The Honky Tonk Jazz Club, a true institution since 1965 on the site of Bastion V in Dendermonde, breathes history. The bunker, originally designed in the mid-19th century as a munitions depot, is now a cosy jazz, blues, and roots club.
Honky Tonk has had the privilege of hosting many legendary New Orleans artists, including Captain John Handy, George Lewis, and Champion Jack Dupree. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Honky Tonk festivals brought major names such as Memphis Slim, Fats Domino, BB King, Chuck Berry, Rhoda Scott, and Ray Charles to Dendermonde.
Honky Tonk is still very much alive today, and great New Orleans artists continue to find their way to Dendermonde. In recent years, the stage has welcomed the likes of Leroy Jones, Lillian Boutté, Wendell Brunious, and Gerald French.
Second Line refers to the brass band tradition of New Orleans and also serves as the banner of a new generation of younger Honky Tonk staff committed to ensuring the club’s future.
Second Line not only focuses on New Orleans jazz but also on top-quality blues and related genres. Since 2023, Second Line has also been hosting a jam session every first Friday of the month (except in July and August).
