By Eric White
By Eric White
Some Reflections on Cow Island Live 2022 from one ole DJ, As I drove down this past Friday night to emcee Cow Island Live 2022, I was overwhelmed with memories of the last 30 years working in radio. I am the guy who was shy and never wanted to get on stage and talk; I’ll be over here handing out coozies or bumper stickers. Extemporaneous speaking has never been one of my strong talents. I am the emcee of Cow Island Live 2022.
I watched in awe on Friday night as Blake Luquette sang his tail off, The Bucks, an eclectic country band that pays tribute to the Bakersfield sound, and my man Jaryd Lane and The Parish hit the stage. These three acts were incredible, and I drove myself on Friday, so this was a one-beer night. As my friend Craig Deroche says, this is one “I don’t want to miss”. That was Friday, and the Three Bros Cooking team cooked up a Gumbo that was off the chart. It was a great time.
On Saturday, the weather was forecasted to be rainy and cold all day long. Maybe in my younger days, I would have been upset, but at 52 years young I was thrilled Thursday when I got the email that the event was moving to the V Arena, it has an official government name but will always be known in my head as the V-Arena. It is hallowed ground for me as it was the first place I ever saw Jaryd Lane perform in 2006. Back when I thought “Country Boy Blues” was sung by that guy from Poison.
Well, the day kicked off with what will become one of my greatest errors that we made lemonade out of, the first band that I introduced was Tommy Leblanc, who will forever be known as Tommy Leblanc and the Fonteneauxs. Then a gentleman who hails from the piney woods of Northeast Texas, but now hones his craft in Galveston, Texas, Gabe Wooton, did the storytelling thing in between his songs. I spent a lot of time with Gabe all day. It was an instant friendship.
Alison Lewis from Detroit, Michigan, was next, and she could write a great song. We had extensive conversations as the day progressed. Jacky Lynx, a new band out of Lafayette, hit the stage for their first show as a band. Although they performed with others, this was the debut of this group.
My friend Mike Larson and the Ones that Got away were next and, as always, did not disappoint. While they were on stage, I got to see two of my favorite musicians in the world, I have tremendous respect for the Legendary Michael Juan Nunez and equally Eric Adcock. When they hit the stage, by the way, one of the first times I ever got to introduce them on stage I was honored. I was in sensory overload as to who to watch do the slightest thing on stage, Michael or Eric, both do the slightest thing on stage, and they blow me away.
Doop and The Inside Outlaws hit the stage, Doop is also from Detroit, and his band was guys who have played with Mike Dean and others in the past. So they were sent tapes, flights screwed up, and what we saw on stage was an unrehearsed show that went off to the naked eye as flawless. Doop alluded to it during his show, and he also gave me one of the greatest moments of the day later in the evening when he was watching Mike sing a song he wrote for Mike in 2012.
We get to, for me, the Main Event. For those that don’t know, I credit Mike Dean with changing my life. His song “Three Shirts” changed my career path and made me a better friend, husband, and brother. Mike’s music has continued to speak to me over the years. Getting to stand on the stage of Cow Island Live with Mike, Buck, and Travis was a moment I will cherish ‘til my days are done. When Mike sang “Saturday,” I watched Doop. Not often is a songwriter visibly watching an artist do their song or react to it. It was a great moment, Melissa, Buck’s much better half, and her speech has become a tradition at Cow Island Live. The only part that she says that I would scratch is when she introduces me and thanks me. I mean two days of Live music held in the sticks, and honestly, musicians who play at noonish are still present at the end of the day. It’s what I remember and what I love about Acadiana’s Music Scene. I am the one who gives thanks.
