend.
Congrats to Bob Norton and the staff of Big Easy Distributing, who recently won the NARM award for “Small [Record] Distributor of the Year.” Big Easy started operations just four years ago.
Congratulations are also in order to Louisiana musicians Irma Thomas and Larry Hamilton (R&B) and Jo-el Sonnier and Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and the Louisiana Sunspots (Cajun/Zydeco) for their nominations for best indie records. These awards are presented by the American Federation of Independent Music (formerly NAIRD) at their annual convention, this year in Denver in mid-May. We’ll keep you posted on the winners in the next issue.
What would this Jazz Fest issue be without a heartfelt thank you to the OffBeat staff, who make this magazine great — and who have the stamina to put up with me during deadline! Thanks guys (and ladies): you’re the best team an overworked publisher could have!
Of course the biggest thanks go to our local musicians, who keep us in the best tunes in the world. Bless ’em — and keep supporting their music!
