Housed in an unmistakable purple building at 4401 Banks Street, Banks Street Bar has long been a Mid-City fixture. The bar earned a particular kind of fame in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when it kept acoustic shows going by candlelight during the long stretch without electricity — a moment locals still talk about today.
The bar supports local rock, jazz, and folk acts and remains an active Mid-City venue, keeping a genuinely divey, unpretentious character that regulars have loved for decades.