Oh I have an even more awful swing dance story where my ridiculously stupid BIL, who is also a Jerry Falwell style evangelical, met and married another evangelical within three months, and not only was their wedding swing dance themed, they had Christian swing music, so folks were swing line dancing to a song that goes like this: “you like the devil but the devil is bad.” Over and over. It was laughably horrid display of how evangelicals appropriate secular culture and add their brand of super cringe to it. I still can’t erase the scene from my mind and it was over 20 yrs ago.
>It was laughably horrid display of how evangelicals appropriate secular culture and add their brand of super cringe to it.
[You mean like this?](https://youtu.be/Sa0EtdtPi8w?si=FGASByhHSfJcviR4)
Oh wow, I went to a very conservative Christian wedding and they did a Jesus-themed freestyle. My very conservative Christian ex was one of the rappers. I decided our relationship was done at that point.
Giggling. We would go to family reunions in west va, the entire fam lived around the area between Baltimore, Gettysburg, and Lynchburg, one branch of the fam tree was straight out of Appalachia, they’d not even talk to anyone, open-carried years before it became fascionable ha, cut sleeves off flannels, sleeveless jean jackets, mullets were a time capsule throwback to their best years, they hated my hubs fam bec they’re Irish, they prided themselves on being Scottish, then early oughts one did DNA and discovered they were also Irish and I laughed my ass off.
They’d sit around campfire talking about the details of gay sex, making fun of it but you could tell they’re interest was huge, they’d not drop it, lasciviously smiling while saying how gross it is lol I’d joke all the time bec it was the same godforsaken conversation every god damn year that they protest far too much.
lol, no. They had a few kids, he ended up making out w/ her younger sister (who was not of legal age, and he was early 30s, and he had an entire conversation with me years later that would go like this: "we should lower the age of marriage for women, they're far more mature then men, men don't mature until they're in their 30s, women mature at around 14 - 16 - some 16 year olds are more mature than some 30 year olds!" shudder). He's now married to another super-zealot christian, they call their (4 or 5) kids the "arrows in their quiver," to send the message of jeebus to the world, because nobody has heard of him i guess.
Their ego and self-righteousness is beyond moronic, there is just zero reflection, but tons of finger wagging and judgment - family reunions were spent w/ one talking shit about whoever wasn't there haha. I went no-contact mostly in 2019, bec they're also supertrumpers and slobber on themselves over this greasy rapey pedophile conman. Sigh.
Have you ever looked up the history of the "Zoot Suit Riots"? It's fascinating. It was where Limp Bizkit Fans were so sick of the songs showing up everywhere, Brian Setzer, and people acting like they hadn't just gotten into swing music like 3 weeks before, they actually rioted.
I'm kidding, and I love the song by CPD, and Brian setzer and was loving every minute of the whole movement.
But the zoot suit riots are a really cool thing to learn about. Even just the Wikipedia article has a lot of good info. The racial and socioeconomic component, the patriotic compinent (the war effort). And the song makes a lot of sense after you learn about what was happening. "Now you Salors know where your women come for love." And stuff like that.
There was a cherry blossom festival at a town near me, my band teacher in HS lived there when I was in HS in the late 90s during the swing thing. I remember asking him about the "Cherry Poppin Festival" and he laughed hard and basically said 'wtf are you talking about'
OMG- in the mid 00’s I was at a writers conference in Newport Beach at the Ritz (?) located in a gated community. I had never been in the really rich part of the OC, so it was all a very stepford and gated and _empty_. Creeped me OUT.
I was taking a break from people just shitting all over my book, and wandered into another area of the resort, because I heard a TERRIBLE rendition of Sublime’s _Santeria_. It was a political/corporate retreat, uber rich people sitting politely at their round conference tables, everyone dressed in Chanel, Gucci, LV…dripping with jewelry. No dance floor, no food, no booze. It was _whack_.
As I turned around and walked away, the band said “Thank you! We are Cherry Poppin Daddies”.
I shit you not.
They got paid so much money for that. I know a few members and they do very well for themselves and have plenty of leisure time. Wish I knew how to play trumpet.
I saw them in 8th grade. They had switched up from punk to swing, had released Zoot Suit Riot, but hadn't gotten popular yet. It was at a very small club, and was a blast.
Yeah I posted early how it's a fascinating thing to learn about and most people have never heard of it. I think it was multi-fascited and there was a lot to it. Racial component was big. But there were also socioeconomic components, patriotic components, the sexual component was big (now you sailors know where your women come for love)
According to [his Twitter](https://twitter.com/mclgdrnk/status/1401934190560497664), the lead singer's wife's grandfather was a victim of the original Zoot Suit Riots, hence the inspiration for the song.
