LOST BAYOU RAMBLERS
9 p.m. White Water Tavern. $10.
Cajun music, in addition to being a treasured piece of American folk culture, is a rollicking good time, so it is fitting that the best Cajun band going wastes no time with calcified expressions of authenticity.
The Lost Bayou Ramblers, from Pilette, La., are the real deal, but they aren’t afraid to honor their traditions by gleefully shredding them. They dabble in punk and rockabilly and Western swing and psychedelia, without ever losing the unique sound and spirit of the music of their fathers (literally — brothers and bandleaders Louis and André Michon cut their chops playing with their dad’s band, Cajun standard bearers Les Frères Michon).
This adventurous spirit gets them labeled Cajun-punk, and fair enough — Louis’s classic bayou wail often veers into a full-on scream, and drummer Paul Etheredge pounds out a waltz like a rhythmic assault. Really, though, I think punk is just getting used as a stand-in for fun here.
This might not be what you’re expecting from accordion and fiddle, but the Ramblers throw a raucous party. They have a way of converting folks to two-stepping, foot-stomping revelry with their boozy Louisiana gusto — a tradition all their own.
Kevin Kerby opens.