The Grammy-wining Lost Bayou Ramblers are the premier Cajun band in the country. Formed in Louisiana in 1999 by brothers Andre and Louis Michot, the band performs a dynamic range of traditional and contemporary styles from roots cajun music, swing, to what some reviewers have called punk and psychedelic Cajun. The Ramblers have toured across North America and Europe and have collaborated with Scarlett Johansson, Arcade Fire, Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes), Rickie Lee Jones, Dr. John, Spider Stacey (Pogues), among many others. In addition to their many accolades, they are also the featured band on the soundtrack to the Academy Award-nominated film, Beasts of the Southern Wild. NPR’s David Dye proclaimed the band #1 on his “five favorite live music moments in and out of the World Café studio.” This concert and the crawfish boil that follows the next day have become an annual Davenport tradition thanks for Dean B.

On Friday the 13th, the Lost Bayou Ramblers performed a concert in the dining hall. Students, fellows, graduate affiliates, the office staff, and some former dining hall workers all came out to enjoy the music and dance together. Dean B also joined in on vocals and the triangle. I’ve never seen anyone rock out so hard on the triangle.

The next afternoon, the band cooked the crawfish flown in from Louisiana for the whole Davenport community. Dean B and the Lost Bayou Ramblers taught students about cooking crawfish. This event always brings together students, fellows, and staff to enjoy an afternoon of music and food and to celebrate the unique culture of Louisiana.