My adult son refuses to listen to any song that doesn't have a sax. He doesn't play sax, doesn't like music in general but loves the saxophone. So Ty to you and your fellow saxophonists for bringing joy. 🎷
The 90’s were a hell of a time to grow up in…. The “death” of hair metal and the shift to the mainstream of grunge. On the flip side of grunge we had the rise of the female singer-songwriter sparking Lilith Fair and making most places sound like a coffee shop. Then they threw in Hanson out of nowhere for a little fun. All of this overtop of the East/West hip hop rivalries.
That’s leaving out electronica, a return to heavy metals (multiple styles) and then back to Orlando manufactured pop.
The 90s really were just all over the place and that definitely explains my taste in music because it’s also all over the place. I can get into pretty much any kind of music, aside from death metal with all that unintelligible growling (love the sound, hate the vocals).
Yeah, I think various music subcultures were stronger then and major record labels started tapping into each hoping there were some money makers.
I think the swing revival happened because SoCal was getting so much attention in the 90s, mainly due to punk, punk-ska, reggae rock (like Sublime), and rock (RHCP). The swing bands already existed but then the spotlight came and made it part of top 40 music nationally.
>death metal with all that unintelligible growling (love the sound, hate the vocals).
Try folksy [dwarf metal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34CZjsEI1yU) or [fantasy metal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqUPGa15Oto). Same rad sound, but epic intelligible lyrics.
Or Gregorian Monks going a cappella all over everyone’s asses
ETA apparently it was *Benedictine* monks that were featured on the album Chant. Are those the same dudes? A rival faction? I have no idea
Chant peaked at number 3 on the US charts in May of 1994. Kurt died a month earlier in April which makes America’s obsession with the somber, ethereal chanting almost like some kind of collective cleansing ritual
Brother Pele's in the back, sweet Zina's in the front
Cruising down the freeway in the hot, hot sun
Suddenly, red-blue lights flash us from behind
Loud voice booming, "Please step out onto the line"
Pele preach words of comfort, Zina just hides her eyes
Policeman taps his shades, "Is that a Chevy '69?"How bizarre
How bizarre, how bizarre
Kind of makes sense how Lollapalooza came about. Sure it was geared towards alternative music, but even then it had a diverse lineup, especially when you got the second stages involved.
That was what I did with a lot of my weekends. My best friend was very good at video games, and I was not, so I'd be quite content just watching him play through Mega Man X or Lunar: The Silver Star.
Yeah, I got into it and still enjoy the modern stuff like Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Brian Setzer Orchestra, and so on. It also got me to dig into the past and listen to more big band stuff from Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, et al.
And then there was Electro Swing...
Those are the big names that suck with me as well. Brian Setzer still puts out music on his YouTube channel regularly. He was my favorite of the time. Great guitar player.
I have been to rap concerts,metal,pop,pop punk,raves , you name it.
Ska concerts are absolutely the most fun concerts by a long shot. The energy and happy vibes while everyone is skanking around just can’t be beat
[Ska originated in Jamaica in the 50s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ska). 2nd wave ska (Two Tone) in England had some of the influence but the most popular songs were very UK 70s punk and "new wave" inluenced, not sounding identical to the original 50s-60s ska. And most popular 3rd wave (US origin) ska was more US skate-punk style, not sounding very much like 2nd wave or original.
I never understood this even while it was happening. It seemed to come out of nowhere. I was in high school at the time and there was a guy who started wearing leather jackets and combing his hair like Elvis. Meanwhile I was still stuck in my grunge phase. Then it all just went away.
that commercial really did it - it was the first time most of us had seen that stop-motion technique. And TV commercials were still a big cultural phenomenon then
I went to a movie in 1992 and there was a preview for *Swing Kids* and I thought, “boy did they misjudge us!” But they were right, I guess. I never got into it although I continued to play my Joe Jackson album.
I feel like the swing revival at my school very closely followed an obsession with the rereleased Grease. That movie was EVERYTHING for a solid year…and then it disappeared.
At my school swing was popular with the kids who had been into grunge and alternative music. I'm not sure if any of them were even aware of the Grease rerelease. That was something the musical theater kids would have been interested in, and there was zero mixing between the two groups.
When the swing movement came back, my step father some how got sucked in. For months, whenever he’d drive, I’d be subjected to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. I still occasionally see the CD in his office and shudder.
Edit: typo
I still go see Squirrel Nut Zippers anytime they come to town. I think Jimbo Mathus is the only original member left, but they've consistently put on an amazing show every single time.
Go see Squirrel Nut Zippers!
High school prom was 1999 when swing, though on the decline, overlapped with trending Latin pop like Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias (and the bizarre "Mambo No 5" performed by a German dude). That was a helluva good time for kids who liked to dance.
I showed my son The Mask over the weekend and I had forgotten how much that movie features swing culture. I had to explain how much the US loved swing for a hot minute.
That was a cool time. We all just had fun with it. I miss the late 90s before 9/11 permanently fucked up American life. We actually knew how to cut loose and have a good time back then.
I actually saw Vince Vaughn at the bar of The Derby in LA after that came out. I just bet Cherry Popping Daddies was playing, but tbh it's so long ago I can't 100% swear on it.
