The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Zydeco Experience comes to Central New York
EARLVILLE, N.Y. » For nearly 30 years, Grammy Awardwinning artist Terrance Simien, eighth generation Louisiana Creole, has been shattering the myths about what his indigenous Zydeco roots music is and is not.
Leading his Zydeco Experience band, Simien has become one of the most respected and accomplished artists in American roots music today. Simien and his bandmates have performed more than 7,000 concerts, toured millions of miles to more than 45 countries during their eventful career, and will now bring their sound to the Earlville Op-
era House on Friday, June 15, at 7 p.m.
Simien was born in 1965 into the hippie folk and soul music era that still intrigues him today. He was as influenced by Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel as he was by Sam Cooke and the Commodores. Since his family is documented in history books as one of the first Creole families to settle St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, his musical roots are firmly planted alongside the great zydeco pioneers like Chenier, Dela- fose, Chavis, Ardoin and that other Simien, Rockin Sidney, to name a few.
In 1983 at the age of 18, Simien began touring professionally and by 20 he was sharing the stage with Fats Domino and Sarah Vaughn at the Bern Jazz Festival. With a blend of New Orleans funk-reggae-flavored-world-blues-American zydeco roots music, Simien helped change the vocabulary for his genre by introducing complex vocal harmonies, diverse repertoire and carefully crafted high quality recordings. Simien has shared studio and stage with Robert Palmer, Stevie Wonder, Los Lobos, Taj Mahal, Dr. John, the Meters, Alan Toussaint, Paul Simon and Dave Matthews Band, to name a few.
Tickets are $27 general admission; $25 for members; college students half off general admission with ID; and $10 for youths 17 and under. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Premium seating applies in the first four rows. The EOH Theater is wheelchair-accessible with a ramp and a lift.
For more information, or to reserve your seats, call 315- 691- 3550 or order online at www.earlvilleoperahouse.com. The Opera House is located at 18 E. Main St., Earlville.