Voodoo Music Experience/Festival

Tangerine

So early bird tickets went on sale for Voodoo for $75/each and as it happens to fall around our anniversary we decided to make the trip down to attend

I know it's still really early to be thinking about Voodoo but I have a few general questions for those who have been:

1--Is the Iberville Hotel in a safe area (corner of Dauphin and Iberville streets)? That's where we'll probably end up as we'd like a suite and this one seems to be the most reasonably priced in the FQ and it has decent TripAdvisor reviews.

2--How is the airport shuttle service? It looks like it's $13/person one way or $28/2 people for a cab one way so I'm debating which would make more sense.

3--How's the transportation back and forth to the festival? I see they have trolleys, buses and Voodoo shuttles. Which one(s) would you recommend? I was thinking of using the trolley as it looks like it has a stop right around our hotel and it ends up at City Park, but how crowded was it especially when leaving the festival?

4--How dangerous is the FQ and surrounding areas? We've been to Boston many times, NYC, Chicago, etc. Is it comparable to these cities? If you just use basic common sense you'll be fine or are there pickpockets and muggers on every corner? I hate to ask questions that suggest I'm generalizing about a city but from what I've read there are definitely unsafe areas of New Orleans, I just want to know firsthand how bad (or not so bad) it is.

Thanks in advance!

DaytimeDilemma

Tangerine wrote:

So early bird tickets went on sale for Voodoo for $75/each and as it happens to fall around our anniversary we decided to make the trip down to attend

I know it's still really early to be thinking about Voodoo but I have a few general questions for those who have been:

1--Is the Iberville Hotel in a safe area (corner of Dauphin and Iberville streets)? That's where we'll probably end up as we'd like a suite and this one seems to be the most reasonably priced in the FQ and it has decent TripAdvisor reviews.

2--How is the airport shuttle service? It looks like it's $13/person one way or $28/2 people for a cab one way so I'm debating which would make more sense.

3--How's the transportation back and forth to the festival? I see they have trolleys, buses and Voodoo shuttles. Which one(s) would you recommend? I was thinking of using the trolley as it looks like it has a stop right around our hotel and it ends up at City Park, but how crowded was it especially when leaving the festival?

4--How dangerous is the FQ and surrounding areas? We've been to Boston many times, NYC, Chicago, etc. Is it comparable to these cities? If you just use basic common sense you'll be fine or are there pickpockets and muggers on every corner? I hate to ask questions that suggest I'm generalizing about a city but from what I've read there are definitely unsafe areas of New Orleans, I just want to know firsthand how bad (or not so bad) it is.

Thanks in advance!

1 - Yes, hotel Iberville is safe and nice hotel.

2 - Airport shuttle service use the rates you describe. Depends if you just want to get to the airport or use the shuttle to make stops.

3 - The trolleys are OK. I'm not sure if they run when Voodoo fest happens. I know they weren't running for Mardi gras which is F'ED up. You can def find cabs int hat area though.

4- The area around Voodoo is Mid-City which is very nice. It's pretty safe there since it's near the museums and such.


Anyway, last year was great(RATM and WILCO). It'll be interesting to see if they can top it. If Pearl Jam is available, I know for a fact that Rehage entertainment, who book voodoo, will try their hardest to get them. It's a fun festival and very, very underrated. The best thing about it is how they book a shit ton of local NOLA acts.


Any other questions, just shoot me a PM.

Too bad I won't be living in NOLA when the next one rolls arouns. But if the Line-up is as good as last year, I'll def make it down. Too bad I can't play again like my band did at last year's...unless they invite us back!

Tangerine

Thanks DaytimeDilemma!

We're pretty psyched about Voodoo. We both have wanted to visit NOLA, but never had a "real" reason to but seeing it's out anniversary and Voodoo fest we're using it as our excuse to go.

It definitely looks like a first rate fest and it's about 1/2 to 1/3rd the price of some of the other festivals around. I'm hoping PJ play there but I couldn't base my decision on that alone. It looks like a fun weekend all around

Would have like to go to Bonnaroo but camping in the middle of nowhere in hot humid weather is not my idea of a great time. We're keeping our fingers crossed that PJ decides to play Voodoo (or All Points West, or anywhere in FL, or anywhere in the NE). But I have a feeling it'll be awesome either way.

Thanks again for your answers.

rhinomagic

To answer question #3, streetcars and buses ran between downtown and City Park all afternoon and evening. We rode a crowded streetcar on Friday to the festival, then on buses for all the other trips. I think New Orleans' transit authority realized that the streetcars didn't meet the demand of people trying to get to the festival.

