Squirrel Nut Zippers at City Winery

James Mathis, Jr. was born into a musical family in Oxford, Mississippi, and was proficient at mandolin by age eight. By 15, Mathus knew the rudiments of guitar, piano and harmony singing. The family's repertoire consisted of hundreds of folk, bluegrass, and country blues songs. In high school he played rock and roll in the End and later helped found Johnny Vomit & the Dry Heaves, one of the first punk rock/experimental noise bands in Mississippi. In the mid-1980s he recorded under the name Cafe des Moines. He later relocated to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, took on the professional name Jimbo Mathus, and played drums in Metal Flake Mother. Mathus saw his greatest success after forming the swing revival band Squirrel Nut Zippers in 1993. The band's second album was certified platinum, which led to performances at the 1996 Summer Olympics and at President Clinton's second inaugural ball. Squirrel Nut Zippers disbanded in 2000 and Mathus returned to Mississippi, played the blues in Buddy Guy's band for a few years, and recorded albums under various names. Squirrel Nut Zippers reformed in 2007 and 2008 for concerts and recorded a live album. In 2016, Mathus assembled a new lineup with musicians from around New Orleans, Louisiana, and toured in support of the 20th anniversary of Squirrel Nut Zippers' biggest selling album, Hot. Squirrel Nut Zippers released Beasts of Burgundy, its first studio album in 18 years, on March 23, 2018.

What does one call a revival of a revival? Squirrel Nut Zippers was among the bands that led the charge in swing revival in the 1990s and, at City Winery tonight, Mathus and company were once again fusing 1930s–era swing, Delta blues, gypsy jazz, klezmer, New Orleans jazz, and even calypso. Once could hear the ghosts of Cab Calloway, Django Reinheardt and Fats Waller, but the performance was not music trapped in a bottle. This was not simply a crooner with a lively horn band. While the band drew from vintage genres, the definitive template for the music was a light-hearted blend that accentuated the fun facet. Hence, the construct of the concert was not built for hardcore swing enthusiasts as it was for casual revelers enjoying buoyant songs and merriment. Perhaps this revival of a revival was simply ageless music with a grin.

Visit the Squirrel Nut Zippers at www.snzippers.com.

Setlist:

1. Karnival Joe (From Kokomo)
2. Put a Lid on It
3. Blue Angel
4. Memphis Exorcism
5. Good Enough for Granddad
6. Evening at Lafitte's
7. Use What Mama Gave You
8. Rusty Trombone
9. West of Zanzibar
10. Bad Businessman
11. Hell
12. Ghost of Stephen Foster

Encore:

1. Axman Jazz (Don't Scare Me Papa)
2. Prince Nez
3. Plenty More
4. Hey Shango!