The Granada Theatre Concert Series continues its holiday lineup with the return of Brian Setzer Orchestra’s Christmas Rocks! concert at 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18.
The guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and three-time Grammy-Award winner, Setzer, and his 19-piece orchestra whip up retro holiday cheer this season with its Christmas Rocks! Tour.
The show also features music from their latest Christmas album, Rockin’ Rudolph, their three other best-selling holiday albums, as well as original Setzer hits.
Widely acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest living guitarists, Setzer’s trademark guitar work and vocal stylings are matched with the Brian Setzer Orchestra’s rockin’ big-band horn arrangement, a combination designed to rock audience members into the holiday spirit.
Setzer is credited with continually taking chances with innovative and daring musical styles, while single-handedly resurrecting two forgotten genres of music, rockabilly in the ’80s and swing in the ’90s.
Along the way, he has scored chart-topping hits, sold 13 million records and received the Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award throughout his decorated career as founder and leader of the Stray Cats, his 18-piece Brian Setzer Orchestra, and as a solo artist.
In 1987, Setzer appeared in the film La Bamba, portraying rockabilly pioneer Eddie Cochran, then earning the privilege of being one of the few musicians to be animated in an episode of The Simpsons, alongside Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Tom Petty in 2002.
Also in 2002, Setzer was personally requested to induct Chet Atkins into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2014, Setzer received the honor of being asked by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. to donate a replica of his original 1959 Gretsch 6120 “Stray Cat” guitar, joining an elite collection of musical instruments at the museum, including Dizzy Gillespie’s trumpet and John Coltrane’s saxophone.
Tickets range in price from $34-$94 and are available through The Granada Theatre’s Box Office, 899-2222. Dates and times are subject to change.
To learn more about how to support The Granada Theatre, contact Hayley Firestone Jessup, vice president for advancement, 899-3000 or hjessup@granadasb.org. For more information, visit www.granadasb.org.
— Jacqueline McGuan for The Granada Theatre.