Flashback to the ’50s

The ladies: Tattooed and lovely, Jessica Rabbit and Rosie the Riveter types, all sculpted bangs, form-fitting muscle tees and gorgeous gowns that hug their curves so tightly, it's as if they were made of cellophane.

The dudes: Marlon Brando's glacier-cool in "The Wild One" is an obvious touchstone, as is the cast of "The Outsiders," lots of leather, Daddy-O T-shirts and hair slicker than an oil spill.

The music: The roots of rock 'n' roll, that '50s swagger and swing, often dominated by big, walking bass lines, lickety-split guitars and what sounds like a howlin' dog on the mic.

Taken together, it all serves as the bright, boozy bedrock of the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender, a time warp of a music festival now in its 13th go-round.

A raucous display of color and sound, case after case of Pabst Blue Ribbon, music all through the night, fashion, burlesque and car shows, Viva Las Vegas is a love letter to perhaps rock 'n' roll's greatest era.

Held at the Gold Coast for years, the event moved to The Orleans in 2009, where it returns this week.

"It felt different, but in a positive sort of way," says Tom Ingram, founder of Viva Las Vegas, of the switch in venues. "The Gold Coast, though it was a great place to do it, we just outgrew the hotel."

Now drawing thousands of fans from all over the world, Viva Las Vegas is defined in large part by a communal vibe that makes it feel like one big freewheeling family reunion. It's an immersive experience, with lots of attention to detail: The threads are vintage, rare vinyl can be found in the expansive vendors area and everything has the aura of bygone times preserved in amber.

Though the weekend is based on the music, it extends far beyond seeing a bunch of bands play, as the Viva masses come to the event to commingle with fellow rockabilly die-hards as much as anything else.

It's a lifestyle more than a form of music for a lot of attendees, dictating everything from the cars they drive to the clothes they wear.

And Ingram takes pains to maintain a friendly, familial vibe throughout the weekend.

Unlike many fests of this nature, fans can bring cameras to the shows, water's cheap, there are in-and-out privileges in case anyone needs to get a break from the festivities and a loose atmosphere hangs about it all.

It's all enabled Viva Las Vegas to continually grow, and this year, it boasts its most impressive lineup yet.

Ingram's landed his biggest headliner in duck-walkin' rock 'n' roll forebear Chuck Berry. Berry's female counterpart, pioneering rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson, also is performing, as are doo-wop favorites The Teenagers and Rockabilly Hall of Famer Rudy Tutti Grayzell.

More than 50 other acts are set to play various venues at The Orleans, including plenty of contemporary scenesters such as Big Sandy and Flyrite Boys, The Chop Tops and Eve Hell.

It's easily Viva Las Vegas' most ambitious bill yet.

"I deliberately went for a much stronger lineup," Ingram says. "With the whole recession and everything, people are having a harder time with money, so, first of all, I wanted to make sure that they got good value. When things are tough, if you cut back too much, you lose people. I felt that by going with a strong lineup, it would benefit the event. And that's what happened."

All-festival passes to Viva Las Vegas were snapped up weeks ago, but single-day tickets to events such as the car show, where Berry is playing, still are available.

So just how big is the event going to be this year? Perhaps only the hairdos on display will be any bigger.

"This year's been a lot more work, not for any bad reasons, but for good reasons," Ingram says. "The event is so much bigger. It sold out weeks ago. That's never happened before."

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