Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience headline the Bessie’s Levitt Amp Concert Series.
TONIGHT
Terrance Simien is an eighth-generation Louisiana Creole who has been shattering myths about his indigenous Zydeco roots since the early 1980s.
Even folks not familiar with his name will recognize his music. In 2012, he performed “Dance Everyday” in the Warner Brothers film, “The Lucky One,” which starred Zac Efron and Blythe Danner. His version of the Zydeco standard “Uncle Bud” was also used in the film. That movie and “The Big Easy” are two of a dozen films that he and his band, The Zydeco Experience, have been featured in along with numerous TV commercials. Tonight he’ll bring a splash of New Orleans culture to town when Simien and The Zydeco Experience headline the free Levitt Amp Concert Series at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd. Show time is 7 p.m. Kelle Jolly & The Will Boyd Project will open.
Simien was born in 1965 into the hippie/folk/ soul music era that still intrigues him. He says he was inspired by all music from that period. His family is documented in history books as one of the first Creole families to settle St. Landry Parish.
In 1983, at the age of 18, Simien began touring professionally, and by 20, shared the stage with Fats Domino and Sarah Vaughan at the Bern Jazz Festival. His career exploded after that. Now he and his band have performed more than 7,000 concerts, have 19 albums and have played in 45 countries.