Warning! Wacky review alert!
After reading the other reviews for Blue Nile I must preface my review with these thoughts: I might not like what you like, but that doesn't mean we can't love one another, eat a bunch of food, and dance ridiculously to music while breathing in the amazing aroma of..... What the hell am I talking about? I guess the overwhelming weed smoke wafting though the air every time I visited must've gotten to me.
Call me a party pooper, but I am not really a fan. Sure they have good bands play, and the DJ isn't half bad. I just cannot get over the wanton disregarding of the law regarding the weed smoking. I am all for people having a good time, but I hate the smell of weed.
In summary, if you like this place you probably have nothing in common with me. Enjoy it, and don't worry about running into this drug free loser.
Looking for a brass band on Sat night with a group of 4, looking to drink and dance, spend some money and get high. $10 cover, fine. It's late, but not that late, Frenchman St is still in full swing. We pay the man and walk in. As we do the band is saying goodnight. What!?! I figure they are just taking a break, or another band is to follow. I go back out to the doorman and ask him if I just paid $40 to hear one song. No, he says, there will be music all night long. The band finishes (they are great) and the bar is closing. I notice the doorman is nowhere to be found. I should have gone to DBA instead. Many places still playing.
So, Blue Nile, you won, I lost. But don't expect me to be back; we're through, you and I. I don't mind paying for the band, hell, I pay extra and buy their CD's when they are good, but I don't like feeling ripped off and lied to.
After many trips to NOLA i this was my first stop on Frenchmen St ......... and what a disappointment.
Well let's start with what was good = the beer selection at main level bar. Abita Turbo Dog and Purple Haze for $4 ? When I pay $7-8 in NYC ? Fantastic deal. They also had tv's so I saw end of NCAA basketball.
The Thursday I was there it was reggae on main level 90's music upstairs. Sadly it was DJ's and not bands and I wasn't impressed with either DJ. The reggae downstairs was real down tempo and boring while i was there, I was afraid I'd fall asleep. The upstairs 90's dj had me infuriated. Horrible mash ups/remixes of Violent Femmes and Smashing Pumpkins. After awhile he'd play little blips of a 90's song and then go into some contemporary song. i seriously was tempted to douse his equipment with beer.
Other annoyances --
1. Abita and other good beer main level, upstairs bud, heineken and red stripe ? WTF ?
2. Super tight security main level  ( bouncers, barricades and pat downs upon entry) but upstairs you walk right in ?
 a.Guess what the racial make up of the crowd on main level was ?
 b. But guess where everyone was smoking weed ?
It's a large space, And i probably went on the wrong night, but Blue Nile disappointed me greatly.
Maybe it was the feeling of awe seeing the OG NOLA trumpeter, Kermit Ruffins, blast everything from jazz, blues and "Iko Iko," to the Black Eyed Peas; Maybe it was the mobs of dancing maniacs lined up to formally, one by one, puff a "HAND-ROLLED CIGARETTE" with the musicians onstage in-between sets; Maybe it was the celestial sky-scape on the ornate rotunda above the bar area, flanked by modern painted interpretations of voodoo priestesses; Maybe it was the dim-lit, smoky, hip-hop dance party upstairs that lasted until 4am; ...whatever it was, I LOVE THE BLUE NILE!
Review Source:We visited the Blue Nile on Sunday night and saw Mykia Jovan perform. The music was great! We had a really good time and will def. go there again if we are ever in New Orleans again. Seating is limited but the place is big so there is plenty of standing room. The female bathroom was very clean, had paper, and soap!- this is important :O)
Review Source:Drink prices are good, no cover, KILLER live music with a music-loving crowd.
Washboard Chaz Blues Trio blew me away. I'm listening to the CD now and feeling NOLA-sick. After them was a really fun band called FlowTribe - tons of energy and lots of character. We skipped out after them, (it was about midnight) but the place was still going strong with another band coming up.
When you're there, look up at the painted ceiling. Apparently the former owners were sky divers.
Great live music venue!
Smoking is allowed inside, but it never seemed too nasty - and I don't even remember the last indoor smoking venue I've been to in the new millenium.
HUGE tap list takes this place up a notch...lots of local flavor.
Love the art on the walls and the ceiling - the bartenders were fast and nice - this is a great place to see a show. There was so much to see and do on Frenchmen Street we never even made it to Bourbon.
Went here with some friends to see Kermit over the summer. It was packed, but it was a great time. They have PBR and High Life on tap, so you can have a good time without having a huge tab at the end of the night. Cool space and definitely somewhere to stop off at while hanging on Frenchmen.
