Stray Cats take center stage in 'Howling at the Moonlight'

Long Island has a cast of musical heroes that includes Harry Chapin, Mariah Carey, Pat Benatar, Billy Joel, Twisted Sister Blue Öyster Cult, the list goes on. But a trio of teenage friends from Massapequa have made it into that elite group by rockin’ the music industry for over 40 years. The Stray Cats, consisting of guitarist-singer Brian Setzer, drummer Slim Jim Phantom and bassist Lee Rocker, are the top names in the rockabilly genre.

Hits like “Stray Cat Strut,” “Rock This Town” and “(She’s) Sexy + 17” brought them international fame in the '80s, and just this summer they toured once again triumphantly selling out Pier 17 in Manhattan. However, their story had not been told in book form. Enter author Christopher McKittrick, a Port Jefferson native, who spent more than a year researching the band for his new biography, “Howling to the Moonlight on a Hot Summer Night: The Tale of the Stray Cats” (Backbeat, $26.95).

Newsday spoke with McKittrick from his current home in Manahawkin, New Jersey, about what keeps these Cats from straying and the magical journey the band has been on.

What made you focus on doing a book on the Stray Cats?
What intrigues me the most about them is they are a Long Island band who plays rockabilly. They are so good at it, you’d think they should be from the South, yet they are three guys from Massapequa. I thought it was fascinating and I felt a connection to them because I’m from Long Island. I just love the energy between them when they play on stage together. There’s something special about just three guys who can put on that compelling of a show with a minimal stage setup. The thing I respect about them is the band still consists of the same three guys. Only those three are the Stray Cats and that’s so refreshing amongst the legacy bands. It’s so rare.

There’s a culture that surrounds the Stray Cats’ music from the way they dress to their tattoos to their hairstyles. What do you make of this?

The rockabilly culture is very much in line with the custom car culture and hot rodding. In the second chapter, I get into how this '50s throwback developed. There’s such a love for that 1950s look because it’s eternally cool. The 1950s Elvis Presley has remained the pinnacle of coolness that every rock star since has tried to reach but no one can quite capture it. When the Stray Cats play live, it’s an outing and people get excited, so they celebrate by dressing up.

What do you think was the biggest key moment in their career?

Probably getting on the airplane and moving to London in 1980. They recognized their music was for old man bars on Long Island and heard there was a big rockabilly scene in England. The Cats became the toast of the town within weeks. It was a game changer. They probably would not have become the band that they did if they didn’t have that experience in Europe first. It had set them up for success.

Few people know that for a brief period guitarist Tommy Byrnes from the Billy Joel band was in the Stray Cats. What do you think that was about?

Adding Tommy Byrnes, who was part of the Long Island scene, was a way to take the pressure off of Brian from being the lead singer/lead guitarist/lead songwriter. On their second album, “Rant N’Rave With the Stray Cats,” they were doing stuff vocally they really couldn’t reproduce live until they had Tommy in the band. I think it was an attempt to keep the band going.

How evident is the Long Island influence on the band?

The biggest influence is the hustle. They have a drive and determination that’s associated with New Yorkers. There’s something in the water that makes the bagels taste better and gives people the guts to take chances.

The Stray Cats would always come back and play the Long Island club scene like the Rio Theatre in Valley Stream or Heckle & Jeckle’s in Massapequa Park. Do you think they just got a kick out of that?

They liked to come home and show people that they made it. The last time they played Long Island they booked a show at Revolution Bar & Music Hall in Amityville in 2019 because when they originally tried to play that venue they were denied in the late '70s. The joke that night was it only took them 40 years to get the gig.

Over the years the band has parted and reunited multiple times. What do you think keeps bringing them back together?

There’s something to the fact that they’ve known each other since they were young kids. Massapequa is a close-knit community, even today. All three of them have this deep respect for that style of music and for the people who pioneered it. They want to keep it going and they are doing the best they can. The band is almost like a living museum reenacting '50s music.

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.