On the Road with Fred

VIVA LAS VEGOOSE
Winter 2006

The idea seems so simple, yet for some reason, Las Vegas had yet to play host to a large musical festival. No other city could witness over 70,000 live music fanatics descend to town, only disappear to the desert for 12 hours each day, and then return, without causing a traffic jam, or barely even being noticed.

For non-campers, a festival such as Bonaroo can at times be more trouble than its worth, no matter how strong the musical lineup may be. Vegoose promised the chance for comfort and world class tunes, and delivered a weekend beyond even the most optimistic fans expectations, making Las Vegas the place to be Halloween weekend.

At Vegoose, camping was replaced by luxury, as we were all taken to and from the show on air conditioned chartered buses, to the land of luxury hotels and miles of blackjack tables, followed by more late night shows. Then, back on the bus to the extraordinary festival the next day, to relive the magic all over again.

The event was held at Sam Boyd Stadium, several miles away from the Las Vegas Strip. The main, or "Double Down," stage sat within the football stadium, while the "Jokers Wild" and " Snake Eyes" stages where housed on a comfortable grass field outside the stadium. In the middle of it all, the Clubs Tent provided an endless array of entirely different, and often outlandish, entertainment. With plenty amenities, clean restrooms, easy to access paths from one stage to another, and crystal clear sound throughout the grounds, the festival lay out could not have been better. And that doesn't even account for the Evil Great Pumpkin.

The musical highlights of the weekend were many, with all usual A-list Bonaroo talent - Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews and Trey Anastaio - on hand and performing strong sets. As one would expect, Warren Haynes played an integral role in the weekend highlights, first leading his own band Gov't Mule through a two hour set of guitar-charged powerhouse rock before rushing to the main stage to join his former band, Phil Lesh and Friends, for the first time in two years. The Friends certainly benefited from his presence, performing a moving "Sugaree" that found Haynes beautifully trading verses with Joan Osborne, then moving on to lengthy jams "Help on the Way> Slipknot> "Casey Jones."

Other musical genres were represented as well, with ween and Beck drawing the biggest crowds at the " Snake Eyes" stage. While The Flaming Lips continue to defy description, they easily won the wildest stage production award, and had perhaps the rowdiest crowd of the weekend. Sadly, the Lips were on stage at the same times as The Meters, forcing attendees to choose between two of the strongest performances of the festival.

With attendance estimated at well over 70,000, Vegoose was a huge success by all account. The fine folks at Superfly Productions, co-creators of the hugely successful Bonraoo, they truly outdid themselves in the desert sands of Las Vegas, delivering an experience that was the safest, cleanest, and up-scale festival one could imagine. A truly amazing experience from beginning to end.

** First published in HONEST TUNE magazine, Winter 2006

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