Ditty Bops

Imagine it’s 1925, and you and yours have decided to spend Friday night at the club. On stage is a new female duet with a forward-thinking way of melding jazz, swing, tightly woven harmonies and vaudeville-era musical theater. There’s a tall drink o’ water on the mandolin and dulcimer — that’s Amanda Barrett (daughter of a professional clown and pagan Celtic musician) — and the petite, tomboyish one madly picking at her guitar is Abby DeWald. These Ditty Bops might seem ahead of their time or, if you’re firmly ensconced in “today,” lost in the past, but everything the L.A.-based gals do feels innovative. As wonderful as their neo-nostalgic music is, though, it’s nothing compared to their stage shows, which often include fiery red Mohawks, sequined mini-dresses and costume themes such as Alice in Wonderland or Gods and Goddesses.