Simi Valley Zydeco and Blues Festival

Simi Valley Zydeco & Blues Festival Info... Festival Planner - May 28th-29th

The Simi Valley Festival this year has a good line up for Zydeco so I am planning on going and thougth others could benefit from a festival planner post..

First Step - Hotel:
Dates - Friday May 27th, Saturday 28th, Sunday 29th... (or just Saturday if you want to drive up Saturday and just spend one night)

There is another event in Simi the same weekend so book your room now if you think you maybe going and just cancel it if you change your mind. There are always rooms in the next community over in Chatsworth or San Fernando if Simi does fill up...

Cheap - Motel 6... this is right off the freeway and about 5 mintues from the festival. Very inexpensive rooms and many dancers often stay there. $70 rooms are a great price so grab them while they last !!
http://www.motel6.com/reservations/motel_detail.aspx?num=170

Extended Stay America Los Angeles-Simi Valley - $90 rooms
http://www.extendedstayamerica.com/hotels/los-angeles-simi-valley.html

Holiday Inn Express - Simi Valley - $110 rooms
http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/en/simi-valley/laxsv/hoteldetail

Full list of Simi Valley Hotels
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g33093-Simi_Valley_California-Hotels.html

Friday Night Get Together
For those who want to connect up with other dancers and if they are coming up we can get together Friday night. The place and time will be worked out and shared but just wanted to throw out the option for those interested...

Saturday night Zydeco dance in Simi Valley
A Zydeco DJ party hosted by AJ and Greg Benusa. The party will be at the Grand Vista Hotel in Simi starting 9pm. Dinner and bar food available at the bar/club as well before 9pm. Here is a link to more information to share... the hotel asked if we could estimate the number so if you know your going it would be nice to click on the I'm going button at the web site..


Saturday night Event Web page:
http://www.meetup.com/zydecosandiego/events/17230274/

Saturday night free dance details: Lesson 9pm, Dance 9:30pm-12:30am, no cover. Dinner available before and during dance. Saturday May 28th, 2011
Location: Grand Vista Hotel / Arena Bar, 999 Enchanted Way, Simi Valley, 93065
Questions? email Greg at gbenusa@pacbell.net or call 619-857-8409

Monday - Memorial Day Fun...
There maybe a group of dancers heading to a local tourist attraction so I will post updates to the plans in case you want to attend.  Possibly Channel Island National Park which is close or other adventures...
http://www.islandpackers.com/

There will be dance lessons as well this year at Simi...
Myself, AJ, Karen Redding and others will be making it happen :)

Zydeco Band Lineup.....
Saturday, May 28
Swamp Critters
Andre Thierry
Parade
Buckwheat Zydeco
Lil Pookie

Sunday, May 29
Bayou Brothers
Lil Pookie
Parade
Buckwheat Zydeco
Andre Thierry

Blues...
The 44's
Los Fabulocos Feat Kid Ramos
Mikey Jr. & Stone Cold Blues
Arthur Adams
Ana Popovic
Mannish Boys Revue with various special guests
John Nemeth

Sunday - May 29, 2011
Cadillac Zack with Special Guests
Mitch Kashmar Band
Kirk Fletcher Band
Big Pete tribute to Lester Butler
Shawn Pittman
Elvin Bishop "Hell Raisin Review"
Maria Muldaur

Web Site Artists:
http://simicajun.org/2010/?page_id=6Festival Web Site:

Simi Festival Web Site:
http://www.cajun-blues.com/

Grammy Awards Kill the Cajun/Zydeco Category :(

It was fun while it lasted... which was four years but the Grammy's narrowed down the field from 109 categories to 78 currently.  I guess if there is a good spin on it they didn't just let only the Cajun/Zydeco go.  In the future they will be included in the Grammy's best regional roots.  See the following link for the whole scoop...
http://www.katc.com/news/grammys-drop-more-than-30-categories-including-cajun-and-zydeco/

Gator By The Bay Festival Planner 2011

Gator By The Bay Festival Planner...

It's coming up on festival season and Gator By The Bay is the biggie and here are a few thoughts / tips for the coming festival.... www.GatorByTheBay.com

Hotel:
If you or someone you know needs a hotel book NOW :)...
1. Sheraton - Next to festival ... they have two $109 rate rooms left... !!! 619-291-2900
2. West 500 Hotel - $40/night Downtown San Diego. 1 mile from festival..http://www.500westhotelsd.com
Best deal in San Diego... right downtown close to bay.. several dancers have stayed here...
3. Motel 6 - $70/night... it's a 1/2 mile from the festival... 619-232-8931

Friday Night Party !!
Don't forget that there was a Friday night entertainment added to the festival... Here is a link to Friday's lineup so far... Along with all the bands playing Friday it looks like a tribute DJ dance and showing films according to the web site..
http://www.gatorbythebay.com/friday.html

Cajun/Zydeco Entertainers:
Of corse Brian Jack will be headlining and there are many new bands of which I will just comment on a few out of town Cajun/Zydeco bands listed below. Here is a link to all the bands...
http://www.gatorbythebay.com/line_up.html

Ryan Brunet & the Malfecteurs .. Cajun high energy band that I have never seen before and looking forward to seeing them as their video clip on the Gator web site shows some great energy..
http://www.gatorbythebay.com/index.html

L'Angelus - Great fun Cajun youing Cajun band from Lafayette who recently moved to Nashville to try and make it in the big leagues..
http://www.gatorbythebay.com/index.html

Horace Trahan - I don't think Horace has played at Gator before that I remember .. danced to him up in LA and he will keep your feet-a-moving... the inside scoop... Horace was a very talented Zydeco artist who became famous for a song called "That Butt Thing"... he got so much attention for this song from what I have heard it really bugged him so he pulled out of Zydeco, found religion and didn't really play that much for a while. Then..thank goodness... he started playing again with more a crossover Cajun/Zydeco high energy style that we hear today..
http://www.gatorbythebay.com/index.html

Parking:
Just check the web site before you go for latest info..
http://www.gatorbythebay.com/map.html

Volunteer:
The festival would never happen if it wasn't for all the great volunteer's... click here for details..
http://www.gatorbythebay.com/volunteer.html

Dance Lessons:
Many of the great instructors will be back and a few new instructors as well.. I will be teaching a Intermediate/Advanced Zydeco class on Saturday as well.

Free Online Zydeco Lesson:
If you or anyone you know is new to Zydeco... here is a free online lesson www.ZydecoLesson.com

Zydeco DVD's:
If you want to learn a few moves at home check out the DVD's... DVD#4 was just released as well..
http://www.learnzydeco.com/. See the new moves covered at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axpzh5wCX_g

Food...
Of course there are a ton of places at the festival to eat at but for a little break or before the festival I have always loved walking around the marina in between the two Sheraton Hotel Towers to the little deli place on the water overlooking the boats called Papananis. Here is their web site and it's open early and late for a great little place to rest those dancing legs and enjoy the beauty of the marina.. It's a great place for a little breakfast as well...
http://www.papananis.com/

Web Site:
Gator's main web site is at www.gatorybythebay.com for reference...

Tickets:
You can get your tickets now at the link below... you can save $10 if you purchase a weekend pass. Considering how many hours of entertainment it's still a very good deal when you think of what other entertainment costs for a days activities :)
https://secure.bluehost.com/~sandiem2/tickets.html

Looking forward to another great year thanks to all those hard working Gator By The Bay folks, the Bon Temp's Social club and and volenteer's who make it happen!!!