New Orleans Jazz Fest 2024 Review: Weekend 2 Highlights & Insights

Weekend One was so good I had to stick around New Orleans for the second weekend of Jazz Fest 2024 and returned again for the final four days after covering the action on Weekend One. Some highlights from the final four days of Jazz Fest follow.

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Thursday, May 2

I’d previously had plans to sit out Thursday and Friday before a very last-minute miracle ticket came my way from an old friend, just about the time The Rolling Stones were taking the stage, and I high-tailed it over to the Fair Grounds from Uptown NOLA. The Stones miracle was quite an all-time rush and a weird, one-off experience to enter the gates with zero other music playing outside the main stage and no line to get in (the set was already about 30 minutes in at this point).

The Rolling Stones | Festival Stage

The third time was in fact a charm for the years-in-the-works effort to finally bring The Rolling Stones to the Fair Grounds. It’s no secret that Jazz Fest organizer/CEO Quint Davis’ white whale has long been getting the legendary band to headline and Jazz Fest even created an extra eighth day to make room for the longest-running stadium act of all time. Jazz Fest limited ticket sales to a reported 40,000 or so (give or take), albeit at a much higher price tag than the usual single-day pass to Jazz Fest.

Enthusiasm was high for those who made it and everyone seemed to have an opinion (some good, some bad, some ugly), but for those who made it out, May 2, 2024 was truly The Rolling Stones Day in New Orleans, who would appear unopposed on the main stage while the Gentilly and Congo Square stages also played their set on the screens and speakers for fans, volunteers and or vendors to watch the show outside of the big crowd packed into the Festival Stage area. The Brits enjoyed their time on stage and paid homage to the city with a couple of guests and appearances around the Grounds and in town.

After a band cancellation in 2019 and a COVID cancellation in 2021, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and the rest of the band took the stage around 4:30 p.m. with “Start Me Up.” Although I missed the beginning of the set and the Dwayne Dopsie sit-in (on “Let It Bleed”), I made it in time to catch legendary NOLA singer Irma Thomas appearing for the first Stones performance of the classic “Time Is On My Side” since 1998. Although Thomas and Jagger reportedly hadn’t seen each other since the ‘70s, they seemed to fall right back into a mutual admirer’s club and fit like a glove on the song Thomas popularized in 1964 and The Stones amplified exponentially on a global scale by recording it months later way, way back when.

In addition to the sit-ins and general elation of the fans, the musical highlights of the set were extensive renderings of “Miss You” and “Gimme Shelter” before singalongs to “Paint It Black” and “Jumpin Jack Flash.” The band returned for a career-bookending two-song encore of “Sweet Sounds Of Heaven” (new) and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (very, very old).

Thursday Bites, Sights & Lagniappe

After Hours and Days Between:

• On Wednesday, I had the first opportunity to see soulful South Louisiana native Britti make a big splash at a Jazz & Heritage Foundation party in the office parking lots at an event co-hosted by the Grammy foundation. Britti’s debut album (produced by Dan Auerbach) Love, Britti came out early this year and is not to be missed. Expect big things from her and a proper Fair Grounds debut in 2024. Also had the opportunity to see 2023 Jazz Fest breakout artist ÌFÉ at the Music Box Village in the Bywater and a wild duo set led by Simon Lott’s “Very Cherry” duo project with multi-instrumentalist David Polk at one of the city’s newer venues, The Rabbit Hole in Central City. A busy night after a few days of rest.
• On Thursday evening, it was back to The Rabbit Hole for the world-trotting and highly danceable psych band Gitkin, an exciting newer project from Brian J (also of Pimps Of Joytime) that’s mostly instrumental, very eclectic, at times surfy, at other times tropical and always an easy sell to newcomers. Gitkin made multiple appearances around town in the after-hours during Daze Between and Weekend Two. Another shortlist artist of newer discoveries for me, personal favorites I love to evangelize about to friends (or whoever will listen). TL;DR, listen to (and see) Gitkin.

Notable Around Town, Stones Edition:

The Rolling Stones reportedly went big at lunch prior to their set, dining at the world-famous Commander’s Palace in the Garden District, and giving the chef a ticket to their Jazz Fest show. Mick Jagger was later spotted taking in the action in the Gospel Tent (from the gen pop seats and not being a papal glass case or in VIP) a true man of the people! Guitarist Ronnie Wood played one of the “Midnight Preserves” shows at the hallowed Preservation Hall in the French Quarter, alongside Irma Thomas and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

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Friday, May 3

Photos By Susan Weiand

Before a couple of full days on Saturday and Sunday, Friday was also an abbreviated and impromptu late afternoon hit at the Fair Grounds, but a rewarding endeavor all the same, and a rare chance to follow my nose for some random drop-ins to some of the smaller tents, with little planned or targeted in advance of a late afternoon arrival. Crowds once again swelled for the return of Foo Fighters on the main Festival Stage and Hozier over on the Gentilly Stage, a good day to freewheel around.

