Cafe Brazil is a popular
venue for
live music in the
Faubourg Marigny district of
New Orleans,
Louisiana, in addition to being a
bar and
social nexus for an eclectic group of
bohemian natives. Its owner, a man whose named is pronounced "a-day," is a minor
celebrity within the confines of Cafe Brazil's
demographic, not least for his taste in classic,
1950's era
automobiles.
Having played at Cafe Brazil a few times, with several different bands, I can attest to the accuracy of the most common assesment of its virtues and failings:
The Good:
-the audience there is usually predominantly local, and generally quite enthusiastic
-the neighborhood is lively, and there is a considerable amount of inter-bar traffic, resulting in decent exposure and a healthy diversity in the audience
-"a-day" is quite nice and almost excessively laid-back
-drinks are cheap
-the atmosphere of the club is pleasant, in a sort of breezy, tropical way
The Bad
-the acoustics are dreadful, with appalling reverberations clouding any semblance of musical precision (in my case, this wasn't really a problem)
-the pay is minimal, although not because the bar is stingy; rather, the shows are inexpensive, which many musicians like, despite the consequential diminuition in pay
-there is no PA, nor is there any recording equipment
-the stage is as shallow as a Tulane Kappa Alpha fraternity brother (some of whom are friends of mine)
The Ugly
-"a-day" sometimes likes to use the club's video projector to display porn on the walls while the band plays (again, not a problem for me)
Whatever its drawbacks as a place in which to perform, however, Cafe Brazil can be quite a lot of fun to visit, especially since it is surrounded by so many other excellent clubs. If you're in the Faubourg Marigny, or the French Quarter, you might enjoy briefly stopping in to meet "a-day," and if you do, tell him that Mills wants to know how his name is spelled.