Biography
Although the swing revival of the late 1990s propelled Cherry Poppin' Daddies into the spotlight, the eight-piece ensemble had originated a full decade earlier in Eugene, Oregon. Steve Perry, who performs under the alias MC Large Drink to differentiate himself from the Journey singer, and bassist Dan Schmid first connected at the University of Oregon; their mutual enthusiasm for punk prompted both to abandon their studies and commit to music. Following stints in the Jazz Greats and St. Huck, the pair launched Cherry Poppin' Daddies in 1989, gradually assembling a lineup that featured guitarist Jason Moss, drummer Tim Donahue, trumpeter Dana Heitman, saxophonists Sean Flannery and Ian Early, and keyboardist Dustin Lanker. The group’s fusion of ska, swing, jazz, and jump blues rendered them anomalies amid the grunge-dominated Northwest scene, yet the unexpected traction of “Zoot Suit Riot” later ignited a national swing resurgence.
The Daddies quickly drew notice throughout the region once established, thanks to performances filled with theatrical gestures, phallic props, and extravagant costumes that sparked both intrigue and criticism. Their sound blended swing and jazz with punk-infused rock & roll, augmented by a full horn section within the eight-member roster, yielding an energetic yet unorthodox style. At a time when grunge dominated national tastes, however, their initial releases—Ferociously Stoned in 1990 and Rapid City Muscle Car in 1994—remained cult items.
Growing fascination with previously overlooked genres such as easy listening, lounge, and swing during the mid-1990s elevated the band’s profile alongside acts like Squirrel Nut Zippers and Royal Crown Revue. Kids on the Street, their third album, capitalized on this momentum and secured a distribution agreement with Caroline Records. Unable to finance fresh recordings, the group assembled the most swing-focused material from prior work into the 1997 compilation Zoot Suit Riot, which incorporated four newly recorded tracks. The title song became an unanticipated Top 40 hit in 1998, opening doors for revivalist outfits including Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Brian Setzer Orchestra. By 2000 the album had moved more than two million copies, yet the fading swing trend led to weak commercial returns for the subsequent release, Soul Caddy.
With live opportunities dwindling, the band entered a temporary hiatus. Lanker and Schmid focused on their Visible Men side project while Perry earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon. Cherry Poppin' Daddies resumed sporadic performances in 2002 and sustained limited activity until the 2008 arrival of the Latin-flavored Susquehanna, which supported their first extensive tour in years. The following year they issued Skaboy JFK: The Skankin' Hits of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, a ska retrospective drawn from early recordings.
Regular touring continued in subsequent years, accompanied by occasional personnel adjustments. In 2012 the group initiated a PledgeMusic campaign to finance White Teeth, Black Thoughts, which appeared in July 2013. Marking their first collection devoted entirely to swing since the 1997 Zoot Suit Riot compilation, the album also introduced the band’s initial cover songs.
The Daddies quickly drew notice throughout the region once established, thanks to performances filled with theatrical gestures, phallic props, and extravagant costumes that sparked both intrigue and criticism. Their sound blended swing and jazz with punk-infused rock & roll, augmented by a full horn section within the eight-member roster, yielding an energetic yet unorthodox style. At a time when grunge dominated national tastes, however, their initial releases—Ferociously Stoned in 1990 and Rapid City Muscle Car in 1994—remained cult items.
Growing fascination with previously overlooked genres such as easy listening, lounge, and swing during the mid-1990s elevated the band’s profile alongside acts like Squirrel Nut Zippers and Royal Crown Revue. Kids on the Street, their third album, capitalized on this momentum and secured a distribution agreement with Caroline Records. Unable to finance fresh recordings, the group assembled the most swing-focused material from prior work into the 1997 compilation Zoot Suit Riot, which incorporated four newly recorded tracks. The title song became an unanticipated Top 40 hit in 1998, opening doors for revivalist outfits including Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Brian Setzer Orchestra. By 2000 the album had moved more than two million copies, yet the fading swing trend led to weak commercial returns for the subsequent release, Soul Caddy.
With live opportunities dwindling, the band entered a temporary hiatus. Lanker and Schmid focused on their Visible Men side project while Perry earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon. Cherry Poppin' Daddies resumed sporadic performances in 2002 and sustained limited activity until the 2008 arrival of the Latin-flavored Susquehanna, which supported their first extensive tour in years. The following year they issued Skaboy JFK: The Skankin' Hits of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, a ska retrospective drawn from early recordings.
Regular touring continued in subsequent years, accompanied by occasional personnel adjustments. In 2012 the group initiated a PledgeMusic campaign to finance White Teeth, Black Thoughts, which appeared in July 2013. Marking their first collection devoted entirely to swing since the 1997 Zoot Suit Riot compilation, the album also introduced the band’s initial cover songs.