Wednesday at the Square

I’ve written before about the abundance of free and cheap things to do in New Orleans. Even though the population is still nearly 100,000 citizens short of its pre-Katrina state, the music scene, especially local acts, seems to be growing faster and surpassing the growth of us peasants. Located right off the St. Charles streetcar line, Lafayette Square on a warm Wednesday afternoon provides the perfect setting for a musical and cultural rebirth of New Orleans, not to mention it’s cheaper than a game of Area 51 at the local arcade.

In its 25th year, Wednesday at the Square draws crowds that swell beyond the capacity of the landscaped park every Wednesday afternoon for 12 straight weeks in the Spring. Priding itself on being able to introduce artists with “all the way from Orleans Avenue” or “from the 7th Ward”, the Young Leadership Council, with the aid of Saints sponsorship, draws in equally enormous and diverse local acts. Just 4 weeks into this year’s schedule, the lineup closely resembles the much anticipated Tipitina’s Fess Jazztival (no, that’s not a typo).

MAR 30- The Radiators
APR 6- Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue + Soul Rebels Brass Band
APR 13- Kermit Ruffins + Coot
APR 20- Anders Osborne + Honey Island Swamp Band
APR 27- Irvin Mayfield & the Jazz Playhouse Revue
MAY 4- Marcia Ball + Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue
MAY 11- George Porter, Jr. + The Lee Boys
MAY 18- The Iguanas + Los Po-Boy-Citos
MAY 25-Tab Benoit + Navy Band New Orleans Full Steam Brass Band
JUN 1- Eric Lindell + The Revivalists
JUN 8- Galactic + Marc Stone
JUN 15- Cyril Neville and Monk Boudreaux + Gravy

Even though he’ll mix in an occasional indistinguishable word or two when he forgets lyrics to his songs or start 2 hours later than normal at Vaughan’s, seeing Kermit Ruffins at The Square rivals nearly all of the Acura Stage performers at Jazz Fest (still not a typo). Wednesday at the Square goers, including myself, have also gotten to partake in the Radiator’s for-real-we’re -serious-this-time-retirement-tour, as well as experience the circular-breathing-I’ve-been-playing-a-funky-trombone-since-I-was-6-style of Trombone Shorty.

Falling right into place with the usual suspects, Wednesday at the Square also pulls in perennial mainstays of the local brass band scene like Soul Rebels.

And food, because you know I always have a severe case of the hunger pains. There aren’t any nachos from a Home Depot 5 gallon bucket, hot dogs made of mechanically separated chicken parts, or cheap toys from a Happy Meal at this 2.5 hour festival. Offerings from local restaurants, including shrimp and grits from Atchafalaya, Bart’s Black Jambalaya from Crescent Pie and Sausage Company, and burgers from nearby Gordon Biersch (just make sure a random tornado doesn’t sweep in and snatch the fries and drink out of your hand), overwhelm and get dangerously close to overloading the senses.

With good food, free flowing Abita Jockamo, and FREE live music from 5:00 to 7:30, I’ve got everything I could possibly need there next to Henry Clay under the oaks in front of Gallier Hall.

Well, maybe everything except for a good ole’ Cortez the Killer cover. Oh wait. That’s right. Anders Osborne, the great songwriter/musician from Scandinavia (some of you are probably Google mapping it now), laid down possibly the greatest cover of Neil Young for those lucky few who stuck around until the end of his remarkable show last

Thirty-Three Things I Learned from French Quarter Fest

1. Abita has a monopoly on beer at the festival.

2. Benny Grunch and the Bunch is pretty terrible. Singing the “12 Yats of Christmas” in Jackson Square when it’s 87 degrees outside may be the only thing keeping this band from Da Parish afloat.

3. The least crowded and most hidden of all the stages just so happens to be also shaded by an old magnolia: the International Stage at Dutch Alley.

4. The late afternoon cool breeze coming off of the River near the Harrah’s Stage created an almost beachy feel, especially when the Carnival Triumph happens to be leaving port.

