ROCK FOR THE SUMMER 

PART #2: The highly anticipated. Written, but not published till now.

Apparently, at the time I had NO idea the poolside P.O.D. show was merely an appetizer for my self proclaimed rock reunion.  Everyone was discussing heading to Vamp’d to see none other than Smashing Alice. We made our way out of the pool area and into the Hard Rock parking garage.  I hitched a ride with my front man pal and his super sweet girlfriend and we were headed there.

For those of you that don’t know what Vamp’d is, it’s the best local rock club in all of Las Vegas. Owned and ran by Danny and Korie Koker who are also rock stars! The club was formerly owned by frontman of Motley Crue, Vince Neil…but he obviously screwed that up. Danny and Korie are killing it. They have some of the best local and big names alike go through their doors. And everyone that knows anything, knows full well Korie is in charge. They pack the house night after night and this night was definitely no exception.

From the moment you slide through the doors you feel like you’re truly home in your very own house of rock! The house from front to back was freaking packed as usual for the notorious boys of Smashing Alice. Oh and I guess some other band that opened for them…clearly not important. Smashing had already started and were already bringing the HEAT. 

I grabbed an ice cold Corona from my buddy at the bar. It’s literally like Cheers here…everyone knows everyone. I love that! I said my hellos and made my way up to the very front of the stage where all of my people were already getting their faces melted. And everyone that is familiar with this band comes fully prepared to be in pain the next day. These notorious dudes, simply put have ZERO boundaries and that’s what I love the most. 

The frontman and architect of chaos for Smashing Alice is none other than rocker/country boy Dallas Williams. Williams has some of the best stage presence I’ve ever witnessed.  In between the insanely hard hitting metal covers he screams, “HELL YEAH, FUCK YEAH!!” And the crowd responds as if they are eating out of his very hands. I mean, honestly who covers the shit out of Limp Bizkit?? Deftones…Everyone went nuts! And speaking of nuts…Paulie Walnuts plucking away on the bass guitar! He always has a crazy grin on his face like you know he’s definitely up to something. And what he was up to this night was melting faces. You can find him after the show on the right side of the bar by the cigarette machine for a good laugh or three. Chris Iorio playing for approximately 27 different projects and always making it look so easy on stage. But the whole time he’s smiling and having fun. Dudes seriously a beast. Iorio could quite possibly be the best local guitar player out there currently.  Craig Nielsen banging on the drums to make for that heavy dirty rock sound. He’s a very serious hard hitting drummer. The ultimate combination of raw talent and these dudes burnt the house DOWN as usual!

Insane amounts of long black hair and big tits banging around the front of that stage and I was of course no exception!!! Mostly just the long black hair though.  Stand back when you see us or you’ll get whipped in the face for sure. Love my rocker girls. Everybody was feeling the vibe they were stuffing down our throats. Song after song…singing/screaming along to every word. Everyone leaves with the feeling that they saw like 10 different “professional” bands because they’re just that damn good. The next day if you can still actually move your neck, then there’s no way you really SAW a Smashing Alice show!!! Let alone enjoyed it fully. And let me tell you I was hurting Sunday morning. 

These notorious dudes of Smashing Alice mostly play at Vamp’d for obvious reasons… but now they’re turning up the heat in a big way. They’ve got some pretty great shows coming up all over the city of Las Vegas and more. Saturday, July 20 they’ll be lighting up the strip at The Tuscany Suites!!! Do yourself a favor and check them out! Love these freaking guys!!!

And like always…support your Las Vegas local rock scene!!!!

twiggy talks rock

AVA-Who? AVATAR. 🖤🤡🎶

Now back to regular scheduled programming… the music. I’d heard the whispers, especially at the P.O.D. show the previous Saturday. All of my rock n’ roll friends were talking about the AVATAR show happing next Saturday at The House of Blues. The whole place was buzzing about who was not going to miss such a crazy show. The entire time I’m thinking to myself…man have I been out of the loop this long? Ava-who??? I honestly had no clue who this band was and what all the hype was about. I literally felt like the only person on the planet that didn’t know them. So I realized very quickly if I wanted to get myself integrated back into my beloved rock scene I should probably do some serious research as soon as possible.

There’s not too many new rock bands out there today that can arouse this kind of excitement from the Las Vegas rock scene. So naturally I turned straight to Wikipedia to get some answers. Blah, blah…Swedish heavy metal band, seven studio albums, 2001 to present. Ok. Avatar Country being the most recent in 2018. Everyone has been completely eating up these Swedish metal bands. I guess thank you Sweden.

Wikipedia did NOT remotely do them any justice. I watched a couple of videos and I was completely captivated and definitely not going to miss a spectacle of this magnitude. Avatar to me seemed like Alice Cooper, meets Rob Zombie on an avant-garde runway in the middle of a damn circus!! And that was just what I got from watching a couple of videos. I was more than intrigued.

