"Like pouring gasoline on a fire" is how Brian Setzer describes 1998's double-platinum, Grammy-winning, Top 10-charting The Dirty Boogie. But while Setzer wanted to fan the flames with the follow-up, he also wanted to jack up the octane. What is nearly as unlikely as the success of The Brian Setzer Orchestra--a true, 17-piece Big Band fronted by an electric guitar--is that no one has jumped on the bandwagon. The reason, suggests Setzer, is simple: "This isn't like punk rock, where anyone could pick up a guitar and play loud. The level of musicianship required is pretty high." Another reason may be that no one else has had the musical guts as well as chops. "What made it happen is that we're original," Setzer says. "This is American music, it's ingrained in us, but we took it in a new direction. This is a whole different beast than a `40s Big Band. The only similarity is the instrument lineup. But our foundation is the rhythm section and the way I play guitar. I like what I like: guitars, hot rods and rock `n' roll. `Vavoom' sums up what this band is--bigger than life. The word means excitement, from the sound of a car starting up to the sound you make when you see a beautiful chick."
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