2017 New Orleans Jazz Fest
 

Here's the 2017 musicians line up:

http://lineup.nojazzfest.com/

I'll be at every day of the fest, as usual, but finally doing it as a local. :)

So nice for a change to not have Jazzfest be draining my SPG account.

I know that you live there now swag, but do you feel like a local already? I mean that's really great if that's the case -- it gives me some hope for when I finally move down -- but after around 100 visits over the last 30 years, I know that although I know NOLA incredibly well, and far better than any tourist ever will, I would never confuse myself with a local. I know that I still don't belong at Friday lunch at Galatoire's, that a dinner reservation at Commander's surely will land me in the tourists' dining room, and that my costume closet isn't sufficient for even a single Mardi Gras, let alone Mardi Gras and Halloween and New Years and every other occasion on which the locals are expected to dress up in some remarkably creative getup. (BTW, even though I haven't moved there yet, I have added my name to the Saints season ticket waitlist in the hopes that when I do move down, I'll be a few years closer to being offered the opportunity to buy tickets.)

Well, you're right, local-ing is a process, an ongoing one, and I may never get to a level equal to those born and raised. Sleeping here in my own bed, cooking at home instead of dining out all the time, and actually working here, these are all milestones, but perhaps the biggest step is realizing that you can't go out every night, and even if there's a great band playing nearby, sometimes a quiet night at home is a necessary alternative.

BTW, I put my name on the Saints list around 2007. I was about #30,000 at the time. By spring 2014, I was up to #16,722, but the latest update from November I was #16,310. Moving up only about 400 spots in 2.5 years is discouraging, I think it'll take several more sub-500 seasons and Drew's retirement before I have a chance.

Well, for both of you Jazz Fest veterans, here is a little trip down memory lane quiz. 😄

As as far as I know, who is the only musician to play his electric instrument while he was submerged in a homemade plexiglass tank filled with water?
Hint: his van was covered with fake fur, inside and out. 😂😂

I'm stumped!

It sounds like something Bobby Lounge would do, but his piano isn't electric...

This musician had a friend build the tank for him. It was driven out onto the Fest grounds filled with water (before all the mega stages came into existence) on a big flatbed truck. I'm dating myself here. Next thing I notice is this fur-covered van bouncing along the infield toward the stage. He gets out, goes up on stage, plays a few songs and then climbs up a ladder and into the tank on the flatbed. He puts on a diving helmet, submerges and holds his hands out of the water. Another guy sits on top of,the ladder, holds the electric keyboard above the water and the musician starts playing. Only lasted one song. Some years later when I had an opportunity to tell him that he provided one of my most memorable Jazz Fest performances, he told me that he made the diving helmet himself and he almost drowned. We had a good laugh about his performance. 😄😃😀

And, the answer is:

Ironing Board Sam

Not overly happy with this years headliners.

But as usual it's the smaller unknown names I'll enjoy more anyway. And the night shows :cool:

Go see the headliners when they play in L.A. Or it Pittsburgh or Cleveland or Des Moines. The smaller "unknown" names, most of which are plenty well known in New Orleans -- and for good reason, are the reason you go to JazzFest.

Any recollection what year that was?

Late 70s.

His father gave him an electric keyboard when he was a child, only problem was he didn't have anything to put it on to play it. I think you can guess the rest of the story.

I've been going for a dozen years so I am well versed in how to enjoy it. That said, I still like to catch a nice headliner or two sometimes although the Acura Stage in recent years is ridiculously crowded and all but makes that impossible anyway.

Looks like '79.

http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/...mance_cin.html

I went to see Sam perform at the 2012 Fest and then watched his interview on the Allison Miner stage in the Grandstand. After he finished, I went to talk with him and reminisce about his underwater show. Had my wife take a picture of Sam (looked sharp in his pink suit) and me that I still carry on my iPhone.