New Orleans Jazz Fest 2024 Review: Opening Weekend Highlights & Insights
Wesley Hodges reports on the sounds, sights and lagniappe from the first weekend of this year’s Jazz Fest.
By Wesley Hodges Apr 30, 2024 • 10:59 am PDT
Prior to next weekend’s jumbo-sized second/final stanza of the 53rd Edition of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (a lineup including The Rolling Stones, Neil Young & Crazy Horse and an all-star tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett), the annual bacchanal down in South Louisiana kicked off over the weekend at the Fair Grounds, with some familiar acts making yet another return (Widespread Panic, Big Freedia) and rarer artists to the Fair Grounds playing for the first or second time (Vampire Weekend, Anderson .Paak, Patrice Rushen, Heart and Chris Stapleton to name a few).
Now in year three since an unprecedented three-year pause for a worthy cause (the COVID-19 pandemic), Jazz Fest appears to be going stronger than ever and next weekend is surely to complement a weather-blessed weekend one in duly epic fashion.
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Highlights from one writer’s weekend filled with food, drink and eclectic music from the Big Easy and around the globe are below.
Tributes
With the passing of time and Jazz Fest’s storied history, it’s inevitable that the fest has taken on the solemn duty of paying tribute of celebrating local legends who’ve crossed to the other side in the year between events, generally in a way only New Orleans knows how to. In 2024, Jazz Fest pays tribute to Russell Batiste ( the funky Meters, Vida Blue, Papa Grows Funk and so much more) and will pay homage to Gulf South native and Jazz Fest staple Jimmy Buffett.
Sadly, festgoers were met with the news that Nick Daniels III of Dumpstaphunk had passed on Friday evening, with his main band set to play the main stage this Thursday before The Rolling Stones. Given these gentlemen’s impact across the globe and their immeasurable presence in the New Orleans music scene, it is ensured their legacies will live on, continuing for years after their astral departures.
Thursday, April 25
Photos by Adam McCullough
Widespread Panic | Festival Stage
No strangers to the Fair Grounds or New Orleans in general, Widespread Panic returned to their longtime slot, headlining a “Local Thursday” on the main Festival Stage on day one. Upon introducing the band, festival producer (from day one in 1970 to present) Quint Davis noted that Panic played the first ever Thursday at Jazz Fest in 2008 (the Fest used to be two three-day weekends, instead of the current set-up of two four-day weekends). With a long history of playing Halloween runs at UNO Lakefront Arena, recorded (and live) collaborations with Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and several Professor Longhair, Dr. John and The Meters songs in their heavy live rotation, Panic always fits like a glove at the Fair Grounds.
While all four days were mostly sunny and comfortable, opening day was one for the books as far as Mother Nature goes, and Panic took to the stage just after 4:30 p.m., kicking off a jukebox classic set with an expansive “Wondering” > “Greta” > “Pleas” > “Little By Little” suite, kicking the main stage into high gear that rarely tapered during the two-hour performance. In addition to the aforementioned “Little By Little” (a favorite studio cut of the last decade or so, by Panic, or otherwise), the classics-heavy set was peppered with stellar new tunes from their forthcoming album, including the beautiful, uber-sentimental heart-tugger “We Walk Each Other Home” and Freudian power rocker “King Baby” (not about King Cake babies, unfortunately).
Bookending the set with powerful, uninterrupted multi-song segments, Panic would follow a cover of Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me” with a freight train run of “Pigeons” > “Arleen” > “All Time Low” > “Climb To Safety” before “Ain’t Life Grand” sent everyone home beaming, albeit, wanting for a bit more (the set ended about 20 minutes before the scheduled time).
