Article Contributed by Andy J. Gordon
Published on 2026-05-08
Ivan Neville & Cory Henry with Grahame Lesh & Friends at the Joy Theater on April 29th, 2026 | photos by Andy J. Gordon
While nearly half a million people were attending the 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, a whole other music scene took place at the clubs around town. With the multitude of world-class musicians in the area and the influx of music fans, the live music venues in the city, while always happening, went into overdrive. Local musicians and members of national touring acts booked all kinds of shows, often forming one-off groups that played afternoon, evening, and late-night sets. Grateful Web sought out the most inspired rock, jam, funk, and soul performances that offered big names, unique combinations, and promised special memories. Here are some of the highlights:
Before the official festival even started, Goose played two shows at the majestic, beautifully restored Saenger Theatre on Canal Street. The second show, on April 22, featured their usual array of improvisational explorations with accompanying trippy lighting effects. The crowd was pumped, standing and dancing all show, many in outrageous outfits. Sporadically, light sticks flew over and into the floor section. The theatre’s sound was crisp and loud as the band ran through a two-set show that included lengthy versions of “Yeti,” “Silver Rising,” and “Draconian Meter Maid” before a massive stretch out during “Same Old Shenanigans.” They closed the opening set with “Peggy-O,” a traditional Scottish folk song the Grateful Dead helped carry into modern American consciousness. The second set opened with another massive workout on “Tumble.” They took on Rockwell and Michael Jackson’s electronic funk classic “Somebody’s Watching Me” before bringing out Umphrey’s McGee keyboard player Joel Cummins, who sat alongside Peter Anspach for the “Arcadia” encore.
Several New Orleans mainstays joined forces on April 23 with visiting reggae stars to put on a special show at The Civic Theatre called Bayou By Bus, celebrating the music of Jamaica. Local guitar whiz Papa Mali opened with his Shantytown Underground, a tribute to reggae and ska roots music. His band included vocalist Lynn Drury, saxophone player Jason Mingledorff from Papa Grows Funk, and Wally Ingram, who is the Kevin Bacon of percussionists. They played several covers with expertise and emotion, including a moving version of The Honeydrippers’ “Sea of Love” sung by Drury.
The main show featured a Bob Marley celebration with a New Orleans musical twist. Stephen Marley, Llamar “Riff Raff” Brown, The Nth Power (Nick Cassarino, Nate Edgar, Nikki Glaspie), Cyril Neville from The Meters, Ivan Neville and Ian Neville from Dumpstaphunk, Dave Malone from The Radiators, and Mark Mullins from Bonerama & The Levee Horns combined to entertain an excited crowd. Ivan Neville led the group through The Wailers’ “Waiting in Vain.” Cyril Neville and Dave Malone did a duet for The Neville Brothers’ “Yellow Moon.” Stephen Marley, who had a headlining show at Jazz Fest that afternoon, joined the party late in the set, and his entrance raised the energy in the room. He led the band through passionate versions of “Jammin’,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Rebel Music,” “Could You Be Loved,” and “One Love.”
Republic NOLA hosted a Dead tribute show called Voodoo Dead on April 25. It was a special show that combined the forces of local talent with some highly regarded, Dead-adjacent performers. George Porter Jr. from The Meters and Runnin’ Pardners, Ivan Neville, and Papa Mali represented The Big Easy, while Steve Kimock from Phil Lesh & Friends and The Other Ones, John Kimock, Jackie Greene from Phil Lesh & Friends and The Black Crowes, and Robert Walter from The Greyboy Allstars were the visiting heavyweights. The New Orleans influence was felt on Allen Toussaint’s “Get Out of My Life Woman,” led by Ivan Neville on vocals. George Porter Jr. led the way with help from Neville on The Meters’ “Cabbage Alley,” “Fiyo on the Bayou,” and “Hey Pocky Way.” Papa Mali took over lead vocals for “Junco Partner.”
