Thur. Apr. 30
$25/10pm

Ghostland Observatory with special guest tba
Ghostland Observatory is not a band, but an agreement between two friends to create something that not only heals their beat-driven hearts, but pleases their rock ‘n roll souls. Working from their south Austin studio, they have released two albums in less than a year, and have moved audiences from coast to coast with their live performances and unique style.  With their spectral blend of electronics, drums, guitar and vocals, they have emerged with a sound that fuses elements of Prince, Daft Punk, Freddy Mercury,  and Green Velvet, and is the culmination of past influence and present inspiration.

Sat. Apr. 25
$25/10pm

Tab Benoit’s Swampland Jam with special guests Cyril Neville, Waylon Thibodeaux and Jumpin Johnny Sansone
With all the makings of an American music icon, Tab Benoit has become one of the premiere roots stylist of the century. Tab has paid his dues as a road troubadour playing 250 nights a year performing at venues across North America, honing his guitar chops and becoming part of Louisiana folklore and legend.

Sun. Apr. 26
$20/9pm

Tim Reynolds and TR3 with One the One
Since he first picked up a guitar as a young boy, Tim Reynolds has been pushing the musical envelope. Since collaborating with Dave Mathews and earning the reputation as a musical virtuoso, Reynolds has been known for his mind-bending guitar techniques, his trademark ability to improvise on any instrument, and his uncommon command of melody and dissonance.

Thur. Apr. 30
$20/10pm

Cyril Neville (Album Release Party) with Tab Benoit & Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone plus
The Wild Magnolias with Big Chief Bo Dollis and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
Cyril Neville’s music celebrates the best of New Orleans’ musical culture and on the most basic human level it moves our musical soul. Cyril is a passionate performer with a voice doesn’t just sing, it preaches. His new album, BRAND NEW BLUES, will be released April 7th on MC Records. One of the greatest voices in New Orleans music brings you a brand new kind of blues. The album features Art and Ivan Neville, Tab Benoit, Waylon Thibodeaux, and Jumpin Johnny Sansone on harmonica.

Fri. May 1 
$25/10pm
(Early Show)

Steve Kimock Crazy Engine featuring Melvin Seals
For nearly four decades Steve Kimock has earned a reputation as a guitarist with an enlightened approach to melodic improvisation and has captured audiences from around the globe with his tasteful guitar speak and brilliant tone. Crazy Engine is a Steve Kimock project unlike any other. Pushing the boundaries of rock and roll, rhythm and blues, gospel and soul, the repertoire will include Kimock classics as well as an energized catalogue of covers and fresh material.

Fri. May 1 
$25/10pm
(Late Show)

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Orleans Avenue is Troy “Trombone Short” Andrews’ funk/pop/hip-hop project alongside musicians who, like Andrews, are young in years only. A junior virtuoso and popular entertainer by the time he entered grade school, Troy was honored by having a Treme´ neighborhood club named “Trombone Shorty's” when he was only eight years old.  Timeless virtuosity and youthful exuberance, Orleans Avenue effortlessly combines both.

Sat. May 2
$20/10pm
(Early Show)

Dirty Dozen Brass Band
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band represents an innovative blend of traditional New Orleans sounds and modern jazz sensibilities. The ensemble has recorded with artists from Dizzy Gillespie to Elvis Costello and reinterpreted the hymns and parade songs of the Crescent City’s second-line bands.

Sat. May 2
$20/2am
(Late Show)

Bustle in Your Hedgerow: Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Dave Driewitz (Ween),
Scott Metzger (Rana)  Performing the Music of Led Zeppelin
Bustle in Your Hedgerow, their name taken from a lyric pulled from the Led Zeppelin epic "Stairway to Heaven," play rare, fan favorite performances showcasing only Zep tunes. But don't call them a tribute band. Joe Russo, Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, and Scott Metzger channel Led Zeppelin's songs with such passion and energy, you would swear they were their own. Although it started as a side project, Bustle in your Hedgerow has come on strong in the last few years, selling out packed venues across America.  This special latenight performance is not one to miss.

