Well, what a night we had last Friday night. Seems it was one of those nights where everything that could go wrong did, except the great music from the band. The Pine Leaf Boys were in town and they were also being filmed for part of a documentary about Chris Strachwitz, who owns Downhome Music and Arhoolie Records. Anyway, because of the power that both the lighting crew and sound guy were pulling in addition to our normal stuff plus the new caterer downstairs, well, the old lady couldn't take all that drain, and two fuses blew out. Thank God it was not the main stage lighting or power source. But as folks found out, there were no fans, no side lights, no flood lights, no lights that were for the band that took almost two hours to set up, no back lighting for the Hall, etc.. You get the picture. Also, because of the sudden jump, two of my amps blew, one of which was connected to the main monitor mix for both Wilson and Cedric. So what was fine at 7:58 was not fine at 8:02..After the lesson, it took about 15 minutes to reroute a whole bunch of things to get some mix going, but we did. And the dance started in pretty much total darkness for the Hall. Now that wouldn't have bothered me or the band, but the cameras needed some light so we had a set of the Main Hall lights on, which again luckily didn't blow. So the band kicked off their high energy Cajun-Creole sound and proceeded to kick some ass big time..

And kick it off they did. They played a whole lot of great two-steps, waltzes, some shuffles throw in as well. I couldn't remember all the songs like normally do, as I was trying to fix the lights, sound board, water station, etc..But there were a couple of numbers I do remember specifically: One was the "Pine Leaf Boy Two-Step". This is a very good tune and one that I just love to dance to. High energy, great turnaround, wonderful funky drive to it. That's' what they started off with after getting going, and it was a nice touch to have. Another tune was Bebe Carriere's "Blue Runner". For some reason the last few years, it's become a Zydeco ACCORDION tune, played by Jeffrey Broussard, Geno, Andre Thierry among others. It was nice to see Cedric play it on fiddle the way it was made. They also played some Boozoo, some John Delafose, even some Beau Jocque, which is pretty cool for a pretty traditional Cajun Band..

These guys are quite talented. Wilson Savoy plays accordion, fiddle, triangle, and sings great too. And in such a high voice it's amazing he hasn't strained a few things...he is just a wonderfully talented guy. The funky drive of his accordion playing, the hard-driving fiddle stuff he does really can't be beat. It's quite impressive to watch, to listen to, and to dance too. He's just a talent to reckon with..

Cedric Watson is on Wilson's level as a musician big time. He's also a fiddler, accordion player and was playing bass too. He sings great, and plays like nobody's business. He also has a drive in his playing that is irresistible to dance too, and plus the songs he sings, are really quite inspiring..

Jon Bertrand has been at the Hall 7 times according to the record. He plays a steady rhythm guitar and a couple of times on this night got some solo spots that were quite tasty. Jon's drive is always steady, always there. He compliments the band well..

On Bass, Blake Miller was playing probably the quietest we've ever had a bass player play. But that didn't diminish anything one bit. His walks were quite funky as well as straight ahead. He was pushing the band in a hard way that really lent itself to dancing. Steady, straight ahead, but quite tasty as well. It was a pleasure to be right next to him all night..

Drew Simon, on Drums was cranking it out. Playing hard, pushing the rhythm and the lead players. Some drummers lay back and let the melody take over, but Drew was leading the band in terms of tempo. Another hard-driving sound, and he never once lost it, never. Hard, steady, on time, and plus he was singing just great as well as play..

All these cats can play and not only that, but put out energy from the stage. That hasn't always happened, especially w/Cajun bands. But these guys did. And it was a nice thing to hear, to see and to dance too....

Course all that high energy dancing made people thirsty and because of a technical problem w/the ABC, we couldn't open the bar for the night. So Lisa Lee went out, and got over 250 bottles of water and thank God she did. All were pretty much gone by the end of the night, as were all the snacks, a first for the Hall. Then, if that wasn't enough for people to handle the women's bathroom backed up on the street..

Damn, it don't get no better than that. But for the most part the vast majority of people understood the situation as did the band and pretty much everyone played it off and dealt with it. So Sue and I would like to give you our utmost thanks for hanging in there. Actually, we had over 275 people come through the door and many stayed till the end. So again thank you who dealt w/the situation and handled yourselves like adults. Also, a special shout out to Hews, who helped find the burned out fuses, Big O for helping move stuff around, and Lisa for helping w/the water and other things. In many ways, it is pretty much Sue and I doing this and it's always nice to get nice helpful people who actually help..

Thanks to all who came out, and we'll have to do it again next time they come out..

Dana D. 6/07

Well, I have just have to say that those of you who couldn't make it to Alameda this last weekend missed a great time. Big time!!!!!

On Friday we had the Zydeco Flames w/Andre Thierry and they were smokin' from the first note on. It's really cool when the band is into it from the get go. Lloyd Meadows singing, William Allums drumming, Frank Bohans' guitar playing, Timm Walkers bass lines, and Andre really makes for a wonderful sound. They don't play strictly Zydeco but mix in some older R'n'B, Reggae, New Orleans funk, as well as some funky Zydeco numbers. We had over 250 people, many new folks who really were diggin' it.

On Sat. Andre played with his band Zydeco Magic, which actually turned out to be 3 members of the Flames, as Jason Thierry had some serious dental work done and couldn't make it, so Lloyd played in his place. William moved over to bass, Timm took over on guitar, and Lee Neal was on Drums. Lee just got back from roading for Earth, Wind, and Fire, and damn was he ON!!!!!! Hard driving beats all night long, and Andre was just doing it to death on the small and triple row accordions. .His singing too was wonderful, and he brought his grandma, Mama Lena, Aunt Rose, and mom Olivia, to help out. There were almost 200 people that night, which for us on Sat. was the 3 highest total we've had.

Then on Sunday, Brian Jack and the Zydeco Gamblers played. And THEY were great. From note one 'till we quit at 1am, they really rocked. Brian's harmonies, his playing, his musicality is just great. Jody Lemelle really cranks on the rubboard and he was dancing more than usual on stage. Ben Black took a couple of really cool leads, especially on the song "Rainbow". It was a great version of the song. Brian of course played the Alameda Anthem, "Step Back (Gimme Some Room)" not once, but twice. And both times the house went nuts. Was nice to see Olivia Guillory get up and sing a couple of songs too. She did a killer version of "Bring it on Home to Me".

It was a wonderful dance, a whole lot of people were lookin' totally sharp, and for once suits, tuxedos, hats, gowns, dresses, and people jumpin' slick outnumbered the people who wore jeans, tie-dyed and Hawaiian shirts. The place really looked classy. And there were about 250 people who came.

Shouts out to Sue, Hews, James, who did the Space Ship that hung above the stage. It was a very big project that looked great. The Hall was decorated nicely as usual. There was great food on NYE. Gumbo, cakes, cheeses, sandwiches, vegetables, cold cuts, breads, cookies. I mean this was a layout. Also, shouts to Cat Chapin for helping pick up Brian, do the door on Sat. and just being a great help overall.

Also wanted to thank all the out-of-town people who came. Seattle, Southern Cal., Colorado, New York, Vermont. Most of them were new to what we do and were quite impressed by what we do pretty much every Friday night.

It was also very touching to have a very sweet couple, Susan and Gabriel, come and celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary at the Hall. They came out from New York and were just nice and can be.

All in all, a wonderful three days. Great bands, great dance floor and dances, wonderful partners, killer food, a cool vibe all the way around. It was a great way to celebrate the New Year. I know that some folks who did come read this board, so I wanted to just say thanks to them. .

Happy New Year Everyone
Dana D.

Click here to see pictures...

