Black Pot is back. The annual earthen roots music festival and cook-off located at Acadian Village in Lafayette returns today for another scenic round of camping, jamming, munching, tent-hunching, and whatnot. More like an old tyme community gathering than mondo-corporate, soul-sucking rock fest. Festival organizers — a combination of south Louisiana musicians, artists and roots enthusiasts, encourage attendees to camp out on the grounds, bring tents, and of course black pots to cook over an open fire. It’s like a mini-Woodstock for rootsheads.
“This year’s Black Pot is going to be the best yet,” says Linzay Young, fiddler for the Red Stick Ramblers and one of the festival’s motivated planners. “The festival is an unprecedented gathering of south Louisiana’s hottest roots bands, as well as groups from all over the country. Live performances range from Cajun & Zaricôt (zydeco), to Creole, Swing, Hot Jazz, Blues, Bluegrass, Americana, Irish & Old-Time. This festival has something for everyone.”
There were over 20 entries in last year’s cook-off, this year promises to be even more competitive. Case in point: a rumored Eunice vs. Iota cracklin feud. Their people taking their cook seriously. It’s like the Hatfield-McCoy rivalry — only with sausages and rabbits instead of guns.
As usual they’ve got an eclectic and edgy mix of local and national roots music. This is the real stuff, not the hambone hokum of cow-tipping hipsters rocking trucker hats and all of sudden everybody’s from the country, chewing weeds and whittling duck calls. This is the dirt earth spiral, twanging in the muddy vortex stuff, where friends and family jam together for years on porches, before they even think about jumping on a stage. Some of the bands scheduled to perform are the Red Stick Ramblers, Hadley Castille, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Pine Leaf Boys, Jesse Lege, anti-folk duo Mike & Ruthy in addition to well-tenured bluesman Little Freddy King. “We did a set with him once, since we were both from the south,” says Young. “We were blown away by his stage presence, style and musical wizardry. He could be my grandfather, yet he’s more nimble on his feet than me.”
When the main-stage music is over at the end of each night the campground comes alive and the performers and crowd mix in all night impromptu jams. In addition, there’s an accordion contest, square dancing, Prince sing-a-longs and ample camping space for tents & RVs. The whole festival is just another high-quality example of the unadulterated coolness that flourishes in Acadiana.
Black Pot Schedule Friday
7:00 - 7:45 p.m. Hadley Castille
8:00 - 8:45 p.m. Tom Michell & Friends
9:00 - 9:45 p.m. Bonsoir Catin
10:00 - 10:45 p.m. Horace Trahan
11:00 - 12:00 a.m. Pine Leaf Boys
Saturday
11:30 - 12:30 p.m. Accordion Contest
12:30 - 1:00 p.m. Los Gringos Calientes
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Square Dance called by
Nancy Spero
2:00 - 2:30 p.m. Mike & Ruthy
2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Corey Ledet
3:30 - 4:00 p.m. Back Step Band
4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Jesse Lége
5:00 - 5:30 p.m. Cary Fridley
5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Lost Bayou Ramblers
6:30 - 7:00 p.m. Foghorn Duo: Sammy
Lind & Caleb Klauder
7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Walter Mouton & The
Scott Playboys
8:00 - 8:30 p.m. Ginny Hawker & Tracy
Schwarz
8:30 - 9:30 p.m. Little Freddie King
9:30 - 10:00 p.m. Fat Man and Little Boy:
The Atomic Duo
9:45 - 10:45 p.m. Ed Poullard & Preston
Frank
11:00 - 12:00 p.m. Red Stick Ramblers