Does the schedule of live music in New Orleans feel more robust this week than it has at any point since springtime?
It does, because it is.
The fourth edition of NOLAxNOLA, the initiative launched in 2021 to promote New Orleans music venues in the wake of the pandemic shutdown, continues to beef up music options through Sunday.
With more than 50 participating local venues, NOLAxNOLA showcases the richness and diversity of the local music scene while also reminding fans not to take the existence of music clubs for granted.
Produced in partnership with New Orleans & Company and The New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund, NOLAxNOLA has evolved into an annual, two-week celebration/concert series.
As NOLAxNOLA heads into its second weekend, here are some shows of note.
‘Talks’ at Double Dealer
New for 2024 is the “NOLAxNOLA Talks” miniconference within a conference. Co-sponsored by Relix magazine, it encompasses two afternoons of music business-related panel discussions at Double Dealer, the Orpheum Theater’s basement nightclub. A single $25 ticket grants admission to both days.
The “Talks” series gets underway Thursday at 1:30 p.m. with panelists addressing the question “Is New Orleans Ready To Be a Year-Round Live Entertainment and Music Hub?”
At 2:45 Thursday, Sig Greenebaum of SigFest Events, the founder of NOLAxNOLA, moderates a discussion on how New Orleans helped give birth to the modern music festival. Thursday’s other panels cover the challenges of caring for historic music venues in New Orleans and green initiatives within the local music industry.
“NOLAxNOLA Talks” continues on Friday with “The Friendzone: How Trust and Friendship Lead to Successful Business Partnerships” starting at 1:30 p.m.
Next up is “Is 8 p.m. the New Midnight? The Evolving Draw of Late Night Shows Being Earlier,” with OffBeat publisher Jan Ramsey moderating a panel that includes Galactic’s Stanton Moore and the owners of the Howlin’ Wolf and Snug Harbor.
Friday’s “Talks” sessions conclude with “Why Touring Musicians Love New Orleans’ Intimate, Old Venues,” with representatives of Tipitina’s, the Maple Leaf and Preservation Hall, plus New Orleans-based tour manager Giovanni Vargas.
Toussaint tribute
Late local legend Allen Toussaint, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame producer, songwriter and pianist, is the subject of a Saturday night tribute at the Toulouse Theatre in the French Quarter. Toussaint’s band, anchored by his son Reginald Toussaint on percussion, will back guest stars Irma Thomas — for whom Toussaint wrote and recorded a slew of hits — Cyril Neville, Deacon John and John Boutte.
Advance tickets are $30 plus fees. Show time is 9 p.m.
Lots of live music
The 50 or so venues participating in NOLAxNOLA have branded most of their shows through Sunday with the series' imprint. That gives them a promotional boost and underscores they are all part of a larger scene.
For her long-running “Covered In Vinyl” series, singer Susan Cowsill and her band recreate classic albums in their entirety. Friday’s “Covered In Vinyl” show at the Broadside, titled “The Ones We Love!,” will feature a long set of R.E.M. favorites drawn from various albums. Advance tickets start at $20 plus fees.
Also on Friday, bluegrass legend Peter Rowan kicks off the first of two nights at Chickie Wah Wah with a show dubbed “Songs and Stories” ($30 advance, $35 door, plus fees).
The late Topsy Chapman’s Solid Harmony, the vocal group populated by her daughters, teams up with vocalist Thais Clark — who was in the cast of the Broadway musical “One Mo’ Time” with Chapman — at Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday ($30).
The Soul Rebels intermingle brass band music and hip-hop Friday at d.b.a. on Frenchmen Street ($25).
In addition to the aforementioned Toussaint tribute at the Toulouse Theatre, Saturday options include acclaimed hip-hop MC Talib Kweli holding court at the Joy Theater. Show time is 8 p.m.; tickets start at $30.
Also on Saturday, New Orleans singer-songwriter Joy Clark celebrates the national release of her first album for Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records, “Tell It To the Wind,” with a show at the restored, historic Dew Drop Inn. Tickets are $20.
And Peter Rowan is back at Chickie Wah Wah for his “Midnight Moonlight”-themed show ($30 advance, $35 at the door, plus fees).
On Sunday, the final night of NOLAxNOLA, spend the evening at Tipitina’s with guitarist and singer Eric Lindell & the West Side Summer League plus special guests Shannon McNally and Mike Doussan & Co. Tickets are $30.
And Swamp Dogg holds court at Chickie Wah Wah on Sunday ($25 advance, $32 door, plus fees).
These are just a sampling of NOLAxNOLA shows. For a complete listing, go to nolaxnola.com, which redirects traffic to the event’s page on the neworleans.com site.