_Photo by Jeffrey Dupuis_

Excellent performances by The Who and Ryan Adams highlighted the second day of Jazz Fest, which was once again mired by rain when a heavy downpour forced a few schedule changes during the middle of the afternoon. Fortunately, things cleared up after about an hour of inclement weather, and festivalgoers were able to make their way to the various tents and stages for an assortment of great acts.

The day’s biggest moment came in the form of a captivating Acura Stage set from legendary rockers The Who, which featured original members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, as well as guitarist/mandolinist Simon Townshend, drummer Zak Starkey, bassist Pino Palladino, keyboardist John Corey, keyboardist Loren Gold and multi-instrumentalist Frank Simes. Daltrey and Townshend refused to act their age as they powered through a litany of hits such as “Who Are You,” “I Can See For Miles,” “My Generation,” “Magic Bus,” Behind Blue Eyes,” “Eminence Front,” “Baba O’Riley,” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” along with a sequential series of tunes from their classic 1969 concept album Tommy (“Amazing Journey,” “Captain Walker (It’s A Boy),” “Sparks,” “Pinball Wizard,” “See Me, Feel Me”).

At the same time, Ryan Adams was closing things out over at the Gentilly Stage with an hour and a half set that included some of his signature off-kilter banter, as well as an unsuccessful attempt to serenade a crying baby. The performance featured new tracks like “Kim” and “Trouble,” along with older material like “Come Pick Me Up,” “When The Stars Go Blue” and a reworked, metal rendition of the Whiskeytown track “16 Days.”

The festival proper also included jammed out sets from The Revivalists, Raw Oyster Cult and Dumpstaphunk, who played their pre-The Who set at the Acura Stage with frontman Ivan Neville’s uncle Art helping out on keys. Louisiana-bred indie rockers Givers also held things down on the Gentilly Stage, while husband-and-wife duo Shovels & Rope brought their upbeat blend of blues and folk to the Fais Do Do Stage. The day also saw John Legend closed out Congo Square, while Sonny Landreth and the Robert Cray Band each played full sets in the Blues Tent.

The music continued all across town after the festival came to an end around 7pm. The Meter Men with Page McConnell took the stage at the Joy Theatre for a jammed out set that saw Warren Haynes join the group for a few tunes, including “He Bite Me,” “Just Kissed My Baby” and “Ain’t No Use.” Lettuce guitarist Eric Krasno also helped the band close out their set before saxophonist Khris Royal joined in for an encore rendition of “Hey Pocky Way.” Earphunk also opened the show with a set that included a sit in from guitar prodigy Brandon “Taz” Niederauer.

Meanwhile, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue took over the Saenger Theatre for their Treme Threaxdown, which saw guests appearances from the great Allen Toussaint, as well as trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, rapper Mystikal, keyboardist Ivan Neville and the New Breed Brass Band.

Dead Feat also delivered some top-notch jams when they took the stage for an after show at the Howlin’ Wolf. The group—which consists of the Grateful Dead’s Bill Kreutzmann, Little Feat’s Fred Tackett and Paul Barrere, Anders Osborne and Billy Iuso—got started with the Dead’s classic “Scarlet Begonias”/“Fire On The Mountain” combo before going into a set that featured Dead favorites like “Stella Blue,” “Bertha,” and “The Other One,” along with Little Feat tunes like “Rock and Roll Doctor,” “Dixie Chicken” and “Fat Man In The Bath Tub.”

Over in the French Quarter, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band were joined by a few guests for the weekend’s first Midnight Preserves set. Singer Cassandra Wilson was the first to come out for a take on Bille Holiday’s “Billie’s Blues” before Arcade Fire’s Win Butler led the crowd through “Iko Iko.”

Other after shows included Galactic with vocalist Eric Falls at Tipitina’s, the Greyboy Allstars at The Maison, the New Orleans Suspects with Roosevelt Collier, Jennifer Hartswick, Papa Mali, Eric McFadden and Big Chief Juan Pardo at the Maple Leaf, Father John Misty at the Civic Theater, The London Souls at The Parish at the House of Blues and many, many more.

As for late-late nights, New Orleans jamtronica mainstays Gravity A teamed up with Hildegaard’s Cliff Hines for a stellar tribute to Talking Heads at the Blue Nile. The show, which featured some vocal assistance from Rachel Murray, saw Hines take up the David Byrne role for a two hour dance party that was followed by a more traditional Gravity A set.

On the other side of the city, the Maple Leaf kept things going well into the night with a 3am jam session that included Lettuce’s Erick “Jesus” Coomes and his brother Tyler, as well as Coomes’ Lettuce bandmates Adam Deitch, Eric Bloom, Ryan Zoidis and Adam Smirnoff, plus Break Science’s Borham Lee. Additionally, Robert Randolph & the Family Bnd went extra late with a post-Galactic set at Tipitina’s.
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