Put On Your Dancing Shoes For A Little French Rockin’boogie

Geno Delafose was groomed to be a zydeco musician and a band leader.

He was 8 when he joined his father’s critically acclaimed Cajun and zydeco band, John Delafose and the Eunice Playboys, as a rub-board player. A couple of years later, he became the band’s backbone as the drummer. A few years after that, Delafose started playing the piano and diatonic accordions and sang some songs.

So when Delafose’s dad died suddenly of a heart attack, shortly after leaving the stage at a concert in 1994, the 25-year-old Louisiana native was ready to front his own band.

Enter Geno Delafose and the French Rockin’ Boogie, who play the Clocktower Meadow in Riverfront Park at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

“I always tell people I have big shoes to fill,” Delafose said in recent phone interview, talking about carrying on in his dad’s honor. “My dad wore size 12s, and I wear size 10-1/2.”

So far, he’s filled his dad’s shoes more than adequately. Geno has already garnered a bigger following than his dad’s band drew. His sweat-inducing, dance-inspiring performances have been celebrated across the country. What’s more, Delafose has released a marvelous debut called “French Rockin’ Boogie.” A second album is on the way.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo