Ernest James Zydeco
Louisiana zydeco trio · accordion-driven groove, built for dancing.
Ernest James Zydeco brings Louisiana-rooted zydeco to the Parade Grounds — accordion and scrub board up front, a deep groove that mixes tradition with rock-and-roll grit. Ernest grew up in a Bay Area zydeco oasis with family roots in Pineville, Louisiana, and has built a 20-plus-year career on weaving those roots through originals and standards. Saturday is a trio configuration — the right size for opening day.
The band is releasing their fifth album in 2026. Earlier records have drawn Grammy consideration and acclaim from Downbeat, Louisiana's OffBEAT, and No Depression; in 2014 the band headlined the International Cajun and Zydeco Festival in the Netherlands. Honest, generous, and relentlessly dance-able.