Local acts hold own at music fest

"What is this?" asked the dude who looked like a cross between John C. Reilly and Potsie from "Happy Days," shortly after playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on kazoo.

It was a fair question, posed by the singer/drummer for Irish-inflected rockabilly trio Craic Haus on Saturday night at the Las Vegas Country Saloon, where he pondered the diversity of the evening's lineup, which marked day three of the Neon Reverb music fest.

"We've got Americana, cowpunk, Shamrockabilly ... and a hint of beer," he noted.

Well, maybe more than a hint, judging from the drunken fella in the kilt bouncing around the room like a bullet ricocheting off some aluminum siding, but it was a moment that encapsulated the weekend: from guys in giant foam cowboy hats bashing out Dwarves-esque rippers (The Mapes' awesomely over-the-top set at the Thunderbird Lounge on Friday night) to wayward, spine-tingling jams buffered with warm, multipart harmonies (Akron/Family's inspired improv at the Aruba on Friday) to a rootsy honky-tonk hellfire (Stampead's hair-flinging performance at the Country Saloon, also on Saturday), Neon Reverb was eclectic even by most music fest's standards.

Aside from some late-starting shows and a rash of people getting their cars towed near the Aruba (myself included), Neon Reverb mostly managed to build upon its promising start last September with a much bigger lineup that spanned some 80-plus bands and a broader array of venues.

One of the best things about the fest is how well some of the better Vegas acts are showcased along with national touring bands.

On March 12, the opening night of Neon Reverb, locals stole the show, beginning with a heart-in-the-throat set of indie pop bloodletting from A Crowd of Small Adventures at the Bunkhouse. Spirited electro experimentalists Ex-Dinosaur brought some divebombing beats to the Beauty Bar, complete with a dizzying cameo from MC Awkward. Then Pan De Sal, a favorite at Neon Reverb last time out, sealed the deal with their synchronized dance moves and shout outs to Emma Goldman.

Perhaps the highlight of it all came on Friday night when San Francisco trio Leopold and His Fiction fried synapses at the Aruba with an equally sublime and dense mapping of the shared terrain between funk and folk. Their tunes enveloped the crowd the way dusk swallows the sun.

From there, it would be another two days of marathon shows that went well into the early morning hours before Neon Reverb would close with dance punks Japanther Sunday night at the Beauty Bar.

The festivities are expected to return in late summer/early fall.

Maybe we'll be caught up on our sleep by then.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.