Music has always been a special part of my life; it's the thing that “makes me tick.” I’ve played piano, violin, and guitar for most of my life in orchestras, small ensembles, and on my own. This is actually my second time in the city, and while I am too young to remember it, my parents love to tell stories of how I loved spending hours listening to the music on the street and riding in the streetcar. While my time in this city looks a little different with the addition of bookpacking and writing papers, when I am done with work for the day, it still closely resembles my visit about 17 years ago.
Our first full day in New Orleans began with a walking tour of the French Quarter, the original boundary of the city in 1718. As we dodged the sunny side of the sidewalk or banquette, as it’s called in NOLA, I started my Google Maps list of places to check out later. As overpowering as the heat was, it was no match for my excitement to be in this city of music.
One of my favorite areas we passed through was Jackson Square, honoring the complicated Founding Father, Andrew Jackson. Many of the statues and plaques still portray a somewhat rosy view of him and his legacy, although some recent additions add additional context to the complicated history of this city.
This square, which used to be the ground of military parades, now welcomes a new type of congregation, hosting many street vendors and musicians. Everything from tarot readings and colorful artwork to solo musicians and brass jazz bands. Our group stopped to listen to a classic brass sextet playing traditional New Orleans jazz, a subset that originated from a combination of jazz chord progressions and upbeat ragtime rhythms. Naturally, I was last to leave and had to run to catch up to the rest of the group on the way to the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum.
This museum addresses the gross injustice that African Americans and Women faced in access to quality pharmaceuticals, barriers to a pharmaceutical education, and barriers to the jobs they deserved once they did receive an education. The museum used examples from around the world, but had a specific focus on the neighborhood it's in. It was an important reminder of the difficult racial past of the city.
After the museum, we were off for the day to explore the city and continue bookpacking. I started making my way deeper into the French Quarter without a plan, simply following the music. While much of the live music is in 21+ establishments at night, they are typically open to everyone during the day.
I first found myself outside the Vampire Cafe, a themed restaurant near the center of the quarter. In a 10’ by 10’ tent outside the restaurant on the street, there was a three-piece band playing some Swamp Blues. This genre is a slower tempo blues with Cajun and Jazz influences, often known for soulful, ethereal vocals and a strong bassline. With just a keyboard, bass, drumset, and vocals, they captured my attention. I sat for the better part of an hour enjoying the music from the street. It’s hard to define what pulls me in so deep to this music, but something about the gritty vocals and the soaring piano runs kept me sat. There is nothing quite like the feeling of live music like this.
When the band finished their set, I finally moved on, still without a plan or deadline, just following my ears. I continued on my way, stopping in piano bars and cafes, just taking it in. This is by far my favorite part of the city. No timelines, just finding more music to enjoy.
Another one of my favorite stops was outside Cafe Beignet, a local chain. Right in the street, a musician was playing an impressive combination of guitar, harmonica, vocals, whistling, and drums and percussion with his feet. All of this, combined with a harmonizer pedal, brought an impressively full sound from just one person. I spent another hour listening to his music, commonly known as Neo-Soul Blues. This genre combines classical soul vocals and blues style with new instrumentations and forms. I thoroughly enjoyed this musician’s sound and innovative way of making classic blues music his own. Something about the way music relates to human emotions is special.
All in all, I spent about 5 hours exploring the French Quarter in heat I was not suited for as a Wisconsinite, but it was still one of my favorite days in the city.
The musical exploration continued the next day, with a second line parade. These jubilant parades are put on every Sunday afternoon during the summer parade season. They began as a form of advertisement for neighborhood social aid organizations, and were also used in funerals as a celebration and honoring of life. They consist of a brass band parading down the street, with the club members following in colorful and coordinated outfits behind. Members of the community follow behind as the “second line.” These jubilant celebrations are at the heart of the city's cultural identity.
Yet again, we faced some oppressive heat, made worse by our preparation for a rainstorm that never came. As we got closer and closer, the sidewalks and medians started filling up with grills strapped to pickup trucks, pop-up tailgate bars, and lots of people. I didn’t know what to expect, but there was palpable excitement in the air.
As we neared the start of the parade, most of the group went into a local fried chicken restaurant on the corner, but I decided to try my luck with one of the barbecues in a truck. For just $6 I had one of the best smoked sausages I’ve ever tried.
Finally, the parade arrived! It was a sea of dancing people, lead by a brass jazz band, accompanied by all sorts of makeshift percussion. The energy was electric; all generations were dancing and having the time of their lives. Thousands of people marched with no differentiation between the road, yard, or sidewalk. Behind the jazz band, multiple open trailers played their own music, with people dancing and DJs spinning mostly hip-hop and rap.
We followed this parade until its end, about an hour and a half later, and I quickly made plans to return the next week. I’ve experienced parades before but it’s never been quite like this. The energy from the music is felt by everyone, making it a truly community-oriented event. The music I’ve heard in the French Quarter is the music of the city, but parades like these are where the residents themselves go to experience it.
