The second weekend of Jazz Fest in New Orleans is notorious for overwhelming hordes of tourists — in fact, this year marked the highest attendance at the Fairgrounds since before Hurricane Katrina. If you knew what was up, you opted out of the festival on Friday, May 1st to instead attend Fiyawerx Productions’ Fiya Fest at Mardi Gras World. The lineup boasted insane supergroups featuring New Orleans legends, funk staples and beyond for a daylong extravaganza of food, music and good vibes.
The hefty list of performers included Natalie Cressman, Jennifer Hartswick, Lee Fields, Lettuce, Khris Royal, Farnell Newton, Big Sam Williams, Karl Denson, Doug Wimbish, Tony Hall, Nikki Glaspie, Robert Walter, Russell Batiste, The Revivalists, George Porter Jr., Leo Nocentelli, Ivan Neville, Stanton Moore, Rob Mercurio, Eric Lindell, Carly Meyers, Mike Dillon, Pete Murano, Roosevelt Collier, Oteil Burbridge, Nigel Hall, Eric Bolivar, Johnny Vidacovich, Andrew Block, Eric Vogel, Papa Mali, Skerik, Wil Blades, Monophonics, Kung Fu, The Heard, Orgone, Borahm Lee, Eric McFadden, Terrence Houston, Alvin Ford Jr., Nate Edgar, Weedie Braimah, Nick Cassarino, Raymond Weber, Henry Butler, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, June Yamagishi, Billy Iuso, Arleigh Kincheloe, Jermal Watson, Wil Bernard, Shamarr Allen, Dirty Dozen Horns, Cyril Neville AND MORE. Is this list a joke? No, it’s just New Orleans.
Photos by Sam Shinault – full gallery at the bottom
 
