The Mainstay, Rock Hall’s 25-year-old, non-profit music venue is pleased to have been invited to usher in this year’s Chestertown Jazz Festival, with its New Orleans musical theme. On Thursday, September 8 the Mainstay welcomes Zydeco-a-Go-Go, often cited as the Mid-Atlantic’s #1 Zydeco Band. Zydeco is a music genre that evolved in southwest Louisiana by French Creole speakers. It is often described as dance music played in an uptempo, syncopated manner with a strong rhythmic core. It incorporates elements of blues, rock and roll, soul music, R&B, Afro-Caribbean, Cajun, and early Creole music. Zydeco music is traditionally centered around the accordion, which leads the rest of the band, and features a specialized washboard as a prominent percussive instrument.
Zydeco-a-Go-Go
Originating from the heart of Philadelphia, PA, Zydeco-a-Go-Go’s all-star lineup boasts a roster of musicians with decades of experience. Bandleader Pete Eshelman is featured on accordion and vocals and he has played piano with such artists as Bo Diddley, Sleepy LaBeef, and New Orleans’ own Charles “Honeyboy” Otis. The guitarist for the band, Jared Snyder, studied with one of zydeco’s legendary originators, Bois Sec Ardoin. Jared Snyder is a world-renowned prolific songwriter focusing on Louisiana and world music. Troy Corley, born and raised in Louisiana, plays saxophone and is a master of the bayou rhythms. He has worked extensively throughout the south with such artists as Gladys Knight & the Pips, Freda Payne, and Cab Calloway. The drummer for the band, Bob Holden, also works regularly with the rhythm & blues big band, The Dukes of Destiny, and has also backed roots-blues legend Otis Rush. A seasoned veteran on bass guitar, Randy Lippincott has worked with dozens of blues greats over the years, including Pinetop Perkins and Johnny Littlejohn. The bands’ performances feature lyrics sung in English, Spanish, Cajun and Creole French, set to those infectious Cajun rhythms.
Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. The concert will take place on the Mainstay’s new outdoor stage weather permitting. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.
The programs of the Mainstay are supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.