SCHEDULE AND PERFORMERS

FALL 2011 SCHEDULE

Our performances are always on the third Saturdays in the Fall and Spring in the months of September, October, November, March, April, and May. The show is from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM.

September 17, 2011

The Steve Anderson Group: Our house band that leads off every season. Steve is a well-known local guy who has a rare talent and a gift for singing classic old-style country music. Music lovers who enjoy hearing the likes of Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers love to hear Steve. Jan Biggs brings energy into the set with her own vocals as well as harmonizing with Steve. Bobby adds his vocal talents as well as his multi-instrumental skills. Philip Bartles keeps the rhythm on the bass.

The Porch Rockers: Charlie Austin and his gang are one of our Opry favorites. They perform at a high-energy level with acoustic instrumentation. They mix some very traditional songs, and others that are a lot of fun because they always have fun performing them. Their stage personality always proves to be audience pleasers.

The Driskill Mountain Boys: If you like Bluegrass music, you will love these guys. They have been in existence as a group for many years and have performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. They are in demand for many of the music festivals and shows in the area. Their leader, Adolphus Warren sets the tone for the group’s personality and drive.

Rodney Thibodeaux and Tout les Soir: If by reading their name, if you guessed that this is a Cajun group, you guessed correctly. Rodney leads the way on the Cajun accordion, and he is backed up by some very dynamic fiddling and guitars. This group is not afraid to push beyond pure traditional Cajun music by incorporating some old-time country and swamp pop played in the Cajun style. It all adds up to a very pleasing performance.

October 15, 2011

Pot Luck String Band: Tradition is the trademark of this group. Van Glynn is one of the most talented musicians around. He can play anything that has strings on it and play them all at a very high skill level. Van is also very knowledgeable about the history of the songs they perform, and he always provides informative information about them. They gather is an unusual configuration that puts the viewer in mind of a group of friends playing around a kitchen table. The rest of the group backs Van up with vocals and instrumentation. The group includes Steve Buckholtz, Barbara Amee, Jerry Hess and David Talmadge. They always come to the stage very well-prepared and keep within the mission of preserving roots music.

Cassie Krebs and Friends: Cassie has been absent from the Opry stage far too long. She has an uncommon voice range, and she is capable of performing a variety of song types. She and her group of musical friends will bring their acoustic instruments and skill to our stage. Cassie promises strong female duet harmonies, music with a country twist and what she describes as "world class" pedal steel. This will be a nice addition to our season.

Rick Ledbetter and his Country Band: Rick is one of those musicians who can fill the hall with his powerful voice without the aid of a microphone. He drives songs hard, and he is another musician whom we have not seen in a long time. His personality and friendly manner are as big as his voice. This group will be real crowd-pleasers.

Jockey Etienne and the Creole Zydeco Farmers: If you like hearing music played in its purest form, these guys are the real deal. This group has performed around the country and in Europe. They hail from the area north of Lafayette around Opelousas where Zydeco music was originated, and they know the traditional songs. The hard-driving soulful sound of Zydeco is a strong part of the essence of the musical gumbo that is pure Louisiana. This group serves it up with gusto.

November 19, 2011

The Petty Bones: Ann, along with her spouse, Jerry Crowell have been performing together for many years. Both provide beautiful vocals and skill on a number of instruments. Jerry loves to pluck on the classic Gibson tenor banjo that was a gift to the Abita Opry. Ann has a voice that can deliver sweet ballads as well as nailing down the blues. Jerry is a talented songwriter who composed the Opry theme song they play to open the show. Harvey Jones on mandolin brings a lot of personality in, and Bobby Belloni keeps the rhythm steady on the bass.

Wardell Williams and His Band: It is not often that we can boast of a member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame on our stage, but Wardell holds that distinction. He was a member of one of the great groups of young musicians who performed in New Orleans in the late fifties and early sixties when New Orleans Rhythm and Blues was king of the local music scene. He has maintained contact and still performs with some of his original group. Those of us who were around the Big Easy music scene in those days will be brought back to a great musical time when all of the bands played the music with soul and great horn backup.

Fugitive Poets: This a strong Bluegrass band from Baton Rouge. They are newcomers to the Opry stage. We have heard them, and they promise to be a great addition to our show. Like other modern Bluegrass performers, they put some interesting twists into the traditional bluegrass style of music. Groups like this remind us that there is a great wealth of fine musicians in South Louisiana. We are always fortunate to discover more of them.

The Zion Harmonizers: If you have not heard of this group, you may not have been following gospel music and the people who perform it best. They are one of the oldest and well-known gospel groups from New Orleans. This group, under the leadership of the late Sherman Washington, are considered the foundrs of the Gospel tent at the Jazz Fest, and they still perform there every year. You will have a hard time staying in your seat and your hands at your side when this group takes the stage. They have never failed to bring a stellar performance to the Opry stage.