"Inspiration can come from anywhere," says trombonist and vocalist Calvin Sexton. "I worked on cruise ships a lot after college and just watched how comedians and magicians kept people engaged. You can learn a lot from surprising places."

The Inner City All Stars have one goal once they get you in your seat: to get you out of it. Calvin figures that when you come to an Inner City All Stars show, you don't just want to watch a bunch of guys walk around on stage. You want to get into it.

"We live in an age where people want to be a part of the action. If you don't do that, you're not going to have people in the seats."