Tipitina’s

Tipitina’s is one of the most iconic places to catch live music in New Orleans. Check their website to see if they are doing Foundation Free Fridays. They always have a great line up for those shows. Other than having some fantastic artists come through, the venue itself is pretty intimate. It used to be an old gym at one point, I think. There is a second level (usually for VIP tickets) and GA on the first floor. Get there early to find a good spot (although all the way at the back isn’t exactly terrible and is usually less crowded). Drinks are moderately priced.

Tipitina’s has always been one of my favorite music venues — and after not visting it for almost 20 years (yikes, I’m old!) — it seemed much smaller than when I was last there. The place still has fantastic acoustics — and accommodates a pretty decent number of people. You can see the stage from just about anywhere — and the bartenders are professional and efficient.
It’s a pretty safe/​quiet area. I used to walk to Tip’s from where I lived at Nashville/​Magazine (now a stereotypical super trendy hipster/​yoga mom area!) and more recently, walked from Broadmoor down Napoleon to Tip’s (and back via Nashville) without any incidents — pretty quiet residential area. Just bring a flashlight because the sidewalks are uneven and a lot of the pavement is pushed up pretty high by trees and you can’t see that (because the trees block street light!).

Had an absolute party watching Dumpstaphunk, and Shannon our bartender was amazing. Thanks for the good time and loud music!

Had a great experience at this NOLA gem. Went to a concert on the recommendation of a friend and it was a blast. Reasonably priced drinks and entry, had a great time while listening to great local bands. The main drawback would be that it’s far from the standard nightlife, but maybe that’s a pro for others. Necessary Über ride from the touristy area, especially if you’re an out of tower.

We rented out the mezzanine for a private event (the night before our wedding) and then paid for our guests to stay for the concert in a VIP area. Such a cool, unique and authentic experience and a totally unforgettable night for us and our family and friends. Nancy & Mary were great to work with in planning the event and working within our budget, and the caterer they brought in for the food was awesome — shrimp and grits, po’boys, a bananas foster firing station, a beignet bar, just to name a few. Our guests were raving about the food and even asking if they could get some the recipes afterward. Bonerama was the headliner that night and they were incredible! Love Tipitina’s!

Another great stop and awesome live music in New Orleans! The music scene in New Orleans is beyond explanation and Tipitina’s is one of its main stages. Just add this place on any of its nights to your itinerary of a traditional and unforgettable New Orleans experience. What a great city, and this place hosts one of the reasons.

Best live music venue in New Orleans! Top notch soundmen, and sound system. Amazing local act, and the best touring bands on the medium size club circuit. If you are visiting from out of town, do yourself a favor and get out of the quarter for a night and catch a show here. Friday night shows are free in the summer. The shows run on New Orleans time most nights and go late. One of my favorite local bands to see here, Lost Bayou Ramblers, they get the place jumping.

Great place to see live music and an absolute must for any live music fan. A Nola tradition. Used to live right down Napoleon from Tips and had lots of fun there. Had some difficult times walking back home on the seriously un-​level sidewalks trying to walk home! Check out who is playing before you go because the bands are not always my style. 5 stars for the great music, location, Nola character, charm and longevity!

What a great place. Tipitina’s is a safe bet for a super fun night in Nola. I try to hit up free Fridays as much as I can because it’s a guaranteed good time. There’s plenty of cheap beer at the bar and ample standing room on both floors. Can’t wait to see Leon Bridges here in October!

Saw George Porter Jr here and was one of the best shows I have ever seen! This place rages! One female bartender was super sweet and always smiled, which I find refreshing in a city of surly hospitality workers.

What a surprise. On free fridays the place is full of women under 25. They outnumber men by 5 or even 10 to one! If you are a guy ynder 30 be here on Friday nites

I’ve never been to a bad show at Tip’s, and a trip to NOLA wouldn’t be complete without one. My favorite live music venue in the city, it’s amazing how many famous musicians have graced Tip’s with their performances throughout the years.
Small venue with a chill layout — expect to have to navigate through crowds to maneuver around. Well worth the minor inconvenience.

