Andrew Carriere & the Zydeco/Cajun Allstars plus Dance Lesson with Cheryl McBride

Dance Lesson with Cheryl McBride at 8:00 pm; Show at 8:30 pm

You can’t get much more authentic than Andrew Carriere, especially when he’s backed by his top-notch Zydeco/Cajun Allstars. A native of Southern Louisiana, accordionist and singer Andrew Carriere brings a long family tradition into his playing. His father was the legendary Creole fiddler “Bebe” Carriere, his uncle was accordionist Eraste Carriere, and cousins Chubby, Calvin, and Roy Carrier are popular in the zydeco arena. Carriere moved to the Bay Area in the ’60s, learned accordion from the late Danny Poullard, and is featured vocalist on the California Cajun Orchestra’s “Not Lonesome Anymore” CD. He performs regularly with the Creole Belles and CZ & the Bon Vivants, and more occasionally in the Cajun Classics. 

Carriere’s Zydeco/Cajun Allstars include steel guitarist Billy Wilson, drummer David “Killer” Hymowitz, guitarist Mitch Polzak, and bassist Steven Strauss. The lineup might not seem particularly “traditional” to current followers of Cajun and zydeco, but, Wilson explains, “This is the real tradition that came out of the ’50s and ’60s honky-tonk Cajun bands, where they just had fun and played for dancers. The steel guitar was right there, and fiddles and an occasional lead guitar.” And, of course, the accordion. The repertoire is the standards and classics of Cajun and zydeco, old and new.