A Typical Day at Jazz Fest

7:00 a.m. Wake up and get ready to meet Larry to drive into the city for the Fest.
8:00 a.m. On our way, we stop at Burger King for a quick breakfast on the go.
9:00 a.m. We get to the city and find a parking space on a side street. To park on the official Fest grounds cost $35.00. There’s a house next to the street where we park that uses their yard to park cars. They charge $20.00 a car to park and they pack in at least fifty cars, that’s a $1,000.00 a day they clear during Jazz Fest.
10:30 a.m. They open the gates and let us in. It’s never a sure thing what time they’re going to let us in. Sometimes it’s around this time, sometimes it’s 11:00, once it was even after 11:00 which is the official start time of the Fest. Larry and I head over to the Gentilly Stage where Shannon McNally is going to be the first performer.
11:30 a.m. Shannon takes the stage and gives a great performance as always. This is her first appearance at Jazz Fest. Looking behind us, we are of course at the front of the stage, Larry and I comment how crowded it is for this early in the day. Normally the first acts don’t draw that big a crowd, but Shannon’s audience goes all the way back and is packed. It looks like it’s going to be a big day for the Fest.
1:00 p.m. Charmine Neville is the next act on the Gentilly Stage after Shannon. We decide to stay and watch her. Charmine is the daughter of Charles Neville from the famous first family of New Orleans’ music the Neville Brothers. This is the first time I’ve seen Charmine, thought I’ve always heard good things about her, and it proves true. She puts on a show full of energy. She is all over the stage singing and dancing. Her next to last song is one of my favorites, a cover of Louis Armstrong’s “It’s A Wonderful World.”
2:00 p.m. The next act we want to see is Bobby Charles over at the Fais Do Do stage, but it doesn’t start till 3:10, so we have some time to walk around and get something to eat. We head over to the Book Stall. Yesterday we made most of our initial purchases of official Jazz Fest poster, t-shirt and beads. We brose the book stall and I find the Fats Domino book out in trade paperback. I decide to wait and try and come back because I don’t want to carry it around with me all day. It won’t fit in my pack and my luck I’d lay it down and forget it somewhere. After the books we go get something to eat. Larry gets the alligator gumbo, I’m more conservative when it comes to eating and order the Bar-B-Que chicken sandwich.
3:10 p.m. We make it to the Fais Do Do stage. Bobby Charles is a legendary songwriter who penned such classics as “Walking to New Orleans,” “The Jealous Kind,” “See Ya Later Alligator,” and a many more. He has become a recluse the last decade and rarely ventures from his home or gives interviews. Jazz Fest has supposedly lured him out to do a show, though in today’s newspaper it reports that he may cancel due to ill health and a dream he had where he dreamt he was shot in the leg. His band for the show is Dr. John and Sonny Landreth with guests Marcia Ball and Shannon McNally. Sure enough he doesn’t show, but the others go on as “Friends of Bobby Charles.” Shannon comes out and does three songs from the writer, followed by Marcia Ball and than Dr. John. Dr. John of course does “Walking to New Orleans.”
4:00 p.m. The Bobby Charles show isn’t quite over but across the Fairgrounds at the Lagniappe Stage is Alexa Ray Joel, daughter of Billy Joel and a fine singer/songwriter in her own right. We decide to head over there since the show is already starting. We manage to make it fairly quick and get to see most of her show. Alexa Ray puts on a good show. She has a very seasoned stage presence. After the show we get our picture taken with her and she autographs my hat.
5:00 p.m. We can’t decide on what final act we want to see. We stop and get some iced tea and hit the Live Recording Tent to see if the cd of Shannon’s show is for sale yet. It isn’t so we decide to head towards the Gentilly Stage and check out Norah Jones. The crowd is crazy packed, we can’t get close at all. We listen to a few songs and than decide to check out Rod Stewart at the Acrua Stage. It’s just as crazy with people. We sit off to the side, we can’t even see the stage with him on it, but we can hear it fine. We listen for about thirty minutes and decide to head back to the Book Stall to get our books. After getting our books we head out. It’s now 7:00 o’clock.
8:00 p.m. Shannon McNally and Theresa Anderson are doing a show at Carrolton Station so we head over there. They serve food so we get some burgers before the show.
10:00 p.m. The show starts with Shannon doing an acoustic show. She gives a great show and a full show. She brings Theresa up for a couple songs.
11:30 p.m. Theresa Anderson comes on stage with her band to perform. Theresa always gives a great show. She brings Shannon up to do a song. At 1:00 o’clock she says the band is going to take a break and will be back to do more. Larry and I look at each other and we both know we can’t go anymore. Especially since we have to do all this over again tomorrow for the third day of Jazz Fest. So reluctantly we decide to head home and miss the last half of Theresa’s show. The good thing is that Theresa performs Sunday at Jazz Fest.
2:00 a.m. Home and tired from another great day at Jazz Fest.