BSO tour journal

Part 1
Gretsch's director of events John Dreyer and product education manager Emery Fry have been assisting with the "Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas Tour." Check out their journal from the road...

Tuesday, Nov. 20 - (Emery Fry)

Greetings from the road….

The 7th annual Brian Setzer Christmas Rocks Extravaganza kicked off on Nov. 20 in Detroit with an amazing show at the Motor City Casino. The tour is complete with Santa, who enters to the tune “Fatman,” Christmas trees, bags of presents and a dozen brightly colored Gretsch Brian Setzer model guitars.

On every stop of the tour, concertgoers are given the chance to play their favorite Brian Setzer Gretsch for friends and family or just pose with the guitar for photos. The guitars and the giant display of Brian’s new album, Songs From Lonely Avenue, provide the perfect backdrop for photos. There is also a computer kiosk at every venue to register to win an autographed Gretsch Brian Setzer Hot Rod guitar in candy apple red. For those unable to make it to a show, you can also register online to win an autographed Gretsch Brian Setzer Hot Rod guitar in lime gold.

On the stage, Brian is rocking on his Gretsch guitars: Hot Rods in purple, blue, red, and a new one in white, his Black Phoenix, his signature 6120SSL and his trusty 1959 vintage 6120 Nashville. All are cranked through a Roland Space Echo and a white ‘60s Fender Bassman.

Wednesday, Nov. 25 - (John Dreyer) Reading, Pa. – The Sovereign Performing Arts Center.

I'm excited to get started on my leg of the "Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas Tour," starting in Reading, Pa. I’m especially excited since I get to spend Thanksgiving with my family in Philadelphia tomorrow…a nice little bonus!

We got started early today setting up the Gretsch display in the lobby of the venue. It is so cool; 12 Gretsch Brian Setzer models and a couple of Fender G-DEC 30s for anyone to plug in. Does it get any better? You not only get to see Brian Setzer and his orchestra in a beautiful old theater, but you get to plug in his guitars and jam…right in the lobby!

I made sure to dial in a few standard Rockabilly-ish patches on the G-DEC so people will be able to get right into it and rock out. The guitars sound great and they were all still in tune from the last date.

It’s a bit cold and rainy outside…right on target for this time of year. I’m adjusting nicely from the warm, sunny Arizona weather so far, but I'll still be taking my vitamins and hoping I don’t get sick.

So tonight we're in Reading, then onto Bethesda, Md., followed by Atlantic City, N.J., Philadelphia and then New York City. If you happen to be at one of the shows be sure to stop by the Gretsch display and say hello.

Nov. 27 - (John Dreyer) Bethesda, MD – Strathmore Music Center

So after an incredible Thanksgiving feast and time spent with the family, I headed down to Maryland to meet up with the tour for four more dates. Today…Bethesda, Md., at the Strathmore Music Center, an amazing venue.

Got in early and set up on the mezzanine level overlooking the lobby. Had a bit more space tonight and was able to spread out a bit. Guitars looked amazing, as usual, and interest in the Brian Setzer models was high.

I was happy to have assistance from Middle C Music in Washington, D.C. We get a lot of questions during the evening at the Gretsch display and it’s nice to have representatives from a local store to speak with the concertgoers. We don’t actually sell the guitars at the show so it’s great to have somewhere to send them to purchase the instruments if they express enough interest.

Great performance tonight by Brian and the band and as usual, after the show, the fans stopped by the Gretsch display to see and touch the guitars they just saw onstage. It was amazing to see their faces when they realize that these are actually the same guitars Brian plays.

On to Atlantic City, N.J.,…on the BSO crew bus!

Nov. 28 - (John Dreyer) Atlantic City, N.J. – Taj Mahal

Wow…that was an experience…sleeping on the crew bus (my first time on a tour bus) in a very small bunk. Being that I was the new guy on the bus I didn’t really have a choice of bunks. It was pretty much whichever one everybody else didn’t want. So I had the bottom bunk in the back over the rear wheels! Haha…but, it turned out ok. I got some sleep and was ready for today's show at the Taj Mahal Casino.

