by Dane Griffin
In 2004, I wrote a summary of my first trip to Lafayette. It was fun to share with others what had happened. Besides when you travel with approximately 15 Zydehogs, there are plenty of interesting stories. In 2006, there were seven Zydehogs from Ocala/Gainesville. I’ll let you decide if we had a good time.
Six of us rendezvoused at the LaQuinta Inn in Lafayette on Thursday the 28~. Don and The Triplets arrived by air and Lu Anne and I arrived by car. Despite leaving Florida before sunrise and not arriving in Lafayette until 4:00 CST or later, we were all ready to start our adventure by 6:00. We were on our way to Randol’s.
The Triplets are Karin, Sandy, and Joyce. Don and The Triplets was not a phrase that I used until a late Sunday morning during a phone conversation with Bart. He chuckled and knew exactly who I meant. I used the phrase again early Sunday evening. The Triplets also chuckled. So I may use it some more as I write this recount of our trip.
We all arrived at Randol’s and were quickly escorted to a table by the dance floor. The hostess placed our menus on the table just as the band started to play. Lu Anne and I set down. I was ready to order a drink. Don, and The Triplets immediately stepped on to the dance floor. It’s a few minutes after 6:00. We’re going to dance for four days ending after midnight on Sunday. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, we’re going to dance until some of us are too tired to move. Can’t we just take a moment to order? Heck no!!! So, Lu Anne and I started dancing too.
The band at Randol’s on Thursday night was Horace Trahan. His music is Cajun and waltz. For the first time, I enjoyed the dancing the Cajun two step. Something finally clicked, and I danced well enough for my partner and I to have a good dance experience. That’s a good thing. During our visit to Lafayette, we danced as much Cajun as Zydeco.
Don and I enjoyed perfect gender balance until some gentlemen noticed how well Karin, Sandy, Joyce, and Lu Anne danced. Thank goodness for Sylvia from San Diego and Giselle from Lafayette in more ways than one. Lu Anne had decided to come to Lafayette after 8:00 PM on Wednesday the 27&. Of course she didn’t have a ticket for the New Year’s Eve Party at Vermilionville. Giselle said that she knew someone who might have a ticket for sale.
What did we eat for dinner? Heck WI know! I can’t even tell you how the waitress found all of us at the table at once so that she could take our order. We did eat. When we finished it was close to 9:00 and time for a new venue. We chose Bourbon Orleans Sports Bar. Old acquaintances were playing. The band was T Broussard. Other than the six of us, there were no other dancers except for a young man who noticed that Don and I couldn’t dance with all four ladies at once.
As we learned later, many dancers danced at the Rock N Bowl in New Orleans on Thursday night. For the remainder of the week, there would be plenty of dancers who were friends and acquaintances from Vortex, St. Petersburg, previous trips to Lafayette, and even one from Deerfield Beach.
On Friday morning after breakfast at Waffle House where six of us were seated at a table for four, Don, Karin, Sandy, Joyce, and Lu Anne went shopping for boots. I declined to go. Don had to go. He was the only driver of the rental car. Shopping for boots expanded in to shopping for dresses. As it was told to me, Don did his best imitation of a mobile clothes rack as the ladies tried on different dresses. Don’s my hero.
I went looking for a YMCA. There is none in Lafayette. I was surprised. Lafayette is larger than either Gainesville or Ocala. I returned to the LaQuinta Inn. Word of mouth advertising indicated that there would be an open house in room 108 at noon for dancers to disseminate information about various bands and venues in Lafayette. Of course the open house wouldn’t open until later, and of course, it would be in room 175. But I did meet Sylvia again. She was on foot, and I chauffeured her to and from Albertson’s. Through Sylvia, I was in contact with Giselle again, and she confirmed that there was a ticket for sale. Lu Anne now had a ticket for New Year’s Eve if Giselle could deliver the ticket as promised.
It was early afternoon and I received a phone call to join the group for lunch. Karin bad led us to Waffle House, and now Sandy was leading us to Judice based on a recommendation that she had received while shopping. At Judice, the choices on the menu were limited to hamburgers and cheeseburgers. I exaggerate but not much. Fortunately, the burgers are good. The burgers are seasoned with mild Cajun spices. The locals love Judice. The restaurant was full even though it was after 2:00.
I learned that we were returning the scene of the crime. Sandy who had declined to buy boots in the morning had made up her mind on which boots she would buy. The destination was Lafayette Shooters. I was even trying boots on (after my arm was twisted). I did buy a black cowboy hat. I was now the buttoned down, urban cowboy.
We returned to LaQuinta Inn to catnap and dress for dinner and dancing. Sandy was wearing her boots, and I was wearing my hat. Bart had joined us, and we were all headed for Mulate’s in Breaux Bridge. Mulate’s is a must if you like Cajun music. The food is good. The band at Mulate’s is Lee Benoit. He wrote and recorded “Valerie” which we waltz to frequently on Thursday nights at Fat Tuesdays. I am told that “Valerie” is an incredibly beautiful love song written by Lee Benoit to his wife, Valerie. At least that is what I’m told. The lyrics are Cajun.
Remember me writing that the night before at Randol’s, my friends and your friends immediately started dancing as soon as the hostess had seated us. Bart, who has been a familiar face in Lafayette for over ten years, didn’t even bother coming to the table. He walked in the door and immediately recognized someone. Bart was on the dance floor. We ordered drinks and food without Bart. It’s been two weeks since that Friday night in Lafayette, and I couldn’t remember if Bart ate at Mulate’s. So I asked, and he says he did. But my recollection is that Bart danced and smiled a lot. He was glad to be in Lafayette, and we were glad that he could come.
After Mulate’s, Bart organized all of us. We were traveling a back road from Breaux Bridge to Lafayette. Our destination was the Blue Moon, an old house with a large back porch near the University Louisiana Lafayette campus. The band was The Lost Bayou Ramblers. They played at Vortex in 2006.
Did I say large back porch? Maybe I exaggerate or maybe the proprietor of the Blue Moon has not met the local fire marshal. The dance floor was packed. Welcome to Lafayette on a Friday night. The band may have played a Cajun two step, but we danced Zydeco shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip with everyone else on the dance floor. The band played a waltz, we waltzed in place. Hey Lynn and Sue. . . do you remember Gallagher’s on Sunday afternoon, January 1, 2006? It could only happen in Lafayette.
The dance floor was so crowded that dancers found it difficult, if not impossible, to enter and exit the dance floor in between songs. Guys, there is a solution. It’s dance with two girls at once. Thank you ladies.
At Blue Moon there was a wide, very wide age range. About 25% were age 40 and older. I concluded the 40 plus age group had come to Lafayette from out of town to enjoy the New Year’s weekend. 75% were young. Young enough to be our children. We were located close to a college campus.
As the evening grew late, Don and Karin returned to the LaQuinta Inn. Bart, Sandy, Joyce, Lu Anne, and I were discussing departing to a new venue for more dancing. However, a front was moving through the entire State of Louisiana and rain came pouring down at approximately 10:30. Should we dash for our cars, or should we stay dry and continue dancing to a good young band? You guessed it. We stayed and danced.
Lu Anne and I danced until she was too tired to keep the beat. It was close to midnight. Before you snicker, search your memory bank and try to remember when your legs could not respond to the beat of the music because of fatigue. If it hasn’t happened to you then you have not danced enough.
Sandy, Joyce, and Bart elected to stay. It was an easy decision for Joyce. She was dancing Cajun jitterbug with a gentleman from Louisiana. It was a great dance experience for Joyce. She wasn’t going to stop. Joyce reports that it was 2:00 AM before she returned to the LaQuinta Inn.
Let me interrupt this recount of our trip to Lafayette to tell you that Thursday and Friday were a warm up for the weekend. I kid you not. On Thursday and Friday, dancing did not begin until after 6:00 PM. We were not going to wait until the sun goes down to begin dancing on Saturday and Sunday.
We all agreed on Friday night to leave the LaQuinta Inn at 7:30 AM on Saturday morning for Café Des Amis. The rain was still pouring down but off we went. On the way to Café Des Antis in Breaux Bridge, some of the road was under water. I was following a pickup truck, and Don and The Triplets were following me in the rental car. We didn’t know how deep the water was. There was no turning back. We had to get to Café Des Amis in time to get a table, eat breakfast, and (you guessed it) dance. It’s a good thing that the water wasn’t too deep for the rental car. I would have had to back up and pick up The Triplets while Don tended to the stranded rental car.
We arrived early enough to get a table for seven. Katie was our waitress. She brought us coffee. Bart joined us. The music hadn’t started. Due to the rain and flooding, Leon Chavis and The Zydeco Flames were late arriving. It was good time to sit down and talk about the night before and allow the coffee (think caffeine) to wake us up. Someone in our group was sluggish and stiff (think Joyce).
