Welcome to the Best of New Orleans! Shoptalk 04 05 05

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SHOPTALK By Kandace Power Graves

04 05 05

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Free Music

Sonny Landreth plays May 25.

The Downtown Development District (DDD) this week starts a 12-week plan to cure the mid-week doldrums with free concerts at Lafayette Square from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday. The sixth annual Wednesday At The Square concert series kicks off with music by Dirty Dozen Brass Band with special guests James Andrews and Trombone Shorty. Emerging musicians from the mayor's MO Tunes program will provide intermission music each week.

The family-and-pet-friendly concert series, sponsored by Baccardi, Jack Daniels, Ravenswood Winery, Abita, Gambit Weekly, neworleans.com, Whitney Bank and others, will feature beverages and food from local restaurants. Outside food and beverages aren't allowed. There also will be a special area of children's activities, and watering stations for dogs.

Kurt Weigle, executive director of the DDD, says the concert series now draws about 3,000 people a week. "We do it so that everybody is aware of all the great things there are to do downtown after work hours -- the great entertainment, the great food, the great bars," he says.

Entertainers include Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Delbert McClinton (April 13), Marc Broussard (April 20), Marcia Ball (April 27), Jose Conde y Ola Fresca (May 4), Ellen Rogers with Voodoo Funk & Soul (May 11), hipbootjoe (May 18), Sonny Landreth (May 25), Cowboy Mouth (June 1), Michelle Shocked (June 8), Shemekia Copeland (June 15), and Deacon John (June 22).

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