Hard rock served at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino with the Greg Golden Band

Greg Golden takes a call on  the Flying V aisle in the vault at Bizarre Guitar in north Reno. Tim Parsons/ Tahoe Onstage
Greg Golden takes a call on the Flying V aisle in the vault at Bizarre Guitar in north Reno.
Tim Parsons/ Tahoe Onstage

Entering the vault beneath the Reno store Bizarre Guitar is like stepping into a rock and roll time capsule. Every picture tells a story, and so does every guitar. Just down the hallway is the basement studio where Greg Golden and his fellow musicians rehearse.

The Greg Golden Band plays hard rock, and at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29, in a most appropriate venue: The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino’s Vinyl showroom at Lake Tahoe’s South Shore.

“It’s clean, friendly,” Golden said. “It has an unbelievable sound, fantastic lighting and there will be no cover charge. Are you kidding me?”

The Hard Rock will give away a Fender Stratocaster guitar to a concertgoer, who must be present to win.

Golden is as passionate as he is enthusiastic. The challenge for those around him is to keep up. “I talk a thousand miles an hour and move even quicker,” he said in his first interview with Tahoe Onstage. This week will mark his sixth appearance in the Hard Rock’s Vinyl, which opened a year ago.

“The sound is dialed in, thanks to Josh and his crew,” Golden said.

Four former members of the iconic rock band Montrose performed with the Greg Golden Band on Dec. 18. Singers Randy Scoles and Paul Holdgate, bassist Larry Hart and drummer Steve Brown, joined Golden and his regular band members, bassist Richard Wagner, drummer Boris Tavcar and guitarist Jeff Montgomery. The band played several Ronnie Montrose songs. Jethro Tull also was celebrated with flute player Steven Schweizer.

The set included Golden’s “Long Way Home,” a tune that went viral on YouTube just before the release of the Greg Golden Band’s eponymous debut album, which came out in April. It was produced by Tesla’s Frank Hannon. The album was named one of the top 25 of 2015 by Hair Metal Mansion. LINK

Golden met Hannon the same way he’s met a countless number of rock stars: Hannon was shopping for a guitar in Golden’s music store, which is connected to his gun shop. Bizarre, indeed.

“No one can match Frank Hannon musically,” Golden said.

Hannon and Golden are in the process of making a follow-up record, which is about 30 percent completed. The plan is for nine originals and one cover song. However, many are being considered.

“We’re going to take the cream off of the top,” Golden said. “I am excited to be recording a second album and really looking forward to playing again at the Hard Rock.”

Randy Hashagen contributed to this story.

  • Greg Golden Band
    When: 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29
    Where: Vinyl in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Stateline
    Cover: free
Tahoe Onstage
Randy Scoles and Boris Tavcar will be back in Tahoe onstage at  Vinyl on Friday.
Kurt Johnson / Tahoe Onstage
Former Montrose drummer Steve Brown will sit in Friday with the Greg Golden Band.
Former Montrose drummer Steve Brown will sit in Friday with the Greg Golden Band.
Greg Golden, Jeff Montgomery and Paul Holdgate.
Greg Golden, Jeff Montgomery and Paul Holdgate.

 

ABOUT Tim Parsons

Picture of Tim Parsons
Tim Parsons is the editor of Tahoe Onstage who first moved to Lake Tahoe in 1992. Before starting Tahoe Onstage in 2013, he worked for 29 years at newspapers, including the Tahoe Daily Tribune, Eureka Times-Standard and Contra Costa Times. He was the recipient of the 2011 Keeping the Blues Alive award for Journalism.

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