One of the best neighborhood music venues in New Orleans. It is tucked away uptown just one block from the mighty Mississippi. It is 25 years old and has become a hub for rhythm and blues. It was originally built for Professor Longhair as a place for him to play later in his life. Professor Longhair is a legend in New Orleans because he had one of the biggest impacts on the New Orleans sound. Tip’s has hosted events for national artists including Wilco, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, Lenny Kravitz, Bonnie Raitt, James Brown, Widespread Panic, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tim McGraw, Goo Goo Dolls, Parliament Funkadelic, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, and Medeski, Martin & Wood. Many historic live recordings were made at Tipitina’s by artists like the Neville Brothers, Anders Osborne, Kermit Ruffins, and most recently, Galactic.

What I love about Tip’s is the atmosphere especially at night. It is on the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Napoleon and it lights up the street. If someone asked me, “What is the prototypical New Orleans Music Club?” Tip’s would be on the top of my list next to the Maple Leaf. These two venues have some of the best music in the world.

When watching a show at Tip’s their is no seating. It is standing room only and if it isn’t crowded people are dancing so watch out for an elbow or two. There is no bad view of the stage at Tip’s and you can get up close and personal if you desire. There is usually a cover charge and the drinks are average priced.

The newest edition to Tipitina’s has been the French Quarter location. Very different from the uptown location and it focuses more on tourism. Do not go to the French Quarter location expecting to have the Tipitina’s experience. It is just not the same as the Uptown location. What it does have is the music and a good view of the river but it just doesn’t have the history and the feel of the uptown location. So take my advice and catch a cab to Tip’s uptown, you will not be disappointed.

Read the Hotel Monteleone’s review of Tipitina’s French Quarter!

By Norman Pourciau

Growing up in New Orleans 1950-1960’s was a wonderful time for the formative years of children.  As a student and participant in the lifestyle and close family ties in this city  it has always, even till today, given so much to its inhabitants in culture, spirituality, and life’s lessons.

There was so much to do as a child and adolescent with its nationally known parks, neighborhoods,  stadiums,  universities and its historic French Quarter.

There was also a great temptation to be drawn to the more alluring side of  life in the city and to experience its music, art, and festivals.  There were such iconic jazz musicians as Louis Armstrong,  Pete Fountain, and Al Hirt, and rhythm and blues singer Fats Domino.  These four musicians were the best in their field and known nationally however, there were also many more lesser know local musicians who gave us our own musical culture with their interpretation of  R&B.  Some of these individuals  performed at many high school and college dances and parties to our joy .   Their names were and are  Irma Thomas, Benny Spellman, Oliver “la-la” Morgan, Ernie K-Doe, and Deacon John and the Ivories, to name a few.  Our music was unique and when the Beatles arrived on our shores they came to perform in New Orleans (1964) at a local high school stadium in city park and  were determined to (and succeeded) in personally meeting with their musical idols -our own Fats Domino and  Professor Longhair.                               .

Mardi Gras was also  a huge part of our lives because of its parades, the festive atmosphere, and the wild costumes the participants relished wearing. The entire city got involved from the early part of the new year or January 6,  (the twelfth night) until Mardi Gras day-the day before ash Wednesday.  In early march came St. Patric’s day with its weekend of parades and green beer, then came Easter and the spring festival with the huge Easter hats the ladies wore in the annual parade thru the French Quarter.  Then came the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage  festival which was just beginning to grow in popularity and is now a national event drawing such well known artist, in addition to local jazz musicians, as Simon and Garfunkel, Van Morrison and James Taylor ,to name a few.

When local residents  travel to other parts of the country, if asked where they are from  the retort from the questioners is usually “you speak like you are from Brooklyn, New York not New Orleans.  Our accents are confusing to many because they expect us to sound southern but nothing could be further from the truth. There have been many movie actors who attempt our accent but do a poor job and are derided by the locals for their poor renditions which are usually more southern than New Orleanian.  Actually our dialect is more Hoboken, New Jersey because our city has a world renounced Mississippi river port and our ancestors immigrated  from  Italy, France, the Caribbean and parts beyond giving New Orleans residents a language all its own.   As a well known biographer once said,” New Orleans has its own ‘mature culture’ with its own language, food, architecture, and music and is the most culturally diverse city in the United States“.  What a great place to have grown up.