Le Bon Temps Roule — music venue
In 1979, Ned Hobgood bought the historic building located at 4801 Magazine Street in uptown New Orleans and renamed the business, Le Bon Temp Roule (French for “let the good times roll”). Its previous incarnation was known as Elsie?’s Jackpot Lounge. The bar quickly became an integral part of the music scene of New Orleans. Well-known musicians as varied as Kermit Ruffins, the Soul Rebels Brass Band and Anders Osborne paid their dues in the early part of their careers and legends like Clarence “Gatemouth'” Brown and Walter “Wolfman” Washington have graced the intimate performance space. But like every building in New Orleans, the story of the bar goes much further back. Historical records and architectural details indicate the building was built around 1890. It was a dry goods store and, like most corner businesses during this period of massive emigration to the United States, most likely also served as a neighborhood meeting place and part-time tavern. The part of uptown New Orleans where Le Bon Temp Roule is located was a part of the adjacent Jefferson Parish up until 1870 when the fast-growing city of New Orleans expanded upriver and annexed the district. Celebrities of all stripes regularly visit Le Bon Temp because word has spread that the tavern is a place to hang out without the hassles of stardom intruding on the good times. From old-school Hollywood icons and world-renowned musicians to stars of more recent vintage, you just never know who might be sitting on the next stool or cutting up on the dance floor. Today, a new copper and wrought iron awning and a new roof welcome everyone to Le Bon Temp Roule. Every Friday, acclaimed piano player Joe Krown entertains while the regulars and those in the know slurp down free oysters. The Soul Rebels, now world-famous due to their collaborations with the likes of Metallica, Nas, and Miss Lauryn Hill, continue to tear the roof off the sucker every Thursday night. Down the bar from the brass plaque marking Lee Harvey Oswald’s stool, a plaque of more recent vintage marks the spot of one Uncle Lawrence Palmer. He was another regular. But when he passed away suddenly, he willed his treasured Zulu jacket from the famed black Mardi Gras organization to the bar where he had a drink or three after work his entire adult life. It hangs in a shadow box over the hallway to the back patio and stands as a testament to the enduring strength of friendship and the iconic New Orleans neighborhood bar.
Address: 4801 Magazine Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115, United States
Phone: +1 (504) 895-8117