The stray cats strutted into the Chelsea Theatre in the Cosmopolitan last Saturday. The band has been playing their rockabilly style for over 40 years.
Opening the set with “Please Don’t Touch” by Johnny kid and the Pirates, the band sounded as fresh as they did when they first came out back in 1981. They wasted no time going into “Two Hip, Gotta Go” and “Run Away Boys” before pulling out a couple other covers.
Brian Setzer’s hollow bodied Gretsch guitar filled the theater while the steady rhythm from bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom was rock solid as always. Setzer is definitely one of the most unsung guitar heroes of our generation and, in my opinion, it is a travesty that he is not in the Rock Hall of Fame, for not only the Stray Cats work, but also his revival of swing music back in the late 90s.
The stage set up was sparse, which fit perfectly with the style of music being played. The crowd was extremely energetic with lots of people sporting pompadours and leather jackets in the 115° heat.
The band played their biggest hits as well, of course including “Stray Cat Strut”, “I Won’t Stand in Your Way”, and “Rock This Town” but kept their roots on display by throwing in covers of “Jailhouse Rock” and “Hound Dog” during their encore.
In all, it was an incredible show deep in nostalgia and also a true throwback to the way rock ‘n’ roll used to be. Simple, yet powerful.
PHOTO CREDIT: Photos by Stephy Muzio for ZRockR Magazine – All Rights Reserved