On Friday evening June 21 I took the opportunity to see the Cherry Poppin Daddies at Seattle’s Crocodile. The fact that one of my favorite locals the Georgetown Orbits were opening sweetened the pot.
Hailing from Eugene, OR, the Cherry Poppin Daddies are led by the dynamic Steve Perry and play a more jazzy ska as opposed to reggae ska. Steve’s feet never stayed in one spot more than a second or two as he flitted about all over the stage. He said right off the bat that he was sick, but it wasn’t noticeable. His energy was boundless and there wasn’t a still body in the house all night. There was a stellar horn section, one of whom wore a pilot’s hat a la Rocky Squirrel. (Dana Heitman- Trumpet, Willie Matheis- Tenor Sax, Matt Hettwer- Trombone and Josh Hettwer- Alto Sax).
The Daddies also are quite versatile with bagpipes, a standup bass and a banjo and even a flute making appearances.
They ended their set with Zoot Suit Riot, the song that catapulted them into the mainstream in the early 90s. Many sang along. They returned for an encore of one song before calling it a night. There was so much dancing that I was sure steam must have poured through the doorway as everyone filed outside.
As I mentioned, the Georgetown Orbits opened. This is a Seattle band I have followed through different lineups and incarnations and I haven’t grown tired of them yet. They play a variety of ska flavors from songs you just want to close your eyes and float through the air to, to some you want to put on your dancing shoes to. They even played a ska version of Hang On, Sloopy and in my opinion, made it a better song.
The sound was impeccable, but the lighting was not. Much of the time the lights were so dark I could barely make out much beyond a silhouette of each musician. Going to a concert means you get to see the musicians who perform the music you love. I can stay at home and listen to them in the darkness. But the band was fantastic despite this and everyone had a good time.
Another fine night of ska went down in Seattle and there was a good crowd seeing it go down.
– All photos property of Holly Homan, all rights reserved.
