Jazz Fest fans seek music away from Friday’s storms – fox8live.com

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The end of Jazz Fest on Friday (May 1) was wet, soggy and muddy, forcing many festers to find cover until the Fair Grounds closed at 4:30 p.m., almost four hours early.
For people who left the fest early or sought shelter from the storms at home, the volunteers and staffers at WWOZ made sure the show went on live on their airwaves.
The radio station has a team of about 70 people each day of Jazz Fest to help broadcast performances live and record live acts for future broadcasts.
“We’re really really excited to be able to bring Jazz Fest even after its closed for the day,” Dave Ankers, director of content, said. “The mission is to bring the music of New Orleans to the universe, to the world.”
Ankers said the broadcasts are enjoyed by thousands of local fans eager to experience Jazz Fest without attending.
The live broadcast is also simulcast to more than 20 radio stations across the country, exposing local acts, national stars and international talent to tens of thousands of people.
Ankers said it is something WWOZ has done for more than three decades.
“It’s become part of our identity now and we are known the world over,” he said.
While the rain did not completely die down when the Fair Grounds closed, festivalgoers sought to satisfy their music cravings by heading to venues along Frenchmen Street.
In the evenings, the famed stretch in the Marigny is busier than usual, with local musicians playing multiple gigs in some of the city’s most renowned clubs, such as d.b.a.
On stage in the hours after Jazz Fest’s closure, the group Girls Play Trumpets Too performed to show off their brass skills.
“This is their first time performing on Frenchmen Street,” Troy Sawyer said.
Sawyer founded the nonprofit group aimed at teaching teenage girls how to play trumpet, an instrument typically dominated by male musicians.
Sawyer said performing at d.b.a. is a win-win after Jazz Fest, with music lovers packing the venue to enjoy the city’s sound and his students gaining stage time in one of the city’s premier music venues.
“People all around the world come here because of the culture, the music we have, the soul we possess. So people are looking for spots like this,” he said. “We are empowering these girls with all these tools that they need to be successful in this world.”
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.

source