The weather may have been dreary, but the crowds at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival weren’t. Fueled by an intense love of music and food, people came from states, and even countries, away to revel in the grandfather festival.
The festival actually started off slow, with attendees easing into the atmosphere as the weather was unpredictable. That all changed when Mia Borders stepped on the Gentilly Stage.
As a New Orleans native, it’s a given she would receive resounding support, but her presence on stage was strong, and it was clear she knew how to get a reaction out of the crowd.
The Gentilly Stage featured several of the most anticipated acts throughout the day, including Earphunk, Royal Teeth, Hozier and Wilco.
Royal Teeth had a substantial crowd and a theatrical set. The band functioned as a whole in calculated ways to put on more of a performance instead of just singing.
Vocalists Nora Patterson and Gary Larsen both helped add flair to the songs by adding in a tambourine or hitting a drum while seeking constant audience participation.
At one point, Larsen even jumped below the main stage to get closer to the audience. Overall, they came to deliver.
Hozier’s set garnered the biggest crowd of the day, everyone packing in close to see the renowned “Take Me to Church” singer. However, he saved this song until further in his act, choosing to kick off his appearance with lesser known songs from his 2014 debut album.
When he finally did perform his hit single, the crowd’s excitement exploded, and every lyric was sang back to him, making his set one of the fan favorites.
Wilco’s performance attracted a larger audience as well, catering to most festival goers with their alternative sound. Their set was energetic and upbeat, a good pick-me-up for festival goers because of their late afternoon set.
Other popular stages included the Acura and Congo Square stages, which featured acts such as Wayne Toups, Keith Urban, Brass-A-Holics and Jimmy Cliff.
However, the true festival experience happened in between the popular sets while walking around the Fair Grounds Race Course to visit the other acts as well as arts and crafts vendors, and of course devour the variety of Southern food offerings.
Some of the smaller, more intimate acts included The Revelers, The Rayo Brothers and Grayson Capps, among others. Each of these acts provided different aspects to the festival, continuing to fuel the unlikeness of Jazz Fest.
Arts and crafts vendors provided everything from paintings to handmade jewelry, handbags, clothing and instruments for guests to purchase, while the food options included the classic crawfish Monica, alligator pie and blackberry cobbler, in addition to countless other Cajun dishes.
The only downside of the day was at 6 p.m. the festival began closing existing sets due to the inclement weather. This didn’t dull attendees’ or artists’ spirits, as many of them kept enjoying themselves despite the thunderstorm.
Fans took to social media to record Keith Urban’s headstrong performance, as after he was told to exit the stage, he relocated himself into the audience and kept singing.
Judging by the atmosphere of day one of Jazz Fest, day two can be expected to live up to even higher expectations.

Gallery • 20 Photos

Raegan Labat

Hats are stacked on a table in the African Marketplace Friday, Apr. 24, 2015 at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival