{"id":3405,"date":"2022-05-02T16:25:43","date_gmt":"2022-05-02T23:25:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/?p=3405"},"modified":"2026-08-30T21:56:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T04:56:18","slug":"reckless-in-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/reckless-in-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"Reckless in Vegas"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chic<\/span><\/div>
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This article was printed in<\/em>
\nChic Compass Magazine - Issue 11<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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\"Reckless<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Reckless in Vegas photo courtesy of Jerry Metellus<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Reckless in Vegas: Dangerous Riffs Meet Vintage Swagger<\/h1>\n

BY SAM NOVAK<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The first few notes sound vaguely familiar. A single guitar plinking out a melody that you can\u2019t quite place. The baseline kicks in, chords striking an unexpected key. Frontman Michael Shapiro lets loose with the lyrics, and you finally recognize the Frank Sinatra standard. This rendition is edgy, dangerous, and totally entrancing. \u201cLuck Be A Lady\u201d never sounded quite like this...and you know you\u2019re in for one Hell of a show. Welcome to \u201cReckless In Vegas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Numerous cities have produced their own distinctive sounds, from Seattle grunge to Minneapolis funk. Bands from Las Vegas have yielded a broader range, including radio-friendly Imagine Dragons, dance-pop Panic! At The Disco, post-punk The Killers, and heavy metal Five Finger Death Punch. Each is distinctive and totally original. Reckless In Vegas may be the first group from Sin City to meld its golden era with powerhouse beats. It\u2019s the Rat Pack gang on steroids, pushing sexy sophistication to a level-eleven dream.<\/p>\n

Michael Shapiro\u2019s genre-bending concept was the result of a trance. Deep in meditation, he received a perfect image of the band\u2019s future. Showgirls, guitars, drums, and the glorious stylings of yesteryear, all integrated into what would become Reckless In Vegas. The year was 2013, and the world has changed a great deal since then. Perhaps it\u2019s finally catching up to Shapiro and his surreal, artistic vision.<\/p>\n

Some artists like Prince and Elvis were known to live inside their music. Shapiro follows a similar path. His Las Vegas home was constructed during the same era he idolizes, located in a neighborhood where iconic celebrities once resided. His eye-catching driveway leads to a tall gate, serene courtyard, and two massive doors. Think \u201cWayne Newton meets Mike Brady.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inside, the multi-level home is adorned with vintage photographs, artwork, and memorabilia from decades past. Step down to the sunken living room, and you\u2019ll be tempted to head directly to the bar. Behind it, you\u2019ll see a restored portion of \u201cREEL 21,\u201d a game his grandfather invented in 1961.<\/p>\n

The 1968 structure is part of a quiet community southeast of the Strip. It was reportedly owned by an MGM hotel executive for a while. Elvis Presley is rumored to have dined at the home, and why not? Showgirls, mobsters, Robert Goulet, and Engelbert Humperdinck had all resided here in Las Vegas at one time. It was clearly the place to be during the seventies.<\/p>\n

As you might expect, the Shapiro family played a significant part in the city\u2019s history. Not only did his grandfather Barney Shapiro create numerous gambling machines, but he also founded United Coin (later United Gaming). During the mid-50s, Barney was a partial owner of the Royal Nevada. The retro-cool hotel-casino stood on a spot later occupied by the Stardust and now Resorts World. Artifacts and awards from his contributions can be spotted throughout Michael\u2019s spectacular home.<\/p>\n

Across from an indoor waterfall is a corridor that leads to the home\u2019s most magical space \u2013 \u201cShapitol Studios.\u201d It was here that I got to witness a rehearsal for an upcoming performance. When I arrived, Shapiro was bantering with bandmates Jack E. Roth (drums), Chris Nichols (bass, vocals), and his wife Roni Meron (vocals).<\/p>\n

