Iconic Las Vegas music club rocks to the end — PHOTOS
The beginning of the end of Count’s Vamp’d Bar & Grille was Danny Koker’s Count 77 rock band taking the stage to “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Cee Cee Rider.”
Straight-up Elvis to rock the night away.
Count’s Vamp’d Bar & Grille, is up for sale and down for the Count. Koker and his wife, Korie Koker, are letting the joint go after a 16-year run.
The club is on the market for $4.3 million. The Kokers are working with Chip Madsen of IS Luxury, who holds the listing.
Mötley Crüe front man Vince Neil was an original partner under the venue’s original name, Feelgood’s, until Koker took over and renamed the club.
Koker is known as “The Count,” a well-known rock and vintage-vehicle figure through his star turn in “Counting Cars”, a spin-off of “Pawn Stars” on History Channel.
The show shines a light on Koker’s Kounts Customs auto restoration shop in Las Vegas. Koker is a recent guest on “Pawn Stars” co-stars Rick Harrison and Austin “Chumlee” Russell’s “Pawn After Dark” podcast.
Koker talks of club fatigue, operating a rock venue for 16 years. But he is not retiring and will remain an entertainment figure. He has plans for a new project to be unveiled after the club shuts down.
Vamp’d is a 6,000-square foot music fortress that has hosted members of Pantera — led by the late Vinnie Paul — Black Sabbath, Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach, bass great Phil Soussan. The last spree of shows this month included rare club performances by Night Ranger and Loverboy. Dollar Loan Center founder and rock devotee Chuck Brennan sponsored the series.
Several Las Vegas cover bands, including Sin City Stones and Three Lock Box (the Sammy Hagar tribute), Fan Halen, and LV/DC and Pyromania have headlined Vamp’d.
Danny Koker said putting the club up for sale has been bittersweet. As he said after listing Vamp’d in May, “I truly love the place. I’m truly passionate about it. I just know that as a businessman, I have to shift gears, so to speak. But nothing would make me happier than if someone carried it on the tradition.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
