Grand numbers for BW

By John Katsilometes Las Vegas Review-Journal

October 19, 2019 - 6:07 pm

The Bronx Wanderers joke about how they determine their set list for the show at Mat Franco Theater. This process stops just short of fisticuffs, as young Vin A. has prevailed to tear through Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” each performance and patriarch Vinny Adinolfi gets all of his Frankie Valli and the Four Season hits.

But there was no debate about working up a new closing medley, which invokes The Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” the ending suite from “Abbey Road,” and a tribute to “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” subbing in “Bronx Wanderers family rock ‘n’ roll band” as the lyric.

That flourish was developed in time for the guys to celebrated their 1,000 show in Las Vegas this month, splitting between Bally’s and Linq Hotel. Remarkably, Adinolfi the Elder has never missed a show, owed to his great medical team and not because (as insiders have claimed) he is a hologram.

Actually, Vin A. has said his father won’t miss a show because he doesn’t trust the band in his absence. Something about performing a Van Halen medley. Whatever, if that ever happens, I’ll be there and I’m bringing Diamond Dave with me …

Wayne Newton presides over vow renewal during Bronx Wanderers show

By John Katsilometes Las Vegas Review-Journal

September 27, 2019 - 6:13 pm

Vinny Adinolfi plays a game called, “What would Wayne do?” It’s a reference to big decisions, with Wayne Newton in the pivotal role.

As his 36th wedding anniversary approached, Adinolfi wondered how to mark a special moment for his wife, Carol. As Adinolfi, founder of the family rock ‘n’ roll act the Bronx Wanderers, told the crowd at Mat Franco Theater on Monday, “Every time I have to make a decision at home, I ask, ‘What would Wayne do?’”

At that, Newton himself arrived from the wings with a microphone.

“What would Wayne do?” Newton asked as the crowd shouted and applauded. “I think that Wayne would renew his wedding vows.”

Kathleen Newton, Wayne’s wife, also took part in the ceremony, which was certainly unrehearsed (those faltering microphones were one indication). The Adinolfis and Newtons became close when they shared residencies at the former Windows Showroom at Bally’s, which is now The Magic Attic.

Carol had not been told of this plan, which was several days in planning and included an invitation for Vinny’s brother, Richie, to join the band on keyboard. “Carol! You have to come down!” Vinny called toward the back of the theater.

Carol Adinolfi would later say, “Can you believe this? Mr. Las Vegas! But I thought something might have been up when I was walking to the theater and I knew everyone who was lined up for the show!”

Thursday’s appearance was Newton’s second unbilled performance in less than a week. He also joined The Black Keys, unannounced, at Life is Beautiful late last Saturday night.

The Adinolfis plan to vacation in Maui, where they spent their honeymoon. Vinny is notoriously reluctant to take any nights off — he never missed a performance in two years when the show was at Bally’s. So the couple are due for some down time, some sunshine and a few waves.

“Carol is always telling me I’m not romantic,” Vinny said, grinning. “I think this is pretty romantic.”

"Always So Good!" The Bronx Wanderers LIVE! at the Grunin Center

By Spotlight Central

The Bronx Wanderers are in the house this Sunday, May 19, 2019 afternoon at Toms River, NJ’s Grunin Center for the Arts. On this — the first of two sold-out shows on a single day — the group is poised to entertain the Jersey crowd with an appealing selection of tunes ranging from the 1950s all the way to the present day.

The Bronx Wanderers is comprised of a father, Vinny Sr., on lead vocals; his son, Vin A., on keyboards and guitar; and his other son, drummer Nicky “Stix.” Because Nicky just became a father himself last week, Vinny Sr.’s nephew, Alex, is filling in with the band tonight on drums.

Rounding out The Wanderers are three of Vin A. and Nicholas’ high school friends — David Braun on guitar, Joe Bari on sax, and Fernando Tort on bass.

According to Vinny Sr., even though he grew up in the Bronx — where, over the years, he became friends with such famous local residents as Chazz Palminteri, Danny Aiello, and Tony Orlando — once he was older, he decided to cross the river and raise his family in Demarest, located in nearby Bergen County, New Jersey.