I hadn’t bought my ticket yet, but I was definitely going. While I’m at work my man text me and says I’m on the guest list plus one for the show. He had a buddy that worked for Avatar. Well, that was pretty sweet!! My girlfriend, who “claims” to not be obsessed with Avatar (but she definitely is) didn’t have her ticket either so it worked out perfect that she was my plus one. I rush out of work after having a pretty great day and go home to get ready. My non-obsessed girlfriend meets me at the house and we do a little tequila pregaming.

We grab our Lyft ride…dude was a complete moron btw. And just when we think he knows the back way, he drops us off at the front of Mandalay Bay. Thank god we are smart little rocker chicks and don’t even attempt to wear heals up shows anymore. And we make our way to The House of Blues will call. Boom we got our tickets and started to head in the concert. But wait…the circus had already began at the merchandise table. I paid $10 to the bearded lady/man thing and spun the wheel to win a prize. I won an Avatar t-shirt…which promptly was stolen out of my hands by my girlfriend. Ok well what’s $10 more? On the next spin I won an Avatar autographed poster. So naturally, I lost the poster but got the shirt back.

We walk down the HOB stairs and into the concert venue….whoa, whoa, whoa…..it was hot as fuck in there!! No, I mean like really hot. I’ve been to this venue probably a thousand times so I know any nook and cranny by heart. We say our hellos and do a lap… hitting everyone with the selfies and group shots. I’ve always got to get my barrings first though and that means finding my bartender. Of course my regular rocker buddy has found me and we are off. My bartender isn’t hard to find as she’s the only super tall chick working. Found her!!! Singles or doubles? Duh, that’s not a real question right? You know the answer.

Currently there was some weird techno rock thing happening on stage. I was obviously unintentionally uninterested. There was excitement in the air for the headliner Avatar to start and strangely before them a comedian named Devin Townsend…who apparently is kind of a big deal. Plenty of my friends seemed pretty excited. The music that he played was pretty cool and he actually has a very good voice. He seriously had great range. But, sadly ANY kind of comedy type stuff is just not my thing. Sorry, not trying to offend anyone. I’m just keeping it real and maybe it’s my shitty attention span.

Now with out further ado… enter AVATAR COUNTRY!!!!! The lights go down and it’s time to see this psycho circus. Jonas Jarlsby is raised up from behind the drum kit on a golden throne fit for Daenerys Targaryen herself. He was a large man with a gold crown atop his long dreads and dark black eyes. And he was lighting that guitar on fire while sitting atop his throne. And this is how it all started. The band name AVATAR in golden bulbs behind the band. And it’s all hail the king. The rest of the band joins the stage… John Alfredsson on drums, with his hair slicked back in a long ponytail and looking devilishly evil. Banging on the drums like he was breaking plenty of laws. Henrik Sandelin stage right on the bass. Known as The Guitar Wizard, Tim Ohrstrom stage left and most importantly directly in front of me. I could barely take my eyes off of his playing. And taking center stage at his podium to lead the metal masses none other than frontman Johannes Eckerstrom!!!

The entire band is dressed like an avant-garde, high school marching band in Ringliing Brothers and Barnum & Bailey (the greatest show on earth). Eckerstrom is leading and directing the room with his long staff in hand. He was literally marching and high kicking all while singing and very well I might add. His voice was haunting and very mysterious to me, which I loved. And he yelled at us….VEGAS!! Which was actually a bit creepy, but I’m a good way. But this was no typical metal band. No this was HEAVY, HEAVY. And with each song ending with a new one beginning the energy in the room was building. This band was beating it into us with every chord. I’m not exactly how many songs in the show I noticed there was quite a wild mosh pit swirling directly behind me. I was so mesmerized with the music that the only reason I even noticed was that someone was thrown into the back of me. I throughly enjoy getting knocked around a little in a good mosh pit every once in a blue moon. Always a good sign to see chicks in the pit. But usually I just skate through them to get closer to the stage.

High kicks into hair rolls for days!!!! The entire band was completely in sync and I was dizzy as fuck. I mean seriously, how can they flip their hair and play for so long??? I can’t even hold my drink and headbang!! And the guitar sound was like nothing I had really heard before. I was beginning to think that guitar players actually were wizards. Maybe this is the new sound that we’ve been longing for and maybe the Swedes were doing it for us. Unbelievable. I’m honestly not familiar with the songs… but I do remember really enjoying “Paint Me Red” and “Let It Burn”. Let it burn! Burn! Burn!!! With a slight bluesy guitar riff to start. Flailing his arms and the crowd chanted along. Avatar played nearly 20 songs…I think 17 (don’t quote me on that). With each song the intensity was building…the crowd was sooooo into it. They were completely EATING out of the palm of Eckerstrom’s hand which was exactly what he demanded. As I looked around the floor a few times people’s faces actually looked stunned and in disbelief at how killer this show was. At one point he even played a damn trombone. How do rock n rollers get so involved during a trombone solo? Well…we were!! And did I mention I’m sweating buckets?

