Rockabilly Night At Hard Rock Casino As Stray Cats Strut Their Stuff On Long Overdue Return To The Midwest

Aug 12, 2024 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews Comments Off on Rockabilly Night At Hard Rock Casino As Stray Cats Strut Their Stuff On Long Overdue Return To The Midwest

By James Currie

Those OG Rockabilly Runaway Boys are Bringin’ It Back Again for another round of Summertime Blues. That’s right, Brian Setzer, Slim Jim Phantom and Lee Rocker otherwise known as the Stray Cats, embarked on a 45th anniversary tour covering the US for 3 weeks. Saturday night, they made a stop in Gary Indiana at the Hard Rock Casino.

This tour marks the bands first time out since their 2019 40th anniversary tour, which just a year prior in 2018, saw the band reunite on a 3 city tour that had one stop in the area at Naperville’s Ribfest, though cut short due to severe weather closure after just a few songs. It was a show which we were fortunate to witness here at In The Loop Magazine and apparently many others as I saw lots of concert tour shirts from that show. Everyone here looking for a redemption show from that cancelled concert.

Saturday night brought those fans and many more from all around. One couple I was next too was from the UK. Brian Setzer, with his 1960 goldtop Gretch guitar slung around his neck, called them out on stage and welcomed them to the show and dedicated the next song to them. They stood up and boogied the entire show.

Setzer, someone we’ve covered in other incarnations, just seems more comfortable and at home with these guys. I guess after all, they did grow up in the same neighborhood on Long Island. Something Setzer is still proud of his roots as his jacket showcases their east coast stomping grounds. His guitar playing still smooth but raucous. He punishes the strings and belts out the words as fresh as he did 40 some years ago.

Before the Stray Cats took the stage, a new name to the music world opened. An all girl group going by the name, Midnight Cowgirls, kicked the night off. They came out in cowgirl outfits that as the lead singer, Kandle Osborne, let us know, was created by their bassist Jennie Elle. The band was only 5 months old as keyboardist/guitarist Leah Bluestein shouted out.

We also learned that their debut album was produced by Slim Jim Phantom who invited them out for the summer tour. They played a few originals and some covers like Juice Newton’s, “Queen of Hearts”, “The Night Before” by The Beatles and even a Buddy Holly Crickets cover of, “That’ll Be The Day”. They ended their 10 song set with their hit and music video, “Giddy Up”, a crowd singalong.

Up next, the main event, the New Yorkers took the stage and Rocked This Town. They start with, “Too Hip, Gotta Go” off their 3rd album, “Rant n’ Rave with the Stray Cats”. The stage set in classic line up form with Slim Jim Phantom on stage right with his stand up drum kit, brian Setzer front and center and Lee Rocker slinging his stand up cowhide print bass.

Rocker had a line of basses on stage like any guitarist would have on tour. The giant monolith instruments looked like a mini stonehenge to his left. His other guitars included classic yellow and hot rod pinstripes. Rocker slaps those strings like no one else. An originator of the punk rockabilly style for sure.

Behind the band was the legendary lighted words, Stray – Cats, with their iconic cartoon Tom Cat logo. The stage was set in yellow, blue and purple lighting at times, filled with smoke and random garbage cans placed around their gear. It was a large wide stage with plenty of room to roam. And Setzer took advantage of that greeting his audience from side to side.

There would be no weather delays this night as the Stray Cats completed over 20 songs spanning the bands 45 year history. We got songs from the bands very beginning with fan favorites like “Stray Cat Strut”, “(She’s) Sexy + 17”, “Rock This Town” and a 2 song encore with “Built For Speed” and Rumble In Brighton”. All of which the couple from England rocked along with til the end.

Slim Jim Rocker, stands behind his purple sparkle kick drum and snare, commands the stage not only with his beats, but presence. A consummate time keeper and jokester. Seemingly keeping Setzer and Rocker in check. The trio are something magical to watch live as they bounce off each other like a punk jazz band.

The Hard Rock Casino was a perfect joint for them to play. There’s not a bad seat in the house with clean views of the stage from all over. The sound was loud, but not blaring and very clear and it was climate controlled to a perfect 72 degrees. Plenty of free parking just outside the venue and easy to reach by car off a major highway linking Chicago to north west Indiana. My only complaint would be the merch booth where things seemed astronomically high. Like almost double what they charge on the bands website. So, buyer beware, or come loaded!