Buckwheat Zydeco

We had never seen Marcia Ball before and she was fantastic!!! She can really play those keyboards and her voice is phenomenal. We are "groupies" of Buckwheat but haven't seen him for 3-4 years because of his very serious health issues. Well, prayers have recovered him and he was in FINE form!!! We even got autographs and a couple of pics with him. He's as great and fun as ever and hasn't lost a step. Still has that great Southern New Orleans charm!!! His boys and the whole band are just fantastic and the music is just so fun!!! What a New Orleans way to spend Fat Tuesday - GREAT TIME!!!

Great Music and entertainment. There were seating problems (see comments below. )

From the opening band, Lonesome Bert and the Skinny Lizards to the main attraction, we enjoyed every minute! Loved the venue, also.

Great show! Great performer! Cubby Bear is always great for an intimate show.

My husband and I are huge Buckwheat Zydeco fans and have several CD's that we listen to fairly often. This was the first time seeing him in person and we have to say that we gave the overall show a C- grade. The opening act was painfully long and Buckwheat - when he finally did come on stage only played for about 45 minutes. The sound mix was not very good as you could not hear the accordian too well and it seemed like the trumpet and guitars drowned out the true sounds of Zydeco music. We would like to see him again in person, but will try a different venue to see if the Cubby Bear was not the ideal place to hear him.

The concert was amazing! I got these tickets as something fun for my mom and I to go to because she's into zydeco and she used to play "The Big Easy" soundtrack all the time when I was a kid. I like zydeco and blues but wouldn't really consider myself a 'fan' of either. This concert changed this. The energy that Buckwheat and the band brought was extremely contagious. I feel like anyone who isn't afraid to let loose would really enjoy seeing Buckwheat live. The venue was intimate and we were able to get right up near the front. The music just made you want to dance and really lifted the spirit. They bring a very positive vibe that you can't help but get into. I can only imagine how great it would be to see them perform in a Mardi Gras setting!

Buckwheat Zydeco rocks. He has such energy and a winning smile, and his music just gets the room moving!

Buck Wheat is a party with an excellant band. His zydeco is second to none and he had the Cubby bear rocking. Lots of zydeco and buck wheat fans in attendance.

It's always a party when Buckwheat comes to town! Great performer, good band and one of the best travelling zydeco shows outside of the big easy. Set was kinda short, but it was definitely worth it.

Buckwheat Zydeco brought a band of seasoned musicians to the Cubby Bear lounge in Chicago. As of fan of his since the early 90's my wife and i were not disappointed!!!! The band played a great 2 1/2 hr. set even though the show had not sold out.

Buckwheat and his band were great. They put on quite a show. Very professional and the sound was fantastic. The surprise was a very good opening act by a band I'd never heard before, "Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans" They weren't listed on the ticket. They played all original material. Paul Cebar is a great vocalist backed up by journeyman musicians. The Northern Lights Theater at the Potowatami Casino is a terrific venue with no bad seats. Very intimate. I got more than my moneysworth. What a great way to spend the evening before Fat Tuesday.

I've been seeing Buckwheat for many years - he is still the ultimate sweet performer but I've noticed his sets are slowing down and he's doing a little more talking, less jamming. Granted, he's getting "up there" in years, so it's understandable, but I miss the "jumping all over" music we used to hear through the majority of his performances. Still a great entertainer and he's remarkable for his age. His concerts are always still fun at any venue!!!

Buckwheat's performance was tops. The downer for the evening was that the show started over one hour late necessitating our having to leave before it was over. Not exactly what we paid for.

Buckwheat is ALWAYS a good time. You just can not look at the guy without smiling!

good show nice venue could have been a bit bigger with an opening act

This is the 3rd time that I have seen Buckwheat and I always enjoy his show, although I must say that I think this was the best!

Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural was amazing! Loved the music. Loved the band. Loved the venue! And who knew you could do that with a washboard?! Not to mention the cool elderly man on the guitar! WHOA!! It was a great night!!

Having been a Buckwheat Zydeco fan for many years and seen many shows, I was somewhat disappointed at the recent Des Moines concert. Essentially Stanley's age is not allowing him the vibrancy of past performances. He was still entertaining, but not as exuberant and lively as in the past.

Buckwheat and his band put on a great show. This was the first time seeing him and really enjoyed the music, the interaction with the audience and the love he has for his music and the audience .

Fortunate enough to get front row center seats. Show started within 10 miutes of the announced time. As always, Buckwheat puts on a great show. How anyone can see one of his shows and not be movin' and groovin' is beyond us. The songs and patter are similar to other Buckwheat shows we've seen, but the live performance is amazing. All the band members also get their own time to shine and do a great job. Rev Curtis Watkins can blow with the best of them. Show is very family oriented, no cussing or inappropriate comments, gyrations, etc... You could take small children to it and KNOW that nothing the band would do would be objectionable at all.

