Old school dance party

The Skyliners are definitely not your typical weekend bar band, and maybe that’s why this local group’s performances are so amazing. The 19-piece orchestra takes its audiences back to a simpler time of classy music, sharp clothes and swingin’ and dancing ’til their feet are sore.

During its three-hour set Sunday night at Feather Falls Casino, the band played all the standards—slow-dance tunes by Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, saucy tangos, a little cha-cha and even old jazz hits such as “Montego Bay.” Taking turns on elaborate solos within the pieces, the band traded off between trumpet, clarinet and tenor sax and came back together into that big-band sound.

When the first few bass lines started thumping something a little faster, every swing cat grabbed his lady, and the dance floor came alive with fancy footwork. Some danced better than others, but the crowd just grinned and bopped and sang along together.

Seeing the Skyliners isn’t just a chance to hear some great live music. It’s a chance to appreciate a different generation’s version of a good time. And it’s nice to have a little dose of nostalgia once in a while.