Stray Cats Live: Old Roads, New Memories — Tulsa, Route 66, and The Outsiders House

When the Stray Cats announced their tour earlier this year, we saw that Tulsa was the closest date to Dallas. Since my wife, Chari, is a huge fan and we’d never seen the Stray Cats live before, we jumped at the chance to take this road trip. I bought tickets as an early anniversary gift.

We booked a hotel, cleared the calendar, and turned it into a rockabilly road trip and also incorporated some Route 66 and movie history. Naturally, in the most predictable twist of concert‑going life, the band announced another tour leg just weeks before the Tulsa show, including a Grand Prairie date this fall. But that didn’t diminish Tulsa. If anything, it made the trip feel like the “pilgrimage chapter,” with Grand Prairie set to become the hometown victory lap — another chance to Rock This Town.

The Texas Trust CU theater in Grand Prairie has become our go to spot for 80s concerts this summer. In addition to seeing Stray Cats live later this fall. We are also seeing the Squeeze tour with Adam Ant and Haircut 100. Earlier we saw the Generations Tour with The Human League, Soft Cell and Alison Moyet. We also just saw the Howard Jones tour with Wang Chung, The English Beat, and Modern English a few weeks before we went to Tulsa.

Casino Shows: The Gen‑X Concert Sweet Spot

One of the underrated joys of casino concerts is their efficiency. No opening act; no mysterious delays; and no waiting around while the crowd checks their watches. The Stray Cats hit the stage on time, played a tight, high‑energy set, and wrapped before 9:30. The perfect schedule for us Gen‑Xers who love live music but also love not feeling wrecked the next morning. Call me old, but I don’t really want to have to sit through an opening act that I don’t care about and wait 45 minutes between seats to be at the venue until after 11pm.

We bought fourth‑row seats at River Spirit Casino, but Chari didn’t spend much time in them — she was right up against the stage for the entire show, living her best Stray Cats live experience from the front rail. She’s been a fan forever. We’ve seen the Brian Setzer Orchestra four times over the years. Our third show — back in 2015 — was the boys’ first concert. Colton slept through half of it, which is still one of my favorite family‑concert memories. Colton is now my go-to wingman for most concerts.

Built for Speed: The One‑Man Merch Crew

When we arrived, the merch line was already long — unusually long for a casino show. It didn’t take us long to figure out why: there was only one guy working the booth. But this wasn’t a slow‑moving bottleneck situation. This guy was a machine.

He had two card readers going at once, bouncing from one side of the counter to the other, pulling shirts, grabbing sizes, ringing up orders, and keeping the whole line moving with almost athletic efficiency. It was like watching a one‑man pit crew. People were laughing about how fast he was. Honestly, he deserved a tip jar and a medal.

Stray Cats Live: What Makes the Experience Unique

Seeing the Stray Cats live for the first time made it clear why their shows have such a devoted following. Brian Setzer has overcome some significant health challenges in recent years — the kind that kept him off the road and even away from the guitar for a while — so seeing him back onstage, sharp and confident, felt genuinely meaningful.

Rumble in Brighton — or Rumble in Tulsa, as he rechristened it for the night — featured the best guitar solo of the entire show. Setzer tore through it with that mix of precision, swing, and rockabilly punch that nobody else really does. He plays with incredible skill, and I consider him one of the most underrated guitarists around.

Before launching into Stray Cat Strut, Setzer talked about how rare it is for a band to still have all its original members. He joked about groups touring with one original member — or none — and said how proud he was that the Stray Cats are still the real trio: Setzer, Lee Rocker, and Slim Jim Phantom.

He also gave Tulsa its due, talking about the city’s musical identity and its place in western swing history. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys started and were based in Tulsa, turning the city into the birthplace of western swing. Setzer clearly enjoys giving credit where it’s due, and he knows his music history.

Longhorn Ballroom: Bob Wills, Punk History, and Our Own Concert Trail

That Tulsa connection hit even harder because we’ve spent time at the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas — a venue originally built in 1950 for Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. It opened as Bob Wills’ Ranch House before becoming the Longhorn Ballroom, and it’s still one of the most historic music rooms in Texas.

We’ve actually seen a concert there, and we’re going back soon to see Buzzcocks, which feels fitting since they famously toured with the Sex Pistols in the early punk era. The Longhorn Ballroom itself hosted one of the dates on the Sex Pistols’ infamous 1978 U.S. tour, a run that became one of the most chaotic and legendary moments in rock history. There’s a famous photo of the marquee listing Sex Pistols followed immediately by Merle Haggard — a perfect snapshot of how wildly eclectic the bookings were and how the venue bridged country, punk, and everything in between.

A Sparse Stage and Alley‑Cat Set Dressing

The stage setup was intentionally minimal — just the trio, their gear, and a few metal trash cans with graffiti on them. They served as storage bins for water bottles and towels, and they added a gritty alley‑cat vibe. The setup felt stripped down and raw. It delivered exactly what a Stray Cats live show should be.

Another detail that stood out was how Slim Jim Phantom’s drum setup changed throughout the night. Because he plays standing with a deliberately minimal kit, a roadie would periodically bring out a different drum or percussion piece for specific songs — swapping in exactly what was needed and nothing more. It kept the kit tight, efficient, and perfectly tailored to each track. It operated like a modular rockabilly drum station built piece by piece in real time.

Lee Rocker Steals the Show (and the Floor)

Lee Rocker — whose name feels like it was assigned by a rockabilly committee — delivered the moment everyone will remember. He laid his upright bass flat on the stage, then laid on top of it while still playing. We joked afterward that he probably used to stand on the side of it and do that move, but once you’re in your 60s, climbing onto a vertical bass becomes a different kind of athletic event. The horizontal version was still impressive, hilarious, and very on‑brand.

