Reunited Stray Cats Strut in Perkins Tribute

“If it weren’t for Carl Perkins,” Brian Setzer declared Thursday night, “we wouldn’t be here.” That’s true enough for a broad range of pop acts, but even more so for Setzer’s Stray Cats, who reunited at the House of Blues to perform an energetic tribute to the late rockabilly pioneer.

In their early ‘80s heyday, the Stray Cats were a proudly anachronistic trio, committed to the sound and attitude of early rock ‘n’ roll by such pioneers as Gene Vincent, Elvis Presley and Perkins, who died last month. Singing of cars and fishnet stockings, the band cranked out three Top 10 singles as early members of MTV royalty.

On Thursday, the band played with genuine enthusiasm. While their spare approach to roots rock offers none of the depth of meaning once epitomized by the Blasters, the Stray Cats still understand the immediacy and emotion of rock in its simplest form.

Dressed in a black motorcycle jacket, Setzer crafted a waterfall of tears from his guitar during the ballad “I Won’t Stand in Your Way.” But most of the night was dedicated to rave-ups of such high-energy singles as “(She’s) Sexy + 17” and Perkins’ “Honey Don’t” and “Blue Suede Shoes,” even if the 90-minute show was too crowded for much dancing.

Before closing the night with a raw take on Eddie Cochran’s “Something Else,” Setzer, bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom exchanged many hugs and handshakes, as if congratulating themselves on still being a viable unit. The night may have been a tribute to Perkins, but the reunited Stray Cats still played as if the music was their own.