September was a very good time for us. We had not only the great local bands like the Zydeco Flames and Andre Thierry but for the Sebastopol Festival we had Geno Delafose, Rosie Ledet, Mark St. Mary and Gator Beat. We were lucky to get Geno to play the Friday night before the festival and as usual, he sold out the Hall. Geno, as I've said numerous times, continues to amaze me. He just is so good, his band is hard-driving, tight, and can't be beat. He didn't take a break for almost 3 and a half hours, playing nothing but straight ahead old-time French Creole tunes, some Zydeco tunes, some Cajun stuff done his way, plus a few rock 'n 'roll and older soul tunes thrown in. I find his singing perfect for what he does, his band is perfect for what he plays, and the stuff just keeps crankin'. Pops Espirte on Bass and Vocals is really a wonderful player. Funky, but very melodic as well. I really like his vocals as well. Gerard Delafose on Drums is a killer time-keeper. He plays just like his uncle used to, and actually can really play the accordion pretty good. He never, ever misses, the tempos are strong and so there, it's hard not to dance anyway possible. Demitrious was on the rubboard and I haven't seen him since he played with Keith Frank awhile back, and man does he add some punch. Good vocals too, and some cool dance steps. We were lucky to have Kent August on Guitar this time, and it was a pleasure to see him again. He's really good, strong rhythm, and very tasty leads. He doesn't get in the way but stands out when he has too. The whole night was wonderful.

Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys came out after that and proceeded to blow the house up. They were crankin' big time, they started hard, fast and didn't let up the entire time. They had a huge crowd down front goin' nuts, most of the dancing couples had to be on the back part of the dance floor, but no matter as every place is good. They are a great band, and Rosie, Morris and the bunch really know how to get down. It was nice to see Chuckie Bush on Bass.

Dana D.

Hi Everyone. A question was asked of me from a dancer by the name of REV JIM, who's from Colorado asking about the history of the Zydeco Dance Scene here in the SF Bay Area. This was my response to him, very, very short and something that could go on for days, but many people who saw this on the ZydecoChat Board asked me to publish it, so I thought I would put it up on my website. Again, it's just a very short history and by no means the definite story. Just a bit of my experience.

Jim If you read Michael Tisserands Book "The Kingdom of Zydeco", the have a chapter called "Gulf Coast West", which explains the history of the Zydeco Scene out here way before I got into it. I mean, we talking from the origins of it around the '40s and such. It's a good chapter and explains what and how the whole thing got going.

I got into this around the very early '80s and was involved with going to church dances and such like All Hollows here in the City, St. Francis of Assisi in East Palo Alto, and St. Mark's in Richmond, where Clifton recorded his album. Pretty much I used to go hang, drink, eat, and dance Zydeco very badly. I remember hearing John Delafose a lot in those days, and Danny Poullard was playing a lot, as was Joe Simien. They had different backup bands going but the church dances were always fun. They were pretty much seasonal, and during Lent nothing went on.

David Nadel, who ran and owned Ashkenaz, booked acts like Queen Ida, Clifton, Buckwheat, and would go see them, and again, couldn't really dance a lick. But it was a great time to hear the music.

Things just got going by osmosis really. Festivals started happening more, Sue got involved with throwing them, Franklin Zawacki from Rhode Island and good ol' Chuck Wentworth also was involved with throwing events, and they would bring out the acts of the day. Boozoo came back, John Delafose was still going strong, Lynn August came out a lot, so did Nathan. Gradually I got better at dancing, saw a lot of different styles, such as Robbie Robertson, (my personal fave) Lucky St. Mary, Tony Royster, Paul Ardoin, David Duhon, guys like that who all had their own style of dancing, and I just tried to copy them, asked them for ideas and tips, and PRACTICED my ass off. I got better as did the music.

David started booking more bands, especially local bands with the Calif. Cajun Orchestra holding down once a month at Ashkenaz which always drew about 250 plus people every night. There would be church dances going on, but really nothing during the week like now, or nobody really teaching either.

There was still a lot more Cajun stuff going on here too. Beausoliel used to come out a lot, Steve Riley was getting started, and I remember the times I heard Dewey Balfa play. But pretty early on, it was obvious in many ways that Zydeco was much more popular. And the pattern continued for along time, with mostly festivals booking bands, and they would get smaller gigs at the local nightclubs. The SF Blues Festival used to book Clifton, Ida, Buckwheat a lot, they booked Mark St. Mary, Boozoo, John Delafose, Geno, Beau Jocque and they were headlining. Now they are not, but that is another story. Also, Franklin and Chuck used to put on bigger festivals in San Rafael, Oakland, but couldn't make it work in the long run.

Bill Graham used to do that too at the Shoreline, with New Orleans by the Bay, but that too went by the wayside. But I'm digressing. .

Around the late 80's early 90's the bands started go get better and there became more of them. Billy Wilson, who was in the Calif. Cajun Orchestra as the Bass Player, picked up the Accordion and Motordude was born after a couple of attempts. That band featured LLoyd Meadows on Vocals, who also doubled in the band Zydeco Flames who were just started to get recognized and they had a good strong lineup as well, with Timm Walker, Frank Bohan, and William Allums who still play today and backed up Andre and Kenny Menard quite a bit back in the day. MDZ also had John Graham on Guitar, who came from the Blues, Dennis Calloway on Bass, who came from the Queen Ida Band and I also went to high school with and is a day younger than me, and they also had one of the best drummers in Linda Geiger, who moved to New York. She's kind of forgotten but man, could she play, and I mean keep a strong steady beat that really made the band jump.

That band got pretty popular, and with the movies that were coming out like "The Big Easy" and "Passion Fish", the scene got more popular, and people started digging the whole thing.

The only problem was that there wasn't anybody really teaching it, so after about 9 years of dancing I started, shaky at first but I got better. Also, the places like Ashkenaz, Slims, Great American Music Hall, places like that really had small dance floors if that, and the places were unbearable at times. So in 1993 Billy and this guy who turned out to be a real jerk and cracker, Ray Jordan, started doing dances at the Eagles Hall, where we are now. However, one problem was that Ray booked only MDZ, and people really were put off by his not so shiny personality. I mean this guy was a real winner. He got fed up with the Eagles in very early '95, and left to do dances at the Elks Lodge, which didn't work because those folks didn't like certain folks or Zydeco.

So the Hall was empty for like 7 months, and then Sue and I decided to bite the bullet and book Zydeco there, with the emphasis on different bands pretty much every week. Sue was also doing bookings for the Orleans Hotel in Vegas and the bands that she booked would play there, and then play for us. Were talking Roy Carrirer, Thomas Fields, Malcolm, Tony Delafose w/Dwaine Dopsie, Lil Brian, and many many more.

Sue and I started booking local bands as well, some worked better than others. We booked Cajun Bands too, but they just didn't do well in the Hall, which needs the Zydeco sound to fill it up. We started the first dance with Willis Prudhomme, and Bonne Musique. The second one was Geno, the third was Kenny Menard, the 4th Andre, who at time was about 15-16 and couldn't play many places except church dances and places like ours. Sue was also booking him at her festivals with the Creole Kids featuring Jason, Chaysa, and Julie Thierry.

So while we were just getting going and getting a rep for having a great place to DANCE, with emphasis on THAT, the bigger festivals started shutting down, the clubs wouldn't book Zydeco as much, due to the many reasons why I've talked about here, a lot of the older musicians passed on, like John, Clilfton, Boozoo, Beau, Rockin' Dopsie and Sidney, etc. .Also, David Nadel was killed in '96 and the Ashkenaz was down for awhile but came back, mostly as a place for Cajun music, which works very well there. Bobby's was a place that went on for a good time, picking up the slack but the neighbors complained and he had to shut down.

The place you are talking about is Jimmies, which is also shut down. Sadly, the list of places that Andrea listed are pretty much all gone except for us in Alameda, the Ashkenaz and maybe Brisbane from time to time.  Church dances are still going strong, with Andre picking up the slack for those, and he's in the process of trying to get them going again, as there is a market for it. .We've actually thrived with now the attendance being up from the 125 people we used to start out with to having usually over 200+ people every Friday night.

There are a few festivals going on like Ardenwood, which is celebrating their 10th Anniversary, and Sebastopol, which is bringing in good Local and out-of-town talent.

The musicianship around here got better and has gotten very good since we started. Many people picked up instruments and starting have jams and house parties which are both good and bad, but I wont' get into it here.

I would like to think the dancing has too, many people, like Andrea said starting going down to Louisiana, Texas, and also soaking up the culture from here. Hell, some folks from here even moved down there.

I could go on and on. This is just a very, very small overview of the Zydeco Scene here. It would take many pages of stuff to write and I won't do that here. It's' been a great ride, with things that still are very cool.

