Michael Juan Nunez and The American Electric June 18th, 2011 at The Blue Moon Saloon

By Patty McGehee:

Dan and I drove all the way out to the outskirts of Lafayette and by chance passed by Hamilton's Place, a famous Juke Joint of times gone by. I never went to Hamilton's Place, but Michael Juan Nunez has written a cool song about it. Clifton Chenier played many gigs there. Juan's song and video are very cool, indeed. Dan and I made a turn around so I could take photos. I took some and then he took a shot of me in front.We were wasting time before going to see Juan at The Blue Moon. We had some time to kill after eating out for dinner.

The front of the building faces the highway and these days there is a subdivision across the street from it. I understand that during its heyday, it was in the woods. Louisiana Life Magazine published a really neat article about it a couple of years ago and I was interested in it

At the end of "Water and Steel" Juan is about to snap 

After taking photos,
we went off on a little
shopping spree and wound up at The Blue Moon right in time for the show. It was  a hot night and we sweated a lot, but it was worth it.

Chad is working up a sweat

On "The Main Line" on " Pocket Full of Jesus"

The show was hard core Blues with Juan focused on slide techniques. Dudley played the  drums with a lot of "extras." He tapped here, pinged there, and he put emphasis on one of Juan's licks while Chad held down the bottom.  It was delightful. Juan ended the show with  his psychedelic slide techniques that he creates by loosening  the strings and fiddling around with a beer bottle slide. It is fun stuff. Most of the songs were original, filled in with well chosen covers of interesting Blues. Highlights of the night were Juan's "I Don't mind Gettin'  and  "Pocket Full of Jesus," a satire about a crooked television evangelist.

Juan gets heavy on "When the Levee Breaks."

On the way back to Ponchatoula, we had to go through a DWI check point on Louisiana Avenue in Lafayette. That was very intimidating and scary even though Dan does not drink at all. The officer seemed menacing and it was weird   to have 20 officers standing along side the road watching a as you go through an s curve obstacle course. Having a flashlight shined in one's eyes for no just cause is really rude. I was a nervous wreck. I had a sense that they would just jump in the car and manhandle me if I made one weird move. I was scared of them, for some reason, even though we were not breaking the law. It put a damper on a great night.

I know they do that a lot in Lafayette, but it was no fun for us, even though we do not drink and drive at all.

Juan, Patty, and Chad after the show.