Country fans jam as awards flow

Once a country music awards show takes over two sports arenas on the Strip, you have to ask the next question:

"Now where do we go? How do we supersize this?" asks Bob Romeo, president of the Academy of Country Music. "Do we look at bringing a country festival to Las Vegas ... and trying to brand something even bigger?"

Most of the tickets for Sunday's awards show on CBS go to Nashville artists, insiders and record label professionals. But the public component takes a leap this year with a moderately priced "Fan Jam" at Mandalay Bay Events Center. The ACM broadcast at the MGM Grand Garden will cut away four times to the companion concert.

"We are looking at the possibility of a full-blown festival," says Pat Christenson of Las Vegas Events, the entity tasked with coordinating wide-appeal events such as this weekend's free ACM concerts on Fremont Street.

By adding the Mandalay Bay show this year, "you're really about halfway there," Christenson says.

And after the ACMs wrap it up with Monday's "Girls' Night Out" concert, "we're going to suss it out and try to see what the next move is, so we at the Academy can try to continue to grow our brand in Las Vegas," Romeo says.

Sunday night is the first time the MGM and Mandalay arenas have been used for the same event. Since both are owned by MGM Resorts International, I was only half-joking when I asked Romeo if the double-down was a counteroffer to talk of the ACMs jumping ship to the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Romeo says Texas lawmakers are moving toward approval of a funding mechanism that would help support the ACMs there. "But I will tell you on the heels of that, obviously we plan on coming back to Vegas next year." At this point, the plan to go to Texas falls under the idea of a "one-off, mega event," he says.

A Las Vegas festival could go different directions. One is a big outdoor fest, possibly on vacant land in the resort corridor, like the Red Bull Soundclash staged across the Strip from Luxor earlier this month.

The other option is to coordinate existing concert halls and showrooms on the Strip: "a megapass that encompasses all of the resort properties that want to be involved," Romeo says.

The outdoor idea could bring more than 30,000 people to town. With the indoor option, "maybe it's 10,000 people with a more exclusive feeling."

For years, that's exactly what seemed to be happening during National Finals Rodeo week in December. Rodeo week became a country music fest in all but name, but in recent years has retreated to mostly stand-up comedy; country superstars can now play any time.

Romeo says casino officials would have to weigh in on how much they would welcome the extra help of a festival; spring tends to have strong occupancy already, especially during the first week of college basketball March Madness.

The future of both festival options rests in part on the success of the "Fan Jam." Other eyes are sure to be paying attention to how a ticketed Dierks Bentley show on Mandalay Bay's beach stage on Saturday holds its own against a free concert by Ronnie Dunn on Fremont Street. ...

After running mostly under the radar for 45 weeks at the Riviera, "Dao -- The Asian Celebration" closed Sunday. Producer Chunyan Hou's New Dynasty Entertainment, came under scrutiny in February after performers claimed they weren't paid.

Mark Levy holds the lease for the showroom best known over the years for the "La Cage" drag show. He says he will take his time to find a strong show rather than rush to book a replacement.

The Riviera's historic main-floor showroom has been dormant, but may be revived by magician Rick Thomas. ...

The drummers step forth as the stars Sunday at the College of Southern Nevada, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave. in North Las Vegas. John Wackerman, musical director and drummer for Terry Fator's band, brings in his more famous brother Chad and other drum greats -- Dennis Chambers, Chester Thompson and Thomas Pridgen -- for a players' clinic.

Regular civilians can pay a separate $20 admission for the 4 p.m. finale show featuring jazz-rock guitar cult hero Allan Holdsworth, backed by Chad Wackerman and bassist Jimmy Johnson. ...

Bill Fayne is all over the place. Locals got to know him as longtime musical director and sidekick to Clint Holmes during their years at Harrah's Las Vegas. Fayne went on to launch the Las Vegas Tenors, which has morphed into a new venture called Voices 3, debuting April 16 and 17 at the Suncoast.

But first, Fayne offers a history of "My Musical Life" at 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday in the Starbright Theater at the Pinnacle Community Center, 2215 Thomas Ryan Blvd.

The shows present a chance to buy his new album, "Here's to Life."

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.