CSPS debut | Hard driving, witty,
eclectic and honest, the music of the Red Stick Ramblers is inseparable from
their way of life and the rich Louisiana culture that first inspired them.
Their fifth album, My Suitcase Is Always Packed, is as much a
travelogue as a sound recording, complete with audio snapshots of relentless
all-night dances, laid back campfire sessions, dusty honky-tonks and raucous
family reunions.
It is the fullest flowering so far of the Ramblers’ unique
hybrid of Cajun, country, stringband and swing influences. Released this
spring on Sugar Hill Records, My Suitcase Is Always Packed is
visceral and vital, an album that
puts the Red Stick Ramblers at the
forefront of a new generation of Louisiana roots musicians who are
reinventing their tradition while remaining deeply aware of their heritage.
In addition to their own performances —
which have taken place everywhere from dancehalls to weddings
to festivals and clubs and theatres — the
quintet of Linzay Young (fiddle, vocals), Chas Justus (guitar), Kevin Wimmer
(fiddle, vocals), Eric Frey (bass, vocals) and Glenn Fields (drums) had
further honed their chops by backing such artists as Linda Ronstadt and Ann
Savoy on their acclaimed 2006 collaboration Adieu False Heart.
When they finally entered producer Gary Paczosa’s studio, those three years
of constant creativity manifested themselves in a series of dynamic,
explosive performances that were quickly captured —
mostly live on the studio floor. The surging Cajun opener,
“Je T'aime Pas Mieux,” serves immediate notification that the Ramblers are
firing on all cylinders.
The social aspect of the Cajun culture —
the way that food, family, friendship, music and dance are
uniquely intertwined--is key to understanding what propels the Red Stick
Ramblers. The band emerged from Baton Rouge around 1999, where Justus, Young
and Fields were enrolled at Louisiana State University. Even early on, their
live shows were inspired and infectious, equal parts unbridled, ramshackle
energy and thrilling musical precision. Up and down the Gulf Coast, the Red
Stick Ramblers quickly earned a reputation as a thrilling band as appealing
to elderly Cajuns as they were to college kids out for a good time.
Over four albums, beginning with their self-titled debut in 2002, and
several line-up changes, the Red Stick Ramblers developed their trademark
style. Their last two albums, Right Key, Wrong Keyhole (2005) and
Made In The Shade (2007), were produced by maverick roots musician Dirk
Powell (Balfa Toujours, Tim O'Brien). In 2006, the band started the South
Louisiana Black Pot Festival and Cookoff, held outside of Lafayette. The
festival is a tangible extension of the band’s philosophy, encapsulating the
social, culinary and musical aspects of Louisiana culture.
Sun Feb 28 | 7 pm
CSPS | 1103 Third St SE | Cedar Rapids
$20 + fee advance | $25 door
