06/29/11

Danny Burns at the Kerry

Despite dwelling in the thick of mainstream French Quarter tourist draws, the Kerry Irish Pub is more cozy local music den than tourist trap.

The pub has performers scheduled most nights with many traditional Irish acts among them. That’s what seemed to be on offer just the other night when I dropped by, too. From the back of the long, narrow room I could hear a guitar giving way to what I thought was a bodhrán, the traditional Irish drum with its distinctive, galloping beat.

It just sounded that way, however. In fact it proved to be a telling trick from the man on stage, Danny Burns.

The singer/songwriter was performing solo on the Kerry’s tiny stage, and at the crescendo of this particular song he whipped his much-worn,...

Posted at 08:27 AM | Permalink | Comments: 2

06/15/11

Old School R&B in the Bywater with King James

I could hear a piano tuning up inside BJ’s Lounge even as I walked toward this weathered old Ninth Ward dive the other night. It didn’t have much competition from other sounds. It was a hot, drowsy Monday down near the bottom of the Bywater. All around, the streets were dead, televisions glowed blue behind window shades and cars were parked for the night.

But one person’s night to stay in is another’s night to party, and it seemed the crowd that materialized at BJ’s came ready to do the latter. Monday at BJ’s has been the standing gig for a while now for King James and the Special Men and soon they would have the place rocking to vintage New Orleans R&B as that piano got going for real and found company with electric guitars, drums and a...

Posted at 09:56 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

05/31/11

Metal and Amusements at Shamrock

Despite knowing better, I still half-expected to push open the doors at Shamrock to find a vintage bowling alley with a zydeco band performing on stage.
 
After all, this same address had been Rock ‘n’ Bowl for so many years -- and I’d ascended the steep staircase here on so many occasions for that bowling/zydeco combo -- that the impression was still strong when I first visited Shamrock, even though it’s plain even from the outside that a lot has changed here. Rock ‘n’ Bowl took its whole show down the road two years ago, and Shamrock is the new operation that materialized in its old spot....

Posted at 02:46 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1