Nurse NIkki's Neon Nightcrawl - Saturday August 31 and Sunday Sept 1, 2019

Nurse Nikki's Neon Nightcrawl by Nikki Ruffling

Saturday, August 31st – Becky Lynn Blanca, Cherry Rat and Shanda and The Howlers at Sand Dollar Lounge

Tonight, I headed down to the Sand Dollar Lounge to see a triple lady-lead line up of Wild Records’ Becky Lynn Blanca and Shanda and The Howlers, as well as Hot Jail band Cherry Rat. Sand Dollar has been many incarnations through the years, but now is a place for great shows and a comfortable atmosphere. First up was Becky Lynn Blanca of Los Blancos, out of LA. Becky is touring doing some solo shows, and she just came off a very successful European tour with her band and solo. She hit Vegas Friday at the Golden Tiki and was here tonight to give us a dose of good blues infused /bluegrass. She played a lovely banjo-uke and let her vocals do the talking (no pun intended). This was my fist time seeing her solo, as I have seen her at previous Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekenders with her band. She is gritty, smoky and sultry with a great sense of Louisiana Blues in her lyrics and vocal style. She was engaging to the crowd, and always smiling. Truly seeming to enjoy her time on stage. Her songs were toe-tapping and fun, and as a mandolin player, I found her music to fit not only in with the Rockabilly genre, but also, she could hold her own in a bluegrass line up. While this may have been her first trip to Vegas solo, she rocked the house and I was told by DJ Rex Dart to not miss her. I was glad I was there! She continues to tour and will be back in Europe in fall. Check her out on Facebook and Instagram!

 Next up was Portuguese-now-Vegas-locals Cherry Rat. Cherry is backed up by a great guitarist, Lee Jack, and a thumping rhythm section of upright bassist Kavera, and Las Vegas local Kirk Highberger (Delta Bombers, Stagnetti’s Cock). With a new album coming out soon, Cherry and the boys hit the stage with some new tunes infused with some covers. A swinging Rockabilly band, Cherry’s vocals are on point. They mix well with the musical sensibilities of the band, and she engages the audience to come out to the dance floor and let loose. Midway through their set, Kavera had technical issues with his upright (very rare) and yet the band recovered well and continued with barely a pause in beat. They have also played at Viva, and Cherry also provides customer service and modeling for local shop, Rockin Bettie. They fully embrace the Rockabilly culture and whenever the band plays, it is always a good time. The band is going to be releasing their new album soon, and this is a band that is sure to fire up the scene both here and abroad. They performed well and had a packed crowd jiving and dancing through their whole set.

 Headlining the night was Shanda and The Howlers. Led by another strong lady- Shanda Cisneros - the band is a powerhouse of musicians and singer who have a long history of musicianship. Shanda started the Howlers many moons ago (I remember seeing her at The Griffin in 2013?) and she is backed up by bassist Luke Metz (Holy Smokes, Lucky Cheats), Trevor Johnson (The Swinging Johnsons, Jeff Mix and the Songhearts, backing guitar for the likes of Buddy Guy), Joe Rayhill on sax, and alternating drummers Joshua Miller and tonight’s Turbo Proctor. Shanda and the guys are fresh off their first European tour with Wild Records, and they are blazing the way for success. They are a bluesy, rockabilly, swampy bowl of goodness. Powerful singing, powerful lyrics, and powerful musicianship. Also, veterans of Viva, Shanda and the Howlers provided tunes tonight off their first album, Trouble, and their newest endeavor, Hurt For Me. Soulful and poignant, the band provides heartache, loss and hope as only a great band can. Shanda and the Howlers power through a masterful set and the crowd was ready for more. Only great things can be in store for this great band, and their approachability and kindness are icing on the cake. Tonight, was definitely an all-star line up of great Rockabilly and Bluesy Soul that makes your night complete.

 Sunday September 1st – Fuck Face- Island Bar and Grill

Since Monday was a holiday, which meant no work for me, I headed down to the local watering hole and up and coming venue for local talent, Island Bar and Grill. A huge place, they are known for affordable drinks and a great selection of eats at a bargain price. Sundays are a showcase brought by “Messy” Jessie Moinichen of local bands. Jessie is a veteran Vegas bartender, and she has had success with her own punk band, Knuckle Fist Cunt Shit. Now behind the bar at Island, Jessie brings in the bands and has a great attitude about promoting local music. Tonight, the band was Fuck Face, headed up by Double Down bartender- Brent Balu (Butters). His band has played a few shows, but this was my first time seeing them. Backed up by drummer Ryan, guitarist Erik, and bassist Alex, the band pulls no punches. Right off the cuff, they are in your face and a great combination of punk, a little rockabilly and rock mixed in for good measure. Brent is a true performer, engaging the audience and encouraging moshing, the Island turned into a punk bar extravaganza. The band is very fluid and tight, great rhythm beats and great guitar work. They did a few covers and did songs off their new CD that is released on the media platforms. They came prepared with merch and that was impressive to me. They were fun, aggressive, quirky and authentic. It would be hard to partner them with any one band, they are unique. I am looking forward to catching them again in November at the Double Down. They had a great crowd and are an up and coming band to check out on Facebook and Instagram. It was the perfect end to a music weekend!