As New Orleans continues to pulse with its vibrant musical heartbeat, the legendary Maple Leaf Bar stands as a beacon for live music enthusiasts. This season, prepare to be swept away by riveting performances including Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, the dynamic Joe Marcinek Band, and the futuristic grooves of Zoomst. Each event promises a unique experience, blending the city’s rich musical heritage with contemporary flair. Here's your guide to all the rhythm and magic set to light up the stage.

Groove into the Night: A Journey through New Orleans' Finest Live Music at Maple Leaf Bar

Joe Marcinek Band

Maple Leaf Bar

Mike Dillon & The New Fuck Yeahs

Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen

Scotty Graves

SLUGGER featuring TERRENCE HOUSTON, NOAH YOUNG, MAX BRONSTEIN & JOE JOHNSON

Slugger

Electric Ramble is a band born from the rich, rhythmic heart of New Orleans—a city where music is a way of life. Blending the soul and groove of their hometown with the raw energy of classic rock, the band crafts a sound that's both deeply rooted in tradition and boldly modern. Drawing inspiration from New Orleans and abroad, their music is a tapestry of swampy riffs, thunderous drums, and electrifying guitar solos, all tied together with a sense of adventure and a love for storytelling.

Electric Ramble

Queens Balls 2025 w/Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes

Queen’s Balls 2026 w/Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes

Get ready to celebrate the sweetest New Year's Eve in New Orleans! Pocket Chocolate brings their infectious grooves and high-energy funk to the legendary Maple Leaf Bar for a night you won't forget.

Pocket Chocolate to Ring in the New Year!

Ring-a-ding-ding, baby! Join us for a swingin' evening as the incomparable Mike Lemmler celebrates his birthday the only way a true hipster should—by tipping his fedora to the Chairman of the Board himself, Frank Sinatra.

Lemmler Does Sinatra - A Mike Lemmler Birthday Celebration

Keiko Komaki, June Yamagishi & Donald MaGee

Keiko June Donald Trio

George Gekas

James Andrews

Join us in celebrating with our very own New Orleans music royalty and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient at George Porter Jr.’s Big 78th

George Porter Jr.’s 78th

NOLA Very Good Tuesdays is a weekly improvised music series at the Maple Leaf Bar that brings the spirit of Alex Wasily's popular Very Good Mondays series from Los Angeles to New Orleans every Tuesday night. Co-presented by Alex Wasily (Dumpstaphunk trombonist) and Ari Teitel (guitarist), the series showcases some of New Orleans' top musicians in spontaneous collaborative performances.

Alex Wasily & Ari Teitel Present: Nola Very Good Tuesdays - Bah Humbug!

GPJ Trio featuring Mike Lemmler on keys and Terrence Houston on drums w Chris Adkins..

LATE SHOW: George Porter Jr. Trio

GPJ Trio featuring Mike Lemmler on keys and Terrence Houston on drums w/ Chris Adkins..

EARLY SHOW: George Porter Jr. Trio

The Maple Leaf Bar hosts the longest continuously running poetry reading series in North America. It is free and open to the public. The poetry series has been a platform for a great diversity of writers to present their work, from the published and well-established to the novice poet alike. The reading series was founded in 1979 by Franz Heldner, Bob Stock, and the consummate poet laureate of the Maple Leaf Bar, Everette Maddox.

90-Proof Poetry

Joe Krown Trio Plus One feat. Papa Mali w/ Casandra Faulconer and Eric Bolivar

Joe Krown Trio Plus 1 feat. Papa Mali

Join the Krewe of Oak for a festive Toy Drive at the Maple Leaf Bar on Saturday, December 20th from 4-7pm, bringing unwrapped toys, non-perishable food, clothing, and blankets to support local families and Grace @ Greenlight. Enjoy live piano music by Luciaino Leāes while spreading holiday cheer!

Krewe of Oak Holidaze Toy Drive

Celebrating Walter Wolfman Washington's Birthday

Celebrating Walter Wolfman Washington's Heavenly Birthday

The Tanglers

Harmonica Master Jason Ricci & The Bad Kind

Jason Ricci & The Bad Kind

Experience a masterclass in New Orleans jazz at the legendary Maple Leaf Bar with three of the city's most accomplished musicians. Drummer Johnny Vidacovich, a legendary New Orleans musician with a half-century career, has played with icons like James Booker, Professor Longhair, and numerous jazz luminaries, and has maintained a Thursday night steady at the Maple Leaf since 2003.

Johnny Vidacovich Trio w/ Oscar Rossignoli & Martin Masakowski

Every Thursday night at the historic Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans, the Booker & Beyond Piano Series celebrates the rich piano traditions of the Crescent City. Made possible through a generous bequest from Tim Allspach, known as "Professor Tim"—an educator, musician, and beloved fixture at the Maple Leaf Bar—the series honors the legendary James Carroll Booker, the piano genius whose virtuosic style blended jazz, classical, blues, and gospel.

Booker & Beyond: The Professor Tim Piano Series featuring Ross Hoppe

Zoomst ... a New Orleans-based exploratory rock and futuristic groove band.

Maple Leaf Bar

Jan 17 - Feb 14, 2026

Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen

Mar 20, 2026

Zoomst

Jan 31, 2026

Joe Marcinek Band

Jan 24, 2026

Mike Dillon & The New Fuck Yeahs

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Maple Leaf Bar