I wrote about being apprehensive before going to Jazz Fest. I’ve done the Fest 100+ times over the years but it was the first time since my major illness. I worried for naught. I’m glad to be wrong.

The word normal is used in the post title because an account of my doings is the sort of thing I wrote with some frequency in the before times, make that BT. T is not for tomato…

I don’t love Jazz Fest as much as I once did. Change is inevitable in life but most of the changes at Jazz Fest have not been to my liking. It’s gotten too big and too expensive, but it’s been part of my life for so long that I can’t quit now. I’m just not attending as much as in the past. So it goes.

I circled the first Friday on my calendar because Cheap Trick were playing and I’d never seen them before. I had high expectations and they exceeded them. More about CT anon.

Dr. A and I left a bit later than usual because she was proctoring an exam. Much to our surprise and delight, we were able to park in our usual spot. It’s so top secret that the result could be murder suicide if I spilled the proverbial beans. You wouldn’t want that, now would you?

I learned something new. The Gospel Tent used to be sponsored by Rhodes Funeral Parlor, it’s now sponsored by a prominent local Jewish lawyer:

Oy such a sponsor.

Jazz Fest is, of course, a multi-stage event. We spent much of the day grazing on music and food before settling in for the two sets we planned to settle in for. Does that make us settlers? Discuss amongst yourselves.

One of my favorite spots at Jazz Fest is the Economy Hall Tent. It’s the venue for trad jazz and second lining locals.

We saw a  tribute to New Orleans jazz legends Danny and Blue Lu Barker.

I was acquainted with Danny Barker. In fact, we had a meet cute. I saw him at one of my favorite cafes and said, “Hi-de-hi-de-ho.”

He laughed and said, “Not many kids know I played with Cab Calloway. Come and join me, young’un.”

I was in my thirties at the time, so being called a kid thrilled me almost as much as meeting Danny.

The tribute was excellent. The highlight was Dee Dee Bridgewater’s rendition of Blue Lu’s best known song:

Let’s return to our headliners. My refrain for the day was: Cheap Trick is much bigger than you think. The huge crowd gathered to watch them proved my point. Who among us doesn’t like being right?

Cheap Trick closed out one of the big stages. I’m not usually a big stage guy but I make an exception for legends. We wound up near the front in a surprisingly civilized area by the Jumbotron. I’m glad we did; otherwise, we wouldn’t have seen this:

The signing for Surrender just seemed a little weird…

Cheap Trick did something unusual for New Orleans. They started early. When they hit the stage, lead singer Robin Zander looked every inch a rock star in a white linen suit and broad brimmed white hat. In a word: Resplendent.

The only flaw with CT’s set was that it wasn’t long enough. They were fantastic. I was so into it that it felt like I was having my second childhood. Such joys may be fleeting during Trump 2.0, but they need to be embraced. It’s something I learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the Federal Flood.

The crowd in our area was surprisingly young. I was one of the oldest people there but I’m still younger than the OG Cheap Tricksters onstage: Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, and Tom Petersson. Those three septuagenarians rocked the Fairgrounds.

One of the young’uns near us filmed some of the set. I found his videos on YouTube. This one has swell sound:

Matthew Gaubert is the name of the guy who filmed CT. We stood behind him, so we can’t be seen but I can hear myself singing along to I Want You To Want Me. One reason I love the song so much is that it was a favorite of my fellow OG NOLA blogger, Ashley Morris; the late great, Fuck You, You Fucking Fucks guy. This post is dedicated to you, buddy.

It’s a pity that the video of Surrender doesn’t sound as good. It just seems a little weird not to post it:

It was good to have a normal day at Jazz Fest after missing last year. Moments of Gamalian normalcy are important in 2025 as is music. It helps us forget the Trumpian turmoil and tumult of our times.

As we were walking to our car after Cheap Trick, I heard a young woman make a Surrender reference. None of her friends got it but I did and said much too loudly, “We’re all alright. We’re all alright” For the uninitiated, that’s the closing lyrical refrain of Surrender.

It was the right way to end a normal day at Jazz Fest. We’re all alright.

The last word goes to a pixilated picture of Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander’s back: