As with any multi-artist, multi-stage festival, there are always hard choices to make as to which acts to see and which to miss, but it feels like this year’s edition of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival had nearly impossible decisions.
Take, for example, this block on Saturday (April 25) when Stevie Nicks, Tyler Childers, Nas, Rihannon Giddens and Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers were all playing against each other. Even Jason Isbell was in a quandary. Isbell, who was playing with his band the 400 Unit in the time slot right before all the above names on Saturday, turned to his guitar played Sadler Vaden and asked if he was going to see “Stevie or Tyler?” Vaden simply answered “Bruce.”
Just like deciding between the fried soft-shell crab po’ boy or the Crawfish Monica, there’s really no wrong choice when it comes to the music at Jazz Fest, just FOMO. The Fest, which runs April 23-26 and April 30-May 3, always has a great vibe with friendly people, but this year’s first weekend felt a little extra special…maybe because, in a horrible sign of our times, on opening day authorities arrested a man in Florida who was allegedly planning a mass shooting at Jazz Fest. People seemed especially determined to have a good time and celebrate the music.
It could have also been because of the great weather. Jazz Fests can offer everything from torrential downpours and times when the temperature and the humidity have both been in the stifling 90s. This year, there was only two short periods of rain and the temperature, while hot, stayed in the mid-80s.
Below, in no particular order except for putting Batiste at the top, were some of the highlights of the first weekend of Jazz Fest. Next weekend’s performers include The Eagles, Trombone Shorty, Widespread Panic, Lainey Wilson, the Black Keys, Herbie Hancock and Earth, Wind & Fire.
