ANDREY DENISYUK // Getty Images // via Cosmo
Live music is obviously a must in New Orleans. Their distinctive music scene is hard to beat. Crowned the birthplace of Jazz – yep, another nickname – means that the opportunities for catching live performances are endless. We visited during the French Quarter festival so even more than usual the city was taken over; stages lined the Mississippi River, and musicians packed into every crevice of every bar. One night we spent flitting between popular venues D.B.A and The Spotted Cat Music Club on Frenchman Street a crowd grew around a brass band playing unsolicited live jazz outside a fried chicken shop whilst we all danced in the road not remotely bothered by the oncoming cars.