Rocker Chris Isaak hitting Cerritos stage

CERRITOS - Grammy nominee Chris Isaak, described by the New York Times as a "charismatic neo-rockabilly singer and songwriter," will perform his all-time hits and holidays tunes at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 30.Tickets, ranging from $55-$80, are on sale at the theater's box office, though all $70-$80 tickets are sold out. With a resume that highlights a successful music and acting career and stints as a talk show host, artist and boxer, "Chris Isaak may be the closest thing popular music has to a Renaissance man," observed the Washington Post. The singer-songwriter shot to prominence with his brooding country-rock ballad "Wicked Game," which was featured in David Lynch's 1991 film "Wild at Heart." An influential Atlanta radio programmer happened to see the film and began playing the song on the air. The tune skyrocketed to the Top 10 and became what the Los Angeles Times called "the year's unlikeliest hit." Another track, "Don't Make Me Dream About You," from the same record also earned significant airplay, turning the "Heart Shaped World" album into a multi-platinum seller in the United States and a hit internationally. Isaak's platinum-selling album "Forever Blue" yielded the popular track "Somebody's Crying." Both the song and the record were nominated for Grammys. Another single, the intense and bluesy "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing," was featured in Stanley Kubrick's final film, the box-office hit "Eyes Wide Shut." His follow-up album, the largely acoustic "Baja Sessions," struck gold. Isaak's recent album, "Beyond the Sun," features his recordings of music by his greatest influences, including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Roy Orbison. Other albums include the well-received "Chris Isaak Christmas," the critically acclaimed greatest-hits collection "Best of Chris Isaak," "Always Got Tonight," "Mr. Lucky," and "San Francisco Days." Aside from his prolific music career, Isaak has appeared in the movies "Silence of the Lambs," "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me," "A Dirty Shame," "The Informers," and "Little Buddha." Essentially playing himself in "The Chris Isaak Show," he charmed audiences with a humorously offbeat take on a rock star's life. The Showtime program featured guest appearances by many in the music industry, including Michael Bublé and Green Day. For tickets or more information on Isaak's concert at the CCPA, call (562) 467-8818 or go to cerritoscenter.com.

********** Published: Oct. 31, 2013 - Volume 12 - Issue 29