Cameron Webb is one of the nations up-and-coming vocalist/bandleaders. His soulful voice and high energy performances has transfixed audiences all over the country. He can be heard weekly serving up Blues and Jazz at Chicago’s hippest speakeasy the Roar, on the Magnificent Mile, and a multitude of other local venues. Bring your jigging shoes for this sensational night of jump blues music including classics from Elmore James, Louis Jordan, Junior Parker, Joe Turner and many more!
Cameron and his band will be playing at Puddler’s Hall on December 21, 2022 as part of the Blues Winter series of blues/jump blues lesson and socials. The entire wood floor event room is used for dance space as dozens of swing and blues dancers converge for this special 4-event series. Now is the perfect time to learn to dance blues.
Balboa is a dance developed in the Balboa peninsula of California during the 1910s and 1920s. Check out LindyCircle.com/history/balboa for a more detailed history.
In the Milwaukee area swing scene, it’s the third most common swing dance style behind East Coast Swing and Lindy Hop. Nearly all experienced swing dancers eventually learn Balboa because of two very practical reasons:
It’s best danced at fast beats-per-minute when other dances styles are difficult and
it works really well on crowded floors.
If you dance in Milwaukee, you know that a good event means a crowded floor. You can do some big Lindy moves early and late in the night when the floor is more open. But, there is a decent chunk of time in the middle where you are in survival mode trying not to knock other dancers over. The bands we have also don’t shy away from faster tempos that are near impossible to keep up with doing Lindy or East Coast. This is where dancing Balboa comes in. Being able to dance Balboa basically doubles the amount of songs you can dance.
Beyond the practical reasons to dance Bal, this dance feels really good. It’s a dance that is done in ‘close embrace’. It’s a chest-to-chest dance where you are intimately dancing with both your partner and with the music. With that said, let’s get into the basic steps.
The Basics
There are two different basic steps. One is called “up-hold“, the other “down-hold“. Both basics are an 8-count step, like Lindy Hop. This video shows the foot movement for both basics.
Balboa Basics
The up-hold basic has both the lead and follow holding a foot slightly up on the 3rd and 7th beat. The down-hold basic has a foot held on the floor during the 4th and 8th beat. Technically, the lead and follow can be dancing different basic steps simultaneously. Usually the lead dances up-hold between moves and switches to down-hold prior to initiating a move. Switching between the up and down-hold simply occurs at the start of the 1 beat.
Unlike most other social swing dances, you can dance a whole song doing only the basic step and not feel bored. The suggestion is to take time being able to seamlessly switch between the two basics, then learn turns and fancier footwork.
Where to learn
Sierra Autumn Kane provides private, small group, and large group lessons. She can be contacted through Facebook Messenger.
If you want to dance Bal with someone, simply ask them to dance and then as you walk the floor – ask if they Bal. They will either say “yes” or “not yet”.
I recently went to a Traffic Jam! Swing lesson and dance and I was completely impressed. This recurring dance is held at Forteza Fitness in Chicago. The atmosphere of the venue, community, and quality of this event makes it a must for Milwaukee stompers who don’t mind going to bed at 2:00 AM.
About the group
The non-profit group – Traffic Jam! Swing – started in 2016 in effort to host a regional weekend swing workshop and dance event (which is the Second City Swingout). Turns out hosting events in Chicago is pricey and the team needed a way to raise funds ahead of time. Thus, the recurring Traffic Jam! dance event was created. This group has grown to now providing progressive classes along with the dances and the yearly Second City Swingout.
About the venue
Parking is ridiculously easy and free.
Masking with a quality mask is required and well adhered to by the crowd.
Water is provided, but this is a BYOB event space. People in the crowd did bring canned alcohol beverages and I didn’t see anyone bring bottles or wine. Perhaps there is an unspoken rule against glass containers.
For summer months, do not wear pants and (for us sweaty people) bring extra shirts. They have large doors that open and the place cools nicely when the sun sets. But 100 dancers in a room generates the kind of radiating heat that causes you to sweat even when sitting.
The dance floor is really nice finished laminate wood and…it’s clean! The benefit of this space not being a bar is that the floor isn’t sticky. This may be the best floor I’ve danced on.
The Irrelevant Orchestra – headed by the dynamic Professor Pinkerton – dropped their album Antiquated, at Best early this year. The album is 11 classic swing-era songs with 6 alternate takes. The majority of the songs are ideal for dancing. Pinkerton says that the lengthy number of alternate takes included is “partially a nod to the anthologies put out by record collectors of historically famous artists.”
