On any particular night in Lafayette, Louisiana you can walk into one of the city's venues and find people dancing. Where you are from determines whether this occurrence should be listed under the 'phenomenon' category, or should be considered just another wednesday night out on the town.
In our experience on the road however, we have found that crowds in many places, for the most part, do not dance at shows. We have quickly learned to appreciate all forms of crowd interaction, whether it be the casual bobbing of the head (Atlanta), or even the cross-armed stare of death (bless your heart New York).
Every city has their own way of experiencing music. There is no right or wrong way to watch a band--just a wide spectrum of possibilities each night. Some crowds stand still, eyes focused--scanning the stage left to right--following the changing focal point of each song--analyzing content, lyrics, and overall vibe. When this listener likes what he or she hears, they will wait till the appropriate time and then applaud to show the music has moved them. In Lafayette however, the moment a downbeat has the power to move someone at a show--it does just that. It moves them. And it will continue to move them till the song's end.
The phenomenon of an entire club drenched in sweat, dancing the entire night is something you take for granted when it is the norm.
Growing up in southwest Louisiana, we didn't realise how much of our native musics are designed, in part, to get people on the dance floor--whether it be Cajun, Zydeco, or funk music. With these dance-friendly genres dominating a large part of the club scene, one could see why the climate is geared towards movement. There is something different that happens in this unique environment. When an entire room of people--band included--move together in a unison rhythm, there is a deepened sense of energetic exchange there. To me, the body moving in rhythm represents when our over-thinking minds are out of the way. When this happens, the feelings that are created by the song travel deeper into the psyche of the listener and create more of a memorable experience. And when an entire mass of people are a part of this process--it's something that I consider to be on the 'phenomenal' side of the spectrum. Being able to witness this so commonly is another reason we feel so fortunate to be from the city of Lafayette.