The announcement that Count’s Vamp’d will be closing is definitely a blow to the Las Vegas music community, with fans left wondering if anyone will purchase the venue and keep it a house of rock for those living in or visiting Sin City who wish to bang their heads.
Vamp’d is for sale, with a hefty price tag, making it a sizable investment for anyone who wants to try to take on the risk and keep live rock entertainment alive in Sin City. This article is a list of five people living in or who have close ties to Las Vegas, who I feel could be potentially good fits to purchase the venue and keep it a fully functional house of rock.
Keep in mind that this list is SPECULATION ONLY. None of the people in this article have expressed an interest in purchasing Vamp’d. These are simply people with the money and love of rock and roll to their name that I think could potentially be a good fit for purchasing/owning/running the venue. Again, these are my words only and nothing more than wishful thinking; I do not know these people personally.
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HONORABLE MENTION: Nicolas Cage
He’s a Hollywood A-lister who calls Las Vegas home, and has made appearances at many local rock-based events over the years. This one’s perhaps a tad unrealistic, but one can dream… right?
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5: Carrot Top
The famed prop comic has had a residency at the Luxor for well over a decade. He’s hilarious, he’s a household name, and perhaps most importantly, he loves rock and roll! This includes having been at Vamp’d for filming a King Kobra music video back in 2012, and serving as something of an emcee figure at the Appice Drum Wars. They say rock and comedy go hand in hand… so if it were to happen, this could be a match made in rock and roll heaven.
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4) Gregg Giuffria.
Mr. Giuffria was a rock keyboardist back in the day, playing with the band Angel in the 1970s, and in the 80s playing in his band Giuffria, and its subsequent spin-off band, House of Lords. In later years he made a fortune in more business-oriented ventures, including creating technology to make slot machines play music. Giuffria is unique on this list because he knows the music business from BOTH sides; performing and the actual business aspect. When you look at his history, he seems like the ideal guy for running the former Vamp’d.
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3: The Pawn Stars
Danny “The Count” Koker, owner of Vamp’d, has a long association with the cast of PAWN STARS, having previously served as an auto restoration specialist on their TV series before getting his own show, COUNTING CARS. PAWN STARS is a show that exploded in popularity overnight, and remains immensely popular, having spawned many spin-off shows as well. Corey, Rick, and Chumlee (sadly the Old Man is no longer with us) have ventured into other business lines, including creating an entire “Pawn Plaza” where their shop is. If they wanted to expand into another venture, a live music venue seems right up their entrepreneurial alley.
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2: Chuck Brennan
Brennan is the founder/majority owner of the popular Dollar Loan Center chain of payday loan businesses across Nevada, which has also branched into several other states. He’s also a huge rock and roll fan, utilizing people like Vince Neil and Sebastian Bach in his television commercials (does anyone remember way back when the Dollar Loan Center jingle was a parody of “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi?) The venue in Henderson that is now known as Lee’s Family Forum previously carried the Dollar Loan Center branding as well. Additionally, Brennan is the one putting on the final “big” shows at Vamp’d. He’s a successful businessman. He’s a rock lover. He’s clearly got a good relationship with many people in the music business. Could the big shows at Vamp’d be a “trial run” for him potentially buying the place? Make this happen!
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1: Criss Angel
If ever anyone could be called a rockstar magician, it’s Criss Angel. This guy is a pop culture icon with his incredible magic and stun work, and he’s made himself at home in Las Vegas over the years. He’s a musician as well, and has personal and professional relationships with several fellow musicians. And he’s no stranger to the business world, owning a restaurant in rural Nevada in addition to his many successful live magic shows and television series. Angel‘s name and the branding that comes with it would provide instant recognition, making any spot he’d run instantly popular and a likely tourist attraction for headbangers visiting the Vegas Valley, in addition to being a great rock spot for locals.
How about you? Is there anyone else you think could be a potentially good purchaser/owner of Vamp’d, keeping it a rock venue? Do you agree with these selections? Feel free to share your comments below, and let us know what you think!
DISCLAIMER: This article and the opinions herein are strictly the opinions of Taylor T. Carlson. They do not necessarily reflect the views of ZRock’R Magazine, Count’s Vamp’d or any of the other staff members of either entity. Photos come from Google searches and are not our property.