Great weekend in NOLA and I would definitely attend again--especially if PJ got booked. Daytime, I never told you that we watched our first VMX performer on a stage that was in the shadow of Tad Gormley Stadium. Shades of 1995 all over again!

GO TO VOODOO!

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Tangerine

rhinomagic wrote:

To answer question #3, streetcars and buses ran between downtown and City Park all afternoon and evening. We rode a crowded streetcar on Friday to the festival, then on buses for all the other trips. I think New Orleans' transit authority realized that the streetcars didn't meet the demand of people trying to get to the festival.

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Bus it is then! Of course we'll have to ride the streetcar at least once just to experience it. Thank you

rhinomagic

Verify with the driver of your streetcar/bus that their destination is Voodoo before you board. I noticed a few people who didn't do that and probably ended up paying for a cab or backtracking somehow.

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LukinFan

For some reason, I have a pretty good feeling that PJ will play this year- the whole Southern tour thing and everything. And a chance to meet Tangerine- the bootleg goddess- this sells me

Rhino, any idea when they announce the line-up for this thing?

LukinFan

Tickets go onsale at the end of June, just in case anybody was wondering.

http://www.voodoomusicfest.com/2007/tickets/

DaytimeDilemma

LukinFan wrote:

For some reason, I have a pretty good feeling that PJ will play this year- the whole Southern tour thing and everything. And a chance to meet Tangerine- the bootleg goddess- this sells me

Rhino, any idea when they announce the line-up for this thing?

Line-up will be announced this summer. Late June or July, usually.


I've interviewed Rehage a few times and he always said they would try and get Pearl Jam if they played festivals again. This might be the year. If that's the case, I'll be there with bells on.

lalalalaaaaaaaa

1. Yea, that area is ok.

2. Didn't use it. There's a bus you can take for $1.50 or something like that. It'll go close enough to your hotel. I forget the name of it, but it's on the airport's website.

3. Street car on Canal St. will get you to the festival....probably just catch a cab on the way back at night. That's what I did. Wasn't expensive at all.

4. Just use your head. If you know how to roam in NYC and Boston, you'll be fine.

rhinomagic

LukinFan wrote:

Rhino, any idea when they announce the line-up for this thing?

My wife and I were in Atlanta in the middle of June last year to see Wilco. My sister called with the scoop on the line-up and it was announced in full--just as she described--about 10 days later.

I think before the end of June is likely.

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Tangerine

LukinFan wrote:

For some reason, I have a pretty good feeling that PJ will play this year- the whole Southern tour thing and everything. And a chance to meet Tangerine- the bootleg goddess- this sells me

Rhino, any idea when they announce the line-up for this thing?

"bootleg goddess"...Thanks!

I have a good feeling about PJ too, although I still want to go either way. But if they play Bonnaroo, and the ACL rumors are true and they play All Points West (which others feel they may, myself included) all the dates are pretty spread out so there's a good chance for this one. Plus it's Voodoo's 10 year anniversary so I'm sure they're planning something big. 10C did say a busy YEAR, not a busy month or so!

The last few years the lineup has been great, I was dyin' to go last year to see RATM and SP. Got to see SP at the Orpheum, but no RATM yet :( Hopefully this'll be the year.

As for tix they're actually on presale now at ticketmaster for $75 until 3/8, and I believe the lineup comes out St. John's eve (according to wikipedia) which I think is the night before the first day of summer...or it could be June 24th, I'm not sure. Sometime in June though.

LukinFan, if you do end up going let me know and we can plan to meet up somewhere!

Thanks everyone for your replies

LukinFan

Tangerine wrote:

LukinFan, if you do end up going let me know and we can plan to meet up somewhere!

Will do, I'm already going to Bonnaroo and if ACL is confirmed, I'll probably do that as well. But if PJ play Voodoo, I'm there! I may go anyway though. It's not a bad drive for me. And I'm hoping that Rhino has his PJ Bus up and running by then

rhinomagic

LukinFan wrote:

Will do, I'm already going to Bonnaroo and if ACL is confirmed, I'll probably do that as well. But if PJ play Voodoo, I'm there! I may go anyway though. It's not a bad drive for me. And I'm hoping that Rhino has his PJ Bus up and running by then

There will be no purchase of a school bus this year. We're trying to travel to PJ shows, baseball games in NYC, and take my dad to see his Green Bay Packers play at Lambeau for his 60th bday.

My car, however, will be paid off in another 6 weeks. Ergo, we shall have more discretionary income. Perhaps the bus will happen some day.

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