Well, I returned to Maryland yesterday after a terrific week in Louisiana, including Festivals Acadiens over the weekend.
I just "finished" trying to clean my shoes. I kept looking at them, thinking maybe that I should just preserve them with all of that Louisiana mud. They were in pretty poor shape after Saturday. Rather than ruin a second pair on Sunday, I decided to wear the first pair. When the rain started on Sunday, I knew it was all over for these shoes. I will remember that mud forever...
But the music was great - from the beginning to the end, the mud not withstanding. As I was finally leaving late Sunday afternoon, I caught myself looking over the muck and seeing people still dancing, still enjoying the music, and thinking that I liked everybody there who all had at least one thing in common - we love the music!
Now the shoes are drying and I will soon learn whether I can wear them again...and I will remember all of the great music...the Ardoin Family Band; Mitch Reed and Ed Poullard; Jason Frey; Paul Daigle; the Huval Family Band (and Kissell's Reel); Ray Abshire; the jam sessions; Jesse Lege'; the Fricassee Cajun Band with the Babineaux Sisters; Chris Segura, Peppy Carmello, and Randy Vidrine; Les Amis Creole; and all of the others that I saw or missed because so much was going on at the same time.
It was an experience of a lifetime - all of that mud and all of the great people! If you were there, we all have something in common; if you were not, it is well worth attending...and my shoes will always remind me of that great weekend of Cajun music.
The music is always good but they need to find a new location for that festival. Its either way to dusty on a nice weekend or a mud bowl as it was this past weekend. There are way too many places in town that are a whole lot better to stage it in.
I have to disagree with you in that. The park is the perfect place. Festival Acadien has and always will be a family festival and the park setting fits that. Plus the dust and the mud pits adds so much atmosphere. I'll always remember this festival as the time I was covered in mud!
How about "The mud the Bud and the boudin". I didn't even like the name change so I would not ever want to see the location change either. Some always makes a better mouse trap and all we end up with is more mice.
Le Piquant
Now that I've seen some pretty tough lookin' dudes at the Festival wearin' their white shrimpin' boots,and keepin' their feets dry, my pair of ivory-tinted vulcanized majorette booties are definitely going to be a part of the JB couture for next year's shin-dig. That, plus a pair of Frog Togs rolled up in a gig-bag.
Also, just as an aside,in a big rain, do not stand under the edge of a tent when somebody decides to dump the accumulated water all out and down your back. Ruins the rest of your whole day, even with great music and food.
Almost forgot to mention that in addition to getting real wet, I did OD on gratons from Charlies.
Those cracklins just beat the daylights out of our 'chicharones'.
Also, I will take my box to the jam next year, especially after I figured out late on Sunday that you could check it in and check it out with the ladies there at the tent. Great service! Wish I'd a known sooner.
The interview with Doug Kershaw, Jimmy C. Newman, and Jo-el Sonnier was, to me and Mrs. JB, the highlight of the trip. Lots of fun and a history lesson as well.
Also, how in the world did they cram so many folks into La Poussiere on Friday night? Oh yeah, that's another place that a couple of guys denied being Jerry Moody.