After an involuntary government- imposed hiatus (read: incarceration), Wayne Toups emerges more popular than ever, as evidenced by the zealous response on this live disc culled from three separate events. Material-wise, it’s what you’d expect from a Toups concert, the early hits (“Johnny Can’t Dance,” “Sweet Joline”), a Cajun trad romp—DL Menard’s “Back Door” interestingly sports an arena rock intro of “Footloose” before breaking into its familiar melody—and ends with the torrid, extended jam of “Please Explain.” Elements of southern rock find their way here, not only with twin guitars but occasionally in a guitar-accordion tandem playing in tight unison.

For the economizing Toups fan, there’s not much here that’s new, other than the fact that Toups and his nine-piece ensemble slam it down in epic proportions. No one works harder than Toups, who always gives a sweat-soaked 110 percent and often blasts his accordion into warp overdrive with amazingly quick fingering. The disc closes with an unreleased studio track “I Should Have Never Fallen in Love,” a fall- off-your-barstool country weeper that will probably be too country for today’s Nashville. Overall, a worthy live document that comes with lagniappe.