5. Even with an extra day added this year, the festival is still overly crowded.

6. It takes some logical logistics to navigate these crowds, especially at the Riverfront, and especially around the Abita Stage. Normal signage will not suffice.

7. The bread pudding from Boucherie will likely cause an immediate heart attack.

8. White people, especially the local vagabonds at the Zydepunks show, cannot dance.

9. Well maybe not all white people- Troy Landry’s kin cut a rug to Lost Bayou Ramblers at the Cajun/Zydeco stage (choot em)

10. White people can, in fact, play some brass (see Bonearama and Panorama).

11. Audubon aquarium is now charging people to see the Quaker Parrots that you can see for free at WRBH's radio tower on Magazine Street.

12. SDT apparently only hired Mexicans to take care of the upkeep of the fine facilities.

13. It is somehow possible to pull off an outdoor sushi bar when temperatures are hovering close to 90 degrees.

14. Unlike Jazz Fest, A week’s pay is not required for entry into the festival grounds and you can sneak beer inside. The festival discourages this frugal behavior, but this was All Furlough’s Eve. If you're too scared to smuggle in the goods, run by Sidney's and grab an Abita Strawberry for less than $2.

15. Dancing Man 504 held his own dance lessons and somehow ended up being everywhere I was. Consider me officially afraid.

16. Serving Hurricanes and Hand Grenades to unsuspecting tourists is probably the worst move that the FQF could have made. The worst of Bourbon Street has now been brought out into the open. Mid-City Jesus should be on alert now.

17. The NOPD “deer stands” were set up throughout the French Quarter to try and deter the Hurricane/Hand Grenade drinkers from causing a scene.

18. Gal Holiday is about as honky tonk as New Orleans gets and has the voice of a modern day Patsy Cline.

19. From her originals to Zeppelin and Etta James covers to collaborations with Coco Robicheaux, Irene Sage can belt it out. The only drawback? She dedicates her songs as often as ToshBabyBoo.

20. Sunglasses and sunscreen are required.

21. Redfish Grill concocted the ultimate hot weather festival fare- a smoked crawfish and blackened avocado po-boy with a smoked onion aioli.

22. The Acride-Fire-esque, brass-bandish style of MyNameIsJohnMichael is growing on me.

23. If global warming is getting to you, the Esplanade Stage in the Shade at the Old U.S. Mint doesn’t have enough cooling power for you, and you don’t feel like playing a competitive game of UNO (yes that UNO) at Pravda, then swing by the Old Ursuline Convent and take advantage of one of those new fangled fancy air conditioners while you hear some serious classical music in a historic and beautiful cathedral.

24. I thought everyone knew how to eat crawfish, but the guys over at Rouses had to actually give a crawfish eating class to some out-of-towners that wanted to delve into the 1000s of pounds of crawfish being boiled next to the Malibu Rum Stage.

25. I also thought missing Kermit Ruffins, Trombone Shorty, and Little Freddie King on Saturday for a wedding would be extremely disappointing, but the wedding ended up turning into a small FQF set of its own.

26. My neighbor plays in an incredibly good Latin brass band- Los Po-Boy Citos. No, wait I already knew that. I just didn't know that even with a broken arm and not able to play his usual lead guitar, they would still drag him on stage, and stick him in the corner with a cowbell.

27. The grilled livers with greens from Praline Connection was by far the countriest and the absolute best food at FQF.

28. Old Japanese guys (Sound of Vespers) can play some serious traditional jazz.

29. Irvin Mayfield's project, Los Hombres Calientes, may have been one of the most underrated bands at the fest.

30. Jesus has set up shop at Jax Brewery and can apparently turn water into iPhone screens.

31. I somehow found myself at the Capital One Stage more than any other stage. Good food, better music, and possibly the best view of the Crescent City Connection.

32. The 12 hour roast beef po-boy with horseradish aioli and pickled red onion lived up to its hype.

33. Hipsters won’t travel without proper paper.