The 2014 Voodoo Music + Arts Experience (a.k.a. “Voodoo Fest”). Since 1999, the Halloween weekend event has promised an array of genres, headliners and local talent, and this year’s lineup followed suit. From the Foo Fighters and Gogol Bordello to Manchester Orchestra, Skrillex and Trombone Shorty, there was, literally, “something for everyone.”

Friday

The fact that Halloween was on Friday and Outkast headlined (right after Slayer – remember them?) created a palpable excitement everyone seemed to share. It swelled throughout the afternoon, and after hometown headliner Rebirth Brass Band warmed up, and by the time Outkast opened with “Bombs Over Baghdad” it was impossible to see where the crowd ended. Once you were in, you probably weren’t coming out, and vice versa.

I, for one, couldn’t miss a minute of their high energy performance. We sang along to “Sorry Ms. Jackson” and crossed our fingers for more old school Outkast. Andre 3000 and Big Boi played classic after classic and hit after hit, from “Roses,” “Prototype” and “Aquemini” to “Shake It” and “I Like the Way You Move.” They closed out the performance with “International Players Anthem,” an unexpected treat.

While their Voodoo set was nearly identical to previous sets, including the one at Austin City Limits last month, the energy Andre and Big Boi brought Friday night – and the nostalgia – was worth it. Zedd and the impressive production that accompanied his set drew a huge audience as well.

Saturday

On Saturday, the breezy warm weather made for a picturesque fall afternoon. We meandered the festival grounds, riding a few carnival rides and catching Death from Above 1979 before settling at the Le Plur Stage (home to all things EDM) for a delectable deep house/techno mix from Pete Tong. Claude Von Stroke followed, opening with Kill Frenzy’s new song “No Panties On” to start an early evening dance party. Saturday night, Flux Pavilion warmed up the Le Plur stage before Skrillex. At the Ritual Stage, 30 Seconds to Mars featured frontman Jared Leto dressed in costume as Jesus.

I hadn’t realized how many songs I knew by the Arctic Monkeys, and caught myself singing along throughout their set. Their raw-yet-refined rock and roll sound was a festival highlight, reminiscent of a unique fusion of the White Stripes and the Black Keys.

Sunday

Throughout early Sunday afternoon, the Le Plur stage was occupied with a stack of DJs – Herobust, Lindsay Lowend, and GRiZ, who arrived just seconds before his time slot, and proceeded to rock the audience with his electro-funk repertoire. Sunday’s other main headliner, the Foo Fighters, played an intense three-hour set (Singer Dave Grohl said on stage they’d play until someone kicked them off), and ended it with a surprise appearance from Trombone Shorty and his band.

Pretty Lights (with a full band) closed out Sunday night, bringing a righteous ending to an experience that could only be had in NOLA. There’s something about the city that makes live music so rich and interactive, at least from a fan’s perspective, but on Sunday it appeared that the musicians on stage felt it too. Featuring trumpet player and New Orleans local Eric Bloom of Lettuce and Adam Deitch of Lettuce/Break Science, Pretty Lights’ full band played a stellar set blending old and new. The live horns really set off the music, blending bangers like “I Know the Truth” with jazzier, soulful numbers like “Finally Moving” and “Yellow Bird.”

With their diverse offerings, Voodoo Fest was a smashing success. Can’t wait to come back to celebrate Halloween there next year!

[Voodoo Photos by Dustin Hollywood]