A FEW PICKS

No reason to moan and groan about the high cost of entertainment in Las Vegas when the valley is full of places to hear good music for free, or almost free.

Santa Fe and The Fat City Horns – how can you top this mega group formed by the incomparable Jerry Lopez? Mondays, 10:30 p.m. in the Tiffany Showroom at the Tropicana (excuse the construction).

Big Band at the Tropicana – after listening to Lopez large band, you can step outside the theater and enter the lounge and listen to an even larger band perform till the wee hours of the morning.

E-String, Henderson, 2031 W. Sunset Road, always great music going on. Call 433-4739 for details. Daddy Macs, 2920 Green Valley Parkway – one of the area’s newest venues. Ronnie Rose is a favorite on Thursdays. And Lou Martinez, who performs at 7 p.m. Tuesdays.

Las Vegas Rocks, Tony Sacca’s new cabaret on Fremont Street which is brimming with music. Tuesday nights its Grammy-winning saxophonist Gary Anderson at 8 p.m.

Frediani’s – 2895 N. Green Valley Parkway, across the street from Daddy Macs. Another venue where live music is the rule, not the exception. At 7 p.m. Friday, April 23, it will be vocalist Marsha K. Ross with George Pollock and Chick Kovacs.

Ichabod’s Lounge, 3300 E. Flamingo Road – legendary lounge entertainer Howie Gold is there most evenings, sometimes with guest jazz artists.

Chianti Café1916 Village Center Circle, where you get a wide variety of entertainment throughout the week. Can’t miss on Tuesdays, when jazz vocalist Lynn Ross performs at 6 p.m.

—————- NEW VENUE

Industry veteran Darin Feinstein brings Crown Theater and Crown Nightclub to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino this summer in the former 3121 space. Feinstein, who purchased the world-famous The Viper Room from actor Johnny Depp, will put the world-renowned Rio venue back on the Vegas map with a mix of live concerts and nightlife events.

“The location has hosted both nightclub and headliner performances featuring world-class entertainment including the legendary Prince,” said Gary Selesner, president of Rio. “We are thrilled to launch a new offering combining the best of live music and late night entertainment. Crown will appeal to locals and visitors alike, serving as the perfect complement to the diverse roster of Rio resort amenities.”

The venue’s 900-capacity unique, in-the-round design will feature intimate performances by some of the biggest, as well as upcoming, names in music as part of Crown Theater’s offerings. As the night progresses, so does the venue, becoming Crown Nightclub, a nightlife spot away from The Strip providing a mix of themed nights with a variety of music. The multi-tiered venue features VIP seating around the arch of each level, complete with low-slung, modern furnishings, giving way to a panoramic view of the venue.

“My venue, The Viper Room, hosted some of the top live performances in Los Angeles, ranging from Queens of the Stone Age to Shiny Toy Guns – here at Crown Las Vegas, we’ll showcase a similar lineup of quality acts” said Feinstein. “For nightlife, after the various concert series, you can look forward to a themed venue night hosted by one of the top domestic or international DJs. It’s important to remember that The Rio hosted one of the top concert/nightclub venues in the country for more than a decade; we’re looking forward to being part of its resurgence.”

The booking of Crown Theater will be under the direction of Joe Rinaldi who brings to the table years of experience booking venues including The Viper Room and House of Blues-Live Nation, as well as experience with multiple installation shows for major music conventions including South by Southwest and CMJ. Additionally, Rinaldi has worked on the artist side during his time with Ultimatum Records giving him well-rounded experience in working with both the artist and venue.

Schedules, times and ticket prices for concerts, events and nightlife will be announced at a later date.

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