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Contents: Features

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Meet Mapp

Louisiana Meets Nashville

D. Scott Miller Jeffery Hernandez Joan Broussard

EDITOR Ann Gibson

Dockside studio

South Louisiana’s Sought-After Recording Studio

Louisiana Hayride Yvette Landry Tracy Broussard Kylie Frey

27 Venues

MAGAZINE DIRECTOR Joan Broussard

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36 Eat

CONTRIBUTORS Dolly Danger Dwayne Fatherree Ann Gibson Whitney Good Erin Holden Mandie Kiddy

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41 drink

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45 stay

PHOTOGRAPHERS Gwen Aucoin Terri Fensel Mandie Kiddy

ON THE COVER Yvette Landry, Roddie Romero, Tracy Broussard and Kylie Frey at Dockside Studio in Maurice, Louisiana Photography by Terri Fensel MAPP MAGAZINE MAY 2019

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What is MAPP?

PUT YOUR MUSIC ON THE MAPP Welcome to MAPP the Music App—the most powerful direct-to-fan distribution platform. We bring our exclusive platform and distribution to both pro and indie artist via the MAPP app, giving the power of a label and worldwide distribution back to the artist. Take control of your music, videos, merchandise, ticket sales, social media, and much more in front of billions of your fans via smartphone. Put your music on the MAPP! For fans, the MAPP app allows you to stream your favorite artists’ music and purchase tour tickets and merchandise. Additionally, you can keep up with musicians in real time.

Whether you’re an artist ready to take control of your career or an avid music lover ready to take control of your listening experience, the MAPP app is for you. Enroll now at mapprocks.com

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MAPP MAGAZINE MAY 2019

meet maPp

D. Scott Miller CEO, MUSIC ARTIST PRO, MUSIC ARTIST INDIE

BY MANDIE KIDDY

D.

Scott Miller is a natural born storyteller. The Pascagoula, Mississippi native came from humble beginnings and a very large extended family. He was surrounded by music at an early age and had written his first song by the age of 10.

By 14, he was playing guitar in pick up bands with 20 and 30-somethings and getting paid “a little pocket change.”

Leaving home for college at age 17, Miller’s dad told him something that resonates with him today. “I wish I could give you more than just advice now that you’re leaving home, but I want you to know that there’s nobody in this world that’s better than you. The world is big, and I don’t know about everywhere else, but here in America you don’t have to take shit from anyone. You’re as good as anybody. Approach the world as a level playing field because that’s the way it is.” That advice has kept Miller humble, true to his roots, and most certainly attributes to his success.

As a career veteran in the Nashville music industry, he’s spent decades playing music, writing hit songs, producing records, running labels and managing artists. However, you won’t find his many gold records on his office walls.

Instead, you’ll find his favorite guitars. Miller still plays daily and has a long history of loaning his guitars to be played on hit records and tour the world. If his guitars could only

talk, they would have their own incredible stories to tell.

His philosophy of paying it forward by “do the best you can, and don’t expect anything in return for doing the right thing” shows exactly the kind of man he is at his core. The husband of a Methodist youth pastor, Miller openly says he’s a Christian and doesn’t do business with people that cheat on their spouses. “Be careful who you surround yourself with. If they cheat on their wife, they will cheat on you.”

After serving years as the Senior Executive Vice President of Broken Bow Records and needing a break from the 80-hour week corporate world, he created a new management company, record label and a booking agency—all three took off and were doing well. He also began working with many indie artists and American Idol finalists. As the music industry business model started to change, Miller began to look ahead to his next venture—a gumbo of his entire career.

He came up with the idea of MAPP The Music App, as a way for artists to do more for themselves. It took more than a year and a half to mentally layout the entire idea.

Now Mapp The Music App is a reality. Miller says, “This is the most powerful direct-to-fan distribution system platform, and I’d love to invite everyone to check it out and pre-enroll at mapprocks.com.”

MAPP MAGAZINE MAY 2019

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meet maPp

Jeff Hernandez CFO

BY MANDIE KIDDY

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t a first glance, you aren’t sure how to read Jeff Hernandez.

His long, wavy curls and long, banded beard could leave an imposing first impression, but just as quickly, the sparkle in his eyes and eager handshake dispel any misgivings of a rigid personality.

Two things that immediately strike you about Jeff are his Southern charm and his innate ability to make you feel welcome. That personable nature gives him the ability to bring people together to reach a common goal. In a dogeat-dog world, he sees the possibilities of mutually beneficial relationships that raise all ships. The man has vision.

His experience in various industries from the oilfield in Louisiana to creating his own iron works company, enable him to use that gift of vision to pool resources, create allies within his industry, and grow business for not only his company, but also his competitors as well. Valuable experience and knowledge directly translate to the music machine of Nashville.

A native of Lafayette, Louisiana, Jeff became a regular Nashville visitor, traveling via his beloved Harley between Cajun Country and Music City.

He used these trips to take a break from the rigors of running his business to visit friends.

It was only a matter of time that he would meet D. Scott Miller through a mutual associate. They discovered an unlikely but natural friendship that developed into a business relationship, namely, MAPP The Music App.

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meet maPp

Joan Broussard MAPP MAGAZINE DIRECTOR

BY ANN WILSON

K

nown for her previous work in magazines, Que Pasa, the first English publication in Maturin, Venezuela, 008 magazine and 337 magazine, both based in Lafayette, Louisiana, Joan Broussard is often referred to as the “magazine girl.” The Lafayette, Louisiana native also has a long history working in the radio industry.

Noticing Joan’s work over the years and knowing each other since high school, MAPP’s CFO Jeff Hernandez had a clear vision and was confident Joan could help see it through. “I don’t know what I want you to do,” he told Joan. “I just know you can help. Just get on the tour bus, Joan.” After six months of persistence, Joan found herself on the bus; it was quite an experience.

The first night, the tour bus had a double blow out. During her second trip, she was awakened to “Joan get off the bus. It’s on fire.”

That same trip, MAPP CEO D. Scott Miller laughed “Joan is not going to work out. She can’t travel. She has too many stops for the restroom.” Raised by older brothers, Joan was always up for a challenge.

Thankfully, though, and praising the bathroom Gods, a bathroom had been installed for their next trip.

Learning how to live life “on the road,” Joan was introduced to sleeping at truck stops and motels. All the while, Joan was on the lookout for the best Nashville and Louisiana had to offer.

Then a light bulb went off when she took the guys to see her bestie, Yvette Landry, at The Whirlybird, an underground music

venue in Opelousas, Louisiana. That light-bulb moment led to MAPP Magazine, based on D. Scott and Jeff’s vision of Louisiana meets Nashville. Joan set out to find connections and the best of the best that Louisiana and Nashville have to offer. Her marketing strategies led to a packed-house red carpet movie event celebrating “Bohemian Rhapsody” in Lafayette.

Jeff and D. Scott had long wanted to book a concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Joan walked in and booked it instantly. Then she needed artists to perform. With luck she met Kylie Frey (Opelousas, Louisiana native and Nashville rising star) in Nashville’s historic venue The Bluebird Cafe. Soon after, Frey and MAPP Records Recording Artist, Mourning Farm Report, took the stage at Bridgestone.

Broussard says: I have enjoyed becoming Nancy Drew to find these amazing stories that pulled the MAPP vision together. My passions are music, food and travel. Every story in the magazine is personal to me. Meeting each unique individual along the journey created memories and friendships that will remain with me for life. I have unforgettable memoires with Yvette Landry, Kylie Frey, Tracy Broussard, Sam Voisin, Dockside Studio, The Saint Hotel, the Saenger Theater, the road trips, the motels, the A‌i‌r‌b‌n‌bs‌, Nashville hot chicken, the night we drank moonshine on the bus, and most of all, my exceptional magazine team. I hope you enjoy this first issue of MAPP Magazine as much as I did putting it together.

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Events

MAPP The Music App Presents Kylie Frey and Mourning Farm Report at Bridgestone Arena Country music singer-songwriter, Kylie Frey, and American Roots rock band, Mourning Farm Report, rocked MAPP’s event at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in March. Frey’s nationally recognized single, “Too Bad,” featuring Randy Rogers was produced by Grammy, CMA, and ACM award-winning Paul Worley.

She’s an Opelousas, Louisiana native now living her dream in Nashville and touring the country. MAPP Records recording artist, Mourning Farm Report, primarily plays roots rock music but also crosses over to rock and country. From Pleasant Shade, Tennessee, the band (performing under a different name at the time) toured the world as the backing band for “American Idol” finalists.

