George Porter Jr. Returns to Maple Leaf Tonight After Back Surgery

Photo Credit: Steve Rapport

This evening, Monday, August 18, George Porter Jr. will resume his Monday night tradition of playing at New Orleans’ Maple Leaf Bar. Tonight’s appearance has been billed as a trio performance and will feature the bandleader alongside Mike Lemmler on keys and Terrence Houston on drums. 

Porter Jr. has been on a hiatus from live shows after undergoing back surgery in June 2025. In his absence, the Big Easy concert venue repurposed his Monday night slot as “Who’s On Bass,” featuring Running Pardners and a series of fill-ins, ranging from Dumstaphunk favorite and fellow New Orleans mainstay, Tony Hall, and others like Noah Young, Cass Faulconer, Sam Price, Roland Guerin, and others. 

The Maple Leaf gig will kick off a short series of East Coast concerts for the bandleader and his Runnin’ Pardners ensemble, beginning on Thursday, August 28, at East Park in Norwich, N.Y. They will follow up on Saturday, August 30, in Charleston, R.I., before a pair of Chicago concerts arrive on September 5 and 6, and the tour finale, September 12 in Oxford, Miss. 

Tonight’s return to the Maple Leaf will be livestreamed via the venue’s official YouTube channel. Watch here.

Tickets remain on sale for this evening’s concert. Purchase now.