For fans of Squirrel Nut Zippers, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Kicking off their Christmas Caravan tour in early December, the North Carolina ensemble has been on a roll of toe-tapping performances complete with props, skits, solos, and their signature upbeat jazz swing. Returning to World Cafe Live on Tuesday night, the Zippers transformed the downstairs stage into a 1920’s speakeasy, transporting the audience back to the golden era of jazz.
The sound of cocktail cheers filled the room as band leader and founding Zipper, Jimbo Mathus, took the stage, and from the first moments it was clear that this show wouldn’t be any old concert. Squirrel Nut Zippers is more than a band, each member is an actor, a performer intent on entertaining through more than just song. However, as the ensemble broke into their opening rendition of “Good Enough For Granddad,” the music was more than enough to get the crowd dancing. Through an eclectically brilliant mashup of banjo, fiddle, horns, piano, vocals, and rhythms, the track played out as a grand introduction of the evening, guiding the audience through the band’s diverse influences and virtuosic musicianship.
Squirrel Nut Zippers | photo by Gavyn Green for WXPN
The Zippers followed up with holiday highlights from their 1998 album, Christmas Caravan, playing through “Winter Weather,” “My Evergreen”, and “Hot Christmas.” While branded as Christmas tunes, each song balanced classic swing motifs as well, with “Winter Weather” featuring velvety vocals by singer Katherine Whalen and “Hot Christmas” providing a chance for each player to show off their chops, soloing over a fast-paced take on bebop jazz. Fiddle player and vocalist Dr. Sick then led the band into “Suits Are Picking Up The Bill”, delivering a vaudeville-esque song and dance that capped off with his bow spinning wildly through the air and into a timely catch on the last downbeat.
A self-directed intermission brought on the first of two skits, with members of the band jokingly advertising for Squirrel brand saltwater taffy like a radio commercial circa 1930. Met with a hefty laugh from the crowd, they jumped back into their Christmas compositions, performing “Carolina Christmas,” “Gift of the Magi,” and a traditional Jewish holiday song called “Purim Nigrum.”
Moving away from holiday tracks once more, Mathus and the band picked through hits from their storied 30-year-long career. They touched on dixieland jazz, calypso, and even parts of cabaret for songs such as “Put a Lid on It,” “Hell,” and “Ghost of Stephen Foster,” a haunting yet upbeat number that stood out for its chaotic guitar and intricate storytelling prowess.
Squirrel Nut Zippers | photo by Gavyn Green for WXPN
The most memorable part of the show came not during a song, but from the second skit in which Mathus was given a bag of presents. As he rustled through the bag, he began to pull out fake joints, each one getting bigger and bigger until the final stogie dwarfed his entire head. The band aptly followed this with “Santa Claus is Smoking Reefer,” getting another chuckle from the crowd and a heartfelt round of applause.
As the night drew to a close, the band zipped up one final time for a holiday encore, returning for “Hanging Up My Stockings,” “Mardi Gras For Christmas,” and concluding with “I’m Coming Home For Christmas.” Each performance was filled with antics and solos galore. The bassist and drummer went back and forth trading fours, Mathus sat and played the banjo down at the floor i.e. every grunge bassist ever, and Dr. Sick danced around the stage before ripping one last fiddle solo to wrap up the night.
The Squirrel Nut Zippers’ holiday caravan continues Wednesday, December 11th in Lancaster and Thursday, December 12th in Beverly, MA, snaking across New England and the midwest for the remainder of the month. Find full dates here, check out more photos from World Cafe Live below, and listen for a special Squirrel Nut Zippers holiday studio session with WXPN’s Robert Drake on The Night Before, his 24-hour Christmas Eve broadcast.