BROOKINGS – Swing and big band fans in Brookings and throughout the region will have a full evening Tuesday with America’s No. 1 swing band, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
The concert will be in the Larson Memorial Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25-$35 and are available in advance at www.woodbineproductions.com or by calling the South Dakota State University School of Performing Arts at 688-5187.
This April marked the 26th anniversary of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s arrival onto the music scene. Since its formation in the early 1990s in Ventura, California, the band has toured virtually nonstop, performing more than 150 shows a year, and has produced a sizeable catalog of recorded music, with more than 2 million albums sold to date. The group’s Oct. 15 performance in Brookings will be its first ever in South Dakota.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s efforts to promote and revitalize swing music have taken shape as much more than a simple tribute. Taking inspiration from the creators of this uniquely American art form, the band’s original horn-infused music and legendary high-energy show introduces the genre to a new and younger generation while remaining cognizant and respectful of the music’s rich legacy.
The band’s music has appeared in countless films and television shows, including The Wild, Despicable Me, Phineas & Ferb, Friends, Third Rock From The Sun, Ally McBeal, and So You Think You Can Dance. They have appeared live on Dancing With The Stars, Late Night With Conan O’Brien, NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, seven appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the Super Bowl XXXIII Halftime Show.
The band has also appeared as special guests with many of the country’s most distinguished symphony orchestras and has performed for three U.S. presidents.
While the audience at this show may find it hard to stay seated and just may end up dancing in the aisles of Larson Memorial Concert Hall, the student musicians of SDSU Jazz Ensembles will spend time earlier in the day in a professional clinic hosted by the members of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
“Every performance presented by Woodbine Productions includes a unique engagement with the artists and selected students of the School of Performing Arts,” said David Reynolds, director of the School of Performing Arts.
“The Woodbine Productions series not only brings great entertainment to Brookings, it funds scholarships for our students and provides workshops, clinics and interactions that other universities only wish they could offer,” said Lynn Sargeant, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. “Our students and faculty are exceptionally fortunate.”
Woodbine Productions is a partnership between the SDSU Foundation and the SDSU School of Performing Arts, with all performances offered at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.
Since 2007, Woodbine Productions has brought the highest level of performers to Brookings and all expenses have been paid by an anonymous benefactor.
Tickets purchased for the performances become scholarships for students in the SDSU School of Performing Arts. All seats are reserved and are currently available at www.woodbineproductions.com.
Questions and ticket orders may also be directed to the SDSU School of Performing Arts at 688-5187.
