Marc Broussard Rocks the Building
By Lynne Weinberger, photos by Allen Rich
Oct 7, 2008 --> For complete story and photos, click HERE.
It sounds like a cliché, but it’s not. Standing outside the McKinney Performing Arts Center on the Square Sunday night, one surely could see the venerable old edifice shimmyin’ and shakin’ in time to the incredible music with the rambunctious crowd inside.
By the second song, they were dancing in the aisles. I’ve never seen anything like it, and in the upright and classy McKinney Performing Arts Center Courtroom Theater, no less.
The reason for the unabashed celebration? Louisiana native Marc Broussard and his band had arrived to take fans on a soulful and sultry, then rowdy and rollicking, musical journey with him. He arrived to entertain a packed house, and enthusiastically entertain he did.
Billed as a crown prince of soul, the blue-eyed troubadour (son of acclaimed Boogie Kings guitarist Ted Broussard) has musical talent and then some coursing through his Cajun veins.
‘Versatile’ doesn’t begin to describe it. In fact, none of the typical superlatives even come close to describing the raw talent and energy he brought to the MPAC stage. Equally comfortable with blues and soul as with rock ‘n roll, Broussard brought an incredibly diverse variety of music to his adoring audience. He expertly delivered it, or rather, intravenously injected it, into the collective soul of his old (and for the rest, instantly new) fans.
The result was a foot-stompin’, shoulder-shakin’ and downright down-gettin’ crowd that danced in the aisles, at their seats, and with each other. His fans were well-versed in his repertoire: by the third note, cat-calls, appreciative whistles and sing-alongs ensued.
The pre-concert reception in the lower-level MPAC Gallery allowed MPAC VIPs to rub shoulders with Broussard. Approachable and humble, he and band mates visited with the intimate group before hitting the stage.
To say he poured every fiber of his being into the show is another understatement. Bill Withers and James Taylor ballads brought chills, and selections from his just-released studio album Keep Coming Back had the rockin’ audience on their feet for much of the night.
The large crowd gathered post-show for Marc Broussard CDs and Ts is testimony to his loyal following. The dozens waiting outside his tour bus at the end of the night should let Broussard know he can add McKinney concert-goers to his long line of fans.
To join the fun and experience your own brush with greatness, call MPAC to reserve tickets for the following Autumn performances, sponsored by The Dallas Morning News, Emerson Process Management, Holiday Inn & Suites McKinney and WFAA:
Saturday, October 18, 5-7 pm: Art Works – Meet the Artists featuring Greg Piazza, Lynda Rhodes, and Mary Frank, followed by iO Theater’s Whirled News Tonight, 7 & 10 pm, a hilarious improvised comedy show inspired by local and national news headlines clipped by audience members.
Friday, November 14, 8 pm: Bearfoot’s young musicians blend airy Northern ballads with back-alley Southern blues, while jazz stomp meets Appalachian breakdown. These young acoustic performers won one of roots music’s most prestigious awards, Telluride Festival Band Champions, an honor they share with The Dixie Chicks and Nickel Creek, just two years after they met as musical camp counselors.
Saturday, November 15, 8 pm: Five.Funny.Females hosted by McKinney’s own comedienne Laura Bartlett. The Dallas Morning News declares, “McKinney - The New Comedy Central.” Plan on spending Girls Night Out with Laura and her friends’ funny observations on jumper cables, pet adoption, car problems, growing up in the South, and much more.
For information on these and more upcoming MPAC events and art exhibits, call 214.544.4630 for information and tickets or visit www.mckinneyperformingartscenter.org. MPAC is located on the historic McKinney square at 111 N. Tennessee St., McKinney, TX 75069. For sponsorships, ticketing opportunities and rental, call 972.547.2650.
For more on Marc Broussard, visit www.marcbroussard.com.
