Ponderosa Stomp Night 2

Thanks to a horrible night's sleep and a parental errand, I didn't get to catch the conferences in the morning.

Highlights... mostly the really quick acts.

I was pretty meh about Deke Dickerson but Joe Clay flew on stage for a mere three songs but all of them full throttle. He was swinging around the stage and singing rockabilly in the rockabilliest way out of all the stars that graced the parish stage. Apparently he disappeared for years and somebody found him driving school buses on the westbank. Well, back into obscurity he went; immediately after finishing (I just happened to be going the way he was so I watched him do it) he went off stage, through the door between stages, down the stairs and through the exit, not stopping for anybody congratulating him on a good show. You wouldn't have expected it from his grade-A performance, but that's just the way some people are.

Robert Parker was actually better than he is recorded... but I really only say this because his backing band, lil Buck & and the Top Cats (though I think they were going by something else. Buckingtons?) were loud and lively. I've always thought Robert Parker's stuff was sort of mute, so he had no trouble sounding more or less exactly as he once did. I'll give this to him though: he clearly enjoyed doing it and, even in his toned down way, played entertainer pretty well.

About this lil' Buck band. Nobody really mentioned it, but tucked away on the back at the organ was Stanley Buckwheat Zydeco Dural. He actually started out doing organ in funk bands, so it wasn't THAT much of a surprise, but it was cool to see. Anyway, he and Lil' Buck's band backed up a ton of artists in a New Orleans\Eddie Bo tribute. The standouts to me were Little Freddie King doing some pretty impressive stunts on that guitar. Much more lively than he looks. He only did one song but I'll see him tomorrow at Jazz Fest. David Batiste only did one song as well but it was the best out of this sizeable bunch. He had to kick Buckwheat off the organ but goddamn was it excused! Three times the funk, and great to watch too, spinning around as he played.

Little Willie Littlefield played again. And I saw him again. It's surprising that they give this guy so much time, but I can't condemn them, I dearly love the guy. This is the best video I could find to show you what he's like. Though you should imagine more sweat.


Wanda Jackson sort of sounded like a chipmunk now, but you'd be amazed at how fire that that chipmunk had left in her. She still growled when she wanted to and was clearly so happy to be there and, 50 years later, get the recognition she knows she deserves.

Wiley and the Checkmates were excellent from what I could tell but the truth was I'm kind of beat. I don't know whether I'm actually sick right now or just tired, but I needed to go home and recooperate since I'll be back out at Jazz Fest tomorrow burning off another layer of skin. Nope, no Lattimore Brown, no Flamin' Groovies, no ? and the Mysterians. It was a tough call but I had to do it. If any of y'all saw them or any of the other acts, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Everybody I talked to about last night didn't get to see Lady Bo, so I'd like to know whether she pulled that act out of the nosedive.