New Orleans during Jazz Fest is an entirely different world, where creatures of the night stay out all hours, hopping from venue to venue in search of nonstop music. With countless superjams, unexpected sit-ins and collaborations, and no rules or expectation of conformity, Jazz Fest after dark is its own animal.

The sheer quantity of shows going on in the city at any given time can be overwhelming, so we’ve sifted through and selected some of our top picks for weekend one, weekend two, and the “daze between”. Presenting: your 2017 guide to Jazz Fest After Dark – L4LM’s top picks.


DAZE BETWEEN

***Monday, May 1***

NOLA Crawfish Festival ft. Neville Jacobs (Ivan Neville, Chris Jacobs, Tony Hall, Brady Blade) + Eric Lindell + Good Enough for Good Times (Robert Mercurio, Jeff Raines, Simon Lott, Joe Ashlar) + Khris Royal & Dark Matter @ Central City BBQ – 3-10 PM [Tickets]

Johnny Vidacovich Trio with special guests John Medeski & Oteil Burbridge @ d.b.a. – 8 PM

Nikki Glaspie, Jermal Watson, Nate Werth, Corey Henry, Tony Hall, Caren Green, Roosevelt Collier, Robert “Sput” Seawright & more @ The Howlin’ Wolf – 9 PM [Tickets]

Frequinox ft. Donald Harrison, Stanton Moore, Robert Mercurio, Robert Walter & Will Bernard plus FOCKSTAR ft. Mike Dillon, MONONEON & Organ Freeman @ One Eyed Jacks – 9 PM [Tickets]

Cris Jacobs & Papa Mali @ Chickie Wah Wah – 11 PM

Dr. Klaw @ Blue Nile – 1 AM [Tickets]

Toubab Krewe @ d.b.a. – 2 AM


***Tuesday, May 2***

NOLA Crawfish Festival ft. NCF Funk Squad (Eric Krasno, George Porter Jr., John Medeski, Terence Higgins) + MVP (Jon Cleary, Nigel Hall, Tony Hall, Derwin “Big D” Perkins, Raymond Weber) + Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory with Luther Dickinson + Boukou Groove @ Central City BBQ – 3-10 PM [Tickets]

Dragon Smoke ft. Stanton Moore, Ivan Neville, Eric Lindell & Robert Mercurio @ One Eyed Jacks – 9 PM [Tickets]

DRKWAV + Bitches Bloom (Eric Benny Bloom, Nigel Hall, Adam Deitch, Ryan Zoidis & Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff) @ Blue Nile – 10:30 PM [Tickets]

The Nth Power Presents “Earth, Wind and Power” w/ special guests Rashawn Ross, Skerik, members of The Motet & more + All Brothers Band (Oteil Burbridge, Kofi Burbridge, Alan Evans & Neal Evans) + Allen Toussaint Jukebox (members of Turkuaz, New Mastersounds, Sister Sparrow, Todd Stoops & more) + Organ Freeman @ The Howlin’ Wolf – 12:30 AM [Tickets]


***Wednesday, May 3***

NOLA Crawfish Festival ft. Crawfish Fest All-Stars (George Porter Jr., John “Papa” Gros, June Yamagishi, Terence Higgins, Special Guests) + Crawfish Cook-Off with Corey Henry and The Treme Funktet + Raw Oyster Cult Feat. Darcy Malone & Special Guests + Organ Freeman @ Central City BBQ – 3-10 PM [Tickets]

Megalomaniacs Ball ft. The Mike Dillon Band with Dean Ween & JP Gaster + Norwood Fisher & Stanton Moore Trio with Robert Walter + Mike Dillon’s Punk Rock Percussion Consortium @ The Howlin’ Wolf – 9 PM [Tickets]

Roosevelt Collier, Billy Iuso & Friends Tribute to the Grateful Dead @ Chickie Wah Wah – 11 PM

Megawatt Afro-Dub Soundclash ft. Raja Kassis, Luke Quaranta, Adam Deitch, Borahm Lee, Josh Werner, Weedie Braimah, Bajah, Khris Royal & Maurice “Mo Betta” Brown @ Maison – 11:30 PM [Tickets]

Daze Between Band ft. Eric Krasno, Oteil Burbridge, Danny Louis, Scott Metzger & Duane Trucks + DJ Soul Sister @ One Eyed Jacks – 12 AM [Tickets]

The Main Squeeze @ Blue Nile – 12 AM [Tickets]


WEEKEND TWO

***Thursday, May 4***

Kamasi Washington @ One Eyed Jacks – 8 PM [Tickets] or 1 AM [Tickets]

The Revivalists @ Orpheum Theatre – 9 PM [Tickets]

Medeski, Martin & Wood + Nels Cline (of Wilco) @ Civic Theatre – 10 PM [Tickets]