What a treat to wake up just a few feet away from the boardwalk and beach. I grew up vacationing at the Jersey shore every summer so it was nice to revisit the memories. Obviously it was a bit colder but I took a nice long walk on the boardwalk while I was waiting to get my space to set up.

Another great show tonight and very enthused Setzer and Gretsch fans were having a great time. Many thanks to Eighth Street Music in Pennsauken, N.J., who brought out some customized Gretsch flyers from the store to hand out. As I mentioned before, I’m always getting asked "Where can I buy them?" and "How much?" so these flyers with store prices really came in handy. Although, I think tonight I could have actually made some sales right at the show. Perhaps a few of the fans came up with a full house or a royal flush at one the tables in the Casino because they were ready to offer me cash for the guitars!


Nov. 29 - (John Dreyer) Glenside, Pa. – The Keswick Theatre

Slept a little better last night…was extremely exhausted so I’m sure that helped. Nice to be back in the Philadelphia area for tonight’s show at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pa. Glenside is a great little town outside of the city. Cafes, taverns and small-town shops flanked the theater and, wow, what a great day. Sunny and mild…perfect!

Tonight’s show was sold out. The Keswick is a smaller venue and forced the crew to scale back the stage setup a bit, but that didn’t stop Brian and the band from rockin’ it out in full force. The Gretsch display was set up just outside of the seating area in the lobby which allowed me to see the entire show. Very cool! Thanks to D-Town Guitars in Doylestown, Pa., and Danny’s Guitar Shop in Narberth, P.a., my assistants for the evening.

One thing I’ve been noticing over the past few nights is that the Gretsch Setzer Hot Rod in purple is usually the first guitar off the rack to be played. The color really stands out under the lights and it just looks amazing. To note, Brian is traveling with his purple Hot Rod as well; I noticed it in his guitar rack this morning. I have yet to see him play it but I will mention that he is playing his new white Hot Rod model. He plays it on the third song or so and mentions how he “got a new guitar for Christmas.” It looks stunning on stage.

Nov. 30 - (John Dreyer) New York – Hammerstein Ballroom

Fourth (and final) night on the bus and I’ve finally gotten used to sleeping on the bus. I woke up around 9 a.m. well rested and ready for the big New York City show at the Hammerstein Ballroom. This place was the coolest. Michaelangelo-esque paintings on the ceiling, right around the corner from Madison Square Garden – this is where it all happens. I knew tonight’s show would be big.

Unfortunately my plan to set up early and take a cab to my hotel room was foiled as my location for the Gretsch display needed to be cleared and that didn’t happen until around 4:00 p.m.

As I presumed, guests arrived early and starting filing into the theater and checking out the Gretsch guitars. The first person in the door walked up to the display and asked a few questions and then let me know that he traveled all the way from the Philippines just for the BSO show…wow! That’s dedication. I met a few other folks who were diehard Setzer fans and extremely interested in what it would take to purchase a Gretsch guitar. Thankfully, Andy from Street Sounds in Brooklyn was on hand as our dealer representation and I’m sure he’ll have some new Gretsch business as a result of being at the show. Thanks to Rocky, owner of Street Sounds, for sending Andy down.

I had a special guest tonight at the Gretsch display – Frank Bello of Anthrax. I called Frank earlier in the day and was really happy he was able to make it to the city. He hung out for the entire show and turns out he’s a big Setzer fan. Thanks for help breaking the display down Frank!

As expected, this show was big! People were on their feet almost the entire show and were really into the music. I could tell that Brian and the band were feeding off of this energy as they were more animated and energetic than I have seen them in earlier shows. I mean, even during the Nutcracker Suite, they were standing and dancing. I had a chance to speak with one of the horn players and he also expressed how happy the band was with the New York crowd.

Well, this was my last show. I had a great time and would like to thank Brian’s management, the road crew, Mark the bus driver and Brian and the band of course! This is a great thing for Gretsch guitars to be involved with. I don’t think I need to mention that Brian Setzer is one of our top Gretsch artists, so we’re grateful to do this for them.

Now…rest for me! Emery Fry is picking up the tour again and will be back with more updates!

Part 2

Wednesday, Dec. 2 – New Brunswick, N.J. – The State Theatre

Man I love my job!!!

