Dr. John/The Neville Brothers

Contrary to his biggest hit, "Right Place Wrong Time," Dr. John has almost always been in the right place at the right time. Even when performing in the '50s and '60s under his birth name, Mac Rebennack, the New Orleans pianist and songwriter had an instinct for fusing boogie-woogie piano, funky rock, and Louisiana rhythm and blues. Naturally, this combined for a delirious, proto-psychedelic party that made him a Mardi Gras voodoo king and one of the most commercially successful NOLA artists of the post-Fats Domino era. The good doctor's recent career has been fitful, but collaborations with Spiritualized and Supergrass have expanded his stride, as did last year's wickedly political The City That Care Forgot, a guest-fest featuring Eric Clapton and Ani DiFranco. Dr. John's appearance this week with the Neville Brothers is any carnival seeker's trip come true.