The Voodoo Experience ~ Day One

Words and Photos by Joe Koch

For 10 years New Orleans has been the home of the Voodoo Music Experience, playing host to such headliners as Eminem, Rage Against the Machine, 50 Cent and Green Day. The people of New Orleans are known for their love of music and this festival celebrates it with diversity. Only here you will find Nine Inch Nails and Lil' Wayne on the same bill. The best part? Everybody co-exists. The headliners draw the crowds in, but they find a myriad of local flavors like Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Shamarr Allen, Trombone Shorty and The Preservation Jazz Hall Band.

Upon my arrival to the festival, I walked to the WWOZ stage to catch a couple of Americana/folk songs from Paul Sanchez and The Rolling Road Show. Paul is another local favorite who is responsible for helping form Cowboy Mouth in the early '90s.

Paul Sanchez

The festival is in City Park, which leaves a lot of ground to cover running from stage to stage. There were six stages. Preservation Hall would be my refuge throughout the weekend. It was under a tent, so when it became too hot, I found myself a place on the grass to take in the sounds of New Orleans.

On the first day I enjoyed the Iguanas — a mix of funk, soul, jazz, Latin, and zydeco wrapped into one. Also on the Preservation Hall stage I listened to Marva Wright, "The Blues Queen," and the BMW’s. After a quick song it was onto the Playstation/Billboard. com stage, as I was highly anticipating the performance of Joss Stone. The British soul singer had no problem winning over the crowd with her sultry sounds as she swayed across the stage.

Throughout the days you could find many of the artists mingling about. Fuse TV had their tent set up in the middle of the madness. They were hired to video the entire festival and simulcast it on the Internet. After checking out Stone, I caught the Fuse crew interviewing Wyclef Jean prior to his performance on the main stage, the Voodoo stage. He seemed to be pretty appreciative. He took photos with everyone.

Wycelf Jean

I opted to miss out on photographing him live so I could get a prime seat at the stage for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. The Nocturnals took the stage as the sun set; how appropriate. The Vermont-based quartet persevered through a barrage of technical difficulties. Leaving Grace to suggest, maybe she does a little burlesque number? Of course, that comment ignited cat calls. After having to replace the B3 that literally went up in smoke, they finished their set with "Nothing But The Water." Moments like this define a band.

So, I hustled my tired ass over to the Playstation stage, where I caught the end of Erykah Badu. This was the start of the Obama rally. She stated the importance of voting and expressed how desperate we are in need of change. "Not just change for African Americans, change for all races," she said. "As a country we need change."

Next, it was back to the Voodoo stage, where the gyrating sounds of TV on the Radio was being led by Tunde Adebimpe, who convulsed across the stage like a hyped up kid in need of Ritalin.

Stone Temple Pilots were the headliners for a reason. They kicked ass, bulleting through their radio smash hits. So Scott Weiland has had drug problems and he's got an attitude but hey, he sounds like the perfect rock n' roll singer. The mystery that surrounds him culminates into one hell of a show. It was a perfect way to end the Voodoo's first night. Continue to day two...