Slowey and the Boats | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Free At Noon Flashback: Slowey and the Boats says “Mele Kalikimaka” to a festive World Cafe Live crowd
Philadelphia-based Hawaiian-inspired combo Slowey and the Boats took the World Cafe Live stage today, bringing seasons’ greetings and Christmas kitsch to the Free at Noon faithful.
Leading the band behind a light-up banner emblazoned with their name, steel guitar player Isaac Stanford smoothly plucked out the vocal melodies to instrumental renditions of holiday favorites like “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,” “White Christmas” and more. Joining him were Mike Hlatky on bass, Mike Pietrusko on drums, Nate Skiles on guitar and David Streim on Wurlitzer.
In the second half of the performance, vocalist Shannon McGill took the stage to lend her voice to Bing Crosby’s “Mele Kalikimaka,” as well as the traditional “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” leaving the room in high spirits for the holiday weekend. Listen back to Slowey and the Boats’ Free at Noon performance below, and grab a download of Merry Christmas from Slowey and the Boats, Vol. 1over at Bandcamp .