The band arrived while we were waiting for our breakfast, and were very efficient in unloading and setting up. As the band warmed up and prepared to play, Joyce caught my eye. I asked her to dance. Joyce was the first one on the dance floor. I kid you not. Beware when you mix caffeine and Zydeco, it’s a very powerful stimulant.
Due to the rain, everyone was allowed to come inside. How many people were inside the restaurant? I don’t know. I do know that the local fire marshal must have been taking the day off or had other duties.
Those who didn’t have tables waited beside the bar. Yes there’s a bar in this restaurant, and it opens early. The dance floor is small, and on this Saturday morning dancers are willing to dance anywhere they can. Even though this was my first visit to Café Des Antis, I know that this wasn’t the first time that there were too many dancers. How do I know? There is red electric tape on the floor. Why the red electric tape? The waitresses have to serve breakfast. If you dance on the wrong side of the red electric tape, there are people who will politely ask you to move. We were all willing and eager to dance shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip just like Friday night.
While eating breakfast, I spotted Giselle and immediately left the table to go meet her. If anyone was watching, I wondered what they might have thought as I hugged her, slipped her $25, and then dragged her on to the dance floor. I was making sure that Giselle had money to purchase the ticket for New Year’s Eve from her friend.
This is a good time to tell you that my friends, my traveling companions, my fellow dancers are a herd of cats. It’s a term that I have borrowed from Mike, a dancer from Montgomery, who we met on our trip to Lafayette in 2004. On this trip, I first used the term on Thursday evening when describing to Lu Anne the people that she was just meeting.
About 10:00 AM we were finished. It was time to depart from Fred’s Lounge in Mamou. When I’m ready to depart, I hug the ladies, shake hands with the gentlemen, and start walking to the exit. Lu Anne and I exited the restaurant, turned left, and started walking to our car. After a half block, I turned around. The herd of cats was still inside. Lu Anne and I talked as we waited. Finally, they exited and were accompanied by others. There were dancers from Portland, OR who were being invited to join us at Fred’s Lounge. Now I remembered that I was supposed to furnish a ride if any of the dancers wanted to join us.
After a minute or two, I returned to the front of Café Des Amis with good intentions to introduce myself and offer a ride. That’s not what happened. By the time I got to the front of Café Des Antis, I knew that there was only one dancer who was going with us. Don’t ask me how I knew. I just knew. I walked up to her, pointed my finger, and said “You’re riding with me.”
Her name was Judy. I’m glad that she wasn’t easily offended and was ready to get going. On the trip, Judy shared that she had only been dancing a few times and that this was her first trip out of Portland to dance. Imagine dancing only four or five times and then starting your first Saturday morning in Lafayette with breakfast and dancing at Café Des Antis followed by dancing at Fred’s Lounge. For Judy, dancing in Portland may never be the same.
Four or five dances followed by a trip to Lafayette is not totally outrageous. Lu Anne had danced Zydeco only once at Fat Tuesdays, and now she was along for the ride. However, Judy and Lu Anne were experienced when compared to Margaret, a professor at Appalachian State University. Her first dance, or was it first date, with Mark was 2004 Vortex. I met Margaret and Mark at 2005 Vortex, and she credits Don with teaching her how to dance. Don’s still my hero.
Now that I’m thinking about it, the car ride from Café Des Antis to Fred’s Lounge was unique too. It’s about an hour drive. Both Don and I are following Bart. We exited the interstate at Opelousas and beaded west on Highway 90 toward Eunice. In Lawtell, the west bound lane was underwater. After exiting Lawtell, Bart called and cautioned me about wet brakes. I returned his call soon. I needed to know where to find some Zydeco music on local radio stations. Of course Bart knew. I selected one of the stations, and we were almost dancing again.
On Saturday morning, there was water standing everywhere because of the all night rain. The land is flat and is covered with water until it evaporates. Somewhere between Lawtell and Eunice, we passed a new subdivision with only one home that is under construction. The water had risen to within inches of the foundation. Every other inch of the subdivision was under water. It was laughable to look at a shallow lake with signs on each lot that read, “Lot for Sale.”
If you never been to Mamou on a Saturday morning, it’s easy to find Fred’s Lounge. After you find the traffic light, look south. There will be no signs of activity of any kind. Look north, and you’ll see a lot of cars. You’ve found Fred’s Lounge. Fred’s Lounge was full but not so full that I can make another fire marshal reference.
