Brian Setzer Brought His Rockabilly Riot to the Majestic

Before Brian Setzer and his Rockabilly Riot made their way to the Majestic Theatre Thursday night, the musician had not made a tour stop in Dallas since 2018. On top of the pandemic, Setzer battled a bad case of tinnitus over the past years and had to take time off from touring.

But the artist seemed very much at home back on stage at the Majestic. Setzer has been credited for reviving two genres of music: In the ’80s, it was rockabilly with The Stray Cats, and at the turn of the last century, he leaned into swing with the Brian Setzer Orchestra.

While Setzer still tours with his big band, especially around Christmas, on Thursday he was armed with a power trio that harkened back to his original Stray Cats lineup. His band is international, with Juan Larios from Mexico City on drums and Chris D’Rozario from Australia on double bass. One can only imagine these two were heavily influenced by the Stray Cats and Setzer, as they had the hep-cat thing down pat.

Setzer told the crowd that the group had just endured a 900-mile bus trip from Tucson, where he “left some of his voice behind.” He then asked them for some assistance on the vocals for the classic “Stray Cat Strut.” While that could’ve been a ploy to engage the audience, it did seem there was some truth to this. Setzer seemed hoarse throughout, and drummer Larios chipped in on vocals at times.

The show, however, was mostly centered around how astoundingly gifted Setzer is (still) on lead guitar. Beyond his skill, Setzer’s guitar sound is robust, easily making the trio feel much fuller. He played without effort, never missing a note, creating a truly mesmerizing moment to witness.

The group’s set consisted of a mix of old and new songs from all incarnations of his bands, but the solos were extended in pretty much every song, allowing Setzer to really showcase what a truly iconic talent he is.

Most definitely in his happy place on stage, Setzer exclaimed, “Hey, Dallas, you’ve always been a rockabilly town, haven’t you?” This night at the Majestic, it absolutely was.