Max and his 6 supporting musicians opened the show. For those who may not recall, Max Weinberg has been the drummer for Bruce Springsteen, as well as doing a long stint as band leader on Conan O'Brien's late show (prior to the whole Jay Leno fiasco). His band consisted of Bill Champlin (formerly of Chicago) on guitar/vocals/organ, Will Champlin (Bill's son) on keyboards/vocals, Carmen Grillo (from Tower of Power) on guitar/vocals, Bobby Watson on bass guitar/vocals, Steve Madaio on trumpet, and Jerry Vivino on Saxophone. The band covered quite a variety of songs from different eras. Some highlights included "Heat of the Night" (theme from the TV show), "634-5789", "Turn Your Love Around" (tune Bill wrote for George Benson), and "Can't Be Still" (a Booker T & the MGs song). Max and his band played for about 45 minutes (or so), and seemed to just be a bunch of guys who loved playing some of their favorite music - nothing pretentious or flashy. After their set, Max could be seen along the side stage area meeting fans.
Next up was Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. BBVD are one of the bands who rose to fame during the "swing" resurgence of the late 1990s. However, they have managed to dabble in other related styles, while still growing a fanbase. According to band info, they have been around almost 18 years now, and have had 8 releases (7 studio, 1 live). Lead singer and guitarist Scotty Morris said they have all original members. We had last seen the band at The Intersection in downtown Grand Rapids, and was curious how the style would be holding up. At Meijer Gardens, we saw a band that has grown into a family friendly image, which projects the coolness of swing music along with the fun of Dixieland. With a 5 piece horn section, the band is able to create the big band sound that much of their music requires. Scotty has managed to not only keep his vocals smooth and strong, but has also managed to cultivate a confident and appealing "band leader" persona. I've seen few bands where all members appear to be having just a great time playing - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is one of those rare exceptions. Their set covered material from throughout their career, however the older material was noticeably more familiar to the crowd. Some of my favorites from the evening were "Jumpin Jive", "Zig Zaggity Woop Woop", and "Go Daddy-O". The guys played for around 90 minutes, and it went by quickly. Much of the crowd had a great time, including children. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy definitely delivered a fun evening with some great music. I'd recommend them to just about any fan of fun "make you smile" music.
Overall, I'd give the evening an 8 out of 10
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