The rest of the show featured several Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia song interpretations. Jackie Greene and Steve Kimock traded riffs on “Althea,” “Bertha,” “They Love Each Other,” and “Eyes of the World.” “New Speedway Boogie” segued into Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning.” The band stretched out on “Shakedown Street,” “Loose Lucy,” and “Turn on Your Love Light” before closing the show with Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released.”
The Broadside hosted Adam Deitch’s 50th Birthday Party on April 26, which was really just an excuse for him to invite a bunch of super-talented musician friends to jam with him. It was a who’s who of funk, New Orleans brass, and jam stars that came out to celebrate the Lettuce drummer’s special day. Lettuce bandmate Nigel Hall joined Deitch along with Ivan Neville, Marcus Machado from Robert Glasper’s band, Alex Wasily and Ashlin Parker from Dumpstaphunk, and special guest Oteil Burbridge from Dead & Company. They all jammed on New Orleans standards and other covers under the balmy night sky.
The inaugural Bayou RenDAZEvous took place on Monday, April 27, at The Broadside, using their big outdoor stage area and a smaller indoor space. The multi-band lineup featured a range of one-offs and rarely seen groups playing from the middle afternoon until the early hours of Tuesday morning. Frequinox was a mix of the Galactic rhythm section, Stanton Moore and Rob Mercurio, with Robert Walter and Will Bernard, the SF Bay Area-based jam-fusion guitarist. Eric Krasno from Soulive/The Heavyweights/Krasno Moore Project sat in for their last two songs. Bernard’s “Rattle Trap” showcased Walter’s sizzling B3 organ riffs as a counterpoint to Bernard’s guitar solos.
A little later, the New Orleans All-Stars hit the stage. They included Krasno, John Papa Gros and June Yamagishi from Papa Grows Funk, Raymond Weber from Dr. John/Dumpstaphunk/Harry Connick Jr., Johnny Vidacovich from Astral Project, Tony Hall from Dumpstaphunk, Chris Rossbach from Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste’s band, and Wally Ingram. Kraz led the way on The Grateful Dead’s “Deal,” while The Meters’ “Yellow Moon” featured a percussion duel. Kraz again took control during Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire” with a “3rd Stone from the Sun” tease. Rossbach played a scorching guitar solo during Allen Toussaint’s “Night People” to end the set.
The inside area was more intimate, but darker, and with the low stage rise, more difficult for fans to see. Good Enough For Good Times is a side project by Rob Mercurio and Jeff Gaines from Galactic that is only put together on special occasions. They were joined by two additional New Orleans music scene regulars, Joe Ashlar and Simon Lott, for a short set of funk and groove instrumentals. That band was followed by The Breaks, a new instrumental project from Eddie Roberts of The New Mastersounds, Robert Walter, and Stanton Moore. The new trio was celebrating the release of their self-titled debut album. They played several of the new tracks including “Party Like a Rich Kid,” “Hashish,” and “Offsides.” All of the new songs were heavy blends of funk, jazz, and fusion.
Joe Marcinek’s Dead Funk Summit is a Dead tribute show with a rotating cast of musicians who know the catalog but bring a New Orleans funk slant to the material. DBA, a small club on Frenchman Street, hosted the show on April 28. Local guitarist Marc Stone got things started with a horn section that also performed with the Dead Funk Summit. Stone also sat in with the Summit later that night.
Marcinek has been hosting these shows for years, and his significant guitar chops attract a diverse collection of well-known musicians in the jam and funk scene. The Dead Funk Summit at DBA consisted of Marcinek, Brad Walker and Big Sam Williams on sax and trombone, respectively, George Porter Jr., Terrance Houston and Michael Lemmler from Runnin’ Pardners, and Tony Hall. The band blasted out a variety of Dead covers and a few New Orleans standards. Walker and Williams took turns playing inventive horn solos while Marcinek danced along his fretboard with a tone and style reminiscent of Garcia. Vince Herman from Leftover Salmon sat in to sing “Franklin’s Tower,” with intricate solos by Marcinek, George Porter Jr., and Tony Hall on guitar.