The first time I saw Buckwheat was over 40 yrs ago as a college kid when he gave a free concert in a city park. The second time I saw him was Thursday, July 11, 2013. Not that you care, but why I went to see him: My friend picked up an accordion at a garage sale and then I called him Buckwheat Zydeco. He had no idea what I meant so I gave a bit of history and went to YOUTUBE. He loved it and so went to BB KIngs. Long story short, his band played for a good 15 mins before he came out and a call for an encore was after only 45 minutes. Not that that mattered as everything sounded the same. He soloed just a little, the Hammond wasn't working properly. When the whole band played, you couldn't really discern the accordion. Not a good thing. On a positive note, he is extremely personable and his band members are excellent musicians.

Let's start with what was good: the musicianship was excellent, but it wasn't the Buckwheat Zydeco I know and love. I've seen the band half a dozen times and have several CDs, have never been disappointed before. The reason? Vocalist/accordianist Stanley "Buckwheat" Durel doesn't sing any more, hence the band did not play a single one of their hits. Instead, Buckwheat led the band through long instrumental jams and showpieces interspersed with what could best be described as cheer-leading by the former lead vocalist, regularly encouraging the crowd to "scream" "party" and "have a good time". Additionally, he wasted a lot of time arguing with the soundman about the lack of high end in the monitors, and discussing with the band during the encores how much longer they could/should play. The acoustics in the hall were superb, and this first visit there convinced me this is a top-notch venue to see a show at, but the lack of dance floor coupled with an audience composed of tourists who clearly had no idea of the band or their material took away from the energy and enthusiasm. Although it wasn't the show I'm used to or wanted, there is no denying the quality of all the musicians. Still, it wasn't worth the 130 mile drive to see one of my favorite live performers come off as a shadow of his former self.

My friend and I had such a good time, I wish I was able to go too the late show. I felt like I was at Mardi Gras. I love Happy Music. When he comes back I'll be there.

This was the worst show I have ever seen! I have seen Buckwheat Zydeco 5 or 6 times. He usually puts on a great show, but this was pathetic!. He and his band played about 5 songs, while they were extended, the play was lackluster. I realize Buckwheat is getting older, but he didn't have any energy and neither did the band. Buckwheat said they were going to play 2 sets. Maybe he thought for the 1st set the same audience would be available for the 2nd set. I have seen Buckwheat at this venue before and they allowed you to stay for 2nd set, so maybe he thought this was the case, and performed a lot better for the 2nd set. In any case, I think the B.B. King club also made a mistake in setting tables on the dance floor, I know they are in a business too make money, but charging more money, than the standard general admission fee was all patrons was a bit much, considering this terrible show. Buckwheat is dancing music, so this show should have an open dance. I was at the George Clinton show a couple weeks before this show and it was great. You charge general admission prices and you had an open dance floor. This is how the Buckwheat show should have been conducted!

AS EVER BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO WAS SWELL. I WAS NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE OPENING ACT. THEY WERE OK NOTHING SPECIAL. I WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE LENGTH OF TIME BUCKWHEAT WAS ON STAGE. IT WAS THREE MAYBE FOUR SONGS IN THE SET. THE FOOD AT BB KING'S REALLY STINKS. YOU HAVE TO GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO MAKE THE SIMPLEST OF RECIPES SO AWFUL. IT KILLS ME TO EAT THERE BUT I LIKE EAT WHEN I DRINK SO I ORDER FOOD ANYWAY. THE BEST MEAL I HAD THERE WAS THE SUNDAY BRUNCH.

What a fun show. The musicianship was excellent. Much better than I expected. These guys are a must see for anyone who loves music. Don't go if you don't want to be up and dancing and smiling. I only wish the show was longer... it was about an hour. "Buckwheat's" personna was a joy , and the crowd loved it. Worth every penny. The venue was perfect... as usual. Drink and food service was excellent and friendly... I only wish they had more vegetarian options on the menu. I will DEFINITELY see them again.

I saw Buckwheat Zydeco at BB Kings at the 10pm show. About 45 minutes into the show i walked to the bar to get a drink. By the time i got back to the table, the show was over. I couldn't believe it. Then, they were literally pushing us out of the venue. For a place that has a minimum drink order and charges you $30 a ticket, you think they'd put on a longer show. I don't believe this has ANYTHING to do with the band itself. They absolutely rocked. But i was very pissed off that the event was only an hour.

Buckwheat is truly amazing. Buckwheat seems to outdo himself with every performance. He & his band connect with the audience and were rocking. When he plays, you just have to get up and dance (even if you don't know how). He is fabulous!! He just fills you full of happy.

