SETZER, MINUS CATS, AT BEVERLY

“Good rocking, good night,” Brian Setzer shouted at the end of his concert Friday at the Beverly Theatre, and the farewell was a pretty apt description of his first local show since his old band, the Stray Cats, folded. The triumphant appearance went a long way to overcoming the feeling that Setzer’s songwriting stretch--introduced on his current solo album--hadn’t quite hit the mark. A big factor: Setzer’s band is an exceptional live outfit that injected enough gritty spirit and energy into the new songs to lift them several notches. It didn’t hurt that Setzer remains a fine, expressive singer, capable guitarist and likable front man.

So did the concert include any Stray Cats songs? Yeah. Setzer waited all the way to the second number before playing the Cats’ “Rumble in Brighton.” Although he didn’t mind performing a few of his old songs (with new arrangements, for the most part), it was still clear that Setzer’s sensibility has shifted significantly: Where he once sought ‘50s respectability in the ‘80s, he’s now shooting for ‘80s respectability in the ‘80s. He may only be an album away.