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Events

MAPP The Music App Presents “Bohemian Rhapsody” Red Carpet Screening MAPP held a private movie music industry screening of “Bohemian Rhapsody” at Celebrity Theaters in Broussard, Louisiana. Poseidon’s Greek Restaurant and Poupart Bakery catered the red carpet event for 300 people. Famous for its Mardi Gras king cake, Poupart Bakery created the world’s largest Queen cake.

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SWAMP/FUNKY ZYDECO

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Events

C.J. Chenier, D. Scott Miller (CEO MAPP The Music App), Roddie Romero

MAPP The Music App Presents Swamp Pop Legends Tour Jimmy Hall and Roddie Romero

Roddie Romero, Jimmy Hall, Chubby Carrier

MAPP The Music App put on the Swamp Pop Legends tour, one in Shelby, North Carolina, and the other in Kent, Ohio. The March performances featured Jimmy Hall, Roddie Romero and C.J. Chenier at Kent Stage; and Roddie, Jimmy and Chubby Carrier at Don Gibson Theater in Shelby. The all-star singer-songwriters performed to packed houses, singing a mix of zydeco, Cajun and Southern soul music.

Grammy winner Chubby Carrier is the third generation of zydeco legends—his father, Roy Carrier; grandfather, Warren Carrier; cousins, Bebe and Calvin Carrier. At 17, Chubby spent a couple of years on the road with two-time Grammy winner Terrance Simien, then formed his own band, Chubby and the Bayou Swamp Band. They’ve toured the world and won a Grammy in 2010 for their album “Zydeco Junkie.”

Grammy-nominated C. J. Chenier comes from a long line of Cajun and Zydeco performers. As a top instrumentalists and vocalists, he’s performed worldwide and is the son of the late Grammy winner Clifton Chenier—one of the fathers of Zydeco. C.J. took the helm of his father’s group, The Red Hot Louisiana Band, and earned a Grammy nomination in 2011 for his album “Can’t Sit Down.” He’s recorded with Paul Simon and the Gin Blossoms, among others.

Jimmy Hall is best known as the front man and main songwriter for Wet Willie, creating the smash hit “Keep On Smilin’.” The Alabama native toured the world with Wet Willie in the ‘70s, then in the ‘80s embarked on his own journey— Jimmy Hall Band. He’s a highly sought-after vocalist, sax and harmonica player and was nominated for a Grammy in 1985 for his vocal work on Jeff Beck’s album “Flash.”

Grammy-nominated Roddie Romero is considered one of the best multi-instrumentalists in the business. Born and bred in Lafayette, Louisiana, his band, Roddie Romero and the Hub City All-Stars, has played across the states and around the world. They garnered Grammy nominations for albums “Gulfstream” in 2016 and “The La Louisianne Sessions” in 2007.

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News

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SOLO Fest/Hunter Romero

INSPIRATION FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

BY DWAYNE FATHERREE

SOLO Fest/Hunter Romero

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afayette, Louisiana, has long been a cultural hub for musicians, whether it be Cajun and zydeco musicians raised in the area or national and international stars who’ve made the pilgrimage here to discover why artists here are just so good at what they do. Until last year, though, there was no organized effort to showcase the songwriting, the craft behind the creation of the music.

Producer Mark Falgout combined forces with Lafayette’s CREATE Initiative (Culture, Recreation, Entertainment, Arts, Tourism and Economy) and the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation to fill that void. That’s how the South Louisiana Songwriters Festival and Workshop (SOLO) came into being. “We knew the magic would happen, but to be able to share it with our community was beyond what we expected,” Falgout said.

In its first year, the five-day event brought together 40 songwriters from around the world to collaborate on works to be performed at the close of the festival. Several of those artists—Mary Gauthier, Jim Lauderdale, Beth Neilsen Chapman, to name a few—will return for the second annual event, May 21-26. Falgout also said singersongwriter Louise Goffin, daughter of legendary singersongwriter Carole King and Gerry Goffin, will perform this year.

It’s not only visitors who were excited with the results of last year’s conference, but also musician and songwriter Marc Broussard called the experience “the most prolific week” of his professional songwriting career. “It was hard to imagine that a group of songwriters who didn’t know each other could gather daily to work together,” explained Falgout. “It was impressive to watch it progress from the nervous energy of the first morning to the creative excitement of the second and to the moving final performance of the new songs on the last night.”

Last year, Falgout brought in Peter Case, best known for his work with The Plimsouls, as the featured performing artist. This year, he stepped up the game to secure Nick Lowe, the legendary songwriter and producer who helped launch Stiff Records. In addition to Lowe’s genresetting work in several bands and subsequent solo work, he wrote songs recorded by artists such as Elvis Costello, Dave Edmunds and his former father-in-law, Johnny Cash. “It was a high-dollar contract, but we were lucky to get him,” Falgout said. “It is a great position to be in. It definitely gives us some credibility to be able to bring in an artist like that.”

Another addition to this year’s SOLO Fest is a music business conference to help artists focus on all the other things they need to know once they craft that perfect body of work. “Part of what we are doing is bringing in Glenn Dicker from Yep Roc Records and Matt Hanks from Shorefire Media,” Falgout said. “Hopefully we can help people know what to do to make money in this business.”

CREATE Director Kate Durio said, “We are so proud of our music community, and often it is our community itself and our culture that has lent itself to the creation of such great music through our talented musicians and songwriters.” For tickets, schedules and full information on all the programs being created under the SOLO Fest umbrella, go to solosongwriters.com.

News nashvillesongwriters.com

Nashville Songwriter’s Association International Facebook page

NSAI awards songwriters for their chart-topping hits on Billboard Airplay, Hot and/or Mediabase charts.

A VOICE AND OUTLET FOR MUSICIANS

BY DWAYNE FATHERREE

S

ongwriters are an odd lot. They come in all shapes and sizes, from full-blown masters of their craft to hobbyists who like to dabble in hopes that someday they will catch the right muse at the right time. For many, the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International plays a large part in helping them achieve their goals. “Our primary tenet is to serve as an advocacy group for songwriters,” said Bart Herbison, NSAI’s executive director. “We were one of the main groups behind the Music Modernization Act, which is the largest pay raise for songwriters.”

The organization, along with the Songwriters of North America (SONA), the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), and the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC), formed a coalition supporting the legislation that was signed into law in October.

Although it’s named after the city in which it started, NSAI has a much broader reach. The organization runs 110 chapters in cities around the country, offering a wealth of knowledge and support for songwriters of all stripes. “We have members of every genre from every geography, from amateur to professional,” Herbison said. “For hobbyist, we offer workshops every Thursday night. There are online programs and services, including song evaluation. Members get 12 credits per year. We pay a bank of 16 professional songwriters to evaluate and critique submissions and offer feedback to help our members improve.”

The coaching helps, sometimes in far-reaching ways. Jim McCormick of New Orleans, for example, a neophyte when he joined NSAI’s chapter in the Crescent City, went on to pen such hits as Jason Aldean’s “Take A Little Ride” and Brantley Gilbert’s “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do,” the second most-played song of 2012 at Country Radio, according to Billboard. Other songs McCormick wrote include Luke Bryan’s “All My Dreaming There,” Jason Aldean’s “Lights Go Out,” Harry Connick Jr.’s “I Do Like We Do,” Jon Pardi’s “Lucky

“We have members of every genre from every geography, from amateur to professional.”

Tonight” and Trace Adkins’ “Jesus and Jones.” His songs also have been recorded by Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, Randy Travis, Ronnie Milsap, Jamey Johnson, and the pop rock-band Smash Mouth, to name a few.

The organization also hosts competitions that not only offer aspiring songwriters exposure, but also serve as learning experiences for the contestants. Herbison said that the teaching opportunity the contests offer is the primary goal and central to the organization’s mission.

“We have two versions of the song contest,” Herbison explained.

“One category is for the complete song and the other is for lyrics only.

The prize is industry access, but that is not really the goal. Everyone gets feedback. The judges will ask you, ‘What’s your deal?’ Are you a professional working musician? Are you a hobbyist? That way they can adjust the feedback accordingly. The goal is to emphasize what they are doing right as well as noting what they are doing wrong.”

Another competition, the Ole Chapter Challenge, has members of the various chapters performing their works for other members, who vote for the best local composition. The finalists are then forwarded to Ole Music, one of the fastest-growing music rights publishing companies in the country. The winners are offered a one-song deal with Ole. “The members bring a song to the chapter, and they vote on it,” Herbison said. “The best are forwarded to Ole for consideration for a single-song deal. We had four winners last year. We do this every April.”

