The Brain Setzer Orchestra rolled into the University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts last Wednesday and kicked off the Holiday season with a big band Christmas concert. Setzer has been bringing this highly-anticipated show to UB for several years and the packed house was ready for some Christmas fun.
Wasting no time, Setzer and the 18 piece band kicked off the show with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and immediately the crowd was clapping and singing along. The Rockabilly sound Setzer has become famous for was a perfect fit for the Christmas music theme of the evening. Setzer, dressed in a leopard print shirt, black coat and slack and leopard print flat top shoes, led the fun times onstage dancing and jumping around while picking his standard Gretsch guitar. That guitar gives Setzer the unique sound that he has cultivated into a clean style with a soulful edge. It’s the Stray Cat Strut sound that grabbed him at a young age and made his career.
Mixing Stray Cat songs and Christmas standards, all done in a big band style, Setzer worked the crowd into a happy place with ease. Songs like “Boogie Woogie Santa” which featured leads by his two female back up singers, and “Gene and Eddie” (a tribute to Rockabilly greats Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran), brought the crowd to their feet with standing ovations. The Louis Prima hit “Jump Jive and Wail” saw band members each take turns in the spotlight with extended solos. Their red, Zebra-striped Zoot Suits added a nice touch.
Setzer cleared the stage for a spotlight solo of his own on “The Christmas Song” and earned another standing ovation for a well-done slowed down version of the classic tune.
Closing the show with a rollicking “Rock This Town” with a basic guitar, bass, drums trio, Setzer showed he didn’t need a big band to bring down the house.
An encore of “The Nutcracker Suite” and “Jingle Bells” brought an entertaining show to a close and left the crowd wanting more. Santa Claus appeared on stage tossing candy canes into the crowd as the band walked off promising to return again next year. Too bad Christmas only comes once a year.
Setlist:
Rockin’Around the Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee cover)
Hoodoo Voodoo Doll
Stray Cat Strut (Stray Cats cover)
Boogie Woogie Santa (Mabel Scott cover)
Gene and Eddie (Stray Cats cover)
Here Comes Santa Claus (Gene Autry cover)
Sleepwalk(Santo & Johnny cover)
Angels Heard On High
(She’s) Sexy and Seventeen (Stray Cats cover)
Jump Jive and Wail (Louis Prima cover)
Let There Be Rock (AC/DC cover)
The Christmas Song
Mystery Chain (Little Junior’s Blue Flames cover)
Put Your Cat Clothes On
Fishnet Stockings (Stray Cats cover)
Rockin’ Rudolph
Rock This Town (Stray Cats cover)
Encore:
The Nutcracker Suite (Pyotr IIyich Tchaikovsky cover)
Jingle Bells (James Lord Pierpont cover)
We would like to thank Bari Lieberman from MSOPR for the credentials to review the show.
