Tipitina's Uptown
The club called Tipitina's was created in the mid-1970's by a group of local music enthusiasts, and quickly became home to dozens of New Orleans rhythm and blues artists. It's patron saint is Henry Roeland Byrd, better known as Professor Longhair, who was the most colorful and influential piano stylist to emerge from New Orleans since Jelly Roll Morton. Tipitina's takes it's name from a woman in one of Professor Longhair's songs, beyond that, however, the origin of such an unusual name is still shrouded in mystery. And, maybe it's better that way.
Before adopting use of "Tipitina's" as its name, the facility was known as "The 501 Club," in reference to its street address (501 Napoleon Avenue). Tipitina's stands as one of the best-known clubs in New Orleans. The building itself was constructed in 1912, and prior to becoming Tipitina's, it served as a gambling house, gymnasium, and brothel.
In the early years, it had a juice bar and restaurant as well as a bar. The only remnant of the juice bar is the banana in Tipitina's logo. In the early 1980s, the studios of radio station WWOZ were located in one of the apartments upstairs from the club. Tipitina's closed for a time during the 1984 World's Fair, when much of the local music scene was drawn to venues in and around the Fair. The building was then remodeled to remove the upstairs apartments in favor of a higher ceiling in the downstairs music venue and reopened.
Cost: $40.00 per person
Friday, September 17, 2010
8:30pm- Buses spot in front of the Roosevelt
8:45pm- Buses start to load and take guests to the Tipitina’s Uptown.
9pm-1:00am- Tipitina’s Uptown
9pm-1:00am- Buses will be loop to and from the Roosevelt
1:00am- Service Ends
Minimum of 50 people for this event. If the minimum is not met than RDS Productions reserves the right cancel the event.