Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band
You asked and we got him back!

Along the Zydeco Circuit of Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas, those that go out and dance the night away know that more often that not, the man who is supplying the beat that makes them want to move their feet is Keith Frank. Keith Frank is a zydeco musician who has been able to encompass the traditional sounds of his Creole ancestors and blend them seamlessy with the contemporary sounds of today. The sonic gumbo that is created is a music that is energetic, highly danceable, and has been making crowds move at trailrides, festivals, and nightclubs across SW Louisiana, SE Texas, nationwide, and internationally for 15 years.

Keith Frank has blazed a trail in zydeco music that bridges the gaps between young and old, black and white, Creole and Cajun. Whether it be from his acclaimed CD recordings to his renowned live performances, Keith Frank has continued "On A Mission" to bring his brand of zydeco to the masses. And as those who have caught that "Soulwood Train" can attest, from the moment he plays those first few notes of "Keith Frank is in the House" til the last dancer can't dance anymore, Keith Frank is an ultimate zydeco showman with a perfect feel for his audience.

Whether it be the traditional sounds of Creole Connection, the nouveau Zydeco of Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band, or the R&B sound of LA 26 featuring Keith Frank, you are guaranteed to get music that is pleasing to the ear, and just as importantly, pleasing to the rhythm that makes you dance.

Dance lesson at 5pm, music from 6-9:30 pm, $20.

Photo by Marty Katz

Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008 -

Dikki Du & the Zydeco Crew

Dikki and the krewe stretch out songs and it is great to dance to, as well as to listen to. Hard driving and relentless is the theme all night. It's just funky as can be. Nice polyrhythmic grooves going around the stage, and on the dance floor. Dikki Du and his krewe come out "smokin" harder and faster in the second set. The band is one of the best, all stars in their own right; anyway its wonderful time that seems to go to fast. You will enjoy their hard driving funky zydeco, and love the dance steps performed by the band as they entertain on stage....

Dance lesson at 7pm, music from 8-11:30 pm., $20.

Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008 -

Dennis Stroughmatt & Creole Stomp

Dennis Stroughmatt and Creole Stomp, a nationally touring Creole, Cajun, and Zydeco band is on the move to bring the best in Louisiana French music and entertainment to audiences of listeners and dancers across the country. Formed and led by French speaking Cajun/Creole Accordionist and Fiddler Dennis Stroughmatt, Creole Stomp is striving to not only entertain, but also to educate audiences about American French culture and music. Having lived in Louisiana and Quebec, Canada (and still touring in North America and Europe with many Louisiana based Cajun and Creole-Zydeco bands on occasion), Dennis only knows how to play it "downhome" and always has a sound that is fresh and "straight from the bayous and prairies" of southwest Louisiana. The Creole Stomp sound pulls from many influences but is noted for a style similar to the Ardoin Family Band and The Lawtell Playboys.

Dennis and Creole Stomp have been seen and heard on radio and television with PBS-TV, WGN-TV, NPR's Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keilor, CNN's "World Beat" on Mardi Gras, and on many stages including the Illinois State Fair, The Louisiana Folklife Festival, the "On the Waterfront" festival in Rockford IL, the St. Louis Soulard Mardi Gras, The Cajun French Music Awards in Lafayette, LA, and The Mamou Cajun Festival in Mamou, LA. The new CD by Dennis Stroughmatt and Creole Stomp "Enfin...At Last" was nominated "Best Album" by a Cajun/Creole band based outside of Louisiana by the Cajun French Music Association for the 2003 awards festival in Lafayette, LA.

Members of Creole Stomp include Jon Watson on drums, Robert Russell on lead guitar, Jim Willgoose on bass, and Jennifer Hellmuth (the resident French Acadian of Creole Stomp) on Rub-board and Triangle. The mixture of these fantastic and experienced musicians creates a talent gumbo that is almost unstoppable with an ability to play a wide range of Louisiana French music not often heard from strictly Cajun or Zydeco bands. Don't miss hearing a band that plays Creole to the core and often dives into "old school" Zydeco...the only one based north of Eunice LA.

Dance lesson at 7 pm, music from 8-11:30 pm, $20.

Websites:
Dennis Stroughmatt
  Traditional Upper and Lower Louisiana French Creole Fiddling and Chansons
Dennis Stroughmatt and Creole Stomp
  Cajun/Creole fiddler from Illinois

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