The spring festival season has long since melted away, taking with it plenty of tourists and many of our musicians too. Luckily, there’s never a shortage of top-tier live music in New Orleans.
For the briefest glance at some of the shows that have been going on around town, here’s our redux.
Fresh off a tour through Europe, Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue delivered a stirring set at the Three Muses last night. The group is widely regarded as the city’s foremost western swing band and puts on one of the most dependably entertaining shows around. They’re led by husband-and-wife team Vanessa “Gal Holiday” Niemann, vocal powerhouse and charismatic frontwoman, and Dave Brouillette, a genius upright bass player who provides the backbone for the band’s compelling sound.
Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue
Last night’s set included originals like “Long Black Ribbon,” “Teach Me How to Two-Step,” and “She’s a Killer,” as well as killer covers like Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice” and Johnny Cash’s “Big River.” They’re certainly excellent songwriters, and the band also has a knack for choosing interesting covers and totally making them their own. Louisiana’s state song “You Are My Sunshine” (which they usually meld seamlessly with a haunting “Plastic Jesus”) is a good example. Their most recent album features what has to be the only enjoyable version of “Love Is A Battlefield.”
Never having seen them play anywhere so serene as the Three Muses, it was pretty remarkable to see their familiar set—boisterous and highly-danceable—tweaked just slightly to become entirely suited to a buttoned-down dinner crowd too.
This past Wednesday, the Maple Leaf grooved to the vocal styling of Cole Williams backed by an all-star cast of musicians, many of whom you’ll find playing with the Heart Attacks or Corey Henry’s Treme Funktet. That Williams was raised in the church comes as no surprise; the set was as all-consuming as a secularized gospel service. On an early number, a deep Temptations-esque bassline from Bru Bruser lent a dark, dangerous-sounding funkiness, with exultant power chords from Danny Abel on guitar breaking through unexpectedly like sunbeams through cloud cover. Williams played hand drums as she belted out vocal strains.
“If you didn’t go to church on Sunday,” she told the crowd, “You can tell ‘em you went on Wednesday.” Too true.
If you haven’t yet seen one of Alex McMurray’s solo happy hour sets at Siberia, do yourself a favor and make sure you’re free for the next one. Siberia hosts high-profile, high volume rock, funk, electronic, and metal bands at night, but at happy hour (no cover charge…) the darkened, intimate venue is also to the perfect showcase for folksy singer songwriter acts (Julie Odell and the recent Kiyoko McCrae/ Rick Weston duo are other good examples).
McMurray is the epitome. He’s one of the city’s best songwriters and has a warm, rich voice that brings to mind a sort of Bruce-Springsteen-next-door. His lyrics, although unassuming and genial, will catch you off guard with how quickly they cut to the heart of life. McMurray was a featured performer at Greg Schatz’ recent record release party at Siberia.
Morning 40 Federation
Mr. Okra celebrated his birthday early last month at B.J.’s with a performance by his old pals, Morning 40 Federation. The iconic vegetable vendor held court by the front door, a large man obscured under a mountain of bills pinned on or near his person.
Past the pool table (laden with heaps of food) and out in the backyard beyond, New Orleans’ favorite “drunk rock” band was as just as awesomely loud and brass-powered as their ardent fans have come to expect.
Something about hearing them under the open stars, with all of the familiar neighborhood folks around, however, made the evening oddly cozy as well. They finished off their set with the ever-popular “Walk Through the 9th Ward” to universal cheers and sing along-ing, even though many of the audience members (author included) will never be able to fully appreciate the context within which it was written.
To be continued.
