Showing posts with label Rocque Payne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rocque Payne. Show all posts

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Take a Trip to the 2015 Highland Jazz & Blues Festival

Last year the Highland Jazz & Blues Festival was nearly frozen out; if you attended last year you were bundled up in many layers and probably had hot potatoes in your pockets.

This year the festival was bumped up from November to September and the weather was the other extreme -- hot and humid, but it was a glorious day nonetheless!  It was nearly perfect, actually, and any attendance that may have been missed last year was certainly made up for this year.

This is my favorite local festival, hands down, without a doubt.  This was the twelfth year and I think I may have only missed one year -- the first one, perhaps.  Not sure.

Highland is an eclectic, artsy, historic neighborhood and is filled with the most interesting people in town and they all come out to celebrate good music and to support local artists of all types.

We got there about 11:30 to stake out our spot before the noon kickoff with Buddy Flett and it was clear early on that it was going to get crowded.  There were a lot of people already gathered on the slope before the Twisted Root main stage.  Because temperatures were expected to hit the upper 90s today, we looked for shade.

Buddy Flett was in fine form and he is always a favorite.



The dancers came out early today:



We decided to scout out the food and the vendors after Buddy's set.  The vendors this year were terrific: there were maybe three jewelry vendors, a couple of artists, plenty of food vendors, and some political campaigning as well (tis the season).

Steve and I both opted for Ki Mexico; I got the chicken pablano tacos with cilantro and onions with a middle range spice and it was great!



Lucky for me, they have a brick and mortar location near my house.

There were plenty of dogs there today -- this is always a dog-friendly event.



And there was even a pig.  This is Stella; she has her own Facebook page!



The local brewery, Great Raft, was representing; I hope Flying Heart is there next year, too!



Robert Trudeau was there with a fabulous percussion group.  I did a Periscope of them; I'm not sure how long Periscope keeps video but if you have a 'Scope account you can check them out here.


They played between sets and were awesome!



The Matthew Davidson Band was performing on the Gazebo stage.  There was a lot more shade at that end of the park, which was a bonus.



Paparazzi.



There's always a Hula Hoop Girl there...



These people had the right idea with the hot sun overhead; I'm just glad I wasn't sitting behind them!



A.J. Cascio is always a crowd favorite and he had Joe Nadeau with him today.



Nobody makes the harmonica sing like AJ.



This is the mid-day crowd:



Huge, and always a great place to "people watch."



This guy was dancing all over the park and having a great time; and another Hula Hoop Girl:



On our way out I had to stop on the hill by the Gazebo stage; it's my annual homage to my friend Rocque who I always would run into at local musical events; nobody I know loved local music and loved to support local music more than he did.  He loved the classic greats, too; Rocque had seen more concerts than anyone I know and had scrapbooks filled with ticket stubs and photos from every great rock concert you could name.    Every year I stop in the same spot where I sat with Rocque one afternoon at this same festival and I raise a toast among the pines and the music to my friend who is listening from above now.


Now who should I find in that same spot today?  My friend Corina, which is totally appropriate because there is no bigger lover and supporter of local music than this chick.  Rocque would love it.  Karma is real.



And so, another Highland Jazz & Blues Fest is a success.  I ran into so many people I don't see nearly enough; this festival is the best one in Shreveport for it's mix of food, music, friends, and locale. The date change appears to be a huge success. In September, in Louisiana, you never know, but odds are you're going to get better weather than you do in November.  With the Red River Revel kicking off in the next couple of weeks, this new date seems like a good fit.

Can't wait until next year!

The SIGIS Take a Trip Series:
Take a Trip to the 2012 Defenders of Liberty Air Show at BAFB
Take a Springtime Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden, LA
Take a Trip to Logansport, Louisiana
Take a Trip to the Lock and Dam on Red River
Take a Trip to the 2012 Barkus and Meoux Parade
Take a Christmas Shopping Trip to Second Hand Rose in Minden
Take a Trip to the Fourth Annual Barksdale AFB Oktoberfest 
Take a Trip to Grand Cane's Fifth Annual Pioneer Trade Day
Take a Trip to the 2011 Highland Jazz & Blues Festival
Take an Autumn Trip to Jefferson, Texas
Take a Fall Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden
Take a Trip to the 8th Air Force Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base
Take a Summertime Trip to Grand Cane
Take a Trip to Desoto Parish
Take a Summer Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden
Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Melrose Plantation 
Take a Trip to Ed Lester Farms and a Random Antique Stop
Take a Trip to the Norton Art Gallery and the Masters of Cuban Art Exhibit
Take a Trip to Natchitoches to See the Christmas Lights
Take a Trip to the Third Annual BAFB Oktoberfest 
Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Oakland Plantation
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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Remembering Rocque on His Birthday

Today is my friend Rocque's birthday.  I wish I could take him a cake or send a card, but I can't.

