News - #20 SEPTEMBER, 2000

Highway Patrol It was on a midnight run to Chattanooga when the van started smelling dangerous. We pulled over on the peaceful roadside in Holden, LA. As the frogs and crickets sang we found that our transmission had lost most of it's fluid and that we were stranded there on the I-12 exit ramp. Steve's cell phone went to work. Two hours later we were being towed into Hammond. Since all six of us couldn't fit into the wrecker cab we followed our van and trailer in two patrol cars of the Livingston Parish Sheriff's office. Deputies Barney McLin and Warren Saxton entertained us with stories and one liners like, "We'd rather have chased y'all over here," and, "Bracelets are optional." We swapped cds for business cards and parted as friends. Thanks, officers, for a job well done. The next morning we rented two vehicles and sprinted across the South to make our gig at Chattanooga's Riverbend Festival, hoping we wouldn't meet any more troopers in the process. We arrived with time to spare and had a splendid evening baptizing Blaine Gaspard as our new bassist. Come to the Rockies At the Central City, Colorado Freedomfest there was a sign over the steps to the stage that read: "Elevation 9000 ft., probably the highest you've ever played." We were slightly short of breath and slow of brain but having fun as we played for the crowded Victorian street with mountains rising up in the background. One morning we all went white-water rafting in Clear Creek. We were resplendent in skin-tight wetsuits, orange life-vests, yellow helmets and little rubber booties. Our guide gave us paddling lessons on the bank. We scratched at the gravel with our paddles while he told us how to stay in the raft and how to pull someone back in without dislocating any arms or necks. Then we launched out into the creek and spent the next hour and a half navigating ice-cold class III and IV rapids as the Rocky Mountains rose higher and higher around us. At the end of our "three-hour tour" we were badly in need of naps, but two hours later we were back at 9000 feet doing another show. Somebody's got to do it. We also had a great time hanging out with our buddies, Little Brian and the Zydeco Travelers. There was a high-altitude pick-up basketball game with C.C. Adcock playing in shorts and cowboy boots. On the Fourth of July we drove down to Los Alamos, New Mexico for the festivities. Fireworks were not allowed because of the fire hazard but the stage had a spectacular 100-mile view across the Rio Grande Valley to the mountains of Taos. The hot desert wind prevented our fiddles from behaving but we stayed well enough in tune to get the job done. The next day we were back at sea level and soaking up the humidity. Falcon Ridge and Winterhawk Upstate New York was beautiful and blustery in July with both rain and sun washing the green hills above the Falcon Ridge Festival. It's always inspiring to see how devoted to music people can be when they sit in the rain to listen to our band. It's always amazing to see Steve eating ice cream with a spoon and driving with his knees on two-lane mountain roads. It begs the question, "Why?" The next day in Earlville NY we played in their beautiful old opera house. It was a sold-out crowd that night and it was a pleasure to give the sit-down crowd our "concert" repertoire. We included some older cajun music with lots of pre-accordion fiddling and ballads. On the break we created a mascot in the dressing room that we named "Earl" in honor of the town that was hosting us. The crack of dawn the next day had us streaking across the hills to the Albany airport. We flew to Chicago, where we played at the Sheffield Garden Walk, a huge block party produced by a beautiful Chicago neighborhood as a fund-raiser. It was a perfect day with a perfect stage and a perfect crowd. Newport We hit a new milestone in our career when we played the Newport Folk Festival. This is the same festival that set Dewey Balfa and the world on fire for Cajun Music in the sixties. There were big stars like Natalie Merchant, Willie Nelson and Shawn Colvin there. There was also a beautiful view of the bay and we made the most of our 20 minute set. We were very happy to be there. The Corn Tour The corn was as high as the sugar cane back home on our midwestern tour. We opened for the Little River Band in Oskosh WI, for ourselves in Beloit WI and then headlined the House of Blues Stage at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. Chuckfest The day before the Chuck Wentworth's Rhythm and Roots Festival it was 103 degrees à l'ombre in Lafayette LA. The night before our flight a severe storm rolled through our town with a 65 mph wind clocked at the Lafayette airport. As we loaded ourselves up in the morning we found that a branch had poked a hole in our equipment trailer. It was a relief to fly into the cool blue north. Geno Delafose was onstage when we arrived at the festival stage. Popp Esprite was pumpin' out the bass. We got warmed up on our set, then we invited la Bande Feu Follet onstage for a few tunes. After they amazed everybody, we formed a Cajun/zydeco orchestra with Dirk Powell of Balfa Toujours on piano, Kevin Wimmer on fiddle, Geno and Steve on accordions, Cookie Chavis on guitar and our own Blaine Gaspard and Kevin Dugas making it rock. There was a triple encore with Christine Balfa and Courtney Granger joining in for a traditional finale. They next day gave us rain but nobody minded much. David ate three lobsters. Our evening set was scheduled between Junior Brown and Gatemouth Brown- a Cajun whole wheat sandwich. Later we played the dance tent with Tara Nevins and Jim Miller of Donna the Buffalo on rubboard and guitar. Steamed Riley and the Mildewed Playboys We spent most of August and September in our own territory with the exception of a quick trip to Salt Lake City. The Eunice VFW, Whisky River Landing, the Gueydan Duck Festival, Grant St. Dancehall and Rock 'n' Bowl were all packed out with the a.c. pumping and the windows steamed up. We love our Louisiana crowd. Thanks for coming to party with us. Festivals Acadiens This is the big one, with the biggest crowd ever. Peter Schwarz and his lovely wife, Dianne Borges, were in town so he gave us that perfect fiddle part on the Walker Medley. He also sat in on bass on Gros Jean and his own fiddle tune, the Corner Post. We had a chance to play our new tunes for the whole hometown crowd at once as well as the entire world over the KRVS webcast. Then we cooled down while catching Balfa Toujour's set. It was a great day in the sun. New Sound Tech on Deck We are proud to announce that Scott Ardoin is our new sound engineer. He has probably engineered a large portion of your Cajun and Zydeco record collection. He has also worked for Beau Joque and the High Rollers and Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band. He's a fine musician with a great ear as well as being Steve's cousin. Scott has stepped into the slot left by the retirement of our longtime engineer, Geoff Thistlethwaite. Geoff decided that he should stay home with his new son, Henry, and teach him the finer points of digital reverb. Thanks, Geoff, for four great years of "more me." -Sincerely, The Mamou Playboys back to news