Voodoo Festival :: 10.24.08 - 10.26.08 :: New Orleans City Park :: New Orleans, LA
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After settling in and before we headed to the first show of our visit, we went to a party on Decatur street. Kirk Joseph and his band were on the balcony of an apartment. Before long, Joseph was joined by Ivan Neville and the rest of the Dr. Claw guys, who were preparing for their gig at Tipitina's French Quarter. Their sweet sounds wafted below to the people on the street, who began to dance and shout after the end of each song. As Ivan jumped in on the keys, the tone of the weekend was set. What one must realize is that Voodoo Fest isn't contained in the boundaries of City Park, it spills out into the streets, onto the balconies, and it's this overall consumption of the city that makes seeing music in New Orleans such a special experience.
Friday, 10.24.08
The weather for the first day of Voodoo was perfect. As we approached City Park, we were greeted by the funky sounds and deep fried smells of a New Orleans festival. Our day could not have started off any better than by having Ms. Marva Wright's legendary voice greet us. Like many musicians from New Orleans, Wright isn't as well known outside the city as much as she once was. Her voice is not to be missed, and her stage presence captures your attention. Her set bounced back and forth from sweet soul songs to dirty, raunchy blues including her infamous "Ain't Got No Drawers On." Her song "Katrina Blues" reminded us all that New Orleans is still hurting and its struggle to rebuild must not be forgotten. "She ain't Koko and she ain't Etta, she's Marva Wright from right down here in New Orleans ya'll," and you best not forget that!
For a complete change of pace, I headed to one of the bigger stages to see Wyclef Jean. After an almost twenty minute intro by his DJ, who did a good job pumping the crowd up, Wyclef took the stage and the crowd erupted, eager to hear his messages of peace and change. His set was very politically charged and the audience loved it. New Orleans wants to hear a motivated speaker remind them of where they want to go in the future, and Wyclef did just that. He played most of his standards and covers, including "No Woman, No Cry." All in all, I wasn't blown away. I can appreciate his performance, but musically he sounded almost over-rehearsed and stiff. This changed for a moment at the end of the set when Wyclef was joined by his former drummer, Adam Deitch. Deitch's sound is unmistakable no matter what genre or who he is playing with. Wyclef's face couldn't hide his excitement, and he threw himself into "Carnival," a fitting song for an event like Voodoo.
I had the privilege of speaking with Grace Potter earlier in the day and I'm happy to confirm the rumors that she is not only a wonderful person onstage but off as well. She's very real and down to earth, but at the same time very focused and demanding of the respect any great musician deserves. Potter's sister lived in New Orleans so she was well versed in the city and its impact on the musical world. In particular, she mentioned two of her biggest influences, Marva Wright and Dr. John. This is another great example of how special an event like Voodoo Fest is. People like Potter can find themselves playing at the same festival as someone they've admired for years, making the circle of music complete. Potter remarked that the people that live in and visit New Orleans know good music, and she feels like she and her band definitely have made a place for themselves in this vibrant musical culture. And part of being involved in this culture includes understanding the angst and anger of Katrina. "No one can snap their fingers and make it go away" said Potter, as she related how she was inspired to write a song that captures those feelings entitled "Ain't No Time." Her show at Voodoo was deep and dark, and despite technical difficulties, Potter stamped her gritty, sexy rock & roll performance in the minds of anyone who had the good fortune to see her.
I had no idea what to expect when I approached the stage where TV On The Radio was playing. I'm still not sure I can describe exactly what I saw there. They sounded like a very experimental, psychedelic rock band. The music was overwhelming and I even though it wasn't the kind of show I would normally enjoy, but I couldn't help but be intrigued by their energetic, passionate delivery. There's something that I admire about bands that dig the shit out of themselves, and these guys totally do just that. Tunde Adebimpe, the lead singer, never stopped moving, constantly engaging the crowd, making me forget that the song content wasn't easily discernible. As far as the band went, the drummer's performance stood out the most. The collision of his sticks with the kit gave driving force to almost every song. These guys were super loud and very out there in many ways, making me feel like I need to see them again before I can really claim to have wrapped my head around this one.
Continue reading for Saturday's coverage...
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The first show I made it to at Voodoo on Saturday was Manchester Orchestra. The opening number had little impact on me and they didn't seem like it was going to get much better. They were a five-piece band that seemed lost, like they still hadn't found their sound. You could hear all the bands that might have influenced them, especially in the dark delivery of their vocals. All it took was a few boring songs and a glance at the seemingly unenthusiastic crowd and I was on my way. These guys may have that one song in the repertoire that could have grabbed me but unfortunately I didn't think it was worth waiting around to hear it.
Back on the WWOZ Stage, the Old 97's were tuning up. They seemed to have a decent following and the crowd at this particular point in the afternoon really latched onto their sound. They came off as straight forward, feel good rock & roll and I loved it. Perhaps I was taken by the lead singer, or maybe it was the very simple song content, which was easy to understand and relate to. Although they've been around for a while, I finally put these guys on my radar and look forward to digging in deeper.
