Zydeco Across the USA

You can dance to zydeco (& Cajun) music across the USA, from Seattle, Washington to Washington DC! This contagious music has spread widely from its home in Southwest Louisiana. You can find local or touring musicians & dance instructors in many major cities by viewing Northwest Zydeco's Internet site. The following national survey of cities, venues, bands, & events for zydeco/Cajun music is by no means complete, but may give you itchy feet!

Zydeco/Cajun Guide by USA Region: Western Southern Southeastern Midwestern & Northern Eastern

Zydeco/Cajun Guide by USA Region

Western USA

Washington:

• Seattle: See information on our home page at Northwest Zydeco and Dance Association for dances and dance instruction. Out-of-town Cajun/zydeco bands play a few times per month on average.

Oregon:

• Portland: Cascade Zydeco Hotline (503) 452-3719. Dance to touring bands or take dance workshops.
• Suttle Lake: DanceFest in October. Cascade Zydeco Hotline (503) 452-3719.
• Eugene: Zydeco Dance Community (541) 345-8537 meets 2nd & 4th Mondays, lesson & dance 7-10 pm, Rock 'n Rodeo, 44 E. 7th.

California:

• San Francisco Bay Area: You can dance Cajun or zydeco somewhere in the Bay Area on most nights, all year! Event calendars: util.ucsf.edu/public/cajun and www.slip.net/~arubinst. Many bands: Zydeco Flames, Motordude Zydeco, Andre Thierry, Zydeco Slim, La Tete Rouge (zydeco/Cajun), Tee Fee Swamp Boogie Band (Cajun), Frog Legs (Cajun), etc. Franklin Zawacki has produced Cajun/zydeco festivals in Long Beach, CA & Escoheag, RI; for more info call (415) 643-9336, or write 915 Sanchez St., SF, CA 94114-3322. [See above, Monterey Blues Fest: June 28, 1997.]
• Sacramento & San Francisco Bay Area: Contact Louisiana Sue for several Cajun/zydeco festivals & events: 9175 Kiefer Blvd, Box 133, Sacramento, CA 95826-5105. (916) 962-6134. [updated 3/19/97] (See also Las Vegas, Nevada, below).
• Los Angeles: Area Hotline (818) 793-4333. Orange County Hotline (714) 490-3838. Cajun/Zydeco Hotline by Bonne Musique Zydeco Band: (213) 344-4044. Event calendars: www.industrial-artworks.com/zydeco and members.aol.com/zydecobrad/zydeco.html. More bands: Kent Menard (zydeco/Cajun); the popular Lisa Haley & the Zydekats at www.zydecomusic.com; Bennie & the Swamp Gators zydeco band at http://community-2.webtv.net/SGATORS/BENNIETHESWAMPGATORS/
• San Diego: Bons Temps Social Club, Hotline (619) 496-6655, http://dances.com/casd/bonstemps/index.html. Hear Zydeco Bluez Patrol at www.zydecopatrol.com. Check out the San Diego Cajun Playboys, a traditional Cajun band.
• Long Beach: [See Zydeco Festival above: May 30-31, 1998.] [See also Zydeco Festival article by Fifi.]
• Santa Barbara: Area Hotline (605) 965-7727
• See article: "A Focus on California Zydeco, Fall 1996"

Nevada:

• Las Vegas: Louisiana Sue books Cajun & zydeco bands from California & Louisiana at Orleans Hotel & Casino, 4500 W. Tropicana Ave, 3 FREE shows nightly Tuesday-Sunday. (For schedule, call Sue Ramon in California at (916) 962-6134.) Orleans Hotel: (702) 365-7111, & reservations 1-800-675-3267.

