Mark Laurens plays accordion with Zydeco Fire. |
What do southwest Ohio and southwest Louisiana have in common? Well, they both have big rivers...
Growing up on a large dairy farm in southwestern Ohio, Mark Laurens developed his natural squeezing ability at an early age. Mark spent years as a guitar player in and out of many of the area's blues bands.
Eventually trading in the cows and the guitar for a Cajun-style accordion, he soon learned he had a knack for southwest Louisiana zydeco music.
Putting together his own zydeco band in 1997, Mark Laurens and his band Zydeco Fire have become known for their own brand of red-hot bayou-influenced dance music.
Zydeco Fire plays original tunes as well as Louisiana dance hall covers of artists such as Boozoo Chavis, Beau Jocque, Clifton Chenier, The Neville Brothers, Terrance Semmien, C. J. Chenier and many others.
Mark and his band have been at Kettering Ohio's Zydeco Swamp Romp every year since 1998, sharing the stage with Zydeco greats like Buckwheat Zydeco, Wayne Toops, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Cha's and the like.
Zydeco Fire is also seen every year at the Second Street Public Market Mardi Gras and The Trolley Stop's annual Fat Tuesday show.
Other appearances include the Akron "Raging Cajun Fest," Springfield Culture Fest, Lebanon Blues Fest, Yellow Springs Blues Fest, Dayton Riverscape, and many clubs, restaurants, weddings, festivals - even a bar mitzvah.
Don't miss the first zydeco music ever performed in St. Marys at 5:00 pm September 5. When Mark Laurens & Zydeco Fire take the Riverside Bluesfest stage come Saturday night, you'll think you're in southwest Louisiana.
Laissez les bon temps roulez!
| Discography: |
| Year |
Title |
Label |
2005
|
Zydeco Winnebago
|
|
