New Orleans’ own Grammy-nominated soul, R&B, hip hop, and spoken word band, Tank and the Bangas, will perform with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) at the Orpheum Theater on Friday, January 14. The concert will also feature special guest PJ Morton, the three-time Grammy-winning musician, singer, songwriter and record producer.

Tarriona “Tank” Ball. OffBeat poster from a photo by Willow Haley, taken for OffBeat.

The program, which begins at 7:30 p.m., will feature such songs by Tank and the Bangas as “Lazy Daze,” “Dope Girl Magic,” “Fluff” and “Hot Air Balloons.” The concert will conclude with “What the World Needs Now is Love,” the popular song from 1965 with lyrics by Hal David and music composed by Burt Bacharach. A pre-concert lecture will be led by assistant conductor Chelsea Gallo at 6:30 p.m.

Members of Tank and the Bangas met at a New Orleans open mic show called Liberation Lounge at now closed Blackstar Cafe and Books in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans. They debuted as a band in 2011. In 2017, out of more than 6,000 acts entered in NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest, the judges came to a unanimous decision in choosing the Tank and the Bangas for the top honor. in 2020, the band received its first Grammy nomination in the category of best new artist. Led by the infectiously positive Tarriona “Tank” Ball, the genre-defying group blends clever spoken wordplay with laidback grooves and beautiful melodies to create a progressive sound that defies a single categorization.

In 2021, the Louisiana Philharmonic and Tank and the Bangas were paired for a livestream broadcast. The 2022 show will be presented before a live audience at the Orpheum Theater, 129 Roosevelt Way. Proof of vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours is required for entry. Masks are required for all audience members. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.