After performing a sizzling set with The Who at the baking hot New Orleans Jazz Festival last Saturday (April 30), Pete Townshend surprised everyone with an unannounced late night drop-in appearance at the historic Preservation Hall, an intimate venue located in the heart of the New Orleans French Quarter.
Pete performed a short set at the Midnight Preserves, an annual fundraiser for the Preservation Hall Foundation that takes place during the New Orleans Jazz Festival weekend at the end of April. The event helps fund cultural and educational work to preserve the musical traditions of New Orleans.
Each year, prominent artists from the jazz festival join the illustrious Preservation Hall Jazz Band for intimate midnight concerts. The special guests are never pre-announced, and tickets are sold well in advance. This was the first time the Midnight Preserves had been held since 2019, and many of the tickets were likely sold way back for the 2020 festival, which was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The evening began with a traditional jazz set by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, featuring Branden Lewis (trumpet), Ronell Johnson (trombone), Walter Harris (drums), Kyle Roussel (keys), Clint Maedgen (sax), plus bassist Kerry Lewis subbing in for Ben Jaffe. They were joined by special guest artist, Austin blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr.
Once the crowd was warmed up, they cleared the stage and introduced Pete, who came on with a notebook full of notes and lyrics, and armed with his trusty Gibson J200 guitar. He chatted about his deep love of traditional jazz, and how much he was influenced by New Orleans jazz legend Snooks Eaglin. Pete described how his experience as a kid going out on the road with his dad, who was a saxophone and clarinet player in the RAF jazz orchestra The Squadronaires, had made him want to become a musician.
Pete performed lovely acoustic renditions of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “Let My Love Open The Door”. He then talked about playing a 1928 banjo that he picked up at his dad’s junk shop, when he was in a trad jazz band with John Entwistle, who played trumpet. Pete was handed his old banjo and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band joined him for a rousing version of “When The Saints Go Marching In,” which Pete said was the first song he ever performed for an audience.
With Pete's deep rooted connection to New Orleans style jazz, performing at Pres Hall must have been something of a bucketlist moment for him. It was certainly a memorable evening for all who attended!
Many thanks to the Preservation Hall Foundation and Erika Goldring for letting us share their wonderful photos!
For more information and to donate to the Preservation Hall Foundation, please visit preshallfoundation.org.
Photo credit: Noé Cugny, courtesy of Preservation Hall
Photo credit: Noé Cugny, courtesy of Preservation Hall
Photo credit: Erika Goldring
Photo credit: Erika Goldring
Photo credit: Erika Goldring
Photo credit: Erika Goldring
Photo credit: Noé Cugny, courtesy of Preservation Hall
Photo credit: Noé Cugny, courtesy of Preservation Hall
Photo credit: Noé Cugny, courtesy of Preservation Hall
Photo credit: Noé Cugny, courtesy of Preservation Hall
Photo credit: Noé Cugny, courtesy of Preservation Hall
