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Brian Setzer Orchestra to Rock Out the Holidays
To see a transcript of the Brian Setzer Orchestra performance of "Jingle Bells," click here.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 5, 2012) — The Brian Setzer Orchestra, fronted by three-time Grammy Award-winner Brian Setzer, brings their "Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza" to the Bluegrass for the first time this weekend. The concert will be take the stage 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, in the University of Kentucky Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall. The opening act for the show will be Totsy.
With a career spanning more than 30 years, Setzer has smash hits as founder/leader of The Stray Cats, his 18-piece Brian Setzer Orchestra, and as a solo artist. He is credited with taking chances with innovative and daring musical styles and single-handedly resurrecting two forgotten genres of music (rockabilly in the '80s and swing in the '90s). Setzer recorded several albums with The Stray Cats and has scored countless chart-topping hits around the world.
The legendary artist formed his big band, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, in 1992 and set the stage for the '90s swing movement with his blistering performances. He has won three Grammy awards, including two in 1998 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Setzer has also found tremendous success in redefining Christmas music and has released three bestselling holiday albums – "Boogie Woogie Christmas," "Dig That Crazy Christmas" and "Christmas Rocks! The Best of Collection."
To see a performance by the Brian Setzer Orchestra of "Getting in the Mood for Christmas," visit YouTube online at: http://youtu.be/s8L45hxhamU.
Totsy is comprised of composer/songwriter Brett Boyett and Beth Curry, Broadway star of "Legally Blonde" and "Young Frankenstein." After several placements in film and TV in recent years, the duo officially took the name Totsy and released a digital LP in late 2011. Their sound is driven by Curry’s vocal stylings and Boyett’s guitar and production. Harkening back to the days of burlesque theater, speakeasies and light cabaret music, their music takes a quirky twist on occasion, featuring vocal percussion and emulating the sounds of instruments using only their voices. The name Totsy was derived from "hotsy-totsy" which means "about as right as can be" and was coined by American cartoonist Billie De Beck in the 1920s.
Tickets for "Christmas Rock! Extravaganza" featuring the Brian Setzer Orchestra are on sale now and prices range from $45 to $65 depending on seat location. They can be purchased by calling the Singletary Center ticket office at 859-257-4929, visiting online at www.scfatickets.com, or in person at the venue.
A part of the UK College of Fine Arts, the Singletary Center for the Arts presents and hosts around 400 artistic, cultural and educational events annually for the university community, Lexington community and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, (859) 257-8716
or whitney.hale@uky.edu
