There are pluses and minuses to Mardi Gras falling so late in the year. Depending on how your knees are feeling, a minus may very well be that there are three St. Patrick Day parades this weekend.
Tonight, Jim Monahan’s annual parade begins at 6 PM in front of Molly’s on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. Expect to hear the Storyville Stompers, the New Wave Brass Band and other groups.
Tomorrow, the Irish Channel St. Patrick Day’s parade kicks off around 1 PM and winds around on St. Charles Avenue and Magazine Street. They throw cabbages instead of coconuts.
Free Show of the Weekend– Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns are emerging out of the pack of the more than 10 neo-traditional jazz bands that populate the downtown neighborhoods of the city. They are the first of these groups to start playing regularly at bars that collect a cover charge rather than passing a tip jar. Tonight they play at 6 PM at D.B.A. on Frenchmen Street. Catch them for free while you can, but don’t forget to tip the band.
Stick around D.B.A. for Good Enough for Good Times at 11 PM. They are one of my favorite new funk bands in town.
Fo Fest is growing rapidly since their first incarnation and has expanded into even more clubs. They have also booked a few national acts. Friday night Ra Ra Riot performs at One-Eyed Jack’s and Saturday night Das Racist is at the Maison with Sissy Bounce pioneer Katey Red.
For jazz on Saturday night, you can’t go wrong with Astral Project at Snug Harbor. They are the premier modern jazz ensemble in the city and always tear it up.
