More than 75 diverse acts playing Neon Reverb music fest

This place didn't exist when Neon Reverb first started, nor did the ultra-lounge a few doors down or the well-packed video game bar next to it.

Sitting in the Beat coffeehouse on a recent Tuesday evening, James Woodbridge, a philosophy professor at UNLV by day, a show promoter and Vegas music scene fixture by night, marvels at the growth of the downtown arts district since the debut of the music and culture festival that he founded with partners Thirry Harlin and Jason Aragon in 2008.

The whole point of Neon Reverb was to help catalyze this growth, but now that it's actually happened, it's steadily raised the expectations for the twice-a-year fest.

"It actually puts a fair amount of pressure on us," says Woodbridge, attempting to speak over the din of a trivia competition taking place across the room. "If you think back to what the initial Neon Reverb was, it was a little pub crawl with 40 bands, where a couple of bands would play one place and then the whole crowd would move to another place. The idea of going to a bunch of different places in one night was this amazing idea, because that just didn't happen downtown.

"That's every single weekend now," he continues. "So, to keep Neon Reverb relevant and special, it requires stepping it up."

At Neon Reverb's previous go-round, last September, the lack of sponsorship help to defray costs resulted in a heightened focus on Vegas and regional acts.

It was still a blast but didn't quite pack of the buzz of previous events.

But this time, with locally based online shoe and apparel company Zappos onboard to help out financially, Neon Reverb has landed some bigger national headliners once again and assembled a deep, diverse roster of more than 75 acts who will be performing at a variety of downtown venues today and Saturday (for a full schedule, log on to www.neon reverb.com).

There's still plenty of room for more growth for the festival, with Woodbridge acknowledging the need for more sponsors.

But while Neon Reverb might not yet be profitable monetarily speaking, it is in other ways.

"What's important to us is that the people who live here have something that they consider theirs," Woodbridge says, "that they can take some pride in, 'Hey, this is what Vegas has.' "

Speaking of which, here are but a few potential Neon Reverb highlights this weekend:

■ Their new album is called "Leavin'."

Where is Dude City goin'?

Wherever they please, just follow the trail of empty bottles and spent munitions.

The band's raw-throated, hot-blooded rock 'n' roll shakes like the DTs and is the best thing to come out of Boulder City since the Powder Monkey Pilsner.

The band's Neon Reverb gig doubles as the CD release gig for "Leavin'," which you need.

That, and a beer, its natural accompaniment.

Get both at 11:30 p.m. today at the Bunkhouse, 124 S. 11th St. Tickets are $12; call 384-4536.

■ Check out the Saturday night dance show at the Beauty Bar's outdoor patio, a Neon Reverb staple, and chances are, you'll see some under-21 types in the back alley, watching the festivities from afar, not being old enough to enter the gig.

Now, the (dance) party is coming to them via an all-ages show at newly opened outdoor venue the Junkyard.

Headlined by the helium-buoyant synth pop of Neon Reverb returnees Yacht, the bill also boasts the dance floor kerosene of VHS or Beta, San Diego electro subverts Jamuel Saxon and, from Vegas, indie-pop wunderkind and can't-miss live act Kid Meets Cougar and the beat-slingin' Totescity. The show starts at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Junkyard, 708 S. 1st St. Tickets are $15.

■ OK Sweetheart cast a spell over the last installment of Neon Reverb with equally pretty and pained pop that pendulumed between heartache and resolve. Singer-songwriter Erin Austin commandeered the piano in the lobby of the Royal Resort on a Saturday night after electrifying the Beauty Bar the evening before and stripped her songs down to their bare elements, namely, her warm, come hither voice and plenty of longing. Expect more of the same at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Beat Coffeehouse, 520 Fremont St. Show is free; call 385-2328.

■ You know those urban tales about those creeps who allegedly stick razor blades in apples and then hand them out to kids on Halloween?

Well, that's kind of what Vegas' coed Candy Warpop does, utilizing rock 'n' roll instead of fruit. Imbedding a melodic psychedelic buzz with some serious guitar bite, the quartet manages to be equally catchy and cutting. See them at 1 a.m. Saturday night at the Aruba, 1215 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Tickets are $10; call 383-3100.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.