No Evening Performances

[custard]

Hello all! Festival vet here but this will be my first time at JF!! So excited to see your city and meet as many people as i can. :)

My question for all you JF veterans is in regards to the unique policy of having the headliners on so early in the day. I read on Swag's site (great work, your site has been a lifesaver for me!) that some of the bigger name acts' sets at the JF vs. other shows seemed to lack a bit, and was wondering how the atmosphere is having big acts play during the day? I've never really experienced that before, so was just curious as to your feedback. Do the artists seem less energetic? the crowd less energetic?

Also, why does the JF have this policy? I'm assuming it's to bolster local bars/clubs/venues in the city during those weekends?

Thanks and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible!

[ohio]

Welcome!
The Fest itself only runs from 11am to 7pm, that's why headliners are on 'during the day'. At night, all shows are at clubs & theaters, but they are not 'official' Jazz Fest shows. Nonetheless, many fans are more interested in the night shows than the daytime shows at the Fest. There will be hundreds of night shows, and all will be listed at jazzfestgrids.com (a volunteer effort headed by one of our own, Orleansnj)

[goodabouthood]

Yeah, I've known people who come to Jazzfest and never once step on the fairgrounds. They do their festing at night, and sleep during the days/explore the city, etc. Other friends I have ONLY do the Fest itself, and never hit up ANY of the night shows, and instead just grab dinner somewhere nice, take a hot shower, and get a good nights rest.

I mix the two up myself. Do all the day stuff, and then pick 1 to 3 shows a night to check out. I've learned my body can't handle dancing/drinking from noon till 6am 4 nights in a row, so limit myself to only one all night rager the last couple years.

[Staxsun]

Hello all! Festival vet here but this will be my first time at JF!! So excited to see your city and meet as many people as i can. :)

My question for all you JF veterans is in regards to the unique policy of having the headliners on so early in the day. I read on Swag's site (great work, your site has been a lifesaver for me!) that some of the bigger name acts' sets at the JF vs. other shows seemed to lack a bit, and was wondering how the atmosphere is having big acts play during the day? I've never really experienced that before, so was just curious as to your feedback. Do the artists seem less energetic? the crowd less energetic?

Also, why does the JF have this policy? I'm assuming it's to bolster local bars/clubs/venues in the city during those weekends?

Thanks and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible!

Some of the best sets I've seen by artists are at Jazzfest in the daytime. Certainly it depends on the artist and other factors, but most are charged up to be playing in New Orleans and put on great sets.

[custard]

Thanks for all the replies everybody! I know it's hard to try to get a vibe of a festival from the message board but thank you for the input. I must say everybody seems really friendly from reading through the boards, it's appreciated!

[freebo]

Yes,

The Fest itself is from 11 am till 7 pm, so even the BNA's (Big Name Acts) are finished by then.

Honestly: Unless the band/performer has some raging light show, having them play 'so early in the day' has never seemed a drawback to me.

Now as goodabout alluded to: I may be a little weary after a full night of music, dancing, and carousing... But I can't say I've ever seen an act at the Fair Grounds and thought: Hmpf, what are they doing out here in the afternoon sun?

The Fest has become such a well-regarded event, I find that most acts 'bring their A game', knowing that they are priviledged to play at the Fest.

Yeah, some acts are known for their altered fans (Buffett, Matthews, Phish, etc...) But that's gone happen whether they're playing early OR late.

Welcome to tha bored, custard! And especially: welcome to da Fest!

I encourage you to make time to 'wander' while you're at the Fair Grounds. Check out the crafts (Contemporary & Congo Square), check out the heritage village demonstrations, buy some Roman Candy, eat a Sno-ball, slurp down some raw oysters in the Grandstand, which also usually has some good exhibits, as well as an interview stage...

You're gonna love it.

[ciscokid]

Thanks for all the replies everybody! I know it's hard to try to get a vibe of a festival from the message board but thank you for the input. I must say everybody seems really friendly from reading through the boards, it's appreciated!

where in ny?

and keep reading this bored it really heats up in a couple of more weeks, find out what time the threadhead meetups are at ms lenas stop by and introduce yourself

[groovy1967]

Custard, you'll also find that there aren't too many night shows that start at (the standard-for-elsewhere starting time of) 8:00PM. The bulk of the "early" night time shows begin around 10:00PM. Then your "late" shows start at 2:00AM or 3:00AM, and every so often, you find a ("breakfast"/"really f'n late"/"so late it's early"/"sunrise") show that begins around 6:00AM.

With some notable exceptions, most late shows tend to have tickets available at the door, although people here tend to let people know when we expect a show to sell out.

Over the years, everyone has developed their own unique personal strategy for surviving the mix of day and night shows, but don't be surprised if you're totally spent by the end of your time in Nola. "I need a vacation from my vacation" is a common refrain.

