Columnist Jerry Fink: At Romy’s, it truly was a grand old party

Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 | 9:09 a.m.

Jerry Fink's lounge column appears on Fridays. Reach him at jerry@lasvegassun.com at (702) 259-4058.

Romy's Cafe and lounge became a hotbed of political activity Tuesday night.

Lonnie Hammargren danced, sang and played keyboards at the bistro recently opened by Teddy Daginis (formerly of Kitchen Cafe) and his son, Nicky.

The ex-lieutenant governor was celebrating winning the GOP nomination for assemblyman from District 15. Hammargren will face Democratic incumbent Kathy McClain in the fall.

Also doing a victory dance was Republican Frances Dean, who will face Democrat Anita Springs in the general election for the office of county reporter.

A third GOP candidate, Mark Trinko, left the party early. He had to sit out the dance, his bid for assemblyman from District 14 shot down by a poor showing at the polls (28 percent of the vote).

With election returns airing on a big-screen TV in the background and campaign workers busy talking politics in the foreground, hardly anyone noticed the debut of the three-piece band in the middle.

Blast of Brass was performing for the first time at the new venue (at the southeast corner Sahara Avenue and Durango Drive). Daginis is using the trio to try and recapture the atmosphere that prevails at his old haunt, the Kitchen -- a hangout for music lovers and for musicians who like to jam on open-mike nights.

"We will have open mike-nights in a couple of weeks," Richard Boucher, the band's director, said. "Right now, we're trying to build up the crowd."

The group performs from 8 p.m. to midnight, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It consists of Boucher, 70, trombonist/vocalist Brian O'Shea, 55, and keyboardist/ vocalist Lawrence Kay, 20.

O'Shea, who is working on a Joe Cocker tribute, is a veteran of the Las Vegas music scene. He immigrated from England about 20 years ago and has performed regularly since arriving.

Kay looks even younger than he really is, but his voice is mature beyond his years. He holds his own with the veterans, and should have a bright future in music if he doesn't become discouraged with the ups and downs of the business.

Boucher is the leader of the band, and the one who came up with the name Blast of Brass. He plays three brass instruments -- trumpet, fluegelhorn and trombone -- plus saxophone.

"I started playing piano when I was 7," he said. "But when I was about 12 I saw a bright, shiny bugle and I forgot about the piano."

Boucher comes from a family of entertainers -- both of his parents were in vaudeville. His mother played piano; his father was a dancer.

"The first two years of my life, they kept the act going," he said. "Showgirls would watch me backstage when my parents were on."

When the entertainment world began to change, with vaudeville stars going to Hollywood to be in movies, Boucher's parents settled in Monona, Wis.

"My father didn't want to take the family to Hollywood," Boucher said. "So we moved to Monona Village, where he was a delivery man for a milk company. He would get up at 3 a.m. to make his deliveries and come home in the evening and study to be a sign painter."

In 1944 the family moved to Amarillo, Texas, where Boucher's father eventually bought the Amarillo Sign Co. Boucher helped in the business, but he was more interested in music. He performed in bands throughout his high school career.

Eventually the family moved to Santa Ana, Calif., where the elder Boucher started the Laguna Beach Sign Co.

"Just before I graduated from Orange Coast Junior College in Costa Mesa, I met three guys, and when we sang we sounded like the Four Freshmen. We liked to sing in the men's room because when the sound came off the marble walls, the resonance almost sounded like an amplifier.

"When we walked out of the men's room there would be 15 or 20 people sitting in the hall listening to us."

The group began performing at college functions and eventually landed a record deal with Mason Records in Los Angeles.

"The next thing we knew we were booked into the Blue Room at the Tropicana in Vegas," Boucher said.

That was in 1957. After about a year they broke up and Boucher became a police officer in Garden Grove, Calif.

"But music kept drawing me back," he said.

After three years he began performing with different bands, eventually joining Paul Little Chief and the Warriors.

"He was a full-blooded Indian, a Kiowa-Comanche," Boucher said.

In 1963 the group was playing at John's Black Derby when two guys walked in and asked if they could sit in.

"It was Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield," Boucher said.

They had not yet made it big as The Righteous Brothers. Boucher became friends with them and played the valve trombone on their second album.

Meanwhile, Little Chief's band traveled the country. Several trips were made to Las Vegas. He performed at the opening of the Omaha Lounge at the Plaza in July 1971," Boucher said.

He spent a total of 16 years with Little Chief.

"I was off the road for brief periods of time," Boucher said. "I used to work for Manpower Inc. -- I would go out early and pick up trash. Whatever it took to keep money coming in."

Eventually, Boucher settled in Las Vegas and got a job repairing slot machines.

"I've been with the Las Vegas Hilton for 15 years," he said. "I work on machines by day, and do gigs at night."

Boucher could have foregone his music and remained with his father's sign company, which is now owned by his brother, Francois.

"But music was more important to me than anything," he said. "It has always been my first choice."

The vote wasn't even close.

Lounging around

Lounge performers and other entertainers who have played prominent roles in Las Vegas will be honored Sept. 18 at Greek Isles during the first "Meatball Award Show." Among the many who will be recognized are Sam Butera, Sonny King, Blackie Hunt, Bob Anderson, the Checkmates and the Treniers. The show begins at 7 p.m., Admission is $49.95. For information about the event call 952-8000.

Poppermost will perform at Thunderbird Lounge tonight from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The lounge, which recently reopened after being closed for two years, is in the Thunderbird hotel, 1215 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Poppermost is a '60s and '70s style alternative pop-rock band.

Rockfield Drive, a self-described "party" band, is at The Orleans' Bourbon Street Cabaret from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. nightly through Sept. 15. The high-energy group plays all kinds of music and is known for "audience participation."

Appearing in the Stardust's Starlight Lounge is Lenny Vee and the Alley Band at 5 p.m. through Saturday. Vocalist Launi Kristopher will perform through Sunday (11 p.m. tonight and Saturday; 8 p.m. Sunday) and then she switches to 5 p.m. Monday through Sept. 14 and 8 p.m. Sept. 15.

Tongue 'n' Groove (713 E. Ogden Ave.) features blues by Detroit Frank DuMont 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Thursdays.

Some dance bands worth checking out this weekend: Destiny, at the Stratosphere's Images Cabaret (10 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Sunday); Elements at the Barbary Coast's lounge (10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 9:15 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Sunday) and Front Page at Suncoast's lounge (9 p.m. to 3 a.m. through Sunday).

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