“Winter” will make its last gasp in New Orleans overnight Friday as a “cold” front comes through. Saturday highs will make it into the low 70s. In other words, the Freret Street Festival will be the last fest without sweating a little until fall. Here’s a look at my highlights.
With three stages and music all day, including some buzz bands, the Freret Street Festival is growing right along with its namesake street. First up at 11 AM is Social Set. This new band features a compelling female/male dichotomous energy and plays rock with a funky indie bent. I have not seen them live yet, but expect them to begin making waves on the New Orleans scene.
On the other end of the career longevity spectrum are the Caesar Brothers who are returning to the Freret Street Festival at 12:05 PM. Led by Norman on keys and Rickey on drums, they are inheritors of the uptown funk of the Neville Brothers. The musicians have a decades-long track record including performing on one of the first brass band/hip hop hybrid albums in the 1990s with Jason Neville’s project, DEFF Generation.
Here’s a sign that the Freret Street Festival has truly come into it’s own—there are legitimate conflicts in choosing the closing act just like at the French Quarter Fest or Jazz Fest. You can check out one of two of the buzziest new bands, Tank and the Bangas (pictured at top) or Sweet Crude. Or you can go with the tried and true—Bonerama.
The full lineup is here.
PHOTO: LIFESLICEZ/STEVE MORAN