Review Source:Came here to see Kermit Ruffins perform. It was a $10 cover charge for him. We saw him perform one set before leaving, but he was planning to come back for another one. We had an awesome time, but just felt it was too crowded. I did get to dance up on stage and take my picture with him. Another no frills place, but that's okay.
Review Source:I have a feeling if I visited Blue Nile first, before Spotted Cat a while ago, this would be the 5 star review. Â Anyway, a great place for music along the like of Spotted Cat, Apple Barrel, etc. Â A long bar along the right side, stage to the left. Â An arched section separates the bar and stage area. Â Tiled floors, and murals on the wall and ceiling. Â A surprising tap list as well. Â Some NOLA, Stone, and other craft offerings. Â The music here is top notch as is everything else in the area.
Review Source:Awesome night at Blue Nile! Â Are you kidding me, Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit" via the tuba and a 8 person jazz band?? Â Yes sir!!
Nice to get off of Bourbon Street and the group we saw was great! Â Between the Spotted Cat and here, but see spots if you're looking for jazz or fun bands. Â Big dance floor area and good beers.
We went here on our last night -- a Thursday night during Jazz Fest. We wanted to say goodbye to NOLA properly so we went to Frenchmen. My friend asked if I liked reggae, which of course I do. He then led the way to Blue Nile.
It was very crowded. A Marsalis was performing downstairs so the dancing was upstairs (didn't really catch the name because of the crowd). When we finally got in, that place was packed. As in is-that-my-or-the-person-beside-me's-sweat-on-my-Âskin kind of packed. The music was enervating, though. Pulsing and energetic that it just gets into your system regardless of if you want it to or not. It was great!
I am not a fan of someone else's sweat being on my skin, nor was I a fan of the pervading cigarette smoke and noxious smell of weed. So when I saw an opening to the balcony, I immediately tried to make my way to it. Clearer air! Success!
Along with the more lung-friendly air, there was more space to dance! So danced the night away we did. Fun night!
Oh Blue Nile, why haven't I ever gone upstairs before? I always complain about the lack of dancing spots with DJs that are not dive bars and not smokey and not "upscale" bs clubs that try to charge me a cover. Cover for what?! Maybe Paris has spoiled me but as a woman (and an attractive one according to folks) I do not believe in paying to get into clubs. This is one of the few instances in which sexism works to my advantage.
Anyway, I discovered the upstairs last night and am very happy about it. Will definitely return soon to get my dancing fix.
There is no party quiet like the Brass-a-holics at Blue Nile on a Saturday night.
Truly the brass band for the 21st century. Â I was blown away, never stopped dancing, and even got their card from the manager.
This is a band you'd fly out for a wedding or birthday.
Blue Nile is solid and worth the cover. drinks are cheap, plenty of room to move, great crowd. I have many favorites in Frenchmen (dba, spotted cat, etc.) but Blue Nile is in the top two without a doubt.
This is a great spot on Frenchman Street. I visit the Blue Nile every time I'm in New Orleans whether I plan on it or not! They always seem to have something fun happening and the drinks are fairly priced. I think that you can get in without a cover if you go before 10 pm. The bar staff usually hustle to make sure that the line at the bar doesn't get too bad, but hell you're in New Orleans, you might have to wait for a drink.
I've caught the Soul Rebels, Kermit Ruffin and a host of other great musicians at the Blue Nile and I can't wait to get back there.
Yelpers steered me right here!! Wanted to go listen to some live music and possibly hear a brass band. My man is totally in love with the show Treme and had never been to NOLA (gasp!). So on our quick 24 hrs in this amazing city, I decided Frenchman Street was our best bet.
After asking around, I was told by a few to go to the Blue Nile (also that Kermit (musician not the muppet) might show up). We had to pay a $10 cover per person and were told a band was about to come on and that a brass band would be playing after wards. Bingo!
The place is large and open. Lots of stools and a stage that is a little above eye level, not a bad view in the house. Great acoustics. A band started playing and then BAM Big Chief Monk Boudreaux appeared! GAH!!! A Mardi Gras chief....I die. They were amazing and the crowd went nuts! After jamming to them for a while we went upstairs to listen to some other music on their balcony...this place just keep on giving.
Around 1am, Stooges Brass Band came on and were so amazing! I would definitely recommend hearing them sometime whilst in NOLA.
The Blue Nile was a great place to hear music, great location to many other bars on Frenchman street.
