The rain threatened to derail this year’s Voodoo Music + Arts Festival but stellar performances, smaller crowds, and a commitment to costuming helped to make this year’s Voodoo an overall fun weekend. Friday’s steady precipitation required only a poncho, proper footwear and a good attitude to prevail (although a few stages were shut down briefly during one downpour). And by Saturday and Sunday, only a solid pair of shrimp boots and a cautious approach to maneuvering between stages was needed.
Friday was by far the strongest lineup. It was worth it to get there on time, as Des Rocs kicked off the festival on the main Altar stage. Looking very rock and roll in black leather pants, black boots, a white ribbed tank and a white Strat guitar, the energy was at full throttle from the moment he launched into “HVY MTL DRMR” (his first release). Des (Daniel Rocco) never let up and the camaraderie and joy he had with the supporting guitarist and drummer was evident. He has all the rock and roll moves – strutting the stage, climbing the drum kit or playing guitar behind his head. He was (not surprisingly) breathing heavy a few times as he stopped to bask in the crowd’s cheers but that did not temper the energy level. His influences shine through – Zeppelin, Santana, Queen – but he is highly original. Think of Black Pistol Fire or a more energetic Black Keys and you get it. Each of the dozen or so songs he played were great including a cover of “Little Help From My Friends” and the second to last song “Let Me Live/Let Me Die”, his biggest song to date. Des releases his music song by song and he closed with his next release Give Me The Night which comes out in a few weeks.
Unfortunately, teaming rain caused all but the most hardcore of fans to retreat for grandson’s excellent and political set on the Wisner stage. But against a simple backdrop stating their name, Jordan Edward Benjamin’s activist lyrics shone through. Undeterred, grandson ran through a tight set of excellent songs, ranting about do-nothing politicians and channeling his rage in his performance, at times sounding close to Rage Against The Machine and Jessie Reyez and matching their outrage. The three-piece band backing him was powerful. Towards the end of the set, they played the non-political “Despicable” before closing with their anti-greed powerhouse “Blood//Water” which starts simply and melodically and builds until it ends with screams of “What’s your alibi?” Indeed.
Bishop Briggs (and her band) entered the stage dressed as The Tethered from the movie Us with crazy wide eyes and an evil grin snapping the scissors back and forth before dropping them and launching into her newest release “Champion”. Her powerful voice, excellent songs and charismatic presence kept the crowd engaged, most of whom seemed to know every song. She played about a dozen songs most from her 2018 album Church of Scars including “Wild Horses”, “Hi-Lo” and closer and biggest song “River”. She got the crowd singing along with her medley of covers, presumably her faves (21 Pilots’ “Stressed Out”/Panic! At the Disco “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”/My Chemical Romance “Welcome to the Black Parade”). Definitely someone to keep an eye on.
Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile seemed an unlikely precursor to headliner Gun N’ Roses, but she brought her own large following and put on a strong set. Her energy and the playful nature of her twin guitarists Tim and Phil Hanseroth, long time band members, are always a crowd-pleaser. The set started off country-esque, hit her big sing-along “The Story”, and ended much harder including a Zeppelin cover of “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” with the drummer’s teen son joining the twins on guitar. A perennial festival favorite, Carlile is also currently touring as one of four members of The Highwomen.
Guns N’ Roses’ show was a much-needed treat at the end of a long and wet day, and while you wanted to be trudging home to a hot shower, the show was so compelling, there was no leaving early. They started more or less on time, and as soon as their logo posted to the backdrop the crowd was aroar. After a brief video intro, the band entered and launched into “It’s So Easy”. By the time they hit their fourth song “Welcome to the Jungle”, Axl Rose sounded strong and could carry most of the notes/songs. The band was tight – guitarist Slash hasn’t lost a thing nor has bassist Duff McKagan; guitarist Richard Fortus was outstanding trading off with Slash; drummer Frank Ferrer was heavy. And despite the name of the tour – Not In This Lifetime – the guys seemed to enjoy being on stage together.
Their 26-song, just under three-hour set included as many of their songs as they could cram in. Hard-core fans could have issues with their choices but few of their hits were missing besides “Patience”. They hit their standard covers – “Live and Let Die”, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” but also a surprising Glen Campbell/Jimmy Webb cover “Wichita Lineman”, and Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun”. They wheeled out a grand piano for Axl who killed “November Rain” before wheeling it off again and closing with “Knockin’” and “Nightrain”. But no, after a brief break and time for Axl to change into his fifth t-shirt of the night, they returned to launch into a four-song encore finally closing with “Paradise City”. The only miss was an uninspired cover of The Who’s The Seeker”. The crowd had stuck it out through the on and off rain, and it was clear that even the band did not want the night to end; they returned once more for a group bow, Axl threw his mic into the audience, guitar picks rained down, and after the festival cut Slash’s mic, he did a handstand. The only unfortunate thing about their set was you couldn’t leave, and so Big Gigantic on the Le Plur stage had to be missed.
Earlier, the light show, trancey vibe and tight song-writing of Interpol was powerful and this intrepid reporter hoped to give them a full listen but by early evening just need a break from the rain. Other sets of note were driving rockers Liily, ska-ish Magic City Hippies, indie rockers Moon Taxi, and the poetry of Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers. A great line up even if one never made it to the Le Plur stage!
