Louisiana wasn’t just about Mardi Gras for us. Jay is a jazz man. I am a rock and roll gal who also grew up listening to country, but I like all genres of music. I thank my oldest brother, Kevin, for introducing me to so many different kinds of music. Jay has learned to enjoy most of what I listen to. We knew Louisiana had a lot of live music, and we were sure to find some locations. On our first night, we went to Panorama Music House. While the music was great, the food wasn’t much to speak of unless perhaps you like seafood. I, unfortunately, do not. This group was called Street Side Jazz Band. The Panorama entrance is fun and filled with some memorabilia, as are the walls inside where the stage and tables are. Of course, the statute has Mardi Gras beads on it!
This is the group we were here to listen to, but for the life of me, I can’t get the videos I’ve taken to post here. So here are some photos. They were jazzy and rockabilly.
The bass player was the main vocalist. The sax player was talented. It was a great night of music!
We also went to Rikenjaks, another restaurant/bar, and listened to this young man play his guitar and sing, but we didn’t get his name. He was also great!
It was cold outside, where the stage is, so that’s why he’s bundled up. We sat beside an outdoor heater:
Dinner was great and the music, too. We stayed for most of his show, but it got so cold as the night went on, we decided to head back home. This particular restaurant also allows dogs, so we dropped by another day with our two and enjoyed a meal. They had another solo singer with a guitar, an older man, and his music seemed okay. But the dogs, once the food was gone, were ready to head home.
Another trip to Panorama had us quickly eating dinner and leaving. It was a legit jazz band, but they were so off from each other, we only stayed for two or three songs. No name, no photos of them.
We returned a few days later after having dinner elsewhere and ordered an appetizer and some sodas. This time, we hit gold again. A trio called Second Nature, who had changed their name at some point from Acoustic Pie when there were only two of them. We LOVED them! They rated up there with the first group we saw.
They played a lot of rock, rockabilly, blues, and folk music. They actually played Dr. Hook’s Rolling Stone! I loved it. It was the best night of music as far as I’m concerned. Even the drunk lady trying to pick up a gay man with his partner was hilariously fun!
Overall, Louisiana was a lot of fun, and we want to return next year – before the heat and humidity hit! We plan to do Mardi Gras in New Orleans next year. I know it won’t be the family-friendly time we had in Lake Charles, but there will be tons of street musicians we can listen to, and honestly, it was all about the music. That’s what speaks to the soul, whatever genre you enjoy.
Next up: Teaching a Writing Class!
On Hummingbirds Wings 