New Orleans Jazzfest and FestAid

<a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com/" target="_parent"><span style="font-size: 18px;">New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (Jazzfest)</span></a><br />

<a title="Photo Sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neubie/138422360/"><img height="375" alt="Bon Temp Roulez" src="http://static.flickr.com/53/138422360_03fa249332.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />

I leave&nbsp;tomorrow (May 2nd) &nbsp;for New Orleans and will be there for six, YES&nbsp;six days and nights fried food, good music, dancing and reconnecting with old friends and fellow Jazzfest Fanatics.&nbsp;&nbsp; I'll try to keep the entries coming from there.&nbsp; If you need to find me I'll be staying at the W Hotel on Poydras Street.<br />

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My friend and fellow New Orleans Jazzfest fanatic, Sheila Byrd,&nbsp;sent me this link to a <a href="http://www.wwoz.org/news/news124.php" target="_blank">WWOZ news release</a> about <a href="http://home.comcast.net/~hucknaug/FestAid.html" target="_blank">FestAid</a>.&nbsp; What a fantastic group of fans of both New Orleans and Jazzfest who want to give something back.&nbsp; <br />

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WHY DO I GO? Here are my opinions/recommendations based on previous Jazzfests<br />

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<strong>Favorite </strong><a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com/food/2006food.html" target="_blank"><strong>Jazzfest Food</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Gator <a href="http://www.gumbopages.com/food/samwiches/po-boys.html" target="_blank">Po' Boy</a> (not bad for an ex-vegetarian)<br />

<strong>Favorite </strong><a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com/schedule/index04.html" target="_blank"><strong>Jazzfest Band</strong></a><strong>:</strong> (it always turns out to be one of these bands that combines members from different funk bands e.g. <a href="http://www.funkymeters.com/" target="_blank">Funky Meters</a> + <a href="http://www.galacticfunk.com/">Galactic</a> + <a href="http://www.deepbananablackout.com/" target="_blank">Deep Banana Blackout</a> for some late night jam session)&nbsp; Others on my list: <a href="http://www.joncleary.com/" target="_blank">John Cleary</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.rockindopsiejr.com/" target="_blank">Rockin' Dopsie and the&nbsp;Zydeco Twisters</a>, <a href="http://www.blindboys.com/main.html" target="_blank">Blind Boys of Alabama</a>,&nbsp; <a href="http://www.iguanas.com/index2.html" target="_blank">The Iguanas</a>, (I could keep going but if I had just one favorite band I guess I wouldn't be so obsessed with Jazzfest)<br />

My Favorite Jazzfest Venue: <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5367455" target="_blank">THE GOSPEL TENT!</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;If&nbsp;there&nbsp;was ever a chance&nbsp;I might find Jesus it would be here.&nbsp;&nbsp; hallelujah, amen.&nbsp; <br />

<strong>Favorite Venu:</strong> <a href="http://www.rockandbowl.com/HistoryPAGE/history.html" target="_blank">Rock and Bowl.</a>&nbsp; That's right the Rock and Bowl will never die. I had heard this place was wiped out by floods but I just checked I see <a href="http://nathanwilliams.crazygator.com/">Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Cha's </a>playing Thursday.&nbsp; I cannot resist the sound of crashing pins as background for some good ol' accordion-pumping foot stomping happiness.<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5367455" target="_blank"><br />

</a><strong>Favorite Local:</strong> Miss Donna (Donna Sacknoff)&nbsp;from Uptown - I met her while sleeping on her kitchen floor with about 15 other people I had met the year before at the <a href="http://www.strawberrymusic.com/home.asp">Strawberry Music Festival</a> in Yosemite. I woke up under the stove with my feet wedged against the back of the fridge.&nbsp;&nbsp;I then faced a 90 minute wait for the bathroom.&nbsp; That was quite a fest back in '99.<br />

<strong>Favorite Local Celebrity:</strong> <a href="http://www.rockindopsiejr.com/">Rockin' Dopsie Jr</a>.&nbsp; He took me and a friend all over New Orleans one night. I guess that was my15 minutes of fame.&nbsp; I returned the favor last Fall when he came up to New York for the <a href="http://www.summerstage.org/index1.aspx?BD=18977" target="_blank">Central Park Katrina Fundraiser Show at Summer Stage.</a>&nbsp; I think I had a better time in New Orleans than he did in New York.

