INTERVIEW: Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend returns with its ’50s vibes intact
Image courtesy of Viva Las Vegas / Provided by press rep with permission.
Nostalgia is a powerful force in American culture. So many teenagers today yearn for past decades that they can only experience in old movies and on vinyl records. The 1980s have somehow become cool again, and even the 1990s are taking on a sepia-tinged tone. There’s also an enormous scene of people who celebrate the style, music, look and vibes of the 1950s. They dig rockabilly music; they soak up the sunshine at retro car shows; they adopt and adapt the clothing, makeup and hair styles of the day; and they transport themselves back to polka-dot dresses, swinging music and hot rods with blasting engines.
They’re rebels without a cause.
Love for the 1950s lives on in many places around the country, but one particular spot holds the crown: the annual Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend. The extravaganza, which takes place at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas, was sidelined due to COVID-19, but it’s back, and attendees are ready to have some fun. The dates this year are Sept. 9-12, and at the center of the festivities will be promoter Tom Ingram.
“Lots of bands, lots of DJs and lots of cars,” Ingram promised during a recent phone interview. “Basically we have 55 bands this time across the four days in multiple venues inside the hotel and also outside at the car show. We also have pool parties on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with a band playing out there as well and DJs. And, of course, all the DJs are doing ‘50s-style music.”
Ingram has been a lover of 1950s music for a long time, and he feels this nostalgia trip is a reflection on modern music. To put it simply, not everyone enjoys today’s pop music, especially the computerized songs that seem to delete killer guitar work.
“I think good music is always good music, no matter when it was recorded, so I think people are looking back at old music,” he said. “I’ve got two daughters, and they’re actually buying new vinyl records of old music. It’s quite interesting to see.”
Viva Las Vegas features many events, with the two most prominent being the car show and live music. This year’s concert lineup features everyone from the Delta Bombers to the Screamin’ Rebel Angels to the Rayford Brothers and Jimmy Dale. Add in Shanda & The Howlers, Bailey Dee, Mack Stevens and JD McPherson, plus many others, and Viva Las Vegas promises to be a rocking good weekend.
But there was a time when Ingram thought the rockabilly event was not going to come back. The ongoing pandemic scared him, and he wasn’t sure the fans would return.
“I wasn’t sure how it was going to work out financially, and I was trying to work out not only how I was going to keep doing the event, but also survive and pay my bills,” he said. “Luckily, right before COVID hit, I sold an apartment building, and that gave me some money, which I’ve been living on during COVID, not what I intended doing with it. But I thought when COVID hit, and I realized things were going to get tough, I thought, right, I’m going to have to live off that money because I had to do everything I could to make sure that the event was going to survive, not just for people going to the event, but also for my future because it’s my full-time job. So we took the decision to not only keep going ahead, but all the way through the pandemic we’ve been promoting the event and just putting stuff online and making sure people realize it’s going to come back. I think a lot of events who have just kept quiet, just got on with other things, they possibly made a mistake because all through it, everyone is still looking forward to when Viva comes back. Whereas if you don’t put it out there all the time, people forget. They forget very quickly.”
Ingram, speaking several weeks ago, said he was confident that this September event was going to be a success. He admitted that it would be a little more intimate than usual because European and Canadian bands and fans won’t be attending, so the numbers will be down. The inside portion will also be slightly changed, given everything going on during the pandemic, but Viva Las Vegas will look and feel virtually the same.
“The car show I actually think that’s going to be as big as it ever has been because on the Saturday especially it’s when all the locals come,” Ingram said. “I’ve actually changed how I’ve done my advertising, and I’ve concentrated the advertising on cities that are really within a driving distance to Vegas rather than over the whole country. That’s the safest way. … It’s a complete cross-section from 21 years old up to 81 years old basically, but the majority of the people are between 21 and 40.”
And those people are ready to party — safely, of course.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend runs Sept. 9-12 at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas. Click here for more information and tickets.
It was my 4th time to play viva Vegas, as, a Original 50th Rockabilly artist I have some suggestions,but, I’ll keep them to myself, one, suggest I’ll give is, not, enough promo is given to the Original’s, since, there were only 2, of us this year, a few have passed since Last Viva, why not give us a bit of credit, without out us, there’d be no Viva Vegas, while I appreciate being booked I get must more attention in Europe, like security, Merch table, people to help at the stage, in Europe security helps us to and, fro. Just saying, Hiwever, probably won’t be a problem in the future, as, I’m probably like Willie Nelson Last man standing, Art Adams 50’s Rockabilly Artist, known for recordings, Dancing Doll, Rock Crazy baby, s finally nite, no need people were there to interview me, one, would think us guys that started it all would be interviewed, while I always give the young bands heads up,, a Lot are my friends, I returned to music after 30, years being out of music, my first show was Viva Vegas, there were Europeans/ Canadians, I was put in a Hotel across the street not at the Orleans, in fact this is the first time I’ve been put in the Orleans Hotel, I understand it’s a big undertaking to put on a festival, my friend Ana, and, the our bass player fir the Art Adams band, was the reason I went this time, as, I under went a failed back operation, and, need to sit to perform, I had a great backing band with my friends Deke Dickerson on Guitar, Carl ( Sonny ) Leyland on piano, Bobby Tremble on Drums, and, the Art Adams band Bass player/ Manager on Dog house Bass, these guys done a great Job backing me, ( my 2, cents worth) Art Adams,