NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Who, the iconic British rock band led by singer and guitar player Pete Townshend, took center stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on a wet and stormy Saturday.
The Who is performing for the first time at Jazz Fest. This year’s fest is marked by the debut of another icon of British rock - a show by Elton John next Saturday.
Crowds were a bit thin due to stormy weather that left the grounds wet and soggy. But the music lovers didn’t let the weather bring down their mood.
“You have to experience Jazz Fest in all its facets,” said Cindy Garner, a lawyer from Texas who had arranged a lawn chair in front of the Fais Do Do stage, which features bands playing Cajun, swamp pop, zydeco and other Louisiana musical genres.
Covered by a blue tarp, she shrugged off the rain, which at times turned into downpours.
“The umbrella got blown away somewhere!” the 57-year-old lawyer and Jazz Fest regular said with a smile and a pina colada daiquiri in her hand.
She applauded the musicians. “They played all the way through the rain.”
The rain didn’t dampen the spirits of newlyweds Juhree and Dean Miller of Amarillo, Texas. They got married in Jackson Square on Friday and were giddy with love on Saturday.
“We don’t care!” Juhree said, protected by a rain poncho.
“Time of our life,” Dean said. They were there to see The Who.
Saturday’s lineup features the usual mix of genres offered at the festival’s 12 stages and performance tents.
The festival, now in its 46th year, was to continue Sunday and end next weekend. It is Louisiana’s biggest springtime musical festival.
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Here are some of the day’s highlights:
THE WHO
The stop in New Orleans is the second leg of a 17-stage tour of the United States this spring. The band returns to the United States for another multi-city tour in the fall.
Despite the rain, many fans showed up to see the band, considered one of the most influential of the 1960s-era.
“They’re a group I grew up with,” said Felix Dornier, a 63-year-old window treatment specialist from New Orleans who had never been to Jazz Fest before.
His son, Brandon, bought him a ticket so the two of them could enjoy The Who together. His son flew in from Chicago.
“I couldn’t pass up a free ride!” he said, waiting out a rain spell under a pavilion where the festival’s multicolored and funky Hawaii-style collared shirts and trademark festival posters were on sale.
He said he had thoroughly enjoyed his day, which was spent listening to Ellis Marsalis, the patriarch of his New Orleans jazz musical family, and an impressive gospel quartet. He also loved the food: He said he tried yakamein, a savory Creole beef noodle soup, and crawfish in the sack.
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THE OTHER BIG SHOWS
The day’s final late afternoon and evening shows - when the biggest names perform - feature alt-country singer and songwriter Ryan Adams, nine-time Grammy Award winner and rhythm and blues singer and pianist John Legend and five-time Grammy winner Robert Cray, a blues guitarist and singer.
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RAIN OR SHINE?
The weather turned foul on Saturday and saw lots of rain. Rain has often drenched the festival in the past, turning the grounds inside a horse race track into a muddy mess. That was the case on Saturday after thunderstorms swept through the New Orleans area. The temperatures though were warm in the low 80s and festivalgoers dressed for the occasion in rubber boots, sandals and often went barefoot. Many reveled in the rain.
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FEST FOOD
Jazz Fest is not just about music but also culinary treats. Besides numerous Louisiana classics - spicy boiled crawfish, alligator pies, boudin, red beans and rice - the festival presents dishes from top chefs at the Food Heritage and Cajun Cabin stages. Among the cooking demonstrations: Boudin stuffed rabbit, crawfish bisque, gnocchi with crawfish and basil, whole grilled fish with jalapeno chimichurri, chargrilled oysters and shrimp and fried turkey.
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