The Wellington City Shake-Em-On-Downers

22nd The Wellington City Shake-Em-On-Downers – 12pm – $20, $10 Capital Blues Inc members 

The Wellington City Shake-Em-On-Downers are, quite bafflingly, New Zealand’s most popular swing septet, with a cult following of thrilled audiences and startled wildlife from Waiheke to Milford Sound and a variety of desolate spaces in between. Clean your bathroom because we suggest you brew up some bathtub gin and get togged to the bricks!

The Shake-Ems possess arcade knowledge of iconoclastic interpretations of vintage hot jazz classics that take you back to scintillating nights at the speakeasy. As well as standards from the New Orleans and swing songbook, they also perform raging new compositions inspired by the era. Described as ‘hot Dadaist swing’ with ‘refreshingly surreal larrikin behaviour’, The Wellington City Shake-Em-On-Downers never fail to serve up a spicy melange of musical treats!