Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

The show must go online: Las Vegas entertainment takes to social media

Mat Franco

Christopher DeVargas

Mat Franco is making magic on Facebook Live.

When Las Vegas Strip headliner Mat Franco performed what he called “Magic Reinvented … At Home” on Facebook Live on Wednesday, it immediately became clear that both he and his fans were getting what they needed.

“I started … simply because I was unable to perform in person and it felt like a big part of me was missing. The fact that people were so appreciative and receptive to it was truly a bonus,” Franco said. “The part that I didn’t expect is how good it feels to be able to do my small part in bringing joy to people, not just in one theater at a time, but to people all over the world simultaneously. It was a real rush so I’m excited to do more of it.”

Franco, whose “Magic Reinvented Nightly” show has been a staple at the Linq for five years, will bring another episode of his at-home magic show to Facebook at 5 p.m. on March 25.

With casinos and showrooms closed and live entertainment nonexistent for at least the next 30 days, performers, producers and promoters are getting creative with social media and other tech tools to stay in touch with audiences.

Spring is the season when the Vegas concert calendar explodes. To counter those lost experiences, local country music radio station 95.5 The Bull has launched an Instagram Live concert series.

Program director and on-air personality Wayne “Big D” Danielson said he’s recruiting artists he knows as well as those who get play on The Bull, aiming to offer two concerts a week. Next up is Brandon Lay at 7 p.m. on March 23 and Russell Dickerson at 7 p.m. on March 26.

“Of course people have performed on social media before, but when Luke Bryan goes live on his Facebook page, he’s talking to a million people who are not here,” said Danielson, also known for his gigs as in-arena host at Vegas Golden Knights and Las Vegas Aces home games. “My concern was how do you keep the Entertainment Capital of the World entertained. People like to mark a date on their calendar and look forward to a concert. Through our Instagram, we are talking to our listeners in our city.”

Station Casinos is getting in on the fun by sharing original video clips of performances from the musicians who regularly play those local properties. The At Home Sessions series kicked off with an acoustic bedroom performance by native singer and songwriter Franky Perez. More artists’ contributions will be posted in the coming days.

And pop singer Jewel, who has maintained a presence in Las Vegas for years, is performing a "Live From San Quarantine" concert online at 5 p.m. on March 21 on her Instagram and Facebook channels. Jewel's Never Broken program, which offers physical, emotional and mental health support within the Las Vegas-based Marty Hennessey Inspiring Children Foundation, was forced to cancel its largest annual fundraising event due to the pandemic, sparking her campaign to get 5,000 people to donate $1 a day for one year. The streaming concert will bring awareness and donations to that effort.