Members of the Meters, Randy Newman and Walter “Wolfman” Washington will at events during the two political conventions to raise money for restoration efforts in New Orleans and the surrounding region plus raise awareness about conditions that exist three years after Katrina.
The Meters' Zigaboo Modeliste, George Porter Jr. and Leo Nocentelli will be joined by Allen Toussaint, Terence Blanchard and Henry Butler at the “New Orleans All Star Jam-Balaya” events being held in Denver  on Aug. 24 at the Fillmore and  in Minneapolis on  Sept. 1 at the First Avenue club. Events are being produced by the Friends of New Orleans.
Also performing will be the Wetlands All-Stars (Tab Benoit, George Porter Jr., Cyril Neville, Waylon Thibodeaux, Johnny Sansone, Anders Osborne and Johnny Vidacovich). They will be joined by Irma Thomas,  Marva Wright and  Marcia Ball. The all-star horn section will feature saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr., sousaphone player and Dirty Dozen founder Kirk Joseph, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Funky Nation front man Big Sam and trumpeter James Andrews. The opening of each evening will feature New Orleans brass band the Soul Rebels, the Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indians and New Orleans natives Lauren Barrett and Mary McBride.
Hosts for the Denver event are Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, actors Harry Shearer and Wendell Pierce and Democrat strategists James Carville and Donna Brazile. In Minneapolis, the hosts include former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and Republican strategist Mary Matalin. FONO Board Chairman Gloria Dittus, Walter Isaacson, former Congressman Billy Tauzin and actor and FONO Board Member John Larroquette will host both events.
Events are also the culmination of FONO’s “Heroes of the Storm” campaign, an effort to honor organizations that have made significant contributions to the recovery and rebuilding effort in the Gulf region.