Zowie Bowie leads overnight party as live music returns to Fremont Street
We can only imagine the audience for Zowie Bowie at 4 a.m. on Fremont Street, and leave it there.
But hey, it’s a civic, rock-around-the-clock celebration for Chris Phillips’ party band at Fremont Street Experience. ZB relaunches live music at 12:01 Monday night/Tuesday morning, when the city reopens at 100-percent capacity.
Focusing on the midnight start, it will be full-scale bonkers on the 3rd Street Stage.
Focusing on the 4 a.m. closing set … when is sunrise on June 1? Because we might stretch this until then, so Phillips can close with “Here Comes the Sun.”
“Of course, I am excited for every reason possible, whether it’s midnight or 4 in the morning,” Phillips said Wednesday. “It’s symbolic for Vegas in general to bring back live music at 100-percent capacity again. We’re kind of throwing it open for all the people, citywide, who want to function again.”
Monday marks the first live entertainment on FSE’s three open stages — 3rd Street, 1st Street and Main Street — since the shows were unplugged March 15, 2020.
Expanding the festival, Crush and Spandex Nation are playing Main Street Stage. Alter Ego is at 1st Street Stage. ZB Swaps sets with the Tony Marques Band on 3rd Street Stage. Dancing DJs (an act whose function is its very title) alternates all three stages, and everyone plays until that 4 a.m. start.
Righteously, there is no cover charge.
Phillips has been a popular draw under the FSE canopy since 2010. His most recent downtown gig was his band’s New Year’s Eve performance at Circa’s Stadium Swim, with only a CBS-TV crew, and his own band and support crew in attendance.
“I appreciate being involved, and I get the novelty of it,” Phillips says of what is effectively an overnight show. “We’ll see what kind of shape we’re in. It’ll be unusual, but it will be fun, I can tell you that.”
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.
