Out at Home

Spencer Patterson

Friday, June 25, 2004 | 9:26 a.m.

Spencer Patterson

Thousands of tourists pour into Las Vegas every weekend for the chance to get indoors for production shows and concerts along the Strip.

For many locals, however, there's nothing better than an opportunity to enjoy quality live music outdoors, under Southern Nevada's typically clear skies.

Just in time for summer, area music enthusiasts suddenly have three new such options: a floating stage at Lake Las Vegas Resort, The District at Green Valley Ranch and the recently revived festival series -- renamed "Music on the Mountains" -- at Mount Charleston.

Lake Las Vegas takes its maiden concert voyage on July 3, bringing in country headliner LeAnn Rimes for a 9 p.m. performance.

The District's grass staging area has been up and running since late April, when the outdoor shopping area opened. Shows continue there on Friday and Saturday nights.

And on Saturday music returns to Mount Charleston's Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort for the first time in five years. Gates open at 10 a.m., with the first of five acts on the bill slated to go on at 11.

Here is a look at the three new venues:

Lake Las Vegas

Chris Schulte remembers the incredulous responses he received when he began contacting engineers about the possibility of erecting a floating stage at Lake Las Vegas.

"They all chuckled at us at first," recalled Schulte, president of Lake Las Vegas Marina, which handles construction projects at the resort community east of Henderson. "We do not know of another floating stage out there."

In time, however, Schulte turned the groundbreaking concept into a reality, shaving roughly $800,000 off the cost in the process.

"When we first talked about it 10 years ago, it would have cost close to $1 million to build," Schulte said. "With new technology, we're down to right around $200,000 for its construction. We figure it should pay itself back in a two- to three-year period."

Workers spent this week building the stage, which spans more than 3,900 square feet, along with the giant trusses that will hold sound and lighting fixtures provided by visiting performers.

Upon completion, the floating stage will be towed to a position in front of the amphitheater seating area at Lake Las Vegas' MonteLago Village, where it will be moored to a set of 9,000- to 11,000-pound underwater anchors.

"We've re-created land on water," Schulte said. "The stage is built to withstand hurricane-force winds, 85 miles per hour for three seconds. So there will be no bob and weave whatsoever. We're designed for armageddon."

Cary Krukowski, director of marketing for Lake Las Vegas Resort, said Rimes' representatives are looking forward to being part of the floating stage's inaugural run.

"They're thrilled with it," Krukowsi said. "We thought she might be a little bit nervous, but she and her people are very excited."

Tickets for Rimes' concert are priced at $39.95 for lawn spots and $69.95-$100 for reserved seats, and are available through TicketMaster.

The MonteLago Village position is just one of six sites in Lake Las Vegas that will be equipped with mooring anchors for future floating stage concerts. Other locations include Reflection Bay below Reflection Bay Golf Club and the bay at the Hyatt Regency.

Krukowski said another event is in the works for October, with a target of four to six concerts per year beginning in 2005.

"We have the ability to have all types of entertainment on this stage, from country to pop to jazz to a philharmonic," Krukowski said. "We're also interested in attracting theatrical performances."

The District

As patrons walk through the outdoor shopping area adjacent to Green Valley Ranch Station Casino on Friday and Saturday nights, they're likely to hear music coming from speakers tucked away in tree wells along walking paths.

Those aren't recorded sounds. They come courtesy of live musicians, playing from a staging area at the grassy crossroads near the center of The District.

Since April the site has been home to a variety of free concerts, ranging from traditional jazz to exotic world beats, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. each Friday and Saturday.

"The idea was to add a level of excitement and energy to The District in addition to the restaurants," said John Kilduff, president of American Nevada Company, the developer, builder and management company for The District. "We've been very pleased with the crowds."

Last weekend The District hosted flamenco guitarist Ricardo Griego and reggae and calypso band Island Thyme.

Upcoming acts include: Latin and pop cover band Angelstar (tonight); the Nicolas Cole Trio, fronted by crooner Nicolas Cole (Saturday); country duo Too Close (July 2); Island Thyme (July 3); acoustic duo Michael Soli and Anne Donohue (July 9) and contemporary jazz outfit Yacht Club (July 10).

"The concept is to offer a variety of music that would appeal to a broad range of tastes," Kilduff said. "We're trying to provide some entertainment while people are shopping and eating. As the word gets out, we seem to have more and more people showing up."

The District's live music nights are booked through the end of July, and Kilduff said the event will continue "as long as there is a demand for it."

"Right now we're still experimenting obviously, but as long as people enjoy it and they continue to come out to listen we will continue doing it," Kilduff said.

Mountain music

Locals familiar with the once-popular "Lee Canyon Rhythm & Blues Festival" at Mount Charleston are likely making plans to drive north once again when live music returns to the venue on Saturday.

Renamed "Music on the Mountains," the daylong festival is scheduled to take place four times this summer at the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort. Dates are this Saturday, July 10, July 24 and Aug. 8.

On the first bill: blues-rock outfit the Spellcasters; local swing band Ken Levine and Jump, Jive & Wail; veteran local blues combo John Earl & The Boogie Man Band, Cincinnati blues-rocker Kelly Richey and renowned blues vocalist/ harpist Curtis Salgado.

Future acts run the gamut stylistically, from Beatles cover band the Fab and bluesman Coco Montoya to several groups specializing in country and zydeco music.

"We promote all different styles of music that are indigenous to the Americas," said John Earl Williams, who promotes and books the event with his wife, Shirley.

"We've got a little bit of everything. We've got blues, swing, Latin, zydeco, country, bluegrass ... "

Performers will play from a 20-foot-by-30-foot outdoor deck atop the ski chalet, with concertgoers invited to spread out along three ski trails fanning up the mountain from the lodge.

"It's the perfect setup for the talent and for the customers to come and sit, either on a blanket or a beach chair," Brian Strait, general manager of the resort, said.

Scenic chairlift rides will be available throughout the festival, and the resort's bar and grill will also be open for business.

"We were eager to bring the music back in conjunction with opening the resort up for summer operations again," Strait said. "Ultimately, we want to be known as a mountain resort and not just a ski and snowboard resort."

Music is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. through approximately 5:30 p.m. Admission is $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and under. Discounts of $2 per ticket are available for active and reserve military and police and fire personnel.

"It's so fantastic up there -- so beautiful and so much cooler than down here," Williams said. "People can really come up there and relax."