BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

The MIM is a very special place: it’s like, in the words of Aaron Neville, the Louvre for musicians. It’s unbelievable how many instruments are collected there.   To perform at MIM is also a special deal.  The sound is really, really good, and the audiences are great.  All in all, bands are treated quite well there, and the after the show Meet and Greet with the audience is always rewarding. For someone who isn’t from the Phoenix area, it seems strange that the museum is so far out of town, but I’m told that it won’t be in the future.  The building is huge and well maintained, just like the instruments inside. We met people from Breaux Bridge and people who have been to Louisiana many times.  We also met people who have tried for years to hear the banned and were able.  I don’t think anyone was disappointed.

First show of 2018.   I decided to attemp the blog again.  Last year was a total bust, but I’ll try harder.   This year we have a new agency, The Roots Agency, so there may (or may not) be lots to write about. The Tucson show was amazing: 600+ dancing Tucsonians.  We have always had a great following in Tucson.  And the El Casino is an old friend, in terms of places we’ve played. The first time we played there, before the roof blew off, was in the late 1980s, with Canray Fontenot and Bois Sec Ardoin.  The really cool thing about the El Casino was that there was a secret bar behind the main stage.  This was our dressing room.  In the secret bar a Norteno band playing.  Also tequila shots were 25 cents.  When we got up to play, Can and Bois were pretty well lit; we found out Michael was pretty much, too.  It was a memorable set: Canray decided to sit in.  Michael slipped, fell, but never missed a beat.  It was quite a show. ...

Last night at the Altamont Theatre was our first show of 2017.  It's always fun to play in Asheville and it was no exception! There was a good crowd & the band played 2 rousing sets.  This was our second appearance at the Altamont, and we look forward to the next time!

The 'Trio' will be performing on Friday night, Oct 7, at the Richmond Folk Festival in Richmond, VA.  That night is a showcase of different types of music the festival will have to offer.  Unfortunately, we will be unable to attend the Fest on Saturday and Sunday: on Saturday the entire band will be in Reston, VA to perform at the Reston Community Center.  On Sunday, we'll return to Louisiana to perform at the Voice of the Wetlands Festival in Houma, LA.   Looking forward to a busy weekend!

Our last appearance at the Minnesota State Fair was in 1997.  It was the show before our first Hawaiian tour. The crowds on our show today were quite large, people bustling about, eating fried foods and looking around.  We did get to see some old friends, which was nice!   We've been told that the crowds will be even larger on Saturday, so we are definitely looking forward to that!

Our first appearance at Le Poisson Rouge was to celebrate Roswell Rudd's 80th birthday.  There were 4 or 5 other acts, so the bill was full. BeauSoleil closed out the show, with Roswell joining in on several numbers.  Happy Birthday, Roz! We hope to play his next one too. 

This was our first appearance at Mexicali Live. It's a nice club with a great staff.  After an opening act, we played for a fairly full house. We do hope to return soon. Nice venue!