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Review and photos by Mary Andrews And The Rain Came!The "mud" people showed regardless of the water accumulation! The rain waxed and waned all day until a final downpour started about 4pm for an hour. Thursday is considered "locals day" since most of the second weekenders start on Friday. The morning started with some righteous gospel music by the Mercy Brothers. Their tent revival, hand-clapping music got the crowd going for the rest of the day! Kevin Sekhani, the lead singer, is pictured here. I meandered over to the Congo Stage for some Latin Salsa, Merengue fusion by Grupo Sensacion. Upbeat rhythms was lead by a female singer and a couple dancing across the stage. Once I heard a downpour was eminent, I was off to the Blues tent for some down home blues. First J Monque'd Blues Band was playing. This band is harmonica driven by a long time New Orleans native. J. has played with some of the biggest names around town. He knows how to work an audience and has a lot of fun doing it. Next up was an 80-year old bluesman, Drink Small! He hails from South Carolina and is known as the 'Blues Doctor', and has been influenced by gospel, country music and Blind Boy Fuller. He has recorded dirty blues tracks such as "Tittie Man" and "Baby, Leave Your Panties Home," as well as more righteous offerings such as "The Lord Been Good to Me." The bluesman did mostly covers and did an original tune about a nurse - who "knows where a man hurts." Mia Borders was at the Acura stage rocking out in the rain. Mia is backed by a very tight band of local musicians who take it to the limits. Mia was a pleasure to watch and hear! Henry Butler and his smokin' band brought the crowd out to the rain! He is a bluesman who has a classically trained voice and a master with the "ivories." Blinded by glacoma at birth, he has been playing piano since he was six years old. Butler was accompanied by a killer guitar player! The Dirty Dozen Brass Band took the stage before Widespread Panic. They kept the energy going before the favored jam band! Pictured is Karl Denson. Widespread Panic played for 2 1/2 hours through the rain. To the delight of the muddy audience, they added an extra 10 minutes to the set. They played a song called "Hatfield" which lyrics dealt with the rain. This coincided with the downpour of the moment. Over 80% of the crowd stayed till the end! Patti Smith took the stage on the other side of the fairgrounds. I have to admit that I have never seen her perform until today. She is probably one of the most influential performers from the punk rock era. It was obvious she was happy and glad to be at Jazz Fest the moment she appeared. It was an uplifting experience until the finish. She dedicated "Ghost Dance," with its refrain of "we shall live again," "to all who lost their lives or their homes or were displaced in the floods of Katrina." Hurricane Sandy, when it hit New York and New Jersey in the fall of 2012, she said, "all it did was make us think of you." The powerful set included "Because the Night" and "Gloria." |
 Patti Smith |
 Anderson |
 Widespread Panic |
 Patti Smith |
 Widespread Panic |
 Mia Borders |
 The Mercy Brothers |
 Patti Smith |
 The Dirty Dozen Brass Band |
 Grupo Sensacion |
 Drink Small |
 J Monque'd Blues Band |
 Widespread Panic |