News - #13 AUGUST, 1998

The Latest News... Well, Bayou Ruler has been out for almost two months now, and we couldn't be more pleased with the progress. Our goal is simply to get the record and the live show heard by as many people as possible. Most of July we spent in the van touring the USA, east of the Mississippi. 6,000 miles and 15 performances later, we're still alive and heading off to Europe to promote the record there. We've dubbed this most-recent US trip "the gadget tour," because with every stop we've been accumulating stuff at music stores, Wal-Marts and clothing stores. In the past we've usually flown to performances, and therefore don't have our rig to carry the booty home. But, this time the trailer is full! The gigs have been spectacular. Perhaps the best was the Rongovian Embassy in Trumansburg, New York. You put the Mamou Playboys in front of a packed house of groove-music lovers, and I guarantee you'll hear some energy. The club was rockin'. The weirdest gig of the tour was our return to Strathmore Hall in Maryland, a performance that was cancelled last summer due to a violent and sudden thunderstorm. Somehow, exactly the same thing happened again, right down to the falling branches! We couldn't believe it. But the storm passed so quickly that the crowd returned. Lacking power, we played acoustic in the center of the crowd. The dancers seem undeterred. The crowd cheered as we yelled rather than sang. We beat the hex. Bayou Ruler is getting major radio play around the country and is on the charts in three different radio formats (this week #24 on "Americana"). We've telephoned or stopped by nearly a hundred radio stations for interviews and performance. Hands down, our best "in-station" (as they're called), was at KBON in Eunice, Louisiana. Somehow we stuffed our whole band into Paul Marx's tiny DJ booth and played live on the air. In fact, the whole station was packed with folks. It was as if Elvis dropped in for a visit. Speaking of in-stations, we recorded a mini-concert in Philadelphia for "The World Cafe," a nationwide radio program on the Public Radio International network, and they've just informed us that it will air on Tuesday September 15th. So, wherever you're at, tune into your local "NPR" or "PRI" radio station on that day and check it out! All of you should have received a postcard from Rounder Records, announcing the record and our summer tour dates. But, did you figure out that the postcard is also a sticker? If you peel it just right, it's the perfect decoration for refrigerators, tool boxes, etc. It probably won't hold up for long on a car bumper though, but not to fear, we've created a new window sticker (with a big accordion on it), perfect for automobiles. See the Mamou Playboutique for this new offering! Speaking of the Playboutique, after a quick initial printing, we now have a nicely re-designed Bayou Ruler T-shirt (natural color high quality 100% cotton material). We pleased to have the able assistance of Sasha Nick, who has whipped the mail order business (as well as Peter Schwarz Management in general) into fine working order. Thanks Sasha! The past several months have seen a flurry of memorable performances, guest appearances and late night jamming. One of the most enjoyable and inspiring aspects of playing festivals on the road is that it gives us a chance to meet up or make friends with other musicians. For instance, in Holland (along with special touring guest C.C. Adcock) we had a great time with England's Balham Alligators (who specialize in Louisiana rock-n-roll), and a great blues band Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish. Our gig in Hollywood, CA ended up a memorable triple-bill with Los Aztecs and the Nervis Brothers. Congrats on the marriage, Eddie Cheneddie! We played a festival in Arkansas with Moxy Fruvous, an outragous sort of a capella busking group from Toronto, Canada. That was a weird combination. Then, there was that tornado scare at a Minnesota Casino. Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Cha's got off early that night! Backstage hospitality-of-the-year honors go to the Live Oak Festival near Santa Barbara, CA. Now we want a masseusse and wine tasting at every gig! Check out the brand new record by Bois Sec Ardoin with Balfa Toujours accompanying. The guest drummer is none other than Steve Riley. Steve also helps out on a few cuts of Geno Delafose's new release "La chanson perdu." Steve and David, when they're home on Monday nights, have been teaming up with C.C. Adcock, Warren Storm, and a host of Lafayette all-star musicians for the "Lil' Band o' Gold," at Lafayette's Swampwater Saloon. Speaking of Balfa Toujours, they will release a new all-acoustic record "La Pointe" in September with Peter Schwarz as producer. We're in for another couple months of intense gigging. There's two more trips to Europe, and we're very much looking forward to hosting the new Rhythm & Roots Festival, Labor Day weekend in Escoheag, RI. Closer to home, we'll be back home for Festivals Acadiens (this year dedicated to Walter Mouton & all the Scott Playboys), which should be great. So, come one, come all! We look forward to seeing you soon, and thank you for your patronage! Feedback on Bayou Ruler "One of the best Louisiana rock and roll records of the 90's" -OffBeat "A must take on any drive" -Gavin "An important American album" -The Herald "a Cajun-rock fusion more convincing than earlier efforts by Zachary Richard and Wayne Toups, for the two halves of the recipe are thoroughly blended and not just laid one on top of the other." -Washington Post "A testament to the genius of Riley and his band" -No Depression Magazine "their take on rock is unpretentious and straightforward and they got their trad chops down first" -Chicago Reader "although they rock like radio titans, Riley and his rowdy crew are unmistakably at home back in the Louisiana swamps" -Creative Loafing back to news