NEW ORLEANS — You know the look.
A straw hat, cargo shorts, tennis shoes, and that signature Bayou Wear shirt.
For two weeks a year, New Orleans belongs to the Jazz Dads.
The effortless style icons come from all over the world, united by their love of music and their stylish –but practical – wardrobes.
“It’s just fun,” Rex Menasco said as he sat in the shade in his watermelon print shirt. “It’s actually fun to see all the shirts again. There are ones you don’t have and everybody is dressing up a little. It’s great to be out here.”
There’s no one way to live the “Jazz Dad” lifestyle. Whether you’re chilling in a chair, grooving in front of Congo Square, or holding your place in line at the Crawfish Monica booth, “Jazz Dads” come in all styles. Their one uniting factor is that laid-back, go-with-the-flow feel they bring to the festival.
So, how do they pull it off?
“I don’t know!” Jim Schneider said. “I’ve been doing it all my life, so, it just comes natural.”
“Just come on out and you can live it every year and live it both weekends,” Menasco said.
“Have a cochon de lait poboy,” Michael Abraham said. “It all works itself out after that.”
It’s important to point out that being a dad isn’t required to be a “Jazz Dad,” but if we’re all family at Jazz Fest, then for two weeks a year – they’re all our dads.
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