News - #16 MAY, 1999

The Latest News... We're very happy to announce that Roddie Romero has joined the band! Many of you already know him as an accordionist, vocalist and band-leader. Well, he's also a great guitarist, both with the slide guitar and the regular stratocaster! Only 23 years old, Roddie has an astounding depth of musicality and talent. He's also a nice guy. His only shortcoming may be turbulence (don't ask him about that airplane ride to Atlanta). He's still getting used to our material, but everyone loves what he brings to the band. We've got a busy summer coming up, and the music is bound to get very interesting with this new lineup. So, when you get the chance, give Roddie a big welcome! What a great idea! The Jimmy Domengeaux Tribute Fest was held on April 18th at the Back to Back Club in Lafayette. With two clubs in one, they were able to accommodate over a dozen bands (all of which donated their performance and many of which Jimmy had played with). Perhaps most notable was the Black Dog reunion. The group had not played together in 20 years. Apparently quite a bit of money was raised for the Javen Domengeaux Trust as well. A big thanks goes out to Jimme Usie and his crew of several helpers as well as the Back to Back for making this happen. We again came away with "Best Cajun Group" at this year's Big Easy Entertainment Awards on April 21st. Thank you everyone in New Orleans who made this possible. Our trophy didn't fair so well, though. Between our rival's jealosy and an open bar, it somehow ended up on the floor in pieces. Of course, we won't name names, we'll just superglue it and tease her mercilessly! In late March, we had a wonderful trip to Paris for Festival Chorus des hauts-de-Seine. The event was well covered locally by TV 10. We performed three times in theatres around Paris to sit-down audiences. Louisiana music and our Francophone connection is not well-known in France, so it was especially rewarding to help spread the word. From what our fellow Louisiana travelers reported, we were the hit of the festival. David, along with Sam Broussard (who played guitar with us on the trip), stayed a couple days after the festival and traveled around France. David actually stood on the very spot where his Acadian ancestors convened before embarking to the New World over 300 years ago. A highly recommended "experience of a lifetime." We've had the opportunity to play some wild gigs in this transitional time. Roddie had a prior commitment one weekend, so we invited Kevin Barzas to relive some old times (Kevin was the original guitarist of the band and the "Mamou Playboys" name came from his grandfather and father's band). So, we had a reunion in the Mid-West. It was different for us to have the acoustic rhythm back in the sound (perhaps not as weird as it was for Kevin to play the non-Cajun repertoire). Of course, the crowd loved it, and it was a real treat to spend some time on the road with an old friend. Unfortunately for Peter, his birthday, Easter and a Whiskey River Landing gig all coincided this year. Terry and Martha pulled out all the stops, including decorating the entire club, a very tasty cake and Peter's very own pair of Catahoula Reeboks (signed by all present). "After all these years, I finally feel like I'm a part of Louisiana, now that I have my own pair of white rubber boots. That'll warm any Pennsylvania dutchman's heart." We had a fun set at Jazz Fest this year. Our set review was printed in the Times-Picayune the next day. Highlights included: "The Mamou Playboys stated their case as the best, most versatile working band in the Lafayette area," and "The Playboys are not just a great Cajun band anymore-they're a great band." Pretty cool, eh? Also, after missing last year's Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, we returned this year to a great crowd and good weather. Of course, that was pretty cruel, making us play after Sonny Landreth's incredible set! We're getting a lot of returns! Please contact us by e-mail when you move or change your email address. back to news