Music: Best Bets

Royal Teeth’s star power keeps getting brighter. The south Louisiana pop band returned last month to play a main stage show at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival as well as an after-show at Festival International after making their second-ever network appearance on American Idol. It just so happens that judge and New Orleans native Harry Connick Jr. is a fan, and he booked them for a performance on the show in March, letting them run through their hit “Wild” before a national audience.

“Judges [had] been picking a band they liked to come and play on the show,” singer Nora Patterson told 225 during rehearsals. “We had no idea [Connick] was a fan or had heard us before.”

The indie sextet has a few local shows on the roster before heading out on the road again for a host of summer music festivals, including Bonnaroo and the Firefly Music Festival. They will take the stage at the Varsity Theatre June 6 with Watchers and Baby Bee opening. varsitytheatre.com

ALSO THIS MONTH
JUNE 14: British singer-songwriter Tom Bertram performs at Mud and Water. facebook.com/MudAndWater
JUNE 18: Rapper Future performs with two up-and-coming rap stars, Rico Love and Q.u.e., at the Varsity Theatre. varsitytheatre.com
JUNE 21: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone play some ’60s and ’70s pop classics at the Manship Theatre. manshiptheatre.org
JUNE 21: Country star LeAnn Rimes performs at L’Auberge Casino & Hotel (we’re hoping she still sings “Blue” these days). lbatonrouge.com
JUNE 27: Sage Francis shows off his outspoken rap music at the Spanish Moon. thespanishmoon.com
JUNE 29: The Summerland Tour, featuring Everclear, Soul Asylum and Eve 6—basically, your favorite pop-rock bands from the ’90s—stops by the Varsity Theatre.
IN NEW ORLEANS: Jack White brings his gritty guitar work to the Saenger Theatre June 3. Bruno Mars croons for the ladies at the Smoothie King Center (yep, still called that) June 7. Paul McCartney visits the same venue June 19.
EARLY NEXT MONTH: Essence Festival returns to the Superdome for four days of top-notch acts like Prince, Janelle Mone, Mary J. Blige, the Roots and more July 3-6. essence.com/festival