Big Fun on the Bayou

Wellsville, PA, although not that close to New Orleans, was the best place in central PA to hear genuine Cajun music on Saturday night. Joreen, Ed, Grace and I went to hear the Bayou Bandits at the Wellsville Fire Hall. Joreen is a fan of this band from years back, and we're even more into them now that they have a new git-tar player: the one, the only Bill Nork. We've heard him play and sometimes played along with him in Wooden Nickel, that band from Millersville whose name I can't think of, the Pickups, the Fender Twinns, the Johnsons, Dewey and the Decibels, the Avalons and the Gliders, and now you can catch him at the height of his powers, playing the acoustic Martin and the chambered Telecaster in a really unique musical setting.

The Bayou Bandits is a side project of Randy and Brian Harter of Silver City, a band that has played this area for 31 years. Don't be misled, though. The Bandits are a long-standing, very successful band in their own right, having played this area for many, many years, back when Nick's was open on Third Street. This is not a variety band, kids. They play Cajun music. Really good Cajun music. This is dance music, and the folks at this event were dancing up a storm, even though most of us didn't have the slightest idea what they were singing about -- unless the song was "Jet To The Promised Land." Hey, come to think of it, they didn't do "C'est La Vie."

Another unique feature of the band is that they have someone who has more than one button accordion, and he knows exactly what to do with all of them.



This is just a picture of the mirrorball that I took so that I could finally shoot something that was in enough light.

This is a yearly event thrown by a fellow named Kenny, whose last name I never caught, but he is a great guy who loves this music enough to hire a hall, sell tickets (at a very reasonable price), provide pretty high quality snacks and throw a really fine party just so he can dance all night long. He's something to see, I tell you. When this dance comes around next year you should watch for it. I need to thank my friend Tony Bosak (T.J. Homestyle, the best lunch around, 600 Bridge Street, New Cumberland; what are you doing at McDonald's, you schmuck, go eat real food!) for posting the flier in his restaurant that tipped me off to this shindig.