Event Title:

Organization:

  Concert

  Oakland

Start Date:

  5/26/2013

End Date:

  5/26/2013

Start Time:

  2:00 PM

End Time:

  4:00 PM

Event Info: 

  The Swingin' Blue Stars of the USS Hornet return to the Firehouse Arts Center in Pleasanton for their third annual Memorial Day Weekend appearance. Featuring a back-up swing band, this group of four female vocalists has become iconic in the Bay Area and beyond for their USO-style performances showcasing songs of the 40's and 50's.

Originally calling themselves The Singing Blue Star Moms, the group was founded in 2002 by members of the East Bay Blue Star Moms who had sons and daughters serving in the military. Initially, they began singing together to relieve the stress of having loved ones serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to entertain aging veterans. They selected their repertoire to demonstrate appreciation for veterans of all wars, while at the same time increasing public support for troops currently serving in combat.

Within a few years, their high-spirited WWII style swing repertoire gained a solid following throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Public demand expanded beyond the initial Blue Star Mom "support our troops" mission, with requests to perform coming in not only from veteran's organizations, but also community groups, county fairs, city parades, retirement communities, and the USS Hornet Museum.

On New Year's Eve 2006, the group was the opening act for the re-established Glenn Miller Orchestra before an audience of 1,400 big-band enthusiasts and swing dancers on the USS Hornet. Then in May of 2007, the group officially added "of the USS Hornet" to their name, and cemented their relationship with the famous WWII aircraft carrier-turned-museum in Alameda. In January of 2011, their name was changed to "Swingin' Blue Stars (from Singing) of the USS Hornet," but they are quick to say that their mission of bringing history to life for their audiences remains the same. They mix saucy and romantic, jitterbug and jive, with lots of The Andrews Sisters nostalgia to boot.

http://www.firehousearts.org

Location:

  Firehouse Arts Center

Room:

Address:

  4444 Railroad Avenue

Phone:

  925-931-4848

City:

  Pleasanton

State/Province:

  CA