Jazz Fest: May 4, 2024
Jon Clearly and the Absolute Monster Gentleman played the Festival Stage, and they broke into "Just Kissed My Baby," originally by the Meters. They also played a lot of New Orleans-centric songs, including one from their upcoming LP about Zulu coconuts that has a lyrical tie-in to Planet of the Apes.
Local favorite Tab Benoit, slinging his vintage Deluxe Telecaster, and his band followed Jon Clearly. Benoit brought his fuzz-soaked blues to Jazz Fest, which swung and energized those in attendance. If you wanted to get more of his bassist, Coery Duplechin, and his phenomenal low end, he plays every Monday night at the blues jam at DMac's with Danny Alexander.
The final act at the Festival Stage was, of course, Neil
Young, in his train engineer cap, his black "Earth" t-shirt and donning his
vintage, black Gibson Les Paul, who started with a feedback-soaked, trudging
version of "Cortez the Killer" and followed it up with the poppy "Cinnamon Girl."
