2012 Voodoo Experience: New Orleans, Louisiana, October 26-28, 2012

Mike Perciaccante

CD/DVD Reviewer since 2002

Mike Perciaccante has been contributing to All About Jazz since 2002. He also contributes to many other magazines across the country.

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Published: December 14, 2012

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The festival closed with performances by Jack White on the Le Ritual Stage, Kid Koala on the Preservation Hall Stage, JD & the Straight Shot (whose leader James Dolan owns the Newsday daily newspaper in Long Island, the NBA's New York Knicks, the NHL's New York Rangers, the WNBA's New York Liberty, Cablevision Systems, AMC Network, IFC, Sundance Channel, WEtv, MSG Network, Madison Square Garden and controls New York's Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre) on the WWOZ Stage, the New Orleans Bingo Show on The SONY Stage and Skrillex on the Le Plur Stage. The day's highlights also included: Vintage Trouble, Coheed & Cambria and Nas on the Le Ritual Stage; the Lost Bayou Ramblers with members of the GIVERS and the Preservation Hall Brass Band and the Preservation Hall Brass Band on the Preservation Hall Stage; Dash Rip Rock, Sex Dog, the Models, Marcia Ball and Lil Band o' Gold on the WWOZ Stage; Royal Teeth, Black Box Revolution and Tomahawk on the SONY Stage and DallasK, Modestep and Borgore on the Le Plur Stage.

Sexdog, a local New Orleans punk band fired up the WWOZ Stage as though it was 1980. Sexdog played all of the local clubs back in the heyday of punk and later new wave (Jimmy's Music Club, Jed's and many others). Known at the time for its stirring and balls-to-the-wall performances, original members Dave Landry (drums), Oley Sassone (guitar/vocals), Rick Wigginton (vocals), and guitarist Cranston Clements along with Hunter Burgamy, a music student at NOCCA, who joined the pack as bassist, has picked up 30 years later where they left off. Its incendiary 45-minute set included "I'm In Love With The Girl Who's In Love With My Wife," and "Goodbye Nagasaki" from its self-titled disc (Tycrannaus Records, 2012) as well as many others including "You Can't Buy Me" which Wigginton dedicated to Mitt Romney.

Day 3—Vintage Trouble 8—© 2012 Mike Perciaccante

Los Angeles band Vintage Trouble has been making quite a name for itself. The band has previously toured with Lenny Kravitz, Brain May of Queen and The Cranberries, and was recently handpicked by the Who to be their main support on their 2012-13 Tour. The quartet gathered near the drum kit decked out in retro cool suits and greeted each other with formal handshakes—harkening back to an earlier time when gentlemen were gentlemen. When the neo-soul group hit the Le Ritual Stage there were but a few fans in the audience. That quickly changed as the band dove right in and wasted no time in making a statement that it was there to rock the crowd. Lead singer Ty Taylor oozed charisma and his vocal style, swagger and stage presence brought to mind James Brown, Otis Redding, Roger Daltrey and a cooler version of Michael Jackson, while he and the band performed songs from The Bomb Shelter Sessions (Vintage Trouble Records, 2011). Taylor spun like a top and danced throughout the entire set, which was punctuated by "Nobody Told Me" and "Nancy Lee." In a slate grey suit with burgundy accents, showing off his distinguished sideburns, Taylor twirled his microphone (ala Roger Daltrey) as Nalle Colt rocked out on guitar, Rick Barrio Dill thumped the bass and Richard Danielson—a throwback to an earlier time—pounded the drums. Sure to have converted new fans to "Troublemakers" (as their followers are called), the set served as a call to jump on the bandwagon.

Day 3—The Models 3—© 2012 Mike Perciaccante In a nod to old-time juke joint band introductions, the Models were introduced on The WWOZ Stage with an instrumental, in this case "The Peter Gunn Theme." Though not an old time blues band as some might have guessed by their chosen overture, the Models were a modern rock band who are enjoying a renaissance of sorts. The local band had made quite a ruckus on the New Orleans musical scene back in the late '70s and early '80s. A mainstay at Jimmy's Music Club (which began when the legendary Jimmy Anselmo purchased a pool hall on Willow Street in the Uptown/Riverbend area of the Crescent City, booted out the regular clientele—which mostly consisted of patients from a methadone clinic up the street—and opened a rock club), the Models moved to Hollywood in 1982 and as they announced from the stage at this performance, "promptly imploded." After a successful reunion gig in December 2011, the band was asked to appear at Voodoo. The years melted away as the band performed. In its stage banter the members of the group noted that it was "doin' it again for Voodoo...this one's for Jimmy" and "it's amazing how much better these songs sound after 30 years." Highlights included: "Trigger Boy," "Boy From New York City," "She's Got The Beat" (which was dedicated to Terri, a superfan "from back in the day") and the covers of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and The Clash's "Brand New Cadillac."