Backstabbers, circa 1978

On a Willow St. strip off Carrollton Ave. that's always had music pumping from its doors, a famed tenant of the past returns this weekend.

Interest in New Orleans’ early punk rock and new wave scene has been growing over the past year with old singles coming back into fashion, a documentary in the works, a DVD release by one of the biggest bands of the era and a fest-within-a-fest at VooDoo Music Experience this year.  

While the definite origins of NOLA’s brand of punk may be lost to history, its resurgent popularity seems to have a specific starting point: the Punk Rock/New Wave Reunion Show held last year at Southport Music Hall in Old Jefferson.  This year’s follow-up sees an expanded slate in a new-old venue back on the Orleans side of the parish line. This weekend the building at 8200 Willow, which has been a bar in some format for the better part of a century, will reopen once again as “Jimmy’s Music Club.”  

America has been subjected to round after round of rock’n’roll reunions for over a decade now, and while they’ve run the gamut from flash to fizzle to fraudulent, no one can deny that sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you don’t.  When it comes to untapped subcultures, however, one man’s dusty, obscure record can be another’s treasure.  

Last year’s reunion, organized in part to help filmmaker Al Champagne build his oral history of local punk, reignited interest and community amongst the grown-up punks. They’ve been reconnecting, sharing photos, and documenting losses all year long.  It also got a few bands back into working shape and eager to take the stage again, even if it’s for a crowd mainly of their peers. And while many of the scene’s members no longer wanna sniff some glue or feel quite like the street walkin’ cheetahs they used to be, the show promises to provide some action unavailable anywhere else.

NoDef spoke to Champagne to get the rundown on the lineup for the uninitiated.  

Friday night sees The Front, The Limit, the Models, Stephie and the Whitesox, with the Backstabbers headlining.  Stephie and the Whitesox—now as back then—is a female-fronted punk rock cover band playing hits from the Runaways, the Cramps, and the Plasmatics who crashed last year’s reunion.  

The Models rocked New Orleans then left LA for L.A. where they evolved into the less-bouncy goth/new wave band Human Drama.  

“They’ve had modest success here but more success in Latin America where Johnny Indovina still draws big crowds,” Champagne said.  

The Backstabbers were a prototypical band in New Orleans in the late seventies in the transition from glam to punk.

“They were led by [singer] Brad Orgeron, who I guess you could say, was the original punk rocker in NOLA, in multiple bands of the time—the Aces 88, the Contenders," Champagne said. "From what I understand, he hasn’t taken the stage in New Orleans since he left town in the 80’s.”

Orgeron has since been all over the country seeding bands and writing songs for others.  

On Saturday Clockwork Elvis sets the pace followed by Waka Waka, of whom Champange says, “there are no recordings of them around, but from what I understand they were a ska band in a 2-tone style, like the Specials or a Selecter-type band.”  

Sexdog takes the stage afterward, whose well-known-in-certain-circles track, “I’m in Love with the Girl Who’s in Love with My Wife” leans a little poppier than some of their more straight-ahead riffs.  Sexdog are back together, playing with nicer gear than they probably ever had in the 80’s.  

“They actually just released an EP a couple months ago with four stuido tracks from 1980 and three live tracks from the Southport Hall at last year’s reunion,” Champagne said.  

Lenny Zenith closes the reunion out on Saturday.  Frontman for a band with the legally mothballed name RZA, NOCCA grad Zenith has been playing music constantly since his teenage years in New Orleans.  His post-punk flavor still packs a punch, but he will probably be bringing out the songs locals know the best from his wild pre-NYC years.

The reunion show is free, and jambalaya will be available for a post-mosh nosh.  
Jimmy’s is at 8200 Willow Street in the Riverbend across from the Carrollton Streetcar Barn.  Doors open at 7, shows start at 8.  Further info and news about the film “Almost Ready” can be found here.

The acts taking the stage this weekend may have outgrown their snotty attitudes, but they’re still New Orleans musicians with New Orleans-caliber chops.  And no matter the level of nostalgia involved, they’ll be playing for a truly reunited audience.