Saturday in Mamou

Back in January I spent a weekend (with camera in tow) in my parents’ hometown of Mamou. Mamou is only a few hours from New Orleans, and it offers up one of the best Saturdays around. We caught some music, gobbled up boudin and cracklins, and attended Tante Sue‘s retirement party at Fred’s.

In the morning we stopped by the jam session at Savoy Music Center in Eunice. The jam session lasts until noon every Saturday. Their website says it best:

“Savoy Music Center hosts an acoustic jam session every Saturday morning, beginning at 9 in the A.M., and jamming until noon. All are invited to join in, no permission or approval is needed, but we ask only one thing… Please, no more than ONE triangle player at a time. If you’re wondering how to find the music center, just look for thirty cars lined up Hwy. 190 between Eunice and Lawtell.

We are open for business, and admission is free, but a small box of boudin or cracklins would make you the most popular guy in there for about 2-3 minutes.”

In the afternoon we visited Fred’s Lounge, where Tante Sue de Mamou was signing autographs and tending bar for the last time. We hung around until Fred’s (open Saturday mornings only) closed for the weekend and everyone in the bar relocated across the street.