Swing Meets Salsa to Shut Down the Streets for Santa Barbara Lobero’s Free Block Party with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Ozomatli

The Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Beat Goes On | A Conversation with Drummer Kurt Sodergren

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performs as part of the Lobero Block Party on Saturday, August 10. | Photo: Courtesy

They once shared a bill at the Hollywood Bowl, and this weekend, they’re coming to Santa Barbara’s very own grande dame of theaters, shutting down the streets for a free celebratory block party in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Lobero building. It feels rather fitting that Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s classic meets contemporary American sounds of swing, jazz, and good old Dixie will mesh with Ozomatli’s blend of salsa, hip-hop, reggae, rock, merengue, and funk to celebrate the long history of the Lobero’s eclectic offerings of music and entertainment.

The festivities take place outside the theater on Saturday, August 10, 3–7 p.m. But ahead of the show, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy drummer and cofounder Kurt Sodergren gave me the beat on the band and what they’ve been up to.

I know you’re from Ventura, but when I hear your music, I definitely don’t think, “Oh, these guys must be from a coastal California beach area.” Can you tell me a little bit about the development of your sound? I met Scott [Morris, cofounder, singer, songwriter] in about 1989; we had mutual girlfriends who introduced us, and we used to play together in a trio that was kind of a heavy blues kind of trio. But the name was Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. We did that for a couple of years. Then one day, Scott said he wanted to play swing music just out of the blue. Like, I didn’t see that coming. We just listened to jazz …. And I liked the idea. I didn’t really have any training in that style, which is a lot different. But I thought, for sure, we wanted to give it a go.

And we knew Andy [Rowley, baritone sax and vocals] was from town and he played baritone sax. We thought, “Okay, let’s get him.” And we kind of recruited everyone just because we knew they had that specific instrument. Dirk [Shumacher, bass and vocals] from Santa Barbara, we had heard that he had an acoustic bass. … So, I called his house and got his answering machine. And he was playing the bass on that message, so I called Scott and said, “Call this number.” And that was his audition, his outgoing taped message.

That’s great. And we just kind of gave it a go. But Scott had played in a jazz band in school, and my grandpa played in a big band all his life; he played saxophone. And so, I had a pretty good music record collection from my dad.

But I think, at that time, we were really into Nirvana, that kind of music too. I mean, I love Alice in Chains and all those bands. But we just chose to do something kind of different. Which was pretty cool. So, we’d play at clubs with bands, and they’d be wearing jeans and T-shirts, and we’d be wearing suits in the summer … but that was what we did and it was really fun.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy | Credit: Eugenia Bu Photography

The retro suits are a big part of your uniqueness. We got them at thrift stores at that time … I was a little tall for them, I think people were a little shorter. … We had a friend that owned a vintage shop, and she’d always call us. But that was a big part of it. You can’t get up there with T-shirts, jeans, or shorts or whatever, and then play that kind of music and have it hit with the same intensity and kind of respect.

What would you call your music if somebody was asking you to describe it? I would say that we’re a swing band. And we play traditional New Orleans jazz. You know, it’s kind of all based on the blues.

I remember seeing you guys at the Derby in L.A. during the Swingers movie era. What kind of venues do you play these days? We play all kinds of different places. These last two weeks, we played a couple city wineries, which is sort of a sit down, eat a meal, and see music. We played some really great performing arts centers … that probably held about maybe 1,200 people. That’s where we’re really comfortable in that range. We’re gonna go to Seattle in October and play Jazz Alley, which is a smaller jazz club, and that’s a legit jazz club. We can do a lot of different things, which is fun. That music is so universally liked. It’s not like sleepy Glenn Miller, you know; it’s got a lot of energy … once there’s a Stratocaster and a big amp as part of my drums.

It’s pretty all-ages-friendly too, right? One hundred percent. We want them to be able to come to see us any time, so it’s not like we have a different set for when the youngsters come.

Having your band featured in Swingers was obviously a huge break, but what are some of your other most memorable things? Probably one of the most obvious would be during the halftime show from the Super Bowl. We finished our portion of it, and we played with Stevie Wonder. And then we got off our stage, and we were just standing in the 50-yard line. And Josh [Levy, pianist, arranger] and I were just looking at each other in disbelief. Like, “What’s happening.” We can’t believe this is happening. The most exciting 11 minutes. But my family was all at home watching it on TV and couldn’t believe it.

Also, my dad is a really big fan of classical music. And he used to take me to the Hollywood Bowl. And then we played at the Hollywood Bowl! I think we have played there seven or eight times now, but we did a show with the symphony there, and I think I was really excited to have my dad come to that show. He had brought me there when I was a kid, and it’s so iconic — in fact, we played with Ozomatli at the Hollywood Bowl too.

And now you guys get to play with Ozomatli at the Lobero too. The last guy they shut the streets down for was Chubby Checker. It’s pretty cool all of the people you get to be around. Totally. Even at the Super Bowl, Kiss played before the kickoff. And that was my first concert in 1976. My dad took me to the Forum to see Kiss and Cheap Trick. And then there we were, and they walked right past us. And Paul Stanley put his arm up in the air because he recognized us and went “Whee!” And I got to talk with him and the drummer for like, 15 minutes. I could believe that was happening. It was wild.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Ozomatli perform for free at the Lobero Theatre’s block party on Saturday, August 10. | Photos: Courtesy

Earl Minnis Presents and the Lobero Theatre Foundation invite the entire community to join in the Lobero Theatre Building’s 100 Anniversary Free Outdoor Block Party Celebration, featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Ozomatli, on Saturday, August 10, 3-7 p.m. See lobero.org.