Lettuce w/ special guest Rashawn Ross + Marco Benevento Trio + DJ Soul Sister @ Joy Theater – 10 PM [Tickets]

Jurassic 5 + Blackalicious @ The Howlin’ Wolf – 10 PM [Tickets]

FIYA POWA ft. Leo Nocentelli, Ivan Neville, Stanton Moore, Tony Hall, Big Sam, Skerik, Roosevelt Collier & Maurice Brown @ Maison – 2 AM [Tickets]

Adam Deitch, Ryan Zoidis, Eric “Jesus” Coomes, & DJ Tycoon @ The Howlin’ Wolf – 3 AM [Tickets]


***Friday, May 5***

Tab Benoit + Samantha Fish w/ special guests @ Republic NOLA – 9 PM [Tickets]

15th Annual Bayou Rendezvous ft. The Bayou Rendezvous All-Stars (Johnny Vidacovich, Ivan Neville, Oteil Burbridge, Stanton Moore, Eric McFadden & Kofi Burbridge) + Dr. Klaw & The Shady Horns (Eric Krasno, Nick Daniels III, Nigel Hall, Ian Neville, Alan Evans, Ryan Zoidis, Rashawn Ross) + Orgone + Monophonics @ The Howlin’ Wolf – 9 PM-6 AM [Tickets]

Axial Tilt: A Grateful Dead Celebration at Jazzfest ft. Stu Allen, Rob Eaton, Mitch Stein, Robin Sylvester, Jay Lane plus special guests Donna Jean Godchaux & Charles Neville @ Cafe Istanbul – 10 PM [Tickets]

Eric Benny Bloom’s Jazz Extravaganza + BT ALC Big Band @ Chickie Wah Wah – 10 PM

Worship My Organ ft. Marco Benevento, Robert Walter, John Medeski, Skerik, Daru Jones & DJ Logic @ Maison – 1:30 AM [Tickets]

Naughty Professor w/ Chali 2na & Nate Werth + members of the Soul Rebels & more @ d.b.a. – 2 AM

Lil Baby Jesus Peasant Party featuring Jesus Coomes and Friends @ The Maple Leaf – 3 AM [Tickets]

The New Mastersounds @ The Joy Theater – 3 AM [Tickets]


***Saturday, May 6***

Big Freedia (Live Set) + The Soul Rebels + Tank & the Bangas @ Republic NOLA – 9 PM [Tickets]

Greensky Bluegrass @ House of Blues – 9 PM [Tickets]

Bonnie Raitt Tribute w/ Emily Clark & The Passing Fancy ft. Sasha Brown, Shira Elias, Michelangelo Carubba, Todd Stoops, Steve Adams & Jack Pelletier @ D’Mac’s – 9 PM [Tickets]

Anders Osborne & Friends ft. Ivan Neville, Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz, Roosevelt Collier & Mike Dillon + Pimps of Joytime + New Orleans Suspects + Roosevelt Collier @ The Howlin’ Wolf [Tickets]

Bureau of Sabotage ft. Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Franca, John Kadlecik & Aron Magner @ Blue Nile – 10:30 PM [Tickets]

Voodoo Dead featuring Steve Kimock, Jackie Greene, George Porter Jr., Jeff Chimenti, and JM Kimock @ Republic NOLA – 1:30 AM [Tickets]

Soulive w/ The Shady Horns @ House of Blues – 2 AM [Tickets]

The New Mastersounds @ The Joy Theater – 3 AM [Tickets]


***Sunday, May 7***

17th Annual Jazz Fest Crawfish Bash ft. Erica Falls @ 3207 Derby Place – 7-10 PM [Tickets]

40th Anniversary of Barton Hall 5/8/77: A New Orleans Recreation of the Legendary Grateful Dead Show ft. Voodoo Dead w/ Steve Kimock, Jackie Greene, George Porter Jr., Jeff Chimenti, & JM Kimock plus special guests Oteil Burbridge & Papa Mali @ Republic NOLA – 9 PM [Tickets]

Khruangbin @ One Eyed Jacks – 9 PM [Tickets]

Zigaboo’s 19th Annual Funk Revue + Michael Jackson vs. Stevie Wonder (ft. Eric “Benny” Bloom, DJ Williams, Adam Deitch, Will Blades, Nigel Hall and MonoNeon) w/ Organ Freeman @ The Howlin’ Wolf – 10 PM [Tickets]

JuJu Fest 2017 Finale featuring Pirate’s Choice, The FuFu All-Stars, The Wahala Boys, & Special Guests @ Blue Nile Balcony Room – 10 PM [Tickets]

Green is Beautiful: Grant Green tribute ft. Eddie Roberts, Alan Evans, Chris Spies, Kevin Scott & Skerik @ Maple Leaf – 11 PM [Tickets]

Marco Benevento @ Maple Leaf – 3 AM [Tickets]


[Cover photo by Sam Shinault]