Top Nightlife

Description:

Dedicated to the late piano master Professor Longhair and featured in the movie The Big Easy, Tip's was long the New Orleans club. But due to circumstances both external (increased competition from House of Blues and others as well as the club's capacity being cut in half by city authorities) and internal (some gripes about pre-Katrina booking quality) its star has faded some. It remains a reliable place for top local bands, though, and if you can catch Troy Andrews or especially Dr. John on one of his excursions back to his city, it's a must.

The place is nothing fancy -- just four walls, a wraparound balcony, and a stage, all of it overseen by a giant drawing of 'Fess his own self. Oh, and a couple of bars, of course, including one that serves the people milling outside the club, which as at other top locales is as much a part of the atmosphere as what's inside. Bookings range from top indigenous acts (a brass-bands blowout and a jazz piano night are the perennial highlights of Jazz Fest week) to touring alt-rock and roots acts, both U.S.-based and international. It's uptown and a bit out-of-the-way, but it's definitely worth the cab ride on the right night. A stop can make for a memorable experience.

Description:

Pre-Katrina this was arguably the premier club in town in terms of the quality and fame of its bookings. The House of Blues might be sneaking back in place, but the Wolf's October 2005 move down the block and across the street has put it into an even better space, and great things should be on the horizon. The move was in the works during summer 2006, and given that the building next to their old one collapsed, the timing worked out in their favor. And with 10,000 square feet (quite a bit more than they used to have), including more bathrooms, a wide but shallow room (which means great sightlines from about anywhere; sightlines are a problem in most New Orleans clubs), a bar that came from Al Capone's hotel in Chicago, and bookings that range from top local acts to national touring rock bands, it's probably the best place right now to see a show. In addition to regular bookings, they are currently doing a lot of comedy nights. Howlin' Wolf does draw some top touring rock acts, though it is not at all limited to rock -- El Vez, the Mexican Elvis, is as likely to play as a country band or the latest in indie and alternative rock (performers in the past included Frank Black, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and Iris DeMent).

Description:

Ranked as "Crescent City's Top Dance Club" by Gambit Weekly and "One of the Top 50 Dance Clubs in the Country" by Details magazine, this famous gay club offers great music and a incredibly fun time, whether you are straight or gay. The occasional go-go boy atop the bar is just one of the reasons this is such a hot spot. The club is filled with dark corners, and various dance lights go off constantly. There are frequent theme nights, so call ahead if you want to dress accordingly. This is the place to be and be seen.

Description:

There's always someone singing at The Cat's Meow!  Located right on Bourbon Street, this is the largest Karaoke bar in New Orleans, and a lot of fun whether you're singing or watching. The staff keeps things lively on stage, and there are plenty of costumes and props to help you spice up your performance.  Sing along or with a friend, and cheer on other singers.  The club features a large dance floor surrounded by an elevated stage, several elevated bars, and a back patio. Upstairs on the balcony, take a break from the crowd and look out over Bourbon Street.

Description:

Still bearing the decor of its previous incarnation as the burlesque Shim-Sham Club (the flocked-wallpaper looks straight out of Pretty Baby), Jack's seems at once hip nightspot and funky club, with its tiered main level, proscenium stage, and a crowded bar in the middle of the whole thing -- all overlooked by a cozy balcony. The stepped setting and easy alcohol access pretty much invite people to fall on top of each other. Not that that's a bad thing. Bookings favor rock, alternative, and world music (such as Femi Kuti), with national and international touring acts in addition to local faves, and, of course, '80s dance night and "rock 'n' roll karaoke," plus a fancy old-time burlesque show that tickles the locals.

Description:

This is what a New Orleans club is all about, and its reputation was only furthered when it became the very first live music venue to reopen, just weeks after Katrina, with an emotional, generator-powered performance by Walter "Wolfman" Washington. It's medium-size but feels smaller when a crowd is packed in, and by 11pm on most nights, it is, with personal space at times becoming something you can only wistfully remember. But that's no problem. The stage is against the window facing the street, so more often than not, the crowd spills onto the sidewalk and into the street to dance and drink (and escape the heat and sweat, which are prodigious despite a high ceiling). You can hear the music just as well, watch the musicians' rear ends, and then dance some more. With a party atmosphere like this, outside is almost more fun than in. But inside is mighty fine. A good bar and a rather pretty patio out back (the other place to escape the crush) make the Maple Leaf worth hanging out at even if you don't care about the music on a particular night. But if the ReBirth Brass Band is playing, do not miss it; go and dance until you drop.

Description:

This chummy restaurant-bar has been a neighborhood fixture since 1979. Its many crowd-pleasing features include daily drink specials and hearty pub grub such as, juicy burgers, chili and po-boys. Kermit Ruffins and his BBQ Swingers perform on Wednesdays. A variety of live bands entertain the crowd Thursday through Saturday. Fridays also, feature shuck and jive, and all-you-can-eat oysters on the half shell. There is never a cover charge, and the well-stocked bar is sure to have your favorite beer.

Description:

It's some steps away from the main action on Bourbon, but you'll know Lafitte's when you see it. Dating from the 1770s, it's the oldest building in the Quarter -- possibly in the Mississippi Valley (though that's not documented) -- and it looks it. Legend has it that the privateer brothers Pierre and Jean Lafitte used the smithy as a "blind" for their lucrative trade in contraband (and, some say, slaves they'd captured on the high seas). Like all legends, that's probably not true.

The owner managed to maintain the exposed brick interior when he rescued the building from deterioration in the 1940s. At night when you step inside and it's entirely lit by candles (Offbeat magazine claims Lafitte's patented the word dank), the past of the Lafitte brothers doesn't seem so distant. (Unfortunately, the owner's penchant for treating good friends such as Tennessee Williams and Lucius Beebe to refreshments was stronger than his business acumen, and he eventually lost the building.) In other towns, this would be a tourist trap. Here, it feels authentic, though a renovation on the outside ended up falsifying the previous genuine plaster-and-exposed-brick look, turning it into something rather plastic in appearance. We still don't understand why. And for some reason, it's almost always easy to get into, even on a crowded Mardi Gras day. Definitely worth swinging by even if you don't drink.

Description:

New Orleans made a mistake when it tore down its famous bordellos. If somebody had turned one of the grander ones into a hotel, imagine how many people would stay there! The next best thing is The Columns, whose interior was used by Louis Malle for his film about Storyville, Pretty Baby. Built in 1883, the building is one of the city's greatest examples of a late-19th-century Louisiana residence. The grand, columned porch is a highly popular evening scene thanks to the bar inside. The immediate interior is utterly smashing; we challenge any other hotel to match the grand staircase and stained-glass-window combination.

The Columns is another hotel that benefited from Katrina. The building lost part of its roof during the storm, creating a waterfall effect inside. The resulting new carpets, drapes, paint, and bedspreads have freshened up a musty place that sorely needed it. We wish still more had been done to make the upstairs match that smashing downstairs; it's still a bit too dark and the color schemes not that great. The totally renovated third floor looks more modern, mostly to good and comfortable effect. The Pretty Baby room has no discernable nods to its ostensible theme (nor does the Bellocq), but it does have a nice garret sitting area. We particularly like room no. 16, with its grand furniture and floor-to-ceiling shutters that lead out to a private, second-story porch. The Columns is worth the money if you can get a low rate, but otherwise, come by for a drink. Smoking is not permitted in the rooms.