Bluerunners, Two Hoots & a Holler

"Workingman's Zydeco" is the opening track off the Bluerunners' most recent studio album, 2005's Honey Slides (Bayou Vista), but it might as well be the Lafayette ensemble's calling card: both simple statement of purpose and sly allusion to the Grateful Dead. Like the Dead, the Bluerunners stir all sorts of American music — country, rock, blues, funk — into their cast-iron pot, then season the roux with the sounds of their immediate geographical area: Bay Area psychedelia for the Dead, and a rich, savory south Louisiana blend of Cajun, zydeco and Creole for founder Mark Meaux's crew. After releasing 1991's Bluerunners on Island — thanks to the Cajun craze of the late '80s and early '90s that also landed Buckwheat Zydeco and Zachary Richard major-label deals — the Bluerunners settled into a comfortable life on the club circuit, fostering a sterling stage reputation reinforced by last year's Live at the Triple Door. Friday, for once, steel guitarist Will Golden won't have far to lug his gear, as he already lives in Houston, and Austin roots-rock dynamos Two Hoots & a Holler offer some friendly stakes-raising competition.