The early December snowfall added a festive air to the Christmas concert at the State Theatre Thursday night, but even six inches of the white stuff couldn’t bring The Los Straitjackets Christmas Pageant into the realm of traditional holiday celebrations. No, the spectacle of the four wrestling-mask-wearing members of Nashville’s Straitjackets tearing through the likes of “Here Comes Santa Claus” with their trademark instrumental tornado--- a mix of Dick Dale, Sixties garage rock and mystery Tex-Mex kitsch--- definitely didn’t conjure visions of a Bing Crosby Yuletide. Adding to the spectacle were The World Famous Pontani Sisters, a trio of NYC siblings whose shimmy-shake, white go-go booted, burlesque dance routines roughly synched with the band’s surf-rider wall of sound.
Led by exemplary guitarists Eddie Angel and Danny Amis, the Straitjackets (decked out in red and green turtlenecks and, natch, matching red hi-top sneakers) began with a couple of their staple instrumentals, but quickly tacked onto the show’s main course, which was Christmas music, played via the arrangements on the band’s latest disc, “’Tis the Season for Los Straitjackets”. Beyond the Pontani’s garland bikinis and sexy Santa caps, the show was no mere retro revup: the band’s arrangements of wrung-out numbers like “The Little Drummer Boy”, “Frosty the Snowman”, “Sleigh Ride” were truly refreshing and originals like “Christmas in Las Vegas” crackled with real verve, connecting like a fruitcake to the noggin.
An encore featuring a solemn “Christmas Song” and the Sisters opening presents filled with merchandise was a perfect capper, proving Los Straitjackets the ideal tonic for December’s usual parade of sickly-sweet Christmas specials.
Washington Post, 2002
