The Strut Goes On: Stray Cats Return to the Road in July and August

Adding credence to the premise that rockabilly restores the soul and keeps the body and spirit young, the Stray Cats are once again returning to the road for a summer tour of the US.

As it stands right now, the band has released 16 dates, all of which feature the Midnight Cowgirls as their opening act, but the press release announcing the tour promises that there are "more [dates] to be announced soon."

The band released their self-titled debut album in February 1981, but despite the Stray Cats hailing from the US, it actually saw release in the UK first. Produced by Dave Edmunds and the band, the LP was a huge success across the pond, hitting No. 6 on the UK Albums chart and spawning three top-20 hits: “Runaway Boys” (No. 9), “Rock This Town” (No. 9), and “Stray Cat Strut” (No. 11). The band quickly whipped up a second album, Gonna Ball, which was released in the UK in November 1981, and while it didn’t come anywhere close to matching the success of its predecessor, it did hit #48 and spawned a minor hit, “You Don’t Believe Me,” which climbed to #57.

Finally, in June 1982, the Stray Cats’ US label, EMI America, issued a compilation entitled Built for Speed, which combined the best bits from the band’s first two UK albums, and the strategy paid off: the album hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200, sending “Rock This Town” to No. 9 on the Hot 100 and “Stray Cat Strut” to No. 3. Although the band only scored one more top-10 single (the No. 5 hit “Sexy + 17,” from 1983’s Rant & Rave with the Stray Cats), they’ve continued to record new material over the years.

Granted, the band hasn't released a new studio LP since 2019’s 40, which was recorded to commemorate their 40th anniversary as a band, but even with frontman Brian Setzer forging a successful solo career for himself, the Stray Cats have rarely gone very long without hitting the road to keep their fans happy.

The full list of tour dates as of this writing can be found below.

Tour Dates:

July

27 – Woodinville, WA, Chateau Ste. Michele Winery

28 – Bend, OR, Hayden Homes Amphitheater

30 – Saratoga, CA, The Mountain Winery

August

1 – Costa Mesa, CA, the Pacific Amphitheater

2 – Costa Mesa, CA, the Pacific Amphitheater

3 – San Diego, CA, the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park

6 – Denver, CO, the Mission Ballroom

8 – Moorhead, MN, Bluestem Center for the Arts

9 – Waite Park, MN, the Ledge Amphitheater

10 – Gary, IN, Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana

12 – Huber Heights, OH, Rose Music Center at the Heights

13 – Lewiston, NY, Artpark Outdoor Amphitheatre

15 – New York, NY, the Rooftop at Pier 17

16 – Atlantic City, Ocean Casino Resort – Ovation Hall

17 – Bridgeport, CT, Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater

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