In The Loop Magazine Squirrel Nut Zippers Warm A Frozen Chicago With A Jazzed-Up Holiday Time Warp At Park West

Squirrel Nut Zippers Warm A Frozen Chicago With A Jazzed-Up Holiday Time Warp At Park West

Dec 12, 2025 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0

By Kelly Clausen

On a frosty December night in Chicago, one of those nights where your breath hangs in the air like cartoon speech bubbles, the Park West glowed warm and golden, beckoning fans in from the cold for an evening with the always mischievous, ever-magical, Squirrel Nut Zippers. A band where everyone gets a chance to be a star during their annual Christmas Caravan tour. The band turned the historic Lincoln Park venue into a swinging holiday speakeasy, a cozy refuge where hot jazz, jump blues, and a dash of theatrical oddity melted winter right off your shoulders.

The Zippers, masters of vintage revivalism and time-traveling whimsy, hit the stage dressed like characters from some boozy, bootlegged 1930s snow globe. From the moment the first horns blared, it was clear this wasn’t going to be your standard holly-and-tinsel affair. This was holiday music run through a Vaudeville blender, strange, sweet, soulful, and just unpredictable enough to keep everyone grinning.

They charged straight into “Good Enough For Grandad,” then “Hot For Christmas,” punching the air with brass so bright you could practically see it. Cella Blue’s voice carried that signature mix of warmth and coy mischief, floating through Benny Goodman’s, “Winter Weather” like a flapper ghost dancing through the rafters.

Meanwhile, Jimbo Mathus, equal parts ringmaster, raconteur, and musical mad scientist, led the band with boundless grin-powered energy. Between songs he, and his bandmates, told little stories, half true and half wonderfully questionable, about old Southern Christmases, historical songs origins, and short skits that kept the house entertained.

This year, the band consisted of new and returning characters like Mr. Wonderful – Hank West (saxaphone), Dr. Sick AKA Justin Carr (violin et al), Celia Blue (vocals), Leslie P. Martin (piano), Chicago’s own (Logan’s Square native) – Eddie King (trombone), Dave Boswell (trumpet), John Kveen (bass) and Neilson Bernard III (drums).

Of course, no Zippers holiday set would be complete without “A Johnny Ace Christmas,” which the band delivered with the perfect blend of tongue-in-cheek noir and holiday cheer. They followed it up with a spirited “Mardi Gras For Christmas,” turning the normally buttoned-up Park West crowd into a foot-stomping, toe tapping mass, arm waving group who clearly forgot it was below freezing outside. Fans in ugly Christmas sweaters boogied along side of fans in vintage suspenders and bowties, and for one delightful moment, it felt like Chicago had slipped through time and landed in a Christmas party thrown by Louis Armstrong, Tim Burton, and the cast of a silent film.

One couple in that audience celebrating, was their on an anniversary date. Local musician, Jamie Dull and his wife Amanda were celebrating their 7th wedding anniversary. Dull rediscovered the Zippers a couple years ago and fell in love with them almost as much as his beautiful blushing bride. This night was a jovial highlight for them both.

The band continued peppering the evening with their signature classics like, “Hell,” of course, arriving as a crowd favorite with a festive twist, the band joking that “it’s always a crowd-pleaser, even at Christmas.” The horns erupted, the drums pummeled, and the crowd howled so loud the giant mirrorball above shook.

But it was the deep cuts and the slower numbers that really showcased the group’s uncanny ability to blend sincerity with spectacle. “Gift of the Magi” floated over the room like falling snow, delicate and glowing, while “I’m Coming Home For Christmas” unfolded with a smoky, cabaret charm that made the whole audience lean in a little closer.

The night wrapped with a rollicking encore, a sleigh-bell-drenched, horn-heavy medley that mashed up classic carols with that unmistakable Zippers swagger. The final notes rang out like the last sip of hot mulled wine, warm and spicy, and no one seemed quite ready to return to the Chicago chill. One thing that was missed, was the comedy commercial breaks they use to do. Those silly skits that helped expand out the show into a true vaudevillian take. But at least we still got the giant holiday joint!

As people filed out into the snowy night, cheeks flushed and spirits lifted, one thing was clear: the Squirrel Nut Zippers didn’t just play a holiday show, they threw a time-warped, jazz-soaked, grin-inducing Christmas party that Chicago won’t forget anytime soon.