NEW ORLEANS — Cyril Neville, Irma Thomas, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Robin Barnes, and Amanda Shaw are just a few of the 300 artists who will appear on 23 stages at French Quarter Fest 2018.
Organizers of French Quarter Fest are stepping it up this year for the 35th anniversary of the free music, food, and art festival.
This year’s poster was created by popular local artist Frenchy, who specializes in live paintings of musical events and has been the official artist for the Saints and the Hornets for several years.
The poster portrays a scene from the popular Abita Stage. Organizers wanted to celebrate the diversity of the fest’s genres.
Organizers say since it’s a banner year, the world’s largest showcase of Louisiana music, food and culture will “bring a record number of musical debuts, fresh menu items, new partnerships, and unique experiences that will both honor our heritage and embrace our future.”
Some of the big restaurants returning: Antoine’s, Pat O’Brien’s, Trey Yuen, Tujague’s Vaucresson Sausage, Desire Oyster Bar and Court of Two Sisters. New restaurants coming to FQ Fest: Cafe Beignet, Cafe Dauphine, The Company Burger, The Daily Beet, Flamingo A-Go-Go and So Bou.
They’re also launching a VIP membership experience, including a hospitality lounge, an elevated viewing area near the Abita stage, private bars, refreshments, air-conditioned restrooms, merchandise discounts, memorabilia, exclusive programming and more.
The fest runs from April 12th to the 15th, throughout the French Quarter and Woldenberg Park.
LINE UP:
Thursday, April 12
Alex McMurray
Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory
Bag of Donuts
Banu Gibson and the New Orleans Hot Jazz
Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band
Deltaphonic featuring Khris Royal *
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Fredy Omar con su Banda
Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue
Irma Thomas, Soul Queen of New Orleans
Juju Child *
Lisa Amos *
Lost Bayou Ramblers
Nathan Williams & the Zydeco Cha Chas
New Breed Brass Band
New Orleans Suspects
Panorama Jazz Band
Partners N Crime & The Big Easy Band featuring DJ Jubilee
Preservation All-Stars
Rechell Cook and the Regeneration Band*
Robin Barnes & The Fiyabirds
Sweet Crude
“Terrance “”Hollywood”” Taplin leads the Uptown Jazz Orchestra
The Irene Sage Band
The Pentones
The Quickening *
T’Monde
Tuba Skinny
Waylon Thibodeaux Band
Friday, April 13
Ashlin Parker Quartet *
Audacity Brass Band
Babineaux Sisters Band
Benny Grunch and the Bunch
Big Frank & Lil Frank and the Dirty Old Men
Bill Summers & Jazalsa
Bon Bon Vivant
Bonerama
Burlesuqe
Cha Wa
Charlie Halloran and the Quality 6
Chocolate Milk*
Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers
Ellis Marsalis Quintet
Jamal Batiste Band
James Andrews
Joe Krown
Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound featuring Kid Merv
John Boutté
Jon Cleary
Leroy Jones & New Orleans’ Finest
Luther Kent Quartet
Lynn Drury Band
Magnetic Ear
MainLine
Marc Stone
Mario Abney
Marshland
Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns
Mia Borders
Naughty Professor
New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings
New Orleans Nightcrawlers
Red Hot Brass Band
Rory Danger & the Danger Dangers
Sean Ardoin
Shamarr Allen and the Underdawgs
Smoke N Bones
Stooges Brass Band
Thais Clark & her JAZZsters
The Catahoulas *
The Crooked Vines *
The Revealers
Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters
Water Seed
Yung Vul
Zachary Richard*
Zena Moses & Rue Fiya
Saturday, April 14
A2D2 Experience with Antoine Diel & Arséne DeLay *
Al “Lil’ Fats” Jackson *
Alexandra Scott
Alfred Banks w/Cool Nasty *
Amanda Ducorbier
Amanda Shaw
Anaïs St. John
Big Chief Bo Dollis, Jr. & the Wild Magnolias
Big Sam’s Funky Nation
Brass-A-Holics
Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band
Charmaine Neville
Christian Serpas & Ghost Town
Cole Williams Band
Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble *
Dash Rip Rock
Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton
Don Vappie & the Creole Jazz Serenaders
