It’s another exciting week of live music and cultural events in New Orleans and with the holidays upon us there’s plenty to keep you entertained! Check out this week’s OffBeat Weekly Picks (12/07 – 12/13):
Light up the night all weekend long at three separate locations for a unique holiday experience. First, experience the 10th anniversary of LUNA Fête, a free festival of light, art, and technology, in downtown New Orleans December 7 – 10, from 6 – 10 p.m.. This year the festival promises to shine even brighter with new interactive exhibits and by expanding to new locations. Created as a free community event, LUNA Fête X combines light, art, and technology into a multi-day festival that has grown to include live music, a nightly arts market, fashion shows, delicious food, drinks, and other glowing features to enjoy each night. The event takes place around the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and this year, will be expanding to include the West Bank where there will also be projections, interactive installations and holiday festivities at the Westbank Ferry Terminal, along the levee, at Gretna City Hall, and around Gretna Memorial Square nightly until 9:15pm. While the events are free and open to the public, this year they will also have an additional paid experience. Learn more at LunaFete.org
If you’re looking for something a bit more family friendly without heading to the West Bank, you can always check out Greenway Supernova for 3 nights of cosmic community celebration. This event also showcases light-art installations from New Orleans with live music on 2 stages that include performances from SaxKixAve, Margie Perez, Bon Bon ViVant, Sierra Green & The Giants, Sweet Magnolia, Tiny Dinosaur and more. You can also enjoy dining from local food vendors and holiday shopping at their art market. Learn more about this event at www.lafittegreenway.org/supernova.
On Saturday, December 9, from 7 – 9 p.m., The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and ArtSpot Productions present Papa Legba Meets Papa Noel: A Christmas Season Blessing and Benefit for the Andre Cailloux Center. The event features performance by The Holy Warriors, a local supergroup, which includes; Aurelien Barnes, Sunpie Barnes, Steven Bernstein, Tricia Diamond, Helen Gillet, Matt Hampsey, Delfayo Marsalis, James Singleton, Bill Summers, and Cole Williams and MC’d by Karen-Kaia Livers. The Holy Warriors will play the score of the play Holy Wars by Rob Florence, about Captain Andre Cailloux and Father Claude Pascal Maistre, parishioner and pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church, the site of the Andre Cailloux Center. They will also play some classics. Learn more about the event here.
Also on Saturday, December 9, Tank & The Bangas will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut studio album, Think Tank, at Tipitina’s. What started as a loose collaboration at an open-mic night in 2011 has grown into a mesmerizing musical force that’s continues to gain momentum. After a featured set at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival early in the band’s career, the musicians built a reputation outside their hometown by touring extensively before releasing the 2013 album Think Tank. This powerhouse group combines various musical styles including soul, hip-hop, R&B and jazz into something uniquely New Orleans that you have to experience to understand. Doors open at 8 p.m., tickets are $30 and available on the Tipitina’s website.
Irma Thomas
Don’t miss Irma Thomas in a free holiday concert at St. Louis Cathedral, in the heart of the French Quarter, on Monday, December 11. The Grammy Award-winning singer, the Soul Queen of New Orleans, is legendary for her ballads and R&B. Over a 50-year career, she has become a key part of American R&B and blues history. This is your chance to see her and to add her distinct voice and sensibility to your holiday favorites. The concert is produced by French Quarter Festivals, Inc. in partnership with New Orleans & Company for Holidays New Orleans Style. The concert series is free and open to the public, with show times generally running one hour. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., however, seating is on a first-come basis so be sure to get there early! To learn more about Holidays New Orleans Style concerts and events go to their website here.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra returns to Smoothie King Center with The Ghosts of Christmas Eve—The Best of TSO and More on Wednesday, December 13 at 7 p.m..for a spectacular musical journey. This year’s tour promises a new and larger presentation of the beloved holiday tradition, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, which follows the journey of a runaway who breaks into an abandoned vaudeville theater on December 24th. While seeking shelter from the cold, the teen is discovered by the theater’s caretaker who uses the ghosts and spirits from the building’s past to turn her life around. Following the performance of the rock opera, 2023’s tour also boasts a laser-lit second set containing more of TSO’s greatest hits, fan-favorites, and surprises. Learn more about TSO on their website here or click here to purchase tickets.
Lilli Lewis. Photo by OffBeat/Noé Cugny
If you’re looking for something a little more intimate, don’t miss your chance to see the incredible Lilli Lewis December 13 from 6:30 – 9 p.m. for SoundBites, A Fall Dinner Series Featuring Local Musicians and Chef Clare Leavy. Every other Wednesday, Chef Clare has been cooking up dinner and a show featuring a 3 course “edible setlist”, a menu designed for and inspired by the evening’s musical guest. Musical guest Lilli Lewis just released a new record entitled All Is Forgiven on Righteous Babe Records, and will hopefully be playing some of her new tracks. A singer, songwriter and pianist, she populates her music with country-and folk-style songs as well as spirituals and splashes of funk and rhythm and blues. The event is presented by The Chicory House and The Garden District Book Shop. It begins at 6:30 with a cocktail mixer upstairs at The Rink, 2727 Prytania. This three-course, prix fixe dinner series has a casual vibe with the first “course” being more cocktail party than formal dinner. The main course and dessert are seated and there are optional wine pairings. Learn more about the evening and purchase tickets here.
