April 18 - Rain, Rain, Go Away

Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week is held at Chicot State Park near Ville Platte, Louisiana. It is a week of instrumental and dance workshops. On the weekend and in the evenings dances are held for the participants and open to the public. The crowd is heavy but the last legal parking space is straight ahead. I get to the Dance Stage in time forBonsoir, Catin - an all girl (except for the drummer) Cajun band that is kickin'. The talent includes accordion player Kristi Guillory, fiddle player Anya Schoenegge Burgess (also in Magnolia sisters), guitarist Christine Balfa Powell, daughter of the late Dewey Balfa (also in Balfa Toujours) and Yvette Landry on bass. Nice quote from their website --- So what does a Cajun band wish for when playing live? "We’re hoping to get a good dance crowd,” Guillory said with a gust of laughter. Wishes do come true!!

Not 5 minutes into the dance (about 5pm) the rain starts - and I left my umbrella and chair in the car, I was so anxious to get on the dance floor. When the rain is still pounding an hour later and my feet are aching, I borrow an umbrella (from Gina Forsythe, violin player for Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band) and slog to the car for my umbrella & chair. Except for food & drink, I am set for the night and it's a good thing since the rain is still coming down and turning into quite a monsoon.

The dancing and fun continue with Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble. The zydeco crowd & cajun crowd overlap a bit, but it is interesting to me how many dancers show up just for the zydeco, and how many dancers leave (or sit out) when the cajun is over. Curly puts on a good show, though, so I am on the floor (dancing, of course) as much as possible. The thunder & the lightning can't drown out his beats and the rhythm of the feet on the soft floor. That's what I am starting to call those raised wood floors that have "bounce" spots. Dancing where the floor is moving with you is scary, but way cool!!

Third band is Read Stick Ramblers --- love that energy, but .... cancelled. Everyone go home while the roads are still safe. The weather has gotten even worse outside, and next day the flooded roads and wind damage are all over the news. The ride home was wet, but uneventful and I was happy to pack it in by 10:30pm.