Tipitina's 

Tipitina's opened on January 14, 1977, on a cold Uptown corner at Napoleon and Tchoupitoulas. It was conceived as a home for Professor Longhair — 'Fess' — the great New Orleans piano master who had spent years in relative obscurity. A group of music lovers organized a benefit concert for him, the room took his nickname 'Tipitina' for its name, and one of the great American music venues was born.

From the beginning Tipitina's was more than a bar — it was a community. The legendary Sunday afternoon shows with Professor Longhair himself drew a cross-section of New Orleans that few other venues could match: musicians, students, neighborhood regulars, and the city's music obsessives all packed into a room that felt simultaneously ramshackle and sacred.

After Longhair's death in 1980, Tipitina's continued as the premier showcase for New Orleans talent. The Meters, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, and virtually every major New Orleans act of the era played there regularly. It also hosted national acts who recognized the room's special energy — the Talking Heads, the Grateful Dead, and countless others recorded landmark performances on its stage.

Today Tipitina's remains one of the essential live music experiences in New Orleans. The Foundation operates music education programs and supports local musicians. The room still has that ramshackle magic — a sticky floor, a low stage, a crowd that knows the music. Named for one of Professor Longhair's greatest songs, it is his most enduring monument.