Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with Southern Avenue

Born Troy Andrews, Trombone Shorty got his start earlier than most: at four, he made his first appearance at Jazz Fest performing with Bo Diddley; at six, he was leading his own brass band; and by his teenage years, he was hired by Lenny Kravitz to join his Electric Church World Tour. Shorty’s proven he’s more than just a horn player, though. Catch his NAC gig, open the pages of a magazine, flip on any late-night TV show, and you’ll see an undeniable star with utterly magnetic charisma, a natural-born showman who can command an audience with the best of them.

Lifted, his most recent album from 2022, finds the Grammy-nominated NOLA icon and his bandmates tapping into the raw power and exhilarating grooves of their legendary live show, channelling it all into a series of tight, explosive performances that blur the lines between funk, soul, R&B, and psychedelic rock. The writing is bold and self-assured, standing up to hard times and loss with grit and determination, and the playing is muscular to match, blending pop gleam with hip-hop swagger and second-line abandon.

And to start off your evening, Southern Avenue will be presenting their album, Family. More than a record to them—it’s a declaration of their growth and unity. Born in the heart of Memphis, their sound reflects the cultural crossroads of the city, a tapestry of harmonies and rhythms that could only come from a melting pot of experiences like theirs. These songs chronicle their evolution, not just as a band, but as a family. They dive into the moments that shaped them, the struggles that tested them, and the dreams that keep them moving forward. The sound of destiny fulfilled—the sound of people who were meant to find one another. This album isn’t just something to hear; it’s something to feel. Like a vibrant family photo album, these songs capture snapshots of their past, reflections of their present, and their hopes for the future. To them, music is about connection, and this collection of songs is their invitation to share that connection with you.