With New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival just around the corner, clubs and venues around the Crescent City are filling up with exciting after-hours shows during the 11 days encompassed by the 50th-annual event, April 25th–May 5th.
For the 8th consecutive year, the Nolafunk Series During Jazz Fest is bringing music fans in New Orleans a stacked slate of shows to keep them dancing into the late hours of the night throughout both Jazz Fest weekends and the “daze between.” As always, the series features a diverse collection of special performances from musicians inside and out of the New Orleans cultural sphere who all embrace the spirit and essence of the city.
From highly-touted, nationally-touring acts to NOLA-centric collaborations between local heroes to special annual collaborations you can only catch in the Big Easy, this year’s Nolafunk Series During Jazz Fest is shaping up to be the best edition yet! Fair warning—most of these shows will sell out in advance, so grab your tickets now before it’s too late.
Take a peek at all of the incredible shows taking place in New Orleans as part of the 8th Annual Nolafunk Series During Jazz Fest below:
The NOLA Summit
Presented by Nolafunk & the Howlin’ Wolf at The Howlin’ Wolf, this all-night musical celebration will feature five classic New Orleans bands all on one bill, including Rebirth Brass Band, Bonerama (performing their special Bonerama Gets The Led Out Led Zeppelin tribute with vocalist and American Idol alum Elise Testone), Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Hot 8 Brass Band (playing all night in the Wolf’s Den).
Rounding out the lineup for Nolafunk’s first-ever NOLA Summit is the Neville Was Brothers, a collective of local talent that used to play with the Neville Brothers including bassists Tony Hall and Nick Daniels III, keyboardist John Gros, guitarist Brian Stoltz, drummer “Mean” Willie Green, and guitarist Eric Struthers. As if that wasn’t enough NOLA flavor for one night, DJ Cochon de Lait will be spinning “classic rock covered in funk” between sets throughout the night.
Venue: The Howlin’ Wolf
Date/Time: Saturday April 27, 2019 / 8:00pm Doors, 9:00pm Show
Tickets: Early Bird $35
Tab Benoit & Samantha Fish w/s/g Whiskey Bayou Revue, Jonathon Boogie Long
This fan-favorite co-bill will make for an action-packed, blues-filled Saturday night party. First, guitarist Samantha Fish will show off her formidable skills with help from Jonathon Boogie Long. Then, world-famous New Orleans blues guitar master Tab Benoit will hit the stage with the Whiskey Bayou Revue, comprised of fellow NOLA exports Eric McFadden, Eric Johanson, and Jeff McCarty.
Venue: Republic NOLA
Tickets: $42.50
Date/Time: Saturday, April 27, 2019 / 8:00 p.m. Doors, 9:00 p.m. Show
Ghost Light – Republic NOLA
Presented by Nolafunk and Live For Live Music, this late-night show on Saturday, April 27th (technically early-morning April 28th) will mark the first-ever New Orleans performance by Ghost Light, the relatively new act comprised of Tom Hamilton (guitar, vocals), Holly Bowling (keys), Raina Mullen (guitar, vocals), Scotty Zwang (drums), and Dan Africano (bass) that’s been taking the live music scene by storm.
The band is currently on the road in support of their recently-released debut LP, Best Kept Secrets, and has consistently turned in memorable performances at each stop on their tour. Ghost Light’s New Orleans debut will come just hours after Tom Hamilton finishes up his sold-out performance with Joe Russo’s Almost Dead at Mardi Gras World, so you can bet that the band will be warmed up and ready to rock when they take the stage at Republic NOLA in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Venue: Republic NOLA
Tickets: Tier 1 $22.50 / Tier 2 $25
Date/Time: Saturday, April 27, 2019 (technically early-morning April 28) / 1:30 a.m. Doors, 2:00 a.m. Show
Steely Dan Tribute ft. Members of The Motet, Turkuaz, Snarky Puppy, The Nth Power
You can reel in the years in New Orleans with this all-star tribute presented by Nolafunk and Live For Live Music. Following a wildly-successful performance at last year’s Brooklyn Comes Alive, it comes as no surprise that this band would come together once again at Jazz Fest to pay homage to the legendary Steely Dan. Guitarist/vocalist Nick Cassarino will bring his incredible musicianship and spot-on Donald Fagen impression to the table, alongside his Nth Power brother-in-arms, bassist Nate Edgar. Snarky Puppy and Ghost-Note percussionist Nate Werth is also on board, as is the incomparable vocalist from The Motet, Lyle Divinsky.
