This year, March begins with Ash Wednesday and Lady Lamb is in town that evening to help ease us into Lent. She has a new record, Tender Warriors Club, out this year and is supporting it with a spring living room tour. This will be a wonderfully intimate show, so bounce over to her website for tickets.
If you’re looking for something to fill the gap between Mardi Gras and the start of the St. Pat’s festivities, the first weekend of March is loaded with excellent events. On Fri., March 3, the English folk rock sister trio The Staves will be at Gasa Gasa. There is a haunting allure to The Staves’ performances that draws the listener in completely. The march of strong women continues the next night with the arrival of Norah Jones at the Saenger on Saturday. Jones has reached a point in her career where she’s completely at ease with her talents; her performance at Newport this past summer was magical in that regard. While she has always seemed somewhat effortless on stage, she had added a sense of her place in the musical landscape and a longstanding rapport with her audience to the mix. If you’re looking for something a bit more experimental, on March 4, Captured! By Robots will be playing Gasa Gasa. C!BR is a touring musical comedy troupe that consists of one human and a group of robots of his design that have apparently enslaved him and forced him to tour with them. It is a wild evening of great music and bad jokes. I highly recommend it. On Sunday, the metal group Deafheaven will be close out the weekend at Republic with the outstanding post-rock group This Will Destroy You. Make sure to arrive in time to catch both acts.
On March 8, the alt-country group Son Volt will roll into the Parish. Son Volt was formed by Jay Farrar after the breakup of the legendary Uncle Tupelo.
You have two outstanding choices on March 14. First, the legendary Ryan Adams will be at the Orpheum. Adams has just dropped a new solo record, Prisoner, so you can expect to be treated to a generous helping of new material. Once again, the outstanding sound design of the Orpheum will be a perfect showcase for Adams’ talents. If you’re looking for something a bit more intimate, Allison Crutchfield will be at Gasa Gasa performing material from her outstanding debut record, Tourist in This Town.
The next night, March 15, is a no-brainer with The Pretenders opening for Stevie Nicks at the Smoothie King Center.
On March 20, make sure to catch Big Thief at Gasa Gasa. This indie rock ensemble released one of the best records of last year. Come out and see how they’re evolving as a headlining act. The excellent Georgia-based Mothers are opening the show. Mothers’ record When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired was one of my personal favorite records of 2016.
Finally, the month ends with Hogs for the Cause breaking in their new digs at the UNO Arena. Once again it features a stellar lineup, including Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Railroad Earth and Shovels and Rope. They will be joined by River Whyless and Naughty Professor among others. This event has grown into one of the premier spring festivals. The food is succulent; the music is delectable; and the cause is worthy.
Note: Dates are subject to change. Playlist of mentioned bands available at: bit.ly/InTune3-17
Community BUKU
The BUKU Music + Art Project comes to Mardi Gras World March 10 and 11, and the headliners are an eclectic collection of excellence including Run the Jewels, Tycho, Young Thug and Travis Scott. This year also marks the fourth year that BUKU has supported the Upbeat Academy’s students with onsite access and artist mentoring. Formed in 2013, the Upbeat Academy provides underprivileged children with access to tools and training to produce electronic music and hip-hop. Part of each ticket sale goes to the academy, the students perform a showcase as part of the festival proceedings and the sale of the graffiti wall art supports their initiatives. While you’re at the festival, drop by the Upbeat Academy booth join this excellent joint effort.
contact
To contact Mike about music news, upcoming performances and recordings, email Mike@MyNewOrleans.com or contact him through Twitter @Minima.