They call him the Night Tripper, but they should call him one of the most legendary humans to ever sit behind a piano and tickle it until it goes climbing up the walls. New Orleans’ Dr. John is about the grimiest and freakiest of the long roster of grimy-and-freaky characters to rise from America’s swamps. He was psychedelic before psychedelia by sheer force of personality and funky before funk by pure mastery of rhythm. While he’s at the lovable Long Beach Bayou and Blues Festival, you might as well throw this wildman onstage with Roky Erickson (whom he should record with) and Spiritualized (whom he did record with) and let him free minds and let asses escape to freedom forever.
Sun., June 26, 11 a.m., 2011
