Could another run by The Bluerunners be in the works? The band ruled the roost a quarter century ago, packing local venues — really it was just kinda Grant Street Dancehall — widely touring and releasing a major label record.
The ’runners have flirted with reunion since, releasing new music and performing infrequent one-off shows. The band recently performed at Chickie Wah Wah in New Orleans for a Jazz Fest kickoff party. After a successful run with the Mercy Brothers that ended a few years ago, founding member — and the only original member of The Bluerunners, which started off as a rockabilly trio in the late ’80s — Mark Meaux fesses up.
So, why is the band not gigging regularly? What is pulling it all back together now?
There was nothing really keeping us from playing together per se. Just everyone was doing other things, either musically or job and family related. Jason Harrington was a big part of getting us going again. He had invited me into his band The Specklers, which I enjoyed very much, and that got me and Frank Kincel playing together again. Around the same time, Adrian Huval and his cousin Chad Huval invited me play traditional Cajun music with them, so that got me playing fiddle again. After a while, it seemed like it might be fun to revisit The Bluerunners. The last piece was getting Cal Stevenson back on bass. He’s a great musician and we had worked together for a long time with he and Frank as our rhythm section.
What are you looking to do: record, reunion show, tour, etc?
The goal, to the extent there is one, is to just play here around home and record a new batch of songs. I don’t think touring is in the cards for us at this point. If we get festival offers, we would try to do those. But no extended roadwork. Since I left the Mercy Bros., my wife Jill and I have adopted a daughter and fostered four other infants. It’s been an unexpected but wonderful change in our lives. We have a 4-month-old boy who we’re fostering and our 2-year-old daughter running around our house now. So, I don’t want to be gone from home too much, and neither do the other guys.
Walk me through the perfect comeback gig: Where is it at? Who’s in the audience?
My favorite shows are the ones that feel less like a concert and more like a house party … like a crazy, off-the-chain party where everyone is included and important; where the audience feels like they’re part of the band and vice-versa. Those are the best. We’re lucky because those kinds of shows happen down here a lot, for all kinds of bands. If the people are going to be there, then I want to be there too. And I want The Bluerunners to be there.