Herbison said one of the organization’s founders, music legend Kris Kristofferson, summed up the challenges songwriter’s face best in his song “To Beat the Devil.” “He wrote, ‘I was born a lonely singer, and I’m bound to die the same, but I’ve got to feed the hunger in my soul,’” Herbison said. “The chances of ever breaking through get slim.

But through our chapters, there are a lot of opportunities. We can’t promise you any placement, but we can promise that your songs will get heard, and you will find support for your goal.”

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BY DOLLY DANGER

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HANK AND ELVIS: FROM THE OPRY TO THE HAYRIDE tennesseeencyclopedia.com

wo revered historic music venues—the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana, were notable in their own rights—both live radio programs paved the road to success for musicians.

The famed Grand Ole Opry and the Louisiana Hayride aren’t mortal enemies; more like rivals.

Scores of singers graced both stages—the Opry was first on the scene in 1925 and the Hayride followed 23 years later in 1948.

Both cities were a hotbed of talent and are where some of the biggest stars launched their careers.

The Opry’s one-hour live radio program began as the WSM Barn Dance and was later renamed the Grand Ole Opry. Some of the Hayride musicians cut their teeth in Nashville at the Opry.

Fans across the country, glued to their transistor radios, tuned in to performances. From the hills of Appalachia, to the plains of Texas, to the cotton fields of Georgia, Americans were enthralled with the weekly display of glittering talent. The performers were superstars before the term was coined, and they were revered by America’s working class.

The Hayride ended its run in

1960, but to this day, the Opry broadcasts on 650 AM WSM in Nashville.

Two awe-inspiring stars— Hank Williams Sr. and Elvis Aaron Presley, will forever be associated with the Grand Ole Opry and the Louisiana Hayride.

Hank Williams performing at the Grand Ole Opry circa 1950

Hank Williams Hank Williams, from Mt. Olive, Alabama, debuted at the Opry June 11, 1949, thrilling the crowd at Ryman Auditorium; so much so, fans demanded six encores of “Lovesick Blues.” The 25-year-old’s performance wasn’t the first time, though, Hank and his No. 1 hit commanded the stage. Ten months before his Opry performance, on August 7, 1948, he debuted on the Louisiana Hayride, where “Lovesick Blues” was also a hit with the

crowd. Hank would continue performing in Shreveport until his move to the Opry, where he was a crowd favorite for nearly three years until Opry management, tired of his drinking, fired him in 1952. Horace Logan, founder of the Hayride, hired him which turned out to be some of his last shows until his death in 1953. Hank became famous on one stage and went out in a blaze of glory on another.

The Hayride, considered “the Grand Ole Opry’s farm team,” might have played second fiddle to the Opry, but not in Logan’s eyes. He said the Opry was “the Tennessee branch of the Hayride.”

Elvis Presley On October 2, 1954, 19-year-old Elvis Presley made his one and only appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, his first live national radio broadcast. His rock, rhythm and blues style, in a music hall known for country and western music, didn’t impress the crowd. Not to mention his risqué dance moves. The night ended with management suggesting he return to his day job as a truck driver.

Two weeks later, Elvis, like Hank, made his way to the Hayride for his debut performance on October 16, 1954. Less than a month later, he signed a contract to perform every Saturday night for a year, which was renewed again in October 1955. But by late 1956, he had released his first album, appeared on national TV, was touring the country and too pressed for

elvispresleymusic.com

Grand Ole Opry Meets Louisiana Hayride

opry.com

IN THE BEGINNING

Grand Ole Opry – Ryman Auditorium

Elvis performs his last Louisiana Hayride show in 1956

“ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING.”

time to continue in Shreveport.

Elvis commanded the stage one last time, and that night, five spoken words would go down in history.

Making his exit, a starstruck crowd, hoping to get a glimpse of the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” followed.

Logan uttered those now famous words: “Elvis has left the building.”

Amazing and historic moments were made both on the Louisiana Hayride and the Grand Ole Opry. They’re indelibly linked for all time, have shared a narrative, and music fans continue to reap the benefits of their enormous influence to this day. Besides, who would ever want to live in a world without Elvis and Hank—the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and the King of Honky Tonk.

opry.com

YVETTE LANDRY Cajun Musician on Music and Playing with Vince Gill

BY DWAYNE FATHERREE

elvispresleymusic.com

I

f you ever need a ringer when playing a Nashville version of “Six Degrees of Separation,” you need to get to know Grammy-nominated Yvette Landry. Over the years, the Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, native has played and formed friendships with some of the heaviest hitters in a town known for its music royalty.

She’s also had some amazing times in Music City, both on personal and professional levels. “I’m a good friend of Darrell Scott,” she said. “We go up there to visit often. My husband and I got married in his backyard. It’s kind of our special little treat. If it were me, I’d be up there all the time.”

Scott’s name might not ring a bell, but the songwriter and multiinstrumentalist’s credits resound like a gong. Steve Earle. Emmylou Harris. Mary Gauthier. Robert Plant. Jimmie Dale Gilmore. And scores of others, not to mention his solo work, including an Americana Music Association’s Song of the Year award for “Hank Williams’ Ghost” in 2007.

Landry, an established singersongwriter in her own right, plays a variety of instruments in several Cajun bands and fronts her own band, The Yvette Landry band.

Offbeat Magazine, based in New Orleans, named her 2010 debut album, “Should Have Known,” Best Country/Folk Album and named Landry Best Country/Folk Artist.

In Nashville, she struck up a relationship with Grammy nominees, The Time Jumpers, which plays a regular Monday night gig at 3rd and Lindsley Bar and Grill. Vince

Gill fronts the band. Her connection to the western swing band came about a few years back when her husband asked if she had any musical goals. “I was laughing when he asked. I really had no goals when I started. I bought a bass so I could learn and just sit in [with other musicians].” Her one goal, though, was to play with Vince Gill, but she said that “was not attainable.”

Or so she thought. Out of the blue, her husband asked if she had plans for a Monday night. ‘There’s this club, 3rd and Lindsley, that has music on Monday nights,’ he said. Shocked, Landry said, “Wow! That’s where The Time Jumpers play on Monday nights.” Her husband had sent her bio and songs to the band, and they agreed Yvette would be welcome. “I said, ‘If you are lying to me, I’m going to cut you!’” she laughed.

It turned out, Gill had another commitment and wouldn’t be in town. They asked if she wanted to reschedule. “Absolutely not!” she said. After playing, Landry got a call asking to set up another date when Gill was in town, and she has since played three times with the band—last December, most recently.

“There’s a connection between The Time Jumpers and Louisiana,” she said. “Jimmy C. Newman [country and Cajun singer-songwriter and Grand Ole Opry star] was up there with a bunch of those Time Jumpers guys. And Rufus Thibodeaux [Cajun fiddler]. They know him, love him and spent a lot of time with him. That’s what I find when I go there. When you get a chance to talk to them, you get to know how small and closeknit the music world really is.”

Landry said a large part of that is how musicians have survived in Louisiana. “Our musical gene pool is phenomenal,” she said. “We can do a Thursday at Buck and

Johnny’s in Breaux Bridge for free with Darrell Scott. In Nashville, people pay $50 to see him play.

We’ll be doing a set and Sonny Landreth will sit in, just playing in the corner. People from New York walk in and can’t believe it.”

There’s also the challenge of being a musician in an area where Grammy Award winners are aplenty. “You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting six of them,” Landry chuckled. Part of that, she said, is because the culture in Acadiana is different. “Coming from our area, music tends to be social music in the background,” she said. “The musicians don’t tend to be the focus. They are there to play for the dancers. People listen but they aren’t hearing. It’s not like The Bluebird Cafe [in Nashville] where they will take your cell phone away if it rings. There, the music is for listening and listening only. It’s the yin to our yang.”

But the appreciation of what an Acadiana pedigree brings is not lost on the musicians who know what’s what. “The musical community knows,” Landry said.

“We can do a Thursday at Buck and Johnny’s in Breaux Bridge for free with Darrell Scott.

In Nashville, people pay $50 to see him play."

“It may not translate to the rest of the world. It’s like when I asked Marcia Ball to sit in with me at South by Southwest. If I sucked, she’d say no.”

Last year, Landry put together a new band, Yvette Landry and The Jukes featuring Roddie Romero, and their album “Louisiana Lovin’” garnered a Grammy nomination. Her first Grammy nomination came in 2015 as a member of the Cajun band, Bonsoir, Catin.