It was nearing the end of the show and I was seriously waiting for elephants and chimpanzees to be tight roping over the mosh pit. But to my dismay is was only a bubble show. Read that again..,ONLY a bubble show?!? Oh my god the bubbles were so perfect. The perfect way to end this crazy circus sideshow. Releasing bubbles during “Avatar Country”. They floated over us in the most pit and made for the raddest scenery for the end of the show. The combination of the golden bulbs, bubbles and now white jackets made for some kick ass stage appeal. And yes the entire crowd had entered actual Avatar Country. It was magical and mysterious just like the entire show!

All in all…I’m insanely excited about my first introduction to Avatar. I’m digging this fresh new heavy metal sound and love the overly insane theatrics. Whether it be Swedish, German, American or whatever it’s nice to know that rock is evolving for the ages and for us stuck in time. My friend informed me that Avatar will be returning to Vegas soon and you best believe I won’t be missing that show!!! Fuck yea Avatar Country baby!!!! I’m hooked. If you haven’t seen this band live, don’t miss the next show!!! I loved it. Now I completely understand the whispers…

🖤🎶twiggytalksrock🎶🖤

🖤🎶 ROCK FOR THE SUMMER 🎶🖤

PART 1:

Well….hello there!!! Did ya miss me? Yes, I get it… I’ve been completely and totally MIA in the rock scene. But this past Saturday June 8, I changed all that. With KOMP 92.3 putting on a summer kick off concert at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The headliners for this show were nonpoint and P.O.D. And this was exactly what I needed to plunge back into the rock world I’ve been missing so desperately.

Luckily, I got off work just in the nick of time. I’m a cocktail server/bartender so this is never an easy task. I’ve never rolled silverware so fast in all my life. It was 6 o’clock on a beautiful Saturday night and I was completely FREE!! First thing was first… I needed a dang ticket. I had my special KOMP code and I was ready to buy my ticket…wait, what? No more tickets?? Um no. I immediately took action and posted on Facebook. Boom, my beautiful friend who’s husband is a killer rock photographer responded within seconds. She had an extra freebie ticket with my name on it. And although this seems like a small favor in hindsight it really reignited my love and passion again. And for that I’m eternally grateful.

Straight black hair, black make-up, brand new Jackyl tank and I was good to go. Armed with my favorite road soda (Boulevard Wheat from KC) and my fully charged phone I loaded myself into my Lyft ride. I do not condone drinking and driving in this town especially when it’s too easy to get rides. My Lyft driver showed up, and didn’t seem remotely pleased with my road soda. But, he also didn’t protest. Ricardo was driving like a damn maniac though. Probably secretly hoping I’d spill all over his back seat so he could charge me a clean up fee. Little did he know I’m a trained professional. We made it safe and sound.

Pulling up to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino I have an overwhelming feeling of being home. Which immediately made me feel a little sad because it’s all coming to an end very soon. Richard Branson will soon be transforming the Hard Rock into Virgin Casino. Which to me just screams contradiction considering things that have happened here and even things I’ve done. But we can leave that up to the imagination. Sooooo many concerts and far too many late nights to even begin to count.

Reaching for the gold guitar shaped door handle and opening the heavy ass door, that oh so familiar Hard Rock Casino smell smacks you in the face. And then the music fills your ears and the vibe confirm that fact that I am indeed home. I head around the infamous circle bar keeping my eyes peeled for my peeps. I always make a pit stop at my favorite little bar on the way to the pool to have a shot or two with my favorite bartender. She always had a new crazy look and this time didn’t disappoint. She had hair everywhere. Two shots of tequila and I’m feeling pretty good. Time to head to the show baby!

As I enter the show poolside at JBL soundstage, the sun is nearly set and it’s a gorgeous night. I had been here plenty of times before, but this was so different. I had to stop on the bridge overlooking the entire venue and to snap a quick Facebook live and BOOM!!! Literally out of the bushes my best rocker buddy attacks me and scares the shit out of me. Let the shit show begin!!

My rocker buddy whisks me away to where the real party was happening. Rockers, fans, singers, tattoo artists…you name it. Vegas’s finest rock n’ rollers all in one spot. I’m immediately bombarded by everyone saying hello and giving me hugs, feels pretty rad. It’s the perfect cabana overlooking the stage and pool. Nonpoint was already raging on stage and the place was freakin packed. I’m not overly familiar with nonpoint … but that’s not the POINT. They killed it! The singer had these crazy long dreads and he was jumping and thrashing them everywhere on stage. Dude was killing it!

