By: Sam Wagmeister/Nightlife Editor
The Bronx Wanderers show at Bally’s Windows Showroom is a tightly scripted performance that leaves many audience members claiming, “The best show on The Strip.” But lead singer
Vinny told an audience last month “Every once in a while, life gets in the way” in displaying his gratitude for the group’s fans.
On his right arm, Vinny wears a rainbow of wristbands supporting his fans fighting cancer. Often, when one of his survivors is in attendance, Vinny relates the wristband story. One-night, last month, the story took a new twist.
Attending their first Bronx Wanderers show were 34-year old Andrea Argier, battling bone cancer, and her mother Jan. “What I’d like to do now,” Vinny told the audience midway through the show, “is acknowledge a couple of very special people in the house.”
He related the story of his first survivor who inspired the original wristband. Ending his story, Vinny said, “Tonight, sitting in the house is my newest survivor.” Stepping off the stage, he presented Andrea with a wristband emblazoned with her “Unite for Andrea” slogan and her funding page information.
Band members raised their arms, displaying their wristbands worn throughout the show heralding support for Andrea. Showroom manager Jason Atkinson’s team distributed wristbands to each audience member.
Doctors were puzzled ten years ago when Andrea first approached them. It took three years to pinpoint the cause of her too-frequent bone breaks, migraine headaches and other symptoms.
She was forced to abandon her career in behind-the-scenes movie production when her eyesight diminished so she could no longer see well enough to edit film and video on a computer. Her mother Jan has become a stay-at-home mom to care for Andrea, sometimes bed-bound from pain.
Multiple fractures to her right hip now require a cane and a shoe with a 4-inch buildup. Andrea has lost functionality of one kidney and doctors are trying to determine the cause of holes developing in her breastbone.
To support Andrea’s road to recovery, obtain a free wristband by emailing me: GreatLasVegasMusic@Gmail.com. Contributions are also welcome at: www.YouCaring.com/UniteForAndreaArgier.