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Congrats to Brian Setzer!

Congrats to Brian on the most successful BSO Christmas Tour in the 12-year history of his Christmas franchise! Read below to hear what the press had to say about the 12th Annual Christmas Rocks Tour!

“Reimagining Christmas songs has been done before, but never this unusually and rarely this well. The reason for that became clear as the night wore on: He is not just that tattooed, pompadoured skinny guy from the Stray Cats. He is a Musician, with a capital M…what Setzer does is become music… his guitar face is one of pure joy, for him and for us. But the depth of his immersion into the music allows him to turn otherwise holiday chestnuts like ‘Here Comes Santa Claus,’ ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,’ ‘Jingle Bells’ and especially ‘Angels We Have Heard on High’ into something wholly different. And there’s not enough praise for the genius in morphing the theme song for the cartoon ‘The Flintstones’ into a new holiday classic, ‘Yabba-Dabba Yuletide.’”

–Chuck Yarborough, CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER

“Setzer and his players were truly rocking. Whether it was ‘Boogie Woogie Santa,’ ‘Fishnet Stockings’ or a riotous ‘Let’s Shake,’ BSO rocked this town. Setzer stretched out often on guitar, showing a wide vocabulary of rock, rockabilly, jazz, blues and surf licks.”

–Jon Bream, STAR TRIBUNE (Minneapolis, MN)

“Ninety minutes of frenetic musical joy. That’s what Brian Setzer and his big band gave Omaha for an early Christmas present Sunday night…Setzer brought [his] 12th annual Christmas tour to the Orpheum Theater with all the relentless enthusiasm and unparalleled electric-guitar virtuosity — fully emulated by his 20 bandmates — that have made ‘must-hear’ experiences out of both his recordings and concerts…Setzer’s guitar solos are beyond description. He uses virtually every trick in his vast arsenal of styles, speeds and sound effects, not only throughout his concerts but seemingly in every song. And he throws maximum energy into his performance from the first song to the last…If music isn’t fun, there isn’t much reason to do it. Few teach us that lesson better than Brian Setzer.”

–Todd von Kampen, OMAHA WORLD-HERALD

“There can’t be a more entertaining rocking Christmas show than the one guitar wizard Brian Setzer and his swing orchestra puts on.”

–Stephen Peterson, THE SUN CHRONICLE (Attleboro, MA)

“Yuletide music was delivered with style that made the Kirby Center [in Wilkes-Barre, PA] feel like a sock hop during The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s 12th Annual Christmas Rocks! Tour…The freight train of sound delivered rockabilly and swing versions of classic Christmas tunes as well as Setzer’s originals and better known covers, and the crowd made merry all through the night.”

–Matt Mattei, THE TIMES LEADER (Wilkes-Barre, PA)

“Leading his Brian Setzer Orchestra, a 19-piece big band of talented players, at the Fox Theater [in Spokane, WA] Saturday night, the retro-rocking guitar man delivered in ways Santa could only dream of…Veering from holiday songs to cuts from his work in the Stray Cats and as a solo artist, Setzer kept all the spirits in the house high with energetic tunes, thankful stage banter and incredible musicianship on songs that moved from jazz to swing, rockabilly to, during the encore, classical.”

–Dan Nailen, THE INLANDER (Spokane, WA)

“Featuring hot-rodded holiday tunes souped up with spanked upright bass lines à la rockabilly/rock forefather Fred Maddox; intricate saxophone, trumpet, and trombone arrangements delivered by a 13-piece horn section; and epic guitar breaks courtesy of Setzer, this concert puts you smack in the middle of that unlikely intersection where Christmas carols, revved-up rockabilly riffs, big band swing, and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite all collide…At the Orchestra’s performance at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles Friday night, Setzer, naturally, handled lead vocal duties (as he has since he burst into the national spotlight in the early ’80s while fronting the Stray Cats), singing everything from Christmas classics such as ‘Here Comes Santa Clause’ and ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ to Stray Cats staples such as ‘Rock This Town’ and ‘Stray Cat Strut.’ That being said, the biggest voice on stage Friday was whichever Gretsch 6120 or 6120 Hot Rod Brian Setzer signature model happened to be in Setzer’s hands at any given moment…Setzer knows a secret: Almost no one—not your grandpa, not your friends, not your kids—can help but get swept away by the all-consuming tsunami of harmony and groove that rolls off the stage when a great big band is playing. The music is that irresistible. The first guitarist ever to lead a bona fide big band, Setzer has created an ensemble that takes his two favorite genres of music to the next level—his Orchestra is the Earth, Wind & fire of rockabilly, the Led Zeppelin of jump swing. And though there are plenty of guitar cognoscenti who have yet to realize it, Setzer’s annual Christmas extravaganza just happens to be one of the best guitar shows around.”

