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9/28/07 Tonight we play a repeat performance at the Cajun Reef restaurant from 7-9 pm.  We had a great time last week.  I really think this could catch on.  The food, atmosphere, and service at the Cajun Reef is superb.   Terry Strong is the manager and a great guy.  We really felt at home and I think the lively crowd, especially the folks that I worked with, helped to make the night special.  The Cajun dancers were also great as usual.  Anyway, we are back again tonight for another night with a good possibility that this will be monthly through the rest of this year and a bit more frequent during the spring.  We hope to see everyone there. Next Saturday October 6th we are playing at the Red River Revel on the family stage from 5:30 - 6:30.  I thought we were playing right before George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadellic but I checked the Revel website last night and it now appears that we are opening for the Shreveport Police Department K-9 demonstration team.  Not quite as prestigious as P-funk.  We will have a couple of trivia questions tonight and they will be a bit harder than the ones 2 weeks ago.  Browse the CDL website because the answers to the questions will be found on those pages. Rob   9/10/07 It is hard to believe that it has been 1 year and a summer since I have written anything on the website.  The band is alive and well.  We had a pretty busy summer.  It started with the United Title Crawfish Boil in May followed by a great show kicking off Mudbug Madness.   At the beginning of June, we played another Brookshires corporate gig.  We have become the unofficial house band for Brookshires (more on that later).  In early July, we played a gig at the Higher Ground Ministry in Mansfield, LA for Sims Calhoun's birthday on 7/7/07.  It was a bit of a homecoming for me as I went to high school in Mansfield. August turned out to be an interesting month for the Cajun-Dixon Line.   In early August we played a funeral at Grace Community Church.  I personally think everyone should go out with a band so maybe it will catch on.  Later in August we played a customer appreciation event for Tony Chachere's at the Super 1 on Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy.  Super 1 as it turns out is owned by Brookshires.  Who would have ever thought that the acoustics would be so good in a grocery store.  There we were on a Saturday morning playing away while people shopped for produce.  The only awkward part was that we were located right next to the Depends undergarments.  Fortunately, there were no accidents.  Seriously though, it was a lot of fun and another idea that I hope catches on.  We have an interesting opportunity next Friday, September 14th.  We are slated to play at Floyd's Cajun Reef restaurant on Airline Dr. from 7 to 9 PM.  This is a rare public CDL performance so I urge you all to stop by and order lots of food and drinks.  If this is a success, we may make it a regular thing.  Also, mark your calendars for October 6th at 5:30 PM.  CDL will be appearing at the Red River Revel.  We will see you there. Rob   5/18/06 As I write this we are 4 hours away from playing the 6th annual United Title Crawfish boil at the Belle Meade Center.  The weather looks awesome and I'm sure the crawfish will be good as ever.  I am really looking forward to it. Last Friday, May 12th, we played at Glen Oaks nursing home at a spring BBQ for residents and their families.  The Cajun dancers showed up and put on quite a show.  It was also Chris's last day as administrator of Glen Oaks.  We had a great time and we hope you all did as well. Next Friday, May 26th, the Cajun-Dixon Line will be performing at Mudbug Madness from 11 AM - 2 PM on the Madness Stage.  This is always a lot of fun and we hope to see everyone there.  3/26/06 This weekend we had the pleasure of playing the 3rd annual Lake Bistineau Couchon de Lait.  The hosts were gracious as always.  We had a great time and look forward to coming back next year.  2/10/06 I am working on a new CDL logo.  Tell me what you think at rparker@cajundixonline.com 1/29/06 I ran across an interesting fact today.  The Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold were selected by Rex (King of Mardi Gras) in 1872.  The colors were given meaning in 1892: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold stands for power.  I hope everyone has a happy and safe Mardi Gras season.  Laissez les bons temps rouler!!! 1/26/06 It's 2006.  We actually made it.  CDL was on the shelf for the last half of 2005.  Oh, there was plenty going on: hurricanes, droughts, fires, floods, but not a lot of Cajun music for us.  I was able to take the family to the UK for 2 weeks which was proved to be the best vacation ever.  Then, after all the excitement in LA at the end of the summer (Katrina and Rita) people weren't in much of a mood to party.   As we start 2006, things are really starting to pick up. Since it is January, it is time to dust off the instruments and start getting ready for another busy spring.  Mardi Gras is late this year so it is not too late to book the Cajun-Dixon Line for your Mardi Gras Party.  As our frequent visitors can see, the web site has gotten a bit of a (much needed) makeover.   I would appreciate any suggestions you have to make the site better. See you on the dance floor!! 5/11/05 Crawfish season is well under way with the grand finale coming Memorial Day weekend at the Mudbug Madness Festival.  Cajun-Dixon Line will be playing on Thursday and Saturday fro 11 AM to 2 PM so come check us out.  The last few months have been busy for the CDL.  The highlight for me was the Mudbug Music Mania Festival in Hot Springs.  We had a great time and the crowd was fantastic.  It was a super festival and I hope we get a chance to play again next year.  Last week we played the United Title Crawfish Boil for the 5th consecutive year.  This year the weather was great and the crowd was the biggest ever.  We really had a good time.  I even got a little help from the audience singing the "Devil Went Down to Georgia."  Thanks United Title and we look forward to next year. Tomorrow marks the opening for the Louisiana Boardwalk and it will be an event.  You can feel the buzz around the opening.  Chris has been talking to the various restaurant owners so if you hear any live Cajun music, look for the Cajun-Dixon Line at the LA Boardwalk.

