Written by Dege Legg
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
RICHIE HAVENS
He's the unspoken king of Woodstock. Folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens opened the legendary 1969 festival with a marathon three hour set of acoustic folk tunes. When he ran out of material, he began improvising songs on stage. One of the improvised tunes was the celebrated song which came to be known in later years as...
Written by Dege Legg
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
RICHIE HAVENS
He's the unspoken king of Woodstock. Folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens opened the legendary 1969 festival with a marathon three hour set of acoustic folk tunes. When he ran out of material, he began improvising songs on stage. One of the improvised tunes was the celebrated song which came to be known in later years as "Freedom," wherein Havens continuously intones the word freedom, interspersed with lines from the old spiritual "Motherless Child." It's pretty rad. No one who has ever seen footage of the 1969 Woodstock festival can ever forget the site and sound of the sweat-drenched Havens soulfully playing his way through that historic set, which magically captured all the idealistic hopes of the 1960s. Many famous names have graced the stage at Grant Street, but this will be Havens' first. Richie Havens plays Grant Street Dancehall on May 6.
FAMILY TREE
The Family Tree gives a lot to the community of Lafayette. They improve the quality of life for individuals and families through education, counseling and information services that are delivered in a professional, accessible, and compassionate manner. They're throwing a live music benefit in conjunction with the Bodacious Brothers outfit at Grant Street to support their sliding fee-scale counseling services that help families deal with the problems of modern life. Families in Acadiana are able to receive counseling services for as little as $15 per session through the program. In order for them to continue doing this, The Family Tree needs your help as individuals to keep this valuable service to the community alive. 100 percent of the ticket sales go to the "sliding fee scale counseling program," so please go out to Grant Street Dancehall on May 8. Live music for the night includes Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole, The Canes, The Drew Landry Band, Farouche, and The Louisiana Rhythm Katz. Be there on May 8.
GINN
The legendary Greg Ginn returns to Lafayette with his band The Taylor Texas Corrugators. They traffic in deconstructed underground jam music that has way more in common with Acid Mother's Temple than the Dave Matthews Band. Go check them out at the Blue Moon Saloon on May 6. www.myspace.com/txcorrugators
COUNTRY TIME
Carrie Underwood is a country singer. People like her. A lot of people know who she is. People saw her on the fourth season of American Idol and went berserk. It was off the chain. She has since sold zillions of records. People buy them, really dig it, and jam it on their Hi-Fi stereo systems. She is the first female artist to win back-to-back Academy of Country Music Awards for Entertainer of the Year. She won it because people love her and they refuse to root for losers. Carrie Underwood plays the Cajundome on May 8.
FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS
Flowers are awesome. They make women happy. They're colorful. They smell good. You can put them in a glass vase. You can put them in barrels of guns to protest wars. They're multipurpose organisms. The annual Festival des Fleurs Garden Show and Sale comes to the Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette on May 8. It is the 21st anniversary of Festival des Fleurs Garden Show. People into gardening will trip out on the wide variety of plants, garden books, pottery, tools, gifts, and ornamental pieces for sale. If you can't find a Mother's Day gift here, you won't find one anywhere. Gardeners will be judging the "Islands of the World"-themed flower show, door prizes will be given out, and there will be a ton of children's activities. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Ira Nelson Horticulture Center, which is an instructional laboratory for UL. The flower show runs 8 a.m.6 p.m. Admission is $5 (under 12 free). For more info, call 482-5339. It all goes down at Blackham Coliseum.
ETC
The Robbie Bush Band plays their farwell performance at Downtown Alive on May 7 On May 8, exotic lady-lady Candye Kane plays the Crowne PlazaDrew Zaunbrecher plays Antler's after DTA on May 7 Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin' Cajuns play Whiskey River on May 9 Goldman Thibodeaux & The Lawtell Playboys play Vermilionville on May 9 Lafayette Rhythm Devils play Randol's on May 8 Quadrolithic, Really Really, Death Before Disco, and Olivier Heights play the all-ages MVC on the Breaux Bridge Highway on May 8