Big Bad Voodoo Daddy to Perform at Local Theater

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy brings its swinging sound to downtown Merced this fall, an event organized by Arts UC Merced Presents.

The high-energy, nine-piece ensemble, which helped jumpstart the swing revival in the mid-90s, is celebrating its 20th anniversary and promoting its latest album, "Rattle Them Bones."

The band performs at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Art Kamangar Center at the Merced Theatre. Tickets range from $15 to $35 and can be purchased online.

"It's going to be an unforgettable evening," said Gail Benedict, producing manager for Arts UC Merced Presents. "Swing music makes everybody happy. I think we're going to surpass our goals on this one."

In its formative years, having secured a legendary residency at the Derby nightclub in Los Angeles, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy reminded the world — in the middle of the grunge era — that it was still cool to swing, big-band style.

The band's big break came when three songs — "You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)," "I Wanna Be Like You" and "Go Daddy-O" — were featured in the soundtrack of the 1996 hit movie "Swingers."

"After all these years,” band leader Scotty Morris said, “I still enjoy writing in a vintage style. There's an integrity that comes from writing and playing songs the way folks did in the old days, when they did it to capture the audience's imagination; not simply to click with a specific demographic."

The band's numerous television appearances include "Dancing With The Stars," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "Last Call with Carson Daly."