The week before the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is not lacking for live music.
'WHAT?! AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE TO RUSSELL "YOUNG LION" BATISTE'
WEDNESDAY, TIPITINA’S
In a city full of top-notch drummers, Russell Batiste Jr. was one of the most revered and most colorful. For years, he was the powerhouse rhythm master of the Funky Meters. Batiste also powered George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Dumpstaphunk, Bonerama, Papa Grows Funk, the Wild Magnolias, the Joe Krown Trio and his own Orkestra from da Hood and Russell Batiste & Friends. His death from a heart attack at age 57 on Sept. 30 sent shock waves through the New Orleans music community and prompted a public outpouring of love and grief from his friends, fans and family members, including his cousin Jon Batiste. On the night before the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival opens, Tipitina’s hosts “What?! An All-Star Tribute to Russell ‘Young Lion’ Batiste,” featuring Russell Batiste’s Orkestra & Friends — staffed by multiple generations of the Batiste family of musicians — plus George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners with special guests Ivan Neville, Stanton Moore, John “Papa” Gros and Brian Stoltz. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.
Cellist, singer and composer Helen Gillet
CHAZFEST
FRIDAY, THE BROADSIDE
During its inaugural decadelong run from the mid-2000s through 2015, the minifestival ChazFest — named after “Washboard” Chaz Leary — showcased bands that didn’t get invited to Jazz Fest at a Bywater outdoor space called the Truck Farm. The reborn ChazFest carries on the tradition in a new outdoor space: the Broadside, next to the Broad Theater on North Broad Street. Subtitled “ChazFest Goes aBroad,” it takes over the Broadside’s two stages Friday from 2 p.m., which is when doors open, to 2 a.m. The lineup features the Morning 40 Federation, Rory Danger & the Danger Dangers, the Valparaiso Men's Chorus, Helen Gillet, the Happy Talk Band, the Remaining Geraniums, Malevitus, BC Coogan, Schatzy, Washboard Rodeo and Narcissy. Tickets are $40.
OTHER NOTEWORTHY SHOWS
THURSDAY
Hayes & the Heathens is a mash-up of Band of Heathens and fellow Americana artist Hayes Carll. Hear their collaboration at Tipitina’s on Thursday ($25).
Drummer Shirazette Tinnin resides at the leading edge of New York’s cutting-edge jazz/R&B scene. She’ll do shows at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro ($30).
FRIDAY
Adam Ant, the 1980s hitmaker behind “Goody Two Shoes” and “Stand and Deliver,” brings his "Antmusic 2024" tour with the English Beat to the Fillmore for a reserved-seat show.
A pair of international artists now based in New Orleans — Cuban-born guitarist and vocalist Yusa and Moroccan-born stringed instrument master Mahmoud Chouki — team up for a special showcase of world music at Snug Harbor. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($30).
Guitarist Alvin Youngblood Hart holds court at Chickie Wah Wah ($20 advance, $25 door).
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears and opening act Deltaphonic plug in at Tipitina’s ($25).
SATURDAY
The Parsons Dance company’s performance at the Mahalia Jackson Theater concludes with a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the work “Whirlaway,” set to a soundtrack of Allen Toussaint compositions as performed by his son Reginald Toussaint and the Allen Toussaint Orchestra.
On April 20, aka 4/20, “Your Best Buds” Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes celebrate the 4/20 Day pot holiday with an afternoon set at 4:20 p.m. at the Maple Leaf Bar ($15 advance, $20 door). Later, the Jenn Howard Band hits the Maple Leaf at 8 p.m. ($10 advance, $15 door) followed by the rock band Zita at 11 p.m. celebrating the first single, "Haywire," from a forthcoming live album ($15 advance, $20 door).
The lineup for the Big Easy Comedy Festival at the UNO Lakefront Arena includes Sommore, Lavell Crawford, Bill Bellamy, Tony Roberts and Teddy Carpenter.
Rapper Curren$y headlines the Fillmore.
Kevn Kinney, of rock band Drivin N Cryin, plugs in at Chickie Wah Wah ($20 advance, $25 door).
DJ RQ Away hosts one of his popular “Lagniappe” parties at Tipitina’s with Jamie Woods. The party starts at 11 p.m. ($20).
Master New Orleans drummer Herlin Riley leads a quartet at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at Snug Harbor ($35).
The ever-energetic Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. fires up at Rock ‘N’ Bowl ($10).
SUNDAY
Swans, the post-industrial avant-garde rock band founded by Michael Gira in New York in 1982, holds court at the Civic Theatre as part of a tour for the band's 16th album, "The Beggar." In keeping with Swans' ethos of constant evolution, much of the set consists of new material recently recorded in Berlin for a forthcoming album.
Nolatet, an avant-jazz quartet featuring drummer Johnny Vidacovich, bassist James Singleton, vibraphonist Mike Dillon and pianist Brian Haas, is at Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($30).
Singer-songwriter Anna Moss celebrates her new “Amnesty” album at Chickie Wah Wah. LVDY opens the show at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $20.
TUESDAY
Mariah the Scientist, the up-and-coming contemporary R&B singer from Atlanta, opens a two-night stand at the Joy Theater.
It’ll be a night of loud guitars at the Fillmore courtesy of Social Distortion and Bad Religion.
Blues-based guitarist Chris Thomas King visits Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($30).
The Flaming Lips
WEDNESDAY
On Jazz Fest eve, entertainment options kick into overdrive. It’s an especially busy night for the theater-size venues.
Chickie Wah Wah opens its “Fest-o-Matic” series with two shows on Wednesday. First up at 7 p.m. is Songwriters Night featuring Joy Clark and Grayson Capps ($25 advance, $35 door). Then at 10:30 p.m., the New Orleans Klezmer Allstars take over Chickie Wah Wah to celebrate the release of the new “Tipish!” album ($20 advance, $25 door).
Contemporary psychedelic rock ensemble The Flaming Lips performs its acclaimed 2002 album “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" in its entirety at the Saenger Theatre.
Author and humorist David Sedaris, whose most recent works are “Happy Go Lucky” and “A Carnival of Snackery,” presides over an evening of readings, recollections, a Q&A session and a book signing at the Orpheum Theater.
The ever-colorful Bianca Del Rio’s "Dead Inside Comedy Tour" comes to the Mahalia Jackson Theater.
Mariah the Scientist is back at the Joy Theater for her second night.
Trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra swing out at Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($40).