Chris Isaak's 'It's Almost Christmas' tour at Grand Sierra Resort: A night of music, laughter and holiday cheer (photos)

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen Chris Isaak. He puts on a great show every time. That’s why I keep coming back for more. Plus, Chris and I were almost neighbors growing up. I grew up in Sacramento, and he grew up in Stockton. On a global scale, we were neighbors.

The Grand Sierra Resort brought him and his band in for his “It’s Almost Christmas” tour last week. The Grand Theatre looked close to capacity. The band gave us a more than 90-minute, 24-song set of rockabilly, country, and rock and roll, which flew by.

Chris Isaak and his band delighted the near-sold-out crowd at the Grand Sierra Resort, Dec. 15, 2023. Nick McCabe / THIS IS RENO.

After the first two songs, Isaak talked to the crowd for a few minutes. He took the opportunity to thank everybody for supporting live music and asked how many people had heard him and his band before. After an enthusiastic response, he thanked everybody for returning and giving them a second chance.

After his third song, he thanked everybody for coming out, told them to drive safe, and proclaimed how quickly the evening had gone. That garnered one of many laughs during the show.

After years of performing, he still has a magnificent vocal range, hitting the high notes using his falsetto range and the low notes in songs like “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing.”

The core of his band has been with him since the early ’80s, making this a tight band in many ways. Not only did the band play well, they moved together well. Throughout the show, little bits of stage choreography would pop up without notice—things like all three guitarists suddenly stepping side to side and swinging their guitars in unison. This kind of extra effort is great to see.

Looking back at past photo galleries of his shows, I can see that their shtick has been consistent for a long time, but that’s a good thing. If it works, don’t fix it. Of course, new songs, set lists and jokes keep it fresh and fun. Speaking of keeping it fresh, last year, he released his 13th album, “Everybody Knows It’s Christmas.”

Since this is their “It’s Almost Christmas” tour, the setlist was peppered with about half a dozen Christmas songs. The first was “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” complete with holiday lighting and Costco Christmas decorations on stage. At least that’s what he said.

The crowd had a good time all evening. At one point, Isaak came out into the audience singing and walked up and down the aisles, almost up to the last row. Of course, there were more jokes to go with the story. Later in the show, his guitarist, Hershel Yatovitz, took his turn exploring the theater while playing his guitar. The fans loved it.

Midway through the show, drummer Kenny Dale Johnson joined the rest of the band up front for a seven-song acoustic set with everybody sitting on stools. Part way through this section, Scotty Plunkett,the band’s retired keyboardist, back on stage for a visit, joined on accordion for a few songs. This is always a much-liked section of Isaak’s shows.

Just before playing “Dogs Love Christmas Too,” from his latest album, Isaak had a couple of guests come out. Jill Vacchina Dobbs, the Northern Nevada SPCA executive director, came out with a beautiful and friendly dog available for adoption.

Isaak has partnered with the Bissell Pet Foundation to raise awareness for their Empty the Shelters reduced-fee adoption event. Participating shelters offer adoptable animals for $50 or less, so homeless dogs can enjoy the sweetest Christmas gift of all: a warm and loving home. The Northern Nevada SPCA is a participating shelters.

“After 40 years of playing together, we have a song for every occasion. It’s the same song, but it’s for every occasion.”Chris Isaak

After the somber “Blue Hotel” and the also somber “San Francisco Days,” they finished the set with the ramped-up “Live It Up” when they took it home. After a brief exit to slip into something less comfortable, the band returned and launched into their encore with “Big Wide Wonderful World.” Chris came out in his big, wide mirrored suit—a staple of his performances.

And to make sure it felt like the big finale, women from the audience were invited to come on the stage and dance with Chris and the band. It looked like everybody was having a good time up there. The band was posturing, the women were dancing, and it looked like a little ear whispering was happening, but there was no evidence of room numbers being passed.

A good time was had by all, which is a guarantee when you see a Chris Isaak show.