The band will also feature seven members of power-funk favorites Turkuaz: drummer Michelangelo Carubba, guitarist Craig Brodhead, vocalists Shira Elias and Sammi Garett, as well as Greg Sanderson, Joshua Schwartz, and Chris Brouwers, a.k.a. The Turkuaz Horns. Local saxophonist Bryan McNamara will also be on hand to round out the four-piece horn section. Joey Porter, the immensely talented keyboardist from The Motet, will act as musical director.
Venue: Republic NOLA
Tickets: Advance $32.50
Date/Time: Thursday, May 2, 2019 (Technically early morning May 3) / 1:30 a.m. Doors, 2:00 a.m. Show
Samantha Fish & Marc Broussard w/ Southern Avenue
After the second weekend of Jazz Fest kicks off at the fairgrounds on May 2nd, Samantha Fish and Marc Broussard will join forces for a co-headlining soiree at The Howlin’ Wolf. After launching her recording career in 2009, Samantha Fish quickly established herself as a rising star in the contemporary blues world as a rising guitar hero and powerful live performer. Marc Broussard is an artist who is always learning, always searching for the next thing that is going to ignite his imagination all over again. The Louisiana influences that have acted upon him throughout his life passionately inform his music, which has been described as “Bayou soul” and “Swamp pop.”
Joining them will be powerhouse Memphis soul quintet Southern Avenue, a group that’s seen their star rise quickly in recent years. Altogether, these three acts form a fiery bill that’s not to be missed.
Venue: The Howlin’ Wolf
Tickets: $35
Date/Time: Thursday, May 2, 2019 / 8:00 p.m. Doors, 9:00 p.m. Show
DEAD FEAT
A long-standing late-night tradition during Jazz Fest, Dead Feat will return to New Orleans on May 2nd to honor the songbooks of two legendary bands: The Grateful Dead and Little Feat.
This year’s Dead Feat supergroup lineup features longtime Little Feat members Paul Barrere, Fred Tackett, and Kenny Gradney, New Orleans native son Anders Osborne, and percussionist Wally Ingram, who served as the percussionist for Bob Weir and Phil Lesh‘s duo tour early last year. Rounding out the lineup is longtime Jerry Garcia collaborator and organ legend Melvin Seals, making his first appearance as part of Dead Feat.
Venue: Republic NOLA
Tickets: $49.50
Date/Time: Thursday, May 2, 2019 / 9:00 p.m. Doors, 10:00 p.m. Show
FREEDIA FEST ft. Big Freedia, Boyfriend, Khris Royal & Dark Matter
On Friday, May 3rd, New Orleans Bounce music icon Big Freedia will take over Republic NOLA for a night of contemporary Crescent City sonic flavor. This will mark the fourth straight year that Freedia has performed at Republic NOLA during the second weekend of Jazz Fest, and all three prior years have sold out. With this year’s stellar lineup, you can expect it to sell out once again.
In addition to Big Freedia’s headlining performance, FREEDIA FEST will feature performances by fellow local musicians including rapper Boyfriend (a.k.a. Suzannah Powell) and Khris Royal & Dark Matter. Along with their own set, Dark Matter will serve as the backing band for both Boyfriend and Big Freedia. Come on down and get your bounce on!
