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A grunge revival, punk explosion and indie
super group lead Crescent City celebration

Voodoo Music Experience 2011
City Park, New Orleans, LA
October 28 - 30, 2011

Ray Davies

The Raconteurs

Soundgarden

Story and Photos by Andy Argyrakis & Billy Sparks

This year's Voodoo Music Experience may have technically missed Halloween by a day, but the spirit of revelatory celebration still hung thick in the air. Much of the reason stemmed from the extensive line-up of all-star acts (along with the frequently roving street performers), all of whom filled the weekend with wall to wall entertainment. And as has been the event's ongoing trend, this year once again saw an attendance pool that isn't just drawing fans from the Crescent City, but is quickly becoming a national (and perhaps even international) destination weekend.

Headlining heroes

The festivities began on Friday and blasted off with a bang thanks to a recently reunited Soundgarden, who outside of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, are amongst the grunge scene's most influential acts. Though Chris Cornell and company coasted on nostalgia as opposed to new material, there was plenty of power put into the group's always muscular aura and the chemistry seemed so strong it was as if these Seattle sons never left in the first place. Several cases in point came from foursome's take on alternative-era classics like "Spoonman," "Black Hole Sun" and "Superunknown," amped up all the more by tens of thousands of frenzied fans.

Speaking of reunions, Saturday's headliners Blink-182 are touring in support of this year's comeback collection Neighborhoods (DGC/Interscope), the trio's first new album since 2003. Though the group's pop/punk edge has matured since its teenage beginnings, the full-throttled set was endlessly energetic, thanks primarily to sing-a-longs of older cuts. "What's My Age Again?," "All the Small Things" and "Josie" were just a few of the band's bubbly fist pumpers, and while they may have lacked lyrical substance, they had no problem bringing on the party.

Come Sunday, the festival had clearly saved the best for last thanks to indie super group The Raconteurs. For those needing a quick refresher, that's Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence (The Greenhornes, The Dead Weather) and Patrick Keeler (The Greenhornes), who all brought a myriad of folk, blues, garage rock and alternative experimentation across a hearty split between its two CDs thus far (*Broken Boy Soldiers* and *Consolers of the Lonely*). "Salute Your Solution" and "Steady, As She Goes" served as sputtering highlights, loaded with growling guitars and a razor-sharp rhythm section that kicked up loads of grime.

A colorful undercard

Running right in line with the headliners was Snoop Dogg, who brought ample celebrity presence and several catchy singles, though he occasionally came across as an over the top caricature of himself. Electronic wizard Gregg Gillis, better known under the one man DJ moniker Girl Talk, did a better job of artfully amping up the crowd with steamy dance grooves, while Fatboy Slim catered to the club crowd all the more and kept the killer beats throbbing at all times.

Festival favorites TV On the Radio interjected some trippy art rock action, punctuated by pulsating keys and an undercurrent of funk. Portugal. The Man turned the dial towards psychedelic sounds with hints of progressive surges, while additional variety came from indie folk/acoustic pop purveyors City and Colour. From the old school punk world, Social Distortion turned in yet another rowdy and explosive show, while the seminal X still sounded fierce, despite age not being as kind to its members. Even stronger was fellow punk-tinged veterans Fishbone, who continue to flawlessly incorporate elements of ska, metal and straight up alternative rock in its ambitious amalgamation.

Regional royalty

Local flavors were also a high priority with Louisiana's own Lost Bayou Ramblers anchoring a stripped down, rootsy tag team with Violent Femmes front man Gordon Gano. Another robust collaboration was the Preservation Hall Jazz Band teaming with the Del McCoury Band for a down and dirty southern-fried jazz jam. And of course, no New Orleans extravaganza would be complete without appearances from the always fiery Dr. John or funk heroes The Original Meters.

Classic comebacks

Besides today's burgeoning bands and regional favorites, two famed classic rockers came out of the woodwork to introduce themselves to new generations, while simultaneously giving Voodoo a broader appeal for older audiences. Direct from the original British Invasion came Ray Davies, who turned in a bountiful set of solo tunes and Kinks staples like "All Day and All of the Night," "You Really Got Me" and "Low Budget" that were nothing short of resplendent. Power poppers Cheap Trick kept the hook-heavy harmonies coming at full-tilt, also defying age thanks to timeless tunes like "Dream Police," "I Want You to Want Me" and "Surrender."

Between these legends, the aforementioned indie rockers and a diverse batch of DJs, punk rockers and jazz players, the 2011 installment of Voodoo Music Experience was definitely amongst its most diverse and engaging to date. That being said, it's sure to expand even further, not just serving as the ultimate way to celebrate Halloween weekend, but as America's premiere fall music festival.