It’s been 20 years since Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs released their critically acclaimed Christmas album, entitled appropriately Reflections on the Cane: A Very Special Louisiana Christmas. They will perform songs from it this Saturday, December 17th in a concert on the downtown Natchitoches Riverbank stage as part of the city’s Christmas Festival Celebration.
The band recorded and released the album in 2002 with all proceeds from the sale of it going to benefit Louisiana Special Olympics. The album itself is an ode to the band’s beloved hometown, Natchitoches and its famous Christmas celebration.
“The album is a mixture of covers of some of our favorite Christmas tunes along with some originals that we wrote,” said bandleader, Rodney Harrington. “The title song itself is a tribute to our beautiful town at Christmas time and references the reflection of the hundreds of thousands lights in our scenic Cane River.”
Harrington said that the first printing of the album sold out very quickly and more had to be ordered and the second and third printing sold out as well.
“We are very proud to be able to help out Louisiana Special Olympics by donating proceeds from the sale of the record,” continued Harrington. “In fact, we were honored that Louisiana Special Olympics presented us with an award and the band as their Outstanding Corporate Benefactor.”
The album features guest appearances by several music luminaries; including Rock and Roll Hall of Famer James Burton; Danny Milliner, bassist for Brooks and Dunn; legendary Louisiana singers John Fred, Luther Kent, and G. G. Shinn along with Wayne Toups and several Natchitoches area musicians.
“We’ll be playing several songs from the album this Saturday even though the band is very different than it was 20 years ago,” said Harrington. “Of course, we’ll play some of our other Christmas favorites as well as lots of songs from our regular set list. It’ll definitely be The Stuff That Screams are Made of!”
Harrington said he’s proud of the album, the funds that were raised for Special Olympics, and feels the name, music, and theme of the record has helped spread the word about Natchitoches and its special Christmas season around the world.
“We’ve received reviews and feedback from the album from all over the country and as far away as Europe,” Harrington continued. “A church in Pennsylvania even used some of the music from the album in their Christmas cantata. Reflections on the Cane went everywhere. We were so proud to share our love for Natchitoches with the world. We still spread that love for our town wherever we play.”
Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs is an award-winning, regionally popular band that performs across the south.
Their performance on the riverbank this Saturday will begin at 6:00 p.m. and they will play until the fireworks display at 7:00 p.m., and the band will continue performing after the fireworks.
For more information on this weekend’s activities as well as information on the remainder of the Christmas season in Natchitoches, go to http://www.natchitocheschristmas.com
For more information on Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs, go to http://www.themoondogs.com
For more information on how to donate to Louisiana Special Olympics, go to http://www.laso@laso.org
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