New Orleans was one of the destinations on our Summer 2011 road trip and we were told by a friend who used to live in New Orleans to hit up the Blue Nile for some great live music away from the tourist mecca Bourbon Street.
Her advice was correct, we caught a great show by Kermit Ruffins on a Friday night. This sort of brass music you will find nowhere else in the country. The cover was only $5 and the beer prices were reasonable. I would love to offer more advice but I had so much fun that night that I can't really remember!
I caught yet another show here: The Soul Rebels.
The bar decor is hard to describe. It looks a little like space mountain. Lots of soothing blues, some stars, and a giant moon over the stage. There's nothing explicitly Egyptian about the place so the name doesn't really make sense. Â What does make sense is the diversity of musical acts that Blue Nile draws, the quality of their sound system, and the fun loving crowd that attends shows here.
The beer selection is extremely good for what is primarily a music venue and most are $5.
* Bartender gave me my non-alcoholic drinks for free, a major plus for designated drivers *
My friends and I had a BLAST at this venue...so much so that we tried to go back the next day for part 2, but alas, it was closed. Â The live band they had onstage was one of the best I've ever seen. In life. I don't even like jazz all that much and I was dancing.
When the live band was done, they switched to DJ. It was one of The BEST old school hip-hop mixes I have head. In life.
The only drink I can vouch for was the vodka soda I had...b/c after that I was GOoooNE...
If you're gonna be out on Frenchman St., you must check out.
Shit's Legit.
Loved the live music and $5 beers. But the ultimate highlight was when Cam from Modern Family (Erik Stonestreet) and Cyclops (James Marsden) showed up! Erik is straight in real life - who knew? He was downright fratastic and James was uber gorgeous and didn't disappoint in real life. Best star sighting in NOLA yet!
Minus 1 star for the $10 cover even for good looking chicks (ha).
Here's how much of a dork I am:  Upon walking in the first thing out of my  mouth was "hey this is where they filmed the after-show for last season's Deadliest Catch!"  Yep. Â
I can't tell you what band we saw because it was 1am and the drinks were flowing. Â In fact I'm not even sure I could recognize the place during the day if you blindfolded me and took me there. Â Although I'd probably recognize it from Discovery Channel, re: dorkiness.
Cool place!
Came here with a friend in search of music and booze and we (obviously) were not disappointed!
Drinks were cheap! I paid $5 for a substantial rum and diet coke that was 90% Rum and 10% Diet Coke. I like those percentages.
It appeared that the place had a good selection of draft beers, but some of them apparently were not so good. My friend got a Newcastle that tasted so "off" that he had to send it back. The bartender was nice about it though and got him a new beer without hassle. Since I was feeling "adventurous" after my x-tra strength rum and diet, I tried an Abita Purple Haze, which I have so lovingly dubbed Purple Moon. Because it tastes like Blue Moon. It was enjoyable. As was the band.
We got there bout 10 minutes to 8, before most of the band arrived. It was rather entertaining watching the cast of characters arrive, disheveled with drinks already in their hands, banging on the door to the bar. The band was seriously like a cartoon: the Dave Matthews-esque guitar player, the young electric bass player with his ballcap shading the majority of his face, the overzealous drummer, and my favorite character of all, the piano player, who I can equate only to an old, overweight Persian cat in human form. The man had long grey hair, mustache and long beard, which was complimented by a drab ensemble of matching clothing and Indiana Jones-style hat. Atop his piano was perched the band's stash of cheap booze, much of which they got through in the hour we were at the bar.
Decent amount of seating, reasonable crowd for a Wednesday night, space to dance, energetic and colorful band, reasonably priced drinks, nothing extraordinary but solid.
I was here the night 50 cent was here with Chelsea Handler! Â I noticed them but didn't realize who they were. Â My only thought about the couple was "ohhh look at that old white lady with that beefy dude, go on git yours!" lol. Â
The place was empty, but the bartender was super, band had great energy and people were dancing and having fun. Drinks are cheap (as they are most of Frenchmen St)
Cool bar on Frenchman St. If you are from New Orleans and looking to get away from the usual French Quarter or Uptown hangouts or a tourist that's looking for something authentic, I would suggest heading to Frenchman St. It's usually a safe bet that either the Blue Nile, D.B.A., and Snug Harbor has a good band playing. The drinks are pretty cheap and they aren't so crowded that you want to leave.
Also, on Friday night the Soul Rebels play at the Blue Nile. There is a $10 cover but it's worth it. If you aren't familiar with them they are a New Orleans Jazz Brass Band with a modern twist. You won't want to stop dancing.
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