Vin A.’s great awakening: Opening for Bon Jovi at T-Mobile Arena
It takes a lot to roust Vinny “Vin A.” Adinolfi III out of bed at 7 a.m., but he popped awake this morning for an announcement by Mike O’Brian and Carla Rea on KKLZ 96.3-FM.
The co-hosts informed their listening audience who has won the station’s battle-of-the-bands contest to open for Bon Jovi on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. Vin A., a member of the family rock act Bronx Wanderers at Windows Showroom at Bally’s, won the station’s open voting competition.
Upon hearing the news, the ever-zealous showman couldn’t get back to sleep. He has fans to thank, a set list to compile. Oh, and rehearsals. Lots of rehearsal time for this one.
“It’s unreal, man, just unreal,” Vin A. said today in a phone chat. “It’s so great. I can’t believe it, really.”
A guy who is born to perform, Vin A. has been busy outside his regular role as multi-instrumentalist and singer in Bronx Wanderers, founded by his father, Vinny Adinolfi Jr., and featuring brother Nicky Adinolfi.
Most prominently, Vin A.’s “Enough Is Enough” anti-gun anthem is due for release next week. The video for that tune, unveiled in December at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz at The Composers Showcase, has been sent to students in Parkland, Fla., who plan to play it during the March For Our Lives event in Washington D.C., on March 24.
The march is headed up by students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, site of the Feb. 14 mass shooting that claimed the lives of 17 students and staff.
But “Enough Is Enough” won’t be part of Vin A.’s five-song set Saturday night.
“I want don’t want to come in with some big political statement for this,” Vin. A said. “We don’t want to bring the mood down before a Bon Jovi concert.”
Prior to Saturday, Vin A. has opened for one other significant act — the Long Island band Brand New, popular on the East Coast several years ago. Vin A.’s band Lovebent opened at the 5,000-seat theater at his college, Stockton College in Atlantic County, N.J.
But opening for Bon Jovi in front of 16,000 or so rock fans is an entirely different dimension.
“I am lucky to do it, happy that the fans of Bronx Wanderers responded the way they did,” Vin A. said. He added that he plans to continue performing nightly with the family act, still chugging along after opening at Windows Showroom in October 2016.
“The whole point is to do everything, do all things at once,” Vin A. said, laughing. “I never thought Bronx Wanderers would be playing seven nights a week on the Strip for this long, but that’s going great. It’s crazy, but that’s how it is.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.