Vince Vance & the Valiants rock ‘n’ roll Casino Aztar once more

For nearly four decades, Vance—along with his backing players, the Valiants, and his trio of female singers, The Valiantettes—has managed to beguile audiences throughout the U.S. and beyond, with his 18-inch-tall coif, colorful costumes, nonstop music-meets-comedic mayhem and hip-swayin’, toe-tappin’ sound that’s both a homage to the rock ‘n’ roll of yore and full of Valiant originality.

            Born in California and reared in New Orleans, Vince Vance and his Valiants found their official musical inception Sept. 18, 1971, and since that time, the act has performed more than 6,000 shows in 13 countries, from Bourbon Street to the White House, and recorded 11 albums and 22 singles, including two No. 1 cuts, “Bomb Iran” and “All I Want for Christmas is You,” a perennially most-requested yuletide hit.

            Throughout its tenure, band founder Vance has been the group’s glue and creative inspiration. But it’s the timelessness of rock ‘n’ roll, confirmed Vance, that keeps the self-described “ultimate party band” selling out shows, time after time.

            “Vince Vance & the Valiants is, at its best, a community of multi-talented artists who have so much talent,” Vance explained. “We're a bunch of singers, dancers, writers, musicians. We have banned together for the sole purpose of performing. It's like there is no other alternative for people like us. … We are just a certain kind of people. We like to jump on a tour bus and meet people and wow 'em. Our plan is to give those people a show they will never forget.”

            And how does Vance – a one-man Mardi Gras unto himself and 2005 inductee into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame – know his VVV show is a sure-fire recipe for unforgettable entertainment.

             “I’ve dedicated my life to it, and that’s how I know it’s a winner,” he deadpanned. “You may laugh, you may cry, but you'll never forget the night you saw Vince Vance & the Valiants in concert. I've staked my life on it.”

            In addition to its star, the VVV lineup includes backing players the Valiants – Ed Loftus (musical director/keys/vocals), Shane McCauley (drums), Tommy Tucker (bass/vocals) and Mike Boyd (lead guitar/vocals) – along with its female vocalists, the Valiantettes, who are best known as simply Vixie, Violet and Velicity.

            No strangers to the local circuit, “Vince Vance & the Valiants have been performing at Casino Aztar in Evansville for a number of years and are brought back by popular demand,” said Vance, who confirmed a good time is in store yet again.

“We've usually rocked the audiences with high-energy, nonstop rock ‘n’ roll favorites and off-the-wall comedy,” he noted. “And for some reason, Southern Indiana really loves us. I think they enjoy the members of the band who are rather personable. We really give our all in every performance … and we’re excited to be back onstage in Evansville. Our fans here are the best!”

Over the years, the group’s audiences have changed, and in turn, so have the Valiants. These days, the act’s more G-rated than before. However, Vance has managed to maintain the original fan base while expanding its all-ages following—the latter of which the Valiantettes have helped do.

“Our all-male show was performed for a different type of crowd. It was 80s; the drinking age was 18,” Vance explained. “Then came disco, (which) hurt live music a great deal. You had to be smart to get a gig. We had our own radio show and a house gig (in Texas) … and the show was a phenomenon. But Vince Vance is a road band. We were road dogs and it killed us (not to travel).”

As a result, the players began to argue, some departed, and then Vance opted to return to his roots.

“I re-tooled my show to like you see it today,” he said. “The time was right. By that time, our audience was older. They had kids. And we made it more family oriented. The times changed, and we needed to evolve, too. …”

These days, when Vance isn’t on the road, he’s plotting his now-annual Vince Vance's Crazy Caribbean Birthday Cruise, which will make its way from Galveston, Texas, to Cozumel, Jamaica and the Grand Caymans in 2009, or working on VVV’s latest release.

Currently, in fact, the former high-school teacher and author (yep, he’s written a critically acclaimed children’s book and his poetry’s been published) is putting the finishing touches on “It’s Me, Vinne,” a comedy album that Vance describes as “mostly bunch of jokes with accompanying sound effects and three or four funny songs with titles like ‘Wienies, Wienies!’ and ‘Put a Helmet on that Soldier.’”

As for those who remain unconvinced that VVV’s glittery/music/antic-filled show is the ticket for them, Vance insists there’s entertainment value to be had for all, bar none.

“The way I figure it is,” he wryly reasoned, “even if you hate oldies, my funny bits, a crazy front man with 18-inch hair and hearing some of the greatest musicians, you’ve got to love three lovely girls dressed up like cheerleaders who can sing their little pom-poms off, huh?”

Vince Vance & the Valiants will perform at 8 p.m., 10 p.m. and midnight on June 13-14 in Hoosiers Lounge in Casino Aztar, 421 NW Riverside Drive. There is no charge inside Hoosier's Lounge, but seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and for ages 21 and older with a valid ID. The standing-room-only area outside Hoosier's Lounge does not require an ID and those under 21 may view shows from this area.

For more information, please the casino directly at 1-800-342-5386 or access www.casinoaztar.com. For more information about VVV, please access www.vincevance.biz.