Vegas Seven 2-18-2010 : Page 84
Music Soundscraper Sinatrauma and skateparks By Jarret Keene Cabo Wabo Cantina Hard rock, soft economy New venues lead a live-music comeback in Las Vegas By Jarret Keene In the last six months, the debut of new rock-themed bars on and off the Strip raised eyebrows. Were these openings “coinkidink,” or is the industry wising up to the fact that the standard “Vegas luxe” marketing of "the aughts" no longer holds in a recession? Time to finally realize not every tourist and local wants to stand in line, pay $1,000 for bottle service, and hear Top 40 selected by DJs? Perhaps the biggest sign of change ahead was the New Year’s Eve unveiling of Smokin’ Hot Aces (3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South) inside the Venetian. Billing itself as “Vegas’ only true rock ’n’ roll bar,” Smokin’ Hot Aces made good on its promise to draw real rock bands—like the Sin City Sinners. Sure, they’re mainly a cover band and Buds are $5, but on the Strip that’s about as much authen- ticity and thrift as you can hope for. “Today people think twice before shelling out the kind of money you need to hit a high-end nightclub,” says Aces General Manager Marty Helfand, whose background includes, ironically, a stint with The Light Group, the top night- club operator in town. “The grunginess, the casualness of rock lends itself to an economical approach. Not that people aren’t saving up for big nightclub experiences, but it’s less frequent. “We definitely do better with live music than when we don’t offer it,” Helfand continues. “We’re going after a new demographic, and it’s a slow build.” Speaking of traffic, this writer investigated Feelgoods Rock Bar & Grill (6750 W. Sahara Ave.) on Wednesday’s “Hot Rod Bike Night,” maneuvering through a parking lot of sweet autos to check out the Moanin’ Blacksnakes, easily Vegas’ most powerful blues-rock band. At Feelgoods, you get a $9 burger, a $5 Stella Artois, and kickass music without even glancing Stripward. 84 Vegas Seven February 18-24, 2010 However, not every rock club has been winning. Consider Dead Man’s Hand (Alice in Chain’s Jerry Cantrell and Anthrax’s Scott Ian’s lounge), formerly housed inside Crazy Horse III. The concept perhaps offered too much: live music and boobs. Currently sans location, rumor has it that the owners are seeking a new spot. Then there’s the deathless Tommy Rocker’s (4275 Dean Martin Dr.), an establishment that briefly flirted with the stripper-pole format in years past before ultimately returning to its rock roots. The Las Vegas Guitar Association recently held a competition there last week, but the calendar dooesn’t offer much else live music-wise. On the upside, Trainwrecks (35550 S. Decatur Blvd.)—formerly the Emergency Room—opened last week and boasts live music on Friday nights. On Feb. 19, watch Bad Billy, Highway Run, Duncan Faure and Bud Mickle. Back on the Strip, the rock action is spread- ing, albeit gradually. Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina at the Miracle Mile Shops offers pretty decent Van Halen tribute bands from time to time. But a serious commitment to the live rock format appears to be lacking. Wasted Space in the Hard Rock is intimately banging, providing you ignore the Criss Angel clones that occasionally congregate inside. The Space has some lethal shows lined up this month, including rockabilly powerhouse The Head Cat (featuring Motörhead’s Lemmy on bass and vo- cals) on Feb. 21 and dark garage-rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (with The Whigs) on Feb. 28. After a stretch of rocklessness, Diablo’s Cantina at Monte Carlo will once again offer live music by original (not cover) bands after St. Patrick’s Day. Rock may have had a rough time on the Strip during the booming, electronic aughts, but in the current recession, flowers grow in the dustbin. Anyone spot the recent article in The New York Times about the “My Way” karaoke murders in the Philippines? Apparently, when someone sings the Ol’ Blue Eyes classic in a bar, deadly vio- lence sometimes ensues. Enough fatal encounters have occurred to warrant labeling the crimes under their own subcategory: the “My Way Killings.”Many Filipino karaoke joints have banned the song outright. Is the Frank Sinatra standard cursed? I’ve never been to the Philippines, but in Las Vegas, Filipino karaoke bars are warm, friendly places to drink Red Horse, slurp spicy dinuguan (meat stewed in garlic and pig’s blood) and have fun while belting out any number of Sinatra tunes. It’s my duty as a columnist to counter the bad vibes by suggesting my favorite karaoke bar and Filipino restaurant, Café Moda (3400 S. Jones Blvd. at Spring Mountain). My pal Justin and I popped in on a Tuesday night and drank 2-for-1 ($5) Pyramid Hefeweizen drafts in the lounge. The karaoke was impressive, with singers attempting a variety of styles (Wham!, Creed, George Strait). The DJ was a total pro. In between beers, we nibbled short ribs, ogled the pretty staff and basked in the coziness. Being the jerk I am, you can much-ballyhooed and eardrum- devouring album Fed Through the Teeth Machine. If you enjoy extremely aggressive music—blast beats, math-metal riffs, growling vocals—check out what’s being unleashed amid the vert ramps and wooden bowls of this little-known (at least if you’re old enough to have a driver’s license) facility. On Feb. 20, Area 702 spotlights Vegas’ own Searchlight, whose song “Contagious” was featured The Red Chord in the 2007 sci-fi/horror flick Resident Evil: Extinction starring Milla Jovovich. Nobody makes better post-apocalyptic zombie attack music than Searchlight. If that’s not edgy enough, move to Philippines and test your luck with “My Way.” And on a more peaceful note, guess what song I performed. And I’m still here to write about it! Café Moda kills—in a good way. Interestingly, many of the best rock shows in February are taking place in an indoor skatepark in North Las Vegas. Area 702 (3040 Simmons St., Suite 104) is hosting a veritable army of mega-loud national and local bands. Massachusetts grindcore act The Red Chord arrives Feb. 24 in support of its we’re already halfway through Black History Month, which I like to call James Brown Month, since he sings my favor- ite songs of self-empowerment (no matter what color you are). My personal playlist of JB funk slices includes: “Reality,” “Soul Power,” “Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud,” “I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing,” “Get Up, Get Into It, Get In- volved” and “Funky President.” Your local band releasing a CD? Got extra tix to Graciela Beltran’s Feb. 19 show? Email jarret_keene@yahoo.com.
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