Wed. Apr. 29
$10/10pm
 

Topaz & Mudphonic / Adrian Hibbs Project feat. Kevin O'Day / Dr. Gonzeaux
Topaz McGarrigle, a native Texan, took up saxophone at an early age and was classically
trained in jazz principles while attending the Duke Ellington School for the Arts in Washington D.C. His latest and greatest project, Mudphonic, combines the musical skills of a diverse group of musicians and represents a new, sweaty, dance-your-ass off sound that fuses gritty blues and groove with the collective band history of jazz and Latin sounds.  NYC funk organist Adrian Hibbs grinds the keys with more soul than you would think a white-boy could and incredibly versatile drummer, Kevin O’Day now plays with some of the most happening bands in New Orleans. Kevin O'Day Band, Kevin O'Day Jazz Trio, K.O'D. Hip Hop Alive, Midnite Disturbers, One Hundred and One Runners, Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove, and Troy Sawyer's Jazz Trio.  Delivering a unique blend of popular genres, Dr Gonzeaux is a funky, rock group born only in the great city of New Orleans. Including the talents of Segar, mikey-B3, Bubbacita, Michael Devin, and Jesse Page; this band creates a sound rich in texture, grooves, and fun. Come along for a little trip.

Thur. Apr. 30
 

I, Octopus and Silent Cinema
I, Octopus is instrumental, experimental rock from New Orleans, LA. Their unique and
intimate live performances create sonic soundscapes that range from punk rock recklessness, teetering on the edge of chaos to calm, relaxing lullabies. Their music has
been compared to many great bands such as Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, and Pink
Floyd.  The ambitious Silent Cinema are a band that represents the summation of rock and roll history, borrowing just as much from Sigur Ros as they do from Dylan.  They are a folk band unbound by the constraints of traditional folk music.

Thur. Apr. 30 $15/10pm
 

Rotary Downs with MyNameisJonMichael
Rotary Downs is leading the charge in a post-Katrina resurgence of rock 'n' roll in New Orleans. An unlikely sound is emerging from the Crescent City in the aftermath of the storm – a sort of psychedelic indie rock that Alison Fensterstock of GambitWeekly describes broadly as "fuzzy, noisy, trippy swamp music." MyNameIsJonMichael had its start in late 2007, when New Orleanian John Michael Rouchell decided it was time for a change in his life. He set out to write, record, and release one song a week for the entire year of 2008 under the name MyNameIsJohnMichael (MNIJM). What began as a solo project with Rouchell tackling every instrument and even engineering duties on occasion soon turned into the six-man spectacle with an ever-expanding following it is today.

Thur. Apr. 30
$15/10pm
(Upstairs)
 

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey & friends
JFJO is pianist Brian Haas, drummer Josh Raymer, upright bassist Matt Hayes, and guitarist Chris Combs. To say that JFJO's music transcends boundaries and expands minds is an understatement. Since 1994, JFJO has brought their impressionistic and mprovisational vision from the Midwest's Bible-Belt to many of the world's finest music festivals and clubs. Music listeners are blown away by JFJO's instrumental creativity, musical risk, and near telepathy on stage.

Fri. May 1
$15/10pm
(Upstairs)
 

The Bridge and Brother Joscephus & The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra
The Bridge is a unique rock band that combines various elements of blues, folk, funk and bluegrass throughout their entire repertoire featuring guitar, mandolin, saxophone, bass, drums and vocal percussion.  In Brother Joscephus’s short history, the band has already been tapped to open for New Orleans greats such as Trombone Shorty and Eric Lindell. The band is a musical and visual spectacle of such ferocity that it leaves all in attendance shouting "Amen!" and dancing in the aisles. BroJo blends the perfect gumbo of New Orleans party music, Soul in the style of Ray Charles and Al Green, a good helping of jam-bandy Roots Rock and a righteous splash of good, upbeat (non-religious) Gospel.

