Legendary New Orleans Venue Tipitina’s to Stage Livestream Benefit

New Orleans’ legendary music venue Tipitina’s has announced “Save Tip’s,” a free livestreamed event benefiting the venue which, like most concert venues, has been financially devastated by the pandemic shutdown. The three-hour-plus livestream and fundraising event will take place on Saturday, November 14 at 9 p.m. ET 6 p.m. PT and will feature performances and exclusive backstage content from more than 35 artists.

Artists performing live or archived sets include Galactic, Willie Nelson, Widespread Panic, Jon Batiste & Stay Human Featuring Trombone Shorty, The Revivalists, Big Freedia, Billy Strings, Tank & The Bangas, Preservation Hall Jazz Band Feat. Allen Toussaint, The Radiators Featuring Gregg Allman, Dumpstaphunk, Ivan Neville, The Soul Rebels, Dinosaur Jr., Funky Meters, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Dr John, Manu Chao, St. Paul & The Broken Bones and more.

The event also include a special celebration of New Orleans music, featuring tributes to Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and Art Neville.

These artists join Tipitina’s to help keep the music going at the world renowned venue by helping raise much needed funds necessary to keep the club alive. Beginning today, Monday November 9, fans can donate directly to the venue as well as participate in special fundraising sweepstakes offering prizes chosen by the staff at Tipitina’s and its supporting artists.

“In late 2018, our band took a huge leap of faith to purchase Tipitina’s,” said Robert Mercurio, owner of Tipitina’s and member of the band Galactic. “It was not because we wanted to own a venue, it was because we had a chance to save our favorite one in the world. But now we could really use some help to keep saving this national treasure. So in true New Orleans fashion we decided to throw a hell of a party to celebrate this musical institution.”

Tipitina’s has been a vibrant hub of New Orleans’ culture and music for over 40 years. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing regulations have had a heavy effect on the legendary venue putting its future in peril as it, like thousands of other independent rooms, hasn’t had any revenue since being shuttered by the pandemic.

To support the benefit, Tipitina’s and Fandiem are offering an exclusive collection of prizes integrated into the livestream platform and performances. Fans can donate for a chance to win these prizes, which will include the Ultimate NOLA Flyaway, an all-expense paid three-day weekend in New Orleans featuring VIP access to the first return show at Tipitina’s, access to a New Orleans-themed catered soundcheck, band meet & greet, and a mega merch pack from the venue, as well as a virtual backstage Zoom Hang with Galactic’s Stanton Moore and Robert Mercurio.

To learn more about SAVE TIP’S and to enter to win the exclusive sweepstakes available visit www.tipitinas.com and www.fandiem.com.

Sweepstakes will be made available to the public beginning Monday, November 9 and additional exclusive sweepstakes prizes will be added after the November 14 livestream event. Net proceeds from sweepstakes entries will benefit Tipitina’s.

According to a survey by the National Independent Venues Association, some 90% of the country’s venues will go out of business within months without some form of federal aid. While the $10 billion Save Our Stages Act is part of the larger Heroes Act, Congress and the president have been playing politics with it for weeks and it seems unlikely to pass any time soon. The Save Our Stages Festival — which featured unique performances from Foo Fighters, Miley Cyrus, Phoebe Bridgers and many more and was produced by YouTube Music and NIVA — raised nearly $2 million, the situation remains dire. (Head here for a variety of ways you can help independent concert venues.)

SAVE TIP’S to feature new and never-released-before vintage performances, recorded at Tipitina’s and beyond by:

Professor Longhair

Fats Domino

Willie Nelson

Dr. John

Widespread Panic

Wilco

Billy Strings

Jon Batiste & Stay Human feat. Trombone Shorty

Dinosaur Jr

Manu Chao

The Radiators feat. Gregg Allman

Michael Franti and Spearhead

St. Paul and the Broken Bones

Funky Meters

Preservation Hall Jazz Band feat. Allen Toussaint

Galactic feat. Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph

Les Claypool’s Flying Frog Brigade

The Revivalists

Big Freedia

Tank & The Bangas

Rebirth Brass Band

Zigaboo Modeliste

Juvenile

Samantha Fish

Dumpstaphunk

George Porter and Runnin’ Pardners

Big Chief Monk Boudreaux + Donald Harrison Jr.

Anders Osborne

Ivan Neville

Cha Wa

James Andrews

Papa John Gros

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Kermit Ruffins

Corey Henry

Roger Lewis

Leo Nocentelli

The Soul Rebels

Davel Crawford

John Cleary + Walter “Wolfman Washington”

The Naughty Professor Horns

Art Neville Tribute

Dr John Tribute

Allen Toussaint Tribute

Taj Mahal

North Mississippi Allstars + Big Sam

….and many more

PLUS…Meanwhile Backstage (Interviews hosted by Soul Sister)

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