d.b.a. ★ 4.7
$$$$
MarignyMon-Fri 18:00-01:00, Sat 14:00-01:00, Sun 18:00-01:00.
d.b.a. on Frenchmen Street pairs a 60-tap craft beer and bourbon programme with a back-room stage that runs the Treme Brass Band, Walter Wolfman Washington.
TipCover usually $10 to $20 paid at the door for the back room. Saturdays open at 14:00; the Glen David Andrews and Treme Brass Band sets are the headliners.
Tipitina's ★ 4.8
$$$$
UptownMon-Thu varies by show, Fri 21:00 free Friday concert series, Sat-Sun varies by show.
Tipitina's at Napoleon and Tchoupitoulas has anchored Uptown live music since 1977, named for the Professor Longhair song and now musician-owned by Galactic.
TipFree Friday concerts every week with local headliners. Buy ticketed shows in advance via the venue site; show floor is general admission.
Maple Leaf Bar ★ 4.7
$$$$
Carrollton / RiverbendMon varies by show, Tue Rebirth Brass Band residency, Wed-Sun varies by show.
Maple Leaf Bar on Oak Street has hosted the Rebirth Brass Band's Tuesday-night residency for over thirty years, a packed back room that ends.
TipGet in line by 22:00 for the Rebirth Tuesday; cash at the door. The pressed-tin ceiling and pat o'briens dim glow keep the heat in.
Chickie Wah Wah ★ 4.5
$$$$
Mid CityDaily 17:00-02:00.
Chickie Wah Wah on Canal Street is the intimate Mid-City music bar that books Jon Cleary, Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott as locals, with Blue Oak BBQ.
TipShows nightly from 17:00. Reserve a table via the venue site for the early set if you want dinner alongside; the late set is general admission.
The Howlin' Wolf ★ 4.3
$$$$
Warehouse DistrictDaily varies by show.
The Howlin' Wolf on South Peters runs the Warehouse District concert hall plus The Den, a smaller back room. Capacity over 600 with a pro-grade sound system.
TipBuy main-hall tickets in advance; The Den is the walk-in option for local funk and Sunday brass nights with no cover.
BMC Balcony Music Club ★ 4.2
$$$$
French QuarterMon-Fri 16:00-02:00, Sat-Sun 14:00-02:00.
BMC at the corner of Decatur and Esplanade is the upstairs balcony jazz room that runs live music every night, half a block from the Frenchmen Street strip.
TipTwo sets most nights, no cover. Climb to the wraparound balcony for the breeze and the second-line view down Esplanade.