Last week for instance we had Willie Lewis celebrate his Birthday at the Hall. For those of you who don't know who he is, he's the rubboard player and brother of Queen Ida, who also showed up. The Queen herself!!!! What a treat!!! Her band was really the first one I got into as did a lot of people. She was hugely popular out here and all over the world and got tons of new people involved. Plus, she lived in Daly City, right up the road from where I grew up.

Anyway, Jim, does that help?? Sorry for being long, but again, like I said, I could write quite a bit more, and that's just me. Many more people know much more than I do and go back even further in this scene. .Next time you're out in Cali, I'll introduce you to some.

Thanks to all the other people for supporting us, the scene out here, the bands, the church dances, etc. It's been a great trip.

Dana D.

Hi Everybody. Thought I would give a list of pretty much all the bands that have played at the Eagles Hall the last 11 years. I tried to put down all I could remember and they aren't in any particular order, just bands that have played. I listed the accordion players pretty much and the list doesn't include but doesn't name many of the greatly talented sidemen and women that have also played with the bands. If I missed anybody you remember let me know:


Alphonse "Fonsie" Ardoin
Chris Ardoin
Sean Ardoin
Dexter Ardoin
"Black" Ardoin
Big Chris Ardoin
Marcus Ardoin
Andre Thiery and Zydeco Magic
Balfa Toujours
Brian Jack and the Zydeco Gamblers
Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Highrollers
CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band
Creole Zydeco Farmers
Dikki Du and the Zydeco Cru
Dwaine Dopsie
Tony Delafose
Geno Delafose and the French Rockin' Boogie Band
Lil Malcolm and the Zydeco Houserockers
Lil Pookie
T Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers
Kenny Menard
Nooney and the Zydeco Floaters
Step Rideau and the Zydeco Outlaws
Tete Rouge
Frog Legs
Motordude Zydeco
Tom Rigney and Flambeau w/Jim Boggio and Joe Paquin
Zydeco Flames w/Bruce Gordon
Crawdaddy
Gerard Landry
Edward Poullard and Jesse Lege
The Cajun All-Stars w/Al Berard, Ferron Serratte, Jason Frey, some others I've forgotten the names of
File
Queen Ida and Al Rapone
Thomas "Big Hat" Fields and his Foot Stompin' Zydeco Band
Big Red and the Zydeco Playmakers
Jeremy and the Zydeco Hot Boyz
Bonne Musique Zydeco
Lisa Haley and the Zyde-Kats
Acadiana
Chaysa Thierry
Jason Thierry
The Creole Kids
Mark St. Mary
Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Cha's
Roy Carrier
Zydeco Force
Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys
Pine Leaf Boys
Boozoo Chavis and the Magic Sounds
Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble
Sheryl Cormier
Jerome Batiste and the ZydeKo Players
LeRoy Thomas and the Zydeco Roadrunners
Leo Thomas
Lost Bayou Ramblers
Bluerunners
Sean Vidrine and Swampfyre
Willis Prudhomme
Joe Simien
Danny Poullard

Also, wanted to name many of the dance instructors that have taught at the Hall:

Willie Bushnell
Mona Wilson
Joley Bias
Isiah Reed
Kent and Ann Donnelly
Jody Lemelle
Michael Seider
Patsy Hebert
Ronnie Dietrich
Olivia Guillory
Lisa Lee
Jim Belden
Anna Lee McKay
Anya Sander
Linda Francis
Billie Jean Morrison
Ellen Papper
Kristy Coombs
Rachel Lieberson
Hew McCann
Diana Castillo
Cheryl McBride
Cathy Chapin
Chaysa Thierry
Julie Thierry

Thanks to all these talented people, both dancers, musicians, and you the folks who come every Friday. Thanks for making it a great ride these last 11 years.

Dana D.

We just had a wonderful Sunday show here at the Eagles Hall in Alameda. Every year, we do a benefit dance for our Bartender, Walter Budka, to support his charities that he sponsors. American Heart Association and the Cancer Fund. Nobody gets paid, the hall is donated, everyone comes with a nice attitude. This year, like most others, we had a good group of musicians who came. The Alameda All-Star Zydeco Band, featuring Andre Thierry, Billy Wilson, William Allums, Jason Thierry, John Graham, David Hymawitz, and special guest Olivia Thierry.

We started out with Billy on Accordion, Jason, rubboard, John, Guitar, William on Drums and Andre on Bass. Wow, what a nice sound. People were amazed at how tight they sounded, and I had to remind a lot of people that Billy gave Andre a lot of gigs when he was just a kid, and now Andre was just killing on bass. He was also the lead singer along with his mom Olivia, who also plays rubboard great too. They played a lot of John Delafose, Boozoo, Beau Jocque, the older stuff and it really was a wonderful sound. John's leads were incredibly tasty this day, and it was very nice to hear him play. Willilams drumming is always steady and hard, and he was even playing with a badly sprained wrist. Not an easy thing to do, but he showed with his family and was nice to see Jordan with her two friends jumping up and down the whole dance like only little girls can do. I mean all night. Was also nice to see their new baby too. They played for a good hour and a half, and after a short break, we switched the band around, this time with Andre on Accordion, Billy on Bass, David on Drums,and Jason and John still on board and guitar. No dis on Billy, but Boy, Andre sure came out cranking. I mean big time. Must have heard the very same comment from 50 people. Billy is good, and nice to dance to and a nice talented guy, but Andre is in another league and it's very true. His playing is just the best there is. He was playing a lot of Boozoo stuff, his own as well as John Delafose, Zydeco Force, on the Gabbanelli Triple Row, and just kicked ass. His singing is very good, and the licks he plays just can't be beat. Really. He's the only guy I stop and watch play the accordion. Many, many others do too.The Band kicked up a notch and played for a good 70 minutes. A lot of people were still there at the end too. We had, all totaled, a very nice crowd of about 125 people. Not like our usual Fridays, but a very nice crowd all the way around, with a very pleasant vibe in the room.

At the end, Walter came up with tears in his eyes, yes, really, and was saying how much this crowd and the benefit means to him. Twas a touching moment really, and everyone got a little lump in the throat, but it was very cool too. Walter got his $1000 dollars from the dance, we all had a good time, and a good cause was benefited. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Oh yes, for those in the know, Walter is the guy LeRoy Thomas wrote a song for, "Somebody Lookin' For Ya". .Walter is the guy. .

Thanks to all who came and for those who helped out, Lisa, her brother Eric, Ellen, and all who donated some money. Thanks again from Walter.

Dana D.

 
Well, what can I say? We had Geno Delafose and the French Rockin' Boogie Band the Friday of Memorial Day play a dance at Eagles in Alameda, and it was the most crowded dance we've had. We had 450 people who came through the doors with many, many new people as well. The lesson started about 8:05 and there were about 20 people that started out, and by 8:30 we had over 100!! Wow. and the crowd just kept getting bigger from there. Geno really packs them in. At 9:00 we had a moment of silence for those who made this possible by giving the ultimate sacrifice and allow us to do the Zydeco on Memorial Day. At 9:02, we started, and there were allready about 300 people there. Folks I haven't seen in a long time showed up, and everyone pretty much had a good time, although there were a lot of folks who just didn't understand about dance space, so more than most were getting jostled. But someone Geno makes up for it. He played a grand total of 3 hours 43 minutes without a break. DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A few mentioned why doesn't he take a break, but it was a ridiculous question really. They asked so they could take a break, but they didn't want to miss any music. So the Zydeco Jones had them and they needed some help. Nobody ever leaves the dance floor really when Geno plays, and it was hot in there too. People can't sit down, have nothing but smiles on their faces all night, and many just don't want to go home. At 12:45, we still had over 200 people there and they just wouldn't leave, even though Geno had to catch a 5 o'clock flight out in the morning. Some people were so taken, they drove 6 hours to get to the Festival he was at. Seriously. He's that good.

