Royal Teeth, Nightcrawlers, Billy Iuso Headline Beer Fest on Saturday

Three things you can’t help but love: Puppies, beer and Royal Teeth. And all three will be on tap this weekend when the local pop group will play the beer festival New Orleans On Tap, to benefit the SPCA’s adoption programs. It will be Royal Teeth’s first show in town since releasing their Glow album in August and appearing on our September cover.

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Royal Teeth play New Orleans On Tap Saturday.

The Abita brewery, which is sponsoring the show, will have 16 beers on tap, including a few you can’t usually get hold of (like the Doubledog, a more potent version of their popular Turbodog). Not to be outdone, regional brewers NOLA Brewing, Gnarly Barley, Covington Brewhouse and Cajun Fire will all be represented by multiple brews as well. And there will be soft drinks and O’Doul’s available for those riding the wagon.

Royal Teeth have been on the road since releasing Glow last month, and they’re set to play Voodoo Fest in another few weeks, but this show should be more relaxed (not to mention cheaper). The other two bands are no slouches either: Roots rocker Billy Iuso has lately been a key member of Anders Osborne’s band, adding harmonies and twin guitar, but he’s back in the frontman’s role this weekend with Restless Natives. And the New Orleans Nightcrawlers are one of the more impressive brass/jazz/funk bands in town, but with so many busy players in the lineup (including sousaphonist Matt Perrine, Galactic saxophonist Jason Mingledorff and the celebrated pianist Tom McDermott), it’s not often they get corralled for a gig.

So now you’re asking, what about the puppies? The show is co-sponsored by the Louisiana branch of the SPCA, who will be collecting donations, and may also have some furry friends on-site for adoption. The festival is at the festival grounds at New Orleans City Park this Saturday, September 28, from 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. Admission is free for all ages, but a charge and legal ID are both required if you want to imbibe. More Info: www.neworleansontap.org