Roxanne played Count’s Vamp’d on Friday, March 24, 2023, with support act Classic Chaos.
As usual in Sin City, Count’s Vamp’d continues to play host to the best local, national, and international rock bands. The evening of March 24 was no exception, featuring not one but two bands I hadn’t seen before; unsung rock heroes Roxanne, and local classic rock/hard rock tribute band Classic Chaos!
Classic Chaos started the show, with a set that largely consisted of covers of classic rock and 80s hard rock songs. One of the first things I noticed about the band was the sheer number of members on stage. Your average rock band generally has three to five members, but this group, the support act for the evening, no less, had a whopping SIX musicians on stage! That’s a vocalist, two guitarists, bassist, drummer, and even a keyboardist, something many bands these days are lacking. Did I mention the singer and bassist were female? Getting to see so many bands rock the stage at Vamp’d is always a good thing, and it’s always an added privilege getting to see women rock that stage.
I won’t deny I was somewhat pessimistic at first glance; cover bands in Las Vegas are a dime a dozen. Classic Chaos, however, very quickly defied expectations. The band immediately had a hurdle dealt to them due to the situation with drum kits; Roxanne brought their own so Classic Chaos was using the house kit positioned in front of the Roxanne one. That meant almost no move to maneuver on stage. Despite this, the members of Classic Chaos were surprisingly animated and energetic. I’ve seen too many bands with players who simply stand on a stage like robots and go through the motions, but there’s clearly a good chemistry here. With an eclectic setlist that included artists like Judas Priest, Ratt, Night Ranger, and Autograph, it was a good way to get the audience pumped. This was my first time seeing Classic Chaos (according to the band members afterwards they hadn’t played Vamp’d before) but I’m hoping it won’t be the last!
Headlining for the evening was Roxanne. I can confess that prior to this evening, I had next to no familiarity with these guys, though I’d heard good things from my fellow music fans. They’ve played Vamp’d before, though I hadn’t caught any of those gigs, making this my first time checking them out. They released an album back in 1988 but largely disappeared from the music world and faded into obscurity… only to return three decades later to a surprise comeback and new music! It’s also hard to pinpoint an exact sound/subgenre of rock for these guys, though I mean that as a compliment.
One thing I noticed right from the band arriving on stage is that these guys didn’t look like any other rock band I’ve ever seen. I’m used to seeing rock bands in street clothes or bad-ass leather gear. And out come these guys, who look like they swiped their outfits from the set of MIAMI VICE. If they wanted to get my attention and make their image memorable, they certainly did that by looking like literally no one else. Luckily, the guys rocked hard and heavy from the get-go, and it quickly expanded from a four-man band to a cavalcade of special guests!
First to join the band on stage following a few songs was keyboardist Michael T. Ross, these days known largely for his role in RAIDING THE ROCK VAULT, where he remains the one original member. And to further add to the experience, he even brought fellow ROCK VAULT alum Todd Kerns on stage with him! Kerns of course is best known these days for being Slash’s bass player, but has an extensive career of his own, including work with his Canadian rock project Toque. Kerns shared vocal duties for several tracks, bringing the thunder to the stage.
As the evening continued, the array of guests further continued! We got not one but two female vocalists hitting the stage (including the singer from Classic Chaos), and Last in Line vocalist Andrew Freeman rocking the crowd as well, plus a guest guitarist. This show continued bringing the thunder, never slowing down, with everyone on stage having a great chemistry.
And just when you thought you’d seen it all, the band gave audiences an encore for the ages with a bizarre medley of pop and dance songs, featuring everything from Wild Cherry to New Kids on the Block! The show was lengthy and epic, but I gladly would’ve spent another hour rocking out to their unique sound.
Roxanne rocks. And Classic Chaos started the set in fine form. It was a blistering nonstop gig with no shortage of epic rock and roll. While my first time seeing either band, I don’t plan on it being the last. In fact, it’s just been announced that Roxanne will be joining Last in Line (also featuring Andrew Freeman, who was a guest at this gig) at the Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip on April 1. Don’t pass up a chance to see these guys doing what they do best.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
All photos other than event ad taken by the author.