The Meter Men (clockwise from upper left): Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste, Leo Nocentelli, Page McConnell and George Porter, Jr.

Anything that comes out of the Crescent City — the music, the cuisine, the literature — has its own unique vibe. The history of New Orleans is distinctive among American cities, and that leads to a soulfulness that cannot be reproduced anywhere else. When it comes to New Orleans music, many an artist has tried to capture “it”, but the vast majority fail. Simply put, it’s always better to just go to the source.

And when it comes to the source, few musical acts can boast an influence or legacy as deep and rich as that of The Meters. The quartet came together in the mid-’60s, and was comprised of guitarist Leo Nocentelli, keyboardist/vocalist Art Neville, bassist George Porter, Jr. and drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste.

“Individually we are from four different walks of life. Everyone has four different views of life and different ways of living,” said Nocentelli, during a recent interview with DCist. “When these guys came into the studio together, it all became one.”

It was in the studio that The Meters first made their mark. They started cutting records as the house band for legendary New Orleans producer and songwriter, Allen Toussaint, playing behind artists such as Lee Dorsey and Dr. John. In 1969, The Meters released its self-titled, debut album, which contained the funk classics “Sophisticated Cissy” and “Cissy Strut.” The band didn’t have much chart success over the next decade, but did record with Paul McCartney and Robert Palmer, and opened for The Rolling Stones. The Meters then had a renaissance when hip-hop came to the fore, as its infectious grooves have been sampled by Run DMC, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest and a host of others.

As happens with bands over time, the group has split up and re-formed on a number of occasions. Porter and Neville started The Funky Meters while Nocentelli created The Meters Experience. From time-to-time, the original lineup has re-convened, and that, according to Nocentelli, is when the music is at its best.

“The Meters music has always been George, Art, Leo and Zig,” he said. “Whoever is there is not going to be better than the original, that’s just the law.”

The Meters had been touring for some time when Neville started having health issues and decided to take a hiatus from the rigors of the road. The remaining trio decided to continue with a replacement keyboardist. The list of potentials included Herbie Hancock, Booker T. Jones and “JoJo” Hermann from Widespread Panic. After some deliberation, the group decided to approach Phish’s Page McConnell.

“He was more excited about playing with us than we were excited about playing with him,” Nocentelli said. “From his playing to his management on down, we couldn’t have made a better pick.”

Thus, The Meter Men was born, and this is the lineup that will be performing tomorrow night at The Howard Theatre. The setlist will focus mainly on Meters classics, so the audience can expect to hear “Hey Pocky A-Way” and “Fire on the Bayou”, but Nocentelli is quick to note that the arrangements have been updated to reflect the evolution of the performers. The band also still feels it has something to prove, despite its songs having withstood the test of time.

“We want [the audience] to feel like these guys are still a relevant fixture in the music industry,” Nocentelli said. “We’ve just been nominated for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I want people to feel like we deserve that.”

The Meter Men will perform at The Howard Theatre on Friday, November 2, 2012. 6 p.m. doors/8 p.m. show. $35 in advance/$40 at the door.