(conqueroo) One of Louisiana's leading musical ambassadors, Buckwheat Zydeco, is joining with many others to keep the sounds of Louisiana alive and help their neighbors back home as the band participates in a number of major hurricane relief benefit concerts and broadcasts in the next days and weeks. Completing a nationwide five month tour in support of Buckwheat Zydeco's new album, Jackpot! (Tomorrow Recordings), Buck and the band had hoped to get home to their families after a Labor Day appearance, ironically, at Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival (a bumbershoot is an umbrella). But instead of a well deserved respite at home, Buckwheat Zydeco will head first for Nashville and then New York City -- which will virtually become a New Orleans in exile for at least a couple of weeks in September.
"This is something we must do," said Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr. "Our hearts are heavy for the people who have suffered so much, and we hope we can lift their spirits a bit with our music. We must all step in and help as much as we can."
Luckily the band's hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana was spared the destruction experienced by New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast, and their families and homes are fine. But communication has been very difficult as Louisiana home and cell phones are still unworkable, and the Lafayette area is apparently now home to thousands of displaced persons from New Orleans and elsewhere.
First off for Buckwheat Zydeco will be Nashville and an appearance on ReAct Now: Music & Relief, a three-hour concert special airing September 10th on CMT, MTV and VH1 to benefit the Hurricane Katrina relief campaign.
Among those scheduled Alan Jackson, Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, and Lynyrd Skynyrd will join the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and Paul McCartney. The three-hour live broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT and will emanate from New York, Los Angeles, Nashville and Atlanta. It will feature a combination of live and taped performances and messages from artists. Additional details will be announced soon. Check the MTV Networks websites for more information.
On Saturday, September 17th the band will participate in Jazz at Lincoln Center's Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Concert. The evening will feature Wynton Marsalis, Bill Cosby, Elvis Costello, Robert De Niro, Bette Midler, Dianne Reeves, Paul Simon, Meryl Streep, McCoy Tyner, Cassandra Wilson, Ken Burns and many more. Plans for broadcasting and recording this event are still in the works. The concert will be held at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th Street. Tickets go on sale September 8th, and are available at: The Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, Broadway at 60th Street, ground floor. For more information see: www.jalc.org.
Next up Buckwheat Zydeco will perform at The Big Apple To The Big Easy, New York City's Live Concert For The Gulf Coast, on September 20th at Madison Square Garden. The live concert event will feature New Orleans musical legends joined on stage with many of music's biggest names, including Elton John, Jimmy Buffett, Rod Stewart, John Fogerty, Bette Midler, Loggins and Messina, Stevie Nicks, Lenny Kravitz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Fats Domino, and the Neville Brothers. Madison Square Garden is underwriting all costs related to the event, and has pledged an additional $1 million dollar donation to begin the event's fundraising efforts. 100% of all proceeds will go directly to the long-term rebuilding of the area. Tickets to go on-sale on Tues
