They’re back. After a year-and-a-half hiatus, the Prior Lake-based swing music group SteamHeat will once again share its big band sound with the community.

The band’s 15 members and three singers should be familiar to many Prior Lake residents. SteamHeat – the majority of whose members hail from Prior Lake – was a fixture in the area from its founding in 2001 up until the group decided to take a break from performing in summer 2011.

In that time, the band regularly played Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and other swing hits in the city, including every few months at the Prior Lake VFW and at least once a summer at Lakefront Park.

“Playing in the band shell at the park on a nice summer night is wonderful,” recalls Joe Matthews, who plays trumpet with the group. “It’s just great to see families come out and listen to us, especially the children.

“Where else can you see music like this performed in Prior Lake?”

SteamHeat did not just stay local.

The band has had gigs at venues around the Twin Cities, including dance groups, parties, and military groups like the VFW.

It has also had a few performances throughout the state. A memorable one was a concert in Waseca in 2007. The band was asked to play at a tribute concert for Leroy Shield – the Minnesota composer known for writing music for several early comedy series including Laurel and Hardy, the Little Rascals and Charley Chase.

Joe Dols, a trombonist with the group, says that was one of his favorite performances.

“It was great to bring back the music he wrote,” says Dols, “especially since the shows with his music aren’t shown much on TV today.”

Big band music isn’t all SteamHeat is known for playing. The band has a wide range of songs that it plays – and plays well – something Dols attributes to the skill of its members.

“The band plays at a pretty high level,” he says, “and a number of its members also play in other semi-professional bands.”

Besides performing purely instrumental numbers, the group has three vocalists who sing in the style of the 1940s trio the Andrews Sisters.

“It’s a lot of fun to get up there,” says Lynnda Nelson, one of the vocalists. “We dress in 1940s costume and try to look like performers did then.”

With the men dressed in tuxedos, the members of SteamHeat look as good as their music sounds.

Dols says, “For the most part we play big band music, but we do other music from time to time in a performance as well.”

Pop-rock songs are some of the group’s favorite non-swing music, and Christmas songs make an appearance at holiday concerts.

Some of the pop-rock songs the band plays include “25 or 6 to 4” made famous by the rock/jazz fusion band Chicago, “Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and “Pick Up The Pieces” by Average White Band.

Joining the group for the first time this winter will be two sons of current band members.

One of them is Stephen Dols, a freshman at Normandale Community College and son of Joe Dols.

Stephen grew up seeing SteamHeat perform and plays trombone like his father.

“It’s really cool having a chance to play with the band,” says Stephen, “since I’ve seen them in concert so many times.”

Now he’s excited to play with the band, but he’s also a little nervous.

Stephen – who played in the wind ensemble, jazz band, pep band and pit orchestra at Prior Lake High School – says this about preparing for his first concert with SteamHeat: “It’s a little higher stakes performing since it’s in front of people I don’t know, so that makes me a little nervous”

But he says, “I’m really excited about it. Even though I don’t know the music as well as them, I’m feeling pretty good about the concert.”

SteamHeat has three concerts scheduled already. The first will be at the Prior Lake VFW on Saturday, Dec. 22 from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. There is no cover charge that night, and the band loves seeing people on the dance floor. In fact, they’re hoping if you’ve seen them before, you’ll come see them again.

The second performance will be at Club Prior’s Danceteria on Thursday, Jan. 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. There will be dance lessons beforehand from 6:30 to 7 p.m. for those who haven’t danced before or just want a little practice.

Finally, the band will be back at the VFW on March 9.

SteamHeat is excited to be once again playing in Prior Lake.

“If they enjoy being in a crowd of people who are having a good time, they should come see us at our next concerts,” says Matthews.

“With great music and people dancing to it, you can’t go wrong,” he says.