Cajun Spotlight 

Cajun and Zydeco Music and Dance in the Upper Midwest
 July 1999
UPCOMING CAJUN & ZYDECO EVENTS

  1. July kicks off with the big Filé dance on Thursday, July 1 at the Twin City Ballroom in downtown St. Paul. Look for more information about this in a separate article this issue.
  2. C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band will be crisscrossing Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa this summer. They stop in Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 6 for a show at First Avenue. Opening act is The Blazers (sorry, we don't have info on them). Doors open 6:00 pm, so it's probably an early show.
  3. The Isle Vista Casino (three miles from Bayfield, Wisconsin) has several festivals planned this summer and fall. A Blues Fest on July 9 and 10 features Otis & the Alligators, Joe Juliano, Port Authority Blues Band and, on Friday the 9th, ZoloGo. You can also enjoy ZoloGo at the Sunday Night Social Dance at the Half Time Rec on Sunday, July 18.
  4. The Cajun Hot Soles will be appearing at Maggie's Cafe Expresso at Eagan Town Center in Eagan, Minnesota on Friday, July 23 starting at 7:30 pm. The following evening, July 24, they play at the North Pole Café at 44th Avenue and Penn Avenue N. This is a neighborhood bar with a small area for dancing. Music starts at 8:30 pm.
  5. The Midway Folk Festival is a two day showcase of traditional music scheduled July 17 and 18 at Midway Stadium in Saint Paul. Grande Prairie will play on Saturday evening; J. J.'s Zydeco Paydirt will hit the stage sometime Sunday. Also slated to appear are Lee Tedrow and Karl Smelker playing Delta blues.
  6. A little further from the Twin Cities you can catch Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys and Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas July 2-4 at the weekend Steve Riley & his group appear in Berwyn, Illinois along with C. J. Chenier at the American Roots Festival at Fitzgerald's.
  7. The Chicago Cajun Aces play for a potluck and dance at Folklore Village Farm near Dodgeville, Wisconsin on Saturday, July 31.

MADISON CAJUN/ZYDECO DANCE PARTIES

Some folks living in Madison, Wisconsin who love Cajun and zydeco music and dance have organized CD dance parties for the summer months. They are being held at Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ at 1501 Gilbert Road. They're scheduled on Saturdays starting at 7 pm; the dates are July 17, August 14 and September 25. There will be a free lesson for the first hour. Bring your favorite music to play and dance to. For more information call Susan at (608) 276-7669.
 

A LOOK AHEAD

. . .Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers appear at the Bayfront Blues Festival in Duluth Saturday, August 14. A show two days before at the Cabooze in Minneapolis has unfortunately been cancelled . . .not going to CajunFest at Walker? Don't despair: The Bone Tones will be playing at the Minnesota State Fair that weekend and a dance featuring The Cajun Hot Soles and Grande Prairie is scheduled for Saturday, August 28 in south Minneapolis. . .
 

CAJUN POTLUCK/JAM/PICNICS RETURN

Again this summer there will be backyard Cajun Potluck/Jam/Picnics. The first is scheduled for Sunday, July 25 at the home of Linda Reiss and Wendell Carroll in Minneapolis. Linda and Wendell live at 4134 40th Avenue South. This is about 11 blocks south of Lake Street on 40th Avenue South; it's not far from the Mississippi River. The party starts at 2:00 pm. Bring a dish to share with the group. The grill will be going so if you'd like to barbecue something bring it with. If you have an extra chair to bring please do so. Beverages, plates and silverware will be provided. Bring your guitar, accordion, fiddle, triangle, frottoir, harmonica or...(?). Come on over and visit with friends, do a little dancing and/or play a few tunes. See you there! The next Cajun Potluck Jam/Picnic will be August 15 in Northeast Minneapolis at the home of Nancy Tennessen; mark your calender now.
 

WALKER CAJUNFEST

The Walker, Minnesota CajunFest, which has been held outside the, Northern Lights Casino in years past, moves this year to nearby,Moondance Fairgrounds (located seven mile east of Walker on Highway 200). CajunFest, ,co-sponsored by Moondance, Northern Lights Casino and the Leech Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, will be August 26-28. This larger venue means more bands, more activities and more food options - plus the chance to camp,on site! Some of the bands lined up include Tee Mamou (with Bob Reed), The Treater Band, Zydeco Joe and Rockin Dopsie, Jr. Tickets are $8.50/day or 20 for the weekend. Camping is $10/night and is sold on a first come/first served basis; the campground will NOT be oversold. Ticketed guests who get there after 4:00 pm on Wednesday the 25th can get a free extra night of camping. To purchase tickets contact the Chamber of Commerce at 1 (800) 833-1118 or call (218) 547-1313.
 

DANCE NOTES: HALF TIME REC

There is currently only one Sunday Night Social Dance scheduled at the Half Time Rec in July. That's on July 18 with ZoloGo. Look for a full calendar of dances to resume in August.

KREWE DE WALLEYE PRESENTS ...

