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©Andrea D. Rubinstein, 1995-2007
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This website is created and maintained by Andrea Rubinstein.
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Autumn Reflections
(10/20/04) Last week was my first trip back to the SF Bay Area since
permanently moving to Lafayette, LA, in January. It was very strange
flying to a place that was home but yet, no longer, HOME. I rented a car,
stayed at my cousin's house, visited with friends, played tourist (Wine
Country/Half Moon Bay/Berkeley, SF/ Walnut Creek/Alameda in 6 days), visited my
old SF neighborhood and the house I sold, stared at the enormous
selection of veggies in the supermarkets, and stocked up at Trader Joe's. My
timing coincided with several splendid days of perfect Indian summer
weather. I also attended two dances at Eagles Hall, featuring Steve Riley
& the Mamou Playboys and the Zydeco All-Stars, & went to the
weekly Cajun jam at Blair and Steve's.
My flight back to Louisiana then gave me time to reflect on my new life.
While the summer time weather is oppressive (the cliche is too true: it's
not the heat, it's the humidity), and the produce selection and natural
foods selection in the local markets leaves much to be desired (although
Whole Foods is opening in Baton Rouge soon, with Lafayette rumored to be not
far behind, and an organic CSA subscription farm is on schedule to be
planting its first crop this year), everyday life here is user friendly,
filled with music and dance, and easy visits to see friends and socialize.
Instead of spending time in cars, on freeways and bridges and looking for
parking, I go to music festivals, and get impromptu phone calls to play in
jams and come over for a visit. People actually 'stop by' here. And there
isn't even a traffic report on the local Lafayette radio stations. (You have
to dial in Baton Rouge radio to find out about traffic jams).
The music and arts community is vibrant. This month, the Acadiana
Center for the Arts had its grand opening. A new art museum opened this
year as well. There's a monthly ArtWalk and a thriving club scene downtown.
Entrepreneur Magazine recently named Lafayette a top 10 upcoming tech
town.
September is always a great music month in Southwest Louisiana,
bracketed by two long-standing festivals. Labor Day weekend is Zydeco
weekend: anchored by the zydeco festival in Plaisance and the Dog Hill
celebration put on by Boozoo Chavis's family. Performers in multiple
venues over the weekend included Keith Frank, Step Rideau, Brian Jack,
Zydeco Joe, Poncho Chavis, Dexter Ardoin & Lil Pop Ledet., among
others. And the third weekend in September is Festivals Acadiens, which
focuses on the French music of the Cajun tradition. Balfa Toujours,
Charivari and Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, were predictable crowd
pleasers this year, with some astonishing twin fiddling performances by
Kevin Wimmer & Mitch Reed, Mitch Reed & Jonno Fishberg and David
Greely & Steve Riley. The Lost Bayou Ramblers put on an incredibly
dynamic, kinetic stage show that in some ways reminded me of early Bruce
Springsteen and the E Street Band. Another highlight was slide guitarist
extraordinaire Sonny Landreth & fiddler Al Berard uniting with the
Traiteurs to play rocked out Cajun music for the Tommy Commeaux scholarship
fund at the Blue Moon. Scattered on the 'off' weekends was a blue grass
festival, music jams and festivals celebrating rice, giant omelets, and
frogs, among other things.
