Nolafunk 3rd Annual Mardi Gras Ball

CEG Presents is proud to announce that they will host Nolafunk.com's 3rd Annual Mardi Gras Ball on Saturday, February 21st at 8pm at (Le) Poisson Rouge. The New Orleans style celebration will feature performances by New Orleans funk powerhouse Big Sam's Funky Nation, as well as bands led by Crescent City funk/roots rockers and multi-instrumentalists Eric Lindell and Anders Osborne - and will culminate in a late-night Mardi Gras jam featuring some very special guests. Local jazz/breakbeat luminary DJ Mocean Worker will start the night off and spin between performances throughout.

In the spirit of this truly one of a kind event, guests are strongly encouraged to wear celebratory costumes and Mardi Gras finery. Throw beads will hang throughout the room and, in true Mardi Gras parade style, will be tossed out to the audience to wear during the show. The city of New Orleans holds one of the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations in the world, and Nolafunk.com will bring the thrill, fun, and intensity of a true New Orleans throw-down to New York City on February 21st.

Big Sam's Funky Nation is a funk and jazz brass band from New Orleans. Big Sam, formerly the trombonist for The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, keeps crowds dancing with his powerful playing, onstage energy and call/response style emceeing. His group of jazz trained musicians deemed "the funky nation" are known for their exuberant dancing and playing. Eric Lindell is a California born, New Orleans schooled soul/roots/rocker whose original songs combine rhythm and blues, reggae grooves, swamp rock and blues. He is accomplished on guitar, harmonica, keyboards and bass, and has performed with some of the Crescent City's top musicians as well as some of the jam band community's biggest names. Born in Sweden, Anders Osborne has called New Orleans home since 1985. His music combines classic American musical forms such as blues, rock and roll, and Crescent City funk to create a sound that acknowledges no borders as they're usually understood.

Nolafunk.com's 3rd Annual Mardi Gras Ball is presented by NYC-based independent concert promoters Creative Entertainment Group. CEG is dedicated to bringing the undeniable music and spirit of New Orleans to New York City through their Nolafunk.com website. Since 2005, CEG has brought incredible performances to New York City and beyond with artists like Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Rebirth Brass Band, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Trombone Shorty, Bonerama, Jon Cleary, and many more creating an enthusiastic community of New Yorkers eager for more NOLA funk!

The party will be held at one of the city's newest venues, and recent winner of WNYC's listener poll for Best New Music Venue, (Le) Poisson Rouge (www.lepoissonrouge.com), a multimedia art cabaret founded by musicians on the site of the historic Village Gate. The venue will be decorated in purple, green and gold to create a festive Mardi Gras atmosphere. Celebrating among the decorations, costumes, and beads with the help of three New Orleans bands known for their superstar talent, energy, and for relentlessly keeping the crowd moving, guests are sure to enjoy a genuine Big Easy Mardi Gras experience right in New York City.

When: Saturday, February 21st, 2009. 8pm

Where: (Le) Poisson Rouge
158 Bleeker Street
New York, NY


Tickets: $25, $30 day of show, on sale at: http://lepoissonrouge.inticketing.com/ http://www.nolafunk.com http://www.ticketweb.com
Or call: (866) 468-7619
Event info call: 212-505-FISH
Ages: 18 to enter, 21 to drink

Artist links:
· Big Sam's Funky Nation on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/bigsamsfunkynation
· Streaming songs by Eric Lindell: http://www.ericlindellband.com/musicFrame.htm
· Anders Osborne on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/andersosbornenola