The Minnesota Cajun and Zydeco Music & Dance Association (Krewe de Walleye) presents a dance with Filé on Thursday, July 1 at the Twin City Ballroom. Equally adept at traditional Cajun, Creole and swamp pop music, ilé has toured around the world, including a European tour with Creole fiddler Canray Fontenot. The group consists of Ward Lormand on accordion, D'Jalma Garnier on fiddle, David Egan on piano, Pete Stevens on drums and Kevin Shearin on bass. Ward Lormand grew up in Ossun, Louisiana; fiddler

D'Jalma Garnier received a Texas Folklife grant to study with Canray Fontenot. The Lafayette-based group has released several recordings. Their latest is La Vie Marron on the Green Linnet label. The Twin City Ballroom is located at 265 West 7th in downtown Saint Paul (near RiverCentre). There will be a dance lesson at 7:30 pm; the dance starts at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $10 at the door. Don't miss this chance to see a great band that rarely makes it to the Twin Cities! For more information call (612) 728-1670 or (612) 729-1129. Don't forget the Krewe presents Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie on September 11 and the Savoy-Doucet Band on October 8. Both of these shows will be at the Medina Entertainment Center.
 

DANCE VORTEX

Dance Vortex is a great music and dance weekend scheduled October 1-3 at Camp Riverview in Mentone, Alabama (a two hour drive from Atlanta or Birmingham). Cajun, zydeco, swing and waltz will be featured; performers include Kevin Naquin & the Ossun Playboys, Jean-Pierre & the Zydeco Angels, Amy & the Hank Sinatras and the Nelson Ferry Waltz Band. Dance instructors include Ben Pagac, David Doggett & Dolores Hydock and Marietta & David Massey. Bring your musical instruments as a jam with the bands is scheduled. To get a flyer contact CAJUN SPOTLIGHT or you can check out their Web site at http://members.aol.com/dancvortex.
 

BLUES FESTIVAL SEASON CONTINUES

  1. The Mississippi Valley Blues Festival is July 2-4 in Davenport, Iowa. Headliners at this one include Pinetop Perkins, Ann Rabson, Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, Shemekia Copeland, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys and the Blind Boys of Alabama with Clarence Fountain. For more information call (319) 322-5837 or you can check out http://www.mvbs.org.
  2. The Prairie Dog Blues Festival at St. Feriole island in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin is July 30 and 31. Musicians on the bill include Grammy-winner Otis Rush, Kenning & Arvey, Walter Trout, Kelley Hunt, Magic Slim and Lamont Cranston. For more information call 1(888) 567-1567 or check out http://www.prairiedogblues.com
  3. The Bayfront Blues Festival takes place in Duluth-Superior August 13-15. Some of the performers lined up include Tinsley Ellis, Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials, Joe Louis Walker, Shemekia Copeland, Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers, Tab Benoit, Chris Duarte, Shannon Curfman and the Minneapolis Gospel Sound. Tickets are available at the Electric Fetus (in Minneapolis and Duluth). It's on the Web at http://www.bayfrontblues.com.

THE MIDWAY FOLK FESTIVAL

An exciting two-day festival of traditional music and dance comes to Midway Stadium July 17 and 18 from 1 to 9 pm each day. Some of the performers scheduled include Dakota Dave Hull & Kari Larson, Spider John Koerner, The Wild Goose Chase Cloggers & the Uncommon Loons, Clann na Cairde, the Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band, Urban Renewal, Louis Killen, John Van Orman, Grande Prairie, Eric Peltoniemi, Calliope House, JJ's Zydeco Paydirt and Lee Tedrow & Karl Smelker. There's also a songwriter's contest and other special events. Tickets are available at Homestead Pickin' Parlor, Irish on Grand and the Midway Stadium box office. Advance tickets are $10 for one day are $17 for the weekend; discounts available for seniors and children 12-18 (under 12 free).
 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Volunteering to help at festivals, concerts and dances is agreat way to meet other folks with interests similar to your own and contribute to the betterment of the music and dance communities in your area. In some cases you can enjoy the event (when you're not working) at a reduced rate. Many of the events listed in these pages can use volunteers and would welcome your call to help. Here are the volunteer phone numbers for events and organizations featured this issue:
 
MIDWAY FOLK FESTIVAL (651) 647-0722
KREWE DE WALLEYE  (651) 699-0376
TAPESTRY (612) 825-3668

TAPESTRY FOLKDANCE CENTER UPDATE

Tapestry Folkdance Center has purchased their new home! The papers were signed on Friday, May 21; the next morning renovations began on the space. Look for a month of special events at the new location in September (including the return of Wild Asparagus). During July and August Tapestry will have a limited schedule of dances at two different Minneapolis locations. Thursday night swing classes and Saturday night dances will be held at Sabathani Community Center while Friday Night International Dances and Sunday Night English Country Dances will be at the Barbara Barker Center for the Dance. This is the new dance building on the University of Minnesota on the West Bank. It's located at the corner of Riverside Avenue and 21st Avenue South (about 3 blocks from the Cedar Cultural Centre). Street shoes are not permitted on this dance floor; bring your dance shoes. Many Tapestry events and workshops are on break for the summer and will resume in September. There will be no monthly Scandinavian dance, no Family Folkdance, no Challenge Contras and no swing workshops. 
 

