“It was just incredible energy, like a pilgrimage,” Davis recalled Tuesday.Ģ020 marked the first time the festival had been canceled in its 50-year history, owing to COVID-19.
Longtime festival producer Quint Davis recounts two strong emotional memories from that festival: Bruce Springsteen bringing the local crowd to tears singing “My City of Ruins” to close the first weekend, and the joy at having crowds line up at the gates on opening day. Organizers pulled off the April 2006 show eight months after levees failed and the city flooded during Hurricane Katrina, and as debris and water-damaged houses still marred the landscape. But the festival may be best known for showcasing a dizzying array of Louisiana musical talent, styles and genres - jazz, blues, Cajun, Zydeco and more. The Who headlines Saturday the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sunday. Lionel Richie and Death Cab for Cutie are among Friday's draws at the festival that sprinkles numerous big-name entertainers throughout its run.
