Calling All Neighborhood Hepcats

If you’ve ever been in a band, you know how difficult it is to manage all the disparate talents involved and make them sound like one cohesive voice. It’s a feat that can drive damn near anyone to drink, pitting bass players against drummers and resulting in dreams as crushed as the Pabst cans littering the practice space floor. Imagine trying to pull together 18 band members on a regular basis and you’ll come to respect Singapore Slingers’ front man Matt Tolentino pretty quickly. Tolentino has led the quirky band over the past seven years, heading up the retro orchestra through all manner of tangos, waltzes and rumbas. In fact, head to the Kessler Theater (1230 West Davis) for the party celebrating the release of their new CD “The Frank Skinner Project” at 8 :30 p.m. Saturday and you’ll not only see a feat of personnel management, but a unique musical experience: members of the ensemble use vintage instruments and dress for the era. Plus—and this is important—they heat up a dance floor like nobody’s business, with an infectious energy that’ll throw you into a foxtrot frenzy. Tickets for the event, which includes opening band Three Quarters Fast Dixieland Band, are $17.50 to $25 at prekindle.com.

Sat., July 12, 8 p.m., 2014