New Orleans is #1 music city

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New Orleans is #1 music city
September 3, 2009
Don Ames
WWL AM 870

Another feather in New Orleans' cap.

The world's largest association of professional travel journalists has voted New Orleans the best city in North America for live music.

The choice was made by some 1,200 members of the Society of American Travel Writers.

"These aren't music critics, these are travel writers. So they're talking about where music is part of the experience of travel, where music just is everywhere and it's everything that you experience and it's an important part of the travel experience in that travel destination," says Rich Grant, the group's publicity chairman.

"Music is such a part of travel. Travel should involve all five senses," he says.

nd the writers say the senses are overwhelmed in New Orleans.

"New Orleans bleeds music - it's in the air, in the water, in the people. You can't go to New Orleans without the music swallowing you whole," says one of the writers.

"One of the great travel experiences is listening to live music in the places where it originated or in spectacular settings," says SATW president, Bea Broda.

New York; Austin, Texas; Nashville, Chicago and Memphis were far behind, but says Grant.

"I did the count the count and the count was...there's no debate. New Orleans was not only #1, it was #1 by a landslide. It was almost two to one, New Orleans was the top," says Grant. "New Orleans has the best live music on the continent."

Grant says New York got it's second place finish because of Broadway.

Rounding out the top ten were Montreal; Las Vegas; Branson, Mo. and Denver.

NOTE: The article also includes a podcast.