Tim Parsons / Tahoe Onstage
Greg Golden is a creature of habit, a creature that loves to rock and roll.
Since the early 1970s, Golden goes onstage with a modified 1954 Les Paul gold top guitar. To honor his Cherokee and Choctaw heritage, he wears a turquoise bear medallion, and the boots he wears are made python skin. Until the 1800s, his family name was Golden Bear.
“I bought those boots in a pawn shop in Albuquerque and they’ve been resoled a dozen times,” said Golden, whose band returned Saturday, May 21, to Vinyl in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe. His band has played the year-and-a half-old venue more than any other.
A crowd of about 500 attended the show. “Vinyl is my favorite place to play,” Golden said. “The was our best show there.”
“We have a great nucleus of fans,” said Golden, the owner of Reno’s famed music store Bizarre Guitar. “Our biggest fan bases are in Reno and Sacramento, so this is the halfway point. And we’ve gained a lot of fans in Tahoe, too.”
The Greg Golden Band plays originals – it has 25 – and classic rock covers such as Deep Purple and ZZ Top. At this show, Golden played five new originals in a two and half hour set with no break. Former Y&T bassist Brad Lang was a guest performer.
The Greg Golden Band will open three big shows this summer: .38 Special, Great White and, on June 3, Y&T at Cargo in Reno.
Golden described his band’s sound.
“It’s not just notes and licks,” he said. “It’s an overall feeling and we are telling a story. It’s rock and roll with taste — and with blues influences. This is our interpretation of the music we like and want to do. It’s like a painter and we are creating a picture onstage for the audience.”
- Also at Vinyl: Strange Weather on Friday, May 27, and Mojo Green on Sunday, May 29
- —
-
Jeff Montgomery watches Greg Golden work the six string at Vinyl on May 21.
Tahoe Onstage photos by Tim Parsons
Singer Paul Holdgate, the happiest singer in rock and roll.
Tim Parsons / Tahoe Onstage
Larry Hart, the bass player with chops, takes one to the chin.
Tim Parsons / Tahoe Onstage
The eyes have it: Dual lead singers Paul Holdgate and Randy Scoles.
Tim Parsons / Tahoe Onstage
Try to cheer up, Steve Brown.
