US Travel Guide - New Orleans

New Orleans Entertainment

Festivals
New Orleanians love to throw a good party--keep in mind this is a city that dances in the street after a funeral. So don't fret if you miss the big money draws Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. There are still plenty of festivals to go around, including Southern Decadence with the ultimate drag parade down Royal Street; the French Quarter Festival in April that attracts local and international bands as well as some of Jazz Fests favorite food vendors; and the Creole Tomato Festival, a smaller affair, but just as delicious.

Music
A ton of musical history and a citywide penchant for "shakin' it" make New Orleans ground zero for catching great music all year long. Even more good news: if you go local and hit clubs outside the French Quarter you'll find yourself rarely paying more than a $5 cover charge with standard bar prices.

New Orleans is most famous for Jazz. This is where the national art form was born, and the natives haven't forgotten it. You can capture the various evolutionary forms of this African/European musical merger throughout the city. Fans of Dixieland should stick with the Quarters top venues: Fritzels and Preservation Hall--understandably touristy, but undeniably soul satisfying. Swingers and hipsters should make an appointment to check out Harry Connick Jr. back-up man Jeremy Davenport at the luxuriously kitschy Red Room on St. Charles. Modern Jazz buffs will enjoy the omnipresence of Ellis Marsalis, father of Wynton and Brandon, and musical director at the University of New Orleans. During the school year, he holds court every week at the Sand Bar in the schools student union. You can also catch Ellis in various combos at Snug Harbor on Frenchmen Street. For contemporary New Orleans style jazz, stick with acts such as Kermit Ruffins at Vaughns, Nicholas Payton or Los Hombres Calientes at the Funky Butt on Rampart Street, and brass bands like The Dirty Dozen at Donnas, conveniently next door to the Funky Butt.

The next most popular New Orleans musical requests? Cajun and Zydeco, additional examples of the melding of European and African stylings. Both genres fall under the "unapologetic dance" heading and draw on their strong regional country roots (accordions, washboards and smatterings of French). Tipatinas Uptown hosts a Fais-Do-Do every Sunday night featuring the traditional selections of Bruce Daigrepont. The sessions serve as a weekly reunion of Cajun aficionados from around the city , but beginners are welcomed whole heartedly. At Mid-City Lanes Rock and Bowl, the pine floor boards creak as Zydeco bands play to enthusiastic throngs every Thursday night. Finally, check out Mulates on Julia Street, a great place to brush up on your waltz and get some good grub.

Speaking of dancing, international enthusiasts can get their tango/reggae/salsa groove on at Frenchmen Streets Cafe Brasil. And don't go forgetting the funk! Look for acts like former Meters man George Porter Jr. and Walter "Wolfman" Washington at the Maple Leaf on Oak Street Uptown or the French Quarters House of Blues.

For a special alternative treat, take a cab to the difficult to find, impossible to forget Mermaid Lounge on Constance Street near the freeway overpass. Built, owned, and staffed by local musicians, the Mermaid is where many prominent local bands developed their loyal followers. Between sets, grab a dollar Schaeffer and kick back at the cafe-style tables or outside on the hoods of cars that line the clubs dead end street.

Its back into the Quarter and the House of Blues for bigger name out-of-town acts. Other night life attractions to be found in the area include Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville Cafe, full-tilt silly karaoke at Cats Meow on Bourbon Street, and bass bumping house and disco tunes at neighboring Bourbon Pub and Oz, two of the more integrated gay clubs in the city.

Wind things down with a visit to Kerrys Irish Pub on Decatur Street or O'Flahertys on Toulouse. Both spots preserve the integrity of Irish pub culture: quiet conversation, respect for local musicians and relaxed service.

Museums
Museums range from the nationally significant D-Day Museum and Confederate Museum to the more obscure Pharmacy Museum, a celebration of the 19th century apothecary.

Most political, sociological and architectural exhibitions of interest can be found in the French Quarter, home of the Louisiana State Museum and its various branches, as well as the Historic New Orleans Collection and important historical residences.

Art lovers will enjoy the huge collection of international art work and archaeological finds at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA). A small showcase of African American art is viewable at the Villa Meilleur on Gov. Nicholls Street in the Faubourg Treme District.

The Arts
On the line between museum and art gallery lies the Contemporary Art Center (CAC), a spectacularly renovated warehouse on Camp Street that offers two floors of touring art work. The upper level gallery is usually a national show and the lower level gallery is a showcase for local artists working in the medium represented on the second floor. The CAC also stages a variety of art appreciation events, concerts and cutting-edge theater productions.

For more mainstream performing arts events the place to be is downtown. Theater lovers have a variety of options: contemporary drama at The Southern Repertory Theater on the third floor of Canal Place; The Saengar Theater on Rampart Street at Canal, host to national touring companies and A-list comedians; and the cozy Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre in the Quarter, where old-school chestnuts are performed by local acting vets. Ballet and opera lovers can view local and touring ensembles at the Mahalia Jackson Theater in Louis Armstrong Park. While the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra performs at The Orpheum Theater on University Place just off of Canal Street.

Shopping
All manifestations of material goods are yours for purchasing. Try Magazine Street, lower Garden District to Uptown, for funky, used and questionably French items; Royal Street, for classic antiques; and the Central Business Districts New Orleans Shopping Center, Canal Place and sprawling Riverwalk for all your mall needs. Music buffs take note of the Louisiana Music Factory across from the House of Blues, as well as the GHB Jazz Foundation at the French Market, stocked with Dixieland, traditional and classic jazz recordings.

Adult Stuff
It was only a matter of time before the ultimate addition was made to the Quarters increasingly adult playground atmosphere. Located at the corner of St. Peter and Canal Streets, the newest link in the Harrahs Casino chain houses 100,000 square-feet of slots and table games, dining and entertainment.

Family Stuff
The Audubon Zoo, at the rear of Audubon Park , and its sister site, the Aquarium of the Americas, at the Riverfront, are excellent family diversions. Both facilities are impressive showcases of creatures found regionally and across the world, including such rarities as white tigers and 450-pound sharks. The Aquarium of the Americas is also home to New Orleans' IMAX theater.

Outdoor enthusiasts can choose between two gorgeous oak-filled parks: Audubon Uptown or City Park in Mid-City, the nations fifth largest urban park. Both public greens offer golf courses, play areas and horseback riding.

Gabrielle Mullem