Venue: Republic NOLA
Tickets: $35
Date/Time: Friday, May 3, 2019 / 8:00 p.m. Doors, 9:00 p.m. Show
The Marcus King Band ft. Members of The Allman Brother Band & The Revivalists
The first of two shows by The Marcus King Band as part of the 8th Annual Nolafunk Series During Jazz Fest features a trio of standout special guests alongside the immensely talented young guitarist and his band. Jaimoe, drummer for the now-retired Allman Brothers Band, and Zack Feinberg and Ed “Shred” Williams of contemporary New Orleans favorites The Revivalists will all be on hand to help King and company light up Republic NOLA with their searing psychedelic soul after hours on Friday night, May 3rd (technically early-morning May 4th).
Venue: Republic NOLA
Tickets: $35
Date/Time: Friday, May 3, 2019 (Technically early-morning May 4) / 1:00 a.m. Doors, 1:30 a.m. Show
The Marcus King Band w/s/g Naughty Professor
Following their late-night throwdown the night before, The Marcus King Band will mount a second performance at The Howlin’ Wolf on Saturday, May 4th as part of their first-ever run of shows in New Orleans during Jazz Fest. For this second show, Marcus King and company will be joined by fan-favorite NOLA funk collective Naughty Professor.
Venue: The Howlin’ Wolf
Tickets: $35
Date/Time: Saturday, May 4, 2019 / 9:00 p.m. Doors, 10:00 p.m. Show
Circles Around The Sun
On the final Saturday night of the Jazz Fest season, the incredible foursome Circles Around The Sun will make their New Orleans debut as part of the 8th Annual Nolafunk Series During Jazz Fest. The band formed to record music to accompany the visual biographic shown at intermissions during The Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well 50th anniversary concerts in 2015.
The band members—Neal Casal, Adam MacDougall, Dan Horne, and Mark Levy—recognized their inimitable chemistry, and fans wanted more, so they continued to record with the critically acclaimed 2018 follow-up, Let It Wander.
Since then, they’ve evolved into one of the most in-demand new bands on the live music circuit. As guitarist Neal Casal explained, “The idea was to not only show reverence for the past but to ultimately move it forward. … If there’s anything to be learned from the Grateful Dead, it is to dissolve your boundaries, push your limits, and discover your own voice in this world.”
Venue: The Howlin’ Wolf
Tickets: $25
Date/Time: Saturday, May 4, 2019 (Technically early morning May 5) / 1:00 a.m. Doors, 2:00 a.m. Show
Voodoo Dead ft. Steve Kimock, George Porter Jr., Jeff Chimenti, Al Schnier, JM Kimock, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Oteil Burbridge, Jaimoe (2 Shows)
Yet another Nolafunk Series During Jazz Fest tradition, Voodoo Dead will return to Republic NOLA on Saturday, May 4th and Sunday, May 5th to close out the Jazz Fest season with a NOLA-flavored tribute to the Grateful Dead and the music of the Big Easy.
The all-star lineup for the two Voodoo Dead shows is anchored by beloved Dead-adjacent players Steve Kimock (guitar), JM Kimock (drums), and Jeff Chimenti (keys), in addition to local legend George Porter Jr. (bass) and moe. guitarist Al Schnier, appearing as part of the supergroup’s core lineup for the first time ever.
But that’s not all. Each of the shows will feature added firepower. On May 4th, teenage guitar phenom Brandon “Taz” Niederauer will also join the fray. On May 5th, Oteil Burbridge (Dead & Company, Allman Brothers) and Jaimoe (Allman Brothers) will round out the stellar lineup for the final show in the series.
Venue: Republic NOLA
Tickets (5/4): $49.50
Tickets (5/5): $49.50
Date/Time: Saturday, May 4, 2019 & Sunday, May 5, 2019 / 9:00 p.m. Doors, 10:00 p.m. Show
For a full list of Nolafunk Series During Jazz Fest shows, information, and ticketing details, see below or head to the Nolafunk website.
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