Saturday, April 20, 2013

Bringing Back the Good Times



On Thursday night, I witnessed the spectacle that was a concert from Sweet Jeena and Her Sweethearts' record release tour. What an evening it was, despite the fact that most of the audience seemed to have decided to stay at home. The rest of us were indulged by plenty of entertainment in the form of live music, rock'n'swing dance and burlesque art.

Sweet Jeena (Jeena Rancken) is a fantastic, talented singer who has been performing and making records with a few different backing bands. Jeena's repertoire with the Sweethearts consists of old classics and original music ranging from americana and rockabilly to country and funk, influenced by ”everything that swings and bangs”.

This time, we got to hear real treats such as Pretty Little Angel Eyes and I Feel Good, as well as some originals: Rock'n Roll Picnic, Spare Parts, and How Much Longer to Las Vegas. The musical variety truly acts as a strength: every song, no matter the genre, fits together turning Jeena and her band's perfomances into joyful, energetic dance parties.

Sweet Jeena and Her Sweethearts are definitely not just a cover band – they also perform catchy original material, give their all on stage, dress up for the occasion, and bring some burlesque dancers with them, as well as the band's own 60s-style go-go girls. Jeena and her band are also followed by Swing Team, the most talented and dedicated rock'n'swing dancers in the country. Sounds like a scene from Happy Days? It is pretty much like that.

All in all, the concept shows deep appreciation towards the old times music. For instance, it is not often that you hear old doo wop songs performed live (at least in Finland). Jeena and the Sweethearts do some quite impressive multipart harmonies. In fact, another project from Jeena includes performing fantastic doo wop with UK group the Roomates. That is something special!

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