INTERVIEW: Stray Cat Lee Rocker prepares to rock State Theatre in Easton, Pa.
Lee Rocker, the man behind the upright bass in the ever-popular Stray Cats, will bring his solo tour to the State Theatre in Easton, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Feb. 3. Audience members can expect songs from Rocker’s solo career and tunes from his time with Brian Setzer and Slim Jim Phantom in the rockabilly Stray Cats. Additionally, the musician is prepared to share some stories from his professional life, including playing Broadway in Million Dollar Quartet.
“The show is something that I’ve been working on and working up to for quite a while,” Rocker said in a recent phone interview. “It’s a concert, but there’s storytelling involved in it where I’m talking about the music and why I did things certain ways and different stories of my career of more than 35 years.”
There will be some archival footage — both videos and still photography — on the big screen, no doubt showing Rocker riding the wave of rockabilly success in the early 1980s. One part of the evening will include the musician talking about his own influences and how fortunate it was to work with some legends over the years. From Keith Richards to George Harrison to Carl Perkins, the collaborators Rocker has shared a stage with have been impressive.
“The impetus really for me came from a number of things, but I was guesting on Broadway in the show Million Dollar Quartet a couple years back,” he said. “That was a huge thrill. I mean, for anyone, a guy who grew up in New York, that was something just really cool to do, and it enabled me to see how a play is done from the perspective of being on the stage. That was a great show, but it started to get the gears turning and [me] going, wait a minute, there’s a way to convey not only the music … but also to talk about why it came about and some funny stories and have some fun with it.”
The evening will be personal for Rocker, who is 55 years old. Whether he’s playing a song from his solo efforts or interpreting a Perkins’ tune, the setlist will include connections to different stages of his life and his memories of days gone by.
For Rocker, his love of music emanates from his upbringing. He was brought up in a household that valued the art form. “I come from a musical family,” he said. “My dad was the solo clarinetist with the New York Philharmonic for 61 years, just retired maybe 10 years ago, and he’s in his late 80s still performing. And you know the one rule growing up in that house was that you play an instrument. I started playing cello at about 6 or 7 years old, so it definitely goes back to that background. And to me, I just always gravitated toward the low end of things.”
The low end of things means Rocker can be seen on many old Stray Cat videos plucking on the upright bass and bouncing along to the beats. He was the heartbeat of the band, keeping them centered on the unique combination of 1950s-infused rock ‘n’ roll, bluegrass and some swing styles. Their output is legendary at this point and includes such songs as “Rock This Town,” “Stray Cat Strut,” “(She’s) Sexy + 17” and “Rumble in Brighton.”
“Brian Setzer, Slim Jim, myself we go back to before the Stray Cats when were just little kids,” he said. “We grew up in Massapequa, New York. We probably knew each other since we were 10 years old. We probably knew each other from Little League before it was music, you know, and it is an amazing journey and a lot of music. I’m proud of all of it, but a lot of the music I’m proud to say has really become part of the fabric of rock ‘n’ roll. And at this point, it’s made its mark, and we’ve made our mark and stood the test of time with that. I’m also happy to say it looks very likely in 2018 that we’re going to be doing some Stray Cats stuff, so I can definitely announce that. I can’t say what or where, but it’s going to happen.”
Moving back and forth between his solo projects and the Stray Cat reunions has been creatively fulfilling for Rocker. He called it the best of both worlds. “I think I can speak for everyone in the band that that’s been a great thing,” he said. “It’s nice to have a little variety in life.”
He added: “Yeah, it’s certainly adrenaline that comes into play when you’re launching something, getting out on a tour or getting back together with the band. It’s excitement, you know, not nervousness but excitement, that adrenaline and energy. It’s a high truly. It’s the best drug of all.”
The music industry has shifted a lot since the Stray Cats formed more than three decades ago. Rocker sees some positives and some negatives in the musical landscape. “I personally like when music was a physical thing, and that may be just me showing my age,” he said. “I like record stores. I miss that. … The upside to record companies was there was a filter. Getting to put a record out was a privilege and something that hopefully you were pretty good to land that deal. Nowadays anyone with a laptop can put a record out. So that’s good in a way; that’s bad in a way. There’s no filter out there.”
For the show in Easton, Pennsylvania, Rocker promises a night of fun music and insights into his musical life. He defies anyone to leave without having a good time. “There’s just been so many fun and funny episodes that I’ve been lucky enough in my career to have happen to me, and I talk about those in a kind of a fun, interesting way,” he said. “So it’s a concert, but it’s certainly more than a concert. It’s kind of a hybrid. We’re doing it out there in Easton, and throughout the next coming year or two really all over the country.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Lee Rocker will play the State Theatre in Easton, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Click here for more information and tickets.