Nothing has changed in Fred’s Lounge since my last visit in 2004. Maybe nothing has changed in Fred’s Lounge in ten or twenty years. Tante Sue still wears a cowboy belt with a holster that carries a bottle of cinnamon schnapps. She also sings one or two songs with the band. Dave still plays the triangle. And the house band is still good enough for us to enjoy Zydeco and waltzing. We would have danced a Cajun two step or two, but the dance floor is too small.
Weeks prior to traveling to Lafayette, Bart had learned of a performance which was a tribute to Hank Williams. Therefore, after leaving Fred’s Lounge and after lunch at DC’s Sports Bar & Grill in Eunice, we went in search of another ticket for Lu Anne. Someone was at the theater early, Lu Anne bad a ticket. We now had approximately three hours to drive 45 minutes to Lafayette, get ready for the evening, and return to Eunice. We did it.
Sandy and Joyce were riding with Lu Anne and me. We were all engaged in conversation when Joyce remembered exactly where her theater ticket was. It was on a table in the hotel room at LaQuinta Inn. There wasn’t time to turn back. We suspected that the performance wasn’t a sell out. I would have bet money that Joyce would have had to buy an additional ticket. Joyce walks up to the ticket office, tells someone that she is Joyce Thompson (no ID required), and is ushered in to the theater. How did she do it?
The performer which played Rank Williams was very talented as were the musicians who played Hank Williams’ band. It was a story of Hank Williams’ life from the time that be was a young man playing in honkytonks in Montgomery, AL until his death at age 29. The story was told through the performance of Hank Williams’ songs plus some dialogue and narration by actors and an actress backstage. I knew almost nothing about Hank Williams. What a prolific songwriter. I was entertained. It was a great idea. Thanks Bart.
After the performance, Bart, Sandy, Joyce, Lu Anne and I adjourned to a restaurant (Nick’s on 2nd, Eunice, La.) to eat. We were joined by May Louise and Barney from Lafayette who bad also been with us at the theater. Barney entertained Lu Anne and I with stories of teaching English to
American and British citizens at schools in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia(?). Barney is waiting to be discovered as an actor. He recently was in a TV commercial which is airing on a local TV station in Lafayette. Barney steps out of the shower wearing a shower cap and reads a line. Neither Lu Anne nor I channel surfed in hopes of seeing the commercial. Lu Anne and I enjoyed our conversation with Barney. That’s a good thing. It took an hour for the food to be served. By the time the food was served, we all knew that precious dance time was slipping away.
It didn’t take long for us to eat and depart. We were headed for Grant Street. It’s not a restaurant with a small dance floor. It’s not an old house with a back porch. It’s not an aging bar built many years ago without much thought of dancing. Grant Street is a dance ball, and it was the place to be in Lafayette.
When we arrived, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys were performing. I saw Giselle once again. I abandoned whoever I was dancing with and patiently waited for her to finish dancing. She had the ticket. I danced with Giselle, gave her a big bug, and thanked her as best as I could. Lu Anne could now dance on New Year’s Eve.
I truly enjoyed Steve Riley’s music before he ended his set. In 2006, I’ve danced to Steve Riley’s music in St. Petersburg, Deerfield Beach, and now Lafayette and every performance has been excellent. That’s more than I can say for the band that followed. It was a young band called the Zydeco New Breed. They started off well and were fun to dance to. However, they began experimenting with the music. It was after 11:00 PM, and we were tired. We bad started the day early, danced at three different venues in three different towns, eaten at three different restaurants, plus enjoyed a musical tribute to Hank Williams. It was time to go.
The sun rose early on Sunday morning but not us. It was 10:30 AM before we rendezvoused at a nearby LFIOP. Eating breakfast on a Sunday morning requires waiting whether it’s Gainesville, Ocala, or Lafayette. We were seated in reasonable amount of time. However, once again we waited a long time for the food to be served. We were relaxed and engaged in polite conversation until someone noticed that we were once again losing precious dance time. Mulate’s was opening at 12 noon and dance shoes were back at the motel room. It was one more opportunity to dance to the tunes of Lee Benoit. Breakfast was hastily eaten and off everyone went to Mulate’s except Lu Anne and I. That’s Ok. I knew that all of us would dance until after midnight this Sunday night.
Our New Year’s Eve Party was at Vermilionville. It’s a replica of a settlement in southwestern Louisiana with restored buildings dating as far back as 1765. My favorite band, (Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie, would begin playing at 9:30. We had plenty of time to eat (and dance)).
