ENTERTAINMENT

Blue Suede Shoes Band plays Centenary Aug. 1

BILL NUTT
CORRESPONDENT

There are plenty of reasons why Nashville has the nickname “Music City, U.S.A.”

The Blue Suede Shoes Band will perform music with direct or indirect connections to Nashville in the 1950s and 1960s at Centenary Stage Co. in Hackettstown on Saturday, Aug. 1. The group specializes in songs by Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, among others.

Besides being the site of both the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville is the home of several record labels and even more music publishers.

Nor is Nashville exclusively a country music mecca. After Elvis Presley signed with RCA, his first recording sessions were in Nashville. The Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison also were also early rockers who cut records at other studios in the city.

So when the members of the Blue Suede Shoes Band talk about paying tribute to Nashville of the 1950s and the 1960s, they have plenty of material from which to draw.

“There was so much great music of that era associated with Nashville,” says Jay Sweeney, vocalist and keyboard player in the New York-based group.

Sweeney adds that Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash (who, like Presley and Orbison, originally signed with Sun Records in Memphis) are among the other legendary performers with Music City connections through publishing or recording.

The Blue Suede Shoes Band (named after a Carl Perkins song recorded by Presley in Nashville) will pay tribute to these and other artists when they perform at Centenary Stage Co. in Hackettstown this Saturday, Aug. 1.

The appearance is part of Centenary Stage’s Summer Jamfest of special events. The concert will be preceded by a “Beer, Boots & BBQ Dance Party” featuring a pig roast and dancing to music by the Late Night Kennel Club.

The Blue Suede Shoes Band formed about seven years ago. But the members have known each other and played together in different combinations for several years, according to Sweeney.

“We’re all seasoned,” he says. “We have a lifetime of experience of playing this type of music. More importantly, we all love this type of music.”

One of the other artists covered by the Blue Suede Blues Band is Bo Diddley, whose signature syncopated rhythm (three beats, followed by two beats) is one of the foundations of rock.

In this case, Sweeney can draw on firsthand experience. During the 1990s, he played in Diddley’s touring band. “He was a character,” Sweeney says. “He was a great musician and a great spirit.”

Sweeney notes that one of the challenges for the band is navigating the various styles of the performers, from Orbison’s soaring operatic melodies to Diddley’s rock-solid beat to Cash’s country roots.

“We’re a pretty versatile group,” Sweeney says. He adds that all the musicians sing, and each man can contribute background harmonies when not providing lead vocals.

Sweeney observes that the songs played by the Blue Suede Shoes Band may be close to 60 years old, but their energy is timeless. Though some of the appeal comes from nostalgia, he finds that even audiences in their teens and 20s respond to the music.

“It’s the craft of the songwriting,” Sweeney says. “These are great, great songs, written by people who knew how to write.”

That circles back to Sweeney’s affection for Nashville. “That city is filled with great music, and I love that they honor the songwriters. So much wonderful music has come out of Nashville, to this day. It’s still a mecca for music fans.”

BLUE SUEDE SHOES BAND

WHEN: Pig roast and dance at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, concert at 8 p.m.

WHERE: David and Carol Lackland Center, Centenary College, 715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown

TICKETS: Concert only: $30 in advance, $35 at door; students $20 in advance, $25 at door. Pig roast, dance and VIP seating for concert: $60. Pig roast, dance and limited seating on stage for concert: $75.

INFO: 908-979-0900 or www.centenarystageco.org