Gregorio Uribe – Cultural Exchange Pavilion Celebrates Colombia | Fais Do-Do Stage
Without question, the best addition of the last decade at Jazz Fest has been the cultural exchange element, as the fest provides a cultural ambassador platform each year for a country or commonwealth (in the case of Puerto Rico) to showcase their musical talents, culture, food and drink around the Fair Grounds, with artists mostly performing two-four different sets at various stages throughout the festival. For 2024, Colombia is the featured nation – with cumbia, champeta and chande sounds fusing well with the local Louisiana zydeco, funk and jazz that is so prevalent and essential here, showing how much various music cultures from the American Gulf South and South America both compliment and borrow from each other. Moreover, the delicious food and drink (Cocoloco!) options by the Pavilion added more local flavor to the music blasting all around.
The first of many Colombian acts I saw over the weekend was Professor Gregorio Uribe’s set on the zydeco and bluegrass-heavy Fais Do Do stage. These types of stumble-upon performances are always what I seem to remember most from Jazz Fest and the New York City-based Colombian artist was a perfect fit on the Fais Do Do stage, playing mostly funky and midtempo Cumbia and rumba-based rhythms on accordion with a zydeco tilt and pristine and downright orchestral precision. Consider me a new fan.
Thursday Bites, Sights & Lagniappe
- South Louisiana local icon Ronnie Lamarque (charismatic car dealer and classic crooner) got in the auto business the same year Jazz Fest was founded (1970) and has been appearing at Jazz Fest for years now. Lamarque played with a 20+ piece band on the Gentilly Stage Thursday, covering Elvis Presley (“If I Can Dream”), Creedence Clearwater Revival and Frank Sinatra, among others.
- After stopping in the Gospel Tent right past the entry gates, I always make a beeline for the Prejean’s pheasant, quail, and andouille gumbo on day one, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix. A festival staple as iconic as any local artist.
- At the Fais Do Do Stage, Zydeco legend Corey Ledet covered “Tennessee Whiskey,” a song frequently performed by Friday headliner Chris Stapleton, putting a more upbeat and danceable spin on the country titan’s star-making single.
After Hours:
Eric Krasno, George Porter Jr. and Johnny Vidacovich opened up Maple Leaf Bar’s “Festin’ At The Leaf: 50 Funkin’ Years” celebration, playing two mostly improvisational sets that included a sit-in by Maurice “MoBetta” Brown (Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals) on trumpet and a 20-minute Allman Brothers Band tribute medley just days after the passing of Dickey Betts. Sunday Jazz Fest headliner Anderson .Paak was spotted at the Oak Street bar, watching his pal MoBetta flex his skills with the headlining trio.
Notable around town and on the Grounds:
Friday Gentilly headliner Jon Batiste played to a lucky couple hundred folks at the aptly named Frenchman Street jazz haunt Snug Harbor on Thursday night, one of many big names doing small shows around town on Weekend One. Also, The Killers performed a show at Tipitina’s on Thursday night before headlining the main Festival Stage on Friday, only announcing the show on Tuesday prior.
Friday, April 26
Jon Batiste | Gentilly Stage
Jazz Fest is nothing if not a family affair, a testament to the wildly comprehensive programming options throughout the Fair Grounds and the age-diverse makeup of the crowd, from toddlers in strollers to elderly folks with walkers, there’s something for everyone. Hailing from one of New Orleans’ most storied musical families, there has arguably been no larger New Orleans musical export of the last 10 or so years than Jon Batiste, and on Friday afternoon, he once again reminded the crowd why his Grammy trophy case has been overflowing and popularity and legacy around the globe continue to grow and take shape.
Reliably ebullient and a consummate showman on par with the likes of The Boss, Elton John or Prince, Jon Batiste gives the crowd zero choice but to transfix and channel a symbiotically electric exchange of band/crowd energy during his sets. Taking the stage in a luminous gold/silver champagne suit, Batiste immediately whipped the crowd into a radiant collective of positive vibes and go-for-broke dancing took hold of just about everyone in the crowd of 20,000 or so.
Opening with guitar in hand, Batiste ranged from lead dancer to cheerleader (supporting the young break dancer who fronted the catwalk-based dance party at one point), to piano (“I Need You”), synth, melodica and more throughout the set, running through hits like “Freedom” and an array of sounds that can only be described as a worldly jukebox, dripping with style, panache and flawless execution. Covers included New Orleans standards “Tipitina” (Professor Longhair) and “Big Chief,” Creole classical (Louis Gottschalk) and “Ain’t No Sunshine” (Bill Withers).
