T-Pain and Big Freedia heated up Congo Square Stage at second Saturday of Jazz Fest | Jazz Fest

After two rainy Jazz Fest days, the sun was out with a cool breeze on Saturday. So were the crowds, making for another packed festival Saturday.

At one point, the line at the Sauvage entrance stretched all the way to Gentilly Boulevard, and the fest sold out before 3 p.m. — a rarity for a festival that notoriously lets as many people as possible in (so long as they can pay).

While fellow headliners the Eagles and Alabama Shakes were already well into their sets at the Festival and Gentilly stages, T-Pain kicked off a shorter show at the Congo Square Stage.

T-Pain, known for his signature stylized auto tune that bolstered countless 2000s hip-hop and R&B hits, had a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do so in his hourlong set. But he pulled it off, with a lot of mashups, teasers and some serious dance moves.

Fans, Trombone Shorty among them, hoping to catch a certain favorite track probably heard it — if only for 30 seconds. 

The 41-year-old rapper made an unique entrance: The “DuckTales” theme song halted to an abrupt stop. That’s when he walked out in a windbreaker jacket, light blue t-shirt and shorts and immediately started singing his 2005 hit “I’m Sprung.”

“How the fuck did all these people get in my apartment?” T-Pain said before launching into a medley of “2 Step,” “Booty Wurk (One Cheek at a Time)” and “Got Money.”

He then took off his jacket. “They told me it was gonna be raining,” he explained, making more small talk with the crowd before joking, “I’m trying to stall, so I can catch my breath because I’m old.”

A shock for everyone was when during “I’m N Luv (Wit a Stripper)” a woman somehow got on stage before being escorted off by security.

“Anybody else want to get up here?” T-Pain joked after the song ended. “Count to three, announce yourself before so I’m ready.”

He then did a series of wide-ranging covers, including bits of Journey’s“Don’t Stop Believin’” — during which he showed off his sick air guitar skills — as well as Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It,” the Guess Who’s “American Woman,” Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want to Be,” and Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll.”

He ended with snippets of “Shots,” “Buy U a Drank,” and “All I Do is Win,” with an impressive rap at the end of the latter.

Before he left, T-Pain imparted some words of wisdom upon the Jazz Fest audience, giving them “T-Pain’s three rules about being a piece of shit.”

No. 1, he said, is don’t do anything T-Pain wouldn’t do, but if you must, at least name it after him. No. 2 is “If you plan on trying something new in the sun today, just take half and wait an hour,” he said.

And No. 3? “Take accountability, baby.”

The energy at the Congo Square Stage was already high, coming off of a set from Big Freedia and then DJ Jess.

The queen diva brought her team of jaw-droppingly talented dancers to the Fair Grounds, wowing audiences with their twirls, splits and — of course — twerking.

Freedia, her dancers, background singers and the band came out in matching almost Girl Scouts-esque ensembles with adorned berets. Freedia’s outfit was bedazzled and had a rainbow fist on the back, symbolizing both LGBTQ and Black rights.

She opened with “Karaoke,” then “Play” and “Rock Around the Clock,” before singing the empowering “Louder,” which ended with everyone on stage raising their fists in the air.

As with every Freedia show, a highlight was when she called for volunteers to dance on stage, among them her sister and young niece.

The background singers took center stage for covers of “Killing Me Softly” and “Can We Talk,” giving the rest of the performers an opportunity for an outfit change.

Dancers came out in colored tees, each with a different letter to spell out “FREEDOM.”

Freedia sang part of Beyonce’s “Formation,” which features her, as well two other major songs that sample her: Beyonce’s “Break My Soul” and Drake’s “Nice For What.” They serve as a reminder of the bounce queen’s far-reaching influence.

She signed off with her signature “You already knowwww.”

Earlier in the day, Dustin Dale Gaspard brought a taste of Acadiana to the Lagniappe Stage over at the Grandstands.

Hailing from the tiny community of Cow Island, Louisiana, the folk singer-songwriter reached much wider audiences when he incorporated Cajun French into Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me” for his audition for “The Voice” last year. It was a first for the show in its 28th season.

All four judges wanted him on their team, but Gaspard picked former One Direction member Niall Horan as his coach.

At Jazz Fest, he brought the same charisma, joking with the audience between songs.

“The world’s a crazy place,” Gaspard said, reminding the audience to be there for their brothers and sisters. Sometimes, he added, people aren’t looking for a lecture — they just want to vent and see if anyone feels the same way they do.

“Have mercy, baby,” he sang, before singing his Cajun French-infused “Work, Travaillez.”

For the final two songs, Gaspard brought out Charlotte McAfee-Brunner to play the trombone.

“What’s better than one horn?” he asked. The answer? Two horns.

He then launched into “Like a River,” about the ebbs and flows of relationships. The best part of love he said was not necessarily splitting the bills or even children, but making up.

Whether it’s for spending too much at Target or coming home too late after Jazz Fest, “sometimes you’ve just got to say I’m sorry,” Gaspard said.

He concluded with some Fats Domino. After all, when in New Orleans.