Photos by Andy Argyrakis

In the process of becoming one of rockabilly’s premiere revivalists from the 1980s through now, artist/actor Chris Isaak scored a stable of personally-penned singles and ingeniously interpreted many others.

His latest project, “Everybody Knows It’s Christmas,” is chock full of eight originals and five remakes, which alongside the promise of non-holiday hits, packed the historic Genesee Theatre in what’s quickly becoming the superstar’s second home.

However, the “It’s Almost Christmas” Tour was an entirely fresh and festive Yuletide countdown, starting with the 67-year-old’s immediately recognizable croon, signature guitar strums, suave looks and quick-witted comedy that have collectively earned him extremely accurate comparisons to Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison.

The California troubadour, clad in a flashy suit, was indeed the grown-up version of an “American Boy,” also the title of the jangly opening track, plus he briskly recalled the fellow retro-leaning likes of “Somebody’s Crying” and “Here I Stand,” walking all around the ground floor to get a better view of the interacting audience.

The season soon shifted towards “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” as he climbed the stairs to the balcony, and a little later, turned in an authentic “Blue Christmas” on a stage decorated straight out of a department store window, all backed by the longstanding Silvertone band.

For “Wicked Game,” placed surprisingly early in the 90-minute night, Isaak’s voice became the primary instrument, which continued to be the case come “Washington Square” to kick off an intimate seated set.

Isaak even introduced some less frequently addressed emotions and subjects of the season, such as the weighty wallop of “Holiday Blues” and the light-hearted levity of “Dogs Love Christmas Too,” used as an opportunity to promote adopting from his partnership with the BISSELL Pet Foundation.

The multi-platinum past of “Blue Hotel” and “San Fransisco Days” sent everyone to their feet, while “Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing” led to an invitation for a few sparkly-dressed ladies to join him, but no matter the tone or temperature, Isaak brought a sense of warmth to the Genesee likely to last long after the most wonderful time of the year.

For additional information on Chris Isaak, visit ChrisIsaak.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the Genesee Theatre include Amy Grant & Michael W. Smith (Dec. 1); Classic Albums Live: Jimi Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced?” (Dec. 16); The Guess Who (Dec. 28); Smokey Robinson (Dec. 29); Gavin DeGraw (Jan. 12); Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone (Jan. 13); Puddles Pity Party (Jan. 19); Bee Gees Gold (Jan. 26); “Jesus Christ Superstar” (Feb. 16); Johnny Cash: The Official Concert Experience (Feb. 17); Michael Bolton (Feb. 23); Elle King (Feb. 25); Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox (Mar. 1); Brit Floyd (Apr. 7); The Mavericks (Apr. 12) and Kansas (Apr. 13). For additional details, visit GeneseeTheatre.com.

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