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workingdrummer.net

“THE MUSIC BUSINESS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER CAREER PATH. IT’S NETWORKING,”

TRACY BROUSSARD Injury Changes The Course Of His Life

BY MANDIE KIDDY

“

Don’t just show up here with hopes and dreams and ten dollars in your pocket,” said drummer Tracy Broussard, offering real-world advice to aspiring singers and songwriters. Broussard, a true-blooded Cajun, left rural Cankton, Louisiana, in 1996 to live out his dream in Nashville. Fulfilling that dream, he’s been Blake Shelton’s go-to touring drummer for 16 years.

“My first gig was in Texas at a rodeo.

Our rehearsal was sound check. We didn’t rehearse,” he recalled.

He’s learned quite a few lessons during his career, including one that could have changed his future with Shelton only a year into his job. “I got fired for being a jerk. It was all ego. I thought I knew better,” he

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admitted, chalking it up to youth and inexperience. Rehired two weeks later, Broussard realized, “I’m a hired gun. I am paid to be his drummer. I don’t need a pat on the back.

I need to be prepared and stay out the way.” He said it took a while to learn that lesson, but those moments have shaped him into the musician, husband and father he is today.

Growing up in a musical family, Broussard snuck into his brothers’ rehearsals and gigs, but his true dream was to be the next Roger Staubach, legendary Dallas Cowboys quarterback. A sports fanatic and athlete, he played basketball and football, but that came to a halt at age 10 when a soccer goal, made of heavy metal, fell on his arm while playing football with friends. “When that accident happened, I couldn’t play contact sports.” His broken arm severed an artery, which went undetected, causing internal bleeding for nearly a month. An emergency

six-hour surgery saved his arm from amputation, “which would have changed the whole course,” he said. Nerve damage affected his ability to feel for a year and a half, but that didn’t stop him from playing one-armed in his school band.

By the time he reached college, Broussard toured the region with his band, and later after a European tour with Grammy-nominated Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, and a brief tour with the late Amie Comeaux, he moved to Nashville. “The music business is no different than any other career path. It’s networking,” he said.

Eventually, he landed touring gigs with music legend Doug Stone, Craig Morgan and Shane Minor (opening act for Shania Twain), among others. And along the way, Pearl, a wholesale distributor of predominantly percussion instruments, picked him up, and he’s proudly endorsed Pearl since.

His connection to Grammy-

nominated Jamie O’Neill would pave the path to playing with Shelton. Broussard was hired as a one-month substitute with O’Neill, which turned into a yearlong gig around the world and the states. Back home, playing festivals with other bands, Broussard got to know Shelton, which led to Shelton’s bassist Rob Byus noticing his abilities.

Broussard said Byus told Shelton, ‘We need to get him.”’

As O’Neill’s tour wrapped up, Broussard applied for unemployment, then a phone call from an old buddy became a dream come true. ‘Blake fired his drummer.

Do you need some work?’” said his friend. Broussard has since toured with Shelton and has made more than a dozen TV appearances, playing on the CMA Awards, ACM Awards, Jimmy Kimmel Live and the Grand Ole Opry Live, to name a few.

Time on the road is less frequent than when his career first started. “We would tour 45 weeks out of the year,” Broussard said. Since working with Shelton, he’s home more with wife, Maria, and children, Camryn and Carter, whom he said, “Keeps me grounded.” When touring, he’s working.

When at home, he’s keeping up with his family’s pace. “When I’m home, I’m chauffeur,” he laughed.

He’s a “regular dad and husband,” and said “My kids love me for me, not Blake Shelton.

I’m a dad and husband first, and I have a cool job. And I still have to do both equally well.”

“Everyone has a dream, but first you’ve got to have the drive.” Broussard said. Some of his tokens of wisdom: you need a clear dream, you need to have drive, you need to make connections, you have to be adaptable, and you have to check your ego.

“When I started writing songs is really when I found my voice. Writing about my personal experiences is where I found my voice and honed the unique sound my body produced.”

Andrus also worked with Louisiana-born musician and Grammy nominee Hunter Hayes. She discovered Frey’s lisp was affecting her singing, but through vocal lessons and wearing a tongue bar for two years, Frey extended her vocal range. Yet, it would be years later, in high school, when she found her true singing voice. “When I started writing songs is really when I found my voice. Writing about my personal experiences is where I found my voice and honed the unique sound my body produced.”

Throughout high school, Frey continued competing in rodeos while writing music. “It makes me crazy, but it keeps me sane at the same time,” Frey said, describing her relationship with songwriting. During her senior year, she decided to pursue music. “In the beginning, I figured I would be a songwriter. I didn’t necessarily have confidence to be a singer.”

Frey graduated, started college and played local gigs at bars and restaurants. Her first semester would be her last. After developing a polyp on her vocal cords and forced to rest her voice for six

HUMBLE & HARD-WORKING Kylie Frey Makes Her Mark In Country Music

BY MANDIE KIDDY

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ouisiana has produced many musical talents, and 24-yearold Kylie Frey is one of them making her mark in the industry. Listening to her solid country voice, you’d never know the rising star, at one time, didn’t sing well. “I loved to sing, and my parents thought she’ll keep doing this, so we should probably get her some lessons because she’s not that good,” Frey laughed.

Growing up in Opelousas, Louisiana, in a rodeo family, she started competing at five years old.

Her dad was a saddle bronc rider, her grandpa was a record-setting rodeo competitor, and Frey’s uncles competed in the National Finals Rodeo. “I was mostly serious about tying goats and roping calves,” she said. She’s won state championships and was crowned Louisiana High School State Rodeo Queen.

Along the way, she took center stage, singing the National Anthem at rodeos. Chuckling, she said, “It didn’t come easily.” But that started to change when Frey was around 11 years old and began working with vocal coach, Valerie Andrus in Lafayette, Louisiana.

months, her dad encouraged her to leave college and pursue music. “I was miserable. What I loved to do [write songs and sing], I couldn’t do for an extended period of time.”

It was 2014, and Nashville was the next logical step. She traveled back and forth between home and Nashville, where she stayed with a friend from her rodeo days. “I kept networking and would go up a week at a time and write songs and meet people,” she said.

She couldn’t have foreseen what would happen next. During a stay back home, country music band, River Road (family friends with the Freys), helped record seven of her songs. The band’s guitarist, Tony Ardoin, passed her

music on to a contact in Texas, and as the saying goes…the rest is history. Her single, “Rodeo Man,” climbed to number one on Texas Regional Radio. “It was really bizarre. It was great,” she exclaimed.

About a year later, she met Grammy, CMA, and ACM Awardwinning producer Paul Worley, who’s worked with acts like the Dixie Chicks and Lady Antebellum, and he convinced her to make the full-time move to Nashville. They worked together on what became her first nationally recognized single and second number one hit on Texas radio, “Too Bad,” a duet featuring Randy Rogers.

Last year in 2018, she got a call to audition for a new music talent show. “I had no information. If anything, it would be practice and getting feedback. My motto since I moved to Nashville has always been to show up.”

As it turns out, the show was USA Network’s country music showcase series, “Real Country.”

“I crushed it, and I was so proud of myself,” she exclaimed. Shania Twain selected Frey as one of the 21 remaining contestants. She won her episode performance and earned a spot on the show’s finale.

Frey didn’t win the overall competition, but following the exposure and success she had on the show, she released her latest single, “Ain’t Enough Beer,” which is currently climbing the charts on Texas Regional Radio.

With the help of the Erv Woolsey Company (manager) and the United Talent Agency, she’s continuing to write and working on a new EP and attributes her can-do attitude and work ethic to her rodeo days. “I couldn’t be doing what I’m doing if I hadn’t grown up in rodeo and had that discipline.” Frey wasn’t a natural at tying goats, but she said, “I worked really hard. It’s my nature.” And she radiates that same positive energy into her music.

Frey has learned to take every opportunity that comes her way with grace and a smile. A dimple doesn’t hurt either.

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Studio

RETREAT FOR MUSICIANS South Louisiana’s Sought-After Recording Studio

BY MANDIE KIDDY

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Dockside Studio Facebook Page

ockside Studio was a vision in the mind of owner Steve Nails.

A guitar player turned engineer and producer, he ran a recording studio out of his home. Already operating a successful recording space, it wasn’t quite what he had in mind.

With a clear picture in mind, he found the perfect spot while boating down the Vermilion River in the late 1980s—fourteen acres with a two-story Acadian style main house, a guest house, and a smaller wooden building. This was what he had envisioned. Steve’s wife, Cezanne, fell in love it with it, too. It was perfect. Occupied by the same family for generations, there was no way a South Louisiana family would give up property that has been in its family for generations. But they did.

Inspired by the dock on the waterfront property, Nails settled on the name “Dockside.”

The beautiful Acadian home is their residence, and the wooden building is the world-renowned recording studio.

