Big Vinny and his little Bronx Bombers are back in town.
The Bronx Wanderers – who have played The Villages for nearly a decade – returned Monday for a two-day stand, that includes shows at 4 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Savannah Center.
Every time I see these guys, I’m amazed at their musicianship, showmanship and gritty “New Yawk” rock and roll.
“We are the Italian Osmond family,” said the Daddy-O known as “Big” Vinny Adinolfi. He and his sons — little Vinny and Nicky — romped through some hard-rocking music history on Monday. This show featured everything from doo-wop and Dion to Bryan Adams, Queen and beyond.
Big Vinny is 66, but the kids’ old man is still afflicted with a severe case of the rockin’ pneumonia and boogie-woogie blues. And he still carries himself like a Big Apple music stud, wearing a tight, black- leather outfit to go with his thickly sprayed, Wolfman-like hairdo.
“I can’t wait till I grow into my hair like you did,” Little Vinny told his pop. These three, along with the boys’ childhood buddies — Joe Bari and Fernando Tort – have been playing together for 21 years.
The band is a major attraction in Las Vegas with a regular gig at the South Point Hotel and Casino. They tour Florida in the winter, and The Villages is a regular stop. “We’re flying back home in three days but this place is special,” Big Vinny said.
Little Vinny opened the show at center stage with a thumping Four Seasons’ medley that included “December, 1963” and “Who Loves You.” Big Vinny joined and tossed in a little bit of “Grease” for good measure.
“When I grew up in the Bronx, you could hear music everywhere,” Big Vinny said. “Dion was one of my idols and he gave me my start in this business.” He and the boys went into a street-corner doo-wop version of Dion and the Belmonts’ big hit, “I Wonder Why.”
“That was the Bronx,” Big Vinny said. “Now we’re going to Brooklyn where Neil Diamond is from, and ‘Sweet Caroline.’” It didn’t take long for the fans in the audience to wave their hands back and forth as they sang along.
Little Vinny spent most of the show on guitar and keyboards. He oozes charisma and was percolating on such numbers as “Hold Me Thrill Me, Kiss Me,” and ELO’s “Turn to Stone.” He was also part of an ’80s’ medley that included “Summer of ’69” and “Jesse’s Girl.”
Little Vinny flashed his guitar chops on an instrumental medley that included “Walk Don’t Run,” and “Wipe Out.” Nicky, meanwhile, showed some hard-driving percussion on “Hawaii Five-O.”
Nicky stepped away from the drums and joined his father at center stage for a classic doo-wop duet. Father and son offered an emotional and nostalgic cover of Kenny Vance’s “Looking for an Echo.”
“We don’t do that song much, and I’m glad we’re here in The Villages to do it today,” Big Vinny said.
He then sang a couple of Tom Jones’ hits, “Delilah” and “It’s Not Unusual.”
But the highlight of any Bronx Wanderers show comes when the band tackles Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
“This is the song that got us to Vegas,” Big Vinny said. Little Vinny dominated the number with a dynamic display of vocal and guitar talent. It was a master class in classic rock.
The only thing that seems to change about the Bronx Wanderers is that the boys are getting older while Big Vinny just keeps on rocking – and rolling.
Tony Violanti writes about music and entertainment for Villages-News.com. He was inducted into The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame as a music journalist.