Jim Reed posted a great blog entry on Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, so I won't bore you by repeating too many details. I will, however, provide some photos. Here's Steve and the full band onstage:
Steve's actually a pretty shy guy, sort of the stereotypical musician who lives to play and sing but is uncomfortable with the rest of the show biz thing. That said, his singing is divine, and the rest of the band weighs in with plenty of stage chatter and condensed Cajun history and folklore lessons. Here's another performance shot:
I suppose historically you'd have to say that the accordion, Steve's main instrument, is the lead voice in Cajun music. But fiddle player David Greely mounted a strong challenge to that convention (Riley literally played second fiddle to David on a couple of beautiful twin-fiddle numbers). My fiddle-playing daughter said, "The fiddle player doesn't seem like he's very good, but when you hear him play he's awesome," which is ten-year-old girl speak for "He's not flashy or well-dressed but he sure can play."
The crowd really enjoyed the music, and though the Morris Center was a little too packed for comfort, no one seemed to mind: