Sources: Life is Beautiful seeks Plaza event
LIFE is Beautiful has a future downtown, and at a famous hotel-casino on 1 Main Street. Sources familiar with the festival’s plans indicate LIB owner Rolling Stone intends to stage the event at the Plaza this fall. Yet to be formally confirmed, tentative plans would be for a two- or threeday event as early as the last weekend in September, though the festival’s dates and duration are to be announced.
Plaza CEO Jonathan Jossel declined comment Sunday morning. Life is Beautiful’s website has announced only that it would return to downtown this September.
The new Life is Beautiful would take over all of the Plaza’s outdoor property. The hotel covers about 20 acres, including its surface parking and adjacent garage, Core Arena and the parcel formerly home to the Greyhound bus station. Reportedly, the annex could handle a festival crowd of 30,000.
The hotel is also home to a classically appointed showroom. LIB has staged comedy shows and discussion events in small venues during previous festivals. Extensive food programming also has been a signature LIB experience.
It is not certain the next LIB event will feature culinary or even a significant art exhibit program this year. But a big outdoor concert festival is doable.
The Plaza has established an art identity downtown with mural work by contemporary artist Shepard Fairey. The iconic, 53-year-old, hotel-casino has reshaped its image over the past several years, by commissioning Fairey’s work, establishing the swiftly familiar Carousel Bar and partnership with Pinkbox Doughnuts, and advancing its dozen outdoor pickle-ball courts.
The hotel was even the backdrop for the U2 “Atomic City” video shoot in September.
The event has annually been staged on 18 blocks in downtown Las Vegas, though that staging plan is not announced for ’24. Sources indicate the move to the Plaza is the last chance for LIB to perform downtown.
Other sites, such as Las Vegas Festival Grounds, have been mentioned (for many years, actually) as a staging area for the event.
Life is Beautiful was founded in 2013 in a partnership with Tony Hsieh and San Francisco promoter Another Planet. Rolling Stone, a subsidiary of Penske Media, purchased controlling interest in the festival in February 2022. The ’24 event is the first in which Rolling Stone is the sole owner.
LIB celebrated its 10th anniversary this past September. Fittingly, Vegas rockers The Killers were among the headliners, alongside Kendrick Lamar, ODESZA and Flume. Khalid, The 1975, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Omar Apollo and
Kim Petras were among the top acts playing over three days and nights. Artists from Cirque du Soleil; the casts of Blue Man Group, Jabbawockeez and Magic Mike Live; and headliners Piff the Magic Dragon and Tape Face were also featured.
Manilow makes it happen
Chaparral High School’s marching band was about $25,000 short of its goal to represent our state at the National Independence Day Parade in Washington on (checks calendar) July 4.
“Was” is the operative word. When Barry Manilow heard the band was facing a shortfall for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he donated the balance through his Manilow Music Fund. Manilow actually sent word during his show on March 11, when members of the band were in attendance at his show at Westgate.
The pop superstar had originally pledged a $5K donation when he heard of the band’s grandiose effort to raise $80K for the trip. So Chap High’s band is heading to D.C., and we cue “Could It Be Magic.”
Might we recommend …
Brody Dolyniuk’s latest effort, The Peter Gabriel Project, is more than a concert. It’s a multimedia experience. That’s Dolyniuk’s commitment and we believe the founder of the great classic-rock band Yellow Brick Road and several rock-symphony shows that have toured and played the Smith Center for more than a decade.
The Gabriel show debuts May 4 at Sunset Station’s Club Madrid; ducats at Ticketmaster.com. Get there.
Great Moments in Social Media
The person who looked like Flavor Flav on the bucking bull at Saddle Ranch Chop House on Sunset Road on Saturday night … Was. The crowd called out, “Flavor Flaaaaaav!” during his go on the bull, which was about 30 seconds, according to Flav’s clock-necklace.
“The new Cowboy Carter,” is how the hip-hop legend described the very slow turn on the mechanical beast. Check it on his @Flavorflav Instagram Reels post.
Cool Hang Alert
We’re going to a go-go at The Space for the music of the Rolling Stones, being featured at Mondays Dark at 8 p.m. Monday, of course. A benefit for the Pharar Foundation, which provides dental services to cancer patients. A good chance to catch the Sin City Stones tribute band, which takes this music seriously.