Fri. May 1
$20/10pm
(Early Shows)
 

Big Sam’s Funky Nation with special guests Tarace Boulba
Presiding over his Funky Nation is Big Sam, a big man who blows the funk out of his trombone and refuses to let the audience sit still. Between solos and trombone riffs, Big Sam second-lines (a uniquely New Orleans style of street-dance) and gets the crowd going both in movement and in replies to his call-and-response MC-style. A talented group of jazz-trained musicians makes up the Funky Nation, bringing with them the improv-style associated with jazz and the horn-heavy front section that's the hallmark of big band funk.  Hailing from France, Tarace Boulba is a funky brass band with thirty mouths and ten times more fingers.  This unique group accepts all members, counting on each one to contribute to the group’s positive, collective and reciprocal energy.  At Tarace Boulba concerts one can sense the incredible energy and huge joy that its musicians get from playing together – it’s palpable and contagious.

Fri. May 1
$15/2am
(Late Show)
 

Soul Rebels Brass Band
Imagine blending the sounds of Mardi Gras funk, soft rock, and reggae so seemingly it defies category. Now shrink that idea into a seven-piece ensemble, add a hip hop sensibility plus a hundred years of New Orleans jazz tradition, and you’ll get the Louisiana sound known as the Soul Rebels. This shrewd crew of college trained multi-instrumentalists are forcing listeners to “Let your mind be free” as they “Work it out” on the dance floor. There music is utterly uplifting and hard core leaving fans with a myriad of intrinsic sounds and songs to enjoy.

Fri. May 1
$10/2am
(Upstairs)
 

E.O.E
E.O.E (Equal Opportunity Employment) is a diverse World - Funk - Hop outfit from New Orleans, LA. The band was formed in 2004 and quickly developed a following in the Big  Easy with their unique blend of Hip Hop, Jazz, Latin, Reggae and New Orleans Second  Line Funk. They exist first and foremost to impart their mantra to the the masses - "Unity through Diversity." The compositions are presented in a conscious balance between song writing and improvisation, striving to achieve freedom within structure rather than in spite of it. The band makes a concerted effort to put their message into action, helping to raise awareness for organizations such as "Drop in the Bucket" and "Sweet Home New Orleans" in addition to other humanitarian efforts, but in spite of the serious messages behind the music, their live shows are never short on fun and incredible grooves.

Sat. May 2
$20/10pm
(Early Show)
 

Toubab Krewe
Blending American and West African influences into a sound all its own, Toubab Krewe has set a new standard for fusions of rock 'n' roll and West African music. Since forming in 2005, the magnetic instrumental quintet has won a diverse and devoted following at performances everywhere from Bonnaroo to the legendary Festival of the Desert in Essakane, Mali, known as the most remote festival in the world. They developed their unique sound over the course of numerous extended trips to Mali, Guinea, and Ivory Coast, where they immersed themselves in the local culture and studied and performed with luminaries.

Sat. May 2
$15/2am
(Late Show)
 

U-Melt with Orchard Lounge
A wise fan knows to expect the unexpected at a U-Melt show. From the moment the New York City based quartet hits the stage, they grab the crowd with undeniably funky and infectious grooves, hitting new levels when Rob Salzer’s mind-bending guitar work and Zac Lasher’s hypnotic, entrancing keyboards are given room to roam.

Sat. May 2
$15/10pm
(Upstairs)
 

Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons
Jerry Joseph is constantly touring. If it isn't solo, it is with his rock band The Jackmormons or one his side projects, including The Stockholm Syndrome. Regardless of the configuration, it is always about the songs. Joseph’s storied career has included musical collaborations with Vic Chesnutt, Pete Droge and Dave Schools (Widespread Panic, J. Mascis and the Fog), as well as producers such as Terry Manning (Led Zeppelin) and John Keane (R.E.M., 10,000 Maniacs). He has also shared the stage with the likes of Neil Young, The Flaming Lips, DJ Logic, Curt Kirkwood and David Lindley.

