Music
The Bands!
Mint Julep Jazz Band
The Mint Julep Jazz Band will kick things off Friday night.
With their little big band lineup of 4 horns, rhythm section, and vocalist, the Mint Julep Jazz Band recreates the hot jazz sounds of the 1920′s, 1930′s, and early 1940’s through arrangements based on original recordings from the jazz age and swing era and original tunes inspired by that time period.
In 2012, after being “discovered” at a wedding, the band recorded an original song for Sesame Street, which aired on April 18, 2013 in an episode featuring Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame. In 2016, the band performed at Lincoln Center as part of their Midsummer Night Swing concert series. The Mint Julep Jazz Band continues to tour and perform for swing dancers, traveling to Lindy Hop and Balboa events from Los Angeles to Austin to New York and beyond.
You won’t want to miss this one! Saturday night we’ll be dancing to the music of Keenan McKenzie and the Riffers.
The Riffers are a swing band specializing in original music and tight arrangements from the 1930s and 1940s.
The group offers a mix of unique big band reductions and swing-era combo tunes, all with a focus on energy and rhythm. Keenan leads with over a decade of experience running bands and playing for dancers. He programs shows with a critical attention to tempo and emphasizes rhythm and energy on the bandstand.
Keenan McKenzie and the Riffers
DJ
Omar Myers
Omar has been collecting music for Blues, Swing, and Soul since he was a lil dude. But it wasn’t until he discovered Lindy Hop that he knew he had to get people dancing. He started DJing in 2010, and since then, he's left-clicked tunes all over the world—from Barcelona to Stockholm to Seoul—always with a deep love for the dancers and the music. Now based in the DC/Baltimore area, Omar is known for crafting sets that keep the floor buzzing and the vibes high.