YLC Wednesday at the Square 2008 Summer Lineup

 

April 2nd

Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk
The band was recently voted 2007’s “New Orleans Best Funk Band” by both Offbeat Magazine and Gambit Weekly.
Founders Ivan Neville and Ian Neville (sons of both Aaron Neville and Art Neville respectively), along with Nick Daniels, Tony Hall, and Raymond Webber, were brought up in an atmosphere of sounds that have arguably become the most defining in all of New Orleans music. “Dumpstaphunk is the best funk band from New Orleans right now.” -New York Times

WEATHERED
Recently voted the Best Cover Band for the Best of the Big Easy Awards 2007, this quintet can do everything as evidenced by their song list covering the biggest hits from yesterday to today, often in their own satirical way!

 

April 9th

The Boogie Men
New Orleans' premier horn-powered dance band consists of nine members capable of performing a wide variety of music styles ranging from the "big band era" to the most current popular songs, and everything in between.

Fleur de Lis
Fleur de Lis is an exciting new 8 piece horn band formed by former members of the bands Burgundy and Benny Grunch. The band is dedicated to music and to sharing their love of music with their audience by putting on high-energy shows guaranteed to appeal to all ages.

 

April 16th

Doug Kershaw
Doug Kershaw, known as the Ragin Cajun, is considered by most to be the king of the fiddle players. Since his early days on a Louisiana bayou, he still takes a fiddle beyond what most what most people think possible. Kershaw, with the energy of a nuclear bomb, plays so incredibly fast that clouds of rosin soar from his horse hair bow, giving the impression that it is smoking! Often, he will wear out two or three bows per song - playing, dancing and singing at the same time. Mastering over 20 instruments, many of Doug's peers, including the great Jimmy C. Newman, consider him as the best musician, singer, songwriter and performer to ever come out of southwest Louisiana.

Amanda Shaw
Only 16 years of age, New Orleans fiddler/songwriter/singer Amanda Shaw makes an impressive debut with Pretty Runs Out, her new album on Rounder Records that runs a fairly wide gamut of musical styles but never sounds like it comes from anyplace other than her home town.

 

April 23rd

Dirty Dozen Brass Band
For nearly thirty years, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band has defined and redefined the New Orleans sound on sparkling, genre-busting albums; in thousands of concerts in all parts of the globe; and as in-demand collaborators for everyone from traditional revivalist Danny Barker to space-age rock star David Bowie. The most prolific modern New Orleans brass band, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band are an international concert performance force!

Big Sam's Funky Nation
Presiding over his Funky Nation is Big Sam, formerly the trombonist for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, who blows the funk out of his trombone and refuses to let the audience sit still. Between solos and trombone riffs, Big Sam second-lines (a uniquely New Orleans style of street-dance) and gets the crowd going both in movement and in replies to his call-and-response MC-style.

 

April 30th

Marcia Ball
Singer/pianist Marcia Ball knows how to raise roofs and tear down walls with her infectious, intelligent and deeply emotional brand of southern boogie, rollicking, roadhouse blues and heartfelt ballads. Over the course of her three-decade career, Ball has earned a huge and intensely loyal following all over the world. Her exquisite piano playing and passionate, playful vocals fuse New Orleans and Gulf Coast R&B with Austin's deep songwriting tradition into a sound No Depression described as "a little rock, a lot of roll, a pinch of rhythm and a handful of blues."

Pine Leaf Boys
Every once in awhile it happens - the gods of Cajun tap another young group to hoist the banner of traditional Cajun-Creole music and as of late, it’s the Grammy-nominated Pine Leaf Boys who have been summoned.

 

May 7th

Porter-Batiste-Stoltz
Porter-Batiste-Stoltz (PBS), an outgrowth of the Funky Meters, comprised of George Porter Jr. (bass), Russell Batiste (drums), and Brian Stoltz (guitar). These longtime mates have not only fortified the backbone of the New Orleans music scene, filling out such acts as The Meters, the Neville Brothers, Harry Connick Jr., Dr. John and Allen Toussaint, but also accompanied a virtual who's who of rock icons including Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Robbie Robertson, David Byrne and Paul Simon, just to name a few. Yet, when PBS converge, individual accolades become insignificant as the trio joins together with one objective in mind - music.

The Zydepunks
Innovators, renegades, survivors - within a few years, the Zydepunks have grown from underground heroes into one of New Orleans' most talked about bands. Yiddish riddles, Irish ballads, Cajun punk, and original songs in Spanish and German are a small demonstration of why they astound new audiences. Wild folk dances fronted by accordion and fiddle and backed by relentless drums and bass are a testament to the high-energy folk-punk dance craze that is a Zydepunks show.

