Think about it: You take
away the tree. You shut
down the lights. You chill
the hot chocolate. You
douse the Yule log. Do any
one of those things, and
you’ve grinched your
Christmas.

Now, try shutting out the
sound of the rockin’est big
band on Earth. Just try not to visualize those
harmonizing hotties, or that horn section swinging
in their seats to the sizzling beat, or Setzer himself
riffing on his bright orange Gretsch or hollering out,
“When Santa starts to blow S go! GO!”

That’s when you know it’s true. The Brian Setzer
Orchestra is what you need to put the grog in your
nog and the sway in your sleigh. It’s a sinfully
delicious feast of rhythm that captures the BSO at
full power onstage. For sheer energy, showmanship,
and nonstop, smokin’ virtuosity, this performance
stands alone.

The show features 18 musicians, jaw-dropping stage
props, and plenty of good cheer as they perform
songs from their best-selling Christmas Rocks!: The
Best of Collection CD, an amazing compilation of the
very best tracks from their Grammy-nominated Dig
That Crazy Christmas and Boogie Woogie Christmas
holiday CDs. An indispensable yuletide soundtrack,
Christmas Rocks! Features Setzer’s blistering takes on
20 Holiday classics like “Jingle Bells,” “You’re A Mean
One, Mr. Grinch,” “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It
Snow!,” “My Favorite Things,” “Jingle Bell Rock,”
“White Christmas,” and the previously unreleased
“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.”

How did this one-time Long Island punkabilly kid
rise to international fame as a holiday icon? Easy:
hard work, talent, and the same never-say-die
attitude that has always made him stand out from
the crowd. As an underage club crasher, Setzer gave
equal time to Manhattan’s swank jazz clubs and
downtown rock dives. From these diverse
experiences he emerged with a unique look,
something like a tangle of Eddie Cochran and Sid
Vicious after a motorcycle wreck, and a sound
unlike any heard before. By combining vintage
rockabilly with the attitude of modern punk and the
polish of postbop jazz, Setzer staked out his territory
and multiplied his creative options.

His first step was to move to England and unleash
the Stray Cats, whose ferocious shows shot them to
international prominence. Three Top Ten singles
powered their first album, Built for Speed, to the top
of the charts. And that was just the beginning.
When the Cats scattered, Setzer pursued his own
projects, with collaborators as diverse as the ultimate
artist/producer, Phil Ramone, and the conscience of
the Clash, Joe Strummer. He tested the waters of
Texas blues and Rat Pack jive. Along the way he sold
millions of records and built a reputation as one of
the world’s most respected guitarists he even
supervised the launch of his own series of Gretsch
“Brian Setzer Model” signature guitars, including
last year’s new “Black Phoenix” model. Yet even with
his Gretsch affiliation, the Gibson guitar company
has singled him out for a prestigious Orville H.
Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Despite all that he has achieved, the Brian Setzer
Orchestra was and remains his glory: an ensemble of
world-class musicians, playing state-of-the-art
charts, and blowing away jazz hipsters as well as
families celebrating the holiday. Their sound, as
groundbreaking as the rockabilly revival that Setzer
had launched previously with the Stray Cats, earned
three Grammy Awards, two for Best Pop
Instrumental Performance (“Sleepwalk,” from the
multi-platinum The Dirty Boogie in 1998, and
“Caravan,” from VaVoom, in 2000) and one for Best
Pop Performance (“Jump, Jive an’ Wail,” also from
The Dirty Boogie, 1998). Critics, too, were dazzled
by this unprecedented fusion of big-band swing and
rock swagger: After staggering home from a BSO
Christmas show, a journalist declared, “The show
was more than an extravaganza. It was a party in
every sense of the word.”

This is a show you don’t want to miss! EK

When: Tuesday, December 8 at 8 pm

Where: Tennessee Theatre

How: Tickets are $47.50, plus
applicable service fees, available at
all Tickets Unlimited outlets, the
Tennessee Theatre box office, by
phone at 865-656-4444, or online
at www.tennesseetheatre.com.

Photography by Russ Harrington