Iconic guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and three-time Grammy-Award winner BRIAN SETZER and his 19-piece ORCHESTRA have announced the details for their 15th anniversary “Christmas Rocks! Tour,” presented for the fourth consecutive year by SiriusXM. Hitting 25 cities, the annual holiday extravaganza will launch November 16 at the State Theatre in SETZER‘s adopted hometown of Minneapolis and wrap December 22 in Los Angeles at the Microsoft Theater (full itinerary below). Supporting the tour will be Lara Hope and the Ark-Tones. The public on sale date is Friday, July 20 at 10am local time, with the following presales:
- Fan Club Presale: Tuesday, July 17th at 10am local time through Thursday, July 19th at 10pm local time. Be the first to get tickets by signing up for Brian’s fan club here.
- SiriusXM Presale: Tuesday, July 17th at 10am local time through Thursday, July 19th at 10pm local time
- Local Presale: Wednesday, July 18th at 10am local time through Thursday, July 19th at 10pm local time
Q&A WITH BRIAN SETZER:
Congratulations on the 15th anniversary of the Christmas Rocks! Tour (on the heels of last year’s BSO 25th anniversary). It’s one of the longest running and biggest holiday tours. Why do you feel it is so successful?
Brian: “I realized when I started playing shows around Southern California, people wanted a rock-n-roll based holiday show. Being that Christmas music, in general, is more orchestral, a three or four-piece rock-n-roll band wouldn’t cut it. This is where my Big Band fit in perfectly. The mixture of my take on rock-n-roll and my new Big Band arrangements seemed to work magic on the audiences.”
What is the challenge of keeping it fresh, particularly for your fans who return year after year?
Brian: “Part of the reason people keep coming back year after year is that they know they will get a new show. They can expect new outfits, new props, and new arrangements of practically any song in any genre. The Christmas Rocks Tour has become such a tradition for people and their families that they come every year. Classic Christmas songs are very well written gems. It’s a real challenge to deconstruct some of these and make them my own. I can tell you it’s never boring playing them!”
Looking back, when did you realize the tour had real legs as an annual tour that could just keep on going?
Brian: “Once I realized the tour could make money taking 37 people, four coaches, two semi rigs, a full crew and two dogs on the road, I knew I was on to something!”
Sometimes it feels the world is so increasingly bleak, and then comes the return of the Christmas Rocks! tour which makes everything feel, if only for one night, like maybe we’re all gonna be OK. How does it feel to provide such joy for those two hours onstage?
Brian: “People tell me all the time what joy I bring them over the holidays. I don’t take this for granted. People don’t say something like that unless they mean it. When we get a standing ovation at the end of the Christmas show, it means something just a little extra.”
Catch BSO’s 15th Anniversary “Christmas Rocks! Tour” in the following cities:
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Date
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City/State
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Venue
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|
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Friday
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11/16
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Minneapolis, MN
|
State Theatre
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Saturday
|
11/17
|
Milwaukee, WI
|
Riverside Theater
|
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Sunday
|
11/18
|
Detroit, MI
|
Fox Theatre
|
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Tuesday
|
11/20
|
Cincinnati, OH
|
Taft Theatre
|
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Wednesday
|
11/21
|
Northfield, OH
|
Hard Rock Live
|
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Friday
|
11/23
|
Mashantucket, CT
|
Foxwoods Resort Casino
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|
Saturday
|
11/24
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
Academy of Music
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Sunday
|
11/25
|
Red Bank, NJ
|
Count Basie Theatre
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|
Tuesday
|
11/27
|
Westbury, NY
|
NYCB Theatre at Westbury
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Wednesday
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11/28
|
Englewood, NJ
|
Bergen PAC
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Friday
|
11/30
|
Washington, DC
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The Anthem
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Saturday
|
12/1
|
Charlotte, NC
|
Ovens Auditorium
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Sunday
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12/2
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Nashville, TN
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Ryman Auditorium
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Wednesday
|
12/5
|
Clearwater, FL
|
Ruth Eckerd Hall
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Friday
|
12/7
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Orlando, FL
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Hard Rock Live
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|
Saturday
|
12/8
|
Birmingham, AL
|
BJCC Concert Hall
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Monday
|
12/10
|
Grand Prairie, TX
|
Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
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|
Wednesday
|
12/12
|
Houston, TX
|
Jones Hall
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Thursday
|
12/13
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Midland, TX
|
Wagner NoëlPerforming Arts Center
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Saturday
|
12/15
|
Phoenix, AZ
|
Celebrity Theatre
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Monday
|
12/17
|
Denver, CO
|
Paramount Theatre
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Tuesday
|
12/18
|
Salt Lake City, UT
|
Eccles Theater
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Thursday
|
12/20
|
Modesto, CA
|
Gallo Center for the Arts
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Friday
|
12/21
|
Indio, CA
|
Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
|
|
Saturday
|
12/22
|
Los Angeles, CA
|
Microsoft Theater
|
Visit www.briansetzer.com for more information and to purchase tickets
credit: Greg Hild
Music Matters Magazine 