The Supreme Green Fairy

Tank and the Bangas reign over krewe Bohème.

- John Wirt

TARRIONA “TANK” BALL MADE A LIST OF THE GREAT THINGS Tank and the Bangas experienced in 2019. It’s a long list: a Grammy Award nomination for best new artist; performing at Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater, the Library of Congress, the Glastonbury Festival in the United Kingdom and AFROPUNK Fest in Paris; the group’s national TV debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; filming a performance for Austin City Limits; dropping Green Balloon, the band’s major label debut; meeting Michelle Obama; becoming friends with Jill Scott; and Ball’s solo appearances in Vogue and Essence magazines.

“That’s a hell of a year,” she said. Tank and the Bangas accomplished all that even though the band never sets goals or timelines. Instead, manager Tavia Osbey said, “we speak what we want into manifestation and keep the work going until it happens.”

This year, 2020, looks like another beautiful year for the New Orleans band that blends poetry, whimsy, funk, rap, R&B and jazz into intoxicating music and performance. In early January, Tank and the Bangas made its Jam Cruise debut. In late January, the band traveled to Los Angeles for the Grammy Awards. Also in January, the group kicked off Season 2 of OffBeat’s acclaimed original video series, “OnBeat Sessions,” which can be viewed in the digital version of this cover story.