Zydeco Revelators

The Zydeco Revelators are a Jersey band, fronted by singer-accordionist Phil Passantino of Elizabeth, who told the Jersey Journal in 2015 that he fell in love with zydeco on a trip to Louisiana. “We’re go up the streets to a restaurant and see amazing Cajun bands playing and people dancing and we really felt the culture,” he said. “It was something we never experienced before … It’s fun, happy music and makes you want to get up, jump around and dance. The rhythm is infectious!” (fas quoted in https://www.njarts.net/pop-rock/zydeco-revelators-put-their-own-spin-on-springsteens-dancing-in-the-dark/))

Featuring Phil Passantino (accordion/vocals), Lou Selmi (drums, vocals), Lawrence Ochs (guitar/vocals), Keith Richard Vukan (bass/vocals), as well as Karen Lerman (on rubboard), the Zydeco Revelators deliver hot Louisiana-inspired dance music. Take a little bit of “Jambalaya,” add some stompin’ cowboy zydeco classics, and season with a dash of classic rock and jam band. Groove with sweet Cajun accordion riffs backed by electric guitar, a powerhouse rhythm section, and that cool metal rubboard vest! Get ready to dance up a storm.

Despite thunderstorms and rain in the early morning, the weather cleared and 274 folks, old and young and in between, came out to revel in the great sounds of Louisiana’s Big Easy….The Zydeco Revelators rocked the Green with their lively, “good times” music and kept the “joint jumping”….Who could sit still with such infectiously joyous music?! - Morris Arts

I caught just a small portion of the Zydeco Revelators’ set at the Crawfish Fest at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, today. But among the, maybe, four songs I saw, were zydeco-flavored covers of Huey Lewis & the News’ “I Want a New Drug,” The Cars’ “Let’s Go” and … Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark.”

I took out my cellphone and made a quick video of “Dancing in the Dark,” starting a few seconds after the song began. Sorry for the less-than-ideal video quality, but I thought the clip was worth sharing, anyway. You can see it below.

The Zydeco Revelators are a Jersey band, fronted by singer-accordionist Phil Passantino of Elizabeth, who told the Jersey Journal in 2015that he fell in love with zydeco on a trip to Louisiana. “We’re go up the streets to a restaurant and see amazing Cajun bands playing and people dancing and we really felt the culture,” he said. “It was something we never experienced before … It’s fun, happy music and makes you want to get up, jump around and dance. The rhythm is infectious!” - Jay Lustig

Jersey-grown quintet Zydeco Revelators brings a taste of Louisiana to the East Coast.

A little piece of Louisiana is coming to Jersey City as the Zydeco Revelators make their way to the Heights.

While the group's fun, dance-y groove comes straight from the bayou, the band is Garden State-grown. The Revelators came together after Phil Passantino, an accordion player from Elizabeth, brought the band together from Leonia, Hoboken and JC through a series of Craiglist ads.

Passantino fell in love with the raw accordion and lively spirit of zydeco music while on a trip with his girlfriend to small towns in Louisiana.

"We're go up the streets to a restaurant and see amazing Cajun bands playing and people dancing and we really felt the culture," said Passantino. "It was something we never experienced before...It's fun, happy music and makes you want to get up, jump around and dance. The rhythm is infectious!"

He found similarly infected music soulmates in rubboard/frottoir player Arieh Bellehsen, guitarist Lawrence Ochs, drummer Lou Selmi, & bassist Keith Richard Vukan. For the past year, they've been playing zydeco classics and now they're writing their own odes to the Creole State and just having a good time. - NJ.com