Hot on the heels of the successful Dosti Music Project comes Naked In Wonderland, another innovative musical event by Sound Observatory New Orleans (SONO) that will take place this Monday.
This time around, SONO’s getting into the spirit of the season with their own avant-garde take on a crawfish boil.
Featuring performances by some of the city’s most inventive talent, the indoor/outdoor musical soirée will be held at “Wonderland”, a breathtaking antebellum mansion owned by local watchmaker/hostess extraordinaire Stacy Hoover.
As anyone who’s ever attended a party there can tell you, the house and grounds are filled with spectacular artwork and just as fantastical as the name implies.
Headlining the evening will be New Orleans’ favorite improvisational big band, The Naked Orchestra.
This creative ensemble, currently clocking in at 18 pieces, is led by Jonathan Freilich, conducted by Jimbo Walsh, and has seen a fluctuating membership made up of musicians from all over the city’s musical palate since its creation in 1996.
For something completely different, Zoe Boekbinder will deliver a solo performance from her Prison Music Project, an album of songs, poems, and raps by nine incarcerated at New Folsom Prison (California).
The soon-to-be released album is particularly fascinating because, since recording devices are banned at the prison, Boekbinder must herself serve as a human recording device in order to share these pieces with the outside world.
Also performing will be the versatile, wildly talented Brian Coogan, one of the city’s most sought after pianists.
He recently joined electronica band Pretty Lights to play keys live on their Analog Future tour, and this is a rare opportunity to see him perform solo (and on a baby grand piano, at that.)
If the set leaves you wanting more, Coogan will also be featured during the annual WWOZ Piano Night later that night.
Bywater artist Jay Poggi, aka MC Tracheotomy of The Pearl, will deliver DJ sets throughout the evening and take care of the actual boiling, and there’ll be vodka watermelon cardamom coolers aplenty and performances by various special guests.
Naked in Wonderland takes place on Monday, April 27th (4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m) at 3405 Royal Street.
Tickets include all-you-can-eat crawfish and start at $20. They can be purchased here.
