Brian Setzer Orchestra @ 9:30 club

Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas Extravaganza
Nov. 23, 2005
9:30 club, Washington, D.C.

Outside the 9:30 club on Thanksgiving Eve, the first light snow of the holiday season was falling on the streets of D.C. Inside, it was hotter than the Fourth of July.

The spike in temperature emanated from the stage, which was occupied by the 18-piece Brian Setzer Orchestra. In the nation's capital with this year's edition of his Christmas Extravaganza, Setzer served up a cornucopia of cheer overflowing with Christmas tunes, rockabilly and the big band sound that has become such a winner for the Stray Cats guitarist-turned-bandleader in the past decade or so.

The tone was set on the first song, when Setzer strapped on a big Gretsch guitar and tore into "Dig That Crazy Santa Claus," the opening track from the band's current release, "Dig That Crazy Christmas."

This wasn't necessarily your parents' Christmas show, though. After all, what's the point of putting an electric guitar (and guitar hero) in front of a big band if you aren't going to rock? There were plenty of up-tempo offerings from "Dig That Crazy Christmas" and its predecessor, 2002's "Boogie Woogie Christmas," including "Winter Wonderland" and "Sleigh Ride."

The seasonal selections weren't limited to old favorites. Also notable was the new Setzer original "Hey Santa," which featured trombonist Robbie Hioki following Setzer around, New Orleans second-line style, while playing the tuba during a dixieland breakdown.

The tuba interlude was indicative of the spirit. The well-oiled band played tight, but kept it loose. It started with the bandleader, who appeared to be in fighting shape and looked like, well, a kid on Christmas as he coaxed jazzy chords and wrung wailing lead lines out of his Gretsch hollow-bodies. The sound was toe-tapping, hand-clapping fun for all ages. As one of Setzer's hits from his Stray Cats days, "Stray Cat Strut," segued into "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," the big, green baddie himself appeared on stage, toting a baritone guitar for a six-string showdown. During Louis Armstrong's "'Zat You Santa Claus?," the jolly fat man skulked around the stage before tossing candy canes to the crowd. Don't let anybody tell you that Saint Nick was a trumpet player pulling double duty, kiddies. You gotta believe.

The trombone section even got into the act, with a polka-flavored version of the Ventures' surf classic "Pipeline."

There even was a bit of variety for those who weren't ready to deck the halls. The band mixed it up with "This Cat's on a Hot Tin Roof," and "Jump Jive An' Wail" from 1998's Grammy-winning "The Dirty Boogie." And nobody forgot the rockabilly aficionados in the house. Judging by appearance alone, there were many. Most of the band exited the stage midway through the show, leaving the trio of Setzer, Johnny Hatton on slap bass and Bernie Dresel on drums. The rockabilly rave-up included a muscular version of Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run," the Setzer showcase "Guitar Rag," "Tennessee Zip" and "Red Hot" from this year's Sun Records tribute disc, and another Stray Cats cut, "Fishnet Stockings." The trio portion of the show ended with the Cats' classic "Rock This Town," during which the rest of the musicians came back for a big-band finish.

Even though there was plenty of fun and games, make no mistake: This band can play, and it puts out a huge wall of sound. Their versatility ranged from a jazzy take on "My Favorite Things," to the traditional "Angels We Have Heard on High" with a rockabilly twist, to a delightful version of "The Nutcracker Suite" and a tip of the hat to legendary big-band leader Glenn Miller with "Gettin' In The Mood (For Christmas)."

They brought it home with (what else?) "Jingle Bells," and the audience was clapping all the way. It's safe to say that more than a few Christmas lists were amended at the end of the night, with a return engagement in D.C. moved to the top.

Setlist
Dig That Crazy Santa Claus
This Cat's on a Hot Tin Roof
Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
Winter Wonderland
Sleigh Ride
Hey Santa
My Favorite Things
Pipeline
Stray Cat Strut/Mr. Grinch
Jump Jive An' Wail
Angels We Have Heard On High
White Christmas
'Zat You, Santa Claus?
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
Run Rudolph Run
Guitar Rag
Tennessee Zip
Red Hot
Jingle Bell Rock
Fishnet Stockings
Rock This Town
Encore
The Nutcracker Suite
Gettin' in the Mood (For Christmas)
Jingle Bells