New Orleans Jazz Fest announces lineup
January 24th, 2008 by Wade Tatangelo in News
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has unveiled another fierce lineup, making me already wish I could spend the entire 10-days there rather than choosing between weekends (April 25-27 or May 1-4).
The big news is the return of the Neville Brothers to their traditional closing slot on Sunday, May 4. The biggest “get” for the fest is Stevie Wonder, who finally returned to the road last year but skipped Tampa.
Also scheduled to appear: Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett, Tim McGraw, Santana, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, Sheryl Crow, Widespread Panic, Dr. John, Al Green, Diana Krall, Keyshia Cole, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, The Raconteurs, Irma Thomas, Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint, Randy Newman, Betty LaVette, Derek Trucks Band, John Prine, Richard Thompson, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Bad Plus, Galactic, Trombone Shorty, Cassandra Wilson, Keb’ Mo’, Delbert McClinton, Hot 8 Brass Band, Tower of Power, Kermit Ruffins, Papa Grows Funk, The Lee Boys, Marcia Ball, Bobby McFerrin & Chick Corea, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Bela Fleck, Sonny Landreth, Rebirth Brass Band, The Radiators, Steel Pulse.
Click here for a complete day-by-day schedule.
My column “The Boss makes music event of ‘06,” concerning Bruce Sprinsteen’s spectacular post-Katrina performance, is posted here at the Jazz Fest’s official website.
January 24th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Thanks for reminding me again of Springsteen’s fest set–it sucks being a couple hundred yards away and missing it. I was at the Meters; planned on seeing half then jogging over to the Acura stage. Couldn’t tear myself away. When the Meters finished I went back to where my friends were camped at Acura. Came around the back side via the track just has he started ‘When the Saints..’ (last song). It was spooky walking into the crowd because the 40,000+ were silent–I felt disrespectful, like heading for your seat at a ballgame with an armload of beer during the National Anthem. I knew right then that I had missed something special.
Got back to the camp and one of my friends was so emotionally drained he couldn’t get out of his chair. He was asking passers-by to: ‘kick me in the nuts so I can buck up’ just to get motivated enough to leave the Fairgrounds.
The rest of your story is on the Jazz Fest forum too:
http://www.nojazzfest.com/chat/showthread.php?t=2927
January 25th, 2008 at 11:38 am
A couple other buddies I was with that year also opted for The Meters, which I’m sure was great. But, yeah, the Springsteen show had an emotional weight to it that left many of us needing a kick in the nuts after it finished.
March 6th, 2008 at 5:36 am
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has always attracted people as it is one of the best known festivals in US. The Jazz Fest is an important occasion to celebrate music and culture. As the festival has a great popularity, people always wait for attendance with great passion. Me too, I’m no exception because I’m one of the music lovers and I’m looking forward to be on time. But what disturbs a little in such important events is tickets which become hard to get or their prices become so high. I’ve just recommended a site to compare tickets prices before booking and I find this an important idea because this way one can look for the cheapest offered prices. Here is the link in case you want to use it:
http://www.ticketwood.com/concerts/New-Orleans-Jazz-Fest-Tickets/index.php
New Orleans Jazz Festival tickets
Anyway I hope I won’t miss this wonderful occasion.