Perhaps no line over the weekend was more appropriate than Batiste bantering “It’s not just music, it’s a spiritual practice,” and that’s what keeps us coming back to the Fair Grounds year-in and year-out.
The superstar seemingly has decades to give as a performer, songwriter and I for one, cannot wait to continue watching this amazing star continue to shine, share his new creations and grow at the Fair Grounds and beyond. The world’s a happier place with Jon Batiste in it.
CJ Chenier & The Louisiana Red Hot Band | Fais Do Do Stage
Whereas most other American mega festivals entirely recreate the wheel each year with near or total 100% turnover from year to year, many Louisiana artists hold down annual sets and CJ Chenier is one of several I try to never miss. On Friday, Chenier had the largest Fais Do Do crowd to that point and for good reason. Chenier’s Red Hot Band lived up to the billing, playing a mixture of Creole zydeco originals and dance party style knee-slapper covers of “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” (Hank Williams Sr.), “I Got A Woman” (Ray Charles) and an uptempo take on Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds,” among others. While the big names at the top of the lineup can further incentivize attending one year versus another, it’s Louisiana staples like Chenier or Bruce Daigrepont or Galactic who ensure that no year’s fest is ever worth missing.
Friday Bites, Sights & Lagniappe
- For those going the distance for a full weekend (or up to all eight days), finding some lighter fare on the food and drink end is a must – remoulade shrimp and crabmeat ravigote is a very refreshing snack in the midst of the hot, sunny day to cool down.
- Before sitting in with Jon Batiste in the set that followed, New Orleans institution and musical ambassadors Preservation Hall Jazz Band held down the Gentilly Stage for their festival set in between countless sit-ins transpiring on weekend one around the grounds and elsewhere.
- Donald Harrison Jr.’s set on the Congo Square Stage was uniquely composed, performing multiverse/omniverse versions of the same song in various, wide-ranging styles, doing various renditions of the same tune in both an exploratory hard boppin’ John Coltrane style followed by a NOLA bounce hip-hop smash-up with guests Choppa and Tanya Boyd-Cannon that led into the first of a few “When The Saints Go Marching In” versions I’d hear over the weekend.
After Hours:
Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals performed a wildly boisterous special late-night show at the downtown Joy Theater billed as the “Expedia Global Jam,” with opening sets by NOLA’s own Tank and the Bangas and the largest of the dozens of Colombian acts appearing at Jazz Fest, Bomba Estereo. The .Paak set, among all, was the highlight of about 40 hours of music on weekend one and a long overdue first time seeing the superstar perform in intimate confines to a rowdy Jazz Fest night crowd an experience I’ll never forget.
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Saturday, April 27
Another temperate day (albeit windier and dustier than the two that preceded it) greeted the weekend’s largest crowds (by a considerable amount) on Saturday. Dual headliners Chris Stapleton and Vampire Weekend ensured a major turnout that led to overflowing crowds at nearly all the stages and tents from early in the afternoon until the fest ending at 7 p.m.
Vampire Weekend | Gentilly Stage
For the first time since 2006, Vampire Weekend was without bassist Chris Baio, who had fallen ill before the band’s Gentilly headlining set on Saturday afternoon. As one of the first shows since the release of their fifth LP Only God Was Above Us, the band was up to the challenge and kept the vibe, performance style and bass duties casual and flexible.
Drummer Chris Tomson started the show on bass, opening with the new “Classical,” which was a little challenged by early sound issues and wind gusts at the outset, issues that would smooth out in the early going. After “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” “White Sky” and “Unbelievers,” frontman Ezra Koenig began taking crowd requests, emphasizing that it doesn’t need to be a Vampire Weekend song, before picking a request of Bruce Springsteen and playing “Hungry Heart,” the rarely-played “Bryn,” a tease of Grateful Dead’s staple cover “Peggy-O” and a later cover of Bob Dylan’s “When He Returns.” Vampire Weekend’s polished, eclectic and worldly sound fits like a glove at the Fair Grounds, checking a lot of genre boxes with chops to compliment the stylistic flexibility and pop sensibilities.
