Gettin' In The Mood (For Christmas)

And now for something completely different...

Tired of the same old Christmas music? Can't tolerate the thought of hearing John Denver and the Muppets one more time as your horrible little nephews and nieces destroy your house and set fire to the cat AGAIN? (After all, they should bring their own gorram lighter fluid if they're going to do that!)

Try to at least make a run at music you can imagine the Suicide Girls listening to.

The Brian Setzer Orchestra will blow the doors off anything you may listen to this Holiday Season. (with the possible exception of the wonderful song, St. Stephen's Day Murders, written by Elvis Costello. Deals with "all the relatives you've neglected to bury." Great stuff.) It has enough power to blow the dust off Uncle Edgar's nasty, dead-rat-looking toupe. Thank God, 'cause, man, that thing is scary!

When I lived in L.A., Mr. ShellHawk and I would pile into the car sometime in the beginning of December, and head over to the Gibson Ampitheatre to watch one of the best shows, ever. The Christmas Extravaganza was our way of bringing in the Season. The show was different every year, and would include a set with the original Stray Cats, as well.

Here's a sample.

Brian Setzer still rocks, hard. He still has the pompadour that increases his height by at least four inches, and with the shoes he wears, he's got a lot of lift! His orchestra looks like they're old friends having a blast doing what they love to do. It's a joy to watch top-quality musicians play together, and when they do, it's magic. I am always amazed that these folks can play the same songs over and over and still make it sound fresh and like they're just having a jam session they've invited you to.
If you can possibly swing it, get to a live show and bring someone you love to dance with.

Or maybe you'll meet someone there, and have a Cool Yule.