Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?

Bringing the music and food of the French Quarter to Norfolk

If you’ve ever been to New Orleans, then you know that there is no other place in America that compares to the food, music and culture of the Crescent City. I’ve attended the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival every spring as though it were some sort of pilgrimage to the musical Mecca of the world. So, I can tell you with some authority, that Norfolk makes a great attempt at bringing New Orleans to your very own backyard with the Annual Bayou Boogaloo and Cajun Food Festival, which is taking place June 25-27 for its 21st year at Town Point Park.

Every spring, thousands of folks travel from all over the world to New Orleans to witness the magic that is the music of the Big Easy. But year after year, I get to see those same bands in Norfolk with just a few hundred people. Last year, I watched Anders Osborne on the Missing Kidney Stage along with 200 folks, only to see him play the main stage this year at the NOJHF in front of 20,000 people. It’d be a shame not to take advantage of such an intimate experience right here at home.

To kick things off, you should head down a day early, Thursday June 24th, for the 5th Annual Bayou Boogaloo Ball to catch a preview of the music and art. The folks at Festevents started this event after Hurricane Katrina in an attempt to raise funds through a silent auction for the Arts Council of New Orleans, which helps to rebuild the artist community in New Orleans.

In addition to getting a free ticket for entrance to the Festival Friday evening (a $10 value), you get to hear a preview set by Eric Lindell and his band. Eric Lindell has performed multiple times at the Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach over the last 2 years and they’re sets always include some amazingly original soul and blues tunes. After years of hard work and touring, it is wonderful to see them gaining the national attention that they so rightly deserve.

Year after year, the folks at Festevents find a way to bring a wide variety of what New Orleans music has to offer. This year’s acts include a mix of jazz, zydeco, brass bands, funk, and R&B. There are some amazing zydeco acts this year, including Grammy award winning artist Terrance Simen and Zydeco Experience Band, C.J. Chenier and Red Hot Louisiana Band and Lil Brian and the Zydeco Travelers. Living legend Buckwheat Zydeco, a man whose name is synonymous with an entire genre of music, is set to headline Friday evening. Add in some Cajun bands, including Feufollet and Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet and you might think you’re down in the wetlands of Louisiana.

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave will be here, performing in his 2nd Boogaloo since he was here in 2008 as well. He is currently in the middle of a nationwide tour featuring theaters, clubs and festivals in support of his latest album, Backatown.

Trombone Shorty, returning for a second time to the Boogaloo.

Another act to check out would be Big Sam’s Funky Nation, featuring “Big” Sam Williams, former trombone player with Dirty Dozen Brass Band. His group brings that horn heavy funk mixed with the multi-instrument improvisations of jazz.

And finally, in the tradition of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Rebirth Brass Band, we have the Soul Rebels Brass Band bringing their unique blend of funk, jazz, rap, reggae, and hip hop. Honestly, if you aren’t up and dancing when these guys throw it down, I’d schedule an appointment with the doctor because you might be missing your funk bone.

In New Orleans, the name Neville is like musical royalty. And for Saturday night, the folks at Festevents have lined up Nevillution, which is a multi-generational celebration of the music of the Neville’s and the culture of New Orleans. And to top it off, they will have special guests Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and the Wild Wild Tchoupitoulas Indians.

And to close off an absolutely incredible weekend of music, you have an American icon and national treasure in Allen Toussaint. He is a musician, composer and producer of all things NOLA, whose career spans five decades. His music has been covered by everyone from Little Feat, Jerry Garcia Band, Bonnie Rait, The Band, Bo Didley, The Doors, Boz Scaggs, Robert Palmer, Ringo Starr, Widespread Panic, and Phish just to name a few.

In true New Orleans fashion, you can expect quite a few folks to be sitting in with one another over the weekend. My guess is that both Trombone Shorty and Big Sam will be sitting in with Toussaint on Sunday afternoon, making it a must-not-miss set of music. (As a side note, if you’ve been watching HBO’s Treme, which just ended its inaugural season, all three of these talents have performed on several episodes.)

Dancing sure will make you hungry, so be sure to take some time out to head on over to the concessions area where you can get such New Orleans staples as gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee, and beignets, among other treats. But what’s a Cajun food festival without some Boiled Crawfish!?! My suggestion? Grab a friend and sit down with a pound of boiled crawfish. Better yet, invite a whole group of friends and have yourself a party with a 5lb order of these tasty crustaceans. If you want to do it right, just remember to suck the head and pinch the tail!

Secondly, if you’ve ever been to a Festival at Town Point Park, or anywhere between Boston and Atlanta really, then you’ve probably seen Sherri’s Crab Cakes. Their sign boasts them as being “The World’s Greatest Concession Crab Cakes,” and I dare you to challenge that claim! Personally, I like to top mine off with a sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning, tartar, cocktail, and Texas Pete hot sauces. Grab yourself a SoCo Hurricane or Abita beer, find a spot of grass and enjoy a piece of summertime heaven.

The city of New Orleans is a place of resilience. Be it fires, floods or hurricanes, nothing can keep her down. The music, the food and the culture are unlike anything from any other American city. And yet again, we watch from a distance as it comes under attack, this time by our own doing. The least we can do is to show these musicians and artists that we stand by them and support them through their struggles. The problems of New Orleans are the problem of the whole nation.  So, just grab a friend or two, come on out, enjoy a beverage (or 3) of your choice, shake your booty and have a good time.  And I leave you with this parting advice…..Funkify your life!

Music Picks:

Thursday:

Eric Lindell @ Missing Kidney Bar 8:00-9:30

Friday:

Soul Rebels Brass Band @ the Missing Kidney Stage 7:30-8:30

Buckwheat Zydeco @ the Main Stage 8:30-10:00

Saturday:

Big Sam’s Funky Nation @ the Missing Kidney Stage 7:15-8:30

Nevillution (feat. Cyril Neville and Tribe 13 and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux) @ the Main Stage 8:30-10:00

Sunday:

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave @ The Missing Kidney Stage 3:30-4:30

Allen Toussaint @ the Main Stage 4:30-6:00

Food Picks:

Boiled Crawfish

Sherri’s Crab Cake Sandwich

Ticketing:

Three day weekend pass for only $20 until Thursday 5pm

Daily Admission, $10

Children 12 and under, free

AT&T Cell Phone users: one free ticket per AT&T Cell Phone owner

For more information on the festival, visit the official page.