Biography
Formed a decade before the swing revival took hold in the late 1990s, the eight-piece Cherry Poppin' Daddies originated in Eugene, Oregon. Vocalist Steve Perry, who performed under the alias MC Large Drink to differentiate himself from Journey’s frontman, first encountered bassist Dan Schmid at the University of Oregon; their mutual enthusiasm for punk prompted both to abandon their studies and launch a musical venture. After the pair had performed together in Jazz Greats and St. Huck, they established Cherry Poppin’ Daddies in 1989, gradually assembling a roster that included guitarist Jason Moss, drummer Tim Donahue, trumpeter Dana Heitman, saxophonists Sean Flannery and Ian Early, and keyboardist Dustin Lanker. Devoted to ska, swing, jazz, and jump blues, the musicians stood apart in a Northwest scene already dominated by grunge, yet they later rode a short wave of national attention when “Zoot Suit Riot” ignited a broader revival of swing music.
Once assembled, the group quickly drew notice throughout the region through shows marked by theatrical staging, phallic props, and ornate costumes, which generated both intrigue and criticism. Their sound fused swing and jazz with punk-inflected rock & roll, supported by a full horn section within the eight-member configuration, yielding an approach that felt vigorous yet unorthodox. At a moment when grunge commanded mainstream attention, however, the band’s initial releases—Ferociously Stoned in 1990 and Rapid City Muscle Car in 1994—remained cult items.
Growing public curiosity in the mid-1990s toward previously overlooked styles such as easy listening, lounge, and swing elevated the Daddies alongside acts like Squirrel Nut Zippers and Royal Crown Revue. Their third album, Kids on the Street, capitalized on this momentum and secured a distribution arrangement with Caroline Records. Short on funds for fresh recordings, the band instead assembled the most swing-focused material from prior work, supplementing it with four new songs to create the 1997 compilation Zoot Suit Riot. The title track emerged as an unexpected Top 40 hit in 1998, opening doors for revivalist ensembles including Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Brian Setzer Orchestra. By 2000 the album had moved more than two million copies, yet the swing trend had already begun to wane, leaving the follow-up, Soul Caddy, with disappointing commercial results.
With live work diminishing, the band entered a brief hiatus. Lanker and Schmid focused on the side project Visible Men, while Perry returned to the University of Oregon to complete his undergraduate degree. Activity resumed on a limited basis in 2002, remaining occasional until the 2008 release of the Latin-flavored Susquehanna triggered the first extensive tour in years. The following year the group issued Skaboy JFK: The Skankin’ Hits of the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, a ska anthology drawn from early recordings.
Over the ensuing period the Daddies maintained a steady touring schedule, occasionally modifying personnel. In 2012 they initiated a PledgeMusic campaign to finance their next project, White Teeth, Black Thoughts, which reached its goal and appeared in July 2013. Marking the first collection devoted entirely to swing material since the 1997 compilation Zoot Suit Riot, the album also introduced the band’s initial use of cover songs.
Once assembled, the group quickly drew notice throughout the region through shows marked by theatrical staging, phallic props, and ornate costumes, which generated both intrigue and criticism. Their sound fused swing and jazz with punk-inflected rock & roll, supported by a full horn section within the eight-member configuration, yielding an approach that felt vigorous yet unorthodox. At a moment when grunge commanded mainstream attention, however, the band’s initial releases—Ferociously Stoned in 1990 and Rapid City Muscle Car in 1994—remained cult items.
Growing public curiosity in the mid-1990s toward previously overlooked styles such as easy listening, lounge, and swing elevated the Daddies alongside acts like Squirrel Nut Zippers and Royal Crown Revue. Their third album, Kids on the Street, capitalized on this momentum and secured a distribution arrangement with Caroline Records. Short on funds for fresh recordings, the band instead assembled the most swing-focused material from prior work, supplementing it with four new songs to create the 1997 compilation Zoot Suit Riot. The title track emerged as an unexpected Top 40 hit in 1998, opening doors for revivalist ensembles including Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Brian Setzer Orchestra. By 2000 the album had moved more than two million copies, yet the swing trend had already begun to wane, leaving the follow-up, Soul Caddy, with disappointing commercial results.
With live work diminishing, the band entered a brief hiatus. Lanker and Schmid focused on the side project Visible Men, while Perry returned to the University of Oregon to complete his undergraduate degree. Activity resumed on a limited basis in 2002, remaining occasional until the 2008 release of the Latin-flavored Susquehanna triggered the first extensive tour in years. The following year the group issued Skaboy JFK: The Skankin’ Hits of the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, a ska anthology drawn from early recordings.
Over the ensuing period the Daddies maintained a steady touring schedule, occasionally modifying personnel. In 2012 they initiated a PledgeMusic campaign to finance their next project, White Teeth, Black Thoughts, which reached its goal and appeared in July 2013. Marking the first collection devoted entirely to swing material since the 1997 compilation Zoot Suit Riot, the album also introduced the band’s initial use of cover songs.
Albums