To my mind, Geno is my fave, just like his dad was my favorite when he was alive and Geno was the drummer primarily. They play a style, yeah, I know is older and not many folks outside of Andre and maybe Brian are playing, but to me, it is what the music is all about. On some tunes, like the "Port Arthur Stomp" or the "Joe Simien Special", "Hey Geno" "Gotta Find My Women" all have that hypnotic groove that one can hear but can't describe. It's all said with the warm smile all the dancers and people show when they hear it. The movement of the head in time with the groove that Gerard is laying down,and boy does he ever. He has the ol' Geno and Jermaine Jack way of playing. Hard-driving, and never, ever missing a beat. Never. With Pops, Patrick, and Caveman laying down the foundation, Geno goes to town. And his playing I think is underrated. He really knows how to do the things that make this whole music pop. Plus, I like his voice, like many others do, especially women and there were abundant numbers of those down front, right in front of him. The whole thing never lets up from note one to the last note, and its' always a great time that many others think the same way too.

One of the highlights is our newest littlest Cowboy, Jules, whose smile light up the whole room whenever he come, got to meet a REAL cowboy. Boy, that 3 year old smile just lit the whole room for days. Literally.
 

Dana D.

Hey, folks. Haven't written in awhile but thought I would just share some thoughts about a great accordion player, and singer too. Andre Thierry has been playing for us at Eagles since we started doing these shows ovev 10 years ago. The growth of this young man is nothing short of astonishing in my opinion. He's gotten so good on the accordion that people stop dancing to watch him play, the only accodion player I've ever seen that happen with. He's also one of the few who can play all three types of accordions that are used in Zydeco:single, triple, and piano style. He's a master at all of them. He also plays all the older Zydeco stuff, from Clifton Chenier to Beau Jocque to John Delafose to Boozoo Chavis. Nobody coming out of Louisiana matches him for sheer talent, playing and squeezing the box. Nobody.

The knock on Andre has always been that he doesn't have a band behind him. WELL, HE DOES NOW. Zydeco Magic is a very tight, very together, kickass smokin' band. Whether he has Chuckie Bush or William Allums on Bass, Lee Neal or William on Drums, Greg Crockett or Larry James on Bass, it doesn't matter. Anyway configuration of these talented cats will do, and they do the do. Very well I might add. With his cousin Jason Thierry on rubboard and as the frontman,(very underated I might add), this band is very very good.

Andre and Zydeco Magic have been at the Eagles now pretty much every other week for about 3 months now, and the attendance keeps getting bigger. EVERYONE says how good he is. Many people who haven't heard him for awhile are just blown away. 'WOW" is a very common word. Mine is just "DAMN!!"

We are very spoiled and lucky to have such Zydeco talent out here in the Bay Area. Many places around the country are hungry for it but can't come up the goods. Andre and his guys do it everytime.

Thanks, Andre, for making Eagles a wonderful place to go.

Dana DeSimone

Catching up on some bands that I haven't had a chance to write about were two new bands that came through in Dec. '05. The first one was the Pine Leaf Boys. These guys consisted of Wilson Savoy on accordion, fiddle and vocals, Cedric Watson on Fiddle and Accordion and Vocals, Jon Bertrand on Guitar, and filling in for this show, Chris Corville of the Lost Bayou Ramblers. We had these guys for two consecutive Friday nights, which is a rarity. The first, was the Day After Thanksgiving show. Over 250 people showed up for a night of wonderful Cajun and some French Creole tunes. These guys were joined by our own Billy Wilson on Bass, and they proceded to just kick ass until next week. Hard-driving, great energy, tight band sound, wonderful vocals, great musicianship all the way around.

We don't usually book Cajun bands, because frankly, the sound doesn't carry much at Eagles. We have a big hall which requires a bigger sound, like Zydeco. Most Cajun bands, have a much more closed in sound that fits very well on a smaller stage and venue. But the PLB really carried if off. They put on a wonderful show that night, and everyone had a good time working off their Thanksgiving dinner.

They came back the next Friday, which was the first week in Dec, Dec. 1st, and for this show we also included Andre Thierry and Zydeco Magic for a rare double bill. Both young bands, both high energy, both cranking out the music that makes Southwestern Louisiana so cool for music. The Pine Leaf Boys started off, and proceded to play even more high-energy than they did the week before. From the first tune to the last, they just really cranked it up. After almost 2 hours, we took a short break, and then Andre came on and HE PLAYED almost two hours before we had to go. Just a wonderful night of music form some of the best young guns in the Zydeco/Cajun business. The music is in good hands with these guys.

A week later, we had another Louisiana Band, Jeremy and the Zydeco Hot Boyz. All these guys were 18 and 19. Young, and getting better as well. We had them at the Hall last year, and they were ok, and it was obvious that they were just starting out. This time, they were much tighter, much more together, and were playing quite a lot of Boozoo and John Delafose. Not surprising as Dad who did the driving is a Delafose, It was quite interesting to see young guys playing. Many people thought they were only about 13 or so, but they were older. They played again some wonderful stuff and an extra special treat was having Jo Jo Reed on guitar. Haven't seen him in a couple of years, and it was a great pleasure to see. Thanks guys for coming out.

One week ater, on Dec. 15, we had Dexter Ardoin come out and Andre put together a great back-up band for Dexter. Boy, did the French-Creole sound really come out that night. Nobody quite plays the older French Creole style quite like Dexter. Having learned from both his father, Morris, and his grandfather, Bois-Sec, he hasn't really veered too much from the older form. And what a pleasure it is. It's a style one doesn't hear much of anymore. Great two-steps, wonderful waltzes, some cool shuffles, all done in Creole French, which Dexter speaks fluently. His accordion playing is great, and he plays the triple row like noone business, adding a nice touch of some bluesier tones to the older music. It's a wonderful sound, and with Andre on Bass, it was a super tight sound. Andre has grown into his own as a bandleader and between he and Dexter, the old La-La, French Creole-styled Zydeco was in full bloom. Just a great night. He'll be back and on a semi-regular basis. Thanks Dexter.

Also, the amazing thing is that Andre was the oldest Accordion player of all these guys and he's all of 26. Just a wonderful thing to see and hear. The music again is in good hands. All the dances were very well attended with an average of 250 people, all having a great time.

Dana DeSimone

Man, how do you describe a kick-ass band?? This is one of the hard things to do whenever we have a great band like Brian Jack and the Zydeco Gamblers, from Houston Texas out to play for us at the Eagles Hall. Brian and his guys are just one of those bands that can do it all. Zydeco (both new, and old), Blues, even a couple of old French Creole La-La tunes are all in his repertoire, and all are played with hard-driving intensity that makes up his sound.

Brian and the guys arrived early for a nice and very quick sound check, and I thought the evening was going to go nice and easy, but it turned out that the full moon had other ideas, in that there was a fire that involved 3 structures two blocks away that happened right at the time we were supposed to start. However, I pushed back the lesson about 20 minutes, cut it a bit short, and then Brian and the Gamblers were on their way. From note one, they just crushed the tunes. "Get It Started", was the first tune and boy did they ever. I had to remind a couple of people that it wasn’t a Zydeco Flames tune, but the Flames borrowing Brian's song. Brian in the next two hours played a whole range of stuff. From Boozoo Chavis, to Zydeco Forces' old warhorse, "Shagging Dog Two Step"(Arf, Arf), to John Delafose's "Gotta Find My Woman" to his own originals, he can't be beat. Brian puts his own stamp and own spin on all these classic Zydeco tunes, and makes them sound fresh, alive, revitalized, exciting. .Not many others can do that. He also played a lot of originals, and while I like all of Brian's stuff, I especially love his triple-row stuff. He started that portion of the show with the classic Roy Carrier tune "Step Back" (Gimme Some Room), my fave by him and Alamedas unofficial theme song. Then he went into "Shake And Bake", a great tune to crank out w/your partner, and then a too tight version of "Git It", by the late, great Beau Jocque, which eerily sounded just like Beau. What a song, what drive, what funk, and he played it almost 5 minutes. Charmaigne Thibodeaux, who always says she hurts and for me not to hurt her, ALWAYS winds up wiping me out with her wonderfully great style of Zydeco Dancing, and I danced and it's was one of the best dances in my life. Charmaigne, Brian Jack, Beau Jocque damn it really doesn't get better.

