The couple starred as our “practice bride and groom” a year ago during our photo shoot out on a 104-foot houseboat from Unforgettable Houseboat Charters on beautiful Lake Pleasant. At that time, Chris and Marley were getting ready for their move to Vegas. Now that their act has “gone Vegas,” North Valley Magazine wanted to catch up with them.

North Valley Magazine: You made your move to the Red Rock Resort from Barcelona nearly ten months ago. What changes did you have to make before leaving your home in Greyhawk and the Scottsdale club scene at Barcelona?

Marley Taylor: To be honest, there really wasn’t that much to it. We essentially put our homes up for sale and cancelled our tanning memberships. By far, the most difficult thing about leaving Scottsdale was knowing that we wouldn’t be seeing all the great friends and fans that we had made over the last several years. Also, we had become quite attached to our favorite stores and restaurants.

NVM: Your dreams of performing in a venue like the beautiful Red Rock Resort have now come true for you. When and how did it settle in that you had finally made it come true?

Chris Phillips: Pretty much right off the bat. As we drove into town the very first day, we passed two huge billboards on the freeway with our mugs on it. Then, seeing our names and picture up on the big hotel marquee was rather exciting. This is something I truly had dreamed of since I was a kid coming out here to Vegas, seeing names like Sinatra and Tom Jones up in lights as you passed by these incredible hotels.

NVM: America Online recently named your New Year’s Eve Party at the Red Rock Resort as one of the ten best things to do on New Year’s Eve. How does that feel, and what did it mean to you?

CP: As you can imagine, we were extremely shocked, especially due to the fact that we were the only Las Vegas show on this list. Everything else was national celebrities like Britney Spears, Kid Rock, and Pamela Anderson appearing at various venues along with the world-famous street party. I could only imagine people around the world reading this list and saying, “What in the hell is a Zowie Bowie?”

NVM: Looking at the attention and coverage of Zowie Bowie by the Las Vegas Media, it would appear that the Vegas scene has welcomed your act and has in fact developed a huge fan base for you. How did that happen so fast?

MT: It became very apparent right away that this is a city that appreciates and acknowledges entertainment in the way that most big cities fawn over and support their professional sports teams. Because sports do not exist in Vegas, we feel that the city is backing us as a team that represents the city, and our shows feel almost as much like pep rallies and much as they feel like concerts.

NVM: “Best of Las Vegas” in CityLife Magazine 2006, “Vegas Heat Index” top ten list on AOL Vegas, a Discovery Channel appearance, the cover of Las Vegas Bride, opening the Red Rock Casino Resort with Sting. Where do you see this magnificent whirlwind ending up?

CP: The people of Las Vegas have welcomed us in an unbelievable way. We thought that it would take several years to generate any type of attention because there are so many things to do and see. Just this week we shot the cover of Las Vegas Home and Garden mag and became the number-one must-see show in Las Vegas, according to America Online. We truly appreciate all that the Fertitta family and at Red Rock have done to change our lives and make our dreams come true.

MT: We also feel most of this acclaim is because of our true dedication to those who take the time to join us at our shows. Because of this growing attention, we are very optimistic about the ultimate goal of becoming the biggest headlining show in Las Vegas, with a weekly “Live from Las Vegas” TV show. I’m not supposed to be talking about these future projects, but let’s just say they are in the process of being created as we speak. Our intention and agenda for this city is to keep the spirit of Las Vegas alive and well. We very much want to be next in line to follow in the footsteps of Wayne Newton, Steve and Eydie, Elvis, and the Rat Pack type of excitement. We want to generate the type of fervor you can’t get from a French circus, or many of the big production shows in this town void of any real personality or love and appreciation for their audiences. Las Vegas is supposed to be the kind of place where you do, see, and feel things you can’t find at home. Our show intends to be just that type of experience.

NVM: On your Web site, you list Dynamic Edge as your personal fitness team. How does keeping in shape and keeping the sexy, sophisticated look the two of you have play into the image of Zowie Bowie?

MT: There is no doubt that our shows, schedule and lifestyle are extremely physically demanding. Luckily, we have hooked up with Dr. Michael Norwood of Dynamic Edge, who has been an overwhelmingly positive influence in our lives, not just physically, but nutritionally and psychologically.

NVM: In November you appeared in Vegas Magazine’s “Stars and Their Cars.” What were your vehicle entries into the magazine?

CP: That was crazy…Vegas Magazine did a big full-page article on us and our Black SL 500 convertible that we were proud to get from our friends at Schumacher Mercedes in Scottsdale before we came out here. I will admit that was pretty cool, considering what Marley and I were driving just five years ago. It’s funny what being in a spread like that does for people’s perception of you.

NVM: Are there any things you didn’t change in your act or items you brought with you in your move to Vegas worthy of noting? Like certain outfits or accessories?

