New Orleans Articles & Announcements

As I was snooping around some of the shadier corners of the Jazz Fest Fairgrounds, I encountered a young mistress who offered to tell my fortune for a small price. Intrigued, I paid my quarter, and she asked me to pick a number between one and ten, "except not nine or ten."

Everybody knows that the food is a vital part of every New Orleans Jazz Fest, but there's one vendor that really stands out from the sweaty crowds. Mister Okra's "songs" are burned into the subconscious of anyone that has lived in the French Quarter, Fauborg Marigny, or Bywater neighborhoods in the Crescent City. And here he stands as a sort of living exhibit, complete with tricked-out pickup truck full of only the freshest fruits and veggies for sale at a modest price.

The Dixie Cups may have been teenagers back when they made Iko Iko in 1965, but just like so many of this city's talents they proved that great showmanship doesn't age. With synchronized dance moves that certainly made their way into the crowd, rhythm and blues harmonies and great sense of humor to throw you way back, they had the audience transfixed.

After a long, hard day of fun, you have to make your decision on who will bring it on home for you. With so many huge acts to choose from (and such tired feet), sometimes the best thing is just to grab as much last-minute music as you can before collapsing in a heap... and getting ready for the night-time shows.