Royal Crown Revue Relives Swing Time of Big-Band Era

The Royal Crown Revue doesn’t seem to care that this is the age of trip-hop and second-wave punk--this swing-heavy band is too intent on reliving the age of Raymond Chandler and the zoot suit. On Friday at the House of Blues, the Revue’s fans, a subculture of swing dancers and others with a penchant for the World War II era, also seemed more than happy to conspire against the ‘90s.

L.A.’s preeminent swing band, the Revue helped usher in a retro dance scene with its weekly appearances at the Derby nightclub, and fellow Derby vets Russell Scott & His Red Hots opened the House of Blues show with a smokier set of urban swing.

Revue singer Eddie Nichols, didn’t let that dampen the mood. Like a Technicolor Jimmy Cagney, Nichols shadowboxed with the tenor saxophonist and dished to the crowd, introducing the songs--including the ones from the band’s new major-label debut album, “Mugzy’s Move”--with a dapper “ladies and gents” or a chummy “daddy-o.” The stylish trumpeter Scott Steen and jazzy upright bassist Veikko Lepisto wound their way through sultry cha-cha numbers and around Nichols’ scatting and jaunty dance steps. And the Royal Crown Revue proved to be an accomplished orchestra, not just a soundtrack for nostalgic minds and dancing feet.