I’m on my third Vegas trip in a 45 days. I have made the Big Apple Bar in the New York, New York my regular hang out. I love the 80’s cover bands and the laid back feeling of the place. But on my first visit of this trip, I was surprised to see something a little different.
For the first time I caught Michael Grimm play with his band, and how I didn’t get my fill of Def Leopard covers, I did get treated to something surprisingly good. In a town that has the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty right across the street from each other,just down the street from a pyramid and medieval castle, you come to expect half-assed attempts at being authentic. But Michael Grimm’s show seemed so genuinely special, I almost forgot I was in Vegas. He somehow closed the atmosphere and made the whole place feel more like a small club in Memphis.
Now I should say I don’t know what Grimm’s show is like normally. This show happened to be on his birthday, and he had some extra help from Stephanie Calvert (who belted out a great 4 Non Blondes song) and Johnny Johnson (who treated us to a great impromptu Earth, Wind and Fire song). There is another member to Grimm’s group whose name I didn’t catch, but he chimes in with some amazing vocals and did an incredible cover of Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight that was somehow both faithful to the original and yet a little unique.
I make a habit of buying any artist CD’s at their concerts, mostly because I like supporting musicians directly, so I picked up Michael Grimm’s CD. The CD is a live performance and sounds very similar to the quality I heard tonight at the club. I’m anxious to get home and pump it out through a better sound system than my headphones.
If you get the opportunity, definitely check out Michael Grimm at the New York.
