Happy Weekend - Five Fun Things to Do in NOLA - 1/31/2014

Five Fun Things to do in NOLA this Weekend!

Friday!

Wine Tasting Fun!

Vino!

It's the weekly wine tasting over at Pearl Wine Company (Orleans at Moss St.) - from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.  Come out and taste the Wines of Marchesi de Frescobaldi before you buy. Plus! Galen Crippin, Director for Frescobaldi Wines of Italy, will be on-air with WGSO's The Wine Show with Tim McNally!

And you can double your wine tasting fun! Check out Swirl located on Ponce de Leon right off Esplanade and enjoy five FREE fabulous wines at 6:00 pm. Be sure grab a delicious small plate while you're there!

Mississippi Rail Company at Gasa Gasa Tonight!

Come out tonight to Gasa Gasa on Freret Street at 9:00 p.m. to celebrate New Orleans' own Mississippi Rail Company's launch of their new single, "Big Bad Wolf". (Listen to the new track, here: http://bit.ly/MRCrelix.)
*The band's unique blend of soulful blues breathes fresh, youthful energy into classic New Orleans roots music - moving music forward via a vehicle of the past. To celebrate a year of new tunes, Mississippi Rail Company will headline a hometown show in New Orleans at Gasa Gasa with support from the Coyotes.
For tickets visit: http://tktwb.tw/1geSsQF and for more on the band visit: www.mississippirailcompany.com. Come on out for a fantastic evening of live music on Freret Street!

If you love New Orleans classic music, then head on over to BJ's Lounge (4301 Burgundy) this evening for some down home Blues guitar - Tonight is the one and only Little Freddie King - Blues man Little Freddie is a member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, and 42 year regular at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival - don't miss out on this Louisiana legend!  The fun starts up at 10:30 pm!!!




Saturday!

Freret Market! Start your weekend off at the Freret Street Market (corner of Freret and Napoleon) for more than 90 vendors with loads of food, produce, art, collectibles, pet adoptions, music and appearances by the Big Easy Roller Girls.  The market runs from noon to 5:00 pm and musical performances include - The Upstarts at Noon, Louisiana Hellbenders at 1:45 pm, and Caesar Brothers Band at  3:30 pm!  For more info visit www.freretmarket.org

The House of Blues (225 Decatur Street) celebrates their 20th Anniversary Saturday night as the longest running HOB in the country. Come out for the FREE party at 9:00 p.m. with headliner Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers plus Colin Lake. It's going to be a night of festive fun on Decatur Street - Don't miss out!




Alrighty, well that should keep you busy this weekend...If you're looking for more fun stuff to do...check out the WWOZ Livewire -  http://www.wwoz.org/new-orleans-community/music-calendar and tune in today (Friday!) from 11-2 pm for the Louisiana Music Party with my hubby Bill deTurk!!

Monday - Come Celebrate the Life of Coco Robicheaux

Happy Monday Everybody - Celebrate the life a true New Orleans original - Coco Robicheaux!

Family, friends and fans of Coco Robicheaux, beloved local musician and ever familiar face on Frenchmen Street, will commemorate and celebrate his life with a Second-Line Parade and Concert today.  The second line will begin on Frenchmen Street in in the Faubourg Marigny at 3:30 p.m. and the Treme Brass Band will lead the procession through the Marigny and French Quarter. The procession will conclude at the House of Blues (225 Decatur) at about 6 p.m. and there will be a free concert featuring Glen David Andrews, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Honey Island Swamp Band, John Mooney, J. Monque'D, Irene Sage and others. Come celebrate the life of a true New Orleans character.

Festive Monday Fun!!

Enjoy the sounds of the season at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis in Jackson Square. Produced by French Quarter Festivals, Inc., the St. Louis Cathedral Concerts feature a variety of New Orleans artists including well-known jazz, classical, and gospel musicians. Beloved holiday classics and gospel favorites will be performed in one of the country's most beautiful and historic churches.

Tonight's concert is the Philip Manuel & the Shades of Praise from 6:00 to 7:00 pm - check out the full schedule below and make plans to hear some great music in a beautiful setting!
•Monday, December 12 -- Philip Manuel & the Shades of Praise
•Tuesday, December 13 -- The Faubourg Quartet
•Wednesday, December 14 -- The Preservation Hall Allstars Present a Creole Christmas
•Sunday, December 18 -- St. Louis Basilica annual Christmas Concert ( at 5 p.m.)
•Monday December 19 -- Dan Vappie
•Tuesday, December 20 -- Irvan Mayfield
•Wednesday, December 21 -- St. Peter Claver Gospel Choir

Celebrate the season at Lafreniere Park (3000 Downs Boulevard) - The annual “Holiday in the Park” The beautiful light display is nightly from dusk 'til 9:00 pm and admission is $3 a car.  The light display is generously donated by the family of the late Al Copeland - The park comes alive for the holidays with thousands of twinkling lights and displays.

And there's more holiday fun at City Park with Celebration in the Oaks! The Celebration runs nightly through January 1st - Sunday thru Thursday from 6:00 pm to 10:00pm and Friday & Saturday 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm (closed Christmas Eve and New Years Eve). There are fabulous new exhibits, nightly entertainment, synthetic ice skating rink, amusement park rides. "Experience and enjoy one of the country's most unique month-long holiday festival of lights!" A beloved holiday tradition for the last 25 years - visit www.celebrationintheoaks.com for more info!

Monday Night Music

If you're Uptown - Enjoy an early holiday Monday with some porch sippin' over at the Columns Hotel (3811 St. Charles)....Tonight David Doucet of Beausoleil fame performs at 8:00 pm tonight!

Head on down to Mid-City and to the Banks Street Bar (4401 Banks) about 10:00 pm for the N'awlins Johnnys and FREE red beans tonight!

And If you're lookin' for some bluegrass music tonight you don't have to go too far to find it....Check out the Hi Ho Lounge (2239 St. Claude) and the Bluegrass Pickin' Party at 8:00 pm....plus cheap and yummy and red beans (veggie red beans too) and it's smoke-free!!

Lots of fun around Frenchmen Street!

d.b.a. (618 Frenchmen) has an excellent double header tonight with Washboard Chaz Blues Trio at 6:00 pm, and stay on for Glen David Andrews at 9:00 pm (there's a $5 cover for the late show - but that's not much to pay for this performance!)

BMC (1331 Decatur) has a great early show at 5:00 pm with Lil Red and Big Bad...then stay on for the next show at 9:30 with Smoky Greenwell's Blues Jam!!

And two great shows at the Maison (508 Frenchmen) with The Royal Roses at 7:00 pm, and The New Orleans Super Jam at 10:00 pm.

Be sure to make a stop by the Spotted Cat (623 Frenchmen) early for this great line-up of music...Brett Richardson at 4:00 pm, Dominick Grillo and The Frenchmen Street All Stars at 6:00 pm and be sure to stay on for Kristina Morales and the Bayou Shufflers at 10:00 pm.....it's sure to be another smokin' Monday evening show.

To top off you're evening....you gotta go Uptown and over to the Maple Leaf (8316 Oak) for Papa Grows Funk at 10:00 pm - they'll get your Monday night funked up - remember there's a cover - but it's worth it!!!

Have a great one...and for more musical fun check out WWOZ Livewire - http://www.wwoz.org/new-orleans-community/music-calendar...until tomorrow!



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