CP: Pertaining to our show, by far the biggest change has to do with the fact that we are now able to not only do our Top-40 concert, but we now produce a twelve-piece Vintage Vegas Big Band show where Marley and I come out with tux and gown and do a very authentic tribute to the entertainers and music that made this town what it is. Strangely enough, we are about the only show in town where you can still feel the essence of authentic Vegas. Regarding outfits and accessories, let’s just say that because of Marley, we have become very good friends with the folks over at Gucci and Chanel. I, however, am very familiar with the latest in fashions at the boys’ department at Target. In all honesty, her clothes and shoes and my accessories are in fact a big part of our image. We just view it as a really fun and justifiable business expense, kind of like Liberace did in his day.

NVM: The pulse and beat of your music at Barcelona was one of the reasons people could not get enough of Zowie Bowie. Do you find it the same in Vegas, and is there anything different?

CP: You are exactly right. Yes, there is a difference and it is very frustrating. Because we perform within the confines of a Corporate Casino, there are certain limitations put on our volume and song selection. This has just made us become more flamboyant entertainers to compensate and has in fact greatly improved our show’s visual allure. However, in true Zowie Bowie fashion, we are slowly but surely becoming even more edgy than ever when it’s time for that part of what we do. We refuse to patronize our audiences with the same old crap you can see anywhere.

NVM: After leaving such a noteworthy mark on the Scottsdale entertainment segment, what do you see as the mark you have begun to leave on the Vegas scene?

MT: Quite simply—our love affair with those who are kind enough to come see us week after week. There is a lot of great entertainment and incredible talent in this town. However, there are very few if any shows people feel compelled to attend more than once or twice, let alone every week. I think the people of Las Vegas feel and appreciate our somewhat renegade approach to raw energy and enthusiasm for what we are doing.

NVM: You have certainly caught the eye and sense of the Vegas media scene. What made your start at the Red Rock over these past months garner so much attention, and what do you think it will lead to?

MT: Perhaps it has to do with the fact that we are the only show in the state that offers punch and cookies to our guests. We have our hearts and souls directed toward the Big Prize—whatever that means.

NVM: You have a beautiful venue that you perform in at an outstanding resort in the entertainment capital of the world. Is there anything missing?

CP: Oh, yes indeed. As they say, we have yet begun to fight. As corny as this may sound, the reason Marley and I are doing this in the first place is to touch as many people as we can in a positive and inspiring way. We truly want to make this a better and more respectable world to live in. In our small and humble way, we feel that this is what we were put here to do.

NVM: As always, the two of you appear deeply in love and genuinely happy to be together. What keeps that going in the two of you?

CP: Crown Royal.

NVM: Last time we sat down with each other, you were engaged. Are you married yet? If not, are there any plans of an upcoming wedding?

CP: We would love to get married. Our problem is that we have not had a weekend off in over five years, and so if we were to get married it would have to be on a Monday morning or a Wednesday afternoon or something like that. We are having the times of our lives together, and when it is time, it will be wonderful.

NVM: Your friends and fans from the Scottsdale and Phoenix area love and adore you guys, myself included. Have you been able to meet up with any of them since moving to Vegas? How often do they pop up at your shows, or do you run into them out and about in Vegas?

MT: We are so very, very fortunate that so many friends from the Scottsdale area pop in to see us on any given weekend. We typically have at least five to twenty-five people per weekend make their way out to Red Rock. We are continually shocked and appreciative of all the support we have received from those you back in Arizona. You are the ones that inspire us to do the best job we can. Here’s something rather surreal: as I am answering these questions, I’m looking out the window of our home, and it is snowing so hard I can barely see the house across the street. That’s something you don’t see every day in Vegas.

NVM: You list your two acts as being a lounge-style act paying homage to the Rat Pack as your first act, and a more up-tempo, everyone-out-on-the-dance-floor late-night edition for show number two. How hard is it to transition from the style of the first show to the style of the second show each night you perform?

CP: Not difficult at all, other than running home and changing real quickly. What most people don’t understand is that there is a very fine line between the attitude and vibe of old vintage Vegas and today’s MTV-ish hip-hop culture. It’s very easy, considering Marley and I have been blessed to get to make a living being exactly who we are for other people’s amusement and entertainment.

NVM: For all of us who have not been able to get to Vegas to see you perform at your new home or who are planning a trip in the near future, tell us what to expect of the Vegas Zowie Bowie when we come to the Red Rock Resort and Casino to see you.

MT: What we are most excited about sharing with our Arizona friends is…the other side of our passion for performing, and that is our Vintage Vegas Big Band show on Saturday nights at 8:45 pm. Also, I think our visiting guests will get a kick out of the fact that on any given night there could be a number of fellow Las Vegas entertainers in our crowd that have been kind enough to support our efforts to create the new spirit of Las Vegas. As always, it is a pleasure to speak with the two of you. I know that the same passion for your music and sweetness and sincerity that you exemplified when performing in Scottsdale is the force that has propelled, and will continue to propel, the two of you to even greater things in your lives and careers. You have certainly set Vegas on fire, and those of us here in the Phoenix Valley already knew what those in the entertainment capital of the world have only recently discovered—that Zowie Bowie is in fact a state of mind that for over four years we have been in tune with, rocked with, lived with, and been in love with. We miss you guys, and wish you only the best.