Brian Setzer Orchestra brings ‘Christmas Rocks!’ tour to Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 25
From a press release:
On the heels of announcing “Rockin’ Rudolph” – their first studio Christmas album in 10 years that’s due out Friday, Oct. 16 via Surfdog Records – Brian Setzer and the Brian Setzer Orchestra have revealed the itinerary for their 12th annual “Christmas Rocks!” tour.
The iconic guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and three-time Grammy Award-winner and his 18-piece orchestra will visit 31 cities, including a Thanksgiving Eve performance at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. and will be available through the Kirby Center box office, online at kirbycenter.org, and charge by phone at 570-826-1100. There will be a special Kirby Member pre-sale on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m.
Their 12th annual tour will feature music off the new album, “Rockin’ Rudolph,” available now to pre-order via pledgemusic.com as a limited edition box set, CD, vinyl or download, plus music off their three previous best-selling holiday albums and original material from Brian Setzer. Pre-sale tickets for a select number of shows will be available beginning at 10 a.m. this Wednesday at briansetzer.com/tour.
“It’s always exciting to add new songs,” says Setzer about the set list. “I’m thinking about opening with ‘Rockin Around the Christmas Tree.’ We have never done that one before.”
Produced by Peter Collins (Rush, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, etc.) and recorded in both Nashville, Tennessee and Hollywood, California, the 12-track “Rockin’ Rudolph” includes highlights such as “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Yabba-Dabba Yuletide,” and “Rockabilly Rudolph,” among other notable Christmas classic tunes. Setzer’s trademark guitar work and vocal stylings are matched with the Brian Setzer Orchestra’s rockin’ big-band horn arrangements – an unbeatable combination.
Setzer is a “musician’s musician,” 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/leader of the Stray Cats, his 18-piece Brian Setzer Orchestra, and as a solo artist. He is consistently cited as one of the world’s greatest living guitarists and has a best-selling, extensive line of elite Gretsch signature model guitars bearing his name.
Setzer appeared in the 1987 film “La Bamba,” portraying rockabilly pioneer Eddie Cochran. In 2002, Brian earned 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. That same year, Setzer was personally requested to induct Chet Atkins into the 17th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. In 2014, he received the distinct honor of being asked by the Smithsonian Museum 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.
