Fremont Street Experience is a bangin’ good time, and we’re not just talking about what’s on stage.
“We are banging the drum of value, all the time, down here,” FSE President Cliff Atkinson says. “We can’t bang that drum enough.”
The exec may as well play the keyboard, strum the guitar, and shake the tambourine, as “90s House Party” returns July 25. The no-cover show was a massive success in April, drawing about 10,000 over its run across three stages over seven hours.
This time around, the festival is split into three genres, which means we’ll have more grunge on FSE. Main Street Stage is the Grunge platform; 1st Street Stage is the Pop deck and 3rd Street Stage is the Country setting.
Every stage opens with a DJ-hosted Downtown Request Live set from 5-8 p.m. The band list is as follows:
— Alter Ego from 8-11 p.m. and Dr. Rock from 11 p.m.-2 a.m. at Main Street Stage.
— 90s Station from 8-11 p.m. and Block Party from 11 p.m.-2 a.m. at 1st Street Stage.
— Tony Marques Band from 8 p.m.-11 p.m. and Dr. Bling 11 p.m.-2 a.m.
This roster is a veritable buffet of covers, in multiple styles.
“The way it’s set up, you can just walk from stage to stage and stop at whatever you like, stay or move on,” Atkinson says, noting that Marques, 90s Station and Dr. Rock were fan favorites at the April.
The requisite convoy of culinary vehicles will roll to this festival. The Food Truck Village will be set up on 3rd Street North, sharing the neighborhood with photo opps, custom airbrush and iron-on patch stations (these custom items are great Christmas gifts for out-of-towners, BTW).
Atkinson and the FSE resort operators are bracing for another popular no-cover music event, Downtown Rocks, on Saturday night. Sleeping With Sirens takes the 3rd Street Stage
The Downtown Rocks Summer Concert Series continues Saturday, July 11, as Sleeping With Sirens takes the 3rd Street Stage at Fremont Street Experience. The rockers from Orlando have issued their personal favorite, “If You Can’t Hang” (which we have subtitled, “Stop Reading Now”).
Another packed crowd is expected in that series, which opened in 2017 and is only expanding its fan base.
“The diversity in entertainment is important to us,” Atkinson says. “We have hotels that hit all the price points, entertainment that appeals to a wide variety of visitors, and when something works, like Downtown Rock and the ‘90s House Party,’ we run it back again.”
Cool Hang Alert
Remaining on Fremont Street, Rush Lounge at Golden Nugget continues its Thursday through Saturday live-entertainment schedule. SJ & The Ruckus is up next on Friday, March 5, on Saturday and High Rocktane on Sunday. Shows run 9 p.m.-1 a.m., no cover, and if there is a roped-off area, that’s reserved for one Tilman Fertitta. He owns the place.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.