If you responded in the affirmative to any of the above, today is your lucky day. Tonight, Los Angeles band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will fill the Hopkins Center with the sweet sounds of old-school swing music. The nine-man band is credited with kick-starting the swing revival of the mid-1990s, largely through their appearance in the 1996 hit movie "Swingers."
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are best known for the infectiously upbeat songs "You & Me & The Bottle Makes Three Tonight (Baby)" and "Go Daddy-O." With an impressive six studio albums and one live album under their belts, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are rightfully hailed as the kings of post-Big Band-era swing.
Originally formed as a three-piece jazz, blues and swing band in 1989, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy eventually grew to include two trumpets, two clarinets, three saxophones and a trombone. Playing mostly clubs and lounges, they began garnering attention in 1992, at the height of the grunge movement -- a uniquely odd time for a swing revival to sweep America. But after releasing two studio albums under their own label, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy gained a cult following. Several years later, the band exploded onto the mainstream music scene -- zoot suits and all -- via the movie "Swingers."
The film, an independent comedy about unemployed and unattached actors in Los Angeles, starred Jon Favreau and a then-unknown Vince Vaughn. A scene in which Favreau and Heather Graham swing dance to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's music increased the band's exposure exponentially and soon won them fame and legions of new listeners. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy quickly landed a major label record deal, and they have been wowing fans from all over the world with their toe-tapping tunes and thrilling live performances ever since.
Writing all of their own material, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy loyally honors America's musical past while putting an exciting, contemporary spin on the kind of dance hall hits that audiences fell in love with 50 years ago. Few artists today can boast as diverse a fan base; Big Bad Voodoo Daddy attracts both older listeners keen on reminiscing about the glory days of Big Band music and younger audiences drawn in by classy, danceable songs they may be surprised to find themselves enjoying alongside their grandparents.
The band has long paid musical homage to legendary American jazz, and its most recent studio album, 2003's "Save My Soul," finds the band members pointedly tipping their hats to New Orleans for the first time. Bandleader and principle songwriter Scotty Morris claims the Big Easy, widely recognized as the birthplace of jazz, as his "favorite musical city," and the influence of such greats as Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway shines through in many of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's songs.
The band's excellent chemistry, apparent since its early days, gives the group's renowned live performances a rollicking, good-times vibe: hearing Big Bad Voodoo Daddy play is much like attending "a fun, swinging party," according to Jazz Review. Guitar, piano, drums, acoustic bass and a veritable horde of horns come together to produce a deliriously jazzy sound with a rhythm section that dares audiences to listen sitting still.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's regime of constant touring, like the band's music and trademark concert attire, is a throwback to the American big bands of the 1940s. The band has been playing for multi-generational audiences in locales ranging from Hawaii to Finland, and plays more than 100 shows annually all over the world. Over time, the group's general charm and enthusiasm for performing have earned it nearly as distinguished a reputation as have its fast-paced, delightful shows themselves.
This evening's performance promises to be a pleasant blast from the past, a refreshing dose of music from another time infused with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's distinctive modern flair.
The show starts at 7 p.m. in Spaulding Auditorium. Tickets can be purchased at the Hopkins Center box office for $5 with a Dartmouth ID, or $20 for general admission. The term is young, the workload is light and there's no better time to indulge in a great concert. Get ready to get down to tunes like "Zig Zaggity Woop Woop." Fedoras optional.
