New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival: The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival with performing artists Bonerama, Grupo Fantasma, Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Goose, Leroy Jones & New Orleans Finest, Dee Dee Bridgewater with Bill Charlie, and Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra performing at the New Orleans Fair Ground and Slots on Thursday, April 24, 2025. #jazzfest2025 #jazzfest #music #whereyatnola2025
The First "First Thursday" of Jazz Fest
By Shane Finkelstein
An estimated 10 to 15 thousand people showed up for the recently-added first Thursday of Jazz Fest weekend one. The cool thing about the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is that each and every person has a different experience. Even so, it was pretty clear that Locals Thursday was the perfect launch for just about every festival-goer at this year's festivities.
Overcast skies and a short drizzle kept the mid-afternoon temperatures in check and lines for food and drinks were pretty much non-existent. I arrived around noon and did my traditional frozen cafe au lait and yakiniku po-boy to start the fest. After 30 years of Jazz Fest, I'm usually armed with the printed schedule torn out of the Jazz Fest Bible and determined to see certain acts, but this day, I wanted to immerse myself in the food, music, and heritage by the sights, sounds, and smells that caught my attention the most. Instead of checking the schedule every hour, I followed the advice of friends and strangers and had an incredibly satisfying day.
First up was Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88's in the Blues Tent. Mitch tickled the ivories on the Steinway grand piano, belting out boogie-woogie blues from a catalog of over 30 years. The Blues Tent lost about 20 rows of chairs adding more standing room in the back, and there was plenty of room to sit or dance during the set. After a quick foray in the Gospel Tent where Melvin "Maestro" Winfield Jr. and the Glory Corale Community were lighting it up, I caught a few songs of Los Tremolo Kings featuring Margie Perez and then caught up with friends for a few songs by the always-bopping local horn-centric band, Bonerama.
Luckily, those friends pulled me away to Congo Square where Flagboy Giz and the Wild Tchouitoulas were funking it up in their traditional Mardi Gras Indian suits. My first introduction to New Orleans music 35 years ago was The Wild Tchoupitoulas album featuring The Meters and hearing some of those classics on the stage today was just what the doctor ordered.
When the short set ended, I followed those friends to the Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion and caught the surprise highlight of the day, El Dusty & the Homies. El Dusty is a Mexican DJ spinning records and rapping in Spanish with a drum and conga player flanking him on both sides. The energy was palpable and the crowd was into it, bouncing to the sultry drum beats.
Back over at the Lagniappe Stage, Papa Mali was jamming with a 10-piece band featuring Mike B3 on keyboards, Joe Cabral on bass, and a prolific four-piece horn section. After a few songs, I made it back to base camp at the Gentilly Stage for a solid jam session by local rockers, Ice Man Special.
After the set ended, I meandered around the Fair Grounds checking out local artworks at Congo Square and the Mexican Cultural Pavilion, made an interesting stop at the Kids Tent with a friend and her daughter for the oddly entertaining Lady Chops, and finished my tequila-infused strawberry lemonade. Speaking of which, there are a lot more alcohol options at the Fair Grounds these days, highlighted by tents along the track featuring Casamigos and Tito's cocktails, as well as more drink options at the Blues Bar over by the Blues Tent. There's also a mocktail station by the Tap Truck somewhere, but I did not see it.
I ventured over to the Festival Stage for the beginning of local rhythm and blues legend Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. They were their usual proficient selves, but I was pulled away to the Miller tent for a little beer and a taste of their newly-launched Happy Thursday Raspberry Passion Fruit Refresher.
The final performances of the first Thursday caused a big dilemma for me because I wanted to see all three of the major acts. I started with the legendary rock 'n' roller John Fogerty, who was belting out classic hits like "Born on the Bayou," "Bad Moon Rising," "Who'll Stop the Rain," and "Up Around the Bend," all from his days as the leader of Creedence Clearwater Revival. I cut the set short to catch some of Seun Kuti and Egypt 80. Seun is the youngest son of Afrobeats pioneer Fela Kuti, and he was dishing up the hits for adoring fans.
Between the final stages, I managed to grab a bite to eat at Sweet Soul Food's tent to try out the newest addition at the Fair Grounds. Known for their tasty vegan classics, Sweet Soul Foods booth featured a combination plate of collard greens, sweet potatoes, and fried cauliflower. It was yummy, and it's nice to have a good option for our vegan friends.
My day ended back at the Gentilly Stage for the hottest jam band around: Goose. If you haven't seen them before, think Phish with a little EDM mixed in and less annoying lyrics. The talented group of musicians features guitarist Rick Mitarotonda, bassist Trevor Weekz, and multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach taking turns on guitar and keyboards. Catch them all over the country headlining festivals this summer.
Locals Thursday was a huge hit for me this year. Running into so many other locals enjoying the day was the icing on the cake. We were all out there celebrating our city, our music, and our way of life. Can't wait to run it back next Thursday for Locals Thursday #2.
