Local band finds ‘The Groove’

It’s rare to find a variety cover band that thrives on the authenticity of the music they play, but The Groove has done just that.

Whether it’s Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, James Brown, Sublime, the O’Jays or even 50 Cent and the Cupid Shuffle, the band covers it all. Accurately.

“We do mostly just cover tunes, but we tend to make them as most accurate as possible,” said Tommy Baudoin, the band’s bass guitar player. “That’s one of the things we are known for, sounding exactly like the original.”

Perhaps that’s why The Groove has been around for nearly 12 years, leaving people who watch them begging for more.

The band – five members all from Lafourche Parish – has been “grooving” together for the last four years, entertaining locals at clubs, weddings, class reunions, Mardi Gras balls, New Year’s Eve parties and the like.

The vast playlist is mixed, making it tough for band members to describe a single style when asked.

“We pride ourselves on that too because it gives us the opportunity to satisfy our crowd, depending on what we fall into,” Baudoin explained. “Aside from doing all of the private work, if you hear us in a club, we’ll be a different band than if you hear us at a private party for a whole new generation. We can go from ’50s and ’60s music to Green Day or Rush to Van Morrison.”

It’s that wide range of style that has made The Groove a familiar name at several area clubs.

Whether it’s the Piazza Bar, the Ramada Inn, the Armadillo Club, Last Call or others, The Groove ensures that wherever they play, the audience has a good time. In fact, the group describes itself as “a band that enjoys performing for the people. It’s not about doing a job or making money. It’s about pleasing people and having a damn good time at it.”

Baudoin is the oldest current member, having joined The Groove seven years ago. The founding band members dropped out long ago.

“At the time, I was in another (cover) band called The Generics,” he said. “I had filled in for The Groove part-time. After a while, I realized that I would be better off being full-time in The Groove, so I stuck with them.”

That decision turned out to be a smart one. For the past four years, the band has had no turnover, helping to tighten their sound, Baudoin explained.

Current members consist of Baudoin (Thibodaux) on bass, his brother Teddy (Raceland) on keyboards, Hugh Watson (Thibodaux) as the frontman, Dave Arcement (Thibodaux) on drums and Jerry Martin (Lockport) on lead guitar.

In fact, the only changes that have been made involved instruments. When Tommy first joined the band, he played keyboards; however, when he talked his brother into joining the band, Tommy made the move to bass guitar.

The band’s name came about almost accidentally one night. Wayne Gros, an original member, held a meeting with his bandmates to decide the group’s name.

According to Baudoin, when they couldn’t decide on the name, one of the members said, “We need something that really grooves.” The Groove emerged.

When not playing music, Tommy, 40, works for Hoffman Music in Thibodaux during the day and teaches private piano lessons. Teddy, 44, helps run Post LTD, a Cajun gift store in downtown Thibodaux. He also sings in another cover band, Soul Survivor, and CrossWay, the Life Teen band at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral.

Arcement, 36, is a nurse at Terrebonne General Medical Center, while Martin, 34, works for Edison Schouest.

Watson, 40, is a chef by trade, but says he has given that up to focus on music. He has a CD entitled “The Drowning Man” coming out in September.

“We are a very unique group of guys,” Baudoin said. “We all have an interesting past. We don’t care if we ever make a CD. We just like going out on weekends, playing music and having a good time. That’s what it is all about.”

For more information on The Groove, check out the band’s Web site at www.the-groove-live.com or on MySpace at www.myspace.com/thegroovelive.