Grahame Lesh & Friends put on two back-to-back nights of shows at The Joy Theater. On April 29, an all-star lineup of local and visiting musicians from the jam, funk, groove, and brass band world joined Lesh. Ivan Neville, Cory Henry from The Heavyweights/Snarky Puppy, Daniel Donato, Jake Brownstein from Eggy, Kanika Moore from Doom Flamingo/Tauk Moore, The Preservation Hall horns, John Molo from Moonalice, and Tony Hall filled out the power-hitting lineup. Donato and Lesh sang The Dead’s “Bertha,” while Ivan Neville took over for “Iko Iko.” “Cumberland Blues” featured vocals from Donato, Lesh, and Moore. Donato and Brownstein traded remarkable, psychedelic solos. Brownstein sang “Here Comes Sunshine,” which featured alternating solos by Cory Henry and Donato. The first set ended with Donato singing “Tennessee Jed,” which segued into “Viola Lee Blues.”
The second set led off with Neville and Henry playing double keys for “Eyes of the World” and “Ship of Fools,” with Moore on vocals. Tony Hall entered for a take on “West LA Fadeaway,” which was voiced by Lesh, who had switched to guitar to accommodate Hall’s bass playing. Hall took over vocals for a rowdy, inspired take on Neil Young’s “Down by the River.” Henry played a surreal organ sequence before the band smoothly segued into “Shakedown Street” with Hall still on vocals. Once Hall departed, Lesh switched back to bass, and Neville sang Robbie Robertson’s “Broken Arrow,” a song Lesh’s father, Phil, sang over 30 times with The Dead.
The closing sequence was an extended medley, opening with “St. Stephen,” with Donato, Lesh, and Moore sharing vocal duties. Donato’s solo transitioned into “Bird Song,” which showed off Moore’s incredibly powerful pipes. Donato and Brownstein went on a mind-expanding, distorted guitar journey before smoothly transitioning back to “St. Stephen.” The horns came back for the “Not Fade Away” finale with Donato, Lesh, and Moore singing. The house lights came up as Lesh encouraged the audience to take over and do the iconic rhythmic clap — which many did as the music faded away. The band came back out quickly for “Samson and Delilah” to close the show. Donato took over on vocals while Henry busted out a creative organ solo before Donato and the horns played alternating, rapid-note forays. Finally, the impressive show concluded.
Warren Haynes has been doing shows in New Orleans during Jazz Fest for decades, both at the festival and at club or theater shows. They have always been special, whether he was with The Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule, Warren Haynes & Friends, or as an invited guest. This year Haynes led two memorable performances on consecutive nights at the stunningly restored Orpheum Theatre. For the first night on April 30, Warren Haynes & Friends was accompanied by the Louisiana Philharmonic. The large, mostly string orchestra filled the stage behind the band and played symphonic compositions for two remarkable sets, followed by a Warren & Friends final set.
The “friends” included current Gov’t Mule members Terrence Higgins and Kevin Scott, plus Matt Slocum from Oteil & The Pacemakers (and others) on keys, Greg Osby from Herbie Hancock (and Grateful Dead collaborations) on sax, and Saundra Williams with Mayteena Morales on backing vocals. Warren Haynes & Friends sets always draw from Haynes’ renowned bands, side projects, and blues/soul/rock influences. The opening set featured gorgeous versions of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Dreams,” Gov’t Mule’s “Banks of the Deep End,” and a killer Grateful Dead medley of “Terrapin Station” > “Slipknot” > “Terrapin Station.” The songs were brilliantly rearranged for orchestra, bringing more depth and gravitas to the songs.
