Grammy award-winning Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience performed Saturday night at “Only in Louisiana,” a show celebrating this year’s Grammy nominees from Louisiana. The concert was held at Baton Rouge Magnet High School to raise money for travel for Louisiana’s 11 Grammy nominees. Simien and the Zydeco Experience performed alongside fellow Best Regional Roots Music Album nominees and Louisiana natives Zachary Richard and the Hot 8 Brass Band.
Simien and the rest of the band were welcomed to the stage with cheers from the audience before they could settle into their places. Simien grabbed his accordion and the band went into its set.
During the band’s first song, “Zydeco Zambada,” Simien smiled at the audience and danced across the stage appearing genuinely happy to be performing. His energy resonated with those in attendance as toes began to tap and hands started to clap. Toward the end of the first song Simien began to throw beads to the audience as if Mardi Gras had come early. The auditorium filled with laughter and outstretched arms as the beads continued to fly until the end of the song.
The band then continued into the song “Stop the Train,” a slower song that maintained the zydeco sound. By the end of the song many in the audience were humming along.
The band finished the set with “Don’t Cry No More,” an uplifting song about moving forward. The song led to a rhythmic bobbing of heads and clapping through the auditorium. The set ended with a standing ovation.
Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience and artists like it prove that Zydeco music is alive and well. The band provided the audience with a memorable show. The combination of accordion, washboards, bass guitar, drums and piano can only result in a sound native to Louisiana. Simien and the Zydeco Experience have taken that concept and shared its infectious sound with the world.
After watching their show, it is clear why the band is the winner of a 2008 Grammy and a 2014 nominee– the group can connect with its audience through its songs in a truly personal way. Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience is a must-see if a person wants a taste of Louisiana culture. The band is proud of its Louisiana heritage, and anyone who attends a show will easily be able to tell.
Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience perform for Only In Louisiana at Baton Rouge Magnet High School Saturday, January 11, 2014. The event was presented by Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne and the Louisiana Office of Tourism as they present Louisiana's 2013 Music Ambassadors.
