Summerlin man finds voice as a solo act

Summerlin’s Josh Keating began performing music when he was 13 and has appeared with his father, Ken, both around town and in Branson, Missouri.

Now he is set to headline a show spanning numerous genres at 8:30 p.m. June 24 at the Suncoast.

Keating said that when he was ready to embark on a solo career, he learned that those who book acts had little time for a 19-year-old who had no track record on his own, not even a band to back him up.

He kept performing at small venues but couldn’t break into the bigger places that would add credibility to his resume.

In July 2015, Melissa Spina, community services manager who books acts for Starbright Theatre, gave him a break: his own booking, a one-night show. Spina said it was because “when I dealt with him and his father, even as young as he was, he was very talented, very professional, outgoing and I felt he could excel on his own. It was kind of a no-brainer for me.”

Keating used the performance to have a video made, costing $1,500. It showed him in action, an eight-piece band behind him and the audience reacting.

The video helped land Keating an agent, who got him booked on cruise ships. He said he has been to the Caribbean, South America and Canada with three cruise companies.

Now 25, he has a backup band and is writing his own contracts. What would he tell a 12- or 13-year-old just starting out, like he did?

“Don’t turn down a gig,” he said. “Exposure is key. You never know who (you’ll run into). Sometimes the connection you make can be invaluable … I grew up singing on the Suncoast stage, and it was such a dream to perform there. It took like 12 years to get to (headlining) there.”

Contact Jan Hogan at jhogan@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2949.