In his Fourth of July article "High Notes: America's best music towns", Jim Harrington of the Oakland Tribune ranks Lafayette right alongside music meccas Austin, Seattle and New Orleans, and ahead of L.A., San Fransisco, Nashville and New York. Locals are well aware of the musical heritage here, but Lafayette often gets overlooked, and overshadowed by New Orleans and Austin, in the southern music scene. In his Fourth of July article "High Notes: America's best music towns," Jim Harrington of The Oakland Tribune ranks Lafayette right alongside music meccas Austin, Seattle and New Orleans, and ahead of L.A., San Fransisco, Nashville and New York.
Harrington writes: "New Orleans, of course, makes our cut - so, is it really necessary to also include Lafayette? Absolutely. Louisiana's fourth largest city, located roughly two hours west of Fat City, is such an appealing hotbed of authentic Cajun, Creole, zydeco and other indigenous styles that it demands its own spot on this list. It includes the tuneful communities of Eunice, Opelousas and Breaux Bridge. Most everyone in the region seems to play an instrument, and the neighborly jam sessions are a sight to behold."
The article plugs the Savoy Music Center in Eunice, the Blue Moon Saloon, Festival International, Cafe Des Amis, Poorboy's Riverside Inn and the Staybridge Suites as places to go.