Wolf Creek Band-media file
The final Casapoolooza of the season is scheduled on Saturday, Sept. 2. CasaPoolooza is a five-concert series held at the CasaBlanca Resort-Casino-Spa Lagoon Pool. It has drawn record crowds through the years and it’s no wonder; guests can enjoy libations and entertainment under the stars in a relaxing, poolside setting.
Performing at this summer’s final Casapoolooza for the second year in a row, is the well-known country/classic rock band from Las Vegas Wolf Creek.
Wolf Creek members perform the music of super groups like Led Zeppelin, Journey, AC/DC, Johnny Cash, ZZ Top, The Eagles, and solo artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Toby Keith and many more. Since 1998, Wolf Creek has performed in and around the Las Vegas and Laughlin areas.
The band, originated by lead vocalist and bassist JR Davenport, indicates the base of Wolf Creek’s music is country, yet they have developed into one of the hottest Southern Rock n’ Roll acts in Las Vegas, playing a variety of classic rock material in their sets.
Lead Guitarist “Tall Tom” Denk, even though he lives in Las Vegas, has a few local ties to Mesquite. His Aunt Marlene Trump, no relation to No. 45, is a long-time Mesquite resident and his cousin, Phil Nehrenz, lives close by in Beaver Dam, Arizona.
Both cousins moved to the area from Ohio 10 years ago so they could get out of the cold, one cousin settling just a bit further north than the other.
While Nehrenz settled for the quiet, rural life, Denk chose Las Vegas because he wanted to be where he could continue doing what he’s been doing for the past 30 years, making music. He found the people he wanted to do that with almost immediately when he found the other members of Wolf Creek and has been with them ever since.
They call Denk “Tall Tom,” as you will see if you attend, because of his impressive height which he jokingly refers to as being, “five-foot-twenty.” That’s right, if his vocals and expert guitar playing doesn’t capture your attention, all six feet eight inches of his vertically impressive frame will. From the first strum of ‘Tall Tom’s’ guitar strings you’ll understand why the rest of the band members keep him; it’s not because of his height.
Denk has an extensive and impressive musical history having played with several cover bands in Cleveland, Ohio, and the surrounding areas over the years. He’s played with tribute bands such as Wish You Were Here, a Pink Floyd tribute band and Full Moon Fever, which played the music of Tom Petty. He also spent several years with a local Cleveland group called Waterband. Beside playing around Cleveland for many years, Denk has ventured to places like New York and even Daytona Beach to perform during bike week.
Denk also ran a jam session in a club in Ohio called Squeeze Play where he had the opportunity, on occasion, to jam with musicians from the Burnt River Band.
Denk’s talents, added to the very impressive backgrounds and talents of Wolf Creek’s other members, have resulted in creating an unstoppable group of musicians.
Wolf Creek has performed in such places as MGM Resorts, The Hard Rock Hotel, The Stratosphere, Station Casinos, and South Point Casino. In 2012 Wolf Creek was added to regular rotation at the Las Vegas’ Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Club.
It’s not uncommon to have seen the band open for Grammy Award winning artists like Brooks and Dunn, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Mark Chesnutt, Alan Jackson and Toby Keith. Individual members have jammed with groups and artists like Heart, AC/DC, George Thorogood, Charlie Pride and many more.
The concert is free to everyone over the age of 21. Doors open at 7 p.m., the concert begins at 8 p.m. For more information on the CasaBlanca Resort and what they’ve got going on, visit their website www.casablancaresort.com and click on entertainment.
