There aren’t many musical acts that could pull off a freshly modernized vaudeville-style show complete with costumes, puppet shows, and skits, but if anyone can rock ragtime chic, it’s the Ditty Bops. This duo has been taking their fearlessly quirky cornucopia of jazz, swing, folk and sounds to the stage for something of an “Andrews Sisters meets Sleater-Kinney” live experience. Read on to find out more about the girls’ music, their green living crusade, and how you could win a pair of tickets to their show at the Barrymore on June 17th.
The ‘Bops have been longtime champions for green living, and the girls have done a great deal to bring their eco-friendly sensibilities to the music world. Perhaps most notable was their decision to embark on a tour sans car, van or bus. The Ditty Bops recently pedaled their way from city to city to play shows promoting their Moon Over The Freeway album.
If you’re inspired by their innovative efforts, we suggest you ditch the car as well. The Bike Fed will be offering free valet bike parking to the show. Even better? If you let the Bike Fed park your bike, you’ll receive a sticker granting 10% off at any of the following restaurants: Dobhan, Lao Laan Xang, Wong’s Garden, Alchemy, Milio’s Atwood, Tex Tubb’s Taco Palace, Harmony Bar & Grill, and Monty’s Blue Plate Diner. A portion of the show’s proceeds will support The Bike Fed.
GENRE: Jazz, Swing, Folk, Bluegrass, Pop, Cabaret
SOUNDS LIKE: Nellie McKay, Jill Sobule, Rilo Kiley, The Weepies
BIO:
“Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald, quirky songstresses of The Ditty Bops, have set the bar for what it means to live green. These two earth lovin’ ladies don’t just talk the talk, they are a strong example that a greener life is entirely possible. Voted one of the Top Ten Green Bands by Billboard Magazine, The Ditty Bops constantly find ways to fuse their music with environmental activism.
The Ditty Bops incorporate eco-friendliness directly into their live shows, passing out reusable bags and dressing in environmentally friendly costumes. They converted the Barrymore Theatre lobby into mini-farmers’ markets upon their last visit to Madison,WI. The duo’s last full album, Summer Rains, reflected their passion to transform our planet with its eco-centered tracks and vintage album cover made from recycled paper and soy-based ink.
Hoping to inspire people to live a greener life, the Ditty Bops ditched the tour bus and biked across the country to promote their second album, Moon Over the Freeway. Further displaying their environmental activism, the group formed the environmental non-profit You and I Save the World, which helped pass America’s first plastic bag ban in San Francisco. With multiple guest appearances and music featured on television and radio programs such as The L-Word, Grey’s Anatomy, and A Prairie Home Companion, the Bops’s early success puts them in a prime position to continue influencing worldwide change.
Described as ‘unapologetically out of sync with the times…’ and ‘tunefully disarming’ by the Washington Post, The Ditty Bops once again bring their unique spin on live performance to the Barrymore Theatre on June 17. The darling duo put on a Vaudeville-esque performance complete with elaborate costumes, theatrical skits, and playful tunes as catchy as their name. Their irresistibly charming sound bounces from genre to genre, plucking out folk, swing, ragtime, and jazz inspired melodies on mandolins and ukuleles while layering simple vocal harmonies on top.”
WIN A PAIR OF TIX: In 2008, The Ditty Bops released their Pack Rat EP. If you were going on a cross country bike tour and could only pack 3 luxury items, what would they be? Post your comments by 6:00 pm on Friday the 12th. A winner will be notified at that time. Good luck!
Check out The Ditty Bops on their MySpace.
Filed under: Free Madison Concert Tickets & MP3 Downloads, Music News & Reviews, Sounding Board Blog | Tagged: Barrymore, Live Music, Madison WI Live Shows, Ticket Giveaway, Madison WI Music Scene, Jazz, Madison WI concerts, Free Tickets, win, Madison music scene, madison wi music, contest, ticket contest, Artists You Should Know, ditty bops, bike, valet, bike fed, bike valet, bike to the bops, Amanda Barrett, Abby DeWald, vaudeville, swing, retro, ragtime
If I could only pack three luxury items the first thing I would have to bring would be my camera. There is no way I could take a cross country bike ride without any photos to prove it. Secondly, I would have to bring one of those hand crank radio’s..an Ipod’s batteries would die after day one, and I could not go the whole trip in silence. Last but not least would be a pair of sunglasses. This would serve two purposes: 1) to protect my eyes from the sun 2) to look as great as possible at all times!
I would take my ipod, my tiniest accordion, a copy of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
I don’t need to enter the contest but wanted to post a recent (ridiculously cute) video:
For a chronic overpacker like myself, I’m pretty sure I’d fail miserably as keeping my luxuries down to 3 items, but you guys chose very wisely. The contest is now closed. Check your e-mail to see if you’re a winner.
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.