And now it was time for some tequila. Holy shit. Hard Rock definitely didn’t expect this big of a turn out. The line for the bar was wrapped around the pool nearly. But we made the most of it and saw a ton of friends while waiting for our drinks. My rocker buddy doesn’t drink on Saturday’s so naturally he remembers all the dumb shit that I do. “Hey remember when that guy carried you out of the Otherwise show?” Funny thing is…I didn’t even recognize that guy. But moving on I kept hearing my name “twiggy, twiggy”…. really makes a girl feel loved for sure.

I swear after what seemed like an eternity later I received my double shot of Patron and pineapple back for the whopping price of $40 plus $10 for tip. Walking back to the cabana ever so carefully as to not spill my overpriced Strip drink. Sweet, more rock n’ rollers had arrived and the vibe was killer. Everyone was hugging, chatting, taking tons of pictures. The whole time I was just feeling super grateful to be there with such rad people and great music. Most people wouldn’t think much about the Vegas rock community. But what they don’t know is that we are a very close FAMILY.

My girl friend who is basically in charge says, “I’m going up front to get some shots of the band!” Now this to me is a no brainer…of course I’m going! She grabs my hand and off we go into the crowd and the lights. The music fills my body and I just go. She’s pulling me and we are weaving in and out of fans. And even nearly went for a dip in the pool at one point. The final push to our destination involved some minor rock climbing. I seriously love her no bullshit rocker spirit. We arrive at our destination which was actually the KOMP 92.3 cabana directly next to the stage. It was sexy. Holy shit.

We met more friends up there and I’m starting to feel like this was my rock reunion. Looking out onto the crowd below I felt super ready to rock my ass off. So I polished off my expensive tequila and prepared myself for P.O.D. And everyone just ended up in the same spot for the show. A couple of buddies flagged me down to the very front of the stage. One of which was my rock photographer friend who’s wife hooked me up with the ticket. Always so good seeing him and his wife. Seriously great people. I said my hellos and claimed my spot front row, stage left.

Now just to be clear P.O.D. is not by any means my favorite band. Truth be told I actually think their new stuff is a little too rappy. But holy shit when the singer Sonny Sandoval took that stage I forgot all my original opinions. He was commanding everyone’s attention. And getting the crowd even more pumped up. I was directly next to the largest sub woofer speaker and prolly could’ve gotten off it was vibrating me so hard. It literally made my hair fan out with every hard hitting beat. I listened to several songs down front and wiggled my way back up with my friends.

But the drinks were flowing and everyone was singing at the top of their lungs, including me. Which was funny that my good pal informed me I was singing the wrong words? Maybe I was a little tipsy…because EVERYONE knows the words to that song.

“We are, we are the youth of a nation!!!”

My pal is obviously a very serious front man. You understand right? Ha. Much love.

The crowd was electric and the lights looked so vibrant shining out onto the pool. Fans were chilling all around the pool and some even dipped their feet in the water. Some people were out on their hotel room balconies enjoying a free show. We took some great pictures of just us girls. One of which will never be published, but was funny as hell.

P.O.D. had played all their hit songs and were saying goodbyes. We begged them to keep playing naturally. But wait…it was so early!! 11 o’clock on a Saturday??? This was my rock reunion tour and this was merely the appetizer to my night out. Oh wait…there’s more coming…stay tuned for the entree at Vamp’d.

Huge thanks to KOMP 92.3 and the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for putting on one hell of a summer kick off concert. And a seriously special thank you to ALL of my Vegas rock family for making me feel so much love and support. I’m super excited to get back out there and start going to rock shows again. And more importantly to start enjoying my passion for writing my rock stories. I proclaim this the summer of rock!!! Love ya!

🖤🎶twiggytalksrock🎶🖤

 

    In the aftermath of the tragic events that occurred at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, the Las Vegas local rock scene definitely came together in a big way. Over the last week our community pulled together and proved what a great family we really are…

 

    Kicking it off on Thursday, October 5 with the Otherwise show at Rocks Lounge in Red Rock Casino. This show was originally supposed to be a tour kick off concert, but quickly morphed into a full blown tribute concert for the victims of the Las Vegas massacre. With the guys of Otherwise being from Vegas, I’m sure this was a no brainer. All of the donations went to the victims and their families via the Go Fund Me account started by Clark County Commission Chair, Steve Sisolak. This special show also included local new favorites Honor Amongst Thieves and all-star country line-up Elvis Monroe.

 

    But first up the fan favorites the guys from Honor Amongst Thieves!! They took the stage for a touching, stripped and all acoustic few songs. Honor Amongst Thieves has definitely stolen the hearts of the local Las Vegas rock scene and this set was no exception. The sultry voice of Jonathan Salas sent chills down my spine. Starting off with a song appropriately titled, “Day Like This,” ——living for a day like this. As fans filtered into the lounge they brought the Love with them. These new songs that HAT put on display really reminded us why we were there in the first place. And as always Jonathan Salas (Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar), Adam Edwards (Guitar), Chris Iorio (Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Jonathan Hartman (Drums/Backing Vocals) definitely made Vegas proud. I can’t wait to hear the new music that they’ve been working on again very soon. Thanks guys!!!

