Coteau Grove plays it forward; gig money goes to charities.
By HERMAN FUSELIER | Contributing writer | The Acadiana Advocate | September 4, 2024
Coteau Grove is a band that never accepts money for a gig. In fact, the band gives money back to the folks who booked them.
Bass player Keith Myers pays the musicians and sound crew to play and rehearse. Myers provides catered meals for rehearsal in a St. Landry Parish cottage-turned-studio known by members as the “Band Cave.”
The musicians aren’t newcomers. They are members of the legendary variety band Atchafalaya, along with powerhouse vocalist Sharona Thomas.
But Myers and Coteau Grove aren’t some cheapskate bar owner’s dream. The band only plays for charities. All proceeds go to the sponsoring organization.
Coteau Grove's upcoming gigs include
Coteau Grove has upcoming gigs including the Boys & Girls Club Annual Gala in Lafayette and the Turning Points God & Country Festival in Westmoreland, Tenn.
Myers doesn’t mind picking up everyone’s tab. LHC Group, the home health care company he co-founded in 1994, was acquired last year by UnitedHealth for $5.4 billion. Music is his way of giving back.
“My wife Ginger and I have been blessed beyond imagination. When we show up, nobody pays for anything. The musicians get paid for rehearsals and live performances. We have all of our own PA equipment," Myers said. "We’re so thankful to be in a position where we can do that. I was raised on a farm in Palmetto. My parents had no money. My dad would make a $50,000 crop loan every year and just hoped he could pay off Washington State Bank at the end.”
Myers’ rags-to-bass-strings story goes back to his St. Landry Parish roots, where nuns taught him piano at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lebeau. At 16, Myers paid $800 for a Fender Precision bass at Jake’s Music Store in Opelousas. He still plays the instrument today.
After becoming an avid follower of Atchafalaya, Myers watched every move of the band’s late bass player Cal Arnold. Fast forward to recent years when Myers and Atchafalaya alum David Varisco connected over the notion of putting a band together.