Members: Eric Lindell : Vocals/guitar Ivan Neville: Vocals/keyboards Stanton Moore: drums Robert Mercurio: bass Dragon Smoke formed in 2003 as a “Superjam” - part of the New Orleans Jazz Fest tradition of putting together a band of musician who don’t normally play together and just see what happens. With the dual vocals of Neville and Lindell, matched with the Galactic rhythm section, the band quickly realized, “We are on to something!”. The band has played during every Jazz Fest since its inception. This inception took place at the tiny smokey Dragon’s Den Bar, hence the name – Dragon Smoke. The music centers around Lindell’s blue eyed soul , Neville’s funk and R&B, and Galactic’s groove. Besides annual trips to the West Coast the past 15 years, and a 2013 trip to the East Coast, this band has strickly been playing around New Orleans, LA. With everyone in the band being a leader in their own, it is a rarity to get this band together. And when it does, it shows that these guys are really having FUN! From the interplay and communication between the members, you would think that Dragon Smoke has been touring continually for years. Dragon Smoke is looking towards the future, with plans to write and record an album and to do more touring outside of New Orleans. So be on the lookout for the Smoke—IF YOU SEE SMOKE, YOU KNOW YOU WILL SEE FIRE!

Step into a world where dust-strewn landscapes meet the hypnotic melodies of desert blues andpsychedelic cumbia. Where middle eastern funk intertwines with reverb drenched guitar and the pulse of Latin American rhythms. Welcome to the world of Gitkin. New Orleans-based Gitkin, also known as Brian J, a Grammy-nominated artist and producer renowned for his production skills (working with Cedric Burnside, Bernard Purdie, Cyril Neville) and as the mastermind behind the funk ensemble Pimps Of Joytime, is experiencing surprising success with this passion project. With monthly streams over 300,000 Gitkin’s three self-produced studio albums are resonating with fans globally. In 2022 inspired by the success of his streaming and social media response Gitkin put together a band and started playing live. The trio featuring Palestinian musician Simon Moushabeck (keyboard, accordion, percussion) and Cuban American Washington Duke (Drums) brings a new life and dimension to the recorded music. Teaming up with international booking agent FMLY they embarked on their first European tour in September meeting enthusiastic audiences in Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, France, and Austria, selling out a number of shows. This was followed by a short stint supporting Steel Pulse and most recently Say She She.  After years of making songs where the vocals and lyrics take the spotlights, it's been liberating to let my guitar do the talking. With Gitkin I get to bring in my love for African, middle eastern and south american music and mix it with my native musicality that sits in American blues and funk. Performing as a trio with my two talented compadres provides a lot of space in the music that opens the door for what I like to call "expensive moments." My favorite moments of a show don't usually happen by somebody playing something fast and impressive. More times It's when a palpable essence takes over the room. You feel it and you know everyone in the spot feels it. That's what keeps me getting in vans and planes and putting in endless hours in the studio.  As 2024 unfolds, Gitkin, in collaboration with the Brooklyn-based label Wonderwheel Recordings, is set to release highly anticipated new music. The singles will start dropping in May, followed by a full-length album in the fall. Additionally, they have live shows scheduled in the US and a festival tour planned in Europe for July.