Colorado:

• Boulder: The Zukes of Zydeco, (303) 642-3380, blend Cajun, zydeco, & other music; they play in Boulder, Denver, Vail, Fort Collins, Steamboat Springs, & neighboring states. Also hear Colorado Cajun Dance Band, (303) 541-9260.
• Denver: Attend house parties at Temple Events Center. Contact Colorado Friends of Cajun/Zydeco Music and Dance, 3331 S. Dayton Street Denver, CO 80231 (303) 745-9577, Elli Johnson: elli@dac.com [posted 1/11/98]

Southern USA

Texas:

• Houston: Zydeco gallops through town, with at least 8 Creole & Cajun dances per week! Many Louisiana-style restaurants. Tourism 1-800-365-7575, or 1-800-888-8839 for state. The International Festival includes almost continuous Cajun/zydeco (Beau Jocque, Keith Frank, Terrence Simien, etc.); call (713) 654-8808. Go to Bayou Bash on a Saturday in late June; tickets (713) 799-9791.
• Local zydeco bands include Step Rideau, & also J. Paul (former Rideau drummer). Try these dance venues: Zydeco Friday/Sat. at Continental Zodico Ballroom (713) 229-8624, a 50+ year-old roadhouse. Zydeco dance Saturdays 2-6 pm at Pe-Te's Cajun Bar-B-Q House (713) 481-8736. Zydeco dance Sundays 7-11 pm at Big Easy (713) 523-9999. Zydeco at Talk of the Town (713) 451-3244 (go with a partner). Zydeco & blues at Satellite Lounge (713) 869-COOL.

Louisiana:

• Click here to see FREE Zydeco Dancer's Travel Guide to Louisiana (includes a festival calendar with more events than shown above) & Origins of Zydeco and Cajun Music on Northwest Zydeco's Internet site.
• Lafayette & nearby towns: Visit Southwest Louisiana, birthplace and home of Cajun & zydeco music! (Tourism 1-800-346-1958). Cajun dance every night, zydeco dance every weekend. Choose from a nonstop bounty of festivals. [See many Lousiana events above.]
• New Orleans: Many festivals. Mardi Gras. Zydeco Wed/Thurs. at Mid-City Bowling Lanes (504) 482-3133. [See events above.]

Alabama:

• Birmingham: Association of Cajun Music Enthusiasts (205) 951-3463 monthly class & dance. Hear Boozoo at City Stages, the World-Class Music Festival held June 13 - 15, 1997 (including Rosie Ledet; and Beausoleil).
• Huntsville: FREE dance to recorded Cajun/zydeco at Gorins, downtown on Washington St. 7-9 pm every 2nd and 4th Wednesdays. Instruction on 4th Weds.

Tennessee:

• Memphis: Free Cajun/zydeco lessons Thurs. nights, at Midtown (901) 525-9030. Beale Street Zydeco Festival, a Saturday near Mardi Gras.

Kentucky:

• Lexington: Zydeco Bon band, call Ted Paige at (606) 269-7902

Southeastern USA

North Carolina:

• Charlotte: (704) 336-2533; 553-9276. Email: johnb@perigee.net Durham: Triangle Area Cajun/Zydeco Association (TRACZA), Wilfong's Dance Studio, 2603 South Miami Blvd. (919) 872-8584 or email kmolesky@ntwrks.com.

South Carolina:

• Charleston: Look for a Cajun/zydeco festival in mid April.

Georgia:

• Atlanta: Atlanta Cajun Dance Association (404) 451-5365 offers > 11 workshops yearly. Zydeco on FM 89.3 radio, Sundays 11:30 am.

Florida:

• Fort Lauderdale: [See above: May 8-10, 1998] Lake Worth: Look for a festival in mid-May.
• Orlando: Cajun dances on 3rd Fridays, call Erica (407) 834-7786.
• Pensacola: Beau Jocque played May 17, 1997 at the Spring Fest.

Midwestern & Northern USA

Missouri:

• Kansas City: Grand Emporium club, (816) 531-1504, hosts major zydeco acts, & "drips with character & characters." Bon Ton Soul Accordion Band often plays at The Hurricane, (816) 753-0884.

Illinois:

• Chicago: Cajun info (312) 643-5771. Dance at Gulf Coast club (312) 929-4777. Lessons, (847) 328-3667, before each monthly Chicago Cajun Aces (708) 361-2321 dance at Lake Street Church, Evanston.
• Wheeling: Crawdaddy Bayou restaurant & bar features Louisiana Cajun/zydeco bands nightly & at Sunday brunch www.crawdaddybayou.com/

Minnesota:

• Minneapolis/St. Paul: Popular local Cajun band, The Bone Tones (612) 721-8026, play Minnesota, Michigan, & Wisconsin.

