Nightlife & the Arts in New Orleans

People come to eat, listen to live music, and party; and the city still delivers on all three counts. No American city places such a premium on pleasure as New Orleans. From swank hotel lounges to sweaty dance clubs, refined jazz clubs and raucous Bourbon Street bars, this city is serious about frivolity. And famous for it. Partying is more than an occasional indulgence in this city—it's a lifestyle.

The city's fabled nightlife was one of the first things to rebound from Hurricane Katrina; indeed, at least one French Quarter bar, Johnny White's, stayed open during the storm and its long aftermath, offering warm beer and companionship to a handful of shell-shocked residents and hordes of visiting journalists. Things have since stabilized; Bourbon Street is once again awash in neon and noise, and neighborhood joints throughout the city have reopened. Locals seem to be socializing more than ever, seeking camaraderie and community, and expressing a newfound appreciation for the music and culture that, in Katrina's wake, appeared more fragile and precious than ever.

Still, the city's nightlife—and to a degree its performing arts—is struggling to recover its former glory, especially those venues that relied on the tourist and convention trade for most of their business. Musicians themselves face a host of issues; many lost instruments and steady gigs, and the city's current housing shortage has all but eliminated the relatively cheap rents that enabled artists and service industry workers to live close to their jobs. However, in the city that cradled jazz and helped birth the blues, it should be no surprise that the musical heart beats on. There are plenty of opportunities to hear live music—not just jazz and blues, but rock, hip-hop, Cajun and zydeco, folk, electronica, and homegrown New Orleans R&B.

Anywhere you go in the city you're sure to find a wine bar, pub, or dive—subdued or lively, vacant or crowded, romantic or raunchy—to suit your tastes. Although crass and brash Bourbon Street is usually the first stop for visitors, it's not truly representative. The real soul of New Orleans nightlife lies in the out-of-the-way clubs, the impromptu street parties, and the music that wafts from rustic dives and, like the city's famous humidity, permeates the atmosphere.

Many establishments listed in this chapter as simply bars or lounges nonetheless host some live music—sometimes it's almost hard to get away from it. If you have never visited the city before, you should consider the following standouts, which are described in more detail later in the chapter. Famous institutions such as Preservation Hall and the Palm Court Jazz Café carry the torch of traditional jazz. Next door to Preservation Hall is the internationally known watering hole Pat O'Brien's, where the atmosphere is loud and lively, fueled by such colorful cocktails as the Hurricane and Purple People Eater. Snug Harbor, on Frenchmen Street, showcases more formal jazz performances, both local and national. Next door, d.b.a. hosts an eclectic menu of local music, including Latin, funk, and blues. Also for the hip set is the Circle Bar, lovingly referred to as the world's smallest bar. The lineup at Tipitina's varies nightly, from rhythm and blues to rock, jazz, and funk, with Cajun dancing on Sunday evening. Swinging singles and happy couples alike dance to toe-tapping Cajun music and its black counterpart, zydeco, seven nights a week at Mulate's and frequently at the Maple Leaf and the Mid-City Bowling Lanes (known informally as the Rock 'n' Bowl). A number of Louisiana swamp pop and rhythm and blues musicians who had hit songs at the dawn of the rock and roll era still call the city home; if you're lucky, your visit might coincide with a rare performance by Fats Domino or an appearance by the radiant Irma Thomas.

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