The Stray Cats Announce 2024 Tour, Their First in 5 Years
by Best Classic Bands Staff
The Stray Cats (Photo: Suzie Kaplan; used with permission)
The Stray Cats’ original members Brian Setzer (guitar, vocals), Lee Rocker (upright bass, vocals) and Slim Jim Phantom (drums, vocals) have announced a 2024 summer tour when they return to the road beginning on July 27. They’ll be joined by The Midnight Cowgirls as the support act. See the tour dates below; more are to be announced soon. A fan club presale begins March 27 10 a.m. local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public on March 29 at 10 a.m. local time here.
These shows will mark the Stray Cats‘ first performances since the release of their critically acclaimed 2019 album, 40, and subsequent reunion tour, which they followed with a live album, Rocked This Town: From LA to London, in 2020. Concertgoers can expect to hear the band’s signature performances on their classic tunes alongside their most recent material. Their setlists will include such favorites as “Stray Cat Strut,” “Rock This Town,” “Runaway Boys,” “(She’s) Sexy + 17,” “I Won’t Stand in Your Way” and more.
The Stray Cats were formed by Setzer, Rocker and Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, NY, in 1979. The trio shared a love for Rockabilly music. They saw a pompadoured kid on the cover of U.K. magazine NME in the summer of 1980 and hopped a plane to London where a rockabilly revival movement was just beginning to emerge.
Said Setzer, in the March 26 tour announcement, “I’ve always said that we all grew up in the same neighborhood, so there’s an instant feeling between us when we play. It allows us to be confident and spontaneous. Man, that’s priceless.”
“With just a string bass, a guitar and a drum, we have always had less instruments and gear, but more rumble, more twang, more shake, and more bang than anyone else,” said Rocker. “Now’s the right time to bring it back!”
Phantom added: “I’m thrilled to be doing shows in 2024 with Stray Cats in the U.S.A.! Playing drums with Brian and Lee in our rockabilly band is the best possible way to spend a summer!”
The Stray Cats 2024 Tour (Tickets wil be available here)
Jul 27 – Woodinville, WA – Chateau Ste. Michele Winery^
Jul 28 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Jul 30 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery*
Aug 01 – Costa Mesa, CA – The Pacific Amphitheatre
Aug 02 – Costa Mesa, CA – The Pacific Amphitheatre
Aug 03 – San Diego, CA – The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
Aug 05 – TBA
Aug 06 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom
Aug 08 – Moorhead, MN – Bluestem Center for the Arts
Aug 09 – Waite Park, MN – The Ledge Amphitheater
Aug 10 – Gary, IN – Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana
Aug 12 – Huber Heights, OH – Rose Music Center
Aug 13 – Lewiston, NY – Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater
Aug 15 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17
Aug 16 – Atlantic City, NJ – Ocean Casino Resort – Ovation Hall
Aug 17 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
^On sale now
*Will go on sale at a later date
Related: Listings for 100s of classic rock tours
The band’s recordings are available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationOne of those best best true rock and roll bands. These guys should be invited to play the Super Bowl halftime show. They Rock!