Eastern USA

Pennsylvania:

• Philadelphia: Philadelphia Dance & Music Network (PDMN) at (610) 828-8918 x168# or (215) 576-0839. [See festival above: May 22-26, 1998]
• Conshohocken: Dance at TK Club (610) 828-9352, mostly 2nd & 4th Fridays. (TK=Tadeusz Kosciuszko.) Call PDMN (above).
• Hughsville: June 8 Blues Fest: Nathan & Zydeco Cha Chas.
• Wilkes-Barre & Scranton: Zydecoal band (717) 826-1239 plays zydeco and always-danceable, rocking roots cover hits.

Delaware:

• Arden: PDMN, (215) 576-0839, offers Cajun/Zydeco monthly on 3rd Sundays 4-8 PM at Arden Folk Guild, (302) 654-1368.

New York:

• Ithaca: Cajun Chaos.
• Rochester, & upstate New York: Listen to Chanka Chank, local Cajun/zydeco band. See: www.ggw.org/chankachank/
• New York City: Cajun Connection of New York, call Myrna at (718) 479-4936 or Laura at (212) 685-7597.
• Kingston: Dance camp! [See above: Southern Week at Ashokan, Aug. 9-15, 1998.]

Connecticut:

• Moodus: [See festival above: June 13-14, 1998]
• Norwich: Held a big Cajun/zydeco festival in June 6-8, 1997.
• Preston: [See Blast from the Bayou above: June 5-7, 1998]
• Woodbury: Cajun Country Zydeco Festival, 3rd Sun. in August, 1997.

Rhode Island:

• Escoheag: Franklin Zawacki has produced Cajun/zydeco festivals in Long Beach, CA & Escoheag, RI; for more info call (415) 643-9336, or write 915 Sanchez St., SF, CA 94114-3322. [See festival above: Sept. 4-6, 1998]
• East Providence: Lessons: (401) 246-2720 & (508) 336-4617.

Massachusetts:

• Northampton: Country Dance & Song Society, PO Box 338, Haydenville MA 01039-0338. (413) 268-7426, FAX: 268-7471 www.cdss.org  Email: office@cdss.org  [new address, updated December 1997] Holds dance camps at:
• Pinewoods, Plymouth, MA. (617) 491-6083. Email: manager@pinewoods.org

Maine:

• Portland: Look for Cajun/zydeco music & dancing at Raoul's Roadside Attraction, (207) 773-6886, 865 Forest Ave, about 90 miles north of Boston via Interstate 95.

Mid-Atlantic Area:

Washington DC:

• Vacation here & dance to Cajun/zydeco bands every week! Besides tons of Louisiana bands coming through, there's DC bands Junkyard Saints, Zydeco Crayz and Cajun band Squeeze Bayou.
• See the local calendar at www.WhereWeGoToZydeco.Com
• Email ghayman@erols.com to receive regular events in DC/Maryland area (& national events), or internet: www.erols.com/ghayman, or call Gary Hayman at (301) 345-3230 in Maryland.

Maryland:

• See the local calendar at www.WhereWeGoToZydeco.Com
• Baltimore: Harry's Bar (410) 685-2828. Crawdaddies at Cat's Eye Pub (410) 276-9085. New Haven Lounge (410) 366-7416.
• Catonsville Community College: Lessons & dance Fri/Sun. in Barn Theater, by Baltimore Folk Music Society (410) 366-0808.
• Glen Echo: Spanish Ballroom, 2nd Saturdays, (301) 309-0895.
• Silver Spring: Regular dances (301) 439-4815.

West Virginia:

• Capon Bridge: Buffalo Jambalaya Cajun & Zydeco Dance Camp, near Capon Bridge, West Virginia.
• Elkins: Dance camp! [See above: Cajun/Creole Week at Augusta Heritage Center, July 5-10, 1998] [See also Augusta article by Julia Hecht]

Virginia:

• Alexandria: Dance regularly to Zydeco Crayz at Crescent City Restaurant, 1120 King Street, (703) 684-9505.
• Vienna: Attend Louisiana Swamp Romp festival, summers, at Wolf Trap (703) 218-6500.
• Norfolk: Held a big Zydeco Boogaloo festival June 20-22, 1997.

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