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Saturday, 10.25.08
 Eric Krasno - Blue Nile |
I was a bit tardy getting to City Park on Saturday because I was out late bouncing between the Blue Nile and Tipitina's. The Blue Nile was hosting an interesting side project that consisted of Adam Deitch on drums, Eric Krasno on guitar, Marco Benevento on keys and Kirk Joseph on sousaphone. There wasn't much time for rehearsal and as a result the show was very difficult to follow at times. A little ways into their first set, some random guy got onstage and started freestyling and sounded just awful. After two songs with him up there, I made the decision to try something new. That's the beauty of New Orleans: there is always something else going on. I headed to Tipitina's Uptown for another thrown together project that included a mesh of traditional New Orleans artists with Fred Wesley as their special guest. It was another failed combination in my opinion. The songs were very low energy and drawn out, and no one really seemed to be playing together. I was back in the car before long and glad to hear the energetic sounds of Big Sam's Funky Nation consuming the Blue Nile section of Decatur Street. Sam's new drummer, who came up in the church scene, stole the show along with an unknown musician on saxophone sitting in. Sam's band has really progressed in the last few months and they sounded great all the way around. Finally some sounds that could justify me staying up until five in the morning!
The first show I made it to at Voodoo on Saturday was Manchester Orchestra. The opening number had little impact on me and they didn't seem like it was going to get much better. They were a five-piece band that seemed lost, like they still hadn't found their sound. You could hear all the bands that might have influenced them, especially in the dark delivery of their vocals. All it took was a few boring songs and a glance at the seemingly unenthusiastic crowd and I was on my way. These guys may have that one song in the repertoire that could have grabbed me but unfortunately I didn't think it was worth waiting around to hear it.
Back on the WWOZ Stage, the Old 97's were tuning up. They seemed to have a decent following and the crowd at this particular point in the afternoon really latched onto their sound. They came off as straight forward, feel good rock & roll and I loved it. Perhaps I was taken by the lead singer, or maybe it was the very simple song content, which was easy to understand and relate to. Although they've been around for a while, I finally put these guys on my radar and look forward to digging in deeper.
 Lil Wayne - Voodoo |
Next it was time to follow the throngs of people headed to the main stage for Lil Wayne. He had a huge audience, one of the biggest of the weekend. But, even all those people couldn't convince me that what I saw on that stage was worth listening to. I was appalled, bored and totally embarrassed to be at this show. The man really has no talent and his only saving grace was that he made the effort to hire a mediocre live backing band. In my opinion, having a live band is a step in the right direction for hip-hop shows in general. Lil Wayne's style of word delivery was very choppy, and for someone who wasn't already a huge fan most of the songs seemed very similar. The dancing and hand gesture antics that accompanied his performance didn't distract me enough from the poor quality of the rest of the show.
Thievery Corporation was next. They were one of the main reasons I made an effort to come down to New Orleans for Voodoo Fest, and I was not disappointed. It's difficult to describe the greatness and production of this band until you see it first hand. The show began with the two masterminds behind it all - Rob Garza and Eric Hilton - setting the tone for through their DJing. Shortly thereafter, they were joined by a beautiful belly dancer, whose vibrant sensuality completed Thievery's takeover of Voodoo. The beauty of Thievery Corp is the way their setlist seems to perfectly evolve in the moment. Each member plays an equally crucial role, whether they are dancing, singing or playing. Thievery took all who saw them into a mesmerizing world of beautiful female vocalists and multiple male singers of all genres. Thievery Corporation always impresses with their ability to pick up on the energy of the crowd and respond to that with their performance. This time was no exception and halfway through a particular song one of the female vocalists jumped offstage and took her act into the crowd. The fans went wild, and as the sun began to set, Thievery led us all into the night and left us wanting more.
It took me a few moments to switch gears as I headed back to the WWOZ Stage for yet another band that New Orleans gave birth to. Led by Ivan Neville, Dumpstaphunk is making a stamp on the world of modern funk bands. There is no party like a Dumpstaphunk party and this set proved that point, where they were especially tight. The stage communication, transitions from song to song and setlist choices were almost flawless. Marc Broussard and Eric Krasno sat in on Dumpstaphunk original, "Unfunky U.F.O." The whole spirit of New Orleans cultivates such moments, where a pop artist and a guitar player from New York can find themselves on the same stage as a dirty, raunchy funk band from New Orleans. Dumpstaphunk songs bring the beauty and heart of New Orleans and the tragedy of Katrina to the rest of the world, while at the same time keeping the crowd moving from start to finish. This night, they were on fire, bringing the hometown crew an exciting mix of old and new material. The lyrics to "Meanwhile" echoed into the night, reminding us that even though Katrina left a mark, we might as well have a good time and shake our booty.
 Thievery Corp - Voodoo |
Marc Broussard was next on the WWOZ Stage, and after his performance with Dumpstaphunk I was hopeful that I might enjoy his set more than I had in previous years. However, I couldn't switch to Broussard's mainstream songs and performance. I do have to say that the man is truly talented and even if I don't exactly love his work, his delivery is magnificent.
I was excited to head over to Ghostland Observatory, a band I seem to keep missing at festivals. They were in full force when I arrived. It took me a while to focus on what was happening onstage because I was so distracted by the insanity and complexity of their light show. When I finally did focus in I was startled, shocked and not very impressed. The lead singer seemed to be a Mick Jagger-meets-psychedelic-madness type of thing, but not in a good way. The overall sound didn't seem very musical, more like controlled noise. I stayed for a few songs, mesmerized by the power these guys seemed to have over their audience and trying to figure out what I was missing. Perhaps I am just too old fashioned, in the sense that I want songs and people mastering their instruments onstage.
Saturday night was spent bouncing back and forth once again between Tipitina's and the Blue Nile. Tip's finally hosted the perfect combination of musicians including George Porter Jr., Russell Batiste, Ivan and Ian Neville and Fred Wesley Jr. They sounded phenomenal. Even though the set mainly consisted of old soul and funk covers, every song sounded fresh and exciting, proving once again the high caliber of musicianship onstage. I kept trying to leave Tipitina's but I couldn't. All the musicians seemed to really be enjoying playing with one another and none of their songs sounded old or tired, which happens sometimes when musicians play songs they have played hundreds of times.
The moment the last note was played I headed to the Blue Nile to give the Deitch, Krasno, Benevento, Joseph project another chance. I was pleased to see that they were about to begin their second set. To try and put into words what I heard is almost impossible. Krasno's tasteful notes gently guided the space-like jazz jam. Deitch and his usual drum-machine precision controlled the step of everyone in the room. Kirk Joseph finally started to grasp the direction these New York boys were headed musically and added to the sound with his psychedelic sousaphone. Benevento's inhuman hands danced across the piano and the result were wonderful and something none of us had quite heard nor will likely ever hear again. The sounds they made flirted with almost every genre. It was almost 6 a.m. before it was all over and I headed back to finally get some sleep.
Continue reading for Sunday's coverage...
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