Edna Karr *
Egg Yolk Jubilee
Erica Falls
Funk Monkey
G and The Swingin’ Gypsies
George and Gerald French
Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestras
Harpist Rachel Van Voorhees
Heigher Heights Reggae Band
Helen Gillet’s Wazozo Zorchestra
Homer A. Plessy Community School *
Hot Rod Lincoln
Jamil Sharif
John “Papa” Gros
John Rankin
Kettle Black *
Kid Simmons Jazz Band
Leroy Jones’ Original Hurricane Brass Band
Linnzi Zaorski
Little Freddie King
Louis Ford and His New Orleans Flairs
Luke Spurr Allen
Lulu and the Broadsides (feat. Dayna Kurtz) *
Luna Mora *
Mark Brooks
Mason Ruffner
Mike Harvey’s Hot Club
Miss Sophie Lee
Monk Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles
Naydja CoJoe
New Birth Brass Band
New Orleans Classic Jazz Orchestra
New Orleans Swamp Donkeys
New Orleans Wildlife Band
On The Levee Band
Opera on Tap
Orange Kellin’s New Orleans Deluxe Orchestra
Original Dixieland Jazz Band
Otra
Papa Mali
Patrice Fisher and Arpa
Paul Sanchez and the Rolling Road Show
Paulin Brothers Jazz Band
Professor Craig Adams band
Rebirth Brass Band
Richard “Piano” Scott and Friends
Shannon Powell Traditional All-Star Band
Some Like it Hot Traditional Jazz Band
Soul Brass Band
Steve Pistorius & the Southern Syncopators
Storyville Stompers Brass Band
Sullivan Dabney’s Muzik Jazz Band
Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots
Sweet Olive String Band
TBC Brass Band
The DayWalkers *
The Iguanas
The Last Straws
The Nayo Jones Experience
The New Orleans Jazz Vipers
The Ronnie Kole Show featuring John Perkins
The Zion Harmonizers
Tim Laughlin
Tom McDermott and His Jazz Hellions
Tricentennial High School Band *
Turnaround Arts Program/ReNew: Delores T. Aaron Middle School Brass Band *
Valerie Sassyfras
Washboard Chaz Blues Trio
Wendell Brunious
Zydefunk *
Sunday, April 15
Adam Crochet
Andre Bohren
Andrew Hall’s Society Brass Band
Andy J Forest Treeaux
Astral Project
Bamboula 2000
Barbara Shorts and Blue Jazz
Beth Patterson
Blato Zlato *
Bonsoir Catin *
Bucktown All-Stars
Calvin Johnson and Native Son
Carl LeBlanc
Chance Bushman & The Ibervillianaires
Christien Bold & SoulSwing *
Clive Wilson’s New Orleans Serenaders
Corey Henry’s Treme Funktet
Creole String Beans
Cullen Landry and the Midnight Streetcar Band featuring Al “Carnival Time” Johnson
Cyril Neville & Swamp Funk
Dancing at Dusk with Tom Saunders and the Tomcats
Darcy Malone and The Tangle
Don Jamison Heritage School of Music
Dr. Jee Yeoun Ko and Friends
Ecirb Müller’s Twisted Dixie
Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road
Garden District Band
Germaine Bazzle
Gina Brown & Anutha Level
Gregory Agid Quartet
Harmonouche
Honey Island Swamp Band
Hot Club of New Orleans
Hot Stuff featuring Becky Allen
James Martin Band *
James Williams *
Jeremy Davenport
John Royen’s New Orleans Rhythm Band
Johnny Sansone
Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes
Kelcy Mae
King James & The Special Men
KIPP Believe College Prep *
Landry Walker H.S. *
Lars Edegran and the New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra
Lawrence Cotton Legendary Experience
Lena Prima
Mahogany Brass Band
Mayumi Shara & New Orleans Jazz Letters
Mikhala “Jazz Muffin” Iversen *
Michael Watson
NOCCA Jazz Ensemble *
Ovi-G Froggies
Palmetto Bug Stompers
Papo y Son Mandao *
Raw Oyster Cult
Red Wolf Brass Band
Rhodes Spedale & Live Jazz Group
Ricardo Pascal Orchestra
Rockin’ Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters
Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys
Russell Batiste and the Uptown Indians featuring Jason Neville
Sam Price & the True Believers
Sarah Quintana & The Miss River Band
Shotgun Jazz Band
Sierra Green & The Soul Machine
Stephanie Jordan
Symphony Chorus of New Orleans
Ted Hefko and The Thousandaires
The Albinas Prizgintas Quartet
The Dixie Cups
The Dukes of Dixieland
The Joe Cabral Thrio
The Jones Sisters *
The Mid-City Aces
The Original Pinettes Brass Band
The Pfister Sisters
The Smoking Time Jazz Club
The Tin Men
The Vettes
Tommy Sancton’s New Orleans Legacy Band
Topsy Chapman and Solid Harmony
Treme Brass Band
Vivaz
Wanda Rouzan and A Taste of New Orleans