Chris Isaak’s fascination with the classic era of rock ‘n’ roll and country, not to mention his beautiful crooning voice, makes him a strangely unique entertainer.

It begs the question: Who would be considered his competitor in the contemporary music world?

Don’t ask Isaak. He has no names.

“We’re really proud of ourselves,” he says jokingly, phoning from his band’s tour bus in Chicago. “Because we’re so damn dumb, we have cornered the market on what we do.”

“Like Lady Gaga has her thing — she gets a gazillion people and it’s kind of like Broadway meets whatever, rock ‘n’ roll, there’s that other stuff,” Isaak, 56, says. “But as far as being a traditional rock ‘n’ roll band, I’ve had the same guys for 27 years. We play a rock ‘n’ roll show. We sing. We don’t use tapes. We sing the harmonies. Everybody’s playing. And we put on a stage show. We move, we dance, we dress up. Nobody does that kind of thing anymore.”

More than a quarter century into a career still often defined by that sexy “Wicked Game” video in 1989, Isaak hasn’t changed much. He’s still smart, stylish, enthusiastic and humble. He dabbles in acting and TV hosting. He also remains highly concerned about putting on concerts filled with the songs that his fans want to hear. He leaves no doubt about what sort of show he plans to put on Friday at the Eagle River Pavilion.

“I love — LOVE — playing the stuff people want to hear,” Isaak says, “because you can see it on their face. Maybe it’s because I have an entertainer’s personality or whatever. Because I’m happy if they’re happy.”

Still, it’s nice to have your cake and eat it, too. That’s his latest record, “Beyond the Sun.”

“This, without a doubt, is the most fun I’ve ever had making a record,” Isaak says.

It didn’t dawn on Isaak while he was recording the album in Memphis’ famed Sun Studios last year, but its concept is borderline genius for concerts. Packed with covers of songs by legends such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis, the collection shines a positive light on the words concertgoers typically dread most: Here’s a new song.

“You go, ‘I’ve got a new album, and people go, ‘Ooooh,’ I wanna hear ‘Wicked Game,’ and ‘Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing’ and ‘Blue Hotel’ — don’t play that new thing!’” Isaak says.

“But if you go, ‘I’ve got a new album, and I’m gonna play it,’ and you launch into Johnny Cash ‘Ring of Fire’ or ‘It’s Now or Never’ by Elvis or ‘Great Balls of Fire’ by Jerry Lee, people go, ‘I don’t mind this. I know this. I like this.’”

Much of “Beyond the Sun” is music by artists Isaak discovered as a kid while listening to his parents’ records in Stockton, Calif.

It’s an album he’s always wanted to make, which follows the basic law of music appreciation: That the best music you’ll ever hear is the music you grew up with.

“If you would have come backstage and heard me playing guitar with the band or something, we’d be fooling around with these songs,” he says. “Or if I did a soundcheck, I’d play (one) sometimes. And at my house, I wouldn’t play ‘Wicked Game.’ I’d be playing this stuff, or writing something new.”

Isaak’s past grips him so tightly that I almost feel bad after mentioning my first concert as a child: Marty Robbins at a county fair.

“Oh, my God!” Isaak exclaims jealously. “I’m such a fan. Man, that’s awesome. Your parents had good taste.”

“Man, I’d pay big money to have seen that. He is one of my favorite singers of all time. It’s funny, because people always go, ‘Do you love Elvis? You love Orbison?’ and I do love them. But I think there’s other singers — Lefty Frizzell, Marty Robbins, Bing Crosby, I listened to those guys until I wore out their records, you know?”

It’s that reverence for the ways of the past that makes Isaak so one-of-a-kind in 2012. When our conversation finally winds down, he makes sure to remind everyone precisely where he’s coming from.

“Let me just tell people one thing,” Isaak says. “If they come out to see us live, we put on a hell of a live show. We dress up. We look like we escaped from Liberace’s closet with the clothes he was afraid to wear. We’re flashy. We dance, we move, we sing, we get out in the audience, we mix it up, and we have a ball.

“Usually,” he adds confidently, “it’s contagious.”

Æ 7:30 p.m. July 20, Eagle River Pavilion, 827 E. Riverside Drive. $35 lawn, $49.50 reserved, $99.50 VIP. Ticketfly.

EATON IN MAGAZINE

Boise singer-guitarist Marcus Eaton, who recently moved to Los Angeles, is profiled prominently in the latest issue of quarterly coffee table magazine Fretboard Journal.

The issue was guest edited by David Crosby, who has been collaborating with Eaton.

“It certainly is an honor to be in there with Crosby,” Eaton says.

Fretboard Journal is carried at Guitar Center, among other places.

TONIGHT IN ‘THE OTHER STUDIO’

Radio personality Tim Johnstone and I will spin new music from Muse and Metric, preview next week’s Alive After Five, plus discuss the latest music news.

“The Other Studio” airs from 9 to 10 p.m. Sundays on 94.9 FM The River.

JULY 20 IN SCENE

Æ Batman blockbuster “The Dark Knight Rises” swoops into movie theaters.

Æ A restaurant review of Asiago’s in Downtown Boise.

Æ Rediscovered Book Shop’s annual Children’s Book Festival is coming Wednesday, July 25.

Michael Deeds’ column runs Fridays in Scene and Sundays in Life. Email: mdeeds@ idahostatesman.com. Twitter: @IDS_Deeds