Yep, you read that right. The Hot Sardines.

Even here in FL, it isn’t all bikinis and surfboards. It is winter, after all, and spice is nice. The Lyric Theater in town has plenty.

A one-time silent movie house, now on the National Register of Historic Places, this intimate venue presents shows, concerts, movies, and fun events.

The other night, Evan “Bibs” Palazzo and lead singer Miz Elizabeth came to town. And they brought Plenty Of Heat.

The Hot Sardines are a New York-based brass jazz band that specializes in classic pop and jazz tunes from the first half of the 20th century. Heck, they even have a tap-dancer. And does he sizzle.

They wowed me with a blustery brass lineup, a cheeky rhythm section led by a Fats Waller-ish pianist, and a sassy front-woman with a voice from another era.  And, oh, that tap dancer.

Mis Elizbeth has a sweet and soulful voice like Madeleine Peyroux. Her music is early-American jazz with a mischievous twist of French culture. Parisian-born Miz Eliz sings eloquently and effortlessly in both French and English – and sometimes in Mandarin, just for fun (“Chinatown, My Chinatown”).

 

The sound and style are distinctly their own. It’s old-time jazz with new-time energy, an edgy, raucous, speakeasy sound. You almost expect the cops to bust in waving billy clubs.

 

The Hot Sardines, started by two non-musicians who never set out to form a band, played to a sold out audience at the Lyric.

Here’s why.

Toni 2/9/16