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Thievery Corporation was next. They were one of the main reasons I made an effort to come down to New Orleans for Voodoo Fest, and I was not disappointed. It's difficult to describe the greatness and production of this band until you see it first hand. The show began with the two masterminds behind it all - Rob Garza and Eric Hilton - setting the tone for through their DJing. Shortly thereafter, they were joined by a beautiful belly dancer, whose vibrant sensuality completed Thievery's takeover of Voodoo. The beauty of Thievery Corp is the way their setlist seems to perfectly evolve in the moment. Each member plays an equally crucial role, whether they are dancing, singing or playing. Thievery took all who saw them into a mesmerizing world of beautiful female vocalists and multiple male singers of all genres. Thievery Corporation always impresses with their ability to pick up on the energy of the crowd and respond to that with their performance. This time was no exception and halfway through a particular song one of the female vocalists jumped offstage and took her act into the crowd. The fans went wild, and as the sun began to set, Thievery led us all into the night and left us wanting more.
It took me a few moments to switch gears as I headed back to the WWOZ Stage for yet another band that New Orleans gave birth to. Led by Ivan Neville, Dumpstaphunk is making a stamp on the world of modern funk bands. There is no party like a Dumpstaphunk party and this set proved that point, where they were especially tight. The stage communication, transitions from song to song and setlist choices were almost flawless. Marc Broussard and Eric Krasno sat in on Dumpstaphunk original, "Unfunky U.F.O." The whole spirit of New Orleans cultivates such moments, where a pop artist and a guitar player from New York can find themselves on the same stage as a dirty, raunchy funk band from New Orleans. Dumpstaphunk songs bring the beauty and heart of New Orleans and the tragedy of Katrina to the rest of the world, while at the same time keeping the crowd moving from start to finish. This night, they were on fire, bringing the hometown crew an exciting mix of old and new material. The lyrics to "Meanwhile" echoed into the night, reminding us that even though Katrina left a mark, we might as well have a good time and shake our booty.
I was excited to head over to Ghostland Observatory, a band I seem to keep missing at festivals. They were in full force when I arrived. It took me a while to focus on what was happening onstage because I was so distracted by the insanity and complexity of their light show. When I finally did focus in I was startled, shocked and not very impressed. The lead singer seemed to be a Mick Jagger-meets-psychedelic-madness type of thing, but not in a good way. The overall sound didn't seem very musical, more like controlled noise. I stayed for a few songs, mesmerized by the power these guys seemed to have over their audience and trying to figure out what I was missing. Perhaps I am just too old fashioned, in the sense that I want songs and people mastering their instruments onstage.
Saturday night was spent bouncing back and forth once again between Tipitina's and the Blue Nile. Tip's finally hosted the perfect combination of musicians including George Porter Jr., Russell Batiste, Ivan and Ian Neville and Fred Wesley Jr. They sounded phenomenal. Even though the set mainly consisted of old soul and funk covers, every song sounded fresh and exciting, proving once again the high caliber of musicianship onstage. I kept trying to leave Tipitina's but I couldn't. All the musicians seemed to really be enjoying playing with one another and none of their songs sounded old or tired, which happens sometimes when musicians play songs they have played hundreds of times.
The moment the last note was played I headed to the Blue Nile to give the Deitch, Krasno, Benevento, Joseph project another chance. I was pleased to see that they were about to begin their second set. To try and put into words what I heard is almost impossible. Krasno's tasteful notes gently guided the space-like jazz jam. Deitch and his usual drum-machine precision controlled the step of everyone in the room. Kirk Joseph finally started to grasp the direction these New York boys were headed musically and added to the sound with his psychedelic sousaphone. Benevento's inhuman hands danced across the piano and the result were wonderful and something none of us had quite heard nor will likely ever hear again. The sounds they made flirted with almost every genre. It was almost 6 a.m. before it was all over and I headed back to finally get some sleep.
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Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings were the next highlight of the day. The Dap-Kings are incredible and I love the way they pay homage to the old soul and funk entertainers by starting the show off without the lead singer, almost as if to get the audience warmed up. Jones has perfected her stage performance and as I watched her, images of long lost legends danced through my head. I smiled the entire duration of her show. Everyone else seemed to be feeling the same thing, especially the young man Sharon called onstage to serenade and the group of girls that she later invited up to dance with her. Jones' set ended all too soon, and we were all left staring at the stage as the classy Dap-Kings bid us all farewell.
Once again before I knew it, darkness fell on Voodoo Fest. Our nighttime entertainment was led by a young man who is definitely one of the driving forces in modern-day New Orleans: Trombone Shorty and his band Orleans Ave. With a potent blend of jazz, dance, hip-hop, funk and whatever else NOLA can ooze out, this man knows what he wants out of the music world and he knows how to work a crowd. Musically, he puts on a great show. Lyrically though, he doesn't always impress. Maybe it's because I want him to just play his horn (which he does so well) and not sing crossover pop songs. All of a sudden in the middle of his set, Shorty announced that ever infamous rapper Juvenile would be joining him. It was a very interesting moment but once again a representation of the music of New Orleans, which feeds off all the vibes of the city. The two songs he did were better than I would have imagined but not necessarily something I would want to hear again. Any rapper sounds better with a live band, especially one from New Orleans! I left before it was over to see one of the big headliners of the weekend.
Like anyone with a radio, I heard lots of R.E.M. growing up and the songs lodged themselves in my brain. However, even knowing the songs didn't cover up the fact that the overall energy of the band was sedated. They definitely tried to put their hearts into it but it just didn't work out too well. Most of the audience around me seemed very disengaged and somewhat let down. But you don't come to NOLA for big name radio stars, you come for the local heroes, the random sit-ins, the legendary late nights, the food, the people, the city itself. And rest assured, the glory of the Big Easy is burning bright, just waiting for you to come visit in a few months for Jazz Fest.
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