 Photo credit: Randy Udell 

    In between sets fellow Vegas rockers exchanged hugs and kind words. Many just plain giving thanks for being alive. Realizing that it could of been ANY of us, at ANY concert, or ANY event. But thankfully we were all there celebrating music and life.

 

    Taking the stage next was the all-star country line-up Elvis Monroe. Consisting of singer Bryan Hopkins and guitarist Ben Carey who actually survived the shooting at Route 91 the previous Sunday. To start off Bryan and Ben both expressed how difficult it would even be to make it through the show. Bryan announcing, “so many faces in this audience right now that put a smile on my face….”

 

    The trio on stage was definitely struggling to keep the vibe light and funny at first. Holy Water echoing through the lounge as many began to join in and sing along. Then the set took a very serious and heartfelt turn as they invited survivors and fellow musicians on stage for a song written in honor of Route 91. And it was beautiful!!! Hand in hand with the girl he survived with they sang the song. The name of the song was “The Fight”——#vegasstrong… The chorus rang through the crowd and you couldn’t help but sing along….

 

              “stand up, stand up, stand up—

                let’s fight!

                shoulder to shoulder—

                show our might

                with one heartbeat—

                beats strong tonight…

                we are, we are

                THE FIGHT!!!”

 

    So much love in the air. Tears rolling down the faces on stage and in the crowd…and I was no exception. An insanely powerful and touching performance…and ultimately a beautiful tribute to those we lost.

    Now enter the hometown boys who are making a huge name for themselves….none other than OTHERWISE!!! From the first chord played you knew it was gonna be one hell of a show. Adrian Patrick demands your full attention and in my opinion is one of the best frontmen out there today. And the whole crowd was picking up what they were throwing down. But most of you already know Otherwise puts on a hard hitting, in your face kind of performance. And fuel had been added to this fire. Covering a variety of songs from now all three of their full-length albums. Some of these songs include, from their very first album entitled “True Love Never Dies” from 2012——songs… “Heaven”, “I Don’t Apologize”, “Die For You” and “Vegas Girl” for fun…

     Taken from the second “Peace At All Costs” from 2014——songs… “Coming for the Throne” and “Meet Me In The Dark.”

      And lastly from their brand new third album that just dropped September 2017, the much anticipated “Sleeping Lions”——songs… “Angry Heart”, “Close To The Gods”, and of course “Won’t Stop!” 

 

 

    “Heaven” was definitely a crowd favorite for obvious reasons. Adrian proclaimed to the audience….

 

              “What we do here in Sin City,

                we embrace the darkness,

                so we can appreciate the light!”

 

    With the “Vegas Won’t Stop” sign in the background. Such a perfect compilation of songs for this tribute. If you’ve seen Otherwise live before…just times that by 20. And if you haven’t…well get it together. Ryan Patrick (Guitar/Vocals), Adrian Patrick (Lead Vocals), Tony Carboney (Bass/Vocals) and Brian Medeiros (Drums) poured there hearts out on that stage for Las Vegas!!

 

    They invited Bryan Hopkins back on stage to help sing the song dedicated to all the first responders…and that song was SOLDIERS!!!! Everyone joined in to sing Vegas strong.

 

              “We are the ones who will never be          broken,

                 we fight till our death——

                 We are soldiers!!!

                  We are soldiers!!!

                  We stand shoulder to shoulder, we stand shoulder to shoulder,

                  We stand shoulder to shoulder….

                   You can’t erase us- you’ll just have to face us!!!

 

                    WE ARE SOLDIERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      A special thank you from the bottom of my rocker heart to everyone that made this night so special. We will NEVER forget!!!

#vegasstrong

https://www.gofundme.com/dr2ks2-las-vegas-victims-fund

🖤twiggy talks rock🖤

Today is Thursday, October 5, 2017… a full four days after a crazed gunman rained bullets down on thousands of concert goers and claimed the lives of many innocent people and injuring hundreds. The Las Vegas massacre not only shook the music community, but the entire world.

Today I woke up like any other day and went about my normal routine. Today was the same as it had been before the shooter took all those innocent lives. The two old, very tan men were posted up back in their normal spot at the pool chatting about the weather perhaps. The lady in her white bikini was sunbathing on her pink towel, top off, smoking cigarettes without a care in the world. The mailman had just finished stuffing our mailboxes with more bills I would assume. Everything and everyone was getting back to normal…but I am struggling. 