Everyone that knew Rocque has their own personal favorite memories.  I posted some of mine here.  Rocque was a fun loving person and you always had a good time when you were around him.  He could aggravate you to no end, too!  I first met him around 1990 or '91.  For some odd reason it was considered cute (among girls) to wear laces, actual lace - laces, in your tennis shoes instead of strings.  You could go to the shoe store and buy shoestrings made out of lace.  Run 'em through your Keds and it was oh so cute.

This fad puzzled Rocque to no end.  (Looking back, I understand why).  Whenever he saw me with my "laces" he'd get a quizzical look and stare at them.  Then he couldn't resist the impulse to untie them.  Endlessly.  As our whole group would spend hours in Bilbo Baggins playing foosball, I could easily have to retie my shoes eight or ten times a night.  He thought it was hilarious.

He could get along with anybody.  As I said, he was just fun to be around.  I'll say this:  even my mother loved Rocque.  When he worked at Snyder Floor Covering he sold her a new kitchen floor.  I took him over there, he made the sale, and then saw the project through to the end.  He'd go over there and talk to her and explain things to her all through the installation.  He kept her laughing.  If you're a regular reader, you know my mom is a curmudgeon.  She's very selective about who she takes a shine too, but Rocque won her over.

Rocque, as I said before, loved music and it is some consolation that now he has the best concert seats possible as he is in the company of many great musicians:  Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, Ronnie Van Zant, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Clarence Clemons, and many, many more.  He'd love that.

I'm remembering you today, Rocque, and everyday.  Won't ever forget you.
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Saturday, November 13, 2010

Turkey Legs, Camera Cards, and The Highland Jazz Festival

The Highland Jazz and Blues Festival was today and there I was, head cold and all, right out there in it!  The skies were gray and the wind was cold, but we toughed it out and it was worth it.

What really sucks, though, is that I lost my memory card for my camera.  I discovered this last night, so I went right out to Best Buy today to get a new one so I could record parts of the festival today.  Naturally, of course, I get out there and my camera "can't read" the card.  I fussed with it for a while, totally missing the entire 25 minute set of Robin and the Bluebirds, before I called Steve and had him pick up my back-up card before meeting me there.

The back-up card was too small; that is to say that 10 pictures and one video and the thing was full and even then the video just converted to sound only.  SUCKS!

So I have no great evidence or things to share with you from the Highland Jazz Festival today except this shot of turkey legs.

The video I shot was GREAT:  it was David Egan, who was fabulous, and he called Miki Honeycutt up from the audience to do "Sing it One More Time Like That."  It was great. Great!  I don't have it.  But, there were lots of other folks filming, so I'll watch YouTube and see if something shows up.

Beyond all that camera drama, the day was still fun.  Steve and I had a great time looking at all the dogs that were there.  We saw a German Short hair Pointer named "Bird", several Labs, several Pits, big BIG dogs, little dogs, and everything in between. 

What is so fun about the Highland Jazz and Blues Festival is people watching.  Old people, young people, kids, hippies, ex-hippies, artsy people, business people, black, white, hispanic, asian people, and everyone knows each other.  Old friends meet and hug, people you haven't seen in thirty years, new friends, kids with hula hoops and chicks dancing alone.  Every kind of person you can imagine is there and is having a good time.

Of course I thought about Rocque.  He wasn't there last year, but the year before I took this picture of him and we sat together after running into each other there.  I stood in the same spot where we had been and said a little prayer and offered a little toast to him.  He was there.  He was, I suspect, really enjoying David Egan, who was just great!

You know, I realize the logistics would be a nightmare, but I would love to see a reunion band at The Highland Festival.  I mean, get Buddy Flett, Miki Honeycutt, and the usual suspects, but pull in some surprises like Hassell Teekell, Michael Coker, Dennis Zimmerman, Michael Grady, some of the old Southpaw folks....the possibilities abound.  But I promise you, people would turn out to see it.

So, tomorrow we're off to Milly Rose's Christmas Open House.  I was hoping to video her singing something tomorrow but I'll have to figure out this camera card deal first.  Drat.  Meanwhile, I'm going to fix some hot toddy something or other and knock the chill off.  The FMJRA will be delayed until tomorrow.
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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Rocque Sean Payne: 1957 - 2010


On October 7, 2000, the funk band Little Feat was slated to play at the Red River Revel.  It was raining; not hard, but a cool mist drizzled all evening and threatened to keep a lot of people at home.  I really wanted to see Little Feat.

