So what if the Bacchanalians’ shindigs weren’t drunken revels? This Northeastern ensemble swung so hard, they didn’t need any wine-happy tricks. Their rep: “The smartest collegiate dance band in New England.”

Formed in 1923 as an independent group, the orchestra adopted its riotous moniker three years later when it became an official Northeastern music club. By 1937, the Bacchs were jamming at concerts and dances around campus, and even booked professional gigs at such swank spots as Back Bay’s Hotel Vendome.

The Bacchs’ rhythm, suave syncopation, and original arrangements ensured their popularity. Their repertoire mixed blues favorites like “Smoke Rings” with faster tunes like “Tiger Rag.” Takeoffs on university songs were thrown in as novelty bits. The band’s special blend of le jazz hot always managed to bring down the house.

But tastes change, of course. Swing’s preeminence started to fade, and attempts to shore up the Bacchs were of no use. By the mid-1950s, the group had gone the way of the zoot suit, traded in for a pair of blue suede shoes.