Allen Toussaint Birthday Celebration
January 12, 2024
Fassler Hall
As downtown Tulsa continues to grow in both its human and business populations, a few nightlife haunts stay consistent. Fassler Hall is one of those dependable places, where even though there might be a horseback brawl between new Tulsa weekend warriors happening on the street outside, you can count on catching at least one excellent band per week.
The evening of January 12th exhibited this duplicity with a packed house under the rafters of the beer hall. The room was pretty evenly divided between those who were there to bullshit and those who came to witness a tribute to the King of New Orleans soul, Allen Toussaint.
(Toussaint claimed New Orleans—and any place or object he encountered, for that matter—would talk to him through touch. He could place his hand on a chair, and feel an inaudible “hello.” Standing in Fassler Hall, I placed my hand on my schnitzel sandwich, and it said: “Hello, chicken fry.”)
Toussaint is one of those figures who is downright worshiped by the musically obsessed, and has shaped the consumption of even the most casual music listener. Born and raised in New Orleans, Toussaint’s approach to piano playing forged the very foundations of rock ‘n’ roll, drew the first paisley patterns of southern psychedelia, and formed pop culture phenomena like “Lady Marmalade.” His compositions have been performed and covered by artists as varied as Otis Redding and The Doors.
It’s just as impossible to sum up his work in words as it was for Friday’s 11-member band to cover all the sonic alleyways he’s walked down. But 11 musicians tackling 26 of his hits between two separate sets was a good start.