The flashes of videos and horrifying pictures of the scene still running through my mind. Still able to hear the non-stop blaring of the sirens in the background. The thought of people simply enjoying music taken so traumatically. The continuous thought of the pain and sorrow the families must be going through just sickens me. The insane amount of questions left unanswered. But the worst question of all that I can’t stop asking myself is… WHAT IF??? What if I was there that night? I could’ve been one of those concert goers. 

I know all of you. You’ve seen me at hundreds of shows over the years here in Las Vegas. I attend local shows and headliner shows. I attend festivals, clubs, arenas…you name it, I’m there! I’m twiggy…that insane rocker chick! I can’t explain or express the feelings I get when I’m at a live show. It runs through my veins and keeps me going day after day. I’m always making my way to the front of the stage to see how the music is being played. Yes I’m that concert goer. The feeling of appreciation after the show when the musicians hug me and thank me for supporting their music. Yes I’m that concert goer. I will NEVER let him or anyone take that feeling away from me and neither should you. 

I can’t help but think that it could’ve been me out there. Out of all of the hundreds of shows that I attend, thankfully I was not at Route 91. And my life was miraculously spared. I could’ve easily been part of the victims list, but I was not. I received so many messages from friends who thought I might be there, but I was not. And not because it was a country concert either. Countless friends of mine attended the show and thankfully got out alive. The others were not so lucky. 

All of this has shaken me to my inner core. Many members of our local Las Vegas rock community have expressed that they are scared to attend concerts in the future. I myself, was, and even considered not going to live shows until things calmed down. But the thing with today’s world is that this could happen anywhere, at any time, at ANY event. I refuse to let this horrible act of one crazed gunman take away what I truly love the most in this world and that is live music. We as a community cannot let the acts of this madman dictate how we live our lives. We here in the local Las Vegas rock are all family to one another. We must stick together and still support the music that brought us all together in the first place. And we also need to show the victims and their families that we are #vegasstrong and are here for them. 

With all this being said…please come out tonight and support our live local music. Otherwise, Elvis Monroe and Honor Amongst Thieves have turned their show into a full blown tribute show for the victims and their families. It will be held tonight at Red Rock Casino in the Rocks Lounge starting at 7 pm. 100% of the proceeds raised will be donated to the families of the fallen. Hope to see my rock family out doing what we all love so much, and that is celebrating live music and life. Come be Vegas strong!!!!

May the fallen ones rest in peace and may the families also find peace. 
Love, twiggy 🖤

Scars & Stripes June 3, 2017


Scars & Stripes definitely proved that Las Vegas loves their local rock! And I was no exception! I rolled out of my coffin bright and early, as did many other pasty Vegas rockers to catch some of our great local rock bands opening up the show. First up, the brooding goth rockers of The Nocturnal Affair. Brendan Shane (vocals) and Andrew “drucifer” Lappin (guitar) kicked off the main stage right—also known as the “Vegas stage”. The dark and haunting lyrics of several originals sounded great and definitely introduced themselves to newcomers. Brendan really knows how to bring you over to the dark side. “Ghosts on the Horizon” is a chilling tale of modern heartbreak and the lyrics are completely and totally relatable. But the cover of “Lovesong” by The Cure definitely stole my heart. These guys prepared the early birds for a long day of great rock music. Great start! 



Next up on the “Vegas stage” at 1:30 was Nations. Boasting insane guitar and two vocalists feeding off of each other from the second they walked on stage. Chad Dague and Tyler Burgess (former vocalist for American Monster) seemed like the perfect high energy fit on stage. Bouncing from platform to platform belting out lyrics like crazy men! It was hard and edgy…just the way I like it!!! And more familiar faces began to trickle in for the show. I’m definitely excited to see more from these guys soon. 






It was almost 2:30 and a crowd of a few hundred or so was building…although my numbers might be off as I was directly in front of the stage. Lots of Honor Amongst Thieves shirts rolling in…I hadn’t left the same spot for hours! My skin felt like it was melting…. but the humble and lovable boys from Honor Amongst Thieves were about to start. And I wasn’t moving. Juan Jaguar (bass player) hand delivered my ticket to me while I was at work along with a free shirt. These fun-loving, jokesters really know how to put on a show–and all of them smiling the whole way through. Chris Iorio (guitar) sported an American flag shirt and Jonathan Salas (vocals) and Jonathan Hartman (drums) pointed out the Marine flag and reminded the crowd why we were all there in the first place!!! Opening up with the song “Escape” from Element of Truth, really captured everyone’s attention immediately. The crisp vocals blended with rad riffs, badass bass and BANGING drums clearly explain why they have become one of—if not the most popular local Vegas rock band. Not to mention the fact that these guys are some of the coolest dudes I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet!! Do yourself a favor and grab their album Element of Truth…big things are in store for this band. 










