Though the big one has passed and we all should be recovered by now, there are at least two outdoor festival-type events scheduled for this weekend. There’s also a pair of big benefits Friday night and Saturday night.
First the daytime activities—Saturday, the Alumni Association of the University of New Orleans will host the first annual Crawfish Mambo, an all-you-can-eat crawfish feast with the crawfish prepared by teams of competitive boilers. The event will also include an arts area and other food booths.
It takes place on the UNO Lakefront Campus’ main quad starting at 11 a.m. and continues to 7 p.m. with music by Bonerama, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr., Paul Sanchez and the Rolling Road Show, Brass-a-Holics, Mia Borders and the UNO Jazz Allstars.
Saturday night at 7:30 PM, Kermit Ruffins will perform with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Carlos Miguel Prieto, in a program being called “Louisiana Live.” It takes place at Champions Square next to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Admission is free and open to the public. Concessions will be available for purchase at the event. For those not able to attend “Louisiana Live,” the LPO will live webcast the event on LPOmusic.com.
Friday night at Tipitina’s, there is a benefit for the Tipitina’s Foundation and the Roots of Music. Dubbed, “Tremé vs. The Wire,” it’s a battle of the bands between New Orleans’ own Galactic and the Stooges Brass Band and Baltimore’s Lafayette Gilchrist & The New Volcanoes and Anwar Glover & The Backyard Band. I have never even heard of the bands from Baltimore/Washington D.C. area, but the press release indicates they will give the hometown favorites a run for their money.
Over at the House of Blues, Kenny Chesney performs at a benefit for the Brees Dream Foundation.
