Willis Prudhomme And Zydeco Express

The 2007 Chicago Blues Fest in Grant Park was an incredibly beautiful, four day festival filled with spectacular music and culture. The streets and stages were
absolutely packed, the weather was perfect, and the skyline backdrop was, as usual, breathtaking. Chicago is a great place to catch some live blues, and once again, this festival was no exception. I will let the pictures posted in my previous post speak for the festival vibe, because today you need to know about my top standout band for the 2007 Chicago Blues Fest.

My standout festival band from 2007 is Willis Prudhomme And Zydeco Express, who played at the Louisiana Bayou Stage. This band featured an Accordion, Bass, Guitar, Drums, and a Scrub board, which created an oddly addicting sound. It was not your traditional Chicago electric blues sound, but was full of energy, culture, and down right fun.

As I first approached the stage, which was decorated with a Louisiana-style backdrop, I was more curious than I was expecting to see a standout performance. However, the longer I stood and watched, the more I became enthralled with the atmosphere. It took only a few minutes to realize that Willis Prudhomme was not just putting on a show, he was creating an atmosphere. I couldn't help but fall in love with the vibe, and began to dance around a little myself. As the performance went on, I noticed people were beginning to pack in behind me as they fell into a similar groove.

One thing that really caught my attention was the amount of people dancing around this stage relative to the other stages. As much as I enjoyed the music, I also found myself spending a lot of time watching people dance. Even people just passing by the stage couldn't help but dance around as they walked past. I couldn't help but smile and laugh, and as these people were letting loose in the heat, I began to realize that this band was special. I thought to myself, "This is AdventureVA - this is the band I have been searching for."

It didn't take long to realize that the Louisiana culture was transcended through Willis Prudhomme and his music. Willis was not just showing his audience what Louisiana sounded like - he was inviting them to be a part of it in order to experience and enjoy it. His proposition was obviously appealing. At least for the time Willis Prudhomme And Zydeco Express was performing, I didn't just have to watch a concert, I could be a part of it.

Overall, the performance was enthusiastic and simply fun. Willis, who was on vocals, interacted with the crowd quite positively and was clearly having fun himself. I'm convinced that had not one single person showed up for their show, these guys were still going to have just as much fun and were going to jam just as hard. (And I must add, the woman making a guest appearance on the Scrub Board was gorgeous and fit right in on stage.)

This is a band that you might need to see live before falling in love with their album recordings, but I promise after seeing them in person, you will come back addicted to that Accordion sound and easy going Louisiana style. Needless to say, Willis Prudhomme's ability to transcend his culture, creativity, and enthusiasm through live music is an appeal to the AdventureVA lifestyle, and I recommend this band for a fresh and lively sound.