Says Vinny Sr. about having such a personal connection to New Jersey, “Hey… New Jersey is my home!”

Old-School Feels New With The Bronx Wanderers at The Linq

April 29th, 2019

By Brock Radke

So many great bands have made the Strip their home through the years, turning casino lounges and showrooms into the most buzzed-about parties in Las Vegas. The must-see band of the moment is the Bronx Wanderers, who paid their Vegas dues for the last two years at Bally’s intimate Windows Showroom and recently slid into the Mat Franco Theater at the Linq, a larger space that can feel a little cavernous without some serious energy.

Don’t worry. These guys have energy to spare. The Bronx Wanderers is a celebration of American rock and roll and the story of one musical family, told through their favorite songs (and yours) with plenty of laughs and memories along the way.

After a pre-show video provides a bit of backstory, the six-piece starts things off, of course, with “The Wanderer,” originally recorded by Dion, who hails from the same Italian-American Bronx neighborhood as Vinny Adinolfi, the longtime record producer now living his dream performing on the Strip. He sings, tells stories and plays guitar, anchoring the show, while his sons Vin A. and Nicky scorch the stage with band mates David Braun on guitar, Fernando Torte on bass and Joe Bari on horns and keyboards.

This is the second generation of the Bronx Wanderers, which originated with some of Adinolfi’s older peers and has toured the country for years, but it’s one of the tightest outfits playing the Strip these days and the groups’s mastery of some challenging rock classics - everything from Billy Joel’s “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” - is beyond impressive. The set bounces between dad’s picks (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Neil Diamond, Elvis) and songs for the boys (the Stray Cats “Rock This Town”) and nobody misses a beat. It doesn’t matter what genre of era the songs are coming from, if it’s a hit, these guys can play it with power.

The dynamic between Vinny, Nicky on the drums and Vin A on piano, vocals and guitar is familiar and effortlessly entertaining; they take the music seriously but not so much themselves. A while back they added a two-song medley acknowledging U.S. veterans and service people (The Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son”) and it resonates emotionally while straight-up rocking the house. You’ll only get a better version of “Fortunate Son” in Las Vegas when John Fogerty is in town at Encore Theater.

There are sing-alongs and stories about Wayne Newton and Paul Anka. There’s surf rock and “Johnny B. Goode” and Bruno Mars. There’s more music than you can handle and when it’s all over, you’ll feel like you’re part of the family.

The Bronx Wanderers take the stage at 4 p.m. Sunday, 9:15 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday (dark Saturdays) at the Mat Franco Theater at the Linq.

The Bronx Wanderers Premiere New Show at the LINQ Hotel

By Sam Novak

Inside the family band’s new production

There's something about the music and culture of late 1950s/early 1960s Bronx New York that strikes a chord with music fans. The 1979 cult film The Wanderers and songs by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons continue to entertain audiences as a new generation discovers that special time and place. The Bronx Wanderers are a part of that timeless legacy. This Italian family band has its roots in the Jersey Boys era, but with their feet firmly planted in contemporary Las Vegas. A veritable living jukebox of legendary hits, this handsome and talented collection of musicians and singers brings down the house with every performance.

Patriarch Vinny Adinolf worked behind the scenes in the music industry for decades. A successful record producer and label executive, he was instrumental in the careers of Dion and the Belmonts, Jim Croce, Alabama, Reba McEntire and many more. Despite his enormous success spearheading other artists, Adinolfi had always wanted to have his own act.

By the mid-2000's, Vinny's two sons had mastered several instruments and exhibited an enormous amount of musical talent. The time was right to form a family band and take that Jersey Boys sound out on the road. That's how The Bronx Wanderers was born.

The fledgling musical group became an instant success that continued to evolve through the years. Originally accompanied by Jim Fracassi (of The Earls), Adinolfi and sons Vinny III (aka Vin. A) and drummer Nick are now backed up a group of the boys' high school friends. This generation-spanning line-up has energized The Bronx Wanderers and formed a gateway for more recent hits in their repertoire.