Sat. May 2
$18/2am
(Upstairs)
 

The Quartet Featuring Deitch, Daniels, Neville & Big Sam
Adam Deitch may have been predestined to be a drummer. The son of two professional funk drummers, Adam first picked up his sticks at the age of two. By eight, he was sitting in with his parents funk band, playing everything from jazz to funk and R&B.  Nick Daniels of Dumpstaphunk is one of the funkiest bass players around, and his partner in crime, Ian Neville, also of Dumpstaphunk, has laid down guitar lines with everyone from the Funky Meters to the North Mississippi All-Stars.  Formerly the trombonist for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Big Sam blows the funk out of his trombone and refuses to let the audience sit still. Between solos and trombone riffs, Big Sam second-lines and gets the crowd going both in movement and in replies to his call-and-response MC-style.  Put it all together, and you’ve got a funk band with a serious pedigree and enough power and skill to bring the house down.

Sun. May 3
$20/10pm
(Downstairs)
 

Marco Benevento Trio and Bustle In Your Hedgerow: Marco Benevento, Joe Russo,Dave Driewitz (Ween), Scott Metzger (Rana) Performing the Music of Led Zeppelin
Ropeadope 10^th Anniversary Party! Music Downstairs / DJs Upstairs!
Reed Mathis, Marco Benevento & Andrew Barr are the Marco Benevento Trio, three instrumental virtuosos that have succeeded in forging their own musical language, an experimental hybrid of jazz, rock, blues and avant-garde sounds anchored by Benevento’s incredible skills on the keys.  Together, they are one of the most vibrant instrumental combos today with positively explosive chemistry and a genuinely exciting aura that anything, just anything, is possible when they gather.  Bustle in Your Hedgerow play rare, fan favorite performances showcasing only Zep tunes.  But don't call them a tribute band. Joe Russo, Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, and Scott Metzger channel Led Zeppelin's songs with such passion and energy, you would swear they were their own.

Studio at Colton Theater: 2300 Saint Claude Avenue New Orleans, LA www.studioatcolton.org
 

Thur. Apr. 23
$20/7:30pm 
 

Roots of Music All Star Benefit featuring Roots of Music Crusaders,
Free Agents Brass Band, Como Mamas, Ivan Neville, Big Sam, Anders Osborne, Terence Higgins & many Special Guests
The Roots of Music is a music education program for middle-school students in New Orleans. The program is run by Program Director Derrick Tabb of The Rebirth Brass Band, Band Director Lawrence Rawlins, and Instructors Shoan Ruffin, Allen Dejan, and Edward Lee.  Derrick Tabb, The Rebirth Brass Band, and Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews are founders.  This benefit featuring the Roots of Music Crusaders marching band is sure to bring out local artists and performers to support this incredible cause – and what better way to show your support than by getting down to some uniquely New Orleans funk!

Fri. Apr. 24
$20/10pm 
 

The Iguanas / Seth Walker / Followed by the Ska/Reggae of 007: Jeffrey "House Man" Clemens (G. Love & Special Sauce), Alex McMurray, Joe Cabral (Iguanas),  Jonathan Freilich (NO Klezmer Allstars)
Hailing from New Orleans, where Latin and Caribbean music have a long and glorious history of interaction with R&B, blues and jazz, the band was formed in 1989 and have spent years perfecting their signature cinematic sound, and despite their well-deserved reputation as a party band non pareil, New Orleans’ Iguanas have always had a flair for melodies and lyrics as well as grooves. The driving delivery and infectious down-home style of Seth Walker’s voice and songs resonate with Blues and Roots music, and he has honed his skills for the last ten years in Austin, TX, playing among the best blues musicians in the world. Having shared the stage with icons such as Ray Charles, B.B. King and Jimmie Vaughan, Walker has established himself in the music world as a unique and compelling performer. His eclectic blend of outstanding guitar talent and rootsy, soul filled vocals will thrill any music fan. 007 is the brainchild of Jeffrey "the Houseman" Clemens (drummer for G,Love and Special Sauce), who found one musical stone unturned on the vibrant music scene in his adopted hometown of New Orleans. Knowing that rocksteady is an essential era for fans of Jamaican music, Clemens assembled a band of outstanding local musicians dedicated to celebrating this treasured sliver of 1960s pop music.

