In the past few years, the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies aka the Daddies have become the kind of band that you would want to book if you were throwing a soirée at the Gatsby mansion.

Penning elegant, lush, pitch-perfect arrangements of much of the Great American Songbook, from Cole Porter to Frank Sinatra, the Daddies have surprised many who are more familiar with them from the early ’90s and the punk/ska scene.

On top of being a show band nonpareil, the Daddies have an “Oh, by the way,” double-platinum ability to pen original material that, while influenced by a history of American popular music, is wholly modern lyrically and stands up as classic. The 1997 release of “Zoot Suit Riot” set the bar for the neo-swing movement of the era in terms of originality, lyrical depth and flat-out musical sales.

Singer-songwriter/bandleader Steve Perry put it this way: “We adhere mostly to a pre-rock, pre-mid ’50s, hot jazz and essentially Tin Pan Alley tradition. Then we attempt to deconstruct and détourner those sets of tropes to fit modern themes.”

Their new album “At the Pink Rat” was released July 26, 2024, and features the hit single “Take it Off, Stella.” Please welcome this legendary band to the Kirkland stage!

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.