Squirrel Nut Zippers
8/13/98

House of Blues
New Orleans, La

By Becky Newsome

We made our way to the House of Blues on Decatur Street, New Orleans in a daze, expectation of a night of song and dance leading us along the dimly lighted walk way.

The long anticipated moment was upon us and the Squirrel Nut Zippers were not about to let us down. Immediately jumping into an instrumental piece from their second album HOT, the band teased its way into "Stardust" from their first release. The night continued mostly with excerpts from the latest album PERENNIAL FAVORITES, which was by no means a disappointment. Fans were dancing in the balcony alone and in pairs, singing along in complete abandon. The floor was a sea of people swaying to the music and giving back as much energy as the band could give out.

The show was mostly upbeat with songs such as "Put a Lid On It," "Hell," "Ghost of Stephen Foster," and "Fat Cat Keeps Getting Fatter" slowing things down only briefly with "Benny Diamond" and "Stardust". The voice of Katharine Whalen wistful and demur, evoking thoughts of the soulful Ms. Billie Holiday, made the atmosphere almost magical. Up tempo instrumental favorites from all three albums kept the night swinging and the crowd craving more.

After playing 15 songs, taking breaks long enough to lead into the next song and keep the energy flowing, the group left the stage long enough to take a breath. Drawn back by the stomping of feet and chorus of screams interspersed with clapping, the band gave an encore performance that ended the evening perfectly. With help from members of the opening band Bio Ritmo, who gave a great performance themselves this night, "La Grippe" came to life with solo performances and introductions of each SNZ member.

The band put on a wonderful show, as anyone could see by observing the faces of those departing the building. The band proved that not only are they great song writers and musicians, they are great performers. If you are a fan of their music and you check them out live, you'll discover that they're even more enjoyable in that sort of atmosphere. It would be a night well spent and a night well remembered.