$40 Advance | $45 Day of Show

All Ages

Squirrel Nut Zippers Present Jazz from the Back O’ Town

From the late 19th century through the Roaring 20s, New Orleans’ Back O’ Town neighborhood was the most “happening” part of a generally “happening” town, boasting a concentration of saloons, social halls, dance clubs, and vaudeville theaters- the sweaty drinking dens that would become the birthplace of early jazz. This place in time encapsulates the multicultural melting pot that was, and still is, America, and the intense creative forces that gave rise to jazz, rhythm and blues, and ultimately rock and roll.

With their Jazz From The Back O’ Town show, The Squirrel Nut Zippers present a delightful view into this magical era with reverent yet exciting renditions of such seminal NOLA classics as Jelly Roll Morton’s “Animule Ball,” Louis Armstrong’s “Back O’ Town Blues,” and many others. The band also performs favorites from their own catalog, adapted and arranged to more closely echo the sounds of 1920s New Orleans. Throughout the show, Squirrel Nut Zippers founder Jimbo Mathus offers humorous, insightful musings on both the musical history of one of America’s most fascinating cities and the stories and inspirations behind many of the Zippers’ most beloved songs.

Jazz From The Back O’ Town provides a uniquely historic look at the origins and evolutions of the Squirrel Nut Zippers over the course of their career and the role the music of 1920s New Orleans has played in forming and shaping their sound. Not so much a period piece as a living peek-behind-the-curtain of inspiration and celebration. And it makes for a very entertaining evening!