The day at VoodooFest

It rained Friday so I was worried about it raining Saturday. But we got lucky, there was no rain. The day started off a little on the cool side, enough to require a light jacket. By noon the sun was out and the jackets were off. It never got higher than the high seventies, so the temperature couldn't have been better.

The only compalint I have is that the gates were supposed to open at nine. We were there around eight. I know, we're obessive like that, getting to these things early. It was me and Larry, my old Jazzfest partner. The gates didn't open till almost ten thirty. There was even an annoucement at nine from inside the grounds that the time was nine and the gates were opening. But they didn't. So we all stood around for an hour and a half waiting.

Still that was the only bad spot in an otherwise wonderful day. The acts we saw were:

Ellipsis
Terra Diablo
Amanda Shaw
Rockie Charles
Trombone SHorty
Broken Social Scene
Imagination Movers
Zydepunks
Shooter Jennings
Drive by Truckers
Meters
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Some of the acts we couldn't get close enough to take pictures. The Peppers were the band that everyone was there to see. It was packed, probably at least fifty/sixty thousand people there to see them. They put on a good show. The Meters were, as always, better than ever. These guys look like they are having fun on the stage, not worrying about anything. They play what they want to play, asking the auidence for suggestions, just playing anything. They have nothing to prove, these guys are four legends for their work.

Still the best act for me was the Truckers. These guys put on an awesome show. The night before Katrina hit New Orleans, that Saturday night, the Truckers were at at Tipitinas. They played to like two or three o'clock in the morning. They were the last act to play in New Orleans for some time. They did a version of Louisiana 1927 that was great.

The Peppers did a version of Arlo Gutherie's City of New Orleans. Flea didn't sing it, their guitarist did. I'm not sure who's playing guitar with them now, I know they've changed a few times. He started the song and than stopped and turned from the mike, cursing. He had forgotten the words. He came back with an apology and than sang it to the end. And he did a good job. Some kids next to us asked if we knew who had originally did that song. I guess they figured the two old guys must know that.

All in all we couldn't have asked for a better day. The layout for the fest was good and there was a lot there. This was my first year to make it, but I will be back next year.