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When Hot first hit the airwaves in 1996, it didn’t just ignite excitement — it sparked a cultural bonfire. With its infectious blend of swing, jazz, Delta blues, and Southern storytelling, Hot rocketed Squirrel Nut Zippers from the underground scene of Chapel Hill, NC, to the national stage, going Platinum and defining a generation’s rediscovery of vintage Americana.The band’s breakout sophomore album captured lightning in a bottle. Recorded at the famed Kingsway Studio in New Orleans (owned by Daneil Lanois), the record radiated with authenticity. Featuring a warm, analog sound, paired with wry, vivid storytelling, the album topped the Billboard 200 charts for an impressive 51 weeks and included such standout tracks as “Put a Lid On It,” “Blue Angel,” and its biggest hit to-date “Hell.”
“Hell,” which at the time, was considered an unlikely radio single, topped the Alternative Airplay charts at #13 and has become a pivotal piece of pop culture as it continues to heat up the radio and TV airwaves, appearing on alt rock and Americana stations and in such prominent television shows as Wednesday (2025) and Lucifer (2021).
Now, 30 years later, the Zippers are celebrating the ever-lasting magic of Hot with the “In The Afterlife” tour, where the band will play the record in its entirety. The 30th celebration of Hot is not just a look back — it’s a salute to resilience, innovation, and the enduring power of a band that never stopped evolving.
Formed in 1993 by Jimbo Mathus, Katharine Whalen, and a tight-knit group of musical misfits, Squirrel Nut Zippers defied genre from the start. Their sound — an intoxicating mix of prohibition-era jazz, big band bravado, and punk-rock irreverence — invited listeners into a world where vaudeville met voodoo and speakeasy swagger met Southern soul.
Led by Mathus, and managed by original drummer Chris Phillips, the modern-day Zippers continue to honor that legacy while breathing new life into their beloved catalog. As the Squirrel Nut Zippers bring Hot back to the stage, fans old and new are rediscovering what made the album — and the band — so unforgettable. Music that swings, sings, and sizzles with soul.
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