Dave Matthews may not have had his full band in tow, but an acoustic show with DMB bandmate Tim Reynolds was enough to draw a massive crowd to the Acura Stage on Friday. Fans of the larger band probably weren’t disappointed by the setlist, which featured favorites like “Warehouse,” “Jimi Thing” and the tour debut of “Ants Marching.” The show was bolstered by a couple of surprise guest appearances, most notably from Jimmy Buffet, who joined the pair for a rendition of his 1974 tune “A Pirate Looks Forty.” DMB saxophonist Rashawn Ross also sat in for “Corn Bread,” “Grey Street,” “Ants Marching” and the “What Would You Say” encore.
Matthews and Reynolds’ set was preceded by a big performance from New Orleans rockers The Revivalists, whose popularity has skyrocketed—due to the success of their chart-topping single “Wish I Knew You”—since they took the stage at Jazz Fest last year. During their first-ever Acura Stage slot (the group has played the Gentilly Stage six times), the seven-piece demonstrated exactly why they’ve become such an in-demand live act in recent years. Frontman David Shaw’s natural ability to work a crowd was on display for much of the show, and the band offered bombastic renditions of songs like “Fade Away,” “Criminal” and “Catching Fireflies” that were filled out by Rob Ingraham’s saxophone and Ed Williams’ pedal steel guitar work (the seamless incorporation of these two instruments helps them stand out amongst their rock peers). Shaw even brought up a pair of auxiliary singers that included Tank & The Bangas’ Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph for a few tunes before making his way into a crowd that was more than happy to welcome him.
David Shaw of The Revivalists. Photo by Noe Cugny.
Mathews & Reynolds and The Revivalists capped off an Acura Stage lineup that included performances by blues guitar master Sonny Landreth, brass-heavy rockers Bonerama and progressive jazz ensemble Naughty Professor, who invited Snarky Puppy percussionist Nate Werth, Jurassic 5 MC Chali 2na and Sexy Dex & The Fresh frontman Dexter Gilmore to join them for a run of tracks from their forthcoming album, Identity.
Wilco. Photo by Noe Cugny.
Alternative rock mainstays Wilco closed out the Gentilly Stage with a beautiful, career-spanning set that saw found the six-piece in top form. The group—whose 2015 Jazz Fest set was cut short due to bad weather—got things started right with an opening “Ashes of American Flags” that soared toward its gentle peak. Guitarist Nels Cline’s experimental prowess came to the forefront during “Art of Almost” and the classic Yankee Hotel Foxtrot opener “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” one of the band’s many songs that balances pleasant melodies with a calculated cacophony of guitar distortion to great effect. Frontman Jeff Tweedy’s poetic lyricism took center stage during a low-key “Via Chicago” before the group moved on to the sprawling guitar interplay of “Impossible Germany” (one of the best renditions of the tune that this Wilco aficionado has ever seen). Fan favorites like “Jesus, Etc.” and “Heavy Metal Drummer” elicited cheers from the surprisingly small crowd, giving way to alt-country oldies like “Misunderstood” and “Box Full of Letters,” as well as newbies like “Random Name Generator” and “Dawned on Me.” Cline and Tweedy appeared to switch axes between each song, while multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone jumped from banjo to keyboard to guitar throughout the show in a testament to the band’s diverse sound. “We made it!,” Tweedy exclaimed, referencing their abbreviated 2015 set, as he returned for an encore take on the Being There staple “I Got You (At The End of the Century).
Wilco’s set was preceded by a scorcher from Anders Osborne, as well as a delightful mid-afternoon performance by throwback pop act Lake Street Dive, who offered a cover of Prince’s “When You Were Mine” in addition to original material from their latest two albums.
Earth Wind & Fire brought things to a close over at the Congo Square Stage with their fun-loving blend of funk, R&B, soul and more. Only three members of the original lineup—Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson—are still part of the group, but the younger members that have filled out the band brought the vibrant energy that their catalog demands. The 12-piece outfit worked through classics like “Shining Star,” “Let’s Groove,” “Boogie Wonderland,” “After the Love is Gone” and “Reasons,” along with a couple of deep cuts like “Jupiter” and “In The Stone.” The set also included a cover of The Beatles’ “Got To Get You Into My Life,” and a brief-yet-impressive sit-in from jazz phenom Kamasi Washington, who let roughly two-minute solo loose from his soprano saxophone.
Other noteworthy performers included New Orleans native and Maroon 5 keyboardist PJ Morton, Stax Records legend William Bell, saxophone star Boney James, roots music virtuoso Rhiannon Giddens, acclaimed New Orleans jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard and Arrested Development star Alia Shawkat, who teamed up with trad-jazz outfit the New Orleans Swamp Donkeys for a series of standards duets with frontman James Williams.
Alia Shawkat with James Willians and the New Orleans Swamp Donkeys. Photo by Elsa Hahne.
All photos by Elsa Hahne and Noe Cugny.
