LIVE REVIEW: Big Bad Voodoo Dady in Lexington, MA (12.11.24)
If you’re looking for something different to do during the holiday season, consider the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Holiday Show. On Wednesday night to a nearly sold-out crowd at Cary Hall in Lexington, Mass., the evening kicked off with the high-energy “Rockabilly Christmas” and that vivacity kept going all night long. If you weren’t dancing in your seat, you were doing a lot of toe-tapping.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has been doing this holiday show for two decades. But it doesn’t seem rote or routine. Everyone is thoroughly enjoying themselves on stage and the audience immediately gets into the holiday spirit. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (BBVD) could be considered experts in holiday entertainment. It’s been 21 years since they released their first holiday album, Everything You Want for Christmas (2004). The band released its second holiday album, It Feels Like Christmas Time, in 2013. For decades, they’ve been doing this holiday tour.
Formed in Southern California in 1989 by guitarist and vocalist Scotty Morris and drummer Kurt Sodergren, the band has been together for 31 years. They’ve released seven non-holiday studio albums. All original members are still in the band. Besides the annual holiday tour, they’ve performed at EPCOT’s annual Food and Wine Festival since 2008. There’s something to be said for that kind of longevity and dedication. The connection translates to the live show.
I was super into another swing revival band in the 90s– Squirrel Nut Zippers –but somehow wasn’t all that aware of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (BBVD). They’re fantastic. To create that big band sound, besides Morris, the band includes: Kurt Sodergren (drums, percussion), Dirk Shumaker (double bass/vocals), Andy Rowley (baritone saxophone/vocals), Glen “The Kid” Marhevka (trumpet), Karl Hunter (saxophones/clarinet) and Joshua Levy (piano). They bring out a trombonist and two trumpeters on tour.
BBVD performed a mix of classic holiday songs like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” as well as original holiday songs like “Christmastime in Tinsel Town” which Morris said he wrote while at music school in California in the late 80s. He had a picture taken with Santa Claus at a local park. When he discovered his wallet missing when he got home he was going to write a Santa revenge song. That’s until he found his wallet in the back of his VW bus. Another original they played was “Last Night (I Went Out with Santa Claus).” Other classics included the very fun “Heatmeiser/ Snowmeiser,” plus crowd pleasers “Frosty the Snowman” and “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.” There was a beautiful horn section-focused instrumental of “We Three Kings.” Morris said the band’s first holiday album was fun and for the second album they had more classics including “the worst song ever written” and one that his daughter said was her favorite Christmas song– “All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth).” Frontman Morris said that the number one request was that they play some non-holiday songs. This included hits like “Mr. Pinstripe Suit,” “Why Me?” and a rip-roaring “You & Me & The Bottle Make 3 Tonight (Baby).” The encore included the swaying, infectious song “Go Daddy O” featured on the Swingers soundtrack. Add a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Holiday Show to next year’s holiday plans. You won’t be disappointed.