I've found that an odd mix of planning and flexibility are what help me survive the experience, so I'll pinpoint the evening shows that are priorities for me, and then I'll plan accordingly, leaving the rest to whatever whim strikes me. In other words, if I know I'm hitting a 10PM show, I may eat a lot at the end of the day on the Fairgrounds, which will constitute a dinner, but if I know I'm hitting a 3AM show, I will probably leave the Fairgrounds a little early to get back to the hotel and shower and change before having a nice dinner. (Nice dinners in New Orleans tend to be two-hour affairs.) Then I'll come back home, change, and take a brief nap before heading out for music. For me, naps are vital, but everybody knows what works best for them.

We're glad you're taking the plunge, so feel free to ask questions, as there are lots of grizzled vets around here who can answer almost anything.

[jonnygospeltent]

I can't nap at all or else I'm down for the count.

[swag]

Some historical perspective... the fest at the Fairgrounds has always been a daytime affair, and I haven't heard any talk of extending it later. I suspect that's due to a number of factors: respect for the residential neighborhood it's in; economic impact on restaurants, nightclubs; and just the economics that a longer fest costs more to put on, but you may not be able to charge proportionally more for tickets.

But the Fairgrounds only used to be half the fest. It used to be called the Louisiana Heritage Fair, and was supplemented by fest-run evening shows, which were ticketed separately and held at theaters and arenas around town. In the late 90's, there was an great expansion of music at nightclubs and venues around the city during fest. That competed with the official nighttime program, which began to lose money. By the mid-2000's, the official evening shows were eliminated, and really, no one missed them, as there were more than enough other choices to sate all the music fans in town.

[freebo]

HEY!

Who you callin' grizzled?! :mad:

Oh.

Fine... :o

And yeah, I'm witchya johnny: A ten minute nap can be a real game changer, in a good way.

A one hour nap, and I'll either struggle all night long, or maybe call it a day.

The good news is that, like New York, New Orleans is a 24/7 kinda town... Especially during Jazz Fest! :D

Just woke up at 4 a.m.?

Let's GO to Johnny White's...

Or Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop...

Or the Dungeon (Ewww!)

Or Snake & Jake's!

Ms. Mae's!

Whaddabout da Circle Bar?

Or the Saturn!

Or....

http://ltsaloon.org/wp-content/uploads/big-beer-glasses.jpg

[Rossvegas]

I recall attending my first Fest and thinking: "WTF? What kind of festival ends at 7 pm? That blows."

The first day, my sister Rhonda and I entered the gates at around 11:00 am, and by 12:30, we had second-lined around the trad jazz (dixieland) tent, hit the gospel tent, danced alongside a Social Aid and Pleasure Club and seen 4 or 5 bands. We were exhausted. :>)

[goodabouthood]

I can't nap at all or else I'm down for the count.

Same here, it's tough to get going again. I'll just push through it and get spun out on sleep deprivation and the grooves (and maybe a few red bull vodkas!) :)

[swag]

Same here, it's tough to get going again. I'll just push through it and get spun out on sleep deprivation and the grooves (and maybe a few red bull vodkas!) :)

One year, I had some friends decide they coud re-energize with red bull vodkas. But it wasn't really working. Then I watched a bartender make their drinks: about 3 ounces of vodka, and maybe an ounce of red bull. Gotta love NOLA!

[goodabouthood]

One year, I had some friends decide they coud re-energize with red bull vodkas. But it wasn't really working. Then I watched a bartender make their drinks: about 3 ounces of vodka, and maybe an ounce of red bull. Gotta love NOLA!

HA! Yeah, that'll do you in. I had a similar experience with Jack and coke, which were really turning out to be TAN jack and cokes, meaning just jack with a splash of coke. Anyhow, now I try and let them know it's ok to do a 50/50, I won't mind! :)

[Rossvegas]

HA! Yeah, that'll do you in. I had a similar experience with Jack and coke, which were really turning out to be TAN jack and cokes, meaning just jack with a splash of coke. Anyhow, now I try and let them know it's ok to do a 50/50, I won't mind! :)

I made the same mistake one year with Gatorade and vodka: I figured the Gatorade would give me the electrolytes I needed and the vodka would give me the courage to soldier on. I think I must have messed up the ratio somewhat, because the drunker i got, the thirstier I got and then the drunker I got...well, you get the picture. By 3:30 pm, I was in a fetal position in front of the Ray Ban stage.

[DougNSharon]

HA! Yeah, that'll do you in. I had a similar experience with Jack and coke, which were really turning out to be TAN jack and cokes, meaning just jack with a splash of coke. Anyhow, now I try and let them know it's ok to do a 50/50, I won't mind! :)

I've learned my lesson about those tan Jack and cokes, too! I had two Go Cup-sized ones at the Hi-Ho last Mardi Gras day and am just happy no cell-phone photos have surfaced. Yet.

[funkkjunkie]

roflmao. all of the above are reasons i gave up drinking. :D

[stlbarb]

roflmao. all of the above are reasons i gave up drinking. :D

that's why i try to stick to (over priced) beer, i usually can pace myself better. but somedays an adult snowcone is just yummy.

many, many, many years ago we were at Howlin Wolf for zydeco music, but cant remember which band(s), around 3am we commented on who was left. the people who only drank were gone, the people who only danced were gone, but the folks who drank and dance were still going strong.
pacing....is everything.