The town of Abita Springs is probably best known for being the place where Abita Beer got its start, but through the Abita Springs Opry, the bucolic town has also become a destination for live performances of Louisiana roots music.
Most of us know about the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, but we can’t necessarily say the same for The Abita Springs Opry. It’s now in its 22nd season. The first of six shows of the Abita Springs Opry took place this past weekend. It’s founder and executive producer told me over twenty-plus years, the Abita Springs Opry has been a platform to showcase some of Louisiana’s lesser-known musicians and bands.
“A lot of these performers sometimes are in small clubs or sometimes even performing on the street in New Orleans or around the community here and don’t necessarily have a venue. A lot of musicians will play for less than they would be paid to be in a club on Frenchman Street. Why? Because they’re in a hall and they’re playing in front of an attentive audience the audience is here to hear the music. In a lot of the clubs, the audience is there, the music is a very important part of it, but they also want to be there to socialize, have a few beers and drinks and visit and talk to people and stuff like that. So, the audience in a club isn’t always paying attention but the audience here is focused on the music,” said Bryan Gowland.
Shows at the Abita Springs Opry are intimate. The setting certainly helps. The venue is located at the Abita Springs town hall, which is a wooden building more than a century old. The backdrop is a one stoplight town nestled in the piney woods about 40 miles north of New Orleans. In fact, the predecessor of the Abita Springs Opry was called the Piney Woods Opry. Today, the Abita Springs Opry is a nonprofit organization with a mission to preserve and present Louisiana roots music. It’s bread and butter has been old-time country, bluegrass and southern gospel, but the opry has also welcomed musicians performing Cajun, Zydeco and other musical genres that reflect the various communities under the umbrella of Louisiana culture.
The opry in Abita Springs had humble beginnings but Bryan Gowland says musicians from across Louisiana and the country have been calling wanting to take the stage at the town hall. Past performances at the Abita Springs can be found on YouTube and also on the nonprofit’s website: https://www.abitaopry.org/html/about_us.html#media
Gowland has been with the opry every step of the way. His relationship with the opry and the town of Abita Springs is highly personal.
Listen to the opry’s musical journey here.