Tubad | Rhythmporium

If there was a favorite from the sets I saw from artists I had zero familiarity with prior to Jazz Fest, Tubad was probably it. The NOLA native’s appearance in the new-ish and comfortable confines of the Rhythmporium was energetic, and musically impressive and had me looking up dates around town for the next chance to see this quartet. Roger Lewis from Dirty Dozen Brass Band brought his horn for a special sit-in, adding additional layers to the sound and some synthesized far out horn sounds I’d never heard or seen before. Mark it on the calendar for next year.

Stefon Harris and Blackout | WWOZ Jazz Tent

Vibraphones and mallet magic-making carried this hour at this exploratory jazz tent set by Stefon Harris’ impressive, freewheeling and deeply communicative band Blackout (which also included Dezron Douglas of Trey Anastasio Band on stand-up bass). Deeply complex rhythmically and melodically, the Blackout outfit seemed daft at having an improvisational (yet somehow nearly airtight) and in-depth musical conversation in front of the attentive crowd, touching on some go-go, soul and funk sounds and flexing a broad musical palette that would make any fans of Roy Ayers, Herbie Hancock or Kamasi Washington marveling.

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Saturday, May 4

The Rumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. | Congo Square Stage

One of the more highly-anticipated early afternoon sets of 2024 was a first chance to see The Rumble ft. Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr., a Grammy-nominated NOLA sensation that’s been turning heads nationwide since forming. The Rumble brings a carnival-style rave-up sound to the stage, playing full-fledged party funk, bombastic brass and hip-hop music with beautifully harmonized vocals (ala Neville Brothers and Dumpstaphunk) with Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. taking the lead in full Mardi Gras Indian regalia with elaborate feathers and beadwork and a full headdress, worn in the sweltering late-spring temps on Saturday just after noon.

Despite the scorching temperature, The Rumble came to play, operating as a well-oiled machine, which shouldn’t be surprising given the live experience of the group both together and prior. Guitarist Ari Teitel has become a household name for the Maple Leaf-going crowd in NOLA and Joseph Boudreaux was seemingly born to be a frontman and magnet for the attention required by taking lead vocals at center stage.

The set opened up with “Stories From The Battlefront” and the powerhouse five-part harmonies on “Golden Crown” gave me the rare feeling of seeing early Dumpstaphunk shows. “We Want Trouble” and “Burn It Down” (on the second line) brought the house down and a guitar-led “Wild Man” gave the band a chance to fully flex.

When a band this funky and tight can draw from deep wells of instrumental prowess and match that with vocal strength and ability, you get the feeling they’re gonna be around and thriving for a long while. The music scene of New Orleans continues to thrive, and evolve, and The Rumble is keeping the fire lit, continuing old traditions with a new twist. You love to see and hear it, one of the best sets of the weekend on Congo Square or elsewhere.

Joe Krown | Rhythmporium

New Orleans piano and keys legend Joe Krown (his Joe Krown Trio shows with the recently departed legends Russell Batiste and Walter “Wolfman” Washington at the Maple Leaf are the stuff of legend), turned the tiny Rhythmporium into a listening room, with half the crowd seated on the turfed ground, listening to Krown dazzle on a solo upright piano and telling Behind The Music-style stories (like playing for his pal Fats Domino toward the end of his life when he had dementia) and giving deep and rich historical context as a lead-in to some of the lesser-known tunes he played (like Professor Longhair’s “Crawfish Fiesta,” a song with as complicated of a legacy as the city where it was born.

Nickel Creek | Fais Do Do Stage

Playing a few hundred feet from the Circus Tent, the consummate showman/radio host/musical genius Chris Thile’s original breakout band Nickel Creek (formed with siblings Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins when they were children) dazzled in the cozy confines of the roots and zydeco-heavy Fais Do Do Stage. Few songs make more sense to kick off an abbreviated festival set with an overflowing crowd than “Where The Long Line Leads,” belting befitting lyrics that raved and revved up a sunburnt late-afternoon crowd “packed out like jolly sardines” (as Thile bantered):

We wanna have a big time
We’re gonna have a big time
Where the long line leads
We only have a short time
So make it a big one

The veteran group plays like a pocket symphony with elite musicality and this cheery set warmed the heart, also including “This Side” on the front half before necessary moves were made to carve out space for the big ticket set of the day.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse | Festival Stage

Returning to the road just this fall after almost a half-decade away, it seemed like Neil Young’s playing days were about numbered as recently as a year or two ago. Since reviving Crazy Horse just a few weeks ago, the quartet made a long-anticipated return to the Fair Grounds. Revving up slowly with a meandering and thrashy “Cortez The Killer” (which started five minutes early, I must add), the Horse worked through their set like a freight train, increasing in intensity and volume, and firing on all cylinders by the time they blasted through a trio of bona fide AM gold classics “Down By The River,” “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere” and “Powderfinger” mid set.

