Still the best giant music festival in the country -- and certainly the most diverse musically -- the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival just announced a pretty spectacular lineup for its two-weekend run this year, April 29-May 1 and May 5-8. The list includes mainstream rock favorites Kid Rock, Bon Jovi, Robert Plant, Jeff Beck and John Mellencamp alongside party-starting old twang vets Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffet alongside hipster rock favorites such as the Strokes, Arcade Fire, Wilco, the Decemberists, the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons alongside R&B/hip-hop staples Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, John Legend & the Roots and Lupe Fiasco, plus (best of all) the usual who's-who roster of Louisianan artists, including Dr. John, Lucinda Williams, Trombone Shorty, the Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, Allen Toussaint, Kermit Ruffins and a whole bunch you'd be blessed to discover. There's also a few curious where-are-they-now acts on the bill: Tom Jones, Cyndi Lauper and Edie Brickell. Sure, why not?
Click here for the full lineup and info on tickets, which are cheaper the earlier you buy them ($30-$40 per day) and might be the best bang-for-your-buck of all the music fests. Not to mention, this fest is a nonprofit and provides a huge financial boon to the city, which has taken a great leap toward cleaning itself up and reclaiming its greatness but still has a ways to go.
