Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Music in casinos meant to be heard, not pondered

RED ROCK

Jet

Coldplay

Black Eyed Peas

Kelly Clarkson

Counting Crows

Sugar Ray

Blondie

BELLAGIO

Shakira

U2

Nelly Furtado

Justin Timberlake

Everything But The Girl

Norah Jones

THE WYNN

Corinne Bailey Rae

Hooverphonic

Seal

Dido

Bebel Gilberto

Frank Sinatra

GENERIC BLEND

Paul McCartney

Erasure

Tracy Chapman

Patsy Cline

No Doubt

R.E.M.

Elton John

Sting

The Beatles

Elvis Presley

It starts with a familiar guitar twang, evocative of long hair and incense.

You're walking down rows of slot machines, listening to the Youngbloods croon, "Come on people now, smile on your brother," and you're wondering whether this is what it all came to, all the communes, marches, rap sessions, free love and brotherly love, all of it now background to ding-ding-ding and a slot machine that shouts, "WHEEL OF FORTUNE!"

What the heck? Who picks this stuff?

Those are questions the people behind the multimillion-dollar-a-year piped-in music industry hope no one ever asks about their "aural architectures" and "audio brand imaging." People are supposed to hear the music, says Joel Oltyan, who programs the music for Red Rock Resort, but not pay attention to it.

"We don't want them to notice a song and think, 'Why are they playing that?' " Oltyan said in an e-mail. "Tapping toes and fingers, smiles, singing along, that's how we want them to notice."

Like cool, oxygenated air, constant lighting and a lack of clocks, the music is there to keep people in the casino and gambling.

If it seems like it's the music of the '60s that is getting strip-mined and cyanide-leached in casino pits, that's because it's the musical gold standard. Most areas in most casinos aren't catering to one generation, says Leanne Flask, who, like Oltyan, works at one of the largest providers of piped-in tunes, DMX Music.

"The kids these days, they know who the Rolling Stones are, and the 60-year-olds know who the Rolling Stones are. If you have songs that are familiar and comfortable, that's the biggest thing for getting people to linger," Flask says. "Whereas if you were all of the sudden playing world music for Middle America, forget it. They'd leave And it's got to be not too highbrow, but also not so redneck - like country - that it would drive mainstream people out."

Here, Flask is speaking of a hypothetical, middle-of-the-road casino, a soundtrack not unlike those of neighborhood bars and sit-down burger joints. The formula here is classic rock and soul, supplemented by Top 40 hits of the '80s and '90s. But casinos, and megaresorts in particular, like to have custom playlists, music designed to attract the type of customer they want - and keep out the type they don't.

At the Wynn, a place with an on-site Ferrari dealer, neither Lynard Skynard nor Snoop Dogg is likely to be heard. Instead: opera. Aesthetically speaking, it's pitched rich. Paris Las Vegas tends to sound like Edith Piaf meets Astrud Gilberto. And so on down the Strip. But even at the customized casinos, none of it is going to push listeners too much. All ages, if not all income levels, should feel comfortable.

Unlike casinos, clothing retailers tend to aim for narrower demographics. Abercrombie & Fitch defines itself (musically, we're not talking about the preppie clothes or risque advertising) with loud, energetic dance music, leaving its competitors to slice up pop, R&B and all the rest. Casinos are more like supermarkets: Tastes may vary, but everybody's got to eat. Or gamble.

At Red Rock, Oltyan says, his casino playlists skew a bit newer for an "upbeat, cool and hip vibe." (The music is different in the resort's restaurants, spas and other "zones.") Musically, he says that means Gwen Stefani, U2 and Goldfrapp. He says that he's "sensitive to lyrics in all genres of music," meaning he would be concerned by any music with "powerful messages."

Casinos are not quite like supermarkets, though. Oh, sure, the gambling areas are, but modern megaresorts have more places to consider. The pool might be irrigated with reggae, while the Italian restaurant will croon to Frank and Dino, and the hip club of the moment will, depending on inclination, aim trance, dance or rap at its patrons.

At the MGM Grand, the music in the gambling areas is more of the classic everyman vein. Unlike other casinos, however, the MGM controls its own music instead of hiring a company like DMX. John Taylor, the MGM's sound manager, controls 28 different zones and their iTunes playlists from the computer in his office. The main casino's list has 12,321 songs on it, much of it classic rock, soul and Top 40 music. And it does have some Beatles on it, songs from the band's whole career: "Can't Buy Me Love," "I Am the Walrus" and "Revolution."

At least, though, John Lennon's "Imagine" isn't in there. But it's not because Taylor's sparing anyone's sensibilities.

"I don't see why we wouldn't play it," he says.

Well, but an anthem of peace and idealism and tolerance in a casino? Wouldn't it be a bit crass? And do you really want gamblers to "imagine no possessions"?

(It's easy, if you try.)

"Huh," Taylor says. "I've never thought of it that way."

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