I flew in over the New York skyline into Newark airport to join back up with the tour in New Brunswick, N.J. The show was at the State Theatre on George Street, a few blocks from Rutgers University. There is a great downtown area with great food, shopping and plenty of coffee.

The State Theatre is an amazing building, undergoing constant updating, including a new gallery that is going in on the second floor overlooking the city.

I was stationed upstairs in the Piano Lounge. It was a great open space with tons of room for the line of people to play guitar, talk about the guitars and even register to win one.

The only drawback with this classic venue was the lack of an elevator and the manual labor of carrying four road cases of gear up the stairs. But what’s 15 trips up and down when spreading the word of that great Gretsch sound?!?!

Brian was notified tonight that he was nominated for a Grammy for his new record. He was very touched and inspired, and it showed in his playing. He was on fire tonight.

After the load out, we hopped on the bus and our driver Mark took us the hour and a half in the rain to Easton, Pa.

Thursday, Dec. 3 – Easton, Pa. – The State Theatre

Yes, another State Theatre. Easton has nice people, lots of hills, churches and cool architecture; just what you’d expect in Pennsylvania. This theatre offered a space challenge for the display, but we had prime real estate inside the front door. We had a line throughout the night, and long after the show.

Then, to the bus and off to our next stop…

I decided to ride up front with Mark, who is an easygoing guy from Franklin, Tenn., and we had a few laughs on our way. Up the 287 to the 95, around NYC into Connecticut with the bridges, shrink wrapped yachts in dry dock and road construction everywhere, finally arriving at Foxwoods around 4 a.m., when I crashed in my bunk.

Friday, Dec. 4 – Ledyard, Conn. – Foxwoods Resort Casino

Thirty minutes into setup, the fire marshal had me move… fun!

I set up dead in the front door so you couldn’t miss the Gretsch display if you tried. It was by far the busiest the booth has been on my legs of the tour. At times six guitars were being played at once while those next in line anxiously waited for their turn. People were lusting over the guitars and cameras flashed throughout the evening. There were also many cool discussions going on, including a young lady who told me her father has a 1959 6120 Nashville, LEFT HANDED… how cool is that?

I believe I could have sold that whole booth tonight!

Jason Herndon will now take the torch in Greenville, S.C., on Monday night and carry it through the south. I can’t wait until Albuquerque, N.M., when I return to the tour and get back to my bunk. Call me crazy, but this is the life I’ve wanted since I was 8-years old.

But for now, it’s time to say my goodbyes to the crew and head home. A couple of cabs, a train and two flights later and I’ll be back in Phoenix.

Until next time….

Part 3
Dec. 8 – Knoxville, Tenn. – Tennessee Theatre

The tour bus left Greenville around 11:30 last night, traveling through the Smoky Mountains and arriving in Knoxville around 3:30 in the morning. I have to agree with John Dreyer; traveling on the bus is an experience. There are a bunch of amazing guys on the crew, and the show is second to none.

It is raining and cold in Knoxville today but it didn’t stop fans from showing up back by our busses earlier and trying to get a glimpse of Brian.

Tonight’s show is at the beautiful Tennessee Theatre and after setting up I took a shower in the “Chet Atkins” dressing room. How appropriate!

Everyone is ready for another terrific show this evening!

Dec. 7 - Greenville, S.C. – Peace Center

I flew out of Nashville yesterday afternoon to Charlotte and then Greenville in a very small “Prop” plane.

Thankfully I arrived safely, heading to the Peace Center first thing this morning to set up the Gretsch display.

Tonight’s show was amazing and was attended by some special guests in Fred and Dinah Gretsch, who were very impressed with the show and our display

Je l'ai lu moi...

J'en déduis que Brian ne voyage pas dans le bus de la tournée...

Citation :

Intéressant, Lolo, même si j'ai pas encore lu... T'as trouvé ça comment?

Sur le site de Grestch.com

freddie a écrit:

J'en déduis que Brian ne voyage pas dans le bus de la tournée...

Brian voyage en Lincoln blanche avec un chauffeur à moustaches et doudoune...

Perso je vous donne mes impressions sur le journal dans un mois ou deux...le temps pour moi de tout traduire...quand même Lolo tu aurais pu nous fournir le matos decrypté on est sur un Forum francophone...