 

May 14th

The Lee Boys
The Lee Boys are one of America’s finest African-American sacred steel ensembles. This family group consists of three brothers, Alvin Lee (guitar), Derrick Lee and Keith Lee (vocals) along with their three nephews, Roosevelt Collier (pedal steel guitar), Alvin Cordy Jr. (7-string bass) and Earl Walker (drums). Headlining the Gospel Tent at the NOJF on 5/8, they are in demand at major festivals including Bonnaroo, Delfest, High Sierra, and Langerado.’Sacred steel’ is a type of music described as an inspired, unique form of Gospel music with a hard-driving, blues-based beat. The musical genre is rooted in Gospel, but infused with rhythm and blues, jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop, country and ideas from other nations.

Hot 8 Brass Band
The Hot 8 Brass Band has been central to New Orleans street music for over a decade. Founded by Bennie Pete in 1995, The Hot 8 are famous for playing all day in the sun, then hopping to a club gig and playing through the night. But even more than their boundless energy, what makes the Hot 8 special are the sounds they coax from their well-loved, well-worn horns.

 

May 21st
Paul Sanchez & the Rolling Road Show http://www.myspace.com/paulpoppysanchez
After 16 years with the popular rock band Cowboy Mouth, Paul Sanchez has stepped out on his own. He is a cat with eight lives used up and he's damn glad to be here. Paul is a troubadour from New Orleans. He is a storyteller, his own as well as ours.

Dash Rip Rock
Dash Rip Rock began playing in the summer of 1984 in Baton Rouge, LA. The group was formed as rockabilly trio based on the Stray Cats, Jason and the Scorchers, Rank and File and the LeRoi Brothers. The trio is still kickin after 23 years of legendary rock and roll mayhem.

 

May 28th

Eric Lindell
When singer/songwriter/vocalist Eric Lindell first hit the national music scene with his 2006 Alligator Records debut Change In The Weather, critics and fans alike celebrated the arrival of a roots rocker with dozens of unforgettable original songs.If there is any justice in the music business (and there isn't), Eric Lindell will be the next big thing. He's paid his dues, forming his first band in Northern California in 1993 before graduating to be part of the New Orleans scene in 1999. He's always had that voice--full of blues and soul, often compared to a young Van Morrison. But surrounding himself with the right blend of musicians and maturing his songwriting skills have made him something that the whole country needs to wake up and pay attention to. Lindell's recently released second album for Alligator Records, "Low on Cash, Rich in Love," is laced with the kind of grooves reminiscent of the heyday of the Stax Records sound, with a funky edge that had the dance floor full of Lindell's gyrating disciples last Wednesday night at The State Theatre in Falls Church.

Montana Skies
A must see live concert experience: a duo with the full spectrum of an orchestra crossed with the energy of a rock band. Winners of the Lifestyle Radio Music Awards for Best New Artist of 2004 and Best Contemporary Acoustic Album of 2005, Jennifer and Jonathan Adams create a “new acoustic” sound with their pairing of cello, six-string electric cello, Spanish/classical guitar, and steel string guitar. These astounding musicians delve into music from Pink Floyd and Rush to Vivaldi, House of the Rising Sun, and Bach, as well as their own award winning originals that have been featured everywhere from NPR to the Travel Channel.

 

June 4th

Irma Thomas
Irma Thomas is a Grammy Award winning soul and rhythm and blues singer from New Orleans. The unrivaled Soul Queen of New Orleans -- a title officially bestowed by local officials, no less -- Irma Thomas ranks among Crescent City R&B's greatest and most enduring musical ambassadors.

Jake Smith
Hailing from the jazz and blues-influenced swamplands of southern Louisiana, New Orleans native Jake Smith delivers both spirit and soul on Real, his Summer 2007 major label debut. Musically, Real offers a fusion of soulful, groove-based pop that blends seamlessly together to create a sound reflective of the richness and eclecticism of New Orleans. Influenced by everything from the classic sounds of Ray Charles to current artists like John Mayer and Ray LaMontagne, Smith possesses the musical chops to perform convincingly as a solo singer-songwriter, as the leader of a funky acoustic trio or in his favorite light, the frontman to a dynamic band of energetic Louisiana allies.

 

June 11th

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Troy Andrews has been voted as Offbeat Magazine's 2007 Best of the Beat Performer of the Year & Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue takes home Best R&B/Funk Band of the Year.

The Stringbeans
The Stringbeans play old style New Orleans R & B, Swamp Pop, and Rockabilly.Their post storm mission is to revive the great Rock N Roll that leapt from New Orleans in the 1950’s and 60’s, the likes of Fats Domino, Ernie K-Doe, Earl King, etc.

 

June 18th

Bag of Donuts
What can I say?

The Blue Jackets featuring Edward Burns
PT Walkley of the New York City local favorites Track Rabbit and long time Ed Burns collaborator, scoring several of his recent films (LOOKING FOR KITTY, and the recently completed PURPLE VIOLETS) had just finished composing the score for Burns new film THE GROOMSMEN when he gave Burns a disc of demos he was working on. The new songs had a more stripped down, straight-up, rock n roll sound and immediately struck a chord with Burns; he especially connected to strong story telling lyrics. Enamored by PTs new direction, Burns asked him to take a shot at the end title song for THE GROOMSMEN. The song Four Cheers was the result of that request and Walkleys new band, THE BLUE JACKETS were born.