He also took lead vocals on My Baby Left Me, showing just how essential he is to the band’s sound. It was one of those moments where you’re reminded that the Stray Cats live experience isn’t just Setzer’s guitar heroics — it’s a true three‑piece with each member carrying real weight.

Slim Jim Phantom: Standing Drummer, Outsiders Fan, and the Source of Those Cat Noises

Slim Jim Phantom remains one of rock’s great visual contradictions — a drummer who stands for the entire show. As they walked offstage after the encore, he leaned down toward the woman next to Chari and said, “I can’t believe I’m doing this, I’m 65.” It was funny, honest, and the kind of moment that makes smaller‑venue shows special.

We also learned something we probably should’ve known years ago: Slim Jim is the one who makes the cat meows and other vocal effects in Stray Cats live performances. We’d never realized it until this show. Once you see him do it live, it’s impossible to un‑hear. Those little yowls, chirps, and alley‑cat noises are all him.

For the encore, he came out wearing an Outsiders House Museum t‑shirt. The next morning, when we toured the museum, we learned that Danny Boy O’Connor — yes, that Danny Boy from House of Pain — was backstage at the concert and is friends with Slim Jim. Tulsa is full of unexpected intersections. As an Angels baseball fan, Jump Around, by House of Pain has great memories for me of the Rally Monkey and the 2002 World Series Championship.

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The Outsiders House: A Time Capsule With New Meaning

Earlier this year, I saw The Outsiders musical in Dallas and rewatched the movie for the first time in 40+ years. My son is a huge fan of both, and the musical was one of the best I’ve seen in years. Touring the Outsiders House Museum the morning after the concert felt like stepping directly into that world. A perfectly preserved time capsule of 1983. Tulsa has embraced The Outsiders in a way few cities embrace their cinematic history.

One of the standout parts of the tour was one of our guides, who had actually been an extra in the film. He lived in the neighborhood during filming and had taken photos on set — real behind‑the‑scenes snapshots from 1982 Tulsa. Copies of the photos were available for sale, and we bought several for Colton. The gentleman told a great story about Tom Cruise: he only had one photo with Cruise in it and never got his autograph. He said he didn’t realize Cruise’s famously “bad tooth” in the movie was a prosthetic. He remembered thinking, this kid will never have much of a career. It’s the kind of hindsight story that only comes from someone who was actually there.

The museum also had a collection of costumes from the Broadway musical. The national touring company opened in Tulsa earlier this year. The touring cast donated several pieces to the museum. Creating a bridge between the 1983 film and the 2024 stage production.

Another thing the guides emphasized was how Francis Ford Coppola was, by far, the biggest star on the set at the time. The cast was full of future household names. But in 1982, Coppola was the gravitational center — the Oscar‑winning director whose presence elevated the entire production.

We ended up buying Colton a few shirts and stickers as souvenirs — the kind of keepsakes that make a place like this stick with you long after you leave.

Bring It Back Again: A Personal Route 66 Return

I grew up just a few miles off Route 66, which was Foothill Blvd, in Rancho Cucamonga, California. When we first moved there in second grade, the Thomas Winery was still around. At the time, they billed themselves as the oldest winery in the state. My parents would take visitors there to taste wine, and they’d give grape juice to kids. I also remember some of kitschy motels further east in Fontana and Rialto from the heyday of Route 66. So, any stretch of Route 66 feels like flipping through my own childhood.

Also having graduated from UCLA and working in Pacific Palisades during most of that time, I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Santa Monica and have seen the end of the trail sign on the pier there. I also worked in Pasadena for a few years as well as spending a great deal of time there for UCLA football over the years and Route 66 is on Colorado Blvd for a stretch which is famous as the main path of the Rose Parade.

And this year marks the 100th anniversary of Route 66, which made the Tulsa visit feel even more meaningful. My father traveled Route 66 as a kid. Traveling from Missouri to Southern California — part of that great mid‑century migration west. So being on Route 66 again, in a different state and a different decade, felt like tapping into a family thread that stretches across generations.

Get Your Kicks on Route 66 – Tulsa Style

Tulsa’s Route 66 landmarks added a whole other layer to the trip:

• Land of the Giants — a street lined with vintage muffler men statues, each one a perfect slice of Americana weirdness.
• Meadow Gold sign — beautifully restored and glowing like a postcard from the past.
• Tulsa Art Deco Mini Museum — a treasure trove of Art Deco design, plus a deep dive into Tulsa’s architectural history. Art Deco is so prominent in Tulsa because the style arrived right as the city was booming from its oil discoveries, and that wealth shaped the skyline. The museum also had an incredible display of vintage Art Deco radios, toasters, and appliances, each one a reminder of how stylish everyday objects used to be. As an Art Deco fan, this was a highlight.
• Route 66 Village — complete with a train, an oil derrick, and classic Route 66 signage, all perfect for photos.

It turned the concert trip into a nostalgia tour — music, childhood memories, Americana, and a little cinematic history all woven together. And since our oldest son attends Oklahoma State University, we stopped on the way home and took him out for lunch.

Too Hip, Gotta Go — Wrapping Up the Night

The Stray Cats live experience delivered exactly what you want from them: tight musicianship, humor, swagger, and that unmistakable rockabilly punch. Seeing them in Tulsa felt like a road‑trip reward — one of those shows that becomes part of your personal map. And with Grand Prairie coming up this fall, we get another chance to Rock This Town, this time without the miles.

Furthermore, Tulsa offered a great flash back to my childhood with Route 66 and The Outsiders as well as an opportunity to indulge in Art Deco which I love. Plus, we got both of our sons involved through having lunch with our older son in Stillwater and getting all of The Outsiders souvenirs and memorabilia for Colton. This was an awesome road trip and I’d totally do it again.