By the end of their first decade, The Bronx Wanderers had already found their way to Las Vegas, enjoying a successful residency at the intimate Windows Showroom of Bally's. But such a massive talent deserved a much larger venue. So, The Bronx Wanderers have "wandered" into a new home down the Strip at LINQ's Mat Franco Showroom.

Their official opening on February 20th was a star-studded gala. Celebrities like Cindy Williams (Laverne and Shirley), BMX pro Ricardo Laguna, actor Chazz Palminteri, magician Mat Franco and Tenors of Rock strolled the red carpet along with the casts of Fantasy, Menopause the Musical and Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man.

A near-capacity crowd was treated to an opening video montage of The Bronx Wanderers' history. When the curtain rose, the band unleashed an avalanche of non-stop rock and roll hits, beginning with spot-on recreations of classics from father Vinny's period songbook. Favorites like "The Wanderer," "Walk Like A Man," "Rag Doll" and "Who Loves You" are so close to the originals that you'll be amazed.

Next up are a series of "surfer" songs, as well as a medley from the Vietnam War era. Papa Vinny then takes a break, and the young guys cut loose for a raucous "Uptown Funk." That Bruno Mars chart-topper is cleverly inserted between a stunning rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and a medley of Four Seasons tunes.

This segment of the show, focused on the next generation, actually proves to be a high point. Vin. A is an absolute master of keyboards, guitar and lead vocals. Nick is one of the finest drummers to be found on any Vegas stage. The remainder of the band, consisting of David Braun, Joe Bari and Fernando Tort, is so fantastic that if their founding member were to retire, The Bronx Wanderers will undoubtedly continue to soar.

The recently renovated and re-named "Mat Franco Theater" turns out to be an excellent location for a musical production. Acoustics are fine, the sound system is powerful, and the video backdrops and wider stage serve the band well. A more contemporary seating arrangement replaces the original tables and booths, allowing for improved sight lines and accessibility.

The Bronx Wanderers perform at LINQ Hotel Casino. Find showtimes and tickets here.

The Bronx Wanderers Celebrate Grand Opening of New Show at The LINQ Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas

February 22, 2019 by VegasNews.com 
The Bronx Wanderers celebrated the grand opening of their new show at The LINQ Hotel & Casino on Wednesday, Feb. 20 with a red carpet before their performance. Celebrity attendees included Chazz Palminteri, Mat Franco, Anthony Cools, Chadwick Johnson, Chris Phillips of Zowie Bowie, Douglas Leferovich, Eric Jordan Young, Frederic Da Silva, Gerry McCambridge, Michael Shapiro, Melody Sweets, Ricardo Laguna, Tenors of Rock, the ladies from Fantasy, and the casts of “Menopause the Musical” and “Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man.” (Pictured: Chazz Palmintere with The Bronx Wanderers – Photo credit: Ira Kuzma / www.IraKuzmaPhotos.com).

Up close and personal, yet larger than life, the father-and-son trio, flanked by their top-notch band, effortlessly perform hits made famous by the likes of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Dion, Queen, Billy Joel and Bruno Mars.

United by their passion for great music, The Bronx Wanderers are helmed to perfection by charismatic master entertainer Vinny Adinolfi, who is a former chart-topping record producer. He is joined on stage by his two sons – Vinny “Vin. A” Adinolfi III, an Italian Brian Wilson who sings, arranges and plays several different instruments, and drummer extraordinaire Nicky Adinolfi – as well as a killer hand-picked backup band, including Joe Bari, Fernando Tort and David Braun.

The show is produced by Glist Entertainment and the creative team is made up of Director Jonathan Tessero, Lighting Designer Ryan Patridge, and Jeff Lester from Big Picture Studios as Video Designer.

With superlative vocals and musicianship, dynamic enthusiasm and a genuine love of the music they perform, The Bronx Wanderers recreate the magic of the era and build an energetic bond with their audience.

The show tells the stories and plays the music that will take you as close as you can get to having lived the actual experience. The Bronx Wanderers take the stage each night with new material, but they never leave out the favorites that their fans and audiences have come to love.

