Lavish Green will show Lake Tahoe some love on Friday night with a free concert at the Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
In July, the band celebrated its 20th anniversary of rockin’ Tahoe, delivering a memorable, packed performance at the Vinyl with its longtime friends Fishbone. This time it will be all Lavish. Doors open at 9 p.m. and the music flows until 11 p.m.
Lavish Green’s core members — frontman Chris Sanchez on trumpet and lead vocals, Joel Gruneich on guitar and Rob Wheeler on bass — have played together for two decades. They are joined by drummer Danny Barnes and, for this show, Seth Hall on saxophone and Denver Dean Pullin on trumpet.
A three-piece horn section will be a jam treat for fans and a “breath of fresh air, for sure” for Sanchez, who can let loose on vocals while Hall and Pullin still get brash on brass.
“We’ve had a lot of good rehearsals, we’re all warmed up and ready to go,” Sanchez told Tahoe Onstage.
It’s been a banner year for Lavish Green. In addition to the Vinyl show, which spilled into the early morning hours of July 4, South Shore’s favorite sons closed out the Live at Lakeview summer concert series in August. More than 2,000 people turned out for the beachfront show, which marked the City of Lake Tahoe’s 50th anniversary. A community birthday photo was captured that day by a buzzing drone.
Lately, though, Lavish has been laying low in the studio, working on songs for a new album with plans for a summer release. Fans may hear a new song Friday night.
“It’s new — really different, definitely fresh” the bandleader said of the music.
Sanchez has been writing lyrics and melodies “and the boys add their magic to whatever I give them,” he said.
The band last played at Jethro’s Bar and Grill in Gardnerville just before Christmas, a sold-out show that also featured added horns. Since then, it’s been steady work in a new jam room in Carson City — “going slow, but going good.”
New performances are on the horizon, a March 19 show on St Paddy’s Day weekend at the 7800 Bar and Grill at Kirkwood and a Cinco de Mayo show planned for Rojo’s in South Lake Tahoe, where the band played often in its early days: “Bringing it back to old school.”
The band’s motto is “Live. Love. Lavish,” and this Valentine’s Day weekend, Lavish Green will share those vibes at the Vinyl.
