And this year’s award for best live musical performance in Carbondale goes to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

To be anywhere other than the Copper Dragon Monday night would have been foolish. Never before has a band in Carbondale commanded the attention of its audience so absolutely while inundating a venue with music you would have to be a stiff not to enjoy. Such was the case with Daddy, an eight-piece little big band from Hollywood. Daddy’s flawless performance should sound a wake-up call for some local bar owners who, when it comes to bands, seem to prefer the trite to the piquant.

Monday’s show proves the burgeoning neo-swing scene immortalized in the movie Swingers is here to stay. The question is, can Carbondale keep up with times and solicit bands like Daddy in the future? If the eclectic sell-out Copper Dragon crowd is any indication of what could be, then this Southern Illinois community can look forward to jumpin’ into the next century.

Advertisement

Daddy’s appeal is two-fold. Its uniquely-orchestrated sound bursts with nostalgic freshness and charming intensity, and its on-stage energy is intoxicating. Both the horn and reed sections, anchored by the lively Glen The Kid Marhevka on trumpet and workhorse tenor saxophonist Karl Hunter, outgun a lot of their modern counterparts with their deftness and dash. Add multi-talented baritone saxophonist Andy Rowley and trombonist Jeff Harris to the mix and one can understand why Daddy has sold out shows nationwide for nearly three months. Not only does this foursome successfully invoke the swing of old, but it artfully entertains with its endless stage antics.

Speaking of antics, guitarist-lead vocalist-band leader Scotty Morris, sidekick bassist Dirk Schumaker, spectacle-sporting pianist Josh Levy and drummer Kurt Sodergren provide many of their own while forging a tightly-wound sound. Morris nimbly intertwines his cool vocals and subtle on-stage humor with the rest of the performance as Schumaker strives to upstage by twirling his stand-up bass and cavorting around in circles with the oversized instrument tucked under his arm. Levy wows periodically with his Jerry Lee Lewis imitations and Sodergren bangs the skins with precision.

Daddy’s set list included most of the songs appearing on its recently released major-label debut and all three of its contributions to the Swingers soundtrack. The audience erupted during You, Me, & the Bottle Makes Three Tonight while Daddy members seized the opportunity to solo during Jump With My Baby Tonight. All of the solos were crisp and deflty undertaken, Marhevka and Hunter providing the most masterful. After the official set had concluded, audience members unanimously and vociferously demanded Daddy to continue. Trotting back onto the stage for what was to be an even bigger and badder encore, Morris asked, are you ready for the big stuff? With the crowd’s approval, Daddy topped off the show with Swingers themesong, Go-Daddy-O.

With Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, there’s never a dull moment and you’ll find yourself swingin’ no matter how much you hate to dance. Let’s just hope this isn’t a one-night stand.