Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue bring the party, New Orleans style, to The Fillmore

Trombone Shorty | photo by Michelle Montgomery for WXPN

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue brought a high-energy and vibrant New Orleans style party to The Fillmore stage on Wednesday night. The band is currently touring in support of their recently released album Parking Lot Symphony, and the performance had the band dancing from front to back. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews led the show as the band played a great set of their funk/rock/jazz/hip-hop infused music. Throughout the set, Andrews switched between multiple instruments including trombone, trumpet, tambourine and even drums at one point. Midway through the show, Andrews left the crowd speechless as he played an impressive trumpet solo — one continuous note for at least 2 minutes before ending with a dramatic slide up the scale with an explosive ending before falling to his knees to finally catch his breath. It was easily one of the most memorable instrumental solos I have seen. 

Each member of Orleans Avenue — including Mike Bass-Bailey on bass guitar, Pete Murano on guitar, Dan Oestreicher on bari sax, BK Jackson on tenor sax and Joey Peebles on drums — took control of the stage with featured instrumental solos throughout the set, and continued to play off each other during the show. Other highlights of the night include the band’s wildly energetic performance of “Buckjump” with the entire band jumping around and across the stage as they performed, and Andrews displaying his dance moves as he moonwalked across the stage during “Here Come the Girls.”

The crowd could’t get enough and loudly cheered for an encore. Once the band returned to the stage, they ended the show with a lively New Orleans brass inspired set. Throughout the encore set, Andrews tossed t-shirts and beaded necklaces into the crowd. It was a remarkable show full of energy, and one of the most fun shows I’ve attended.

Rhythm & blues band Vintage Trouble opened the show with one the most intensely energetic sets I have ever seen. Lead singer Ty Taylor led the set with an active performance jumping around on stage, sitting on the edge of the barricade, crowd surfing and even jump roping his mic cord. His great crowd interaction really excited the room and he centered the show around a focus on positivity and “a time where dance music was not made with computers.” Midway through the set, Taylor jumped off stage into the crowd and performed a song from the center of the room. He was backed by the retro-sounding combo of guitarist Nalle Colt, bassist Rick Barrio Dill and drummer Richard Danielson.

Be sure to check out Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue’s Parking Lot Symphony, as well as Vintage Trouble’s 2015 album 1 Hopeful Road, and take a look through photos from the show in the gallery below.