I’m on record as saying previously that Jazz Fest in New Orleans is hands down the best music festival you could ever attend. Anyone who’s ever attended can pretty much attest to this, and if you don’t believe me you can just go to hell. So there.
With that said, the lineup for the 2013 Jazz Fest was announced this morning, and it’s f*cking great.
Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, Dave Matthews Band, Maroon 5, The Black Keys, John Mayer, Widespread Panic, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Phoenix, B.B. King, Frank Ocean, Earth, Wind & Fire, Willie Nelson, Little Big Town, George Benson, Jill Scott, Jimmy Cliff, Gipsy Kings, Jeffrey Osborne, Patti Smith, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, Band of Horses, Gary Clark Jr., Andrew Bird, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Juan Luis Guerra y 440, Los Lobos, The Little Willies, Kem, Roy Ayers, Laura Bell Bundy, Dianne Reeves, Stanley Clarke/George Duke Project, Charles Bradley, Wayne Shorter Quartet, Taj Mahal & The Real Thing Tuba Band, Calexico, Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra, VaShawn Mitchell, Joshua Redman Quartet, Mutemath, Ana Popovic, The Mavericks, Little Joe y La Familia, Campbell Brothers, Brushy One String of Jamaica, Jerry Douglas, Daryl Coley, Magary Lord and Malê Debalê of Bahia-Brazil, The Del McCoury Band, Doc McKenzie & the Hi-Lites, Pokey LaFarge, Salio of Republic of Georgia, and A Tribute to Native America with special guests Robert Mirabal, Martha Redbone, Bill Miller, Pura Fé, A Tribe Called Red, Stoney Creek, Yellow Bird Indian Dancers, Oneida Longhouse Singers and Dancers
And those are just the national acts — that’s not even considering the local artists, which include…
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Aaron Neville, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Pete Fountain, The Nevilles, Rebirth Brass Band, Galactic, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Better Than Ezra, The Meter Men with Page McConnell, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, 35th Anniversary of “One Mo’ Time!”, Marc Broussard, Chris Owens, Amanda Shaw, Papa Grows Funk, Cowboy Mouth, The Dixie Cups, Tab Benoit, Anders Osborne, Theresa Andersson, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Jon Cleary, John Boutté, Sonny Landreth, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Irvin Mayfield & NOJO, Jeremy Davenport, Davell Crawford, Terence Blanchard, Deacon John, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr., Donald Harrison, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Henry Butler, Bonerama, Shamarr Allen, The Soul Rebels, Marcia Ball, Charmaine Neville, Treme Brass Band’s Tribute to Uncle Lionel, Ellis Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, George Porter, Jr., Tucka, John Mooney & Bluesiana, Jonathon “Boogie” Long, Big Chief Monk & the Golden Eagles, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Los Hombres Calientes, Glen David Andrews, Terrance Simien with Queen Ida, Raw Oyster Cult, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Meschiya Lake & the Little Big Horns, The Iguanas, The Revivalists, Creole String Beans, James Andrews, Eric Lindell, Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band, Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue, Leo Jackson & the Melody Clouds, Astral Project, Zion Harmonizers, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Val & Love Alive Mass Choir, Gregg Stafford’s Jazz Hounds, The Boutté Family Gospel, and so much more.
With all of those out of the way, here are the ten national acts (I can see most of the local ones multiple times within a calender year) I’m most looking forward to seeing at this year’s Jazz Fest…
10. Ben Harper
9. Jill Scott
8. Jeffrey Osbourne (Mainly for the chance to hear “The Woo Woo Woo Song” live.)
7. BB King
6. Band of Horses
5. Earth, Wind And Fire
4. Willie Nelson
3. The Black Keys
2. Frank Ocean
1. Hall & Oates (I might have to grow a stache for this.)
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I saw Irma Thomas once in metarie square. good shit
also cowboy mouth is fun as hell to see live
Cowboy Mouth is indeed a great show. And went to Ruth Chris for a steak recently and randomly sat at bar next to Irma Thomas and her husband. We’re now BFFs.
you’re kidding me that’s great. after jazz fest a few years back me and my cousin were walking on canal street and we got a picture with sarah green mere hours after she performed with Lupe Fiasco, my favorite rapper.
but yea jazz fest is the best
I’m most looking forward to seeing Patti Smith, The Black Keys (oh gosh, were they phenomenal at Woldenberg Park last year for the Final Four), Phoenix, Billy Joel, and nearly running into The Cajun Boy like I did last year.
Oh, and Anders Osborne (but that’s a given).
Maaaan, Irma can put on a show. And the WWOZ tent is always amazing. The next couple of months can’t come fast enough.
I live a block away, on Ponce de Leon, near Liuzza’s. Party on, dudes.
Do yourself a favor and catch Dumpstaphunk. You’ll thank me later.
Duly noted.
Dumpstaphunk is so awesome. I heard them for the first time at Bonnaroo last summer and I danced like I’ve never danced before! I found out the next day that Flea was totally in the audience too!
Don’t let Norah Jones scare you away, go see the Little Willies, Jim Campilongo is one of my favorite guitar players currently alive.
Soon as I read Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Before I Let Go got stuck in my head. Not that I mind.
This is my favorite time of year, when the lineups for the summer music festivals come out. And this…this does not disappoint.
It really is great. I am giddy.
This has to be the best undercard with the worst headliners in festival history. Only one of the six headliners is good (The Black Keys). With the rest, I can leave early and beat the traffic (Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, Dave Matthews Band, Maroon 5, John Mayer).
It is shocking how horrible those 5 headliners are.
i’m an unabashed DMB fan. i get the hate. the fans are terrible, a huge chunk of their songs that non-fans are subjected to on the radio or wherever are maddeningly corny and annoying, etc. but fuck it, those dudes can play and they put out a legit great album a few months ago.
But that’s actually kinda good in that you can see some really outstanding music on the smaller stages. Let the masses flock to the crappy acts on the bigger stages. Leaves more room for people like me to spread out at the smaller stages.
With that said, the headliners for last year’s fest were much better (Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Beach Boys, etc). With that said, I wouldn’t mind seeing DMB, Mayer or Maroon 5 if there was no one else playing that I’d rather see at the same time. Not a big fan of any, but they don’t offend me like they seem to some people.
I should have disclaimed that statement a bit. I am not a fan of any of those bands, but I understand others are, and more power to them. As a Phish fan, I get a ton of shit for that, so I understand. Music is like food, you don’t have to like what others like but everyone has a right to like what they like.*
*Except Steely Dan. Worst band ever.
I’m glad B.B. King made your top ten. He is a national treasure and the only person I’ve seen live twice. Also the only famous musician whose hand I’ve shaken.
The final day’s lineup is a “holy shit I shit my pants” caliber for me. Guess I know what I’ll be doing for Cinco de Mayo early this year.