It's 10 p.m. on a Saturday night. Do you know where your rooster is?

"WELCOME UNITED GAMEFOWL BREEDERS ASSN" exclaims the sign in front of Lafayette's Holidome hotel. Locked inside a banquet hall, the UGBA is conducting a reverse raffle led by Cajun comedian Murray Conque. A stage full of instruments stands at the far end of the room, where the five members of Filé are waiting to perform.

The $5,000 raffle concludes and the band strikes up an instrumental Cajun two-step. The waltz "Joli...