Yesterday, I was writing on the Buffet about how this time of year is slow in Vegas. Summer, in general, reduces our visitor counts, I think, because of the heat. Summer is the time of year resorts traditionally change carpet and do other routine maintenance and renovation. 

 

But the slowest time of year in Las Vegas, by far, starts around Thanksgiving and lasts until Christmas. Vegas isn't meant for all of those holidays that center on sharing, caring, family and giving selflessly. But Halloween (when the temperatures are lovely)  has never been a big holiday in Vegas either. That has always surprised me. Yet, the new Vegas abhors a visitor vacuum, and three years ago the Vegoose musical festival debuted to great success. Taking place away from the resort corridor, Vegoose was a weekend that mixed experimental, punk, and hip-hop with the major emphasis on jam bands. In fact, so successful was the first Vegoose that people from Southern California arrived in droves for it along with the strong local turnout.  By day people were in the fields of Henderson, Nevada (near Sam Boyd stadium) and at night you could see them in their festival shirts back on the Strip for hotel rooms, evening concerts and gambling. In short, Vegoose was a perfect fit for Halloween in Sin City.

 

But last year something faltered. The second day of the concert for Vegoose 2 in particular had a noticeably tiny audience. The lineup was much weaker, too, than the first year. One problem was that a lot of the band's on the sequel, like Tom Petty and Heartbreakers, were already veterans playing this town and didn't require a special trip to stand in field in Vegas. Aren't Tom Petty fans a little old for a field? Anyway, I am not at all saying that the festival was a total belly flop. Cat Power was amazing and the Raconteurs worth seeing.  There were many highlights. Still, none of the artists included the sort of names that would bring people to Vegas in droves. There were no must see reunions or rare performances. But from the impersonators' wedding chapel to the gigantic pumpkin there was a perfect melding of festival culture and Las Vegas. You could be a hippie by day and a high roller at night.

 

Still, the numbers on last year. And, in particular, the refusal of Vegoose to say specifically how many people showed up for the second day, left me worried that this wonderful event had reached its end game. One thing I learned about Las Vegas early is that you need deep pockets to be ahead of the market. This town will grow to accept a lot of things. This town keeps growing, too.  But particularly doing something a little different, you need time to reach an audience, to learn how to market something new in Vegas. All that happens slowly here. Yet the money to get there spends quickly.

 

 

People know what they love doing in Vegas already. They have firm ideas. So, it takes time for them to figure into their lives a new Vegas possibility no matter how exciting. In the case of Vegoose, an outdoor port-a-potty affair concert by day, yet, instead of camping, a return for a night of the Strip; well, I think ultimately this is a winning formula. But after the way Vegoose ended last year, I was not sure if the festival would be able to survive long enough to reap a reward for being so farseeing. Happily, I got the press release less than an hour ago that Vegoose will be back October 27-28. Also, there will now be a "Vegoose at Night" officially connected to venues around the Strip starting October 26. Good move. No word, yet, on lineup but I will let you know as soon as I hear.  (photo by Sarah Gerke)