The second weekend of Jazz Fest kicks off today, with larger crowds expected than the ones who flocked during the first weekend. While the weather may get muddy, there will be no shortage of fun to be had. Locals’ favorite long-known food vendors will be onhand slinging their familiar treats and lots of big headliners will be hitting the stage for the final weekend of fun. The unique mix of both local and national flavor is one of the main reasons the festival has been going strong for over 50 years.
Newell Normand spoke to Jazz Fest producer Quint Davis about the continued success of the festival after all these years. “The whole world should be the way it is inside Jazz Fest. It would be a better world. One of the ways we’ve grown and continue to grow is by getting new people to come. Once people come in, they get hooked and continue to come back. It’s the diversity that keeps it interesting,” Davis emphasizes.
The world has changed quite a bit since Jazz Fest began in 1970. “It’s authentic. It’s real and it’s New Orleans,” Davis says.
Newell Normand went on to add that Jazz Fest was never needed more than it was after Hurricane Katrina. Davis added that producers weren’t sure if (or how) they would be able to put the festival on. Newell told Davis that the Festival was necessary as part of the city's recovery. Davis recounted a time he ran into Mitch Landrieu, who said, “Not having Jazz Fest is not an option. If you ever think you’re getting to that place, you call me. We have to have this festival.”
“We like this to be someone’s biggest, but easiest gig. We want everything to be smooth backstage, the ground transportation, the catering … we want them to be comfortable. And then we have the best audiences! So, we get the best shows out of everyone who comes here, and it’s because of all those things,” Davis emphasized.
Continuing to blend both national and local acts to audiences as varied as the ones who flock to the Fairgrounds every year for Jazz Fest is a unique experience. Along with the food, the art, and the people ... there's nothing quite like it. Just like the Crescent City itself.