ALIVE! At The Roxy

While some may say the swing phenomenon is losing momentum, that certainly wasn't the feeling at The Roxy last Saturday night. Coming off their best-selling album Zoot Suit Riot and the hit single of the same name, 1998 has been a good year for the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, the Seattle-based band that mixes a swing-oriented style with genres such as ska and punk to create their own unique sound.

Singer Steve Perry led the charge Friday night, walking out in a dark purple suit and dancing frenetically around the stage as the band went into "Dr. Bones," a lightning-fast swing song with a blistering piano riff at the opening. Perry's morbid lyrics clashed with the upbeat music: "Shake, shake, shake and rattle-rattle them Dr. Bones," but you almost didn't notice as Perry leaped about the stage. This was followed later by the sleazy "Here Comes the Snake" which highlighted the sexual undertones lie beneath the band's songs.

The singer's energy proved to be indeed nearly boundless, as he continued to dance, jump and even do splits throughout the entire set, singing all the while. Amidst their big swing hits--the current single "Brown Derby Jump," as well as "Ding Dong," "Daddy of the D-Car Line" and "When I Change Your Mind"--the Daddies interspersed their earlier work, often songs that were more ska or even punk than swing.

For the most part, though, the band stuck to its core set of swing songs, which was, of course, the reason for the Roxy being packed to the balconies.

The opening bands, Ozmatli and the Pietasters, were both a pleasure to watch. Ozmatli mixed a Latino sound with bouncing hip-hop songs, while the Pietasters performed their usual repertoire, despite the lead singer's obvious (but good-natured) intoxication. Overall, the show was well worth braving the crowd that fills the Roxy every Friday on "Swing Night."