Bay to Bayou: Reflections on My First 3 Months in SW Louisiana

(Nov. 18) I woke up this week in Lafayette, LA to SF Bay Area days: clear crisp blue skies and temperatures in the 60s during the day and 40s in the night. The mosquitoes have miraculously disappeared (well, mostly), my fleece vests feel cozy and comforting and flannel sheets are back on the bed. Oatmeal for breakfast, soup or gumbo for lunch... what I recognize as autumn has finally come to Louisiana and I realize that I will be driving home to San Francisco in less than a week, just in time to spend Thanksgiving with my family there. It has been an engaging three months - filled with establishing new friends, missing old ones, and more music- in Cajun, zydeco and in other genres - then I could reasonably attend and still keep my day job. Even while I knew this part of Louisiana was a cultural hub before I moved here, I was still unprepared for how vibrant the arts, in their infinite variety, truly thrive here.

It goes without saying that there is ground zero for Cajun, Creole and zydeco music. Living in central Lafayette, I am less than 10 minutes away from more than a half dozen venues that regularly showcase this music: Grant Street Dance Hall, El Sido's, Hamilton's, Vermillionville (smoke-free!), Wrangler's, Cowboys, and the Blue Moon Saloon. A bit further, in Breaux Bridge, is Cafe Des Amis zydeco breakfasts (reopening after a fire there on Nov 23), Mulate's and La Poussierre and in Henderson, there is the inimitable Angelle's Whiskey River and Pat's Atchafalaya Club. A half hour away is Slim's Y- Ki - Ki and Richard's Club (I must confess I haven't been to either club since I moved here because there is so much good music happening closer to home.) And further afar, Eunice, Mamou, New Iberia and countless other towns in the area have non-stop music too.

Among the more remarkable events I've been to: an amazing Louisiana Crossroads music series event featuring Sonny Landreth & bassist Dave Ranson just burning up the house, numerous Blue Moon performances held on their back porch (the Blue Moon is becoming like a Cajun Cheers for the local music community) including those by David Egan, Sam Broussard, the Hardheads, and, in one fabulous evening special guest Mitch Reed playing lead fiddle during an acoustic set with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Other highlights included Kevin Wimmer playing several Creole fiddle numbers during one of Keith Frank's gigs at the Hamilton's Club, and a 5 year old member of the Zydeco Force clan getting up to play lead accordion on 4 songs. Although barely bigger than the small accordion he was holding, he played quite proficiently and was right at home leading the band. I can only imagine what he will be like when he turns 10. And at the Rock N Bowl Zydeco Festival last weekend, the audience was wowed when Roy Carrier joined Andre Thierry on stage for several numbers. Roy laid down that relentless chugging rhythm that so characterizes his sound while Andre played melody but soon they started seamlessly switching melody and rhythm lines between their accordions so that you weren't sure who was playing what. What you did know was the joint was jumpin'.

Living here, I've also come to realize how integral Swamp Pop is to life in Southwest Louisiana. Most everyone in this area seems to have grown up listening and dancing to Swamp Pop as well as rock n roll and you can find Swamp Pop on the radio and in the clubs just about all the time. Lil Band of Gold and Don Rich are some popular Swamp Pop favorites.

The visual arts are surprisingly active here as well. Both Lafayette and Breaux Bridge have monthly art walks and there are interesting galleries in these towns as well as Opelousas, Carencro and Grand Cocteau to name just a few. Many local artists exhibit in these galleries and I have found that, with a phone call, they are very happy to show you the work in their studios. I've taken some fun road trips to visit several studios.

Food is another wonderful aspect of Louisiana. I have had lots of inside tips on making gumbo and am getting closer to preparing something passable by local standards with each try. Later there will be etouffees, shrimp creole and smothered dishes to master but for now gumbo is challenge enough. Some good restaurants with a Louisiana emphasis include Don's, Cafe des Amis, T-Coon's, Prejean's, Blue Dog Cafe and Cafe Vermillionville. Beyond Cajun and Creole cuisine, there are also good Vietnamese, Thai, Middle Eastern and Italian restaurants in town, and a great pizza place called Dean-os.

Finally there is no escaping that you are in French Louisiana while you are here. The United States wanted to purchase the area of Louisiana near New Orleans from France because of its vital geographic position at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Eventually Napoleon offered to sell not only New Orleans but all of Louisiana to the US and in 1803 the transaction closed for about $15 million. Most of the local flavor is Cajun and Creole but there are also European French seasonings. For example, there are Cajun French radio broadcasts every morning and most of the weekend, but a European French television channel. You will also find bilingual signs and books, classic French bakeries, Cajun & Creole restaurants, several communities of French speakers who meet regularly for conversation in both Cajun and standard French, French immersion classes, adult education classes in both Cajun and standard French, and bits of overheard French conversations or phases in the air. Not to mention that most names are properly pronounced according to French rules and you will be misunderstood if you use the English pronunciation. (i.e. Richard is pronounced REE shard, Savoy is Sa VWAH).

All in all, it has been a wonderful three months, and even while I am looking forward to going home to spend time with family and friends, I shall also be missing my new life in Southwest Louisiana.