When Paige Overton sang with the cowpunk quartet The Clydesdale, she performed at Brooklyn Bowl and during the Neon Reverb fest, and seemingly every other local venue and event. She has played her share of stages, but few compare to the setup of Blake Shelton’s new country bar and restaurant Ole Red.
“This is definitely different from anything I’ve experienced in this town,” says Overton, who fronts outlaw country band Paige and the Overtones and duo Opal and Turq. “I feel like we’re all kids again. It’s this new, buzzy, fun place and there’s a lot of camaraderie there.”
Overton is one of several local musicians who’ve been invited to play the Strip venue, and the feedback has been resoundingly positive. From the professionally staffed sound and lighting teams to the sprawling stage and lightning-fast stage breakdowns, she regards Ole Red as a true concert venue.
This new, high-profile home for live performance at the heart of the Strip should impact the local country music community, which, despite the popularity of the genre, only plays in a few local venues. Stoney’s Rockin’ Country at Town Square, Gilley’s at Treasure Island and Losers Bar at MGM Grand are among Vegas’ most prominent country bars and lounges.
“I don’t even know if it’s the lack of country bands, but sometimes I think it’s the lack of places that they fit,” Overton says. “I know bands that there’s only a few and far places that really embrace [country] so they have to drive all the way out to Pioneer Saloon to play, or the LeDoux that’s all the way over by Lake Las Vegas.
“I think it may encourage people to step out a little bit, but also it’s a breath of fresh air for people who already play this type of music and have their own little spot in the sun now.”
Ole Red senior talent buyer Marc Feldman says that’s precisely what this venue has set out to do here.
“We’re really giving the opportunity to plant a flag and give country music a home, and give some of the folks who live here, who truly are authentically country, a place to shine,” he says.
A big part of that has been encouraging musicians to play original music rather than what may be popular with Strip crowds. To Feldman, Ole Red is “the proudest stepping stone anyone could have in their career,” and artists are taking that seriously.
Local musician Zach Ryan, who spent eight years in Nashville before returning to Vegas, can attest to that. He often performs his twangy brand of ’60s and ’90s country at Ole Red.
“They treat you there like you’re the talent,” says Ryan. “Some places I’ve played, they’re herding me around and don’t give any breaks. In Nashville, we played about three hours and 45 minutes with no breaks, so someone would have to jump on the drums, which was usually me, while the drummer went to the bathroom.”
Transitioning from the shotgun bars of Nashville to Ole Red has been a “real treat,” he says. “A place like that is a place where you can come as a casual music country fan or a real country fan. It felt a step above Nashville.”
Ryan views Ole Red’s arrival as a sign of the times. He points to Beyoncé releasing Cowboy Carter—“Country music is becoming relevant again, and it’s not your grandpa’s music anymore,” he says. “It’s something young people identify with because so much of it just is talking about everyday problems.”
It’s also incredibly versatile. At Ole Red, Overton can lay on the Waylon Jennings and the Loretta Lynn.
“Sometimes if I’m feeling crazy I’ll even do ‘Stand By Your Man’ from Tammy Wynette, which is sometimes a show suicide because it’s slow, but I don’t give a sh*t,” she says. “It’s fun, and people are usually really into it.
“I hope we see this as a step in the right direction to really embrace more of our musicians in this town,” Overton says. “Let’s get the people paid to play and let them do what they love.”
OLE RED Grand Bazaar Shops at Horseshoe Las Vegas, 725-303-1818, olered.com. Sunday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 a.m.
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