Summer’s here, and the time is right for dancing with some meat! Acadian country superstar Laurie LeBlanc is throwing on his apron and welcoming us all to the backyard to join him in “The BBQ Dance,” the all-English version of his paean to the immortal pleasures of a warm-weather pig-out.
As compelling a jingle for carnivorous consumption as you’ll ever hear, the song is like any great outdoor repast: tangy, expertly seasoned and giving off plenty of smoke. One listen, and it’ll be stuck in your head until fall comes, pulling you to your feet over and over again to dance with a rib in your hands and a big, greasy grin on your face.
Bring out the Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba BBQ
It’s so good when it’s cooked on the grill
Steak & ribs, get a burger or two
Let’s do the Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba BBQ Dance
Just like the verses promise, the song will make you swing like a bottle of sauce and shake like salt and pepper. That’s part of the reason it’s received the promotional support of BBQing.com, Canada’s premier destination for all things barbecues who hold the philosophy as Laurie: “We Create Backyard Heroes – This summer BE A BBQ Dance Hero.” Not just a top seller of high-quality barbecue and outdoor living products, but a genuine cultural hub for grilling aficionados of all stripes, the company has partnered with LeBlanc to make the song the anthem of summer 2024. The synergy between artist and retailer started with a head-turning concert the singer-songwriter performed last April at the company’s Ottawa store, and now their teaming is going to ensure the tune is heard in Canadian households from coast to coast.
“Our collaboration with Laurie LeBlanc began serendipitously and has blossomed into a partnership that reflects our shared values,” the company said in a statement. “The English version of ‘The BBQ Dance’ not only promotes a fun, family-friendly activity but also marks a celebration of Canadian cultural fusion—music and grilling.”
Cultural fusion is just what LeBlanc has been aiming for since he started singing in two tongues. “The BBQ Dance” is the English-language version of his “La BBQ Dance,” found on his eighth studio recording, Long Weekend—a double EP made up of six songs rendered in his native French and six in English. It’s the latest milestone for the New Brunswick-based country maverick, who’s gradually been working bilingualism into his act since bursting onto the scene in 2010 with his debut album, La Pitoune. He swiftly became one of the most successful Francophone country music artists in eastern Canada, and his profile rose even higher with the 2020 release of his first all-English album, When It’s Right It’s Right, which was nominated for two East Coast Music Awards.
All along, he’s been racking up the honors, with multiple nominations in the Canadian Francophone Country Gala awards, in categories ranging from Male Singer-Songwriter (2022) to Male Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year (2018) to People’s Choice (2017). In 2023, he received the 10th Annual Clément-Cormier Excellence Alumni Award from his alma mater, Bouctouche High School in Bouctouche, NB.
In total, LeBlanc has been nominated for 38 Canadian Francophone Country Gala Awards, 24 Music NB Awards, 22 Josie Music Awards, four East Coast Music Awards, three ADISQ awards and one Gala Trille Or. And he’s scored four Number 1 hits on the Canadian Indie Country Countdown.
Now he’s aiming for a new title: King of the Cookout. And even better, he’s willing to share it with all of us. Just raise your stainless-steel spatula like a scepter and get ready to boogie, because “The BBQ Dance” is going to go on until the last burger is off the grill. Don’t spare the onions—but watch those bunions!
