The Swing Crew Rewiews!!! || Who is Swing Crew?
Extra News......
BACKGROUNDER
The Swing Crew is known for fun! The Swing Crew plays a variety of country, swing, island beat, rockabilly, rock and roll and a humorous collection of novelty tunes. The pied piper of the group, Dennis Reifsteck, sings, plays the string bass, the violin and the saw. Additional vocalists and acoustic guitar and drums join him.
Audiences continue to grow and their popularity seems to cross the generation gap because of the diverse musical selections. You can expect to hear anything from the '40's to the '90's during the shows. This group appeals to all ages.
Known for its audience participation, the band members enjoy performing and are keen on selecting impromptu "entertainers" from the crowd. The Swing Crew is best known for its instrumental arsenal of bizarre instruments that "audience band-members" play:
- Wisconsin Knockers (a large oversized "W" wood knocker)
- Beep Beep horn
- An old-fashioned washboard and scrub brush
- A jingle bell laden BIG STICK
- and from the CHEER BOX, the "mystery instrument" known as
The Belly Bongo, a small wooden box with a strategically placed bell. Start the music and with appropriate hip movements, you''re a star!
"Fun is the bottom line", according to Reifsteck. Our show is entertaining and fun! The audience participation segments are a huge part of the entertainment. Every crowd is different and no two shows are the same. The shows feature music, stunts, cornball humor, jokes and audience sing-a-longs. Dance with your partner, in a group or all by yourself. It doesnıt matter, as the music makes the entire audience swing the Swing Crew way!
THE SWING CREW REVIEWS!!!
Hereı's what others have said about us:
Taste of Des Moines July 2000
"Swing Crew Rocks Taste of Des Moines." Whether you seek classic rock, country, pop, swing, or an, "island beat", the musical talents of Swing Crew promise to deliver."
Iowa State Daily ...Sarah Wolf, Staff Writer May 1999"Forget a group of shaggy-haired musicians lumbering around on stage. Don't even think about attitude or artists taking themselves way too seriously. The Swing Crew tramples on those images of uptight," were all that bands and has only one thing on the brain: having fun. The guys have a knack at combining audience members with the actual performers. They invite impromptu entertainers from the crowd to join them on stage to test the individuals' performing abilities. Some of the stuff from The Swing Crew's bag of tricks includes the Wisconsin knockers, the belly bongo, the hardhat solo, the washboard and competition singing. Important insider info: everyone who helps the band gets a free bumper sticker!
Summit Daily News
Keystone Resort Area - December 1988 "Best Apres-Ski Bar - LAST LIFT BAR at Keystone Resort" Located at the base of the mountain across from the Peru Express lift in the Mountain House, the Last Lift offers live entertainment from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. with the band, The Swing Crew.
Summit Daily News
Keystone Resort Area March 2001 It's the nature of the music business- most bands spend almost all of their time traveling from gig to gig. In the case of The Swing Crew, however, permanence has become a hallmark that's helped them retain their sanity and remain a band for many years. The Swing Crew has just completed 21 seasons as the house band at The Last Lift Bar at Keystone resort. Bandleader Dennis Reifsteck figures they've entertained more than 28,000 people in one season alone.
Paddy O'Quigley's Leawood, Kansas
It is the most absolute zaniest and whacked out get down go goofy good time experience that anybody can have while standing on 2 feet.....be there with bells on, cuz Pat's benches are built for dancin' on & this little juke jointıs gonna jump@"Toasting Time" with Swing Crew!!......12/2001
Who is The Swing Crew ??
created by Kevin Sperle
By now you're asking yourself "So who the hell is The Swing Crew anyway?". Well let me shed some light on the subject for you.
If you haven't figured it out by now, The Swing Crew is a band. It was started in 1979 by Dennis Reifsteck. The Swing Crew came about when Dennis and his original partner Dan Soma worked in Wisconsin Dells. For those of you who don't know what the Wisconsin Dells is, it's a large tourist attraction (TRAP) near Baraboo Wisconsin. Anyway, Dennis and Dan worked on the boat tours, (as instrument toting pilot & guide) and they were the swing crew, they would "swing" from boat to boat filling in for day off crews.
The Swing Crew performs a wide variety of music. They play classic rock, country, pop, swing, island beat and about any other genre you could possibly come up with. They play whatever gets the crowd going. Their tastes range from Garth Brooks to Van Morrison, to Jimmy Buffett, to The Clash. So if you want to hear something in particular just ask them, they most likely know it.
The best thing about going to see The Swing Crew perform is that it's not like seeing your average "bar band", the quality of the music and the crazyness of their antics will keep you entertained throughout the show.
The Swing Crew plays mainly in two locations; Wisconsin in the summer, and Colorado in the Winter. Between Wisconsin and Colorado they tour around mostly in the midwest. For more information on these locations check out the Tour Info section.
The Swing Crew consists of two members and occasionally a third piece depending on their location & schedule. Dennis Reifsteck plays the upright bass, fiddle & saw (you just have to see it). The second member on acoustic guitar varies. Some guitarists of late have been: Chris Utley, Richard Wiegel, Roy Bloomfield, Jimmy Lewis, & Scott Staten. Featured third pieces have been: percussionists Joe Caploe, Steve Crain and Thad Eldridge as well as Mike Fauth on fiddle & Mandolyn.
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