It might’ve been the 10th annual Wine Amplified festival; but it was my first – and it was fantastic!  Two nights spent rocking-out to great bands, at the Las Vegas Village, with more wines and craft beers than you could drink, with two livers!

There was the New Amsterdam Speakeasy, where I had a refreshing “Moscow Mule,” and listened to the Black Donnelys.  There was the RVLTN Rave Cave, where DJs played the de rigueur EDM music (no Las Vegas nightlife experience seems to be complete without it…).  I even found a libation that both wet my whistle and struck my fancy!  Three cheers for Small Town Brewery’s Not Your Father’s Root Beer – a spicy craft beer that (in the version they were pouring, at Wine Amplified) was 10.7% alcohol, which is a particularly high octane level for any beverage.  Best of all, it tasted like what it claimed to be – root beer?  I can’t wait to try it in a very grown-up root beer float!

I spent most of the two nights with Wine Amplified founder, Chris Hammond, his wife, Kim; and Kay and Matt Maddox; vacillating between the front of stage, and backstage.  And I’ve gotta say – anytime you’ve got tents with air-conditioning and comfy sofas and open bars – sign me up!  Sure, I’m mostly gonna be drinking water and Diet Coke; but I’ll be one very happy camper.

While I always give props to anyone who can get up, on stage, in front of thousands of screaming people and have them chanting and cheering and singing along – there were two bands, each night, that I think more than earned their respective propers.  On Friday, that was both Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, and Passion Pit; and on Saturday, it was Fitz and the Tantrums and 50 Cent with G-Unit.

I’d never heard (nor heard of) Andrew McMahon, until Friday night, when Kay Maddox texted me to get my ass up to the front of the stage, and join her.  I’m so glad I did, because McMahon’s energy was infectious and he put on a show that ended with him walking across the keys of his piano!  Passion Pit (who I’d last seen at the first Life is Beautiful festival, in 2013) was terrific, and Michael Angelakos was his usual nerve-tingling burst of kinetic energy.  Also, McMahon and Angelakos were kind enough to pose for a photo, backstage (which I appreciated, greatly).

Saturday, I was reminded that Fitz and the Tantrums (who first came into my sights when Judy Stone hired them to perform at The Shops at Crystals, for Fashion’s Night Out, in 2011) is one of the most wonderful bands to watch live, because they just love to perform.  Noelle Scaggs is the utter personification of the term “soul vixen” and between her amazing vocals, hip-banging tambourine, sexy dance moves, and fierce attitude, she’s all that and a bowl o’ grits!  I especially enjoyed James King’s virtuosity on the saxophone.  And Michael Fitzpatrick – well, it’s his band, and rightfully so.

And then, along came Fi’ty…  All day, I’d been joking to anyone who’d listen, that were I to meet the urban megastar, I’d play it as white-bread as possible, and refer to him as “Mr. Cent” (just for my own amusement).  When the moment came, he looked at me like he wasn’t sure if I was an idiot or a crazy person (arguments can and have been made for both).  But then he snapped to, told me he just wanted to pop into his trailer and change clothes (after an hour onstage, in leather pants, who could blame him?), but would come out for a photo, in a couple of minutes.  And he did. 

The cashless payment system worked even more smoothly than I’d expected; and from a festival-goer’s perspective, all of the operations ran beautifully.  And just because I hadn’t utilized their services, in Las Vegas, yet; I used Uber to get to and from the festival, on Saturday night – and it was a snap! 

Now I’m just left wondering what the next decade has in store for Wine Amplified.  I know it’s gonna be loads of fun finding out!

Wine Amplified 2015
Las Vegas Village
Click HERE for info

Get into it!