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As of right this minute, it's not even on the Jazzfest website, but it's all over the local news. Fest organizer Quint Davis just held a press conference and announced it. Also Herbie Hancock signed on, a bunch of others, too.
--Squidgy

That's tremendous, Squidgy! First or second weekend for Springsteen, any idea? Kush may get there yet .

If you havent seen Springsteen live you aint seen nothin' yet .

Seriously, if he's really playing along with his E street pals make sure you see it. Its more than music....its theatre, cabaret, traveling gypsy band all rolled into one.

What a line-up. This is a feast not a fest!
The only F word I can think of to add is F**k, I want to go!!

(Those unsolicited credit cards they keep sending me in the mail are looking pretty damn good about now. lol)

Hope all is well Squidge.

Hi Dar ~

Especially since they start at a $300 minimum granting. That would be enough to cover the bulk of your going. Give it serious thought.

For other reasons, I wish now that I had one.

~ Lizzy

Here is more details....this adds just a little more spice for me to the dish so lets see.....he'll be closing out the first weekend. But no E street

NEW ORLEANS - The Boss is heading to New Orleans.
A performance by Bruce Springsteen is one of 35 added to the lineup for this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, scheduled over two weekends - April 28-30 and May 5-7. He's slated to close out the first weekend, festival producer Quint Davis said Wednesday.
Springsteen will perform with the Seeger Sessions Band, the musicians who backed him on an upcoming album inspired by folk singer Pete Seeger. It's scheduled for release April 25. Davis said part of the album's title, "We Shall Overcome," is a fitting theme for the spirit of the storm-battered city.
It features Springsteen's interpretations of 13 traditional folk songs that have been associated for decades with Seeger.
Etta James, Herbie Hancock, Dave Bartholomew and Warren Haynes were among the acts announced Wednesday.
Dr. John, Bob Dylan and Cowboy Mouth will be performing on opening day, April 28. Galactic, the Dave Matthews Band and Clarence "Frogman" Henry will perform April 29, and joining Springsteen on April 30 will be the Meters, Yolanda Adams and Allen Toussaint.
Kicking off the second weekend on May 5: Doug Kershaw, Keith Urban, Little Feat, Marcia Ball and Koko Taylor and Her Blues Machine. Jimmy Buffet, the Radiators, Buckwheat Zydeco and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band perform on May 6, and Fats Domino, Paul Simon, Lionel Richie, Irma Thomas and Pete Fountain close out the festival on May 7.
As usual, Jazz Fest will be held at the New Orleans Fair Grounds. The horse racing track was flooded and had wind damage from Hurricane Katrina, but work crews have been repairing and upgrading damaged areas, Davis said.
As with Mardi Gras, it's hard to say what kind of attendance this year's festival will draw. It usually brings in roughly 500,000 music lovers over the course of the two weekends.
ON THE NET
http://www.nojazzfest.com

Ok, here's the local scoop:
Springsteen's band will NOT be the old E Street guys. Instead, he'll be playing from his new album, which is a tribute to Pete Seeger, with new backup group called the Seeger Sessions Band. The album is called We Shall Overcome:The Seeger Sessions. The 13-piece band features banjo, horns, accordion, fiddles, washboard, and upright bass. I'm lovin' it already--Springsteen tries his hand at bluegrass & zydeco!! He'll be playin' to a tough room, I tell ya, 'cause washboard & fiddle is what we do best. (I'm hoping Amanda Shaw & C.J. Chenier crash this little party!! They're both scheduled to play their own sets this year.) By strange --ah--coincidence, this new CD is scheduled to be released April 25, a few days before the Jazzfest gig.
BTW, I've seen Springsteen & E Street a couple times, "back in the days" when he wasn't in the stratosphere of superstardom. Saw him in Baton Rouge on his first national tour back in the seventies. Exact year escapes me (as do a whole lotta other things. ) Saw him again, late eighties, in Oakland. And yes, he DOES put on quite a show, jumping atop the speakers, into the audience, telling long winded stories that lead into songs like "Rosalita" (one o' my faves.)
Truthfully, though, I liked the old Born to Run Bruce. The new, politically correct, Bruce can bite my ass. Shut up and play, I say. He was down on America in Born in the USA, but then after 9-11 he's all Mr. Patriot in The Rising. Smacks of opportunism just to sell records. And FURTHERMORE (harrumph!) I feel his treatment of Little Stevie, Clarence and the guys, since his ascent into the aforementioned stratosphere, has been utterly shabby.
Anyhoo, according to the local rag, Dylan & Springsteen are both scheduled for the first weekend. Springsteen was booked after being "lobbied" by Wynton Marsalis.
Dylan will be the finisher on Friday night on the Acura stage. Friday's lineup also includes Keb' Mo', Ani DiFranco, Irvin Mayfield, Anders Osborne, Dukes of Dixieland, Dr. John, Beausoleil, Charmaine Neville (I have several recordings by all of the above and can recommend all) many others.
Saturday can't be missed if for no other reason than the unbelievable Etta James. Hugh Masakela, Herbie Hancock, Jhelisa's tribute to Nina Simone, and the Poor Clares, also are on Sat.
Sunday night includes not-to-miss Trombone Shorty, Rosie Ledet, Clarence "Frogman Henry, and Snooks Eaglin, among others. Sunday wraps up with Sonny Landreth (alone worth the price of the ticket) followed by Allen Toussaint ("Southern Nights" was one of his hits) playing WITH Elvis Costello !!! Then Springsteen will put us to bed.
This is just the first weekend
I hear they're still booking acts.
Oh, and this is the last I'll say on the subject: the fact that I've reserved a ticket for the first weekend is absolutely NO GUARANTEE that I will actually be there. I can't possibly finalize my own plans until a couple days before the Fest begins. My own circumstances---employment, income, housing, transportation----are extremely tenuous right now. (Just went through a disaster, comprende?)I'm driving 1000 miles every other week, trying to repair 2 houses on 1/2 my normal income, trying to work & earn as much as I can in The New New Orleans economy(dysfunctional & sliding-toward-depression) while simultaneously looking for new work in another location, etc. The possibility looms large that my own truck might break down, or a new employer might not cut me loose for the party, or God-knows-what. I am, as I've said, up to my ass in alligators of my own to deal with...so PLEASE, y'all, if you plan to come to Jazzfest, please have enough cash to cover ALL your food, lodging, transportation, and any other eventualities. Be completely prepared to get around the Jazzfest site, and anywhere else you want to go in New Orleans, WITHOUT ME. If you don't feel you can do this, it's best you don't come. Don't make your attendance, logistics, or financial considerations dependent on me taking up the slack. IF I make it, and IF my vehicle's still functional, I'll be glad to pick you up and guide you around and we can camp together whereever, not necessarily at an official campground (people were sleeping in cars during Mardi Gras) and maybe save us a few bucks. But please be aware, I'm floating on a wing and a prayer right now.
--Squidgy

