NEW ORLEANS NIGHTLIFE - Music Venues
CLUB HOPPING - New Orleans Live Music Scene
New Orleans has a wide array of musical options and clubs to suit them all. On any given night there’s someplace to find rock and blues legends to up and coming solo acoustic performers, jazz to Cajun or even sounds you’ve never heard before. Below are some of the more popular live music venues throughout the city.
Blue Nile - 534 Frenchmen Street, 504-948-2583
Blue Nile helps anchor the wide-open approach in the Marigny by hosting everything from Latin and Jazz to funk and rock. The club is spacious and has the charm of old New Orleans with its tile floor and storefront picture windows looking out on the street.
Café Brasil - 2100 Chartres Street, 504-949-0851
With everything from funk to Yiddish jazz to Salsa to samba, Café Brasil created and still pushes the eclectic vibe in the Marigny. Often hitting worldbeat notes, the club is pleasantly unpredictable. A back bar also keeps the crowds spilling onto the streets.
Checkpoint Charlie - 501 Esplanade Avenue, 504-947-0979
There’s no better place to listen to a punk band while doing your laundry. Checkpoint has a tattoo and biker vibe, striking a balance between punk and harder edged rock bands.
Circle Bar - 1032 St. Charles Avenue, 504-588-2616
Lee Circle’s tiny Circle Bar space seems like the last place you’d find live music but the bar features a fun line-up of local music from gut bucket blues to solo acts to psychedelia. Weekend nights often feature a DJ.
d.b.a. - 618 Frenchmen Street, 504-942-3731
First and foremost, d.b.a. is a bar with an upscale offering of draft beers and spirits but during the week local jazz to rock acts take over the back stage.
Donna’s Bar & Grill - 800 N. Rampart Street, 504-596-6914
Sitting across Rampart Street from Congo Square, where the city traces its musical roots, Donna’s features mainly brass bands with some jazz. New Orleans-style funky brass bands, some traditional brass bands and a few jazz jams make up the regular schedule.
Dos Jefes Uptown Cigar Bar - 5535 Tchoupitoulas Street, 504-891-8500
Primarily a cigar bar, Dos Jefes features acoustic jazz and Latin jazz through most of the week. It’s not uncommon to see the city’s top jazz musicians doing solo nights or experimenting in ad hoc trios.
Dragon’s Den - 435 Esplanade Avenue, 504-949-1750
Sitting above a Thai restaurant, the Dragon’s Den looks like an opium den with dark lighting and several banks of low tables with cushions for seating. The musical bill includes local jazz bands, rock and blues and brass bands.
Funky Butt - 714 N. Rampart Street, 504-558-0872
Taking its name from the nickname of one of the city’s early jazz halls, the Funky Butt is owned and run by a Sammie Williams, a.k.a. Big Sam of Big Sam’s Funky Nation. The club room upstairs features mainly jazz and funky New Orleans music.
House of Blues - 225 Decatur Street, 504-529-BLUE
The House of Blues has both a state of the art club room for headliners and the more intimate Parish room for smaller shows. The musical bill ranges from grizzled rock icons to the latest rising acts before they only do stadium shows. All genres make it the stage, including rock, funk, hip hop, rap, country, alternative and more.
Howlin’ Wolf - 828 S. Peters Street, 504-529-5844
The Howlin’ Wolf concentrates mainly on local rock and touring college radio acts but the scheduling is eclectic enough to include occasional events like alternative short film showcases or El Vez shows.
Maple Leaf Club - 8316 Oak Street, 504-866-9359
The Maple Leaf is a local legend for its jamming late night shows by bands like the Rebirth Brass Band, zydeco by Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. and funky New Orleanians like George Porter and Walter Wolfman Washington. It’s a great spot for dancing to local vibes.
Mid-City Lanes Rock 'N’ Bowl - 4133 S. Carrollton Avenue, 504-482-3133
There is bowling at Rock ‘N’ Bowl, but it’s also a favorite local music spot. Thursdays feature a zydeco showcase, which draws a big dancing crowd, many working their Cajun two-steps. The rest of the schedule features New Orleans rock and some brass band music.
O’Flaherty’s Irish Channel Pub - 514 Toulouse Street, 504-529-1317
O’Flaherty’s is a true Irish pub, run by Danny O’Flaherty, a musician who performs regularly in the music room. The venue has both a pub room and a music room featuring music from the Celtic nations.
One Eyed Jack’s - 615 Toulouse Street, 504-569-8361
One Eyed Jack’s features a mix of touring acts and DJ nights with 80s rock and punk nights. Through May there’s the Bustout Burlesque show on Sunday nights.
Preservation Hall - 726 St. Peter Street, 504-522-2841
Since opening in the early 1960s, this has been the pilgrimage point for those with an interest in true old style New Orleans jazz. The club is completely without frills and doesn’t have a bar. The music is the style of New Orleans jazz from the early 20th century played by many musicians whose families include its early founders.
Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro - 626 Frenchmen Street, 504-949-0696
Snug Harbor is the city’s premier spot for contemporary jazz. You’ll find some of the city’s top musicians like Donald Harrison, Terence Blanchard, Nicholas Payton, patriarch Ellis Marsalis and younger Marsalis brothers Jason and Delfeayo, as well as touring musicians.
The Spotted Cat - 623 Frenchmen Street, 504-943-3887
The Spotted Cat’s cozy barroom features acoustic jazz and local music and some funky local flavors like the New Orleans Klezmer Allstars. Weekend nights typically schedule several acts so the music starts early and goes late.
Tipitina’s - 501 Napoleon Avenue, 504-895-8477
Named for Professor Longhair’s famous tune, Tips became home to legendary shows by the Neville Brothers, the Meters, the Radiators and regular visitors like George Clinton. The club was instrumental in the revival of New Orleans music in the ’70s and is still one of the city’s major venues for local and touring acts.