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.
There’s no shortage of swagger when Old Sam and the Teardrops take the stage. The legendary local band boasts Violent Femmes drummer John Sparrow, trading in his usual angsty punk anthems for tight and tasteful swing fills on a vintage drum set. Frontman Joe LeSage, AKA Old Sam, commands the crowd with his growling croon, high-energy stage presence, and off-the-cuff sense of humor.
Tunes are vocally driven, featuring prohibition-era classics from Jelly Roll Morton to Fats Waller, landing mainly in the realm of swing jazz but venturing into the sounds of southern roots rock. LeSage’s vocals are balanced out by the band’s horn duo of trumpet and tenor saxophone, adding just the right amount of color between verses.
Expect straightforward, swinging songs that are the right length to mix up your dance partners (you won’t get stuck on the floor for a 12-minute instrumental jam), mostly up-tempo and fitting for East Coast Swing and Lindy Hop. If you’re a beginner or bringing non-dancing friends, this band is a great choice: Old Sam and the Teardrops put on a show that’s just as much fun for the spectators as the dancers.
Milwaukee Stomp 