Young was in a relatively chipper mood and seemed profoundly tickled to be playing in front of a massive festival crowd again. The most poignant moment came when Young’s bandmates exited the stage and Neil performed the charged protest and counterculture CSNY anthem “Ohio” solo with dark skies overhead, notably on the 54th anniversary of the Kent State massacre that inspired the song. Young’s ability to write songs that re-resonate through the decades is arguably unparalleled, and “Ohio” was a standout from the eight days.

Closing out with “Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black),” it was once again quite fitting to hear “rock and roll can never die” sung by an icon whose influential sound and catalog are undeniably immortal. Once again, a titanic rock force in their golden years delivered one of the best sets of the weekend. Rust never sleeps, and the Horse lives!

Saturday Bites, Sights & Lagniappe

After Hours and Days Between:

• A first opportunity to see the hard-touring Neal Francis and his well-oiled machine at a very sold-out Tipitina’s. Frances has become a force on the Jazz Fest after-hours scene and nodded to Allen Toussaint with “What Is Success” and brought out openers The Heavy Heavy to cover The Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women,” and, as you’d imagine given the flavor of the weekend, this brought the house down.
• Yakiniku Po-Boy at the Fair Grounds, the best bite at the fest.

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Sunday, May 5

Celebrating Jimmy Buffett with the Coral Reefer Band | Festival Stage

This was fun, a LOT of fun, and it’s easy to say that Jimmy Buffett would’ve endorsed this sunny Sunday bacchanalia-style party his band the Coral Reefer Band threw in his honor in the city where he learned his craft. Songwriter, guitarist and singer Mac McAnally took the role of master of ceremonies, introducing special guests throughout the celebratory next-to-last main stage set. The revolving door included Irma Thomas (whose set preceded the parrot head party) on “I Will Play For Gumbo,” Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews brought the brass to “Pencil Thin Mustache,” giving this live version an instant classic feel, and Preservation Hall Jazz Band joined for the new posthumously released “University Of Bourbon Street.” Hearing “Come Monday” brought a momentary segment of deep sentimentality to the boisterous gathering, that would stay understandably brief (this was a party after all).

After Jake Shimabukuro got the chance to run through a rapid-fire classic rock medley and make hordes of new fans (at least in my section of the field), the band returned for a spirited and spirit-filled bar-band style trio of covers, doing the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias,” CSNY’s “Southern Cross” and Will Kimbrough taking lead vocal responsibilities on “Brown Eyed Girl” (the first of two Van Morrison covers at the tail end of the fest, more on that later). Buffett’s good pal and Jazz Fest CEO Quint Davis was invited up by Buffett’s daughter, who thanked the crowd and invited all guests, friends and family side stage to join for one of the biggest singalongs the Fair Grounds have ever seen, sending up “Margaritaville” to the heavens on a sunny, breezy and near-perfect Sunday afternoon. The final tune started at 5 o’clock, or damn close to it.

The Wallflowers | Sheraton Fais Do Do Stage

Once again, the conflicts on Jazz Fest’s final day were tough, but preference goes to the never or rarely seen if hairs or time must be split. As a child of the ‘90s, The Wallflowers Bringing Down the Horse is a mainstay I always find myself coming back to. The sprawling and steel-heavy mega single ballad “6th Avenue Heartache” was met with big roars and, while Jakob Dylan has certainly built up his own iconic status as a frontman, what impressed me most about this set was how polished, anthemic and big The Wallflowers sound was on Sunday, playing heartland style music in droves, like The War On Drugs or some stripped-down Springsteen outfits.

The Wallflowers brought us the second Van Morrison cover in the last hour with a beautiful and graceful rendering of the nearly universally beloved “Into The Mystic” (with one of the most picturesque scenes over the Fais Do Do) as the sun started sinking low on Jazz Fest 2024, helping acclimate a buoyant crowd into temporarily emotional territory, inducing chills (and likely a few tears) on an otherwise hot and laissez-faire final day.

Sunday Bites, Sights & Lagniappe

• From the Mid-City sausage and creole mustard kings, one of the closer located food vendors to the Fair Grounds, Vaucresson’s jerk chicken sausage was a proper, filling treat and a first time trying on the final day of my dozenth year at the Fest.
• The Star Trek and Reading Rainbow guy we all know and love LeVar Burton was posting side stage at Congo Square and around town.
• The final song of Jazz Fest 2024 (for me) was Tower of Power doing “What Is Hip?” in the WWOZ Jazz Tent – a funny sentiment at a festival where clout-chasing, trends and popular music trends of the moment may be present, but mostly irrelevant and not the least bit overbearing when compared to other gigantic American music festival institutions. Never change Jazz Fest (and its people), just keep doing the damn thing (and we’ll keep coming back for more).