As Yet Unbroken kicks off Day 1 of Neon Reverb (Photo by Katrina Miller)

As Yet Unbroken (Photo by Katrina Miller)

Sept. 17’s performances at the Thunderbird Lounge were limited to a small, but intimate audience as bands like Collinz Room and As Yet Unbroken took the stage. The fake I.D. crew wasn’t present, making for a less bubbly crowd vibe, but performances kept the lounge a welcoming event for attendees as they poured in and out of the Aruba Showroom and the Lounge. Local rock act As Yet Unbroken was the showstealer at Neon Reverb’s opening night, judging by their blend of  hard-edged blues rock and grunge, and the audience reception. Only a few times did the music dip into Creed territory, but the band kept things nonetheless energetic as its set ran into the early hours of the morning.

The Clydesdale at Bunkhouse (Photo by Katrina Miller)

The Clydesdale at Bunkhouse (Photo by Katrina Miller)

Could the Sept. 19 Bunkhouse teaming up of Leopold and His Fiction and The Clydesdale be any better? Leopold’s dark mix of Delta blues and fast shotgun rock music is reminiscent of Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin in its deep-rooted tones, and just as loud and original as those acts were 30 years ago. The Clydesdale may be the first band to make me take country music seriously. It incorporates all those wild western themes into rock ‘n’ roll as hard and exciting as a gunfight. Seeing how its new CD, Clementine, also was being released at the show, it was fairly obvious why the turnout was so healthy at the BH, The Clydesdale living up to its reputation as one of the top acts in Las Vegas.