Brody Dolyniuk, shown in rock 'n' roll mode at Henderson Pavilion in June 2011.
The steady gigs. The notoriously loyal fans. The great musicians. Performing three nights a week the music he handpicked for each set, all-time favorites from such classic-rock acts as Led Zeppelin, Boston, Van Halen, Queen, AC/DC, Pink Floyd and Journey.
Brody Dolyniuk misses none of it.
“If the sound of paradise in the background drowns me out, I apologize,” the former frontman of the long-running Las Vegas classic-rock band Yellow Brick Road said during a recent phone interview.
These days, Dolyniuk lives in Lake Forest, Calif., a cozy town that abuts Irvine and Mission Viejo in Orange County. He talks of reclining in his backyard looking out at a lake, watching the ducks play, and you can almost hear a symphony performing in the background.
“I have a nice, normal family life,” Dolyniuk says. “I’ve had it for a while, and I like it.”
Dolyniuk is back Saturday night, though, and returns in a flourish of sound and sight at Henderson Pavilion with his orchestral rock production titled, simply, “Symphonic Rock Show.” It is a classic-rock extravaganza sampling from all of Dolyniuk’s favored rock acts and featuring longtime Vegas music director and trumpet master Lon Bronson as conductor. A total of 31 musicians, the best of the best in Las Vegas, will populate the stage. An appearance by the Coronado High School choir is also planned, and there will be as many as 60 performers onstage at any moment.
Brody Dolyniuk and fans at Henderson Pavilion in June 2011.
Last spring, Dolyniuk fronted a similar production at Henderson Pavilion, and about 3,600 people showed up at a venue that typically seats about 2,000, with fans spreading out along the grassy expanse behind the seats.
“This is designed for all ages, from toddlers all the way to blue hairs,” Dolyniuk said. “For $15, what we’re giving is the best value in entertainment in town.”
He certainly understands the landscape.
Dolyniuk was a favorite of Las Vegas music fans for years as YBR’s terrific vocalist and sharp-witted frontman. He founded the band in 1997 and was its driving force for 14 years until dropping out of the act in June.
The move was a disappointment, initially, for the legions of YBR fans who had followed the band all over the valley, to such hotel-casino venues as Boulder Station, Suncoast, Sunset Station and Green Valley Ranch. But the band continues to churn out the classics with vocalist Kelly Christian stepping in to supplant Dolyniuk, who is still the manager of YBR.
“I keep them booked and handle the advertising, and I deal with the occasional band interplay,” he said. “It’s a semi-full-time job.”
Late in his run as YBR’s frontman, Dolyniuk attempted to find a suitable investor for his side project, “Brody’s World,” a high-octane, rock ’n’ roll impressions show he performed for a handful of shows at Ovation at Green Valley Ranch. He is still active in Windborne Music’s touring orchestral tributes to Queen and the Who and also performs as a studio vocalist and musician and at private events.
Brody Dolyniuk, Lon Bronson and a rock symphony perform Pink Floyd's "The Wall" at Henderson Pavilion in June 2011.
Dolyniuk says he has no plans to move back to Vegas, having succumbed finally to the torrid summers. He, his wife and his daughter are fine in Southern California, and if he ever does return, it would be only to entertain and head back home.
But he did offer a hint as to his next Vegas show. After posting a story I’d written about the Smith Center on his Facebook wall (where you will find one of the funniest Photoshopped profile photos anywhere in social media), he said of the Reynolds Hall, “Sounds like a good place for a rock show.”
Dolyniuk did bring a show, titled “Rockshow,” to the Las Vegas Hilton several years ago.
I asked him about the Smith Center and the oft-discussed references by officials there of his show being staged at Reynolds Hall.
“I am aware of the Smith Center,” he said, drolly. “It looks like an amazing venue. I can tell you that at the end of the upcoming pavilion performance, there will be an announcement. But I can’t say yes or no right now.”
Fine. We’ll wait. You have to give the guy credit. He always keeps us on our toes.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWithTheDish.
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