Looking for more to do this week? Check out the latest on Gambit’s calendar at calendar.gambitweekly.com.
Beignet Fest
Beignet Fest returns with more than 15 vendors offering sweet and savory beignets, a live music stage, a kids’ stage and more at the festival grounds in City Park. The music lineup includes Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Shamarr Allen, Water Seed and more. The Beignet Fest Foundation uses proceeds from the event to support area programs for children with developmental delays. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. Admission is $20. Children under 13 get in free with an adult admission. Visit beignetfest.com for information.
Red Bulls Street Kings
The battle of the brass bands features Big 6, Young PinStripe, Kings of Brass and Sporty’s Brass Band in a traditional second-line round and paired with MCs including Alfred Banks, $leazy EZ and more. Rappers Curren$y and Mia X are among the judges. The competition begins at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Music Box Village. Find tickets via musicboxvillage.com.
Thundercat
Thundercat’s killer fourth album “It Is What It Is” won the 2021 Grammy for best progressive R&B album — but that’s an ill-fitting label for a style that just can’t be easily described. There are deep, funky bass grooves, chill electronica vibes, clear bass virtuosity and a lot of humor. Whatever it’s called, Thundercat is a fun artist and often strange trip. He plays at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the Orpheum Theater. Tickets start at $30 via orpehumnola.com.
New Orleans Burlesque Festival
The festival features a Queen of Burlesque competition and various styles — from classic styles with live music to more edgy modern visions — of burlesque from local and visiting performers. Performances are at the House of Blues Friday, Sept. 23, through Sunday, Sept. 25, and some events are available online. Visit neworleansburlesque.com for tickets and information.
Dr. John drew on country and western influences for final studio album.
Vieux Farka Toure
Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure is following in the footsteps of his father, Ali Farka Toure, an early leader of the desert blues. He’s recorded his more modern mix of blues, world music, Malian folk and more in the U.S. in recent years. He performs at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at The Broadside. Tickets $25 via broadsidenola.com.
Culture Collision
More than 60 local performing arts organizations, community radio stations, museums, parading groups and more preview their upcoming seasons, memberships, volunteer opportunities and more at a happy hour event at Jefferson Performing Arts Center. Participating groups include Le Petit Theatre, Dancing Grounds, Disco Amigos, WWNO, The NOLA Project and New Orleans Film Society, and there are some short preview performances. From 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21. Visit culturenola.com for details.
Earth Wind & Fire
The legendary soul, funk and R&B band has sold more than 100 million albums in its more than five decades together. It’s always a big crowd pleaser at Jazz Fest. Earth, Wind & Fire performs at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, at Saenger Theatre. Find tickets via saengernola.com.
Oktoberfest at Faubourg
Faubourg Brewery kicks off two weekends of Oktoberfest celebrations with Oktoberfest beers, music by the Bayou Bavarians and The Brats, a beer stein-holding contest, games, festival food from local vendors and more. Events run from noon to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25, and Oct. 1-2. Visit faubourgbrewery.com for information.
Collective Soul & Switchfoot
For a lot of the ’90s, you couldn’t avoid a Collective Soul song. And the same could be said for Switchfoot in the early-2000s, with hits like “Meant to Live” and “Dare You to Move.” Both bands recently released new records — Switchfoot’s “Interrobang” released in August 2021 and Collective Soul’s “Vibrating” released last month — and are on tour together. They play at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. Tickets are $49.50 via mahaliajacksontheater.com.
The show spans 150 years of photography by Black American artists and includes more than 250 objects.
Jack White
Earlier this year, Jack White released his fourth and fifth solo records, swinging from the blues and garage rock he’s become known for on “Fear of the Dawn” to a more mellow folk rock style on “Entering Heaven Alive.” The idiosyncratic rocker is now on the “Supply Chain Issues” tour, with a show at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.) Friday, Sept. 23, at The Fillmore. Tickets start at $65 at fillmorenola.com.
Eric Vloeimans & Will Holshouser
Earlier this month, Dutch trumpeter Eric Vloeimans and American accordionist Will Holshouser released their sophomore album as a duo, “Two for the Road,” recorded live during a 2021 tour of the Netherlands. The pair — both virtuosos in their own right — have a unique sound influenced by a range of styles, from jazz to folk music traditions and chamber music. Now on a North American tour, they perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at Happyland Theater with Will Thompson and Chris Alford, and at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, at the Broadside with Brad Walker and Mahmoud Chouki. Find tickets and more information at scatterjazz.com.
Diana Krall
Grammy-winning pianist and singer Diana Krall returns to New Orleans for a performance at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, at the Saenger Theatre. Tickets start at $55 via saengernola.com.
King Buffalo
Rochester, New York, desert rockers King Buffalo released its spaced out fifth album, “Regenerator” earlier this month. The trio is now on a cross-country tour with a show at 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, at Gasa Gasa. Tickets are $15 via ticketweb.com.
‘United States of Amnesia’
Artist José Torres-Tama will perform a new one-man-show, “United States of Amnesia: Dare to Remember,” at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Ashe Powerhouse Theater. Torres-Tama’s magical realist approach jumps through history to explore how a capitalist empire seduces its people to forget about inequities, corruption and white supremacy. The show was co-commissioned by GALA Hispanic Theatre with the Ashe Cultural Arts Center. Tickets are $10 via ashenola.org.
Big Sam’s Funky Nation
For their Friday, Sept. 23, show at Tipitina’s, Big Sam’s Funky Nation will be joined by vocalist Erica Falls, emcee Alfred Banks and DJ Black Pearl. The band Roccadile also will make its Tip’s debut. Show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $22 via tipitinas.com.
Lilli Lewis
Americana singer-songwriter Lilli Lewis along with Jeremy Joyce and Ever More Nest recently organized NOLAxNashville, a Nashville showcase of New Orleans Americana artists that also included Lynn Drury, Shawn Williams, Loose Cattle and Mia Borders. You can now catch Lewis back home at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, during the next Piano Hour at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Admission is free, and the performance will be streamed at facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live.
Michot’s Melody Makers with Quintron
Electrified out-there Cajuns Michot’s Melody Makers will be joined by New Orleans madman Quintron for a show at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Broadside. Tickets are $20 via broadsidenola.com.
Food events fill the fall calendar in New Orleans.
