Big Freedia
Big Freedia plays Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown for a solo set rooted in New Orleans bounce. The bill names no supporting act. Known as the Queen of Bounce, Freedia’s work brings the dance-driven New Orleans hip-hop form into a live setting built around rap, movement and audience participation.
Freedia is a singer, rapper and dancer from New Orleans, described in her own bio as “the larger-than-life ambassador of New Orleans Bounce music.” She has helped take bounce, a sound 64 Parishes calls “danceable and distinctly New Orleanian,” to broader audiences, including through work with Beyoncé on “Formation” and “Break My Soul,” Drake on “Nice for What,” Kesha on “Raising Hell,” Lizzo and the New Orleans funk band Galactic. Pitchfork called her album Central City “one of the most effective party-starting records of the year,” pointing to its “bass-heavy beats” and “booming rally cries.” A KXSC reviewer wrote that Freedia’s show is “truly made for a live setting.”
Pappy & Harriet’s began as the cantina on a 1940s Western film set, and that history still frames a night here: the venue sits among Pioneertown’s old movie-set facades, with the desert just beyond. It is a restaurant and live-music venue, with shows in indoor and outdoor spaces; the setting and touring acts make the trip feel tied to this particular outpost, rather than just a concert stop. Shows are ticketed, general admission and standing-room only, with ADA seating available at either stage. The restaurant is separate, serves food, and runs a first-come, first-served waitlist, so put your name down early if you want dinner; eating does not secure a show ticket. Check the event details for doors and weather, especially for an outdoor performance.