The moral of this Vegas rock story is get out there in Vegas and support these talented bands!! Buy their albums, watch their videos, go see them LIVE and even talk to them after the shows!!! The Nocturnal Affair and Honor Amongst Thieves are playing June 24 at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay…if you need tickets hit them up. They’re busting their asses day in and day out and are very appreciative of all the support. Yes, I know there were big names on the ticket…but I came to see my local boys!!! Big shout out to Honor Amongst Thieves, Nations and The Nocturnal Affair for putting on a kickass show! And thank you for supporting US Veterans and first responders. Much love and respect.
twiggy talks rock 🖤🖤🖤

Song #3: My Mystery Man

Verse #1:

It was a late night in the Las Vegas rock scene…and I was headed out to the one place I feel more at home than anywhere in the world— Vamp’d. I love the feel and the rush when I enter…I breathe in and let the music take over my entire body and I am truly happy. I’m usually alone, which is how I like to be, but I know everyone around me. But this particular night I saw a stranger through the darkness. He was standing in my normal spot—against the back wall by the bathrooms, also alone. I instantly could tell that he didn’t feel alone either. I let the sounds of The Sin City Sinners take me away…but the whole time I was patiently waiting….

I saw several familiar faces in the crowd and spoke to many rock n roll friends…still waiting…stalking like prey. Who was this mysterious man standing ever so close to me? Who is his favorite band? Does he also play? Is he a bass player? (I’m insanely attracted to bass players and I can sniff one out almost anywhere.) But he was not….he was something else. The only thing that I knew for sure was that I wanted to know his story immediately. I could feel his energy and love for the music and it felt great!

Verse #2:

After a little liquid courage I made my move. Very timid at first…most men in the music business automatically think I only want one thing—like some groupie or some shit. I promise you…I AM NOT! I merely want to pick their brains about music, influences, life experiences and passions. This dark mysterious creature was insanely perfect for all of that! Paul Shortino (Quiet Riot) came on stage to give tribute to Kevin DuBrow. Of course he sang Metal Health. I was now directly up front and singing at the top of my lungs. I looked over to my right and was pleasantly surprised to see the stranger next to me singing just as loud as I was!! It was at this point I knew that he was no longer a stranger and was definitely one of us. After the show we headed to the bar for drinks… Question after question—totally vibing on all the music knowledge that each of us held. Come to find out he was a drummer. And a little older and a little wiser too. He liked bands completely and totally out of my league…but it was a huge turn on anyways.

He wrote this:
“I love the attitude and exploration…the comedy and the sex…the noise and nonsense mixed with melody and rhythm…I love the shrills and I love the contrast between the reality and the fantasy. I love the power and dirge mixed with the madness and innocence…and I love how no matter what language you speak it breaks down barriers much like the language of love.” 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Kris the Drummer

Verse #3:

And I was hooked, because that’s how he was talking to me. The conversation we had was definitely one of my all time favorites. I felt my desires taking over with every sentence that he spoke. The desire to know more…..

We enjoyed the night, some drinks, some laughs…some sweet kisses and parted ways. 💋💋💋 But that desire has always stayed…will I see my mystery man again???

Last Verse:

Here’s my list of favorites as requested.

Top Bands:
1: Motley Crue
2: Poison (sorry it’s true)
3: 3 Days Grace/Avenged Sevenfold
4: Pink Floyd/Black Sabbath
5: Guns N Roses 🌹
6: Metallica (old & new)

Lead Guitarists: Slash & Dimebag

Drummer: Vinnie Paul, Tommy Lee & Tommy Clufetos (Black Sabbath/Alice Cooper) dudes a beast!

Vocalists: Michael Jackson, Bonnie Raitt & M Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold)

Frontman: Chino (Deftones) & Chad Gray (Mudvayne & Hell Yeah)

Bass Player: Is this really a question??? Nikki Sixx of course!!!

Rock Star: Axl Rose (sucks but it’s true) & Bono

Keyboard Player: Richard Wright (founder of Pink Floyd duh)

Music Video: Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Poison), November Rain (GNR)

Music Movie: Almost Famous (reminds me of how I’d like to be)

Rhythm Guitar: James Hetfield (Metallica–Master of Puppets, need I say more?)

Live Album: Dark Side if the Moon (Pink Floyd…I listened to this over and over again growing up!)

Concept Album: Operation Mindcrime (Queensryche 1988)

Producer: Bob Rock (Motley Crue, Metallica, 311, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith to present.)

Favorite Rock Concert: Every Motley Crue show I’ve been to & Guns n Roses 2016.

First Rock Concert: Rockfest 1997 Kansas City featuring Sammy Hagar and Rollins Band. (Parents saw me on the news crowd surfing. Yikes!)

