WEDNESDAY FOLK TRADITIONS
July 9 at 6:30pm
RIVER CITY SLIM & THE ZYDECO HOGS performing LOUSIANA ZYDECO

HADLEY, MA. —The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum will continue its 27th season of Wednesday Folk Traditions on July 9, with River City Slim and The Zydeco Hogs performing Louisiana Zydeco. The concert will be held in the Museum’s sunken garden beginning at 6:30 p.m., and picnicking on the grounds is welcome beginning at 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $2 for children 16 and under.

With no band member left out of the singing, and a blend of instrumentation that stays true to the Louisiana zydeco that’s been played for years, its not surprising that The Zydeco Hogs, “pump out some of the best high-energy Louisiana-style music to be heard outside of the Bayou State”. River City Slim & The Zydeco Hogs first came together in the cold New England winter of '98 - '99. The Hogs made a big splash at the eighth annual Folk Next Door concert at the University of Hartford in May of '99, and haven't looked back since. The band has made appearances at music festivals up and down the East Coast, including a performance at the 9th Annual Cajun/Zydeco Crawfish Festival in Fort Lauderdale, FL in 2001. Other major festivals The Hogs have been featured at include Musikfest in Bethehem PA, the Great Blue Heron Fest in Sherman NY, and Rhythm & Roots in Charlestown RI. They have released 3 albums, 2 of which have received airplay in CT, TX, AZ, CA, IL : High On The Hog - Hog Heaven 001 – Released in 2000, Big Fun On The Hog Farm - Hog Heaven 002 - Released in 2002, and Rockin' The Zydeco World - Hog Heaven 003 - Released in 2005.

Bandleader River City Slim is a lifelong Blues fan, musician and DJ. Slim was already a Texas/Louisiana Blues and R&B fiend when he was ‘bitten by the Zydeco bug’ at a performance by Terence Simien. The Zydeco Hogs reflect Slim's deep background in Gulf Coast music -- he's played behind a slew of Louisiana and Texas luminaries, including Willis Prudhomme, Corey Ledet, Jeffrey Broussard, Dexter Ardoin, D.L. Menard and others.

The newest Hog, bassist and vocalist Andy Karlok has held down the bottom for some of the best Blues and R&B bands in the Northeast, including a two-year stint with Blues legend Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson. During this time, Andy appeared on Luther's M.C. Records release "Live At The Rynborn". His most recent gig before joining The Hogs was an extended run with Dr. Ya Ya's Gumbo Party, a New England band that specializes in New Orleans-style R&B and funk.

Mark Thompson handles the squeeze box chores. He has jammed with the best at folk and roots music festivals throughout New England, being spotted onstage with such Louisiana luminaries as the Basin Brothers and D.L. Menard.

Guitar sensation Toad Eckert provides the melodic counterpoint to the accordion while jacking the energy level up a notch or two. Equally adept at churning rhythms and soaring leads, Toad also contributes his distinctive vocals to several songs.

Rockin' Robin Bean's rubboard syncopations and occasional flights of furious fiddling rounds out the rhythm section. Robin's let-the-good-times-roll stage presence brings things to another level, and he adds great harmony vocals to many tunes.

The 27th season of the WEDNESDAY FOLK TRADITIONS concert series continues on July 16, 2008, with Afro-Semitic Experience, and throughout the summer with MacTalla Mor, and MarKamusic.

Wednesday’s performances are funded, in part, by grants from: the Marion I. And Otto C. Kohler Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts; The Hadley Cultural Council, a local agency funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; The New England States Touring Program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment of the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies; and with support from many local businesses.

The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum is located at 130 River Drive (Route 47) in Hadley, two miles north of the junction of Routes 9 and 47. The Museum is open for guided tours Saturday through Wednesday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. For further information about the tours and the WEDNESDAY FOLK TRADITIONS series, call the Museum at (413) 584-4699.