Louisiana music comes to the Vieux Carre during the French Quarter Fest, April 7-10, this year adding music on Thursday. With so many musicians and 20 stages, it’s hard to keep track of who’s who and where they’re playing. Here’s some help. And when in doubt, stop by the Cajun/Zydeco Showcase. OffBeat Magazine is sponsoring [...]
Tag Archives: French Quarter Festival
Kourtney Heart: French Quarter Fest Focus
April 1, 2011 – 12:23 am
Six years before Kourtney Heart’s bouncy club jam “My Boy” caught the attention of radio stations and record executives, the pop-princess-in-waiting admits to having had a “huge crush” on then-teen R&B sensation Chris Brown: “I had his first CD, and it said Jive Records on it. I thought, ‘I’ve got to get signed to Jive.’” [...]
Chubby Carrier: French Quarter Fest Focus
April 1, 2011 – 12:22 am
A Grammy Award has unexpected perks. Just ask Chubby Carrier, winner of this year’s Grammy for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album for his CD, Zydeco Junkie. Carrier, who lives just outside of Lafayette, will soon get a key to the city. He’s already received a certificate of recognition from the Louisiana House of Representatives. [...]
Steve Pistorius: French Quarter Fest Focus
April 1, 2011 – 12:21 am
You won’t find pianist Steve Pistorius on any of the Bourbon Street stages at this year’s French Quarter Fest, and that suits him just fine. “Three years ago I was on Bourbon Street and it was pretty noisy,” he recalls. “Terrible smells, motorcycles going by, noise from the clubs,” he says. “I’ve seen it all [...]
New Orleans Nightcrawlers: French Quarter Fest Focus
April 1, 2011 – 12:20 am
The New Orleans Nightcrawlers brass band began innocently enough in 1994 as a writer’s workshop founded by pianist Tom McDermott, sousaphonist Matt Perrine and trumpeter Kevin Clark. “We really just wanted to practice writing and arranging for a more modern, harmonically complex jazz band,” recalls Clark. Now, after 17 years of albums and gigs all [...]
Magnetic Ear: French Quarter Fest Focus
April 1, 2011 – 12:17 am
Over the years, brass-driven band the Magnetic Ear has marched so far from its point of origin that it’s a wonder bandleader saxophonist Martin Krusche doesn’t change the group’s name. “At first we were known as sort of a jazz freak-out band,” admits Krusche. But even then, the Magnetic Ear’s music was much more composed [...]
Muriel’s Restaurant: From Séance Lounge to Jazz Brunch
April 1, 2011 – 12:15 am
When Muriel’s opened in March 2001, the goal was to deliver the ultimate New Orleans experience, complete with a nightly soiree on the upstairs level. But with the events of 9/11, a shift in dining proclivities forced restaurateurs to rely less on pomp and circumstance. The Muriel’s hospitality family was not spared from the downturn, [...]
Quarter Time
April 1, 2011 – 12:02 am
I have so enjoyed the weather lately, and the spring. In the past few weeks, we’ve celebrated Mardi Gras (can we make it late every year?), St. Paddy’s Day, St. Joseph’s Day and Super Sunday. I hope you’ve had a chance to check out OffBeat’s Flickr page because our “on the street” photographer Kim Welsh [...]
French Quarter Festival 2011 Lineup Announced
February 11, 2011 – 4:15 pm
French Quarter Festivals, Inc. has announced its lineup of musicians for the 2011 French Quarter Festival, to be held April 7-10. Newly expanded to four days, the music lineup still features almost exclusively Louisiana and New Orleans performers. Last year was the French Quarter Festival’s biggest weekend yet, counting over 500,000 attendees during the 2010 [...]
