Columnist Jerry Fink: Reserve’s new club is a top pick for guitarists

Friday, July 13, 2001 | 9:17 a.m.

Jerry Fink's lounge column appears on Fridays. Reach him at 259-4058 or jerry@ lasvegassun.com.

Don Marrandino turned a taco stand into a guitar bar at the Reserve, and now he's waiting for copycats to try to pluck his great idea.

"But unless they can get Eric Clapton or (Eddie) Van Halen, they'll never match us," said Marrandino, a Station Casinos executive.

In addition to the Reserve, Marrandino is responsible for Sunset and Boulder Station, Barley's and Green Valley Ranch, which is under construction.

When Station Casinos bought the Reserve earlier this year for $70 million, Marrandino said it needed more live entertainment, so he took out the taco stand and replaced it with the Nils Lofgren Guitar Bar.

"(The taco stand was) not doing well," Marrandino said, "(But) it was attached to a cool bar (Wasimba's)."

When trying to come up with the right kind of entertainment venue, Marrandino said he wanted something different.

"I didn't want to do what everybody else was doing, which was karaoke." Marrandino said.

As he kicked around ideas he thought about his close friend Nils Lofgren, the lead guitarist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.

Marrandino is among those who think Lofgren, who lives in Phoenix, is one of the greatest guitarists in the world. The two met about six years ago through a mutual friend and have been pals ever since. Lofgren performed for the opening of Sunset Station four years ago.

"One of (Nils') favorite things to do is, he likes to jump up onstage and play with a local band," Marrandino said. "That's how he relaxes."

Marrandino liked the idea of a venue where anyone could jump up onstage and perform.

"I like to play guitar," Marrandino said, "but the only place I can ever play is in my living room or out by the pool. I thought, wouldn't it be cool if I could get up there onstage with someone who could play?"

He pitched the idea to Lofgren.

"I asked him if I could use his name on a bar, and he said he would be honored," Marrandino said.

Lofgren, who receives a licensing fee for the use of his name, performed at the bar's June 8 debut.

"There was never more energy on this property," Marrandino said.

The bar holds jam sessions, called "open pick night," four nights a week, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 6-9 p.m.

Marrandino, who fulfilled his own dream of performing onstage, said the guitar bar has been such a success that beginning tonight there will be extra jam sessions on Fridays and Saturdays, from midnight to 3 a.m.

"More than 300 people have played so far," he said. "They don't take themselves too seriously."

Everyone is encouraged to perform, no matter how good or how bad they are.

The bar will even loan the jammer a guitar, no strings attached, but most musicians bring their own instruments. One recent night 25 musicians showed up to perform and more than 100 fans came to listen.

Jerry Cabrera and John Goforth were among those who signed up to perform one night last week.

Goforth is an acoustic guitarist -- he has a day job (Grand Canyon Tours) but he performs at various venues in the evenings. He has made a couple of CDs for Covered Bridge Records and is longing for the day when he can devote all his time to his music.

"I came to Vegas from Modesto (Calif.) in February," he said. "There's hardly anyplace to play just a guitar. I occasionally perform at Borders Books. This (guitar bar) is a great idea."

Goforth is putting together a smooth jazz act. He says he's going to call it Psychedelic Relic.

Cabrera, a school bus mechanic for the Clark County School District, surprised the audience with some competent rhythm-and-blues licks on his electric guitar.

"I played keyboard in a band when I was in high school," Cabrera said.

After graduation he kept the band's amplifier and has been playing guitar in the confines of his home for more than 20 years. He came to Las Vegas from Southern California 12 years ago.

"I have this concert amplifier," he said. "It rattles the windows when you want it to."

Since his teen years he has thought about going back onstage. The Nils Lofgren Guitar Bar allowed him to turn the fantasy into a dream.

"I have thought about eventually getting into it, professionally," he said. "I know I have the ability."

Shawn Eiferman, acoustic guitarist and singer with the popular local band Epstein's Mother, hosts the jam sessions on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

But not everyone is as good as Cabrera and Goforth.

"We've had a few train wrecks," Eiferman said. "But variety is the spice of life. When they are really bad, its entertaining."

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