Brian took a short break after playing for two hours, and we proceeded to play some Merengue at the Hall. Boy, I am always amazed and pleased w/how many people do this. It's a great dance form and many people from out-of-town were commenting how NO ONE does breaks like we do at Eagles. I also happened to spot Jason Thierry w/a very pretty Houston gal, getting down on the one w/it. After a couple of Mergenue tunes, and a few Waltzes, Brian came back up and started playing stuff off his new CD. "Galou", written by Jody Lemelle, is a very good song. .I love it. Also, "Shake Your Tail Feather" had many people, especially some gals who I wouldn't have thought, shaking it like there was no tomorrow. Damn, it's a catchy tune and great dance number. Brian also played a very old tune, "The Amede Two-Step", which he calls "Chere Bebe", and cranked it out. I was amazed at how many people DIDN’T know what the tune was, but they all said they liked it.

Just looking at what I'm writing, and thinking back, Brian and his band are one of the most versatile, hard-driving, tightest, funkiest, bands you'll ever hear. Everyone in the band is a master of the instrument they play, and with Brian and Jody as the front men, it's a combo that really is going places. We had a nice crowd of about 230 people, with many out-of-towners coming in for the weekend. All were very nice, although I heard from more than a few why more regulars weren't there. Without getting into it, I just remarked that they missed out on a very wonderful night of Zydeco music and Dancing. Thanks again to all who did come. I don't have to tell you how great it was. It was hot in the Hall, and the Music was even hotter and funkier. Just a very nice night, and it will be repeated on New Year's Eve this year, w/these guys playing for us. Sue and I decided to have a wonderful time so there you go. If you missed them this time out, check them out whenever you can, they are that good. Thanks Brian and your band for coming out.

Dana DeSimone

see pictures!

"Zydeco Wonder" - September 2005

Click here to read the Sunday, September 4, 2005 San Francisco Chronicle article about Geno Delafose.

The summer months are now upon us and it just seems to be getting better at the Eagles Hall here in Alameda. We had 4 different bands, all playing different takes on the Zydeco Sound, and all great.

We started off w/Big Red and the Zydeco Playmakers from Beaumont, Texas. Just a nice bunch of guys and they had a different sound that had the whole place hopping. You can read about the show in my review that is also on this page.

The next week we had the Zydeco Flames, with Andre Thierry on Accordion. Andre has been playing with the Flames now for the last 6 months and it's getting better and better. Between the R' & B' sound that the Flames are noted for, and Andres' hard-core Zydeco beat, the combination is taking on a life of its own. The Flames are playing songs that they never used to play, a lot more Boozoo, John Delafose stuff, mixed in with their own originals and Clifton Chenier styled tunes. They are a very tight band, and have been now for quite awhile. Andre's appearing with them only makes them tighter, and it also shows in the crowds that we have been having w/them. We had about 250 dancers come through the doors that night, and boy what a nice night. It was also a special treat to also have Chuck Bush, Beau Jocques' old bass player, sit in on guitar. Man, can the man play. Funky as he wants to be, and just a monster on rhythm. When he and Andre started locking in, boy, the whole level went WAY, WAY UP!!! on the stage and in the house. .Many people were saying it was the best they've heard the Flames play. I know it was a very special evening.

The third week we had Andre and his band Zydeco Magic. The configuration has really solidified. Jason Thierry on Rubboard, Lee Neal on Drums, Greg Crockett on guitar, William Allums on Bass, and Andre on Guitar. For this gig Chuck Bush was on Bass, and man I swore that Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers were in the house, it was that good and ferocious. Andre's accordion playing is such a pleasure to hear. He's grown up to be one of the best accordion players period, not just in Zydeco. His leads are out of this world, his fills are tasty and right, and the melody and rhythm can't be beat. He's just a funky accordion player, and talented singer. For a guy who didn't say much for years and didn't sing much, boy does he know. Plus I think his voice is very good. He's been working on it and it shows. We are very lucky to have Andre around this year, and he wants to stay closer to home for awhile, home being Richmond Ca. and we are so lucky to have him now, with a wonderful band behind him.

The last week in June we had Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie. While not the frenzied crowd we had the month before Geno played, he still sold it out, like he always does. And does HE sound better too. Everything said about Geno is worth it. Tight sound, hard-driving music, great accordion player, tight band, runs like clockwork, nicest guys in the world too. Geno plays us at least once to twice a year, and I've never, ever gotten tired of him. He never takes a night off, never coasts, never just phones it in. Every night for him is a big one, as he feels he owes it to the people who paid. As he said to me once, "You never know how much that person had to work to pay for the ticket. It's the least we can do to play for him or her". What a great saying. So he proceeded to play for over 3 and 1/2 hours w/out a break. Some people actually complained about him not taking one, but go figure. He was also playing songs a trifle bit slower, but only speed freak Zydeco dancers like me noticed. Most didn't but it in no way took away from the music. Just great.He also played one of my favorites, "Port Arthur Stomp" which is a great tune to go completely nuts on, and I did. Was very sore the next day, and it hurt to dance a bit in Long Beach but Geno is always, always worth it. He's just the best at what he does in my opinion.

Wanted to just give a quick shout out to Sue, Lisa and all the people who help make these dances special. Thanks ever so much.

Dana DeSimone

Andre Thierry is one very talented accordion player. He plays stuff that no one, and I repeat no one is doing on the Accordion these days, outside of maybe Chris Ardoin. This is not a knock on anyone else, it's just the stuff coming off his fingers that are hard to describe. It's fascinating to watch, hear, and dance too. On Memorial Friday, May 27, Andre and his band Zydeco Magic played a dance at Eagles Hall in Alameda, and was it a memorable one.

After a short moment of silence to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can Zydeco, Andre and his band got going. Very hot, funky music was coming off the bandstand that night. Andre can play anybody, whether it be Boozoo, John Delafose, Beau Jocque, Zydeco Force, Keith Frank, J Paul, and that's just on the small accordion. He can play Roy Carrier, Beau Jocque, and others on the triple row. He can play Clifton, Lynn August on the piano accordion. He's that good. Most cats can do one, maybe two ok. But Andre is just a master at all of them. He really is. I personally love his Boozoo stuff, and love when he plays "Motordude Special" "Paper in My Shoe", "41 Days" "Zydeco Hee Haw", and others. He also does a killer version of "I'm Going Home", "I've Got a Friend", all Clifton tunes done in Andre's own way. He brings down the house every time. Women screaming from the seats, guys pounding the stage, etc..stuff like that. André can sing and play the blues style of Zydeco as well, plus the R'n'B side as well. He plays some swingier tunes that make one think of a younger Clifton. Plus I think his singing has gotten quite good..

His band, consisting of Lee Neal on drums, Larry James on Bass, Greg Crockett on guitar, and Jason Thierry on board, and backing vocals, is a very good band. Tight, right there, not far out, watching Andre, pushing him but following him at the same time. Jason especially is an excellent front man, cracking jokes, getting people to relax, just being cool. Lee pounds the skins, looking and playing like the professional he is. All business and it shows. Greg lays some excellent licks down, and seems to really want to channel Ernie Isley into Zydeco, and he somehow succeeds. Larry James, who also is a great guitar player, was on the 4 string this trip, and even though he was saying he wasn't doing much, it didn’t' sound that way. Tight, not fancy, just pushing the beat the was bass players should, especially for Zydeco..Always there, never missing a beat..

All in all, a great night, and even though in the past we've had smaller crowds due to the Holidays, and Simi Valley going on, we had over 250 show up!! A very nice night indeed. It's a pleasure to have Andre around to hear him all the time, and to see how far he's come. Andre will always be welcomed and featured at Eagles, as he's not only a nice guy, but just one of the best around...

Dana DeSimone

You know, every now and then I have to step back and think how lucky I am to be doing Zydeco dancing, promotion, teaching, etc. for a living. It's hard at times, but other times it's the best thing going. One of those time was on May 13th, Friday, Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie played the Eagles Hall here in Alameda..

To start off with, Geno had a gig the previous night in Mexico City, and had to fly in from there to play. He was there like the professional he is and his band was ready to rock. We had a wonderful sound check, just the band, Sue and myself and boy was it great..Geno played some of his dad's stuff and I was able to get the sound down, plus hear a great band play songs I love to hear..

Around 7:30pm, the people started coming and they kept right on coming too, all night long. We were celebrating birthdays, Walters, Sue's, and a couple of folks had brought their friends to celebrate their 50 birthdays'. At 8 I started the dance lesson, and there were already over 100 people. By 8:30, 150, by 9 around 250, and by 9:30pm we were pretty much sold out. Folks who were new though left so we kept replacing them and by the end of the night there were over 550!!!!paid people who came out to hear Geno..Wow, a record that was held by Boozoo and now matched by Geno. Somehow that's appropriate..