Ten bedrooms accommodate musicians, who can make their mark on the dining table of the pool house by literally carving into the wood. It’s quite fitting that you can leave a piece of yourself in a place that will stay with you forever.

Dockside is a perfect representation of South Louisiana’s beauty. Located in Maurice, Louisiana, the 14 acres are secluded and surrounded by mammoth live oak and jagged cypress trees and a beautiful bayou. What you can’t measure is the peaceful, free feeling the property offers. The wash of comfort, clarity and calm are indescribable.

docksidestudio.com

Lil Buck Sinegal

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Steve and Cezanne Nails

Twelve Grammy award-winning albums, countless Grammy nominations, platinum albums, gold albums… are all honors that have been bestowed upon the hidden recording studio in South Louisiana.

Dockside Studio Facebook Page

docksidestudio.com

The motto is “Move in. Make records.” Musicians come from all over the world to live and record at Dockside, which Steve credits to his one-of-a-kind sound board. Hundreds of artists have recorded there, including Johnny Lang, Sammy Kershaw, Scarlett Johansson, Anders Osbourne, Mike Zito, Derek Trucks, Sonny Landreth, Cyril Neville, Buckwheat Zydeco, Yvette Landry, Irma Thomas, Givers, and B.B. King, among dozens of others.

After recording three albums at Dockside, B.B. King gave his well-known white guitar, “Lucille,” to Nails, and she lives in the studio to this day. A few lucky musicians have had the honor of recording tracks with Lucille while at the studio.

Twelve Grammy award-winning albums, countless Grammy nominations, platinum albums, gold albums, numerous WC Handy Awards and an Emmy are all honors that have been bestowed upon the hidden recording studio in South Louisiana.

Despite the awards and accolades, personal relationships are most important to Steve and Cezanne. The legendary Bobby Charles, who wrote and sang “See You Later, Alligator,” was a great friend and regular visitor, and his ghost is said to reside at Dockside. Charles was a believer in the power of energy. Inspired by the energy he felt most during a full moon, he resolved to only record albums when the moon was full. That energy is something that resonates with every visitor that enters the grounds. Musicians who record at Dockside are family. The hidden gem in Southern Louisiana is where history and family for life are made.

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A LITTLE BIT BROADWAY, A LITTLE BIT ROCK ‘N’ ROLL Saenger Theatre Champions the Performing Arts |

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hen imagining New Orleans, Mardi Gras, jazz, blues and rhythm and blues, art, eclectic food, the New Orleans Saints, and a celebratory culture likely paint a picture.

The arts are an essential part of the city’s vibrant culture, making the Saenger Theatre a special experience for anyone who steps through its doors. Located downtown and one block away from the upriver boundary of the French Quarter, the theater has faced challenges in its 92-year history but has always risen above and remains the city’s main attraction for Broadway performances, live music, comedy shows, musicals, ballets and childrens’ shows.

History

The price to build the Saenger in 1927, unheard of at the time, was $2.5 million.

Designed by Emile Weil and built by Julian Saenger, opening night featured a silent movie, a stage play and the Saenger Grand Orchestra—the ticket price was 65 cents. The Italian Renaissance style building’s courtyard is

BY MANDIE KIDDY

reminiscent of a 15th century Italian courtyard and gardens, and the theater’s domed ceiling recreates the night sky with twinkling stars.

The theater was a hot spot for locals and visitors to see vaudeville, jazz, orchestras, and silent films, and it played a role in bringing movies with sound to New Orleans. In 1929, Julian Saenger sold the theater, and by 1933, as movies with sound became more widespread, the Saenger became a movie theater only.

It remained a movie house for the next 45 years until 1978, when a new owner and investors set out to make it, once again, a performing arts center. Two years later, Johnny Carson performed for the grand re-opening, and the theater became home to a variety of entertainment.

Then Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005, including the Saenger—flooding the ground floor, the performance hall, the stage and more. It took four years before the marquee lit up again and another four years and $53 million dollars in renovations and improvements until it reopened in 2013.

Rebirth Post-Katrina

The 1927 design was restored into a first-class state-of-the-art performing arts theatre—featuring refurbished lobbies, auditorium seating and light fixtures recreated from the originals, and the blue-domed “sky” ceiling is as grand as the original. Greek and Roman statues line the walls and statues of Venus stand on pedestals along the upper rim of the auditorium.

The expanded theatre stage house is equipped with state-of-the-art theatrical systems, making the Saenger the most technically advanced theatre in the South.

General Manager, Sam Voisin said the post-Katrina rebirth served as a “beacon of hope for entertainment.” Not only have Broadway productions—“Hamilton,” “The Lion King,” “Les Miserables” and “Wicked,” to name a few—drawn in crowds, but also the Saenger is a huge draw for the music industry.

Nine Inch Nails, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Ray LaMontagne, Norah Jones and scores of other artists have graced the stage.

Continued on page 28 MAPP MAGAZINE MAY 2019

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Venues Continued from page 27

Sam the Man

Recently taking the helm as general manager of the Saenger Theater and Mahalia Jackson Theatres, Sam Voisin, a Louisiana native, is all too familiar with hurricanes. While serving as Director of Sales at the CAJUNDOME, in his hometown, Lafayette, he was charged with housing and feeding more than 17,000 Katrina evacuees.

Following Katrina, he spent 11 years as the general manager of Shreveport Municipal Auditorium and Convention Center in Louisiana, then moved on to SMG (the world leader in venue management, marketing and development) as regional vice president. Voisin traveled, managing 17 facilities, until he was ready to simplify and landed in New Orleans.

An avid fan of music, his office holds portions of history—Shreveport Municipal Auditorium’s original 1924 stage, a piece of rope from the Louisiana Hayride days, and a picture of Hayride announcer, Horace Logan, who coined the phrase “Elvis has left the building.”

With Voisin’s history in the entertainment industry and his appreciation for the arts and music, his Saenger gig couldn’t be a more perfect fit. We can’t wait to see how he’ll bring down the house.

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NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Saenger Theater circa 1930

Venues

BLUE MOON SALOON AND GUEST HOUSE Dance Hall, Hostel, Louisiana Hospitality |

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n Lafayette, Louisiana, at the turn of the century, the Freetown-Port Rico neighborhood was not what you would consider prime real estate. It was on the wrong side of the main drag to be considered downtown, and the older 1930s and ‘40s wooden homes were getting a little long in the tooth. Primarily, it served as an area of cheap housing for college students and young professionals just getting their start.

For entrepreneur Mark Falgout, that was a target market for his idea of a music hostel.

“People thought I was crazy when I did the Blue Moon,” Falgout said. The two-story house on Clinton Street had exactly what Falgout needed— enough space for guest rooms, a couple of dormitory spaces, and a backyard stage where music aficionados could gather to share good, solid music from all genres and ages. “When I talk about

travelers, I’m not talking about people traveling business class,” Falgout said. “I’m talking about people hitting the road and staying as long as they can. I wanted a comfortable, affordable place to stay, with good music for other travelers and locals. That’s how you get to know a place.”

Over the last 18 years, hundreds of bands have performed on the bandstand. What originally was a small patio is now a large tin roof and wooden deck that wraps the side and back of the house, providing some respite from rain during soggy Louisiana springs and summers. A small bar has taken over the back corner of the lot, and pew seating lines one side of the dance floor.

It’s still open to the elements, but to many Acadiana musicians, music fans and dancers, it’s home.

“I remember when we got our liquor license,” Falgout said.

It was in March, the temperature was 40 degrees, and he considered

BY DWAYNE FATHERREE

canceling the night. But Southern Louisianans don’t throw in the towel so easily—and celebrating the “joie de vivre” (joy of living)—comes easily. He decided to “laissez les bons temps rouler” (let the good times roll). “We’re going to open up and have fun.”

That attitude—have fun and invite the neighbors—the nascent venue won acceptance in the neighborhood. When the music

drew noise complaints, Falgout instituted a policy of letting the immediate neighbors in for free.

“From an economic standpoint, we went from being a source of complaints to an advertising asset,” he laughed. “People started advertising their houses as being close to the Blue Moon as a selling point.”

One thing that has always been at the forefront for Falgout is the music. From the weekly traditional Cajun jam sessions to larger singersongwriters and indie acts he’s booked, the Blue Moon has gained a reputation for tasty music.

“I’ve been married for 14 years, and we had three kids in three years after we were married,” Falgout said. “I went home after a show and told my wife, ‘Tonight was one of top 10 shows ever at the Moon.’ She just looked at me and said, ‘You say that every night.’”

Some nights are more special than others, though. He said the closing-night shows for Festival International de Louisiane have given him some of his strongest memories.

