‘Christmas ROCKS!’
Brian Setzer Orchestra brings yule tour to Isleta Resort and Casino
Brian Setzer functions best when he’s out on the road and on stage.
It’s been that way for decades.
The singer and guitarist has had many phases of his career, from his days in the Stray Cats to his solo albums. Yet, he’s having a blast with the Brian Setzer Orchestra, which has 19 musicians.
“The music I play in the big band is rock ’n’ roll with a jazz influence,” Setzer says. “What keeps it fresh is the quality of the players in the band. Also a big part of keeping the big band fresh is the arrangements; writing the arrangement for 18-19 people is like writing a song within a song. It makes the song you might have heard many times sound new again.”
Setzer and the orchestra will perform music from their latest Christmas album, “Rockin’ Rudolph,” as well as its previous three holiday albums.
“For this next tour coming up, I have a few new songs,” he says. “I like to change it every year. When I play a Christmas tour, there are quite a few songs that I have laying around.”
And when the 58-year-old isn’t on tour, he’s always working on something.
“I’m a worker dude,” he says with a laugh. “If I’m not playing on stage, I’m doing stuff around the house, riding motorcycles or walking. I have to keep active. I’m proof that you don’t have to have some workout regime. I own a big property and that keeps me busy.”
Setzer says that after being a musician for more than 30 years, it’s the sound of a guitar that keeps him going.
“When I pick up my old guitars, there’s nothing that compares to the vibration of it,” he says. “I still record on this 1970s crappy tape recorder.”
Setzer has always found a creative outlet for his music. As he works with the orchestra, there are still a few things he wants to accomplish.
“I’d love to do a soundtrack to a movie,” he says. “I’ve flirted with that. ‘(Songs for) Lonely Avenue’ was written as a soundtrack to a crime drama. I would like to challenge myself with a soundtrack. I think it would be interesting how it could push music out of me. There’s no signs of stopping right now. Being on stage is still as much of a rush as it was in the beginning. I don’t take any of it for granted. I’ve been able to live a pretty blessed life.”