19-Piece Compaq Big Band w/ Vocalist Elizabeth Embser at Swing City
When:
Saturday, Nov 01, 2025 9:00p -
Sunday, Nov 02, 2025 12:00a
Saturday, Nov 01, 2025 9:00p -
Sunday, Nov 02, 2025 12:00a
Where:
Swing City - Russell Youth Center
680 Huron Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
Admission:
$20
Hosted by:
Categories:
Date Idea, Meetup, Music, Nightlife
Event website:
https://www.compaqbigband.com/251101.php
Didn’t get invited to THAT Halloween party you wanted to go to? Pre-SAD (pre-Seasonal Affective Disorder) with losing an hour of daylight on November 2nd? There’s a potion that’ll turn those frowns upside down: Equal parts authentic, full-size big band, fabulous vocalist, great book of swingin’ arrangements, terrific sound system (and engineer), beginner swing lesson included in the very reasonable admission price, AND FREE Lindy Bootcamp? WOW!!!
Get out and dance to the 19-piece Compaq Big Band with Vocalist Elizabeth Embser on Saturday November 1st when we return to New England’s longest running - and in our opinion *THE BEST* - public, commercial swing dance in the region, Swing City!
Bring/wear what you didn't get to for Halloween – vintage swing dress always in vogue, but so is just dropping by in comfortable dance garb. Whatever you wear, make the shoes appropriate for the dance floor.
The band plays 9:00pm-12:00am. Lindy Bootcamp 6:30pm-8:00pm. Group-friendly beginner swing lesson 8:00pm-9:00pm included in admission to the dance (no entry between 8:15pm-9:00pm, please). Both the workshop and lesson are led by expert instructors. Come early and stay all evening, or just drop by later for the last set or two if you’d like. More info at www.swingcityboston.com.
Admission is just $20pp – at the door, Cash Only, please.
Swing City is held at the Russell Youth Center (West Cambridge Youth Center) located at 680 Huron Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That’s situated on the northwestern side of Cambridge, only 3.5 miles from the Alewife ‘T’ station, with easy access via Route 2 from points north, south, and west of Boston. SC has a spacious dance floor, and water & soft drinks are available for cash purchase.
There’s free parking, on-street or in the small municipal lot across the road.
Swing City is famous for being inclusive, welcoming singles, couples, collegiate swing dance club members, and meetup groups. Dancers of all ages and experience levels have flocked to SC for decades, and you’ll always find great partners, from novice to expert. Most importantly, just plain nice people. And, SC’s always been faithful to their rich tradition of booking terrific swing bands - from New England and beyond.
Especially if you’re new to swing dancing – or even just want to take it on a short ‘test drive’ - Swing City is *THE* iconic dance environment to dip your toes in the water.
Elizabeth will be channelin’ Diane Schuur, Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie Cole, and more. She’s a rising jazz vocalist, composer, and educator residing in Greater Boston. She received a Bachelors in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College, and more recently obtained a Masters in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory. Sharing and expressing music has become an intrinsic part of her life. In addition to teaching at NEC Prep and singing with local jazz and classical groups, her own jazz quartet has performed at the famed Mad Monkfish in Cambridge, MA.
We’ll also be hittin’ the dancers with some of our best instrumental arrangements, too. Think Sammy Nestico, Frank Foster, Billy Strayhorn…
Just as with our first gig at the 'old' Swing City in the 1990s (the West Cambridge VFW at the same street address (with the rocket ship out front...) our sets will be *100% DANCEABLE SWING* – mostly medium, some a little slower, some a little faster. But, *NO BALLROOM, LATIN, OLDIES, ROCK, OR POP STYLES* mixed in.
Those great sets of will, of course, contain several original arrangements of compositions from the Golden Age of big bands to anchor the evening, but we’ll enhance the dance as only the Compaq Big Band can by mixing in some more progressive - and more hip - arrangements of the Great American Songbook and much more! It all adds up to approachable treatments of swingin' tunes you all know.
Another hallmark of our swing dance performances is an organized, no-nonsense approach to minimizing the time between tunes. Also note that we’re a FULL 19-piece big band: 14 horns + 4 rhythm + vocalist.
Dancers also appreciate that on every one of our gigs we utilize our own professional, comprehensive, state-of-the-art traveling sound system, operated from start to finish of the event by our very experienced, full-time engineer. That means you’ll hear Elizabeth, the instrumental soloists, and the entire ensemble, very clearly.
All of this is presented with the band’s passion for production excellence unmatched by other regional competitors.
Check out www.compaqbigband.com
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