2/08/05 HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!!!! No I'm not at Boomtown listening to Thomas "Big Hat" Fields although I wish I was.  It is just another day at the Parker house.  We had a great time this weekend at Boomtown.  It was a lot of fun.  We appreciate everyone who came out to cheer us on.  There was some fine dancing going on out there and overall it was a lively event.  We appreciate everyone at Boomtown and Greg for making it all happen.  We hope to do it again soon.  The spring is starting to fill up for us so give us a call soon if you want to add that special something to your crawfish boil, house party, or corporate event.  Everybody needs to make plans to attend the Mudbug Music Mania Festival, April 9th in Hot Springs at the Magic Springs Theme Park.  It will be a great time. One of the things that we as a band take pride in is playing Louisiana roots music especially the music that came from the banks of the Red River.  In addition to Cajun and Zydeco music, you'll find the music of Hank Williams, Floyd Cramer, Merle Kilgore and Leadbelly in our repetoire.  That is one reason that I want to let you know about a new book by Tracey Laird from Shreveport.  It is called "Louisiana Hayride: Radio and Roots Music Along the Red River."  It is a terrific read and full of history of the music and the area that is Northwest Louisiana.  See the link for more information

Louisiana Hayride, Tracey E. W. Laird

1/31/05 And so it begins again....  Big changes on the horizon for the Cajun-Dixon Line.  Rick has decided to join the priesthood and has taken a vow of silence and that is no good for a drummer.  Just kidding but Rick Mabry has left our ranks after 4 years (hardly seems that long) we wish him the best and hope he doesn't forget the little people.  Not to fear, we found a great Cajun drummer named Joe Agostini and this cat can really play and sing.  Joe is going to be a great fit.  We hope everyone comes out to see our new lineup and new material.  We have lots of dates lined up for the spring so there should be plenty opportunities to hear us.  So far this spring we have dates at Boomtown on Feb 4th and 5th, a repeat performance at the Mudbug Music Mania Festival in Hot Springs on April 9th(pack up the kids and join us for that one, fun, fun, fun), and 2 performances at Mudbug Madness this year Memorial Day weekend.  I'll keep the gig guide updated on the front page so come back often to check for updates.   A couple of notes from the last few months.  Sorry about the Revel guys but we don't control the weather.  We were supposed to play on a Monday afternoon and a torrential rain came through the area at about 2:00.  We got a phone call that we were cancelled but you know the old saying, "If you don't like the weather in Louisiana stick around for 30 minutes."  By the time we were scheduled to perform, the sun was shining but at that point there was nothing we could do.  I hope we have better weather next year.  Also, we played an event in November at Isle of Capri.  It was our first time out with Joe and he did not disappoint.  The dancers were also there and they did a fantastic job and made the event very enjoyable for us as well as the attendees.  Thanks to the Isle of Capri and the Cajun Dance Club. Hope to see everybody around this spring.  Happy Mardi Gras!!!!