“We host the ‘Rhythm and Roots’ show each year to close down the festival,” Falgout said.

“One year I had Steve Riley and Morikeba Kouyate, a kora player.

They were just going back and forth, but it was powerful. Then Morikeba started going off on this riff with Kevin Wimmer (of Riley’s Mamou Playboys) on fiddle. Trading riffs. They had never played together before, mixing Cajun with African. Folks to this day ask me, ‘Did you record that?’”

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Venues nashvilleguru.com

THE LEGENDARY DOUGLAS CORNER CAFE Home away from home for aspiring artists and top musicians

BY MANDIE KIDDY

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on’t let the name deceive you. Douglas Corner Cafe isn’t best-known for its food or drinks, rather, it’s legendary for giving up-and-coming acts an opportunity to perform their music in front of a crowd and renowned for catapulting singers and songwriters into stardom. The Nashville live music venue is where today’s top artists—Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Trisha Yearwood and scores of others—performed their showcase gigs before they became best-selling recording artists. Yearwood told Entertainment Weekly, “If you want to hear some great new songs, it’s really the place to go.”

The Cafe was the first to book Grammy winners, The Kentucky Headhunters; Garth Brooks held his first fan club party there then gave co-owner, Mervin Louque (affectionately known as Merve), the printing plate used to make the event’s Fan Fair posters. You’ll find it still hanging on the wall today.

Douglas Corner Cafe is the brainchild of recording engineer Mervin Louque (a Baton Rouge, Louisiana native) and businessman Rick Martin. Louque heard about the struggling cafe—only open one year—and revamped it into a crowd-pleasing live music venue. The pub is thirty-two years strong, making Louque the longest running live music venue owner in Nashville.

From the get-go, he was the perfect person for the endeavor, bringing to the table decades of experience in the recording industry. In 1974, he left Baton Rouge and moved to Nashville intending to be a songwriter and gave the sole person he knew in town a few songs on a cassette tape. His connection, though, faced legal troubles and skipped town. Louque found himself working at a pub, where newfound friend, Cathy Flanagan, gave him a lead.

He was hired as an assistant engineer for engineer Johnny Rosen, which was the beginning of a long-lasting career in the music industry. Together, they built and operated Fanta Sound, a 40-foot mobile recording facility and recorded tours for The Rolling Stones, The Doobie Brothers, Neil Young’s Harvester, David Bowie, Black Sabbath, Journey, Ozzy Osborne, Kansas, The Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, Billy Squier, Wille Nelson and dozens of other biggest names in music.

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thenashvillemusicgroup.com

Douglas Corner Cafe Facebook page

Homer Cook

Other credits include recorded shows for ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO, PBS and MTV. Louque’s album credits: The Kinks, Teddy Pendergrass, Barbara Mandrel, Jerry Reed and others, not to mention movies he’s worked on—“The Blues Brothers” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

Louque has worked on countless other projects. He left the road in 1986, and a year later, Douglas Corner Cafe got off the ground. His experiences in the music world are what put the soul into Douglas Corner Cafe. Big music acts that have played and recorded there span multiple genres from Faith Hill, Hal Ketchum, Cheap Trick, Jon Bon Jovi, and Neil Diamond to Kim Carnes.

The pub seats 100 people in an intimate setting where you’ll hear budding artists, witness legendary singers and songwriters pop in for impromptu jam sessions, and Tuesday nights, enjoy open mic.

In 1996, Louque purchased the Fanta mobile recording studio that he helped build and run, lovingly named it “The Ugly Truckling,” and parked it at Douglas Corner Cafe where it’s still an active recording studio. The same year, he married actress, author and CoverGirl model, Jennifer O’Neill.

Above: Pat McLaughlin Band and Bonnie Raitt Left: Fanta’s Mervin Louque, left, talks to a stage crew member about the mobile recording studio

Mervin Louque

Douglas Corner Cafe is located on the corner of 8th Avenue and Douglas Avenue. Pay a visit to the pub, soak up the history and vibes, and maybe you’ll get chance to shake Louque’s hand and hear a story or two from him. Find scheduled performances and information about the famed venue at douglascorner.com.

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Venues

The Bluebird Cafe Facebook Page

THE BLUEBIRD CAFE Legendary for Singer-Songwriter Performances |

BY ANN GIBSON

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ountless musicians have graced the stage at the legendary The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee. From up-and-coming singer-songwriters to the largest names in the business, crowds have enjoyed performances for 37 years since the listening room opened its doors in 1982. In an interview with WMOT Roots Radio, General Manager Erika Wollam Nichols said, “There’s a whole different way of discovering artists and writers these days that’s multi-faceted.

And we are certainly a piece of that gem, for lack of a better word.”

As a teenager, an undiscovered Taylor Swift played at The Bluebird. In November 2018, she tweeted, “The Bluebird Cafe is the heart of Music City. I love driving past, because that’s where I played the acoustic show that ended up getting me a record deal.” Kathy Mattea landed a record deal soon after her first performance in 1983, and before he was discovered, Garth Brooks played on open mic and songwriters’ nights. Scores of other unknowns got their start at the famed club, and it’s not unusual for them to pop in after they've reached fame. Melissa Etheridge told Billboard Magazine, “When my first album came out in 1988, I went to Nashville, and I played the Bluebird.

They had all these pictures of everyone who’d played there up on the wall. I had these crazy 8-by-10 glossies. It looked like ‘I’m Employee of the Month.’ It’s hanging on the wall now.”

Open mic on Monday nights are great for amateurs to be seen and heard, as well as Sunday Writers Night. That’s what Dierks Bentley did before his career launched, as he told Billboard Magazine. “Sometimes a guy gets onstage that doesn’t look like a star, and your friends are like, “Why’s he singing that Luke Bryan song?’ And you’re like, “He wrote

that song.” I wanted to play the Bluebird before I turned 23, and I waited until the very last Sunday before I finally got the nerve up.”

More than 70,000 people a year visit The Bluebird, and according to the venue’s website, “Our reputation as a listening room is based on the acoustic music that is our signature style.” Patrons should abide by the strict “Shhh! Policy.” When singers are on stage, The Bluebird is not the place to visit with friends. “We encourage talking before the show, between sets and after the show but ask that during the performances, audience members keep their voices low and talking to a minimum.”

“Bluebird,” a documentary about the notable venue, premiered this year at South by Southwest Film Festival and features Taylor Swift, Pam Tillis, Vince Gill, Kacey Musgraves, Faith Hill and Garth Brooks, among others.

Whether stopping in to listen to up-and-coming artists or catching an impromptu performance by established acts, The Bluebird Cafe is a not-to-be-forgotten Nashville experience. Find scheduled performances and information about the famed venue at bluebirdcafe.com MAPP MAGAZINE MAY 2019

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Eat

BY ROBYN HOLBROOK

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ith four locations, it’s easy to find Billy’s Boudin and Cracklins.

Locals and travelers consider it a must-stop for links of boudin, boudin balls, specialty meats and stuffed pistolettes. Since opening in 1999, Billy and Patsy Frey grew the original location in Krotz Springs, Louisiana, (then named Billy’s Mini Mart and Billy’s Diner) into three more thriving locations in Opelousas, Scott, and the most recent in Carencro (opening soon). The name change happened soon after the Frey’s opened 20 years ago. To meet demand, Billy’s runs a shipping department to reach customers across the country.

Specialty meats are aplenty, including chicken stuffed with boudin, crawfish and seafood cornbread dressing, beef stew meat and shoulder roast, steaks and stuffed brisket; pork loin and chops stuffed with boudin, crawfish, cornbread dressing and stuffed pork roast.

Menu highlights: Boudin (original, smoked and crawfish), specialty meats from the butcher, seafood, crackling, crawfish pies, boudin balls, boudin rollups, pistolettes stuffed with boudin or crawfish and crawfish balls.

BILLY'S BOUDIN

GATOR COVE

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hat began as a garage to store their school bus, ended up being a sought-after restaurant for owners AuBrey and Bonnie Henderson.

The garage, it turns out, was too small to fit the bus, and today that garage remains part of the restaurant. Gator Cove opened in Lafayette, Louisiana, in 1982 and has long been known for its specialty— boiled crawfish—and seafood dishes.

Menu highlights: When in season, boiled crawfish, blue point crabs, and shrimp; seafood and alligator po’boys, fried or blackened alligator, shrimp and grits, seafood platter, étouffée and more delicious dishes.

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fter moving from Paris, France, to Louisiana in 1965, Francois and Louise Poupart opened Poupart Bakery, which to this day, father and son, Patrick, work alongside each other. Pastry chefs serve up fresh bread and desserts, which the bakery’s website touts, “Whether you crave fresh breads, French pastries, hot corn and crab bisque or rum cake—there is something to satisfy even the pickiest gourmand.”