– Jude Gold, GUITARPLAYER.COM

“Setzer gave an amazing performance, showcasing both his musical talent and his stage presence.  From wailing on his guitar and crooning his effortless and powerfully smooth vocals, to balancing on a bass drum and dancing with Santa Claus, it was impossible not to get caught up in the excitement, the energy, and the rockin’ music that filled the auditorium.  For nearly two hours Setzer jumped and jived around the stage with untiring vitality and finesse”

–Kathy Bradshaw, WHEREYAT.COM

“The energy in the room lit up like the Christmas decorations that adorned each side of the stage…What happened over the next 90 minutes or so was the switching-on of the virtual ‘Holiday Light Switch’ as the party cranked into full gear. Besides holiday classics, Setzer and company played revved up versions of Stray Cat classics like ‘Stray Cat Strut’ and a killer version of ‘Sexy And 17’…Fake snow drifted from the rafters, Christmas lights twinkled, snowmen lit up, and it was like being a child again with the whole magic of Christmas vibe. Visions of sugarplums, saxophones, trombones, stand-up basses, drums, and Gretsch guitars were dancing in my head, and my feet were dancing as well, as the room emptied out. A good time indeed. Long live the Brian Setzer Orchestra.”

– Jordan Wolsch, VINTAGEROCK.COM

“Brian Setzer is a fantastic performer and the talented groups of musicians who make up his orchestra make glorious music together. The crowd was singing and dancing along with the music; some in ugly holiday sweaters and others with their young children whose faces were filled with joy and wonderment. This was my first time seeing one of his Christmas shows and it was a definite treat to experience his 12th Annual “Christmas Rocks” show.”

– Steve Rose, GUITARDISORDER.COM

“Brian Setzer’s performance was top notch. His vocals were superb and his guitar playing was second to none. Well-oiled seasoned musicians, who all played harmoniously together, accompanied him, and this fun, energetic family oriented event is not to be missed. Some may say the show gets better each season, and they may be right. It is hard not to look ahead to the 2016 holiday season as The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s Christmas Rocks! show is definitely a holiday tradition like no other.”

–Mike Perciaccante, CRYPTICROCK.COM

“Setzer sauntered onto the stage and, from the first strum of his iconic Gretsch guitar, reminded the audience why he is one of the musical greats of our time…Brian Setzer Orchestra’s ‘Christmas Rocks’ tour is a must see show for all Christmas loving fans of rockabilly and swing music.”

–Johnny Hall, CONCERTLIVEWIRE.COM

“Setzer seems to outdo himself each year as far as the show goes. Making it an annual event each year seems to make the upcoming holiday season even more enjoyable.”

–Joseph Suto, ROCKSHOWCRITIQUE.COM

“Brian Setzer kicked off the holiday season with a swingin’ Christmas show…Combining many of the Stray Cats’ hits, a few of BSO standards, and a handful of swingin’ Christmas tunes, last Friday’s show was easily one of the best shows to hit the Rocksino [in Northfield, OH] all year.”

–Brian Lumley, NEOMUSICSCENE.COM

“I was highly impressed and at times speechless with what was taking place on stage. From classic Stray Cats tune to hits from BSO and Christmas songs with that rockabilly flair, the show was a spectacular event that highlighted Setzer’s guitar skills. His band’s extraordinary talent and ability to keep the show rocking along made for another great show performed by Brian Setzer. His Orchestra and Leslie & Julie, the two vixens in the back, added more flair and made this the Christmas Concert event of the Year!”

–Paul Wilkins, MUSIC BLEND ONLINE

“This was an amazing experience I had long dreamed about and will never forget. If there’s anyone who can put on the most rocking Christmas show, it’s Brian Setzer.”

– Alex Kluft, EXAMINER.COM

“And then there’s Mr. Setzer – an absolute technician on the guitar.  I’ve seen many of the greats – Clapton, Townshend, Eddie, Nuno, Petrucci, Lifeson, Dover, Farner, Walsh and many more.  But seeing Setzer up there was just killer.  Writing this post, I Googled “100 best guitarists” and the first link that pops up is the Rolling Stone list.  There are some bada$ guitarists on there – but Setzer is nowhere to be found on that list.  My point – he should be.  I was blown away by his chops.  He was lightning fast AND clean.  Every note was perfect.  He made those Gretsch guitars sing like nobody’s business.  This cat can PLAY – and it would have been an honor to watch him for another 2 hours.”

–Jim Soloman, THESOLILAMA.COM

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