Arcade Fire, Strokes, The Roots To Headline New Orleans Jazzfest

If today's headline about the New Orleans JazzFest looks a lot like yesterday's headline about Coachella, well that's because there apparently aren't that many headliners to go around.

The two festivals - one with an indie-electronic focus, held in the California desert, and one held way down in Louisiana, in the birthpalce of jazz - have more in common than you might think. For instance: The Arcade Fire and The Strokes, two of the top four headline names at Coachella, are also among the marquee acts in New Orleans, where the two weekend fest begins April 29 - May 1 and concludes May 5 - 8. There are two other acts in common, too: Brit folker Mumford & Sons and Fugee femme Ms. Lauryn Hill.

JazzFest, however, has many other musically multifarious options, including some acts that could actually be considered jazz, such as sax colossus Sonny Rollins. It also boasts Philadelphia's The Roots, along with soul man John Legend (pictured together above). And on the unabashedly mainstream ticket-draw front there's Bon Jovi, Kid Rock, Jimmy Buffet, and (god help us) Kenny G.

For the real reasons you go to New Orleans, of course, there's a lavish slathering of local talent: Dr. John, Trombone Shorty, Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Galactic, Kermit Ruffins, Ellis Marsalis, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Rockin' Dopsie Jr., Soul Rebels Bras Band, John Boutte, and on and on. And for further formidable non-New Orleanian options, there are plenty of reasons to book a ticket, too: The Decemberists, Lucinda Williams, Lupe Fiasco, Wilco, Willie Nelson, Robert Plant, Ahmad Jamal, John Mellencamp, Jeff Beck, Ricky Skaggs, Philadelphia's own Amos Lee, the Mighty Clouds Of Joy and Haitian greats Boukman Eksperyans, among oodles of others. Not to mention that soft shell crab po' boy I ate on the Fairgounds last year, which keeps calling me back.

Tempting, to say the least. More info here.

Previously: Kanye, Arcade Fire, Strokes To Headline Coachella