[UPDATE 4/19/23]: New Orleans favorite Erica Falls has joined the lineup for Poppa Funk & The Night Tripper: A Tribute to Art Neville & Dr. John at The Civic Theatre on Friday, May 5th. The powerhouse singer is set to open the show with her own band before joining the headlining act as a special guest. Tickets for the show are available here.
[3/9/23]: An all-star krewe of musicians from the Big Easy and beyond will come together during Jazz Fest 2023 for another running of Poppa Funk & The Night Tripper, a loving tribute to two NOLA music giants who passed away in 2019, Art Neville and Dr. John, on Friday, May 5th at The Civic Theatre. Find ticketing information here.
Following the debut of this “to heroes, by heroes” project at the sold-out Denver Comes Alive in January 2020 and a series of pandemic-related postponements in the ensuing two years, Poppa Funk & The Night Tripper finally made its way home to New Orleans during Jazz Fest 2022. In 2023, the core of that talented outfit will regroup at the historic Civic Theatre for an unforgettable night of music and Crescent City culture.
George Porter Jr., Art Neville’s longtime friend and collaborator in The Meters, as well as Art’s son, guitarist Ian Neville (Dumpstaphunk), and his nephew, Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk), will all be in the band on Friday, May 5th. A number of other notable New Orleans music disciples round out the roster, including keyboardist/vocalist Jon Cleary, bassist/vocalist Nick Daniels (Dumpstaphunk), and the Lettuce horn section of Ryan Zoidis (saxophone) and Eric “Benny” Bloom (trumpet). Additional artists will be added to the lineup as the concert approaches. An opening band is also due to be added in the coming weeks.
Both Art Neville (also known as “Poppa Funk”) and Dr. John (whose billed performer name was “Dr. John The Night Tripper”) exerted notable influence on musicians and music fans in the Big Easy and beyond. Art Neville, a three-time Grammy award winner, was the founding member of the quintessential New Orleans funk band, The Meters, and was a co-founder of The Neville Brothers and the later-career Meters spin-off, The Funky Meters. He was a foundational player in New Orleans who went on to record with many of the top rock, pop, and soul artists of his era.
Six-time Grammy winner Malcolm “Mac” John Rebennack Jr., a.k.a. Dr. John, is one of the most recognizable characters to ever emerge from the New Orleans music scene. Heavily influenced by the theatrics and aesthetic of his early mentor, Professor Longhair, Rebennack adopted a flamboyant style on stage that stuck with him for the entirety of his career. Following a stint in Los Angeles as a member of the famed studio band known as the “Wrecking Crew,” Rebennack returned to New Orleans where he took on the “Dr. John The Night Tripper” persona and launched a legendary solo career centered around the combination of New Orleans funk, psychedelic rock, and jazz.
With this incredible lineup of New Orleans music royalty on deck and countless other musicians in town for Jazz Fest and its surrounding festivities, the 2023 edition of Poppa Funk & The Night Tripper at The Civic Theatre on Friday, May 5th promises to be a Big Easy blowout for the ages.
Pre-sale tickets to Poppa Funk & The Night Tripper at The Civic Theatre on Friday, May 5th, 2023 are on sale now using the password FESTBYNITE via this link. Remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 10th at 12:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. ET here. Scroll down to the bottom of this page for complete show details.
This show is part of a long, varied list of concerts as part of Live For Live Music’s Fest by Nite series during New Orleans Jazz Fest 2023. The series is set to begin during weekend one of Jazz Fest with The Nth Power‘s Tribute to The Gap Band featuring members of Dumpstaphunk and more at Toulouse Theatre (Friday, 4/28, 12:30 a.m.), TAUK‘s Parliament-Funkadelic vs. Sly and the Family Stone celebration featuring Kanika Moore, Antwaun Stanley, and The Horn Section at Toulouse Theatre (Saturday, 4/29, 9:00 p.m.); The Funk Sessions featuring members of Lettuce, Galactic, and more at Toulouse Theatre (Saturday, 4/29, 1:00 a.m.); SPAGA Plays Dead at Toulouse Theatre (Sunday, April 30th, 8:00 p.m.); and Maurice “MOBETTA” Brown & Friends at Toulouse Theatre (Sunday, April 30th, 1:00 a.m.).
During the “Daze Between” Jazz Fest’s two weekends, music fans in New Orleans can also take part in the fun at Daze Between New Orleans, a two-day music festival at Faubourg Brewery on Tuesday, May 2nd and Wednesday, May 3rd featuring four sets of Goose over two nights in addition to performances by Tank and the Bangas, Lawrence, Neal Francis, David Shaw, George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Eggy, Melt, Honey Island Swamp Band, J & The Causeways, and The Quickening. A portion of proceeds from the Daze Between New Orleans will benefit New Orleans nonprofit organizations via Rex Foundation. Find ticketing information via the festival website.
The Fest by Nite programming will continue through the “Daze Between” and into weekend two with Daze by Nite featuring members of Lettuce, Lawrence, Dumpstaphunk, and more with Eggy at The Howlin’ Wolf (Tuesday, 5/2); The Daze Between Band at Tipitina’s (Wednesday, 5/3 – SOLD OUT); a Steely Dan Tribute featuring members of Cool Cool Cool, The Nth Power, The Motet, and more at The Howlin’ Wolf (Thursday, May 4th, 1:00 a.m.); two nights of The Disco Biscuits at the Mahalia Jackson Theater (Friday, May 5th and Saturday, May 6th); an LP Giobbi Dead House Dead & Company after-party at The Howlin’ Wolf with special guest Yesmann (Saturday, May 6th, 9:00 p.m.); Warship My Organs at The Howlin’ Wolf (Saturday, May 6th, 1:00 a.m.); and Purple Party: A Tribute To Prince at The Howlin’ Wolf (Sunday, May 7th, 12:00 a.m.).
Check out the gallery below for a running list of concerts included in the 2023 edition of Live For Live Music’s Fest by Nite series in New Orleans during Jazz Fest. For an updating list of announcements and ticketing details, head here. Follow Live For Live Music on social media to stay updated on new additions to the series as Jazz Fest approaches.
***SHOW INFO***
Show: Live For Live Music Presents: Poppa Funk & The Night Tripper — A Tribute To Art Neville & Dr. John
Band: Ivan Neville (keys, vocals), George Porter Jr. (bass, vocals), Ian Neville (guitar), Jon Cleary (keys, vocals), Nick Daniels (bass, vocals), Alvin Ford Jr. (drums), Ryan Zoidis (saxophones), Eric “Benny” Bloom (trumpet), Erica Falls
Support: Erica Falls
Date: Friday, May 5th, 2023
Time: Doors 8:00 p.m. / Support (TBA) 9:00 p.m. / Headliner 10:30 p.m.
Venue: The Civic Theatre – 510 O’Keefe Ave, New Orleans, LA 70113
Tickets: Advance General Admission: $30–$45 / Day of Show General Admission: $50 / Reserved Seating: $40–$75
