The second of our five-part series, Greg Schwartz spends five days in New Orleans, absorbing more music than one thought humanly possible, grinning ear to ear the entire time.

Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Acura Stage
Music started at the fairgrounds in the 11 am hour, but I felt like I was doing well to make it there by 1:30 pm for the main stage set by Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk. I’d caught Dumpstaphunk opening for Phil Lesh & Friends at their January 2008 Mardis Gras show in San Francisco, so I knew this was a band not to miss. Ivan is of course one of the legendary Neville Brothers, so the band’s sound is rooted in that classic New Orleans funk style pioneered by the Meters (which featured Art Neville, and later also Cyril Neville.) It was a picture-perfect beautiful, breezy sunny afternoon and hearing these funky sounds kicked things off in high style. Bassist Tony Hall, who some might recognize from his time served with the Trey Anastasio Band, was a star of the show. He laid down a bright punchy low end that made every tune bounce, and also sang with soulful flair on songs like Sly and the Family Stone’s “You Can Make it if You Try.â€�

Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys, Gentilly Stage
The Gentilly Stage is the second biggest stage and the furthest walk from the main stage, but it still only takes five to ten minutes to get over there (as opposed to some festivals where certain stages can be much farther apart.) Local lass Amanda Shaw drew a large crowd to hear her high-energy, rootsy country rock sound as she led the band on fiddle. A spunky cover of the Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Goâ€� got things rocking as the charismatic Shaw sang with punk energy, but then injected Cajun-rooted fiddle runs for a unique take on the punk classic. Shaw’s instrumental talent shined brightest on an instrumental tune that closed the set with a bluesier flavor. The 19-year-old New Orleans native soloed brilliantly, while also moving and grooving with a dynamic stage presence making her one to watch moving forward.

Gov’t Mule, Acura Stage
Warren Haynes and his blues rock quartet took the main stage at 2:50 pm and rocked out for the next hour. “Broke Down on the Brazosâ€� from the band’s latest album By a Thread was an early highlight, with Haynes riffing out on the high-octane jam. “Beautifully Brokenâ€� slowed things down a bit, but sounded great on such a sunny afternoon. An instrumental jam went in a decidely Allman-ish direction, and even featured a “Blue Skiesâ€� tease that unfortunately did not fully materialize (the Allman Brothers Band had however played the festival on the previous weekend.) Haynes then sang a little bit of the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Wantâ€� before returning to the jam. Mule standard “Thorazine Shuffleâ€� cranked the blues rock back up to peak level, with Haynes throwing in a “Get Up Stand Upâ€� tease on his guitar. The man is a classic rock encyclopedia, which makes every Mule set an adventure since you never know what tune might pop up.