Las Vegas has been referred to as Sin City, The City of Lights and The Entertainment Capitol Of The World. These descriptions are definitely accurate, and while there is no shortage of trouble you can get into in Sin City and an endless display of colorful bulbs lit up every night in The City of Lights, we'd like to focus on the entertainment factor in the great city of Las Vegas. There are countless shows to see on any given night, both on the strip and downtown. There is one show that's been on our radar for the past couple of years now, and if you're a fan of classic rock and roll you won't want to miss it.
Voted BEST MUSICAL in Vegas two years running, Raiding The Rock Vault at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino is hands down the best Vegas show I've ever seen. Hell, it's one of the best concerts I've ever been to and I've been to more than I could ever list here doing what I do as a music journalist. Let me paint a picture for you. Seeing this show entails two straight hours of listening to some of the greatest rock classics of all time (All Along The Watchtower, Hotel California, Stairway To Heaven, Dream On.....just to name a few). Add to that the fact that the talented musicians performing these classics just happen to have been members of some of the greatest rock acts of all time (Whitesnake, Dio, Dokken, Survivor, Quiet Riot, Asia, Badfinger, Bon Jovi, Heart...and more). The entire experience takes place in a casino music venue, which means that anywhere you sit you have a great view of the show. The songs are interspersed with some rock history facts flashed on the screens backing the performers and a little bit of comedy thrown in, but make no mistake.....this is a fucking rock show through and through.
To give you an idea of the talent that takes the Rock Vault stage, check out the list of players they have currently:
Doug Aldrich: Guitar (Whitesnake, Dio)
Mark Boals: Lead Vocals (Dokken, Yngwie Malmsteem, Ted Nugent)
Stephanie Calvert: Lead Vocals (Starship)
Andrew Freeman: Lead Vocals (Offspring)
Howard Leese: Guitar (Heart, Bad Company) Carol-Lyn Liddle: Lead Vocals (Masters of Rock) Robin McAuley: Lead Vocals (MSG, Survivor) Hugh McDonald: Bass (Bon Jovi, Ringo Starr) Michael T. Ross: Keyboards (Lita Ford) Paul Shortino: Lead Vocals (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot) Jay Schellen: Drums (Hurricane, Asia, Badfinger)
I want to make something clear when it comes to this show, at least where I am concerned. The Rock Vault cast ARE NOT A COVER BAND. Don't get me wrong, I've seen some great cover bands in my time (and some not so great ones). The difference here is clear and obvious. The above lineup are not a group of musicians who got together to play great rock covers.......they are some of the most talented rock artists of their era with countless hits under their belts who are performing the greatest rock classics of all time. They do each and every song more than justice. You never doubt for a moment that they live to play and want to show their respect for each song by playing them flawlessly. This is what has kept me coming back to see this show every time I'm in town, and why they were voted best musical in a city that spews out musicals left and right. By the end of the night, the entire house is standing and singing, arms in the air and screaming.....just like it should be at any great rock concert.
I referenced Field Of Dreams in the title of this review, and for good reason. In the movie you have some of the best baseball players of all time coming together (albeit as ghosts) to play the game the way it was meant to be played, drawing people from all over to remind themselves of the way things used to be. I'd say that is the perfect analogy for RAIDING THE ROCK VAULT. You take some great musicians and put them all together to play the greatest rock hits of all time, drawing people from all over who want to relive their youths and remember the way rock used to be. If they play it, they will come.
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