We were returning to Randol’s. There are now eight of us. Linda from Greensboro, NC, has joined us. Sandy, Joyce, Lu Anne and I walk in to Randol’s. Where are the others? I don’t know. We’re a herd of cats. As we approach the hostess station, Sandy is surveying the dining area. She sees that the same table at which we sat on Thursday night is open, and I swear that she says, “Can we have our table?” Yes, we could. We were again seated next to the dance floor.
I had been to Vermilionville with Lynn and Sue in 2005 for New Year’s Eve. I bad observed that both ladies and gentlemen dressed a little nicer for New Year’s Eve at Vermilionville and had told the ladies. They were gorgeous, and the gentlemen at Randol’s noticed. The ladies danced early and often until it was time to depart for Vermilionville.
The organizers of the New Year’s Eve Party at Vermilionville intentionally sold more tickets in 2006 than 2005. They reasoned that dancers could be seated at tables both inside and outside the dance hail. Bad reasoning... .we’re dancers, not table sitters. The dance floor is crowded, but as always, we found room. We had been in Lafayette for four days, and we were still meeting new people on the dance floor. It was fun dancing with new acquaintances yet returning to dance with our friends who we know best. I danced with Giselle one more time. I told her that I loved her (for selling me a ticket). I wonder if she remembers me. And the gentlemen at Vermilionville noticed Karin, Sandy, Joyce, Lu Anne, and Linda, and they danced often.
Please let me fast forward to the next to last song. Zydeco purists may not want to read the following two paragraphs. It’s past midnight. We’ve toasted the new year. I know that I’m growing weary. However, there is one song that restores my energy. For me, it’s Geno’s “The Wabash Cannonball.” No matter how many dancers are sitting down. No matter bow many dancers who have quit because of fatigue. I’ve always observed that dancers want to be on the dance floor for (Geno’s “The Wabash Cannonball.” I know I do. My energy was restored.
“The Wabash Cannonball” is an American folk song about a mythical train. The song dates back to 1882 and has been recorded by The Carter Family (1929), Roy Acuff (1936), Bill Haley (1952), Johnny Cash (1966), and others. “The Wabash Cannonball” is considered an early example of rockabilly, and believer it or not, this song is part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Didn’t I warn the Zydeco purists not to read?
There was one last song. Don was dancing with Karin and Joyce in the center of the dance floor. Don was smiling. He’s my hero. Karin was in front, and Joyce was behind. It seemed like fun. Lu Anne and I lined up behind Joyce. Bart saw us and was headed to the center of the dance floor with a partner in tow. We were having fun. Others joined in, whether we knew them or not, until our line extended from one end of the dance floor to the other.
There’s one more story that I have saved for last. It occurred early New Year’s Eve before we left for Randol’s. All of us including Linda had gathered in The Triplett’s hotel room. Lu Anne had brought some wine and Diet Sprite. She was serving wine spritzers.
Don asked that I offer a toast. I accepted even though I do not have a good history with speaking extemporaneously. As best as I can remember, a summary of the toast is written below.
The first part of the toast was to Bart who has taught us to dance. No matter where we go, we can dance Zydeco, Cajun two step, and waltz with anyone in America. At other dance venues, I have observed other instructors, and I now know that nobody is better than Bart at teaching Zydeco (slow, quick-quick slow, etc) to a beginning dancer. After the toast, Karin stated that Bart changes lives, and he does.
The second part of the toast was directed to The Tripletts who have taught numerous gentlemen bow to dance by just saying yes when asked. It’s not dance lessons alone that teach us how to dance. And it’s not just The Tripletts who have taught new dancers how to dance. It’s all of us.
The third part of the toast was directed to Lu Anne and Linda so that they would understand how The Triplets reach out to all and include us as a part of the group. I told Lu Anne and Linda that the reason they felt included in our group was due in large part to Karin, Sandy, and Joyce.
If life were perfect, there would have been a fourth part of the toast. Here’s to you Don Page. Don is willing to do whatever it takes. If The Triplets need any assistance, all they have to do is ask. And as some of you ladies know, he has helped you learn how to dance. I’ve mentioned Margaret, the professor at Appalachian State University. Some day you’ll have to ask me about Stacey Cooper.
Thank you for reading. I hope that all of you have enjoyed my recount of our trip to Lafayette. Without exception, we all enjoyed our trip. Please don’t hesitate join us next time.