Dedicated to the late piano master Professor Longhair (that’s him in bronze just inside the entrance; rub his head for luck), Tip’s is, if not the New Orleans club, a major musical touchstone and a reliable place for top local and out-of-town roots, brass, jam, and rock bands from Wilco to Willie Nelson. If you can catch locals like Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Galactic, the Funky Meters, or especially Dr. John here, do not waver for a sec.

It’s nothing fancy: four walls, buncha bars, wraparound balcony (often reserved for VIPs), and a stage (which, if you’re under 6 feet, isn’t easy to see from the back on crowded nights). This uptown (location, not atmosphere) institution has good (loud) sound and air-con, and there’s usually some food truck action. Get advance tix for festival bookings (sure sell-outs) and other big-name acts, and plan on cabbing.