As they prepped their equipment, it was obvious that the four entertainers had spent many years together. Their conversation ricocheted through religion, war, gas prices, gay rights, and even vegan food. Ever the wise guy, Shapiro added, \u201cYeah, it goes great with a crack pipe.\u201d The resulting laughter signaled that the band had entered \u201crockstar mode,\u201d and the world\u2019s problems were about to fade away.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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\"Reckless<\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Ripping through \u201cLuck Be A Lady,\u201d the crew pushed forward with modern-rock interpretations of classics by Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Tom Jones, and even Sonny and Cher. Mob-centric films like \u201cThe Godfather\u201d and \u201cGoodfellas\u201d get the \u201cReckless\u201d treatment, as does Elvis himself. The soundscape is unlike anything you\u2019ve ever heard. Who would have the audacity to blend Sammy Davis Jr\u2019s \u201cMr. Bojangles\u201d with influences from Led Zepplin and Jimi Hendrix?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe songs and artists from that era were so incredibly special that it was of the utmost importance to pay homage to original versions, yet make them our own,\u201d says Shapiro. \u201cI guess one might say we\u2019re a tribute to an era, but somehow, someway, we\u2019ve managed to bring it current and make it our own,\u201d he adds. In other words, reinvigorated, reinvented, and totally reckless.<\/p>\n

When they were eleven years old and growing up in Las Vegas, Shapiro and his drummer pal Jack Roth weren\u2019t worried about the consequences of being reckless. Their only concern was how to get inside the auditorium of what is now known as Westgate Resort. Back then, it was the Las Vegas Hilton and home to Elvis Presley\u2019s record-breaking fifty-eight consecutive sold-out shows.<\/p>\n

The two boys headed toward the massive hotel and parked their bicycles at the valet. Sneaking into the venue, they looked across the empty theater from that same iconic stage where The King had once played. Filled with awe, their young minds envisioned musical stardom. Had the buddies been apprehended, chances are that their parents would have cut them some slack. After all, future rockers are rebellious by nature.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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\"Reckless<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Reckless in Vegas photo courtesy of Jerry Metellus<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Michael credits his father, Lenny, for fostering an interest in show business. The elder Shapiro was also involved in the gaming industry and operated two popular Las Vegas bars during the nineties. \u201cI really owe him for my love of music. He was my idol and took me to many concerts in the \u201970s and \u201980s. Santana was my first in 1976. I believe that actually was the beginning of my dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ohio native Chris Nichols was an early participant in that vision, too. Shapiro created the band \u201cTRIP\u201d during the nineties and recruited Nichols to be a member. Together, they released a number of albums and joined the \u201cVH1 Rocks Across America Tour\u201d, where they opened for major names like Cheap Trick, The Romantics, and Duncan Sheik.<\/p>\n

Now, the longtime friends have regrouped and added Nichols\u2019 wife Roni to the roster. Shapiro\u2019s wife JoLae Brandt-Shapiro choreographs their appearances and performs with dancers who add spice and class to the proceedings. A little older, a lot wiser, and eager to make Vegas classy-cool again, Reckless In Vegas blankets the Valley\u2019s music hotspots with eye-opening arrangements created by producer Dan Shea (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Santana).<\/p>\n

Initially a part of the band\u2019s early efforts, Shea returned to develop the \u201cReckless\u201d sound and style aligned with Michael\u2019s vision. \u201cHe\u2019s my partner, and without him, we would not be where we are today.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Reckless in Vegas photo courtesy of Bobby Black<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Since its launch, the band has partnered with a variety of charities, sharing a significant portion of sales to benefit foundations like St. Jude\u2019s Ranch. Sponsors have come aboard, donating money for each ticket sold. Most recently, Shapiro has offered his time and talent to NOTORIETY GIVES, a foundation that immerses at-risk children in the magic and benefits of artistic expression.<\/p>\n

Now that the crippling effects of the pandemic have begun to wane, Reckless In Vegas is adding dates in venues as varied as The Space and Italian American Club on the east side. They've also been securing a residency inside a historic Strip hotel. Smart money would be on Sahara for a summer debut.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Shapiro and his team are just excited for the opportunity to bring joy and live music once again to a suffering world. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to slip into a news cycle and get depressed about life. But if we look inward, we\u2019ll find the things we\u2019re grateful for and how blessed we are. Rock on!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Reckless In Vegas may be the first group from Sin City to meld its golden era with powerhouse beats. It\u2019s the Rat Pack gang on steroids, pushing sexy sophistication to a level-eleven dream.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3407,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4520,3681],"tags":[3699,3701,3700,3698,3697,3702],"class_list":["post-3405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","category-issue-11","tag-barney-shapiro","tag-chris-nichols","tag-jack-e-roth","tag-michael-shapiro","tag-reckless-in-vegas","tag-roni-meron"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3405"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11350,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3405\/revisions\/11350"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}