Welcoming tens of thousands of fans each day and offering a big-name lineup consisting of the Foo Fighters, OutKast, Slayer, Skrillex, AWOLNATION and a sea of Halloween costumes, the much-anticipated VooDoo Music and Arts Experience 2014 (aka VooDoo Fest) was one to remember as it commenced this past October 31st – November 2nd.
After acquisition by Live Nation, VooDoo Fest underwent a bit of a face-lift. This year’s festival benefited from a new arrangement of the four stages—Ritual, Carnival, Le Plur, and Flambeau. In previous years, music from the multiple stages often collided, muddying the sound of individual acts. This year’s setup placed the stages in a semi-circular pattern allowing the sound of each stage to be unadulterated.
Another pleasant surprise for regular attendees of the festival was the bolstering of the marketplace which included local artists and causes, vendors of all sorts, free water stations (with Mio Liquid Water Enhancer), “MobileQubes” cell charging station, a mini convenience store, and even henna tattooing and face painting. In addition, the “FooDoo” setup was well organized this year with a long line of tents representing a variety of food vendors. Festival-goers were able to have Pad Thai at one tent, then move to another tent and get alligator sausage, lamb gyros, tamales, Philly cheese steaks, or pho. Whatever attendees had a taste for, there was a food vendor offering it!
VooDoo fest opened with a bang on Halloween night. Practically everyone was in costume. Rise Against front man Tim McIlrath even remarked that the sheer number of people dressed in banana costumes in the crowd was enough to make him consider selling banana suits as band merchandise. Rise Against put on a spectacular show for an eager crowd proving that there is a punk scene in New Orleans and they can scream and dance like no other. Tim McIlrath concluded the set with a touching plea to fans to check out the cause “Healthy Gulf” (an organization that works to preserve the coasts’ wetlands).
Rise Against was followed by thrash metal band Slayer. Even after nearly 33 years as a band, the members of Slayer were as energetic as ever. While a chain-clad Kerry King marched across the stage, vocalist/bassist Tom Araya’s voice ignited the crowd, forming three massive mosh pits full of costumed fans (who could have imagined that “the pope” and a green gorilla would be in a mosh pit with the Teletubbies?!).
After Slayer completed their glorious set with “Angel of Death”, there was an obvious shift in the dynamics of the crowd.
New Orleans’ VooDoo Fest is known for hosting a variety of music types and tastes, but this year’s lineup seemed especially strange with Slayer “opening” for hip hop duo OutKast. Nevertheless, a massive crowd formed for Andre 3000 and Big Boi—celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band.
The crowd exploded when the bass blasted and OutKast opened their act with “B.O.B.” Big Boi and Andre 3000’s raps were spot-on, making the music sound of the utmost quality. All the hits were covered with Big Boi and Andre 3000 switching off in the middle of the show to cover their perspective songs from their 2004 album of the year, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.
As an added bonus, Sleepy Brown made an appearance multiple times throughout the night.
OutKast seemed to be having a great time with Big Boi showing off his dance moves and Andre 3000 bringing fans on stage for an amazing rendition of “Hey Ya.” OutKast closed out the first night of VooDoo Fest 2014 singing “The Whole World” with thousands of fans.
The crowd appeared to have doubled on Saturday with every stage inundated with a mass of fans. The main stage—Ritual—began with New Orleans’ based funk rock band Flow Tribe impressing locals and out-of-towners with their excellent stage presence and unique sound.
Arctic Monkeys captivated fans at Ritual Stage while Le Plur stage was under the spell of Skrillex. Sunny More (aka Skrillex) had the audience oscillating with a continuous barrage of electronic dance music accented with heavy bass lines and a striking light show (as well as a flash of Star Wars visuals and music to top it all off). Additionally, Ms. Lauryn Hill finished her set at the end of the night at the Flambeau Stage which provided a more intimate environment for her fans.
Sunday’s crowd was entertained by electronic rock band AWOLNATION who kept audiences engaged throughout the set right up until festival goers erupted with excitement for the hit song “Sail” to close out their show.
Local legend Trombone Shorty accompanied by Orleans Avenue band took to the stage after the AWOLNATION played their last note. When he wasn’t on the trombone or the trumpet, the very stylish Trombone Shorty crooned for the audience. Trombone Shorty danced across the stage, visibly pleased by the improvisations of his fellow band members and enjoying the music just as much as the audience. The performance was high energy and diverse, garnering the attention of some of the out-of-towners who perhaps had no exposure to New Orleans’ style brass music.
Trombone Shorty and the Orleans Avenue were followed by the highly anticipated 2.5-hour set of the Foo Fighters which opened with “All My Life”. Vocalist/guitarist Dave Grohl was embraced by the screams of a sea of fans and he returned that love tenfold by describing anecdotes about his love for the city of New Orleans and its cultural connection to music.
Much to the crowds’ pleasure, Dave Grohl also described the band’s escapades that day when they stopped by Rite Aid so drummer Taylor Hawkins could buy some pants for $5 (which he showed off mid-concert). Grohl had the crowd laughing when he said he was feeling “just right” for the show that night thanks to a shot called “the mind eraser” he had taken with three old ladies in the French Quarter. The Foo Fighters played non-stop covering old song, new songs, all the hits, and even some covers (such as Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love).
In addition to the main acts, the Carnival and Flambeau stages hosted some amazing performances throughout the weekend including local bands The Soul Rebels, Rebirth Brass Band, The Revivalists, and Big Freedia.
The Carnival Stage, which was surrounded by carnival rides as well as a funnel cake vendor, hosted some of the more eclectic bands such as the Japanese comic book punk band PeeLander-Z who spent most of their time crowd-surfing, incorporating fans into the band, and playing games with the audience (as well as rocking their faces off).
Portland, Oregon-based MarchFourth Marching Band could be seen doing “guerilla performances” throughout Saturday and Sunday. The group also had a complete set at the Carnival stage Saturday morning, which displayed some impressive stilt-walking and acrobatics.
On Sunday, gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello drew quite the crowd with their unique sound and entertaining stage performance led by front man Eugene Hütz.
The 16th Annual VooDoo Music and Art Experience delivered a uniquely varied line-up for music lovers of a wide variety of genres. If fans wanted a good position in the crowd for OutKast, they had to secure their spot during the Slayer concert. For many festival goers, the feeling of excitement carried through each performance regardless of the genre, beat, or tempo. Some fans found themselves banging their heads to a Rise Against song, in a mosh pit for a Slayer song, and then jumping with the crowd for an OutKast song. Ultimately, that is the true definition of a Music Experience.
New Orleans is a city that cherishes music and fosters a supportive musical environment. The fans and the performers who know and embrace this, are actively creating a festival atmosphere unlike any other. VooDoo Fest encourages music lovers of all kinds to appreciate music, and fans regardless of genres or classifications, to find the soul behind the music and worship it.