8/26/04 Its been quite a while since I've had a chance to write so I thought I'd take a few minutes to let you know what has been going on.  For the Cajun-Dixon Line, spring was filled with the smell of crawfish, the sight of dancers, and the sounds of Cajun music.  In April we played in Hot Springs at the first annual Mudbug Music Mania Festival at Magic Springs theme park.  It was a fun festival with lots of activities and Ben really enjoyed the rides.  Mark your calendars for next year.  The festival was a huge success and I'm sure they'll do it again.  We also completed return performances at the LSUMC crawfish boil, United Title Crawfish boil, and Louisiana Downs.  Then on Memorial Day weekend the Cajun-Dixon Line returned to the Mudbug Madness line-up.  The crowd was good at Mudbug but we certainly had a tough time with the sound.  Thanks to all of you who came out an listened and made this our busiest season ever.  After a busy spring the CDL took the summer to relax and see the world.  I took my crew on a world-wind tour of the southeast with stops in Richmond, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, and Atlanta.  Chris and Elaine went to San Diego where Chris picked up a new banjo (look for it on a stage or a pub jam near you) and Rick and his better half took a trip to Germany to see the folks.  Last Sunday we all got back to reality and dusted off the instruments for some practice.  We realized we can still play this stuff.  Look for some new tunes this fall.  Come and check us out at the Red River Revel on October 9th, 5:30 PM on the KTBS Stage.  We hope to see you around.

3/08/04 Spring is just about here and the Cajun-Dixon Line is revving up for a very busy season.  We kicked it off yesterday with an event at the Harrah's Louisiana Downs.  It was a great time and we appreciate everyone at the Downs who made it possible.  They are planning on having Cajun music and crawfish (a superb combination) on every Sunday afternoon all the way through April.  The first weekend was a huge success with lines to get in the place for the entire time that we played.  We are scheduled to play again on March 28th and they may try to have it outside to accommodate more people and give more of a "festival" atmosphere.  We hope to see you there..  Look for us at other upcoming area events especially the Mudbug Music Mania Festival in Hot Springs on April 3rd.  Arkansas is a great place to be in the springtime and we look forward to performing at the first year of this new festival.  We are also scheduled to play at the Mudbug Madness Festival on Memorial Day Weekend at the Shreveport Festival Plaza.

2/11/04 Happy Mardi Gras!!!  I hope everyone enjoys the Mardi Gras parades over the next few weekends.  The season is kicking into full gear culminating on February 24th or Fat Tuesday. Chris leaves for the Bahamas tomorrow and I'm sure he'll have a great time sailing the blue waters of the Caribbean and introducing them to our special blend of music.  Chris and Tim Brogan are playing the grand opening of the Isle of Capri Casino on Grand Bahama Island.  Tim plays fiddlle in the Shreveport band the Lightning Bugs so I guess the compilation will be called the Cajun-Dixon Bugs or the Lightning Line.  Have a safe trip and don't drink too much rum. Spring is starting to look pretty busy on the Cajun-Dixon Line calendar with multiple dates in April and May.  We are always looking for more opportunities so if you have a venue or party that you would like to "kick up a notch" give us a call at 318-869-3001 or email fiddler@shreve.net.

1/11/04 It has been a while since I've written anything so I thought it would be a good time to catch everybody up on what is going on with the Cajun-Dixon Line.  I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday.  I know I did (Geaux Tigers!!!).  We played several times during the fall: the Glitz and Gritz Gala at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, the Red River Revel, and a Bossier Rotary Club event at the Mardi Gras museum with 3 judges who were visiting from Russia.  All the events were loads of fun and we apppreciate the opportunity to share our music with a wide variety of people.  Now we know that some of our CD's are being played in Russia which officially makes us an "International Band".  Everybody needs to check out the Mardi Gras Museum on Texas Street in Bossier City.  It is quite a place.  Speaking of international, the Cajun-Dixon Line has been tenatively asked to play the grand opening of the Isle of Capri Casino on Grand Bahama Island, February 12th.  We are working on the details and trying to get our schedules worked out so we can make the trip but if we get to go it should be a lot of fun.  We'll be sure to take plenty of pictures and post them on the website.  The four seasons in the Cajun year are Mardi Gras, Crawfish, Beach and Hunting Season. It is now officially "Mardi Gras Season" which begins on the Twelfth Night after Christmas.  We hope everyone has a good time whether you are going to Mamou, Jefferson, New Orleans, or Shreveport.  We don't have much scheduled right now but we will keep you posted on where you can check out the band.  Drop me an email at parker_0821@msn.com if you have any comments or suggestions on the website.

