Northshore party band inducted into Louisiana Music Hall of Fame

Christian Serpas and Ghost Town had just finished their first show in Folsom, opening — and closing — with “Folsom Prison Blues.” The group got together after the show and Serpas was concerned, what were they going to do now? They had played all nine songs they knew.

Twenty-five years and 2,000 gigs later, Serpas and Ghost Town is one of the best-known “festival bands” in the metropolitan area. The Mandeville-based group has shared a stage with some of the biggest stars in the music industry, including Kenny Chesney, Montgomery Gentry and Blake Shelton.

They’ve done it all, seen it all, and now they have the award to prove it, as the newest member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, an honor bestowed to the group at the French Quarter Festival this spring.

And yes, they now know way more than nine songs.

“I never dreamed we would last 25 years,” said Serpas, a Mandeville resident since 1995. “When we started, my goal was just to put out a CD so I could have our CD in my collection, and we ended up doing nine. To meet the people that we have and the experiences that we have, it was fun. It’s still fun. So to have that Hall of Fame as a notch on our belt, it’s just one more ‘Isn’t this great moment?’”

Serpas and Ghost Town aren’t stopping any time soon. They are booked through the summer, mostly weekends, all across the southeast. Their music is best described as a twangy, cleverly written, real-life country. Think Dwight Yoakam, but more modern.

The experience of Serpas and band mates Jeff Oteri (drums, vocals), George Neyrey (guitar, vocals) and Don Williams (bass guitar, vocals) make everything sound smooth.

“I heard a guy say when he got asked ‘How long are you going to do this?’ and he said, ‘I will do this as long as they let me,’” Serpas recounted, laughing. “Same for us. There are still little moments that transcend what you’re doing. Every now and then you hit that moment, and you go ‘Wow.’ ”

Growing up in Arabi, Serpas was inspired by Elvis and the music of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin that his Dad listened to. He’s almost a completely self-taught guitarist.

“I had a couple of lessons, but they wanted to teach me ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb,’ and I wanted to play ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ ” Serpas said.

He would study guitar players on TV to watch their hand movements. He started doing shows with a band in the ’80s, and then a second club band until Ghost Town came together in 1999.

The band has rubbed shoulders with some of the most famous country acts in the world. Merle Haggard told Ghost Town he liked their stuff; so did Blake Shelton. They ended up opening for Dwight Yoakam a few years after forming.

“I remember thinking, ‘How did this happen?’ ” said Serpas. “How did we get from that room where we only knew nine songs to opening for ‘The Derailers’ and Dwight? We haven’t changed. I think we have gotten better at it, and I think we know how to hit the nail on the head. You play with these guys long enough, and you kind of know when they’re going to turn left before they even know.”

The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame is based in Baton Rouge and has a traveling exhibit at various festivals and fairs. It includes Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, the Neville Brothers and Pete Fountain, and now Serpas and Ghost Town are in that number.

“I am so thankful for this whole experience and that we were able to live the days we did and play the shows that we did and feel all those special moments that we felt and still feel,” said Serpas. “I can’t wait for the next show.”