I'd listened to them throughout the eighties and their album "Waiting For Columbus" was one of my favorites.  It had "Willin'," "Dixie Chicken," "Don't Bogart That Joint," and "Oh Atlanta."  Pretty much all the Little Feat classics.  I wore the grooves out of that album.

I couldn't find anyone to go with me to the Revel.  Nobody, none of my friends, wanted to brave the weather.  I put on my off-white lamb-skin car coat and I went by myself.  I drove downtown in the dark, found a place to park, and went to the Revel by myself.  I made my way through the crowds, past the funnel cakes and stained glass artists to the Riverfront stage where Little Feat was to play.

I bought a big beer in a Revel souvenir cup and wandered around.  You always see someone you know at the Revel.  I hadn't wandered too long through the small crowd when I heard, "Pat!  Hey, girl!" and when I turned around there was Rocque. 

Rocque and I had the knack for showing up at the same musical events.  It was no surprise that he was there, although we had not talked about it.  I threw my head back, laughed and gave him a hug.  "I just KNEW you'd be here somewhere!"  which is what I always said when I saw him places like that.  We found a seat on the sodden terraced lawn close to the front and stayed in the drizzle for all of Little Feat, singing along and yelling with the crowd.  They played everything we wanted to hear and of course, the encore was "Willin," "Don't Bogart That Joint," and "Let it Roll."

In mid-November 2008, I ran into Rocque again.  I'd seen him since the Little Feat performance of course, but the next time we randomly ran into each other outside of a club or restaurant, was at the 2008 Highland Jazz and Blues Fest.  It was a clear fall day, a perfect 60 degrees with a light breeze.  He was having lots of trouble walking then because of his injury and disability, but he had brought his boys out to hear the music.  I think Rocque really came to see Buddy Flett who was performing for one of the first times in public since his recovery from a disastrous illness.  It was tough for Rocque to mange those slopes and hills in Columbia Park with his cane but he did it.  He'd have done anything for those boys and Rocque loved good music.

Again, when I ran into him at the Highland Jazz and Blues Fest, I laughed and said, "I knew I'd find you here!"  I threw an LSU blanket down on the ground beside his chair and we listened to Jerry Beach, Bruce Flett and Miki Honeycutt.  I don't know if Rocque stayed for Buddy Flett or not; we split up after a bit and he went to find his kids who were busy in the playground.  I looked for him there last year but he wasn't there.

I first met Rocque Payne in 1991 through my husband at the time, Jim.  Rocque was working for Snyder Floor Covering as a salesman.  He was married to Sandy and we all hung out together for years.  Rocque, Sandy, and Jim all played foosball and that's what we did a lot at first.  I watched.  Rocque was the only person I ever knew who loved Eric Clapton as much as I do.  Rocque loved music and musicians and had a fabulous scrapbook of ticket stubs, pictures, and programs from concerts he'd been to.  In that book was everyone you'd possibly want to see, and many of them more than once.

Through the years we all drifted apart, went different ways, but still ran into each other as you do in a town this size.  I ran into Rocque at music events, restaurants and the occasional club.  We talked from time to time about other things, too.  He came by the house one afternoon to talk about Bossier Schools.  He was home-schooling his two boys, Dylan and Derek (loved those names!) and since I'm a teacher, we talked about school related things.  He wanted to do a good job for those kids.  He wanted to do it right.

In later years I would run into Rocque a lot at Nicky's Mexican Restaurant.  He took the boys there to eat fairly often, and in fact, that's where he was the last time I saw him a few months ago, during the summer.  Leaning on his cane, he made sure to stop by our table and say hello.

Through all the pain of his last years, I never knew Rocque to lose his good temper or his smile.  He never, ever failed to greet me with that big smile that stretched across his tanned, angular, face, light freckles sprinkled across his nose.  He always had a lean, thin frame and his brown eyes sparkled with laughter and mischief when he'd lean over for a hug.

I recently marked my calendar for this year's Highland Jazz and Blues Fest which is coming up in about three weeks.  I wondered if Rocque would be there.

He won't.

Rocque died Sunday, October 25.  There are a lot of people hurting right now because he's gone, but I know, as much of a cliche as it is, I know he's not suffering or in pain anymore.  His funeral is tomorrow (Thursday), but I can't go.  I have to work.  I'd cry and make a fool of myself anyway.  Instead, I'll sit quietly on my deck where we spent so many hours, have a beer, and say goodbye.

He was my good friend and I will never listen to Eric Clapton, Little Feat, The Black Crowes, The Rolling Stones...without thinking about Rocque.  I'll go to the Highland Fest this year, and I'll probably still look for him; he'll be there.  Most people won't see him, but he'll be there and he'll be having a blast.  He was my friend; I loved him like a friend, and I'll never forget him.

Godspeed, my friend, and rest in peace.

This one's for you:


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