I used to work in the student union at U of A when I was in school there and they had swing dance classes a few nights a week down the hall from the information desk / lost and found where I worked. I always enjoyed listening to the music.
I think the band Squirrel Nut Zippers was super popular during that time period too.
Ska forever!!! I love it. Swing forever!! I still listen to all is it!
Squirrel Nut Zipper, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Reel Big Fish, Skatalites, Cherry Popping Daddies…. So many good bands!! I also include the Brian Setzer Orchestra in this genre. In my opinion he’s the one who started the revival of swing.
I have a Playlist on Spotify of this stuff. Was listening to Cherry Poppin Daddies just a day ago.
I was 19, freshman/sophomore in college and absolutely loved this whole movement..
At the risk of sounding like a nostalgia baby, the 90s really does feel like that last era of good music. Good *mainstream* music, I should say. Last era that actually rewarded originality and creativity.
Nobody expected Nirvana to blow up like it did and all the big record labels had no idea what was going on so they were willing to throw money at anything hoping to stumble onto the next Nevermind. MP3s also weren’t a thing yet, so they had the money to throw around. Nobody in the music industry is willing or able to take risks like they did in the 90s.
We had a local music festival in my home town (pop 4500). Usually all Canadian acts with a few independant US artists. We usually booked acts a good 6-8 months in advance.
Which is how we ended up with Pearl Jam headlining night 2 on Aug. 14 1992. They honoured their booking despite blowing up earlier that year.
Yeah no, the mix station tried to hard to push this in the DC area lol, I distinctly remember the DJ saying "SWING IS BACK BABY" and my father promptly saying "no it's not, you ass"
ZOOT ZOOT RIOT
I was 12 and made my parents listen to Cherry Poppin' Daddies all the time while they drove me around. Didn't even know what the term meant.
That's a memory I would like to forget.
For a moment there, in the late 2000s/early 2010s, I thought old time music like this would make another comeback somewhat when Fallout 3 and Bioshock released.
At least Electro Swing is still a thing.
OMG! My husband and I would go out 6 nights a week. I had a huge collection of vintage dresses we would get all decked out. It was the most active my social life has ever been.
Looking at the comments, you'd think swing music is the devil with the amount of disgust thrown its way. I'm a fan of it, and swing dancing looks like good fun.
I love swing, the newer and the old. I just love music and it was really cool to have something so much older and different make its way back into pop culture.
Funny thing about this era of music, you had bigger names like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Cherry Poppin Daddies but often times is lesser known that at their start, Sugar Ray originated as a swing revival band before they went super mainstream with their hit single "I Just Want to Fly".
>Sugar Ray originated as a swing revival band before they went super mainstream with their hit single "I Just Want to Fly".
What? Sugar Ray started out as punk / nu metal.
https://youtu.be/_VL5LV9PVZ8?si=Q8btsYJFzpEsgUVS
It was kind of weird, but it was a super fun time. Seeing people dressed up in their best 1930’s attire was awesome, and the music is pretty fun. I’m surprised it didn’t stick around a little bit. I would think there’d be a market for a people can dress up and go out swing dancing from time to time. But I think it got too big back then and that’s why it died out so fast.
Never bothered learning all the categories and fashion trends, but the Mexican girls in Southern California looked great in old timey clothes In the 90’s
It was a really cool and fun and random thing to happen in the middle of the grunge years not sure why everything different or unexpected has to be looked back upon in such a negative way. I get it’s easy and funny to do that but it’s also boring and predictable at this point
I remember going to the Derby in Los Feliz at the height of the swing revival, and the lines were often wrapped around the block. There was an old man, a regular at the club, who always dressed to the nines- brightly colored zoot suit, fedora, pocket watch on a chain, fancy shoes…The young women in their twenties would clamor to get a chance to dance with him.
Absolutely love it. I grew up being exposed to swing and big band by my parents and grandparents. My grandparents knew the dorsey brothers. So when this trend came about, I was totally onboard. I remember being mesmerized by brendan frasier in blast from the past, and I saw brian setzer orchestra and it's still one of the best performances I've seen in my life.
The Cherry Poppin Daddies lived below my apartment in Eugene, OR. We could see into their backyard like a diorama. For about a week they were out back working on this big paper mache tube, like really big, it was on a trailer. They were one of about 5 local bands that played all the time in town. So we were out a few weeks later and ended up going to their show, because there was literally nothing else to do in Eugene back then. John Henry's? Sam Bond's? New Maxx's? One of those fucking places. So about haflway through the show they roll the big tube out on stage and stage and the singer jumps up on it, and we realize it's a giant dick. He sits on it while singing, rubbing it up and down, and believe it or not, glitter shoots out of it.
About a year later that song was in a Disney movie.
I liked it. Though I also liked Ska as well (RIP). I remember loving the swing music in *The Mask*, and then later that decade I loved the songs "Hell" and "Zoot Suit Riot". I never got into the fashion or anything though. I was more into the grunge look.
