Where’s the “Good Music”?
Where's the "Good Music" in New Orleans? Frenchman Street!
Ask a local in New Orleans where to go to hear some good music, and you will undoubtedly hear “Frenchmen.”
Frenchmen Street is light-years away from the neon lights, cover music and glow-in-the-dark drinks on Bourbon Street, but it is merely walking distance from all the chaos.
It is a two-block-long strip where you can hear a wide variety of live music, often from well-known New Orleans musicians.
Head down Decatur Street through the French Quarter, cross over Esplanade Avenue and there you are. Don’t look for bright lights and street barkers to draw you into the clubs — there aren’t any. Within these two blocks you can hear anything from blues to jazz to reggae and everything in between.
The drinks here are usually less expensive than they are on Bourbon, and admission to most of these clubs is free. Sometimes, depending on the artist, there may be a cover, but it is generally minimal. Most of the time, you are only expected to tip the band — generously. You will enjoy the music so much that you won’t mind.
Some of the More Famous Frenchman Street Places
Sometimes There's Street Performers on Frenchman Street
The Blue Nile Nightclub at 532 Frenchmen is colorful both inside and out. Some of the acts that perform there are Kermit Ruffins, Big Sam’s Funky Nation and Trombone Shorty. Cocktails here are strong and fairly priced and this is a non-smoking venue.
Cafe Negril at 606 Frenchmen features reggae music most nights and sometimes the blues. They serve food here too, with excellent Jamaican cuisine on the menu.
Checkpoint Charlies is located at 501 Esplanade and is one place where you are sure to find plenty of local French Quarter residents. There is a laundromat in the back, so you can do your laundry while enjoying a cocktail. The musical acts they book here are always diverse and interesting. One local writer famously said that the atmosphere here is so casual he once walked around in his boxers while his laundry was drying!
DBA is at 618 Frenchmen and offers music geared toward local music lovers. They boast a wide variety of beers and it is the home base for the Palmetto Bug Stompers, who host incredible swing dancers on Sunday nights, and offer free swing dance lessons as well.
The Spotted Cat, down at 623 Frenchmen is a small club with huge acoustics. On any given night, you might hear performances from Washboard Chaz, the Phister Sisters, Nathan Kirk and the New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings. I can’t vouch for the Men’s Room here, but I can tell you that the Ladies’ Room even has a piano!
Snug Harbor is possibly one of the most well-known of the Frenchmen Street clubs. At 626 Frenchmen, you can find Ellis Marsalis on most Friday nights, and Charmaine Neville on most Mondays. They also have an excellent restaurant with great burgers and a nice ribeye. They schedule their shows, usually one at 9pm and another at 11pm.
Once you find Frenchmen Street and enjoy everything it has to offer, you will surely begin to think of New Orleans in a whole different light. There is a reason the locals go there when they want a night out. It will only take one visit to this gem of a street to realize what that is.
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