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway | Festival Stage
Perhaps no artist took a bigger leap in the last 365 days than Molly Tuttle and her sturdy Golden Highway band, who appeared to a large crowd on the smaller mid-grounds Fais Do Do Stage in 2023. In 2024, Tuttle was teeing it up for the day’s main stage headliner Chris Stapleton in front of tens of thousands. Tuttle fittingly covered The Rolling Stones “She’s A Rainbow” (ahead of The Stones big set on Thursday), gave The Allman Brothers Band’s “Ramblin Man” the bluegrass treatment (another of many nods to Dickey Betts) and Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” during an electrifying and upbeat set that would’ve fit just as well up at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival as Jazz Fest.
The Batiste Brothers’ tribute to Russell Batiste | Congo Square Stage
As expected, the tribute to the late drummer was a family reunion, led by David Russell Batiste Sr. and his brothers (along with many, many other musicians carrying the name Batiste – including a school-aged child on maraca) played songs from the family catalog, funk and soul classics like “Groove Me” and various medleys, playing like a backyard musical hang around the fire of a grill more than a proper festival set, a fitting tribute to the jovial, beloved late drummer, albeit a little on the short side.
Saturday Bites, Sights & Lagniappe
- Chef Linda Green’s ya-ka-mein (aka “Old Sober”), brought to international prominence by an appearance on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations show and Galactic naming one of their albums Ya-Ka-May (2010) proved tonic as a first salty bite on Saturday morning, the brothy noodle cup has been a long-time favorite of myself and countless others.
- The annual Big Freedia Congo Square set just keeps getting better, more absurd and musically polished. With numerous costume changes, countless dancers (professional and audience members), a gospel choir and an excellent band. After bringing up a couple dozen lucky (or terrified, depending who you ask) crowd members to showcase their “twerkability” during the dance competition, Freedia hilariously quipped, “That’s a whole lotta whole lotta whole lotta asssss.” To counterbalance, the longtime church choir member brought out a gospel choir and donned a robe as the voices lifted up Freedia’s trademark phrase “You Already Know” in a regal, epic fashion fit for a Queen Diva.
- The most popular and largest-drawing Colombian act on weekend one was tropical-electro pop stars Bomba Estereo, who are no stranger to the major American festival landscape over the past dozen years or so. With a flowery and colorful stage design, the group was joined by special guests Louis Michot (of Lost Bayou Ramblers) and Win Butler and Regine Chassagne (Arcade Fire) during what was undoubtedly one of the most talked-about (and fun) sets of the weekend.
After Hours:
Waiting to get into the newly reopened historic Dew Drop Inn, a blacked-out and matted Escalade pulled up to the door and none other than Anderson .Paak exited the vehicle to go support his bandmate and pay Maurice “MoBetta” Brown, who was playing one of about a half-dozen night shows on weekend one around New Orleans. MoBetta’s band was dazzling and wildly adventurous, playing future jazz and hip-hop improvisations and inviting Paak to the kit for about a half-hour to the lucky couple hundred in attendance. If you’re sensing a theme, you are correct, this weekend will be remembered by me as the weekend of MoBetta and .Paak, who were seemingly omnipresent in NOLA all weekend long. Not sure if it was garnering cheap heat or tongue-in-cheek, but Anderson .Paak did say on the mic that he planned to move to NOLA soon, for what it’s worth.
Notable around town and on the Grounds:
Reports from the late-night Toulouse Theatre (formerly One Eyed Jacks in the French Quarter) show were overwhelmingly glowing, where Nels Cline (of Wilco) joined Stanton Moore (of Galactic), Wil Blades and Skerik for a 2 a.m. “Funk Sessions” show. I wish I valued sleep less…
Sunday, April 28
Rain, torrential storm, or shine, Sundays at the Fair Grounds are undefeated, at least in my dozen years attending, always jam-packed with can’t-miss sets (albeit many conflicting this year) and one last chance to get it all in before next year (or in this case, next weekend), it’s an adventure to get in early, go for broke and try to take as much in as one person can.
