Performing swing music, jazz, sambas and tangos, the band We Ain’t Misbehavin’ led the crowd in the Daum Amphitheater in Kiwanis Park on Thursday through a selection of songs dating from the 1920s to the 1950s.
The band played more well-known songs, such as “La Vie en Rose,” a 1945 song created by Édith Piaf, as well as older and more obscure songs, like “Tico-Tico No Fubá,” a Brazilian song from 1917, which was created by Zequinha de Abreu.
We Ain’t Misbehavin’ consists of Bob and Laura St. Gemme’ on guitar and violin respectively, Sarah Wiseman on accordion, Yvonne Larson and Karen Hart as vocalists and percussionists and Michael Brown, the bass player and soundman for the band.
Sarah Wiseman, Laura St. Gemme’s sister, arranges some of the music for the band due to her experience as a composition major at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Wiseman isn’t the only band member with previous musical experience, as Brown and Hart also play for two other local bands: the Moondogs and the Halos.
Bob and Laura St. Gemme’ were previously in the Moondogs, and Laura used to play for the Halos, who will perform in Kiwanis Park on Sept. 25.
Starting in 2022 with only five members, We Ain’t Misbehavin’ played their first gig as a substitute for Jay Ferguson’s Jazz Trio at Dirty’s Bar and Grill.
In the crowd was Larson, who listened intently to the band, Laura St. Gemme’ said. Laura’s husband, Bob, invited Larson to join the band after the performance was over.
After gaining their sixth member, We Ain’t Misbehavin’ would perform for Krannert Uncorked, Lincoln Log Cabin, Five Mile House and other local venues, in addition to private parties and art galleries.
The band has also performed for Concerts in the Park for the past two years, Laura St. Gemme’ said.
“It’s always a pleasure to be on the Kiwanis stage and perform for friends and neighbors,” she said.
Lori Henderson, the tourism and special events supervisor for the city of Charleston, reached out to We Ain’t Misbehavin’ and invited them to play in the event for the Concerts in the Park series.
“We produce this event to bring music to the community and take advantage of the beautiful Daum Amphitheater in Kiwanis Park,” said Henderson.
The Concerts in the Park series has existed for 20 years and takes place in August and September, following the Theatre in the Park series that starts in late July, and draws in about 500 people, according to Henderson.
Dan Webb was in attendance at Thursday’s concert.
“I just always like to support local music as much as I can. Any chance we get to have an event like this, we got to support it as much as we can,” said Webb. “We try to catch all of these events that we can, especially when the weather is nice.”
Essie Newton can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].
