The Beach Boys at Jazzfest ? The Eagles at Jazz Fest ? Tom Petty ?
I remember back when the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (before it was brought to us by Shell) wouldn't touch acts like these. The original intent of the festival was to showcase New Orleans and Louisiana music . Then , they started booking national acts , but those acts were at least what is often referred to as "roots music". They were blues or jazz acts or rock and roll pioneers like Ray Charles , Little Richard , Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis (each of whom I've seen at Jazz Fest).
Then , Quint Davis and company began booking some of the bigger names in music that were still considered hip , even though they were considered too commercial for some of the more purist Jazz Fest fans. I'm talking about acts like Crosby , Stills and Nash , Steve Winwood and John Mellencamp. Tolerable.
But then it started to get out of hand . "Nash-Vegas" country acts. Rod Stewart. I still can't get over that one. Rod Stewart did not belong at Jazz Fest. Jazz Fest is for true music lovers , and I don't know any true music enthusiast who is a Rod Stewart fan . He seems to me to be the antithesis of the type of act the average Jazz Fest goer is looking for.
Now this unbelievably anti-Jazz Fest , Jazz Fest line-up. It's like Quint is putting on a concert of anti-Jazz Fest artists but he's doing it at Jazz Fest. These are acts that , if I happen to be listening to a commercial music station , which is rare , and one of these artists comes on , I can't get to the dial fast enough to just shut them the hell up. I dislike these artists so much that I don't even like people who like them. Those people , by the way are not people who buy CDs and collect rare records or attend concerts other than those big over-priced and over produced arena shows by bands that for some weird reason have far more fans and money than they have talent.
Back to the subject of bands that are the antithesis of acts that would appeal to Jazz Fest fans. This up-coming festival seems to have been set up to piss off long -time fest goers. All of the big name acts are the type of acts that I not only can't be excited about , but that I avoid like the plague.
It seems to be Quint Davis's intention to run off the very fans that made the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival one of the top music festivals in the world. With ticket prices already through the roof at $60 a day, I was already having to limit what days I could attend. I remember back in the day attending every day of Jazz Fest for many years in a row. Can't do that anymore. Now after he has failed at running us off completely , Quint is booking totally unacceptable acts to try and get rid of us.
It has already gotten to where I can only attend one day each week-end . But , I wouldn't walk across the street to see the Bitch Boys for free. Not only do I refuse to pay to see them , you would have to shell out a pretty good amount of money to pay me to see them. Or the Eagles. God , do I hate the Eagles. I would actually pay not to ever hear "Hotel California" again. If I could pay every radio station that I may ever happen to come within ear-shot of not to ever play that song again , I would consider it money well spent.
Well , there are some musicians that I will love seeing play the festival next spring. Steve Earle , who I've only seen live once , and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings , who I've never seen. And even though , I'm not a religious man , I really want to see Gospel singer Yolanda Adams. Then , of course there are my local favorites like Dr. John , Irma Thomas , and multiple performances by folks named Neville . Then some of my new favorites like The Honey Island Swamp Band and Bobby lounge. My brass bands , of course , plus Kermit and Trombone Shorty with their bands. If I had the money and the energy I had twenty years ago , I'd go every day. But , I would have to leave early , before those fingernails-on-the blackboard sounds start coming from the head-lining closing acts.