Fri. Apr. 24
$10/10pm
(Red Ballroom) 
 

Charmaine Neville / Yosvany Terry w/ Ye-De-Gbé
Were Charmaine Neville a baseball player, "triple threat" would be the phrase most bandied about. In this instance, multi-talented is an understatement. The daugher of Charles Neville, one thing can be said with certainty about this brilliant singer, dancer, actress-comedienne; she sure puts on a hell of a show.  Yosvany Terry is one of the most exciting Cuban jazz musicians of our time. His most recent accomplishment is the creation of the Ye-dé-gbé & the Afro-Cuban Legacy project in which he traces the roots of the Arará music traditions from Dahomey, West Africa to Cuba. Yosvany went to Cuba to study with Mario Rodríguez Pedroso who is one of the living masters of Arará drumming in order to create this project. The band includes Yosvany on saxophone and chekeré, Yunior Terry on bass, Zaccai Curtis on piano, Justin Brown on trap drums, 3 percussionists – Pedro Martínez, Sandy Pérez, and Román Díaz, and dancer, Félix “Pupy” Insua.

Sat. Apr. 25
$10/10pm
(Red Ballroom)
 

Singer Songwriter Sessions: Kristin Diable, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Alex McMurray, and Voices of the Big Easy feat. Chuck Perkins & more
When Kristin Diable says she plays "roots music," she is as much describing an approach as a genre. Judging by her regular standing room only shows at NYC's The Living Room, Diable's knack for poignant songwriting is one of her strongest talents, even when accompanied by only her guitar.  Beth Nielsen Chapman is the writer behind number-one country hits for Trisha Yearwood, Willie Nelson, and Lorrie Morgan. Jazz artist Ute Lemper and blues-rock Grammy winner Bonnie Raitt have also recorded her songs, and Chapman's own albums have charted in the top 10 in the Adult Contemporary field.  Alex McMurray has been writing songs, playing guitar and singing in New Orleans since the late Eighties. He’s been involved with countless projects since then, including playing in funk band All That, forming Royal Fingerbowl, the Tin Men, and 007.  Voices of the Big Easy is a fusion group melding various New Orleans musical genres and poetry into one. It starts with the poetry of Chuck Perkins, combined with Troy Sawyer on trumpet, Jessie Morrow on stand- up bass, Julian Garcia on drums and Hubie Vigreux on congas. In addition there are three Mardi Gras Indians: "Wildman" Ivory Holmes on congas, "Big Chief" Kentrell Watson, and “Flag Boy” Kenneth Bruce on vocals. Any number of combinations of artistic expression are possible during the exciting, unpredictable show.

Thur. Apr. 30
$20/10pm
 

Bonerama / The Midnite Disturbers featuring Stanton Moore & Ben Ellman;
Troy Andrews; Big Sam; Mark Mullins; Shamar Allen; Matt Perrine; Kevin O'day
When Bonerama struts onstage with its four-trombone frontline, you can guess it’s not quite like any rock ’n’ roll band you’ve seen. And when they tear into some vintage New Orleans funk, there’s no questioning from which city these guys hail.  They can evoke vintage funk, classic rock and free improvisation in the same set; maybe even the same song, and Bonerama has been repeatedly recognized by Rolling Stone, hailed as “the ultimate in brass balls” (2005) and praised for their “…crushing ensemble riffing, human-feedback shrieks and wah-wah growls.”  The Midnite Disturbers are an all-star brass band assembled by drummers Stanton Moore of Galactic and Kevin O'Day – and what an all-star lineup it is.  The sprawling ensemble boasts the most diverse and unlikely resume of any brass band in town, yet their authenticity is indisputable.  From the incredible names on the roster to the chants of "oo-na-nay" and "handa wanda yo mama," the Midnite Disturbers are true down and dirty New Orleans. 