Marc will appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday, October 8 and will be in Dallas at the House of Blues on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Photos by Allen Rich
© Copyright 2002-2006 by North Texas e-News, llc
It sounds like a cliché, but it’s not. Standing outside the McKinney Performing Arts Center on the Square Sunday night, one surely could see the venerable old edifice shimmyin’ and shakin’ in time to the incredible music with the rambunctious crowd inside.
By the second song, they were dancing in the aisles. I’ve never seen anything like it, and in the upright and classy McKinney Performing Arts Center Courtroom Theater, no less.
The reason for the unabashed celebration? Louisiana native Marc Broussard and his band had arrived to take fans on a soulful and sultry, then rowdy and rollicking, musical journey with him. He arrived to entertain a packed house, and enthusiastically entertain he did.
Billed as a crown prince of soul, the blue-eyed troubadour (son of acclaimed Boogie Kings guitarist Ted Broussard) has musical talent and then some coursing through his Cajun veins.
‘Versatile’ doesn’t begin to describe it. In fact, none of the typical superlatives even come close to describing the raw talent and energy he brought to the MPAC stage. Equally comfortable with blues and soul as with rock ‘n roll, Broussard brought an incredibly diverse variety of music to his adoring audience. He expertly delivered it, or rather, intravenously injected it, into the collective soul of his old (and for the rest, instantly new) fans.
The result was a foot-stompin’, shoulder-shakin’ and downright down-gettin’ crowd that danced in the aisles, at their seats, and with each other. His fans were well-versed in his repertoire: by the third note, cat-calls, appreciative whistles and sing-alongs ensued.
The pre-concert reception in the lower-level MPAC Gallery allowed MPAC VIPs to rub shoulders with Broussard. Approachable and humble, he and band mates visited with the intimate group before hitting the stage.
To say he poured every fiber of his being into the show is another understatement. Bill Withers and James Taylor ballads brought chills, and selections from his just-released studio album Keep Coming Back had the rockin’ audience on their feet for much of the night.
The large crowd gathered post-show for Marc Broussard CDs and Ts is testimony to his loyal following. The dozens waiting outside his tour bus at the end of the night should let Broussard know he can add McKinney concert-goers to his long line of fans.
To join the fun and experience your own brush with greatness, call MPAC to reserve tickets for the following Autumn performances, sponsored by The Dallas Morning News, Emerson Process Management, Holiday Inn & Suites McKinney and WFAA:
Saturday, October 18, 5-7 pm: Art Works – Meet the Artists featuring Greg Piazza, Lynda Rhodes, and Mary Frank, followed by iO Theater’s Whirled News Tonight, 7 & 10 pm, a hilarious improvised comedy show inspired by local and national news headlines clipped by audience members.
Friday, November 14, 8 pm: Bearfoot’s young musicians blend airy Northern ballads with back-alley Southern blues, while jazz stomp meets Appalachian breakdown. These young acoustic performers won one of roots music’s most prestigious awards, Telluride Festival Band Champions, an honor they share with The Dixie Chicks and Nickel Creek, just two years after they met as musical camp counselors.
Saturday, November 15, 8 pm: Five.Funny.Females hosted by McKinney’s own comedienne Laura Bartlett. The Dallas Morning News declares, “McKinney - The New Comedy Central.” Plan on spending Girls Night Out with Laura and her friends’ funny observations on jumper cables, pet adoption, car problems, growing up in the South, and much more.
For information on these and more upcoming MPAC events and art exhibits, call 214.544.4630 for information and tickets or visit www.mckinneyperformingartscenter.org. MPAC is located on the historic McKinney square at 111 N. Tennessee St., McKinney, TX 75069. For sponsorships, ticketing opportunities and rental, call 972.547.2650.
For more on Marc Broussard, visit www.marcbroussard.com.
Marc will appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday, October 8 and will be in Dallas at the House of Blues on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Photos by Allen Rich
© Copyright 2002-2006 by North Texas e-News, llc
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