Julio y Cesar Thursday, May 3 – 12:50 p.m. Lagniappe Stage These New Orleans brothers offer compositions made from the exotic sounds of salsa and Latin folk music, taking jazz and world percussion and incorporating a truly unique sound that is both fun to dance and listen closely.

Though fans know to expect a highenergy, whirlwind performance from Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, the group always exceeds their expectations. Hailing from Vermont, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals have an eclectic style that mixes blues, funk and rock n’ roll into a soulful, captivating sound.

On paper, Dragon Smoke sounds too good to be true. In concert, they’re even better. This New Orleans-style supergroup consists of Stanton Moore on drums, Ivan Neville on keyboard, Eric Lindell on guitar and vocals, and Robert Mercurio on bass. Getting all these guys on a single stage is like the planets aligning…magical things are bound to happen.

Just as I was heading out the door for an evening jog, I discovered that my iPod was defunct. Dead as a doorknob. Since I can’t fathom the idea of running without music – trapped with my thoughts for an hour – I dug my old Walkman out of the closet. I impatiently flicked through the stations in search of good workout music.

recall a few years ago talking with a filmmaker friend who remarked that the greatest fault any work of art could commit is to be boring, because despite its message or intentions, it fails to hold the attention of the viewer. Art, he said, is consumed in a person’s free time, and it’s first objective— above all else— should be to entertain.

Just a few hours east of new orleans, a festival phenomenon is brewing on the warm, sandy beaches of the alabama Gulf Coast. in its third year, Hangout Music Festival, held May 18-20, 2012, in Gulf shores, aL, had already sold out of general admission tickets by Mardi Gras Day—only ten days after going on sale.

the program since 2004. Many independent musical acts have come out of the Loyola’s Music industry program, such as MynameisJohnMichael, Big rock Candy Mountain, and G-eazy.

We are a city of live music. While most bands perform their original works, others prefer to play covers of the songs that they enjoy. Most of those cover bands play the hits of the 60s to 90s, and are a huge hit with festival audiences, and others have found a niche of music that you don’t often hear live or set themselves apart with stage shows.

I make chips, fries, and pies—I like sweet potatoes sweet or salty. I love them baked when I top them with caramelized onions and blue cheese, and I love them in the fall when I make sweet potato kale bread pudding. At this time of year I prefer not to heat up the house too much, and make sweet potato chili in a slow cooker (recipe below).

The festivities begin in the middle of the week. Wine dinners start on Wednesday at many restaurants from prestigious French Quarter restaurants, like Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse to Metairie eateries like Heritage Grill, to across the lake at Annadele’s Plantation in Covington.

While making sausage in his kitchen at Boucherie, Zimet was reluctant to choose, but the very first name to pop from his lips was Big sam. almost five years ago, before he opened his highly successful restaurant on Jeannette street, Zimet spent a lot of time working in the Big Purple truck that was always parked outside tipitina’s.

This Cinco de Mayo, instead of piling on the pork and ground beef, why not silence your inner carnivore and embrace the greener side of life? vegetables, especially in Mexican dining, are a fresh, colorful, and healthy way to experience the flavors of this tasty cuisine without packing on the pounds.

Dude, there is no White Castle in Louisiana. Yeah, you could do some damage to a Krystal Burger or five in the French Quarter, but why not hold out for the ultimate munchie? With all the incredibly talented chefs in this town, settling for a simple...

The girl who tries to take my cocktail is wearing flat, fringed boots and red pigtails. We meet, briefly, on a balmy afternoon on Frenchmen Street, where I’m sitting on a stoop with Christopher Starnes. He’s just crafted Persephone’s Downfall, a blushing drink dancing with crunchy pomegranate seeds.