I’ve never been to a bad show at Tips.
It’s my favorite music venue in the city for a couple reasons. One being the history this place holds. Many, many great acts have performed here over the years, you can even find some pretty cool old posters and shirts from everyone from The Beatles to James Brown.
Sitting right on the corner of Napoleon Ave. And Tchoupitoulas, Tips is easy to get to, and there are some of the city’s best watering holes all within walking distance incase you sweat out all the alcohol from dancing.
Another thing I appreciate is their superb sound system; engineer included. Each and every show I’ve been to here sounded amazing, you could hear everything. Every instrument if there is a band, and nobody is drowned out. Amazing how the sound quality can make or break a show/​venue, but a place like Tips hasn’t been around this long by accident.
Galactic plays here pretty often and do your entire life a favor and see them whenever they’re playing.
I’ve showed you the door, it’s on you to go through.

No way to beat Tipitina’s…and we were there for the «last» Radiators show, Saturday the 17^th of January, 2015.
Great to see the diverse audience, the Radiator’s bringing it home, in perfect Radiators style.
Friends from Seattle, WA in the house, and my Fly Girl dancing along side… no better place to be in the world on that evening.
Any show here is a great experience.

I’ve been going to Tips since I was a teenager. I think they check IDs a little more closely now, though. :)
This is a NOLA institution — one of the best places in the city to catch a show. It’s not a huge venue, so you’ll be right up close, relatively speaking, even if you’re in the back. I love that it’s now non-​smoking, though it’s not uncommon to catch a whiff of something rather pungent, depending on who is playing that night.
Lines can get long for popular shows, so it sometimes helps to buy tickets first and pick them up at Will Call, which is just a small table slightly down Napoleon, near the stage entrance. Another tip: no matter which bar you start your tab at, you can purchase drinks from either one. Also, there’s a photo booth in the back, near the bathrooms. It costs $ 5 but only accepts $ 1s, which is confusing and annoying, but PHOTO BOOTH!
Visitors and residents alike flock to Tips, so make sure you check it out. A good time is practically guaranteed!

The musical culture and special talent that is so unique to New Orleans doesn’t just happen by accident — and it doesn’t happen cheaply. Sure there are music programs in the schools and in community and religious institutions, but that still doesn’t explain it. There’s something more — a deep commitment to nurturing New Orleans’s youth to embrace and cherish the city’s musical heritage. A commitment personified by the Tipitina’s Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Tipitina’s, the legendary music venue which hosts some of New Orleans’s most extraordinary shows all year round.
I have to admit that I knew nothing of Tipitina’s or the Tipitina’s Foundation prior to my April 2013 trip to New Orleans. But, exploring the shows that were scheduled for the week I was there brought me to an event so extraordinary that I could barely comprehend what it all meant: Tipitina’s Foundation Presents: Instruments a Comin’ featuring Galactic, Anders Osborne, New Orleans Suspects, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Walter Wolfman Washington & The Roadmasters, Bonerama, Flowtribe, Honey Island Swamp Band, Dumpstaphunk, Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes, John Gros (Papa Grows Funk). Ticket price $ 40.
Even as I typed that last paragraph, I nearly chuckled out loud at my good fortune of arriving in New Orleans the very night of this once a year show. And, while this review isn’t about the show or the venue, I have to say that it stands as one of the top 5 musical events of my life. Arriving at 8:00PM, I stayed until 2:30AM, leaving remorsefully with two acts still to appear, because the next day (that day!) was a work day.
According to the Tipitina’s Foundation website, «The Instruments A Comin’ program increases youth participation in the Greater New Orleans area by providing quality instruments to school music programs. Instruments A Comin’ is an ongoing program now in its thirteenth year and has placed more than $ 2.7 million dollars worth of musical instruments in over 80 Louisiana school music programs.»
The music wasn’t the only event of the night. There was a silent art auction, a battle of the (high school marching) bands and an induction of Deacon John Moore (
) into the Tipitina’s Wall of Fame. To say that the night was an «event» is a huge understatement — a fact that became immediately apparent upon stepping out of my cab and feeling the electricity in the air.
While Instruments a Comin’ may be the highest profile event on the Tipitina’s calendar, it is hardly the only activity the organization plans. There are youth music workshops, internships, instrument repair programs and cultural exchange programs There is also the Tipitina’s Music Office Co-​Op, a five-​city network providing technology access, instruction, mentoring, networking, and practical business training to musicians, filmmakers and other digital media workers.
As I said at the beginning of this review, the musical culture and special talent that is so unique to New Orleans doesn’t just happen by accident. It happens specifically thanks to organizations like the Tipitina’s Foundation and all the people behind the organization. The Tipitina’s Foundation isn’t just working to insure New Orlean’s cultural legacy, but the legacy of a uniquely American art form that is a source of pride not just for the people of New Orleans, but American’s everywhere.

