Stompin' at the House of Blues

Following on the heels of a great New Orleans Jazzfest weekend, I decided to check out the Ponderosa Stomp festival last night at the legendary House of Blues in New Orleans' French Quarter. Described as a tribute to the "unsung heroes of rock 'n roll," the Stomp is one of many smaller--but by no means less fun--music festivals that fill the days between the two weekends of Jazzfest. And it's not only music, but a series of panel discussions where historians, artists and industry bigwigs talk about "rock's secret history."

I'm standing next to a guy who tells me he's from "across the lake." (Pontchartrain, I gather.) "I barely go to Jazzfest anymore," he tells me. "It's all about the Ponderosa Stomp for me. This festival pays homage to the roots of rock n' roll." He's holding a freshly autographed book about the band that just performed, The Remains, who performed with the Beatles on their last U.S. tour. "It's great, because you can go to the conference during the day and hear these guys talk about their music, then come here at night to hear them play."  

Nick Spitzer of American Routes introduces the next artist, Howard Tate. About halfway through his set, Tate says he's going to sing a song he recorded back in 1967 on Verve Records. It turns out to be "Get It While You Can," an old favorite of mine which I'd mistakenly assumed to be a Janis Joplin original (and have sung in the shower myself more than a few times). I'm not the only one in the House who's singing along to Tate's soulful rendition, and the crowd erupts with cheers when he finishes.  

There's still one night left, so if you're in the Big Easy tonight, head down to the House of Blues to hear these unsung heroes sing.  And if you want some truly local color, be sure to check out today's Chazfest, a quirky, homegrown Jazzfest alternative named after local washboard player Chaz Leary.

Photo: Howard Tate performs at the House of Blues, by Krista Rossow