‘A real concert,’ Vegas rock show ‘27’ comes of age

Over the past week, “27 — A Musical Adventure” passed the two-month people astatine 24 Oxford astatine Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. And, we besides marked the 10th day of the decease of Amy Winehouse, 1 of the stone icons honored successful the stone production.

The amusement has conscionable moved to Sunday matinee performances, 3 p.m. shows paired with their 8:30 p.m. starts. Producer Ramy El-Batrawi is coming up with inventive selling schemes (look skyward arsenic the somesthesia drops) and besides seeking a “27” offshoot successful San Francisco.

Led by euphony manager Erik Himel, the amusement continues its portrayals of the “27 club” of departed rockers, with John Bigham arsenic Robert Johnson, Adi Argelazi arsenic Janis Joplin, Nazim Chambi arsenic Jimi Hendrix, Toby Rand arsenic Jim Morrison, Gabe Maska arsenic Kurt Cobain, and Lea Cappelli arsenic Winehouse. Along with Himel, the set is filled retired with rockers Jimmy Khoury connected guitar, Adam Peri connected keys, Jake Hayden connected drums and Victor Brodén connected bass.

We precocious caught up with Himel, who was big and shaper “The Sunset Jam” unrecorded euphony acquisition astatine The Viper Room successful L.A. for 5 years earlier mounting up “27” successful Vegas. The highlights:

John Kats: How has the amusement progressed conscionable arsenic a unrecorded accumulation acquisition since you opened 2 months ago?

Erik Himel: One happening I’ve noticed, having seen immoderate different shows — I won’t notation the show’s I’ve seen — the effect from radical has been that they are truthful impressed that everything is live. There are nary tracks. We’ve recovered our groove, conscionable arsenic a band, implicit the past 2 months. We person made a connection that way. It is simply a existent concert.

Kats: But often successful Las Vegas, arsenic I expect you person learned, conscionable due to the fact that you person a large philharmonic merchandise doesn’t mean you volition merchantability tickets. What person you learned astir that process?

Himel: I deliberation the biggest happening I’ve learned astir is word-of-mouth. I person talked to truthful galore people. I person not heard a atrocious reappraisal of the show, ever. I’ll beryllium successful Macy’s, and idiosyncratic volition archer maine they saw that show, and has thing but large things to say. Obviously we privation to spot things physique overnight, but we are gathering for the agelong haul based connected however connection of rima is spreading.

Kats: We spot “27” each implicit outdoor advertising. What are immoderate of the selling concepts you’re moving on?

Himel: We’re reasoning of thing caller each week. Once the somesthesia drops to nether 100 degrees, we’re going to beryllium flying an airplane implicit Las Vegas with a banner for 2 weeks straight. You can’t alert those types of planes implicit a definite temperature, but we are truly reasoning extracurricular the container with antithetic selling tactics. We are accepting nary decision successful that regard.

Kats: Ramy is simply a precise originative guy.

Himel: He has spent 20, 30 years selling things. He helped with the selling of “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus” (which has sold 15 cardinal copies). He knows however to market, and knows what radical want. We’re adjacent talking astir branding his backstage plane, his MD-80, with “27.”

Kats: The amusement has gone from afloat seated astatine 24 Oxford to much standing-room ticketing successful the club. Why is that?

Himel: Having seen what’s going connected with the crowd. We evidently privation to beryllium astatine 100-capacity, sold-out shows, but we’re inactive gathering to that. I’ve really tweaked the seating truthful determination is simply a large lasting section, but besides assigned seating for those who privation to sit, which is simply a constricted fig of seats. But the reserved seating, the lasting country and VIP has worked truly well.

Kats: “27” started successful L.A., and moved to Vegas. Are determination ideas for expanding the amusement to different cities?

Himel: We’re already playing daytime shows Saturday successful San Francisco, for a imperishable residency, arsenic well, astatine the Milk Bar successful Haight-Ashbury. We’ll spot however it goes, but we deliberation determination is an assemblage for the amusement there.

Kats: How bash you support your musicianship crisp erstwhile you are playing the aforesaid acceptable database each night?

Himel: I’ll archer you a small secret, immoderate of the songs are truly structured, but a fewer songs I person originative state and effort caller things each night. Jimmy, our different guitar player, told maine the different night, “I played everything antithetic contiguous than I person successful immoderate different show.” We ever find ways, arsenic musicians, to support it absorbing and fresh.

Kats: Generally, how’s Vegas been treating you?

Himel: I’m loving it. I person nary complaints. Not adjacent the heat. The locals are friendly. We person large restaurants. It’s been really amazing.

Kats: You spot yourself present for the agelong term?

Himel: I anticipation so. I person zero involvement successful going backmost to California. I cognize this is Ramy’s passionateness task and helium has nary plans for it to spell anyplace for years. We privation Vegas to beryllium our location basal for rather immoderate time.

John Katsilometes’ file runs regular successful the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast tin beryllium recovered astatine reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him astatine jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats connected Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 connected Instagram.