Even though he’s only in his early 20s, the Evangeline area’s Dawson Arsenault already has a wealth of experience as a singer, musician and actor. As a very young teenager, he was a member of the Acadian country-folk trio, Paloudes, with two of his friends. They had the opportunity to perform on a variety of stages for all kinds of festivals, concerts and shows. Right from the get-go, Dawson had a natural charm and talent for entertaining crowds. Over time, he had the opportunity to play with a variety of other musicians, including professional artists. Notably, he played for several years in the “La Veillée au Village” dinner-theatre shows, further developing his voice, stage presence, sense of humor and ability to play keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and various other instruments. He currently plays bass for the Acadian rock ‘n’ roll (with punk leanings) band “Aubin pi la SCB”, which won the Prix de L’Acadie at the 2025 PEI Music Awards.
And more recently, he’s formed the band “Dawson & The Country Boys”, which of course plays French and English traditional-styled country music, as well as bluegrass, Acadian and folk songs well known on the Island and in Acadia.
Joining him are fantastic teenage guitar, mandolin and banjo player Riel Arsenault, internationally acclaimed professional bass player Rémi Arsenault and his multi-instrumentalist buddy from the dinner-theatre shows and the “Aubin pi la SCB” band, Shane Arsenault. Together for just a few months, they’ve already captured the attention of music fans in and around the Evangeline region. In their first appearance at this year’s Evangeline Bluegrass Festival, they’re sure to wow the crowd with their energy, charisma and, of course, their wonderful musical talent. Prepare to be amazed.