On Thursday, March 17th New Orleans invades Austin for the annual SXSW Music Conference and Festival as HBO presents Treme, a special SXSW day party produced by Giant Step. The party kicks off in front of The Ghost Room at noon as musicians, including the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, come together for a second line led by Dancingman504. The quintessential New Orleans art form will weave down to Sixth Street as SXSW revelers join in the fun. The party then moves inside for exclusive performances by legendary New Orleans and Cajun artists including the Pine Leaf Boys, Henry Butler and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, and the evening's headliner Dirty Dozen Brass Band with DJ Paul Craven spinning throughout. Guests will get an exclusive look at the second season of Treme as they enjoy Cajun food provided by Austin’s own Evangeline Café.

The Second Line will be leaving The Ghost Room at 12:00 noon, and returning in time for the opening of the doors at 1pm.

The RSVP list is now closed. If you have already RSVP'd or if you are a SXSW badge holder, please arrive early as space is limited and admission will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.


About The Artists

Dirty Dozen Brass Band - In 1977, the Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure Club in New Orleans began showcasing a traditional Crescent City brass band. It was a joining of two proud, but antiquated, traditions at the time: social and pleasure clubs dated back over a century to a time when black southerners could rarely afford life insurance, and the clubs would provide proper funeral arrangements. Brass bands, early predecessors of jazz as we know it, would often follow the funeral procession playing somber dirges, then once the family of the deceased was out of
earshot, burst into jubilant dance tunes as casual onlookers danced in the streets. By the late '70s, few of either existed. The Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure Club decided to assemble this group as a house band, and over the course of these early gigs, the seven-member ensemble adopted the venue's name: the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.?

Thirty years later, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a world famous music machine, whose name is synonymous with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances. They have revitalized the brass band in New Orleans and around the world, progressing from local parties, clubs, baseball games and festivals in their early years to touring nearly constantly in the U.S. and in over 30 other countries on five continents. The Dirty Dozen have been featured guests on albums by artists including David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Dr. John and the Black Crowes.





Pine Leaf Boys - The Grammy-nominated Pine Leaf Boys perform Cajun music with youthful exuberance. Hailing from southwest Louisiana, the Pine Leaf Boys, known for their wild shows and thoughtful arrangements, breathe new life into Cajun music. They have recently been featured on HBO’s “Treme.”

Described as, “... the link that connects the young and the old generations,” and, “the best new, energetic, and fun Cajun band in a very long time,” the Pine Leaf Boys play old- fashioned dance hall standards with a new gusto. Their mission is to bring their ancestors' real music to the world and show that it is still thriving and full of life.

All five members, in their early 20s — Wilson Savoy, Courtney Granger, Jon Bertrand, Drew Simon, and Thomas David — have been steeped in music since childhood. Hailing from farms and villages in Cajun country, the Pine Leaf Boys have been making a name for themselves not only for their youth, but also by preserving the traditional Cajun sound while allowing it to breathe and stretch. They present their music on twin fiddles, accordion, bass, and drum.





Henry Butler - An eight-time W.C. Handy “Best Blues Instrumentalist - Piano” award nominee, Henry Butler knows no limitations. Although blinded by glaucoma since birth, Butler is also a world-class photographer with his work displayed at exhibitions throughout the United States. Playing piano since the age of six, Butler is a master of musical diversity. Combining the percussive jazz piano playing of McCoy Tyner and the New Orleans style playing of Professor Longhair through his classically trained wizardry, Butler continues to craft a sound uniquely his own. A rich amalgam of jazz, Caribbean, classical, pop, blues and R&B influences, his music is as excitingly eclectic as that of his New Orleans birthplace.





Big Chief Monk Boudreaux - Monk Boudreaux is the iconic Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief of the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indian Tribe, the Co-founder of the Wild Magnolias, Historian, Traditionalist, Poet and Musician. In addition to being visually stunning in his traditional Mardi Gras Indian regalia, Percussionist and Vocalist Monk Boudreaux incorporates Mardi Gras Indian chants, lyrics, and rhythms into a modern blend of Funk, Reggae, and Blues that is distinctively New Orleans. Boudreaux is also a member of the Voice of the Wetlands Allstars, a group of musicians have been working and playing together with the mission of bringing attention to Louisiana's Wetlands and representing the voices of the people of South Louisiana. The star-studded group is led by Cajun-bluesman and environmental advocate, Tab Benoit, and features Dr John, Cyril Neville, George Porter Jr, Anders Osborne, Johnny Sansone, Waylon Thibodeaux, and Johnny Vidacovich.





Dancingman504 - Darryl “Dancingman504” Young is a New Orleans native, born in Charity Hospital and raised in the Ninth Ward. Young teaches 2nd Line Dance & Culture to local and International youth groups and adults. He performs 2nd Line Dance professionally with local bands and founded “BrassXcise” in 2008. Darryl was living in Colorado when he saw the images of his beloved city under water. He realized that in hours, a storm could destroy a unique culture that had survived decades of struggle. He resolved to return to New Orleans and contribute his knowledge and experience to ensure the continuity of 2nd Line culture.



HBO – Treme  |  Dirty Dozen Brass Band  |  Pine Leaf Boys  |  Henry Butler  |  Dancingman504