Summer Arrives….

(6/21/04) Guess what? It’s HOT in Louisiana. And it rains… a lot. We’ve had sudden storms with tremendous shows of lightning and thunder that just amaze me. A few weeks ago, we had over 20 inches of rain in less than 2 weeks! I bought muck shoes just for walking around. After living for 20 plus years in San Francisco, a city with one and a half seasons, and barely a need to check the weather report, the weather in Southwest Louisiana constantly fascinates me. And the plants that grow here, in their dazzling displays of spring and summer color… I look at all this unfamiliar vegetation in awe. My every day environment certainly has changed.
I’ve been a full time resident of Louisiana for about five months now. In March I gave up my California driver’s license and registered my car in Louisiana. That took me all of 35 minutes (with no appointment) including the time it took me to drive to the Department of Motor Vehicles. And I bought a lovely house 5 minutes from downtown Lafayette that is being remodeled right now. It’s got a large screened in porch with a ceiling fan and great acoustics. It’s going to be a great place for jams and parties. I’m hoping to move into it before the end of July.
What I love most about living here is how easy it is to fit music (dancing, and playing in Cajun/Creole jams) into my everyday life. Three or four days a week I’m able to play guitar at jams: at the Blue Moon, Louisiana Heritage & Gifts, Louisiana Folks Roots, Savoy Music Center or friends homes. Weekends there’s also too many places to choose from to go dancing…. From the Lafayette clubs - Hamilton’s, Grant Street, El Sido’s, Blue Moon, to Breaux Bridge – Café des Amis zydeco breakfast, La Pouissiere, to Slim’s (back in action again) and the new casino in Opelousas and Richard’s in Lawtell. There are also side trips to New Orleans, (although these are mostly motivated by a visit to Whole Foods… I bring a cooler and stock up (a new Whole Foods will be opening in Baton Rouge by year end. - yippee!! …although I have discovered the local farmers market.) There’s also some kind of festival going on just about every weekend… no matter what the theme of the festival, there’s always good food and live music to be had.
The Spring festival season has come and gone: Lafayette’s Festival International (which unfortunately got rained out mid afternoon on the weekend}, Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, New Orleans Jazz Fest (where tragically a New Orleans CZ dancer was murdered by some young teenagers who accosted him for money as he was leaving the festival), and a trip to Fort Lauderdale for what was the final Cajun Zydeco festival put on by the city of Fort Lauderdale (a real tragedy – let’s hope the volunteer staff will be able to find the funding to continue on this tradition with new sponsors). It goes without saying that there was great music at all these places. It was equally great seeing friends from all over the country.
Most recently, on the local scene, the big crowds showed up at the Blue Moon last week to see what Horace Trahan was up to in his first public gig since finding religion and giving up music just as his novelty song, "That Butt Thing" became a huge regional hit. Performing with his cousin, Kenneth Richard, Horace came on stage looking like a young Bob Dylan during his Woody Guthrie stage. And then he sang original ‘folk’ songs accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. He was smoking and drinking and preaching a homegrown religion philosophy between songs, and in his songs. His remarks were peppered with comments about how ‘no one on earth can judge another man’. Several songs were about legalizing marijuana (he may have topped Kermit Ruffins on the number of pot references in a single set) The crowd, which wanted to dance, seemed not sure what to make of Horace’s latest incarnation. Message aside, I thought Horace has really honed his songwriting skills… his songs had some intricate lyrics full of internal rhymes and complexity… all set to very catchy tunes. Eventually Horace strapped on his accordion and played both zydeco AND Cajun songs. And Kenneth played some screaming guitar rock and roll. It was a very interesting evening.