<a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com/" target="_parent"><span style="font-size: 18px;">New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (Jazzfest)</span></a><br /><a title="Photo Sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neubie/138422360/"><img height="375" alt="Bon Temp Roulez" src="http://static.flickr.com/53/138422360_03fa249332.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />I leave&nbsp;tomorrow (May 2nd) &nbsp;for New Orleans and will be there for six, YES&nbsp;six days and nights fried food, good music, dancing and reconnecting with old friends and fellow Jazzfest Fanatics.&nbsp;&nbsp; I'll try to keep the entries coming from there.&nbsp; If you need to find me I'll be staying at the W Hotel on Poydras Street.<br /><br />My friend and fellow New Orleans Jazzfest fanatic, Sheila Byrd,&nbsp;sent me this link to a <a href="http://www.wwoz.org/news/news124.php" target="_blank">WWOZ news release</a> about <a href="http://home.comcast.net/~hucknaug/FestAid.html" target="_blank">FestAid</a>.&nbsp; What a fantastic group of fans of both New Orleans and Jazzfest who want to give something back.&nbsp; <br /><br />WHY DO I GO? Here are my opinions/recommendations based on previous Jazzfests<br /><br /><strong>Favorite </strong><a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com/food/2006food.html" target="_blank"><strong>Jazzfest Food</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Gator <a href="http://www.gumbopages.com/food/samwiches/po-boys.html" target="_blank">Po' Boy</a> (not bad for an ex-vegetarian)<br /><strong>Favorite </strong><a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com/schedule/index04.html" target="_blank"><strong>Jazzfest Band</strong></a><strong>:</strong> (it always turns out to be one of these bands that combines members from different funk bands e.g. <a href="http://www.funkymeters.com/" target="_blank">Funky Meters</a> + <a href="http://www.galacticfunk.com/">Galactic</a> + <a href="http://www.deepbananablackout.com/" target="_blank">Deep Banana Blackout</a> for some late night jam session)&nbsp; Others on my list: <a href="http://www.joncleary.com/" target="_blank">John Cleary</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.rockindopsiejr.com/" target="_blank">Rockin' Dopsie and the&nbsp;Zydeco Twisters</a>, <a href="http://www.blindboys.com/main.html" target="_blank">Blind Boys of Alabama</a>,&nbsp; <a href="http://www.iguanas.com/index2.html" target="_blank">The Iguanas</a>, (I could keep going but if I had just one favorite band I guess I wouldn't be so obsessed with Jazzfest)<br />My Favorite Jazzfest Venue: <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5367455" target="_blank">THE GOSPEL TENT!</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;If&nbsp;there&nbsp;was ever a chance&nbsp;I might find Jesus it would be here.&nbsp;&nbsp; hallelujah, amen.&nbsp; <br /><strong>Favorite Venu:</strong> <a href="http://www.rockandbowl.com/HistoryPAGE/history.html" target="_blank">Rock and Bowl.</a>&nbsp; That's right the Rock and Bowl will never die. I had heard this place was wiped out by floods but I just checked I see <a href="http://nathanwilliams.crazygator.com/">Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Cha's </a>playing Thursday.&nbsp; I cannot resist the sound of crashing pins as background for some good ol' accordion-pumping foot stomping happiness.<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5367455" target="_blank"><br /></a><strong>Favorite Local:</strong> Miss Donna (Donna Sacknoff)&nbsp;from Uptown - I met her while sleeping on her kitchen floor with about 15 other people I had met the year before at the <a href="http://www.strawberrymusic.com/home.asp">Strawberry Music Festival</a> in Yosemite. I woke up under the stove with my feet wedged against the back of the fridge.&nbsp;&nbsp;I then faced a 90 minute wait for the bathroom.&nbsp; That was quite a fest back in '99.<br /><strong>Favorite Local Celebrity:</strong> <a href="http://www.rockindopsiejr.com/">Rockin' Dopsie Jr</a>.&nbsp; He took me and a friend all over New Orleans one night. I guess that was my15 minutes of fame.&nbsp; I returned the favor last Fall when he came up to New York for the <a href="http://www.summerstage.org/index1.aspx?BD=18977" target="_blank">Central Park Katrina Fundraiser Show at Summer Stage.</a>&nbsp; I think I had a better time in New Orleans than he did in New York.