Geno's music just gets better and better. His old stuff is still wonderful. "Jolie Bassette", "Port Arthur Blues", "Gotta Find My Woman", "Promised Land", songs that Geno always plays are songs that I and many other people never get sick of hearing. His voice is in fine shape, his accordion playing, (which I've heard some folks knock, believe it or not), is very, very, very good. I love it. Strong, rhythmic, and very there. His stage presence is something that many cats should study..Geno has a way on stage that gets everyone, especially the women, going. Geno ALWAYS has at least a dozen ladies vying for his attention, and somehow he gives it to them all..

One of the things I like is that Geno goes around the Hall and greets everyone, like his dad used to do. The only problem is that Geno goes around the Hall and greets everyone, and it sometimes takes a good 30 minutes just go get halfway around the room. But that is a small point..

His band is very good, too, and this time in particular was great. He had the great Chuck Bush on guitar..Playing along with Caveman Pierre, there two-fifths of the old High Rollers, Beau Jocques old band..With Pops Esprite, and Gerard Delafose along, this band just cranks out the French Creole sounds that no one is really playing, and no one does better. Pops is a wonderful bass player. I love the runs he does.. Gerard plays, like Geno before him, hard, fast, right on time, never missing a beat. Chuck is not only a great bass player, but great guitar player too. Some of the fills he makes, and leads have to be heard to believe. He's rhythm is so funky, he reminds me quite a bit of Jimmy Nolen, James Browns' guitar player from back in the day, the man who created the "scratch" sound..

The place was hot, packed, sweaty, and rockin' big time. We had a break, and Sue was awarded a plaque for her service to the Zydeco community from Olivia Guillory and her family for service well done, and rightfully so. Walter celebrated by doing a birthday dance w/about 20 women and he got mad after Geno played for about 3-4 minutes. Course Walter is a very young 82, so go figure..

All in all, a very nice night, and we get to repeat it again, in June, Sept., and probably Oct. too..

Dana DeSimone

see SF Chronicle article

Well, another night at the Hall, and another very good, new band making their debut in California. Big Red and the Zydeco Playmakers played on Friday, June 3rd, 2005 and really put on a good show. Boy, I haven't seen that much hard playing in a long time from a band. These guys were all young, ready, hungry and eager to play and it showed. They barely let me introduce them before they just kicked off the show with a type of Zydeco that is very original, very funky and very tight. They played many off of their new CD that I think personally is very good. It also won the Zydeco Dance Party contest for best CD when Sue had her Zydeco Bandstand a few months back.

Big Red is just that. Big and Red. A Very nice guy too. And damn what a voice. Reminds me of a cross between Al Jarreau and Bill Withers. Actually, Red played a nice Bill Withers tune and rocked the House down. Also, a very cool version of Johnny Taylor's "Disco Lady" which is now called "Zydeco Lady" but really still sounds good. Also, his accordion playing really fit the music and kept the band moving. Red may not have the chops yet of say Andre Thierry or Chris Ardoin, but he's a very fine accordion player and fits in the whole band sound.

His Rubboard player, Troy, also a very good singer and scratcher, really added a lot. A very good front man who doesn't take anything away from Red, but adds to it. He and Red were doing some nice steps and they really matched each other very well.

Karl, also known as B Flat, really kicked out the jams on bass. Loud as all get out, but damn was he good, and I mean really good. A devotee of Geddy Lee, from Rush, it shows, as some of the lines he was playing were just out there, but so dead on. Driving, funky, and really cool.

Ross, the guitar player, has played with both Chris and Dexter Ardoin, and he is really a fine guitar player. Red gave him some solos and he responded with just the right amount of kick ass fire and some restraint. Some Zydeco Guitar players don’t stay within the melody when they can solo, but Ross does. A very fine player indeed.

Last was Corey, the drummer. Also, Red's brother, and damn was he strong. Pounding and I mean pounding the skins like only Jermaine Jack does. Corey also not got the double kick going but he was doing rolls with just his right foot alone. I've never heard a drummer do that. He also did a Zydeco drum solo at the end for almost 3 minutes where literally the whole house stopped and watched and couldn't believe what he was hearing. Corey had probably the most devoted fan there, Olivia Guillorys' grandson, Christopher, who couldn't stop his right foot from moving and he was doing it in time, watching Corey like a hawk, as only little kids do. You know, eyes wide open and mouth open. It was so cute.

The songs were just kick ass as well, my favorite being "Shake, Scratch, Kiss, Zydeco", I think it was. Boy, it was a long song, but not only did people like it, he played it twice, and the place went ape for it more the second time around. He also did a very nice version of "Jolie Blonde". Red doesn't get to play many waltzes as he said they don’t get that many requests for them where they play in Texas, but he was up to the task. They also did a Reggae tune towards the end that somehow fit the whole evening.

All in all, a very nice night indeed. They also had some of the finest vocals I've heard in a Zydeco band. Four of the guys sang, and they sand very well. Big Red and the Zydeco Playmakers remind me a lot of Terrance Simien, in the type of music they play. Diverse, unique, original, emphasis on VOCALS, not just the beat, although the beat was very there and strong. It's about doing something different with the old sounds, stretching out but still keeping the thread to the roots there. They will be back soon to Alameda, and if you get a chance to hear them, by all means, do. You won't be disappointed. 

Dana DeSimone

The month of April just passed and boy, did we have a great lineup at the Eagles Hall this past month. Starting w/the Lost Bayou Ramblers, from Lafayette, La. and going all the way to the Zydeco Flames..Just a wonderful month. The aforementioned Lost Bayou Ramblers started us off on April 1st, with two great sets of wonderful Cajun Music that to put it bluntly, kicks ass. The guys in the band are all younger than 25, look like it and play Cajun music the way it's supposed to be played: Fast, hard-driving, and intense. Louis Michot is a wonderfully talented singer and fiddler, plays scratchy but incredibly funky and right, and sings the same way. His brother Andre, is a very good accordion player and lap steel player, is very low key and so there with the melody. The rhythm section of Chris Courville on drums or I should say just kick, snare, and cymbal, Alan LeFleur on upright bass, and Jean Bertrand on steel guitar lays down an incredibly funky, rock steady, hard-driving beat that one can't help but dance too, even if you don't like Cajun music. These guys are one of the best around and I love having them. We don't book much Cajun music at the Hall, but these guys are always welcome and about 250 people thought so too..

We didn’t have a show on April 8 due to and Eagles Convention but on the 15th of April, Tom Rigney and Flambeau played. Tom has been with us from pretty much the beginning and his crowds stay both loyal and strong. His set consists of more eclectic tunes that aren't really Cajun or Zydeco, but good music, and his Waltzes can't be beat, as every one says. It's really a treat to see from the stage over 200 dancers go in line of direction around the Hall, pretty much all doing something different, but pretty much all in time. Toms' a wonderful fiddler, arranger, showman, and frontman..He's been around for awhile and it shows. His whole band, Flambeau, are made of professional musicians who can play wonderful stuff. It was a nice night.

On the 22nd, we had Mark St. Mary and his Zydeco Band. Mark is from the old-school of Zydeco, sounding like Clifton Chenier and playing like him too. His accordion playing is very cool to hear, and he plays tunes that many people don't play much anymore. "Cowboy Hat", "Jolie Catin", "Sweet Potato", "Bon Ton", "When Mama Told Papa", are all old-school tunes that really, like I said, hardly anyone plays anymore, but in Marks hands they still sound as good today as they did when they were published. He does a knockout version of Clifton's "I'm Going Home" that almost brings tears to my eyes. He also plays a standard, "Jambalaya" that I can't stand EXCEPT when Mark plays in. He also does a very cool version of both "Bon Soir Moureau" and "Jolie Blonde" down in the old-school Creole way. Mark is a very talented accordion player, singer and frontman as well and talks the talk and backs it up too. He's finally found his backup band as well, with Steve on drums, Terry Buddagh (from Queen Idas' band on guitar), Big John on Bass and Jasper on rubboard..It's a funky looking band but boy do they crank. You owe it yourself to hear how Zydeco used to be done..Check out Mark sometime.

