Cherry Poppin' Daddies - "Zoot Suit Riot" on Letterman

The Cherry Poppin' Daddies perform "Zoot Suit Riot" on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' on July 13, 1998. Note that Dave obviously doesn't approve of the band's horrifyingly awesome name when he introduces them. Classic.
http://www.daddies.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Cherry
• Poppin'
• Daddies
• Zoot
• Suit
• Riot
• David
• Letterman
• swing
• revival

[SteelBlueRage]

What's with the sailor reference in the lyrics? Is there a historical reference in that? like maybe the 40s swing cats didn't get along with sailors, cause well, their women would hook up with them with the men were at sea?

With that being said, 2 Sailors disliked this video =D

[Skibz778]

@SteelBlueRage The lyrics are vague, but the actual "zoot suit riots" were a series of riots/murders in L.A. between white sailors and black and Latino gangs during WWII. Aside from racial tensions, said gangs wore baggy, colorful zoot suits which sailors saw as unpatriotic because of wartime fabric rationing. Kind of a dark period of history.

[jps5446]

the singer looks like Jim Carrey on crack... still gotta love the song

[GrayLeader2184]

Dave made a mistake in his introduction - the Daddies aren't a swing band (or at least not just a swing band.)

[darenunlimited]

one of the dopest bands to ever come out of the northwest. started following them in '90; never knew they made an appearance on Letterman! freaking killed it, of course.

[Thurzotron]

Steve Perry is such a sick frontman, they're still going strong.

[ThatManinWhite]

@SteelBlueRage I think it may come from the whole arguement that the zoot suit used too much material that was supposed to be used in the war. In addition in 1943 an actually zoot suit riot would break out between saliors and marines against men in zoot suits who happened to be latino youths, so in short, you are correct sailors did not get along with the swinging zoot suiters

[hillbillygenius72]

@GrayLeader2184 I don't think he nor the audience are that concerned with what they technically are, and neither should you be, theyre all labels, music is music.

[LaPenserosa1]

The energy that carries over in their recordings is nothing compared to what they're like live - the bands members play and dance their asses off for over two hours. They put on a hell of a show!

[wenden74]

Great song! What energy!

[billbilhou]

That bass player is shit hot!

[aurumdrakone]

got the perfect voice for swing

[ineedausernamenow999]

wow, it's been so long i forgot that i stayed up to watch them play this. stoked to see steve's stage presence come through on a national level