Founded 1963 Relaunched 2019. The Postmodern South.
Catching the @Hot8BrassBand at Joe’s House of Blues Uptown
Catching the @Hot8BrassBand at Joe’s House of Blues Uptown

Catching the @Hot8BrassBand at Joe’s House of Blues Uptown

A few blocks away from Charlie’s Steakhouse, the Hot 8 Brass Band were performing at Joe’s House of Blues on the corner of 7th and Dryades, a spot I knew from Uptown second-lines, where it is usually a route stop. Although I had seen the Hot 8 perform at the Howlin Wolf in the Central Business District, I expected there would be a different vibe to this performance in a more neighborhood-based setting, and I was right. Cars lined the streets in all four directions from the intersection, and a man was barbecuing steaks on a grill under a tent outside the entrance. The club was surprisingly small inside, full of people, and there was really no stage, just a clear space for the band to set up and perform, while the other room contained a pool table and a buffet area where food was available. When the band began playing, their big sound filled the small room, and the floor in front of them soon filled up with dancers. At the first break, people walked outside to escape the heat, but it had begun raining outside, and I ducked under the awning with one of the musicians. After a half-hour or so of break, the band struck back up for an energetic second set to close out the night, and the rain ended as suddenly as it began.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.