Choices, choices, choices! After a weeklong delay so that our fair city could host the Superbowl, we are back to parading all day and partying every night (with apologies to Kiss.) Here are my picks for the weekend before Fat Tuesday.
Tonight, the 11th annual Not-So-Super Superhero Costume Party takes place at the AllWays Lounge. Has it really been eleven years? Rotary Downs, the Natural Light Allstars, and the Lagniappe Brass Band provide the musical entertainment. You provide the visual entertainment in your oh-so-super, not-so-super superhero costume.
Over at Tipitina’s, the New Mastersounds open for the Funky Meters. They hail from across the pond, but they have digested enough New Orleans funk to be able to regurgitate it perfectly. Please pardon the alimentary analogy, but it is carnival time!
Saturday night, if you’re not going “home to mother” consider the Big Chief Summit featuring Monk Boudreaux and Bo Dollis, Jr. with Big Sam and Friends at the Blue Nile. I don’t really know what to expect from this show, but it reminds me of when Bo Dollis, Sr. and Monk used to sit in with the Rebirth Brass Band during Carnival season. The Indians’ energy is at its peak this time of year; Big Sam is on fire 24/7/365. It should be a great night of that only-in-New Orleans vibe.
Sunday night head back to the Blue Nile for Red Baraat. The band is in town for three shows and a couple of parades on Fat Tuesday. (Our chat with Red Baraat’s Sunny Jain is here. —Ed.) This group has the perfect vibe for music fans that may be a little jaded with the usual suspects during Carnival season. They will remind you of a New Orleans brass band with similar instrumentation, but the rhythm comes straight from India. This will be one of the most interesting and high-energy shows of the whole long weekend.
See you there!
