This weekend, New Orlean’s Tipitina’s will host Karnival Kickoff, a celebration of the early Carnival season that will feature keyboardist and bandleader John “Papa” Gros leading a top-notch cast of NOLA musicians including bassist George Porter Jr, with whom Gros played in the Runnin’ Pardners, and vocalist Cyril Neville.

The collective, which will also include drummer Raymond Weber, bassist Eric Vogel, Funky Meters guitarist Brian Stoltz and the Naughty Professor horn section, will focus on classic Mardi Gras tunes for the evening.

As The New Orleans Advocate reports, the band will play songs by New Orleans legends Professor Longhair, The Meters and more. “My whole goal,” Gros says, “ is to get back tot he shows in the ’80s with that Mardi Gras, Uptown funk vibe. It’s part of my responsibility to keep that up. That’s something I can do, and do well, especially with George and Cyril in the mix. They wrote the music. Or if they didn’t write it, they created the vibe and energy of it through their arrangements.”

More information on the event, which takes place tomorrow, January 29, can be found here.