Chad Collins pulls triple duty on the Gilley's Saloon stage, slipping between Elvis's velvet-voiced swagger, Tim McGraw's gravelly warmth, and Luke Bryan's easygoing charm, sometimes within the same set. The Nashville-born performer cut his teeth in the recording industry before landing on the Strip, where he's spent years studying the mannerisms, phrasing, and stage presence of these country and rock icons until the transformations feel seamless.
Gilley's leather saddle barstools and polished wood bar make for a fitting backdrong to Collins's brand of showmanship, part honky-tonk, part impersonator revue. When he's not channeling one of his heroes, Collins steps back into his own boots as frontman of Van Waylan, his country/rock outfit, giving the night a mix of tribute and original grit.