Now, that's what I call an Update Supreme!!! Thanks, Squidgy, for every tidbit of info, therein... I need to figure out my own details.

Splendid, first weekend, it tis, it tis! Springsteen's songs will be from that incredible album cover shown elsewhere here! Very very cool.


Love,
Lizzy

Well I think Springsteen and E street have an informal understanding and get together on and off. They were together for The Rising album and tour and also tour in 2000. I think he just likes the independence of different sounds and doesnt want to be stuck with a particular sound. Plus the E street guys have their individual careers too.

O, this is just too much! Etta James and Koko Taylor...I can't stand it.
It's obvious Squidge is in no position to play host to anyone...but there will be so many people there and no accommodations to speak of...who actually from the Cohen bunch is going to pull this off?
I know there is a train out of my town right into New Orleans, or there was, and I keep thinking I should really get serious about looking into getting down there. But I'd like to attend both weekends and there's no way I could do that. grrrrrrrrr

Any details from the folks who are going to attend? Lizzy, night?, kush?

Yes, Dar... I am going for sure. I've already gotten my tickets for the first weekend [the only one I can attend]. I need to reserve my bus tickets soon, as I fear others may be traveling that way, as well. I'll arrive by bus early Friday AM, after a 12-hour ride. I'll leave by bus on Monday morning to come back. I'm bringing a small tent and sleeping bag. Camping for the weekend at the City Park is $80 per person, and there's a shuttle to and from the Fairgrounds [for much less]. If you can manage that and want to camp together, we could... and there are showers at the City Park... always a good thing for a long weekend where you know you won't be staying in a hotel/motel... and won't be bringing a car.

I simply made the decision to do it... and so I'm doing it. I feel you should, too. I also believe you'll regret it if you don't. I'm in the midst of a hard lesson in bitter regret and it's not good. The situation is stronger than your missing the Jazzfest, but regret is still very tough.

Love,
Lizzy

Thanks lizzy. I am going to look into it and if I go, I would take my tent and bag on the train and hope to hook up with you for our camping weekend.

I'll let you know as soon as I figure out if I can manage it. If I can't, I just have to go into major denial and savor some sour grapes. lol

That would be good, Dar. I'll go it alone if I need to, although it would be better to be with at least one someone I knew from before. I know someone else who's going, but he leaves in the morning of the day I do, and returns two days later, so it's impossible to consider riding. He said to contact him before the event, regarding sleeping arrangements. His son used to be a chef down there, but not since K and so sleeping for them is uncertain. However, if there's room, he offered for me to join in there... if one, then maybe two? The only problem I see is in waiting... the City Park is liable to fill up... and, then, it could get a bit odd.

Anyway, let me know what you think of the details.

~ Lizzy

"The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready." - Henry David Thoreau

Since fate would have it that I'll be busing it alone to New Orleans, I love this kind of reminder of one of the reasons I actually love traveling alone .

"Have bus ticket, tent, and sleeping bag, will travel" ~ something like that .

~ Lizzy