Friday’s steady showers and the fact that this part of City Park gets particularly soupy with rain kept the crowds down. Although the breadth of the lineup is one of the best things about Voodoo, fans seemed to come just for “their” band, arriving late, leaving early or retreating to the Brew Dat beer tent or other covered area. t meant that each stage had a small audience, but they were committed fans. Even with some of the up and coming bands, the crowd seemed to know their music well, singing along to most songs. Much larger (but still small) crowds braved the rain at the main Altar stage for Brandi Carlile but then almost completely turned over for the headliner Guns N’ Roses. Honestly, it made for a better experience as you didn’t have to deal with chatty neighbors who weren’t interested in the band nor constantly jockey for position and could get pretty much as close as you wanted to the stage.
SATURDAY
A delayed opening on Saturday condensed the set times of the earlier bands but opener Sun Seeker appeared to have driven the morning’s cloud cover away and there was blue sky by the time North Louisiana Seratones hit the stage. And they were phenomenal. Lead singer/guitarist AJ Haynes entered in a gold and orange tulle dress like a dynamo candy corn and alternated between sweet and retro soul and powerful and edgy songs through their 11 song set. Highlights include “Gotta Get to Know Ya”, “Power” and “Crossfire” (dedicated to survivors of gun violence and police brutality). They don’t tour often so catch them when you can or grab one of their two excellent albums, 2019’s POWER or 2016’s Get Gone.
Beck put on a great show. In over twenty-five years of performing, he has continually re-invented his sound, staying relevant. And he was clearly thrilled to be in New Orleans. Entering the stage in his signature wide brim hat and skinny pants, he stood at the top of the tiered set, with the backdrop showing a silhouette camera angle from above, it was arresting. To the crowd’s delight, he opened with “Loser”, sounding as fresh as it did more than two decades ago; it was a signal he was not mailing in this set. His 17 song set touched on many of his hits including “Devil’s Haircut”, “Dreams” and “Go It Alone” and made room for new songs like “Saw Lightning” co-written with Pharrell and “Uneventful Days”. As he launched into “E-Pro”, a single huge mirrored balloon floated off the soundboard over the crowd followed quickly my tons of other balloons, giving the crowd a fun diversion. His closer was “Where’s It At” which never seemed to end. He had swapped his black outfit for white, and brought a ton of dancers on stage, seemingly plucked from the crowd, then demanded his top-notch band respond to his DJ requests and medlied through a half dozen highly-recognizable songs before reprising “Where It’s At”.
Sunday is a shorter day with the festival closing at 9 pm instead of 11 pm, meaning there is one fewer band on each stage. Post Malone was the big draw and probably the only band all weekend where it was hard to navigate the crowds. (Fans were still just arriving at 7 for his 7:30 show.) This year he started relatively on time, and without an entourage, and launched into his crooning set on a simply lit stage in front of a throng of adoring fans.
Sunday’s highlight and new discovery were Maine folk-rockers The Ghost of Paul Revere. The set started off as pure fun Americana but when the harmonica blew in on the fourth song, the band really kicked it up and stood out from other bands in this genre. With three guys trading lead vocals, a variety of instruments (the main ones being lap guitar/harmonica, banjo, acoustic guitar, drums and electric bass) and many involved in songwriting, their songs really vary widely along the folk spectrum but each song sounds distinct from the last. The harmonies are divine, percussion in integral to most songs but what made this band stand out live is the harmonica, though could not catch who was playing it. Whether it drives the beat, kicks up the energy, provides a haunting vibe or just fills the sound, it makes The Ghost of Paul Revere distinct. When bassist Sean McCarthy sings, it sounds like Johnny Cash styled by Brian Wilson. Somehow they crammed at least 15 songs into their hour-long set.
There were a few other standouts. Four-piece Brit rockers Temples sound like two bands. When they play the 60s sounding fuzzy rock that their styled appearance makes you think of, they sound great and you just want to close your eyes and groove, but other songs seems to veer oddly into indie pop territory.
A great new feature this year was the House of Blues tent. Much larger than previous years’ sponsored tent, it offered indoor and outdoor seating, a separate food and drink vendor, and plenty of room around a small stage that showcased some smaller or local bands. Three-piece pop trio Nikki’s Wives on Saturday fronted by Nikki Whitehead rocked, and garage pop Pet Fangs on Sunday had some teeth.
Flooding conditions continues to plague Voodoo. Yes, Friday’s rain was steady and continued into Saturday early am with an epic overnight thunder and wind storm, but the Festival needs to do a better job with the mud and puddles. They seem to have more put in more plastic walkways to add to the blacktop paths, but there were still too many places where one had to navigate ankle-deep mud and whole areas given over to similar height puddles. Pine needles and wood chips helped to solidify some areas and are a welcome alternative to hay (thankfully there was no barn smell), but the food area and the Le Plur stage really suffered. While one stood on blacktop to order food from the two dozen vendors, this path was also one of the few major festival arteries, and the only seating available required one to trounce through the mud. The Le Plur stage that hosts the EDM bands, the best light shows, and fans with the most elaborate costumes, had most of its prime viewing area covered in thick mud. More pathways, more pine needles, and more lighting would help to make the festival grounds more accessible and less treacherous.
While one usually looks back on Voodoo with delight in the diversity and quality of the lineup and the number of lesser-known but stellar bands, the weather and mud limited travel between stages. So rather than grazing and making new discoveries, fans are able to commit to full sets and take in bands they normally wouldn’t have the time or interest to see and hear.
2 Responses
Those Seratone photos are outstanding!
Hello!
My friends and I dressed as the Wizard of Oz at Voodoo Fest on Saturday. A photographer took our photo and told us to look up this magazine. I haven’t found the picture anywhere, so I was wondering if there is a way we can get it from her? Any info is much appreciated! Thank you!