During this year’s historic Jazz Fest season, Mike Dillon and a bevy of talented cohorts will perform a late-night gig at Howlin’ Wolf to celebrate 50 years of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. On Wednesday, May 1 (between both Jazz Fest weekends), the Megalomaniacs Ball 2019 featuring Steel Punk, Mike Dillon’s Punk Rock Percussion Ensemble, and NOLAtet Trio will offer fans of the city’s various music scenes a chance to witness everything from xylophone solos to a drum explosion, with covers of The Ramones and The Sex Pistols thrown in.
Ahead of the party, Mike Dillon spoke with OffBeat.com about the Megalomaniacs Ball and why it’s a must-see show.
Tell us the history of the Megalomaniacs Ball. How did it start, what makes it unique?
Megalomaniacs Ball started in 2008 as a vehicle for Garage a Trois to reinvent itself with Marco Benevento. It was a showcase all of the members’ side projects. Skerik and I had a a band called the Dead Kenny Gs. Marco was just getting his trio rolling and Stanton had his trio. We made it an event to celebrate and bring together all of our groups that were an alternative to traditional Jazz Fest late-night programming. Through the years, we have had OG Garage a Trois, The Midnight Disturbers with Trombone Shorty and Big Sam, Anders Osborne, George Porter Jr., Nolatet, Jason Marsalis with the Percussion Consortium, Steel Punk with HR from The Bad Brains, Pepper Kennan and The Dean Ween Group. JP from Clutch has played drums on the evening as well as Claude Coleman Jr. from Ween.
How did you decide on this year’s lineup?
Curating Megalomaniacs Ball has slowly became my job. The Howlin’ Wolf folks are my friends and keep calling me every year to put something good together. Every year I invite who is in town and available. The first group I wanted was Mike Dillon’s New Orleans Punk Rock Percussion Consortium. This band is special to me because it brings so many of the drummers of our community together. A lot of drummers get a chance to play the Marimba or xylophone and take a break from rocking the drum kit. A couple of the drummers have even acquired mallet instruments as a result of playing in this group. The energy of 20-plus percussionists playing in unity is incredible and we all leave with smiles. This year, I have my posse of Daria Dzurik, Tiff Lamson, Brady Blade, Andre Bohren, Andrew Campanelli, Paul Thibodeaux, Eric Heigle, Otto Schrang, Stephen Montalvo, Jess Speer, Marion Tortorich, Nathan Lambertson, Michael Gourdin, Marcello Benetti, Logan Schutts as well as special guest Nikki Glaspie, Nate Werthy (Snarky Puppy) , Jeff Franca (Thievery Corporation) and Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident).
Nolatet Trio is Nolatet without Johnny Vidacovich. James Singleton is one of the spiritual leaders of the New Orleans creative music community. Steel Punk features Roosevelt Collier on pedal steel as well as Ed Williams for a few songs. This collaboration was born at Bear Creek Music festival when Roosevelt saw Stanton Moore play a Stooges song with my band. This year, Stanton took a gig at the Maple Leaf with Johnny V, so we are getting Nikki Glaspie . She is the perfect replacement for Stanton because she might be the only drummer at Jazz Fest that plays louder than Stanton!!! Brady Blade will also be sharing the drum set duty. Who knows? We will probably have two drum sets. I will share the vocal duties with Danny Nicks, Alex McMurray, Dave Pirner, Tiff Lamson, Brooks Hubbert and Eric McFadden. We will be playing a collection of our favorite songs from The Stooges, The MC 5, The Dead Kennedys, The Sex Pistols, Blondie, The Dead Milkmen, The Minutemen and The Bad Brains. We are even gonna Play Ace Of Spades…..
In years past we had David Rosser to hold down the musical director chair, so we will be kicking it for Dave! Eric McFadden and Cliff Hines will be the anchors on guitar. Robert Mercurio is the chairman of the bass department for Steel Punk. He will be joined by Norwood Fisher (Fishbone),Nate Edgar (Nth Power) and Danny Nick. We decided to bring BateBunda back to open the night and play in between sets. This 15-person Drum Orchestra led by Logan Schutts will get the bodies moving.
Why is this event a fit for Jazz Fest season, in particular?
This event is perfect because it draws a lot of different people together from different scenes. Suplecs with the Nth Power? Come on! Tiff from Givers playing a xylophone solo and then doing a Ramones song with Dave Pirner and Nikki Glaspie? Alex McMurray singing a Sex Pistols song? Every time we have done this event, something different and exciting tends to happen because of the folks being thrown together. The Drum Explosion that will happen on May Day could be monumental. That’s what attracted me to my first Jazz Fest in 1999. I remember siting in with Galactic at House of Blues and Ivan Neville showing up and playing with the band. It’s that spirit that I try to bring to the late-night scene.
What else do you have going on?
I have 28 gigs and sit ins planned so far this year. A lot of gigs at the Sidebar with James Singleton, a couple of gigs with my band. Stoked to be playing with Bastard Jazz. Visit Mikedillonvibes.com to see the gigs or follow me on Instagram.
What’s your favorite Jazz Fest memory?
Sitting in with Galactic back in the 2001 on the Gentilly Stage. A young Trombone Shorty joined the band and the crowd erupted. I thought, “Holy shit! Who is this kid playing his ass off?” Garage a Trois at the Saenger opening for Oyster Head was amazing as was Critters Buggin at the State Palace opening for MMW. Then there was the whole Hairy Apes BMX at the Le Bon Temp playing till 7 a.m. with naked percussionist and Simon from The New Mastersounds under my vibraphone pondering the meaning of life. So many great memories and working on making more.
For tickets to the Megalomaniacs Ball, click here. Check out OffBeat’s running list of late night shows during Jazz Fest here.