Poupart, in Lafayette, Louisiana, is more than a bakery. It’s open for breakfast and lunch, serving up a breakfast menu that includes quiche, breakfast sandwiches—including boudin and brisket—and a variety of danishes and croissants. On the lunch menu, sandwiches like croque monsieur on brioche bread, bacon and cheddar grilled cheese on panini-pressed sourdough bread, and po’boys—sliced roast beef with au jus, shrimp remoulade and grilled corn and crab cake po’boy—to name a few. Quiche, wraps and salads are also options.

Bakery highlights: 19 different breads: French, dinner rolls, croissants, basil bread, muffuletta loaves; dozens of cakes and desserts like French éclairs, cookies, tartes, French king cake and more.

POUPART BAKERY

SHUCKS!

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ong before SHUCKS! was SHUCKS!, it operated in Abbeville, Louisiana, under the name Dupuy’s, a small oyster bar founded in the late 1800s. Harold Hebert, an oyster fisherman from Golden Meadow, Louisiana, and his wife, Doris, leased the building in 1973 and ran Dupuy’s for six years until selling it to daughters, Linda and Diane and her husband, Jack Phares, in 1979.

For 15 years, they served up oysters and seafood, attracting locals and visitors from around the world, then in 1994 moved to a larger building (its current location) and changed the name to SHUCKS!. Many employees have been fixtures in the community for 30 plus years, serving great food and service to match. SHUCKS! changed hands in 2007, when David Bertrand and Bert Istre bought the restaurant, promising the family that “all employees are taken care of” and “the original menu would remain unaltered.” And they’ve done so for the past 15 years. SHUCKS! has a second location in Baton Rouge.

Menu highlights: Raw and charbroiled oysters: traditional, rockefeller, shuck-a-fella (cream-based topping with crumbled bacon and finely chopped mushrooms), to name a few; gumbos, chowder and stew, grilled or fried seafood, crab dishes, crab cakes, steaks and shrimp patties.

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Eat

BY ERIN HOLDEN

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tennessean.com

PEG LEG PORKER

nashvilledowntown.com

ocated in the heart of Nashville’s historic Gulch District, Peg Leg Porker has a more soulful atmosphere than what you might normally find in a barbeque joint. Owners Carey and Delaniah Bringle play soul and blues music, creating the perfect ambiance to dine on the patio and dig into some award-winning West Tennessee barbeque.

“We’re a fast, casual dining place,” said pitmaster Carey Bringle.

“We’re busy, so there’s a bustle about it. I think that’s what really makes the experience fun.” Serving up delicious barbeque and decadent sides since 2013, the family-owned restaurant offers freshly smoked meat daily and uses local ingredients in keeping with the true Nashville experience.

You’ll want to try the most popular dishes—the pulled pork sandwich with slaw and the ribs.

“We do a West Tennessee dry rub, which is not very common out there in barbecue restaurants anymore,” but Carey points out. “We just stick to the basics of what was always considered real Tennessee barbecue, which is pork and chicken, and we have a very simple menu. I think that allows us to keep the quality high even while we’re doing a very high volume.” Planning to stop by? Take note: the restaurant is closed on Sundays, but you can grab lunch and dinner all other days of the week.

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o-owned by renowned chef Jonathan Waxman, who named the restaurant after his late mother, Adele’s is the ideal Gulch District hot spot for comfort food made with local, seasonal ingredients sourced from nearby farms and vendors.

Adele’s is housed in what was once an auto repair shop. It’s sophisticated, yet has retained an urban, rustic ambiance with the original roll-up garage doors still intact. Zagat described it as an “airy, industrial space,” in keeping with the vibe of its Gulch neighborhood setting. The restaurant also has a welcoming patio that’s perfect for springtime al fresco dining.

Customers should try the Sunday buffet, offering a charcuterie board, a carving station, featuring a whole-roasted pig, sawmill grits and an array of desserts, just to name a few mouth-watering options. Have dietary restrictions? Adele’s has you covered with a variety of vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan choices. The menu changes based on seasonal foods and ingredients, so there’s always something new and delicious to look forward to at Adele’s.

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BAJO SEXTO TACO

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ajo Sexto Taco means “sixth bass,” a reference to the six-string guitarrón played in Mariachi bands. Located in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the casual dining restaurant is owned by Chef Jonathan Waxman (also, co-owner of Adele’s), who created an authentic Mexican-style taqueria. The handmade tortillas, carne tacos with fresh beef, and even roasted grasshoppers (for adventurous foodies), make it an authentic culinary delight.

Start with the hilariously named gringo queso and chips and leave room for one of the most popular dishes—flavorful carnitas served with pico de gallo and salsa verde. Enjoy them in the welcoming dining room or on the patio with a house margarita (la casa) on the rocks. The menu includes a variety of nachos, tacos, burritos, Baja bowls and more.

It won’t be long before you figure out what all the fuss is about at Bajo Sexto Taco.

wheretraveler.com, Isaac Arjonilla

HATTIE B'S HOT CHICKEN

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idtown Nashville’s Hattie B’s Hot Chicken is the original location for the popular local chain, which opened in 2012. It has since expanded to West Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta, and Birmingham; plus, a third Nashville location is coming soon.

With their fried chicken’s heat level’s ranging from Southern (no heat) to Shut the Cluck Up!!! (burn notice), Hattie B’s has everything you’re craving if you’re a fan of good old-fashioned fried chicken with a one-of-a-kind cooking approach.

If you like it hot, hot, hot, then go for Shut the Cluck Up!!!, but be forewarned—it’s not for the faint of heart. Need to take it down a notch? With six different heat levels, there’s something for everyone.

Diners have their favorite picks like chicken and waffles, hot chicken sandwich, or a classic plate filled with a chicken combo of your choice. As is traditional, the plates and platters are served with pickles and white bread.

The sides at Hattie B’s are not to be missed; pimento mac and cheese, Southern greens, black-eyed peas—all are solid go-to options. Finish your meal with banana pudding or peach cobbler, then wash it all down with a local beer. You better come hungry!

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Drink NOT-TO-MISS IN THE

PELICAN STATE CHAMPAGNE VENDING MACHINE

You can pop a bottle of champagne straight from a vending machine at the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans. A luxury hotel teaming up with a world-renowned champagne house is a perfect fit in a city where it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere.

The machine, in the hotel lobby, holds 320 mini bottles of Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut and Rosé, which are kept cold at 33.8 degrees Fahrenheit. The machine, equipped with a mechanism to ensure the bottle lands softly, prevents bubbling. Moët coins are used as payment, which can be purchased at the hotel’s Signature Shop or Davenport Lounge. Price: $25 to get your bubbly fix.

HURRICANE

In the French Quarter, Pat O’Brien’s is a must-stop when in New Orleans, and it’s where most visitors to the iconic bar make a bee line for the famous hurricane cocktail. The fruity, but notso-sweet cocktail, has a kick to it and has been well liked in the Big Easy since the 1940s.

IND SID

ER

Perhaps the drink wouldn’t exist had it not been for supply and demand after WW II, when rum from the Caribbean (the spirit used in a hurricane) was in abundance but bourbon and whiskey weren’t. To keep whiskey on hand, bar owners were required to buy large amounts of rum to get one case of whiskey. Excess rum led to creating the hurricane—a combination of light and dark rum, passion fruit juice, lime, simple syrup and grenadine.

Since its creation, Pat O’s serves the cocktail in a hurricane lamp-shaped glass, which is yours to keep for an extra three dollars. If you’re especially thirsty, but be sure to have friends along, the magnum hurricane will set you back $200. You get to keep the massive glass—no extra charge.

THE ROULER

The rouler, Lafayette, Louisiana’s official cocktail, was unveiled in 2016, giving the city its own signature cocktail. It’s the brainchild of distiller David Meaux, owner of Rank Wildcat Spirts in Lafayette, who wanted to capture the unique flavors of the area.

The name is taken from the phrase, “Laissez les bon temps rouler” or “Let the good times roll.” Meaux and area bars and restaurants use the distillery’s Sweet Crude Rum to concoct the refreshing cocktail, made of rum, sweet and sour, simple syrup, drop bitters and club soda.

THE SAZERAC

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The Sazerac, named New Orleans’ official cocktail in 2008, dates to the 1800s when French Quarter druggist Antoine Amédée Peychaud combined bitters (used for medicinal purposes before becoming a cocktail ingredient) and his favorite cognac, Sazerac de Forge-et-Fils, to cure ailments.

