The merchants of Beale Street in Memphis have gotten together and indulged a cousin of the Blues, and put together a zydeco festival every year. It's one night, with a usual dance the night before by one of the bands.
THE WEATHER
This year, the weather was the worst. Penni & Don, who happen to live in Memphis, were very gracious hosts, and my 'before hand' contacts regarding the festival. Penni had said that they usually only get one bad storm for the season, and that the one the weekend before should have been it. Unfortunately, the weather from Minnesota seemed to follow us down, because the weekend of the Zydeco festival the weather was cold and icy. Many people didn't come because of the weather. My dance partner (Deb) & I were pretty amused when we heard how local folks reacted to such weather, and I have to say they even made fun of themselves about it. We heard that some folks brought extra clothes and overnight stuff with them in the car in case they got stuck somewhere, and couldn't get back home. Being from Minnesota, we chuckled since weather like this was familiar, and not something we'd worry about getting stuck. First of all, in all fairness, I didn't see many cars stuck or in the ditches. And, since Memphis doesn't get this kind of weather very often, of course folks won't be familiar with how to drive in it. Heck, many Minnesotans still have trouble driving in winter weather, to the dismay of others.
THE NIGHT BEFORE DANCE
The night before the Beale Street festivities, at least one dance is held at a local venue. This dance seems to be for all those that are anticipating all the zydeco on Beale Street, and for those coming into town a day or so early. This year Thomas 'Big Hat' Fields and his Foot Stompin Zydeco Band played. I forget the venue, but I think it was in a nearby town, and in an official room at that. The room was carpeted, wood paneled, and the Seal of the City was in the background, behind the band.
BEALE STREET ZYDECO 2006
Here is a list of the bands.
- Roy Carrier & the Night Rockers
- Thomas Fields & his Foot Stompin Zydeco Band
- Dora & the Zydeco Bad Boys
- Willis Prudhomme & Zydeco Express
- T Broussard & the Zydeco Hotsteppers
- Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble
- Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Cha's
- Corey Ledet & Zydeco Embrace
- Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys
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