Trombone Shorty the Hollywood Bowl

I attended a Hollywood Bowl performance in Los Angeles featuring the one of my favorite musicians Trombone Shorty. Earlier this year, I notched an item off my bucket list – I attended the storied New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The annual event returned this year for the first time since 2019. One of the many highlights of the festival was the closing set by Trombone Shorty. The closing slot of the Jazz Fest has always been a sacred moment. Days of music, food, and crafts culminate in one high profile set from a quintessential New Orleans artist.

Trombone Shorty

In the early years of the festival, that final spot of the event belonged to Professor Longhair. Then the honor was passed to another New Orleans powerhouse act the Neville Brothers. For almost 40 years, the Neville Brothers closed the festival. In 2013, Trombone Shorty took over the closing set of the annual event. He has performed a high-energy final set-in front of tens of thousands at the big stage every year on that first Sunday in May.

This talented musician has not yet devised a way to take his concert audiences to New Orleans, at least not literally. So, he’s doing the next best thing by bringing New Orleans to audiences nationwide.

Voodoo Threauxdown Tour

His 2022 tour, landed at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday, August 10, 2022. This is the second edition of the tour, which debuted in 2018. The tour features artists that are all vibrant mainstay of the Big Easy’s famously rich and varied music scene.

With Voodoo Threauxdown, Shorty has assembled a mini-Jazz Fest lineup that provides a zesty sonic gateway for concertgoers who may know little or nothing about Jazz Fest. The lineup structure of the show feels more like a festival than a headlining act with openers, the concert mixed funk, blues, brass, hip hop and more into a soulful recipe that kept most of the e crowd on their feet for almost three-hours!

*The Soul Rebels strut their stuff during the Voodoo Threauxdown Tour 2022’s stop at the Hollywood Bowl; photo by Richard Bilow; courtesy of ETG;*

The Lineup

For the stop at the Hollywood Bowl, the lineup included The Soul Rebels, Dumpstaphunk, which featured Meters’ bass great George Porter Jr and keyboardist Ivan Neville, Tank and The Bangas with guest vocalist standout Big Freedia and Trombone Shorty and his genre-leaping, 11-piece band, Orleans Avenue.

The first act – The Soul Rebels look like a traditional New Orleans brass band, but their sound quickly slips around any old-school confinements.

*Meters’ bass legend George Porter, Jr. joined by Dumpstaphunk pays homage to his old band; photo by Richard Bilow; courtesy of ETG;*

Next the Meters bass legend George Porter, Jr. took the stage. He was joined by funky powerhouse Dumpstaphunk with Ivan Neville on keyboards. Their set was an homage to The Meters. It included the band’s classics “Cissy Strut,” “No More Okey Doke” and a fiery version of “Fire on the Bayou.”

Tank and the Bangas

The energy level in the Bowl was high, but it rose even further when Tank and the Bangas came on. Their sound is fresh and unique. It offers a wide range of dynamics that can veer from rock grooves to sleek hip hop beats. Tarriona “Tank” Ball is a fearless, innovative front woman who blends a colorful palette of influences into her distinct delivery. Add to that the larger-than-life onstage persona of guest rapper Big Freedia, it proved to be a dynamic collaboration of Betty Bussit.” Freedia has been hailed as the king and queen of bounce music. This style is a uniquely New Orleans-flavored variation of hip-hop. It features Mardi Gras Indian call-and-response chants — and lots of twerking.

Even with three incredible live bands gracing the stage before them, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue made it clear that they came to steal the show! The band is an incredible live act. It features tightly syncopated horns, shredding guitar licks as well as soulful backup singers. The impeccable rhythm section lays down a deep groove, weaving these elements together.

Musician Spotlights

The band leader’s chops and showmanship received extensive highlights, and every musician onstage had their time in the spotlight. Tenor saxophonist BK Jackson’s searing solo in “Ain’t No Use” was a highlight. While the bass and trombone duel leading into “Craziest Things – One Night” was exceptional. The group hardly let up for a second, then, Trombone Shorty shouted, “I’m not ready to be done,” before launching into “Come Back.”

For the finale, Trombone Shorty invited the Soul Rebels back out for the classic “When the Saints go Marching In” for a true New Orleans farewell.

No matter where you visit, or live, if you find Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue scheduled to perform, don’t miss it. https://www.tromboneshorty.com

See the Hollywood Bowl website for more info on upcoming performances – https://www.hollywoodbowl.com