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– Pub Club Pub Journal –
Tales from Around the Globe
New Orleans Jazz Fest
The author was the center of attention all weekend.
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Complete Jazz Fest Guide and Coverage, including Jimmy Buffett
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Correspondent: Joe del Real –
NATIONALITY: American (Hermosa Beach, CA)
DRINKS: Beer, beer and more beer
FAVORITE JAZZ FEST CUSTOM: Great music and meeting people
See
our complete party guide to Jazz FestzFest
Jazz Fest 2001 in New Orleans! This made
it five years in a row and still counting. This year ranks up there
as one of the best. Then again, they all rank up there at one of the
best.
The actual Jazz Fest takes place during the day at the fairgrounds
located at a horse racetrack, a short cab ride from the French Quarter.
However, the Jazz Fest experience spills over to the bars and clubs
in the evenings and onto sunrise.
 Jazz
Fest spans two weekends in late April/early May. The first weekend is
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The second weekend is Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday. I'm typically there for the second weekend, arriving
Friday and leaving Monday.
This year I arrived from Los Angeles Friday evening and right from
the start, things got going strong. Even on the plane ride, people were
starting to party in anticipation of the weekend. When I got to my hotel
room, I headed straight to the Bourbon Street bars to meet my friends.
Turns out it was an early evening by Jazz Fest standards; I was back
at the hotel at 4 a.m. (others in the group didn't get back until after
sunrise).
Saturday Early Afternoon
We headed to the Fest with a Hurricane from Pat O'Briens in
hand. At the Jazz Fest, there are about six large stages, each offering
different types of music. They are scattered far enough apart so as
not to interfere with each other. We basically camped out on the grass
in front of one of the main stages.
With celebrations
all around, PubClub condoms were close at hand just in case.
The main act was Dave Mathews. Everyone around us was totally friendly
and people were kicking back on lawn chairs while others danced on the
grass. We ended up making a lot of new friends. The atmosphere here
is great – everyone partying, drinking alcohol as well as
other things. I must also mention the fantastic food. A personal favorite
are the soft-shell crab sandwiches.
 
The friendly crowd
is one of the greatest things about Jazz Fest.
After the Jazz Fest, which ends at about 7 p.m., it was
time to go the "bar across the street" for a little post-Fest
partying and dancing before going back to the hotel. I was staying at
a ground floor suite one block off Bourbon Street with a large patio
and lots of foot traffic. Before I knew it, my suite was full of new
friends, both guys and girls, I had made as they strolled along the
way.
Saturday Night
I found myself at the piano bar section of Pat O'Brienšs with
one of my newfound friends. Despite the line around the corner for the
piano bar, I was able to get right in with VIP service thanks to my
PubClub connections. I ended the evening at Lafitte's Blacksmith
Shop, one of the oldest bars on Bourbon Street, singing along to
their own piano bar unit 6 a.m.
Sunday
It was back to the Jazz Fest with a drink in hand for Fats Domino,
the Radiators, and the Neville Brothers. Again, I met more great people,
including one of the prettiest girls Išve ever seen, whom I ended up
hanging out with the rest of entire trip. After the Fest it was back
to the ŗbar across the street˛ and then back to the hotel. After a bit
of partying along with stops at a few random bars, it was off with my
new friend to the House of Blues for Dr. John. We arrived a little
past midnight and Dr. John came on about 2:30. Needless to say it was
another late night.
The PubClub keychains
were popular items at the bars. Or was it all Joe?
Monday
I tried to sleep late but got kicked out of the hotel because of the
checkout time. My plane didnšt leave until 6:30 in the evening and my
new friend's flight was just a half hour afterward. We decided to spend
the time walking around and relaxing. And wouldn't you know it, we just
happened to walk past Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.
 Well,
we decided to to go in just for a few drinks. Before I knew it, we were
right back at it again, partying the rest of the day. We even started
contemplating staying another day since it was starting to get late.
Finally we decided to go on home, but I guess I should have skipped
that last drink because I ended up missing my flight to L.A. and the
airline said the next plane was not until the following day. Luckily,
I was able to standby on another airline and was on a plane home a few
hours later.
Look for me facing the same situation again next year!
Margaritaville
was time well spent.
 Next
stop on the Party Bus: Kentucky Derby!
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