Tchoupitoulas Stage
Big Chief Longhair Pounds
Jaunty Beats on Keyboard Teeth
#NOLA_​Haiku

St. Joseph’s night started out with a group of us riding around Uptown New Orleans looking for Mardi Gras Indians to admire the workmanship in their costumes. We watched from the intersection of Washington and LaSalle Avenues as Mardi Gras Indians gangs arrived at A.L. Davis Playground from all directions, from various neighborhoods. It was quite a spectacle as they chanted, postured and promenaded, competing for the approval of onlookers to see who had the prettiest suit. Every suit was unique and original and we spent several hours enjoying the pageantry.
The most unique suit that I saw was a Spyboy Indian, whose suit paid homage to the relationship that developed between a Buffalo Soldier and Native American woman. The Spyboy Indian carried a sabre and wore a Calvaryman’s cap whenever he wasn’t wearing his Mardi Gras Indian headress. His suit also had feathers attached to his sleeves so that when he extended his arms, it looked as though he had wings. On each of the wing panels was a beaded design of a Gattlin gun. The intricacy of the other beadwork on his suit depicted various scenes including a Buffalo Soldier on horseback on the battlefield, and a scene including the Buffalo Soldier and the Native American woman, with the child they produced.
We got so caught up in enjoying the Mardi Gras Indians we nearly forgot that we had lucked upon a pair of complimentary tickets to attend a special performance of the Lady Smith Back Mambazo at Tipitina’s. This is a Zulu all-​male a cappella choral group from South Africa that sings in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. We missed most of the show and were only able to catch 3 or 4 songs, but we along with the rest of the crowd were mesmerized. Even though I could not understand the words, these guys really can harmonize and their choreography is so exciting. While they sang, they kicked, jumped, spun around and conducted audience participation. Tipitina’s once again did not disappoint.

This. This is what all music venues should be like. It seems so simple, but most venues get it wrong.
1. Perfect layout. The space is intimate and you’re never too far from the stage. It has flow and long bars that provide access and cut down on lines. There is a balcony too.
2. Great sound. Seriously. It shouldn’t be hard, but I guess based on most other venues I’ve ever been in, it’s fairly difficult? Whatever the formula, Tip’s has it nailed.
3. Friendly bartenders. I had no problems with mine, they were on point and FAST. Nothing sucks more than missing a bunch of show waiting for slow or inadequate staff. The goal is to sell booze, right? Tips sold me a lot of booze, and that’s good.
Yup. That’s all you need. If I lived in NOLA, I’d be here all the time. Can we have one in PDX? Pretty please with trombones on top?

I have only been to Tipitina’s a couple times, but it is definitely one of my favorite venues in town. It’s big enough that you get a ton of energy in the crowd, which makes the show that much more enjoyable; but it’s small enough that there is no place in the house where you don’t feel close to the performer. Downstairs tends to be pretty crowded and high-​energy dance-​y, while upstairs is more chill – though, as I see mentioned in a few reviews, it can be difficult to get one of the coveted spots along the railing. No worries – go downstairs and dance! Or stay upstairs and dance!
Fancy beers and cocktails upstairs and a full bar downstairs, so if you’re a pseudo-​but-​hating-​yourself-​a-​little-​bit-​for-​it-​hipster like me, get your MHL on the ground floor.
Definitely check out the Free Fridays concert series in the summer because, well, it’s FREE! I love free things. Otherwise tickets will run you from $ 10-​$ 40 depending on the act.
Only problem – and I only perceive this as a problem because I’m 21±-is that it’s an 18+ venue. When I went to one of the Free Friday concerts in August… when the university students were filing back into town… it was a bit of a sh*tshow. Drunk, throwing-​up teenagers all over the place by 11pm. UGH. Plus pot smokers everywhere! UGH again! But the music was great enough to make up for the rather suckiness of some of the crowd members.
Oh! And how could I forget the classic posters throughout the place? So cool to see all of the awesome acts that have played there over the years.

Legendärer Live Musik Club in New Orleans, gespielt wird hier fast alles an amerikanischer Populärmusik: R&B, Rock, Jazz, Blues, Funk
Dr. John und die Neville Brothers haben in diesem Club Livealben aufgenommen, das Beste aber ist: hier ist man nicht nur unter Touristen wie im French Quarter, und die Musik fühlt sich deswegen hier noch ein wenig echter an.