With the release of 2012’s Mammoth Waltz, a lush set of sonic explorations that gracefully exploded preconceived notions about the Cajun music tradition, the Lost Bayou Ramblers cemented their rep as musical innovators. But whether they’re reimagining a Daniel Lanois tune or giving the music of the Pogues an Acadian twist, the raw energy that propels their sound is as much about honoring the Cajun music tradition as it is about updating it.

Their latest release, Rue Vermilion Revival, offers a snapshot of that energy in its infancy. Recorded at Louis and Andre Michot’s first gig as the Lost Bayou Ramblers in a coffeehouse in downtown Lafayette on August 27, 1999, the 55-minute set sticks mainly to the traditional Cajun repertoire. The then-sprawling lineup (among the eight musicians on the bill are two fiddle players, a clarinetist and triangle and frottoir players) opens with the fiddle-centric “Happy One Step,” a fun—if not quite exuberant—warm-up peppered with Louis Michot’s instantly identifiable howls. By the second track, “Love Bridge Waltz,” the audience lets out some wails of its own, cheering the band on as things get increasingly raucous.

The sound is raw, stripped down to high fiddle peels—Louis Michot is joined by Matthew Doucet on fiddle here—and the loping rhythm propelled by Andre Michot and his (then) newly acquired accordion skills.

The dance-obsessed traditional “J’etais au Bal” adds some humor to the mix (the lyrics translate to “I went to the ball last night, I’m going back to the ball tonight and if the occasion presents itself, I’ll go back to the ball tomorrow night,” Louis explains, sparking a few chuckles). Originals like “Main Street Special,” meanwhile, give listeners a glimpse of the direction the Ramblers will eventually head as this one-off gig spawns a full-time, decades-long career.

The album’s true highlight comes in its final 15 minutes, as the crowd launches into what sounds like a dance-fueled frenzy before the band draws out an expansive and layered version of “La Danse de Mardi Gras.”

Proceeds from the album, available on Bandcamp.com and in limited-edition cassette format, support those impacted by the August floods across Acadiana and Baton Rouge.