UPCOMING CAJUN AND ZYDECO EVENTS

  • July 01 - Filé : TWIN CITY BALLROOM. ST. PAUL. MN
  • July 02 - Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys : SUMMERFEST, MILWAUKEE, WI
  • July 03 - Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys : FITZGERALD'S, BERWYN, IL
  • July 03 - The Midway Ramblers : PARK CONCERT, WILMETTE, IL (4-5 PM)
  • July 04 - Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys : MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BLUES FESTIVAL, DAVENPORT, IA
  • July 04 - C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band : FITZGERALD'S, BERWYN, IL
  • July 06 - C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band : FIRST AVENUE, MINNEAPOLIS
  • July 09 - C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band : DELAND PARK, SHEBOYGAN, WI
  • July 09 - ZoloGo : FESTIVAL, RED CLIFF, WI (NEAR BAYPORT)
  • July 10 - C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band : SALMON-A-RAMA FESTIVAL, RACINE, WI
  • July 10 - Boozoo Chavis : BASTILLE DAYS, MILWAUKEE, WI
  • July 12 - Terrance Simien : FAMOUS DAVE'S BBQ, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
  • July 13 - The Midway Ramblers : PARK CONCERT, BLOOMINGDALE, IL (7-9 PM)
  • July 14 - Cajun Jam : HOMESTEAD PICKIN' PARLOR, RICHFIELD, MN (7:00 -9:00 PM)
  • July 14 - The Midway Ramblers : PARK CONCERT, PALATINE, IL (8-10 PM)
  • July 16 - C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band : ...AND ALL THAT JAZZ, DUBUQUE, IA
  • July 15- Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie : SUMMERDANCE, CHICAGO, L
  • July 17- Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie : FRANKIE'S BLUE ROOM, CHICAGO, IL
  • July 17 - Cajun/Zydeco CD Dance Party : ORCHARD RIDGE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, MADISON, WI
  • July 17 - Grande Prairie : MIDWAY FOLK FESTIVAL, MIDWAY STADIUM, ST. PAUL (7:45 PM)
  • July 18 - The Midway Ramblers : PARK CONCERT, OAK PARK, IL (5:30-7:30 PM)
  • July 18 - Zydeco Dance w/ ZoloGo : HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL, MN
  • July 18 - J.J's Zydeco Paydirt : MIDWAY FOLK FESTIVAL, MIDWAY STADIUM, ST. PAUL
  • July 20 - The Midway Ramblers : PARK CONCERT, BUFFALO GROVE, IL (8-10 PM)
  • July 21 - The Midway Ramblers : PARK CONCERT, WHEELING, IL (7-9 PM)
  • July 22 - Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie : UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, MADISON, WI
  • July 23 - Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie : THE SHACK, MUNDELEIN, IL
  • July 24 - The Chicago Cajun Aces : OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSIC, CHICAGO, IL
  • July 23 - The Cajun Hot Soles : MAGGIE'S CAFE EXPRESSO, TOWN CENTER, EAGAN, MN (7:30 PM)
  • July 24 - The Cajun Hot Soles : NORTH POLE CAFE, 44TH AND PENN N, MINNEAPOLIS (8:30 PM)
  • July 25 - The Midway Ramblers : PARK CONCERT, WHEATON, IL (3-4 PM)
  • July 25 - Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie : DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE, ROCHESTER, MN
  • July 30 - ZoloGo : ESPRESS FEST, EAGAN, MN
  • July 31 - The Chicago Cajun Aces : FOLKLORE VILLAGE FARM, DODGEVILLE, WI


NOTE: Please call to confirm events more than six weeks from first item on calendar.
 

STORM WARNINGS

While everyone is concerned when a storm approaches, folks putting on outdoor festivals and concerts are especially aware of them. What is just a minor inconvenience for most of us can mean big trouble for an event organizer relying on good weather to bring in a good crowd or keep them there should the weather change. The word storm derives from an Indo-European root meaning "to whirl, move or turn quickly". It is related, in fact, to the word stir. This month's quiz features song with storm in the title. Can you match the performer with the song? Here's hoping the weather for your outdoor events this season is "unstirred".
 
01) STORMY MONDAY a) John Gorka
02) RIDERS ON THE STORM b) Fleetwood Mac 
03) STORMY c) Billy Ray Cyrus
04) THE STORMS ARE ON THE OCEAN d) T-Bone Walker
05) SHELTER FROM THE STORM e) Waylon Jennings
06) STORM IN THE HEARTLAND f) The Doors
07) STORMS NEVER LAST g) Classics IV
08) RAVEN IN THE STORM h) Carter Family
09) STORMS i) Eric Clapton
10) ONE JUMP AHEAD OF THE STORM j) Bob Dylan

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NOTES & STEPS/CAJUN SPOTLIGHT is an independent newsletter about Cajun, zydeco and other traditional music & dance events and news in the upper Midwest and beyond. A one year subscription is $8.00. Email Notessteps@aol.com or NOTES & STEPS/CAJUN SPOTLIGHT, John Tallaksen, 2425 East Franklin, #211 Minneapolis, MN 55406.