Street crescendo
Each day the section of Royal Street between St. Ann and St. Louis Streets is closed off from car traffic from 11am to 4pm, making it essentially a pedestrian mall. During these hours, the three-block stretch is lined with magicians, mimes, and performers of all kinds. The top draws, however, are the street musicians.
A number of NOLA’s most noted musicians got their starts on Royal Street. A young Henry Byrd found a discarded piano in the alley and began banging out tunes on the French Quarter pavement. He would go on to become Professor Longhair, the originator of the “New Orleans Sound,” a vivacious form of a rhumba-rhythmed piano blues. Meschiya Lake, named best female vocalist in the city from 2012 to 2014, sang for tips on Royal before hitting the big time—cutting three award-winning CDs and touring internationally. Louis Michot, a member of the Lost Bayou Ramblers, said, “It was a huge part of my musical training. I learned how to connect my music with the people hearing it on the street. That’s just so New Orleans.”
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Address Royal Street between St. Ann and St. Louis Streets, New Orleans, LA 70116 | Tip When handing out quarters and dollars on the street, don’t give anything to the guy painted silver with a handlebar mustache seated near Jackson Square. He is rumored to have collected more than $30,000 in one year because people felt he was great at being a statue. He is a statue. Some guy just painted a mannequin silver and sits nearby to watch his tip bucket.
Because of the transient nature of buskers, it’s hard to pin down who will be playing where and when, but, as they say, it’s all good. If you’re lucky, you might catch Tanya & Dorise, a popular duet who often perform on weekends near St. Louis Street. The violin-playing Tanya is thought to be the inspiration for the character Annie in HBO’s Tremé. Another family act features acclaimed clarinetist Doreen Ketchens; her husband, Lawrence, on tuba, trombone, and piano; and their daughter Dorian on drums. They play traditional New Orleans-style jazz in front of Rouses market near St. Peter Street.
But the unrivaled star of Royal Street is Grandpa Elliott. Looking like Uncle Remus with his white beard, red shirt, straw hat, and overalls, the nearly blind singer and harmonica player can be found most days at the corner of Toulouse and Royal.
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