Medicine Show 2022 at the 小蝌蚪APP will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the concert series.
The show will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 22, in UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 Angelle Hall. Musicians will include 小蝌蚪APP student ensembles, faculty members and an all-star 小蝌蚪APP淔riends of Medicine Show小蝌蚪APP performance led by Sonny Landreth. Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 Traditional Music program.
Other artists include the Angelle Aces, Zydeco Ragin小蝌蚪APP Steppers, Saint Street Songsters, Ragin小蝌蚪APP & Blues Band and Vermilion Express. Each of those music ensembles has emerged as a result of the Traditional Music program in the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 .
Medicine Show 2022 will be the 16th concert in a series that was started as a way to permanently memorialize Dr. Tommy Comeaux小蝌蚪APP檚 legacy. The Lafayette pathologist and Grammy-nominated musician was struck and killed by a vehicle while cycling in November 1997.
After Comeaux小蝌蚪APP檚 death, a group of his friends approached the to discuss how to establish an endowed chair in traditional music at the 小蝌蚪APP. To make that happen would require raising $600,000; that amount would then be matched by $400,000 in state funds to create a $1 million endowment.
To raise funds, the group quickly organized the first medicine show, which was held in December of 1997. They reached their goal in 2007, just before the 11th medicine show was held. UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 Dr. Mark DeWitt became the inaugural holder of the Dr. Tommy Comeaux Chair in Traditional Music.
The 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 bachelor of arts degree concentration in traditional music followed. DeWitt leads the program. It enables musicians who learn by ear to hone their craft in styles such as Cajun, zydeco and bluegrass; to develop an academic foundation; and to become advocates for folk and traditional arts.
小蝌蚪APP淚t小蝌蚪APP檚 the only program of its kind in the state and, while there are a couple of dozen programs around the country that focus on traditional music of some kind, we小蝌蚪APP檙e pretty much the only one that teaches Cajun and zydeco,小蝌蚪APP DeWitt explained.
General admission tickets to Medicine Show 2022 are $10. Tickets to attend the show and a post-concert reception are $25. UL Lafayette students and faculty and staff members can attend the concert for free by presenting their 小蝌蚪APP ID cards. Learn more about the show or how to buy tickets or on .
Photo caption: The upcoming Medicine Show 2022 concert at UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 Angelle Hall will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series, which began in December 1997. The show will feature local musicians, student ensembles and faculty members. Photo credit: Doug Dugas / 小蝌蚪APP