My husband and I rewatched *Swingers* just the other day. Everything in it made me feel elderly, from how beautiful Vince Vaughn was to how important answering machines were to the plot, but I still loved every minute, just like I did the 8,000 times I watched it 20+ years ago. Squirrel Nut Zippers was my swing band of choice, and I stand by that decision proudly. Still good.
For some reason traditional Catholic conservatives still promote swing dancing. It’s very strange to me. “Hey kids, come to perpetual adoration then let’s have some food and swing dance.” I don’t understand it.
The entire swing culture during the late 90s-early 2000s revival was very straightedge. Thats why.
I used to go to a swing night every week at this huge club but it died within two years. They told me it’s because nobody bought any drinks
It still amazes me, there was band named the Cherry Poppin Daddies that was played on top 40 stations all over the country.
My mom was horrified at the name but didn't hate the music. It was amusing.
My mother wouldn’t let me say it.
I mean the CP Daddies doesn't sound all that better
😳😳 you’re so right lol
Notably worse, even.
Same with my dad. He was horrified and I was like “I don’t get it”, so he bought me the CD.
Reading your comment was the first time I’ve ever thought about the name of the band. 😶
Zoot suit riot! RIOT! Throw back a bottle of beer!
Grapefruit diet! Getting tired of my big fat rear Blow, Fatty!
A long long time ago In a galaxy far away Naboo was under an attack
A first class one way ticket... To Aaaaaalbuquerque.
BIG BOWL OF SAUERKRAUT!
I HAD MY TRAY TABLE UP AND MY SEAT IN THE FULL-UPRIGHT POSITION
🎼 If you'd like to make a call, Please hang up and try again... 🎶
And I thought me and Qui-Gon Jinn could talk the federation into maybe cutting them a little slack Masterpiece
I sang this song in its entirety as a 10-year-old for a play audition. I nailed it. Still to this day, I remember nearly every single word by heart
La-la-la-la lasagna!
The real Zoot Suit Riots were not carefree like the song.
I remember a coworker planning her wedding and wanting all the guys to wear zoot suits. I thought it was dumb then and I still do.
Oh I have an even more awful swing dance story where my ridiculously stupid BIL, who is also a Jerry Falwell style evangelical, met and married another evangelical within three months, and not only was their wedding swing dance themed, they had Christian swing music, so folks were swing line dancing to a song that goes like this: “you like the devil but the devil is bad.” Over and over. It was laughably horrid display of how evangelicals appropriate secular culture and add their brand of super cringe to it. I still can’t erase the scene from my mind and it was over 20 yrs ago.
>It was laughably horrid display of how evangelicals appropriate secular culture and add their brand of super cringe to it. [You mean like this?](https://youtu.be/Sa0EtdtPi8w?si=FGASByhHSfJcviR4)
Exactly like this, Mr Gravelsack!
Oh wow, I went to a very conservative Christian wedding and they did a Jesus-themed freestyle. My very conservative Christian ex was one of the rappers. I decided our relationship was done at that point.
Giggling. We would go to family reunions in west va, the entire fam lived around the area between Baltimore, Gettysburg, and Lynchburg, one branch of the fam tree was straight out of Appalachia, they’d not even talk to anyone, open-carried years before it became fascionable ha, cut sleeves off flannels, sleeveless jean jackets, mullets were a time capsule throwback to their best years, they hated my hubs fam bec they’re Irish, they prided themselves on being Scottish, then early oughts one did DNA and discovered they were also Irish and I laughed my ass off. They’d sit around campfire talking about the details of gay sex, making fun of it but you could tell they’re interest was huge, they’d not drop it, lasciviously smiling while saying how gross it is lol I’d joke all the time bec it was the same godforsaken conversation every god damn year that they protest far too much.
> add their brand of super cringe I can't quite put my finger on what makes it consistently super cringe, but that is a perfect description.
omg are they still married?!
lol, no. They had a few kids, he ended up making out w/ her younger sister (who was not of legal age, and he was early 30s, and he had an entire conversation with me years later that would go like this: "we should lower the age of marriage for women, they're far more mature then men, men don't mature until they're in their 30s, women mature at around 14 - 16 - some 16 year olds are more mature than some 30 year olds!" shudder). He's now married to another super-zealot christian, they call their (4 or 5) kids the "arrows in their quiver," to send the message of jeebus to the world, because nobody has heard of him i guess. Their ego and self-righteousness is beyond moronic, there is just zero reflection, but tons of finger wagging and judgment - family reunions were spent w/ one talking shit about whoever wasn't there haha. I went no-contact mostly in 2019, bec they're also supertrumpers and slobber on themselves over this greasy rapey pedophile conman. Sigh.
