A&E

Blackpot Festival returns

by Dege Legg

If you like your roots music with a bit of an edge, Acadiana's Blackpot Festival is the place to be.

Lafayette's raddest roots music festival returns. The Blackpot Festival is like a miniature Woodstock meets Renaissance festival for banjo geeks and roots freaks, looking to hunker down on some corn cob tweakage. In it's fifth year, this year's Blackpot looks to be the best one yet.

"We've got the usual Cajun and Zydeco dancing along with square dancing, freestyling and more. There's a Halloween costume contest on Saturday and an unofficial camper to camper trick or treating for adults and kids," says Blackpot organizer Lindzay Young. "We've got a boudin making demo, the cook-off, French song-swap called Chansons Francophone. We want folks to come out and participate and teach or learn some new songs. And we're got the unsung hero and legend of Cajun music Jesse Lege, hosting a Cajun jam. Don't miss that. This is the best festival in the country with the best mixture of hardcore traditional and cutting edge push-the-envelope contemporary roots. It's ear, feet and soul candy." Come dance your demons away and make a friend or spouse or two. And if you think you can hang in the cooking dept., step up and stir.

"We're super excited to have Horace Trahan playing. He's really taking Zydeco music to new heights with his fresh take on the sounds and his original songs about real life," says Young. "He's not taking the same old hooks and tunes and recycling or rearranging the lyrics and calling it his own song. Mad props to Horace, we're glad to have him on board the party ship SS Blackpot." Blackpot Festival takes place at Acadiana Village (200 Greenleaf Drive in Lafayette) on Oct. 29-30. Be there.

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Blackpot Schedule**

Oct. 29

5 p.m. Chansons Francophone (French Song Swap) with Nadine Landry & Ann Savoy

6 p.m. Cajun Jam hosted by Jesse Lege

7 p.m.The Malfecteurs website

8:15 Horace Trahan & The New Ossun Express

9:30 p.m. High Performance

10:45 p.m. The Pine Leaf Boys

Oct. 30

10 a.m. Accordion Contest

11 a.m. Square Dance

12:15 p.m. Eric and Suzy Thompson website

12:45 p.m. Ray Abshire website

2 p.m.  Andrew & Noah VanNorstrand website

2:30 p.m. J.P. Harris & Tough Choices

3:45 p.m. Steve James

4:15 p.m.José Moreno

5:30 p.m. The Good Family Band

6:00 p.m. Henry Gray & The Cats

7:15 p.m.Jay Ungar & Molly Mason

7:45 p.m. Ed Poullard & Preston Frank

8:45 p.m. Hank Sapoznik & the Youngers of Zion

9:15 p.m. Feufollet

10:45 p.m. Red Stick Ramblers