Fort Bragg CA is a blue-collar town of @ 6,000 folks 200 miles north of San Francisco. Ten miles to the south is the town of Mendocino, arsty fartsy and now very yuppy. Was a hippie haunt when I first lived up here 1970-84. Fort Bragg is the cool place now but strictly working class.

Anyhow... across the street from my vintage 1912 loggers house is Eagles Hall, a century old huge wooden structure that is used for a lot of community events. Friday night the street was filling up with cars. What's going on, I asked a passerby? Gonna be a zydeco dance says he. Zydeco? Wow!

So I headed over there ASAP and it was Andre Thierry and a small group. Went back stage, introduced myself and returned with my C box. Andre was so kind to show me some stuff. He and his band were really great, fine people.

And then the dance... mostly people in their 60s and 70s. Well, it was a miracle no one dropped dead because the band absolutely tore it up. Andre is a stupendous box player and his keyboard chops are unreal. People were dancing like crazy, the whole place was going nuts. The old hippies were doing the Fillmore Ballroom interpretive dances they have been doing for half a century. A few couples did the jitterbug and I don't know what some others were doing, having an epileptic fit or something. Weed will do that... -L-

I stood there mesmerized watching him play. Just a drummer, very quiet guitar player and a guy doubling on rub board and keyboard bass (!!!). When they hit a Clifton Chenier groove the place went nuts.

I don't go out and stopped playing out years ago, I'm probably house bound,just don't like crowds I guess. But I stayed all night standing near the stage taking it in. Wow, Andre Thierry can sure play...

The man CAN play !!!
He's a favourite of mine....on my bucket list to go to a LIVE gig of his one day. Occasionally there are shows where Andre, Corey Ledet, Jeffrey Broussard and Chubby are on the bill....those guys are ALL OVER the triple rows ...but Andre has that Piano Accordion as his mainstay.
Next time you see a festival line up with those guys on the list just find the $$$ and get there. I've seen all of them LIVE many times, except Andre. Was one time I thought his vocals were a little under strength but not so much now.

BTW...It was Andre I saw on video once who placed himself in his band at the extreme left..not front and centre, as would normally be the case. I tried it in my band and find it a really good move to be in a position where I can eyeball all the instrumentalists ( and particularly the drummer ) and vice versa...especially if you have a new member or two, or guest player, in the line-up.

andre is just the best!
period.
at everything he does.

wle

Andre Thierry Live on Accordeonale in Germany (Mainz)
Very impressive to me
See link#2

Bloody Brilliant !!