When Phish comes to town the entire Lake Tahoe Basin is inundated with its fans.
The Vermont jam band will return for a pair of midweek shows Tuesday and Wednesday, July 30-31, which sold out in record time. Hundreds more fans who failed to catch Phish tickets will listen to the show from the parking lot behind the Horizon Casino Resort. It will cost a reported $30 to take a vehicle into the lot.
Phish shows are long, but the Tahoe shows begin early, 6:30 p.m., and the entire Stateline Casino Corridor will have after-party concerts featuring music from myriad genres.
“I think it’s great that Phish is coming back now that we know about Phish,” Harrah’s and Harveys Director of entertainment John Packer said. “The first time out (two years ago) we weren’t too sure. We knew who they were, of course, and that they were a great band but we weren’t sure about 9,000 people a day descending upon the place. But it was great. The Phish fans are just terrific fans, real music lovers. So we were really happy when they wanted to come back after being here just two years ago.
Using the name the Meter Men, three of the four original Meters will play Tuesday in Harrah’s Lake Tahoe South Shore Room. The show is tentatively slated to begin at 11:30 p.m. Tickets are $55.
The Meters are a highly influential funk band from New Orleans. Bandleader and keyboardist Art “Papa Funk” Neville is replaced this week by John Gros, of the band Papa Grows Funk, the Monday house band in NOLA’s Maple Leaf.
Guitarist Leo Nocentelli has returned to the group after a several year hiatus. Zigaboo Modelisti is on drums and George Porter Jr. is the man on the bass.
MontBleu’s after-parties have two bands at opposite ends of the musical spectrum. Greensky Bluegrass plays in Blu Nightclub on Tuesday and it’s trip-hop’s Emancipator on Wednesday in the Opal Lounge. Both are tentatively set to start at 11 p.m. and are $25 in advance, $30 at the door.
Devil Dog Productions will bring four bands into two Horizon rooms each night. Newgrass pioneer Sam Bush will be in Room 1 with Polecat, and Room 2 has pop-rock-jam giants ALO and Magic Gravy. On Wednesday Room 1 has the funky Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe with the Pimps of Joytime. Bluegrass heroes Hot Buttered Rum will be joined onstage by Allie Kral of Cornmeal. Poor Man’s Whiskey opens the night. The Horizon shows are listed for 10:30 p.m. starts. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door.
Lake Tahoe Summer Concert Series
- Phish, Tuesday and Wednesday, July 30-31 SOLD OUT
- FUN. with Tegan and Sara ($49.50, reserved seating) on Tuesday, Aug. 27
- Brad Paisley with Chris Young and Lee Brice ($135 general admission, $135-$69.50 reserved seating) on Friday, Aug. 30
- Dave Matthews and Gary Clark Jr., Wednesday, Sept. 4. SOLD OUT
- Journey with TBA, $59.50-$199.50, Saturday, Sept. 14