Lastly, we had the Zydeco Flames w/Andre Thierry on accordion. Andre, who has his own band Zydeco Magic, fills in with the Flames a lot these days, and the combination of these two forces are really very good. Andre plays stuff that NOBODY is doing and plays the Flames material with a verve, swagger, and panache that has to be heard to be believed. The Flames are also good at backing up Andre when he plays more of the traditional stuff, such as "41 Days", or "Jolie Catin", stuff like that. We had over 260 people show up and about 75 were still at the end not wanting to go home. It was a very nice, hot night, with a hot sound, just in time for what's coming up in May:

Brian Jack
Geno Delafose
Andre Thierry and Zydeco Magic

Thanks to all who came out and gave us the support for a wonderful month. It was truly one of the most eclectic months we've had and one of the best. Thanks again from Sue and I.

Dana DeSimone

It was a great Friday night, on March 11th at the Eagles Hall in Alameda, Ca. Starting with Andre Thierry and Zydeco Magic, and then having the Kennelly Irish Dancers come and dance for an early St. Patricks Day Dance Demo, and a wonderful crowd, got everyone's Irish Eyes Smilin'...Andre and his band just get better and better. After a few years of trying to get and keep a band together, it seems that Andre finally has the band to get the sound he is capable of getting. With Lee Neal on drums, who just beats the hell out of the skins, Greg Crockett on guitar who is laying down the rhythm and then breaks into Ernie Isley licks, William Allums, who after years of playing drums and is getting to be one very good bass player, the rhythm is there. A vital part of Andre's band is his cousin, Jason Thierry who is a very, very good rubboard player and frontman..The banter between himself and Andre is very cool to see.

Having virtually seen these kids grow up, it's nice to see them as young men, cranking out hard core Zydeco tunes with the energy that young men have..To have the older guys back them up with the rock solid rhythm is tre cool..About the only thing that is hard to take is seeing how big Jason and Andre have gotten, having remembered them when they where just young kids, but hey, that's what getting older is 'bout..

Andre as we know, needs no introduction..He's probably the most versatile accordion player in the Zydeco scene today..Andre can play anything and does..Whether it's the single row, triple row(my fave), or the piano note, Andre plays them all with virtuoso skill. At times he sounds like John Delafose, at times like Beau Jocque, at times like Clifton Chenier..

On this night, he played a lot of Boozoo Chavis tunes. Especially one that I really love is "41 Days"..Just a classic song, that Andre not only plays, but sings as well as anyone, including Boozoo..I remember sometimes hearing Boozoo sing it and couldn’t understand a word of it, but hearing Andre sing it, boy, what a great song..Andre included some blues, and some old-school soul as well, and had the whole house rockin', which was about 250 people..

During the break, the Kennelly Irish Dancers came and performed. They've come 3 times now and the same kids have come and they blow the place away. Such fast feet, skillful dancing and timing, and boy are the girls cute too. The young man who comes is just a great dancer, and all of Patricia Kennelly's dancers who came are world champions, but they come and do us a favor every year to dance because of my long friendship with a great and special woman, Patricia Kennelly, who runs a world class dance school. They were backed by Andrew McNamara who has played with the Irish Group, the Lahawns, on accordion and Breanden Kelty on guitar, and damn were these guys great. A different style of accordion playing but boy could he play..It was obvious that we had two world class accordion players in the Hall this night, and what a pleasure and joy to behold.

After the break, Andre came back on and played even harder if that was possible, with Andrew watching from the sidelines. It was only fair as Andre was watching him play too from the sidelines during the break, and boy, both of them were quite impressed with the other as well as they should have. Two wonderful talents.

Thanks to all who came and heard such great music and dancing, and celebrating St. Patrick's Day in fine style..

Dana DeSimone

LeRoy Thomas was in Alameda, Ca. this past Friday, March 4th, and man did he blow the roof off the house. It's not very often we get LeRoy anymore and he proved that waiting was very good indeed, and that we are going to have to have him back soon..

With his crackerjack band, featuring Pandy Gable on Guitar, Toomey on Rubboard, Mark(from Al Rapone and Gator Beat, two local bands) on bass, the great Jermaine Jack on drums, LeRoy had a groove going from the first downbeat till he stopped about 3 and 1/2 hours later..

After a dance lesson, which had included about 75 new people, many of whom had read about us in a new newspaper that had been put out in Alameda a couple of weeks earlier, LeRoy and the guys kicked it off. To be honest, I love LeRoy's style, especially on his red, white, and blue single row...It's a powerful sound that rocks, drives, and hits very hard.. With the band playing the same way, the whole house rocked again, from the opening note..I always forget that Jermaine is one drummer who doesn't need to have a snare or overhead mic, he hits that hard.

With Mark supplying the bottom funk and booty shaking bass lines, the bottom was very funky indeed. Watching Toomey smile, play the board and dance all at the same time is a very wonderful thing indeed. Plus, it's kind of amazing how tall he his...Standing on the Alameda stage, he looks almost 7 ft. tall, but damn could he play and dance.. Pandy was really, also, supplying some very cool guitar lines, both rhythm and leads. I sometimes wish other guitar players would listen to the rhythm that most of the Louisiana and Texas guys do. It's what makes Zydeco the WHOLE sound, not just a guitar guy waiting to solo..

LeRoy's playing is also very, very good. The first set lasted almost two hours and there wasn’t a dead second in it. Song after song had the whole house rockin' big time. LeRoy's singing is also good as well, and you know, one thing I especially like about LeRoy is his ability to come up with different songs from other genres. He took some childrens' song and made it in a two-step that really kicked ass. I forgot to write the name down, but he said it was going to be on his new CD..He also played about a five minute version of "Zydeco Hee Haw", the old Boozoo tune, and I thought the place was going to explode after he finished. I haven't heard that much screaming and yelling in Alameda for a very long time..

Like I said, we had over 75 new people and many stayed most of the night..They couldn’t' believe two 90 minute sets, with all the dancing being done, people sweating like no tomorrow, different people all getting along..Most were just blown away..

A special highlight of the night was when Walter Budka, our great bartender, came up and sang "Somebody Lookin' For Ya", a song LeRoy wrote especially for Walter. Usually Walter dances to this tune, but he got up and sang it and the place went nuts. It was funny watching the new peoples faces, looking bewildered, wandering what an 82 year old is doing singing, but everyone else who's been in Alameda knew. Man, it was an Eagle moment, for sure..Last I heard, Walter was thinking about clearing his schedule to go on the road with LeRoy.

Actually, all kidding aside, it was one of the nicest nights we've had. Many of Marks old band came by to say hey, and the whole evening went overtime, and nobody noticed. As Ellen Papper, who does our calender said, she hasn't seen that many people still left at 12:30 since Geno last played, and she was right..

Thanks LeRoy and your guys for a wonderful night...The whole night was really cool.

Dana DeSimone

Thought I would write a few words about 3 days of great Zydeco Music at the Eagles Hall in Alameda over New Year's Weekend. Even though the weather was bad in terms of rain, wind, bad driving conditions, it didn’t stop people from coming all three days to hear 2 great young bands play. Jerome Batiste, from Houston, Texas, and Ande Thierry, from Richmond, Ca. blew the roof off the Hall all three days with their blend of new, old, funky, soulful Zydeco, Two-Steps, French-Creole, Waltzes, Blues and more..All three days were wonderful.

It started Friday night, New Years Eve. The Hall, decorated by Sue Ramon and her great band of volunteers to be like a Zydeco Safari, had a vibe that was pleasant, mellow, all night long. People came dressed up!!!!!!!!to a Zydeco dance for a change, and man, it felt great. Ladies were elegant, dudes looking sharp, not a birkenstock or tie-dye in sight. It was very nice, I mean even Rev. Jim was wearing his old man's suit and looking good in it. All the people were great, Jerome Batiste and his ZydeKo Players, were playing some very funky, H-Town Zydeco. It's a style that's not heard all the time out here on the West Coast, but it sure sounded good. A special treat was having Steve Guillory from Southern Cal. on guitar cutting up some cool solos. Drew on Bass, Earl on Drums, Cowboy on Board, and Jerome on Accordion played great all night. Not one complaint. Everyone had a great time, and many people who weren’t planning on coming back did the next night.

