MUSIC NEWS AND REVIEWS

The latest music updates from New Orleans and South Louisiana

Jennifer Zdon / The Times-Picayune ArchiveTim McGraw, seen here at Jazzfest 2008, has canceled his "Swampstock" fundraiser in Rayville because of Hurricane Gustav.

Country music superstar Tim McGraw, who grew up in north-central Louisiana, has canceled his annual "Swampstock" charity fundraiser in Rayville because of Hurricane Gustav.

More than 20 inches of rain reportedly fell on the Rayville area, prompting the cancellation of the Sept. 13 festival. The bill included McGraw, his wife Faith Hill, Dierks Bentley and more. This was to be the 15th annual Swampstock.

Chris Pizzello / APJanet Jackson, center, poses with her brothers, from left, Marlon Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jackie Jackson and Randy Jackson of pop group The Jacksons after they received the BMI Icon award at the 8th Annual BMI Urban Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008.

The Jacksons were crowned icons at the BMI Urban Awards, but the King of Pop was an absentee.

Janet Jackson presented her music-making brothers -- Michael, Tito, Jackie, Marlon, Jermaine and Randy -- with the lifetime achievement BMI Icon award following a musical tribute at the award show celebrating R&B and hip-hop's top hitmakers. While Tito, Jackie, Marlon and Randy reunited Thursday to accept the award, Jermaine and Michael didn't attend the Wilshire Theatre ceremony.

The day-by-day line-up (as of September 3) is as follows:

Jennifer Zdon / Times-PicayuneFans are excited as the Fall Out Boy takes the stage at the Voodoo Music Experience Sunday, October 28, 2007.

The approach of Hurricane Gustav gave Voodoo Experience producer Stephen Rehage an unwelcome case of deja vu. In 2005, Rehage and his team scrambled to stage a free, scaled down Voodoo two months after Hurricane Katrina with Nine Inch Nails headlining. NIN is back this year -- and here comes another hurricane.

"I remembered all the struggles of 2005 and the options we might have to consider, but not moving forward this year never crossed my mind," Rehage said. "As I left New Orleans on the last flight out Sunday, I sent three e-mails: one each to Mayor Nagin and Lt. Gov. Landrieu commending them on their heroic leadership and thanking them for their service to the city. The third was to Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, which simply read, 'Are you f -- -- kidding me?' "

New Orleans always has been a melting pot -- and our music shows it. We've spawned everything from the "Spanish tinge" heard in Jelly Roll Morton recordings to the bouncing blend of rap, R&B and parade drumming that booms from subwoofers on back-of-town streets today.

Add Martin Krusche and Seguenon Kone to the list of innovators building the New Orleans brand.

I head back to Maw Maw's, where the 5pm cocktail rule is now long out the window, so we fix our drinks even though it's only 3 and head down to sit poolside, soak up whatever breeze there is. Which is not much. There's a rumor floating around about bagged ice over on Airline Hwy, so I head back upstairs, snag my purse and an empty ice chest and head out. I find the ice, not in the parking lot of Sam's as rumored, but not far away at a tiny local service station - no gas, but bags of ice. Then another mile further on (after passing several operational but now out-of-gas stations), I find gas, top off my tank.

The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans will reopen today, Thursday, September 4, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. with the stylings of jazz trumpeter Jeremy Davenport and a limited menu from Executive Chef Matt Murphy in Melange Restaurant.

Theresa Andersson will perform at both Republic New Orleans Friday night and then again on Saturday afternoon at the Louisiana Music Factory.

Both shows will promote the release of her latest CD.

On Wednesday, a wire leading to one of the many neon lights in the place shorted out and caused the front door area to catch fire. Owner Eric Broyard said he plans to quickly repair the damage and reopen the bar within the next several weeks.