RIFFS: Marc Broussard invites audience into his Living Room

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By Andrew Leahey

Few modern voices are as powerful as Marc Broussard's soulful, Bayou-bred baritone. Drawing equally from blues, roots rock and Louisiana's Cajun heritage, Mr. Broussard has distinguished himself from other crooners over the course of three albums, all of which display his swampy grooves and Southern grit to tuneful effect.

Mr. Broussard, 27, doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon.

"I like to work really fast," he explains from Carencro, La., the hometown that continues to inspire much of his music. "I don't like wasting time, and that's why I hire really talented guys to work with."

Last year, the "talented guys" included the Nashville String Band and seven veteran horn players, all of whom made appearances on Mr. Broussard's third album, "Keep Coming Back." Recorded in eleven days, the album captured the spirit of Mr. Broussard's live show while exploring the boundaries of his sound.

This year, the songwriter has slimmed down his lineup for an intimate acoustic tour. Dubbed Marc Broussard: Welcome to My Living Room, the tour will visit fourteen venues this fall, beginning with the Birchmere and concluding with the House of Blues in Houston.

Although he often writes songs on the acoustic guitar, Mr. Broussard says the Living Room tour is not a back-to-basics affair. "The intention is to give the fans something they haven't seen in a while," he clarifies. "We want to get out there and give a good sit-down show."

Rehearsals took place during the first weekend of October, when Mr. Broussard met up with guitarist Joe Stark and percussionist Chad Gilmore in Houma, La. The trio mostly "hung out, drank beers and ran through songs," although they also took a break on Saturday to watch the Louisiana State University Tigers beat the University of Georgia Bulldogs.

"We re-evaluated the arrangements and did some vocal work," the singer adds. "We're pretty well-prepared now."

Although touring keeps him on the road for much of the year, Mr. Broussard still believes that home is where the heart is. He named his major-label debut after his hometown, while the album's first single — a blistering, stomping song named "Home" — pays tribute to Louisiana's musical influence.

Now that he's planning on spending the rest of the fall away from Carencro, he'll add some traces of his own living room to the Living Room shows.