The second set explored Gregg Allman’s “Just Another Rider,” Gov’t Mule’s “Thorazine Shuffle,” The Grateful Dead’s “Black Peter,” plus The Allman Brothers Band’s “Instrumental Illness” and a colossal “Whipping Post.” The third set was without the orchestra and had a more intimate feel, focusing on the Warren Haynes & Friends members. The song selections also stuck to Haynes’ solo material and Warren Haynes Band catalog, with one exception. “This Life As We Know It,” “Terrified,” “Lies, Lies, Lies,” and “Invisible” all featured incendiary guitar solos, striking saxophone forays, and chest-pounding low-end rhythms. The only cover was a wonderful version of Steely Dan’s “Pretzel Logic,” with great harmonies by the ladies.
On May 1, the Orpheum hosted Gov’t Mule, so Haynes, Higgins, and Scott were already quite comfortable in the theater. Longtime band member Danny Louis added his special keyboard skills along with an occasional trombone exploration. It was the last show of the band’s current tour, and there was a buzz in the crowd with the expectation of something out of the ordinary. Right off the bat, the band threw a curveball, opening the show with the Haynes-penned “Soulshine,” The Allman Brothers Band song that has become his signature and usual closing number. Several deep Gov’t Mule tracks followed before they did the John Scofield tune “Hottentot,” with Haynes perfectly mimicking the distinctive Scofield guitar tone. Late in the set, Haynes introduced Jackie Greene, who came out to join the band on guitar and share vocals for Neil Young’s “Revolution Blues” and The Grateful Dead’s “Bertha.”
The second set contained more Gov’t Mule tracks including explosive versions of “Mule,” “Revolution Come, Revolution Go,” “Lay Your Burden Down,” “Brand New Angel,” and “Mr. Man.” The encore saw the return of Jackie Greene, only this time he joined Louis at the keyboards. Haynes talked about the recent passing of Dave Mason before the band honored his memory and career with “Sad and Deep as You.” The beautifully melancholy song would have been enough for the audience, but the expanded band transitioned into Mason’s “Feelin’ Alright,” playing the Joe Cocker interpretation. Greene and Haynes traded vocals, and the theater was pulsating as the band finally called it quits.
The Nth Power hosted another tribute show, this time at Republic NOLA on May 2. They played the music of Steely Dan and called the show Steely DaNTH. Guests included Tim Palmieri from Lotus, Shira Elias from Cool Cool Cool, Peter Levin from Gregg Allman Band/Marcus King/Pharrell, Cory Henry, Kanika Moore, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer from Trouble No More, Mark Lettieri from Snarky Puppy, and a local horn section that included Paul Robertson from Soul Rebels, John Michael Bradford from Trumpet Mafia, and Julian Lee.
The show was an incredibly creative, energetic reproduction of the Steely Dan catalog. Throughout the night, the stage backdrop had a screen showing images from historic Steely Dan shows and stills of the band members. Nick Cassarino, Shira Elias, and Kanika Moore traded vocals and harmonies while the horn section nailed the complicated arrangements. The band played amazing versions of “Peg,” “Black Cow,” “Kid Charlemagne,” “Deacon Blues,” and “Josie.” Taz came in to blast a rapid-fire solo during “Black Friday.” Cory Henry played dazzling organ riffs on “Fez” and “Green Earrings.” Lettieri joined the party late and traded licks with Cassarino and Palmieri during “Haitian Divorce,” “Reeling in The Years,” and “Dirty Work.” The oversized but super-tight ensemble closed the show with impressive versions of “Do It Again” and “Aja.”
The New Orleans club scene during the two Jazz Fest weekends and the days in between was a smorgasbord of live music. There were literally hundreds of shows to choose from covering many genres of music. This recap has been just a tiny subset of the incredible display of world-class talent that performed around the city. Each show was unique and will be remembered fondly. With 2027’s Jazz Fest already scheduled for the weekends of April 22–25 and April 29–May 2, we know that the clubs will fill up with outstanding gigs during those amazing two weeks for the fans who will surely assemble next year back in New Orleans for more live music bliss.