Who AM I??:::
I am twiggy. I love all rock music because of the way it makes me feel. I love how hearing a song can take you on a journey. I hear certain songs and the memories come flooding back into my life…like little pieces of candy that I thought I’d never taste again. I love the rush and the pulse of a live show and I welcome it with open arms. The lights draw me in and I am consumed with happiness. And none of my troubles or worries matter anymore. If I could tell a story of my life each chapter could be a song…and those songs would create the album of my life. 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

🎶twiggy talks rock🎶

🎶twiggy talks rock🎶
Song #2: No concerts? No bueno. 🤘🏼
Verse #1: 

I grew up in a small town in the heart of America ❤️called Smithville, Missouri. Or as we liked to refer to as Smutville, Misery. When I was growing up, there were only about 3,000 residents (and I know this because the population sign was the same through nearly my entire life). When I was little I was know around town as kind of a tomboy. I played with the boys, rode bikes and ran through the creeks. And I of course listened to rock music. 🎸 
As I got older, I became the model student and head cheerleader. Yes….I wasn’t A cheerleader, I was THE cheerleader! Seems very strange to everyone that knows me now. While I was living under my parents roof there were rules. Now don’t get me wrong, my parents weren’t strict by any means….but still. The biggest thing is that they wouldn’t allow me to attend any concerts unsupervised. (I think mostly because they were either going or wanted to go.) I HATED this rule!!! 😤 But it all came to a head the year Guns N Roses 🌹 toured with Metallica. I’m almost positive it was my junior year in high school, so that was 1995. Not only was it BOTH original bands members….the show was taking place at the one and only Aarrowhead Stadium!! The home of the Kansas City Chiefs 🏈 and bragging rights as the loudest stadium in the NFL. I was literally dying to go to this show. My parents damn near FORBID me to go. I have NEVER been so mad at them both and will never forgive them for making me miss what I considered as the show of a lifetime!! 


Come to find out, the whole time my parents were planning on going to this show. And THEY DID! 
Shortly after was when Guns N Roses completely had a meltdown and Slash refused to ever be on stage with Axl Rose again. I was devastated. I thought I would never have the chance to see the original Guns N Roses on stage. But finally, in 2016 they decided to tour together again. This small town girl would finally get her dream show. Tickets went on sale and I got mine within minutes. I purchased one ticket for me, myself and I! I was in the nose bleed and the ticket was still like $385. I’ve NEVER spent that much on a show ticket in my life. And I didn’t even care!!!



Verse #2:

I was hoping and praying 🙏🏻 that Axl would have his shit together and show up—and maybe even be on time. 
You’ve got to be kidding me right??? While performing an intimate show at The Troubadour hours before kicking their reunion tour…Axl Rose broke his foot and underwent emergency surgery. 
“This is what can happen when you do something you haven’t done in nearly 23 years.”

            Axl Rose
Needless to say everyone was completely freaked out. But I was heartbroken. 💔 Would the shows be cancelled?? Would I EVER see Guns N Roses?? Rumors were swirling on the internet—they were claiming that Axl would be in a cast and we should expect him to be SITTING the entire show?!?! Axl sitting???? $385??? And not be able to see him do his signature shimmy across the stage? No. No. This can’t be happening. But, on the bright side of things at least the slow wasn’t cancelled. Yet. The show would still go on. 
Verse #3:

The day of the show had finally arrived. I was attending the Saturday show, which was actually the 2nd Las Vegas show at T-Mobile Area. (The new Las Vegas T-Mobile Area had just recently opened. It was my first time attending a show there…and boy was I lost.) It was April 9, 2016.  I went by myself…planning on meeting a few people here and there. But my friend, Kevin, who is the biggest Guns N Roses fab that I know was flying in special for the show. 


I got in the venue…grabbed a shot of Jameson…or two and a beer and headed to check out my seat. Oh hell no!!! Alice In Chains was the opening band, and one of my all time favorites. But my damn seat was so scary high up and the band looked like stick figures. This will NOT work! I met Kevin at the bar and we devised a fool proof plan to get down to his seat which wasn’t completely on the floor, but pretty damn close. And of course it worked!!! And then it started…of course my phone died right then fml. But it was actually great because my friend and I were vibing on the pure music so hard. Singing every word to EVERY song and loving life. Seeing Slash on stage was pure magic. And yes, Axl sat in a throne apparently borrowed from Dave Grohl. It didn’t even matter that he was sitting. And his voice was so on point and almost better than ever!!! Song after amazing song…it was pure perfection. I was moved to tears of joy during several songs….Patience, Sweet Child, November Rain…. We were in heaven!!!! This was exactly what I had envisioned seeing the original Guns would be like and more. To top it all off, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row even came on stage and rocked out My Michelle with the band!!! Soooooooo awesome! 


Last Verse:

So that’s it. I got my dream show. Finally…over 20 years later!!!! No thanks to mom and dad. Lol. 


🎶twiggy talks rock🎶

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