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Blues bands take over the Pioneer Saloon this weekend.
Monday, Sept. 25, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Is the blues a key part of the Las Vegas music scene? It may be overshadowed a bit by multi-genre festivals, big-name pop, rock and country residencies on the Strip, and dance music parties in major nightclubs, but blues music has long had a steady presence in bars and lounges across the valley.
Two of those well-known venues are teaming up to launch a new festival event this weekend. The historic Pioneer Saloon, opened in 1913 in Goodsprings, Nevada — about 35 minutes southwest of downtown Las Vegas — is the oldest bar in the area and boasts a sturdy reputation for great live music.
Stephen Staats, who took over the bar in 2021, wanted to showcase that aspect and connect with other blues fans and venues, and that’s the idea behind the inaugural Nevada Blues Festival, set for September 29 through October 1 at the Pioneer Saloon, the equally legendary Sand Dollar Lounge in Chinatown, and Tommy Rocker’s Mojave Beach Bar & Grill. The Jimmy Carpenter Band, the Crown City Bombers, the Moanin’ Blacksnakes, Marissa & The Hollenbacks, Vegas Strip Kings and many other are scheduled to perform, with a full lineup and other information available at nevadabluesfestival.com. All shows are free.
“We thought it would be cool if we were able to have music and three different venues for three days and it’s all free, and I don’t know of any other festivals that are free,” said Staats. “Not everyone can afford concert ticket prices the way they are these days. To hit those venues and not have to pay for a thing, it’s pretty special.”
Staats, also a guitar player and musician who’s performed across the country, has organized events in the past in other cities and said he was compelled by the talented blues bands in the Vegas area to offer a bit of a bigger stage than the Pioneer provides.
“We have a good mix of bands out here, including blues, country, pop and classic rock, but I saw pretty quickly that [the talent[ was comparable to what I’ve seen in Baton Rouge or Los Angeles. Nobody was paying much attention to what was going on out here,” he said. “I wanted to focus on the incredible talent we have and that’s the goal with this first [festival]. We have bigger acts we can talk to in the future, but this year is focused on local talent.”
Jimmy Carpenter, who leads his own band — regulars at the Sand Dollar — while as serving as president of the Las Vegas Blues Society, is one of the leading voices and advocates in the scene. He’s also the talent buyer and musical director of the annual Big Blues Bender, which recently returned to Westgate Las Vegas for a full weekend of music. But that event attracts mostly tourists. Carpenter is excited for the potential of the Nevada Blues Festival.
“Forty-four million people come to Vegas every year and if one percent were blues fans, we’d be so busy, we wouldn’t know what to do,” Carpenter said. “I always tell people: Vegas is not completely devoid of soul, you just gotta look for it, it’s there. If you don’t look, it’s not obvious.
“New Orleans is the same for a lot of people. Bourbon Street is the least interesting thing about New Orleans. The Strip is great, and very cool, but it’s not the center of my universe.”
Carpenter’s band will play the Pioneer Saloon for the first time during the fest, and he’s also part of the Vegas Strip Kings, which will hit the stage Sunday. “I expect the audience will be [similar] to people who go to the Pioneer and the Sand Dollar already, but it’s nice to add to that,” he said. “The goal is to expand my audience but also the audience at all of these venues.”
The Sand Dollar has been the valley’s most visible home for the blues for nearly 40 years, and Tommy Rocker’s, just west of the Strip on Dean Martin Drive, is another longtime local favorite for live music. The Pioneer Saloon will host bands during the afternoons of the festival (and Saturday night) with the Sand Dollar taking over Friday evening and Tommy Rocker’s hosting performances Sunday night.
