After Dark at Crooked Tree
Mojo and the Bayou Gypsies heat up Mardi Gras
When asked the meaning behind his name, Mister Mojo and the Bayou Gypsies frontman is ready with a story.
"My name is actually just Mojo," he said. "A mojo is a good luck charm – usually a love charm – in New Orleans culture."
A few years ago, social media started requiring a first name and a last name in order to maintain an account, he explained.
"So, I added Mister. Now I use what the little kids in Louisiana call me: Mister Mojo!"
Hailing from southwest Louisiana, the effusive Mojo is a colorful character. He seems to absorb life like a sponge, then squeezes it all back into his band, infusing their sound with a hefty dose of the Cajun and Creole influences that are such a large component of who he is.
"I live where the alligators got soul and the good times roll!" he said. "Our home is America’s favorite foreign country. We speak French, we have unique food, music and culture, and we focus on le joie de vivre – the joy of life."
Mojo Music, he added, transcends language, culture, age and every other barrier. When you combine his band’s blend of Cajun and Zydeco music rooted in the New Orleans tradition with his showmanship, you’ve got the perfect act for a Mardi Gras celebration like the upcoming Arts Center in Petoskey.
"Dancing is part of our culture seven days a week, and our music is an expression of the fun we live every day," he enthused.
If Mister Mojo seems like he would be an interesting and inspiring parent, you’re right. Both his oldest and youngest daughter have performed with the band and one of them has a Michigan connection, but Mojo believes in letting them find their own way.
"My oldest daughter won a classical violin scholarship to attend Interlochen’s summer program," Mojo said. "While she was at Interlochen, Itzhak Perlman and Stéphane Grappelli both signed her violin. And she later won a full scholarship to Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music in Nashville."
His youngest daughter performed with the band until she was 18, then left for school where she pursued her true passion; she’s now a neuro-oncologist in New York City.
Mojo’s band actually got its start through family. He and his daughters would entertain during family gatherings and he was inspired by watching all the people dancing.
"I realized we can put this on stage and party with 1,000 people every night – and we’re still going strong 30 years later!" he said.
Promising their fans "a lifetime memory" at every show, Mojo said the band’s performances instantly engage their audiences who will "sing, laugh, cry, clap, dance and shout."
Crooked Tree will add eat and drink to that sentence with all tickets granting admission to the After Dark concert plus a special Cajunthemed menu that will include jambalaya, Creole-braised beef with grits, seafood gumbo, chocolate pecan pie and Hurricane cocktails.
Dancing in the aisles is encouraged and the combo of spicy food and zesty Zydeco music will certainly be a warm up for northern Michiganians already weary of winter weather.
"There’s a reason why Mojo and the Bayou Gypsies’ music is called Red Hot Mojo Music," Mojo assured. "I guarantee you’ll leave a Mojo show different forever!"
Mojo and the Bayou Gypsies will perform at the Crooked Tree Arts Center’s Mardi Gras celebration in downtown Petoskey on Saturday, Feb. 14. Food and drinks start at 7pm and the show begins at 8pm. Tickets start at $40. For more information, visit www.crookedtree.org or call 231-347-4337.
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