Vegas show ‘Salvage Yard’ adapts to COVID-19 era

Somewhere between the performers dancing in three open loading dock doors and the peach cobbler-ice cream dessert, we have seen the future of Las Vegas live entertainment.

Or at least a serving of such.

“Salvage City” was showcased for three nights ending Sunday at Dreamland Drive-In at FreshWata Studios.

The latest event is an acrobatic/comedy/dance show co-produced by Insomniac (of Electric Daisy Carnival fame) and David Foster (of Spiegelworld and “Absinthe” fame).

Dreamland is the same hybrid entertainment venue that has hosted “Sexxy” by Jen Romas on July 1-4, “The World’s First Drive-In Drag Show,” on May 30-31, and the “Tickle Me Comedy Club” lineup on June 19-20. The space was once more put to full use, as Dreamland will forever be remembered as Vegas’ summertime, live entertainment outdoor hot spot.

A total of 30 cast members, ranging from sidelined Cirque artists to some of Spiegelworld’s finest, put on the 45-minute show sample. It was loud. It was acrobatic. It was funny. It was profane. It was everywhere. And it was hot, temperature-wise, performance-wise and even seasoning-wise.

“We wanted to showcase this in pieces, to show what we have and to also bring some normalcy to people’s lives,” said Paul Seigenthaler, the show’s co-producer and a co-owner of DreamlandXR entertainment company. “There is the traditional model of having a stage and everyone facing that stage. But we wanted to use the space, in social distancing, to bring this show to people, and everything you see around you is a prop.”

The whole “Salvage City” concept came together in about a month, with Bret Pfister (Tiffany in “Miss Behave Game Show”) directing. Seigenthaler and chefs Jeff Steelman and Chris Windus developed the Meat Circus menu and dining experience. Crab salad, char-grilled pulled chicken, braised short ribs, salmon filet, roasted mushrooms and that cobbler on cast iron are among the highlights.

The vibe is very junk-chic. Not since the days of “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” (go ahead and Google that) has a salvage yard been used so creatively. This is a show where the whole experience is up in your face, next to you, over your head, happening all around you, beginning with the crazy meat-cooking at the entrance, with smoke from the barbecue pits hitting you in the face.

You and your car are shouted down by a pair of costumed rednecks (at least, they seemed in costume) quaffing Bud Light tallboys and noshing on Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Not the new KFC. These kids were eating from the original, vintage bucket. Asher Treleaven and Jordan Kai Burnett portrayed the couple, joined by comedy writer, magician and renowned podcaster Matt Donnelly of “Matt & Mattingly’s Ice Cream Social” and Penn Jillette’s “Penn’s Sunday School.”

Donnelly, in coveralls, scrawled a number — in this case, 23 — on your vehicle for food delivery. He cheerily said, “You are welcome to wipe that off later.” A folding table was set up next to my car. This was dining out coronavirus-style.

A dumpster in the middle of the lot was a stage, where a trio of jugglers performed. A Penske moving truck was a trampoline stage, with the Penske name changed to Whiskey. A crane was rolled out for a rope act.

Junk fashion was the attire of the night, but there were some drawbacks amid the drawstrings. Not everyone could see every act, as the production was staged in different positions around the lot (and hardly ever in full view of the entire crowd). Only the middle dumpster presented the performers to the guests along the perimeter.

But there were many “wow” moments. A silver trussing rig rolled across the pavement and over that dumpster to stage an aerial act, the closest to a signature act “Salvage City” produced. Spiegelworld’s Water on Mars juggling team of Tony Pezzo, Noah Schmeissner and Doug Sayers, especially, made great use of that platform.

The show is comparatively dance-heavy, and this is the rare COVID-19 entertainment experience where you can actually groove a bit. But if you don’t like EDM, the music isn’t for you (though the pre-show offered some country and classic rock).

The “Salvage City” format is for a full night: dinner, show, and a DJ afterward. The whole event could run upward of three hours.

A crowd of about 30 — vehicles — showed up. That’s at capacity for FreshWata. The idea could work in a big festival, 400 cars, maybe the scale of Electric Daisy Carnival. It’s certainly too much for a tent, or refurbished nightclub.

“We’re figuring out where to go next,” Foster said. “Right now, it’s a concept to see if the show works, and it does work. Now, does it go on tour and be based out of Vegas? Does it live in Vegas? These are the things we are trying to figure out.”

Caesars Entertainment, for one company, scouted the show. Vice President of Entertainment Operations Damian Costa was among the masked observers.

It took about three weeks for the show to come together, amazing unless you know the artists involved. The sidelined performers are still the best of the best in Las Vegas.

“This idea didn’t exist five weeks ago. It just happened,” Foster said. “It happened as an idea to create something that is exciting, to show where the arts in Las Vegas can go next.”

And live entertainment might yet be salvaged.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.