Fiya Fest 2013 during New Orleans Jazz Fest

Fiya Fest 2013

Fiyawerx Productions is an up and coming live music event promotion powerhouse and Fiya Fest is their flagship event to raise funds and awareness for The Roots of Music. On May 3, 2013, Fiyawerx went big with the first annual Fiya Fest and you can catch a glimpse below.

Funk It Blog’s Fiya Fest 2013 Highlight Video:

Dragon Smoke (Ivan Neville, Eric Lindell, Stanton Moore, Robert Mercurio)
Country Livin’, Landslide [Fleetwood Mac cover], Sunday Morning, Padlock (with Nick Daniels), Karate (with The Roots of Music)

Karl Denson & The Dirty Dozen Brass Band Horns with Nikki Glaspie, Eddie Roberts, Robert Walter, Jennifer Hartswick & Natalie Cressman
It Ain’t My Fault [Smokey Johnson cover], Who Took The Happiness Out? [Dirty Dozen Brass Band cover]

The New Orleans Suspects & The Bonerama Horns
Mardi Gras Moms Ball (with Big Sam), Pocketful Of Grits, All The Money

Funky But Better (Big Sam, Terence Higgins, Doug Wimbish, Eric McFadden, Roosevelt Collier & Khris Royal)
Funky But Better Jam, ??? (with Mike Dillon) (inc. Treme & Shake That Thing Girl), ??? (with Mike Dillon)

G.A.B.E. (George Porter Jr, Anders Osborne, Billy Iuso, Eric Bolivar)
Will It Go Around in Circles (with Skerik, Corey Glover & Peter Levin), He Bite Me (The Dragon) (with Corey Glover & Skerik), Mr. Charlie

Also check out the youtube page of Cement Level Studios for more Fiya Fest 2013 videos.

You can also find my videos from the 2012 and 2011 Fiyawerx Family Funktion Crawfish Boils here and here.

Jazz Fest 2012: Galactic members spread across the city for various side projects

One of the great things about New Orleans during Jazz Festival is that different musicians that rarely play together form special super groups. Today I’d like to feature 3 such super groups, all of which feature members of New Orleans’ own Galactic.

First up is Good Enough For Good Times, which features Jeff Raines on guitar and Robert Mercurio on bass, both members of Galactic. In addition, an up and coming drummer that you want to know about, Simon Lott. And rounding out this Meters-esque quartet is Chris Spies on organ. On this night they were joined by guest saxophonist Lucas Ellman (the younger brother of Galactic’s own Ben Ellman). Check ’em out:

Good Enough For Good Times
May 3, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ Maison

Hey! Last Minute (Meters cover):

Good Enough For Good Times
May 3, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ Maison

unknown tune #1:

Good Enough For Good Times with Lucas Ellman
May 3, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ Maison

Jack Rabbit (Greyboy Allstars cover):

Good Enough For Good Times with Lucas Ellman
May 3, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ Maison

Play It Back (Dr. Lonnnie Smith cover):

Good Enough For Good Times with Lucas Ellman
May 3, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ Maison

Play It Back (Dr. Lonnnie Smith cover) (continued):

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Next up is Garage A Trois, which, as many of you already know, consider New Orleans their homebase. Their early show at One Eyed Jack’s on Friday of the second weekend has become a tradition for many. This year it was hosted by our friends at Live Music Blog NOLA.

Below you will find a few videos I was able to capture. Although I will admit that the songs I happened to shoot are rather tame compared to some of the other stuff they got into this night (including a punk-rock version of Ween‘s “It’s Gonna Be A Long Night” and an extended “iPhone/Android rap”, both led by Mike Dillon, and both of which I captured with my eyes but not my camera.)

Garage A Trois
May 4, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks

Electric Door Bell Machine:

Garage A Trois
May 4, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks

Dugout:

Garage A Trois
May 4, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks

Assault On Precinct 13:

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The last super group I want to feature is Dragon Smoke. It consists of Ivan Neville, Stanton Moore, Robert Mercurio and Eric Lindell. This group, put together by Boom Boom Room Presents, began as a Tuesday night tradition in 2003 at the Dragon’s Den, moving to the Blue Nile in 2006 and to One Eyed Jack’s in 2009. Every Tuesday between 1st and 2nd weekend of Jazz Fest you can find these four musicians catering to the locals and any other hardcore fester’s that make it down for the full 10 days of debauchery.

These videos of Dragon Smoke were shot by the incomparable Marc Millman. Check out his photos from this show and more more of his Dragon Smoke videos.

Dragon Smoke
May 1, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s

Jet Airliner (Steve Miller Band cover):

Dragon Smoke
May 1, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s

Valerie (The Zutons / Amy Winehouse cover) – Be Thankful For What You Got (William DeVaughn cover):

Dragon Smoke
May 1, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s

Padlock:

Dragon Smoke
May 1, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s

If Love Can’t Find A Way:

Dragon Smoke
May 1, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s

Grandma’s Hands (Bill Withers cover):

Dragon Smoke
May 1, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s

Hercules (Aaron Neville cover):

Dragon Smoke
May 1, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s

Country Livin’:

Dragon Smoke
May 1, 2012 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s

Lullaby for Mercy Ann: