Likened to the infectious beat of the band Creedence Clearwater Revival, and sure to lift audience members out of their seats and onto the dancefloor, the Cajun, New Orleans R&B, and Zydeco-style band, Gator Nation, is coming to Vashon.

The band will bring an evening of foot-stomping, knee-whomping revelry when they perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 28, at Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA).

It all started with islanders Tom and IdaGay Nicolino, who have had a longtime involvement in both VCA and the Sun Valley Jazz & Music Festival. In conversation with Sun Valley Festival director Jeff Loehr earlier this spring, Tom learned of Loehr’s intention to bring the California band up north for the summer and suggested they make a stop on Vashon along the way.

“We have seen Gator Nation’s six-piece band several times — they are a particularly good, high-energy group whose performances emphasize the music of southern Louisiana,” said Tom.

“People who have experienced our show share their enthusiasm with others and this has led to many other wonderful connections,” said bandleader Willard Blackwell. “Watching people respond to our music, seeing the joy in their faces, is a big part of why we chose this profession.”

First introduced to Zydeco by his friend, bandleader and songwriter Richard Dominique, of Lafayette, Louisiana, Blackwell was struck by the response and sense of community generated by the sound of traditional Zydeco.

“I can only describe it as ‘happy music,’” he said. “While simple in its form, it connects to dancers very easily.”

Inspired to bring that same feeling of community to their performances, Gator Nation maintains a deep respect for traditional Zydeco, while taking artistic liberties to weave additional genres into their original music.

Having premiered this blend of sound throughout the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and parts of Canada, the band has left a slew of fans in its wake and become a Sun Valley Jazz & Music Festival favorite.

“There’s a reason for that,” said Loehr. “They don’t leave anything on the table, and they take no prisoners. They always bring their A-game, and they are fun. This music is life-giving and good for your soul and spirit.”

Loehr, along with his wife Carol, has been involved with the Sun Valley Festival for 33 years, and both have served as directors for the past 18 years. The band’s visit to VCA serves as part of a promotional tour for the festival and expands the viewership of bands like Gator Nation, which Loehr said have become “a big music family.”

As for the upcoming VCA show, Blackwell said, “It is always exciting performing at new venues. After years of performing, calming our individual butterflies is the rush we look for. That usually happens during the first or second song. Then, as a group, we connect, and the show is on.”

Tickets are available at vashoncenterforthearts.org, and at the VCA box office, open from 12 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.