Which was Andre Thierry and Zydeco Magic. This is Andre's band. Lee Neal on Drums, Greg Crockett on Guitar, Jason Thierry on Rubboard, and William Allums, who usually plays drums with the Zydeco Flames, was rockin' the Bass like no tomorrow. Just a very, very funky band, and with Andre cranking out the tunes on the triple and single row, singing, dancing, talking, he rocked like I've never seen him play, and I've known Andre for almost 15 years now. Just the best I've heard him play. And eveyone else thought so too. So many did that they came the next afternoon, Sunday with Jerome and Andre doing a double header.

Andre, with Zydeco Magic, started first and kicked ass and took EVERYONE'S NAME. Even better than the night before which I didn't think possible. When he played almost 2 hours we had a short break, Jerome came up and proceeded to match Andre, with his own unique style of Zydeco. A hit for me was hearing Andre's Mom, Olivia Guillory, sing "Bon Soir Moreau" not once, but twice, and also rubbing the board. I love her singing, and her rubboard playing is really good. The night ended about 5 hours after it started, around 10pm, with almost 5 hours of Zydeco music.

All in all, a great way to start off the New Year. We had over 175 people each night, with over 200 people on Sunday. Thanks to Sue, the Volunteers, and everyone who came.

Dana DeSimone

 
Just wanted to write a few lines about the nice birthday weekend I enjoyed this weekend, Nov. 12-13th, 2004. At the Eagles Hall in Alameda, we had the Zydeco Flames for my birthday party. Boy, do they get better and better each time I hear them. With Billy Wilson on accordion, they really are playing a lot of stuff they didn't play in the past, and they just get better. They actually played songs I've never heard them play before, such as "Salty Dog", by Willis Prudhomme. And they did a great version too. Many people took my suggestion and got dressed up, and it was nice to see guys dressed up in something other than cargo shorts and white socks you know??? Some of the ladies looked very, very good. Damn.

During the break, I was treated to a birthday circle dance, something I honestly didn't expect, and must have danced with about 15 or 16 women at least and two guys!!!! Hey, what can I say? "Uncle Bud" was the tune the Flames played, and it must have gone on for about 8 minutes or so. But I was sincerely touched by how many wonderful women wanted to dance with me. The pleasure was all mine.

We also had some of the Zydeco Funkateers show up. Rick James, James Brown, Kool and the Gang, Sir-Mix-A-Lot, and even Aerosmith we crankin' and we all funked it up. Just having a funky good time.

The last set was smoking and a lot of people were still there at the end of the night, about 75 or so, so the band played a couple of encores, a rarity for local bands, but they were worth it.

Thanks for all who came out, the Flames who get better, and the Funkateers who do know how to have a funky good time (see dancers!)

On Sat. my actual birthday, the 13th, I went and heard the Savoy Family Band at the Ashkenaz in Berkekley. By the time I got there, the band was going, the place was nice and packed, and the mood was extremely mellow. Even the lights were on to see the band. The Savoys place some really nice and mellow Cajun music. The singing is first rate, as is the playing. The whole Family band are experts on their instruments and they play quite wonderful. The only thing I thought was missing was the backline of drums and bass, but I seemed to be in the minority that night, but no big deal. I had some wonderful dances with great ladies who knew what time it was. I had an especially wonderful couple of dances with Cheryl MacBride, who I first saw at the Ashkenaz years ago. She's a New Orleans native, does the older style of one-stepping that looks so cool, and I can't quite grasp, but always is a treat to dance with. Thanks to all the other lovely ladies who blessed me with the fine rhythms.

All in all, a wonderful couple of days. The only bummer was that my Niners lost to the Carolina Panthers, lead by Breaux Bridges' own Jake Delhomme, but oh well. The buzz from the previous two nights more than made up for it.

Dana DeSimone

 
Well, the Annual Halloween Zydeco Dance and Costume Contest just gets better every year. As in previous years, the Hall was decorated fantastic, the Zydeco Flames sounded great, people came decked out, and everyone looked glorious. A quick shout out to John Seltzer, who made the ghosts that were hanging and to Sue, James, Janet, Hews, Rich, and others I may have missed who did a great job of decorating.

The Zydeco Flames also were in great form as usual. They always come decked out, and with Billy Wilson, on Accordion, they sounded quite good. Billy also entered the contest and placed third, as the Big Bad Wolf, and looked every bit the part too.

The Flames, who have been doing this with us the past 9 years, just get better and better. Tighter too. They played their own unique blend of Zydeco, R&B, Funk, and Soul. Lloyd Meadows is a very underrated singer, and likes to sing some of the old Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, and Sam Cooke stuff, and damn does he do it great too. He also is a very underrated rubboard player as well, and a wonderful dancer and front man too.

Frank Bohan is an accomplished guitarist, who comes from the more rock and roll side of things, but is always there in the pocket with the fills. Speaking of in the pocket, the rhythm section of William Allums, on drums and Timm Walker on Bass, is one of the best around period. William plays not only Zydeco but also Gospel, Blues, and Funk. He's been playing with Andre Thierry a lot these days, and the groove coming from the skins is what keeps the dancers going. Timm has such a funky feel, and he too is based in the Funk and Soul and Blues. Timm plays some of the funkiest bass lines this side of Larry Graham, who he kind of resembled on Halloween. Strong, intense, always driving the beat, is how Timm plays. Plus, he is a vastly underrated singer as well. One can hear the Gospel and Church whenever he sings.

Billy Wilson has been playing with the band the last few months, and is a good fit. Billy keeps the band grounded in the Zydeco beat and music. He plays stuff that the Flames don’t usually ordinarily play but damn they sure play it good. All, in all, a great band.

A special treat of the night was having Olivia Guillory on rubboard and singing a couple of nice French Creole songs. Olivia is Andre's mom, and can dance, sing, play very good.

Thanks to all the people who came in costume and not. There were close to 300 people there. Just a wonderful night.

Dana DeSimone

see pictures!

 
For those of you in the know, we've been doing dances at the Eagles Hall in Alameda, California for over nine years now. For the most part, say 80%, we book Zydeco bands. Every now and then, we book Cajun bands, such as the Lost Bayou Ramblers, Jesse Lege and Edward Poullard, The Cajun All-Star Band, Sean Vidrine, and others. We've been booking Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys at Eagles now for as long as we've been doing dances, which is nine times now, and it just gets better and better.

On Friday, October 8th, 2004, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys played to over 300 people, who couldn't get enough of these guys. After a sound check and a nice dance lesson, these guys started right up at 9pm, and played 90 minutes of old and new stuff, all great. They played straight up Cajun in the Belton Richard style, and then during the set, Steve brought out his fiddle and played twin fiddles with David Greely, and proceeded to play some Dennis McGee tunes, that brought the house down. Another special treat was the Canray Fontenont-Bois Sec medley as well, tunes like "Oh Ma", "Bon Sois Moreau", and others. With Kevin Dugas playing triangle, and Sam Broussard playing acoustic guitar, it really was a special treat.

After a nice break of some Zydeco, the guys came back up and proceeded to play some tunes that weren't quite Zydeco, not quite swamp pop, not quite rock'n'roll, but sounded great. It had a swingier beat, but wasn't swing. It had a two-step sound that may be a new sound. I thought it sounded great, and a lot of dancers thought so too. About the only thing that wasn't so cool is that too many dancers decided to take such huge steps and big movements, that some people wound up getting hit, and it made the dance floor a bit hazardous. Some folks don't know how to move in small spaces. But that was a minor complaint.

The Waltzes, two-steps, shuffles and other songs and tunes were all danceable and folks were really having a good time. There were about 100 people still left at the end of the night who didn’t want to leave. I also saw a lot of people who I haven't seen for a long time, at least since last year.

Some people were complaining how hot it was, as when you were getting water it was nice and cool. Walk about ten feet or so into the room and boom!! just like Louisiana. Hot music, hot dancers, hot women!!!! Damn, it couldn't be beat.

It was a wonderful night with a wonderful band and dancers. It was also a night of a wide variety of music. Thanks to all who came.

Dana DeSimone