The Bronx Wanderers have toured the country over the past 12 years, playing pop/rock classics spanning six decades in front of sold-out audiences everywhere. The show covers all musical bases, and hits an out-of-the-park home run with audiences of all ages every night.

This is more than just an amazingly talented family band. The Bronx Wanderers are a heart, a sound, a feeling and a harmony that goes right to the heart of the crowd, getting them singing along and up on their feet like no other show can do.

The Bronx Wanderers perform Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays at 9 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. and are dark on Saturdays. Tickets ranging in price from $59.99 to $109 are on sale now and may be purchased online at TheLINQ.com, by calling (702) 777-2782 and (855) 234-7469, or in person at any Las Vegas Caesars Entertainment Box Office. For groups of 10 or more call 1-866-574-3851 or email EntertainmentGroupSales@Caesars.com.

For more information, visit thebronxwanderers.com.

© 2019, VegasNews.com. All rights reserved. All content copyrighted or used with permission. All rights reserved. This content may not be distributed, modified, reproduced in whole or in part without prior permission from VegasNews.com

Inside look at The Bronx Wanderers new show at The Linq

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Bronx Wanderers celebrated the grand opening of their new show at The LINQ Hotel & Casino on Feb. 20 with a red carpet before their performance.

Celebrity attendees included Mat Franco, Anthony Cools, Chris Phillips of Zowie Bowie, Melody Sweets, Ricardo Laguna, Tenors of Rock and more.

The Bronx Wanderers perform Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays at 9 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. Tickets start at $59.99 and may be purchased online , at The Linq box office or by calling (702) 777-2782.

Q&A: VINNY "VIN A." ADINOLFI III

BY BROCK RADKE 
FEBRUARY 8, 2019

Consisting of father Vinny Adinolfi, his sons Nicky and Vin and their high-energy backing band, the Bronx Wanderers trekked from New York to Las Vegas in 2016 and immediately began building a reputation for one of the most rollicking rock shows on the Strip. Covering everything and everyone from Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons to Bruno Mars, BW’s 90-minute sensation outgrew its first Vegas home at Bally’s and has relocated to The Linq, taking the stage at the Mat Franco Theater six nights a week. Las Vegas Magazine's Brock Radke caught up with singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Vinny “Vin A.” Adinolfi III to find out where this unique, genre- and era-spanning act is going from here.

You’ve been performing in Las Vegas for more than two years, but how long have the Bronx Wanderers been the thing for you?

Since birth! I’m just kidding. The Bronx Wanderers started in 2006 with my brother and I and my dad and his friends. He got a bunch of cool people from the neighborhood to do the band with us, guys from the Earls and the Regents and the Tokens. My brother and I were the only two young dudes. We started progressing and were eventually playing 250 dates a year, just always on the road, and the guys never got to see their families where we were lucky because we were with our family. So they had to leave. But I told my dad, don’t worry about it, Nicky and I had our own band. So now it was a 50-year-old musician going on the road with a bunch of 18-year-olds and everybody loved it.

And you eventually decided you wanted to do a show in Las Vegas. Why was that so important?

Mainly it was for my dad. I was young and had no idea of the whole Vegas thing, but I liked the idea of having people come to you as opposed to you going to them. Dad was a record executive for 30 years and he looked up to Wayne Newton and the Rat Pack and Tom Jones and it was his dream to be one of those guys. We had no idea it would work out. I’d ever seen my dad so excited as when he’d get on that elevator at Bally’s every day and Wayne Newton was in the same elevator going to do his show. He was just, “Can you believe this? Do you kids even know the gravity of this?”

You just moved the show into the larger Mat Franco Theater at The Linq. It’s a big move.

We’re excited and nervous about it. The team (at The Linq) told us, “Just do what you’re doing. You’ve earned this.” And Mat Franco couldn’t have been cooler. That kind of support has been a calming force. And we’re adding a bunch of new stuff to the show, new screens, new costumes and adding a lot of new moments to the show. We can’t wait for people to see this new installment.

There’s so much energy at that property right now. Does the excitement from other new features at the Linq carry over to you guys?

