Brian Setzer Orchestra - Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza feat. The Brian Setzer Orchestra: at Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, TN) Sun. December 9, 2012

Brian Setzer Orchestra - Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza feat. The Brian Setzer Orchestra

Nashville Scene Critic's Pick …

Although I treasure such artifacts as Carl Perkins’ “Dixie Fried” and Warren Smith’s incredible “Ubangi Stomp,” I’m no rockabilly purist — what, do you think I’m nuts? So while I never completely bought into the efforts by guitarist and singer Brian Setzer to revive rockabilly with his old band, Stray Cats, I recognize that Setzer is an amazing picker whose style is at least as viable as, say, James Burton’s. Back in his ’80s heyday, Setzer covered “Ubangi Stomp” and wrote a few rockabilly-influenced tunes himself, but these days he specializes in swing and jump-blues music with The Brian Setzer Orchestra. Tonight’s show will feature Setzer & Co. doing such Christmas chestnuts as “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus” along with originals and covers. It promises to be good fun — Setzer’s show sports spiffy horn arrangements, savvy song selection and plenty of tricks from his storehouse of cool licks and solos.

—EDD HURT