Overthrone’d for a Loop

There’s no disputing that Wilson Anthony Chavis is the real deal when it comes to authentic, traditional zydeco.

Nicknamed Boozoo, the 66-year-old musician from Lake Charles, La., has payed his dues and is a worthy heir to the King of Zydeco throne once occupied by Clifton Chenier.

To his credit, Chavis’ latest release--last year’s Grammy-nominated “Hey Do Right!”--finds the accordionist-singer on top of his game and refusing to rest on his laurels.

Aimed more to please the feet than to please the head, zydeco music--the Creole music from rural southwestern Louisiana--serves up highly infectious, danceable rhythms. Chavis, whose career spans six decades, has climbed to the top of the genre by infusing it with subtle yet significant twists and turns, both lyrically and sonically. Occasionally spicing things up with suggestive lyrics sung in a rough, raw voice hasn’t hurt his cause any, either.

Yet judging from his uneven performance Wednesday night at the Long Beach Museum of Art, the crown he inherited from the late Chenier makes for a less-than-perfect fit.

After a solidly delivered, wide-ranging opening set that featured waltzes sung in French (“Jolie Catin,” “Goin’ a la Maison”), dance-inducing two-steps (“Do It All Night,” “Oh Yae Yae”), invigorating zydeco stomps and shuffles (“Hey Do Right,” “Dog Hill”) and a slow, bluesy ballad titled “Mother’s Blues,” Chavis and his backing band, Magic Sounds, had the packed crowd on its feet and at their mercy.

When the quintet returned for a second set, the good spirits and hearty music continued briefly with a heartfelt rendition of Chavis’ first recorded song, 1955’s “Paper in My Shoe.” But the group, which also features Boozoo’s sons Charles (rub-board and vocals) and Rellis (drums), soon lost its way.

Instead of working toward a climactic finish, the overly generous, 2 1/2-hour concert petered out. The primary culprit was ill-advised song selection that prompted an early exodus for a good portion of the tiring crowd.

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Who could blame them? Is anybody really interested in bassist Classie Ballou Jr. singing Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” and Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel”? Or “Guitar” Thomas belting out a pair of tunes, including an uninspired version of the bayou standard “Jambalaya”?

And then there was the reprise of “You’re Gonna Look Like a Monkey.” Admittedly the song is catchy and propulsive. But one listen will do for most occasions. (Chavis said he wanted to repeat it because he meant to play it initially on the triple-note and not single-note accordion.)

A crisply played, 90-minute second set--with less momentum-busting distractions and more of just plain ol’ Boozoo--would have been the perfect end to this evening. Why tinker with your traditional, trademark style when you’re the king?