An all-star cast of funkateers, featuring some of the city’s favorite players in new combinations, will light up Fiya Fest at Mardi Gras World on May 3. The show is a benefit for the Roots of Music, the inspiring community group and world-class brass band who were profiled on the cover of OffBeat last month. The group will perform as part of a serious funk line-up, and if you don’t recognize the band names you’ll know the membership: GABE is a supergroup with George Porter Jr., Anders Osborne, Billy Iuso and Eric Bolivar. Funky But Better is a septet with Big Sam, Terence Higgins, Doug Wimbish and more. And Ivan Neville, Stanton Moore, Robert Mercurio and Eric Lindell will team up in Dragon Smoke. In addition, the New Orleans Suspects will perform with the Bonerama Horns, and Karl Denson will join Dirty Dozen’s horn section. The Revivalists open the whole thing up at 1pm. Members of Living Colour and other special guests will also be sitting in.
As the organizers point out, the $80 cover amounts to less than ten bucks per band. And since that price also covers all you can drink and all the crawfish you can eat in ten hours, you might even get your money’s worth without the music.
FIYA FEST 2013
A Benefit for the Roots of Music
Friday, May 3
12pm – 10pm
1380 Port of New Orleans Place
More Info & Purchase Tickets: www.fiyafest.com
