Chubby Carrier and
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There’s a lot to live up to when you proclaim your humble self as “yo father of fun” but as this separately packaged live CD and DVD attest, Chubby Carrier clears that bar easily. Caught live at Kansas City’s Knucklehead’s Saloon, Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band rocket through an explosive set with unbridled energy, something that studio CDs can never live up to. Drummer Charles “Big Red” LaMark pushes the beat more than predecessor A.J. Bellow, and the rest of the band sounds ready to blow the roof off with Randy Ellis’ searing guitar leads and Earl Sally’s insane, machinegun-fire rubboard scrapings. Like most live outings, longtime fans will find no surprises here as this is basically a fan friendly package crammed with all the hits (“Who Stole the Hot Sauce,” “Ain’t No Party Like a Chubby Party”) recorded live.
The DVD version reveals what that night must have been like: wholesome Midwesterners crowding every square inch, dancing and sometimes jumping onstage. Carrier has cultivated his showmanship and crowd rapport throughout the years; he eggs the audience on when he wants it to sing louder—”I thought we were having a party,” he chides−and refers to those in attendance as ‘party people,’ instilling the feeling that this is really for them.
Besides scrapping his battered rubboard in an insane fashion, Sally also does his part to get the crowd revved up. During “Who Stole the Hot Sauce,” he pours Tabasco into any open-mouth patron willing to take the plunge. (Personally, I tried it before at another Carrier show and discovered that it’s hardly medicinal and quite sobering.)
Still, the DVD’s videographers shouldn’t have relied solely on house lighting, which left things a little dim. In an interview, Carrier discusses his culture and the history of zydeco, but overall, the live CD better conveys the feeling of being there.
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