The Pipeline

The Pipeline 04.06.11

by Dege Legg

BIKE OVER
Isn't it convenient how gas prices ramp up every spring just in time for the travel season? Right! You ever take a look at the quarterly profits for Exxon/Mobile during that time? Right! You ever wondered who killed the electric car? Right!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Written by Dege Legg

BIKE OVER
Isn't it convenient how gas prices ramp up every spring just in time for the travel season? Right! You ever take a look at the quarterly profits for Exxon/Mobile during that time? Right! You ever wondered who killed the electric car? Right! Connect the dots. It's easy when you open your eyes and turn off the TV. Try this. Get off your butt. Leave your car at home. And get on your bike. Gas is what, $3.50/gal?  Screw those dudes; they can live without you for a day. And you can live without them. Believe it. There is a $20 suggested donation (you do not have to donate to attend) to the event that will entitle you to a first-printing BikeLafayette t-shirt, a BikeLafayette sticker and spoke card. Rest easy knowing that your money is going to support an organization that is dedicated to the advocacy of all cyclists. Be there: April 9 at 10 a.m. in Girard Park at Festivals Acadiens Et Creoles Main Stage. Info: 349-6220.

RECYCLED/54321
ArtWalk goes down this Saturday. While downtown, you should make a pass by Recycled Cycles on Vermilion as they host the 5-4-3-2-1 music experiment on April 9.

RAM ROD
You know you're the man when you have your own law named after you. During his teen years, Roddie Romero was so in demand that night clubs serving alcohol got into a legal bidding war of sorts in order to acquire the then-underage Romero's musical services. Very nice! Most bands have to bug clubs like hell just to get a gig and Romero had these guys doing paper work. Romero's parents remedied the situation by petitioning to enact a law allowing minors to play in nightclubs if accompanied by a guardian. Hence the "Roddie Romero Law." Roddie is one of those rare musicians who can do it all: sing, play, write, squeeze an accordion and rip on slide guitar. He's insane! Too much talent in one place is a dangerous thing, so it's a testament to Romero's level headedness that he hasn't spun out on drink, drugs or unchecked ego. On top of everything else, I hear the guy is a killer cabinet maker. Arrgggggghhhhh. Go check out Roddie Romero and his badass band the Hub City All-Stars at the Blue Moon on April 8 for some genuine soul, blues, roots rock and high quality riffage.

SPEAK FEST
SPEAK Fest returns. And don't call them hippies, nerd. SPEAK is good people. The Society for Peace, Environment, Action, & Knowledge at UL is one of those great community groups that genuinely cares and is actively trying to make this sometimes God-forsaken world a better place. SPEAK promotes a wide array of concerns involved in making human life more sustainable in our local region. In order to further that mission, they meet throughout the fall and spring in the Forum Room of the UL Student Union. SPEAK holds its annual SPEAK Fest at both Artmosphere and Blue Moon on April 10. Bands in this year's fest include 7 Horse Tango, Hip Hop in the Flats, Brother Dege, Matt Roberts & Power Peeps, Maker's Reel Making Contact, Emily Nuestrom, DJ Judd, Craig Futch, Christine Pierce Andrew and Vo M Harris.
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HEY RICHARD**
Master songsmith and Lafayette rabble rouser extraordinaire Troy Richard is back after laying low for a while. If you haven't heard his dusty roots and cinematic Louisiana tunes, you're missing out. It's good stuff. Troy Richard & the Richard Revue play the Blue Moon on April 9.

TOOL BAG
Tool = great band. Some Tool fans = not so much. Not all, but some Tool fans are an odd combination of stoner-roid jocks and WoW nerds with prog aspirations. Spiral Out is a Tool tribute band from New Jersey. They're probably neither. White Light Cemetery is a low chugging band of Southern brother-dudes, cranking out dirty metal and corrosion steel. I like them. And they have a good band name always important. If you like pulverizing riffage, thunder sounds and diamond bags filled with white lightning seeds, you will dig them too. Spiral Out and White Light Cemetery play Grant Street on April 9. Hold up! THIS JUST IN: How many Tool fans does it take to screw in a light bulb? 10,000 to fill the arena and one to spiral-out, all spaced out. Forget the light bulb.

PRODIGAL SONS
AcA presents a screening of Prodigal Sons with producer/director Kimberly Reed as part of the South Arts Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers. It kicks off at 8:30 p.m. Prodigal Sons takes the basic question of nature versus nurture and injects it full of hormones while blending in a heady dose of Hollywood royalty and arrogant genius. Sounds freaky like freaky scenes inside a purple velvet goldmine (with silk sashes and dudes walking around, burning bundles of sage and quoting Truman Capote). Count me in!

USE
Local speaker, author and coach Aileen Bennet and playwright Cody Daigle present "Using People," an interactive, educational and fun experience that redefines the motivational speech for business. Be at Cite Des Arts on April 8.
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ETC**
Cedric Watson's Bijou Trio plays this week's Bach Lunch on April 8TK Hulin plays Rhythms on the River on April 7Michael Juan Nunez & the American Electric play The Shed BBQ in Scott on April 9On April 8, Yazoo plays Antler's after DTARadio rockers Saving Abel, Redline Chemistry and Desperate Union play Nitetown on  April 8