7/2/03 Summer has arrived in North Louisiana but the Cajun-Dixon Line will not let that stop us from putting on a good show.  We're ready for the KSLA Riverblast Festival this Friday and we hope you can come out.  We are playing from 5:00 to 6:30 on the Festival Stage.  The music and the air temperature should be hot. In other news, the last 2 weeks I have gone to the Isle of Capri on Thursday nights and they have had some great Cajun/Zydeco bands.  They are running this Bon Temps promotion all summer and you can expect to hear some really good music on Thursday nights at the unofficial favorite casino of the Cajun-Dixon Line. I wanted to say a quick congratulations and thanks to the Dotson and Jarrett families.  We had a wonderful time at the party and we wish everybody the best.

6/10/03 We got our new CD, Second Line, in this weekend and they look and sound great.  We are pricing them at $10 each.  If you are interested in getting a copy send me an email to parker_0821@msn.com and we'll work out the arrangements.  I look forward to seeing everybody at the River Blast festival on July 4th.  It should be a great time.

5/30/03 The band is doing great.  We made our annual appearance at the United Title Crawfish Boil at the Belle Meade Center.  This is the 3rd year in a row that we have played at this event.  It was great fun as usual.  We appreciate United Title for having us out and hope to do it again next year.  Chris gave me a copy of the 2002 Northwest Louisiana Songwriters CD including our song, "Zydeco World."  There are some really good tunes on there my personal favorite (beside Zydeco World) is "Honey You Hung the Moon" by Julieann Banks.  We really have some talented people in North Louisiana. Last weekend was Mudbug Madness and I know that you noticed that your favorite Ark-La-Tex Cajun Band did not make an appearance.  It wasn't for lack of trying.  We have played Mudbug for each of the last 2 years but for whatever reason they wanted to make some "changes" this year.  Last Friday we played a Players Club event at Isle of Capri Casino.  As always, we had a great time and the people seemed to really enjoy the music.  Especially the 2 ladies in the front (you know who you are). I finally got all the details worked out on the CD and they are being printed as I write.  It looks as good as it sounds and I'm pretty excited about it.  This summer looks pretty busy but we will squeeze in a CD release party sometime. We got word on another fun, public performance date this summer.  The Cajun-Dixon Line will be playing at the River Blast Festival on the 4th of July.  We are slated to play from 5:30 to 6:45 in the downtown festival site..  I hope everybody will come out to see us.  We may have a few surprises including a song that Chris actually talked me into singing (its all for the women).

5/6/03 I'm going to start writing a blog of what we are up to and how we are doing.  Please remember to sign the guestbook and send Chris or myself an email if you want to be added to the CDL mailing list. Its been a great spring for the Cajun-Dixon Line.  We had a super Mardi Gras gig at Boomtown Casino in the beginning of March.  The crowd was good and some of our friends (and dancers) were there and that always makes it more fun.  We really had a good time and hope to do it again soon. Next came lots of practice (Rick really likes to practice) and the addition of a few more songs to the repertoire.  The band has been getting tighter and tighter for the past year and the practices have really helped. Then came Ron and Cheryl's wedding reception at All Souls Church.  It was a great party and George Hancock sat in on a few songs.  He is so much fun to play with.  My congratulations to Ron and Cheryl.  Best of luck. On April 26th we had the pleasure of playing at the LSU Med School Crawfish boil. I just want to say that those were the best crawfish I have had in years.  I think the caterer was Dwayne's Crawfish Farm and they were just right.  The setting was great (weather, crowd, Cross Lake) and we had a good time as always.  I got to see my sister and brother-in-law there as well as several other friends.  We look forward to doing it again next year.  I sent off the final package for our next CD "Second Line".  Jim Huckabay did a super job on the graphic art design and I am very proud of the finished product.  It should be ready for sale in June so make sure to place your orders early.  We'll keep everybody posted on the location of the CD release party.