Houma native John Rodrigue will get the opportunity of a lifetime when his band, Maradeen, opens for Bon Jovi at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta this Friday, February 10.
The group earned their opening slot as part of a January competition that saw thousands of bands submitted audition videos. Live Nation whittled the entries down to ten finalists for each tour date, with Bon Jovi ultimately selecting the winners from the shortlist.
“I just wanna thank all the great musicians from the area that I grew up in, players and teachers alike. I certainly include the great Johnny Vidacovich and Stanton Moore among those,” said Rodrigue. “I hope I’m doing everyone from back home proud in Nashville. I share in this with the communities of South Louisiana.”
Rodrigue, who studied at the Berklee College of Music and currently resides in Nashville, joined Maradeen in August of 2015. The group has toured extensively through the South and East Coast over the past couple of years, sharing the stage with New Orleans groups like The Revivalists and Earphunk, as well as jam scene heros like the Rhythm Devils (with Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann), Keller Williams and Col. Bruce Hampton. Their latest album, Above the Horizon, was produced by Moon Taxi keyboardist Wes Bailey and recorded at West Nashville’s analog Welcome to 1979 Studio.
“In addition to being fans of Bon Jovi, the coolest part about winning this contest is the intention and inspiration behind why they put it on in the first place,” Maradeen said in a statement about the contest. “It shows an appreciation for every musician’s tenacity as we strive for the chance to have that one moment. They’re paying it forward and taking a chance themselves, as they probably don’t know what to fully expect from the winners. But we can tell you that what they should expect from Maradeen is our absolute best. We’re gonna give them all one to remember and we, as a band, will be eternally grateful to them for this opportunity.”
Bon Jovi unveiled their opening act contest in January, and revealed the first round of winners at the end of the month. The competition is still open for the band’s March 1 – April 11 dates, however, and interested artists can submit audition videos via their website.
Here’s a look at the video Maradeen submitted for the contest:
