CONCERT REVIEW: The Brian Setzer Orchestra / BR5-49
- Al Muzer
The second and third nights of the Brian Setzer/ BR5-49 "Let's Live It Up" tour found Nashville's favorite five-piece loose, relaxed, reckless and improvising freely during their 40 minutes on stage, while Setzer and his crack 16-member orchestra delivered the goods with a professional aplomb that didn't disappoint either sell out crowd.
While the much practiced finger-snapping, well-worn between song patter, by-the-numbers horn choreography and the fact that he's been on the road in support of his multi-Grammy winning Interscope Records release, The Dirty Boogie, almost constantly since it hit the racks last year may've sucked some of the spontaneity from his set, there's no denying that Setzer's performance is still one of the most audience-pleasing displays of sight, sound, solos, schmaltz and swing-based soul to hit the stage since Frank was in his prime and Louis Prima ruled radio.
Traveling at breakneck speed through solid, showy, colorful, blaringly unsubtle versions of "This Cat's on a Hot Tin Roof," "Let The Good Times Roll," Santo & Johnny's "Sleepwalk," "Mack The Knife," "Mala Guéna," the Cadillacs' "Gloria," "Let's Live It Up," "Brand New Cadillac," "Rock This Town," Prima's "Jump Jive An' Wail," "Rumble In Brighton" and the well-received "Stray Cat Strut;" a glitter-bedecked Setzer prowled the stage energetically during his hour-plus set and made several occasionally successful attempts to get the crowd up and moving.
Having absolutely no problem getting Setzer's fans to clap, sing, dance and, most importantly, smile broadly as they tapped their feet to the twangin' honky tonk beat, BR5-49 took advantage of the brilliant acoustics in both venues and turned in tough, gritty, good-time performances that won over more of the audience than the group (or the audience, for that matter) seemed to expect.
Looking and sounding like Hank senior's band on an East Coast tour circa-1949, BR5-49 quickly earned the applause of both crowds thanks to sets that mixed outstanding country-based winners like "You Are Never Nice To Me," "Out Of Habit," "My Name Is Mudd," "Little Ramona (Gone Hillbilly Nuts)" and "Change The Way I Look" with rollicking roadhouse rockers such as "18 Wheels And A Crowbar," "Wild One," "Six Days On The Road," "Cherokee Boogie," "Seven Nights To Rock" and "I Ain't Never."
