Launch Event - A Success!
February 4, 2009
For the Bayou celebrated a festive and successful launch of its new organization at a concert by GRAMMY Nominated Louisiana Blues Guitarist, Tab Benoit, at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on January 29th.
For the Bayou Team
Local Bay Area representatives were on hand to greet the crowd, answer questions about Louisiana’s coastal wetlands crisis, distribute facts fliers and wetlands educational material and hand out a variety of great Louisiana giveaways, including festive Mardi Gras beads, Louisiana gift baskets and apparel. The organization’s team includes native and non native
Louisianians concerned for south Louisiana’s wetlands and the well-being of the entire southern coast.
Packed Venue, Educational & Fun
The night was a huge success! The Great American Music Hall was packed to the doors with the audience jamming to Tab’s Cajun-roots-style, rock ‘n blues while learning of Louisiana’s serious coastal wetlands crisis. In between sets, Tab was answering questions from the crowd about one of the nation’s biggest environmental crises of which most people are sadly not aware.
Tab Benoit- A Wetlands Activist
Tab, a native of South Louisiana, has been a wetlands activist for many years with his own non profit, Voice of the Wetlands, based in the deep south of Houma, Louisiana. In addition to being President and Founder of Voice of the Wetlands, he now also serves as an Honorary Board Member of For the Bayou, the San Francisco based grass-roots organization.
Both organizations are working in partnership to make people aware of this national environmental crisis.
Tab Benoit - A Musician
As a Blues Musician, Tab is known throughout the world. Tab was named Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year in 2007, and in 2006, he received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album.
Tab and local SF musician, Joe Conte
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=47862346025&h=DeCyM&u=t9jJe
Media Support in San Francisco
There were a variety of local radio stations graciously supporting the organization’s launch in the Bay Area, including the San Francisco’s Alice 97.3, Energy 92.7, KPOO FM 98.5 and Sonoma’s KRSH 96.9. During the show, San Francisco’s KTVU, Channel 2’s reporter Mika Edwards was on location filming Tab’s show and conducting interviews about Louisiana’s wetlands crisis. Channel 2’s segment on For the Bayou and Louisiana’s wetlands crisis will air in the San Francisco Bay Area on Saturday, February 7th at 10pm. The organization received almost $800 in individual cash donations and collected many new names of people wanting to stay informed on the organization’s wetlands news updates and Louisiana music & cultural events in the Bay Area.
Since the show, For the Bayou has received an outpouring of further support and interest in our cause and our event calendar. The organization is actively recruiting Louisiana musicians, artists and chefs to be a part of this team and assist in this national emergency awareness campaign.
More Event Pictures: http://www.drewaltizer.com/album.php?event=429
