Brian Setzer at the Adler Theatre -- October 12.
Thursday, October 12, 8 p.m.
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
A three-time Grammy Award winner, Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award winner, and member of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, revered guitarist a singer/songwriter Brian Setzer brings his national "Rockabilly Riot!" tour to Davenport's Adler Theatre on October 12, the artist having achieved popular success with his 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and well as his '90s swing-revival band the Brian Setzer Orchestra.
Over four decades and counting, Setzer has achieved one career milestone after another, having sold millions of albums and credited as a "musician's musician" who continually takes chances with innovative and daring musical styles. Setzer is widely credited for taking two forgotten genres, rockabilly and swing, adding his own blend of gunpowder and rockin’ style, and completely reinventing and single-handedly resurrecting them in the process. 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 19-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 is also, fittingly, in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
On the live front, Setzer has headlined venues and festivals worldwide, including a 1983 headlining slot on the iconic US Festival in California; The Playboy Jazz Festival; a three-night, sold-out headlining run at the Hollywood Bowl with the 98-piece Philharmonic Orchestra; Woodstock ’99; and performing in front of more than 150,000 people as headliner of the Montreal Jazz Festival. His reach also includes films and TV, where his roles include portraying rockabilly pioneer Eddie Cochran in the 1987 film La Bamba, and he both appeared on Fox’s Beverly Hills 90210 and is one of the few musicians to be animated in an episode of The Simpsons. In 2002, Setzer was personally requested to induct Chet Atkins into the 17th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the artist had the honor of being invited in 2006 to perform at the White House for the President of the United States. Also in 2006, he was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame with the Stray Cats. In 2014, Setzer received the distinct honor of being asked by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. to donate a replica of his original 1959 Gretsch 6120 “Stray Cat” guitar, joining an elite collection of iconic treasures at the museum. And with his Brian Setzer Orchestra, the 17-piece big band got the public's attention with a cover version of Prima's "Jump, Jive an' Wail" from the 1998 album The Dirty Boogie The song won the Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, while "Sleep Walk" from the same album won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
Brian Setzer brings his “Rockabilly Riot!” tour to Davenport on October 12 alongside special guest Yates McKendree, admission to the 8 p.m. concert event is $45-82, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting AdlerTheatre.com.
