Landing in New Orleans for college in the early ’90s, childhood pals Jeff Raines and Robert Mercurio fell hard for the music scene and started a band. Ever since, their band Galactic has been firmly rooted in NOLA funk, blues, and brass band, while always willing to explore something new, including hip-hop, electronica, fusion, and jazz. Fronted by vocal powerhouse Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, the band features Raines on guitar, Mercurio on bass, Ben Ellman on sax, Rich Vogal on Hammond organ, and Stanton Moore on drums, Galactic is known for studio collaborations with vocalists including Mavis Staples, Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas and Macy Gray. Longtime regulars at legendary music venue Tipitina’s, where they regularly invite local artists onstage to perform with them, Galactic became the club’s new owners in 2018.