The weather may still be scalding, but in the hearts and minds of New Orleanians, Fall is here. Or, at least, it’s right around the corner. One of our favorite Crescent City experiences is returning with the season: the Music Box Village is back for Fall.
The Music Box Village started within a Creole cottage on Piety Street, just five years after Katrina. The crumbling building, owned by New Orleans Airlift founder Rusty Lazar, was conceptualized as a grand embodiment of the way New Orleans exhales music. Airlift co-founder Delaney Martin, sound artist Taylor Lee Shepard, and installation artist Swoon helped set the stage. Music-making devices were embedded into the walls, floors, and ceilings of the building. The cottage itself became an instrument. Thus, the Music Box was born.
In 2011, the experiment in musical architecture took off. Some 15,000 visitors explored the structure, listened to sold-out orchestral shows, and interacted with installation. When the original Music Box closed, Airlift took the show on the road. The artists traveled as far as Ukraine before returning home in 2015 to erect the Music Box Roving Village in City Park.
In 2016, the Music Box found its forever home in the Upper 9th Ward. Here, the sounds of passing ships, trains, cars, and drawbridges add a depth of noise that paints a realistic, textured audio portrait of the city. Local and visiting musicians like Tank & the Bangas, Sun Ra, and Animal Collective have since graced the stage, bringing the experience even more life.
Music Box Village Opening Weekend
The Music Box Village closes for the sweltering summer heat, reopening as Fall begins. This year, opening weekend will feature local musicians Meschiya Lake, Ben Polcer & Cody Hoover. Food and drink will be served from Big Easy Treats, Nicaraguan-inspired Naca Nica, and Bayou Teche Brewing. There is a brunch Happy Hour from 10am to Noon, and music demonstrations taking place throughout the day.
find more details and purchase tickets to the Music Box here.
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Featured image via venue.
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