Louisiana Outsiders to debut as group at CCU
Conn will perform on guitar and violin, with Broussard on guitar and vocals and Bankston on vocals. Bankston is a professor of music at CCU and joined the faculty in 1998.
The Louisiana Outsiders' performance will represent a range of genres within the Louisiana musical tradition, including contemporary folk, Americana and Creole; two songs will be sung in Creole French.
"Songs from the concert embody various styles of American popular music and cover a wide range of subjects comedic, serious and inspirational," said Bankston. "They include the celebration of a new born baby; a jilted lover kidnapping his ex's dog; the lament of a Parisian prostitute; a lynching in Poplarville, Miss.; the saga of a Louisiana family; a Cajun girl falling for a trolley driver; a prodigal son returning to a cold reception; and a ruthless politician stating his creed."
Conn is a singer, songwriter and keyboardist who recently recorded a live album with Broussard and Sonny Labreth. Conn, who grew up in Pineville, La., and is deeply influenced by multiple dimensions of his home state's music and culture, has performed on nine Grammy-nominated albums and worked with musical legends Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler and the Dixie Chicks.
Broussard is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Lafayette, La., who plays guitar with the renowned Cajun band Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys and played lead guitar on Michael Martin Murphy's hit "Wildfire" in 1975. Broussard's latest collaboration with Barry Jean Ancelet on "Broken Promised Land" earned a 2017 Grammy nomination for Best Regional Roots Music Album.
Bankston, also a Louisiana native, is a singer, songwriter and guitarist who has been creating music for much of his life and has performed extensively in opera and musical theater, singing leading roles with many American companies including Houston Grand Opera, Washington Opera, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis and the New Orleans Opera. He has also has produced CDs of original music including "Galvez Town" (2002) and "Jazz Blues Gospel Shoes" (2007).
General admission is $17. Senior citizens, OLLI members, CCU alumni, teens and CCU/HGTC faculty and staff are $12. Tickets for children and CCU/HGTC students are $5.
Wheelwright Auditorium is located at 108 Spadoni Park Circle on the CCU main campus in Conway. For tickets, call the Wheelwright Box Office at 843-349-ARTS (2787). The box office is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.