To see a slideshow of pictures from Voodoo Music Fest, click here.
NEW ORLEANS — From headbangers and hippies to fairies and bumble bees, the 10th annual Voodoo Music Experience attracted an array of music lovers.The festival, held at City Park in New Orleans last weekend, showcased a variety of musicians, including Stone Temple Pilots, Joss Stone, TV on the Radio and Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk.Among the diverse lineup of nearly 150 musicians, rapper Lil’ Wayne seemed to be one of the most anticipated acts.Brooklynn Roux, who traveled from Houston for the festival, said despite all the amazing acts performing, she was most excited about seeing Lil’ Wayne.”Nine Inch Nails is definitely a plus, but Lil’ Wayne is what I came for,” she said. “He’s a hometown hero. He’s from Louisiana, and he always puts on a good show.”Matt Barbay, business sophomore, said Lil’ Wayne was the only artist he wanted to see.”It’s all about the Wayne,” he said. “It’s gonna be Wayne.”But Lil’ Wayne didn’t steal the other artists’ thunder.The overwhelming crowd of nearly 10,000 at Lil’ Wayne’s performance was a little off-putting for some fans.Mary Truxillo, pre-nursing sophomore who was excited about seeing Lil’ Wayne live, said she was disappointed with the show.”There were too many people, and I couldn’t see the stage,” she said. “And it didn’t sound live.”Truxillo said she prefers listening to local musicians more than the top acts.”I think the local bands have more talent than the headliners,” she said. “And I discovered Rotary Downs. They were awesome.”Noel Martin, who attends St. Scholastica Academy in Covington, said she came to see some of the mainstream acts like Stone Temple Pilots and Lil’ Wayne, but she was also eager to see lesser known bands like Manchester Orchestra.Wyclef Jean, who performed Friday afternoon, was one of the biggest crowd pleasers of the day.When Jean strutted on stage, he yelled at the crowd, “Tonight, when someone asks you where Wyclef is from, you say he is from … New Orleans!”Jean interacted with the audience by inviting several people on stage, including a hoola hooper and ribbon dancer.”[Being on stage with Wyclef] was really awesome,” said hoola hooper and New Orleans resident Sarah Larock. “I didn’t expect it.”Larock became an instant celebrity, with people constantly requesting to take a photograph with her.”It’s really great,” she said. “And kind of embarrassing.”Jean also mingled with the audience members by riling them up about politics.Martin said she was impressed by Jean’s political voice.”Wyclef Jean made my life,” she said. “The fact that he is so into politics is amazing. And he wants to move people with his music. He is there for a purpose, trying to get his views across about politics. You learn something while you’re watching him.”Steven LaRosa, mathematics junior, said while Lil’ Wayne was a deciding factor in his attendance, he was most excited about seeing The Mars Volta.”[Omar Rodríguez-López] is one of my favorite guitarists,” he said. “And I won’t get many other chances to see them.”LaRosa said he also enjoyed TV on the Radio’s performance Friday evening.”They were really cool,” he said. “It was high energy, and they pulled off the sound they were going for.”Many of the featured musicians were appreciative of the opportunity to perform at Voodoo.Tom DeLonge of Angels and Airwaves said he was very gracious for this chance.”We are honored to be here,” he said. “If you will give us a little bit of yourself, we will give y’all all we can.”Drew Smith of Drew Smith and the Lonely Choir was also pleased to be able to perform at the event.”We got really lucky,” he said. “A spot was made for us, and we came along for the ride. It’s a lot of fun. And the artists are so impressive.”The down-to-earth atmosphere of Voodoo is also appealing to many of the festival attendees.”I love Voodoo,” Roux said. “It is so chill. It is really not like anything else I have been to.”LaRosa said he comes to Voodoo because he enjoys coming to New Orleans and spending the day in City Park.”It’s in NOLA,” he said. “I love coming home any time I can.”- – – -Contact Drew Belle Zerby at [email protected]