On Friday, April 26, Galactic took the stage at Tipitina’s once more for its first performance during 2024’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. To kick off its activities during the city-wide celebration, the 30-year funk and fusion collective staged a thrilling set at the legendary New Orleans musical hotspot (which the band purchased in 2018), lined with a litany of guest-spots and thrilling covers. 

Galactic tore into its set with “Y’er Come the Funky Man,” a recently recovered deep cut from foundational New Orleans jazz hero Bob French and his Storyville Jazz Band. Shortly following, the band called on its first special guest of the evening, bringing renowned New Orleans saxophonist and vocalist Glen David Andrews to the stage for “You Don’t Know,” which Andrews featured on for Galactic’s 2010 album Ya – Ka – May. After “Go Go,” the band extended the same welcome to Lucas Ellman–brother of Galactic saxophonist Ben Ellman–to support the band’s 1996 hit “Church.”

After passing the mid-point of its performance with Dr. John’s “Qualified,” featured vocalist Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph introduced star singer-songwriter Grace Potter, who lent her talents to a roaring rendition of Led Zeppellin’s classic “Whole Lotta Love,” which Galactic busted-out for the first time since 2013. Once the dust had settled, ace saxophonist and frequent Stanton Moore collaborator amplified “Cineramascope,” perhaps the band’s best-known offering. After this definite highlight, the ensemble closed out its performance with three final covers, first wrapping the set with The Police’s “Walking on the Moon” and Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can,” then returned to the stage for an encore with “Compared to What” in the style of Les McCann.

Galactic will perform at Tipitina’s again tonight as part of Trombone Shorty’s Shortyfest, joining a bill with Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Sun Ra Arkestra. For tickets and more information on Galactic’s upcoming live engagements, visit galacticfunk.com/tour.

Read on for Friday’s complete setlist.

Galactic
Tipitina’s – New Orleans
4/29/24

Set: Y’er Comes The Funky Man*, Right On, Make It Better, You Don’t Know+, Go Go, Church~, Something’s Wrong With This Picture, People Say, Lady Liberty, Qualified$, Whole Lotta Love#, Cineramascope@, Never Called You Crazy, Walking On The Moon%, Yes We Can Can^
Encore: Compared To What&

Notes:
*  Bob French’s Storyville Jazz Band cover
+ w/ Glen David Andrews
~ w/ Lucas Ellman
$ Dr. John cover
# Led Zeppelin cover, w/ Grace Potter
@ w/ Skerik
% The Police cover
^ Allen Toussaint cover
& Gene McDaniels cover