By Brett Downer

The Flamethrowers have entertained Gulf Coast crowds for 20 years — and now for a special McNeese Banners Series concert, they’ll offer a one-of-a-kind show that traces the birth of rock ’n roll with favorites performed chronologically, decade by decade.

“Flamethrowers Rock Through the Ages” will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 13, in historic F.G. Bulber Auditorium on the McNeese State University campus.

“We’ll stretch back to Elvis and Chuck Berry and go right up to hits you hear on the radio right now,” said vocalist/guitarist Logan Fontenot, a 17-year member of the Flamethrowers.  “It’s going to be different from anything people have seen us do before.”

A nine-piece band will fill the stage.

The Flamethrowers are Fontenot, founder Joseph Darbonne, vocalist Dominique Darbonne, bassist Tyler Reed, drummer Chad Townsend and keyboardist Wesley Royer. They’ve also added a three-piece horn section – Will Christian on saxophone, Samuel Turner on trombone and Isaiah Windsor on trumpet.

Joseph Darbonne formed the Flamethrowers 20 years ago while at LSU. Along the way, the band attracted musicians with a deep, abiding love of rock ’n roll.

The Bulber stage is where fiery vocalist Dominque Darbonne first sang in front of a crowd. “I was in Beta Club in my early teens and we did a number from ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,’” she said. “We’re huge Banners Series fans, and we think it’s awesome that we can play on the Bulber stage.”

Rock through the decades

Fontenot remembers his early days as a musician. “I was in eighth grade and I was fascinated with the fast, upbeat, tongue-in-cheek music of the ’90s California punk rock group Blink-182,” he said.

Fontenot eventually became an investment banker — but never stopped playing guitar.

“So I’m a nerdy little banker during the week, and then I have a chance to play rock ’n roll with the Flamethrowers during the weekend,” he reflected. “It lets me look at the world from two viewpoints.”

The band members have gone through the process of choosing their favorite music from each decade to prepare for the Banners concert (although Fontenot says they probably will probably not play anything from Blink-182).

They’re looking for music that will resonate with many generations. The music will go back to Frankie Valli, front man for the Four Seasons, and will likely include songs like “Mr. Brightside” (2005) by The Killers, which Fontenot said has multi-generational appeal.

The band will include selections from Metallica, which Fontenot describes as “heavy thrash metal,” as well as Aerosmith and Def Leppard. Perhaps less mainstream will be Howard Jones music — representing synthwave, the electronic music microgenre often based on music associated with soundtracks of action, science-fiction or horror film soundtracks of the 1980s.

They’ll also probably play songs by Van Halen and Rush, two of their favorite groups.

“We love to play this music,” Fontenot said. “We hope the audience will enjoy listening to it.”

Rockers who serve

Band members also find time for helping their community. The Flamethrowers often play for fundraisers for various non-profit groups. Dominique Darbonne was an early volunteer for Banners’ only fundraiser, Rouge et Blanc. Fontenot is the president of the executive committee of the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana.

“We kind of stumbled our way to become a fixture of the community,” Fontenot said. “Now we have a chance to give back.”

“We’ve gone through some bumps and bruises with Lake Charles,” he said, but he is optimistic about the future. “When I look at what is happening now in this community, what the Banners Series is doing, what the Arts Council is doing – and, from a banking perspective, all the money that is being put back into the city – I have a very positive outlook.”

Banners Director Brook Hanemann reflects that optimism.

“The Flamethrowers are just pure unadulterated fun,” she said. “They are high energy, they are the darlings of Southwest Louisiana and the band is made up of great supporters of the arts and culture of this area. Artists who rock, who also serve their community? There’s just not much better than that.”

Tickets to “Flamethrowers Rock Through the Ages” are $20 for the public and $10 for students 17 and under at banners.org or the door. It is free to all McNeese and SOWELA students. Also, free admission is extended to military, first responders, educators, anyone over age 80 and children under 12 — made possible by longtime Banners benefactor Reed Mendelson.

For more information, visit banners.org or the Banners page on Facebook.