IT WAS GREAT! WE WENT WITH MY SON AND HIS WIFE AND SAT AT A NON RESERVE TABLE WHICH WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE STAGE TO THE RIGHT SO IT WAS GREAT.

Great music! Fun time! I liked that we were served drinks!

Buck is the undisputed grand master of zydeco, but he also plays a seriously mean B3. The back-up group contains virtuosos in their own right. Serious blues guitar, trumpet, bass, drums, etc. You have to be dead not to get up and dance. Stanley and the gang brought a breath of vitality to Ann Arbor in the middle of February.

A great show. Had tons of fun. Everyone enjoyed themselves.

We saw Buckwheat Zydeco a few years ago here and it was great! This show did not come close. I was disappointed tables were set up on the dance floor, and the 8 oclock show was short. The opening band was good, but I didn't come to see them, and their set was at least as long as Buckwheat Zydeco.

I'm a huge Buckwheat Zydeco fan and try to see him when he's in town. His music is still good but I was very disappointed in his show this past Friday. He barely played an hour. It was ridiculous how short his show was. He played two sets and we went to the 2nd show. If he doesn't have the energy to do two sets anymore, then just do one longer set. I definitely didn't get my monies worth. Very disappointing! I also had an issue with the club. They put tables all over the dance floor so people couldn't stand and dance near the stage. You need to be able to dance and move around for Buckwheat.

I've seen a Buckwheat show before but was kind of disappointed, it was a very short set! But as always Buckwheat is amazing.

Nice Atmosphere, Buckwheat Zydeco had the audiences attention, great music.

Nice surprise Cherry Poppin' was totally entertaining! Thank you. When BZ got goin' it was good. Otherwise, your bandmates and audience weren't sure where you all were goin'. I will listen to CD.

Lackluster. No energy. The lead singer seemed just plain tired out. He was stale & unconvincing in his attempts to get the audience fired up. He'd say "Let's party!" while looking like he'd rather be home in bed. The band seemed cobbled together. None of them had particularly good skills on solos, and together they were out-of-sync. The audience seemed disappointed. Few people stuck around for an encore.

These two acts are 180 degrees apart! C P Dadiies should have been the feature. They are on the way up. Their portion of the show was focused, energetic, and tight. Great job- I would pay to see them again. I have several Buckwheat CD's and his show did not stand up to them .His act was pretty much just going thru the motions.He rambled and was almost out of it much of the time. His revival meeting attempts to generate some enthusiasm fell short. Bottom line - We got half our money's worth. On a positive note, this venue is terrific!!!! Not a bad seat anywhere.We'll be back.

No lack of energy in these two bands. What a fun night of swing/pop/rock/blues & bayou boogie. Both lead performers must be down with their bad selves to put on such an energetic and fun show. We'd go again in a minute!

Brought down the house! Loved both bands - great venue!

The weather was perfect and for Minnesota that's saying a lot when people tease us about our winters. So the Zoo concert under the stars last night was the ideal setting to listen to some rockin' music. The Cherry Poppin' Daddies started it off with high energy swing sounds and got the crowd dancing. Then Buckwheat Zydeco got the crowd on their feet clapping and dancing to the sounds of the Bayou of Lafayette, Louisiana.

Great music and energy. A perfect evening. Cherry Poppin Daddies was a great preview to get the crowd rocking. Need more dance space.

Even though they were really good, the opening band seemed to play just as long as the main act. Buckwheat's show started out rockin', and we had a great time while the zydeco was flowing. But there came a point where the music slowed down, and I found myself losing interest. It was like the zydeco party bus ran out of gas early. It would've been more satisfying to do zydeco tunes altered between the slow blues and "new Grammy-winning album" stuff. And who comes from New Orleans to Chicago to play blues? I expected some dance-all-night-party-zydeco action! I saw Buckwheat in Ft. Wayne, IN a few years ago, went to the concert alone, and I STILL had a BLAST dancing all night with a bunch of strangers. This one was lacking something.

First time seeing this show and wow was I entertained! Very small venue (the ark Ann Arbor) had us sitting within arms reach! The music, the stories, the crowd participation had us smilling from ear to ear! Would buy these recordings and attend again! It just goes unsaid. His band is outstanding, The lead guitar players ....well I thought I was seeing E. Clapton! Wow! If you get a chance see the show. You'll feel good all night!

Buckwheat has taken zydeco virtuosity to a new level. He also knows how to make a Hammond B3 smoke. The man also has a generous spirit. After the heaviest snow of the season, this felt like a mellow summer day down in the Big Easy. By the way, sendin' love to New Orleans and looking forward to a visit soon. Also have to note that every single member of the band is remarkable. If you ever get a chance to see Buckwheat and company, don't miss it!

Buckwheat & his band were outstanding. Played non stop for almost 2 hrs, great venue