Music: Best Bets

This month brings a THREE-day music, food and cultural festival an hour to our west and three days of some of the biggest names in popular music an hour to our east. Let’s talk about the latter one first: Voodoo Experience returns to New Orleans’ City Park with a laundry list of big names—Foo Fighters, Outkast, Skrillex, Arctic Monkeys, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Ms. Lauryn Hill—and plenty of local names like Trombone Shorty, Big Freedia, Royal Teeth and more.

Foo Fighters is in the midst of promoting its eighth studio album, Sonic Highways, which comes out in November and is the subject of an HBO series that premieres this month (the band recorded each song in a different U.S. city). The band is sure to give a powerful rock show.

Still, the biggest steal of Voodoo is Andre 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast, who reunited earlier this year to hop on the music festival circuit yet somehow managed to skip over Jazz Fest. Local fans were bummed, but it seems their prayers were answered.

Voodoo starts at 10:30 a.m. each day, Oct. 31-Nov. 2. worshipthemusic.com

Over in Lafayette, Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, which long ago merged individual music, food and craft fairs into a multi-day celebration, returns to Girard Park. The roster this year is a who’s who of Cajun and zydeco greats as well as the newest trendsetters in Cajun music’s revival. Expect to two-step along to the sounds of Wayne Toups, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, the Savoy Family Band, Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet and Joel Sonnier, Feufollet, Bonsoir Catin, the Pine Leaf Boys, Lost Bayou Ramblers and many more.

The opening night features tributes to the Balfa brothers and Clifton Chenier. The festival is Oct. 10-12. festivalsacadiens.com

OCT. 9: Louisiana natives and crafters of summery, catchy pop-rock the Generationals celebrate their newest album, Alix, with Cymbals Eat Guitars and Arum Rae at The Spanish Moon. thespanishmoon.com

Oct. 9: Gramatik brings sample-heavy, hip-hop-infused dance music to the Varsity Theatre. varsitytheatre.com

OCT. 11: Local rockers The Widowers will mark the release of new album Mint Grizz at Spanish Moon with Southern States and Elsah.

OCT. 17: Clint Black, who paved the way for country music’s mainstream popularity in the ’90s, takes his show to L’Auberge Casino & Hotel. lbatonrouge.com

OCT. 23: For all you ravers out there, BASSNECTAR returns to the Baton Rouge River Center for a night of heavy-hitting electronic dance music (or EDM if you know what we’re talking about). brrivercenter.com

OCT. 24: Better Than Ezra returns to perform for an adoring local crowd at L’Auberge.

EARLY NEXT MONTH: Keb’ Mo’ plays the Varsity Theatre Nov. 4. Neutral Milk Hotel offers two nights of shows at the Varsity (Nov. 6-7) for insatiable local fans.

IN NEW ORLEANS: Ridiculously good—and also bonkers—musicians Beck and St. Vincent perform at the House of Blues Oct.5 and 9 respectively. Katy Perry performs at the Smoothie King Center with Tegan and Sara Oct.8.

IN LAFAYETTE: Lil Boosie performs at the Cajundome with Future Oct.11.