This album is a must for your collection. The BPM range is 100 to 240. The songs range from very mellow and sweet (Lay Some Flowers on My Grave) to very intense (Nagasaki). One could play the album straight through and dance lindy, shag, charleston, balboa, and fox trot. The joy of this album is partially the variety. The remainder of the joy is from the pure talent of this group.
There is something else about this album that is very unique. It has the energy of a live performance, but the quality of a studio recording. Pinkerton explains how they created this feel:
“We did the whole thing live, straight to tape, with just a few mics in the room, mostly in a take or two. We had a core of our regular players but half the band met for the first time that morning. Outside of some false starts, we released everything performed. We just had a very limited window to work with our out of town guests so I wanted to create an extremely casual and fun environment. It is also why we had so many little jokes and quips wrapped in. I was hoping to strike a balance of keeping people on their toes while not making them stiff up.”
Professor Pinkerton
Find the music
To get this fantastic album the band has vinyl, CD’s, and download codes available at their live shows.
If you can’t wait for the next live show, you can:
The Hungry Williams is a high energy throwback rock n’ roll band with a dynamic femme lead vocalist, rhythm guitar, and backing saxes. Sock hop grooves that twist and shout, raunchy blues, and New Orleans party vibes are the main course.
While swinging tunes aren’t the band’s primary focus, dancers will still have plenty of opportunities to hit the floor. So, don’t pass up a good swing number when you hear it – you may regret it when the next song is twice as fast.
This review is in collaboration with Meaghan Heinrich. Meaghan is an experienced musician, lecturer for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and several music festivals, and is a local music educator.
Traditional western swing and blues with an eclectic range of tunes from waltzes to jumps – think Hank Williams backed by Artie Shaw. A variety of styles and tempos with something for everyone. Straightforward, heartfelt vocals, pedal steel, and fiddle are a unique sonic blend over a tight and energetic rhythm section with prominent upright bass.
The Best Westerns deliver constant danceable swing tunes. Dancers will readily find a range of tempos that will keep them on the floor most of the show. This band is a bonus for those who also know Texas Two-Step.
The Saloon on Calhoun with Bacon is at 17000 West Capitol Drive in Brookfield. The ‘with Bacon’ part was added a while back when the bacon craze spilled over from computer geeks to the general public. People refer to the joint simply as “Saloon on Calhoun”.
Out of the danceable venues in the area, this one may have the widest drink and food selection. The pricing for the fare is also very reasonable.
There is a moderately-sized dance space in front of the stage. The floor is polished concrete, which may pose an issue for extended dancing and for those with knee issues. The sound system is situated above the dance space with the speakers pointed towards the crowd. This arrangement is very beneficial as the dancers aren’t forced to dance directly in front of the speakers.
Parking is easy as this establishment is part of a larger commercial complex with a full parking lot.
Anodyne has several locations. The location that hosts dancing events is at 224 West Bruce Street in Milwaukee. This venue is absolutely superb. The wood floor is always clean, the atmosphere is cozy, sound is crisp, and they have a bar that serves a moderate selection of beers and wines. Being a full coffee shop they offer coffee-based beverages and other non-alcoholic options. Need a snack? Cookies and muffins are for sale as with any coffee shop.
Since the wood floor is nearly always very clean, dancers with knee issues will want to wear shoes with suede or rubber soles to lessen the extra movement. Balboa dancers can go wild on this floor.
Street parking is usually plentiful around the venue and on the neighboring blocks.
Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery (“Best Place”) is located at 917 West Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee. There is a lower and upper ballroom – “Blue Ribbon Hall” and “Great Hall”, respectively. The lower ballroom is likely the most picturesque venue available in or around Milwaukee. The walls are adorned with painted artwork when the facility was constructed. There is a second-level balcony that overlooks the dance floor that provides a respite for tired dancers to sip a cool beverage and watch their fellow dancers. In warm weather, step out into the Captain’s Courtyard to converse under the stars.
The venue features a wood floor that is nearly always well kept. This venue is rented to parties and weddings and parts of the floor can be sticky. So, consider bringing two pairs of shoes: one with suede and one with leather soles. There is a full bar and plentiful parking. This venue is near the Fiserv Forum and parking is scarce during Bucks games.
Western swing is is a genre that is rarely played in the current swing dance scene. Which is a shame. The western sound has the expected hints of twang and emphasis on string instruments. Band founder and lead vocalist Patrick Brenner plays the steel guitar.
Patrick is also an avid swing dancer and knows exactly how to play to the dance crowd. Since the band frequently exhibits guest soloists and vocalists, a dancer can attend show after show and constantly get a fresh experience. The Westerlees are not shy about playing faster songs and are a favorite among the Balboa swing crowds.
Their website www.thewesterlees.com has links to audio clips for a taste of their sound.
Milwaukee Stomp 