Fri. May 1
$25/10pm
 

Soulive with the Shady Horns & Russell Gunn and special guest Nigel Hall, plus
The Benevento/Russo Duo with Special Guests TBA
Since forming Soulive in 1999, guitarist Eric Krasno, organist Neal Evans and drummer Alan Evans have developed a reputation as one of the most sought after instrumental soul-funk trios around, a hard-touring live act that's thrown down everywhere from small rock clubs to opening arena shows for the Rolling Stones.  The Benevento/Russo Duo formed in 2002 when Russo was offered a Thursday night residency at New York City's Knitting Factory.  He enlisted childhood chum Marco Benevento and the two performed as an organ and drum combo for $50 each. With hardly any written material at first, the band made a virtue out of necessity by converting loose sketches into 20-minute improvisations. From the very beginning, the group proved that they could also handle instrumental revisions of Led Zeppelin or Radiohead songs with equal skill and audacity. They are an indie-rock band that jams. They are a jazz-combo that rocks.

Fri. May 1
$10/10pm
(Red Ballroom)
 

Shannon Powell & His Funky Friends / Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
 (Album Release Party)
Shannon Powell, the great drummer from New Orleans (who has played with Harry Connick, Jr.,Danny Barker, and the Preservation Hall Band) leads his regular swinging, grooving band, His Funky Friends.  Big Chief Monk Boudreau, the most important living link to the tradition of the Mardi Gras Indians, has delivered his soulful vocals and evocative lyrics over hypnotic grooves created by Dr. John, Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Tab Benoit, The Golden Eagles and more.

Sat. May 2
$35/10pm
 

Medeski Martin and Wood w/ DJ Logic
Keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood have made improvisation their language – how they communicate with one another and how they communicate with an audience. Their genius for making even the most sophisticated rhythmic and harmonic ideas instantly relatable to their listeners, via long-honed group empathy and individual precision, is balanced by an uncanny knack for imparting the simplest statements with a profound resonance and clarity. In concert they spontaneously shape ideas, each performance marking the start of a journey whose destination is unknown even to them.

Sat. May 2
$10/10pm
(Red Ballroom)
 

Paul Sanchez & His Rolling Road Show / The Jon Batiste Band
After 16 years with the popular rock band Cowboy Mouth, Paul Sanchez has stepped out on his own. For more than 16 years, Paul and the other members of Cowboy Mouth embraced, embodied, preached and shouted at the top of their lungs the joys of their hometown, New Orleans. Together, they shared a slice of Mardi Gras heaven with fans around the world. Now he’s embarked on a solo career, spinning his tales and singing his songs from the heart on new CDs, and in clubs and living rooms across America.  Jonathan Batiste, a member of the legendary Batiste family of musicians, is a multi-instrumentalist, versatile in performing on piano, melodica, saxophone, and bass guitar. His skills range from gifted performer and recording artist to composer and arranger as well.

Sat. May 2
$20/2am
(Late Show)

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue w/ DJ Logic
Orleans Avenue is Troy “Trombone Short” Andrews’ funk/pop/hip-hop project alongside musicians who, like Andrews, are young in years only. A junior virtuoso and popular entertainer by the time he entered grade school, Troy was honored by having a Treme´ neighborhood club named “Trombone Shorty's” when he was only eight years old.  Timeless virtuosity and youthful exuberance, Orleans Avenue effortlessly combines both.