I was fortunate enough to attend Friday night’s (11/23) performance by the Brian Setzer Orchestra at the Orpheum Theater in Boston, and am pleased to report we had a rockin’ good time. Lots of good stuff, old and new, plus a bunch of Setzer-ized Christmas songs.
The sold-out performance featured his 15 piece orchestra* , Setzer on guitar, plus backup singers.
They started out with Boogie Woogie Santa Claus, followed by swing arrangements of Grieg’s Hall of the Mountain King, and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, both from the latest album, Wolfgang’s Big Night Out. Very hip arrangements that were both crowd pleasers.
This was followed by some vintage Stray Cats and BSO classics like *“Stray Cat Strut” * and *“Jump, Jive an’ Wail”, * mixed with swingified Christmas carols.
Then the curtain fell on the orchestra, and Setzer took the stage with his guitar for a rock-a-billy set, accompanied by only a drummer with a small drum kit, and a bass player on a candy apple red upright bass sporting orange flames. It was rock reduced to the basics, but still pounded out a big, brash sound that had the crowd on their feet. This set concluded with a rock-a-billy arrangement of Route 66 that segued back into a a big band arrangement when the curtains reopened on the orchestra.
They really turned on the power with “Rock This Town” and a swing medley from *“The Nutcracker Suite”, * and closed with “White Christmas” and “In the Mood”.
All in all, a very tight performance by a well rehearsed orchestra, working with creative arrangments and Setzer’s great stage presence. If this show is playing near you, I highly recommend it for your holiday enjoyment.
*or there abouts, we were seated on the left side of the theater and our view of the left side of the stage was blocked by speakers.