[ Music Index | Silicon Valley | Metroactive Home | Archives ]

Brian Setzer Orchestra Sunday, Dec. 14. Flint Center, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, 408.864.8816, 7pm. $35.50-$69.50 Few jump, jive and wail like reigning rockabilly king Brian Setzer. After 13 years of running with the Stray Cats, Setzer went solo and soon formed his big-band project, the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Times and trends caught up with Setzer in the mid-'90s when the lounge-hungry cigar-and-martini bar set latched onto the style of music he'd been doing all along. The BSO's 1998 release, The Dirty Boogie--which included Setzer's kicky duet with No Doubt's Gwen Stefani on the Elvis/Ann-Margret classic "You're the Boss"--was an explosive combination of old-fashioned rock & roll, jump blues, rockabilly and swing that appealed not just to his core fan base but also to newcomers attracted to the swing renaissance. With his blond pompadour and vintage Vegas style, Setzer has consistently displayed a lifelong affinity to days gone by and the legacy left by the Rat Pack. Setzer is also known for his swinging Christmas tunes. Several were featured in California Governor-Elect Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1996 holiday release, Jingle All the Way. Even bigger is the BSO's 2002 Boogie Woogie Christmas featuring Christmas classics and Setzer's duet with the real Ann-Margret on "Baby, It's Cold Outside." The BSO's Christmas Extravaganza hits the Flint Center for one night with a mix of Setzer's Christmas songs and other BSO material. The Stray Cats celebrated their 10-year-reunion by performing together at the 2003 Hootenanny Festival in Fullerton, Calif. Currently; Setzer is gearing up for the stateside October release of Nitro Burnin' Funny Daddy (on Surfdog Records), which includes a bonus single of the Frank Sinatra signature tune "Luck Be a Lady." (Sarah Quelland) Send a letter to the editor about this story to letters@metronews.com. [ Silicon Valley | Metroactive Home | Archives ]