News - #17 AUGUST, 1999

This just in... Never a dull moment with this band. We've been hopping all over the place, playing good festivals but paying the price with a grueling schedule. Here are some examples: US Airways lost our baggage both times we went to Canada. In May, we had several gigs right next to sewage treatment plants. Several performances have been rained on, most have featured incredible heat. On each tour, it seems that one of us loses keys or wallets or tickets. Sometimes one of us has to miss a flight in order to return a rental car, and then has to fly into a different airport, rent another car just to get to the gig on time. I guess what we're saying is that so far this is just another ordinary summer for us. But, that's the offstage drama. The shows, on the other hand, have been marvelous. We did a couple shows with The Iguanas before they headed off to warm up for Dave Matthews Band. We especially enjoyed the free-for-all jam at the end of the Bowery Ballroom gig in New York City. Roddie sat in on accordion for some Tex-Mex, David added a third sax and Peter joined an all-star rhythm section which oddly included Rodney Craig, our Marcia Ball drummer friend from years back. You never know who you'll bump into in Manhattan. And where was Steve? The infamous co-producer of Bayou Ruler, Tarka Cordell, was treating the young Mamou-nian to a special tour of The City. Speaking of the Iguanas, Derek Huston found a review of our show at City Stages in Birmingham. It read, "Sex. That's what I think about when I listen to Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys. A rutted-in-the-mud-swamp-strut, Bayou Ruler casts a mysterious voodoo spell on its listeners." According to the few listeners who have the technical knowledge, the web simulcast which the House of Blues ran for our Milwaukee Summerfest show was a success. One listener was very happy to sit at home, wearing just boxers and still catch the band playing live! Perhaps the best trip so far this summer was the Montreal Jazz Festival. Thanks to quite a bit of funding from the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the festival featured an entire Louisiana stage. So, we got to meet up with friends such as Balfa Toujours, who played on a boat cruise from midnight to 3AM! The crowds at our shows could not have been more enthusiastic. And they can sing...in French! A newspaper review of our show had the following headline: "Un jeune virtuose de l'accordeon a seduit la foule." The reviewer went on to say that Steve Riley is to Cajun Music what Johnny Lang is to the Blues. So, we had a good time in Quebec and we look forward to returning (this time to Quebec City) in October. We're also looking forward to a Nova Scotia/New Brunswick tour in September. Even after 10 years, there are still new places to play! The Congres Mondial Acadien is almost here! We've packed the schedule with gigs in the area. The finale concert at the Cajun Dome on August 15th, called Cri du Bayou promises to be the most exciting. Get your tickets now! Finally, as most of you have heard, we're facing another major transition as Peter goes off to business school. For the next two years, he'll be in Austin, attempting to win a master's in business administration. The plan is to return after that and go full-time into music management. His final Louisiana gig took place fittingly at Whiskey River Landing. The band has already begun trying out new bass players. We also have a strategy for taking care of the management in his absence, so there will be no interruption in the schedule. As for the newsletter, with the continued help of trusty assistant Sasha Nick, we're gonna keep things on track, even if it looks a little different. "The year 1999 seems to be one of powerful change for the Mamou Playboys. Now the 'brains' of the outfit is leaving. Before there was a Mamou Playboys Peter was an integral part of our musical lineage. In 1984, at the age of 15, he was apprenticed to Dewey Balfa to learn Cajun music. He met Steve on the Mardi Gras wagon in Mamou and they became friends. Since 1992 Peter has been a powerful presence in our group, providing his solid bass guitar foundation and soaring third harmony vocal. He inspired us all with the first original song ever recorded by the Mamou Playboys,'The Corner Post.' He later composed the haunting melodies and lyrical concepts to 'La Toussaint' and 'Chez personne' amongst others. The fiddling he learned from Dewey, and perfected, made songs like the Walker Medley and the Wayne Perry Medley vibrate with the richness of authenticity. As an artist, he encompasses our tradition and gives all his innovations the ring of truth. Peter immediately began to apply his organizational skills to our group. His vision for our future and his tireless work habits promoted us from the local restaurant scene to national touring status. We have been incredibly lucky to have a first-class built-in manager with us every step of the way. All this effort was unselfishly donated to the Mamou Playboys. In over seven years Peter never failed to be ethical, creative, diligent and absolutely trustworthy. He even managed to have a good time. So what can we do but wish him well and ask for only two things: 1. That he'll answer our phone calls when we need to know what to do, and B. That he'll come back to us someday." -Sincerely, The Mamou Playboys back to news