The Abita Blues Band

Bio

Lyrically driven acoustic and electric blues, Abita Blues pays tribute to southern bars, ditches, and bathroom walls. Their debut album, Louisiana Crude is a dirty blues portrait of down and out characters, late night odysseys, and Louisiana Crude, in every sense of the word. These songs are infused with elements from north and south of Lake Pontchartrain. "There are not a lot of artists speaking to the beauty of growing up on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.

We grew up here in the 70's. It was an adventure." Indeed, the local landscape takes center stage in songs like The Heron Song, Bayou Born, and All Kinds of Crazy - dirty blues tributes to the shallow creeks of Old Mandeville. "We practically lived in the creeks running off the lake. How could it not come out in our music at some point."

Photo By Claire Elyse Photography

Their live show has something for everybody. "Our set contains about half acoustic-rhythmic, folk songs and half electric, dirty-guitar tunes. There is a good bit of washboard and percussion throughout." In recording the album, the band wanted to preserve the purist nature of their sound. "There are no effects on this album. We recorded every song in one or two takes and adjusted levels - that was it. We wanted the songs to sound like one of our live shows, like a big party in a small road-house."

For A Good Time Call and Wild Pierre, two of the bands favorite songs, indeed capture the gritty magic of a night at Birdies' Roadhouse.

Why the title Louisiana Crude? In part the title comes from the crude characters that inhabit songs like Keep Sniffin and Wild Pierre. It comes from the crude land scape that is both dirty and beautiful. And of course, oil. "The last song we recorded was the song Louisiana Crude, which is about the oil spill. But once we stepped back and looked at all the songs and what they were about, that song title worked on every level in describing the album."

On The Road and Around the Block

Abita Blues recently returned from Disney’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival as the premier band representing Louisiana at the grand opening of the Louisiana Exhibit in Epcot.

Other venues and festivals that they have visited include the Mandeville Seafood Festival, Jefferson Parish Family Gras, Crescent City Classic, live broadcasts on WWOZ and RADIO HOLSTEBRO in Denmark, Tab Benoit’s Music Café, and Ruby’s Roadhouse, to name a few.

Recent appearances - 2010

Balcony Music Club - Every Tuesday in October.
Amite Oyster Festival
Ponchatoula Strawberry FEST

Recent appearances - 2009

Ruby’s Road House, Mandeville LA
Howlin’ Wolf North Shore, Mandeville LA

Recent appearances - 2008

13th Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival – Walt Disney World – Orlando, Florida
Mandeville Seafood Fest
Crescent City Classic (with Cowboy Mouth)
Family Gras in Jefferson Parish West Bank and East Bank stages (with Irma Thomas, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kansas, Herman's Hermits, Amanda Shaw and more)
Madisonville Lighthouse Fundraiser with Special Guest Dan Aykroyd

Sept 24th 2011 - Saturday
407 North Columbia Restaurant
8:30pm - 11:30pm
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Aug 27th 2011 - Saturday
New Orleans Voodoo Blues Challenge
Big Al's Saloon - Harvey, LA
7:00pm
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Aug 20th 2011 - Friday
407 North Columbia Restaurant
8:30pm - 11:30pm
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July 7th 2011 - Thursday
Birdies Road House
8:00pm - 11:00pm
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July 1st 2011 - Friday
407 North Columbia Restaurant
8:30pm - 11:30pm
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June 25th 2011 - Saturday
Lacombe Crab Festival
11:00pm - 1:00pm
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June 10th 2011 - Friday
Tap Room - Covington
8:00pm - 11:00pm
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May 28th 2011 - Saturday
Mudbug Madness Cajun Festival - Shrevport
4:00pm - 6:00pm
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April 30th 2011 - Saturday
Private Party - Andrews, North Carolina
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April 16th 2011 - Saturday
Sorelli's Brick Oven
8:00pm - 12:00
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April 8th 2011 - Friday
Alexandria Down Town Rocks - Alexandria
6:00pm - 8:00pm
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March 18th 2011 - Friday
407 North Columbia Restaurant
7:30pm - 10:30pm
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March 5th 2011 - Saturday
WWOZ French Market Stage
3:00pm - 3:45pm
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February 10th 2011 - Thursday
Singer / Songwriter night @
Sorelli's Brick Oven
8:00pm - 12:00
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Jan 28th 2011 - Friday
Sorelli's Brick Oven
8:00pm - 12:00
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Jan 13th 2011 - Thursday
Singer / Songwriter night @
Sorelli's Brick Oven
8:00pm - 12:00
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Birdies Roadhouse
Thursday Dec 9th 2010 - 8:00pm - till
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Sorelli's Brick Oven - Covington
Friday Nov 19th 2010 - 8:00pm - till
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Birdies Roadhouse
Thursday Nov 14th 2010 - 3:30pm - till
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Boudreaux & Thibodeaux's - Baton Rouge
Friday Nov. 12th 2010 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
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Birdies Roadhouse
Thursday Nov 7th 2010 - 8:00pm - till
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Carrollton Station - "Notes & Quotes" Series
Tuesday Oct 19th 2010 - 10:00pm
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Balcony Music Club - New Orleans
Tuesday Oct 19th 2010 7:00 pm - 9:oo pm
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Circle Bar - New Orleans
Saturday August 7th 2010 10:00 pm - 11:00 pm
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Covington Block Party!!! - Sorellis' Patio
Friday July 30 2010 7:00 pm - 9:oo pm
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Balcony Music Club - New Orleans
Tuesday July 27 2010 7:00 pm - 9:oo pm
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Neutral Ground Coffee House-
Friday July 23 2010 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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Tap Room - Acoustic Night
Thrusday July 22 2010 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
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Circle Bar - New Orleans
Monday July 19th 2010 10:00 pm - 11:00 pm
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Bastille Day Celebration - Covington
Saturday July 17th 2010 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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Mandeville Seafood FEST 2010
Saturday July 3rd 2010 - 7:00pm
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Ponchatoula Strawberry FEST 2010
Sunday April 11th 2010 - 11:30 - 1:00pm
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Amite Oyster Festival - 2010
Saturday March 20th 2010 - 3:00pm - 5:00pm