Big Freedia and her twerking troupe commanded Congo Square at Jazz Fest.
Big Freedia strode onto the Congo Square stage at Jazz Fest Saturday (April 28) afternoon in a glittering golden T-shirt, a necklace befitting Nefertiti, black denim shorts split alluringly up the thigh, and glitter shoes. Naturally she topped that ensemble with a pink, silver and pale blue sequined tuxedo jacket with tails. From her queenly head cascaded a waterfall of golden curls. Fantastic.
For the next 45 minutes Freedia led her supple entourage of dancers and audience volunteers into the sort of gluteus maximus maelstrom that has made her a superstar. She thundered through a handful of her twerk-inducing classics, touched on her contributions to recordings by Beyonce and Drake, and managed yet again to release the Crescent City’s collective wiggle with imperial confidence.
Then, at the conclusion her riotous call-and -esponse hit «I’ve Got That Gin in My System,» the tone did a Broad Street U-turn.
Big Freedia had promised a sacred music sojourn during the show and she delivered, conducting an 11-piece choir through a selection of gospel classics including «Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus,» «Down By the Riverside» and «This Little Light of Mine.»
Unfortunately, Freedia never sang along.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a smile-inducing interlude for sure, as Freedia (born Freddie Ross) relived the happy moments of her youth when she found solace, solidarity and artistic expression as a church choir director. But the audience ached (speaking for myself anyway) for Freedia to take up the mic and join the chorus, sending that fantastic basso profuno voice to the heavens.
In a way, that part of Saturday’s performance was like Michael Jackson’s 1993 Super Bowl appearance, when he, one of the great dancers in pop music, stood motionless as the crowd longed for him to move.
Freedia’s silence aside. The Queen Diva leading a church choir at Jazz Fest was the sort of symbolic moment that perfectly defines the New Orleans gestalt. As many of the readers of this music review can doubtlessly attest. You can’t have too much gin in your system on Saturday, if you’ve got to get up for church on Sunday. It’s like Ash Wednesday after Mardi Gras. It’s the elemental yin and yang of life in New Orleans, right?
Opinon: Considering Freedia’s mass appeal and her symbolic importance in American culture’s strides toward gay acceptance over the past decade, it’s a wonder that she has not yet been chosen as the local act to close out the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on the Acura stage. This is the era of Freedia; give her that mic and let her do what she does.
Doug MacCash has the best job in the world, covering art, music, and culture in New Orleans. Contact him via email at dmaccash@nola.com. Follow him on Twitter at Doug MacCash and on Facebook at Douglas James MacCash. As always, please add your point of view to the comment stream.