On another day of breezy cloud cover and considerably more manageable crowd size/vendor lines, attendees had the chance to explore more of the grounds than the day prior. Once again the order of the day was to see as much as humanly possible, and we were able to see: Shreveport’s Seratones before noon singing about break-ups and Mercury in retrograde, Honduran-turned-NOLA transplant Oscar Rossignoli playing McCoy Tyner-inspired classical jazz rolls, cello-looping extraordinaire Helen Gillet, Béla Fleck giving an interview in the grandstand to a few hundred people, and last year’s 2023 Fest breakthrough ÌFÉ (who delivered another blowout performance with tons of pageantry, colorful costumes and choreographed dance troupes), all before 3 p.m.… but alas, Sunday belonged to Juvenile and Mannie Fresh, this was their day above all else.
Juvenile with Mannie Fresh & Hot Boy Turk | Congo Square Stage
It’s an understatement to say we are in the midst of nearly a year of the “Juvie-ssance,” with no end in sight. Juvenile, the New Orleans hip hop legend/former member of Hot Boys has experienced a long-overdue resurgence, as the result of the release of his wildly popular and viral Tiny Desk Concert last summer (which, if you haven’t seen, please finish reading this and get to it). In the late 1990s/early 2000s, perhaps no style of music was as pervasive or influential as the sounds coming out of Cash Money Records in New Orleans, and this set marked a recognition of the collective’s outsized influence on modern music and recognition that these songs continue to reach generations. Dozens of friends and family members packed the side stages as Juvenile and Mannie Fresh hit the stage.
Packing all corners of the general Congo Square and bleeding onto the tracks surrounding the lush field, the duo absolutely rocked the place, giving the crowd everything they’d come to see with flawless execution, infectious energy and joyful vibes right from the first beats. “Back That Ass Up” brought the house down above all, during a set chock full of chartbusters like Big Tymers’ “Get Your Roll On,” Cash Money/B.G./Big Tymers’ “Bling Bling” (a song with a singular cultural impact), “Project Bitch” and Hot Boys’ “I Need A Hot Girl,” amongst too many more to name here.
At one point, Juvie brought out cases of his 400 Degreez brand chips Chee Wees along with dozens of shirts to a hungry crowd. A man of the people, ya heard me?
Béla Fleck – My Bluegrass Heart | Fais Do Do Stage
At a festival oftentimes featuring musicians, songwriters, artists and creators at the absolute pantheon of their relative craft, perhaps there’s no more accomplished, decorated and talented living banjo player than Béla Fleck, and the Sunday crowd showed up in droves, for what may have been the largest crowd in Fais Do Do history (unverified, just a personal observation). The virtuosic picker and his stellar group featuring Michael Cleveland, Sierra Hull, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz and Bryan Sutton, opened with Béla Fleck & The Flecktones’ gorgeous classic “Stomping Grounds,” in addition to a lot of tunes from his recent My Bluegrass Heart album and further celebrated the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” with an extensive cover.
Fleck continues to build bridges between past/present/future and classical/jazz/bluegrass like only he (or maybe Chris Thile) can in modern times. We are lucky to exist in the same time and space as Béla Fleck. What a treat this performance was, maybe next time on a bigger stage…
Sunday Bites, Sights & Lagniappe
- Fried chicken and jambalaya on Sunday. Truly a tradition unlike any other.
- Despite brutal conflicts with Juvenile and Mannie Fresh, Anderson .Paak, Allman Betts Band and Patrice Rushen, the crowd for Heart was one of the largest of the weekend on the Gentilly Stage at the beginning. I was able to catch a little of “Magic Man” before making moves. Heart would go on to cover “Going to California” amongst their classic catalog.
