Good times will roll ("Bon Temps Rouler") in Hackettstown this winter when the Centenary Performing Art Guild presents Zydeco-A-Go-Go, the Mid-Atlantic's premiere practitioners of Louisiana dance music, on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 8 PM in the Centenary Theatre.

Swinging sounds of the of the Bayou permeate the syncopated dance music played by Creole French-speaking people of African Descent who borrowed many of Zydeco's defining elements from Cajun music. A popular accordion-based musical genre hailing from the prairies of south-central and southwest Louisiana, the core of zydeco is the sound of the accordion and the "chankety-chank" of the rubboard, or "frattoir." Folk etymology holds that the word zydeco derives from the French Creole common expression "Les haricots sont pas salés" ("The beans aren't salty"), a phrase which appeared in many Creole songs, and served as a lyrical metaphor for difficult times: in the past, Creoles seasoned their food, such as beans (les haricots), with salted meat - when times were bad, salted meat became too expensive, which explained why "the beans aren't salty."

Founded in 1992, the 6-member, all-star Zydeco A-Go-Go group specializes in zydeco, Cajun, New Orleans rhythm and blues and vintage Louisiana rock and roll. The band features colorful personnel with decades of experience and a collective resume which includes work with Cab Calloway, Bo Diddley, Sleepy LaBeef, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Taj Mahal, blues guitarist Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, New Orleans bluesman Charles "Honeyboy" Otis, and the late, great Cajun/Creole fiddler Canray Fontenot.

Zydeco A-Go-Go performers include Pete "Gumbo" Eshelman on the accordion and vocals, Pamela Eshelman on Rubboard and vocals, Bob Holden on drums and vocals, Randy Lippincott on bass guitar, Carl Crabtree on sax and vocals and Steve Chrismar on electric guitar and vocals, who all combine to create the irresistible, pulsating energy of pure Louisiana dance music.

"Zydeco? It makes you feel good.
It makes you want to dance and
forget your troubles."
                An audience member
            at a recent concert
 
 

Individual Tickets

Tickets for Zydeco-A-Go-Go are $17.50 general admission, $17.50 for seniors and students, and $15 for children/12.

How to Purchase Tickets
Individual Tickets (and Subscription Purchases, when available) can be purchased through our Secure Online Ordering System or by calling the Centenary Stage Company Box office at 908-979-0900. Tickets are also available at Greene's Beans Coffee Shop on High Street in Hackettstown.