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Roots Rockers @TheIguanas perform live at the @Rock_N_Bowl in New Orleans
Roots Rockers @TheIguanas perform live at the @Rock_N_Bowl in New Orleans

Roots Rockers @TheIguanas perform live at the @Rock_N_Bowl in New Orleans


The Iguanas are a New Orleans-based roots rock band that incorporates Norteno, Tejano and other Mexican styles of music, as well as swamp pop, New Orleans R & B and rock. Their repertoire consists of a number of songs in Spanish, as well as originals that often reference New Orleans and show a certain aesthetic similarity to the Radiators. When they perform in their hometown, the Iguanas often perform at the Rock-N-Bowl, a New Orleans institution that is at once a bowling alley and a night club, but despite the place’s fame and popularity, I had never been there until this Memorial Day weekend. To my surprise, I had no problem getting in to see the Iguanas, and they were definitely worth seeing (and hearing) live. Although they didn’t do my favorite song of theirs (“Her Red Fishnets”), they did do a number of great songs and covers, including Fats Domino’s “It’s Raining” and Cookie and the Cupcakes “Mathilda”, which is the anthem of Southwest Louisiana and the defining song of the swamp-pop genre. Although I had planned to head out for coffee and beignets after the show, I soon learned that they can be ordered at the Rock-N-Bowl, and they were actually quite good there. All in all, it was a great night of New Orleans music and fun.

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