Oh yeah. They just added that new zipline (The FlyLinq) and it’s bringing a ton of people and there’s a new convention center under construction. It’s a really cool location right between Harrah’s and the Flamingo which is kind of our demo, but we’ve got a bunch of young guys in the band and we’re hoping more young people will come to the show. My whole goal with Bronx Wanderers is to get an age group from 8 to 88, to have something for everybody. It’s not an easy task but when you do it right, it’s so rewarding.

What about adapting off the stage? Do you feel you’ve become a real local Las Vegan?

I immediately fell in love with Las Vegas because there’s so much going on musically. It’s not like anywhere else. But I’ve definitely been able to do some fun stuff when I have time. I really like going to Giada and having a nice glass of wine. I’m pretty tight with Anthony Cools and he brought me to Axe Monkeys (an indoor axe throwing range). One of my favorite things out here is Musashi, this really cool (teppanyaki) restaurant that’s open until 4 a.m. This town is a lot like New York where everything is open 24/7, it’s just a lot more chill. New York has that anxious vibe where people are rushing around even when they don’t need to be somewhere.

The Bronx Wanderers find new home at The LINQ

Vegas band The Bronx Wanderers talk about their new show over at the Contact Theater at The LINQ running Sunday-Friday.

The Bronx Wanderers are moving on up at the Linq

By Brock Radke 

Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019 | 2 a.m.

The Bronx Wanderers have been a touring rock and roll show for a dozen years but the later part of that run was spent trying to get to Las Vegas. Why? It was for dear old dad.

“My dad is a big believer in having a five-year plan,” explains Vinny “Vin A.” Adinolfi III, who forms the core of the group with drummer brother Nicky and record label exec and producer-turned-entertainer father Vinny. “The first five-year plan was to start a band and be in all the oldies shows in the New York area. Peter Noone or Tony Orlando or someone like that would play and we’d open that show. And then we went on tour around the country to try to become our own thing, and that was the next five years, headlining.”

The next five-year plan was all about Las Vegas, Vin continues, because his dad was such a fan of the city’s music scene and endless array of stars, the ones he worshipped working in the industry for decades. Guys like Wayne Newton.

After a Bronx Wanderers show in Florida, the Adinolfis met some of the producers who had installed “Menopause The Musical” in Las Vegas and they thought the guys and their band would be a good fit for the Strip. Flash forward to September 2016 when BW opened in the Windows Showroom at Bally’s, sharing the theater with none other than Newton himself.

“I’ve never seen my dad as excited as when he’d get in that elevator every day to go up to the showroom and Wayne Newton would be in the elevator after getting done with his own show,” Vin says. “He was just, ‘Can you believe this? Do you kids even know the gravity of this?’ And it was so cool to hang out with Wayne even if we were starstruck. He’s so cool and down to earth.”

After a couple years at Bally’s, the group built enough momentum to move into a bigger room: BW opened this week at the Mat Franco Theater at the Linq, a 600-seat room in a casino with a lot of new energy. They’re hoping to take advantage of that energy and expand the show’s audience, which has always included different people of different ages and not just folks reliving the glory days of old-fashioned rock and roll.

“My whole goal with Bronx Wanderers is we want anyone from age 8 to 88 to be able to enjoy the music and the show together, to have something for everybody,” Vin says. “It’s just like those of us in the band, we’re all different ages and we all need to be satisfied with the music and what we do. It’s not an easy task but when you do it right, it’s so rewarding.”

The father-and-son trio and their bandmates — Joe Bari, Fernando Tort and David Braun — will continue to storm through classics from Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Dion, Queen and Billy Joel, among others, along with more modern hits performed in the signature BW style. The scale will be greater at the Linq.

“I’m super proud of the guys in the band and the show’s entire staff because I wouldn’t be where I am without these people behind us and involved in this project,” Vin says. “If you surround yourself with the right people and they’re all in it with hearts facing the same goal, great things can happen.”

The Bronx Wanderers perform Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 9 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Mat Franco Theater at the Linq (3535 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-777-2782) and more information can be found at caesars.com/linq.