The Harrison Festival Society recently announced an upcoming concert featuring Big Easy Funk Ensemble at Memorial Hall has been postponed. It was originally scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 15. No new date has been set as of publication.
“The Omicron variant of concern has shown up hard and fast, and with uncertainty about severity, hospitalizations and current vaccine immunity,” the Festival Society wrote in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “We have decided to postpone the show to a time when this wave is in decline, when we know more about how we can prevent the spread of this variant and when we have a clearer picture of the true effect it has on the medical system. This is a hard decision and one we do not take lightly.”
Anyone who purchased tickets does not need to take action at this time. The Festival Society will be in touch with ticketholders when a new date is decided.
The Big Easy Funk Ensemble concert would mark the second concert on the Festival Society’s home stage at Memorial Hall since early 2020. BEFE (pronounced “beefy”) celebrates the diverse mix of musical styling from New Orleans, featuring influences from 60s funk icons The Meters and Dr. John to modern funk masters Galactic and Trombone Shorty.
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BEFE i made up of nine members: Andrew Benton (saxophone), Kevin Tang (trombone), Ryan Naso (trumpet), Reece Worth (guitar), Eric Stephenson (bass), Tyler Gibson (keyboards/organ), Ryan Davis (drums) Jeffrey Kornblum (percussion) and Chris Berry (vocals).
BEFE got together during Mardis Gras 2014 and its members have been jamming together since. In addition to funk acts from the past to the modern day, BEFE’s music draws influence from a number of New Orleans acts, including Louis Armstrong, Pimps of Joytime and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
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Doors to the BEFE show open at 6:30 p.m.; concert goers are encouraged to come early to allow for time to check and scan vaccine cards. The show will be two 45-minute sets with a short intermission. A bar and concession stand are available, but due to current COVID-19 restrictions, dancing is prohibited.
“We know, it’s a bit of a bummer,” The Festival Society wrote. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t groove in your seat!”
To purchase tickets, visit harrisonfestival.com.
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