MSC OPAS will present The Hot Sardines “Holiday Stomp” concert on Wednesday, December 9 at 7:30pm in Rudder Theatre. Ticket prices range from $26-$50 with special ticket prices available for all area students. Tickets can be purchased at the MSC Box Office at (979) 845-1234 and online at www.MSCOPAS.org.
Known as “New York’s hot-jazz darlings,” The Hot Sardines are one of the hottest acts currently touring the country. For their Holiday Stomp concert, the Sardines infuse yuletide classics with their unique twist on New York, Paris, and New Orleans jazz from the era of Prohibition and beyond. Listen for their takes on beloved classics like “White Christmas” and “Please Come Home For Christmas” and lesser-known gems such as Edith Piaf’s “Le Noël de La Rue” and Ella Fitzgerald’s “Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney.” Expect plenty of surprises along the merry way!
Band members include “Miz Elizabeth” Bougerol (Vocals, washboard, tambourine), Evan “Bibs” Palazzo (Bandleading, piano, accordion, background vocals),Jason Prover (Trumpet), Nick Myers (Reeds), Mike Sailors (Trombone, cornet), Alex Raderman (Drums, percussion) Evan “Sugar” Crane (Bass, sousaphone) and “Fast Eddy” Francisco (Tap dancing).
The Hot Sardines have a distinctive recipe for making musical magic: The brainchild of Bibs and Miz Elizabeth, the Sardine sound fuses musical influences from New York, Paris, and New Orleans that were nurtured from the Prohibition era through the Great Depression, WWII, and beyond.
“Greats like Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Django Reinhardt, Count Basie, Fred Astaire, Mamie Smith, Billie Holiday, the Andrews Sisters, Ray Charles and a full-on melting pot of musicians both iconic and obscure have influenced our style and song interpretation,” says Miz Elizabeth, who helps fuel the Sardine mission to transform songs from another era into pop music for this century.
Bibs shares that passion, and together they carefully manage the delicate balance of showcasing old songs – some of them nearly a century old – without being an “old-timey band.” Says Evan, “We don’t treat this music with kid gloves, or place it on a pedestal to preserve and adore…we just play it…as if these songs were written this morning, for today’s generation.” The dramatically diverse age range among The Hot Sardines’ fan base reflects their success at making the classics relevant to current audiences, and Vanity Fair applauds their “unique repertoire, and a sound and style that are distinctly their own.”
For tickets and more information, visit www.MSCOPAS.org.
