This
is what a New Orleans club is all about,
and its reputation was only furthered when
it became the very first live music venue
to reopen, just weeks after Katrina, with
an emotional, generator-powered performance
by Walter "Wolfman" Washington.
It's medium-size but feels smaller when a
crowd is packed in. And by 11pm on most nights,
it is, with personal space at times becoming
something you can only wistfully remember.
But that's no problem. The stage is against
the window facing the street, so more often
than not, the crowd spills onto the sidewalk
and into the street to dance and drink (and
escape the heat and sweat, which are prodigious
despite a high ceiling). You can hear the
music just as well and then dance some more.
With a party atmosphere like this, outside
is almost more fun than in. A good bar and
a rather pretty patio make the Maple Leaf
worth hanging out at even if you don't care
about the music on a particular night. But
if the ReBirth Brass Band is playing do not
miss it; go and dance till you drop.
The Scene
The Maple Leaf is a smallish place with
a simple bar, a patio area in the back
and a hammered-tin ceiling lending to
its homey atmosphere. Its stark decor
sits in direct contrast with the caliber
of local talent on hand. The club's proximity
to Tulane and Loyola guarantees a healthy
mix of university students, and the surrounding
Uptown neighborhoods furnish quite a
mix of local characters as well.
The Draw
Blues, Cajun, funk, R&B and even
locally accented rock acts (plus the
occasional like-minded regional act)
play for the madly swirling crowds--and
make no mistake, they come here to
party. You'll often find patrons dancing
or milling about on the sidewalk outside,
with a clear view of the back of the
stage
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