The three members of Stray Cats were not even born yet when many of the songs the band covers were originally released. Vocalist/guitarist Brian Setzer is 65 years old, and bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom are both 63, and yet the musical style they master as a trio pre-dates them. The rockabilly and roots rock and roll they revive was born in the early 1950s.
Stray Cats formed in 1979 in Massapequa, New York, a hamlet on the south shore of Long Island. Setzer was 20 years old, his buddies were 18, and together they would trek to New York City from the suburbs to catch the new wave of punk rock bands that were pioneering a new music scene. From the beginning, the trio sought to revive an early rock and roll sound by injecting punk rock energy. Even the band’s wardrobe combined vintage rockabilly fashion with tight black zipper trousers and modernized versions of 1950s hair styles, complete with pompadours. MTV, which was just starting, embraced the visual appeal and became a major factor in making Stray Cats famous.
Thanks in large part to MTV, Stray Cats achieved commercial success in the early 1980s with “Rock This Town,” “Stray Cat Strut,” and “(She’s) Sexy + 17.” The hit songs ended there, yet the band continued to record albums and tour until 1993. In 2019, the trio reunited to celebrate its 40th anniversary, releasing new songs for its first studio album in 26 years. In 2024, celebrating its 45th anniversary, Stray Cats embarked on another tour, but this time with no new album in tow. The tour came to the Rooftop at Pier 17.
Most rockabilly and roots rock bands today emphasize cover tunes. Stray Cats is a rarity, a band that will pay tribute to its ancestors yet focus primarily on composing songs that capture the sound and spirit of the 1950s. The covers on this tour include Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps’ “Double Talkin’ Baby,” Johnny Burnette’s “Sweet Love on My Mind,” Tiny Bradshaw’s “The Train Kept A-Rollin’,” and Eddie Cochran’s “Twenty Flight Rock” and “Summertime Blues.” At the Rooftop at Pier 17, Stray Cats’ original songs were given the best performances, however, including “Runaway Boys,’ “Blast Off,” “Fishnet Stockings,” “Built for Speed”,” “Rumble in Brighton,” along with the band’s three hit songs.
Setzer has retained his smooth vocals and still stung when he played lead guitar. While the evening’s repertoire included no songs from the Brian Setzer Orchestra catalog, Rocker sang lead on “Miracle in Memphis” from his solo output. Spinning his upright bass from stage left, Rocker also sang on “When Nothing’s Going Right” and “Bring it Back Again.” Standing at stage right, a lively Phantom likewise entertained from his post, where he drew a driving percussive sound from a small drum kit. In the end, Stray Cats demonstrated that the core of the band’s appeal is that the three musicians have stuck to one sound and continue to do it well.
Setlist
- Too Hip, Gotta Go
- Runaway Boys
- Double Talkin’ Baby (Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps cover)
- Three Time’s a Charm
- Stray Cat Strut
- Gene and Eddie
- Sweet Love on My Mind (Johnny Burnette cover)
- Miracle in Memphis (Lee Rocker song)
- Twenty Flight Rock (Eddie Cochran cover)
- Cry Baby
- The Train Kept A-Rollin’ (Tiny Bradshaw cover)
- When Nothing’s Going Right
- (She’s) Sexy + 17
- Bring It Back Again
- Blast Off
- Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran cover)
- Rockabilly Rules
- Fishnet Stockings
- Rock This Town
Encore
- Built for Speed
- Rumble in Brighton
