Welcoming back Atchafalaya to The Ruins on Saturday, October 1, 2022, at 8 pm. $10 cover starts at 7 pm.
Atchafalaya lit up the Gulf Coast music scene between Lafayette, Louisiana to Panama City, Florida from 1978 to 1996. Originally called Triad, the group was formed as a vocal trio by Larry Menard, Chris Foreman and Charlie Rees. Four months later, drummer David Varisco joined and Atchafalaya was born, playing their first gig on Halloween Night 1978 at The Landing in Lafayette. Bassist Lance Lafargue would join soon after, freeing Larry, Chris and Charlie of bass guitar duties. Lance left the group in mid-1981.
Once again a quartet, the band recorded 'I Couldn't Live Without You' (Foreman) and 'Shouldn't Even Have Tried' (Rees/Varisco). Released as a 45 rpm record, both songs found success on local radio, and interest in the band grew. Bassist Cal Arnold (1948 - 2008), formerly with Edgar Winter's White Trash, joined Atchafalaya in August 1981. This 5-man lineup would complete the band's first album, 'One in a Row', released in 1982. The exposure from the album and a dynamic live show helped the band become a staple of the Louisiana Fairs and Festivals circuit. The group's 2nd album, 'Atchafalaya - Defined' was released in 1984, and 'Live at the Boudin Festival' was released in 1986. After the departure of Larry and David, the band recorded 'Hills and Bayous' in 1989 with Ken Smith on fiddle and Kenny Alleman on drums.
In 2013, Atchafalaya was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. That same year also saw the return of the group performing with it's original 5 man line-up, playing a few reunion shows each year since. One thing you were assured of at an Atchafalaya show was a good time in a mix of all things that make the Acadiana culture what it is today... a little french, a little country, a little swamp pop, and a touch of Rock and R&B for a complete package.
Learn more about the band here.
