Compaq Big Band
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Compaq Big Band
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Spring Fever is about to hit New England full force (really, it WILL get warmer...)! We sure hope everyone gets infected, 'cause the over-the-dance-floor cure available to all without a prescription is equal parts 19-piece big band, fabulous jazz vocalist, program of 100% swing arrangements, terrific sound system (and engineer), beginner lesson included in the very reasonable admission price, and optional separate-admission bootcamp... WOW!!!
Get out and dance on Saturday, April 17, when the Compaq Big Band returns to New England's longest running - and in our opinion THE BEST - public, commercial swing dance in the region, Swing City!
Vintage swing dress is always in vogue, but so is just dropping by in comfortable street clothes. Whatever you wear, please make the shoes are appropriate for the nice dance floor.
The band plays 9:00 PM to Midnight. Group-friendly beginner swing lesson 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM included in admission to the dance (no entry between 8:15 PM to 9:00 PM, please).
There is a Lindy Bootcamp 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM (see Swing City for more information).
Swing City is held at the Russell Youth Center (West Cambridge Youth Center) located at 680 Huron Avenue in Cambridge, MA. That's situated on the northwestern side of Cambridge, only 3.5 miles from the Alewife 'T' station, with easy access via Route 2 from points north, south, and west of Boston. See swingcityboston.com/directions.html. There's free parking, on-street or in the small municipal lot across the road. SC has a spacious dance floor, and water & soft drinks are available for cash purchase.
Both the workshop and lesson are led by expert instructors. Come early and stay all evening, or just drop by later for the last set or two if you'd like.
Swing City is famous for being inclusive, welcoming singles, couples, groups, collegiate swing dance clubs, and meetups. Dancers of all ages and experience levels have flocked to SC for decades, and you'll always find wonderful, patient partners, from novice to expert. Most importantly, just plain nice people. And, SC's always been faithful to their rich tradition of booking terrific swing bands - from New England and beyond.
Especially if you're new to swing dancing – or even just want to take it on a short 'test drive' - Swing City is THE iconic dance environment to dip your toes in the water.
Just as with our packed-house debut at the 'old' Swing City in the 1990s (the West Cambridge VFW at the same street address - with the rocket ship out front...) our sets will be *100% DANCEABLE SWING* – mostly medium, a few a little slower, some a bit faster. But, NO BALLROOM, LATIN, OLDIES, ROCK, OR POP STYLES mixed in.
Those great sets will, of course, contain several original arrangements of compositions from the Golden Age of big bands to anchor the evening, but we'll enhance the dance as only the Compaq Big Band can by mixing in some more progressive - and more hip - arrangements of the Great American Songbook and much more! It all adds up to approachable treatments of swingin' tunes you all know.
Another hallmark of our swing dance performances is an organized, no-nonsense approach to minimizing the time between tunes. Dancers also appreciate that on every one of our gigs we utilize our own professional, comprehensive, state-of-the-art traveling sound system, operated from start to finish of the event by our very experienced, full-time engineer. That means you'll hear the vocals, the instrumental soloists, and the entire ensemble, very clearly.
Copyright © 2026 Compaq Big Band.