Las Vegas Mixtape v31: Rock’s Agelessness, an In-Town Getaway, and 90’s Vintage Threads

Track #4: Tinnitus @Count’s Vamp’d

A friend of mine, Vegas-based author Lonn Friend (“Life On Planet Rock,” “Sweet Demotion”), sometimes jokes that one day the world will be filled with only tribute bands since all the members of classic original groups will have died off.

If that’s the case, then Vegas-based Tinnitus—a sonically pulverizing tribute band who deploy artful props onstage and diverse instruments like electric violin and cello, plus flugelhorn—will be at the top of the heap, as they proved at Count’s Vamp’d.

Formed in 2008, Tinnitus is anchored by Blue Man Group drummers Jeff Tortora and Todd Waetzig and features top-shelf players like bassist Phil Soussan (Last In Line, Ozzy Osbourne). Tortora’s frontman charisma and aggro vocal style (he growls, shouts and screeches) light up skillful performances of songs by Korn, Marilyn Manson, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Muse, and Slipknot (hell, they even cover Neil Diamond).

Since Tinnitus chooses mostly deep cuts by those artists, you sometimes might get the feeling that you’re hearing original songs, a strategy that works in Tinnitus’ favor. The band generally performs four times a year, and they’re on track to return to Vamp’d in late June (exact date TBA).