We will be travelling to New Orleans in late March and my wife and I will be bring her 60 year old parents. We are looking for a place where we can watch some authentic gospel. Any suggestions? Is House of Blues good or is it too touristy? I have enjoyed the Gospel tent at Jazz Fest many times and looking to somehow capture that outside the Jazz Fest. We would go to a church on Sunday if anyone has any good suggestions.

Great question. I'm not sure about House of Blues. There are lots of great churches in N.O., but please tell me what your parents would like. Are they regular churchgoers? What type of gospel music? Sedate, quartet music, or more lively local gospel? I would not want to steer you in the wrong direction.

If you want a good place to eat with gospel music then check out the Praline Connection. We went there when we 1st moved back to the area. It served mostly soul food but I grew up on that along with jazz & blues music so it was perfect for us. Here is their website for you to check to see if it fits your needs. They have a gospel brunch that might be ok. www.pralineconnection.com/live.htm

Hello. My recommendation is about 3 years old- but I will steer you towards the Praline Connection Gospel and Blue Hall. They have a Gospel Brunch on Sunday. We got this suggestion from my sister-in-law, a former NOLA native. It is not much to look at from the outside but had great food and it takes a lot to make me say that about a buffet. There were plenty of cajun and soul food choices and everything tasted freshly made. As I recall, there was good table service for drinks, including champagne.
The price was reasonable for the quality of food and music. The band was tight and the vocalists talented. We arrived early to beat the church crowd, of which there were a large number who appeared to be regulars, with many celebrating birthdays and other special events. This is the location near the Covention Center. 907 S. Peters St.
504-523-3973
www.pralineconnection.com

We stopped in at some place on Magazine once. But I don't recall the name. Look for an AME church, would be my suggestion:

http://www.neworleansonline.com/tour...l/worship.html

Thank you for your gospel suggestions. To answer your question, we are not regular church-goers, but just love high energy gospel. We'll probably try Praline Connection, although some people say it has gotten touristy lately. Looking forward to our visit!