I just got back from staying 3 nights at McGee's in Henderson last weekend, and (per Cajungreeneyes) music is alive a well down in S.LA. I didn't seek out the Creole zydeco acts, although the Extravaganza was certainly in full effect up in Opelousas. I did catch Walter Mouton at La Poussière and Travis Matte at Cowboys in Scott. Posted a couple of photos from that night on my Pics webpage at mosquitogumbo.com. It was enough music for me since I wanted to hang out at McGee's and take in the scenery.

There are a lot of trips I make down to SLA just to do tha music thang, but I usually stay in a cheap motel to do that. McGee's is such an awesome place, and once you are settled in there, it's easy to just hang out at the bar with the killer juke box -- or in our case, catch the Cajun trio, "The Henderson Playboys" and the Alt/Rock band, Ashley Hayes.

As I've mentioned before in other threads, there are new zydeco venues cropping up -- Da Berry in New Iberia, Club LA in Cecilia, Club Lincoln & also Club 307 in Lafayette. I wouldn't let the closing of Richard's strike fear of Acadiana closing its zydeco dancehall doors. Richard's *was* a VERY cool place, however. Chances are, someone soon will probably buy it and reopen it -- if they were smart -- and if it were possible. Shoot, money screams louder than family feuds.

Good or bad, change is inevitable.

Rick

according to reports, to reopen
it would require parking lots

people now park on the highway but
that can;t be done with new owners

also, anyone trying to buy it would
probably get sued by someone in the
richard family, they all seem to be
disputing who owns what

and of course the run down old building
doesn;t meet any current building
codes

so it;s not just a matter of
buying an old building that certainly doesn;t
look like much, and resuming the business


wle.

Kind of reminds me of the lack of Polka bars in the mid west and Bluegrass joints in the south.

People have access to the best of the best of all kinds of music over the internet and meeting at the local tavern has gone the way of the steetcar.

Concerts and feastival seem to be doing well.