Music Fest soothes fans
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 14, 2001
LEONARD GRAY
PHOTO: SAM PONS WOWS the crowd during Saturday’s musical offerings under the oaks of Destrehan Plantation. (Staff Photo by Leonard Gray) DESTREHAN – The performers on two stages soothed and mellowed the audience attending the Music Festival Under the Oaks at Destrehan Plantation last weekend. Performers presented pleasant musical fun for the whole family on Friday evening with the duo, Trout Fishing in America. Then, under Saturday’s flawless skies, a dozen more acts took to the stages and presented acoustic pleasure for all attendees. As an example, Burke Ingraffia offered his own compositions on guitar and harmonica, as well as American classics such as “Oh, Susanna!” Half of the performers were on stage inside the plantation’s Mule Barn, offering joy not only to the audience but to themselves. Ingraffia commented, “The sound just floats up to the roof, hangs there a second and then comes down.” More than one performer got the notion to return and record their next CD there. The festival was the brainchild of Don Schouest, who coordinated the talent, while Angie Matherne and Nancy Robert handled the rest. Performers included Mike Miller, the duo Lizard of Oz, Balsa Wood Flyers, Fred Clark, Justin Molaison, Sam Pons, Acoustic Attitude, Kid Sister and Brian Perry. Even teen-age girls accustomed to hard metal rock on the radio found themselves enthralled by the experience of relaxing on a blanket on the ground, listening to live, acoustic guitar. Said one girl listening to Sam Pons of New Orleans, “He’s hot! I want to start his fan club!” Schouest said of the lineup, “There’s not a lot of venues for this type of music,” adding he would like to see it be an annual event, providing a major source of revenue for the area. The festival was held to benefit the plantation’s Heritage Education Program, which teaches the importance of the African, Native American and European heritage for the region. The program dispels the myths of plantation living with hands-on demonstrations of the skills, crafts and talents used to make homes in the antebellum days. Sponsors for the event included River Road Historical Society, St. Charles Performing Arts Society, Borders Book Store, J.B. Martin Middle School, Harry Hurst Middle School, Swamp Eyes, C&M Music, Zachary Construction Co., St. Charles Parish President Albert Laque, Sheriff Greg Champagne, Evelyn Schoest, Gary and Phyllis Small, O’Keefe Electric Service, Southern Coffee Service, McDonald’s and Gold Eagle Security.