‘Counting Cars’ icon weighing options for TV return
On stage, Danny Koker is a rock singer. But he might take up plate-spinning. This man has a lot of whirling projects.
Koker still owns, and is still selling, Count’s Vamp’d Bar & Grille. He runs the Kounts Customs auto restoration business, center of “Counting Cars,” a spin-off of “Pawn Stars” on History.
That show ended its run in 2021. But Koker says he’s in talks for more TV stardom, in talks with two networks for three different concepts.
“We expect something soon,” he says, “by the end of the year.”
What else .. Oh, Koker is the front man of the vagabond rock band Count’s 77. The crankin’ outfit has made the Copa at Bootlegger Bistro its performance home since Vamp’d closed.
In his sparse spare time, Koker is a bandana-bearing Vegas ambassador, the role he occupied Sunday at the Raiders’ “Rev Up” watch party at the team’s Henderson headquarters. Koker had three cars displayed. Similar to the Raiders, those beasts were locked in park.
Koker reports he’s close to selling the rock club, the passion project of him and his wife, Korie, for 16 years. “I have one gentleman right now, who claims that he is buying, and we’re in preliminary state,” Koker said during the first quarter of the Raiders’ 31-0 loss in Kansas City. “He’s done a couple of other restaurant-bars here, he’s been successful. We’re having a good conversation.”
The Kokers listed the club for $4.3 million in mid-May. That price is now $3.75 million. The couple are working with Vegas real-estate agent Chip Madsen of IS Luxury, who holds the listing. They hope the club remains music-centric.
“The gentleman looking at it right now wants to do restaurant, bar, live entertainment, so it’s perfect for that,” Koker said. “His entertainment desires would be a variety. Rock, country, blues, all this type of stuff.”
Koker is coming back, in classic fashion, to Steven Tyler’s Janie’s Fund charity even in L.A. in February. His Count’s Customs crew is restoring a 1962 Cadillac two-door coupe. This past February, Koker donated a 1978 Lincoln Continental (with 14,000 original miles, and fully restored) to the charity. That beautiful ride sold for $300,000, the highest bid of any live-auction item.
“This Caddy’s gonna to be great when it’s finished,” said Koker, whose voice sounds like a big-block V8 when he talks of cars. “You know how I love the classics.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
