Like the cuisine of Louisiana, the music of the Red Stick Ramblers starts with a blast of heat (which commands attention right off the bat), then moves to subtler notes, making for an irresistibly captivating experience. Connecting styles as diverse as traditional Cajun, western swing, blues and old-school jazz, these guys romp and stomp through a crazy-quilt of originals and classic covers with the high-octane energy that could only come from a band accustomed to keeping dance-floors jumping for hours at a time.

“The common thread is that it’s all dance music,” says fiddle player Linzay Young, nominated for Fiddler of the Year by OffBeat Magazine. “Three hour dances are not uncommon where we come from, and we’re there to please the dancers, so it’s less like a performance and more like a party and you’re the entertainment.”