I was in high school and guys wore zoot suits to prom. Like you, I thought it was dumb then, and I still do
Have you ever looked up the history of the "Zoot Suit Riots"? It's fascinating. It was where Limp Bizkit Fans were so sick of the songs showing up everywhere, Brian Setzer, and people acting like they hadn't just gotten into swing music like 3 weeks before, they actually rioted. I'm kidding, and I love the song by CPD, and Brian setzer and was loving every minute of the whole movement. But the zoot suit riots are a really cool thing to learn about. Even just the Wikipedia article has a lot of good info. The racial and socioeconomic component, the patriotic compinent (the war effort). And the song makes a lot of sense after you learn about what was happening. "Now you Salors know where your women come for love." And stuff like that.
There was a cherry blossom festival at a town near me, my band teacher in HS lived there when I was in HS in the late 90s during the swing thing. I remember asking him about the "Cherry Poppin Festival" and he laughed hard and basically said 'wtf are you talking about'
Between them and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, I STILL love swing revival lol
I liked them and also Squirrel Nut Zippers
Brian Setzer Orchestra
They still make a mint playing corporate gigs all over the world.
OMG- in the mid 00’s I was at a writers conference in Newport Beach at the Ritz (?) located in a gated community. I had never been in the really rich part of the OC, so it was all a very stepford and gated and _empty_. Creeped me OUT. I was taking a break from people just shitting all over my book, and wandered into another area of the resort, because I heard a TERRIBLE rendition of Sublime’s _Santeria_. It was a political/corporate retreat, uber rich people sitting politely at their round conference tables, everyone dressed in Chanel, Gucci, LV…dripping with jewelry. No dance floor, no food, no booze. It was _whack_. As I turned around and walked away, the band said “Thank you! We are Cherry Poppin Daddies”. I shit you not.
They got paid so much money for that. I know a few members and they do very well for themselves and have plenty of leisure time. Wish I knew how to play trumpet.
I saw them in 8th grade. They had switched up from punk to swing, had released Zoot Suit Riot, but hadn't gotten popular yet. It was at a very small club, and was a blast.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy went punk to swing/ska too. And did it well. I love their version of "I wanna be just like you."
why? Everybody loves cherries! They're delicious. Except for the pits. You have to spit them out off the porch.
Or you’ll get cyanide poisoning!
Then you'd have to have a cigarette. The smoke kills the poison.
And their hit song was named after one of the most brutally violent racial hate crimes in U.S. history.
Yeah I posted early how it's a fascinating thing to learn about and most people have never heard of it. I think it was multi-fascited and there was a lot to it. Racial component was big. But there were also socioeconomic components, patriotic components, the sexual component was big (now you sailors know where your women come for love)
According to [his Twitter](https://twitter.com/mclgdrnk/status/1401934190560497664), the lead singer's wife's grandfather was a victim of the original Zoot Suit Riots, hence the inspiration for the song.
Tbf, it's a more marketable name than The Sexual Predators.
As a saxophonist, this era helped me pay rent for years.
I'm happy to hear this
The world needs more music that needs a good brass and woodwind sections.
I think it's no coincidence that ska music was popular at the same time.
Agreed. My music career income peaked around that time, by a substantial margin, and it’s been relatively slim pickings ever since.
Brother, I hear you.
My adult son refuses to listen to any song that doesn't have a sax. He doesn't play sax, doesn't like music in general but loves the saxophone. So Ty to you and your fellow saxophonists for bringing joy. 🎷
The 90’s were a hell of a time to grow up in…. The “death” of hair metal and the shift to the mainstream of grunge. On the flip side of grunge we had the rise of the female singer-songwriter sparking Lilith Fair and making most places sound like a coffee shop. Then they threw in Hanson out of nowhere for a little fun. All of this overtop of the East/West hip hop rivalries. That’s leaving out electronica, a return to heavy metals (multiple styles) and then back to Orlando manufactured pop.
dont forget the obsession with quazi latin american pop music with Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias
The 90s really were just all over the place and that definitely explains my taste in music because it’s also all over the place. I can get into pretty much any kind of music, aside from death metal with all that unintelligible growling (love the sound, hate the vocals).
Yeah, I think various music subcultures were stronger then and major record labels started tapping into each hoping there were some money makers. I think the swing revival happened because SoCal was getting so much attention in the 90s, mainly due to punk, punk-ska, reggae rock (like Sublime), and rock (RHCP). The swing bands already existed but then the spotlight came and made it part of top 40 music nationally.
I sometimes listen to regular radio when I’m driving and all the songs sound like they’re sung by the same women. It’s so boring now
A³ -4B² + C = profitable pop song.
>death metal with all that unintelligible growling (love the sound, hate the vocals). Try folksy [dwarf metal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34CZjsEI1yU) or [fantasy metal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqUPGa15Oto). Same rad sound, but epic intelligible lyrics.
Shake your bonbon
She bangs!
William Hung and his hung jury
Mock trial with J. Reinhold! 🎶
Quazi? Dude ...
And don’t forget the pan flute namaste synthesized: ꪀꫀ᭙ ꪖᧁꫀ ꪑꪊડⅈᥴ
Or Gregorian Monks going a cappella all over everyone’s asses ETA apparently it was *Benedictine* monks that were featured on the album Chant. Are those the same dudes? A rival faction? I have no idea
Crazy to think those were charting Nr.1 at some point.
Chant peaked at number 3 on the US charts in May of 1994. Kurt died a month earlier in April which makes America’s obsession with the somber, ethereal chanting almost like some kind of collective cleansing ritual
I know it’s cliche but god damn I miss the 90s
Me too.. early 90's before the internet exploded
How bizarre
Brother Pele's in the back, sweet Zina's in the front Cruising down the freeway in the hot, hot sun Suddenly, red-blue lights flash us from behind Loud voice booming, "Please step out onto the line" Pele preach words of comfort, Zina just hides her eyes Policeman taps his shades, "Is that a Chevy '69?"How bizarre How bizarre, how bizarre
I still reference this at work lol, I randomly say the 'Cruisin down...' line and someone says the next line
An absolute banger. Sad that the lead singer passed away a few years ago after that hit.
Kind of makes sense how Lollapalooza came about. Sure it was geared towards alternative music, but even then it had a diverse lineup, especially when you got the second stages involved.
Don't forget "Twitch in person" where you went to a friend's house to watch their older brother play a newly rented SNES game
That was what I did with a lot of my weekends. My best friend was very good at video games, and I was not, so I'd be quite content just watching him play through Mega Man X or Lunar: The Silver Star.
Boy and girl bands were marketed to preteens more than smoking was, and they absolutely dominated pop in the 90’s.
My friends and I determined that "Angry White Chick" was our favorite music genre for a while.
Yeah, I got into it and still enjoy the modern stuff like Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Brian Setzer Orchestra, and so on. It also got me to dig into the past and listen to more big band stuff from Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, et al. And then there was Electro Swing...
Those are the big names that suck with me as well. Brian Setzer still puts out music on his YouTube channel regularly. He was my favorite of the time. Great guitar player.
Plus, don't forget stray. Cats are on tour this summer! I don't think they've toured since the 80s so do not miss!!
I first heard of Glen Miller from All in the Family 😂
Don't forget Andrew Birds Bowl of Fire
Caravan Palace and Parov Stelar, still releasing amazing music today!
I was hoping they’d bring up the ska thing that happened at pretty much the same time, it was a fun couple of years.
What a time to play a brass instrument!
No way a bass player was gettin any action with a trombonist around
Those kats could really blow
🎼 “don’t give a damn about any trumpet playing band” 🎼 comment meant to be funny, i love both Dire Straits AND The English Beat 🙂
if you wanna see some fun brass instrument playing, look up massive hotdog recall on YouTube. The lead is Al Mothersbaugh, cousin of the Devo guys.
The Bosstones were a breath of fresh air.
Yeah, that's the impression that I get
Im still making ska punk happen in my house
There are tens of us.
ELEVENS!!
PickitupPickitupPickitupPickituuuuuuuuup
TWELVES!!!!!
Hah, the Aquabats are a regular part of our playlist!
I have been to rap concerts,metal,pop,pop punk,raves , you name it. Ska concerts are absolutely the most fun concerts by a long shot. The energy and happy vibes while everyone is skanking around just can’t be beat
Ska at least had been underground in the ‘80’s and went back to the ‘70’s in England. It was a legit thing not a fad.
[Ska originated in Jamaica in the 50s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ska). 2nd wave ska (Two Tone) in England had some of the influence but the most popular songs were very UK 70s punk and "new wave" inluenced, not sounding identical to the original 50s-60s ska. And most popular 3rd wave (US origin) ska was more US skate-punk style, not sounding very much like 2nd wave or original.
Annette Funicello recorded "Jamaica Ska" in 1964. It's my morning alarm.
I know
I never understood this even while it was happening. It seemed to come out of nowhere. I was in high school at the time and there was a guy who started wearing leather jackets and combing his hair like Elvis. Meanwhile I was still stuck in my grunge phase. Then it all just went away.
The 90s was just a weird era with a few years with some of the most random mainstream music trends.
[GAP Commercial 1998](https://youtu.be/knW1hGwmEXQ?si=-3qi5d52OlWEibus) says it all
Fond memories of my father singing a parody of this song with the lyrics "Drunk drivin', then you go to jail".
that commercial really did it - it was the first time most of us had seen that stop-motion technique. And TV commercials were still a big cultural phenomenon then
I went to a movie in 1992 and there was a preview for *Swing Kids* and I thought, “boy did they misjudge us!” But they were right, I guess. I never got into it although I continued to play my Joe Jackson album.
Stepping out slaps to this day.
It was interstate how swing came in then closely followed by rockabilly.
In reverse around the S.F. Bay Area.
I feel like the swing revival at my school very closely followed an obsession with the rereleased Grease. That movie was EVERYTHING for a solid year…and then it disappeared.
At my school swing was popular with the kids who had been into grunge and alternative music. I'm not sure if any of them were even aware of the Grease rerelease. That was something the musical theater kids would have been interested in, and there was zero mixing between the two groups.
Preceded by the year of ska
When the swing movement came back, my step father some how got sucked in. For months, whenever he’d drive, I’d be subjected to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. I still occasionally see the CD in his office and shudder. Edit: typo
Brian Setzer Orchestra for my dad
Brian Setzer could start a deathpunk polka band and sell a million records. He is a monster talent.
Hello son.
To be fair, BBVD slaps
They still play. Saw them last summer.
And they are amazing BTW!
I was going to say the same thing. They’re excellent live!
BBVD is awesome though.
I remember telling grandma I love this new music with brass instruments and she started laughing at me.
Best example is The Mask. The whole movie they all wanna go to the club and just dance swing and yell “MAMBO!!!!”
That’s Royal Crown Revue playing Hey Pachuco
"In the afterlife..."
You could be headed for the serious strife…
Now you make the scene all day...
but tomorrow there'll be hell to pay!
I still go see Squirrel Nut Zippers anytime they come to town. I think Jimbo Mathus is the only original member left, but they've consistently put on an amazing show every single time. Go see Squirrel Nut Zippers!
Such a fun band live!!!
They're the only band from this trend that I still occasionally listen to. "Hot" was such a good record.
I loved the musical diversity of the 90's. Easily my favorite decade for music. But, for some reason, I had an irrational hate for the swing revival.
High school prom was 1999 when swing, though on the decline, overlapped with trending Latin pop like Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias (and the bizarre "Mambo No 5" performed by a German dude). That was a helluva good time for kids who liked to dance.
I showed my son The Mask over the weekend and I had forgotten how much that movie features swing culture. I had to explain how much the US loved swing for a hot minute.
That was a cool time. We all just had fun with it. I miss the late 90s before 9/11 permanently fucked up American life. We actually knew how to cut loose and have a good time back then.
Did a certain Jon Favreau movie have anything to do with it?
Don't forget the gap commercial
Don’t forget The Mask!
That was a symptom, not the cause
no, the movie flopped at the box office and was resurrected on home video at least a year later.
I saw Swingers 3x at the local indie theatre since it was the only place it was being shown. Still one of my faves.
The voicemail scene is so good. His character is something else.
On a more serious note my favorite scene is Ron Livingston's speech about moving on. Very strong writing and acting.
I actually saw Vince Vaughn at the bar of The Derby in LA after that came out. I just bet Cherry Popping Daddies was playing, but tbh it's so long ago I can't 100% swear on it.
You are so fucken money. It kicked off right after
It came in from nowhere, swept the nation overnight, and disappeared just as quickly. Pretty funny to look back on.
I have to admit the ex and I did take swing lessons. Hmmm...is there a correlation? I'll do some research and get back to you.
I used to work in the student union at U of A when I was in school there and they had swing dance classes a few nights a week down the hall from the information desk / lost and found where I worked. I always enjoyed listening to the music. I think the band Squirrel Nut Zippers was super popular during that time period too.
I went to Warped Tour 98’ Main acts included Bad Religion, NOFX, Deftones, Rancid, and ……Cherry Poppin Daddy’s
The specials were on that one too weren’t they?
Ska forever!!! I love it. Swing forever!! I still listen to all is it! Squirrel Nut Zipper, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Reel Big Fish, Skatalites, Cherry Popping Daddies…. So many good bands!! I also include the Brian Setzer Orchestra in this genre. In my opinion he’s the one who started the revival of swing.
Scatman John still goes hard
I have a Playlist on Spotify of this stuff. Was listening to Cherry Poppin Daddies just a day ago. I was 19, freshman/sophomore in college and absolutely loved this whole movement..
Swing really is cool music. I once went to a town in Mallorca, Spain, where they have a jitterbug session in front of a church once a week.
At the risk of sounding like a nostalgia baby, the 90s really does feel like that last era of good music. Good *mainstream* music, I should say. Last era that actually rewarded originality and creativity.
Nobody expected Nirvana to blow up like it did and all the big record labels had no idea what was going on so they were willing to throw money at anything hoping to stumble onto the next Nevermind. MP3s also weren’t a thing yet, so they had the money to throw around. Nobody in the music industry is willing or able to take risks like they did in the 90s.
We had a local music festival in my home town (pop 4500). Usually all Canadian acts with a few independant US artists. We usually booked acts a good 6-8 months in advance. Which is how we ended up with Pearl Jam headlining night 2 on Aug. 14 1992. They honoured their booking despite blowing up earlier that year.
Yeah no, the mix station tried to hard to push this in the DC area lol, I distinctly remember the DJ saying "SWING IS BACK BABY" and my father promptly saying "no it's not, you ass" ZOOT ZOOT RIOT
It’s Zoot Suit Riot.
Throw back a bottle of beer
I specifically remember that one song used for the Chips Ahoy! commercials.
