The Squirrel Nut Zippers are back, 20 years after the release of the band’s platinum-selling debut Hot, “Not for a reunion, but for a rebirth,” according to vocalist and guitarist Jimbo Mathus.
The band jumped on the pop music scene with its 1996 sophomore release featuring a unique blend of Dixieland jazz, rock, swing, big band and Calypso music.
“We were shocked and appalled we sold a million records,” Mathus told the crowd at Nashville’s City Winery, a fitting, classy dinner theater atmosphere for the band, which performed two shows there. The tour also includes concerts at City Winery’s Atlanta and Chicago locations.
Though Mathus and drummer Chris Phillips are the only two members of the current SNZ lineup who were around in the 1990s version of the group, they surrounded themselves with an enthusiastic group of musicians for the 2016 rebirth, including an energetic madman on fiddle known as Dr. Sick (Justin Carr), and a hoppin’ horn section.
Mathus was all over the place during the performance, climbing atop bassist Tamara Nicolai’s bass, joking with the crowd, getting down low and dancing all about.
The band treated the crowd to the classics “Put a Lid on It,” “Prince Nez” and, of course, the hit single “Hot.” They even provided the score for a silent black and white cartoon, “The Ghost of Stephen Foster.”
For information on other upcoming shows at City Winery, visit citywinery.com/nashville; for more on the Squirrel Nut Zippers, visit snzippers.com.
