Live @ the Lakefront is on the Horizon!

From left: Patricia Prudhomme of Tobacco Free Living,
Denise Fasske of the City of Lake Charles, Mayor Randy Roach,
Rodney "Poncho" Seaford of JPMorgan Chase, and Matt Young of the Arts Council

The Arts Council and the City of Lake Charles are proud to announce Live @ the Lakefront sponsorships from Isle of Capri Casino, Tobacco Free Living, and JPMorgan Chase. Their dedication to our inaugural music festival will ensure its success for years to come! And don't miss out on our kick off concert on March 16th when Twangsters Union, Wendy Colonna, and Certain Satellites hit the stage from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Arcade Amphitheater!


March 16th will mark the kick off opening concert for Live @ the Lakefront, a brand new three-week music festival presented by the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana and the City of Lake Charles, and this festival is designed to unify art, music, food, and culture into a singular collective Southwest Louisiana experience, all in one event. Isle of Capri Casino will sponsor the first concert with Twangsters Union, Wendy Colonna, and Certain Satellites taking the stage by storm from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Arcade Amphitheater at the Lakefront Promenade. Concerts on March 23rd and 30th will follow.

Local New Wave band Certain Satellites
will open the evening at 6 p.m.

Festival goers can spread a blanket on the amphitheater's grassy hill and listen to the best live music around with the lakeshore scenery and cool March weather as the perfect backdrop. Live @ the Lakefront will act as a fundraiser for the arts in Southwest Louisiana with the proceeds from all Coke, Budweiser, Miller, and wine sales going directly to the Arts Council's efforts to support area arts and cultural initiatives and endeavors.

SWLA native Wendy Colonna

Mayor Randy Roach will open the festival with a welcome from the stage at 6 p.m. with local New Wave band Certain Satellites to follow. Certain Satellites has become known around town for its innovative, and albeit unpredictable, performances that tap into a melody of little-known genres in Lake Charles from Shoegaze, an introspective-driven subgenre of alternative rock, to New Wave, a branch of punk rock that incorporates electronic and experimental music.

Southwest Louisiana native Wendy Colonna will follow with her resounding vocals and deep retro soul will perform with an impromptu compilation of Lake Charles musicians. Colonna, now working out of Austin, has recently named Austin’s “Best Singer/Songwriter” by Austin American Statesman, and has six albums under her belt that have cemented her and her one-of-a-kind soulful voice as a force to be reckoned with in the music world.

Twangsters Union will headline March 16th's kickoff concert

Twangsters Union will headline the evening’s live music. Since 2005, Twangsters Union, with members Joey LeBlanc, Donice Morace, Joe Rogers, Ron Harvey, and Jeff LeBlanc, have brought their high energy blend of Southern rock and country music to the area, and have opened for Reba McEntire, Percy Sledge, and Kenny Chesnutt, among other big names. With regular appearances among the state’s festival, fair, and fundraiser circuits, Twangsters Union’s heartfelt ballads and power house harmonies are infused with raucous and dizzying dance beats that draw audiences away from the typical cover band experience and instead offer a versatile tour of country-infused rock music.


The festival is free to the public, and it will also showcase local artists, children's activities, vendors, and Lake Area food booths. Live @ the Lakefront is made possible by Deep South Productions and generous sponsorships from Isle of Capri Casino, JPMorgan Chase, and Tobacco Free Living. Event partners include Townsquare Media, Gator 99.5, Coca-Cola, 107JAMZ, Cajun Radio, KISSFM, 92.9 The Lake, the Porch Coffee House & Cafe, American Press, Lake Charles/SWLA Convention & Visitors Bureau, Knight Media Printing, Southwest Daily News, the Jambalaya News, Lagniappe, Thrive Magazine, KPLC, Beverage Sales, Southwest Beverage, and Redfish Rental.


For more information, call the Arts Council office at 439-ARTS or visit www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org.