Over the last five years, The Fogcutters have established themselves as a must-see live act thanks, in no small part, to the Big Band Syndrome: a showcase for the band as well as a handful of regional acts who are given the chance to have their work rearranged to fit The Fogcutters sound. The artists selected for these nights have been all over the genre map – from the grooves of Jaw Gems to the quiet intensity of Lady Lamb to the unapologetic rock of Fred Dodge – but what stays consistent is the group’s ability to find the places these songs could/should go.

In fact, an issue I’ve had, year after year, is that these exclusive arrangements have been so well executed that when, in between featured artists, the band has reverted to playing standards, it always seemed to kill the energy established by the fresh version of a given performer’s original song. And while I understood why The Fogcutters were making these decisions, being a big band and all, it wasn’t necessarily something I enjoyed.