SCHEDULE AND PERFORMERS

FALL 2024 SCHEDULE

Our performances are always on the third Saturdays in the Spring and Fall in the months of March, April, and May, September, October, November. The show is from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM.

September 21, 2024

Steve Anderson Band. Over the years, we have had several house bands. They open the show and set the stage for the performances that follow. House bands come and go, but the Steve Anderson Band came and stayed. Steve is a very popular performer, and he delivers those great country classics beautifully with his rich voice and natural talent. The only original member of Steve’s band is Jan Biggs, vocalist and guitarist.

Kendall Rogers Celtic Band. People don’t usually think of Celtic music as part of our musical heritage, but it is at the heart of the roots of American music, especially Country, Bluegrass and Appalachian music. Some of the earliest music played when Europeans settled America were Celtic fiddle tunes, many of which are still played today. One of our board members, Chris Talley is the head of the Northshore Traditional music Society that has a very strong connection to Celtic music and suggested these newcomers to the Opry. We look forward to their performance.

Jonathan and John Gideon Trio. This is another group new to the Opry. Jonathan and John are a father-son duo accompanied by banjo player, Kalip Cole. They perform a variety of traditional kinds of music, but their principal styles are Bluegrass and Gospel. They are coming all the way from Forest Hill, Louisiana that is located just south of Alexandria. They are excited about their appearance at the Opry, and we anticipate their set.

Ben Redwine Jazz Band. Ben is one of the most respected and talented jazz musicians in the New Orleans area. He recently received the Prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the St Tammany Parish Commission on Cultural Affairs. Ben has a lot of experience in his background, and he is one of the few musicians who we can contact and trust that he will bring something superb to our stage. We are fortunate to have a musician of his caliber, and, if you love New Orleans style jazz, this will be a treat.

October 19, 2024

Bad Penny Pleasure Makers. Matt Bell and Joy Patterson form the core of this house band. This married couple often perform as a duet and stay busy performing in the New Orleans music scene. Joy also books groups to play on weekend nights at the Abita Brew Pub as well as assisting in booking groups to perform at the very popular Abita Springs Busker Festival sponsored by the Abita Springs Opry in partnership with the New Orleans Jazz Fest Foundation. They play a variety of tunes and are always real audience pleasers.

Cactus Thief. Aaron Maris heads up this group. This will be their first appearance at our show. We had his cousin Zach Maris perform this past Spring. They often perform together. Cactus Thief performs an eclectic fusion form of original music in the style of other talented groups who have played on our stage like the Deslondes. This is a popular band in this area and promises to add a little spice to our musical gumbo.

Natalie and Southern Accent. Natalie Melancon appeared on our stage last year as a vocalist with Rick Ledbetter. During a conversation following that show she informed me that she was forming a Swamp Pop Band. We have been in communication. She sent me a music sample of her group, and they are good. Swamp pop is a style of Rhythm and Blues that became very popular in clubs during the sixties in south Louisiana in bayou and sugar cane country south of New Orleans. It is a great Louisiana musical sound, and we have been wanting a Swamp pop group for a long time.

Dwayne Doopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers. Zydeco is another great music genre peculiar to Louisiana. It is a very high energy style with a strong rhythmic drive that was developed in South Louisiana where French is still spoken. Dwayne Doopsie is, perhaps, the best Zydeco musician in Louisiana. He was nominated for a Grammy, and this past spring he and Irma Thomas were the two Louisiana musicians invited to perform at the Jazz Fest with Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones. He has been at the Opry previously and will kick it up a notch or two. Be prepared for ultra-high energy. Dwayne will bring it.

November 16, 2024

The Spring Chickens. We have always had a Bluegrass band as one of our house groups. House bands come and go, and we recently had our previous Bluegrass house band left and left a Bluegrass vacuum. We immediately thought of the Spring Chickens as our newest hose band. They appeared in one of our previous shows. This group headed by Cody Smith is a very strong Bluegrass band and they are excited to be our house band. We welcome them to the Opry Stage.

Big Daddy O. Owen Tufts is one of the most highly regarded Blues musicians in the general area. He has been performing for many years and always delivers songs beautifully with his very smooth rich voice. He is an Opry veteran and has appeared here previously. Owen is a musician who we can trust to always bring something rich to the show. At this performance, he will bring a group, and we welcome him back.

The Scampwalkers. Country music is another of the forms that we always include in our shows. We are constantly seeking out new talent for our shows, and we are truly blessed to be living in an area rich in musical talent. It is not hard to locate good musicians in one of the most musical places anywhere. This is another group new to the Opry. They will be performing traditional Country music and might throw in a couple of originals. We look forward to welcoming them to the Abita Springs Opry.

Mid-City Aces. The group is headed up by Gina Forsyth who might be the best fiddler in Louisiana. She is well known in the Cajun music community and currently resides in Lafayette and teaches Cajun fiddling to Students at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. Gina has been on our stage more times than any musician outside of our house bands. She goes way back with the Opry and was the fiddler for the house band for our predecessor show, the Piney Woods Opry. The Mid-City Aces are a strong Cajun band that have been here previously and are a good group to close out our fall season.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU

We hope you will come and be part of the Abita Springs Opry experience. To sit and hear great traditional styles of music drawn from our diverse and wonderful musical heritage is more than a treat. Don’t forget, we always have great food available. Gumbo, hot dogs, homemade baked treats, and beverages prepared by local charitable organization provide great lagniappe.

The hundred-plus year old Abita Town Hall is the perfect setting for our show. The wooden building provides a warm and fitting venue for the music heard there. It also provides great acoustics, and our production crew headed by Kent Birkle assisted by Rob Bentley, Kenny Delbert, and Monique Coincoin do an outstanding job of filling the hall with perfect sound.

We believe this is another season of great traditional music. Please remember that we sell tickets on a first-come-first served basis. All seats are $20.00. We have not raised our prices for several years, and have no plans to do so any time soon. To purchase tickets call Kathy at 504-214-7777.

Y'all Come! See you at the Opry!