By Wendy Lemlin
(SAN DIEGO, CA) – “Ain’t no party like a Chubby party, ‘cause a Chubby party don’t stop!”
For 30 years, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band have been turning audiences into “zydeco junkies”, by plying them with the band’s own brand of high energy, funky swamp zydeco, and instigating dancing and listening euphoria. And they will do so again at this year’s Gator By the Bay Festival, happening May 9-12. But Chubby and the band are no strangers to the blues, either and the multi-talented musicians have been featured performers all along the blues circuit, including the Chicago Blues Fest, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise and the Baja Blues Festival.
“I love playing for people,” Chubby says, “and I found early on that I had to expand my repertoire in order to follow this passion of touring and playing full time. Along with zydeco, blues was my “other love,” and for many years I mostly played blues or R&B when I traveled to areas where zydeco wasn’t as well known. These days, I’m thrilled to be able to integrate these genres and bring a touch of blues to my zydeco, and a touch of zydeco to my blues!”
Chubby’s sound is infectious – a concoction of blues, 70s funk, and rock and roll, and good-ole zydeco flavor – and is flat-out made for dancing. His latest CD, Black Pot, showcases songs that draw on all these elements. Like any good gumbo, it serves up the tastiest musical flavors of Louisiana in one big bowl of “gotta have more!” – the same quality that earned the band’s 2011 release, Zydeco Junkie, one of the highest musical accolades when it was named Best Zydeco or Cajun Album during the 53rd annual Grammy Awards celebration in 2011.
In addition to the coveted Grammy, accordionist Carrier was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame on October 16, 2011; the band was honored with OffBeat magazine’s Best of the Beat award when it named Zydeco Junkie as the Best Zydeco Album; and the 2011 Big Easy Music Awards awarded the group the title of Best Zydeco. In recognition of Carrier’s accomplishments as a musician and humanitarian, the band has been bestowed with keys to the city from such Louisiana municipalities as Lake Charles, Opelousas, and Lafayette.
The tight sounds of The Bayou Swamp Band are a result of the talents and professionalism of its members. Together, they give Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band the pizzazz-laden musicality that fans everywhere have been clamoring for for over 30 years. Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band will be playing at Gator By the Bay on Friday May 10, Saturday May 11, and Sunday May 12.
Check the GatorByTheBay.com website for schedule and info, or download the Gator By the Bay app.