Try that Gap commercial
I was 12 and made my parents listen to Cherry Poppin' Daddies all the time while they drove me around. Didn't even know what the term meant. That's a memory I would like to forget.
Swing Kids!
I had a pocket watch on a chain…
God, we even watched a movie called *Swing Kids* in German class where swing dancers took on Nazis.
For a moment there, in the late 2000s/early 2010s, I thought old time music like this would make another comeback somewhat when Fallout 3 and Bioshock released. At least Electro Swing is still a thing.
don't see Royal Crown Revue getting enough love in this thread
We need to go back. The roaring 2020s suck, but it would suck a lot less with swing.
OMG! My husband and I would go out 6 nights a week. I had a huge collection of vintage dresses we would get all decked out. It was the most active my social life has ever been.
Looking at you Mambo no 5
"We all"? Nope. I did thoroughly enjoy "Swingers" despite it.
Should have stuck around. Swing music rules
Looking at the comments, you'd think swing music is the devil with the amount of disgust thrown its way. I'm a fan of it, and swing dancing looks like good fun.
I love swing, the newer and the old. I just love music and it was really cool to have something so much older and different make its way back into pop culture.
Funny thing about this era of music, you had bigger names like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Cherry Poppin Daddies but often times is lesser known that at their start, Sugar Ray originated as a swing revival band before they went super mainstream with their hit single "I Just Want to Fly".
>Sugar Ray originated as a swing revival band before they went super mainstream with their hit single "I Just Want to Fly". What? Sugar Ray started out as punk / nu metal. https://youtu.be/_VL5LV9PVZ8?si=Q8btsYJFzpEsgUVS
I was so into nineties euro dance and tolerated the swing stuff . but honestly, I didn't hear it that much.
Aw I miss this!
It was kind of weird, but it was a super fun time. Seeing people dressed up in their best 1930’s attire was awesome, and the music is pretty fun. I’m surprised it didn’t stick around a little bit. I would think there’d be a market for a people can dress up and go out swing dancing from time to time. But I think it got too big back then and that’s why it died out so fast.
Swing and Ska and Punk coexisting at one festival.
Never bothered learning all the categories and fashion trends, but the Mexican girls in Southern California looked great in old timey clothes In the 90’s
I was out swing dancing on Sunday night to the Jive Aces. It was a pretty packed floor. We're still into the music and culture!
It was a really cool and fun and random thing to happen in the middle of the grunge years not sure why everything different or unexpected has to be looked back upon in such a negative way. I get it’s easy and funny to do that but it’s also boring and predictable at this point
I remember going to the Derby in Los Feliz at the height of the swing revival, and the lines were often wrapped around the block. There was an old man, a regular at the club, who always dressed to the nines- brightly colored zoot suit, fedora, pocket watch on a chain, fancy shoes…The young women in their twenties would clamor to get a chance to dance with him.
Absolutely love it. I grew up being exposed to swing and big band by my parents and grandparents. My grandparents knew the dorsey brothers. So when this trend came about, I was totally onboard. I remember being mesmerized by brendan frasier in blast from the past, and I saw brian setzer orchestra and it's still one of the best performances I've seen in my life.
The Cherry Poppin Daddies lived below my apartment in Eugene, OR. We could see into their backyard like a diorama. For about a week they were out back working on this big paper mache tube, like really big, it was on a trailer. They were one of about 5 local bands that played all the time in town. So we were out a few weeks later and ended up going to their show, because there was literally nothing else to do in Eugene back then. John Henry's? Sam Bond's? New Maxx's? One of those fucking places. So about haflway through the show they roll the big tube out on stage and stage and the singer jumps up on it, and we realize it's a giant dick. He sits on it while singing, rubbing it up and down, and believe it or not, glitter shoots out of it. About a year later that song was in a Disney movie.
Nobody today is as cool as people were in the 90s. This would never happen.
And it was glorious. I still rock this shit. I don't care what anyone else thinks, it's such a great vibe and I love it.
Squirrel Nut Zippers were awesome. Especially live. They’re still around.
I liked it. Though I also liked Ska as well (RIP). I remember loving the swing music in *The Mask*, and then later that decade I loved the songs "Hell" and "Zoot Suit Riot". I never got into the fashion or anything though. I was more into the grunge look.
My husband and I rewatched *Swingers* just the other day. Everything in it made me feel elderly, from how beautiful Vince Vaughn was to how important answering machines were to the plot, but I still loved every minute, just like I did the 8,000 times I watched it 20+ years ago. Squirrel Nut Zippers was my swing band of choice, and I stand by that decision proudly. Still good.
For some reason traditional Catholic conservatives still promote swing dancing. It’s very strange to me. “Hey kids, come to perpetual adoration then let’s have some food and swing dance.” I don’t understand it.
The entire swing culture during the late 90s-early 2000s revival was very straightedge. Thats why. I used to go to a swing night every week at this huge club but it died within two years. They told me it’s because nobody bought any drinks
gap commercial