Thursday, May 1st – Day Four
Greeted with the most perfect weather (low 70s, minimal humidity) throughout the seven days (ever?), fans enjoyed the classic party brass sounds of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band on the main stage, as the horns-heavy and timeless NOLA institution helped rev the Fairgrounds back into full Fest mode for round two. Despite not being a traditional zydeco outfit (far from it), the rootsy Greensky Bluegrass fit right in at the Fais Do Do stage, graciously playing to a large crowd (perfectly placed before The String Cheese Incident) and appropriately opening things up with a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City,” a sure nod to the weekend’s big ticket headliner.
Much like Phish the weekend before, it had been over a decade since SCI last played the Big Easy and it was evident from the first thirty seconds that the Colorado jam vets were raring for the opportunity to return and leave a mark. Only two days after releasing Song In My Head, their first studio album in nine years, String Cheese opened things up with a pair of new tunes “So Far From Home” > “Let’s Go Outside” before hitting on their classic instrumental “MLT,” giving keys extraordinaire Kyle Hollingsworth his first chance to showcase his abundance of talent (the latin tune also included a brief, freaky clav-heavy turn on the Beverly Hills Cop theme). SCI once again proved their long-established meddle for onstage collaboration and evidenced an appreciation for the city when they invited up The Soul Rebels for a blowout during “Black and White.” Finally, a reverential bliss washed over the Fairgrounds as Blind Boys of Alabama came out to serenade a slowly-swaying audience during “People Get Ready.” With breezy temps and a setting sun, this was one of those beautiful moments you just had to be there for to truly appreciate.
Late Night: On paper, the Royal Family Ball’s “Masquerage” looked to be about as strong of a lineup as one could hope for with Dr. Klaw, Soulive and Lettuce (with special guests Maceo Parker, George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville and Cyril Neville) and the all-night event delivered in a big, big way. Lettuce’s set undoubtedly lands on a very short list of night shows seen by this writer over the run.
NOTES: A wedding kept me from attending the Fest-ivities on Friday and Saturday (by all accounts, apparently The Boss is now 3-for-3 on staging legendary Jazz Fest sets), but I was able to hit the abundantly enjoyable Friday night show at the Maple Leaf featuring Tony Hall (Dumpstaphunk) leading a James Brown tribute. On Saturday, Marco Benevento showcased some killer new material and covered Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” and Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets,” while further twisting and bending up some of his original staples, like “RISD,” “The Real Morning Party” and “Escape Horse”. After Marco, The New Mastersounds played their annual 2 am (starting closer to 2:20) show at House of Blues, driving through several new cuts from their latest LP Therapy with special guest vocalist Kim Dawson. Decked out in white, the funky Leeds-born quartet entranced the near sold-out crowd to the point where you turned around, and all of the sudden it was Sunday at dawn. And so it goes…
Sunday, May 4th – Day Seven
The seventh and final day of Jazz Fest never ceases to disappoint, there’s a different feeling from all the other days at the Fairgrounds (much like opening day or “Locals Thursday”) that is pretty much indescribable. A critical mass of memorable experiences had already been collected to make this an epic and unrivalled cultural and musical experience to the point where everything that would go down on Sunday could be considered pure lagniappe. As always, those who were too worn down to make it out for the final day sorely missed out on yet another sensational day at the Fairgrounds.
After very little weather-initiated discomfort throughout the Fest, Sunday was hot but the navigable crowds made things manageable no matter where your day’s adventure took you. Dumpstaphunk played a special Meters/Neville Brothers/New Orleans tribute on the main stage with guests Art and Cyril Neville that included staples like “Hey Pockey Way,” “Iko Iko,” and “Fire On The Bayou.” This was my third chance of the run to see Dumpsta and each show was markedly unique, showing the veritable force’s broad stylistic range and ability to give fans a unique experience each time out.
Next came Arcade Fire, returning to the Fest three years after a highly energetic and momentous performance in 2011. A parade of huge paper-mache bobble heads (including Barack Obama and the Pope) sashayed onto the stage as The Dixie Cups version of “Iko Iko” played over the PA before the Montreal juggernaut launched into “Here Comes The Night Time” off their latest, 4th LP Reflektor. High on theatrics, instrument changes and banter interludes from Win Butler (who remarked that there’s more talent on stage in the Gospel Tent at each set than on the main stage all weekend), Arcade Fire plowed through 90 minutes of material from all four records (standouts included “Haiti,” “Neighborhood No. 3 (Power Out)”, coupled with “Rebellion (Lies)” and the closing and monumental “Wake Up”). Following the proper set, Arcade Fire paraded into the audience for an unplugged parade with the Pinettes Brass Band that took a second line behind the stage for a good twenty minutes.
Perhaps the best moments of the second weekend came at the end during the ageless John Fogerty’s set on the Gentilly Stage. The CCR frontman gave the fans what they wanted, “Chooglin’” through a parade of classics and inviting local favorites like Rockin’ Dopsie,To Be Continued Brass Band and Allen Toussaint out for the penultimate moment of the Fest, a well-composed collaborative effort for “Proud Mary” that started out at an eerie crawl before whipping into a bona fide blowout. Finally, anthems “Bad Moon Rising” and “Fortunate Son” were driven by drummer Kenny Aronoff’s feverish playing, keeping the beat going strong until the last as the sun set over the far end of the Fairgrounds and Jazz Fest 2014 reached a heroic conclusion.
The Verdict: Five days at the Fest, thirteen “night” shows and tremendous weather. Upon further reflection, it’s hard not to crown this experience as the greatest one yet. Bravo to all the musicians, Fest organizers and local promoters for making it all a wondrous reality. See you in 2015.
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