His concoction attracted customers to his French Quarter pharmacy, which he opened in 1841, and its popularity led to Peychaud selling his recipe to Sewell Taylor, who owned Merchant’s Exchange Coffee House next door. Taylor added sugar and absinthe, until it was banned in 1912. Over time, two substitutions were made: rye whiskey instead of brandy and anise substituted for absinthe. Peychaud’s Bitters, though, has remained a constant.

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Drink Tennessee State Library

MOONSHINE From Backwoods to Mainstream |

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BY ANN WILSON

Sipping moonshine in Clay County, Tennessee, 1920 smithcreekmoonshine.com

Tennessee State Library

oonshine, once known as the illicit drink concocted in the backwoods and sold illegally and untaxed, is part of the mainstream and has been legal since 2010. You’ll find it in bars, store shelves and distilleries, although some argue commercial moonshine isn’t true white lightning. In an interview with Tales of the Cocktail, based in New Orleans, Louisiana, a 71-year-old moonshiner from North Carolina, speaking anonymously argues, “I don’t care how standardized things are,” he said. “That’s part of what makes moonshine ‘moonshine.’

Each batch varies.”

Moonshine has strong Southern roots, especially in the Appalachians, where it was the livelihood for generations of families who lived in remote areas of the mountains. Business was good, especially during prohibition between 1920 and 1933. While moonshine, defined as “illicitly distilled or smuggled liquor,” is plentiful and still discreetly made, it’s not as prevalent as it used to be. Legal moonshine has become more widespread, and the high proof spirit has become commercialized.

The home brew was a way of life in rural Tennessee, but as it has become legal, moonshine has grown in popularity and is accessible across the country. You’ll find it in Nashville bars—Bootleggers Inn, Alley Taps, George Jones Rooftop Bar and Swingin’ Doors, to name a few. Drink it straight up, try different flavors, or have it mixed into a cocktail. Also, area distilleries open their doors for tastings. Smith Creek Distillery in Nashville calls itself a moonshine-tasting destination complete with a tasting bar and store. Distillers make 12 flavors, including Straight, Apple Pie, Chocolate Silk, Sweet Tea and Lemon Lime.

Whether it’s processed in the backwoods or at a distillery, moonshine is an experience. Its history runs deep, and as long as it’s around—forbidden or permitted—there’s still plenty of hooch to be passed around.

Moonshine bust in Tennessee, 1940

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The Saint Hotels are a scintillating collection of top of the line hotel destinations that encourage our visitors to "Play Naughty. Sleep Saintly." Our flagship property, located in the heart of the French Quarter, offers a prime location within walking distance of award-winning restaurants and enchanting tourist destinations.

931 CANAL STREET, NEW ORLEANS | 504-522-5400 www.sainthotels.com

Stay

I

n the heart of the Big Easy, you’ll find a New Orleans treasure: The Saint Hotel. Palm trees and large, glowing lamps welcome you to the luxurious boutique hotel on Canal Street, and once inside, a renovated eight-story hotel awaits. The historic structure, known as the Audubon Building built in 1909, started as a hotel, then later was used for retail and office space. It sat empty for more than a decade before opening as The Saint, part of the Marriott Autograph Collection, which features uniquely designed and spirited boutique hotels.

Gabriel Suite

THE SAINT HOTEL NEW ORLEANS A Little Naughty, A Little Nice |

BY WHITNEY GOOD

The 166-room hotel, offering standard king or double queen rooms, plus suites, combines the old with the new—110-year-old exposed brick, cobalt blue and white décor, blue ceiling and white lacquered furniture—making The Saint a historic, yet modern delight. Pillowtop beds are covered with Egyptian cotton linens and down duvets are topped by custom mirrored or tufted headboards, and clawfoot bathtubs and marbleaccented bathrooms provide a tranquil retreat.

Five suites, named after archangels—Lucifer, Michael, St. Christopher, Gabriel and Raphael— each boast stunning details. The Lucifer Presidential Suite, as described on the hotel’s website, “invites you to strip away your inhibitions.” The black, red and gold alluring color scheme is paired with antique Victorian pieces. The Archangel Michael Suite is like heaven on Earth. The blue ceiling, cobalt blue floors, white and silvered mirrored furniture are welcoming, ten windows shine natural light into the suite, and custom window shades feature six-foot tall images of saints.

St. Christopher, Gabriel and Raphael are junior suites. All have open floor plans and living areas, exposed brick walls, blue painted ceilings, and large images of saints along the walls.

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Stay

Lucifer Suite Continued from page 45

In the Gabriel Suite, you’ll find mirrored furnishings and feel the calming heavenly shades of blue throughout. It’s the only junior suite that includes a dining area accented with a Murano glass chandelier.

Retreat to the Raphael Suite for relaxation and enjoy the tranquility of white and blue furniture and accents. White marbled walls accent the clawfoot bathtub.

The hotel’s restaurant, Tempt, serves anything from champagne and truffles to New Orleans classics. And the Burgundy Bar lives up to its name, adorned with deep red walls, floors, and chairs. The elegant bar features live jazz music and the décor is “accented with a bit of bordello chic.”

Former guests describe The Saint Hotel as “modern and swanky” and tout its central location. In the French Quarter, on the corner of Canal and Burgundy Streets, the hotel is a couple of blocks from Bourbon Street and the Saenger Theater. It's accessible to streetcars and is within walking distance of some of the best things to do in New Orleans.

The Saint Hotel assures its guests will be comfortably at home and pampered within its walls while being able to enjoy all that New Orleans has to offer just outside the front doors.

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ROCK 'N' ROLL/BLUES

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Stay

Crowd saying goodbye to men leaving for WW II, 1943

UNION STATION Historic Railroad Terminal Turned Luxury Hotel |

A

BY FELICIA LANDRY

stay at Union Station Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, feels like stepping back in time. The historic hotel, a former railroad station and an architectural jewel, is filled with history. The terminal’s Richardsonian-Romanesque style building was built in the 19th century and has transformed from a transportation hub, serving up to 42,000 passengers a day, into a luxury hotel.

RAILROAD TERMINAL

Nashville’s Union Station railroad terminal opened in 1900, serving passengers traveling on eight railroads. Its detailed architecture, featuring turrets and towers, ornate wood carvings, stained glass windows, Italian marble, and vaulted ceilings, charmed and captivated travelers throughout its 79 years of service. In its heyday, during World War II, it was the site where more than 10,000 soldiers departed for duty, and it functioned as a USO canteen. Interestingly, in 1932 the station was a stopping point for mobster Al Capone on his way to the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia. The station was also a streetcar stop until services ended in 1941.

Union Station was a hotbed for travel for nearly six decades, but service declined as it competed against automobile and commercial air travel. Demand for railroad transit took another hit when Amtrak service began in 1971. By 1979, Union Station closed its doors and was abandoned until 1986 when a group of investors transformed the property into what stands today—a luxurious boutique hotel.

Ten years later, fire damaged the train shed truss, and it was demolished in 2001.

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tnsos.org/E.A. Clark

UNION STATION HOTEL IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND EXPERIENCE, COMBINING RICH, ELEGANT HISTORY WITH PRESENT-DAY CONTEMPORARY AND SOPHISTICATED TOUCHES.

LUXURY HOTEL

Union Station Hotel is a one-of-a-kind experience, combining rich, elegant history and present-day contemporary and sophisticated touches.

During its rebirth, designers preserved original features including the 65-foot, barrel-vaulted lobby ceiling, Italian marble floors, gold leaf medallions, oak-accented doors and walls, three limestone fireplaces, stained glassed windows, 20 gold-accented bas-relief angel of commerce figurines, and two bas-relief panels—a steam locomotive and a traveling chariot—at each end of the lobby. Some of the station’s original tile remains in the hotel’s bar and restaurant.

The hotel is part of the hand-selected Marriot Autograph Collection and has125 rooms and 12 suites, which are located below the lobby, lobby level and above. Rooms feature upscale décor, marble bathrooms, cowhide leather headboards, modern amenities, and artwork inspired by Nashville’s music scene. Some rooms boast views of downtown Nashville through arched windows.

Union Station Hotel, located on Broadway in the heart of downtown, the hotel is near honky tonks, the 2nd Avenue National Historic District, and attractions like the Country Music Hall of Fame and Ryman Auditorium.

Whether you stay at Union Station Hotel or want to pop in for dinner, drinks, or a guided tour, the choice is yours.

Tours of the historic hotel are available Wednesday and Friday at 4:45p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m.

Left top: Ornate bas-relief sculptures on the hotel’s mezzanine level.

Left bottom: Union Station Hotel lobby.

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